Tag Archives: Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A Self-Willed Choice

June 19, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. — 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

I have found that many people will reject Christ without even knowing what He says. They will reject the Bible without reading it, even saying the Bible is full of contradictions. But when asked what so-called contradictions in the Bible they have a problem with, they can never identify them. That is because they haven’t read the Bible. They refuse to believe the truth, and instead they believe the lie.

What is the lie? When it is fully realized in the Tribulation period, the lie is that the Antichrist is God, and people will buy into this. Then God will confirm their choice and “send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢,Â¬”12). Those who turn from the truth of God to the Antichrist and refuse God’s answer of salvation will be turned over to their own self-willed choice.

For example, Pharaoh hardened his heart, even when miracle after miracle was performed by the hand of God through Moses and Aaron. But then we read, “The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh . . . ” (Exodus 9:12). Isn’t that a contradiction? No, it is a progression. Initially Pharaoh did harden his heart. He hardened it again and again. And then God hardened, or strengthened, it.

God has given us a free will. He will not force us to believe something we don’t want to believe. He will come to us and seek to convince us of the truth of the Scripture. The Holy Spirit will work on our hearts. But we have the ability to resist Him.

If you harden your heart again and again, there will come a day when God will strengthen you in your own resolve.

Greg Laurie – God Knows . . . in Detail

June 18, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” —Isaiah 46:10

I am always amazed at my wife Cathe’s ability to remember details. When I tell her about something that happened, she always asks questions. She will interrupt me mid-story because she wants details that seem insignificant to me at the time.

“Who cares?” I will tell her. “Let me finish the story.”

But then, when I am retelling the story some time later, she notices that I left out a part.

“How do you know?” I will say. “You weren’t there.”

“No,” she says, “but I remember.”

And she is right. She remembers it better than I remember it because I forget details.

Some of us may forget details, but God does not. Not only does God remember every detail of the past, but He also knows the future with complete accuracy.

Revelation 13 describes a time when the Antichrist will introduce a cashless society. He will require people to take a mark by which no one can buy or sell without it, and the end game of this is to cause people to engage in devil worship.

he technology is effectively already here. Forty years ago this would have seemed impossible, if not implausible. But now with all of the developments in technology, we can see how such a thing actually could unfold before our eyes in real time.

God said in Isaiah, “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” (46:9–10).

When God tells us what is about to happen, He is not going out on a limb. He knows the future as well as we know the past.

Greg Laurie – Before Time Began

June 17, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. —1 Peter 1:20–22

When Cathe and I watch our grandkids, we know they are going to make messes. When we put our little grandson, Christopher, in his highchair, we know that more food will find its way to the floor than will stay on his tray. And because we know this will happen, we make preparation for him.

God has made preparation for us, too. He knows the future as well as He knows the past, and He knew we would sin. So He made provision for us with the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Before there was a solar system, before there was a planet called Earth in that solar system, before there was a garden called Eden, before there was a man named Adam and a woman named Eve, before they ate of the forbidden fruit, causing sin to enter into the world, before all of that, God decided He would send His Son, Jesus, to earth. God would come to us as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. He would live a perfect life. He would voluntarily go to the cross and die for the sins of the world. Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world.

Why did God decide that? Because He knew we would blow it—but He gave us our chance anyway.

So what is your reaction? Are you for Jesus Christ? Or are you for everything else but Christ?

If you have submitted your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, who will forgive you of all your sins, then you can know with certainty that when you die, your name will be written in the Book of Life. Your reservation is set, and you are ready to meet the Lord. I can’t think of anything more important than that.

Greg Laurie – “I See Dead People!”

June 15, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Have you heard the story of the time when all the people came out of their graves and walked around town? People dressing up for Halloween? A Zombie film? No, not exactly. I am talking about a story right from the pages of Scripture.

As Jesus hung on the cross, a lot of supernatural phenomena took place, including a mighty earthquake, the sun going dark at 12:00 noon, and the curtain in the temple being ripped from top to bottom. But one of the most amazing things of all is when people came out of their graves!

It’s only mentioned in one Gospel. Mathew 27:51–53 (NLT) “At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead after Jesus’ resurrection. They left the cemetery, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.”

“They left the cemetery and appeared to many people”! Is this not an amazing passage? What is this all about? It is a preview of things to come. Sort of like when you are in the movies and you see the trailer for the newest films coming out. Fact is, most of the time, the trailers are better than the films themselves! But as amazing as this event was, the one it is pointing to will be even greater.

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

One day, we will be reunited with loved ones who have gone before us to heaven. What a glorious day that will be! In that day, dead people will come alive!

Greg Laurie – Look Up!

June 14, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” —Luke 21:28

Over the years people have come up with some crazy theories of who they think the Antichrist is. But according to Scripture, the Antichrist cannot emerge until Christians are caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

The Bible says, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8).

Who is restraining evil today? It is the Holy Spirit, working through the church, working through Christians who stand up for what is right, who speak out against evil, who function as light and salt in our culture. Jesus said that as believers, we are the light of the world, and we are the salt of the earth (see Matthew 5:13–14).

Light, obviously, illuminates. And salt was used in the first century to preserve meat, preventing spoilage in the absence of refrigeration. We are here to tell the world about Jesus and shine our light. We are here to stop the spread of evil.

Regarding the signs of the end of the age, Jesus said, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).

Notice that Jesus said, “When these things begin to happen, look up. . . .” He didn’t say, “When these things are happening, . . .” We should not be looking for the Antichrist; we should be looking for Jesus Christ. That is the emphasis of Scripture.

So look up. Your redemption is drawing near.

Greg Laurie – A Clever Disguise

June 13, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. —2 Corinthians 11:13–15

One sign of the end times will be people turning away from the faith. The Bible speaks of an apostasy, a departure from the faith in the last days (see Thessalonians 2:3). We read in 2 Timothy 4:3–4 that in the last days, some “will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, . . . will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

Sometimes the devil comes in like a roaring lion in his depravity. At other times, he comes in as an angel of light in his splendor. That is why the apostle Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).

There are people today who say that we need to reimagine the church, that we can’t do it the old way. But I don’t think we need to reimagine church. Rather, we need to rediscover the church the way Jesus set it up. We need to go back to the original template.

In some churches today, the sermons are short, more like pep talks than messages from God’s Word. I want to hear the Word of God. I want to know what the Bible says about all the things that I am going to face in life.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

The antidote to the deception we will see more of in the last days is hearing and knowing God’s Word.

Greg Laurie – A Foreshock of the Antichrist

June 12, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. —2 Thessalonians 2:3

One of the things I appreciate about our country is our freedom to worship. I appreciate the freedom I have to stand up and say what I believe without fear of being arrested or murdered. I appreciate the freedom others have to hold views that are different from mine. Though I may not agree with them, I am appreciative of the fact that we can say what we believe in our country today.

Even if I were able, I would never impose the Christian faith on anyone. I would never want Christianity forced on people who did not want to believe. We as Christians have a reasonable faith, and our desire is to bring people to Christ as we share our faith with them. After all, God says, “Come now, and let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18).

In the last days, a new religion will come on the scene that everyone can embrace. There probably will be many beliefs intertwined with occultism. But any move toward a one-world religion is a foreshock of the Antichrist.

In our culture today, we see things moving toward an embracing of all faiths. We are told that we are all praying to the same god, that we are all just following different roads to the same god. But I beg to differ. I worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I worship the God of the Bible who sent Jesus Christ. There is no other God.

I think in the days to come, we will find a growing tolerance of any belief — except that “intolerant faith” as some would describe it (read: Bible-believing Christian). There will be less tolerance for that.

This is why we need to be very careful. The devil will come in the last days with religious deception.

Greg Laurie – Antichrist Behavior

June 11, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. —1 John 2:18

We are seeing an anti-Christian mentality become more popular and more widely accepted in our nation today. It is one thing when it is in an Islamic country where Christians are executed for simply believing in Jesus. But it is another thing when the persecution of Christians is happening in a country that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. It is another thing when this anti-Christian bias is happening in the United States of America—and indeed it is.

Here is something to consider. Though we do not know whether the Antichrist himself is alive today, there are antichrists, plural. This term “Antichrist” is actually not used in the book of Revelation, though it refers to the person. The very term is found in 1 John 2:18: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”

Even now, many antichrists have come. . . . John goes on to say, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us . . .” (verse 19).

This is interesting. The question to ask yourself is not Who is the Antichrist? Rather, the question to ask yourself is, Am I antichrist? So who is antichrist? According to John, it is someone who once made a profession of faith but has since turned their back on God. That is antichrist behavior.

Are you living that way? Have you put something or someone else in His place? Are you opposing Him in some way? Have you cut yourself off from other believers and effectively turned your back on God? If so, then you could be antichrist.

Greg Laurie – We Win in the End

June 10, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast–miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. —Revelation 19:20

Years ago historian Arnold Toynbee said, “By forcing on mankind more and more lethal weapons and at the same time making the whole world more and more interdependent economically, technology has brought mankind to such a degree of distress that we are ripe for deifying any new Caesar who might succeed in giving the world unity and peace.”

Toynbee’s statement fits the biblical scenario. The deifying of a “new Caesar” will take place in the future. And things are ripe for such a man to emerge on the world stage. This coming world leader will do what no other man has ever been able to do before: bring global peace. He will be so successful that he will be hailed as the greatest peacemaker who has ever lived. But behind that will be the most evil man who has ever walked this earth.

Why give even a passing thought to the Antichrist? One reason would be that more than 100 passages in Scripture detail the origin, nationality, career, character, kingdom, and final doom of the Antichrist. He is discussed in-depth in the books of Revelation and Daniel. He is also referenced in 2 Thessalonians and in 1 John. The sheer volume of information in Scripture about the Antichrist is enough for us to want to understand who he is and what he will do.

But I think there is another reason we should know about the Antichrist. As we read Scripture and see him reigning, as we see evil predominant in the culture, it could almost look as though things will end for the worst. But as we continue to read the narrative as given to us in Revelation, we see the Antichrist defeated. We see that evil is overcome. And we are reminded that we win in the end.

Greg Laurie – When Temptation Comes

June 8, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

No temptation has come your way that is too hard for flesh and blood to bear. But God can be trusted not to allow you to suffer any temptation beyond your powers of endurance. He will see to it that every temptation has a way out, so that it will never be impossible for you to bear it. —1 Corinthians 10:13

In the New Testament, we have the account of Jesus saying to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:31–32).

Put yourself in Peter’s sandals. You’re sitting near the Lord when He turns to you, looks you in the eyes, calls you by name, and says, “Satan has been asking excessively that you be taken out of the care and protection of God. The devil has been asking for you by name.” I don’t know about you, but if Jesus Christ, the Son of God, said that to me, it would be cause for great concern.

Peter was such a big fish that Satan himself went after him. I wonder if the Lord paused for effect: “Satan has been asking for you. . .by name. . ..But I have good news, Peter. I have prayed for you.”

It’s a good reminder to us that when the devil comes knocking at our door, we should say, “Lord, would You mind getting that?” We are no match for the devil. But even though he is a powerful foe, he is still a created being, and certainly not as powerful as God. Even so, we don’t want to tangle with him—or any of his servants. We want to stand behind God’s protection.

In spite of the devil’s power and wicked agenda, he must first ask permission when it comes to attacking the children of God, because of the hedge of protection that God has placed around us.

God knows what you are ready for. And He won’t give you more than you can handle. We have His word on that!

Greg Laurie – The Ultimate Imitator

June 7, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” —Matthew 24:4–5

It seems as though everyone has a cell phone these days. Everywhere you go, people are talking on their cell phones. And now there is actually a cell phone for dogs, which is a collar with a little speaker that allows you to talk to Fido.

How did we ever survive before cell phones?

I remember when the first cell phones came on the market. They were heavy and had a very short battery life. Then came the Blackberry, which was very popular. But the industry was turned upside down in 2007 when Apple released the iPhone. Walk into any store today where cell phones are sold, and you will find that most phones resemble the iPhone. This template, this prototype of sorts, changed everything.

Whenever something is popular, whenever something is successful, whenever something is effective, you can be sure there always will be imitations.

The ultimate imitator is Satan, who has his cheap imitations of all things that are true. For all the real Christians who believe in Jesus, he has his fake believers out there—posers who pretend to be something they are not. We have real miracles performed by the hand of God, and Satan has his fake imitations of those as well. God has His Son, Jesus. And one day Satan will have his son, his own imitation of Jesus, the Antichrist. This man will be history’s vilest embodiment of sin and rebellion.

Here is your choice: Are you going to be for Jesus Christ or the Antichrist? Either it is God, or it is Satan. If you make the right choice, then you can know with certainty that your name will be written in the Book of Life. But if it is not written in the Book of Life, then you are doomed.

Greg Laurie – Nothing to Show

June 6, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.” —Revelation 3:11

Did you know that it is possible to have a saved soul and a lost life? A saved soul means that you are saved because you believe in Jesus and not because of the works you do. You have turned from your sin and put your faith in Christ. And God has a plan for your life: He wants you to serve Him.

But a lot of Christians don’t do that much for the Lord, though they should. And this means they have a lost life. The Bible says that we will stand before God one day, and our work will be tested to see what sort it is (see 1 Corinthians 3:12–14). If it is built on the wrong foundation, then it will be burned up, but our soul will be saved.

Jesus said, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown” (Revelation 3:11). Hold fast. Hang on. Don’t let go. Don’t relax your grip. If you do, you could lose your crown.

The crown is a symbol of rewards that are awaiting Christians. To lose your crown means to lose your reward. The Bible speaks of a crown that God gives for our faithfulness to Him (see Revelation 3:11). First Thessalonians 2:19 mentions a crown of rejoicing, which would appear to be a crown for winning souls. Then, in 2 Timothy 4:8, there is a crown of righteousness. James 1:12 speaks of a crown of life for enduring temptation and persevering under trial.

These are the rewards God will give to each of us. But how sad it will be for those who stand before Him on that day and have nothing to show for the life that was given to them.

Greg Laurie – An ABC Culture

June 5, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. —Revelation 3:8

I have never seen a greater biblical illiteracy than we see in the church today. So many go to church, but they want to be entertained. They want to be dazzled. And they want everything except the Word of God.

One thing that has always been at the forefront of Harvest Ministries is the teaching of God’s Word—without apology. Why is this important? Because one of the signs of the last days is apostasy. People living in the end times are going to fall away from the faith. According to 1 Timothy 4, “The Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons” (verse 1). Knowing God’s Word and keeping His Word will fortify you against that.

As we get closer and closer to Christ’s return, it will be more and more difficult to be a Christian. Things are going to get spiritually darker in our world. Today in America, we live in what I would describe as an ABC culture: anything but Christ. People are cool with whatever you want to believe—unless it is the Bible and unless it is Jesus Christ. Then suddenly you are in trouble. Suddenly you are the bigoted one. You are the narrow-minded one. You are the intolerant one. You are the hateful one. And it is just because you believe that the Bible is true, and you want to live for Jesus Christ. God will give you the strength to live this life, but you will be opposed.

So whether you want to go high-tech or low-tech, read God’s Word. Know God’s Word. And more importantly, keep God’s Word.

Greg Laurie – Start with a Step

June 4, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. —Matthew 14:29

Sometimes people are critical of Peter because he sank during his walk on the water to Jesus. But apart from Jesus himself, Peter is the only one to ever walk on water. And, by the way, it wasn’t a presumptuous act on Peter’s part. He did ask permission, and Jesus granted it.

I can imagine Peter swinging one leg over the side of the boat and testing his weight a little. Next, he brings the other leg around. Soon, he is standing on the water. Then he takes a step . . . then another step.

But the waves were high, the sea was rough, and Peter probably thought, What am I doing? Then he began to sink.

As he cried out to Jesus, the Lord reached down, grabbed him, and pulled him up. Then He said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). I find it interesting that in the original language, “little faith” is one word. There is a tenderness implied in the language, almost as though it were a nickname. Oh, Littlefaith. You were doing so well. I’m so proud of you, Peter. Jesus lifted him up, and they walked back to that boat. But Peter had taken a step of faith.

This reminds us that God can take even a little faith and turn it into big faith if we will just take a step of faith. So many times we want the detailed blueprint. But just start with a step. Just start where you are. Do what you can.

You have your world. You have your opportunities. Start with someone you can think of who needs Christ this year. Pray for him. Share with her. And remember that doors don’t necessarily stay open forever. Everything starts with a little step.

Greg Laurie – Will He Find Faith?

June 3, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” —Luke 18:8

I am not a patient sick person. I don’t like to lay around, immobilized. As soon as I start feeling better, I want to get going. When I am feeling good again, I will go and work out or take a brisk walk. But then I feel kind of fatigued afterward.

In Revelation 3, we find a description of a church that is coming back to life, the church of Philadelphia. The Great Physician gives His divine assessment: “You have a little strength . . .” (verse 8). This isn’t a negative comment about their weakness, but a commendation of their strength. They are like a sick person who is making a recovery.

This is not a super church of the end times, but it is a reviving one. If ever there was a super church, it was the church of the first century. Although they had their flaws, it was the church that changed the world. And it was the church that gave us a template we are to follow.

The implication in Revelation 3 is that the church of Philadelphia is making a comeback. Perhaps a revival is taking place. Revival is what God does for us, and revival is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray that God sends a revival, or an awakening, to America.

Evangelism is what we do for God. Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” The idea being that it is not a church that has taken the world over, but a church that is doing something.

Jesus commends the church of Philadelphia for taking little steps, and we need to take those little steps as well. God has given us enough strength to do what He has called us to do.

Greg Laurie – All Things

June 1, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. —Romans 8:28

There are times in our lives as Christians when God will do things or fail to do things that we want Him to do, and it won’t make a bit of sense to us. And because we don’t see the big picture, we may falsely conclude that God has abandoned us. But we need to trust Him during these times, remembering that Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. In other words, what God starts, He completes.

Remember that wonderful word from the first chapter of Philippians? “There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears” (Philippians 1:6 THE MESSAGE).

It seems as I get older, I get distracted and forget things all the time. But what if God forgot about us? What a frightening thought. Imagine being in the midst of a fiery trial as God is watching and waiting for that moment to take us out of it. Then the phone rings, and He’s gone for a decade! Thankfully, God never forgets about us. He remains—forever and ever—in full control. He knows exactly what He is doing. He will complete what He has begun.

Sometimes in the middle of that process, we may think the Lord is missing it. But He isn’t. We’re the ones who are missing it. From our limited human viewpoint, we think of the temporal, but God lives in the eternal. We are thinking of today, but God is planning for tomorrow. . .in fact, He’s already been there. We are thinking of comfort, but God is thinking of character. We are thinking of an easy time, but God is thinking of how to make us better people.

So let’s trust Him. Whatever our circumstances or hardships, let’s believe His promise to His children. . . . All things are working together.

Greg Laurie – Doors of Opportunity

May 31, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too. —Acts 14:27

The first-century believers in the church of Philadelphia lived under Roman rule. The Romans had established what was known as Pax Romana, which effectively was a forced peace. There was an absence of war, and Rome adopted many of the Greeks’ ideas and philosophies and religious beliefs. People were experimenting with these things, and there was a sense of searching among so many.

The Romans also had established Greek as the official language of the empire. They built an excellent road system as well. So with this common language and access to most of the world, the church went out to spread the gospel message. It was perfect in its timing.

Now let’s think about our day. In many ways, modern technology has created a global village. Television, the Internet, and mass communication has made the world a much smaller place. I recently read that 70 to 80 percent of the world’s population now has a smartphone. We can communicate in ways we never could before. In a sense, we have a common cultural language.

Sometimes in our lives we think only of how much we can get from our study of God’s Word and how much we can be blessed in church. That is fine. But remember that we are blessed to be a blessing. If we are only hoarding what God has given us and are not giving out, then we are missing the point.

As one person put it, “Unless a man’s faith saves him out of selfishness into service, it will certainly never save him out of hell into heaven.”

There are doors that have opened in our lives today. Watch for them. That person who was closed to the gospel last year might be open to it this year. Pray for those doors of opportunity.

Greg Laurie – An Unprecedented Open Door

May 30, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. —Colossians 4:3–4

Jesus has given us, as a church, an unprecedented open door. We read in Revelation 3:7, “What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open.”

If the key is a symbol of His authority, then the door is a symbol of opportunity. The idea of an open door is a concept that is used often in the New Testament. Paul spoke of it in 2 Corinthians 2:12: “When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me.” In Acts 14:27, Paul and Barnabas spoke of a door of faith that was opened to the Gentiles.

We should pray for such doors to open in our own lives. In fact, Paul said, “Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.”

When a Harvest Crusade is approaching, sometimes people will ask me how they should pray for me. My answer is the same as Paul’s: First, that God would open a door to speak for Him, and second, that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

We should all be looking for open doors. We should not rest on past accomplishments or victories. We need to be looking for opportunities today and in the days to come.

You see, this year, this month, may be the last opportunity to go through an open door. Just because a door is open now doesn’t mean it will remain open forever.

Will you walk through those open doors? Will you look for those opportunities? Will you do what God has called you to do?

Greg Laurie – He Holds the Keys

May 29, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. —Revelation 1:17–18

Revelation 3 records the words of Jesus to the church of the last days known as the church of Philadelphia. In this chapter Jesus says some very specific things about how they are to live in the end times. But I think we could just as easily take out the word “Philadelphia” and insert our own names in this passage. Why? Because these are the words of Jesus not only to the last days church, but to last days believers:

“These things says He who is holy, He who is true, ‘He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.’ ” (verses 7–8)

Here we read that Jesus has the key of David. (I am glad He has the keys because if I did, they would be lost by now.)

Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t lose keys. He has the key to every lock. Jesus can open every door. God is in control of all events in the history of this planet—past, present, and future. God will open some doors, and He will close others. He will determine how long we will live. That is not up to us; that is up to Him. The doors God closes are closed for good. And the doors He opens will be opened for good. No power on earth can change this.

It is a good reminder for us to remember that God is in control. We don’t have to be afraid to commit an unknown future to a known God. He is in control of our lives.

Greg Laurie – In His Hands

May 28, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. —Revelation 12:11

How important it is for us to know that our lives belong to God. God decides the day of our birth, and God decides the day of our death. But we have everything to do with the dash in the middle.

In Revelation 12:11, we read of the saints during the Tribulation who “overcame [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

They did not love their lives to the death. These believers knew their lives belonged to God. They knew that as followers of Jesus during the Tribulation period, they could lose their lives. They also knew their times were in God’s hands. Thus, they spoke up for their faith in Christ and, whatever the consequences were, they were ready to face them.

A story is told from the pages of Christian history about a believer who was brought before one of the Caesars. He was told to renounce his faith and give glory to Caesar. The man would not do it. So the emperor said to him, “Give up Christ, or I will banish you.”

The Christian said, “You can’t banish me from Christ, for God says, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ ”

The emperor said, “I will confiscate your property.”

The Christian replied, “My treasures are laid up in heaven. You can’t touch them.”

The emperor said, “I will kill you.”

The Christian answered, “I have been dead to this world in Christ for 40 years. My life is hidden with Christ in God. You can’t touch it.”

The emperor turned to some of the members of his court and said, in complete disgust, “What can you do with such a fanatic?”

May God give us more Christians like this.

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