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A Prayer for the Enemy The first statement Jesus made from the cross was, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). Maybe we would have understood it more if He had said, "Father, condemn them," or "Father, judge them." But the first thing Jesus said from the cross was a prayer for His enemies: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Jesus was practicing what He preached. Remember, in the Sermon on the Mount He said, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). And Jesus also was fulfilling a Messianic prophesy. Isaiah 53, written hundreds of years before Christ died, said that the Messiah would make intercession for the transgressors. And that is exactly what Jesus was doing. He was interceding for all the people who played a role in His death. Pilate himself knew Jesus was innocent. He said, "I find no fault in this Man" (Luke 23:4). But because he was so concerned about his career and position, he would not pardon Jesus and let Him go. The religious rulers knew that no legitimate charge could be brought against Christ. Even the Roman centurion at the cross said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:39). Judas Iscariot knew he had done wrong, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood" (Matthew 27:4). So Jesus was essentially saying, "Father, forgive them. They don't realize how bad this is. Forgive them, because they need forgiveness so desperately. Forgive them, for they have committed a sin that is beyond all comprehension. Forgive them, for they have done something that is beyond bad. Father, forgive them." When was the last time you prayed for your enemies? Summary sentence: Why should I pray for my enemies? But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Matthew 5:44 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu3k6Y5ggz3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wsuu7e8knvps

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God doesn't give you more than you can handle, He helps you handle what you've been given💗 #fixyourfocus #faithoverfear #trustinGodsplan #victoryinJesus #Godisfaithful https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu3gpTQADNw/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ejdvx26t87oz

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When Death Died The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:26) Steve Jobs, in a 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, had this to say about death: No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true. There is some truth to Jobs' statement. He is right when he says that death is the destination we all share, and no one has ever escaped it. However, I disagree with his statement that "Death is very likely the single best invention of Life." It is not the single best invention of Life. In fact, it is the worst. The Bible even tells us that death is not a friend. Death is an enemy: "The last enemy that will be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:26). Death was never a part of God's original plan. When He placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He told them to stay away from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. But once they ate of that forbidden fruit, sin entered the world. And along with sin came sickness and aging and, of course, death. But what was lost in that Garden was purchased at the cross of Calvary. Jesus came to die on the cross to buy back that which was lost. Death died when Christ rose. Summary sentence: Death had to die--it was never part of God's original plan! https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu1MvMiARl7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jen1hodwpwlk

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O Lord , You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord . You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from Your presence! If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the grave, You are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from You. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to You. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me! O God, if only You would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! They blaspheme You; Your enemies misuse Your name. O Lord , shouldn’t I hate those who hate You? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose You? Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for Your enemies are my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalms 139:1‭-‬24 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu1GkEdgQ9t/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=14y8z6o5k7cvt

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Daily Devotions with Greg Laurie 💞 What Amazes Me I find it amazing how people reject Jesus Christ without even taking time to consider His claims. Talk to someone about the Christian faith, and they sometimes will say, "Well, I am not into that. I don't believe that." "Well, have you ever read the Bible? "No." "I actually have a Bible here right now. Would you--" "Put that thing away!" Bring up the name of Jesus or the fact that you are a Christian, and it often will stop a conversation cold. A while ago, I was visiting a city for some meetings in preparation for a Harvest Crusade. As I was walking around, I decided to stop at a place for some clam chowder. The guy who had taken my order was very sociable and chatty, so as we were talking, I said, "Hey, I was wondering if I could put up one of these flyers? We are holding this event." Then I handed him a flyer for our crusade. He read it and said, "Wait . . . wait . . . that is a Christian band." I said, "Yeah, it is a Christian band. It's a Christian event. We are here to talk about Jesus Christ and how to come into a relationship with Him." This guy came unhinged. I just listened to him. I didn't interrupt. I just let him go for a while as he told me why he did not believe in the gospel, the Bible, and so forth. Then I asked him what he believed in, and we talked a little more. And here is what I have found. Christians are accused of being intolerant, yet I find that is actually not the case. Instead, I have found that the most intolerant people are those who talk the most about being tolerant. Summary sentence: Have you found that the most intolerant people are those who talk the most about being tolerant. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. John 3:19 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/BuycTLsAu6G/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1mbp763ey8d38

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Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord . Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with ALL their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with Your commands. As I learn Your righteous regulations, I will thank You by living as I should! I will obey Your decrees. Please don’t give up on me! Psalms 119:1‭-‬8 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/BuyagsygK4A/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rjpwoecs76gv

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Daily Devotions with Greg Laurie 💞 The Best Is Yet to Come Maybe you sometimes feel the way Peter did. Speaking on behalf of the disciples, he said to Jesus, "We've given up everything to follow you. What will we get?" (Matthew 19:27). Jesus replied, "And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then" (verses 29-30). You might say, "Well, Greg, I have given up some things to follow Jesus. So where is the substantial return?" That is coming later. Here is the thing you have to acknowledge. Whatever you have given up, hasn't God made it up to you? You gave up a few friends. Hasn't He given you better friends in their place? You have given up so-called pleasures. But in retrospect, you realize now they weren't pleasures at all, but addictions--and destructive ones at that. You have seen how your life has changed, and God has already made it up to you. Even so, the best is yet to come. Because when we go to heaven, we will have rewards waiting for us. Then heaven comes to Earth, and we will have the millennial reign of Christ. Then ultimately, we will have the rule and reign of Christ on the Earth in the new kingdom, and we will be a part of that. We will be ruling and reigning with Him then. And that statement of our Lord in response to Peter's question will be fulfilled then. So whatever you have given up--or whatever you are giving up--will be more than made up to you. Summary sentence: Whatever you give up, will be more than made up to you by Christ. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. Matthew 19:30 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/Buv-dcQgqm-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1m2nk0w4dsap4

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“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord . “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord ’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of His power and love.” Isaiah 55:8‭-‬13 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/Buv83rigeA3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=iid70dq62aqa

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Daily Devotions with Greg Laurie 💞 More Important than God? If you have ever planted a seed and watched weeds grow around it, then you know that weeds don't suddenly lunge out of the ground and start violently shaking the plant. It is a gradual process--so gradual that you wouldn't even be able to see it if you were watching. But if you were to place a camera by the plant and set it on time lapse, you would see the weed in action, strangling the plant in slow motion. Jesus told a parable about seed that fell on different types of soil. The seed that had been scattered on ground that was imbedded with weeds was choked out as it began to grow. Jesus explained, "The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced" (Matthew 13:22). There are some people who reject Christ for no good reason--just excuses. For some, it may be a concern over their career. They have a living to make. They have responsibilities. They have things to do. And sometimes those things can be more important to them than God. Others will choose people over Jesus. Peer pressure doesn't end with high school; we still care about what people think. We still want people to like us. We want them to approve of us. And sometimes we make the worst compromises imaginable out of fear of what others think. Peter denied Jesus for fear of what a complete stranger thought of him. But if you give up some friends or a position or some pleasures or any other thing for the sake of Christ, know this: God will more than make it up to you. Summary sentence: What is more important to you than God? Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 1 John 2:15 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/ButRqyrgB_8/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=zkayew2r7dze

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Daily Devotions with Greg Laurie 💞 The "Right Time" Is Now Though she was raised in a Christian home, my mother rebelled against God for most of her life. And whenever we got into any serious discussion about life or its meaning or the afterlife or God, she would always say, "I don't want to talk about it." One day, she was very ill, and I felt especially impressed to go and have a conversation with her. So I went to see her. I said, "I want to talk to you about your soul, and I want to talk to you about the meaning of life and what happens after we die." And she replied, "I don't want to talk about it." "Today we are going to talk about it," I said. And we talked. The result of that conversation was that she made a recommitment to the Lord. She died a month later. I am so glad we had that conversation, although it was not an easy one to have. A few years passed, and I got word that her husband Bill was very ill, and I was asked to go see him. I was getting ready to leave for a speaking engagement, so I planned to visit him the next day. But again, I felt impressed by the Lord to go see him right away. We had a candid discussion, and I once again presented the gospel. Bill said he wanted to put his faith in Christ, so we prayed together as he committed his life to Him. I caught my plane, and when I landed, I received a text that Bill had died. I know it is awkward and difficult to broach these subjects with unbelievers--especially family members. But you have to do what is right. And you will be glad you did. Summary sentence: It can be awkward to talk about salvation with an unbelieving loved one, but trust God and share the truth with them. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/Buq5p2ygpNk/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=16kvm9xbmb1tn

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That is why the Lord says, “Turn to Me now, while there is time. Give Me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Joel 2:12 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/Buq4ilPA07J/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3hovv3wq2jtw

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Daily Devotions with Greg Laurie 💞 The Son Question The conventional wisdom about what happens when you die is that you will stand before God, and if you did enough good works that outweighed your bad works, then you get into heaven, because heaven is for good people. And good people go to heaven. Then the other belief is that if you have done enough bad things that outweigh your good works, then you will go to hell, because hell is for bad people. Heaven is for good people who get in by good works, while hell is for bad people who do bad things. But that is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that hell is prepared for the devil and his angels (see Matthew 25:41); it isn't prepared for bad people at all. Heaven is the dwelling place of God, and the way you get into heaven is on the basis of what you did with Jesus. What God will want to know is did you believe in Jesus Christ? Even if you have lived a wicked life and sinned throughout all of it, if on your deathbed you were to call out to the Lord Jesus Christ in genuine repentance, you would go to heaven. But if you lived a good life and have been a relatively moral person and have done good deeds, but you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ, then you would not go to heaven. And by the way, your good works never would outweigh your bad works. So be thankful that is not what you will be judged for. The assurance that we will go to heaven is not as our culture often sees it, but this is as the Bible teaches it. It is the Son question--not the sin question. Summary sentence: Who goes to heaven? For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts of the Apostles 4:11‭-‬12 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/BuotxNEAGCy/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=js7f9m5riwsx

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“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with Me on My throne, just as I was victorious and sat with My Father on His throne. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:20‭-‬22 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/BuosFVUAV5K/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=dbd52ovaxyu

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Daily Devotions with Greg Laurie 💞 The Way Back I find it interesting that when Peter encountered the risen Christ, Jesus asked him the same question three times. How many times did Peter deny the Lord? Three. And three times Jesus asked him, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me . . . ?" (John 21:15-17). The former Peter would have said, "Do I love You? No one loves You like I do, Jesus." But the new-and-improved, repentant Peter said, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You" (verses 15-17). Jesus used the Greek word agape for love the first two times, while Peter used a different word, phileo. Agape carries the meaning of intense, complete, devoted, sacrificial love, while phileo refers to love as in friendship. So Peter was essentially saying, "Well, Lord, all I can commit to right now is that I like You like a friend." I wouldn't criticize Peter for that. It was an honest assessment of where he was. Don't ever boast of how much you love Jesus; boast of how much Jesus loves you. Our love is fickle. It runs hot and cold. But God's love for us never changes. It is always there. That is why John the apostle referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." That was not arrogant. John was saying that he knew Jesus loved him. And you need to know that Jesus loves you, even if you have fallen away from Him. Maybe you have messed up. Maybe you are in a backslidden state. The way to get right with God is to return to Him. He says in Jeremiah 3:22, "Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." So remember where you were. Return and repent of your sin. And then start living as God wants you to live. Summary sentence: The way to get right with God is to return to Him. If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9‭, ‬13 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/Bul-xJkgne9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ry10anf9qwef

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We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn’t live to please Himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:1‭-‬4 NLT https://www.instagram.com/p/Bul77QSAxEV/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=193tk4mrwa7cu

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Undercover Christians Have you ever tried to be an undercover Christian? That is what happened to Peter. He was trying to blend into the woodwork. He had been following Jesus at a distance and became cold, so he was attracted to the warmth of the enemy's fire. At this point, Peter was worn down, defeated, weak, and vulnerable. Why was he even in the high priest's courtyard? According to Matthew 26:58, "he went in and sat with the servants to see the end." Peter had forgotten all that Jesus had said about His resurrection from the dead. Now he was just waiting for the end--the end of Jesus' life . . . the end of his dream . . . the end of everything he held dear. But it was not the end. It would be a new beginning. Here was Peter's problem: he was in the wrong place with the wrong people, about to do the wrong thing. And when that passion in our heart begins to die, the fire we had for Christ will grow cold, and we will look elsewhere for warmth. The Bible tells us, 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. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. (Psalm 1:1-3) When you hang out with the wrong people at the wrong place at the wrong time, then it is only a matter of time until you do the wrong thing. Summary sentence: Following Christ at a distance can cause you to be attracted to the enemy's campfire https://www.instagram.com/p/Bui8SIGgPpr/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=sibvvsetnj05