Last Call: "A Week of Greg Laurie" (11th-16th)

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"All ' Week of ' are Presented in Weekly Format"

(Posted on Monday for all Seven days of the Week as a collection)

 

 

 A Week of  

Greg Laurie

 

 

Monday

The Captain

"Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me."

— Acts 27:25

In Luke 5 we find the story of Jesus using a floating pulpit of sorts. The crowds were pressing in on Him to such an extent that He asked Peter if He could borrow his boat to speak to them. Peter agreed, and so Jesus launched out a little from the shore and spoke to this group. After He was done, He said to Peter, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."

Peter said, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." Peter used a unique nautical term in his response to Jesus, which could be translated, "We have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless Master, or Captain of this boat, we will do it."

Jesus was what we would call a landlubber. He was not a guy who spent time on the water. He was a rabbi. So when He said, "Let's go fishing," Peter might have been saying, "You know, Lord, with all due respect, when it comes to teaching, You are the Man. But this is kind of our thing. This is what we do. We know the way fish bite, and we know when to go and when not to go. We have already been fishing. This is a waste of time."

I don't know how Peter said what he said to Jesus or the tone he used. But I know this much: when they launched out into the deep, there were so many fish in their nets that they began to break and the boat began to sink. Another boat was brought up, and it was overwhelmed with fish as well.

Is Jesus the Captain of your boat?

 

Let Him be that for you. Let Him take control. 

 

 

Tuesday

Are You Prepared?

 

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

— 1 John 2:28

When the first Christmas came, when Jesus was born, most people missed it. Of course, there were no telltale signs like reindeer on front lawns. No Christmas songs had been written. There were no colorful, twinkling lights or sales at the downtown market. Children did not find it hard to sleep that night, because it was a night like any other night.

But the first Christmas was not without its signs, which dated back a few centuries. The Hebrew prophets had predicted the Messiah was coming, and they were very specific in pointing out that he would be born of a virgin in the little village of Bethlehem: " 'But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting' " (Micah 5:2).

On the first Christmas, it was pretty much business as usual. Things had been bleak for the Jewish people for some time. There had been an icy silence from heaven. Four hundred years had passed, and there had not been a single prophet to speak for God. There had been no miracles performed. They were under the tyranny of Rome. Things were very dark. It was time for the Messiah.

Yet when He finally arrived, so many missed it: The innkeeper. The people of Bethlehem. The scholars. Herod. All of Rome. Only a handful of people got it and were ready.

Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth again. The question is, have we done more to prepare for the celebration of a past event than we have for a future one? We may all be ready for Christmas, but are we ready for the return of Christ?

 

Wednesday

What God Knows about You

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. 
—Psalm 56:8

Scientists now tell us that we never forget anything. It is estimated that in a lifetime, the human brain can store one million billion bits of information. I have a hard time believing that, because it seems like I forget a lot. Yet there have been times when certain things have triggered memories that go back so many years, and I am surprised that I can still remember them so vividly.

God remembers everything—at all times. There is never a lapse in His memory. He never forgets someone. God is omniscient, which means He knows everything. God's knowledge is as eternal as He is. What God knows now, He has always known and always will know. God doesn't learn new things; He knows them from the beginning. And He doesn't forget what He has learned like we do. We learn new things, but God never does.

The Bible says that God knows about every little bird that falls to the ground. And not only that, He knows about you. Jesus said, "The very hairs on your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30). Now it doesn't require a lot to number the hairs on my head. But for others, it is a lot more work.

This awesome God who created the universe is interested in you. What bothers you? What concerns you? What brings heartache to you? What brings tears to your eyes? It is of concern to God. So whatever you are facing right now, He knows about it. He is concerned about it. He is aware of the wrongs that are done in our world today. Nothing catches Him by surprise, because He dwells in the eternal realm. He knows the end from the beginning. This all-knowing God loves you. And He welcomes you into fellowship with Him. 

 

Thursday

Always God

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.

— John 1:1–2

Before there was a world, before there were planets, before there was light or darkness, before there was anything but the Godhead, there was Jesus, a member of the Trinity. He is coequal, coeternal, and coexistent with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was with God, and He was God. Then He came to this earth as a man. He entered our world, He breathed our air, He shared our pain, and He walked in our shoes—and then some. He lived our life, and then He died our death.

Jesus did not become identical with us; He became identified with us. That is an important distinction. No one was ever more identified with humanity than Jesus. It was total identification without any loss of identity. He became one of us without ceasing to be himself. He became human without ceasing to be God. Jesus did not exchange deity for humanity; He was deity in humanity.

The Bible is clear in making the point that Jesus was God and that He was the Creator of the universe. We are told that "God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him" (John 1:3). And Colossians 1:16 tells us, "For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him."

Jesus is the most controversial figure who has ever lived. Many preach on Him and speak about Him. Some have it right. Some don't. He is loved, adored, worshipped, and followed by some. He is hated, despised, and rejected by others. He is disregarded and ignored by most. Yet Jesus is God. 

 

Friday

What I Believe

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 
—Romans 10:14

Sometimes people ask me why I do what I do. I have a very simple answer to that question, which is that I really do believe the things that we read in the Bible are true.

For example, I really believe what the Bible says about our lives being "a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). I really believe there is an eternity, there is an afterlife, there is a heaven, and there is a hell. I really believe that only those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ will go to heaven. And I also believe that I need to share this message with as many people as possible.

I received the following letter from someone who came to Christ at one of our Harvest Crusades some years ago: 

My younger brother went to sleep one night and never woke up. He was 23 years old, and he had just graduated from college. He moved to Philadelphia after he graduated... I found out the Harvest Crusade was coming to Philadelphia, so I took my younger brother with me to hear the gospel. He was not yet a believer. He went forward at the invitation and gave his life to Christ, and God called him home... one month after his commitment to Christ. My brother lives today because of your ministry... he is in the arms of Jesus, and that's where I will meet him again.

That is why I do what I do. That is why I want to get the gospel out. And that is why we were placed on this earth: to come into a relationship with God, to know Him, and to glorify Him with our lives. 

 

Saturday

 

The Holy Spirit's Work

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me. 
—John 16:7-8

It is sometimes hard for us to grasp the fact that the Holy Spirit is a Him, not an it. After all, the Bible describes the Holy Spirit as a mighty rushing wind. We read of His coming upon the disciples in a divided flame of fire. We also read about His descending as a dove.

But let's remember that Jesus is called the Bread of Life, and the Father is described as a refuge, hiding us under the shadow of His wings. Does that mean that Jesus is a loaf of bread—or that the Father is a giant bird in heaven? Of course not. These are simply metaphors to help us understand God.

The Holy Spirit is a Him, and He has specific work that He wants to do. This includes convicting us of our sin—not necessarily sin in general, but to show us that we are sinners. The Holy Spirit takes the message of the death and resurrection of Jesus, shows us it is true, and shows us that we need to turn to God. Without the convicting power of the Spirit, you would never have come to Jesus. That is why, when I am praying for an unbeliever, I pray that God would convict him or her by His Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit doesn't convict us of our sin to drive us to despair, but to send us into the open arms of Jesus. When Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:37 says that the people "were cut to the heart" (Acts 2:37). This phrase means "pierced in the heart" and describes something that is sudden and unexpected. The Holy Spirit will stab you, in effect, but it is not to destroy you. It is to show you your need for Jesus.  

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Last Call: Greg Laurie (Weekly)

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"All Devotional Posts are Presented in Weekly Format"

(Posted on Sunday for all Seven days of the Week)

 

 

 This Weeks  

Greg Laurie

 

SUNDAY

April 3

MORNING

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

"The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

— 2 Chronicles 16:9

A conversation took place many years ago between D. L. Moody, before he became the great evangelist, and another man. The man said to Moody, "You know, the world has yet to see what God can do with and through the man who is totally committed to Him." Those words went deep into Moody's heart, and he prayed, "Lord, I want to be that man." He sure came close.

The Book of Acts is a story of ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things because they allowed God to have His way in their lives. In the same way, God wants to use you to turn your world upside down for Christ. It starts with your saying, "Lord, I want to make a difference. I don't want this world to turn me around. I want to turn it around. Use me."

The world has yet to see what God can do with and through the man or woman who is totally committed to Him. Will God find such people today? I wonder if you would say, like Moody, "I want to be that person." If you will, then your life can make a difference. It will be exciting in the days ahead to see what God will do through and with you. But He wants you to be available to Him.

One of these days, your life will come to an end. What will you say of your life? What will others say? How great it would be to say, like Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful" (2 Timothy 4:7). What will you say?

MONDAY

April 4

MORNING

When God Seems Distant "John the Baptist, who was now in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 'Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?' " — Matthew 11:2–3 Have you ever had something happen in your life that caused you to say, "Where is God?" None less than the greatest prophet who ever lived, John the Baptist, faced this struggle. John had put it all on the line for Jesus Christ. He had baptized Him in the Jordan River. He pointed his own disciples to Jesus, whom he believed was the Messiah. John had clearly pledged his complete loyalty to Jesus. Yet a strange series of events took place after that. One moment, he was out preaching to the multitudes and baptizing people. The next moment, he was in prison. The great John the Baptist began to entertain some doubt. So he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, "Are you really the Messiah we've been waiting for, or should we keep looking for someone else?" Jesus' disciples and John commonly believed that Jesus would establish His kingdom then and there. But they failed to recognize that before Christ would establish His kingdom, He would first come to suffer and die for the sins of humanity. John misunderstood the prophesies of Scripture, and therefore felt that Jesus was not doing what He was supposed to do. Sometimes we, too, misunderstand God and His Word when He doesn't do what we think He should do or when He doesn't work as quickly as we would like Him to. But even when we cannot understand God's ways, His methods, or His timing, He still asks us to trust Him. And He is trustworthy.

TUESDAY

April 5

MORNING

Dealing with Discouragement "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." — Psalm 42:11 It is not unusual for even the most spiritual people to have their days of doubt. Moses, on one occasion at least, was overwhelmed by his circumstances. After he had listened to the constant complaining of the children of Israel, he basically told the Lord, "I'm fed up. Just kill me. I don't want to deal with this another day." Elijah, after his contest with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, heard that Jezebel had put a contract out on his life. He was so overwhelmed by his circumstances, so discouraged, so uncertain, and so filled with doubt that he said to God, "Take my life." Even the great apostle Paul had moments when he was discouraged. He wrote to the church at Corinth, "We were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life" (2 Corinthians 1:8). Jeremiah, the great prophet, faced it as well. He was ridiculed and harassed for giving out the Word of God. Because he was tired of the pressure he was facing, it made him want to stop giving out God's Word altogether. He said, "The word of the Lord was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, 'I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name' " (Jeremiah 20:8–9). You are not the only one who has ever faced doubt or uncertainty or has been perplexed as to why God did not work in a certain way. We may be in the midst of God's working and can't see the big picture as He can.

WEDNESDAY

April 6

MORNING

  

Never Alone " 'For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, "Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you." ' " — Acts 27:23–24 Time and time again God reminded Paul of His presence, no doubt when he needed it the most. God knows what we need, and He knows when we need it. He knew when Paul could use that extra assurance. When he was in that prison cell in Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to him and told him to be courageous (see Acts 23:11). Then from prison in Rome, he wrote to Timothy, "But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength . . ." (2 Timothy 4:16). In some special way, God reassured Paul of His presence. Acts 27 tells us that the Lord sent an angel to reassure him. You can take heart in the face of danger or uncertainty because of your awareness of God's presence with you. When your heart sinks, when it seems as though your life falling apart, you must remember the Lord is there with you. You are not alone. No, there are not always easy answers. But we can be sure of this: He will be with us through the storm. God was standing by Paul's side, and God is with us in our storms as well. He may not necessarily send an angel. We may not necessarily hear an audible voice. But if we pay attention, we can hear the still, small voice of God. And certainly, He will speak to us through His Word. Then we, like Paul, can reassure others that the Lord is in control.

 

THURSDAY

April 7

MORNING

Unwavering Faith "And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!" — 2 Timothy 4:18 One of the things that amazes me about the apostle Paul is how he always seemed to rise to the top of every situation and seized every opportunity to preach the gospel. We read in the Book Acts that when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison, they began to sing praises to God at midnight. An earthquake struck, the walls fell, and the next thing you know, the very jailer that was responsible for chaining them up and whipping them asked, "What must I do to be saved?" Then, when Paul was brought before the various dignitaries of Rome, he became master of every situation. For example, when he was before Felix, he reasoned with him regarding righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. When he stood before Festus and Herod Agrippa II, he said, "Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?" He posed the question to Herod Agrippa II, "Do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe." He was a prisoner on a ship, and in a short time, the crew, the captain, the soldiers, and the Roman centurion were taking orders from Paul---and everyone was listening to him! Paul was bold. He didn't seem to be afraid of anything. He never seemed to get down. His life wasn't always easy. In fact, it was very difficult. But the words he penned to the believers at Philippi seemed to always hold true: "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" (Philippians 4:11). He was fully convinced of the faithfulness of God and was sustained by that conviction.

FRIDAY

April 8

MORNING

In His Time "Then Jesus said to them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.' " — John 11:14–15 Martha, Mary, and their brother, Lazarus, were close friends of Jesus. He often would spend time in their home in Bethany. When Lazarus became sick, Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus. No doubt they thought that Jesus would drop whatever He was doing and rush back to Bethany. But Jesus intentionally delayed His arrival. In fact, Jesus didn't show up until much later. By the time He hit town, not only had Lazarus died, but he had been dead four days. Martha walked up and said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Loose paraphrase: "Jesus, you blew it. You had the perfect situation here. You could have healed him, but you didn't show up." Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha replied, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Martha didn't quite get it, so Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth!" and her brother came out of the tomb. Martha wanted a healing. Jesus wanted a resurrection. Sometimes we limit God. Sometimes we think God must work on our schedules. But God will not be bound by time. God will not be bound by our schedules. God will work when He chooses and with whom He chooses. Therefore, there will be times when our circumstances don't make sense. Even then, we need to trust Him.

SATURDAY

 

April 9

MORNING

From His Perspective "But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.' " — Matthew 19:26 I heard the story of an elderly minister who liked to visit people in hospitals. He often would take along a little, embroidered bookmark that he carried in his Bible. On the back of the bookmark were a group of tangled threads with no apparent pattern. He would hand this bookmark, with the back facing up, to those who were hurting or upset and say, "Look at that and tell me what it says." As they looked at all the tangled threads, they would say, "I have no idea what it says. It doesn't seem to say anything." Then he said, "Now, turn it over." As they would flip that bookmark over, they saw the words, "God is love." The minister would say, "Many times as we look at what God is doing, we just see tangled threads with no rhyme or reason. But from God's perspective, He is dealing with us in love, and He knows what He is doing." The next time you think it is all over for you, just remember how things turned out for Joseph. Just remember how things turned out for Daniel. No doubt things looked pretty dim when he was in the den of lions. It looked hopeless as well for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego when they were thrown into the fiery furnace. Things looked pretty grim for Peter when he was in prison. And things looked bleak for Martha and Mary when their brother died. You see, things can look bad at one moment, but then God will step in and turn events around. Then suddenly you'll look back and say, "Now I understand what God was doing."

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Keep your heart in the love of Jesus ~ Greg Laurie

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

— Romans 2:5

Where is the easiest place to get a hardened heart?

In church. The same truth that will set one person free can cause another person to become more hardened against the things of God.

It really depends on how you listen and respond when you are in the presence of God's Word being proclaimed and God's people as they are worshiping. The same sun that softens the wax also hardens the clay. And the same truth that liberates one will cause another to say, "Well, I have heard that before. I know this. You can't tell me anything new."

Here is the problem: people with a hardened heart have never turned from darkness to light.

They are just educated unbelievers. They may know more than the person who has never set foot in a church, but they are not one step closer to the kingdom of God. In fact I would venture to say they may even be a little further from the kingdom of God than the person who hasn't been to church.

Why?

Because when someone who has never been to church comes and hears it all for the first time, he or she might believe on the spot. But those who have heard it their whole lives and think they know it all might be so hardened and resistant that they might not believe.

They will end up like Herod Agrippa who put off a decision to believe, or the rich young ruler who said no to following Jesus, or Judas Iscariot who spent hours on end with God in human form, only to betray Him for 30 pieces of silver.

No matter how much we may try, we can't live in two worlds. 

It is not enough to be exposed to the truth. 

We must act on it.

When Christians share the gospel ~ Greg Laurie

Let all that you do be done with love.

— 1 Corinthians 16:14

Sometimes when Christians share the gospel, I think they unnecessarily offend their listeners. They insult them. But that is not necessary. There is already a built-in offense in the essential message of the gospel. Let's not add to that.

It has been said, "No one should ever preach on the topic of hell without a tear in his eye." Yet some preachers who talk about hell almost seem delighted by the fact that people are going there.

We should share the gospel with compassion.

When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman, He didn't initially confront her about her scandalous life and her immorality. Instead, He appealed to her inner thirst. He ultimately confronted her with her sin, and there is a place for that.But first He built a bridge and established a dialogue with her.

The apostle Paul understood this principle as well. When he was brought before Herod Agrippa, he found common ground and built a bridge to his listener. This was not flattery on Paul's part. He was telling the truth. Agrippa was steeped in the ways of the Jews. He knew all about Jewish culture and customs. He knew the teachings of the Jewish prophets.

But Agrippa was an immoral man. A rumor was circulating that he was involved in an incestuous relationship with his sister. Paul could have brought this up. He could have said, "You are a wicked man, Agrippa, and everyone knows it." But he didn't do that. He built a bridge. He was respectful.

So when possible, find common ground and build a bridge to your listener as you are sharing the gospel.

You will be off to a great start in sharing biblically, understandably, lovingly, and compassionately.

Almost Christians? ~ Greg Laurie

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."

— Acts 26:28

Almost is an interesting word, one that we sometimes use when we are delaying something, when we are not quite ready to commit.

Maybe you've been in a restaurant where the menu is the size of a small phone book. When the server arrived at your table and asked if you were ready to order, you said, "Well, almost." We will use this word when are not sure about something.

We also use "almost" when we're procrastinating. For example, if a husband and wife are going out to dinner and he asks her if she is ready to go, she will say, "Well, almost."

While we like to use "almost" for a number of situations, there are certain words that don't work with almost, as in "almost pregnant." A woman is either pregnant or she is not. Another word that doesn't work with almost is "won." You either won or you didn't. The winner is the winner, so you can't almost win.

Another word that doesn't fit with the word almost is "Christian." Either you are a Christian or you are not. You may be well on your way to becoming a Christian. You may be looking into the claims of Christ and investigating them.

But you cannot be an almost Christian.

When the apostle Paul presented the gospel to Herod Agrippa, he said,

"You almost persuade me to become a Christian"

(Acts 26:28). 

Almost. He was close, but not close enough. Apparently Herod Agrippa was moved by Paul's powerful and persuasive presentation of the gospel, but then he turned and walked away from it.

He was the almost Christian.

I think there are a lot of people like Herod Agrippa in our world today: almost Christians who think they are Christians when they really are not.

Heaven, the Real Thing ~ Greg Laurie

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

— 1 Corinthians 13:12

We tend to think of life on earth as the real thing and heaven as the surreal thing. But it is actually the opposite.

Heaven is the real thing.

That is why C. S. Lewis referred to our time on earth as "the shadowlands."


Heaven is the ultimate future and hope for the Christian. All that precedes it—our life on earth—is but a glimpse of things to come. Earth is a pale version of heaven, not the other way around.

Whatever great joys or things we have on earth, as wonderful as they are, will be better in heaven. Maybe you will have all of the things you hoped for and more. Then again, maybe there will be things that will surpass your wildest dreams that will be even better.


Heaven is the real thing, while earth is effectively the copy, the temporary dwelling place. The problem is that we start with earth and reason up to heaven, when we ought to start with heaven and reason down toward earth. C. S. Lewis said,

"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."

I am not suggesting that life is miserable and is merely something to endure before we finally get to heaven. Life can be wonderful. God has all the power you ever will need to face whatever you will face. Something difficult you are going through today could be turned into a good thing tomorrow. There will be many wonderful, joyful moments ahead for us on earth.

But the ultimate joy will come when we finally see Jesus in heaven.

And we must not lose sight of that.

An Expected End ~ Greg Laurie

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

— Philippians 1:6

One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

God spoke these words to the Jewish people during their captivity in Babylon. They were discouraged and wondering if they ever would be free to worship God as they once had. So God spoke to them, effectively saying, "I have a future for you." That word "future" could be translated, "an expected end," or "a ground of hope."

Certainly we can apply this verse in principle to our own lives. God knows what we are going through right now, and He is thinking about us.

Now if that verse simply said, "I know the single thought that I once had toward you," I would be happy with that.

Just knowing that the Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, actually thought even for a moment about me would be enough.

But that is not what this verse says. Rather, God says,

"I know the thoughts that I think. . . ."

So God's thoughts toward us are past, present, and future. How many thoughts would that be? Well, how high can you count? Psalm 40:5 says,

"Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order;if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."

His thoughts toward us are innumerable, and they are good.

You are a work in progress, and God is not done yet. 

There is going to be an outcome. 

There is going to be completion.

And when life is a mess and you can't sort it all out,
God will pull it all together.

He will work it all together for good.

Everything is turned upside-down ~ Greg Laurie

It seems as if everything is turned upside-down in our culture today. Think about it:

Good has become bad and bad has become good. 

This is even true of the slang expressions we use today.

Back when I was a kid, words like "far out" and "groovy" were popular, although I could never bring myself to actually say "groovy." Some of these terms have gone by the wayside, but certain expressions dating back to the 1950s are still popular today, like "cool." 

Here in the 21st century, people still say "cool."

But today, we have another word, "hot," which means the same thing as "cool." To take it a step further, if something is really cool or really hot, we say that it's "bad."

If you have a really fast car, someone might ask you, "How fast will that bad boy go?" They wouldn't ask, "How fast will that good boy go?" because good is bad and bad is good. 

Everything is turned upside-down.

In the old days—back when more people would try to live a moral life—if someone did drugs or had sex before they were married, people would say, "Oh, that is bad," and "bad" actually meant bad.

But now in our twisted culture, which is reinforced by music videos, television, and all the rest, someone who might do these things would be considered—in a way—good. Meanwhile, someone who doesn't do these things would be considered bad.

Well, here is what the Bible says: 

"What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever" 

(Isaiah 5:20–21 NLT).

If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, then you will be considered bad in the eyes of many, and by "bad," I'm speaking of the negative sense of the word. You will be thought of as conceited, lame, out-of-touch, or insensitive.

Here is what it comes down to: If you want to be a true rebel in today's culture, if you want to be a real bad boy or bad girl, then simply follow Jesus Christ. That is true rebellion.

In today's culture, it is not rebellious to do drugs. It is not rebellious to have sex before you are married. It is not rebellious to party. These things are the norm. But it is rebellious to live a godly life. It is rebellious to go against the flow of the culture.

Psalm 1 begins, 

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night" .

(verses 1–2, NKJV)

Look at the progression in this verse: 

First you are walking, 
then you are standing, 
then you are sitting. 

And that is exactly how temptation works. You are just walking by, minding your own business. 

Then you are standing and thinking, Whoa! What is that? 

Then the next thing you know, you are sitting. You are doing something you shouldn't even be thinking about, much less engaged in. So be careful. 


The Bible says, 

"Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant" .

(Galatians 6:7 NLT)

Satan will try to pull you in and destroy you. 

But Jesus says, 

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" 

(John 10:10 NKJV).

In other words, He wants you to live a life that is full. 

You don't need drugs. You don't need alcohol. You don't need to chase after the things this world says you need to make you happy.

If the things that this world offers have all the answers, then why are people so miserable? Because that is not where it's at. 

It is found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. 

Why settle for the cheap substitute when you can have the real thing?

Jesus says, 

"I have come that they may have life." 

That is life not only beyond the grave, but life during life.

Medical science seeks to add years to your life. 


But only Christ can add life to your years and give you a life that's worth living.