What Is the Mark of the Beast? | Sunday Message

Everybody Greg Laurie here.

You're listening to the Greg Laurie Podcast and my objective is to deliver hopefully compelling practical insights and 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 were going to the book of Revelation together in the title of my message is what is the mark of the beast. So I went to the market the other day and about a few groceries and as I was leaving they had a nice little flower section and I was looking around at different flowers and I usually get my wife Orcutt. She favors those but then I saw something I rarely see they had tulips. In fact, these are the tulips I bought for her and I thought one of those are beautiful so I paid for them and they cost a little more than I thought they should. But they were so impressive that it got to give her these tulips and those I'm walking to my car am looking at them, saying one, a marvel of God's creation there so perfectly. They almost look fake. I can't believe the things I got Allman and I put them in this little jar here and I put some water in night one of the cut the stems. You know, and so I get a knife out there not cutting together more stronger knife out still. Like I thought wow I didn't know tulips had stems that were so tough, so I can think I'm some a little later and I said I got you some tulips and so then she went to cut the stems and she said Greg these tulips you bought me are fake.

I bought my wife think tulips so I have a real tulips here for comparison.

But, for they do look a lot like the real one, so this is a real tulips care in this is a fake tool of the white one is real the green one is take a look how close they are.

I don't know that you could really tell the difference if you didn't know better.

Okay, so what are we talking about flowers you're asking. I have annoyed. I just want to try that story. No, seriously, there is coming a world leader on the scene is going to be for lack of a better description of fake Christ of phony Jesus he's called the anti-Christ, the prefix anti-not only means against and he will be against Christ and his followers, but it also means instead up.

Jesus said in the last days there will come those that will saying I am Christ and that's exactly what this man will do what he's a pretender and we all know his number don't we its 666 more people probably know that number from the Bible. Then John 316 says for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son and whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

But we don't know that.

But we know 666 would get nervous about that number.

If it's in your Social Security number. Maybe you want to change it if they give you a new phone number and has 666. I don't know if I want the number we know that number is connected to evil. We know that it points to something ominous and indeed it does. The Bible teaches that there is coming this charismatic world leader the Antichrist, who will introduce a cashless society, requiring everyone to take a mark.

No one will be able to buy or sell or engage in any kind of commerce without the mark of the beast and by the way, this may be one of the most intriguing issues and all of the Bible there's been more speculation more sensationalism more silliness about this topic than any of the other last days events.

Now maybe 10 years ago. If I was teaching others. I would illustrate with some things I read in the news about how close we are to this mark but I don't even need to do that anymore. Do I we all know that the text is pretty much here where we could be identified by a mark we read of microchips being implanted in patents and now in some cases even in humans. I just saw a video for a well-known website where they're saying you don't need a wallet anymore you can just scan your hand or wave your hand and make your purchase site.

I hear that Elon musk of the creator of Tesla and space X has implanted a little chip into the brain of a chimpanzee and I saw chimpanzee playing a videogame with this artificial intelligence added so clearly we can see this attached is already here.

Think about this. The Bible predicted this technology that the antichrist will harness and use for evil purposes. 2000 years ago. John is on an island in the middle of nowhere in the Lord gives to him what we call the Revelation, which is the unveiling of the eternal, the unveiling of the future. At this time there were no computers or tablets or smart phones. This was the age of of spears and stones and would I this was incredible that John would have this kind of insight and by the way, that's why you can believe the Bible is the one book that dares to predict the future, not once, not twice, but hundreds of times with one hundred percent accuracy. Okay, so let's read that passage that refers to the mark of the beast. Revelation 13 verse 16 says he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right can run their foreheads and no one can buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name here is wisdom led him to this understanding calculate the number of the beast forward is the number of a man and his number is 666 so God is predicted the future has, by the way that's not risky for the Lord and it wouldn't be any more risky for God to predict the future. Then for you to tell me what you had for dinner last night.

I hope you can remember what you had. And some of the Lord speaks of the future. It's easy wife because God lives in the eternal realm. So everything is in a continuing to him.

So when he says this will happen.

He knows what will happen exactly as he says it will. I love this passage.

Isaiah 46 verse nine, the Lord says do not forget the things that I've done through history, for I am God.

I alone I am God and there is no one else like me only I can tell you what is going to happen before it happens. Everything I plan will come the past, for I do whatever I wish. How true is that. So the Lord is told us this is coming we know it will, but we don't know when it will happen exactly you know there's a lot of speculations and I mentioned recently. Conspiracy theories that people come up with about the antichrist trying to identify him, which is a bad idea and it's futile and trying to figure what the mark of the beast might be now because of the coronavirus we have the vaccines that are available to the public in a more than one occasion. I've read articles about is the vaccine the mark of the beast.

If you take the vaccine.

Are you indeed taking the mark of the beast so I'm an answer that. Right now, to the best of my ability. The answer is no.

It is not the mark of the beast.

No one's going to take the mark of the beast accidentally because in fact is we study Scripture, we realize it's not just taking the mark on your right hand or forget. It's a pledge of allegiance to the Antichrist himself. No one is going to take it by accident and by the way, the antichrist will not be revealed until the rapture of the church. So if you know who the antichrist is and you think you know what the mark of the beast is, congratulations, you miss the rapture not being facetious, of course, because we don't know. So the point is its pointless to try to identify antichrist or even the mark that he will use. Let me summarize the mark of the beast is future.pastor even present yet the mark is an visible literal brand of sorts. The mark will be given as a sign of devotion to antichrist and is a passport to commerce and here's the thing you'll know it when you're getting that there is even an angel that is gonna fly through the heavens warning people to not take the mark so no one's going to do it again by accident. So don't freak out if you go to Disneyland and they put a stamp on your right hand. It's okay, you have not taken the mark of the beast, but when this mark is employed during the great tribulation. That last for seven years. There's going to be a one world government.

A new global economy, ruled by one man. I was watching a business news channel the other day they were talking about the changing economy among financial experts said and I quote the real reform.

The real answer to all this is some kind of a thinking union where everyone signs on board they needs to be some kind of banking overlord, a banking union that everyone will bow down before the while he may have just described the antichrist. Yes, it will be an overlord if you will. And in this case, people will technically bow down before 11 choice during the tribulation. You can either take the mark and works of the antichrist, or starved. Basically no mark, no merchandise, no seal, no sale. One thing is clear. We've never been closer to the Lord's return than we are at this moment, no sorrow, bad news because the Bible promises a new beginning.

The Bible promises a new world when righteousness will reign supreme light over darkness, good will prevail over evil.

It isn't that good news because we read so much bad news right now.

Horrible, awful things that happen every day in this fallen world of ours. Why are things going to be so much better because the Bible says in Isaiah 11 line the knowledge of the Lord will fill the air.

How wonderful that will be right now, the knowledge of the Lord does not fill the your many don't even want to hear what God has to say one of our passions here at harvest ministries is to get the gospel to as many people as possible and to reach unexpected people in unexpected places, and indeed the Bible tells us before Christ comes back. The gospel would be will be priests all around the world and then one day the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, but before that comes it's going to get pretty dark and that's Revelation 13 is telling us with the emergence of this antichrist. Figure know if you heard my message last time which was titled who is the antichrist. You remember some things I pointed out, but in case you missed it, there's a little recap number one antichrist is coming to deify St. is coming to deify Satan a Revelation 13 forces. They worshiped the Dragon Revelation tells us in chapter 12. The Dragon is Satan. So the worshiped Satan who gave authority to the beast and the beast is the antichrist, and they worship the beast, saying, who is like the beast, and who is able to make war with him.

So ultimately is going to be full tilt.

Satan worship happening on the planet number two antichrist is coming to defy and take the place of Jesus, so he wants to deify Satan he wants to defy and take the place of Jesus. Revelation 13 five says there was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy and authority to candidates continue for 42 months, and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle of the third thing I point out about antichrist's time and rain will be limited fill room for a seven year period.

The first 3 1/2 years will be peaceful.

That's why some will hail him as a peacemaker, but in reality is the ultimate troublemaker.

He will show his true colors at a certain event.

I'll talk about in just a moment's and number four. He is coming to kill Christians and followers of the Lord. Verse seven says it's granted to him to make war with the Saints and overcome them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and tongue and nation were also told in Revelation that they'll be some kind of a assassination attempt against antichrist that he will survive and when that happens people are gonna worship him and the devil.

Kim self-doubt. The antichrist is not act alone. He has a partner in crime and that person is identified as the false prophet Revelation 13 verse 11 says I saw another beast and remember beast is not a description of how they appear, but more a description of their character. Another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

So a lamb is a passive creature, a Dragon, as we already know is Satan's of the devil speaking through Jim but he appears oh I suppose religious and pious like a lamb.

He has all the authority of the first beast in his presence of first beast be the antichrist because of the earth and those that dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. Antichrist survives that assassination attempt. And here's the verse verse 16 and he causes both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on the right can or their forehead so he's sort of implementing this mark in the culture and again this is in the future. So here's the thing we wonder why would anybody take the mark of the beast and the answer is given to us and that the second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse nine which says, speaking of antichrist. This evil man will come to do the work of Satan, with counterfeit power and signs and wonders. He will use every kind of wicked deception.

The full, those were on their way to destruction, listen because they refused to believe the truth is not that they haven't heard the truth. They refused to believe the truth that would save them so God will send the great deception upon them and they will believe the lie will believe the lie. What is the lie the people in the tribulation.

Will believe the lie is pretty much the same thing that goes back to the Garden of Eden. Satan was peddling this thing way back when Amber our first parents, Adam and Eve were there at the garden there at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. By the way, the Lord said, you can enjoy all this garden just, you know, steer and steer clear of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil seemed to Adam and Eve at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And a lot of times we get ourselves in the trouble without the devil's help, so that they are sending by this tree and the snake comes to them, the serpent, the devil and says, has God said you can't eat of every tree in the garden.

Go ahead and eat of this fruit from the day you eat, you will become is a God, knowing good and evil. Now, people always say when Adam and Eve eat the apple in the garden. The Bible never says it was an apple.

I don't know about you, I wouldn't even be tempted by an Apple who knows what it was probably glowed and pulsated with light.

Maybe it had its own theme song.

I don't know but when they saw the tree and the fruit of the tree was good for food, and pleasant to look upon and desirable to make them wise. They ate of it and in sin entered the world, but one is a lie that Satan was propagating the lie is simply this. Don't believe the word of God, believe something in its place a we believe the lie sometimes to the devil whisper in her ear. God doesn't love you.

Why the weave and follow him. He's against you.

That's a lot. Sometimes the devil will say go ahead and do this thing.

No one will ever find out you'll get away with it will, that's certainly a lie and say it'll be fun and he'll whisper into our ears. These things that are not true and the only way to know the live from the truth and did no good from evil as they have a good working knowledge of the Bible.

All of us have been deceived by sin. At some time in our life. All of us have known something was wrong, but we went for it anyway right and if you did, that means you listen to the lie. So now were in the tribulation period is Satan pool is pulling out all of the stops for this last big play. He's wanting people to take this mark. I'm sure will be very popular. I'm sure the be a lot of pressure for people to take the mark. I'm sure all the celebrities on social media will say I got the mark. Did you have you got the market. Make sure you get the mark to market is also the antichrist is great and people will be swept up into this and take the mark you know in life. Some people believe the truth and some people believe the lie.

As you know, I've written a book called Billy Graham the man I knew you in one of the stories I tell them the book is about Billy Graham and amending Charles Templeton.

You've heard the title of the book by Charles Dickens which was a tale of two cities.

This is a tale of two evangelists.

One was Billy Graham who went on to change the world. The other was Charles Templeton who is been mostly forgotten in the late 1940s Billy Graham and Charles Templeton were both of evangelists for youth for Christ and some even felt that Templeton was the more effective of the two very handsome, eloquent, great communicator, intelligent Billy was a great communicator as well, but he was a son of the South and in his own words, he would often think I'm a country preacher. Templeton was more sophisticated, but as time passed, Templeton began to doubt his faith and he encouraged Billy to do the same. Templeton said the Billy Graham. You can't really believe the Scripture it's not really reliable and Billy continue to believe the Scripture. But this did create sort of a crisis of faith in the life of Billy Graham and so one night Billy was up at Forrestal conference center here in Southern California and the San Bernardino Mountains.

Billy went out to a tree stump and he took his Bible and he placed it on the stump and he made a commitment to believe what the Scriptures said, and he said father I accept this as your word by faith. I'm going to allow faith to go beyond my intellectual questions and doubts because I believe this is your inspired word so Billy made a choice to believe what Scripture said. Even when he had occasional doubts leaving that place Billy went on to preach in Los Angeles at a tentative been erected and that basically was the launch of his inner national ministry. Meanwhile, Templeton walked away from his faith even wrote a book with the title farewell to God. But the story doesn't end there. My friend Lee Strobel told me the story of when he went to visit Charles Templeton. It was quite a bit older and was in very poor health, and Lee Strobel who used to work for the Chicago Tribune was a well-known atheist to kingdom faith after watching how God transformed his wife was researching a book he was writing so we went to interview this famous atheist Charles Templeton. He brought up the subject of Jesus Christ and much to Lee's surprise, Templeton said of Jesus, he was the greatest human who ever lived, and then Templeton went on to say the least. Strobel and you know what this may sound strange but I adore him and I even would put it this way. I miss him and then lead told me he was really surprised when Charles Templeton began to weep and but the story continues on a little bit after that Charles Templeton was on his deathbed and his wife said that while he was there. He said to her, he saw angels. He said there so beautiful.

I see them now and there waiting for me.

I'm coming something God Charles Templeton, the evangelist who became the atheist and wrote a book titled farewell, the God came back to God and believe, but Billy Graham never stopped believing you have the same choice will for you right now you can believe the truth or the lie. And every day when you go watch television or you listen the music or you go on social media. The lie is hitting you the lie is hitting you. That's why you need to fill your mind and heart with God's word to counteract that so antichrist emerges on the scene as a peacemaker and he does something that wins him the approval of many Jewish people in Israel he read builds their temple.

Now, as you recall, King David wanted to build a temple for the Lord because up to this point they would meet with the Lord what they call the tabernacle or the tent but David wanted something fitting for the Lord and as he drew up the plans for this temple. The Lord said no. So, David's son Solomon ended up building this incredible temple which was ultimately destroyed and rebuilt by King Herod, King Herod was under development at all, but he was a great builder and so that second Temple became known as Herod's Temple.

That was the temple that was standing when Jesus had his public ministry. One day Jesus pointed to that temple is as you see that temple I'm telling you right now there will not be one stone left upon another. He said that temple will be dismantled and they thought, he's out of his mind. We may building this temple for 47 years. How could that have only did happen when Titus in the Roman legions came in and destroyed the temple and dismantled in stone by stone exactly as Jesus said would happen so that the second Temple. But the Bible predicts 1/3 temple that is not been built yet so antichrist will come in effectively a read this third temple and then he will commit what the Bible calls the abomination of desolation to 24 Jesus says when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the probit standing in the holy place. Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains and so what is the abomination of desolation.

This is after the third temple is rebuilt antichrist. A reticent image of himself ended and commends people to worship.

This image and so commenting on that second Thessalonians 2 forces of antichrist. He opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or his worship so he is as God sitting in the temple of God is coming is after the working of Satan and pretended miracles, all of them lying wonders.

This marks the second half of the tribulation took in the first half of the tribulation antichrist seems like a good guy bringing peace, rebuilding the temple. Then he commits the abomination of desolation erecting this image and that brings the second half of the tribulation when he begins to hunt down followers of Jesus hunt down Jewish people and a series of plagues come upon the planet and on it goes. And so this is a dramatic scene that's taking place reminds us a little bit about Shadrach me shack and Abednego remember them there in the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar erected a giant golden image, and commanded everyone to worship it and they refused and there were of course sewn into the fiery furnace which was no big deal because the Lord preserves them. They came out to tell the story, but a similar story as to what the antichrist will do now. We shift gears from Revelation 13 to Revelation 14 we go from horrific things happening on planet earth to some amazing things happening up in heaven to look at your Bible again. Revelation 14 starting in verse one.

John writes that I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with them 144,000, having his father's name written on their foreheads and I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, like the voice of loud thunder thunder and I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. And they sing, as it were a new song before the throne before the four living creatures and the elders and no one could learn that song except the hundred and 44,000 who were redeemed from the earth. These are ones who have not defile themselves with women for the virgins. They are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

They been redeemed from among men being firstfruits to God and the Lamb, and in their mouth was found no deceit in there without fault before the throne of God. So hundred 44,000 remember them. We read about them earlier in the book of Revelation and God had protected them in Revelation chapter 7 wherever they went. God watched over them and their proclaiming the gospel, who are the hundred and 44,000 there Jewish people will put their faith in Jesus as their Messiah but now we see there not on earth there in heaven. Notice it's not hundred and 43,999 that me that they have been no all 144,000 make it to glory. And it reminds us of the statement of Jesus in John 18, nine of those whom you have given me I have not lost one God doesn't lose his children have ever lost sight of what your children may be in an amusement park or a supermarket that is terrifying.

This is not God never loses sight of you. He always has his eye on you because you belong to him now as we wrap this message up here are four take away truths about the hundred and 44,000 that apply to you.

Remember these are our mere mortals are not angelic beings are not superheroes their people who been called by God and these principles that are true of them can also be true of every follower of Jesus Christ number one. They have the mark of the father in heaven, not the mark of the antichrist, so all marks are not bad.

Revelation 14 one. Having his father's name written on their foreheads. The Father's Day you know you have a choice as to who your father will be. You can either make God your father.

Or you can be as Jesus said of your father the devil you know when I was growing up.

I have allotted dad's up with that." My mother was married and divorced seven times and had a bunch of boyfriends in between and so there was my biological father. And then there was other guy she met and she would literally say this is your new death and they were all very similar. These men my mother Mary the kinda guys it would hang around in a bar with maybe a few too many of their buttons on the shirt undone and duck in a swinger type do Janell and so I became very cynical, even as a young man about a father and then my mother married this guy in New Jersey whose name was Oscar Lori. He was an attorney. He didn't drink, he didn't smoke. I don't know what my mom saw them.

He was an honest man, a law-abiding man, a very moral man and I remember that he took an interest in me and cheated me as a father ought to treat a son.

So one day when I was coming out of school there in New Jersey. My mom had the Cadillac filled with all of our luggage and I said what's going on.

She says are going to the airport. I said, were we going she said. So why is it all that so exciting words that she said he's not coming and I never saw Oscar Lori after that until many, many years later. So we landed in Hawaii and here's a guy I've never seen before that my mom and married, and she said this is your new dad.

This man was abusive and violent impact one night in a drunken probably kept my mother with a wooden statue and almost killed her and does so I became very hard against all of these things, but later in life. After I came to Christ. I sought out Oscar Lori, who was still alive and did remarry, and I had the privilege of sharing the gospel with them in leading him to the Lord.

That's another story for another time, but I chose his name. I will other names included chosen as my daddy, you know that expression Hoosier daddy. All I had all these names I chose Lori which I was Montfort in school.

By the way, I also went to military school where you go by your last name Sorvino everyone coming Lori, but I carried that name with pride because of the man that gave it to me and the man that adopted me I chose him because he chose me. He chose to adopt me, I chose to carry that name in the same way we choose who our father will be you choose God is your father or by default. You effectively choose the devil. This mark on the foreheads of the hundred and 44,000 is something that identifies them as God's children. It's sort of like an ID tag other people won't see it but the Lord sees it.

And by the way, God is put his ID tag on you was. I mean it means you belong to the Lord you find it comforting. I do first Corinthians 619 says you're not your own. You been bought with a price. Therefore glorify God with your life in the Greek it's your not your own property you been bought with a price. You know when I travel. I'll take luggage on the plane and I was little I detect so I was on a trip recently and I was getting up and I'm a little piece of luggage that I was wheeling away and some lady comes running after me think you took my suitcase.

I said no ma'am this is my suitcase. I know to goes know it's my suitcase open it and I opened it up and I was filled with women's clothing. I'm really glad she chased me down and the problem was I didn't check the ID tag and sure enough, those two suitcases minors were very similar. If I would've checked the ID tag I would've known the difference and I'm glad she told me because I did not want to wear women's clothing for my trip. So we have an ID tag on us. God can read it and the devil can read it and when he sees that ID tag. He has to back off because you are God's property and the Lord will protect his investment number two. Another thing about the hundred and 44,000. They sing a new song� They sing a new song given new song in your life like a Revelation 14 again and I heard the voice of loud thunder and the voice and sound of harpists playing their harps.

And they sing, as it were a new song before the Lord now harbors a beautiful instrument. Is it not so majestic and course we think of it is heavenly because we read of parts in heaven. But remember our present stringed instrument so we could just as easily say they played their electric guitar or the ukuleles are or their mandolins or whatever it is, but these stringed instruments are being used to bring glory and honor to God.

But listen to this.

Every believer has a new song over in Psalm 40 verse two. The psalmist writes. He lifted me out of the pit of despair out of the mud in the mire and he has given me a new song to sing a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he is done to be astounded and many will put their trust in the Lord. See when you come to Jesus, you're given a new song. You have a story to tell, because God has lifted you and me and all of us out of a pit of despair, I remember when I became a Christian at the age of 17 and I've been raised listening to rock 'n' roll.

The first music I remember listening to was the Beatles and the 60s was sort of a golden age of rock. I listen to the Beatles and I listened to the Rolling Stones and the animals in and the doors and Jefferson airplane and Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan and the list goes on.

So, I loved all that music. Then I became a Christian at all. Well I guess I have to give all the music up from now on. It Kumbaya 24 hours a day, so I went to this church called Calvary Chapel where the Jesus movement was literally happening before my eyes. I walk right into the middle of a spiritual awakening in these new bands were forming one of those bands was called love song and one of their songs was called a new song and the lyrics were sing into the heavens.

A brand-new song, the one that we've been singing's been a kid too long and at night I heard this song in this new music that was being created and it just washed over me in a beautiful way. We had our own music and actually I was watching contemporary Christian worship and contemporary Christian music in general, also being born before my eyes. We had a new song and we have a new story when the last time you told someone your story or sing your song.

I'm not suggesting you have the literally sing the people Jesus came into my life and he can come in the years to know about like what the ideas tell your story.

When's the last time you told your story about what Christ is done for you, to someone who does know the Lord. Yet it's a beautiful thing. Sharing your faith is life giving, it actually replenishes you as you do so listen when you draw people to Christ, you yourself will be drawn to Christ. When we make him known to others, we effectively know him better.

I can the content on telling my story to someone and I'm remembering all the God is done for me and it it encourages me as I'm sharing it with them. These folks have a new song number 344,000 are sincere in their faith there sincere in their favor good. Revelation 14, five, and in their mouth.

There was no deceit there without fault before the throne of God's word deceit speaks of hypocrisy. Others no hypocrisy. There is no double standard. I told you Billy Graham was the same privately as he was publicly, I didn't see any hypocrisy in this man's life and sometimes people like to put on an act and appeared to be something they are not the technical definition of shipper grid in the Bible is the same word that is used for actor and actor so who is inaccurate someone that plays a part they learn the lines and get their makeup on the go to their spot and they act and that's with some people are doing there in the church that got the prompts. The Bible they have the verbiage down but directors and fakers their phonies.

They're not real. I think sometimes we misunderstand, when hypocrisy is we might see a Christian lose her temper and scream and you'll point on accusing finger at them and say you hypocrite, and even the way you say this like you Almost like people are enjoyed it hypocrite.

Now just because a Christian loses their temper or does something else that's wrong like that.

It doesn't mean there hypocrite and might just mean their human.

I'm not excusing it.

I'm saying working to sin as Christians. The Bible says and we see we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But that's not hypocrisy that just messing up that just sitting hypocrisy is when I put on an act and appear to be pious when I'm not really even a follower of Jesus at all. Listen to this. Hypocrites are the ones who find fault in others, but never themselves to me say that again hypocrites are the ones who find fault in others never themselves. So the hypocrites are often the most judgmental, critical, people of all, the apostle Paul feared being a hypocrite and being disqualified and he spoke of it in first Corinthians 927 when he said I discipline my body like an athlete training it to do what it should do otherwise. When I preach to others I myself would be disqualified were almost on one last point, you hundred and 44,000 follow the Lamb wherever he goes the givers for the follow the Lamb we should do that each and every day.

We've all been called to follow the Lamb or follow Jesus. Jesus said if any man come after me, let him deny himself and take up the cross and follow me forever will seek to save his life will lose it. If you lose your life for my sake, you find. I think sometimes people peel off. I follow Jesus to give up all my fondant all of my dreams and aspirations and just live this miserable life that that's the opposite of what is true.

What did Jesus say deny yourself, take up your cross just for then he said, but if you seek to save your life, you lose about. Listen if you lose your life you find what this means is I say God I want your will above my will. I want your plans over my plans and you'll come to discover God's plans for you are better than your plans for yourself and you'll see how much he loves you as those plans unfold. I think Jesus has a lot of followers are like people to follow you on twitter.

I'm in social media, Facebook and Instagram and Twitter. I don't get people on twitter. It seems like twitter is the platform for angry people with too much time on their hats. It was always attacking one another in your tweet something people will you know will retweet in the refuted and attacked you in one of my favorite things to do is block people on twitter.

You have two choices. You can newcomer Baucom you knew them. You won't see with their posting. If you bought them they can't copy your name in their tweets but who are these people, these are not followers, why are you following me if you disagree with me and I did our people like that that think I'm a follower of Jesus mother always fighting with him, and rebelling against him disobeying him here that a follower of Jesus using but these people hundred and 44,000. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. Listen following Jesus is something we do each and every day.

One day Jesus looked at a tax collector named Matthew didn't have any friends because he was a Jewish man who betrayed his fellow Jews and was working for Rome collecting taxes not only the taxes that Rome demanded a probably a little on the top for his own benefit, and much to the surprise of Levi or Matthew Jesus walk by his talks with one day and made eye contact with them and said, follow me without a moment of hesitation. Matthew bolted up from that text with and became a follower of Jesus Christ and the phrase follow means to follow with me. So the ideas following Jesus is not something I do, just on Sundays.

If he's not sending Jesus he's Monday Jesus Tuesday Jesus, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday Jesus you follow him, each and every day in the phrase that Jesus uses to Matthew to follow him means follow with me or to put it another way, let's walk together walking with God not dragging God for I want God to go but getting in sync with God discovering the will of God seeking to pray according to the will of God, and you can start doing that right now and when you do you'll find the life you're looking for. Listen to this. If you know Jesus now he will know you then if you say yes to Jesus. Now he'll say enter into my kingdom then, but if you say I don't want Jesus now then he'll say depart for me.

I never knew you that question. Who are you following antichrist, or Jesus Christ Emmanuelle or Jezebel God or Satan is there. Well, I'm not following Satan, but I'm not following Jesus.

Okay your following your father whose evil evil one the devil if you're not following Jesus. Listen to this. Jesus said here for me or against me. I told you I became a Christian when I was 17 years old. I live this crazy life of my mother. I ended up getting into drugs myself for maybe a little over a year I was drinking and partying and doing all these things I never wanted to do and I was empty and I was searching I came upon this group of Christians on my high school campus or having a Bible study and singing songs about the Lord and I said don't close enough to sort of eavesdrop on their conversation, but not so close that my other friends so-called with think I joined up with the Jesus freaks and I watched them sing their songs.

I saw the smiles on their faces and I remember thinking these poor deluded people give them their nuts. But then I tried a new thought on for size which was one of their right. What if they found the truth. I thought that some possibly quickly dismissed it, and I returned to one of it's all true, then the guy got up to speak his name was Lonnie.

I don't remember most of his message, but I remember one statement when he said Jesus said your for me or you're against me know I was on an atheist. Whenever I was in trouble.

I called on Jesus, but this was the first time I heard that I was either for or against Jesus and I looked at those Christians and I thought well I'm not one of them is that mean them against Christ, and I was the day I gave my life to Jesus, let me close by saying this you are for or against Jesus. This is an either or proposition. Like when you get in an elevator going up or down you can go sideways right you up to decide. Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sin. He paid the price for every wrong thing you've ever done any rose again from the dead, that same Jesus who died and lives is standing at the door of your life right now and he is knocking in a scene if you sure my boys and open the door, I will commit.

Would you like your sin forgiven. Would you like to know that you will go to heaven when you die. Would you like to be ready for the Lord's return. Would you like your guilt taken away.

It can happen for you right here right now is just a prayer away the moment. I'm in a prayer. Prayer and I would ask you that do not have Jesus in your life yet to pray this prayer with me to pray this prayer with and it's a simple prayer.

We are asking Jesus to come into your life as your Savior and your Lord. So if you want to go to heaven when you die if you want to be ready for the Lord's return. If you want your guilt taken away to stop what you're doing and I want you to pray this prayer. You could even print out loud just pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner but I know that you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and now I sure from that since I repent of that sin. I ask you to come in the my life to be my Savior and Lord. I choose to follow you from this moment forward in Jesus name I pray, and met everybody Greg Laurie here. Thanks for listening to our podcast in the 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 know God.org that's key NOW GLD.org