Category Archives: Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – When the Church Is a Dangerous Place

July 26, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.” —Numbers 32:23

Sometimes we think the bigger something is, the better it is. This is essentially an American way of looking at things. If you are successful, if you are making more money than other people, the perception is that you are the best. If a church has more people attending than other churches, the perception is that it is the best. But not necessarily. Nor am I suggesting that smaller is better.

The Bible says that in the last days, there will be people in our churches who are not true believers, among other things. Because of watered-down messages and compromise, people will feel comfortable in certain churches because they are never confronted with their sin.

I believe my job as a pastor is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. I also think the church can be a very dangerous place. If people are coming to church with no intention of applying the truths they are learning, then their hearts can get hard. As I have said before, the same sun that softens the wax hardens the clay. The same message that liberates one person can hurt another if he or she doesn’t respond appropriately. People who go to church, claim to be Christians, and then contradict it with an openly sinful lifestyle are hurting themselves.

The Bible says, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). If nothing bad happens when we sin, if we don’t get caught or found out, we sometimes think that God has given us a pass. He hasn’t. Don’t confuse God’s mercy and grace with leniency or think that He has turned a blind eye. God still will deal with that sin. But He gives us an opportunity to repent so we don’t have to face the full ramifications of it.

Greg Laurie – Revival Is Personal

July 25, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, LORD, And grant us Your salvation. —Psalm 85:6–7

The world needs evangelism, but the church needs revival. God wants to revive the church, to restore it to its original condition. In the book of Acts, we see what that original condition was. The early church was the church that changed the world, the church that turned the world upside down.

Is the church of today having as much of an impact as the church of the first century did? I think the answer is clearly no. In Revelation 3:8, God told the last days church of Philadelphia, “For you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” I believe there could be a comeback of sorts in the church today—a revival.

If you are Christian, you are a part of the church. What if the whole church were just like you? What if everyone in the church prayed as often as you prayed? Would we be a praying church? What if everyone in the church evangelized as often as you evangelize? Would we be an evangelizing church? What if everyone in the church gave as faithfully from their finances as you give? Would we have a church that is resourced? What if everyone in the church were just like you?

The church is made up of us. Every one of us makes a difference. We contribute either to the strength of the church or to the weakness of it. It is easy to point an accusing finger and say, “The church needs to do this. . . .” But here is the question: What about you?

It has been said, “Revival is God’s finger pointed at me.” Revival is personal. You need revival. I need revival. We need revival. Let’s pray to that end because it is our nation’s only hope.

Greg Laurie – One More Revival

July 24, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen.” —Ezekiel 16:49–50

Billy Graham recalls a time when his wife Ruth, commenting on the downward spiral of morality in our nation, exclaimed, “If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Sodom was once a great power in her day—a city-state, a dominant force. But God judged her. He identifies her sins in Jeremiah 23:14: “But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse! They commit adultery and love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil so that no one turns away from their sins. These prophets are as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were.”

They commit adultery and love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil. . . . We live in a time in our nation when right is wrong and wrong is right. Everything is upside down.

God gives another assessment of the sins of Sodom in the book of Ezekiel: “Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door” (16:49).

Pride . . . gluttony . . . laziness. . . . Think of our nation and the sense of entitlement. Everyone expects to be entertained. I am reminded of the famous statement by the Roman satirist Juvenal as he spoke of Rome and her decline: “The people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else, now concerns itself no more, and longs eagerly for just two things—bread and circuses!”

It seems to me that is what America is like today: “Entertain us. It’s all about us.”

I believe that our nation has two choices before us: One is judgment. The other is revival. Judgment is coming, that is clear. But my prayer is there will be at least one more revival before this happens.

Greg Laurie – A Lot to Sing About

July 23, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. —Acts 16:25

If we were to rate Christianity on the basis of music only, it is clear that Christians own music. My friend Marty Goetz says that as a young Jewish boy, he envied Christians because while he was celebrating Hanukkah, Christians were celebrating Christmas with songs like “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Silent Night,” and “Joy to the World.” He admired our music.

But we are not rating our faith on the basis of music; it is on the basis of what we believe and Whom we believe in. Christians sing a lot because we have a lot to sing about.

When a believer can praise God in the midst of trials and suffering, a lost world takes notice. When you are going through hardship and can still praise God, nonbelievers will pay attention.

Case in point: Paul and Silas were thrown into a dungeon for preaching the gospel. They had been severely beaten and their feet were in stocks, but Acts 16:25 says, “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.”

In Revelation 15, we find the martyrs from the Tribulation “singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” (verse 3). They have come through the worst fire imaginable: they had put been put to death for their faith. Yet they are in heaven, singing their songs.

Worship music is not for our entertainment. The musicians and vocalists in church want to lead us in worship. You may say, But I don’t have a great voice. That hasn’t stopped thousands of people from auditioning for American Idol, so it shouldn’t stop you. You aren’t performing for anyone. When you worship, you are singing for an audience of one: God. So get into practice.

Greg Laurie – Glimpses of Heaven

July 22, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands. —Hebrews 8:1–2

It is important to remember that heaven is a real place. Many times we think of heaven as some sort of translucent, spacey, endless church service. Some may think, I am not sure . . . . I don’t know if I am going to like heaven and just sitting around on a cloud, strumming a harp, singing forever. I kind of like earth. But that is a misunderstanding about heaven.

What do we like about earth anyway? We like the beauty. We like the joys. We like the love of family and friends and companionship. There are so many things that we enjoy on earth. God has given us these things; therefore, we don’t have to feel bad about them. But here is what we need to know: Earth is not the original with heaven being a copy; heaven is the original, and earth is the copy.

The temple built in Jerusalem was a copy of the real temple in heaven. Hebrews 8:5 tells us, “They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: ‘Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.’ ”

As C. S. Lewis wrote, “All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of [heaven]—tantalizing glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear. . . .” The real thing is heaven.

The things that we enjoy most on earth will be waiting for us in heaven, but in a perfected state. We will not miss out on anything. Heaven is the real place for real peace.

Greg Laurie – An Eternal Perspective

July 20, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. —2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

When you are younger, you think certain things are always good, while other things are always bad. For example, success is always good, and hardship is always bad. But when you have lived life for a while, you can look back and realize that success actually can be bad for some. And hardship actually can be good for others. You begin to see things differently. And sometimes the things you thought were really good things turned out to be bad things. And the things that you thought were bad things turned out to be good things.

We must realize as Christians that God is in control of all circumstances surrounding our lives. God takes all of the events of life, the good things and the so-called bad things, and works them “together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28).

We must also realize that God loves us and is always looking out for our eternal benefit—even if what we are presently going through is difficult. We are told in 2 Corinthians 4:17–18, “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! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (NLT).

Are you thankful for what God has blessed you with? Have you given thanks recently for your health? For the freedom to worship openly? For the clothes on your back and the roof over your head? We need to give thanks to God—because there is so much to give thanks for.

Greg Laurie – The Last Song in Scripture

July 19, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations.” —Revelation 15:3

In Revelation 15 the saints who have died for their faith sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. The song of Moses is what the Israelites sang after they were delivered from Pharaoh and safely crossed the Red Sea (see Exodus 15 and Deuteronomy 32). This song will be sung again in heaven. It is the last song in Scripture.

The martyrs in this passage have come through the fire of persecution, yet they have not lost their song. They sing, “Just and true are your ways. . . .” It is an acknowledgment that God knows what He is doing.

There are things in life that don’t make sense. Tragedies befall us. Injustices are committed. Bad things happen, even to Christians. It is at times like these that we need to trust God and honestly worship Him—not because things aren’t going well, but because God is good. We cannot control our circumstances, but we can control our reaction to them.

Job went to bed one night, and everything seemed to be going well. Then he got up the next morning and essentially lost everything he had. Worst of all, he lost his children. And what do we read? “Job . . . fell to the ground to worship. He said, ‘I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!’ ” (Job 1:20–21).

What calamity are you facing? What trial is before you? Worship God, not because of your hardship, but because of His sovereignty and glory. When you get to heaven, it will all be explained. Until that day, we live on promises and not on explanations.

Greg Laurie – A Badge of Honor

July 18, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 5:10

God takes it personally when His people come under attack, just as you would take it personally if someone were to attack your child or your grandchild.

When Saul of Tarsus, the notorious Christian killer, met Jesus on the Damascus Road, he had just presided over the death of Stephen, the first martyr of the church. Not only that, he was on his way to kill more Christians. So what did Jesus say to Saul? “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4).

Notice that He did not say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting My people?” For Jesus, it was personal. In the same way, when God’s people come under persecution, it is personal to Him. So if you are going through some kind of hardship, if you are being harassed, criticized, or persecuted for your faith in Jesus, be encouraged by that.

At the end of the Beatitudes, Jesus said,

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10–12)

Jesus used the word “blessed” twice as He spoke about persecution for His sake to emphasize the generous blessing given by God to the persecuted. Jesus was effectively saying, “Double blessed are the persecuted.” The word “blessed” also could be translated “happy.” It’s as though Jesus were saying, “Happy, happy are the persecuted.”

It isn’t so happy when the persecution is taking place. But you can wear it as a badge of honor that someone would attack you because you so faithfully represent Jesus Christ.

Greg Laurie – Closing Time

July 17, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“And I heard a voice from the altar, saying, ‘Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just’ ” —Revelation 16:7

In 1869, French chemist Pierre Berthelot wrote, “Within a hundred years of physical and chemical science, men will know what the atom is. It is my belief that when science reaches this stage, God will come down to earth with His big ring of keys and say to humanity, ‘Gentlemen, it is closing time.’ ”

That is what God is effectively saying in chapters 15 and 16 of Revelation, which describe a specific time during the last three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation period. The Antichrist will have already emerged on the scene. He will have set into place his new global economy and will have his military and his one-world religion.

By this time, people will have made the decision either to follow Jesus Christ and be sealed by the Holy Spirit or to take the mark of the beast and be eternally separated from God. Once a person has taken this mark, there is no turning back. Then God’s judgment will come in full force on the Antichrist and all who have followed him. There will be nothing left to say.

Sadly, there are many who will pretty much die as they have lived: hardened against God. That is why this judgment will come.

God’s judgments are never haphazard, willy-nilly, or random. God is always very specific in the way He judges and when He judges. He takes no pleasure in this. In fact, He says, “I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live” (Ezekiel 33:11).

It is true that God is loving, but it is also true that God is just. It is true that God is forgiving, but it is also true that God is righteous. Consequently, there must be a judgment.

Greg Laurie – Best Dressed

July 16, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. —Romans 13:14

Most of us pay at least some attention to the way we look, and there is nothing wrong with that. But have you ever noticed how some people, instead of wearing an outfit, their outfit is wearing them? We don’t want attire like that. When we put on our clothes, we expect them to do what we do, to go where we go.

That is the idea of Romans 13:14, which tells us to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” This refers to a practical, day-by-day repetition of putting on of Christ. We embrace Him again and again.

To put on the Lord Jesus Christ is to have him be a part of everything we do. He goes with us where we go. He is a part of our decision-making process. He is Lord every day of our lives. He is not only our Sunday Jesus, but He is our Monday Jesus, our Tuesday Jesus, our Wednesday Jesus, and our Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Jesus.

He is Lord when we go to church. He is Lord when we go to the movies. He is Lord when we go out to dinner. He is Lord when we go to work. He is Lord when we go on vacation. He is Lord of all. And if He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all.

I like the J. B. Phillips paraphrase of this verse: “Let us be Christ’s men from head to foot, and give no chances to the flesh to have its fling.”

Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ—that is what we need to focus on. Let’s focus our energies on becoming like Jesus.

Greg Laurie – No Place for Pride

July 15, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. —1 John 2:15–16

Some people always have to get the most attention, always have to be the star, always have to be better than everyone else.

But the Bible says, “Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy” (Romans 13:13, emphasis added).

“Strife” refers to persistent contention, bickering, petty disagreement, and enmity. This reflects a spirit of antagonistic competitiveness that fights to have its own way, regardless of the cost to itself or others. It is really the desire to prevail over other people. This is the person who wants the highest prestige, the greatest prominence, and the most recognition. This is someone who must be the top dog.

The word “envy” refers to someone who can’t stand being surpassed and begrudges others success and position. They are pretty happy with the way things are going until someone else gets something they want. It has been said that envy shoots at another and wounds itself. In the end, the only one who gets hurt is you. The person you envy probably doesn’t even know (and probably could care less).

A crab fisherman was once asked why he didn’t put a lid on the bucket that held his day’s catch. He replied, “The moment one of them climbs out, the others reach up and pull it back down again.”

We do the same thing, don’t we? You come back down here with the rest of us! How dare you succeed? How dare you do well?

The apostle Paul warned, “But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” (Galatians 5:15).

As believers, our competition is with the world, the flesh, and the devil (see 1 John 2:15–16), not with fellow Christians.

Greg Laurie – When Trouble Comes

July 13, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

When we are afflicted, suffering, or in trouble, God tells us what we should do: Come before His presence and pray. Why? For one thing, it may just be that God will remove that problem because of our prayers. That is not to say that God will always take away our afflictions, suffering, or troubles; but sometimes He does.

By simply bringing our circumstances before the Lord and acknowledging our need and dependence upon Him, we can see God intervene in the situations that most trouble us. Prayer can also give us the grace we need to endure trouble and be brought much closer to God.

James 5:13 tells us, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” The word suffering used here could also be translated “in trouble” or “in distress.” Is anyone among you in trouble? Are you distressed? Then you should pray.

So when the bottom drops out, when you feel you are hanging by just a thread, when circumstances have become incredibly difficult, or when they have grown worse by the minute, what should you do? You should pray. Come into the Lord’s presence, humbly and thankfully, and pray. Pray when you are afflicted. Pray when you are sick. Pray when some sin has overtaken you. Pray when specific needs occur.

Pray, and don’t give up.

Greg Laurie – Spiritual Lethargy

July 12, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. —1 Thessalonians 5:5–6

It scares me when I meet people who profess to be believers, but they are engaging in extramarital or premarital sex and have rationalized it somehow. They say that God is cool with it. But God is not cool with it. It is a sin against Him.

When you are spiritually lethargic, you are more vulnerable to these sins. Case in point: King David. He was plucked from obscurity as a shepherd boy to become a giant killer in the valley of Elah and later the great king of Israel. He was a wonderful, powerful, and godly man. But after years of walking with the Lord, David put his spiritual life on cruise control, and we read that “late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath” (2 Samuel 11:2). That woman, by the way, was Bathsheba.

Interestingly, this was the time when wars were being fought. David’s troops were out on the battlefield, and David, the warrior-king, should have been leading them as he always did. Instead, he was kicking back. He was taking some time off. But you don’t feed lust—you starve it. The moment you back off in the spiritual battle, you will be vulnerable. The moment you fall asleep, you will be weak. You can’t take a spiritual vacation.

That is why Paul wrote to Timothy, “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

This is the warning: Stay away from those things. Stay away from anything that would encourage immoral living.

Greg Laurie – Suit Up

July 11, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. —Romans 13:12

If you were to suffer the horrible experience of falling into a septic tank, you can be sure the clothes you were wearing would quickly become a part of your past. You wouldn’t wash them because it would ruin your washing machine. You would simply throw them out.

The apostle Paul wrote, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12).

The idea is to cast off the works of darkness as though you had fallen into a septic tank. Cast them off like dirty clothes. In their place, put on the armor of light. Trade in the old for the new. Suit up.

Then Paul tells us there are things we must get rid of and things we must be engaged in: “Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:13–14).

The words “revelry” and “drunkenness,” used together, depict drunken individuals walking through the street. It is the party animal mentality. It seems that people who are drinking always get noisy. They start laughing at things that aren’t funny. They start raising their voices. They think they are acting sober when, in reality, they are acting like people who are drunk because that is exactly what they are.

There are Christians who say they have the liberty to drink and know when to stop, but they still come under the influence. As Christians, we want to be under the influence of God. That is how we are to live as last days believers.

Greg Laurie – Are You Awake?

July 10, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. —Romans 13:11

Have you ever had someone call you very late at night or very early in the morning? You answer the phone, and the voice on the other end says, “Did I wake you?”

What do we always say? “No.”

Why are we so reluctant to admit we were sleeping? Why do we always want to deny it?

The apostle Paul wrote, “Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living” (Romans 13:11–12).

The J. B. Phillips paraphrase states it this way: “Why all this stress on behavior? Because, as I think you have realized, the present time is of the highest importance—it is time to wake up to reality. Every day brings God’s salvation nearer. The night is nearly over, the day has almost dawned. Let us therefore fling away the things that men do in the dark, let us arm ourselves for the fight of the day!”

“The present time” this verse is referring to is the Lord’s return. Paul wasn’t addressing his words to nonbelievers; he was addressing Christians. He was addressing his remarks to genuine believers whose spiritual lethargy and laziness made them appear and act as though they had no spiritual lives.

We, too, can get a little lazy and a little lethargic. Maybe we have been taking in the Word of God without an outlet for what God is teaching us in our lives, and as a result, we are actually falling asleep in the light. We are resting on our laurels and living in our past. We need to wake up. The coming of the Lord is near.

Greg Laurie – Ready to Go

July 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” —Luke 12:40

When I go on a trip, I always pack my bags the night before, especially if it is an early morning flight. I will always have everything ready to go because I want to be at the gate on time. I don’t want to miss my flight, so I prepare in advance.

That is the idea Jesus was communicating when He said, “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately” (Luke 12:35–36).

In other words, have your walking shoes on and be ready to go.

To be ready for the return of Jesus is to be engaged in activities you would not be ashamed of if He were to return. It is a good thing to ask yourself periodically, This place that I am about to go, this thing that I am about to do—would I be embarrassed or ashamed to be doing this if Jesus were to come back? If the answer is yes, then don’t do it. If you can’t pray over your plans for the evening, then don’t do those things. You should be able to say, “Lord, bless our time at dinner. Lord, bless our time as we go here or there or as we do this or do that.” If you can’t, then don’t do it.

First John 3:2–3 says, “We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

If we really believe that Jesus is coming, it should cause us to live godly lives.

Greg Laurie – Live What You Believe

July 8, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. —2 Peter 3:8

When I became a Christian in 1970, the Jesus Movement was in full swing. A lot of young people were coming to Christ. There was a great deal of talk about the soon return of Jesus. It was very common to see bumper stickers on cars with slogans that read, “In case of Rapture, this car will be unmanned” or “Jesus is coming!”

I don’t know how many of those I have gone through, but quite a few. And still He hasn’t come. Some would say, “You guys were all wrong. Maybe He is never coming.” But here is what the Bible says in response: “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9).

Forty-three years ago, I was praying that Jesus would come back. I would venture to guess there are many who are glad that God didn’t answer my prayers because they have become believers since then. I also think that somewhere on earth is an individual who will be the last one the Lord is waiting for to put his or her faith in Christ, and the moment this person does so, the Rapture will take place.

Peter continues, “But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment” (verse 10).

If you really believe that Jesus is coming back, then it should impact the way you live. And if it doesn’t impact the way you live, then you are completely missing the point.

Greg Laurie – Smoke Signals

July 6, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” —Luke 18:26–27

I once heard a story about a man who was shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. Seeing that rescue might not happen for a long time, he painstakingly built a little hut to provide himself protection from the elements and a place to store the few items he had managed to salvage from the wreck. Every day he would prayerfully scan the horizon, hoping for the approach of a ship. But he saw nothing.

Then one evening, after he had been out and about on the island, searching for food, he came back to see that his little hut was in flames. He tried to put out the fire, but it was too late. Everything he owned in this world had gone up in smoke. He went to sleep that night listening to the pounding of the surf, stunned by his own misfortune.

The next morning he awoke to find a ship anchored off the island—the first ship he had seen since he had been marooned. Still trying to believe his eyes, he heard footsteps, and then a human voice, saying, “We saw your smoke signal and we came to rescue you.”

That’s how it happens sometimes. In divine sovereignty and grace, the worst-case scenario somehow becomes the best-case scenario.

Disasters can turn out to be great opportunities for God to work in your life. The Lord is always present with us, always intimately acquainted with our circumstances, and He specializes in taking “impossible” situations and turning them around, for His glory and our benefit.

Greg Laurie – Works that Follow Us

July 5, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!” —Revelation 14:13

God keeps meticulous records. There is a reward waiting for every believer. Even those small things are duly noted. Jesus said, “And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded” (Matthew 10:42). The reward for followers of Jesus is that we will have our works follow us.

What kind of works will follow you? What will be said at your memorial service? What things will be noted? Have you noticed that at a funeral, it is never mentioned how much money he or she had in the bank? Rather, the focus is always personal. There are stories about family and friends and about the merciful, sacrificial, loving, kind things he or she did. That is the kind of things people want to hear at a memorial service. Our works follow us.

If you don’t have any works following you, then that raises the question of whether you are a true believer. Although works don’t save us, they are good evidence that we are saved. The Bible says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8–9). At the same time, a faith that does not produce works is a faith that is not working.

If you died today, would you die in the Lord, or would you be separated from Him? Are you like the people of Babel in Genesis 11, building your little tower to heaven, hoping that it will get you there?

We want real, saving faith so that our works will follow us in that final day.

Greg Laurie – The Last Enemy

July 4, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. —1 Corinthians 15:26

When someone loses a loved one, there is a place for mourning. The depth of our sorrow is an indication of the depth of our love. But there is also a place for rejoicing if that loved one is a believer because we know we will see him or her again.

Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus as he saw the devastating power of death. Death is an enemy, and 1 Corinthians 15:26 tells us, “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”

No one wants to die. No one looks forward to death. But we all will die, and we want to have put our faith in Christ before we enter into eternity. However, there is something we need to remember about heaven.

Paul the apostle, when he went to heaven and came back to earth, tried to put his experience into words. He could find only one word that helped him describe it, and that was “paradise” (see 2 Corinthians 12:4). It is an interesting Greek word that actually refers to the royal garden of a king. Think about the most beautiful garden you have ever seen or the most amazing sight you have ever laid eyes on. That was the depiction of heaven Paul gave. He was saying, “I don’t really have the words, but it was like a paradise.”

As Pastor Adrian Rogers put it, “The God who sculpted the wings of the butterfly, blended the hues of the rainbow, and painted the meadows with daffodils is the same One who made heaven.”

In heaven all questions are answered, all tears are dried, and all pain is gone. Heaven is pure bliss. That is why Paul said that he longed to be there. Heaven is far, far better than earth.

Scriptures, Lessons, News and Links to help you survive.