Bringing Christ into Your Crisis

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, you want to hear from you.

Would you consider emailing me you can reach me at greg@harvest.org again that's Greg harvest.org and you can also make me one of your friends on Facebook and drop me a comment as a running on the wall right now on our new site are newspapers, our television screens is that coronavirus assigned the end times.

We certainly seen plenty of stress. Pastor Greg Laurie addresses the possible spiritual over 19.

The Bible tells us in the last days there will be an increase of plagues and pestilence for what we might call so these are for shocks telling us to wake up and is spread aboard by surprise. He knew it was coming years. A plan for what he can do in the midst of times of great pressure is often times when people listen for God's voice most carefully today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie hope to see how we can bring right into your crisis. That's the name of the new book will tell you more about today's program like your long note covert, 19 is like a storm. It's a national storm. It's an international storm and that's discouraging isn't it. But here's the thing you need to remember storms of a beginning, middle and an end where we are in the storm. I don't know you know when I'm out walking with my wife Jeffrey for character.

As you saw earlier when we were talking LLC door it's starting to rain. Chelsea noted that there is no rain, they know it's starting to rain so say how would you know that I say all men always known it's raining first right because we were aware then you know yes it's a storm. It's rainy, but the storm is going to win. But here's the question I want to ask of you right now. Are you willing to invite Christ into your crisis. Are you willing to look for him in the storm. There's a story in the Gospel of Mark where the disciples were out at sea, a massive storm came they thought they were going to die and who do they see walking toward them but it's Jesus they freak out and they say it's a ghost and here's the interesting thing I think sometimes we miss in the account in Mark chapter 6 we read these words. As this was happening.

He was intending to go past them.

Picture the scene here. The disciples in a storm tossed boat here comes Jesus is walking on the water. You can do stuff like that when you're God, and he would walk right past them. Why wasn't he walking right to them because he wanted them to invite them into their boat in the middle of the store.

So here's Jesus will enter into your panic.

Here's Jesus: a written to your crisis here is Christ the letter into your storm will you invite him and will the disciples did any stop the storm and we need to pray that the Lord will turn back.

This powerful virus we need to pay careful attention only board a plane and they go to the safety of directions and so forth. You nose if we have an engine go out or we lose altitude you to put the mask on yourself first and then in your child and your flotation device is under your seat and the exit doors are like this, they can adjust her like that right okay I don't usually pay attention to you, but let's just say that they went to the safety test like they normally do, and then a little bit later in the flight. The captain came over the intercom and said ladies and gentlemen, we've lost two of four engines really go over our safety precautions again would you listen the second time, I think you would why because your life depends upon it. We need to listen to what God has to say. So I went to speak to you from the Bible. This is the only source you can trust.

This is God's very word to you. I want to tell you Bible story and it's found in the book of Daniel over in the chapter. It's a story of Belshazzar ever heard the expression, the writing on the wall did happen with Belshazzar was King.

This is a story of a man that went out on his way to openly mock God and because of that he saw the writing on the wall the hand of the Lord wrote on the wall of his palace and the words were many many tickle you parson which translates all too human way that God's balances human, lacking a loose paraphrase, you're a lightweight man knows spiritual death in your life whatsoever. The writing is on the wall is a writing on the wall right now on our new sites are newspapers, our television screens is that coronavirus assigned of the end times.

Let me answer that with one word. Yes, it is, I believe it is a sign of the end times. Why will in the all of the discourse as it sometimes called Matthew 24.

Also in Luke 21 Jesus answers the question of the disciples will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age and here's his response. He said in Luke 21, they shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Listen to great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences, and that we fearful sights and great signs from heaven were using the word pandemic a lot pandemic is just a modern word for pestilence and 42 times in the Bible we see the word pestilence and its mention many other times is the word plague so plagues and pestilences interchangeable words.

Always speaking of divine judgment. The Bible tells us in the last days there will be an increase of war will be an increase of conflict will be an increase of earthquakes in the be an increase of plagues, pestilence are what we might call a pandemic.

There's coming to time to planet Earth called the great tribulation. That will last for seven years will be inaugurated with the revealing of the Antichrist and will end with the return of Jesus Christ. These events crisis, alluding to in Matthew 24 are pointing to that. So here's what I'm trying to say or not in the tribulation. Yet this toughest, but here's what Jesus did say he said, sort of like a woman getting ready to give birth to a child.

Her labor pains get closer together when you see these signs getting closer together. You know, my commune is there, were seen one of bed after another event in closer proximity.

So these are for shocks of Armageddon labor pains if you will, telling us to wake up Jesus said when you see these things begin to happen freak out because you're dead in the water, no I didn't say that is what he did say when you see these things begin to happen.

Look up for your redemption is drawing near.

These are reminders that Jesus is coming back again. So back to Belshazzar.

He was a boy king. His grandfather was Nebuchadnezzar who actually became a believer.

Toward the end of his life, but apparently that legacy of faith was not passed on to his son and then to his grandson Belshazzar.

So as a story opens in the book of Daniel we see Belshazzar the boy king went out of his way to insult God, never a good idea.

We read in Daniel chapter 5 Qingdao cells are give a great feast up for thousand of those lords and they drink wine and while he was drinking the wine, he said let's bring in the gold and silver cups that the Jews used for their worship of God and he filled these cups with wine and they toasted their gods of silver in their gods of gold.

So basically they're toasting all of their false gods and as they praise their idols. They saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the wall in the king's palace near the lampstand and the king saw the hand of the road and he turned pale with bright can I love this part.

The Bible says his knees knock together, and his legs gave way and needs him to hear he is having a big party not paying attention to the writing on the wall. Other people are doing that people think they can just disobey what the Bible says without any repercussions. Listen when the Bible told you not to do something.

It's not to make your life miserable is to protect you think of the standards and truths and laws of Scripture as the bars of the cage to keep your enemy out not as prison bars to keep you in there for your own protection. Years ago, there's a little bird that landed in my backyard cute little brightly colored bird and I saw my dog looking out at wanting to eat it, and so II stooped down and I put on my finger and that little bird jumped right in my finger so I walking to the kitchen and he whispered to my finger.

I said Kathy it's my wife to look right front of the backyard. This beautiful little bird and obviously he was someone's pet so my son Jonathan said he knew of a kid up the street that had a bird that died Medicaid so he brought the cage and we open the door the cage and the bird jumped Friday and he was so happy to be in that cage because he didn't see that as a key to keeping him confined. He saw it as all the production keeping my dog out, God gives us these truths from good but yet we break these laws and we face the consequences.

Teen Vogue and messaging app. Snapchat are telling teams to create pornography. They said like anything else.

16 takes practice and then they give seven tips on things you need to know about sexy you kidding me. People are dying and their teaching people how to set this is insane. We need to pay attention to what the Lord is saying, well, Belshazzar wasn't doing that they called in as astrologers in all of the other guys who are supposed to advise them, and nobody had anything of any help, and then his grandmother shows up the Queen and she told her grandson about a prophet named Daniel. You know Belshazzar didn't even know about Daniel adenylate advises grandfather and a been a great influence on the kingdom of Babylon so they bring in Daniel.

He's 90 years old.

He's been off the grid for a long time when all social media wasn't talking to anyone, he summoned back in action and is ready to rock the misty award you were a little bit older, you might say well I don't have anything to offer right now you have more to offer than you realize there's a young generation the needs to hear about your relationship with God and what Christ is done for you, and you can be a voice of reason and comfort and assurance for them right now.

Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment we hear stories from listeners who experience tough times but also found a hole through the ministry of harvest chair ended in darkness and gloom has been an island far away from God is congenitally closer to him and I can even imagine we read dedicated our lives back to God through Harvest at Home. We returned particles and I think God for your ministry.

It's so encouraging to hear the change lives through Harvest at Home experience harvest home for yourself@harvest.org if you have a story to tell of how these studies have touched your life with that of a family member. I hope you'll connect with us today. Call or special number 1-866-871-1144. That's 866H711144 were looking at a familiar Old Testament story today in the book of Daniel as Pastor Greg presents his message called bringing Christ into your crisis. Let's continue.

So Daniels brought into the court. He looks at the writing on the wall is again this is not good news. He says okay. Basically what it thinking is you been way and God's balances and you have been found lacking in the Daniel says in Daniel 522.

You knew all this, but you've not humbled yourself.

You knew these things were true, but you ignored the menu heard the gospel before you say what you mean by gospel and that we throw the word around a lot. Let me to find it for you.

Simple definition of the phrase gospel. The word gospel is just good news, good news.

We give you some good news right now could really is a lot of bad news. Every time you turn on the news. It seems like things are getting worse.

I have good news and a bad world right now for you. The good news is there's a God in heaven who loves the good news is you can be forgiven of all of your sins. The good news is you can find the meaning and purpose of life and, most importantly, the good news is is you can know with certainty that you will go to heaven when you die, let me ask you that question if you were to die would you go to heaven. People are afraid.

What if I got the coronavirus and I will look even if you don't get the coronavirus and most people won't, by the way, you're still going to die.

The statistics on death are very impressive one out of every one persons will die. Are you prepared for death. Are you ready for the afterlife. There is an afterlife and there is the hope of heaven to the person who puts their faith in Jesus Christ and in a few moments, to tell you how to do that how you can be forgiven of your sin. It's good news. And so Daniel gives the news to the king.

He says this is not good you been waiting God's balances and you been found lacking in the king's very excited thank you for interpreting this writing on the wall and so the Bible says he gave him a gold chain to put around his neck. All great Daniel savanna really need a gold chain right now. Keep your blinking, and then we read these ominous words that very night king Belshazzar.

The Babylonian king was killed.

It was too late. Belshazzar he had his moment, but he went out of his way to mock God hears of the Bible says don't be deceived, God is not mocked whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap. If you sort of the flesh, you'll reap corruption, but if you sort of the spirit your reap life everlasting. Have you been a mocker of God maybe watch Christian television to make fun of the people on it. What a joke.

These people are. You think to yourself, are we really were just people just like you people that saw our need for a Savior.

People are called out to God, you know, when I was a kid I used to look at Christians and I thought there were collectively crazy and I used to make fun of them, but then one day I sat far enough from one of their little meetings they had little Bible study on the front lawn of my high school and I started eavesdropped on their conversation, and though I hadn't joined them I was listening then and I was looking at them in their smiling and singing songs about God and I thought these people are so lame that there there so out of it there so weird. And then a new thought entered my mind. They are happy, darn thing that another thought entered my mind.

What if the right. I quickly dismissed it.

Of course, are not right, there's a way that's true there's no way that you can have Christ, live inside of you will be forgiven of your sin. That's not going to happen.

But then I looked at him at that.

But what if it's true, and a guy got up to speak that day and I don't remember most of what he said but I remember one statement that hit me like a lightning bolt from heaven he said Jesus said to be there for me or against me and I looked at those Christians and that the will and not one of them is that mean that I'm against God.

I didn't want to be against God. Then he said he wanted Jesus to come in your life. Get up and walk forward right now and a few kids got up and walked up there and I hung my head and I thought there's no way I could ever do that. And guess what. Next thing I knew I was there praying that was the day Christ came into my life. I was 17 years old. It was 1970 and I've never regretted that decision, not even for a moment. Belshazzar missed his moment. He was too busy mocking God.

Don't miss your moment. This is your moment right now to read the writing on the wall if you will to pay attention to what's happening around you and this is the moment for you to get right with God to sell Greg. It will work for me. I've made so many mistakes have been so many things wrong. Well, that may be true, but God give second chances and third chances, and fourth chances improve chances and even more, but you must come to him and you must believe. So we just read about how God rolled on the wall of the king's palace in the book of Daniel. There's another time that God wrote it's actually the gospel story of when Jesus wrote in the sand member. The woman she was caught in the very act of adultery.

They grabbed her they threw her in front of Jesus and there were ready, the stoner they said the law says she should be stoned what you say Jesus looks around and says let him that is without sin cast the first out and then he stooped down and he wrote in the sin, then he stood up.

The Bible says they left from the oldest to the youngest so there's a connection between what he wrote in the sand and them leaving. What have the right, I don't know maybe who wrote the name of each one looked at him wrote down the sin they were committing to clear the room so here is this woman trembling, afraid what's coming up in the hurt she's thinking and then he turns of the woman says, woman, where are your accusers.

It's interesting he uses the word woman. It's a word that speaks of respect we might say today lady or man. A respectful term she'd been called a lot of things will probably never have been called a lady lady man where your accusers. She says I have none. Lord, he says neither do Y condemn you go and sin no more. See if when God wrote in the sand, God rolled on the wall that told Nebuchadnezzar that his days were limited number.

God wrote in the sand and cleared the room and give forgiveness. There's another time God wrote it was on tablets of stone we call of the 10 Commandments another's commandments. He wrote you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not take my name in vain. You shall not lie.

You shall not steal.

You shall not covet. As we look at those commandments to realize when I fallen short broken those commandments, but I'm still a pretty good person.

Maybe that's true but you're not good enough to get to heaven. Everyone of us have broken God's commandments. But here's the good news.

You can be forgiven of your sin. This is why Jesus came not to save good people, but to save lost people. He came to die on the cross in our place because were separated from God. Granted, some of committed more sins than others, but God doesn't grade on the curve.

One sin is enough to keep you out of heaven. Bible says if you offend in one point of the law, you're guilty of all of it, but Christ died on the cross in your place and if you will turn from your sin and put your faith in him, you can be forgiven. Have you ever done that before. If not, why don't you doing right now and if you'd like to make a change today in a relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg will help you in just a moment before we wrap up today here on a new beginning. If you weren't able to hear the whole presentation today from Pastor Greg you can go online for replay. Just go to harvest.org and look for the title bringing Christ into your crisis or request a CD by calling 1-800-821-3300 1-800-821-3300 now. Pastor Greg has a brand-new book by the same title. It's full of practical help for the stressful times and you can find out more about this new resource by going to store.harvest.org.

Just search for bringing Christ into your crisis yesterday. I can probably count on one hand the movies I've seen that I'd go out of my way to see again. You know, and three of those on that list were produced by our friends the Irwin brothers, namely Woodlawn, I can only imagine, and their newest one.

I still believe yes now we May 1 two available to our listeners sometime back and we're so happy to be making the third one available right now. We really are.

Dave and as you said, it's called I still believe that you know unfortunately was only in the theaters for like one weekend because then the coronavirus head, but now it's out on DVD and I'm telling you if you miss this film because the theaters shut down in your backyard. You can have this film and show it in your home show it dear friend show it to your neighbors.

I want to tell you something it is that fantastic film featuring amazing performances by KJ Apple, who plays the role of Jeremy Camp and Britt Robertson and Shania Twain and Gary Sinise expertly directed by the Irwin brothers powerful story. I can almost guarantee it will move you to tears, but it's a story of hope. It's a story of redemption.

You're gonna love it however takes us to a person's name is changed I would anchor I want to get you a copy of. I still believe DVD as quickly as possible and we will make this film available to you for your gift of any size whatever you can give will be used to continue to bring our message of hope our message of the gospel. Our message of Jesus to our nation, and indeed our world so don't wait immediately order your own copy of the I still believe DVD yet. This is such a pivotal time to share the gospel.

People are looking for hope, looking for answers. Pastor Greg is so effective at pointing people to the hope found in God's word. We hope you'll help his message reach even further by way of your support and when you send your donation asked for this outstanding film on DVD again is called.

I still believe you can write us at a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org will Pastor Greg.

You mentioned how someone could become a Christian. With just a simple prayer yeah maybe somebody would like to do that right now. Could you help them with that. Sure, I'd love to a simple prayers right affect. I would like to just pray a prayer and I would ask you to pray it after me right now. Pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner but I also know that you are the Savior because you died in the cross for my sin and he rose again from the dead. Jesus come in the my life and forgive me of every sin I've ever committed. I choose to follow you from this moment forward.

Thank you for hearing this prayer. Thank you for answering this prayer Lord, and I pray all of this in Jesus name, amen. If you just pray that prayer and meant to a one to the know on the authority of Scripture God Almighty has heard your prayer, and he will answer this prayer. You are now a newly minted child of God.

So congratulations, you've made the right decision and welcome to the family of God. I want to send you a special gift because of that prayer. You've just pray it's called the new believers growth packet and then it is a copy of the New Testament in a very understandable translation called the new living translation. It also is filled with hundreds of notes that I wrote that will encourage you in this commitment you made to follow Christ and there's some other outstanding materials in this little packet. I'll send you as well so order your copy today and let me be the first to see the you congratulations and welcome to the family of God and to get that new believers growth packet just get in touch and will be glad to send it right out to you. You can write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click the words know God was next time Pastor Greg launches a fascinating look into the life of Moses is a series called water fire stone sure to join us again next time you beginning to possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor greats free daily email, devotions@harvest.org