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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – So Far to Go

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Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:13–14

When my friend John Collins, who is one of our pastors at Harvest Christian Fellowship, met Billy Graham for the first time, he thanked him for his faithfulness to the Lord.

Billy Graham replied, “I wish I could have done more.”

John thought, If Billy Graham says that, what about me?

Billy Graham wasn’t saying that to be humble. He really meant it. And that shows he is a real man of God, because he realizes he has so far to go.

The apostle Paul felt the same way. He said, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). Here was one of the greatest Christians in human history saying that he had not arrived spiritually. He was saying he had so far to go.

Talk about bragging rights. Can you imagine a bunch of guys getting together and hanging out with Paul?

One guy might say, “Hey, you know what? The Lord spoke through me today.”

Another might say, “Well, the Lord led me to share my faith.”

Paul could say, “Well, God gave me inspired letters, called the Epistles, which basically take up half of the Bible.” Okay. Who can top that? But in actuality, Paul never said things like that, although it was the reality of his life. He was so close to God. And if anyone could rest on his laurels, it would have been Paul.

Many Christians are self-satisfied because they compare themselves with other Christians. But that isn’t what they ought to be doing. If the apostle Paul could say of his life, “Not that I have already attained,” then certainly we all have a long way to go.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – What Friends Are For          

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Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. —2 Timothy 2:22

One morning after one of our services at Harvest Christian Fellowship, a young woman walked up and asked if I would pray for her about a relationship she was in.

“What kind of a relationship is it?” I asked.

“It’s a relationship with a guy.”

“Let me ask you a question. Is this guy that you are in a relationship with a Christian?”

“Well,” she said, “I . . . think he is. Actually, I’m not really sure if he is or not.”

I said, “You know what? I am not going to pray that God will heal your relationship. I am going to pray that God will give you the courage to terminate the relationship. That is what needs to happen. Here you are in church, and you are struggling and having a hard time with a guy who doesn’t walk with the Lord.”

As we talked further, it was apparent that this was exactly what was happening. The relationship was dragging her down spiritually.

Many times we will pray for the Lord to fix something, and He will say, “You are in a place you don’t belong. You are hanging out with people you don’t belong with. This is bringing about many of your problems.”

In 2 Timothy 2:22 we read, “Pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (NLT). Are you enjoying the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts? Or, are you hanging around with people who are dragging you down spiritually?

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