Hey everybody, Greg Laurie here. You're listening to the Greg Laurie Podcast, and my objective is to deliver, hopefully, compelling practical insights in faith, culture, and current events from a biblical perspective. To find out more about our ministry, just go to our website, harvest.org.
So thanks for joining me for this podcast. I'd like you to grab your Bible if you have one and turn to Revelation chapter 8. The title of my message is When All Hell Breaks Loose. Let's pray together. Now Father, speak to us through your Word. We know your Word is true.
We know that the Bible is the one book that dares to predict the future, not once, not twice, but hundreds of times with 100% accuracy. So as we take a glimpse into the future, and as we also look behind the veil of the world of angels and demons, we pray that we'll gain insight that will help us to walk closely with you in this life. So speak to us from Scripture, we pray. In Jesus' name we ask it, amen.
Let me start with a question. Have you ever been in a restaurant, and maybe your booth is close to the booth next to you, and you hear people talking, and one is speaking a little loudly, so you can't help but overhear what they're saying. By the way, my wife always says to me in restaurants, Craig, don't speak so loudly. And I'll say, I'm not being loud. Shh, lower your voice. Anyway, so you hear someone in the booth next to you, and they say to their friend, now listen, this is a secret, and I don't want you to share it with anyone. Now here's the question. Do you put your hands over your ears, or do you lean over and listen in? You know the answer. We all listen in.
Why? Because we all like to know secrets. Even if we don't know these people, and it has nothing to do with us, and we've never heard of the people they're talking about, we love to hear secrets.
Listen to this. The Bible says the secret of the Lord is with those that fear him. Christians see and understand what is happening in this world far better than non-believers.
Jesus made this statement in a prayer to his father in Matthew 11. He says, Father, thank you for hiding these things from people that think they're wise and revealing them to people who have childlike faith. God reveals to us, his followers, what is happening in the world because we've taken the time to read the book, and it unveils the future for us. And we look at this world, and many are just confused, and frankly, they're kind of alarmed and even freaking out because they're thinking, what does this all mean?
For instance, a continuing fallout and lockdown as a result of this pandemic that's gone on far longer than we ever thought it would go, the continuing conflict in the Middle East, the moral meltdown in America. What does this all mean? What is happening, people ask? What is happening, folks, is these are signs of the times, and these signs of the times are all pointing up, and they're saying to us, pay attention because Jesus is coming. But as we see this turmoil in our world, as a Christian, we should not despair because God has told us what is going to happen. Now, let me review something I said earlier because I think it gives clarity as to why we're going through the book of Revelation together and why it is a good thing to study Bible prophecy in general. Remember, there's a blessing promise to the person who reads, hears, and keeps the words of this book, okay?
So you want that blessing, and I do too. But why should I study Revelation and Bible prophecy? Number one, it will unlock the mystery of history.
It will unlock the mystery of history. In Eastern religions, everything goes in a cycle. That's why its adherents believe in reincarnation.
They'll just keep coming back again and again until they get it right. But Bible history is linear, not cyclical. In other words, Christians are moving toward a goal. For instance, when you play checkers, you move your man into king's row, and then you say, crown him. And that's exactly what God is doing. He's going to move his son, Jesus Christ, into king's row and say, crown him. Revelation 11, 15 says, the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever. So why study Bible prophecy?
It unlocks the mystery of history. Number two, it brings sense to our suffering. What do you say to someone who is critically ill? What do you say to someone that has lost a loved one? What do you say to someone that has experienced a horrible tragedy?
Here's what you say. This is not God's final plan. Because Revelation 21, 4 says, one day God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death will exist no longer, and grief and crying and pain will exist no longer because the previous things have passed away. Here's another reason we should study prophecy.
Number three, it will cause us to want to live more godly lives. For instance, if you really are studying and understanding what the Bible says about the end times, it will cause you to want to pray more, not less. 1 Peter 4, 7 says, now the end of all things is near, therefore. By the way, whenever you see the word therefore in the Bible, find out what it's there for.
And it's drawing on something that's been said. Again, the end of all things is near, therefore be clear headed and be disciplined in prayer. If we really believe Jesus could come back at any moment, it will give us the strength to persevere through our times of difficulty and trial. James 5, 8 says, you must also persevere and be patient, strengthen your hearts because the Lord's coming is near. You know, we go through hardships in life that make no sense, and sometimes we feel like giving up.
But here's my advice to you, don't give up, look up. Jesus said when you see these things begin to happen, look up for your redemption is drawing near. It should cause us in this understanding of the Lord's imminent return to want to live a life that's pleasing to Him.
In 1 John it says, He that has this hope, that is of the return of Christ, they will purify themselves even as He is pure. Number 4, studying Bible prophecy shows us there will be justice in the world one day. There will be justice in the world one day. Evil people do evil things. My goodness, I read things in the news that are unthinkable to me.
The horrible things that people do to one another. But the Bible teaches that one day there's going to be a reckoning. Alright, well with this in mind, let's catch up now where we last left off. We're looking at this great prophetic puzzle revealed in Revelation chapter 8. And at this point in our study chronologically we're right in the middle of what is called the great tribulation period. It will last for seven years. It will be inaugurated by the emergence of anti-Christ and it will be ended by the return of Jesus Christ.
The first three and a half years of the tribulation period are relatively calm and peaceful. As anti-Christ comes on the scene looking like a good guy, a man with solutions, economic solutions, many other things that he brings to the table. He's a charismatic leader. In fact some will even think he's the very Christ. Because as I've told you before the prefix anti doesn't just mean against.
It also means instead of. He'll be a false Christ that will be embraced by many. But at the last three and a half years of the tribulation period anti-Christ shows his true colors and the wrath of God is unleashed and demons are unleashed and all kinds of crazy stuff is going on. And that's where we're at in our study in Revelation. Speaking of this time Jesus said in Matthew 13, There will be great anguish in those days more than at any other time since God created the world and will never be so great again. In fact unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity not a single person would survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.
Again I want to remind you that God takes no delight in this. Now remember if you're a believer in Jesus Christ you will be caught up to meet the Lord in the rapture that happens right before the tribulation period. In fact the anti-Christ his coming world leader cannot even be revealed until the church is removed because the Bible says he who now restrains will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way and then that wicked one will be revealed whom the Lord will destroy with the brightness of his coming. That verse is speaking of the work of the Holy Spirit through the church. Once the church is caught up to meet the Lord in the air the tribulation period begins. And of course God is still at work even in this very dark time. We talked about the 144,000 who are Jews who have found Jesus as a Messiah.
I describe them as kosher Billy Grahams remember. They're canvassing the planet sharing the gospel and so many people are coming to Christ a great revival breaks out. In fact it's the greatest revival in all of human history.
Revelation 7 says it's an innumerable multitude that come to faith. So God will be at work mightily in the tribulation period. But listen the devil will be at work as well.
Why? He knows his days are numbered. Revelation 12 says the devil has come down to you.
He is filled with fury because he knows his time is short. The devil knows his time is short. Even though some liberal theologians don't believe it the devil believes that Jesus is coming back soon and his objective is to wreak as much havoc as he can and in as many lives as he can. In fact the Bible even tells us in the last days there will be satanically energized times. Doesn't it seem to you like things are getting darker? That you are seeing more evil on display. That's because we are living in the last days. So here in Revelation 8-9 with the church in heaven which is acted as the preservative on earth we have the devil on a rampage running roughshod over the planet giving to mankind what they effectively long for.
Pure unadulterated evil. This reminds us how the Lord dealt with Egypt. The ancient Egyptians as you know worshiped many gods including the Nile River, insects, and even frogs. Who worships a frog? But the ancient Egyptians had a frog god. His name was Kermoto. No Kermit kidding. It was actually called Haggit as I recall.
But it was a false image that they would worship before. And so God said, Oh ok you guys like frogs? I will give you more frogs than you can shake a stick at. I was just back at our church on the island of Maui. Did you know we have a church in Maui?
It is called Harvest Kilmalani. So my wife and I were taking a walk one morning and there were dead frogs everywhere because that happens a lot in Hawaii. You know the rain comes out. The frogs come out.
The sun comes out. The frogs are out there getting run over by cars. So all these giant dead bloated frogs.
It was kind of gross really. Imagine frogs everywhere. Imagine the roads covered with frogs and then you go into your house and they are all over the floor.
A wall to wall frog floor covering. And they are in your bed and they are in your oven. They are in your fridge. They are everywhere.
That is what it was like. So God says, You want this stuff? I will give you this stuff. You want evil? You want the restraints removed?
Here you go man. Have at it. That is exactly what is happening here.
C.S. Lewis once said and I quote, There are only two kinds of people in the end. Those who say to God, Thy will be done. And those to whom God says in the end, Thy will be done. All that are in hell, choose it. Without that self choice there would be no hell. End quote. So what is happening now to people is what they wanted.
This is what they have longed for. God says, All right. I am going to let you have it. Revelation chapter 8 verse 1. Let's read together. I am reading from the New King James Version. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel having a golden censer came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer. He filled it with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth. And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
We will stop there. Now a series of judgments fall on planet earth. A third of the trees are burned up. A third of the sea becomes blood.
A third of the living creatures in the sea die. Look at verse 13. And I looked and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels which are about to sound. Woe, woe, woe.
It is repeated three times. This judgment is coming on you right now. We start with a silence in heaven. Now this is unusual because heaven is a happening place. Heaven is a happy place.
Heaven is a hopping place. There is worship and there is praise and there is working and there is activities happening, rejoicing as people are getting saved. All kinds of cool stuff is happening in heaven but suddenly silence for a half hour. A complete silence in glory.
Why? Because judgment is about to fall and everyone knows it. Reminding us there is a connection between heaven and earth.
Remember we talked about that last time in my message what heaven knows about earth. Heaven is very aware and all the inhabitants of heaven are very aware now that this judgment is going to come on planet earth. Zephaniah 1 says, Stand in silence in the presence of the sovereign Lord for the awesome day of the Lord's judgment has come. So there is this silence. Sort of like this silence in the courtroom when the verdict is about to be read. When the jury form and stands up and says we the members of the jury do fine. And we are all waiting to hear what the verdict is.
There is this silence and that is what is happening here. And the fact that it lasts for a half hour shows us that God is in no rush to bring judgment. You have heard the expression a rush to judgment.
It is the very opposite with God who knows all things. He does not want to do this but because He is righteous and because He is just He must do this. Judgment must come. And the Lord knows that once that first domino falls it is going to be like the others are hitting the other dominoes and they are going to fall in rapid succession.
So a whole series of events are about to unfold. Verse 2 shows us some high ranking angels are overseeing this epic operation. Revelation 8.2. Notice it is the seven angels who stand before God and to them were given seven trumpets. It doesn't just say seven. It is the seven. So these are high ranking angels.
The magnificent seven if you will. And now the seventh seal brings the seven trumpet judgments and the seven trumpet judgments progress into the seven bowl judgments. Now the seven trumpet judgments can be divided into two groups. The first four are directed by God against the environment reminiscent of the plagues that came upon Egypt during the days of Moses. The other judgments are spread over the next three chapters and they fall on humanity.
One thing is clear. Global warming is indeed coming because the first trumpet targets earth's vegetation in verse 7. And we see that it will decimate crops and forests and the air will be filled with smoke and ash.
The second trumpet targets the ocean. A verse 8 says something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. What is John describing? Remember he is in the first century.
He is on an island called Patmos. And to the best of his ability he is trying to describe what he has seen and this vision that God has given to him of the future of the world. Is he describing what we would call cataclysmic events that could bring this about? Or is he describing nuclear weaponry unleashed?
No one can say with certainty but God could obviously have this happen through the forces of nature. For instance when Krakatoa the volcanic island in the South Pacific erupted in 1883 it was a mighty convulsion. So much so that it was felt 2,000 miles away in this island Krakatoa was obliterated.
It just literally disappeared. Where was Krakatoa? Well it was east of Java. I know that because as a kid I saw a movie called Krakatoa East of Java.
That is about all I know about that. But sunsets from the explosion at Krakatoa were colored by dust for two years from one single explosion. So imagine multiple Krakatoas if you will. Or like what happened there in Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius exploded. God could bring this about through what we would call natural means that he is orchestrating.
Or he could allow mankind to unleash his sophisticated and destructive nuclear power. I don't know. But as you are hearing this I know some of you are thinking man this is like pretty crazy stuff. But again I want to remind you. If you are a Christian you will not be here for this. You will be safely in heaven as this judgment comes upon the earth. But if you are not a Christian this will be your future.
Maybe I am speaking to somebody right now that has no place in their life for God. And you are just doing whatever you want to do. And God is giving you a warning. He is saying turn to me right now. Call upon me right now.
You need me. And you say well no this thing I am doing is not wrong. Well if the Bible says it is wrong it is wrong. You need to ask him to forgive you of your sin and you need to turn to him.
But listen there might be somebody that is listening to this right now that would be saying man this is great I can hardly wait till this happens. You are messed up ok. If you are a Christian and you believe these things as we all should you should have a broken heart over this. Thinking oh wow I know people that are not believers yet.
I want to share the gospel with them. I don't want them to miss the rapture and have to go through the great tribulation period. This breaks the heart of God and it should break our heart as well.
Ok now we shift gears. And we get to the title of the message which is when all hell breaks loose. So we have seen God pouring his judgment out. Now we see the bottomless pit open up and all this demonic activity. Revelation 9 verse 1.
Then a fifth angel sounded and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace so the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. And out of the smoke locusts came on the earth and to them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power. And they had as a king over them the angel of the bottomless pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon but in the Greek he is called Apollyon. Ok so we have all heard these stories of great actors and great singers that have massive success and then they get strung out in drugs or alcohol.
Some even taking their own lives and we say wow they are a fallen star. Here is the original fallen star Lucifer himself. That is who is being referenced here in Revelation chapter 9 when he says I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. And notice to him was given the key to the bottomless pit. You see Satan was once a high ranking angel. Sometimes people ask the question how could a God of love create someone as wicked as Satan.
Answer. He didn't. Satan was originally this magnificent angelic being that worshipped the Lord but the problem with Satan is and he wasn't called Satan. He was called Lucifer.
Son of the morning. But the problem with Lucifer or Satan was he wanted to be worshipped instead of being a worshiper. Don't forget when Jesus was tested in the wilderness what does Satan say to Jesus? He says, Worship me and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world.
See that is what he has wanted all along. In fact the Bible says in Isaiah 14, 12 how you are fallen from heaven oh shining star son of the morning. Jesus said I beheld Satan fall as lightning from heaven. Luke 10 18. So Satan wanted this exalted position so he was rejected from that authoritative position he held as a once high ranking angel. Revelation 12 9.
We will get to this later. It says that great dragon was hurled down that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him. So when Satan fell he led some of the angels with him. One third of the angels went with Lucifer and those fallen angels are now what we would call demons. And you say well that is really scary. Yeah but remember he took one third. The other two thirds are still on our side.
So we are still on the winning side aren't we? But look at what is happening here. This bottomless pit is being opened up and out of it come what is described as locusts but these are demonic creatures that are unleashed upon the planet. But apparently there are some demons and I don't know why they are in this place that have been put in the bottomless pit. Not all demons are there.
Many are just roaming about doing what they do. But some of these demons are in this bottomless pit. Jude 1 6 says I want to remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of their authority. God gave them up and when they left the place where they belonged and God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness waiting for the great day of judgment. In fact you will recall when Jesus healed the one demoniac who was bound in chains. The demon said don't send us to the bottomless pit.
So this is a bad place. This is for the worst of the worst angels. They are led by Apollyon or Abaddon.
And Abaddon is one bad dude I will tell you that much. High ranking horrible wicked demonic powers doing all these awful things. So Satan is sort of whipping up this frenzy.
And they have been doing this for a long time but now they are going into overdrive. The purpose of demons seems to be twofold. Number one they seek to hinder the purposes of God. And number two they seek to extend the power of Satan. Listen if you are taking notes here are three things you need to know about demons.
I know you don't want to talk that much about this but it is good to know these things. Three things you need to know about demons. Number one they are real and aggressive. They are real and aggressive. They are not all bound in this bottomless pit.
This will happen later. Right now many are roaming freely in sort of a search and destroy mission. Remember when the angels of the Lord appeared before God in the book of Job. And Satan was among them. And God says to Satan, What have you been doing? Where have you come from? And Satan responds in Job 2 to, Well I have just been going back and forth across the earth watching everything that is going on. Wow that is creepy. He is just walking around checking things out.
Looking for opportunities. Looking for ways to bring misery and destruction. That is why the Bible describes the devil as a blood thirsty lion seeking his prey. 1 Peter 5 says, Be careful watch out for attacks from the devil your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for some victim to devour.
Some years ago I read an interesting book with the title Death and the Long Grass written by Peter Hathaway Capstick. He was a lion hunter. And apparently there was a group of lions who got a taste for human blood. And they would sneak into the camps very late at night. And they would choose their prey. They would step over sleeping men and find the person they wanted and drag them out.
And none of the people would even know a lion had been in the tent until they woke up in the morning and found them gone. When it was all said and done over 100 men were hunted and killed by these blood thirsty lions. And this book pointed out that a charging lion can cover 100 years. Excuse me. Not 100 years.
A charging lion can cover 100 yards in just three seconds. So I don't say this to freak you out. I just say this that the devil is poised and ready to strike. So put your spiritual armor on and be careful.
That is what the Bible says. That we are in a spiritual battle and we must put on the whole armor of God. But now having said that demons are aggressive and demons are trying to create destruction.
Let me add this. Number two. Though powerful demons and the devil himself have clear limitations. Let me say that again. Though powerful the devil and his demons have clear limitations. Let me tell you something that Satan does not want you to know.
His power is considerable but it is still limited. Remember this is all allowed by God. We already read in Revelation.
To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. This is temporary and God has given his permission for a period of time. So all these demons are out and about according to Revelation 9. Like scorpions with the power to sting but not to kill.
But notice that they can't attack everyone. Revelation 9 says, They are commanded not to harm the grass of the earth or any green thing of any tree but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Remember I pointed out last time that when you become a believer.
When you put your faith in Jesus Christ. You become his property which is a good thing. The Bible says you are not your own.
You have been bought with a price. And God effectively puts his ID tag on you. Which means you are under his protection and the devil can read.
And he sees that ID tag and knows that he can do nothing in the life of the Christian without the express permission of God. So these servants of God in the tribulation period who have the seal are not affected by these demon powers. Third thing I want to say about demons that I have done. Demons flee at the name of Jesus Christ. They flee at the name of Jesus Christ. I remember that story that I already referenced about those demons that were in that man. And there was a lot of them.
Because they identified themselves as legion for they were many. They said don't send us to the bottom of this pit. So Jesus sent them into a herd of pigs. Poor pigs. And the pigs went over the side of a cliff and committed mass suicide. You might say.
It is the first case of deviled ham in history. The cliffs filled with demons went over the side of the cliff. But again they are begging us because they know the power of Christ. He was in control. Jesus is more powerful than the devil. Jesus is more powerful than any demon.
And He can help you overcome whatever struggle you are facing right now. Maybe it is an addiction. Maybe it is a lifestyle. You can't break free from it. You say there is no way out.
There is a way out. It is through Christ. You have to come to Him and say God I have tried to do this on my own and I have failed.
Help me. And He will help you. But you must call out to His name. The Bible tells us in Philippians 2. At the name of Jesus Christ every knee will bow and every tongue will confess.
Of things in the earth and things under the earth that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. Now with all of this horrible stuff happening. You would think people would be turning to God. You would think they would be repenting of their sin.
But sadly it is the very opposite. Revelation 9.20 says, But the rest of mankind who are not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands that they should not worship demons. A modern paraphrase of the verse I just read and a little beyond it puts it this way. The remaining men and women who weren't killed by these weapons went on their merry way. They didn't change their lives or their way of life. They didn't quit worshiping demons.
They didn't quit centering their lives around tablets and cell phones and social media. You say man that is a really modern translation. I put the last part in there. It is not in there. But here is what it actually says.
They didn't quit centering their lives around lumps of gold and silver and brass and hunks of stone and wood that couldn't see, hear, or move. I added that other part because I thought isn't that what these objects have become for some of us idols? You say well I don't worship it.
Don't you? You spend more time with that tablet or with that phone and any other thing. You are always looking down when you ought to be looking up more.
And all that information that you get online and in social media etcetera can be so destructive in your life. That verse continues on to say there wasn't a sign of a change of heart. They plunged right on with their murderous, occult, promiscuous, and thieving ways. That is the hardening power of sin. Coming back to Pharaoh.
Remember him with all the frogs and everything else? We just read that he kept hardening his heart. Even though he was seeing the miracles of God right in front of him his heart just got harder and harder. Ok. We have talked about a lot of hellish things. Let's close with some heavenly thoughts. This message is titled When All Hell Breaks Loose. Let's talk a little bit about when heaven breaks loose.
Let me loop back to something I read with you but we didn't talk about. Back to Revelation 8 verse 3. Another angel having a golden censer came and stood at the altar.
He was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all of the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne and the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended before God from the angel's hand. Question. What happens to our prayers when we offer them to God? Let me say this.
That all depends. Because not all prayers are offered to God. Do you know it is possible to pray and never have a single thought of God? Come on.
Let's be honest. Haven't you prayed? I know I have about something. Maybe I am in a group with other people praying and we are praying oh yes Lord do this and that. I am actually thinking about what I am going to have for lunch. I am completely disengaged or I am at church and I am worshipping but I am not thinking about that song that I am singing.
I am sort of judging the person one row in front of me and the outfit they are wearing or something else. So it is very possible to say our prayers and not pray. Jesus told the story of two men that went into the temple to pray. One was a tax collector, which basically is another way of saying he was a sinner. And then he was with a Pharisee. He was a very religious man. But Jesus said, King James Version, The Pharisee prayed thus with himself, God I thank you I am not like other men.
I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. And I am especially not as bad as this guy next to me. What a messed up prayer. Meanwhile the other man, the tax collector, the sinner, simply said, God be merciful to me a sinner. Jesus said, that man, the sinner, went down from there justified. Not the other man who prayed with himself. In other words his prayer never went any higher than the ceiling. But let's talk for a moment about those prayers that we offer to God and we don't get an answer.
Well don't we? Wait a second. Every prayer is effectively answered. Yes, no, and wait. Let me repeat that. Every prayer we offer to God is effectively answered with yes, no, or wait. You know remember when you were a kid and you were asked your mom for something or your dad, can we go do this?
Can you buy me that? And they would say yes, that's an answer. No, that's an answer. And the dreaded maybe. And so when we pray and we don't get a yes, we assume it's a no. But maybe it's actually a wait.
Duly noted for later. Zacharias was to be the father of John the Baptist. The reason he was surprised when the angel Gabriel came to him and told him his prayer was going to be answered is because number one he was a really old man and he didn't expect that he would be a father. And number two he had been praying this for 30 years. That's a long time to pray and not get an answer.
Long enough to conclude that the answer was no. But God was going to answer his prayer and listen to this. He was going to really answer it. In other words God was going to do exceedingly above and beyond that which old Zacharias could think or ask. Because he was not just going to be the father of a son. He was going to be a father of the greatest prophet of the Bible. The direct forerunner of Jesus.
He and his wife Elizabeth were going to be the parents of John the Baptist. So coming back to this story before us. We have prayers that are stored in heaven. As I said in an earlier message your prayers are in the cloud right. They are stored.
They are duly noted. They are in God's to do box. And even if you have forgotten about them God has not forgotten about them. So the answer to your prayer that you are praying now may come 30 years from today.
Then again it may come 30 days from today. And it may even come after you are gone and you are in heaven. You prayed for your grandchild's salvation.
Or you prayed for something else and that prayer may not even be answered in your lifetime. But it will ultimately be answered. So we need the big picture. We need to think of the eternal perspective in all things when we pray. To quote the great theologian Buzz Lightyear, it's to infinity and beyond.
Get the big picture. God hears your prayers. God notes your prayers. God does not forget your prayers. So keep praying. Closing thoughts of this message focused on prayer.
Number one. Never underestimate the power of prayer. When your prayers are in alignment with the will of God they are unstoppable. How do you get into an alignment with the will of God?
By looking at the Bible. Jesus says this. If you abide in me and my word is at home with you, you will ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.
A more expanded translation would say, Jesus speaking, if you maintain a living communion with me and my word is at home in your heart, whatever you ask for will immediately be yours. See, if you're maintaining a regular communion with Christ and talking to him and listening to him, and his word is at home in your heart, it's going to change what you pray for. And you're going to find yourself praying for what God wants. So keep praying. Keep persisting. Don't give up. Jesus said, ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened.
And there's an ascending intensity in those words. Ask, seek, knock. Ask, seek, knock means keep at it, don't give up.
Number two. About prayer. God's timing is not always our timing. God's timing is not always our timing. In Revelation 6 we read of the martyrs in heaven crying to God and asking them to bring judgment, saying, how long, O Lord, holy and true, until you avenge our blood. What does God say in response?
Wait just a bit longer. We've grown patient with the Lord. We're like kids on that long car ride saying to our parents, are we there yet? Are we there yet? And we might be saying to the Lord, are you going to answer this yet?
When are you going to come? Are we there yet? And the Lord would say just a little bit longer. Remember God's delays are not necessarily His denials.
Final point. Your prayers are not forgotten. They're not forgotten. Even if you've forgotten them, God has not and they are alive before God. Let me say this now in closing. Prayer is a privilege.
Prayer is something that is offered to the child of God because it's based on relationship. For instance if my wife calls me I'm going to pick that call up. Now she doesn't always pick my call up but I always take hers. If my son calls me I'm going to immediately answer that. If one of my grandkids calls me or texts me or comes up to me, whoever I'm talking to I'm going to stop the conversation and I'm going to talk to them.
Why? It's relationship. And in the same way when you're a child of God your Father in Heaven will hear your prayers. And you say, well aren't we all God's children? My answer may surprise you.
No. We're not all God's children. We're all created by God. We're all loved by God. But we're not all God's children. The way you become a child of God is by believing in Jesus Christ whom God has sent for your salvation. Who died on the cross and shed His blood for you and then rose again from the dead. You come to the Father through the Son. And the Bible says for as many as received Him He gave them the power to become sons of God.
What must I do to be a Christian? I must receive Him. My Bible here if I were offering it to you. Here take my super cool green Bible with ribbons coming out of the bottom. I want it you say.
Here you go. And you receive the gift. You accept the gift. The way you become a child of God is by receiving Christ into your life. You're not born a Christian. You must be born again to be a Christian. Jesus said you must be born again or literally born from above. It's a spiritual rebirth.
You say but how does that happen? Through prayer. It's when you come to God and say I need you.
We read that letter earlier about that lady who was driving from California to Oregon. And she was despondent and she was afraid. And she called out to God and He saved her. You can call out to God right now. The Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
So let me ask you a question. Do you want to go to heaven when you die? Do you want to be spared from this time we've been reading about called the Great Tribulation Period? Do you want to be ready for the Lord's return and be caught up together in the clouds with all believers? If so you need to pray and ask Christ to come into your life.
Yes He died on the cross and He rose from the dead. Now He stands at the door of your life and He knocks. And He says if you hear His voice and open the door He will come in. Would you like Jesus to come into your life? Would you like Him to forgive you of your sin?
Would you like to go to heaven when you die? If so stop what you're doing if you would please and pray this prayer with me. Pray this simple prayer. You can pray it out loud if you like. You can pray it in the quietness of your heart. But pray these words if you would right here right now.
Just pray. Lord Jesus I know that I am a sinner. But I know that You are the Savior who died on the cross for me. Come into my life Jesus. Forgive me of all of my sin.
Make me ready for Your return. Thank you for hearing this prayer. Thank you for answering this prayer. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Hey everybody Greg Laurie here. Thanks for listening to our podcast. And to learn more about Harvest Ministries please subscribe and consider supporting this show. Just go to harvest.org. And by the way if you want to find out how to come into a personal relationship with God go to knowgod.org. That's K-N-O-W-G-O-D dot org.
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