If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 

—Mark 8:38

Scripture:

Mark 8:38 

The first time I heard the gospel on my high school campus, I didn’t walk up and join everyone who was at the meeting that day. My high school had a group of outspoken Christians who held daily Bible studies on the front lawn of the school at lunchtime. Everyone knew who they were. And we either hated them or felt sorry for them.

My friends warned me to stay away from the Christians, which I did for a while. But I also was sort of interested in these unusual people who carried Bibles to school and talked about Jesus as though He were their next-door neighbor.

Then, one day, out of curiosity, I went to one of their meetings. However, I sat close enough to hear what was going on but far enough away that I didn’t appear to be part of them. And that was the day I gave my life to Jesus Christ.

Initially, I was reluctant to be identified with the Christians. I wanted to do things quietly and secretly. A lot of people are like that today. They don’t want to say they’re Christians. They prefer to be undercover believers.

Nicodemus went undercover, so to speak, to engage in conversation with Jesus. The Bible tells us that he came to see Jesus “after dark” (John 3:2). To his credit, at least Nicodemus went to see Him.

Why would Nicodemus seek out Jesus at night? There are several possible explanations. For example, maybe it was a cooler time of the day to visit. But I think the more plausible explanation is that Nicodemus, being a man of notoriety, wanted to talk with Jesus incognito.

He didn’t want to be recognized because he went to ask Jesus a lot of serious questions. After all, Nicodemus was a man who was supposed to have the answers. Instead, he had questions.

When some people are first checking out the gospel, they’re apprehensive. That’s because they’re afraid of what others might think.

In the end, Nicodemus turned out to be one of the most courageous of Jesus’ followers. After the crucifixion, a man named Joseph of Arimathea showed up with Nicodemus to claim the body of Jesus. John’s Gospel gives us this detail: “With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes” (19:39 NLT).

At this point the Lord’s own disciples had deserted Him. But Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea came and claimed the body of the Lord. They were willing to be counted for their faith.

As the years have passed, I’ve seen many people fall away from the faith whom I thought would make their mark on this world for God. And I’ve been very surprised. Then, there have been others whom I thought would do nothing, and they’ve done a lot.

Nicodemus started slowly, but in the end, he came through. It is great to start the race well. But it’s also important to finish it.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 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

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 4:18 

Deep inside us, there is a sense that there’s something more in life. No matter what experiences we’ve had, no matter how wonderful they were, they were only a glimpse of what is still ahead. We are homesick for a place we’ve never been to, and that place is Heaven.

The Bible says that we were wired this way, that God “has planted eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT). This simply means we have a sense there is more to life, and that keeps us moving forward.

It’s like the homing instinct we see in the animal kingdom. Our homing instinct, however, is for a place we haven’t yet seen.

If you are a Christian, then you are going to Heaven. Jesus said, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:2–3 NLT).

Interestingly, the Bible doesn’t tell us that much about Heaven. There are some passages about it, but not a lot.

For example, the apostle Paul had the unique experience of dying, going to Heaven, and having to come back to earth. Paul didn’t go into great detail about what he saw on the other side. But he said this much: “I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell” (2 Corinthians 12:4 NLT).

For us to try to understand something as glorious as Heaven would be like a six-month-old baby trying to understand an explanation about the beauty of Hawaii. It’s very hard for us to wrap our minds around.

No matter what happens to us on this earth, it pales in comparison to this great hope.

Writing to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul said, “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” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18 NLT).

This is the hope of the Christian. There’s a better world ahead. Until that day, there is nothing that will completely satisfy our lives. There’s something greater than what we are experiencing now.

Yet, not everyone has this hope. If you don’t have this hope in Christ, then you ought to be afraid right now. You ought to be afraid if you don’t know whether you will go to Heaven.

The believer has great hope beyond all of this. We have the great hope that a place called Heaven is waiting for us on the other side.

https://harvest.org

 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time. 

—Psalm 34:19

Scripture:

Psalm 34:19 

From the moment we come into this life, there are all kinds of troubles. Life is filled with challenges, and it seems as though when you have one problem finally resolved, three more take its place.

In fact, the Bible says, “People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire” (Job 5:7 NLT).

Some people may say that if you accept Jesus Christ, then all your troubles will go away. The implication is that if you become a Christian, then your problems will be gone. On one hand that’s true, because when you become a true follower of Jesus, many troubles do go away. The issues of an ever-present guilt, an emptiness in your life, and the fear of what happens beyond the grave are resolved.

But in all fairness, other troubles start once you give your life to the Lord. The moment you decide to follow Jesus Christ and seek to do the right thing, the devil will do everything that He can to stop you.

But you also need to know that God is far more powerful than the devil. And God will do everything He can to strengthen you. You are on the winning side.

That doesn’t mean you aren’t going to be tempted. It doesn’t mean you aren’t going to face hardships or that you won’t have obstacles in your life. But it does mean that you will ultimately get through these things with the help and power of God.

When the disciples were afraid, Jesus gave them some words of assurance to bring calm to their anxious hearts. He said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1 NLT). We could also translate this to say, “Don’t be agitated or disturbed or thrown into confusion.”

Jesus didn’t tell the disciples to mull over their problems. Instead, He told them not to be troubled. He was saying there are reasons to be troubled in life, but there is a greater reason not to be.

Yes, we have all kinds of troubles in our lives: health troubles, family troubles, relationship troubles, and financial troubles. Things don’t go the way that we hoped they would go.

And there are times in our lives when things happen that we just don’t understand. Why did God do a certain thing? Or why did God not do a certain thing?

When I don’t understand something about God, I try to always fall back on what I do understand. I understand that God loves me and that He’s looking out for me with my best interests in mind. I do understand that no matter what happens, He will get me through it.

Nothing is too hard for the Lord. There is no addiction so strong that He cannot free someone from it. And there is no problem so complex that He cannot unravel it. There is no hope without God. But with Him, you have all the hope that you ever will need.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 But he said, ‘No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!’ 

—Revelation 22:9

Scripture:

Revelation 22:9 

If an angel were to appear to you right now, no doubt you would be overwhelmed. In fact, you might even be tempted to fall down and worship him. This happened to the apostle John when, in Revelation 22, he saw an angel who gave him a message.

John wrote, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said, ‘No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!’ ” (Revelation 22:8–9 NLT).

Notice what this angel said: “Worship only God!” In other words, “Keep your priorities straight, John. Don’t worship me. I am but the messenger. Worship God.”

If an awe-inspiring angel were to appear before us, we would be inclined to believe just about anything he said. But let’s keep in mind that the Bible says even “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14 NLT).

Not only do holy angels exist, but fallen angels exist as well. And a fallen angel can appear as an angel of light with a message that contradicts what the Bible teaches.

This is why the apostle Paul wrote, “Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you” (Galatians 1:8 NLT).

In the Old Testament, we find a fascinating story that gives us insight into the way angels work. The prophet Daniel was praying, and the Bible tells us that God heard his prayer and dispatched an angel with a special message for him. But this angel was engaged in combat with a demon power for twenty-one days.

The angel was unable to get through to Daniel with God’s message. But the angel went on to tell Daniel that one of the archangels, Michael, came to his aid (see Daniel 10:12–14 NLT).

This indicates that in the angelic realm, both holy and unholy, there are rankings. Ephesians 6 points out, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (verse 12 NLT).

For example, the Bible refers to Michael as an archangel. Then there is Gabriel, who also may be a high-ranking angel because God sent him with a specific message for Joseph and Mary about the arrival of the Messiah.

Daniel’s story teaches us that delays are not necessarily denials. So, the next time you ask God to do something for you, and it doesn’t happen as quickly as you would like, don’t assume it means that God is saying no. Who knows what’s going on in the supernatural realm? Who knows what’s taking place behind the scenes on your behalf?

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Then Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!’ The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. 

—2 Kings 6:17

Scripture:

2 Kings 6:17 

When we read about angels in the Bible, they were, on many occasions, the executors of God’s judgment. For example, on one occasion, angels brought God’s judgment, killing 185,000 people.

Billy Graham described angels as God’s secret agents. That’s a good description of them, because they generally operate undercover, doing the bidding and work of God.

One reason we’re not personally aware of angels in our lives is because they’re doing their job properly. They remain invisible most of the time, except on occasions when God sends them on a special mission and they clothe themselves in human form. But when they appear in all their splendor, they are no doubt very beautiful to behold.

The Bible’s description of angels is certainly awe-inspiring, especially in the visions of both the apostle John (in Revelation) and Ezekiel. If we were able to roll away the veil that separates the physical world from the spiritual one, if we could get a behind-the-scenes look into the invisible world of angels and demons, it would overwhelm us.

On one hand it would be frightening to see the demonic powers that are clearly at work. But on the other hand, it would be exciting to see the angels that are working in the lives of believers.

This very thing happened to the servant of Elisha, who was terrified by the armies that were closing in on him and the prophet. But Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” (2 Kings 6:17 NLT). And in a moment, this young man had the privilege of peeking behind the supernatural veil and getting a rare glimpse into the invisible world.

The Bible says that when the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, “he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire” (2 Kings 6:17 NLT). What he saw was the equivalent of an army. An angelic military force had surrounded Elisha and his servant.

We see throughout the pages of Scripture that angels are alive, well, and working. And the Bible says they also will be working mightily in the last days. Angelic activity will reach a fever pitch in both the holy and the unholy realms. The angels of God will be active, and demons will be active as well.

Then, one day, the archangel will call all true believers to Heaven. The Bible says, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 NLT).

Yes, there is coming a day when those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ will literally leave this earth in what we call the Rapture. Where will you be on that day?

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. 

—Proverbs 16:18

Scripture:

Proverbs 16:18 

I heard about a sign on a road near an airport runway that read, “Keep moving. If you stop, you are in danger and a danger to those who are flying.”

We could apply the same principle to the Christian life: We need to keep moving forward spiritually. If we stop, we’re in danger and a danger to others.

There is a natural tendency to go in the wrong direction. As a result of putting our faith in Jesus Christ, we have a new nature. But we also have an old nature that fights with the new nature.

The apostle Paul wrote, “And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” (Romans 7:18–19 NLT).

We make a choice whether to build up our spiritual lives or neglect them. And when we neglect the things of God, we are feeding our old nature. It’s a battle, and every day the battle rages.

Simon Peter never thought that he would fall away from the Lord. He somehow believed that even if everyone else abandoned Jesus, he never would. He didn’t understand his own weakness, and as a result, he fell—and he fell hard.

There are several steps that led to Simon Peter’s fall. The first was self-confidence. He said to Jesus, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you” (Luke 22:33 NLT). And according to Matthew’s Gospel, he also said, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you” (26:33 NLT).

Peter was boasting, and he was doing it at the expense of others. He was boasting of his devotion and commitment. Yet Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (NLT).

We need to recognize that we have the potential to fall. We have the potential to sin. We don’t need self-confidence; we need Christ-confidence. We need to trust in Him and stay as close to Him as we can.

Peter’s next step down was a lack of prayer. When Jesus and His disciples went to the Mount of Olives, Jesus told them, including Peter, to watch and pray. Instead, they were sleeping. This was a result of the sin of self-confidence.

Lastly, Peter followed at a distance after a crowd of men arrested Jesus and led Him away. And a distance from the Lord in closeness and fellowship will always be at the foundation of all spiritual regression. In Peter’s defense, he was still following. But it was at a distance, which means that it was a half-hearted commitment.

Although this is a story of failure, it is also a story of restoration and forgiveness. Peter received forgiveness and a second chance. Have you fallen away from the Lord? Jesus is ready to forgive you of every sin that you’ve ever committed.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 

—1 Timothy 4:1

Scripture:

1 Timothy 4:1 

A number of years ago, I was with some friends who were riding a three-wheel-all-terrain vehicle. I was a seasoned dirt biker at the time, and I asked the person who owned it if I could take it for a spin.

He said, “Greg, be careful. You can dump that thing, and it can hurt you.”

I thought, “Oh, please. It’s like a big tricycle.” I didn’t put any of my gear on, and I didn’t wear a helmet. And then I went tearing up a hill just like I would on my dirt bike. And sure enough, it flipped on top of me. I was sliding down the hill, upside down, in slow motion.

I had every intention of going over the top of the hill, getting a little air, and having a nice three-point landing on those big, fat tires. Instead, I was going downhill in the opposite direction. It was a painful lesson, and I felt silly.

That experience reminds me of backsliding. No one plans on doing it, but it happens. Show me any Christian who has fallen away from their faith, and I will show you a Christian who took a series of steps into gross or open sin before the time they fell.

You don’t call up a Christian friend and say, “Instead of going to church, do you want to go backslide and totally abandon our faith?” Some foolish person might do that, but generally, a Christian wouldn’t plan on that.

The Bible specifically warns believers about falling away. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons” (1 Timothy 4:1 NLT).

We need to keep our guard up. We need to be careful because any believer could potentially fall away spiritually.

There are a lot of people who may be in church and think they’re walking closely with the Lord. But in reality, they’re backsliders. The Bible clearly warns against the sin of backsliding. Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God said, “My wayward children . . . come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts” (Jeremiah 3:22 NLT).

God also said, “Your wickedness will bring its own punishment. Your turning from me will shame you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him” (Jeremiah 2:19 NLT).

Maybe you’re thinking, “That is so dramatic. But I don’t think I’ve actually backslidden. I’ll admit that I’m not as active today spiritually as I was ten years ago. I still go to church—when I can find the time. I still read the Bible—when I get around to it. And I still obey God—unless it conflicts with what I want to do.”

As Christians, we’re either moving forward or backward. We’re either climbing or slipping. And the moment that we stop progressing as believers will be the moment that we begin to backslide.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 

—Colossians 3:15

Scripture:

Colossians 3:15 

In the Old Testament, we find the story of Gideon, a man whom God chose to lead the Israelites into battle. But Gideon was hardly a trained warrior. In fact, he was overwhelmed by the task and asked God to confirm His word.

In effect, Gideon said, “Lord, I will make You a deal. Tomorrow morning, I’ll lay a fleece on the ground. And in the morning, if this really is Your plan, there will be dew on the fleece but not on the ground. Then I will know that it’s Your will.”

The next morning, there was dew on the fleece and not on the ground, just as Gideon had asked. But he thought that it might have been a coincidence. So, he went back to God and basically said, “Tomorrow morning, I’m asking that it will be the other way around. Then I will know that it’s Your plan.” So, the next day, there was dew on the ground but not on the fleece.

God had confirmed His will to Gideon.

In the same way, you might say, “Lord, this seems to be Your will, so I’m asking You to please open the door circumstantially.” However, don’t base your entire situation on circumstances because circumstances can sometimes lead us in the wrong direction.

Colossians 3:15 tells us, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful” (NLT).

The Amplified Bible puts the same verse this way: “Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise].”

I have learned to listen to the peace of God. I’ve been in dangerous situations and have felt God’s peace. Then there have been other times when I didn’t have God’s peace in a situation. Instead, I had turmoil in my heart. I’ve learned to listen to that because I’ve made some mistakes by not listening to it.

If we want to know the will of God, then not only do we need to ask God to give us His peace, but we also need to ask Him to open doors through circumstances, confirming His Word. We also must remember that God will not lead us into something that is contrary to what Scripture says.

And just as important as the will of God is the timing of God. Sometimes, He doesn’t do things as quickly as we want Him to. At other times, He does things so quickly that we have a hard time keeping up.

But God is not a distant force with no plan or purpose for you. You are uniquely created in the image of God, and He has a custom-designed plan just for you. He wants to reveal Himself to you. And He wants you to enter into a friendship with Him. Can you imagine anything better than that?

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 

—John 15:15

Scripture:

John 15:15 

Friends reveal secrets to friends. When something really good happens, what do you do? You call your friend. And when something really bad happens, you also call your friend.

If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, then you are a friend of God. And because you are a friend of God, He wants to reveal His secrets to you. The Bible says, “The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant” (Psalm 25:14 NLT).

God wants to reveal His purpose and plan for your life. God does not play hide-and-seek. He is concerned about revealing His will to you today.

God said of Abraham, His servant, “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” (Genesis 18:17 NLT). When you have a relationship with God, He will reveal His plan for your life.

Jesus said, “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me” (John 15:15 NLT).

We need to learn how to discern the will of God.

I have been a Christian since 1970. I wish I could say that after years of walking with the Lord, I have discovered a foolproof plan for knowing the will of God in every situation. However, such a plan doesn’t exist. Like any other Christian, I’ve often found myself stumbling into the will of God.

There have been times when God has spoken to my heart, I made a move, and it was what He wanted me to do. But there have been other times when I’ve simply ended up in the middle of God’s perfect plan.

I don’t know that we can always have a foolproof method of knowing God’s plan in every situation. But I do think we can take steps to prepare our hearts to know His will more effectively.

We start by presenting ourselves as living sacrifices to God. The Bible says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him” (Romans 12:1 NLT).

We tend to want to know God’s will before we decide to give ourselves to it. For instance, when your friends ask if you’ll do them a favor, you probably say, “What kind of favor?” You want to know what they’re up to before you agree to help.

In the same way, God asks, “Are you willing to do My will?” And we say, “Tell me what Your will is, and then I’ll tell You whether I’m willing to do it.”

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27 NLT). It is not enough to just hear the voice of God. We need to do what He tells us to do.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 

—Psalm 51:2

Scripture:

Psalm 5:12 

I am a messy person, but the problem is that I don’t like messy environments. So, periodically, I will turbo clean and straighten everything out again. Everything looks tidy and wonderful for a while, and then I start messing it up again.

My wife, Cathe, on the other hand, cleans constantly and doesn’t allow messes to pile up. Instead of throwing junk into a drawer, she organizes the drawer that we throw things into. Instead of sweeping dirt under a rug, she washes the entire floor.

While I take the path of least resistance, Cathe does what it takes. And Cathe’s way is the right way to clean things. We can take that same approach to life. We can take my approach to cleaning, where we do nominal things and make a few exterior changes without any real change on the inside.

We might say, “I don’t want to deal with that now. I don’t want to hassle with that issue.” Thus, we’re always putting things off. That is how little things turn into big things. On the other hand, we can take Cathe’s approach to cleaning, which is thorough.

For example, when Jesus cleansed the temple after His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, it was the second time He did so. The first time, He drove the merchants out with a whip.

John’s Gospel tells us, “In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables” (2:14–15 NLT).

The Bible teaches that our “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19). When we first put our faith in Jesus Christ, He cleanses our temple. Filthy habits are banished. A new purpose and a new focus in life grip us. But, sometimes, as time passes, a few of the old things find their way back in again. And our lives become cluttered with things that don’t belong.

That little sin that had been gone has returned and is starting to grow. And Jesus is ready to clean house again. Even though you’ve been converted and the Lord has cleansed you, you need to say, “Lord, I think it’s time for a little spring cleaning here. There is a little clutter. There are a few things that maybe don’t belong.”

Are there some sins, vices, or bad habits that have found their way back into your life again? Are there things that maybe you stopped doing after you became a Christian, but now you’re doing again?

Or, perhaps there are things that you’ve never done before, but you have started to do them, even as a Christian. Maybe it’s time for Jesus to clean house. Maybe you need a little bit of spring cleaning—not just once, but as often as necessary.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 And he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. 

—Mark 11:16

Scripture:

Mark 11:16 

If you’ve ever watched a Western, then you know that if you want to make a point, you turn over a table.

After Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, He entered the temple, looked around, and assessed the situation. Then, He returned the next day, and He began to cleanse the temple by driving out the merchants and turning over their tables.

Mark gives us these details in his Gospel: “When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves” (Mark 11:15 NLT).

Maybe you’re thinking, “Now, wait a second. I thought Jesus was meek and mild. Isn’t that how a Christian should be?”

Let’s understand what that means. Jesus did say, “I am humble and gentle at heart” (Matthew 11:29 NLT). The problem is that we sometimes equate meekness with weakness. We think that to be a Christian, we need to be soft-spoken. That’s what we think meekness is. But that isn’t meekness; that is just quietness.

The image of Jesus knocking over tables and chairs of the money changers isn’t what we’re used to. As a matter of fact, in the way artists portray Jesus in traditional religious art, He doesn’t look like He could turn over a chair, much less a table.

But the Jesus of the New Testament, the real Jesus, was a man’s man. He was strong. The merchants’ tables weren’t little temporary folding tables. Rather, they were massive tables made of heavy wood, maybe even marble. And Jesus turned them over. It was complete chaos as doves flew out of their cages, and money flew everywhere.

Meekness is not weakness. It is power under constraint. Meekness is being able to do something and choosing not to. Weakness, on the other hand, is not being able to do anything. That is the difference.

Jesus was applying meekness. He was indignant and angry because they were hurting God’s people. He told them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves” (Mark 11:17 NLT).

They were preventing people from worshipping the Lord. Instead of praying for the people, these religious leaders were preying on the people. If worshippers wanted to pay the temple tax, they had to exchange their money for special half shekels in the sanctuary, which were the only form of currency the temple accepted. But it came at a hiked-up price.

The same was true for sacrificial animals. If people brought in their own animals to sacrifice, the animals would be rejected, which forced them to buy the merchants’ more expensive animals.

The bottom line is the merchants were keeping people away from God. And that made God angry. Very angry. In the same way, we need to ask ourselves this question: Am I a bridge or a barrier to people coming to Christ?

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 

—Luke 19:41

Scripture:

Luke 19:41 

The crowd rejoiced, but Jesus wept. His ministry was almost over. Time was short. He had healed their sick and raised their dead. He had fed their hungry and forgiven their sins. Yet, by and large, He remained mostly alone and rejected.

Jesus knew that in a short time, one of His own handpicked disciples would betray Him for thirty pieces of silver. And He knew that Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod would conspire against Him to bring about His death.

But not only that, Jesus knew that the same fickle crowds that were shouting His praises on that day soon would be shouting, “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:22–23 NLT). He knew those crowds would reap the full impact of their sin because they missed the day of their visitation.

This is the second time that we read of Jesus weeping openly. He also wept at the tomb of Lazarus (see John 11:35). And even though He knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead, He still wept over the pain and anguish that death brings.

Jesus, being God, was omniscient. He knew the future. He saw the destruction that would come upon Jerusalem in just forty years. Four decades later, in AD 70, the Romans laid siege to Jerusalem. And after 143 days, they had killed 600,000 Jewish people and took thousands of others captive.

The Jewish historian Josephus tells us that during this siege, rivers of blood flowed through the gates of the city, and the beloved temple burned to the ground, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy. He had said of the temple, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” (Matthew 24:2 NLT).

This broke Jesus’ heart because unbelief and rejection break God’s heart. He knows the consequences.

God created the world. He placed the planets in orbit. He made the light to shine out of darkness. But when someone closes their heart to Him, He won’t forcibly enter. He will knock, but He will not make people believe.

Of course, when people believe, God is happy. And when they reject Him, He is sad because He knows they will reap the repercussions—not only of future judgment but also the repercussions in their lifetime.

Sometimes, people come to me and say they’re doing thus and so. I tell them they really shouldn’t be doing that, and I explain what the Bible says about it. Usually, they say something along the lines of “Hey, don’t judge me!”

And then a few years later, they’ve made a wreck of their lives or the lives of their family members because of the decisions they made. That is what sin does to people. And it makes me sad to see the devastation, ruin, and misery that it brings into a life.

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday, He demonstrated sadness when He saw what was about to happen to those people. And He wept.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 

—Romans 8:15

Scripture:

Romans 8:15 

Years ago when I was first getting to know Billy Graham, I addressed him as “Dr. Graham.”

But he said, “Don’t call me Dr. Graham. Call me Billy.”

That was hard for me to do. It felt too personal. But I finally got around to calling him Billy. His children, though, had a more intimate name for him: Daddy. And his grandchildren called him Daddy Bill. Only his children and grandchildren had the right to address him that way. It was because of their relationship with him.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a relationship with the Creator of the universe. And we have complete access to Him through prayer.

We are God’s children, and He loves us. He wants to hear from us. He wants to talk to us and spend time with us. It’s never a drudgery; it’s always a delight. And the same should be true for us when we spend time with Him.

We know from the Scriptures that He is a good Father. For instance, in the story of the Prodigal Son, Jesus presented God the Father as a dad who missed his wayward son and longed for his return. Then, when his son made his way back home, he ran to him and threw his arms around him.

He said, “We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found” (Luke 15:23–24 NLT). This is your Father in Heaven. He’s a father who always will be there, a father who listens, a father who loves you.

In addition, Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” (John 14:9 NLT). Therefore, if you want to know what the Father in Heaven is like, then look at Jesus.

Jesus was approachable. Little children were drawn to Him, and He blessed them. Tears streamed down His face as He stood at the grave of His friend Lazarus. In the upper room, He got down on His hands and knees and washed the feet of His disciples, including the feet of Judas Iscariot.

Maybe you’re thinking, “He’s the Father in Heaven, but Heaven is so far away. I need someone on earth.”

God is omnipresent, which means that He is present everywhere. And is Heaven really that far away? Perhaps, in a sense, it is. But in another sense, Heaven is closer than we may realize. Heaven is another dimension. It’s a supernatural realm.

Thus, for the Father in Heaven to step into our world is nothing to Him. Remember, when Jesus was teaching the disciples to pray, He began His model prayer by saying, “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10 NLT).

God is deeply involved in and deeply concerned about what you’re facing right now. If it concerns you, then it concerns Him.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent. Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer. 

—Psalm 4:1

Scripture:

Psalm 4:1 

Have you ever thought there was no future for you, that it was just too late? If so, then you need to know more about the power of God and what can take place through prayer.

One thing that certainly stands out in the pages of Scripture is that prayer can dramatically change situations, people, and, on occasion, even the course of nature itself. But what prayer changes the most is us.

God will allow hardship and difficulties in our lives so that He can reveal Himself and put His power and glory on display for those who are watching. When we pray, we’re acknowledging our need for God’s help. Maybe that is why we don’t pray as much as we ought to.

Prayer is an admission of weakness on our part, and some people don’t like to admit weakness. However, we’re foolish if we think we don’t need God.

The psalmist was being honest with God when he prayed, “Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever. . . . Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love” (Psalm 44:23, 26 NLT).

It isn’t always a bad thing to complain to God or to bring your concerns, your questions, your pain, and your sadness to Him.

We repeatedly read in the Gospels that Jesus prayed, and He prayed a lot. He would spend the night in prayer, and He would rise early while the disciples were still sleeping and pray.

As Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46 NLT). Jesus wasn’t having a crisis of faith, as some have suggested. It was the opposite. As He was dying for the sins of the world, He simply was describing the moment when God the Father turned His holy face away and poured the sins of all humanity upon Christ, who never committed a single sin.

Jesus was crying out to the Father, and we can do the same when we’re in pain.

We should get into a habit of prayer. We tend to make prayer a very formal matter, and we become hung up on that. But when a burden hits us, we should pray right then. When something troubles us or concerns us, we should turn it into a prayer right away. We need to develop a lifestyle of prayer.

Philippians 4 reminds us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then, you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (verses 6–7 NLT).

What do you do with your heartache? Pray. Commit it to the Lord. Cry out to God in your sorrow and pain. Call on God for His provision, protection, and guidance. And give thanks to Him for your joys.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 

—Romans 8:5

Scripture:

Romans 8:5 

God wants His Spirit to permeate every area of your life: your thought life, your relationships, your work, and everything that you do.

The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 NLT). Another translation of the word “filled” speaks of the wind filling the sails of a boat.

Imagine being out on a lake, bobbing around in a sailboat without any wind. But then a gust comes along, you hoist your sail, and you pick up speed. In the same way, how much better our lives are when we let the Holy Spirit fill our sails and give us the strength to live the life God calls us to live.

This isn’t about trying harder. It’s about asking God to help us because we can’t do it on our own. This is not works-based righteousness; it’s working righteousness. If you don’t want to go backward, then go forward.

The best way not to walk in the flesh is to walk in the Spirit and take practical steps to do that every day. As believers, we should start each day by asking God to fill us with the Holy Spirit.

Spirit-led people are spiritually-minded people. Romans 8:5 tells us, “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit” (NLT).

In other words, be preoccupied with things that preoccupy the Holy Spirit. And what are those things? The rest of Romans 8 answers that question. For instance, verse 14 says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (NLT). Verses 15–16 tell us that God removes the fear of rejection and assures us that we are His children.

Also, verses 26–27 tell us that the Holy Spirit gives us confidence to approach God in prayer. Therefore, God wants us to think about the fact that He adopted us, He loves us, and He welcomes us.

As a child of God, you’re adopted. I got my last name, Laurie, from a man named Oscar Laurie, one of my mother’s many husbands. He adopted me and treated me as his son. He’s in Heaven now, but I still feel a great love for him.

God loves you, and He welcomes you in prayer. This is important when you’re going through something that causes you to worry. Remember, you’re God’s adopted child. He welcomes you. He wants to hear from you. He wants you to think about Him. That is what it means to be spiritually-minded and have the Holy Spirit dominate your mind.

In contrast, when the sinful nature dominates us, we “think about sinful things” (Romans 8:5). A lot can fall into this category, including lust, anger, and hatred. But it also can include empty things such as fame and fortune.

Let’s fill our minds with the things of God.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 

—Romans 8:1–2

Scripture:

Romans 8:1–2 

As Christians, we’re going to mess up. We’re going to sin. But when He died on the cross of Calvary, Jesus took upon Himself the condemnation and the judgment that we should have faced.

Romans 8:1 tells us, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLT). A Spirit-led believer lives a condemnation-free life.

We see a classic example of how this works in John 8 when the religious leaders brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus. Obviously, a man was involved, but he was gone, and the religious leaders had set up a trap. They said, “This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (verses 4–5 NLT).

But Jesus knew exactly what they were doing. And instead of answering right away, He stooped down and wrote in the dirt. Now, we don’t know what Jesus wrote, but whatever it was, it had a profound effect. Then He stood up and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” (verse 7 NLT).

The Bible tells us that one by one, they all left, from the oldest to the youngest. So Jesus said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” (verse 10 NLT).

She replied, “No, Lord.”

Then Jesus told her, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more” (verse 11 NLT).

This woman knew she was going to die that day. But instead, everything changed when she looked into the eyes of Jesus and looked at the others who had condemned her. And she believed on the spot. That’s how long it takes to believe in Jesus.

When we come to believe in Christ, we don’t understand everything about Him. We don’t understand all the intricacies of the theology of conversion, justification, sanctification, adoption, and so forth. But we know that we need Jesus, and we put our faith in Him. Then He says, “Go and sin no more.”

God always sees us for what we can become. Think of Simon Peter. When he was still known as Simon, Jesus gave him a new name, Peter, which means “rock.” Now, if there was anything that Simon was not, it was a rock. He was hotheaded, vacillating, and argumentative. Yet Jesus was saying, “From now on, you’re a rock.”

Maybe the other disciples were laughing at this, thinking, “Rock? Does Jesus actually know Simon?”

Yes, He did. But Jesus wasn’t calling Simon what he was; He was explaining what he would become. Where we see failure, God sees potential.

We see a Simon. God sees a Peter. We see the past. God sees the future. We see a mess. God sees a message. God sees us for who we are in Christ, not what we were in sin. God does not see us in our sin; He sees us in His Son. God can change everything in your story—if you’ll let Him.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you.’ Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry. 

—Ephesians 4:26

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:26 

The Bible clearly teaches that God is a triune being. He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Yet, it’s difficult for many of us to grasp such a concept because there’s no real parallel we can point to. Whatever analogy we try to use ultimately breaks down.

For the most part, we can wrap our minds around the idea of God the Father and God the Son. However, God the Holy Spirit is a little tough for us. Yet the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit has a distinct personality.

In fact, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as a He, not as an it. For example, in John 16:8, Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment” (NLT).

This is evidenced by the fact that we are capable of quenching, resisting, blaspheming, lying to, and grieving the Holy Spirit.

One of the various ways we can grieve the Holy Spirit is by acting out in unjustified anger. The apostle Paul warned the Christians in Ephesus, “And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you’ ” (Ephesians 4:26 NLT).

There is a difference between unjustified anger and righteous indignation. Jesus, for instance, showed anger. But let’s not misunderstand. When God is angry, His anger is not like ours. When we are upset, we might throw a tantrum. Can you imagine God doing that? I’m so glad that God doesn’t give in to the same things that we would. He isn’t capable of it. It isn’t in His nature.

So, when God does show anger, His anger is always righteous. It is there for a purpose. Jesus felt anger toward the Pharisees who misrepresented God to the people. He was angry with the money changers in the temple, so he overturned their tables and drove them out using a whip.

Of course, there are things we should be righteously indignant about as well. We should be angry when we see our country in a downward spiral, both morally and spiritually. And we should be angry enough to vote for the right policies and the right candidates.

We should be angry when we see too much compromise in the church, thus making our witness ineffective. And we should be angry when we see marriages and families falling apart. This is what we would call righteous indignation.

But then there is unjustified anger in which we lose our temper, say something unkind, or do things that are outright wrong. And when we sin in anger, we need to apologize to the person or people we have offended.

Paul went on to say, “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry” (verse 26 NLT). If you’re married, you should never go to bed when you’re angry with your husband or wife because you don’t want that anger to turn into bitterness.

We need to learn how to disagree—even argue—and then forgive.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

—1 Corinthians 1:7

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:7 

Let’s say that you found an old car at the junkyard and you started restoring it. You painstakingly researched the original colors, how the upholstery originally looked, and what kind of tires had been on it. You made sure that all the numbers matched on the engine. And when you finished working on it, the car was restored to showroom condition.

In the same way, when we function as the church ought to function, we’re getting back to God’s original order.

Ephesians 4:11–12 says, “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (NLT).

In the original language, the word for “equip” means to put something back to its original condition. It also speaks of putting a bone back into place again.

The role of pastors and teachers, the role of evangelists, is to equip believers to do ministry. It is not for them to do everything for those in the body of Christ. Rather, they are to encourage believers to discover the gifts that God has placed in their lives so they can start serving Him.

People who serve in their churches have come to realize that God has blessed them and has done so much in their lives that they want to give back. They want to start serving the Lord with what He has given them.

Maybe God hasn’t called you to be a pastor, a teacher, or an evangelist. But there are many gifts that God has given to the church. When we put our faith in Christ, God gives us some of those gifts.

Maybe you’re not a preacher, but maybe you have the ability to help behind the scenes. There is something for everyone. And God has put gifts in your life.

There are a number of passages in the Bible that specifically tell us not to lack in these gifts as we wait for the Lord’s return. For instance, 1 Corinthians 1:7 says, “Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ” (NLT).

And in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, we read, “Do not stifle the Holy Spirit” (NLT).

I would encourage you to study the Bible to see how these gifts are used (see 1 Corinthians 12–14 and Romans 12). Read through the Book of Acts. And then pray, “Lord, I ask You to show me what my gift or gifts of the Spirit are so that I might use them for Your glory.”

This could be a wonderful blessing for you to start giving out what God has given you. Be a part of His purpose for the church, which is the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry. It’s time to engage and discover the gifts that God has given you—and then start using them.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 

—Ephesians 4:7

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:7 

When you are born into this world, you have certain natural abilities. Some of us have a natural ability in mechanics. Some have a natural ability in music. Others have a natural ability in art. There is a skill or a talent that God has given to each of us.

However, there’s a difference between spiritual gifts and natural abilities. In the spiritual realm, after we put our faith in Jesus Christ, God places certain gifts in our lives.

Ephesians 4:7 tells us, “However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ” (NLT). God has given some gifts to you. And God is the one who decides what gift (or gifts) you will have.

The Bible also says, “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. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well” (Romans 12:4–6 NLT).

There are gifts that God has placed into your life, and He has chosen to whom He will give what. The choice is totally up to Him. These gifts have nothing to do with any kind of merit on our part. Rather, they’re a result of God’s grace.

Paul mentions these gifts again in the letter he wrote to the church of Corinth. He pointed out, “It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have” (1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT).

We can’t go out and pick and choose what gifts appeal to us. We need to recognize that God has placed these gifts in our lives, and our main objective is to use them.

Of course, whenever you bring up the gifts of the Spirit, it causes some level of discomfort for certain people because of the abuse they’ve seen. It seems that whenever we hear the phrase “gifts of the Spirit” or “the power of the Spirit,” we often see excess. We often see the gifts misused.

What we see displayed may be so bizarre and erratic that we think, “If those are the gifts of the Spirit and that is the work of the Holy Spirit, then I want nothing to do with it.”

Yet what we are often seeing is not the gifts in action but an abuse of the gifts, a misuse of them outside the parameters that the Bible gives. We are not seeing what God really wants to do. God wants to work through our lives in a powerful and wonderful way. God has given us these gifts, and we need them.

We are living in dark times. In fact, the Bible tells us that the last days would be satanically energized times. People will go from bad to worse. We need all the power that we can get to effectively live for the Lord and serve Him.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie