The Rapture & Revival: Preparing for the Second Coming

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, to find out how to know God personally go to know God.org K NOW know God.org it would you do me a favor sure this message was someone who needs to hear. We know Jesus and how soon. Pastor Grigori addresses the question to your new beginning. We were praying Jesus was in your timing a little bit of job. Maybe we were a little early but just one of the way we live. Consider this closer to the return of Jesus Christ that we are right now you Lord isn't really being slow about, some people know he's being patient for your sake he does not want anyone to be destroyed want everyone to some people accepted Christ yesterday and the rapture didn't happen the day before yesterday coming up on a new beginning for Greg Laurie helps us work all weekend about the rapture great event when were suddenly caught up to meet the Lord to grab your Bible adjourned the first Thessalonians chapter 4 first Thessalonians chapter 4 of my messages will Bible and the rapture. So were talking about the Jesus revolution you know in the day we call it the Jesus movement but either phrase is great because you know what it was about Jesus.

It wasn't called the God revolution. Though God did it. It wasn't called the Bible revolution that we read the Bible a lot and still do. It was called the Jesus revolution because it was about Jesus and sometimes in the church. We forget what our message is our message is Jesus Christ. What is a revolution.

Generally, we think of a revolution in negative sense that all people in the can be that. But this was a positive revolution word revolution also means churning around or a rotating or a Rick churning, just something that's a rip churning to something. What is that a return to it to return to New Testament Christianity it's a return to being like the church of the first century that turned their world upside down. That's what we call it a rope Bible to revive is to restore to original condition once someone has the great evangelist Billy Sunday about revival and he said they tell me revival is only temporary, said so is about what it will do you some good and some of you need to take up literally. I won't say who God but you know we need a revival. We need a bath if you will a cleansing of returning to something that God did many years ago, but the first century church. You know they rock the world. I was Giacomo Morgan who said, quote organized Christianity that fails to make a disturbance is dead. That's true everywhere. The apostle Paul was there was either a riot or a revival.

Sometimes I wonder if it's time to rescue Jesus from modern-day Christianity.

One person put it this way and I love it.

Revival is when God get so sick and tired of being misrepresented. He shows up himself and were similar to that again. And there were some earmarks of the Jesus movement of things that I remember a one of them was there was a sense of expectancy in the services. By the way, no one was ever late for church because if you were or you wouldn't get a seat and there was a sense that God is going to do something here in this service so we came with open hearts and with open Bibles and gets very important. The way we go to church that we come saying I want God to speak to me today. I'm open to that, and it was a move of the Holy Spirit, the Jesus movement was. It was the Holy Spirit of God working through the word of God in the hearts of the people of God.

It was a work that he did then and that the work he still wants to do today was one of the thing.

We talk a lot about back in those days and it was the return of Jesus Christ. But it was in a lot of messages in your single Greg was in your timing a little bit off what was up 45 years ago yeah maybe we were a little early but guess what it impacted us in the way that we live in. Consider this, we've never been closer to the return of Jesus Christ that we are right here right now he is coming back again. I still believe it and will get to see what the Bible says about what I believe is the next event on the prophetic calendar. It's called the rapture for that before some people would say we you can find the word rapture in the Bible all that's true in a way, but you can also not find the word Bible in the Bible nor can you find the word Trinity in the Bible and those are all things that we know are true. So let's understand what the rapture is there's a Greek word harp so that she is many times in Scripture.

This word harp also describes catching up of people into the presence of the Lord.

If you have a Latin translation it's translated rapturous when we get our English word rapture from so I don't care if you call it the rapture or puke all of the harp. Also they call it the great escape. If you want to. Whatever you call it, it's a real biblical event. Jesus said in John 14 and my father's house are many mansions that were not Joy would've told you if I go I will come again and receive you on the myself, that where I am, you may be also. That word received is harp.

Also, I'll catch you up into heaven, so it is a real event that is coming in on my understanding of Bible prophecy. It could happen at any moment looking at the big picture. I think the next event on the prophetic calendar is the rapture on the heels of that will be the emergence of a world leader who will be charismatic will be a great peacemaker come about with economic solutions when in reality the Bible says he will be the antichrist and the prefix anti-doesn't just mean against it also means instead up will come as a false Messiah. Some people think he is the Messiah will rebuild the third Temple in Jerusalem and then ultimately he will perform what is called the abomination of desolation where he erects an image of himself and commenced people to worship him that marks effectively the halfway point of the seven year tribulation. The tribulation period in the battles of Armageddon and then Christ comes back in the second coming and then there's the millennial reign of Jesus, and last for a thousand years and then finally heaven comes to earth. The new Jerusalem like a bride waiting to meet our group and some guys are saying I don't want to be a bride. You're a bride deal with it in the church for the bride of Christ that the Bible calls us so this moment this of been this rapture can happen at any time and that brings us to our text. First Thessalonians 416 the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first and then we which are alive and remaining will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

This phrase caught up is from the Greek word harp also. That word is used 13 times in the New Testament it means to take forcibly to snatch or to catch up.

So here's a few questions. Why is there a rapture will Paul gave this teaching and response of the believers in Thessalonica who had loved ones die and they wondered will we ever see our loved ones again.

So Paul is telling them you're going to be reunited with your loved ones affecting first Thessalonians 413. He says we don't want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have died so that you will not grieve as those who have no hope. Very important thing pulsing.

We don't want you to be uninformed, brother. So we talked about Bible prophecy that I bring this up because sometimes people say no one can understand these things and so it's just a waste of time to even try. No.

Why would Paul have said we don't want you to be uninformed warmed brothers. If God did not want us to know about the events that are coming coming back to that event. I mentioned the abomination of desolation.

Jesus referred to in Matthew 24 he says when you see the abomination of desolation.

Then he adds, let the reader understand we need to understand what these things mean in the book of Daniel and the 12 chapter. It is said that the things of Bible prophecy, the understanding of Bible prophecy will increase in the last days. One of the signs of the end times is one of a better understanding of what all of these things mean. We often talk about the book of Revelation. What is Revelation mean it means the unfailing. It is God's desire to reveal not to conceal and then Paul goes on to say, so comfort one another with these words. Why will because when a loved one dies. We missed many of you have loved ones in heaven right now, but Kathy and I do of course our son is there and our mothers are there and my father is there. So you know that that kinda connects you to heaven you think about it and you wonder about having conversations with them and what it will be like to be reunited. So this is what Paul is saying this is why this should comfort us.

He says will be caught up together to meet them in the air who loved ones or preceded us was talking with a dear saint the other day yesterday. Actually, she's 95 years old and she wanted to know when she dies.

You know what happens to her body and what happens to her spirit is able what happens when you die is your spirit goes into the presence of God in your body goes into the ground but out the rapture.

Your body is going to be resurrected, so your body will be resurrected in a perfected state. So that's when that all is going to happen. So this is this great hope no look. The rapture can happen in our lifetime, but we need to always be ready to meet the Lord. So we need to get to heaven through rapture you get to heaven through death cab or over. I don't care.

I'm just going to go to heaven. So the idea is to be ready and this brings comfort to you because you know you'll see your loved ones again. Imagine what it would be like to suddenly be reunited with the loved one. You'd been cut off from for so long to be in their presence. Again, husbands reunited with wives, wives reunited with husbands parents reunited with children. Children with parents, brothers or sisters sisters with brothers, friends with friends. That event is going to happen and it's a glorious events not so good for people that don't delete. Jesus said to mentor be in the field. One will be taken. The other lab. She will be sleeping in a bad one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore you don't know what our Lord is coming, and so this is kind of a scary thing, but there will be people that would be left to face the tribulation. Because they've not put their faith in Jesus Christ. When the rapture occurs. Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment. So many listeners commented on the encouragement they receive these daily messages like these posts on social media. Pastor Greg 20 years ago I gave my life to Jesus. After listening to you on the radio. God bless you always. Pastor Greg God bless you all from seeking Texas.

Thanks for being there for us if it wasn't for your ministry. Pastor Craig, I would have lost her. When my husband passed away last year. Thank you so much for all you do. Has Pastor Greg heard from you. If these daily studies God's word and encouraged one drop of the coming email him at great@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.org were talking about the rapture today. Pastor Greg is bringing a message called the rapture and revival part of his new series titled Jesus revolution. Let's listen when is the rapture.

All this is one the people of as for many years.

When is it will. Here's what Jesus says no one knows the day of the hour, not even the Angels nor the sun. Only the father to go back to the original language and translate that it would come out to say, no one knows the day or the hour and actually what it means is, no one knows the day or the hour.

What do I say that because every now and then someone comes along and they say I've cracked the code.

I know when the rapture is no they know no one knows the day of the hour. It could happen today, it could happen tonight to get happen tomorrow to get up in the month of the year in a decade. We don't know what will happen, but we want to watch and be ready, but I'll tell you this one it happens it will happen so quickly. You can even measure it in time were told over in first Corinthians 15 I tell you a mystery will not all sleep, but will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. The twinkling of an eye, not even the blinking of an eye. How long is the twinkling of an eye liner. No, it's from the Greek word at the most we get our English word Adam from it's something that's very small. I guess the twinkling would take as long as maybe it would take to say the word at the Molson. It's just that fast though some will say will all accept Christ from the rapture happens really very fast we see people get Rodrick Margie oh, that's way too long, Lord know to look know it's too late and you will be left behind if you don't want that to happen. So why is it important to believe that as well.

If I believe it and I really should've.

I believe the Bible, it will have an effect on me spiritually. In first John three it says he that has this hope purifies himself, even as he is pure. So far, really believe this is going to impact the decisions I make things that I do everything really. Someone once as the great evangelist DL Moody if you knew the Lord would return tonight. How would you spend the rest of the day.

Without hesitation he said I wouldn't do anything different than I do every day to this is the whole point. If I really believe this, how many of you believe Jesus could come back okay. If you believe that. Have you told anyone about Jesus. Do you know relatives, friends, others and need to hear this good news live every day as though it were the last date because one day it will be Martin Luther once said there are two days of my life there is this day and there's that day and that day he was referring to was a return of the Lord. So we want to be ready know why has Jesus not already come back. Well let me take a quick poll. How many of you have become a Christian since 1970.

You've accepted Christ since 1970 razor again. Okay, that's a lot of you I would even say a majority of you. We were pretty back in 1970 that Jesus would come back. Aren't you glad you didn't answer our prayer. It says in first Peter the Lord is not late as some men count lateness. He's long-suffering toward us.

Listen, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. The Lord is waiting for the final people to believe it's even possible that somewhere on this earth, possibly even in this service are watching somewhere is that final person the Lord is waiting for to get saved and then the rapture is going on but can you imagine if you knew who that person was, would you be tempted to apply pressure like dude, could you get saved like now so we can get out of here, but the Lord is waiting why because he loves us. He wants us to have a relationship with him. But here's our prayer.

When that day happens only the Lord knows what we want Jim to said at least one more spiritual awakening to America we need 1/5 awakening, I would be so bold as to say we even need a six and the seventh of the Lord.

Terry listen revival that can happen for you right here right now. We can talk about how the church needs revival, but you can just ask yourself the question, do you need revival.

Do I need revival what is revival, it's been restored to original condition no if you want to see a revival, you should do revival like things and that's were sort of doing here today were remembering things.

Things that happen before were saying do it again in the same way if you want to see revival in your life do revival like things in Revelation chapter 2 Jesus talks to the church and he says you know what I I know you guys are discerning in you work hard and you test those who say they are apostles and are not, but I have this against you, you left your first love. So remember therefore from where you have fallen into the first works quickly. Very interesting. He says you know you're doing a great job at there's a problem you've left your first love.

So first you should remember I would ask you to remember right now. Think back in your life. Some of you been a Christian for a while. Some of you. Not as long but was there a time in your life or you were stronger spiritually than you are now.

Was there a time in your life as a follower of Jesus where your passion was greater in the fire burned hotter than it is burning right now can't remember that it's a point of reference, no repentance, he says, remember from where you fall in the repent and it's interesting uses the phrase were you fallen to me think of falling away from the Lord is something dramatic all day abandon their faith and their doing all these horrible things don't yell that that the form of it.

But Jesus said if you plug your first love you fallen it sort of like a slow-motion fall start is dramatic but it still falling. Remember from where you will fall and then he says and do the first works quickly, so the 3Rs of revival. The 3R's of getting right with God.

I remember repent and repeat.

Go back and do those things again heard about a lady that wanted to divorce her husband, but she didn't want to just divorce him she wanted him to suffer so she went to an attorney and said what can I do what I divorce my husband to bring the most pain possible. The lawyer said evil laugh. He said I have the solution. He says for the next six months.

I want you to smother your husband with affection.

Tell them how wonderful he is, how responsible he is, how much you respect them how much you care for him and then at six months and with the divorce papers he will know it yet available because like visible, she said to she told her husband a much you love them how great he was.

How much he respected them how much she adored him and the lawyer calls at six months and says okay let's get this divorce going Jesus divorce were going on our second honeymoon.

So the point that she was doing what she should have been doing all along and in the same way if we want revival just do revival like thing if you want to restore a marriage that's failing goal bring the romance back in your marriage do the things you did in the beginning.

The same is true of your relationship with God, and I wonder if some of us need revival in our life. Look it can happen, which is a Lord I need to be restored to that original condition. I need to get back to that walk. I once had with you another. Some of you here that might've been around in the days of the Jesus movement that's great.

What a wonderful thing that was with this is now how is your relationship with God now are you walking with the Lord today and are you ready for his return now. All of this is a great opportunity to get right with God. If you want to be sure that you're ready to meet the Lord. If you want to be confident that you'll be ready to be caught up to meet him in the air you need to ask Jesus Christ to come in your life.

He died on the cross for you.

2000 years ago. He shed his blood for you. We paid the price for every sin you've ever committed. If you put your faith in him and asked him to forgive you. You can be confident your sin is forgiven and you can know for certain that you go to heaven when you die and you can also know for certain you'll be ready for the rapture.

You'll be rapture ready and if you are not sure if you are now.

There's an opportunity for you to make that commitment or recommitment to Christ.

Let's all pray together. Father I pray now for every person that is watching. If they don't know you, Jesus.

If they're not right with you. Help them to get right with you. We have in Jesus name I pray a glory important prayer and if you'd like to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg will help you do that in just a moment before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes if you missed any part of our study today you can catch up by going to our website harvest.org. The title is the Jesus revolution and evangelism order CD by dialing 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 and then we want to make available Pastor Greg's outstanding book called Jesus revolution.

The subtitle is how God transformed an unlikely generation, and how he can do it again today Pastor Greg, my son and his family used to live pretty close to some railroad tracks and trains came through quite a lot.

I noticed that you can feel the rumbling before the train gets there.

That's right, we ask you is there a revival coming down the tracks. Are you feeling some rumblings right now. My response would be tempted to hear the train to come in. It's common not study II pray so and I hope so because there's a lot of turmoil and trouble in our nation right now and if God doesn't step in. I don't know how were going to heal this nation of ours.

But God does give us a prescription for the healing of a nation from second Chronicles 714, which I've quoted before and I'm sure a quote again because God says of my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land. We need the Lord to heal the nation and we need to pray for a spiritual awakening.

The last great spiritual revival in the history of our nation was the Jesus movement, also called the Jesus revolution by the wait time magazine coined that phrase.

It was a revolution to change the church. It seems a nation I can tell you would change my life and the lives of thousands of other people, many of them young though it wasn't limited to young people. It was primarily a youth revival was since I was there I wanted to tell people what it was like someone asserted take you back in time and try to put you in that place. But then I have take away truth that I've written in this book that you can apply in the hope that you could have a spiritual awakening in your life or in your church or in your community and in our country, and indeed in our world. The Jesus movement was not confined to the shores of the United States. It spread around the planet and we need to see it happen again and know with all of our social media and instant communication, it would be so exciting to give some good news to people and send all this bad news in all of this fake news we need God. In America we need God in our lives.

We need to be returned to our original state, and I think sometimes we over spiritualize the word revival that she sees another word restoration. If I would've taken old beat up 57 Chevy sit around in a junkyard and restored to original condition. Get the engine running. Redo the upholstery given a new paint job, put it back out on the street gets take that as a beautifully restored car.

We want to see our nation restored.

We want to see our lives are stored. We need to see a revival.

Let's pray for that together and help you learn more about what God did in the last great spiritual awakening. I want to send you a copy of my book, simply titled Jesus revolution. I hope that it will inspire you to pray that you will have your own personal revival and I'll send you this book for your gift of any size whatever you send will be invested into this ministry so more people can hear the word of God and so more people can come to know Jesus Christ, so order your copy of Jesus, revolution, and we hope you will do that today we have a copy waiting for you will get it on its way to you just as soon as we hear from you a day. Don't forget to tell them that there's also a study guide that will send them along with a copy of Jesus revolution again for the gift of any size. That's right, it's a great tool to help you study these insights on a deeper level and even lead a small group study learn how your Bible study group or home fellowship group can help pave the way for the next great spiritual awakening, so we hope you'll send a generous gift today and that you'll ask for Jesus revolution along with the study guide. You can write a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We are here to take your call 24 seven at 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org Pastor Greg today you ramped up your message by talking about eternity yes. How can somebody listening know they're going to heaven. That's a great question and I guess we take it a step further. I know that is the most important question you can ask, how can a person know they're going to heaven.

Let me say at the outset, I believe I'm going to have an effect on think it a step further.

I know I'm going to have is a Greg is not kind of arrogant, not really, because I know this because God is made a promise to me and I've believed that promise. The Bible says we write these things to you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. I've believed on the name of the son of God. Thus, I know I'll go to heaven when I die is my question to you. Do you believe on the name of the son of God, is there any more important issue and that that I can think of one. So I like to lead you in a simple prayer and this is a prayer will you will be asking Jesus to forgive you of your sin and you'll be asking them to be your own Savior friend Lord.

It's a prayer. Only you can pray pray these words. If you would, Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner but I know that you are this Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose from the dead. Jesus come in the my life. I want to believe in you. I want to follow you.

I want this relationship with you.

Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin and rising again from the dead, and I think you that you've heard this prayer and I believe you've come into my life in Jesus name I pray, amen.

I want to help you grow in your faith. I want to help you grow spiritually. So I've a free gift for you. It's called the new believers grow packet what's in it know not a bag of seeds to plant in your backyard. I guess it's sort of a form of a bag of seeds because I want to sell some spiritual seed in your life to help you develop as a follower of Christ, so I'm of the send you a copy of the New Testament and the new living translation but it's a special edition that's called the new believers Bible and it's filled with notes that I wrote that will encourage you in this new commitment or recommitment you've made to Christ and there's some other materials in the new believers packet as well so order your copy today and I'm so glad I have this privilege today to lead you, and that prayer. God bless you. You've made the right decision. The decision to follow Jesus Christ. And here's how to get that new believers packet just writers 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 and click the words no Pastor Greg brings important insight on personal evangelism and the key role it plays in bringing the next great spiritual awakening toward culture. Tune in for a new beginning and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor greats free daily email devotions and harvest.org