Tag Archives: laurie

Alistair Begg – Christ’s Delivery

July 15, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Mark 16:9

Jesus “appeared first to Mary Magdalene,” probably not only on account of her great love and persevering seeking, but because, as the context intimates, she had been a special trophy of Christ’s delivering power. Learn from this that the greatness of our sin before conversion should not make us imagine that we may not be specially favored with the very highest grade of fellowship. She was one who had left all to become a constant attendant on the Savior. He was her first, her chief, object.

Many who were on Christ’s side did not take up Christ’s cross; she did. She spent her substance in relieving His wants. If we would see much of Christ, let us serve Him. Tell me who they are who sit most often under the banner of His love and drink the deepest from the cup of communion, and I am sure they will be those who give most, who serve best, and who abide closest to the bleeding heart of their dear Lord.

But notice how Christ revealed Himself to this sorrowing one—by a word: “Mary.”1 It needed but one word in His voice, and at once she knew Him. Her heart expressed allegiance by another word, but her heart was too full to say more. That one word would naturally be the most fitting for the occasion. It implies obedience. She said, “Master” [KJV]. There is no state of mind in which this confession of allegiance will be too cold. When your spirit glows most with the heavenly fire, then you will say, “I am your servant. . . . You have loosed my bonds.”2 If you can say, “Master,” if you feel that His will is your will, then you stand in a happy, holy place. He must have said, “Mary,” or else you could not have said, “Rabboni,” “Master.” See, then, from all this how Christ honors those who honor Him, how love draws our Beloved, how it needs but one word of His to turn our weeping to rejoicing, how His presence makes the heart’s sunshine.

1) John 20:6 2) Psalm 116:16

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The family reading plan for July 15, 2014 * Jeremiah 11 * Matthew 25

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Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

Greg Laurie – The Power of Prayer

April 19, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

—Genesis 32:26

Never underestimate the power of prayer. When you are praying according to God’s will, your prayer is unstoppable. And how do we know what God’s will is? By careful study of Scripture.

Jesus made this promise: “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).

We gravitate immediately toward the latter part of that verse: Ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. We love that, as though God were some sort of genie. But that isn’t the case. We tend to forget about the first part of this verse: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you . . . If we are walking in fellowship with God and studying the Word of God, then we will start praying according to the will of God. And then we will start seeing our prayers answered.

First John 5:14–15 says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

Therefore, we should never give up or back down. We need to keep praying. That is why Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). In the original language there is an ascending intensity to the terms. It is like starting off with some politeness. Then you get more aggressive. And then you are not letting go, like Jacob, who wrestled with the Lord and refused to let go until He blessed him.

Don’t give up.

Greg Laurie – A Righteous Judge

April 18, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. —Psalm 19:9

When it comes to God’s judgment, sometimes people will say they believe in a God who is not judgmental. That sounds good, but here is what they are really saying: “I believe in a God who doesn’t care about right and wrong.” To put it more bluntly, they are saying they believe in a God they just made up in their heads.

If God really is loving, then God also will be just. That is what the Bible tells us. The love of God makes Him a righteous judge. Know this: No one will be in heaven who deserves to be there. Nor will there be anyone in hell who does not deserve to be there. No one will be in heaven who went there unwillingly. And no one will be in hell who didn’t go there willingly.

God won’t force anyone to go to heaven. He won’t say, “Get up to heaven right now!” You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. On the other hand, no one will be in hell who did not go there willingly.

I like the way J. I. Packer summed it up: “Scripture sees hell as self-chosen. . . . Hell appears as God’s gesture of respect for human choice. All receive what they actually chose. Either to be with God forever, worshipping Him, or without God forever, worshipping themselves.”

How could a God of love send people to hell? He doesn’t. He won’t. If you end up in hell, then you went there willingly because you rejected His offer of forgiveness. You rejected Jesus Christ and all that He did for you. But if you ask God to forgive you of your sin, He will remove it from you and give you a change, a transformation in your life. You will be born again.

Greg Laurie – Why Does God Judge?

April 16, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they?” —Habakkuk 1:13

Why must God judge people? Answer: because He is righteous and holy. We see this repeated again and again in Scripture. In Revelation 4:8, we read about angelic beings coming before the Lord, not resting day or night, and repeating over and over again, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

Notice they don’t say, “Faithful, faithful, faithful” or “Eternal, eternal, eternal,” though He is all of those things. Instead, they emphasize God’s holiness. And because God is holy, He cannot look at sin (see Habakkuk 1:13).

And although God’s judgment is a horrible thing, there are still some positive aspects to it.

It frightens us. And guess what? It is supposed to. When we see what happens to others who disregard what God’s Word says, it should cause us to think twice about what we are about to do.

It sobers us. It forces us to reassess the way we have been living our lives and hopefully change our priorities. As C. S. Lewis pointed out, pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

It humbles us. God’s judgment strips away our self-righteousness and reminds us about how sinful we are. It reminds us that we are not really in control of our lives and how we really need God.

It reassures us. The fact that there will be a final judgment reassures us there is justice in the universe. We all know of wicked people in the world who deserve judgment. The Bible says there is a final court of arbitration, and God keeps meticulous records of everything that happens in this world. The wicked will be held accountable for what they have done. And it is reassuring to know there ultimately will be justice.

Greg Laurie – No Joy in Judgment

April 15, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

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

When the topic of God’s judgment comes up, some people would say, “It’s about time!” They have no problem whatsoever with seeing God’s wrath fall upon a world that has rejected Him and His Word.

But as believers, this is not an attitude we should have. In fact, it is why God rebuked Jonah. The Lord told him to go and preach to the Ninevites, who were renowned for their wickedness and cruelty. Jonah didn’t want to go for two reasons: First, he was a patriotic Jew, and the Ninevites were enemies of Israel. Second, he feared that because God was so gracious and loving, He would pardon Nineveh. And Jonah preferred that Nineveh be destroyed.

So Jonah went in the opposite direction. But after some powerful persuasion, he eventually went and preached to the people of Nineveh, hoping that no one would listen. Then Jonah pulled up a ringside seat outside Nineveh, holding out hope that God’s judgment would come.

Meanwhile, God caused a large plant to grow up that gave Jonah shade. But when a worm came along and ate the plant, Jonah got upset. Here is what God told him: “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” (Jonah 4:10–11).

This reminds us that God takes no delight in the death of the wicked (see Ezekiel 33:11). Nor should we. We should not rejoice that people are going to be judged because, frankly, we all deserve to be judged. But God loves us. He wants us to know Him. And it is His nature to love and to forgive.

Greg Laurie – The Leaning Tower of You

April 13, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Workers laid the foundation for one of Italy’s most famous structures in 1173, a tower designed to stand next to a cathedral. During construction, however, they discovered the soil was softer than previously thought, and the tower began to sink.

Today, the top of that tower is nearly thirteen feet off center. People come from around the world to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and scientists travel to Pisa yearly to measure its slow descent. They calculate that, at its current rate of decline and without taking any countermeasures, it will one day collapse.

Nothing is more important in construction work than making sure you have the foundation right. If you don’t get that correct, then nothing else will matter. It may be more fun to decide what color to paint the rooms and how you will decorate the finished structure, but without a proper foundation, nothing else you do will last long enough to make any difference.

Smart and successful Christians build their lives on the right foundation. Scripture makes it clear that the only foundation possible for a sound spiritual life is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). And where do you learn about Jesus? In the Word of God. The Word is Truth and it will never lead you astray. If you are building your life on the right foundation, which is Jesus Christ, then you’re also regularly getting into the Word. Only that foundation will stand the test of time.

Don’t become The Leaning Tower of You.

Build your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ, as you learn of Him in Scripture, and stand straight and tall as the years pass.

Greg Laurie – “Good” People

April 12, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God — Romans 3:23

Not long ago I was a guest on a morning television show. We were having a nice chat when, near the end of the program, the host dropped a bombshell. He said, “Greg, I have a question for you. You believe that most of the world is non-Christian and that because of that, they are going to burn in hell for all eternity. What kind of loving God would ever create such a scenario? Is that like a petty boss that some people have created, not understanding God?”

I had about two minutes to respond to that question. But after the show ended and the cameras stopped rolling, our conversation continued. He went on to ask me about good people and how a God of love could allow good people to face judgment.

I pointed out that we have to define what “good” is. It seems as though we have a sliding scale of good. Everyone seems to believe they are good. They are always the moral center of their universe. They immediately give themselves a free pass, but other people aren’t as good as they are. The problem is that we have conflicting views regarding what is good.

So how do we determine what good is? We all have the answer, and it is found in the Bible. God says, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

This doesn’t mean there aren’t good people in a broad sense; it means there is no one good enough to get to heaven on their own merit. That is where the judgment of God comes in if we reject His offer of forgiveness.

It is not about being the nicest person or the kindest person. It is about being a forgiven person. That is who will be in heaven: forgiven people.

Greg Laurie – Flawed Messengers, Perfect Message

April 11, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” —2 Chronicles 7:14

I think we could all agree that the United States needs a spiritual awakening. We can’t bring a revival about, but we can pray for one. And God tells us, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

When Jonah went to Nineveh, he delivered a message of judgment: In forty days, Nineveh would be overthrown (see Jonah 3:4). There was no promise of forgiveness, no mention of God’s love. Jonah basically was saying, “You are all going to die.” And as far as he was concerned, he could have cared less.

But the people listened to Jonah and repented. And the Bible tells us, “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it” (verse 10).

This was probably the greatest revival in human history. And it started with a flawed message from a flawed messenger.

We are all flawed messengers. But we have a perfect message: It is the good news of Jesus Christ. We can tell people that God loves them, that God will forgive them, but they are separated from Him by their sin. And if they will turn from their sin and put their faith in Christ, they can be forgiven.

Though we can’t bring about a revival, we can pray for one. So here is my challenge to you: Don’t isolate. Infiltrate. As I have often said, Jesus did not say that the whole world should go to church; He said that the church should go to the whole world.

Greg Laurie – Reaching the Enemy

April 10, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” —Jonah 3:1–2

Jonah was an Israelite who was given a job to do, but he didn’t want to do it. He was called to go and preach the gospel in Nineveh, which was one of the most wicked cities on earth. The Ninevites were the enemies of Israel. The prophets had told Israel that one day the Assyrians would overtake them, and Nineveh was the capital of Assyria.

Jonah may have thought, Wait a second! If I go and preach to them, they might repent. And if they repent, then God will spare them, and they will conquer us. But if I don’t preach to them, they won’t repent, and God will judge them. That will be one less enemy we have to deal with.

So Jonah tried to go in the opposite direction. He paid the fare (it always costs to sin), and he went down to Joppa, away from the presence of the Lord. But any step away from God is always a step down. So God sent a great storm (God always will have the last word).

When Jonah admitted he was the cause of the storm, he was tossed overboard. And you know the rest of the story: “The Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17). Jonah repented, the whale vomited him up on shore, and Jonah finally was ready to do what God had called him to do.

We have been called to share the gospel, even with people we may not like. Nonbelievers are not the enemy; they have been taken captive by the god of this world to do what he wants them to do (see 2 Timothy 2:26). And until the Lord returns, our job is to reach them.

Greg Laurie – Sent to Minister

April 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? —Hebrews 1:14

Do we have guardian angels? I don’t know, but I will say this much: Christians have angels involved in their lives. The Bible says, “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7). We also read that angels are “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). So the Bible teaches that we have angels around us as Christians.

Jesus also made an interesting statement when He was speaking about children: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). So perhaps children have guardian angels. I do think children need guardian angels. You have to always keep your eye on them, especially when they are young. But whatever the case, angels are involved in our lives.

When you had that close call, it may have been an angel who intervened. Or when something stopped you suddenly, keeping you out of harm’s way, maybe it was an angel. But we are to properly give glory to God for His protection, because we are not supposed to pray to angels or thank angels. They are there to do the work of God, like God’s secret agents, and we are to give the glory to God for what happens.

But what about when the accident does take place? What about when the plane does go down? Where was the angel then? I’ll tell you where the angel was: escorting the believer into God’s presence.

When things happen, when life ends suddenly, it doesn’t seem logical to us. But God is still in control. And the angels did their job, guiding us, protecting us, and finally, taking us to glory.

Greg Laurie – Born Twice, Die Once

April 8, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God—Romans 5:1–2

If you are born once, you will die twice. If you are born twice, you will die once. By “born once,” I mean the physical birth. By “born twice,” I mean a physical birth as well as a spiritual birth in which you are born again, spiritually putting your faith in Christ.

Just as there are two births, the Bible teaches there are two deaths: one is physical, and the other is spiritual. Jesus warned that we are to fear the second death more than the first one.

Revelation 20:14 tells us, “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” The second death is mentioned again in Revelation 21:8, which says, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” The second death is hell.

One commentator wrote, “The second death is the continuance of spiritual death in another and timeless existence.”

Another wrote, “Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset. Eternity to the wicked is a night that has no sunrise.”

Jesus spoke of hell in a very specific way. He warned of the fire of hell (see Matthew 5:22). He warned about our bodies being thrown into hell (see Matthew 5:29). And He spoke of the soul and the body being destroyed in hell (see Matthew 10:28).

The Bible teaches that all Christians—defined as sinners who have been converted by putting their faith in Jesus Christ—will be in heaven. And that offer of forgiveness is for everyone.

Your eternal destination is really your choice. Not everyone will be saved in the end—only those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.

Greg Laurie – Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

April 6, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

If I decided how my day were to go, I would never write in “crisis.” I would never write, “Get sick” here or “Have my tire go flat” there, or “Have this unexpected disaster take place.” I would just write in all the good stuff. I would plan for everything to go my way. There would be no traffic on the freeways. It would always be green lights and blue skies.

But guess what? We’re not in charge of our lives. God is.

I love what the prophet once admitted to the Lord: “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23, NKJV).

The fact is, God will allow so-called “bad things” to happen to us in the course of our days. But as time goes by, you will find that the significant things you learn in life didn’t really come from the good times and the mountaintop experiences. They came from those times of crisis in which you were more dependent on God. Many of the most difficult days will, in retrospect, turn out to be unbelievably valuable, because it is through those so-called “bad times” that you will learn some of life’s most important lessons.

The things we experience are not random events that float in and out of our lives. Rather, they are specific events that have been chosen by God and are timely and purposeful. This means the good things as well as the bad things. It means the wonderful, happy times of life as well as the dark, difficult days.

When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you come under His protective care. God is fully aware of everything that happens to you, and thankfully He is never asleep on the job. He pays careful attention to the smallest details of your life and is in complete in control of all circumstances that surround you. He knows what’s happening in your life right now—knows it better than you do. And His presence and provision will be all you need to make it through.

Greg Laurie – The Last Thing God Wants

April 5, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.’ ” —Matthew 25:41

The last thing God wants is for anyone to go to hell. That is why Jesus spoke of it in detail. That is why He warned us about it. And that is why He did everything He could do so that we would not have to be separated from Him for all eternity. Jesus Christ experienced hell on earth so that we would not have to experience it for eternity.

Jesus was forsaken so that we might be forgiven. Jesus entered the darkness so that we might walk in the light. That was the mission of His life. And on the cross, He bore our sin. The cross stands as a reminder that a hellish existence is not the only option for people. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can turn around. We can change our eternal address. The gospel is a universal declaration that hell is not God’s desire for anyone. Jesus did not say that hell was prepared for people; He said that it was prepared for the devil and his demons (see Matthew 25:41).

If you want to reject the offer of God, if you want to live in your sin and end up in hell in that final day, then you will have no one to blame but yourself. God doesn’t want you to go there. But you have a free will. And to get to hell, you will have to effectively step over Jesus because He is blocking the way.

Jesus said, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).

Which road are you on today?

Greg Laurie – A Real Place

April 4, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” —Matthew 10:28

The word “hell” is one of the most commonly used words in the English language, yet it is one of the least-discussed topics.

There is actually a place called Hell in the state of Michigan. The town got its name in 1841, when George Reeves, an early settler in the low, swampy place, was asked what he thought the town should be named. He said, “I don’t care, you can name it Hell for all I care.” So they did, and the name remains to this day.

But hell really is no laughing matter. According to the Bible, it is a real place. And most people don’t think they are going there. For every American who believes he or she is going to hell, there are 120 who believe they are going to heaven. So it appears that we believe in hell for some people, but certainly not for ourselves.

However, that is in direct contradiction to what Jesus said: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).

Most of the biblical teaching on the topic of hell came from Christ Himself. Of all the parables that Jesus told, more than half of them relate to God’s eternal judgment of sinners. So we cannot go to the Bible and pick and choose things that personally appeal to us and throw the others aside.

As one theologian has pointed out, an endless hell can no more be removed from the New Testament than an endless heaven can.

So if you want an endless heaven, then you have to also accept an endless hell.

Greg Laurie – The Great Equalizer

April 3, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away—Psalm 90:10

Eighty-four percent of Americans believe in some kind of afterlife, and eighty-two percent believe in heaven. Seventy percent believe in hell. Whether or not you believe in it, it is still there.

The Bible is very clear in pointing out there is a point when life on earth will end. The Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, And a time to die” (3:1, 2).

In Hebrews 9:27 we read, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”

That time to die may come much later than you expected. On the other hand, it may occur much sooner. Statisticians tell us that three people die every second. One hundred eighty people die every minute. Eleven thousand people die every hour. That is why the psalms remind us to number our days and recognize how few they are (see Psalm 90:12, 144:4).

History tells us that Philip of Macedon conditioned his servant to stand in his presence every day and repeat, “Philip, you will die.” He wanted to be reminded of his mortality.

When Steve Jobs gave a commencement speech at Stanford University, he said, “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it.”

Death is the great equalizer. It is no respecter of persons. It comes to everyone. And according to the Bible, after death there are two destinations. You decide now—not later, not after death—which destination it will be. You decide where you will spend eternity. And the two options are heaven or hell.

Greg Laurie – An Unavoidable Subject

April 2, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him—Hebrews 9:27–28

Jesus talked a lot about hell. In fact, He talked more about hell than any other preacher in the Bible. Therefore, we don’t want to steer clear of the subject. We want a biblical understanding of what the Bible says.

The apostle Paul concluded his message on Mars Hill with these words: “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30–31).

Jesus talked about judgment. Paul talked about judgment. The apostles talked about judgment. The Bible talks about judgment. And we need to talk about it, too, and have a proper understanding of what it is all about.

Some would say that it isn’t loving to talk about these things. But I could not disagree more. I think it’s the most loving thing we could do.

Let’s say there was a house on fire with someone trapped inside. And let’s say for some reason, he didn’t know his house was on fire. Would it be a loving thing for me to run and kick down the door, grab him, and run out of the burning house with him? Of course it would.

On the other hand, would it be a loving thing for me to walk by and say, “Oh, that house is on fire! Very interesting. Let’s go”? That wouldn’t be loving at all.

If we really believe there is an afterlife—and more specifically—a final judgment, if we really believe we will be held accountable for things that we say and do, then it will affect the way that we live.

Greg Laurie – Three Reactions to the Gospel

April 1, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God —1 Corinthians 1:18

I have found as I travel that some people are more open to the gospel than others. I never know how it is going to play out, so I just give out the Word of God and invite people to come to Christ. And people will react in different ways.

The apostle Paul received three reactions to the gospel when he preached it: “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter. . . .’ However, some men joined him and believed” (Acts 17:32, 34).

We find the same reactions to the gospel today. Some will mock. The term “mocked” used in Acts 17 also could be translated “sneered” or “burst out laughing.” In other words, Are you serious? You actually believe that?

To these educated fools, it all seemed silly and unbelievable. But this very mockery was an indication they were going to perish because “the preaching of the gospel is to them that are perishing foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Some will mock, while others will delay. We will hear you again on this matter. This is a very common reaction. What it actually means is, “I really don’t want to decide right now.” The devil uses this tactic to great effect. Don’t worry about it now. Deal with it later.

But some believed. Some repented and changed their minds, and among them was Dionysius the Areopagite, one of the judges who was an intellectual and ruler of the city.

Here is what I have come to realize. Conversion is God’s job, not mine. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of an unbeliever. God holds us responsible for proclaiming the truth. But the rest is up to Him.

Greg Laurie – Finished!

March 29, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit—John 19:30

The cross was the goal of Jesus from the very beginning. His birth was so there would be His death. The incarnation was for our atonement. He was born to die so that we might live. And when He had accomplished the purpose He had come to fulfill, He summed it up with a single word: “finished.”

In the original Greek, it was a common word. Jesus probably used it after He finished a project that He and Joseph might have been working on together in the carpentry shop. Jesus might have turned to Joseph and said, “Finished. Now let’s go have lunch.” It is finished. Mission accomplished. It is done. It is made an end of.

So what was finished? Finished and completed were the horrendous sufferings of Christ. Never again would He experience pain at the hand of wicked men. Never again would He have to bear the sins of the world. Never again would He, even for a moment, be forsaken of God. That was completed. That was taken care of.

Also finished was Satan’s stronghold on humanity. Jesus came to deal a decisive blow against the devil and his demons at the cross of Calvary. Hebrews 2:14 says, “Only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.” This means that you no longer have to be under the power of sin. Because of Jesus’ accomplishment at the cross, finished was the stronghold of Satan on humanity.

And lastly, finished was our salvation. It is completed. It is done. All of our sins were transferred to Jesus when He hung on the cross. His righteousness was transferred to our account.

So Jesus cried out the words, “It is finished!” It was God’s deliberate and well-thought-out plan. It is finished—so rejoice!

Greg Laurie – Wholehearted Devotion

March 28, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. . . .—Mark 16:9

Of all the people Jesus could have appeared to first after His resurrection, He appeared to Mary Magdalene. It is interesting to think about, because among the Jews of the day, the testimony of a woman was not held in high regard. In fact, some of the rabbis falsely taught that it was better for the words of the Law to be burned than to be delivered by a woman. Yet Jesus chose a woman to be the first herald of His resurrection.

It is also worth noting that women were the last at the cross and the first at the tomb. Mary had courage that many of the men did not have when Jesus was crucified. She stood by Him through it all. In fact, the Bible tells us that after He was crucified, Mary “observed where He was laid” (Mark 15:47). She watched as they took His crucified body from the cross and wrapped it and placed it in a tomb that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. And Mary, along with the other women, was at the tomb very early on Sunday morning to demonstrate her love for Jesus by anointing his body with spices (see Mark 16:1–2).

And her love was rewarded. God said, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). God rewards the person who is diligent. And for those who will take time in their day to seek the Lord, for those who will take time to read His Word, for those who will take time to wait upon Him, He will reveal His truths to them.

Greg Laurie – The Power of Christ’s Words

March 27, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Christ’ passionate love for the world is evident in His statements from the Cross:

Statement One “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

Do you realize that you are in need of the Father’s forgiveness?

Statement Two “Today you will with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43

Have you realized and confessed Jesus as your personal Savior?

Statement Three “Woman, behold your son.” John 19:26

Jesus is concerned for us and provides for all of us.

Statement Four “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46

Jesus was forsaken so we don’t have to be.

Statement Five “I thirst!” John 19:28

This personal statement reminds us that Jesus is not only God, but He also was man. Jesus identifies with our needs.

Statement Six “It is finished!” John 19:30

Jesus paid for our sins, and sin’s control over our lives is broken!

Statement Seven “Into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Luke 23:46

You can entrust your life into God’s hands.

How to Know God

You were designed to know God in a personal way—to have a relationship with Him, through His Son, Jesus Christ. How do you start a relationship with God?

1. Realize that you are a sinner.

No matter how good a life we try to live, we still fall miserably short of being a good person. That is because we are all sinners. The Bible says, “No one is good—not even one.” We cannot become who we are supposed to be without Jesus Christ.

2. Recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you.

The Bible tells us that “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while were still sinners.” This is the Good News, that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die in our place when we least deserved it.

3. Repent of your sin.

The Bible tells us, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” The word repent means to change our direction in life. Instead of running from God, we can run toward Him.

4. Receive Jesus Christ into your life.

Becoming a Christian is not merely believing some creed or going to church. It is having Christ Himself take residence in your life and heart. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in . . .” If you would like to have a relationship with Christ, simply pray this prayer and mean it in your heart.

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen.”

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