Tag Archives: Greg Laurie

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Greg Laurie – The Overcomers

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Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh. —Hebrews 10:19–20

How do we overcome the devil? In the book of Revelation we are introduced to a group of believers who are able to do that: “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)

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. The next time the devil tempts you to think that you are not worthy to approach God, here is what I advise: Agree. Say, “You are right. I am not worthy to approach God. I never was worthy to approach God. I never will be worthy to approach God. My access to God’s presence is not based on my worthiness, it is based on what Christ did for me on the cross.”

Sometimes we get into the mentality as Christians that if we are doing well spiritually, then we can approach God in prayer. If we get up in the morning, read four chapters from the Bible, give thanks for our meals, and share our faith with someone, then we think we can approach God. But if the next day we sleep in and don’t read the Bible, if we forgot to say grace over our meals and didn’t share our faith, then we think we are not worthy to approach Him.

While doing those things is important, the point I am making is this: Your access to God is there unconditionally. If you have done well, then great. Approach God. But if you have sinned, then approach God and say, “Lord, I have sinned. This is why I need the blood of the Lamb.”

The devil always will try to keep you away from the Cross. But the Holy Spirit always will bring you to it.

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Greg Laurie – The Accuser

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Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” —Revelation 12:10

Novelist Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables, said, “A good general must penetrate the brain of his enemy.”

It is good for us to know how the devil works. Paul the apostle said, “For we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

The devil attacks primarily through accusation. We read in Revelation 12:10, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down’ ” (emphasis added).

The devil is the accuser of the brethren. First he comes to you with the temptation. All of a sudden, an ungodly, horrible thought is placed in front of you. You think, I can’t believe this! Whoa! Where did that come from?

Then the devil says, “You are so twisted! What’s your problem? Why would you think such a horrible thought? And you call yourself a Christian! What kind of a Christian are you?”

That is how the devil works. But your defense against his accusations is the intercession of Jesus on your behalf. Jesus is standing in the gap for you. He once said to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31). But then He went on to say, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail . . .” (verse 32).

Romans 8:34 tells us, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” The next time you are tempted, remember this: Jesus is interceding for you in heaven.

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Greg Laurie – A Short Time

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“Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” —Revelation 12:12

During the Korean War, Marines in the Baker Company found themselves cut off while enemy forces advanced. For several hours, no word was heard from them. Finally a faint signal came through. Straining to hear each word, the radio operator asked, “Do you read me?”

“This is Baker Company,” came the reply.

“What is your situation?”

“The enemy is to the east of us. The enemy is to the west of us. The enemy is to the south of us and to the north of us. . . .” The soldier then paused briefly and continued, “And we are not going to let them escape this time!”

That is the attitude we should have when the devil seems to be hitting us from every side. As Bible commentator John Phillips wrote, “Satan is now like a caged lion, enraged beyond words by the limitations now placed upon his freedom. He picks himself up from the dust of the earth, shakes his fist at the sky, and glares around, choking with fury for ways to vent his hatred and spite upon humankind.”

The devil does not want you to know that he is doomed. Revelation 12:12 tells us, “The devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” The phrase for “great wrath” refers to a violent outburst of rage. It depicts a turbulent emotional fury rather than rational anger.

Even if some don’t believe it, the devil knows that Jesus Christ is coming back. Until then, his objective is to wreak as much havoc as he can.

Sometimes it seems as though everywhere we turn, there is an attack. There is temptation. There is a problem. There is an issue. But listen: God will give us the strength to get through.

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Greg Laurie – Permission Required

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Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. —Job 1:6

The devil can do nothing in the life of the Christian without God’s permission.

This may come as a surprise, but the devil does have some access to heaven. Periodically the devil is called into the presence of God. We have a behind-the-scenes look at this in the book of Job:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job 1:6–7)

What a perfect description of Satan—just roaming about like a lion, checking everything out, looking for prey.

Then God said, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (verse 8).

Loosely paraphrased, the devil said, “Give me a break! Does Job fear You for nothing? He fears you because You have put a hedge of protection around him.”

The devil wanted to attack Job, but he recognized there was protection around God’s servant.

And there is protection around us as well. When the devil comes our way, he has to first get permission from God. He cannot just run through our lives willy-nilly. And know this: Whatever God allows in your life, He allows for a purpose.

Sometimes we wonder why the Lord allows tragedies in our lives. While we can’t answer that, what we do know is this: God will never give us more than we can handle. And when we are tempted, there is always a way out.

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Greg Laurie – No Equal to God

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And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.— Revelation 12:7

In Revelation 12, we find a battle in heaven where Michael the archangel and the devil are fighting it out. These two powerful angels are warring against each other, which is ironic because they once served on the same side.

It is not unlike the Civil War, when General Grant led the Union forces, and General Lee led the Confederate forces. Prior to that, they both attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. They both served their nation in the Mexican-American War. But then they found themselves on opposite sides during the Civil War. And ultimately General Grant prevailed over General Lee.

In the same way, we find the archangel Michael prevailing over Lucifer. And here is the thing we need to know: Satan is nowhere to being the equal of God.

Here is what we know about God: He is omnipotent, which means that He has unlimited power. He is omniscient, which means that He has unlimited knowledge. And He is omnipresent, which means that He is present everywhere.

The devil is not equal to that. The devil certainly is not omnipotent. He has a lot of power, but nowhere to being equal with the power of God. He is not omniscient. Satan knows quite a few things, but he doesn’t know all things like God. He is not omnipresent. He can only be in one place at one time. So when we say the devil was tempting us, the fact is, it probably was one of the demons doing his dirty work. He has a well-organized network of fallen angels, also known as demons, that do his bidding.

Satan is nowhere near to being the equal of God. Satan is mighty, but God is almighty. Satan is a destroyer, but God ultimately will destroy the destroyer.

 

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Greg Laurie – A Different Kind of Battle

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For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. — Ephesians 6:12

Captain Scotty Smiley has served his country with great courage, but he also has had to face great adversity. A U.S. Army Ranger and a combat diver-qualified infantryman, Captain Smiley is also the Army’s first active-duty blind officer and its first blind company commander. In April, 2006, Captain Smiley lost both of his eyes when a suicide bomber blew himself up 30 meters away from his vehicle.

He has faced this adversity with great faith and courage, an example to anyone dealing with a disability. Since losing his eyesight, he has climbed Mount Rainier, completed a triathlon, skied, skydived, and earned an M.B.A. He was named Soldier of the Year in 2007 and has written his story in a book called Hope Unseen. Captain Smiley is a fantastic model of bravery and courage on the battlefield.

As Christians, we, too, are in a battle, but it’s a battle of a different kind. It is not a physical battle, but a spiritual one—and it is just as real. The Bible tells us that we are “fighting against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). It would blow our minds if God were to pull back the curtain and enable us to see into the spiritual world—the world of God and Satan, the world of angels and demons, the world of heaven and hell.

As I have often said, the Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground. So here is our choice: Either we are going to win or lose in this battle. Either we are going to gain ground or lose ground. Either we are going to advance or retreat.

Which will it be? It’s a decision we all need to make.

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Greg Laurie – The Remedy for Our Sins

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For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.  James 2:10

Only one has walked this earth who kept the Ten Commandments perfectly, and that was Jesus. Everyone else has fallen short.

We have broken the Ten Commandments in more ways than we realize. We have taken the Lord’s name in vain. We have had other gods before Him. We have lied. Perhaps we have stolen or have committed adultery or even murder. At the very least, we have lusted or hated. Yet the Bible says that if we stumble in one point of the law, we are guilty of all of it (see James 2:10).

Why, then, did God give us these commandments? They were not given to make us righteous. They were given to show us that we are not righteous. They were given to show us that we fall short of God’s standards. They were given to show us that we need help. The commandments drive us into the open arms of Jesus, who died on the cross for all our sins.

The Bible says, “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). What that means is Jesus took the penalty of the commandments that say, “The person who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:20). He died in our place and absorbed God’s wrath that should have come upon me and upon you.

Maybe you need to repent of some sin. God will forgive you—but you have to admit your sin, stop making excuses for it, and turn from it. The Bible says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9).

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Greg Laurie – “You Shall Not Covet”

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THINK before You Speak

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” — Exodus 20:17

A Roman Catholic priest who had heard the confessions of 2,000 people said that he had heard every kind of sin and iniquity confessed—even murder—with one exception. He had never heard anyone confess to committing the sin of covetousness.

I think that is because we don’t really know what coveting is. Yet we do it all the time.

What does it mean to covet? Coveting is wanting something that never will be yours, should never be yours, and, in fact, belongs to someone else. The literal definition of the word means to set your heart on something. A better translation would be “to pant after something”—sort of like a predator pursuing its prey.

The apostle Paul said that of all the commandments, this was the one he struggled with the most. Why? Because all the other commandments involve external actions—”You shall not commit adultery” . . . “You shall not kill” . . . “You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain.”

But then there is “You shall not covet.” That is more difficult to figure out. It is internal. It is wanting something that belongs to someone else and deciding you are going to get it, no matter what.

We read in Colossians 3:5, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

It is not a sin to admire something. It is not a sin to want to be successful in business or to make a good living. But if you become obsessed with it and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it, when that is the most important thing in life to you, that can become coveting and idolatry.

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Greg Laurie – THINK before You Speak

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“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” —Exodus 20:16

The ninth commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” can be a little harder to keep than the others. We are not to lie. There are bald-faced lies, of course. (I resent that term, by the way.). But there are times when you don’t want to tell the truth because you know it will hurt someone.

In fact, when a survey was done in which people were asked their reasons for lying, the number one explanation given was the fear of offending someone.

Maybe you were invited to someone’s home for a meal, and it was awful. After the meal, you felt completely nauseated. Then the person who prepared it asked, “How did you like the meal?”

“Well, I have never seen those particular ingredients put together in such a way!”

You didn’t want to say what is true, so maybe you said something else.

We tell these little white lies, so called, every day. When someone calls your house and you don’t want to talk, you tell your spouse or child or roommate, “I’m not home.” Or you say, “I love your outfit” when you don’t. Or, “The check is in the mail” when it isn’t. Or, “I was just getting ready to call you” when you weren’t. Or, “I forgot” when you didn’t.

Gossip is another way we can lie. Gossip topples governments, wrecks marriages, ruins careers, destroys reputations, causes nightmares, spawns suspicions, and generates grief. Even speaking the very word makes a hissing sound like a serpent.

 

Apply the THINK principle before you repeat something: Is it truthful? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind?

THINK before you speak. And if it doesn’t pass this test, then don’t say it.

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Greg Laurie – Bring Your Flowers Now!

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My granddaughter Stella loves to pick flowers. She will come to me and, with a smile of her beautiful face, say, “These are for you, Papa!” It always warms my heart.

There is a story in the Bible of a woman named Mary who understood what Jesus meant when He said He was going to die. Though it somehow did not seem to penetrate the minds of His own hand-picked disciples who had spent their every waking hour with Him for three years, Mary understood.

One night, Jesus and His friends were gathered at the house of Simon in Bethany. She listened as the Lord quietly spoke to the audience gathered. But with intuition inherent in women, she saw and heard something else. She saw the lines etching His face, and read aright the problems reflected in His eyes. An inner sense told her that the disciples were wrong in expecting a kingdom. The Master meant what He had said, and said what He meant: He was literally going to Jerusalem to be crucified.

She could not grasp something so terrible, but accepted it because He said it. She had to do something. She would not wait to give some floral tribute at His funeral. She would bring her flowers now! She would give the very best she possibly could!

So Mary took some very expensive perfume that was probably a family heirloom and poured it on the head of Jesus. Some were angry at her and criticized her for such a waste, as the street value of such a perfume was around $25,000. But in Mary’s mind, nothing was too good for Jesus, and she wanted to show her love to Him.

Jesus was impressed and even commended her for it. He said “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (Matthew 26:13). Nothing is ever wasted if it is given with a right heart for God’s glory.

That’s a good thing to remember about people you love—people who have impacted you as a Christian. Don’t wait until their funeral to say it. Say it now.

Go to them, or write them a letter or an e-mail or even a text and tell them what they mean to you—your husband, wife, child, friend, a spiritual leader—because you never know when you will have your last conversation with them.

So bring your flowers now, not later.

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Greg Laurie – A Widespread Problem

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Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.—Ephesians 4:28

Stealing is such a widespread problem in our culture today. And among those who know stealing is wrong, it is interesting why they think it is wrong. A study was done among those who stole or thought about stealing, and the question was asked, “Why don’t you steal?” The number one reason given was, “I might get caught.” Number two was, “The other person might try to get even.” And reason number three? “I might not need the item.”

How about this reason? God says it is a sin.

Here’s what the Bible has to say about stealing: “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28).

“Steal no longer.” It’s a no-brainer. Don’t steal. If you have stolen, stop. If you took something from someone, give it back. Don’t just confess your sin of stealing and then keep what you took. Give it back. It’s called making restitution.

“Rather let him labor, working with his hands. . . .” Do something useful. God wants you to go out and be responsible and work for a living. The Bible says that whoever doesn’t work shouldn’t eat (see 2 Thessalonians 3:10). News flash: The world doesn’t owe you a living. The government doesn’t owe you a living. Be responsible and work if you can.

“That he may have something to give to him who has need . . .” Share what you have so that you may share with those who are in need. When you work hard and save your money, you are able to help others.

“You shall not steal”—it’s one of the Ten Commandments. Don’t take things that don’t belong to you.

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Greg Laurie – Not That Bad?

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“You must not commit adultery.” —Exodus 20:14

Can you imagine what our culture would be like if we obeyed the single commandment, “You shall not commit adultery”? Can you imagine how different our world would be? How many divorces would have been avoided? How many families would still be together? How many fathers would be home to raise their children?

Most social ills can be traced to the breakdown of the family and specifically to the absence of the father in the home. And often marriages fall apart because of the sin of adultery. What is adultery? It is sex with someone besides your spouse.

God has established marriage for there to be fulfillment and a oneness between a man and a woman. Sex is not some toy that we play with to satisfy our desires. The Bible says, “Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery” (Hebrews 13:4).

Yet this sin is committed so often. Some will say, “Come on, it is not that bad! It was just a one-night stand. We were just having a little fun! As long as it is between two consenting adults, why is it wrong?” Because when a man and a woman come together sexually, a oneness takes place—even when someone comes together with a prostitute.

We are told in 1 Corinthians 6:15–16, “Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, ‘The two are united into one.’ ”

Adultery hurts you. And it hurts others as well.

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Greg Laurie – What about Hate?

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Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. —Ephesians 4:31–32

“You shall not murder.” If ever there was one of the Ten Commandments that was ignored, it was this one. This commandment forbids the taking of another human life for no justifiable reason. Yet we live in a violent world. Our culture is awash in violence and killing. Two million people a year become violent crime statistics in the United States.

You might be feeling okay about yourself because at least, to your knowledge, you have never murdered anyone. But Jesus took this command a step further in the Sermon on the Mount:

“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.” (Matthew 5:21–22)

Jesus was talking about a person who has anger and hatred toward another person. He was saying, “I am not just telling you it is wrong to murder; I am saying it is wrong to hate.”

Is there anyone you hate? If a certain person were to walk into a room where you happened to be, would your blood pressure go up? Honestly, do you wish that person were dead? Then you need to repent because that is a sin.

Sometimes we will say of someone, “I would never kill them.” But we will assassinate their character. The Bible tells us, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior” (Ephesians 4:31).

We as believers are not to hate. Rather, we are to love our enemies.

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Greg Laurie – Knowledge and Responsibility

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But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” —Acts 5:29

There is a movement afoot in our country to redefine marriage and family. Media and modern culture are pushing for same-sex marriage. The normalization of homosexuality is also gaining momentum, illustrated by television programs such as Modern Family and The New Normal.

With the emphasis on gay marriage and homosexuality in general, you would think a huge percentage of today’s population must be gay. Some advocates say it is as high as 25 percent. Many accept the premise that it is at least 10 percent. But an extensive survey, the largest of its kind, was recently completed by the Gallup polling agency. The survey, which interviewed 120,000 Americans, revealed that 3.4 percent of the U.S. population is gay. That includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans. Even though it represents a small percentage of the population, it has become a major topic, and it has come right to the doorstep of the church.

People like to portray Christians as gay bashers. But that is not the case at all. We don’t see this as a worse sin, necessarily, than any other sin. I don’t see the Bible distinguishing the sin of homosexuality as the greatest of all sins. In fact the Bible does talk about greater and lesser sins, but it would appear that the worst sin would be to sin against the light.

Let me illustrate. Jesus said to Pontius Pilate, a hardened, pagan, Roman man, “The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11). What would be a greater sin than sending Jesus to be executed after he had been scourged, as Pilate had done? A greater sin was committed by the high priest Caiaphas, who should have known better. He is the one who sent Jesus to Pilate. That was the greater sin.

Knowledge brings responsibility. And if the Bible says something is a sin, then it is a sin.

 

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Greg Laurie – God’s Plan for the Family

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“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” —Exodus 20:12

It has been said that a family can survive without a nation, but a nation cannot survive without the family. God established the family by bringing a man and a woman together in marriage. Then came children and grandchildren. That is His order.

The Bible tells us, however, that in the last days there will be an attack on the family. One of the signs of the end times will be a lack of respect for one’s parents. We read in 2 Timothy 3, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (verses 1–2).

We have certainly lost sight of God’s commandment to “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12). Notice the commandment is to honor your father and mother—not honor your father and father, or your mother and mother, or your mother and her live-in lover or partner. We tamper with God’s order at our own peril.

Know this: Satan always hates what God loves. God loves the family. He established the marriage of a man and woman as a physical representation of His love for the church and the church’s love for Him. God effectively says, “You want to know how much I love my people? Look at the way that Christian man loves his wife. You want to know how much My people love Me? Look at the way that Christian woman loves her husband. This is my model. This is my example for all of you to observe.”

Therefore it should come as no surprise that the devil would try to undermine the family.

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Greg Laurie –Not All There Is

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God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. —James 1:12

Not long ago, I had a conversation with two people after church.

One was in a wheelchair with a severe disability, and the other was speaking at length. I listened to her for a while, and then I turned to the woman in the wheelchair and said, “Well, how are you doing?”

“I am doing fine,” she told me.

But then her friend said that she actually had just had two brain surgeries to remove cancer, and they were successful.

I looked at this young woman with her disability, someone who had just come through such a difficult time, and I thought, “And where is she now?” She is at church.

I think of all of the excuses people come up with as to why they can’t make it to church. They have a cold, or it takes too long to get into the parking lot, and so forth. Yet here was this young woman who, despite her severe disability and recent surgeries, was at church, praising God and saying she is doing fine. I was touched by her example.

So I said to her, “You know, the Bible promises a special blessing and crown to those who have suffered in this life. I admire your faith. You are an inspiration to me.”

James 1:12 says, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him” (NLT). It all will be made up to us in the life to come. Have you lost something to follow Jesus? Whatever losses you may have incurred for following Christ will be more than made up to you.

Make no mistake about it: Our life on earth isn’t all there is. There will be rewards for our faithfulness to God.

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Greg Laurie – The Bible’s Most Popular Verse

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“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” —Matthew 7:1–2

There was a time when probably the best-known Bible verse would have been John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” It seemed as though everyone either knew this verse or knew a little bit about it.

But that is no longer the favorite verse of most people, especially nonbelievers. In fact, I believe the nonbeliever’s favorite verse is Matthew 7:1. I don’t think they know the actual reference, but they love to quote it: “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

That is usually what they say to a Christian who has the audacity to hold a biblical worldview. If we dare say that something is right or wrong, or if we make an evaluation about something, they will shoot back, “How can you say that? That is so judgmental! That is so narrow-minded! That is so bigoted! Doesn’t the Bible say, ‘Judge not, lest you be judged’?”

Don’t be put off by that. A better translation of this verse would be, “Condemn not, that you be not condemned.” I am not in the position to say who will get into heaven or who will end up in hell. Ultimately that is up to God.

But I am to make judgments in life. Every day, I make judgments. If I am stepping into the street, I look both ways to make sure it is safe. That is a judgment. If I see a dog and decide to pet it, only to change my mind when he suddenly bares his teeth and growls, then that is a judgment.

So I am to make judgments and evaluations as a follower of Jesus Christ. We must make judgments. But we must not condemn.

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Greg Laurie – Sending It Ahead

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“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” — Matthew 6:18-20

Heaven is the real deal, the eternal dwelling place. Earth is the temporary dwelling place. Heaven is the original, and Earth is the copy. Take the best things you have ever seen or felt on this earth, the best days of your life, whether it was your wedding day or the birth of a child or a special moment with someone you love, and these were simply glimpses of glory, tastes of what is to come.

C. S. Lewis wrote in Letters to Malcom, “The hills and valleys of heaven will be to those you now experience not as a copy is to an original, but as the flower to the root, or the diamond to the coal.”

The Bible tells us that one day as believers, we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, also known as the Bema Seat, where believers will receive rewards for their faithfulness to God. Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

And we are also reminded in 1 Corinthians 3:8, “Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

Yes, there is a reward. And this should cause us to want to do everything we can for God’s glory. As I have often said, we can’t take it with us, but we can send it on ahead. Every investment we make of our lives for God’s glory will result in an eternal reward: the giving of our time, the use of our gifts, the investment of our resources. By being faithful to the Lord, we are laying up treasure in heaven for ourselves.

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Greg Laurie – If Only . . .

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“Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” —Matthew 12:39

Have you ever thought, If someone were raised from the dead, I know people would believe? Or, If I could do a miracle for my friends, I know they would believe?

Remember the story of the rich man and the beggar named Lazarus? They both died and went into eternity. The rich man had no place for God, but Lazarus was a believer. At that time before the death and resurrection of Jesus, Hades was divided into a place of comfort and a place of torment. Lazarus went to the place of comfort on the heart and bosom of Abraham. The nonbelieving rich man went to the place of torment.

The rich man called out to Abraham, wanting to go back and warn his family about the horrible place he was in. But Abraham told him, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29 NKJV).

But the rich man persisted. He thought if someone were to rise from the dead, they surely would believe.

Here is what Abraham told him: “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead” (verse 31).

Maybe, like the rich man, you think that if only your friends and family could witness a miracle, they would believe.

Jesus said, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39). Jesus was saying, “You want a sign for a nonbelieving world? Here it is: My death and resurrection from the dead.”

Here is our message to lost humanity: Christ died. He rose. He can forgive you of your sin. That is the message we have to share.

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Greg Laurie – Weighed and Wanting

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For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone–gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! —Daniel 5:23

The book of Daniel tells the story of a party that God crashed in Babylon. King Belshazzar, the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar, didn’t follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. While Nebuchadnezzar came to believe in the true God of Israel, Belshazzar went out of his way to mock Him.

He invited his nobles to a big banquet, and then he took the special vessels used for the worship of God in the temple at Jerusalem and filled them with wine. The Bible tells us that “while they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone” (Daniel 5:4). As Belshazzar and his guests partied away, here is what happened:

Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him. (verses 5 – 6)

Written on the wall were the words Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin, which meant, “God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end” (verse 26), “You have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up” (verse 27), and “Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (verse 28).

Normally when we step onto a scale, we want to weigh less than we actually do. But on God’s scales, we want to weigh more. But God was saying, “Belshazzar, you are a lightweight. You have no substance in your life at all.”

 

If you were weighed on God’s scales today, what would He find? Would He find a life of substance? Or a life of emptiness?