christians4worship.com Blog

A Strong Community

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” -Matthew 18:20

We live in a time in which our society is becoming more and more disjointed and divided. Rather than celebrating what we have in common, it seems nowadays we emphasize the things that separate us. In fact, I don’t know of a time, at least in my brief life, when our culture has been more divided (perhaps with the exception of the tumultuous 1960s). Families are falling apart like never before, and the result is that people are looking for a place where they can belong, a community where they can feel safe, a family they can belong to . . . a place where they can genuinely love and be loved in return. And that is exactly what the church is. I know the church is not perfect. The church is made up of imperfect people, but foibles and all, it is the only organization that Jesus Christ himself ever established. And it is still going strong. Years ago, the Roman emperor Diocletian set up a stone pillar as a monument, boasting that he had exterminated the word “Christian” from the earth. That was the aim of Diocletian, and needless to say, he failed in his endeavor. Any attempt that has ever been undertaken to eradicate the church that Jesus established and maintains has met with failure, because Jesus said of His church, ”will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). He is with His church, and it is still going strong!

C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514

A Light in the Dark

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” -John 15:18

Jesus became very popular during His earthly ministry. He spoke in a way that people could understand. He reached out to hurting people. He was known as a friend of sinners. All that really irritated the religious authorities. Clearly, He was a threat to their legalistic system of works. And thus, He became public enemy number one. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was a wanted man. In the same way, there are people today who hate Jesus Christ and everything He stands for. They despise His teachings. And if you follow Jesus Christ and His teachings and stand up for what you believe, then they will hate you too. In fact, Jesus said we should remember that if the world hates us, it hated Him first. He chose us out of the world, and therefore the world hates us. We can expect to be persecuted (see John 15:18-20).We are representatives of Christ. And if you think people hate Christians in general, then try being a pastor. Because I’m a representative of God, some people will take all their anger out on me. “Why does God do this?” they demand. “Why doesn’t God do that?” I accept the fact that I’m a representative of God. I’m not ashamed of it. But some people will hate us for it. That can be hard, because we don’t want to be hated by others. We don’t want to offend people unnecessarily. We want to be gracious. But because we are representatives of Christ, we will bother people, because they know we stand for biblical values and biblical truth. It is like being a light in a dark place.

C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514

God’s Trade-in Deal

“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” -John 12:25

Most of us are suspicious of the trade-in deal. Maybe you have tried to buy a car and trade in something else. The salesman says, “Trade that in, and I’ll give you a deal.” Then you tell your friends, “I got this great deal for my trade-in.” The real question, however, is what they charged you for the new one you bought. You can’t get something for nothing. God Almighty says to us, “I will give you eternal life. I will give you the forgiveness of sin.” So we say, “What’s the catch? Surely there is something I need to do.” It is hard for us to accept that God could simply forgive us. God says, “No, you have broken all the laws. There is no way you could earn My grace or forgiveness. I offer it to you for free. I give you everything. Now you give Me your life. I don’t care what shape it’s in. I’m in the restoration business. You watch what I can do.” So you bring your life to Him. Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). You will be a new creation, because in Him, all things have become new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). “Do you want to find life?” Jesus says to us. “You won’t find it by looking within yourself. You won’t even find it by looking for life. You will find it by looking to Me. And as you trade your life in, I will give you life. The very thing you want, you’ll find by coming to Me.” This is God’s trade-in deal.

C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514

A Different Kind of Kingdom

Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” -John 12:14-15

The Bible tells us that when Passover took place, Jerusalem– being the spiritual capital of Judaism,–teemed with visitors. People were everywhere. Not only that, but word traveled like wildfire that Jesus was there. Everyone was talking about it. You see, Jesus was getting ready to make a very significant move. This was the moment He was waiting for. The hour had come for Him to begin His road to Calvary. He was about to fulfill Scripture’s prophecies. The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt” (John 12:12-15). Luke’s Gospel tells us they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. They thought Jesus Christ would come in and say, “I am now the King of Israel,” and then overthrow the Romans who had kept them in bondage. Hosanna! Finally, we are going to be free from this tyranny! But there was a different significance. For the Jews, Jesus was saying, “I am your Messiah.” And for Rome, He was saying, “I am your King. But My kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem that day was not to take the crown, but to wear a crown of thorns–for all of us.

C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514

To See Jesus

Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”              -John 12:21

I remember visiting a mental hospital years ago with my friend and fellow pastor, Mike MacIntosh. We were visiting the patients and sharing the gospel. Back then, I wore very long hair and had a full beard. Mike began talking with one patient and said, “Have you ever personally met Jesus Christ?” “No,” the man replied, “But I’ve always wanted to.” Then he turned to me, shook my hand, and said, “Jesus, it’s good to meet you! I’ve heard so much about you.” “I’m not Jesus!” I told him. “My name is Greg.” Imagine what it would be like to actually reach out and shake hands with the real Jesus, to actually touch Him. The Bible tells us about a group of people who wanted an opportunity to do just that: Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:20-21). Instead of simply granting them an audience, Jesus used their request to illustrate a point: “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain . . . ” (John 23-24). Jesus was essentially saying, “Do you really want to see Me? Do you want to see God? You will see Me through My death. Soon, I will die on a cross for you and pay the price for your sins. Through My death, you can have life. You can see God, and you can know God.”

C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514

Why Prayer is Essential

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. -Acts 12:5

Have you ever been in a situation where there seemed to be no way out? Everything is going along just fine when, all of a sudden, a storm cloud comes along and rains on your parade. Insurmountable obstacles seem to be growing worse by the minute, and you find yourself wondering what to do. In Acts 12, we find the story of how God took a tragic, even hopeless, situation and turned it around. It was done by the power of prayer, the kind of prayer that storms the throne of God and gets an answer. Both James and Peter were in prison. Tragically, James was put to death. But Peter remained alive in prison. Though all doors were closed, one remained open: the door of prayer. The church recognized that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Prayer was and is the church’s secret weapon. Although the devil struck a blow against the church, the church gained victory through prayer as Peter was miraculously released. Sadly, we don’t pray often enough. Yet it is essential that Christians learn more about effective prayer, because we will face difficulties. We will face hardships. We will face problems. So we need to discover what God can do through the power of prayer.Prayer for the Christian should be second nature, like breathing. We should automatically pray, lifting our needs and requests before the Lord. Jesus said that we should always pray and not lose heart (see Luke 18:1). Prayer is something we should never grow tired of and something we should never avoid. We should be doing it constantly.

C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg LaurieP.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514

When Not to Pray

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. -1 John 5:14

In a broad sense, we should pray about everything. But there are certain things we don’t need to pray about. For example, if someone were to say, “Greg, I am praying about robbing a bank. Would you pray with me?” I will pray for that person, but I won’t pray that God will bless their efforts. Why? Because the Bible says, “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). We don’t need to pray about that. Yet there are certain things God tells us we can pray for. He tells us we can pray for wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 5:5). We can pray for His provision. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” We can pray for protection. Psalm 91:5-7 says, “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.” The key to effective prayer is getting our will in alignment with God’s will, because 1 John 5:14 tells us, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Nothing lies outside the reach of prayer except that which lies outside of the will of God. God only answers the requests that He inspires.
C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514

When God Cried

Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. -John 11:33

At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus surveyed the scene. Mary, Martha, and the others were all weeping and mourning. And Jesus wept. Tears rolled down His cheeks. Jesus wept tears of sympathy for Mary and Martha and for all of the sorrow that is caused by sin and death. The Bible says that He was “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). When you have lost someone you love, He knows and understands the pain and hurt deep inside your soul. Maybe other people will never completely understand, but Jesus has wept with you. His tears were also tears of sorrow for Lazarus. Those tears were for one who had known the bliss of heaven and now would have to return to a wicked Earth, where he would have to die again. Jesus also wept tears for the unbelief of the people: “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled” (John 11:33). Jesus was troubled. And He was angry. What brought not only His sorrow, but also His anger were the ravages of sin in the world He had created. He was angry. Here was God’s creation, and His original plan was flawed by sin. Death was a part of the curse, and it angered Jesus to see the devastating effect sin had on humanity. Some may wonder, well, why doesn’t He do something about it? He has. He went to the cross of Calvary and died for our sins so that death does not have to be the end. There is life beyond the grave for the Christian. There is something beyond . . . something we can look forward to.

C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514

Trust His Plan

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. -John 11:5

When Mary and Martha informed Jesus that Lazarus was sick, they expected to see their brother recover as soon as the message reached Jesus. But nothing happened. And instead of coming right away, Jesus intentionally waited for two more days. By the time He arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead four days. Like Mary and Martha, maybe you had a need that you brought before the Lord, only to receive an answer you didn’t want. You may have concluded that God doesn’t love you. But God had a different plan than you did. Isaiah tells us, ” ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’ ” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Martha and Mary’s message said, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick” (John 11:3). Their word for “love” can be translated, “brotherly love,” which speaks of love that a friend has for a friend. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . . ” (John 3:16, emphasis mine). This word “love” speaks of a sacrificial, agonizing love, which loves a person in spite of anything. And this is how Jesus loved Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Mary and Martha only thought of friendship, while Jesus thought of sacrificial love. They thought of their temporal comfort, while Jesus thought of their eternal benefit. They wanted a healing, while Jesus wanted a resurrection. Jesus wanted to do above and beyond what they could ask or imagine. He loved them with a deeper love. And He loves us with a deeper love as well.

C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514

Time Does Tell

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” -Mark 8:36-37

A while ago, I ran into a guy that I once hung out with in school. I hadn’t seen him in 25 years. He called to say that he was coming to hear me speak, so we arranged to meet beforehand. As we talked, he told me he had been married twice and was presently divorced. Then he said, “I basically drank my marriages away.” He went on to explain that he had gotten into that and never stopped. He said it had ruined his life. I told him, “You know, in the Bible, God says, ‘You will seek Me and find Me. . . .’ ” “You can quote your book and I will quote mine,” he said. “I am in fellowship too. . . . I’m in a 12-step program.” We used to hang out and party together, but he never left that lifestyle. I left it at age 17. As I look at the course his life has taken and the course my life has taken, it is clear who really gave up the most. There might be times as a Christian when you look at unbelievers and think, I don’t know. Maybe they are having the good time and I am not. It might look like they are having fun today, but there is a price for sin. You will reap what you sow. If you live for Christ, if you determine to do things God’s way, you won’t regret it. Because you won’t find happiness or fulfillment through sex, drugs, or drinking. You won’t find it through relationships, success, possessions, or accomplishments. You will find the happiness and fulfillment you are looking for in life through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514