Category Archives: Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Paradise Found

September 12, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. —Psalm 16:11

Whenever we took the freeway through Anaheim when I was a kid, I would gaze out the car window at a familiar image in the distance: the Matterhorn at Disneyland. To me it represented the Promised Land. I remember making a vow to myself that when I became an adult, I would go to Disneyland every day.

When Disneyland first opened in 1955, visitors were charged for each attraction. Apparently there were a lot of complaints that Walt Disney was nickel-and-diming people, because Disneyland came up with a ticket book. There was a certain ticket in the book that was more important than the rest. You guessed it: the E ticket. That is what got you on the Matterhorn (the best ride back then) as well as the Monorail and the Submarine Voyage.

I still enjoy going to Disneyland, though I haven’t kept my vow to go every day. But there is a far better paradise that I am looking forward to now. The final chapters of the Bible describe that paradise, which God has created for us in heaven. In the first book of the Bible, we see paradise lost. But in the last book of the Bible, we see paradise found.

The good news is the admission price to heaven already has been paid. There won’t be any nickel-and-diming, and there won’t be any need for E tickets—or any other tickets for that matter. The admission was purchased for me—and for you—by Jesus on the cross.

One day there will be restoration. Handicaps will be gone. Mental and physical disabilities will be nonexistent. There will be laughter. There will be joy. C. S. Lewis said it well: “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” In God’s presence is fullness of joy—no E ticket required.

Greg Laurie – Preparation for Heaven

September 11, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. —Hebrews 11:10

We think so much about the here and now, but God thinks more about the by and by. We need to remember that heaven is being prepared for us, and we are being prepared for heaven.

As Randy Alcorn wrote, “We live between Eden and the new earth, pulled toward what we once were and what we yet will be.”

Heaven is not some mysterious, atmospheric realm of smoke and mirrors. Heaven is a real place for real people, where we will do real things. Hebrews 11:9 says that Abraham, “even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.”

Abraham did this because he “was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God (verse 10). Abraham recognized that this world was not really his home and that his real home was eternal, built by God.

Deep down inside, I hope we realize that too. Our real home is heaven and the new earth that is to come. Heaven is the real place that Abraham was searching for, and it is the place we are all searching for, really. The Bible says that God has placed eternity in our hearts (see Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Putting it in context, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” That is what God wants in our lives. He wants eternal weight.

The things that we go through in life are not just preparing us for the opportunities God will reveal during our time on this earth. God is also preparing us for heaven.

Greg Laurie – Appointment with a Stranger

September 10, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Not a Default Destination

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” — John 7:37-38

Years ago there was a woman who went to draw water from a well. She had been married and divorced five times and was living with a man. This was not culturally acceptable, and as a result, she was an outcast. She would go to the well at the hottest time of the day when she most likely would be alone. On one such day, she was surprised to find a stranger sitting there, a Jew. And then the stranger asked her for some water.

This woman was a Samaritan, and Jews and Samaritans didn’t speak to each other. She asked, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?”

As they talked, this stranger, who happened to be Jesus, told her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13–14).

Jesus was talking about the well as a metaphor for life. If you drink from the well of success, you will thirst again. If you drink from the well of accomplishments, you will thirst again. If you drink from the well of experiences, you will thirst again. Whatever it is, it will leave you empty.

Maybe you have tried to satisfy your spiritual thirst with the things this world has to offer and haven’t found the satisfaction you are looking for. You didn’t find it in that relationship. You didn’t find it in that object. You didn’t even find it in religious activities. The only place you will find it is in Jesus Christ.

Are you spiritually thirsty today? Christ can satisfy your deepest thirst.

Greg Laurie – Not a Default Destination

September 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. —Revelation 21:8

I believe there are people inside the church today who will be outside the gates of heaven. Being in a church does not mean you are getting into heaven. We, as individuals, must put our faith in Jesus Christ because one day we will stand before God all by ourselves.

Heaven is not the default destination of every person. It is promised only to those who have believed in Jesus Christ. We have this warning in Revelation 21:8: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

It takes courage to be a Christian. People will harass you and make fun of you. You may even be physically harmed. Some have lost their lives because they believed in Jesus. It takes courage to make your stand for Christ, especially in our culture today.

The cowardly won’t make it into heaven. Some are afraid of what others think, which I have always found amazing. I don’t think we would be as concerned about what others think of us if we realized how rarely they do. If you are cowardly, meaning that you won’t stand up and follow Jesus, then you won’t have any value system. You won’t have any absolutes. You will pretty much do what you want.

That leads to being abominable—being wholly caught up in wickedness and evil, pulling out all the stops and removing all restraints. It is going whole hog into evil.

Revelation 21:8 is a warning that we need to heed. Some people may say, “Well, I don’t agree with that.”

God makes the rules, and we can either follow them or reject them. But it is not for us to edit God.

Greg Laurie – Even Atheists Have Moments of Doubt

September 7, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Perhaps you have heard of George Bernard Shaw. We was a highly regarded thinker and writer and, among other things, won a Nobel Prize in literature. He also was an avowed and vocal atheist. Shaw firmly believed in science and what mankind could accomplish. But toward the end of his life, he realized this was a misplaced hope. He wrote, “The science to which I pinned my faith is bankrupt. Its counsels, which should have established the millennium, led, instead, directly to the suicide of Europe. I believed them once. In their name I helped to destroy the faith of millions of worshippers in the temples of a thousand creeds. And now they look at me and witness the great tragedy of an atheist who lost his faith.”

As C.S. Lewis wrote, “Even atheists have moments of doubt.” Problem is, George Bernard Shaw put his hope in the wrong thing. Do you have hope today? Victor Hugo said, “Hope is the Word which God has written on the brow of every man.” That all sounds good, but the question is: Hope in what or whom?

When I use the word “hope,” I don’t mean a blind optimism. The modern idea of Hope is “to wish for,” “to expect.” This may be based on fate, serendipity, good luck, or perhaps, wishing on a star. As the great theologian Jiminy Cricket sang to the wooden puppet Pinocchio, “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you.” But that really isn’t true is it?

Some will say, “I just know it will get better!” but it won’t always. Some put their trust in their investments; the things of this life than can quickly disappear. The Book of Job reminds us, “The hopes of the godless comes to nothing. Everything they count on will collapse. They are leaning on a spider web. They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last. They try to hold it fast, but it will not endure” (Job 8:13-15).

That is especially poignant in this economy; is it not? We need to put our hope in God. We should not have hope for hope’s sake; we must have hope in God. The Psalmist writes, “Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God” (Psalm 42:5). This will give us the strength to go on in life, because we know there is a heaven where wrongs will be made right. The hope of a Christian is a quiet confidence. It is a supernatural certainty.

And where do we find this hope? In the pages of Scripture. Paul reminds us that the Scriptures were written to “give us hope” (Romans 15:4). So put your hope in God today. He will never disappoint.

Greg Laurie – An Eternal Perspective on Pain

September 6, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. —Romans 8:18

As much as we may try, we can’t control the universe. Like it or not, pain will come knocking at our door in some, way, shape, or form. We can try to turn it away, but pain will come in anyway. We have a choice as to how we will deal with it. We can either waste our pain, or we can use it for God’s glory.

How can pain be used for God’s glory? Two people come to mind. The first is Joni Eareckson Tada. At age 17, a diving accident left her a quadriplegic. Yet she has brought inspiration and hope and encouragement to millions of people around the world. Had she lived her life without this disability, I am sure she would have been used by God. But would she have been used in the same way? It doesn’t seem likely. God took this pain and used it for His glory.

Then there is Nick Vujicic. Born without arms or legs, he was so despondent as a youth that he was suicidal. And yet he has sought again and again to bring encouragement to people throughout the world.

Joni and Nick are living proof that God can take the pain in our lives and use it for His glory. So we have to look at it with an eternal perspective and realize that it will all work together for good (see Romans 8:28). The hope of a new heaven and a new earth by and by helps us to keep perspective in the here and now, during times of trial.

There is coming a day when wrongs will be righted, when pains will be healed, when sorrow will be eradicated. God will make up what we have lost here on earth. God will make all things new.

Greg Laurie – All Things New

September 5, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. —2 Corinthians 5:17

One of the most beautiful promises in all of Scripture is Revelation 21:4: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

One day all pain will be gone. All sorrow will be gone. All mourning will be gone. That is the promise from God. There will be no more physical or emotional pain—no pain from a broken body or a broken heart, no more broken marriages, and no more broken lives. Why? Because God will make all things new.

But even today God can make your life new. Maybe you have made some mistakes in life and have done things you regret. Maybe you are trapped in a cycle of sin right now that you don’t feel you can ever break free from. Here is the promise of God to you: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

What old things have passed away? Your old sins. God not only forgives them, but He also forgets them. He promises in Psalm 103:12 that “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

You change when you truly follow Jesus. Old values, ideas, plans, loves, desires, and beliefs vanish, and they are replaced by new things. You have a new desire to know God and learn more about Him and a new desire to be led by the Holy Spirit and be used by God. You have a new desire to bring glory to God—and yes, even a new desire to one day see God in heaven.

Greg Laurie – No Appointment Necessary

September 4, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. —Revelation 21:3

Under the old covenant, God would meet His people in the tabernacle, which is another word for tent. They set up the tabernacle, and the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. This ark contained the commandments of Moses, the rod of Aaron that budded, and some manna. The priests would go into the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement and represent the people. Later the tabernacle was replaced by the temple.

God was distant and was to be approached through the High Priest. Few people had a close relationship with God under the old covenant. Abraham was called “the friend of God,” but most people didn’t know Him that way.

But that all changed because of what Jesus did through His death and resurrection. We read in Revelation 21:3, “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.’ ”

If I could have lived at any time in history, I would have chosen the first century. I would have liked to have been here when Jesus walked this planet. Certainly I would have liked to have been one of His disciples. At the very least, I would have liked to have been one of the multitude that was clamoring to get a glimpse of Jesus. I would have liked to have heard His voice with my ears. We all would have loved to have been there for that. But we weren’t given that privilege.

One day, though, we will have it. We will be able to walk and talk with God—no appointment necessary.

Greg Laurie – Heaven on Earth

September 3, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ–everything in heaven and on earth. —Ephesians 1:10

We have all heard the expression: It was like heaven on earth. Maybe you have said this after a fine meal or a great vacation. You said, “It was amazing! It was like heaven on earth.” We don’t mean this literally, of course. But we use this expression as a point of reference to describe something that is the best possible situation.

It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around this place we call heaven. We understand earth because it’s a real place. We do real things with real people. We live in a real body. But heaven sounds so surreal, so distant. It is hard to grasp. Yet it is a real place.

God’s plan is to one day bring all things in heaven and earth together under one head: Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 1:10). Peter preached that Christ “must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets” (Acts 3:21). God will not abandon His creation; He ultimately will restore it. He will restore lives. He will restore bodies. He will restore our very planet.

Randy Alcorn, in his excellent book called Heaven, wrote, “We won’t go to heaven and leave earth behind. Rather, God will bring heaven and earth together into the same dimension, with no wall of separation, no armed angels to guard heaven’s perfection from sinful mankind.”

One day there will be heaven on earth because a new world is coming. One day heaven will come down to earth. It will be out with the old and in with the new. There will be no more terminal diseases. No more accidents. No more disasters. No more funerals. No more breakdowns or breakups. No more suffering. God will make everything new.

Greg Laurie – Everything We Need

September 2, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” —1 Samuel 17:47

When David faced Goliath, he knew the battle belonged to the Lord. He told the giant Philistine, “The battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).

Giants defeat us again and again because we face them in our own strength. We can’t overcome our giants in our own ability. We need help. The battle belongs to the Lord.

This is why, before the apostle Paul mentioned a single piece of spiritual armor, he said, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). We recognize we are weak, but at the same time, we acknowledge that God is great, that God is powerful. Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

We need to know about our incredible resources that God has made available to us as Christians. Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus would discover what God had done for them, asking that “the eyes of [their] understanding [be] enlightened; that [they] may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).

In the same epistle Paul goes on to say, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4–6).

As believers, we positionally share in the power that Jesus has given to us. Therefore, we don’t fight for victory; we fight from it. We have everything we need to prevail against the giants in our lives.

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Not Helpless

The scene Jacob came upon, described in Genesis 29, was common in ancient times. The sheep were thirsty, and they knew where to find the water…but they were completely incapable of getting it on their own. Only the shepherd could move the stone and draw water from the well. Until then, the sheep could only lie beside it and wait, utterly helpless.

As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it. Genesis 29:2

In America, water is so plentiful it’s almost impossible not to take it for granted. This is not the case in the Middle East – not now, and not when Genesis was written. But imagine your world today without access to clean water. All of a sudden, every other pursuit or pleasure would be rendered pointless.

That, in reality, is the situation facing your friends, coworkers and loved ones who don’t have a relationship with Christ. As you pray for America’s leaders today, ask God to come beside you and give you wisdom and discernment in showing others how they might find the shepherd of their souls. Whether they live in the White House or in your neighborhood, pray they will not be left helpless without Him.

Recommended Reading: Isaiah 44:1-8

Greg Laurie – What Do You Live For?

August 31, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I saw an advertisement in a computer magazine with a photo of a guy shaving. It asked the question “Is it an alarm or a calling that gets you out of bed in the morning?” That is a very good question. What do you live for? What makes you tick? What do you get up for in the morning?

All of us have something or someone we live for. Some passion, ideal, that drives us on, giving our lives purpose, some sense of meaning, raising it above the level of mere existence. We don’t want our lives on this earth to be some temporary “blip on the screen.”

Paul’s passion was Jesus. The apostle wrote, in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul of course used to be known as the notorious Christian killer, Saul of Tarsus. But Saul met the risen Lord on the Damascus road and had his life forever changed. Now he would serve Jesus with as much passion as he once served Satan. Can you imagine what a different world we’d live in if more Christians served the Lord with the same level of commitment that they used to serve the devil with?

There are two questions every believer should ask. Saul asked two questions on the day of his conversion. “Who are you, Lord?” and “What will you have me to do?” Those would be great questions for you to personally ask Jesus today. Let that calling to serve Him get you up in the morning instead of an alarm clock. He has a plan and purpose for you today!

Greg Laurie – The Only Way to Deal with a Giant

August 30, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. —1 Samuel 17:48

Goliath looked like a formidable giant on the battlefield. But consider this: he wasn’t always a giant. Goliath was a man after all, which means that he once was a baby. (He must have been a beast of a baby!) With the passing of time, he became a toddler. The toddler became a child. The child became a teen. The teen became a man. And in time, he became a giant of a man.

The giants in our lives usually start out small too. Often they begin with an attitude that says, I can handle this. It is just a drink here and there. It is just having one with the guys after work. It is just a glass of wine with Italian food. Then, after a while, it is a drink to unwind at the end of a long day. Then it is having a drink in the morning. Pretty soon, it is not being able to get through the day without a drink. People who don’t plan on ending up this way end up this way.

Like Goliath, our giants start small, and they get big. That little area we thought we had control of now has control of us. That little thing that once was a pest has now become a relentless giant, and we don’t know how to defeat it. We don’t know how to bring it down.

The problem is that if we tolerate a giant, he will take over our territory. He will come right up on our doorstep. How do we deal with that? We don’t negotiate with him. We don’t yell at him. We don’t run from him. We attack and kill him. That is how to deal with a giant.

In God’s strength, David defeated his giant. And so can you.

Greg Laurie – Your Giant in Perspective

August 29, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” —1 Samuel 17:26

This is a joke. He can’t be serious!

David was on an errand for his father, who had sent him to the front lines to deliver food to his brothers. He arrived to find Goliath bellowing from the valley, mocking the God of Israel, blaspheming his Lord that he loved so deeply.

Goliath was a gigantic Philistine—nine feet and six inches of solid muscle, covered in armor. Every day he would taunt the Israelites, shouting, ” I will make you a deal. Send someone out to fight me. If he wins, we’ll be your servants. But if I win, you will be our servants. Any takers?”

No one wanted to go near him.

Meanwhile, there stood David. Though David was a musician, a poet, and a tenderhearted guy, he also was as tough as nails. When there were threats against his sheep, he took them on. He had killed a lion and a bear. He wasn’t afraid. And he wanted to know why someone wasn’t responding to Goliath’s challenge.

David wasn’t intimidated by his giant because he looked at things differently than everyone else. Everyone else saw a giant of a man and, apparently, a small God. David, however, saw a big God. That giant wasn’t as threatening to him as he was to the others.

Maybe you have a giant in your life that is taunting you right now. Maybe it is some kind of threat. Maybe it is an unsaved spouse or a prodigal son or daughter. This giant, so to speak, seeks to control you. It seeks to hurt you. It seeks to torment you.

So what should you do? Like David, see God for who He is and your giant for what it is. Call on God and pray for His power. Then attack your giant.

Greg Laurie – Face to Face with a Giant

August 28, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. —Philippians 4:13

Years ago I came into close contact with a giant—an enormous whale. My friends and I were in one of those little inflatable boats, and we had gone out to do some whale watching. When we saw one breach some distance away, we went in for a closer look, still keeping our distance. Suddenly a young whale swam right under our boat. A couple of moments later, its submarine-sized mother came along and also glided right under our little craft. She was so close that we actually could see the barnacles on her body. And as fast as she and her calf had appeared, they disappeared.

In a sense, we all have giants that we encounter in life. By giants I mean those seemingly insurmountable problems and issues that we have tried to bring down but have only grown stronger with the passing of time. For some people, it may be the giant of fear. For others, it might be the giant of a personal sin. For still others, it might be the giant of addiction.

But no matter who we are, we all face giants: hardships, temptations, obstacles, and challenges. Yet 1 Corinthians 10:13 assures us, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Know this: every giant can be defeated. There is no power you need to be under . . . no addiction that needs to control your life . . . no lifestyle you cannot break free from . . . no giant that should be overpowering you. You have everything you need in your relationship with Christ.

Greg Laurie – An Inescapable Reality

August 27, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ ” —Matthew 25:41

Often whenever the subject of judgment and hell comes up, so does this question: If God is all-loving, then why would He send people to hell?

Answer: because He is a God of love and justice. Hell was invented, if you will, for the devil and his angels. Do you think the devil deserves to go to hell? Of course he does.

And if a person ends up in hell, it is because they have rejected, through their lifetime, the offer of forgiveness through Jesus Christ that required the death of the Son of God on the cross. They rejected it again and again. It is not that God sends them to hell as much as they go there voluntarily.

J. I. Packer said, “Scripture sees hell as self-chosen. . . . Hell appears as God’s gesture of respect for human choice. All receive what they actually chose, either to be with God forever, worshiping Him, or without God forever, worshiping themselves.”

Also, C. S. Lewis wrote, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: Those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in hell, choose it. Without that self-choice, there could be no hell.”

Heaven and hell do exist. And in that final day, if you are a believer, God will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (see Matthew 25:21, 23).

But if you are not a believer, God will say, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23).

Everyone will meet Jesus Christ one day. It is inescapable and unavoidable. And if you don’t meet Him as Savior, then you ultimately will meet Him as Judge.

Greg Laurie – Why “Good” Isn’t Good Enough

August 26, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. —Romans 3:23

A self-righteous person doesn’t think he needs forgiveness. A self-righteous person doesn’t think she needs Jesus. A self-righteous person will say, “You go and preach that gospel in the prisons and on the streets and to the criminals. But don’t bother with me. I am an educated and intelligent person. I am a moral person.”

But the Bible says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, . . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:5, 7).

Self-righteous people are different from what I would call garden-variety sinners. Self-righteous people are kind people. They are considerate people. They may volunteer and help out. They do benevolent things. We all know people like this. In fact, I have met some non-Christians who are nicer than some Christians I know.

It isn’t wrong to say there are good people in this world because there are. The Bible doesn’t dispute that. But the Bible does say that no one is good enough to get to heaven. We don’t get to heaven on the basis of niceness. Heaven is not for perfect people; it is for forgiven people.

We see a classic example of this in John’s gospel. In John 3, we find Nicodemus, who was a religious guy, a moral guy. But then in John 4 there is the Samaritan woman, an immoral person who was living in sin. What do these two have in common? They both encountered Jesus. And they both believed in Jesus.

This reminds us that everyone needs Jesus—both the moral and the immoral, both the down-and-outer and the up-and-outer.

Everyone needs Him.

Greg Laurie – Kiss Your Spouse Today!

August 24, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Are you having troubles in your marriage? Consider this passage about how a husband should love his wife. “Love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4). I believe husbands hold the key to a flourishing marriage. If they would be proactive instead of merely reactive, leading spiritually, it would change everything, especially in a struggling marriage. Yes, the love a husband is to have for his wife is kind. This love shows itself practically: showing her tenderness, bringing her gifts, actually telling her you love her.

The Bible says about the husband of the woman of virtue in Proverbs 31, “Her children rise up and call her blessed and her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverbs 31:28). Husbands, when is the last time you complimented your wife in front of the kids, friends, even strangers! You should be her #1 fan!

Did you know that a kiss is a wonderful way to show your love, and you may even live longer! A German group of psychologists, physicians and insurance companies worked together on a research project to find the secret to long life and success and they made an amazing discovery! The secret they discovered? A kiss! Their extensive research revealed that a husband should “kiss his wife each morning when he leaves for work”! The studies revealed that “The Good-Morning Kissers” miss less work because of sickness and earn twenty to thirty percent more money than non-kissers.

So, give some of these principles a try and see what happens.

Greg Laurie – A Glimpse of Glory

August 23, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. —2 Corinthians 5:8–9

What happens to believers when they die? They go straight into the presence of God. The Bible says that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (see 2 Corinthians 5:8). Paul understood this when he said he had “a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23).

When Stephen was being martyred for his faith, he was given a glimpse of glory. In Acts 7 we read, “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ ” (verses 55–56). Then we are told in Acts 6:15 that Stephen’s face became as bright “as the face of an angel.” Here he was seeing over to the other side. He radiated God’s glory.

When the great evangelist D. L. Moody was on his deathbed, his last words were, “Is this dying? Why, this is bliss. There is no valley. I have been within the gates. Earth is receding; heaven is opening; God is calling; I must go.” Then Moody breathed his last breath.

It comforts me to think that when my son Christopher left this world, he was carried by angels into God’s presence. I believe that with all of my heart. And I believe that is true of all Christians when their lives on earth come to an end.

When, as a believer, you leave this world, you will be carried by angels into the presence of the Lord and will be there with Him. If we could see how glorious it is, I am sure it would change everything about us.

Greg Laurie – It’s a Heart Problem

August 22, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. —Ecclesiastes 9:3

A lot of times people claim that if we could just change our environment, then we would change the person. They say the reason people are the way they are is because of their upbringing and their surroundings.

But I don’t think that is true.

The Bible says that at the end of the millennial reign of Christ, there will be a rebellion: “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea” (Revelation 20:7–8).

Who is Satan deceiving? He will be deceiving the descendants of the survivors of the Tribulation. They still will have sinful natures, and they will be drawn into this final rebellion against God. This reminds us of how dark the human heart really is.

We couldn’t have a better period of time on earth than this one. It literally will be the closest that we can get to heaven on earth. Christ Himself will be running the show. Righteousness will fill the planet. Yet still, there will be a rebellion. Why? Because the human heart is wicked.

Sometimes people will justify their actions by saying, “God knows my heart.” But that is the problem. God does know our hearts. And according to Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”

As King Solomon wrote, “Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead” (Ecclesiastes 9:3).

We need to know that about ourselves—that we have this evil desire.

Greg Laurie – The Protective Power of God’s Word

August 21, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” —Luke 11:28

Allie, my youngest granddaughter, has a little rabbit called Fuzzie (named by her older sister, Rylie). Fuzzie lives in a fairly large cage. I know it seems unfair to put a rabbit in a cage, but it is a pretty nice cage as cages go. I actually think Fuzzie likes his cage.

Allie doesn’t yet know the proper protocol for handling a rabbit. So when she takes Fuzzie out of his cage, sometimes she grabs him by the head, and we’ll say, “No, Allie, support his bottom now.” But Allie loves Fuzzie, and she squeals with delight every time he comes out of his cage. After she has had some fun with him, Fuzzie is ready to go back into his home. How do I know this? Because once when I was carrying him back to his cage, while I was still about three feet away, Fuzzie leaped out of my arms and through the cage’s open door. He ran over to the corner of the cage, as if to say, “I am so happy now!” And I promptly closed the door.

Now some people might think, That poor rabbit. The cage is keeping him confined! But Fuzzie would say, “No, the cage keeps Allie out.”

Sometimes people see God’s Word the same way. They would say, “The Bible, with all of its absolutes and commandments, is keeping us from having fun. It is keeping us from living life to its fullest!”

But actually it is the very opposite of that. A smart person knows that when the Word of God tells us not to do something, it is for our own good.

As Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”

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