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

Have you ever led someone to Christ? If not, why not? Maybe you think that God can never use you in this way, that you’re just not gifted in that regard, and it is only for a privileged few to lead others to Christ. But if this were the case, why was the Great Commission given to every Christian? Every believer is called to “go and make disciples of all the nations . . . ” (Matthew 28:19). That means we are all called to evangelism. We all have a part to play.

I must admit that it’s a mystery to me that God has chosen to use people as the primary communicators of His truth. An interviewer once commented to me that I seem to be very natural when I speak, that it must come easily to me. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” I said. “Before I was a Christian, I wasn’t a public speaker.”

I remember being in an English class in school where we were all required to give an impromptu, five-minute speech in front of the class on an assigned statement. Being a poor student, I hadn’t read the assignment, so I stood frozen with fear in front of the class. I was not a public speaker.

But after I came to faith in Jesus Christ, I realized the best way to help people believe was through verbal communication, be it in front of a group or an individual. I realized that it is not about me or what I feel comfortable doing; it is about obeying God. Because the primary way God reaches people who do not yet know Him is through verbal communication. How can people hear about Christ unless someone tells them? That someone is supposed to be you or me.

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You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. —2 Timothy 2:3

Without question the greatest life to live is the Christian life, because God takes a life that was empty, aimless, and, worst of all, headed for a certain judgment and then turns it around and transforms it. He forgives all our sin, removes our guilt, and literally takes residence inside of us through the Holy Spirit. Most importantly, He changes our eternal address from a place called hell to a place called heaven. This all comes about as a result of the power of the gospel proclaimed and believed.

Yet some have believed what I would describe as a watered-down version of the gospel, a gospel that promises forgiveness but rarely mentions the need to repent of your sin, a gospel that promises peace but never warns of persecution, a gospel that says God wants you to be healthy and wealthy and never have any problems to speak of, a gospel that says you will so find the favor of God that a parking space always will be available for you. But that is not the gospel of the New Testament.

The Christian life is not a playground, but a battleground. Not only is there a God who loves you and has a plan for your life, but there is also a devil who hates you and opposes God’s plan.

I am not suggesting that once you become a Christian, you will be sick, poor, and miserable. But the essence of the Christian life is knowing and walking with God. It is about sticking with Him when the sky is blue and also when it is filled with clouds. It is about pressing on. Jesus made it clear that storms will enter every life. But as we seek to know and follow Christ, we will find happiness as a fringe benefit.

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People are born for trouble as predictably as sparks fly upward from a fire.—Job 5:7

There are times I just don’t know why God does or does not do certain things. I, like you, am mystified by a lot of it.

Listen, being a Christian does not mean you will not suffer. We may ask the question “Why me?” but we could more easily ask “Why not me?” 1 Peter 4:12 warns us, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (ESV). Our trials and sufferings should not be seen as strange, but should be expected.

Jesus Himself assured us that there will be suffering in our lives. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NKJV).

Here is what we need to know: suffering will come. It’s not a matter of if but when and how much. We need to prepare for it.

If, as you are reading this, you are not experiencing any suffering or tragedy, I would say, “Rejoice, and enjoy it!” But know that hardship will come.

Here is the bottom line. You are either coming out of a storm or headed into another. “People are born for trouble as predictably as sparks fly upward from a fire” (Job 5:7 NLT). It’s just a matter of time. In this life, the only way to avoid suffering is to die. So, like the diligent squirrel gathering nuts for winter, store these truths in your heart.

In his book If God Is Good, Why?, Randy Alcorn says, “Most of us don’t give focused thought to evil and suffering until we experience them. This forces us to formulate perspective on the fly, at a time when our thinking is muddled and we’re exhausted and consumed by pressing issues. People who have ‘been there’ will attest that it’s far better to think through suffering in advance.”

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But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.—Ephesians 5:13

When you lose something, you turn on the light. I am always losing things in my car. When my keys or wallet (or maybe a burrito!) drops between the seats, sometimes I have to get a flashlight out and search under the seats until I find it. Light exposes things.

I heard a story of a drunk man who was down on his hands and knees under a streetlight looking for something. A stranger came up to him and asked what he was doing. He said, “I lost my wallet.”

“And you lost your wallet right here?” the stranger asked.

“No,” the drunken man said, “I lost it two blocks over, but there is no light there.”

Looking for something in the wrong place is not a good idea, is it? You need to look in the right place—and the right place to look when your marriage is facing problems is the Scriptures.

Sometimes when a marriage is having troubles, the couple goes for counseling. I am for that—as long as it is biblical counseling. Counsel that originates from human thought and reasoning is not going to help. You must get counsel from the Word of God, for He is the One who created marriage.

Here’s something else to keep in mind. Just because a person says they are a Christian counselor doesn’t necessarily mean they are giving biblical counsel. I have often heard advice from “Christian counselors” that is contradictory to what the Bible says. The true counsel of God comes from His written Word, the Bible.

“But what if you don’t agree with what the Bible says?” you ask. Simple answer: Change your opinion because the Bible is right and, if you don’t agree with it, you are wrong.

If you want a successful marriage, shine the light of God’s Word on it.

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And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. —Revelation 22:3

What are we going to be doing in heaven?

For starters, we will be worshipping. In Revelation 5, we are given a glimpse of heaven and we see that it’s a place of worship. Our pain will be gone, our tears will be dried, our questions will be answered, and as a result, we will offer unbridled worship to the Lord.

Some might say, “I don’t know. It sounds like heaven is going to be a really long church service. I like church services, but is that all we are going to do?” Believe me, this worship is going to be different than any you have ever experienced on earth—but no, worship is not the only business of heaven. We also are going to be serving the Lord. Revelation 22:3 says, “His servants shall serve Him.”

I am glad of that because I can only rest for so long. Some people’s dream is just to retire and disconnect and play golf for the rest of their life. Or eat and sleep. Or fish, or surf, or whatever it is they like to do. That is all fine for a while. I don’t play golf, I surf just a little bit, and I eat a lot. (By the way, we eat in heaven, and that is good news.) Rest and recreation are great things. But it’s good to know that we will be able to serve the Lord as well.

Think about what the word recreation means. Recreation is to re-create. When I take a little time off, I get recharged. Then I want to get back to what I am passionate about: getting closer to God and bringing other people to Him.

I think the rest and recreation we experience in heaven will motivate us to worship and serve the Lord all the more.

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Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. —Colossians 3:2

Back in older times, there was a Latin phrase they would write on the top of a document. It was memento mori. It means, “Think of death.”

You say, “That is so morbid.” It actually is not. It was a reminder to be aware of the fact that life ends. Be aware of the fact that eternity is close. Be aware of the fact that there is an afterlife.

It is not a bad thing to think about these things deeply. In fact, it was C. S. Lewis who said, “A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not . . . a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.” You should think about death, eternity, and the afterlife.

If you are a Christian, you are going to enter heaven in one of two ways: either through death or through the rapture. Either we will die, or the Lord will catch us up to meet Him in the air.

Imagine being part of the rapture. One day you might be walking on the street, thinking about a loved one who has gone to be with the Lord. Maybe you are thinking about your last conversation with them, or wondering what they are experiencing there in heaven. Suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, you will be with them.

Mothers and fathers reunited with sons and daughters. Husbands reunited with wives. Siblings with siblings. Friends with friends. Your sorrow vanishes and it is replaced by ecstatic joy. Not only are you with your loved one again, but best of all you are with Jesus.

For the Christian, thinking about the afterlife is not a bad thing. It is actually a good thing. So go ahead and think about it. Go ahead and dream about it. Go ahead and wonder about it. It is called being heavenly minded.

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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. Then we will be with the Lord forever. —1 Thessalonians 4:17

What exactly is the rapture? Mark Hitchcock, an excellent writer on all things prophetic, wrote this outstanding definition: “The rapture of the church is that future event when Jesus Christ will descend from heaven to resurrect the bodies of departed believers and to transform and translate the bodies of living believers immediately into His glorious presence in a moment of time and then escort them to heaven to live with Him forever.” That is very clearly stated, and it’s exactly right.

Some will protest and say, “Wait a second. You can’t find the word rapture anywhere in the Bible.” That all depends what kind of Bible you are reading. If you happen to read a Latin translation, you will find the word rapturo, which is the Latin translation of the original Greek word harpazo.

This word is used thirteen times in the New Testament, including 1 Thessalonians 4:17, which says, “We who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The word harpazo is translated “to take forcibly, to snatch, or to catch up.”

Why is it important to know about the rapture? As I have said before, Bible prophecy is not given to scare us but to prepare us.

Paul tells the Thessalonians, “We want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.” Paul is reassuring them that there will be a reunion with loved ones who have died in the Lord. Better yet, when the rapture happens, we will also be united with Jesus.

Knowing about the rapture brings us hope. That is why Paul’s teaching on the rapture ends with the exhortation to “encourage each other with these words.”

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There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. —1 Corinthians 12:4–5

Scripture teaches that when we are baptized in the Spirit, we receive gifts of the Spirit.

Romans 12:6–8 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully” (NIV).

Note that it says, “We have different gifts.” Each is important, each worth using.

Who are we to be upset with God if He did not give us the gifts we want? They are not given by merit but “according to the grace given us.” We are to take what He has placed in our life and seek to multiply it.

2 Timothy 1:6 says, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (NKJV). To “stir up” means to “fan into full flame.” To fail to do this is to “quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). That speaks of extinguishing something, and it is a specific sin against the Holy Spirit.

Continue reading Greg Laurie – What Are the “Gifts of the Spirit”? →

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. —Isaiah 43:2

Have you ever been going through a hard time and wondered where God was? I can tell you where He was: He was right there with you. Not only that, He will be with you tomorrow and the day after. And He will be with you on the day you leave this earth for Heaven.

In Isaiah 43 God says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (verses 2–3).

The psalmist David wrote, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me” (Psalm 23:4). He is with you. He will be with you. You don’t have to fear evil. God will be with you on your good days and on your bad days. He will be with you at the death of a saint and at the birth of a baby.

You don’t have to be afraid. Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Also, the Bible tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Sometimes when we pray, it may seem as though God is late in answering. Sometimes when God comes through for us, it is later than we expected. God is never late. His delays are delays of love. God’s silence even can be a silence of love. He wants us to pour our hearts out to Him. He will enter into that pain with us. He will answer in the way He chooses. Call on Him.

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And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. —Romans 5:3–4

Years ago I had a friend who was very sick and asked me to pray for him. I did. He got worse. He said, “I don’t ever want you to pray for me again.”

In our estimation, sometimes things go the wrong way. We may pray, “Lord, heal this person. Be glorified through this.”

But the Lord might say, “I will be glorified, but I’m not going to do it the way you want Me to. I’m going to do this other thing instead.”

Sometimes God will remove the affliction. Sometimes God will heal the illness. Sometimes God will take away the cancer. But sometimes the person will get worse.

We don’t usually like that. But it is in these times that God can be glorified. Everyone suffers in life. Christians suffer too. When a Christian is suffering and can still glorify God, that is a powerful testimony to a lost world. When non-Christians see us honoring the Lord through our suffering, it shows them how real our faith is. And guess what? It shows us how real our faith is too.

Do you think your faith would get stronger if everything were easy in life? No, your faith will get stronger through hardship. Here’s something that might surprise you: You even will develop more hope through tribulation. Romans 5:3–4 says, “But we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Hope grows in the garden of pain. It doesn’t grow without challenges or difficulty. It grows in hard times. It’s sort of like building muscle. You build it up by breaking it down. Then, as you keep working out, that muscle will get stronger. You develop strength through your weaknesses. This is true of Christians in their spiritual lives as well.

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“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials . . .”—James 1:2

Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer” (John 16:33 NKJV). Why? Because it is through storms, trials, and hardships that we enter God’s kingdom.

In Acts 14:21–22, we read, “They returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God'”(NKJV).

We don’t always like to read a verse like that. It’s probably not a passage we want to write on a plaque and hang by our front door.

We would rather the passage read, “Through many days of perpetual happiness we enter the kingdom of God,” but that isn’t Scripture, and that isn’t life.

If you want to “continue in the faith,” you will do so through trials and tribulations. There is no escaping them. Job said it well: “How frail is man! How few his days, how full of trouble!” (Job 14:1 NLT).

No one is exempt from experiencing storms in life. Good things will happen to us, as well as tragic and inexplicable things. Every life will have its share of pain. As much as we would like to believe otherwise, none of us can take an extended vacation beyond the reach of human suffering and tragedy.

We cannot always see the work that God is doing on the inside, but He can.

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And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”—John 8:11

I’ve heard some Christians say, “God loves me the way I am, and this is just the way I am.” Yes, God does love us the way we are, but He wants to change us.

Jesus said to the woman who had been caught in the act of adultery, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11). How could He say this? She was still immoral; she simply was caught in the act. He could say this because in a short time, on the cross of Calvary, He would personally take upon Himself the very condemnation she should have faced.

Notice something else that is very important. He did not say to her, “Go and sin no more, and as a result, I will not condemn you.” In that case, who could ever live up to that requirement? Nor did He say, “Just go your merry way, and the next time you mess up, I hope I will see you again.”

Rather, Jesus was saying, “Neither do I condemn you. Now, as a recognition of that, go and sin no more.” His act of forgiveness was followed by a challenge. This is important, because implicit in His statement was a warning not to keep living that lifestyle.

Jesus is saying the same to us. We are to leave our lifestyle of sin. It doesn’t mean we have to be perfect, because no one is. It doesn’t mean we need to be sinless. But it should mean we will sin less. God wants to change us. The Bible says, “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).

Our identity should not be in what we were but who we are.

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“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”—John 7:24

Years ago, I was out sharing the gospel and had a younger guy with me who was sharing his faith for the first time. We were talking to a big, burly biker with giant arms and tattoos everywhere. The biker told us, “Get out of here and leave me alone.”

I said, “Let’s go.”

But my friend said, “Okay, fine. We’re not going to cast our pearls before swine.”

That is not the verse to quote to someone when you’re sharing the gospel. That is the verse you may think of, but it isn’t the one you quote.

We do have to make an evaluation as Christians. We have to determine who the people are who don’t regard the things of God. There’s a place for judging. Judgment is the exercise of critical thinking, and judgment is needed on occasion.

John 7:24 tells us, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” The Bible has told us to judge, but we are to judge by what is right. We are not to condemn, and we are not to be judgmental. Rather, we should make evaluations. We should be discerning. We should express our opinions on right and wrong, truth and lies, good and evil. In fact, the Bible tells us, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2).

The opposite extreme of being judgmental is the naïve acceptance of anything. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6). In other words, “Don’t take the holy things of God and offer them to someone who has no interest in them whatsoever.” We need to make those evaluations. It isn’t violating the Scriptures when we do.

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How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.—Psalm 19:12

Sin is not always obvious. Some sins are, however, such as murder, adultery, and stealing. But other sins are more subtle, like pride, selfishness, and gossip. Sometimes we will sin in ignorance or presumption. That is why David prayed, “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins!” (Psalm 19:12–13).

The Bible talks about sins of the flesh and sins of the spirit. Paul pointed out in 2 Corinthians 7:1, “Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.”

What does it mean to commit a sin of the spirit? It is to knowingly go against what is true. We talk about some sins being worse than others. But it may not be the sins that we think. Jesus said to Pontius Pilate, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11, emphasis added).

Jesus was talking about either Caiaphas or Judas. Caiaphas was the high priest who had a hand in putting Jesus up on false charges and then sent Him to the Romans to do his dirty work and crucify Him. Then there was Judas, who betrayed Him.

Either way it is the same. Judas was one of the handpicked disciples of Christ who betrayed the Lord, and Caiaphas, the high priest, should have known better. The point is, when you have been schooled in the Scriptures like Caiaphas or exposed to the truth and the power of God like Judas, you are without excuse.

Knowledge brings responsibility.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie