Tag Archives: Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Our Duty to Disciple   

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Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” —Matthew 28:18–19

After I became a Christian, I wasn’t really sure of what to do next. I was seventeen years old and in high school. No one told me that I needed to read the Bible, pray, or go to church. No one gave me any materials to read, much less a Bible.

So for a few days, I was in sort of a spiritual no-man’s-land. I didn’t really feel comfortable with my old friends that I had been hanging around with, but I didn’t feel comfortable with the Christians, either. One reason was that I could hardly understand what they were talking about as they spoke to each other in their cryptic, “Christianese” type of language.

Thankfully, a young man named Mark took me under his wing. He invited me to come to church with him and began to help me grow spiritually. He taught me how to read the Bible, and he prayed with me. He was the first actual Christian I knew who modeled for me what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. He wasn’t a Bible scholar, but he was a real believer. He made an impact on my life and put me on the path of spiritual growth. In short, what Mark did was disciple me.

What he did for me is what we need to do for others — to not only seek to win men and women to Jesus Christ, but also to disciple them. Anything less than this is falling short of the Great Commission.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Forget the Past    

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I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:13–14

Everyone who has run a race knows that you can break your stride by looking over your shoulder to check out how your opponents are doing. Many races have been lost when the leader looked back. When you see that finish line, that’s the time to give it everything you’ve got . . . because sometimes it’s mere inches that separate one runner from another. You must stay focused.

This is the idea behind Paul’s statement in Philippians 3:13-14. The apostle was saying, “Don’t look back. Don’t look behind you.”

When God promises, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25), He is not predicting a lapse in His memory. God is saying. “I will no longer hold your sin against you because my Son has paid for it at the cross.”

Therefore, we need to do what God does: forget our past. Yes, we certainly need to learn from our mistakes and remember some of the bitter lessons we have learned. But we no longer need to be controlled by our past.

That is what Paul meant by “forgetting what is behind.” Think about the horrible things Paul had done. He shared responsibility for the death of Stephen and had to carry that in his conscience until his final day. He knew that he was responsible for terrible deeds. But he was able to put his past in the past. And we need to do the same.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – An Evangelism Essential   

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“Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” —Jeremiah 23:29

Billy Graham once said, “Time and time again in my ministry, I have quoted a Bible verse in a sermon, sometimes without planning to do so in advance, only to have someone tell me afterward it was that verse that the Holy Spirit used to bring conviction and faith to him.”

Knowing God’s Word is essential for any person who wants to lead others to Jesus Christ. Anyone who shares the gospel needs to use the Word of God.

When Philip met the Ethiopian in the desert, the Bible tells us, “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8:35). What if Philip had not been a student of Scripture when the Ethiopian was looking for answers? He would have had to say, “I don’t know, that’s a good question. Uh, can I get back to you?” Fortunately, Philip was well-versed in what the Scripture taught.

That is why we are told in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” I’m not saying we need to have the answer to every question. But I am saying that we need to study and prepare ourselves as effectively as possible. And if we don’t have the answer, let that propel us back into the pages of Scripture to find it for the next time that question arises.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Four Things We Should Know   

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He has planted eternity in the human heart. —Ecclesiastes 3:11

There are four things we should know about every person on earth. No matter how successful or unsuccessful they are, how famous or obscure they are, or how attractive or unattractive they may be, everyone shares these four traits.

One, there is an essential emptiness in every person who hasn’t yet come to Christ. Everyone is essentially empty. No matter how much money or prestige someone has, he or she has to deal with that emptiness. Scripture says that God made His creation subject to vanity, or emptiness, meaning there is a void, a hole if you will, inside every man, woman, and child.

Two, people are lonely. We can assume there is a sense of loneliness in every individual. Albert Einstein once wrote, “It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely.” People are lonely. We need to know that.

Three, people have a sense of guilt. They may try to mask it with alcohol or have a psychologist or psychiatrist tell them it is not there. But they have to deal with their guilt over the things they have done wrong. The head of a mental institution in London said, “I could release half of my patients if I could find a way to relieve them of their sense of guilt.”

Four, people are afraid to die. Some may strut around and say, “Not me. I’m not afraid to die.” But they are.

So don’t be so intimidated by the facades that people hide behind and assume they don’t want to hear what you have to say about your faith in Christ. Remember, you used to be one of those people. I used to be one of those people. We responded to the gospel. And so will they.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – The Key to Answered Prayer           

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If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

—John 15:7

How often have you felt that your prayers were hitting a glass ceiling — as though the Lord were saying no? Maybe it is because you were praying outside of His will. Maybe it’s because you were praying for something that God didn’t want you to have.

We need to remember the promise Jesus spoke of in John 15:7, which says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Another version puts it this way: “But if you live your life in me, and my words live in your hearts, you can ask for whatever you like and it will come true for you” (PH). I really like that version — especially the part that tells us to ask for whatever we like.

But let’s also remember the condition: “If you live your life in me, and my words live in your hearts. . . .” If you are maintaining a living communion with God and His words are at home with you, then your desires are going to change. Your prayers won’t necessarily be the same as they were before. As you get in sync with the will of God, you will see that prayer is not getting God to do what you want Him to do, but prayer is getting you to do what God wants you to do.

You will discover the important truth that prayer is not bending God our way — it is bending us His way. And then, you just may see your prayers being answered in the affirmative.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – The Importance of Pacing        

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Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. —Genesis 5:22

I’m glad the Bible compares the Christian life not only to running a race, but also to walking a walk. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

The book of Genesis tells us about a man named Enoch who walked with God for three hundred years. Enoch teaches us the importance of pacing ourselves in the spiritual race. I bring this up because there are people who have a yo-yo relationship with God. Either they are fully backslidden, or they are passionate to the point of being obnoxious. They haven’t learned to pace themselves.

I learned the importance of this one day on a twenty-five-mile bike ride with some friends. I had a lot of energy, so I would pedal ahead of the pack. But then I would run out of steam and have to pull back. I would get another burst of energy and pedal ahead of everyone else. Then they would catch up and pass me. Once we reached our destination and were on our way back, one of the guys I had been cycling with had to actually push me because I had no strength left. That is not the way to do it. The objective is to get there and back.

The same is true in the spiritual race. The objective is not to just run fast. It is to run long. Finish. That is the objective. If you want to grow up spiritually, then you need to pace yourself in this race of life — because you are in it for the long haul.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Charles Spurgeon – The carnal mind

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“The carnal mind is enmity against God.” Romans 8:7

Suggested Further Reading: Romans 5:6-11

Let me suppose an impossible case for a moment. Let me imagine a man entering heaven without a change of heart. He comes within the gates. He hears a sonnet. He starts! It is to the praise of his enemy. He sees a throne, and on it sits one who is glorious; but it is his enemy. He walks streets of gold, but those streets belong to his enemy. He sees hosts of angels; but those are the servants of his enemy. He is in an enemy’s house; for he is at enmity with God. He could not join the song, for he would not know the tune. There he would stand; silent, motionless; till Christ should say, with a voice louder than ten thousand thunders, “What doest thou here? Enemies at a marriage banquet? Enemies in the children’s house? Enemies in heaven? Get thee gone! Depart ye cursed, into everlasting fire in hell!” Oh! sirs, if the unregenerate man could enter heaven, I mention once more the oft-repeated saying of Whitefield, he would be so unhappy in heaven, that he would ask God to let him run down into hell for shelter. There must be a change, if you consider the future state; for how can enemies to God ever sit down at the banquet of the Lamb? And to conclude, let me remind you—and it is in the text after all—that this change must be worked by a power beyond your own. An enemy may possibly make himself a friend, but enmity cannot. If it be but an adjunct of his nature to be an enemy he may change himself into a friend; but if it is the very essence of his existence to be enmity, positive enmity, enmity cannot change itself. No, there must be something done more than we can accomplish.

For meditation: The Lord Jesus Christ has done for us much more than he commanded his disciples to do for their enemies (Luke 6:27-28).

Sermon no. 20

21 April (Preached 22 April 1855)

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – “Lord, I Trust You”    

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Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. —Job 13:15

Sometimes God will glorify Himself by the way you and I lean on Him and trust Him through our suffering and hardships. At other times, He will glorify Himself by simply removing those things.

He doesn’t always say no, and He doesn’t always say wait. Sometimes He steps in immediately, bringing help, wisdom, comfort, and provision. I’ve seen that happen many, many times in my life and ministry.

The gospel of John tells the story of Jesus and His disciples encountering a man who had been blind from birth. The disciples asked their Master, “Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” (John 9:2, NLT).

It sounds a little like a rehash of the accusations Job’s counselors tossed out at him, doesn’t it? Whose fault was this? Why is he sick? Who committed this sin? In fact, it may not have anything to do with personal sin. Godly people can suffer, too, and still be right in the middle of God’s good plans and purposes.

Jesus had a strong answer for the disciples when they asked, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“‘It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,’ Jesus answered. ‘He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him'” (verse 3, NLT). God wanted to display His power by healing this man — as He did when He raised Lazarus from the dead. But we must also recognize there are times when God will choose not to heal the blind, raise the dead, or do what we plead with Him to do through our anguish and tears.

And it is then that we must trust Him.

It is then that we must do what Job did when his whole world fell apart. He said, “Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). He didn’t say, “I understand this. I understand You.” He simply was saying, “Lord, I trust You.”

Job lived a real life in real time, and in the midst of his suffering, he couldn’t read the end of his own story to see how things turned out. Yet he said, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” And so must we.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Full Speed Ahead     

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Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

—Hebrews 3:12

We all know of situations, activities, and places we can go that make it easier for the Devil to tempt us. But now that we have been delivered from his power, we don’t want to put ourselves in a position of vulnerability again.

Why do I bring this up? Because I believe that we are living in the last days. And one of the prophetic signs we sometimes forget about is that in the last days, there will be a great apostasy, meaning that people will fall away from the Lord. According to 1 Timothy 4:1, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” This means that in these critical days in which we are living, the Devil is walking around like a roaring lion, looking for people that he can pull down (see 1 Peter 5:8).

The book of Hebrews warns about the perils of spiritually turning away. Hebrews 3:12 tells us, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” Notice this verse doesn’t address unbelievers. Rather, it is a warning to Christians. The passage continues, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end” (verses 13-14). Did you catch that? You will “become partakers of Christ” — if you are faithful to the end.

In other words, you need to cross the finish line.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Pour It On!        

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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.

—Acts 20:24

Imagine for a moment that you are running a race that is ten laps long. And let’s just say that you are in first place for nine of those ten laps. Not only are you in first, but you are creaming the competition. So when you come to the tenth lap, you think, What’s the point? I’m obviously the winner here. I’m going home. Guess what? You don’t get first place, second place, or even an honorable mention. You don’t get a gold medal, silver medal, or bronze medal.

You are disqualified because you didn’t finish the race.

In the same way, it isn’t enough for you to do well in the first five years or the next twenty years of your Christian life. You have to cross the finish line. That is why the apostle Paul, when he was leaving the elders of Ephesus, said in his departure speech, “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” (Acts 20:24).

That is what we all should be aiming for. The apostle Paul wanted to win the spiritual race. We should want to win it as well. And that is why this is not the time to be easing up. This is the time to pick up the pace. This is the time to pour it on.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Destruction in Disguise       

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Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

—Romans 12:9

One of the first things I remember taking place when I committed my life to Jesus Christ was the erosion of bitterness and anger and the growth of a love I had not known before. Years of bitterness and anger that had been building up just began to dissolve.

If we claim to be followers of Christ and harbor bitterness or hatred in our hearts toward someone, there is something very wrong. John was very distinct when he wrote, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?” (1 John 4:20, NLT). John was saying that if we have hatred in our hearts toward fellow members of the body of Christ, fellow Christians, there is something wrong in our spiritual lives.

Maybe someone has wronged or hurt you. Even so, God calls on you to love and forgive that person and not to avenge yourself. Here is why: that bitterness and hatred will do more harm to you than the person to whom you are directing it. It will eat you up inside. It will destroy your life. It will hinder your time of prayer with God. It will hinder your worship. It will, for all practical purposes, act as an obstacle in the relationship God wants to have with you.

There is no room for hatred, bitterness, or prejudice in the heart of a child of God. God wants our love to be honest and without hypocrisy.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Conformed or Transformed?         

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Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. —Romans 12:2

A flock of wild geese was flying south for the winter when one goose looked down and noticed a group of domestic geese by a little pond near a farm. He noticed they had plenty of grain to eat. Life seemed relatively nice for them. So he flew down and hung out with these geese until spring and enjoyed the food that was there. He decided that he would rejoin his flight of geese when they went north again. When spring came, he heard them overhead and flew up to join them, but he had grown a bit fat from all of the seed. Flying was difficult, so he decided to spend one more season on the farm and then rejoin the geese on their next winter migration. When the geese flew south the following fall, the goose flapped his wings a little, but he just kept eating his grain. He had simply lost interest.

That is what happens in the subtle process of the world influencing our lives. It’s not necessarily dramatic, nor does it usually happen overnight. It is gradual, causing erosion in our lives as we begin to lower our standards. Soon, the things of God become less appealing, and the things of this world become more appealing. After a while, we have no interest in the things of God.

We have a choice: either we will be conformed to this world, or we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds. It is one or the other. The only question is, which way will you go?

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Living Victoriously    

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When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. —Isaiah 59:19

I remember reading a story about one of the battles between General Lee and General Grant during the Civil War. General Lee was, of course, the head of the Confederate forces and was known for his brilliant tactics in doing a lot with a little. He didn’t have the organization of the Union army or the manpower, but he was able to move in an effective way and foil his enemies on a number of occasions. His exploits had become so legendary that the Union soldiers were terrified of him.

One night, some Union soldiers were standing around the campfire talking about General Lee. They said, “What if General Lee does this? What are we going to do?” General Grant was standing a few feet away. He walked over and said to the soldiers, “The way you boys are talking, you would think that General Lee is going to do a somersault and land in the middle of our camp. Stop talking about what he’s going to do, and let him worry about what we’re going to do.”

Sometimes I see the same thing happening in the church: Oh, the devil is doing this. The Devil is doing that. Did you hear about this wicked thing that happened? I think we should stop focusing so much on what the Devil is doing and stop worrying so much about what he will do; instead, let him worry about what we Christians will do.

Rather than trembling in fear about what the Devil is doing, we can rejoice in the power that God has given us to live victoriously and effectively for Him.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – The Trap of Temptation     

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Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. —James 4:7

Right after I became a Christian, other believers warned me, “Greg, watch out. There is a Devil who will tempt you.”

I said, “Right. A Devil.” I thought of the red figure with the pitchfork and horns.

They said, “No, the Devil is real. He is a real spirit power, and he will tempt you.”

I said, “Get out of town! He isn’t going to tempt me.”

I was in high school at the time, and there was a certain girl in my art class whom I sort of had a crush on. I hadn’t mustered up the courage to walk up and talk to her. I was sitting in class one day as a brand-new Christian, and suddenly she walked up to me and said, “Hi. What’s your name?” We had been in the same class for months, and she had never even acknowledged my existence.

I told her my name.

She said, “You know, you’re kind of cute. My parents have a cabin up in the mountains, and I’m going up there this weekend. Why don’t you come up with me? Let’s get to know each other better.”

I thought, This is it. This is what they told me about. It’s temptation! I declined her invitation and realized there had to be something to what had just happened. I thought, I’m not an idiot. No girl has ever come up to me and said this before. This is a setup.

That experience made me want to follow the Lord even more because I saw the reality of the spiritual world beginning to unfold. Remember, the Devil wants to keep you from coming to Christ. And once you have come to Christ, he wants to keep you from moving forward.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – The Voice of Circumstance   

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Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said — look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” —Judges 6:36–37

Not only does God speak to us through His Word and not only will He never contradict His Word, but God also speaks through circumstances. Although I’m not one to base major life decisions on circumstances alone, clearly there have been times when I have sensed that something was the will of God and then things would fall into place circumstantially. At other times, circumstances have made it obvious that God was saying no.

A classic example of God speaking through circumstances was when God spoke to Gideon, who laid his fleece out on the ground, asking God to confirm His Word. Certainly Jonah got the right message when God brought his journey to an abrupt halt, and he found himself in the belly of a very large fish.

Of course, as a part of this process, God speaks to us through people. For example, there have been times when I’ve been listening to someone preach or have been talking with a friend, and suddenly what he is saying addresses the situation I’m going through, even though he is completely unaware of my circumstances. It makes me realize that it is God Himself speaking to me through those individuals.

Maybe God has spoken to you through a pastor or a Christian friend. Or perhaps He has been speaking to you through circumstances. Listen carefully, and remember that He never will contradict His Word.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Hearing God

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Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. —Psalm 119:105

There are a lot of people today who say they hear the voice of God telling them to do this or that. But what we must remember is that God never will contradict His Word. He always will lead us according to what the Bible says.

Some people come up with some lame concepts, such as “We’re not married, but God has told us it’s okay to have sex.” I could assure them that God didn’t say that because in His Word, He says, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). God won’t contradict His Word.

Let’s say you were hoping for a letter from someone. You stand at the window, waiting for what seems like an eternity for the mail carrier to come by. Finally, he drives up, and you bolt over to your mailbox. You’re looking for that letter. Maybe it’s from someone you’re in love with. Maybe it’s an answer to a job application. Maybe it’s something you ordered in the mail. Maybe you’ve won the sweepstakes.

But imagine this. What if you had a handwritten note sent to you from God? Would you carry it around in your pocket for a couple of weeks and open it when you got around to it? I doubt it. You probably would tear it open as you’re thinking, Wow, God spoke to me! What does He have to say?

The Bible is a written letter from God. A lot of us carry it. We have it in different colors and sizes. We have it in different translations. Some of us even have it on our smartphones or tablets. But we never read it. Yet it’s a letter from God to us. If you want God to speak to you, then open up His Word.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie –  Make the Right Choice      

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I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. —Deuteronomy 30:19

When I first became a Christian, I decided that I would somehow find a way to live in two worlds. I was planning to hang out with my old friends and still be a Christian. For a time, I felt as though I were in a state of suspended animation. I wasn’t comfortable with my old buddies, but I wasn’t quite comfortable with the Christians, either. So I decided to be Mr. Solo Christian. I even said to my friends, “Don’t worry about me. You’re thinking I will become a fanatic and carry a Bible and say, ‘Praise the Lord.’ It will never happen. I’m going to be cool about this. I won’t embarrass you, but I’m going to believe in God now.”

However, as God became more real to me and I began to follow Him more closely, He changed my life and my outlook, and my priorities began to change.

There are people who will discourage you from growing spiritually. They will say, “I think it’s good that you are a Christian. I go to church too, at Christmas and Easter, and for weddings. But you’re getting a little too fanatical. You actually brought a Bible to work the other day. We were so embarrassed. You’re no fun anymore. We’re glad you have made changes in your life, but don’t become too extreme.” There are people like this who will discourage you.

When this happens, you have the choice to either do what God wants you to do or to go with the flow. Are you going to let people hold you back? Are you going to let people discourage you from wholehearted commitment to Jesus Christ?

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – Ingratitude     

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Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. —Romans 1:21

A man who was nailing down a loose shingle on a roof lost his footing and began to slip. Working three stories above ground, he was terrified at the thought of falling to his death. He started shouting, “God, help me! I’m falling! Do something!” Just as he came to the edge of the roof, his belt loop caught on a nail and stopped him long enough to grab hold again.

He shouted, “It’s okay, God! I got caught on a nail.”

That is how we can be. We cry out to God. He answers our prayers. Then we say, “It’s okay, God! Everything seemed to work out.”

But do we ever stop and think that God might have worked through certain circumstances to come to our rescue? My point is, we need to put as much zeal in thanking God for what He has done as we put into pleading with God when we are in need.

I heard about a hospital chaplain who kept a record of some two thousand patients whom he had visited, all who seemed to be in a dying condition and showed signs of repentance. Among those restored to health, he felt that only two showed a marked change in their spiritual lives after their recovery. In other words, when these people thought they would die, they repented. But when they recovered, they forgot about God.

What would you think of a person who always wanted things from you but never offered a word of thanks in return? We can be that way with God, can’t we? Let’s remember to thank Him.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

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Greg Laurie – By the Brook   

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The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. —1 Kings 17:6

When the Bible says that ravens brought Elijah food, it doesn’t mean they took his order, flew through the local fast food restaurant, and then delivered his meal. Ravens are scavengers. They brought little bits of meat and bread to Elijah. What’s more, the water in the brook from which he drank would have been somewhat polluted. It wasn’t an easy situation by any stretch.

How easily Elijah could have said, “Well, Lord, I don’t really want to be in this crummy little place, drinking river water. I kind of like being in front of people. I like the limelight.” But the Lord was preparing Elijah for something beyond his wildest dreams. Not long after this, Elijah would be standing on Mount Carmel in that great showdown with the false prophets (see 1 Kings 18:20-40).

Sometimes we don’t like where God has put us. We say, “Lord, I don’t like this situation. I don’t like where I am. I want to do something great for You. I want to make a difference in my world.” Maybe the Lord wants you to be effective right where you are. Maybe He wants you to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you and be faithful in the little things. Who knows what God has in store for you?

If God has you by some muddy little brook, so to speak, just hang in there. Be faithful, do what He has already told you, and wait on Him and on His timing. God will do something wonderful for you or with you. Just be available and open to do what He would have you to do.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – In Search of Ordinary People   

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People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. —1 Samuel 16:7

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Many times when we’re looking for some great superstar to come on the scene, God is developing someone in obscurity whom we haven’t ever heard of. We will say, “What if so-and-so became a Christian? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” And while we’re wondering if so-and-so ever will come around, God is grooming someone unknown to us.

Think of the time when a giant Philistine was taunting the armies of Israel. Everyone was paralyzed with fear. So whom did God select? He chose a shepherd boy who had been sent by his father to take food to his brothers on the front lines. He went out to face the giant with a few stones and a sling, and more importantly, faith in God. That was the person God used.

At another time in Israel’s history, when they were immobilized by fear because of their enemies, God found a man threshing wheat. His name was Gideon, and he was convinced that God had called up the wrong guy. But God selected him because he didn’t trust in his own ability. Gideon had to trust in God.

If you have faith in God, if you believe that God can use you, if you are willing to take a step of faith here and there, then God can do incredible things through you. One thing I have said many times over the years is that God is not looking for ability but availability. He can give you ability in time. But God is looking for someone to say, “I would like to make a difference where I am. Lord, I am available.” You just watch what God will do.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013