Category Archives: Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Build on Your Own Foundation

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For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.—Philippians 2:13

Some people are really into exercise. They love to work up a sweat, go on a run, or lift weights. I hate all of it. And I know I’m not alone in that. But the fact of the matter is that we really need to exercise. We can’t hire someone to work out for us. It’s something we have to do for ourselves.

The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13). Paul was in prison when he wrote this epistle. He was writing it from Rome and was experiencing anxiety over the fact that he was separated from these believers.

Effectively Paul was saying, “Look, guys, I can’t be with you right now. I wish I were there to offer you guidance and to be a good example for you, but I can’t do it. But check it out. It is God who works in you, not Paul.”

They may have thought, We can’t live the Christian life without Paul around. Well, actually they could. And if pastors and spiritual leaders are doing their jobs properly, they will get you up on your own feet spiritually so that you are not dependent on them.

Paul was saying, “Guys, keep things in perspective. It is God who is doing the work. Maybe He worked through me, but it’s still God who did the work.”

We can put people on pedestals and think they can do no wrong. And sometimes people will base their relationship with God on someone else’s relationship with God. That isn’t good. We need to get our own faith. We need to build on our own foundation.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Where World History Ends

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On the same day the Lord #made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates. . .”—Genesis 15:18

What on earth is happening in the Middle East? It seems that all we hear about in the news from this region is another outburst of violence—or a threat of one.

In his address at the U.N., then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had threatened once again to eliminate Israel. Also in another speech, he spoke of some Islamic “messiah,” as well as a new world order.

As we look at the attacks on our embassies around the world, and specifically the September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, it is now clear that the war on terror has not been won.

When Osama bin Laden was killed, we hoped that might be the end of it. But after Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, were murdered in Libya, there were people rioting in the streets and burning American flags. As they waited for their close-ups from the American media, they chanted together to the cameras, “Take a picture, Obama! We are all Osama!” That pretty much says it all. The message of Osama bin Laden and the terrorists appears to be alive and well.

And what about the so-called Arab Spring? What some thought might be a hopeful sign, perhaps a surge of democracy in the Middle East, has not turned out so well. So what is the explanation of all of this chaos and confusion? What in the world is happening?

The short answer is that Bible prophecy is being lived out in real time before our very eyes. The Bible has predicted the things that are happening in this part of the world. Scripture is very clear in pointing out that the end of the world will be centered in the Middle East. And it has all been foretold in the only book that accurately predicts the future: the Bible.

Thousands of years ago, Hebrew prophets predicted the Jewish people would be scattered across the earth and then later regathered. Jesus, in fact, gave a very specific prediction when He said the temple in Jerusalem that was being rebuilt by Herod at the time would not only be destroyed, but also would be dismantled, stone by stone (see Matthew 24:1).

Did that prediction reach fulfillment? Yes, it did. Because all historians agree that in A.D. 70, Titus and the Roman legions marched into Jerusalem, slaughtered thousands of Jews and dismantled the temple. Why did they dismantle it? Because there was gold in the temple, which had been burned, and they had to dismantle it to extract the melted gold. This fulfilled, to the letter, the prophecy of Christ. Also at this time, the Jews were scattered.

Fast-forward many years to the Holocaust, when Hitler sought to eradicate the Jewish people from the face of the earth. Thankfully, the United States, Great Britain, and their allies stopped the Nazi war machine. And what happened in the aftermath of the Holocaust was nothing short of amazing. The Jewish people began to return to their homeland. And on May 14, 1948, a modern miracle happened. The state of Israel was officially declared.

Here was a nation that had been dispersed for centuries, and then it was regathered. This has never happened again in history. And this was a super-sign that started the prophetic clock ticking. The people of Israel were back in their homeland again.

But there was still a problem. Israel did not have control of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem plays a key role in the end-times scenario. Although they had declared their statehood, Jordan was still controlling the old city of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount and most of the historic sites. Then, the Six Day War broke out in 1967, in which Israel was attacked. No one expected her to survive. Not only did Israel survive the attack, but she won the war and gained back a lot of the things she had lost, including the old city. And for the first time in more than 2,000 years, the city of Jerusalem was under Jewish control.

Yet to this present day, Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Arab leaders worldwide insisting that Jerusalem and the entire West Bank are rightfully Palestinian territory and ultimately must be given back as a condition of peace.

Of course, I am going to side with God on this issue. God gave Jerusalem to Israel. He said to Abraham in Genesis 15:18, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates. . .” (NKJV). He gave that land to Israel, and the Israelis are not going to give up the city of Jerusalem.

The Bible predicts that the city of Jerusalem will be at the epicenter of it all, and the attention of the planet will be directed toward Israel and toward the city of Jerusalem.

Is this happening now? Yes, it is. All of this is happening just as the Bible predicted it would.

So let’s go over the chronology of events the Bible has predicted: Israel will be scattered. Has this happened? Yes. Israel will be regathered after her people are scattered. Has this happened? Again, yes. Israel will regain the city of Jerusalem. Has this happened? Yes. Israel will be isolated from the other nations of the world and basically will stand alone. Has that happened? Not quite, but it appears to be moving in that direction. Lastly, Israel will be attacked. Has that happened? Not yet, and not on the scale the Bible predicts. This is still in the future, but perhaps the near future.

Scripture specifically tells us that world history, as we know it, will culminate in this part of the world. Some people would assert that it is not important to study Bible prophecy, but I beg to differ. We must study Bible prophecy. The reason we should want to learn about the future is so we will be motivated to live rightly in the present.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – God with Us

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We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.—1 John 1:3

I’ve seen a number of celebrities in person over the years, and they always seem a little smaller or different than what I expected. It’s funny how certain people actually look better in pictures than they do in real life—or look better in real life than they do in pictures. It’s strange the way the camera reads people.

Imagine the disciples walking and talking with Jesus Himself. I wonder if Jesus sometimes woke up in the morning to find all the disciples standing there staring at Him. The apostle John, who spent a lot of time with Christ, said, “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). The phrase John used for “saw . . . with our own eyes” means “to view with attention, to contemplate, to gaze upon as a spectacle.”

John was saying, “We still see Him in our mind’s eye. We still hear the sound of His voice in our ears.” What a privilege! It’s an amazing thing to realize that God incarnate walked among us.

You might think, Oh man, I wish I could have been one of them! But John went on to say, “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy” (verses 3–4).

John was saying, “This isn’t a privilege only for us. Yes, we walked and talked with Him, but you can know God in an intimate way as well.”

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Question of the Ages

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While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”—Matthew 22:41–42

Without question, Jesus Christ is the most controversial figure who has ever lived. He is loved, worshiped, and followed by some. He is hated, despised, and rejected by others. He is disregarded and ignored by most. But it always will come down to Jesus.

Who is Jesus? Two thousand years ago, Christ Himself asked the question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42). And to this very day, people are still confused about the answer. Maybe there has never been a time when more people profess faith in Jesus yet at the same time have no clue as to who He really is.

Many will speak with respect about Christ. They will say things like, “I believe that Jesus was a great prophet” or “I believe that Jesus was a messenger sent from God” or “I believe that Jesus was the best of all men.”

Yet the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was the unique Son of God, not a man becoming God. He was God becoming a man. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the second member of the Trinity. And it also teaches that He was supernaturally conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He was not merely a good teacher but the greatest teacher—God in human form.

The Bible teaches that Christ was physically crucified and that He bodily rose from the dead. The Bible also teaches that Jesus was not one god among many but is the only God, equal with the Father and above all others. That is why the death of Jesus, and the death of Jesus alone, meets the righteous requirements of God.

Jesus never became God. He always was God. He walked among us as an ordinary looking man, yet He was God incarnate.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie –The Divine Paradox

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“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”—Luke 14:11

If we have learned nothing else from our culture telling us what we should do to be happy, we have learned this: It is just not true. We have realized where happiness isn’t.

Prior to becoming a Christian, I already knew the answer was not in the world. I knew it wasn’t in my mother’s world of hedonism and drinking and partying. I knew it wasn’t in my world, limited as it was at seventeen years old. So I was wondering where it was. And then I became a Christian.

We have a different paradigm to follow, given to us by God in His Word. We could call it the divine paradox, because in God’s economy, if we want to be great, we must learn to be humble. If we want self-fulfillment, we should seek the fulfillment of others.

Regarding this divine paradox, Malcolm Muggeridge pointed out, “Where, then, does happiness lie? In forgetfulness, not indulgence, of self. In escape from sensual appetites, not in their satisfaction.”

The way to happiness is sadness. By that I mean we are sad over our sinful state, so we turn to God, ask for His forgiveness, and enter into a relationship with Him. Jesus gave us the beautiful beatitude, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Another way to translate this would be, “Oh how happy are the unhappy.” There is no greater example of this upside down life than Jesus Christ Himself.

We want to find our happiness and our joy in the right place, or more specifically, in the right person, which is God. As we come to know and walk with Him, we will find something better than happiness, and that is joy. We will find joy in our circumstances, regardless of what they are.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Our Example to Follow

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Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.—Mark 9:2–3

The miracle of the Transfiguration wasn’t that Jesus shined like the sun; the miracle was that He didn’t shine like the sun all the time. When Jesus came to Earth, He never gave up His deity. But we might say that He shrouded His glory and laid aside the privileges of His deity.

Jesus Christ is God. He is a member of the Trinity, coequal and coeternal with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was God before He was born, and He remained God after He became man. His deity was prehuman, pre-Mary, and pre-Bethlehem.

Jesus laid aside not His deity, but the privileges of deity, to model what it is to be a servant. Paul told the believers in Philippi, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5–7).

We are to follow His example. If Jesus could lay aside the privileges of divinity, then how much more should we, as human beings with sinful hearts, be willing to put the needs of others above ourselves?

This isn’t easy. In fact, we could say that it’s virtually impossible—apart from the power of the Spirit. This is not so much about imitation as much as it is about impartation—Christ Himself living in us and giving us His love and power. It’s the only way we can put the needs of another person above our own, love people whom we really don’t like all that much, or effectively die to ourselves. It seems impossible. But this is the way God has called us to live.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Root of the Problem

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What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? —James 4:1

I think we could safely say that so many of the problems we deal with are because of our selfish human natures. Selfishness is at the root of many sins.

It is amazing how even little children have this trait. Have you ever noticed when two children are playing and one child doesn’t care about a certain toy until the moment the other child picks it up? Suddenly both children want it. They scream and pull, and they will destroy the toy in the process. It’s all because one child wants what the other has. That is just human nature. We are born that way, and we carry this trait with us through life.

James pointed out, “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?” (James 4:1). That’s really it. We want our own way.

How many problems in our society are because of selfishness? When marriages are falling apart, by and large, it is because of selfishness. People have sex before marriage because of selfishness. At the root of adultery is selfishness. Name a problem, and for the most part you will find selfishness rearing its ugly head.

Paul urged the believers at Philippi, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). So don’t be controlled by selfishness.

Dwight L. Moody once said, “I have more trouble with D. L. Moody than with any other man I’ve ever met.” As Moody recognized, it’s our obsession with ourselves that is at the root of our problems.

We need to constantly ask the Lord to transform and change us. I know I have a long way to go. And guess what? I know you have a long way to go, too. We all do.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Contentment Is a State of the Heart

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The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want —Psalm 23:1

I heard a story about a wealthy employer who overheard one of his employees remark, “You know what? If I had $1,000, I would be perfectly content.” Knowing that wealth had never brought him contentment, he walked over to that employee and said, “You know, I have always wanted to meet someone who is perfectly content. So I am going to grant your desire.” He pulled out his checkbook, wrote a check for $1,000 and gave it to her. As he walked away, he overheard her say rather bitterly, “Why didn’t I ask for $2,000?”

That is the way it works. It’s called human nature.

Getting more stuff does not bring happiness or contentment. One psychologist who has conducted research on what brings contentment said, “If people strive for a certain level of affluence, thinking it will make them happy, they find that in reaching it, they quickly become habituated to it and are at a point when they are hankering for the next level of income, property, or good health.”

The apostle Paul was someone who found satisfaction, who found inner contentment. And in the book of Philippians, he reveals the secret of happiness and contentment.

Circumstantially, Paul had nothing to be happy about. He wasn’t writing from the luxury of some pleasant surroundings. He probably was writing his epistle to the believers in Philippi as he was chained to a Roman guard. He was under house arrest. He had lost his ability to move about. Yet Paul was an active kind of guy. He was an outdoorsman. He worked with his hands and was someone who liked to get things done. For him to be cooped up in one place would have been very, very difficult. Plus, his future was uncertain. He had appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen, and he was waiting for the time when he actually would be able to see the emperor. He didn’t know what would happen in his future.

To make matters worse, he was a very controversial figure. Even in the church, some believers were against him. Despite all of these difficult circumstances, however, Paul wrote these words: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV). Paul wasn’t speaking on the subject of contentment from some ivory tower or mere theory. He was speaking from the school of life, from the school of hard knocks. Paul had experienced pain and pleasure, health and sickness, weakness and strength, and highs and lows. He was a hero to some and a villain to others. Yet he was saying, “I have found that you can be content.

I read about a man who was very proud of his beautifully groomed lawn. It was absolute perfection. But one year a heavy crop of dandelions came in, and he couldn’t figure out how to get rid of them. He tried everything he knew and still they kept growing and destroying his pristine lawn. So finally he wrote to the school of agriculture at a local university, telling them about all the things he had tried and asking if they had any suggestions. In response, he received a very short reply, which read, “We suggest that you learn how to love them.”

Sometimes we find ourselves asking, “How can I get this problem to go away?” “How can I get this irritating person out of my life?” “How can I change my circumstances?” And sometimes God will get us out of that problem. Sometimes he will take the problem away. But sometimes God will say, “You just have to learn how to love them.”

So what was the secret to Paul’s joy? What was the secret of his contentment? Paul found the secret of contentment is not in what you have; it is in whom you know. And the “whom” to which I am referring is Jesus. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you'” (NLT). It is because God is with us always that we can say, “I have found contentment.” No matter what happens, no one can take that from you. No one can take God’s presence from you. And knowing that, you can face whatever comes your way in life. Maybe it will be the greatest challenge ever that will be difficult and hard. And maybe it will be untold blessings that would turn many a head. But you will be able to keep your balance in all of that, because you recognize that God is the provider.

Happiness and contentment do not come from stuff; they come from a relationship with God.

As David said, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1 NKJV). When the Lord is your shepherd, you won’t be in want. And if you are in want, one might ask whether the Lord really is your shepherd.

Contentment is not the state of your accounts; it is a state of heart. Contentment is found in making the most of the least. That is what the apostle Paul was saying.

So despite what adverse circumstances you may be facing, you can have joy and contentment in the midst of a troubled world.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Surprising Reward of Humility

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Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.—Matthew 5:5

We might think of humility as a form of weakness, but it is actually the very opposite. Humility is connected to meekness. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” What is meekness? A literal definition of the word is power under constraint.

For example, if you were to see a person riding a magnificent, powerful stallion, and he is clip-clopping along, that horse has submitted his will to the rider. He has more than enough power to resist the direction of the rider and do what he wants. But because that horse has effectively humbled himself, or has been meek, he’s putting his power under constraint. He’s surrendering his will to the person who is riding him.

In the same way, when the Bible speaks of humility and meekness, it means surrendering our will to the will of God. Philippians 2:3 tells us, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

If you want to experience real joy, then put the acronym JOY into practice: Jesus. Others. Yourself. Put Jesus first. Put others second. Put yourself third. That is the joy we can experience. It is so simple, but I am amazed at the fact that very few people practice this. Many believers find themselves in the doldrums. They are down. They are depressed. They don’t have this kind of joy.

If you want real success, if you want true happiness, if you want to experience a deep and abiding joy instead of the fleeting happiness of this world, it is found in following Jesus and loving others.

Think about someone in need and start doing something for that person. Then watch how joy will appear in your life as a byproduct.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The First Step to Joyful Living

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Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.—Philippians 2:2

Conventional wisdom says that you must always look out for number one and do whatever it takes to succeed. But that is not how the kingdom of God works.

Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi, “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose” (Philippians 2:1–2).

The Message puts it this way: “Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.”

This goes against conventional wisdom about how we are to succeed in life, but this is what the Bible says. Some people may say, “I don’t know what planet you’re from, but that won’t work in my situation. You don’t know what it’s like in the world that I have to live in.”

What we are talking about is the way that a Christian should live. The Bible says the first step to joyful living is to put the needs of others before yourself. Paul said, “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:4).

That seems like a recipe for disaster and failure in today’s culture. But here’s what the Bible says: “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor” (1 Peter 5:6).

If you want to be a happy person, then you cannot be a self-absorbed person, because a self-absorbed person will be a miserable person.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A New Paradigm

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Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. —Romans 12:4–5

We have a tendency to want to build our own private universe where the world revolves around us. We are the main characters in our own little movies, and everyone else is a member of the supporting cast. We think it is all about us.

There is just one problem, however. There are other people in our universe, and a lot of them really bother us. But here is something to consider. You might be someone who really bothers another person. We always think that another person is really an irritant. I hate to break this to you, but you might be an irritant to some other people.

However, as followers of Jesus, we need to remember this isn’t a solo effort where we only hang out with the kind of people we personally like. Some Christians may think this way when it comes to church: Well, I only want to be around people who are cool, like me. . . . I only want to be around people who are my age. . . . I only want to be around people I can relate to.

Newsflash: It is not about you. God puts all kinds of different people together. Sometimes they are people we never would have hung out with before. Yet God puts these people in our lives and tells us to love them. And He puts you in others’ lives and tells them to love you. That is because we are a family. And sometimes in a family, you find yourself related to people you don’t always understand. But when the day is done, they are still family.

God says that we need a new paradigm. The way to success, according to the Bible, is through humility. The way to self-fulfillment is thinking of others first.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Christian’s Life Purpose

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For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. —Romans 14:17

Years ago during a visit with Billy and Ruth Graham, I noticed while we were outside that their dog was continuously going around in circles.

“What’s wrong with this dog?” I asked them.

“He’s chasing his tail,” they told me.

I had heard about dogs chasing their tails, but I had never actually seen one do it before.

Like that dog, some people are effectively chasing their tails in life. They are chasing after happiness. But the best way to not be happy is by trying to be happy.

Our purpose in life as Christians is to know God and bring Him glory. If you will do that with your life, if you will get up every morning and say to yourself, “I want to know God, and I want to bring Him glory,” then you will find the happiness that has eluded you. You will find the satisfaction you have always wanted by having your priorities in order.

Anything short of this ultimately will disappoint, because true and lasting happiness never will be found in the things this world tells us to look for.

The Bible offers something better than happiness, and that is joy. Happiness largely depends on good things happening. When things are going reasonably well, we are happy. If things aren’t going so well, we are not happy. But we can have joy despite our circumstances.

The problem with happiness is that it’s generally derived from accomplishments, accumulation, and, to some degree, through escape. The trouble with that is we won’t always be able to accomplish something or escape somewhere. And the things we have accumulated will go out of style, break, get lost, or may be stolen.

If we live for happiness, we’ll never find it. We’ll be like that dog, constantly chasing his tail.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Unity, Liberty, and Charity

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“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one–as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” —John 17:20–21

Have you ever noticed there are some people who like to fight? They like to argue, and they are unhappy when they are happy. So they find something to get worked up about, something new to debate. They love conflict. It’s a sad way to live.

When I was a younger Christian, I felt that it was my job to set everyone straight. I had been a Christian for about a year and had been reading the Bible and going to church almost every night of the week. I thought, I’m going to set everyone straight. That was the way I was.

I knew everything. I had the answer to every question. And if you held a view different from mine, then I was going to talk you out of it and into mine.

I don’t feel that way anymore. Obviously, I want everyone to believe in Jesus. But if you have a slightly different take on a theological truth than I do, I don’t feel that it is my job to convince you. I like this statement regarding believers: “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” The word essentials refers to the most important theological doctrines like that of the Bible being the Word of God, Jesus Christ being the only way to the Father, and salvation coming through Christ and Christ alone. Those are the essentials. In essentials, unity. We don’t ever flex on essentials.

But in nonessentials, liberty. What are nonessentials? Things like the style of music. Some people like it loud. Some people like it quiet. Some people like a certain style. Some people like another style. These are secondary issues. We should never divide over them. In nonessentials, liberty.

Finally, in all things, charity, which is another word for love. Be loving.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Prayer—A Conditioned Reflex

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Men always ought to pray and not lose heart.—Luke 18:1

Have you ever been gripped by fear? You know the feeling. Your blood goes cold. You get a shiver down your spine. Your stomach sinks. Your hair stands on end (in my case—that is singular, not plural). All of these are emotions associated with fear.

Then there is the emotion that is often coupled with fear, which is worry. There are a lot of things people can worry about today in our nation: the state of our country, our economy, terrorism, or the threat of war.

And of course, there are personal worries. We are concerned about our health. We are concerned about our family. We are concerned about our future.

When we feel worry approaching, we need to get into the habit of turning to God so that our reaction will be like a conditioned reflex.

A normal reflex is different from a conditioned reflex. A normal reflex comes naturally. For example, if you touch a hot iron, you will pull your hand away very quickly because it is hot. A normal reflex comes naturally. A conditioned reflex, on the other hand, is something you learn over time. You teach yourself to do it.

It can be compared to driving. When you are first learning to drive, you have to consciously think about everything you do. Key in the ignition. . . look over my shoulder before pulling out. . . look before making that turn. . . turn on the turn signal. . . change lanes. I am coming to a light—hit the brakes now. You had to think about it. But after a while, you get it down, and it comes naturally. You don’t even think about it anymore. You just drive.

Now let’s apply the same principles to fear and worry. Our natural tendency when we are in trouble is not to pray. Rather, it is to worry. Something happens, and we go through various scenarios that start stacking up like dominoes in our minds. What if this happens? What if that happens? What if this other thing happens? But here is what we need to teach ourselves to do: We need to teach ourselves to pray.

It is not what we naturally want to do. Often when we face adversity, our first instinct is to turn to people for help. God can work through people, of course. There is no question that he can provide through family and friends and help us. But ultimately, we should turn to God when trouble comes. And it will come.

One reason we should turn to God and pray is because Jesus told us to. He said, “Men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1 NKJV). Even if prayer were a difficult thing to do, which it is not, or an unpleasant thing to do, which it is not, we should pray, because Scripture commands us to do so.

Another reason we should pray is because prayer is God’s appointed way for obtaining things. That can sound somewhat mercenary. I am not describing God as some kind of celestial Santa. The fact of the matter is, the Bible tells me that I should go to God with my needs. And we all have needs. Jesus taught in the Lord’s Prayer,

In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. (Matthew 6:9–11)

Jesus taught us that we are to approach God with our needs. Do you have needs right now? Pray about it. Do you need his provision? Pray about it. Do you need his healing touch? Pray about it. Go to God with your request, and Scripture says that your Father who knows you have need of these things will hear you (see Matthew 6:32).

And listen to what James 4:2 says: “You do not have because you do not ask.” Think about this: You might wonder why it is that you never know the will of God for your life. Answer: You do not have because you do not ask. How many answers to prayer would be waiting for you if you would just pray about it? Ask God about it. The worst-case scenario is that God will say no. But what if God says yes?

Prayer is also the way God helps us to overcome our anxiety and worry. The apostle Paul wrote, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). He didn’t say, “In only the big, hairy, scary things of life, pray.” Or, “Just pull out the prayers when things get really bad. Otherwise, just sort it out yourself.” No, he said, “In everything. . . ”

Nothing is too small to bring to God in prayer. He is interested in even the smallest details. We sometimes only think about the big things, but little things can turn into big things. And little problems can turn into big problems. Nothing is too small or too big to bring to God.

There is nothing productive about worry. In fact, the word “worry” originates from an old German term that means “to choke or to strangle.” And this is exactly what worry does: It chokes you spiritually. It creates an emotional and mental stranglehold on your life. It doesn’t ever make anything better. In fact, it makes things worse.

When you worry about the future, you cripple yourself in the present. Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. So in times of trouble, don’t give in to your natural reflex of worry. Instead, condition your reflex to pray.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Pursuit That Will Leave You Empty

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But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be . . . lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.—2 Timothy 3:1–2, 4

Has there ever been a more pleasure-mad culture than ours today? It seems that we can’t be entertained enough. We have continuous media coming our way with constant imagery and sounds, all things that are supposed to bring us pleasure.

In fact, some people would say, “For me, life means living for pleasure. You know, it’s all about having a good time. It’s all about the weekend. It’s all about the next party. It’s all about the next thrill in life.”

That philosophy is nothing new. The apostle Paul’s contemporary, the emperor Nero, believed that the purpose of life was to live as an unbridled beast in pleasure, passion, and parties. And that is exactly how he lived.

There also was a Greek philosophical group at that time who called themselves the Epicureans. Basically, these were people who lived for pleasure. And we still have people like this today. In fact, the Bible tells us that one of the signs of the last days is that people will be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4). What a waste to live this way, because the Bible says that “she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives” (1 Timothy 5:6).

The apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Joy Davidman, the wife of C. S. Lewis, said, “Living for your own pleasure is the least pleasurable thing a man can do. If his neighbors don’t kill him in disgust he will die slowly of boredom and powerlessness.”

What do you live for? What gets your blood pumping? What would you say is the greatest passion of your life? Only the person who can say, “To live is Christ” can also say, “To die is gain.”

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Homesick for Heaven

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But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.—Philippians 1:22–23

Have you ever been to a really beautiful place that stayed with you long after you returned home? Maybe you have a picture of it as your screensaver, and you just sit and gaze at it. You love that place.

That is how Paul felt about heaven. He longed for it. It’s why he could say, “For I am hard-pressed . . . , having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23).

Paul had already been to heaven at this point. At one time in his life—we don’t know when—he was killed and went to the third heaven. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 12 that he was “caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (verse 4).

Having experienced the sounds and sights of heaven, Paul was homesick. This doesn’t mean that Paul had a death wish. He just knew that when he died, it was ultimately a promotion.

When Paul said that he had “a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” the word he used for depart is an interesting one. One way it is translated from Greek is “to strike the tent.” It’s the idea breaking camp. On more than one occasion, the Bible compares the human body to a tent. And one thing we know about tents is they are not meant to last forever. So why did Paul say this was far better? It’s because he was moving from a tent to a mansion.

When Christians die, they go straight to heaven, because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The moment they take their last breath on earth, they take their first breath in heaven.

 

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Heavenly Minded

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For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.—Philippians 1:21

A quick look at history reveals that some of the greatest things that have ever been done have been done by Christians who believe what the Word of God says. They have done things to help others, from building hospitals to founding relief organizations.

As C. S. Lewis said, “The Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.”

Some people have been criticized for being so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. But in response to that, I would say there are far more people today who are so earthly minded that they are no heavenly good. And when you are truly heavenly minded, then you will be of the greatest earthly good.

The apostle Paul said, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). I think that statement could have been attached to any Christian in Paul’s day: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Look at the church of the first century and the way they changed their world. Those first-century Christians didn’t outargue the pagans, they outlived them. They also outthought and outprayed the nonbelievers, and the world was a different place as a result.

That is the kind of Christianity we need today. I wonder what would sum up the lives of a lot of Christians today. Would it be “to live is Christ, and to die is gain”? Maybe it would be something more along the lines of, “Hey, what about my needs?” That seems to be the battle cry of a lot of people today. If we train people to be consumers instead of communers, then we are going to end up with customers instead of disciples. I think we need to get back to this first-century model.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Hide of a Rhinoceros

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The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains.

—Philippians 1:17

It is one thing to be criticized by nonbelievers. I expect that. But what is troublesome to me are those times when fellow believers are the critics. Now, I think there is a place for critiquing one another. If I have said something that is theologically incorrect or have done something that isn’t right, and someone brings it to my attention, then I certainly want to change. I think we can learn a lot by listening to our critics.

But criticism from other Christians isn’t unique to our time. It also happened in the early church. Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi, “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains” (Philippians 1:15–16). Paul’s critics were suggesting that he must be out of God’s will by being incarcerated. But Paul knew it was where he needed to be.

Here’s what I have learned. When you are doing a work of God, you are going to come under attack. Those attacks will come from the outside, but sometimes they will even come from the inside. Believers, as well as nonbelievers, can be used by the Devil. So what do I do? I take the advice of a great British preacher I heard years ago. He said, “Every leader has to have the mind of a scholar, the heart of a child, and the hide of rhinoceros.”

So I just press forward with what I believe God has called me to do. And instead of discouraging me and slowing me down, the criticism and opposition remind me that I am on the right track. These things can be a confirmation that we are doing the work of God.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – By Divine Design

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But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.—Philippians 1:12

The apostle Paul was the kind of guy who liked to get out and get things done. He took action and went out and accomplished things for God. But as a prisoner in Rome, Paul found himself stuck . . . immobilized . . . unable to move.

Perhaps you are immobilized in some way right now. Maybe it is some kind of disability. Maybe you’re stuck in a really tough marriage or in a job you really don’t want to be in. Maybe you’re living somewhere you wish you didn’t live. Whatever it is, you feel immobilized.

Yet notice how Paul, despite his circumstances, was able to rejoice. He wrote, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12). Even under house arrest, Paul was looking on the bright side. He was saying, “I believe I am here because God wants me here. But this isn’t what I planned.”

And then Paul went on to talk about the guards: “It has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ” (verse 13). These weren’t just any guards; they were members of the Praetorian Guard, the elite soldiers.

How could you not become a Christian while being chained to the Apostle Paul? Apparently some of the guards did come to Christ, because later in Philippians Paul wrote, “All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household” (4:22).

This is never what Paul planned, but it is what God planned. Maybe you’re in a place right now that you never planned on. You are there by divine design. God has put you where you are for such a time as this.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Hope for America

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“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” —2 Chronicles 7:14

The first recollection I have of going to church was with my grandparents. I was a little boy, and I didn’t like it at all. I thought it was boring. My grandmother kept shushing me, and I drew cartoons on the church bulletin as the preacher droned on.

Later, when I was in military school for a while, going to chapel was mandatory. I didn’t really enjoy that either.

I remember they would give us money to put in the offering: 10 cents. The reason I remember that is because one Sunday, I decided to keep the 10 cents. I spent it at the canteen instead. We had our own money, but with that dime, I had twice as much: a total of 20 cents to buy the grape licorice I always bought. Even so, I do remember feeling very guilty about stealing God’s money from Him.

Other than these experiences, I really didn’t have a lot to do with the church during my childhood. It was not something I was familiar with. But after I became a Christian at age 17, there was a very persistent guy on my high school campus who made himself my friend. He walked up and told me that he noticed I had become a Christian. Then he said that he wanted to take me to church. I said, “I really don’t want to go to church. That’s OK.”

But he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He was persistent in a friendly way. So I agreed to go to church with him. I still remember walking into Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California. It was during the Jesus Movement, and the place was overflowing with young people. There was almost an electricity in the air. It stopped me cold, and I didn’t want to go in. There seemed to be too much happiness in there, too much smiling and hugging.

Being raised in a very dysfunctional home, I didn’t hear “I love you” a lot. We didn’t hug in our family. And I thought, I don’t want to be hugged at all. So I approached the scene cautiously.

When I saw the place was full, I was relieved, because I thought we wouldn’t have to stay. So I said to my new friend, “Well, there is no room in there.”

But sure enough, someone in the front row saw me, recognized me from school and waved us over. So we ended up sitting in the front row. What I didn’t realize at the time, was that I had a front-row seat to a genuine revival.

Then Pastor Chuck Smith walked out—a middle-aged bald man. That is the last thing I wanted. I thought, He is like a teacher. He is like the principal. This is going to be so boring! But then, as he opened up the Bible and began speaking, it made sense to me. It was relevant to me. And my heart began to change.

I went from being uncomfortable in church to not being able to get enough of church. I went to every service possible and wanted to be a part of everything and learn as much as I could learn. Then, two years later, I found myself in the Southern California city of Riverside, planting a church myself.

However, I did not know I was planting a church at the time. I thought I was just teaching a Bible study for young people at a local Episcopal church. But it began to grow. And pretty soon, people were calling me “Pastor.” When they would address me as such, I would look around, thinking, Where? Oh, you mean me? I can’t be your pastor. I tried to find someone to take over the Bible study, but no one would. It was then I realized that God was calling me to be a pastor.

Fast-forward 40 years, and now I am the old bald guy. But I am as committed to the mission of the church as I was on that day I first discovered how wonderful church can be. And I believe that the hope for America is the church.

Some might be thinking, Now, Greg, wait. I thought you said the hope for America is a revival. Isn’t it really God? Yes, it is. The hope is God—working through His church.

What is revival? It is Christians getting back to what they should have always been in the first place. It is Christians coming back to life. Here is what God has to say to a nation that wants to be healed: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).

If we want to see our land healed, God says that it starts with His people. Christians need to live up to their name: Christ-followers. They need to be Christ-like. And if the church would be what it was meant to be, then it would change our country.

When Jesus walked this earth, He only started one organization, if you will, and that, of course, was the church. It was Jesus Himself who first used that word when He said, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus was saying, in essence, “This church is here to stay. Against all odds, it will prevail.”

The word church comes from the Greek word ecclesia. Ecclesia is made up of two other terms, “out from” and “called.” Put them together, and the meaning of ecclesia, or church” is “called out from.” Called out from what? Called out from this world, this culture. So in using the word church, Jesus was saying that His followers should be separate from this culture.

If individuals would be what they ought to be as followers of Christ, what difference would it make in the church? And if the church would be what it ought to be, what difference would it make in a city. . .in a state. . .in a nation?

The hope for America is God—working through His church.