Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. 

—1 Chronicles 16:29

Scripture:

1 Chronicles 16:29 

If you’ve ever played the game of Monopoly, then you’ve seen the various strategies people use to win. Some people buy every piece of property on the board and hope to put their opponents out of business. Others save up, hoping they’ll land on green or blue so they can buy up Boardwalk and Park Place and put hotels on them. They can make a lot of money that way.

But when the game ends, so do their winnings.

How accurate is the verse in Proverbs that says, “In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle” (23:5 nlt). It’s amazing how quickly finances can disappear.

We can’t take it with us, but we can send it on ahead. How? By investing in the work of the kingdom of God. In doing so, we’re storing treasures in Heaven.

Money is neither good nor evil. Money is neutral. The Bible doesn’t say that money is the root of evil. Here’s what it does say: “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10 NLT).

The problem isn’t money itself. The problem is the love of it. If money is the most important thing in our lives, then it will be the root of all kinds of evil in our lives. But if we can put it in the proper perspective, it can be a force for good to help and touch others.

And we honor God by bringing our offerings to Him.

The Bible says, “O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence” (1 Chronicles 16:28–29 NLT).

Jesus said that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NLT). There is so much joy that we can experience in giving.

He also warned, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19–21 NLT ).

Jesus didn’t say this because wealth might be lost. He said it because it always will be lost. In other words, we always will leave it behind. Either it leaves us while we’re living, or we leave it when we die. There are no exceptions. Whatever is valuable on earth will have no value in Heaven.

Is Jesus condemning those who are financially prosperous? No. Is He saying that it’s wrong to make and save money? Absolutely not. Rather, He’s saying that it’s wrong to put all our hope in temporary, earthly treasures and have nothing waiting for us in eternity.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 

—1 Peter 2:12

Scripture:

1 Peter 2:12 

A little salt will go a long way. Just a pinch of salt in your oatmeal or on your watermelon can enhance the flavor. And one Christian in a family, neighborhood, or workplace can influence everyone.

Jesus said of His church, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless” (Matthew 5:13 NLT).

For example, Moses, through his personal integrity and godliness, influenced the Israelites for good. Imagine how hard it must have been for him. They were so full of unbelief and whining and complaining.

We need more people like this who will make a difference in this world. When you get together for family reunions and everyone wants to drink or smoke or party, you’re the odd one out. And you’re probably the person they always choose to do the token prayer at Thanksgiving. It is so uncomfortable.

Or you might be at a workplace where all the others are nonbelievers. You’re the brunt of their jokes. And you want to get a new job.

Maybe in your classroom you’re the one Christian who will disagree with the professor who’s promoting evolution or some other ungodly worldview.

It’s tough, and we often want to get out of those types of situations. But do we ever consider that God put us where we are to be an influence?

Take Moses, for example. God called him to Mount Sinai to receive the commandments. The Bible tells us, “When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. ‘Come on,’ they said, ‘make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt’ ” (Exodus 32:1 NLT).

Moses was gone, and they needed something to worship. And instead of recognizing that it was the Lord working through Moses who led them out of Egypt, they thought it was Moses himself. As soon as Moses was gone, they were looking for something to replace him.

In effect, they were saying, “We need something tangible, something we can reach out and touch.” So the plans for the golden calf began, which ultimately led to sexual immorality and idol worship.

Moses’ personal godliness and integrity kept them in check up to that point. And when he left, everything fell apart.

In the same way, it’s the very presence of the church in the world today that keeps things from getting even worse. We think things are bad in our country now, and they are. But wait until the Lord calls His church home. We can imagine how quickly the whole scenario of the end times, inaugurated by the emergence of the Antichrist, will unfold.

We are the salt of the earth. We are God’s representatives. And God can do a lot with a little.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 What can I offer the LORD for all he has done for me? 

—Psalm 116:12

Scripture:

Psalm 116:12 

What do we give to God, who has everything? The Bible gives us some ideas as to what we can give to God as we begin this holiday season.

In Psalm 116, we find a number of things that we can do to show our thanksgiving to God. The psalmist speaks of God’s blessing in his life and specifically thanks God for protecting him from danger, even potential death. As he reflects on that, he considers what he can offer to the Lord.

In verse 12, the psalmist poses this question: “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?” (NLT).

And in the next verse, he gives us the answer: “I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me” (verse 13 nlt).

We think nothing of cheering on our favorite teams at a game. We wear their jerseys and yell and scream. And we see this as relatively normal.

But when we go to church and see people lifting their hands in praise to God, we call them fanatics.

Is there not a place for verbally praising God? Yes, there is.

Is there not a place for lifting our hands to the Lord in worship? Yes, there is.

The psalmist wrote, “Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer” (Psalm 63:3–4 NLT). It is biblical to lift our hands to the Lord. It’s a good thing to do. We shouldn’t be reluctant to lift our hands in praise to God.

Nor should we be hesitant to verbally sing His praises. Sometimes during a time of worship in a church service, we just stand there and don’t even try to sing. Why is that? God wants to hear our praise.

If you’re married, don’t you like to hear “I love you” from your husband or wife? There is a place for saying “I love you.” In the same way, when we come into God’s presence, we should praise Him. We should let Him know that we love Him.

Maybe you’re thinking that you don’t have all that much to be thankful for today. You may be going through a hardship right now or a time of crisis. But perhaps you need to put things into perspective.

Take the apostle Paul, for example. One of the main themes of Philippians is joy. Again and again in this epistle, Paul wrote that we need to have joy in the Lord.

Meanwhile, Paul was facing some very difficult circumstances personally. He was a Roman prisoner at this time, and his trial was coming up shortly. He faced acquittal or death. He didn’t know what lay ahead.

Yet Paul said, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. . . . I have learned the secret of living in every situation” (Philippians 4:11–12 NLT). Paul shows us that we can learn to find joy and contentment in a troubled world.

On this day set aside for giving thanks, let’s offer the One who has everything our verbal praise.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. “All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God,” he said. “But do it here in this land.” 

—Exodus 8:25

Scripture:

Exodus 8:25 

Pharaoh had finally buckled. He wanted the plagues to stop. So, he called in Moses and Aaron and said, “All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God. . . . But do it here in this land” (Exodus 8:25 NLT).

As we watch Pharaoh try to manipulate Moses, we see a picture of how the devil tries to manipulate us. This is the anatomy of a compromise.

What did God tell Moses and Aaron to do? He told them to put three days’ distance between Egypt and themselves and then offer sacrifices to Him (see Exodus 3:18).

However, Pharaoh told them they could go and offer their sacrifices to God, but they needed to do it in Egypt.

Pharaoh was trying to force them into making some concessions. He was saying, in effect, “If you don’t want to worship the gods of Egypt and have to worship your God, then go do it. Just don’t go very far. Stick around.”

Maybe you’ve seen this trick before, perhaps even in your own life. After you give your life to Christ, the devil essentially says, “I didn’t want you to do that, but I will concede that you have gone over to the other side. Let’s strike a deal. Don’t get too fanatical here. Can we still have a little fun together? You don’t have to give up all your old friends and lifestyle. You can still believe in God. But be practical.”

That is what the devil does with us: “Go ahead, but don’t go too far. You don’t have to believe all this stuff.”

Moses, however, said no. He knew they had to go.

Some people have believed in Jesus, but they haven’t gone very far from their old lives. They’ve stayed close enough for the enemy to still have a foothold. They are still influenced by ungodly friends and things that have dragged them down. They are still engaged in a lifestyle they should have repented of long ago.

For example, how many generations have been destroyed by drugs, sex, and rock ’n’ roll? It’s amazing how each successive generation acts as though they’ve discovered it themselves. The fashions may change (or sometimes don’t), but they get into the same things that previous generations did.

We need to obey God. We need to commit the nonbelievers in our lives to the Lord. If they’re going to come to Christ, they won’t come to Him through our compromise. In fact, it will drive them away.

Sometimes we think we can reach people for Christ if we just do what they do and relate to them on their level. Then they will believe and think we’re really cool. But no one has ever come to Christ that way. Nonbelievers come to Christ because Christians living genuine lives before God aren’t afraid to let their lights shine.

Sometimes we’re trying so hard to be cool and relatable that we forget about being righteous. We forget about standing up for what is right.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. 

—2 Timothy 3:8

Scripture:

2 Timothy 3:8 

God directed ten plagues against Egypt, and each one of these plagues dealt with one of their deities. The Egyptians worshipped thousands of gods. They worshipped the Nile River as a god. They worshipped the sun. And they worshipped the animals. In fact, they worshipped just about anything we could imagine.

Interestingly, the serpent, specifically the cobra, was an important symbol for the Egyptians. And what was the first miracle that God performed through Moses and Aaron? Aaron threw down his staff, and it turned into a serpent, which probably was a cobra.

Pharaoh’s magicians said they could do duplicate that, which they did. But Aaron’s staff consumed the magicians’ staffs.

From this first miracle, God was saying to Pharaoh, “I am more powerful than you. My power is greater than your gods.” Still, Pharaoh didn’t believe. His heart only became harder.

Two of Satan’s most effective strategies are imitation and infiltration. He will try to stop a work altogether, but if that isn’t successful, then he will imitate. In this way, he seeks to minimize the power and glory of God and neutralize the impact of someone’s life and testimony.

For example, Jesus told a story about a farmer who sowed a field of wheat, but in the darkness of night, his neighbor came and sowed weeds among the wheat. This type of weed, also known as darnel, is almost identical to wheat in its initial stages of growth. To the undiscerning eye, it’s difficult to detect until later, when the weeds grow up and choke out the wheat.

The devil uses cheap imitations in the same way. How many times have people said the reason they aren’t Christians is because there are so many hypocrites in the church? That puts followers of Jesus Christ in the very uncomfortable position of trying to defend people who don’t live what they say they believe.

However, maybe they aren’t believers at all. Maybe they’re weeds among the wheat. See how effective that ploy could be? Someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus contradicts it by the way they live. Then a nonbeliever says that person is a hypocrite.

Yet who is to say that individual is a hypocrite—or even a Christian? Maybe the devil is using such a person for the very purpose of keeping nonbelievers from coming to faith.

The Bible tells us that Pharaoh’s’ magicians, known as Jannes and Jambres (see 2 Timothy 3:8), were imitating what God was doing, thus making it look as though it wasn’t genuine. And it was a very effective strategy.

We have to be careful. We’re living in critical times. While we read of many miracles in the Bible, no one ever claimed to have a miracle ministry. Believers in the early church answered God’s call to preach the gospel to nonbelievers and teach the truth of God’s Word.

Miracles happened when and where God wanted them to happen. This reminds us that signs and wonders should follow believers. But believers shouldn’t follow signs and wonders.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 

—Ephesians 4:18

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:18 

Moses had made a mess of things. He was a Hebrew who was raised in the house of Pharaoh, groomed to become the next leader of Egypt. Yet Moses was concerned for his fellow Hebrews and the plight they faced. And one day on an impulse, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

He looked to the right and to the left, and then he killed an Egyptian. When word reached Pharaoh, he put a contract out on Moses’ life. So, Moses fled for his life into the wilderness.

He settled down there and tended sheep until the Lord recommissioned him forty years later. God told Moses he was to go back to Egypt to the court of Pharaoh and demand the release of his people.

Understandably, Moses was reluctant. He offered some flimsy excuses as to why he wasn’t qualified, which the Lord refuted. God even performed some miracles to convince Moses of the authenticity of his calling. And ultimately, Moses and his brother, Aaron, went to do what God had called them to do.

Moses and Aaron went into Pharaoh’s court and demanded the release of the Hebrews. They probably were hoping he would say, “No problem! God has been speaking to me about that. God bless you.”

But that isn’t quite how it went. Pharaoh basically said, “Are you kidding? There’s no way that is going to happen.”

This reminds us that being in the will of God doesn’t mean that it always will be green lights, blue skies, and singing birds. Sometimes we think that if God wants us to do something, it will be an easy thing to do.

It will happen, but it will be in His timing. And the devil will oppose us.

We also find an important statement in Exodus 7. God said to Moses and Aaron, “But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt” (verse 3 NLT).

Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Some would think that Pharaoh had nothing to say about this, that he was simply a chess piece on the board of life. But that isn’t true. Pharaoh had a choice in the matter. He hardened his heart, and the Lord confirmed the decision he had already made.

Pharaoh hardened his heart further, the Bible tells us, when his magicians counterfeited the signs. Then he hardened his heart even more when his magicians could not counterfeit the signs.

The Lord had given Pharaoh more than enough evidence to convince him that the gods of Egypt were false and the God of Israel was the true and living God. He was giving Pharaoh the opportunity to cooperate. But Pharaoh would have none of it.

This reminds us that to turn from the truth is to become more thoroughly entrenched in darkness. If you have heard the truth, know what is right, and don’t respond, then you are in danger of getting a hardened heart.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the LORD, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. 

—Numbers 32:23

Scripture:

Numbers 32:23 

Some years ago, I read a humorous article about someone who decided to rob a Baptist church in North Carolina. But he was more than six feet tall and weighed 235 pounds. And when he tried to escape with his loot through a bathroom window, he got stuck. It took four police officers pushing and pulling him to get him out of the window.

His sin found him out.

Moses warned the children of Israel, “But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23 NLT).

He knew this from firsthand experience.

After Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating one of his fellow Hebrews, he probably thought the Hebrew people would applaud him. He may have been hoping they’d say, “That Moses is something! He’s the grandson of Pharaoh, but he risked everything to help us. He’s our new hero.”

However, things didn’t go as Moses had hoped.

The next day when he saw a couple of Hebrews fighting, he walked up and tried to settle the dispute. But one of them said, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” (Exodus 2:14 NLT).

Moses thought he had hidden his sin, but he suddenly realized that everyone knew. He also realized that he was in trouble. When Pharaoh heard about it, he tried to kill Moses. So, Moses fled for his life into the wilderness.

Moses lost everything: his position, his people, and his reputation. But he hadn’t lost God. He did the wrong thing in the wrong way at the wrong time. His timing was horribly off—by about forty years. Though Moses was gifted to be a leader, he wasn’t quite ready yet.

His heart was in the right place, but he went about it the wrong way. He made a huge mess for himself, and it seemed as though everyone had turned against him. But God had not turned against Moses. And what looked like the end of his life actually was the beginning of a new one.

He found a family that befriended them. He married one of the daughters in the family and ended up watching her father’s sheep. He probably thought that was where he would die.

But God had other plans. Moses was a leader in training.

It has been said that Moses spent forty years in Pharaoh’s court finding out he was a somebody. He spent forty years in the wilderness finding out he was a nobody. And then he spent forty years finding out what God can do with a somebody who realizes they are a nobody.

Are you trying to cover up something right now? Is there some secret sin in your life? If so, then just come out with it and confess it, because sooner or later, it will be exposed. Nothing is hidden from God.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 

—Matthew 7:7

Scripture:

Matthew 7:7 

Can you think of a time in your life when you acted impulsively and came to regret it?

Maybe you bought a car or a house on an impulse, and now you’re sorry you did so. Maybe you signed a contract that you didn’t read carefully or entered into a business deal that you should have considered more. Or maybe you made a marriage commitment that you didn’t bring before the Lord in prayer, and you have regretted that.

I’ve come to discover that God’s timing is just as important as God’s will.

There are times when we pray about something and God says no. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that His answer always will be no. It means that is His answer for now. So don’t give up. That is why the Bible tells us to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking (see Matthew 7:7).

On the other hand, there are certain things we may ask God to do, and He always will say no. Those are things that are in direct opposition to what the Bible teaches.

In the Book of Exodus, we find a story about a man of God who had bad timing. If he were in a race, he would be the guy who comes out of nowhere to take the lead and then suddenly self-destructs. His name was Moses.

If we were to draw up a short list of people whom God has used in a powerful way, certainly Moses would be at the top. He was Moses, the great lawgiver and the man who, through his personal godliness and integrity, kept three million people from turning to idolatry. But perhaps the best description of all is this one: Moses the man of God.

Yet Moses was a bit on the impulsive side. Even though Pharaoh’s daughter had adopted him and raised him in the royal household, Moses knew who he was. He was a true believer in the Lord God. Underneath those Egyptian robes of royalty beat the heart of a Hebrew.

Moses’ heart was in the right place, but his actions were foolhardy, to say the least. He took action, and it was the worst mistake of his life.

In Exodus 2 we read, “Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand” (verse 11–12 NLT).

Clearly God did not tell Moses to do this. Moses looked in all directions, but he should have looked up. If he had done that, God would have said no.

Sometimes we want the will of God, but we will go about it in our own way. God wants us to do His will in His way in His time.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. 

—Hebrews 13:15–16

Scripture:

Hebrews 13:15–16 

Sometimes we’re not in the mood to praise God. We might not be feeling well. We might be dealing with a problem. Or we might have just had an argument with a family member. And then when we go to church, the singing starts and we just don’t want to sing.

However, our worship is pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name” (NLT). That is why it’s called a sacrifice of praise.

Yes, God can see our hearts. But God wants to hear it from our lips. It doesn’t matter whether we have any singing ability. Our worship pleases God.

Another thing that pleases God is giving to the work of His kingdom. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi, “I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:17–18 NLT).

Some people get uptight in church when an offering is received. Yet the Bible promises God’s blessing if we will give to the Lord. Jesus said, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6:38 NLT).

We cannot outgive God. It is a privilege. It is a joy. And it pleases God when we invest in His kingdom.

It also pleases God when we are witnesses for Him. Every Christian is a witness. But before we can effectively witness for God, we must first walk with God. It is the overflow of our lives.

For some Christians, it’s a big deal to talk about their faith. But if we’re walking with God and our lives are pleasing to Him, we will find that Jesus overflows into our lives. One of the greatest compliments a nonbeliever can pay a believer is when they say, “I don’t know what you believe. I don’t know what it is about you that makes you the way that you are. And I don’t know where you get this special something. But whatever it is, I want it.”

That is when we can say, “Let me tell you about my faith in Jesus Christ.”

I came to Christ because of the powerful testimony of a group of kids on my high school campus who truly knew what it was to walk with God. Before I heard a sermon, before anyone talked to me about my need for God, it was their lifestyle that got my attention.

Would your lifestyle reach anyone? People are watching you. Are you being a positive witness for Jesus Christ?

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

—Genesis 5:23–24

Scripture:

Genesis 5:23-24 

Some people falsely envision God up in Heaven, eagerly awaiting the moment He will bring judgment on the earth. But that is not what the Bible says.

In Ezekiel 33:11 we read, “As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?” (NLT).

And 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “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” (NLT).

When we look at our world and how wicked things are, we wonder, “Lord, when are You going to come and establish Your kingdom? Why haven’t You brought judgment?”

The reason Jesus hasn’t yet returned is that God is waiting for more people to believe. He wants you to know Him, have faith in Him, and be ready for His return.

The Bible talks about a man named Enoch, who walked with God. But it appears from Scripture that he didn’t start walking with God until his son Methuselah was born. Genesis 5:21–22 says, “When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters” (NLT).

His son’s name helps us understand why Enoch began walking with God. The name Methuselah means “when he is gone [or dead], it shall be sent.” God revealed to Enoch that when this child died, judgment would fall on the earth. And Methuselah lived 969 years. That tells us a lot about the grace of God.

The revelation that God would send judgment when Methuselah died prompted Enoch to get right with God. And the Book of Hebrews gives us insight into his relationship with God: “It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—‘he disappeared, because God took him.’ For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5 NLT).

Maybe Enoch said to his wife one day, “I’m going for a walk with God,” and he never came home. Yet he did go home—he went to his heavenly home. He started his journey on Earth and ended it in Heaven.

Some people have the mistaken notion that God is very difficult to please. He is not. He loves us. He knows all about us. Our failures do not come as a surprise to Him. He wants the very best for us. He is patient with us. His resources are at our disposal.

Our lives can please God. We start by finding out what God specifically says pleases Him. And the Bible gives us some very clear truths that it identifies as things that please God.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? 

—Amos 3:3

Scripture:

Amos 3:3 

It was a unique time in human history. Before God’s judgment of the earth by water, people were very wicked—so wicked, in fact, that God was sorry He made them.

Here’s how the Bible describes this time: “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil” (Genesis 6:5 NLT).

Yet in the midst of this dark environment was an individual who walked with God. His name was Enoch, and he showed that it is possible to live a godly life in an ungodly world.

Enoch also was a prototype of a generation of people who will not see death but will be caught up to meet the Lord in what the Bible calls the Rapture. And we could be that generation.

The Bible says, “Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him” (Genesis 5:23–24 NLT).

When you’re walking somewhere, it means you’re making progress. You’re moving toward a destination, going from one place to another.

In the original language, the word the Bible uses for “walking” carries a lot of meaning. We also find a helpful verse in Amos 3, which says, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (verse 3 NLT).

Together, these passages give us a good picture of what it means to walk with God.

“Walk together” means walking in tandem or harmony. Think of a bicycle for two, a tandem cycle. If the rider in front is pedaling away while the rider in back is hitting the brakes, that is going to slow things down.

The same is true of two people in a canoe. They both have to work together in perfect rhythm. If one person digs in the paddle like a brake, it will hinder both of them from going where they want to go.

The idea is that both need to get into harmony. Both need to move together. And that is what it means to walk with God.

As followers of Christ, we need to get into harmony with God. It doesn’t mean that God needs to get into harmony with us. But often we think that is the case. We want God to bless the plans that we’ve made apart from Him.

Jesus said, “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” (John 15:7 NLT).

We like the second half of the verse about asking for anything we want. But let’s not forget the first half: “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you . . .” If we’re doing that, then we’ll start asking for what is aligned with God’s will. And that’s what prayer is all about.

In the same way, to walk with God means to get into harmony with Him. Are you walking with God today?

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. 

—Jeremiah 33:3

Scripture:

Jeremiah 33:3 

The Bible tells an interesting story about a man named Gideon. God told him he was supposed to lead the Israelites into battle, but Gideon was a little on the timid side. And he wasn’t so sure that he was the person God wanted for the job.

So he said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised” (Judges 6:36–37 NLT).

To put it in modern terms, it would be like saying, “Lord, if this is really from You, I want to go out in the morning and find dew on my car but not on the ground or anything else.”

The next morning, the fleece was just as Gideon asked. Then he asked the Lord for one more test, saying, “This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew” (verse 39 NLT).

The next morning, Gideon woke up to discover that God had again confirmed His word to him.

We don’t need to ask God for dew on animal skins, but we can ask Him to confirm His word to us. This can come in a lot of ways. God can speak to us through circumstances as we sense that something is the will of God and doors are opening for us.

But we also must have God’s peace when we’re asking God to lead us. Perhaps there’s a stirring in your heart. You’re dissatisfied with where you are and sense that something new is about to happen.

And then, when you take that step of faith and find yourself in the will of God, He floods you with His peace. The peace of God confirms that you’re moving in the right 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).

God wants to reveal His will to us.

But just as important as the will of God is the timing of God. Sometimes we have the right idea, but we’re a little slow about getting to it. At other times, we have the right idea, but we’re a bit ahead of the Lord.

For example, God called Moses to deliver the Israelites, but Moses was about forty years off. He had the right idea but the wrong timing.

Maybe you’re in the process of discovering God’s will for you. Or maybe God has shown you His will, but you’re a little slow in getting to it. Or perhaps, like Moses, you’re a little ahead of His will. Know this: God has a plan and a purpose for your life.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. 

—Psalm 119:98

Scripture:

Psalm 119:98 

When we want to know the will of God, we need to look in the Word of God. The psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NLT).

God never will lead us contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible is the clear revelation by which we measure all other so-called revelation. It is the rock of stability by which we measure our fickle human emotions.

The way we know whether something is true or right is by comparing it to what Scripture teaches.

This is important, because sometimes even believers allow their emotions to get the best of them instead of basing their decisions on the clear teaching of the Bible.

God speaks to us through His Word. We find everything we need to know about Him in the pages of Scripture. Jesus said, “Look, I have come to do your will, O God—as is written about me in the Scriptures” (Hebrews 10:7 NLT).

The apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT).

The Bible straightens us out. It shows us what is wrong in our lives. That’s why we need to immerse ourselves in it. And as we read the Bible, often we’ll discover a certain verse that speaks directly to our situation. We’ll find the answer we were looking for.

Yet sadly, many of us won’t even open it.

Let’s say that you’re expecting an email from someone. You think, “I just wish he’d write me! Why don’t I hear from him?”

Then one day you open your email and see a message in your inbox from the person you’ve been waiting to hear from. But instead of reading it, you get upset and think, “Why doesn’t he ever talk to me?”

You need to open that email and read the message.

Some Christians never read the Bible, but then they say, “God never speaks to me. I never hear Him. Why doesn’t He say something to me?”

They just need to read the Bible. It’s our email from God, our message from Him. But the words don’t simply jump out. First we must open God’s Word. We have to read it.

But rather than reading God’s Word, a lot of believers go to church, listen to a sermon from the pastor, and think it will hold them over for a week or two.

Can you imagine surviving on one meal per week? That isn’t much. How about one meal per day? That is tough.

We need to feed ourselves spiritually more often. We need more of the Word of God in our lives. But we can’t wait for other people to prepare it and serve it to us. We must learn to dig in for ourselves and read the Bible.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. 

—Acts 20:24

Scripture:

Acts 20:24 

Corrie ten Boom said, “The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration but its donation.”

It’s important to think about what kind of donation our lives are making. In Acts 20, the apostle Paul identified what the measure of a person ought to be and the qualities we should see in the life of a leader.

In a way, every Christian is a leader. We may be leading our children. Or, we may be examples to younger believers. But we need to take to heart what Paul says.

This was an emotional moment for the apostle. He was giving his final words to the leaders of the church of Ephesus. Paul had spent time ministering to them, helping them, praying for them, and caring for them. But he was going away.

In effect Paul was saying, “This is what I want you to remember. These are things that should describe your walk with God.”

He told them, “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God” (verse 24 NLT).

The New King James Version puts it this way: “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Paul compared himself to a runner in a race. Using the same analogy in 1 Corinthians, he said, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!” (9:24 NLT). We can get off track in the race of life. That’s why it’s important to focus on our own race and not on the race others are running.

It’s also important for us to understand that our times are in God’s hands. Our lives are a gift to us from God. God decides when they begin. And God decides when they end.

Paul wasn’t saying that life wasn’t important, because he wrote to the believers in Philippi, “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better” (Philippians 1:21 NLT). Paul was simply saying that he knew his life was a gift from God.

In his book Nearing Home, Billy Graham wrote, “I often wonder if God, in His sovereignty, allows the eyesight of the aged to cast a dim view of the here and now so that we may focus our spiritual eyes on the ever after.”[1]

As we see the frailty of life, especially when we’ve lost a loved one, eternity becomes more tangible and important to us.

The length of our lives is determined by God, not by us. So, we want to make sure that we’re moving in the right direction now. The evening of our life is determined by the morning of it. The end is determined by the beginning.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

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

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 

God can see the future with complete certainty. He knows it as well as we might know our past. God looks at the future, the past, and the present as one. He can see them all.

Therefore, it is no reach for God to say that something will happen exactly as He predicted it would, because He lives in the supernatural realm.

In my understanding of Bible prophecy, Jesus could come back at any time. I do not see any piece in the prophetic puzzle that needs to be put in place before He could come for His church.

This means that Christ could come for us today. Hebrews 9:28 tells us, “He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (NLT). The question is, will we be ready?

The Rapture will be an instantaneous event. That is why, in speaking of Christ’s return, the Bible tells us to be ready. It tells us to be alert. Be watching. Pay attention. We must be ready now.

Writing about the return of Christ, Paul warned, “So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:6–8 NLT).

The Bible tells Christians to wake up. Don’t be asleep in the light. That’s because a lot of us can simply lie around enjoying a prolonged nap while the rest of the world faces an imminent judgment. Yet God is saying, “You need to wake up. Be alert and live in the light. Put on the armor of faith and love.”

We are living in the last days, and it will get tough at times. We had better have our spiritual weapons ready and close by. We had better realize the devil will try to trip us up and bring us down.

Tragically, one of the signs of the last days is that some will fall away from the faith (see 1 Timothy 4:1). Don’t let that cause you to worry, because God will keep you if you want to be kept. He will protect you. But you have to take practical steps to be protected.

So, stay close to Him. Avoid the pitfalls and the things that can drag you down, and be alert. Be awake. Be on guard. And be available to serve the Lord and share the life-changing message of the gospel with others.

Jesus said, “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:4–5 NLT).

Wake up from spiritual lethargy, laziness, and apathy. Wake up to the urgency of the hour. We must seize the opportunities God gives us, because they won’t be around forever.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. 

—1 Thessalonians 5:3

Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:3 

Everyone wants peace today, and in some cases, they want peace more than they want justice. They want peace more than they want what is right. They just want peace and safety.

It’s the great cry of humanity that we hear so much about today. There is talk about the global family and how the world is one, big village. The assertion is that we all just need to learn to get along and set aside our differences.

It seems as though the only thing lacking now is a charismatic leader to tell us what to do next. With the incredible advances in technology and the ability to communicate globally in an instant, the world is just waiting for that leader. And that leader is coming.

Some will think he is the Messiah, but he won’t be. He will be the Antichrist.

The prefix anti- not only means “against”; it also means “instead of.” And when this world leader emerges on the scene, he will be a false messiah, the devil’s version of the real thing.

Many people will follow him because he will temporarily usher in a three-and-a-half-year reign of global peace, something no one else has been able to do. He will bring about an end, temporarily, to the conflict in Israel as he helps them build their temple in Jerusalem.

Yet those who believe we can get along as one global family and live together in peace are those who believe humanity is essentially good. And they are not dealing with reality.

That is why the Bible tells us to be sober. In 1 Peter 5:8 we read, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (NLT).

And writing to the believers in Ephesus, the apostle Paul said, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days” (Ephesians 5:15–16 NLT).

Nonbelievers claim that Christians are not realists, that we’re living in an altered state of reality. But we are realists, more than anyone else today. A Christian is someone who simply believes what the Bible is saying. And the Bible tells us that humanity is not basically good; it’s wicked.

That explains a lot of the horrid, perverse, and unthinkable things that people do today. When the Bible says that at the core, our hearts are “desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9), everything makes sense.

On the other hand, if someone believes that we are all essentially good, that is hard to explain.

Not only are Christians realistic about our problems, but we’re also realistic about the solution. We know that government will not solve our problems and there is no system on earth that can solve the social ills of today.

We know the only real hope is a change in the human heart. And the only One who can change a human heart is God.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. 

—Luke 10:1

Scripture:

Luke 10:1 

It was a critical time in the ministry of Jesus. His ministry in Galilee was over, and His journey to Jerusalem had begun.

So Jesus selected seventy-two disciples in addition to the Twelve who already were following Him. He gave these new disciples a special commission to work like an advance team going into various communities and cities.

He also gave them these instructions: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:2–3).

Clearly Jesus cared about people. In Matthew’s treatment of the same story, we read, “When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 NLT).

Jesus felt compassion for these people. He loved and cared about them. Everywhere Jesus went, people mobbed Him. And not only did He take time for the people who wanted a touch here or a word there, but He also sought out hurting and empty people.

For instance, there was the woman at the well in Samaria. Because of the tension between the Jews and Samaritans, it was highly unusual for Jesus to go to a city in Samaria. Not only that, but He sought out an immoral woman who had been married and divorced five times. Then He engaged her in conversation. He went out of His way to meet with her.

He also went to Jericho and met the tax collector Zacchaeus. He called Zacchaeus to come down from the tree where he was sitting and said, “I must be a guest in your home today” (Luke 19:5 NLT).

People criticized Jesus for talking to someone who made his living off the misery of others. But Jesus said, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (verses 9–10 NLT).

In the original language, the word Jesus used for “lost” speaks of something with value that is broken. And people are broken because of sin.

Yet Jesus sees behind the facade. He sees behind the defense mechanisms and hears the real cry of their hearts. We need to see people the same way. They are people for whom Christ died.

These are critical times for getting the gospel out. There are open doors today that may not remain open forever. Jesus, speaking to the last days church, said, “I have opened a door for you that no one can close” (Revelation 3:8 NLT).

We need to recognize how valuable souls are to God. Jesus said there is rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents (see Luke 15:7 NLT). God cares about souls. And we need to care about them as well.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 

—Colossians 3:5

Scripture:

Colossians 3:5 

People get excited about a lot of things. They may not call them their gods, but in effect they are. What is the focus of your life? That, for all practical purposes, is your god.

And when you come up with your own version of God, then you essentially have another god before Him.

The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Colosse, “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5–6 NLT).

Interestingly, Paul talked about sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. We have a sex-obsessed culture. And for some people, everything is a double entendre. Their minds are always in the gutter.

Paul also warned about greed. Some people always want what others have. We might think that only those who are wealthy have a problem with idolatry. Maybe they do. And maybe they don’t. We can’t see their hearts.

But we can have very little in terms of material possessions and still make an idol out of things. We don’t have to be wealthy. Sometimes we’re simply obsessed with money.

The Bible says, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10 NLT).

Notice this doesn’t say that money is the root of all kinds evil. Rather, it says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. The problem is always wanting what others have. We can make idols out of possessions. And they can become more important to us than God Himself.

The Bible says, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him” (Matthew 4:10 NLT). He will never disappoint you. He will never let you down. But every person will in some way.

Sometimes people keep us from God. A relationship pulls us away from Him, and we realize that if we really follow the Lord, we could lose our relationship that individual. Yes, we could. And it might be a choice that some of us have to make.

Is someone dragging you down spiritually? Jesus said, “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine” (Matthew 10:37 NLT).

The gods we create in our minds really are not gods at all. They’re just false images that can’t do anything for us. Will those gods save you in that final day? Will those gods give you the strength you need in your moment of crisis? And will those gods forgive you of your sins?

If not, they’re false gods. Turn to the true and living God.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. 

—Matthew 22:37–38

Scripture:

Matthew 22:37-38 

Our country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. And more specifically, many of our founding fathers professed belief in Jesus Christ. Though revisionists try to change that narrative, a careful study of history will show that it’s true.

It’s our departure from this truth that has brought us to where we are today. With abortion on demand on an epidemic scale, marriages falling apart at record rates, and rampant violence in our streets, this should not surprise us.

The Bible says, “They have planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7 NLT). How true. Our departure from God’s principles has brought us to the moral illiteracy that we have today.

In his book Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right from Wrong, William Kilpatrick wrote about how, as a college professor, he started noticing what he called signs of moral illiteracy among his students. For instance, in a discussion about the Ten Commandments, no one could list them, either individually or as a class.[1]

Kilpatrick was right in noting a connection between morality and the Ten Commandments. That’s because in the Ten Commandments, we find absolute truth written by the finger of God on tablets of stone. It’s truth we can depend on, truth we can believe in.

With the Ten Commandments God is saying, “Here is what I have done for you: I have forgiven you of your sin, redeemed you, and bought you. Now here is what you can do for Me: you can keep My commandments.”

The Bible says, “We love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:19 NLT).

In Matthew’s Gospel we read about an expert in religious law who tried to trap Jesus. He said, “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” (Matthew 22:36 NLT).

Jesus answered, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (verses 37–40 NLT).

Now, Jesus wasn’t doing away with the Ten Commandments. Rather, He was summing them up perfectly.

If we love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, then we won’t have any other gods before Him. We won’t worship idols or take God’s name in vain.

And if we love our neighbors as we love ourselves, we won’t steal from them, lie to them, or covet something that belongs to them. Essentially Jesus was saying, “Get this down, and the commandments will come together for you.”

It all starts with God’s place in our lives. We will serve what or whom we worship. Jesus said, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him” (Matthew 4:10 NLT).

If God is number one in our lives, then everything else will find its proper balance. But if He is not, then everything else will fall into chaos.

[1] William Kilpatrick, Why Johnny Can’t Can’t Tell Right from Wrong: And What We Can Do About It (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993).

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie