Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.'” —Luke 19:45–46

My wife Cathe and I are polar opposites when it comes to cleaning. My approach could be summed up by the procrastinator’s motto: Never do today what you could put off until tomorrow. Cathe’s approach is to constantly clean and organize so that over time, little messes don’t become big ones. Obviously, her approach is the better one.

In Luke 19, we find the story of Jesus’ cleaning the house of God as He went into the temple and drove out the moneychangers. These temple merchants were taking advantage of people and keeping them from God, and this angered Jesus.

This is the second time in Scripture when Jesus cleansed the temple. In the gospel of John, we read that He used a whip to drive out the moneychangers. Little messes turned into big messes, so Jesus arrived to clean house again.

I believe there is a parallel to our own lives. When we come to Christ initially, we ask for His forgiveness and He pardons us of all our iniquities. In fact, we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” What a wonderful thing it is to realize that God has forgiven us of all our sin. But as a little time passes, sometimes some of those old sins can find their way back into our lives. And that so-called “little” sin begins to grow and becomes a problem.

Does your temple need cleansing? Are there some things in your life that shouldn’t be there right now? Are there some vices, some bad habits that have found their way back into your life? If so, deal with them now. Don’t let little messes turn into big ones.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.—John 21:3

It was déjà vu time for the disciples. They had been fishing all night on the Sea of Galilee and hadn’t caught anything. The Lord had risen and had already appeared to some of the disciples. There were no clear marching orders, so they thought they would go back to what they knew how to do: fish. Now it was early in the morning, probably still dark. They saw a figure standing on the shore. “He called out, ‘Fellows, have you caught any fish?'” (John 21:5).

Throughout the Bible, God often asked probing questions when He wanted a confession. In the same way, Jesus was asking His disciples, “Did you catch anything? Have you been successful? Have things gone the way you had hoped they would go? Are you satisfied?”

Why did Jesus want them to admit their failure? So He could bring them to the place where they needed to be. When they cast the net on the right side of the boat as Jesus told them to, their net became so heavy with fish that they couldn’t pull it in. The Lord was teaching the disciples an important lesson: Failure often can be the doorway to real success.

We need to come to that point in our lives as well. We need to come and say, “Lord, I am not satisfied with the way my life is going. I am tired of doing it my way. I want to do it Your way.” If you will come to God like that, He will extend His forgiveness to you. Then He will take your life and transform it in ways you couldn’t imagine.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.—2 Chronicles 20:3

Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, faced a dilemma. His enemies greatly outnumbered him. To make matters worse, his enemies had joined forces with the other enemies of Israel and were coming to destroy him. One day, someone came to King Jehoshaphat and warned him that a gigantic army was headed his way, bent on his destruction. It was hopeless. There was no way that he could meet this army with what he had. He was going to be destroyed. What did Jehoshaphat do? The Bible says that he “set himself to seek the Lord.” He prayed, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chronicles 20:12 NKJV).

The Lord told Jehoshaphat, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you” (2 Chronicles 20:15–17 NKJV).

Jehoshaphat and his army went out to meet their enemies, but they put the worship team out front. The Bible says that when they began to sing and praise the Lord, the enemy started fighting among themselves and destroyed each other.

Maybe you are facing what seems like an impossible situation right now. You may not be able to see a way out. But God can. Call on Him. Then stand still and see what He will do.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.—Acts 9:27

Sometimes new Christians have a difficult time finding their way in their newfound faith. They need someone who will stand with them and love them.

A guy named Mark did this for me. After I came to Christ on my high school campus, no one came up to me afterward and said, “Now Greg, you are a brand-new Christian. We have this Bible here for you. You also need to start going to church.” Instead, the school bell rang, and I went back to class.

I went on with my plan for that weekend, which was to go off into the mountains and smoke dope. But as I was sitting out on a rock and getting ready to do this, I felt God was speaking to my heart and telling me I didn’t need to do that. Although I didn’t know how to pray, I asked God to make Himself real to me and to help me. And God answered that prayer.

When I returned to school on Monday, some guy named Mark, whom I had never seen before, walked up to me and introduced himself. He told me that he had seen me give my life to Christ at the Bible study on Friday. Then he invited me to church, and, in a very direct but loving way, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. So I went to church with Mark. I started hearing the Word of God, and my life started to change.

I didn’t need a Bible scholar. I didn’t need an evangelist. But I did need a friend. And that is what Mark was for me.

So here is my question for you: Can you be a friend to someone? Because our commission is not only to preach the gospel, but to make disciples.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer!—Acts 9:26

When Saul left Damascus, he returned to Jerusalem, where he had presided over the martyrdom of Stephen. Did he receive a hero’s welcome from his fellow believers? Did they hear he had become a believer and say, “The notorious Christian-killer, Saul, is one of us now. Let’s welcome him”?

No. They didn’t even believe he had been converted.

I wonder how many this is true of today. They come to Christ and attend church for the first time, and no one welcomes them. Maybe they get a cold shoulder from someone. Maybe they get a mean look. Maybe they wore the wrong T-shirt with the wrong slogan that day.

Come on. Can we be patient with people? Can we recognize that when someone is a new believer, they will be a little rough around the edges? What are we are expecting? I wonder if we have people like Saul who come into our churches and never make that transition.

In Saul’s life, that is where Barnabas came in. (By the way, the name Barnabas means “son of encouragement”). “Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus” (Acts 9:27).

Apparently Barnabas had some credibility with the apostles, because they seemed to accept what he had to say. He put it all on the line and backed Saul’s story because it was true.

We need more people like Barnabas today—people who know how to lift someone up, people who know how to comfort a person and motivate a person. That is what Barnabas did for Saul. And that is what we need to do as well.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”—Acts 9:17

A discovery every Christian eventually makes is who their real friends are. That is a discovery Saul of Tarsus made when he first became a follower of Christ. He had no real friends, but what he did have was a brother in Christ named Ananias. And in time, he would discover a whole new family.

Charles Swindoll, in his excellent book, Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit, writes, “Ananias has been called one of the forgotten heroes of the faith. Indeed he is. There are countless numbers of them serving Christ behind the scenes the world over.”

You see, with such men as Ananias doing their part, Saul could now do his. Acts 9:20–21 tells us, “And immediately [Saul] began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is indeed the Son of God!’ All who heard him were amazed. . . .”

They couldn’t believe that Saul of Tarsus was not only a believer, but now a preacher. And Saul quickly found out who his true friends and enemies were: “After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him” (verse 23).

God had been preparing Saul. Saul was ready for this job assignment. He was raised in a Roman city. He understood the thinking of the Roman mind. He was steeped in Greek culture, yet he was raised in a strict Jewish home. He was a powerful thinker and communicator. And now he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was a force to be reckoned with.

Ananias had never preached any sermons that we know of. We don’t know of any miracles that were performed through his hands. He never wrote an epistle. But he reached a man who did all of those things and much more. And if we had more Ananiases, we would have more Pauls.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.”—Acts 9:15

Saul had no idea what had just happened to him. After hearing the voice of Jesus on the Damascus Road, he fell to the ground, blinded by a searing light that penetrated the sun. Then he was led to the home of a man named Judas (no relation to Judas Iscariot).

Enter Ananias, the unsung hero. God told him in a vision,

“Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.” (Acts 9:11–12)

But Ananias had his doubts. He said, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name” (verses 13–14).

You can understand Ananias’ reticence. Saul was a notorious hunter of Christians. Saul had consented to Stephen’s murder. Yet God said, “Go.”

Do you know someone right now whom you cannot imagine ever becoming a Christian? That is what it was like when Saul of Tarsus came to Christ.

Sometimes God will put a burden on your heart. You will see someone, and there will be a burden from God that you ought to talk to that person. Of course, if God says go, we can say no. God said “Go” to Jonah, and he said no at first. But eventually he went, dragging his feet.

Are you going to be a Jonah or an Ananias? When the Lord says, “Go,” are you going to fight it? Or, will you be an Ananias? Just go. Do it. Take a risk.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?—Romans 10:14

In the years before I became a Christian, I don’t ever recall anybody engaging me with the gospel. I often would hang around down in Newport Beach, leaning against a wall with a tough-guy look on my face. I remember seeing the Christians walking around and handing out their religious tracts. In my heart, I was saying, Please, come and talk to me. But I was too proud to ask.

I noticed they would engage other people in conversation, but when they came to me, they would sort of look at me and just thrust the tract in my hands. But I didn’t throw it away. In my room at home, I had a big drawer that was filled with religious literature. And every now and then, I would pull out that drawer and read through this stuff, trying to make sense of it all. I needed someone to show me the way, but I don’t remember anyone doing that.

The way that I ended up hearing the gospel was by going to a Christian meeting I wasn’t even invited to. I saw this girl on my high school campus that I found attractive, and I wondered why a cute girl like her would be a Christian. So I went to the meeting to check it out. The last thing I ever planned on doing was becoming a Christian. But I heard the gospel for the first time in a way that I understood, and I gave my life to Christ.

As I look back on my life, I see there were unsung heroes who helped prepare the way for my conversion. And we can all identify people who made a contribution—people whom God used in our lives. Will you be that person for someone today?

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

“And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.” —Matthew 25:25

I think somewhere in our minds as believers, we expect serving the Lord or using what God has given us to be drudgery . . . hard . . . difficult . . . unpleasant . . . no fun.

In the parable of the talents, that is what the third servant thought. He had a warped concept of his master. He said to him, “I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours” (Matthew 25:24–25).

So essentially the master said, “All right. You say that I am a hard man, harvesting crops that don’t belong to me. If that is so, then why didn’t you invest my money?”

You see, this man’s concept of his master was wrong. He thought his master was something he was not. In the same way, some people have a warped concept of God. They are afraid to say to Him, “Here is my life, Lord. Here is my future. Here are my resources. Here is my time. It is now dedicated to Your glory.”

They would never say that because they think God would make their lives miserable. That was the problem with this third servant. He had a false concept of his master.

Many of us are afraid of God, but that fear is not a godly reverence for Him. We are afraid of what He will do to us, afraid that He will ruin our lives. It’s time for us to realize that the greatest joy in life is serving the Lord. It is not drudgery; it’s joy. It is life as it’s meant to be lived.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.—Romans 14:10

Maybe you are serving the Lord somewhere right now, working hard behind the scenes, and you’re saying, “No one notices what I’m doing. This is a thankless job.”

Be faithful in the little things. God is paying attention. As 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

It may be that God will open up some wonderful new opportunities for you here in this life, possibilities that you never dreamed of. Then again, it may not be until Heaven that you receive full recognition and reward for all that you have done. Jesus said, “Your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:4).

As Christians we will one day stand before God. We will give an account for what we have done with our talents, our gifts, our resources, our time, and all that He has given us (see 1 Corinthians 3:11–15). This is described as the judgment seat of Christ, which is not to be confused with the Great White Throne Judgment spoken of in Revelation 20. The judgment seat of Christ is a place where rewards are given.

When we die and go to Heaven, we will be there because of what Christ did for us. But then each of us will stand before Him, and the fire of God’s judgment will go through our lives and determine what we did with them. If we wasted our lives, if we wasted our time, if we wasted our resources, we are still saved because of what Christ has done for us. But we will have nothing to show for our lives.

It is our blessed responsibility to fully utilize all our energies to please our Master by faithfully using what He has given us. Let’s be faithful.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

For who has despised the day of small things? —Zechariah 4:10

I remember when we were starting the Harvest Crusades, and it was a big leap of faith to go to the Pacific Amphitheatre. We went to a facility that seated some 15,000 people, but we took that leap of faith together. We prayed. We worked. And God honored it and blessed it as we saw the amphitheatre filled each night. And on the final night, we even broke attendance records there, which had been previously held by some rock band.

So the next year we said, “Let’s really go crazy. Let’s go for the stadium.” That is a big leap from a 15,000-seat venue to one that seated 50,000. But we didn’t have the resources to do it. So we prayed, “Lord, it would be kind of exciting to take that step of faith. If You want us to do it, then we pray that You’ll provide.”

The next day we got a phone call from a committed Christian man who said, “I heard about what you are doing, and I would like to make an investment in your ministry. Is there anything I could give toward it?”

We said, “Well, we’re thinking about this stadium idea. . . .”

He said, “Okay, I’ll take care of that. I’ll write you a check tomorrow.”

We always think about the failures. We prepare for failures. Then we are surprised when God brings success into our lives. When we take that gift He has given to us and say, “I want to use it for Your glory. I’m going to try this. Let’s see what the Lord will do,” that is when things happen.

It is wrong for us to take what belongs to God and squander it. We should take it, invest it, and then see what the Lord will do.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.—2 Timothy 1:6

Have you ever watched a fire begin to burn down to the point that all you have left are coals? It looks as though there is no fire actually left, because the coals may be under a layer of ash. You can’t really see much. But when you take a fresh log and toss it on top of those coals and stir it around a bit, suddenly it ignites, and you have a whole new fire going.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). That phrase stir up the gift means to fan it into full flame.

There may be live coals in your life, but you have allowed the fire to go down. You haven’t been using the gifts that God has given you, the talents He has given you. It’s time to fan them into full flame again. It’s time to be reignited. It’s time to say, “Lord, how can I use what You have given me for Your glory until You return?”

We need to take advantage of the opportunities that are out there. There are those who want to have the big, visible ministries. They want the applause of men. Yet often they go nowhere, even though they may have great talent.

But if we will humble ourselves and take what we have and offer it to God, if we are willing to do what He has set before us and be faithful in the little things, then He will give us more to do.

Any time you take a chance, you can fail. But it’s better to try than to never have anything happen in your life. I would rather try and fail than never try at all.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.—Philippians 1:6

So, you say you tried Christianity and it didn’t work for you?

My reply: Nonsense!

Let me ask you these questions:

1. After you were “converted,” did you begin to study and memorize Scripture? Psalm 119:11 (NKJV) says, “Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Paul exhorts us in 2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP), “Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved.”
2. Did you actively and regularly get involved in a church? Not sporadically, but on a regular basis. We should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (see Hebrews 10:25 NKJV).
3. Did you get baptized? I’m not saying this is essential for salvation, but it is commanded in Scripture! “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized” (Acts 2:38 NKJV). Why would you not do what God has clearly commanded you to do?
4. Did you turn from all known sin? “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18 NKJV).
5. Did you develop a prayer life? “Pray without ceasing . . . for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:17–18 NKJV).
6. Did you deny yourself and take up the cross? Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23 NKJV).
7. Did you keep His commandments? “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked”(1 John 2:3–6 NKJV).

If “it” didn’t work, it’s your own fault—because we’re not dealing with an “it” but a “Him.”

The Bible promises, “that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it” (Philippians 1:6 NKJV). Do you want your life to change? Jesus is saying to you, “Take your stand! Follow Me!”

“But I’ve tried and failed!” No, you haven’t. Jesus doesn’t work for some and not for others. He will change any person just as they are, immediately!

1. K. Chesterton said, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and not tried!”

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. —Romans 12:6

Have you ever looked at someone and thought, “I wish I had their talent. I wish I had their ability”?

The Bible says, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them” (Romans 12:5–6).

These verses are saying that if you are a committed Christian who has asked God to fill you with the Holy Spirit, then God has instilled gifts, or a gift, in your life as He has chosen. It’s not for us to pick and choose what gifts we want; it’s for God to decide. There are gifts in your life. There are abilities in your life. There are talents that God has given to you and that He has given to me. We are to take those talents and do something with them.

It is not a person’s talent that matters as much as how he or she uses it. God never demands from a person abilities they do not have. But He does demand that we should use to the full the abilities we do possess. We may not be equal in talent, but we should be equal in effort.

God can do a lot with a little. Jesus can take a little, He can bless it, and He can multiply it. He can use it beyond our wildest dreams.

You may say, “I don’t have a lot to offer.”

That’s all right. God is not looking for ability as much as He is looking for availability. He is looking for someone like you to say, “Lord, here I am. Send me.” Take what God has given to you and do the most that you can with it for His glory.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.—Matthew 25:14

Jesus told a story about a man who went on a journey and left his money with his servants. This was not an uncommon practice in those days. A wealthy man or king would have many servants in his household, from those who would do basic labor to those who would oversee the financial affairs of his home, even managing his business. In many cases, some of the man’s slaves would be better educated and skilled than he was.

Highly trusted slaves had a virtual free hand within prescribed areas of responsibility while the owner was at home. And when the owner would go on a journey, he would leave full authority in the hands of these key servants who would have the ancient equivalent of a power of attorney.

Jesus said the man “gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities” (Matthew 25:15).

Jesus is like that wealthy man who went on a journey, and we are the servants in which He has made an investment. This story, like so many in the Scriptures, reminds us to take advantage of opportunity while it is available. Ecclesiastes says, “Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you. . . . Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both” (11:1, 6).

The emphasis of this parable is to be productive with your life. Be productive with your time. Seize the opportunities that God has given. We are to take what He has given us and use it for His glory while we await His return.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken. . . . So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.—Luke 5:9, 11

Peter was a seasoned fisherman. He knew all about the movement of fish. He knew the best time to fish. He knew the right moment to pull the nets in. He was an expert. But one day Jesus showed up and said, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4).

Peter had been fishing all night without catching anything. Think about it. If you were a sailor and some guy came along who was neither a sailor nor a fisherman and told you what to do, you might think, Do you really know what you are talking about? Peter was the fisherman. Jesus was effectively the landlubber.

I love Peter’s response. He said, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net” (verse 5). By the way, it is implied in the original language that Peter was using a nautical term with Jesus, as if to say, “You are the captain of the boat. You are the admiral here. At Your word, we will do it.”

You probably know the rest of the story. They pulled in so much fish that the boat began to sink under the weight of them. Peter was blown away. Jesus had just invaded Peter’s world in a way he could understand. Peter fell down before Him and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (verse 8). In other words, “Don’t waste your time on me. I’m going to let You down.”

But Jesus told him, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men” (verse 10).

Will you let Jesus be the captain of your boat? He won’t force His way on board. He’s waiting for you to invite Him.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. —Philippians 1:6

Sometimes I start projects with great enthusiasm, only to lose interest and move on to something else. I’m thankful God never does that with us. He always completes what He starts. In Hebrews 12:2 we are told we should be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” God finishes what He begins.

But sometimes the Devil whispers into a believer’s ear, “You’re not going to make it as a Christian. You’re going to crash and burn.” That is a lie. The Bible says that God “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24). And we are told in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Storms will come into every life, into the lives of both believers and nonbelievers. The rain will fall and the winds will blow. But it is only the child of God who can lay hold of Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Nonbelievers can quote that verse if they’d like, but it has no relevance to them whatsoever. Only Christians can lay hold of that promise.

Storms come and storms go. For some, life itself is one long storm. They may be facing very difficult circumstances. It could be a disability. It could be some tragedy that has befallen them and has altered their very existence.

There is hope, because no matter what you are going through right now, storms don’t last forever. God is in control. You will get to the other side.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.—Proverbs 28:13

People offer up many excuses as to why they will not come to Christ—why they won’t come to church with you—why they ask you to not even talk about Jesus.

Want to know what it really is?

They don’t want to turn from their sin.

John 3:19–20 says, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (NKJV).

History tells the story of a castle-like prison in Paris known as the Bastille. They decided to destroy it, for it had outlived its usefulness. A prisoner who had been kept confined in a dark, dingy dungeon in this prison for many years was brought out. But instead of welcoming his new freedom, he begged to be taken back in! It had been so long since he had seen the sun; he was blinded by its radiance. His only desire was to go back and die in the murky dungeon where he had been a captive.

This pattern continues until eventually these people who hate the light become so hardened in their sin that they prefer the dark ways of eternal death.

As Oswald Chambers said, “Sin enough and you will soon be unconscious of sin.”

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie