Jesus, John the Baptist, and Luke (Acts) heavily emphasize the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. It appears at the beginning of Church history (Acts 2), continues throughout Luke's record of the church's first thirty years, and was valued and ministered by the apostle Paul. Yet, strangely, many evangelical and liturgical Protestant organizations ignore or oppose the experience. Greg uses scripture to establish the fact that both Father and Son promised true believers could, and should, receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The artesian well (Gihon, or gusher) of the Spirit's "living water" (John 4:10-14). Or the "rivers of living water" Jesus promised on the last day of the Sukkot Festival (John 7:37-39). If the Father and Son are for this experience, why should any of us be against it? An enemy has done this. Let us rise above this opposition, study this special Baptism, pray for full insight, and prepare to receive this second blessing!

In John 14:21, 23, Jesus established that if we love Him we will obey His teachings. All of them! If we are selective in our obedience—obeying some of His teachings but rejecting others—our love is lacking. True devotion to Christ accepts everything of Him, from Him, and by Him. Greg shows by scripture that the "tongues of fire" at Pentecost were connected with the "Baptism with the Holy Spirit." In all four gospels, John the Baptist emphatically identifies Jesus as the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit. Every experience of this crucial infilling, heavily emphasized in Acts (chs. 2, 8, 9, 10, 19), was Christ's personal work. How may we be sure? He, and no one else, is the Baptizer with the Spirit! If we reject this life-changing experience, we will answer directly to Him for doing so at the Judgment Seat. No excuse will excuse us: Christ and His Word have spoken on this subject. Plainly. Repeatedly. And all for our good! If we have not received this Spirit-baptism, we should at the least respectfully study it until we are ready to receive it. For our full empowerment, the church's growth, and Christ's glory. 

Greg continues teaching on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and tongues of fire that appeared at the birth of the church on Pentecost Day. Did Jesus promise or prophesy any of the things that occurred during that dramatic and dynamic experience? Were the tongues of fire a divine sign of things to come or a passing anomaly? And more importantly, were the things that occurred in the Upper Room linked to the risen Christ? Or were they simply things that His followers experienced, yet had no direct connection to Him? Greg answers these questions, and more, in this episode, and reminds us of this vital maxim: we exclude Jesus' opinion on any revelation, doctrine, or practice at our own peril!

The birth of the church of Jesus Christ on Pentecost Day, as recorded in Acts 2, was accompanied by some admittedly strange phenomena – the sound of a rushing tornado, visible flames of fire over the heads of the 120 believers present, and speaking in strange, unknown languages. Why did these things happen? Were they of God? Of Men? Of Satan? Had those present previously received the Holy Spirit? If so, when and where did they receive Him, and how much? And what does this historical account tell us about our Christian walk today? In this first episode, Greg shares the first 3 of 8 biblical facts about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and the strange "tongues of fire." What you learn may just change your understanding of Pentecost – and your life!

In this episode, Greg points out that the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, which warns us to be ready for Jesus' appearing, is followed immediately by the Parable of the Talents, which warns us of what we will experience at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Is this rapture-judgment order coincidental or intentional? Greg believes the latter. He proposes that Jesus' sudden appearing to retrieve His bride church (the Rapture) - because it is a divine decision rendered (or judgment) as to who is ready and who is not - is in a sense the first part, or preliminary phase of the Judgment Seat of Christ. Jesus' promise to bring rewards with Him at His appearing (Rev. 22:12) confirms that the Judgment Seat will indeed occur just after the church is taken to heaven. Are you ready?

In this episode, Greg explores three other New Testament passages in which Christ, as in His Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, pointed out the possibility of spiritually unprepared Christians being left behind when He appears. He also addresses the question sometimes posed by Christians who dislike the concept of a partial rapture, "Does a Christian have to be perfect to be taken in the rapture?" The answer, of course, is no! But although we do not have to be sinlessly perfect for Christ to take us, we must be serious about our walk with God and, more precisely, about preparation for Jesus soon coming.

In this episode, Greg uses texts from the apostle John's Gospel and Apocalypse to identify and describe the "door" Jesus refers to in this crucial prophetic parable. Why is it important? Simply because this door is the designated portal through which "they that are ready" will pass to enter the great marriage in heaven. He also addresses the claims of some evangelical Bible teachers, based on 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, that all professing Christians left behind at the Rapture cannot subsequently successfully prove and purify their faith in the trials of the Tribulation period, but will instead be eternally lost.

In this episode, Greg defines the terms "wise" and "foolish" as they are used in the Parable of The Ten Bridesmaids. He also explains what the "extra oil" is, and is not, and how we obtain it. He furthermore explains why Jesus' warning that only "they that were ready" went to the great marriage supper, while the others were left behind, is a very accurate and binding statement: Jesus said what He meant and meant what He said! And if in this text He did not mean what He said (which is preposterous), what other vital New Testament facts and doctrines would also be subject to doubt? Salvation by grace through faith? The necessity of spiritual rebirth? Heaven and hell? We sow what we reap?

In this episode, Greg explores other New Testament texts besides the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13) in which Jesus used the wise / foolish motif to describe not non-believers but Christians. He also offers two likely reasons why Jesus used 10 bridesmaids to describe His church rather than one bride. After listening to this episode, you will be convinced that this parable is addressed to born-again Christians, and it is high time we recognize this and begin earnestly preparing for the Bridegroom's Appearing.

Jesus used the Jewish marriage / wedding customs of His day to describe His relationship to the church. Greg describes these customs and explains that Jesus did not use them randomly but rather with clear intent to help us understand more perfectly not only His present relationship to the church but also the nature of His soon-coming Appearing to catch away His bride. This richly illustrative metaphor is established even more firmly by its use in several other New Testament references by the apostles Paul (Ephesians 5:25-27) and John (Revelation 19:7-9; 21:1-3), and by even one key Old Testament passage (Genesis 24:1-67).

In this episode, Greg gives a thoughtful, expanded, expository reading of the primary text: Matthew 25:1-3. He then addresses two crucial questions. First, do the ten bridesmaids represent Jews or Christians? Second, what significance is there, if any, of the bridesmaids calling the bridegroom, "Lord"? Greg then identifies Jesus' last words to the disbelieving Jews of His generation – words which warn of impending judgment and yet also give a sure promise of a future restoration of the Jewish people when they repent of their unbelief, and call Him "blessed."

One of the most important passages in the New Testament is Jesus' teaching on the Vine and branches in John 15:1-8. How do we, Christ's branches, stay close to Him, our Vine? There is no surer or more direct way to maintain vital connection to our Vine than by simply giving Him thanks – in the morning, through the day, and when we lay down to sleep. The result? A dynamic prayer life: "If you abide in [remain in close touch with] me, and my words [including the biblical call to 'give thanks'] abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you" (v. 7). Such fruitfulness in prayer glorifies God: "In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit" (v. 8). So, give thanks! Pray dynamically! Bear much fruit. Bring God much glory!

If God asked you to do something easy to radically improve your Christian walk, wouldn't you do it? That's just what He does in challenging us to "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Nothing is easier than yielding your heart and opening your lips, and saying, "Thank you, Jesus!" Jesus told us His yoke is "easy." Don't be like proud Naaman, who wanted the prophet to tell him something hard to do to receive his healing. Listen to Naaman's servants – and Jesus! – and start forming the habit of giving thanks. Every day. Every moment. In every situation. From your heart. It will enable you to "draw near to God" at any moment of the day or night. And you will never be the same . . .

Christian, do you know you can deeply please God today, right now, just where you are? How? Simply by giving Him thanks from your heart – irrespective of your circumstances. In Psalm 69:30-30, David revealed this great secret that was a part of His daily life and God wants to be part of ours. "I will praise the name of God with a song, and magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs." And when deeply pleased, God is more inclined to readily release His delivering power for us and those for whom we pray. So, today, right now, just where you are, in the midst of blessing or chaos, start giving the "sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our [your] lips giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15).

Psalm 69:30-32 reveals God is deeply pleased when we remember to show our gratitude toward Him by giving Him thanks. Should this surprise us? Aren't we blessed when others remember to thank us for favors, labor, and kindnesses we have given them? And when pleased, God is more inclined to show His gratitude in many ways including delivering us from troublesome or threatening situations, as He did Judah's King Jehoshaphat long ago.

Greg explores further the most vital subject of thanksgiving. This message explains how thanksgiving sets us apart from unthankful people - and Christians! - and fits us for deeper fellowship with God and more fruitfulness in his service. When Jesus healed ten lepers, only one returned to give Him thanks - and he wasn't even a child of God! Are you, am I, learning to give God thanks "in everything," as Paul teaches, and especially, as this example teaches, when we receive special blessings from God?

One of the secrets to the apostle Paul's amazing overcoming life was the simple yet powerful instructions he gave us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Or, "In every situation you meet – good, bad, and in between – give God thanks." Why? "'This' thanksgiving, and 'this' situation are part of His master plan for you as His child in Christ Jesus, sent to in some way do 'good' (Romans 8:28), in you, for you, or through you. Or all of the above. If you will just remain yielded, trusting, and obedient. Obey Paul's command and you will build his character, the very character of Christ, in your life. Disobey, and it's impossible to build his character. Ponder this and choose wisely.

We believe Paul's teaching on salvation, typology, the church, and the end times, as we should. But we should pay even more attention to Paul's practical theology – his plain commands for everyday Christian living that sprang from his own experience. One of the hidden gems in Paul's treasure chest of practical theology is 1 Thessalonians 5:18. When we learn to "give thanks" to God in "everything," we are on our way to spiritual maturity, Christlike humility, Davidic living, strong faith, and a vibrant, spiritually successful prayer life. This is not a message for one season but for all seasons. Listen, learn, obey, and overcome – exactly as Paul did in his amazingly victorious life – giving thanks to God, all day, every day, good days, bad days, the rest of your days!

Greg continues discussing Christianity in India with three deeply committed Indian ministers. This interview – which discusses Hindu soteriology, India's holy rivers, its caste system, and the miraculous conversion experience of a deathly ill, ultra-devout young Hindu woman – was not taped in a sound studio but in an open-air setting in India, complete with traffic noise, monkeys jumping loudly on metal roofs, and live roosters "amening" the conversation in their own distinctive way! Greg hopes this series will prompt American Christians to prayerfully consider getting involved in God's work in what is currently the most populous nation on earth. Christ is coming very soon and if we are to help our needy brothers and sisters in India, now is the time.

In the multiple part mini series, Greg discusses the current state of Christianity in India with three Indian nationals who are deeply committed Christians and ministers. His hope is that American Christians, ministers, churches, and missions organizations to prayerfully consider getting involved in God's work in what is now the most populous nation on earth. Christ is coming very soon and if we are to help our needy brothers and sisters in India, now is the time.

Self-pity – an unhealthy, obsessive sorrow for oneself arising from a narrow, selfish viewpoint of one's troubles – is one of the most universal, crippling, and deadly sins that stunt the characters and abort the destinies of Christians. And one of the most undetected ones! How many teachings have you heard on this subject? In this episode, Greg defines self-pity and uses multiple biblical texts and examples to describe its many causes, manifestations, and deadly effects. He then offers practical biblical instructions on how to take self-pity captive and become free to know Christ intimately and spend the rest of your life serving others for Christ's sake, rather than self-destructing spiritually and spending the rest of your days serving sin and Satan for self-pity's sake. Your time listening to this one will be well spent indeed! (But Satan won't think so . . .)

In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No man can come unto me, unless the Father, who has sent me, draws him.” In John 12:32, He added, “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” What was He talking about? How does the Father draw sinners to Christ? Is this really required before they can have a genuine salvation experience? Does the Father do this Himself? Or does another member of the holy Trinity participate? Do believers have any part in this divine drawing process? And what are the signs that tell us a sinner is being drawn to Christ? This episode answers these questions and offers much more useful information.

To succeed at anything in this world, we must learn to harness our attention and focus on the task at hand. The spiritual walk requires no less. If we aim to finish the race set before us, and please Christ with the way we live and the work we do, we must learn to remain spiritually focused. And when that focus is broken—and it will be at times—we must know how to quickly refocus, and then press on with what really counts: seeking Christ and His will for our life. Using the gospel account of Peter’s famous walk atop stormy Lake Galilee in Matthew 14:22-33, Greg explains why Peter sank and how we may avoid repeating his error and set an example that will inspire others to rise and overcome their stormy tests of faith and endurance . . . by maintaining their spiritual focus.

The Bible repeatedly calls us to humble ourselves. Are we responding? Do we realize just how much God despises pride? Do we know why He does so? Well, this episode discloses these vital truths and many more – and gives us clear, practical instructions as to how we may deal with our pride and grow in Christlike humility. In the Q & A segment, Greg answers a very timely question posed concerning events in the Middle East and how we should see them in light of God’s promises and prophecies to the Jewish people.

When Christ opens “doors of utterance,” or other opportunities for service before you spontaneously, do you recognize them and respond promptly, taking full advantage of them for His pleasure and kingdom? When He closes doors, and you recognize that He has done so, do you respond positively by submissively standing down and faithfully pursuing the duties He has already given you, knowing that they are also important. And have you learned that, when He closes one door, it’s only because he has another, often better door waiting for you? In the Q & A segment, Greg answers a series of probing questions about a most important and timely subject: the rapture!

In this final episode of “New Jerusalem: Our Dream City,” Greg describes New Jerusalem’s saturation with light, residents, main activities, authority, holiness, transparency, and wealth, and, applying the universal principles of 1 Samuel 2:30 and Galatians 6:7, draws analogies between these physical features of the capital of the new world and how we should be living in this world. He also urges us—by overcoming, being faithful, and worshiping and serving God—to make it our life’s quest to have the great privilege of residing inside this eternal city of God rather than elsewhere on the massive new earth. In the Q & A segment, Greg discusses the relationship between our personal faith and God’s overarching sovereignty and how this relates to Christians’ prayers for physical healing.

Greg describes the glorious eternal city’s physical features on the new earth - its dual divine purpose, extreme elevation, and colossal dimensions - and then opens their figurative applications to our lives. That is, what they teach us about how we should be living now on this earth. In the Q & A segment, he defines what hell and the lake of fire are, why they exist, and who will and will not spend eternity there. And, in doing so, Greg draws definitive conclusions about Annihilationism and Universalism.

Greg finishes his expositional reading of Revelation 22:1-6, explains why God has named His eternal capital New “Jerusalem,” defines and defies Supersessionism (Replacement or Fulfillment Theology), explains why God and Satan “mark” their respective servants, and identifies which “country” we should, and should not, glory in. Also, in the Q & A segment, Greg addresses Jesus’ cryptic statement in John 20:23, and opens what it does, and does not, mean to us today.

Greg continues this illuminating series that unpacks verse-by-verse the unimaginable wonders of the eternal city of God described by John in Revelation 21 and 22. This episode describes the supernatural light source in New Jerusalem,  its absence of temples or shrines, its most unusual “lamp,” the unnamed “kings” who will reign the redeemed nations under the Father and the Lamb, and God’s three emphatic exclusion statements—New Jerusalem’s immigration policy—which make it abundantly clear that anyone who practices sin will not live in this God-indwelt eternal city. This may come as a shock to many today who have been fed a steady diet of hyper-grace heresy. But better to be shocked now than shocked eternally.

Greg begins a new series taking you on a fascinating journey through Revelation 21 and 22, describing in verse-by-verse detail Our Dream City: New Jerusalem! The facts revealed in this episode alone are stunning – this old cosmos burnt up, a new one replacing it fresh from the Creator’s hand, all previous ages terminated, a born-again creation prepared for a born-again people, the Shekinah-filled, crystal-clear, jewel-encrusted city in which God will reside with the redeemed of Israel and the church forever. And ever. And ever. And much more.

Greg continues discussing the most vital issue of obeying God. He describes how every act of obedience sends God a fourfold message: we believe Him, submit to His lordship, fear Him, and love Him. In this episode we discuss in detail how obedience shows God we fear Him – or stand in awe of His awesomeness; and love Him – in the truest, surest way possible. Without obedience, our worship, praise, and service is rendered meaningless – empty religious hypocrisy. We learn also of the disease of religious compensation: service, worship, or sacrifice offered God in hopes of compensating Him for our not doing what He asked of us. And we identify its simple but effective antidote. It is Mary’s wisdom: “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5).

Greg examines numerous biblical texts that reveal the vital importance of obedience. Our obedience is the manifest response of our entire being to God. More than anything else, it reveals the true inward state of our souls. And it sends Christ a multi-layered message: we believe Him; we have submitted to His Lordship; we fear (stand in awe of) Him; and we love Him. Additionally, not our religious talk but our actual walk – our real life-actions – are being placed on the scales of God’s eternal judgment daily and will one day determine our eternal rewards, or loss of rewards, at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Greg discusses the amazingly deep, intimate fellowship Moses had with God 3,500 years ago and declares the same is available to us today if we, too, will only “come up into the mount” of devotion and “be there” in sustained, deep fellowship with God daily (Exodus 24:12). He also describes three levels of intimacy with God presented in Exodus 24: the summit life, which Moses experienced; the mount life, which the 70 elders knew; and the plain life, where Israel’s millions, sadly, chose to live. Are we Christians of the plain, mount, or summit?