Beauty and the Beast | Sunday Message

Everybody Greg Laurie here. You're listening to the Grigori 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. Grab your Bible and turn to Revelation chapter 17. In the title of my message is beauty and the beast. Let's pray father speak to us now is we open your word as we peer into the future and look at what you gave to John on the island of Patmos about what is coming in the days ahead. Help us have understanding as to what this is all about and how it applies to our lives. For we ask it in Jesus name, amen.

Beauty and the beast know this is not a message about how I met Kathy, my wife, she's a beauty and the beast, obviously.

Nor is it a message about the Disney film by the same name, nor is it a message about Christians versus Hollywood or Republicans versus Democrats so beauty and the bees. This is a message about good versus evil. God versus Satan antichrist versus Jesus Christ, first let me start with the beast. The Bible says there is coming a world leader will be charismatic. No doubt he'll be good looking to bring global solutions will bring a pseudo-piece for 3 1/2 years to this war-torn planet and the fact of the matter is, the Bible calls him the beast is also referred to as Antichrist. The prefix anti-is I've told you before doesn't just mean against it also means instead up for those that don't know better, many will hail this charismatic world leader as the very Messiah are shared recently that I was in Israel some years ago and I was talking with the Jewish man in. I told him I believe Jesus was the Messiah. And he said we don't believe that is Jews and I said who do you think the Messiah will be and he said this to me. We believe when our Messiah comes that he will bring peace and rebuild our temple as a friend you just describe the antichrist.

That's exactly who antichrist is he comes in the place of Christ, and this phrase the beast is not a description of his appearance but actually of kids character will be a wicked man. If Satan never had a son. This is him the beast what what about the beauty will that's the church and when I say church. I don't mean a brick-and-mortar building. I mean God's people gathering together when you become a follower of Jesus, you become a part of the church and you know are the bride of Christ. No, some guys are listening in your sin, I don't want to be a bride deal with it. You're a bride you're the bride of Christ were the bride of Christ were the beauty in the story with this battle between the beauty and the beast.

If you will goes all the way back to the book of Genesis, when Adam and Eve were tempted by the devil in the judgment of God came as a result of the meeting of the forbidden fruit and God said to Satan, I will put MDT between you and the woman between your seed and her seed and he will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel.

Other words gotta say, the battle is now begun and he put Satan on warning the Messiah is coming and so Satan wanted to stop Messiah from arriving in this conflict is the battle of the ages between the beauty and the beast between Antichrist and Jesus Christ between God and Satan began.

But here's what we know the beast is going to lose. And the beauty is going to prevail. That brings us to Revelation chapter 17. What we are chronologically right now is we are in the second half of the tribulation. Quick recap flyover of end times events and there's no lustration on the screen to help you understand the next event in my opinion on the prophetic calendar will be the rapture of the church.

Immediately following that will be the emergence of antichrist and that will officially start the great tribulation period that begins peacefully, but at the halfway point with the Temple rebuilt for the Jewish people in Jerusalem. The antichrist desecrates it with the abomination of desolation and then the final 3 1/2 years of the tribulation. We have God's judgment coming upon the world. Everything culminates in the great battles of Armageddon and then Christ returns in the second coming will get to that in our next message, and then the millennium begins millennium means 1000 will be the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth and in heaven and earth become one, that's what the Bible teaches. In speaking of the rapture. I believe we will be caught up to meet the Lord before the tribulation begins. Let me give you three quick reasons why I believe that number one. The church is not on earth during the tribulation. But it's in heaven now, as you recall Revelation begins with the seven messages of Jesus to the seven churches. That's Revelation chapters 2 to 3, but then we get to chapter 4 which is after these things after what things after the things of the church so the church is mentioned multiple times in those first chapters of Revelation 19 times but then we don't see any mention of the church to Revelation chapter 19. So all that space in between Revelation is dealing with the other events are going to happen.

Why because were caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Number two, the rapture happens before the tribulation.

The second coming happens at the end of the tribulation thereto events in a way, let me restate it. It's one event with two stages and he gets a better way to put it. So the rapture is stage I were caught up to meet the Lord in the air. The second coming is stage II when Christ comes back for us. So the second coming, one of many signs preceding it. But the rapture it could come at any moment. Remember he comes as a thief in the night the rapture is imminent. By the way, the word imminent does not always mean soon it just means inevitable. In other words, we don't know when the rapture will happen. Jesus is no man knows the day or the hour.

The rapture could happen in 30 years. 20 years 10 years five years five minutes today. If you happen at any moment.

It's eminent. It's inevitable. It is going to happen.

Number three God will not judge Christians with non-Christians so as I pointed out in the second half of the tribulation. God is pouring his wrath upon the world. First Thessalonians, 19 says you turned to God from idols to serve the living God to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come, that some might say well that's a reference to hell know it actually isn't. Contextually, as you look at it he's talking about how his son is coming from heaven. So God is not rescuing us from hell in the contents of this verse aggressive.

Does that, but he's rescuing us from the great tribulation. Reinforcing that idea. First Thessalonians 59 Paul writes God did not appoint us to wrath.

That's Christians, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ was the best everyone on earth has an appointment, you have an appointment. I have an appointment that Christians appointment is to be caught up to be with Christ. The appointment of this world is the faith the deal the Lord in a future judgment. You cannot keep both of these appointments. Who was your appointment with Jesus also said the velocities church of Philadelphia and Revelation 3 because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those that dwell on the earth.

Then he says behold I'm coming quickly now that's clearly a reference to the tribulation. Because it took trial that will come upon the whole world and then the Lord Rapp set up with behold, I come quickly. So the Lord is going to keep us from the tribulation.

Organist sit this one out salutes pick up we last left off with the beast. In our story the Bible tells us that a powerful religious deception will sweep the earth in the last days, and is described as Babylon, Babylon is pictured as a prostitute writing a beast and she's dressed in red so will call her the Scarlet harlot and it's also revealed is a mystery.

We all love a good mystery right this is mystery Babylon.

Let's read Revelation 17 verse three so he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which is full of means of blasphemy, having seven heads and 10 horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand on golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of fornication and on her forehead a name was written, mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth and I saw the woman, verse six of chapter 17, drunk with the blood of saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled with great amazement and the angel said to me why did you marble out tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which is seven heads and 10 horns. There so you read a text like this in your reaction is probably what what is this all mean but it's not as complex as you may think. Remember, the purpose of Revelation is to unveil truth to us. Revelation means unveil so it is not God's desire to conceal but to reveal. This is a mystery to someone who doesn't understand the Bible book to us as believers, we understand Babylon is a picture of man's kingdom without God. Man's kingdom without God. Babylon is sort of a codeword.

It represents something else. For instance, when we say will over in Madison Avenue they do thus and so we don't mean the literal Madison Avenue but were referring to people who are involved in advertisement and promotion and things of that nature or what we say Hollywood over in Hollywood, we don't mean the literal city of Hollywood, we mean the entertainment industry. When we say will over at Wall Street, we don't mean the actual Wall Street were talking about commerce and finance.

So when we use the word Babylon in the Bible.

It's a picture of pure evil. When Peter wrote to the believers living in Rome, he said to the church in Babylon now. In fact they wanted Babylon, which was a city they were in Rome, but because of the wickedness of the city. He said to the believers in Babylon. So Babylon is a point of reference for evil, contextually looking at the book of Revelation. Babylon refers to an entire worldwide political, economic and religious kingdom under the control of antichrist but Babylon can be personal as well. It's basically a life that is consumed with pride, sensuality, idolatry effectively. Anything that takes the place of God will history lesson. Babylon began on the plains of Shinar back in the book of Genesis and we read about the world's first dictator. His name was Nimrod and by the way his name means we will revolt, so don't name your sons Nimrod.

I know it's a Bible name. It's not a good one. So Nimrod was a wicked man. In fact, these described in the book of Genesis is a mighty hunter of men's souls in defiance of the Lord. So Nimrod this wicked men directed the people to build a tower and it was known as the Tower of Babel and in their estimation. This was the tallest building that it ever been erected and at the top of it was an astrological observatory so this is the beginning of mankind. Looking to the stars for direction in effect in God's judgment of the Babylonians. He mentions in Isaiah 4712 you labored with your sorcery and your astrology from your you so clearly God does not approve of that. So listen to me. Don't be reading your astrology column in the local newspaper don't base any decisions in your life, what the stars say in it really doesn't matter what your sign is because these are things that a Christian should not look to yet 70 million Americans read their astrology every single day.

By the way, that's around 23% of the population that this is amazing to me that a person would actually make a decision based on what some random person wrote that they probably just made up and actually say this is how I'm getting direction from my life. Think of all the magazines in site you see that have astrology column.

Imagine how it would be if there was a collection of scriptures to read each and every day. What a game changer that would be, but this all started with ancient Babylon and by the way if someone really is searching for truth. God will lead them to himself.

We all love the Christmas story and those wise men don't forget that the wisemen phrase comes from the root word Magi which is the word that we get magician from so the Magi were actually astrologer astronomers who looked to the stars for direction. They were very important powerful individuals that would give advice to the King.

And so what is the Lord do. He sends a star that leads them to the child Jesus. So here's the Tower of Babel. A classic example of men trying to reach God. That's religion.

In a nutshell. Religion is man's attempt to reach God. Christianity, in contrast, is God's attempt to reach men. Religion can be summed up in one word. Do do this and you'll reach nirvana to that and you may get to heaven one day to this other thing and you might find inner peace. A lot of Jews do this do that do do do do. Religion can be a lot of do do. But Christianity could be summed up in one word not do baton it's done when Jesus died on the cross. He said it is finished.

Which means it is accomplished, it is completed. I don't have to do a bunch of stuff to reach God. God has done the heavy lifting to reach me in sending Jesus to die in the cross for my sins and rise again from the dead and we can have them live in our hearts that the end of this message. I'll give you an opportunity to put your faith in Jesus Christ. But man is a religious creature. He always has been, but he sort of like to make it up as he goes. Sort of a do-it-yourself faith. You know, we like the idea of forgiveness. We just don't want to repent.

We like the hope of heaven, but we don't like the reality of how we sort of like the pick and choose what appeals to us, that's Babylon Babylonian thinking if you will. Babylon was also the beginning of humanism people came together. God said I want to the spread out across a broad earth and the people said no let's come together instead let's come together in defiance of God. Let's come together and build this tower and look to the stars, not to the Lord for direction in our lives.

And so the big bill this tower and they're all excited about it think it is really good to be impressive to God. It's almost like there's an hey God, there's a new kid in town were here. Check out our awesome power in the Bible tells us that the Lord came down to see and it's kind of almost humorous because it's so tiny. The Lords is actually a don't have a telescope and have been strong enough to even see your mighty tower so I'm in a come down way down down and get on my hands and knees and see if I can find your awesome little tower and that's us with all of our accomplishments thinking. We don't need God course, God sent confusion to them no one could understand each other. They were babbling and so that's the root word of Babylon. Of course it was a mighty kingdom of Babylon is well ruled by Nebuchadnezzar. Remember it was a massive mighty world power which was ultimately defeated by the Medo Persian Empire. That was when the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar was ruling his name was Belshazzar. So it was the end of Babylon's babbling.

Let's come back to this woman riding the bees. The Scarlet harlot if you will. Verse three I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, just another word for red. This is sort of like the rodeo from hell.

Red symbolizes evil in this context is not evil of your wearing red but this contacted symbolizes evil because remember, Satan is presented to us as a red Dragon and Revelation chapter 13 so all of this madness that were looking at this religious system of Babylon is energized by the devil. And it's all coming together and I you know today, people like the sort of make it up as they go.

Listen, if someone ever says you all religions essentially teach the same thing you can be assured that person knows nothing about the religions of the world nothing can be more untrue than to say all religions teach the same thing. They don't all teach the same thing.

It was Gandhi who said, quote I consider myself a Hindu, a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew, a Buddhist and Confucian. Maybe he should've said instead of a Confucian confusion because you you can to sample all these things I read an interview were former Beatle Paul McCartney talk about his views on God. Here's what Paul said and I quote I believe in the spirit that's the best I can put it. I think there's something greater than us and I love it and I'm grateful to it and just like everyone else on the planet. I can't pin it down. He continues to say I'm happy to not pin it down. So Paul says II pick bits of all the religion I like some of the things a Buddhist say I like some of the things that Jesus said I like some of the things that Mohammed said and then Sir Paul McCartney concludes so be cool and you'll be all right. That's rock 'n' roll religion Paul you written a lot of awesome songs of the Beatles. Some in your solo years, but maybe you should just let this be okay because this is not how it works. You can't just pick and choose whatever you want and call it rock 'n' roll religion.

God is dropped one lifeline from heaven for us and it's Jesus Christ Jesus made unique claims he didn't say I am one of many ways to God. He said I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes of the father, but by me.

But this is the false Babylonian religious system yeah were just pulling bits from every religion and it's all cool mantis rock 'n' roll religion will what it is is a tight a tangled mess and one thing I would point out we call this ABC religion. It'll be anything but Christ other words, if you want to believe anything that's cool, but the moment you bring Christ up. That bothers a lot of people. This is a kind of religious system that will be happening in the last days bring me to this simple statement by GK Chesterton and I want to quote people think that when they do not believe in God, they believe in nothing but the fact is, they will believe in anything." That's very true. Here's another point Babylon looks good on the outside but it's dead on the inside. Babylon looks good on the outside but it's dead on the inside look at Revelation 17 for she has in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication so golden cup would refer to luxury right abominations referred to things that are offensive to God's reminding of a story of a cruise ship that was adrift off the coast of Mexico in 2013. You may remember the story. Apparently what happened is a fire broke out in the engine room and he lost power so they were in total darkness and other toilets were overflowing and there was no food in legalities and there was excrement in the hallways one past passenger said the hallways were toxic full of urine. So I'm sure that crew started out great. The love boat and return it to the Don boat actually was described as a to use this phrase the poop cruise out so they call it, but the reason I bring this up is this luxurious thing of being on a cruise ship turned into a living hell for people and that's what is being offered here. It looks good on the outside but it's evil on the inside so in the same way when the Antichrist comes on the scene with his Babylonian type religion. It's gonna look good at first, we say, peace and love.

It's all good. Let's work together and say things like, I'm a uniter not a divider and everyone will put their arms around each other in the same way of the world. I don't know what those thing but I'm just saying this is going to be a ruse, a deception, and then he will show his true colors so this Scarlet harlot if you will. Writing this piece has a golden cup full of abominations. Babylon looks good on the outside but it's evil on the inside. Verse four says she's dressed in scarlet and purple and covered in jewels that speaks of luxury again. Purple was a color usually wrong worn by royalty back in that day, as was scarlet and covered in jewels that speaks for itself. If you see someone covered in jewels head to toe. Obviously that's an affluent person and this is how sin is. It looks good on the outside.

Then you take a bite of it and it is like poison in your system. The Bible tells us that when Adam and Eve saw that forbidden fruit hanging on the garden or hanging on the tree in the midst of the garden that it was pleasant to the eyes look good. Things look good on the outside. Why is it that stolen food is always more appealing than your own food and when I go to a restaurant with people and were all looking at the menus I'll ask everyone what are you ordering what you worry. I'll wait till everyone orders and I'll change my mind three or four times and then the orders will arrive and I'll look at their burger or someone else's lasagna or their piece of fish or whatever it is knowledge or whatever it is I ordered and their meal looks better than my meal and die. And then there's the sharing thing you know girls love to share the CRT. What you will do this and all of that will share guys don't really like to share at all just ladies you need to know something about men we don't like to share our food. I think I speak for most men here, the sum of your watching Zabel Greg you're wrong.

My husband shares his food with me all the time. That may be true, I didn't say he won't share his food with you. I said he did. He doesn't like to argue that that's the point. He doesn't like to. What were sort of like the dog with the food dish. Since this is our meal you come near it were going to growl at you and my wife will say can I have a bite of which are having an okay and strive to stop and now here comes therefore again she takes up either something that dips it in the sauce and did Sinemet something waiting. I can't get to my meal.

There's interference of this invading fortune.

It seems and take forever.

And then she goes back talking I can finish my meal. It's good. And then I have one last bite. I'm looking forward to that one last bite and just as I'm about to take it.

Kathy will seek can I have that last bite John go-ahead.

The Bible says love your wife as Christ loves the church until take the last five. I don't like any of that guys don't like to share their food welders exception so that saws with a couple of guys at a restaurant a while ago and one was eating a sandwich.

The guy sitting on the other side of the table next to me said can I have a bite of your sandwich. Well okay that's not a normal guy think someone asked about of my sandwich for me to get a fork and knife, muffled little keys put it on a plate. Here you go. This guy I see said can I have a bite of your sandwich and this guy holds up the sandwich and this other guy who wants to the bite takes a bite were the other guy had already taken a bite. This traumatizing. I'd I did not react to this.

It was shocking. I'm still traumatized right now.

This is not normal for men, we don't like to share with. There's something about stolen food. You know my wife is preparing a meal shall have the little chariots character centered with the chert is a ^ and then little tomatoes, chopped up and overhears little peppers over here and I'm going start taking these don't take those. Those are the exact portions I know but stolen food is good, right will. Here's the thing is, these things look good on the outside but Babylon. But the really bad poison is on the inside so we don't want to eat of those things. Listen to this Babylon will not only be a mentality. It will not only be a religious system. It will be an actual entity and affected will be a super city that is going to be judged go over to Revelation 18 verse one after these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority and the earth was illuminated with his glory and he cried mightily with a loud voice thing. Babylon the great is fallen, it's fallen. It's become a dwelling place of demons are present for every foul spirit, a key for every unclean and hated bird in general I like birds, but there are some birds. I hate that I'm on a call about right now.

Number one seagulls. I hate all of you if you're watching I'm sorry I'm not told the Bible after love you I hate you not tell you I hate you seagulls is because you steal things all the time you know if you have your food on the beach and you going to the water. You can about this equals client off at your sandwich and then of course there doing their thing on your car, and in fact I have a story for that years ago many years ago we took our son Christopher who is just a little guy.

Then to see world and so when you go to the park. There's an opportunity to feed the dolphins. You can buy fish.

I think within my just preadmission know I have to pay for fish to feed your creatures. Yes, that's with work so we buy these fish. I give them to Christopher and there's this place of the dolphins. Arnie speeding the dolphins in and out of nowhere. Siegel comes grab some fish right out of his hand.

Consumers like dad. I hate seagulls. I know they're the worst thing and then we go to lunch in this restaurant and he ordered a big thing of chicken so he's eating this chicken and out of nowhere a Siegel comes and flies off with his chicken literally grabbed it obvious plate at the witness.

Second is not. Cannibalism is not even right in the bird kingdom. I mean, I know seagulls are messed up, but even they crossed the line. There flying up with the chicken. Christopher is shaking� I hate this seagulls that were walking out of the park. I'm not making this up and all of a sudden a Siegel got a direct hit on my son boom a big Siegel poop right and that pretty much finished it off so that that's a hated bird right but understood contextually in the Bible. Birds sometimes are symbols of evil. Jesus told a parable about a Bush the turn into a tree that was filled with birds. This is not a positive thing. Bushes don't turn into trees so this was something that was supposed to be small and it became bigger and it was filled with bird but then in the parable of the sower. Jesus talked about the sea that was sown on the roadside. Remember in the birds come quickly. Probably seagulls and eat it and he says these are they that hear the word of God and Satan comes immediately and snatches it away so in the parables birds are symbols of evils for putting this all together. We have an evil situation of these unclean virginal in the church. We have real believers and we have pretended believers. Let me put it this way, if you want to be a Harley rider you need a Harley. You need a motorcycle and you can wear a motorcycle jacket and you can have your wallet with that she not right connected to a belt loop so you look like a biker big old black boots and and be dressed head to toe in black and that's fine.

There's nothing wrong with that, but you may look like you're a biker, but if you don't of a biker not a biker right you can be like a surfer you got surf rocks in the top your car and serve stickers all over your car and you talked about surfing anywhere syrup apparel and use serve terminology. But if you don't have a surfboard then you're not a surfer you're actually opposer right and to be a Christian, you need to follow Christ. No, not just have a Bible, you can even go to church and not necessarily be a Christian to be a Christian, you must follow Christ. So Babylon is going to go down one day and it happens quickly. Listen to this Satan sales as sinking ship. Sin cannot win in faith cannot fail to interesting in Revelation 18 it says Babylon is destroyed in one hour so this super city actual entity of Babylon will be built.

I'm not sure where it will be destroyed in one hour. Amazing.

You know, in a way everyone will have their Babylon fall at some time in their life.

People build their hopes on a Babylon of sorts. Read the story this week of a Wall Street investor's company was worth 20 million sues me his company was worth $20 billion and then overnight it dropped in value to 863 million. Still a lot of money guy was were 20 billion and then these were the 863 million what he was so despondent he jumped off the balcony of his building and ended his own life. How tragic Babylon's fall fortunes are made and lost possessions come and go, or they break or go out of style long lives eventually come to an end. The only answer is put your hope in God will put your hope in Babylon. Don't put your hope in possessions.

Don't put your hope in experiences. Don't put your hope even in relationships. Put your hope in God because there's coming a day when the Lord gonna say the party is over. Coming back to Babylon the great kingdom being ruled by the boy king Belshazzar. Speaking of golden cops. He brought out all the cups and other objects used by the Jews and their worship of God and fill them with wine and began to toast the false gods of Babylon going out of his way really to mock God, the Bible said God judged him. That was the end of Babylon and that was the end of Belshazzar and things come to an end. So we talked a lot about the beast's come back to the beauty. What is the beauty doing well. The beast and the Scarlet harlot where the rodeo from hell, a wrecking havoc on planet Earth. Oh were in heaven singing the hallelujah chorus. Revelation 1911 these things are heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven singing hallelujah, salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God, for true and righteous are his judgments because he is judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication is and has avenged on her the blood of his servants should by her remember the first Star Wars films.

There was a massive space station called the death Star that terrorize the galaxies so Luke Skywalker in his X wing fighter came in and they blew up the space station, and it was destroyed.

That's was going to happen to Babylon. But while all of this is happening were celebrating in heaven.

I should have written a book called Billy Graham the men I knew one of the stories are told in the book involves the hallelujah chorus so I was with Billy and Ruth Graham. Ruth was very sick at this point she was not long for this world and my friend Dennis again.

Jeannie was there and he had his guitar and so Billy asked Dennis to play something for them. So Dennis played the hallelujah chorus on his guitar from Handel's Messiah was beautiful as he was playing I was watching Dennis a little bit looking over Billy and Ruth and they were looking at each other. There was so much love between them. There are obviously having a very tender moment. I wasn't quite sure what it was all about but I could see this song had special significance to them and after Dennis was done with the song, Billy turned to Ruth and said that's a song they played on our first date because in fact a Billy took out Ruth Bell. That was her name that on their first date. While there were both attending Wheaton College to a performance of Handel's Messiah will be singing the hallelujah chorus in heaven were celebrating why we celebrating in heaven.

Number one were celebrating because the power of God is finally vanquished evil. A Revelation 19 wanted to. So when we talk about the end of the world were speaking of the end of this wicked system that's in rebellion against God, never to her rejoicing because the Lord is raining.

God is establishing this kingdom it's all coming now and were celebrating the marriage supper of the Lamb would get Revelation 19 verse seven. Let's be glad and rejoice and give God glory, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife is made herself ready to her was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright in the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints and the angel said to me write this.

Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, these are the true words of God.

I love the word supper. Don't you that's more of a southern word in California. We usually say dinner, but I was raised by my grandparents for many years of my life and there from Arkansas.

So we always called it supper.

My grandmother was an amazing cook and she made everything from scratch all those great Southern dishes, starting with fried chicken and black-eyed peas and collard greens send and hurt crowning achievement was her biscuit I've never had a better biscuit than my grandmother who we called mama Stella would make it was just buttermilk and ends one of the other ingredients that they use in the biscuit. I'm blanking out baking powder and some kind of oil butcher make it and it was so simple, it seem like anyone can do it.

I member I have my wife Kathy Waters and Kathy Watts mama Stella make the biscuit. You have to figure out how to make the biscuit and and Kathy would watch her and then she tried using the same ingredients with no one could make it quite like my grandmother and she's been in heaven for many years now and it seems to me if you have a supper in heaven.

We have to employ the biscuits of my grandmother.

Mama Stella somewhere along the line, but even if we don't I'm sure will have in their place will be far better, but in this great marriage feast. Matthew 11 says Jesus speaking. Many will come from the East and the West and take their places at the fees of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Can you imagine having a meal with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will meet the great people of the Bible you can ask David what it's like what it was like to fight Goliath glass know what it was like to live in that art as Moses what it was like the part the Red Sea as Mary what it was like to carry the son of God in her womb. And best of all, ask Jesus anything you like in your be reunited with loved ones were proceeded you to heaven. This is the hope of the child of God. This is not the hope of the child of Babylon give to cities. You can choose from. Unlike the city of God or the city of men. Babylon the new Jerusalem. Antichrist or Jesus Christ this world were living in is not our permanent home. As Christians were passing through second Chronicles skews me first Chronicles 29 says this our lives on earth are but for a moment were visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us our days on earth are like a shadow gone so soon without a trace. While to have this hope of heaven. You need your name written in a book I passed over this verse quickly, but let me come back to it. Revelation 17 eight. Those that dwell on the earth will marvel whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when you're a Christian, your name is written in a book. It's the book of life, when your name is written. I don't know. Says from the foundation of the world since God's foreknowledge.

Maybe he put your name in the book.

I had a time because he knows you will believe. But regardless of when your name gets in there. This is what I know as a Christian, my name is in the book and I ask you in closing your name in the book of life is there, why does it matter because also see in our future message. If your name is not found written in the book of life, your cast in the lake of fire as you stand before the great white throne judgment of God.

Listen one day everyone will stand before God, small and great, rich and poor famous and unknown everyone will stand there every man, every woman, every person will stand there and all that matters is having your name in this book I mentioned earlier that we all have an appointment if you're a Christian, you have an appointment to meet the Lord one day on the close of the story of a lady was an appointment with Jesus, nothing she had it on her calendar, but it was there in the councils of eternity.

We sometimes just call of the woman at the well. She went to the well to draw water.

She always did 12 in the afternoon. It was hot and who was waiting there. By the well. But Jesus Christ, the son of God is gone way out of his way into Samaria which is outside of Israel to a place that is pretty much hostile to Jewish people and he sitting by the well waiting for her wife because she had an appointment with Jesus. The engaged in the conversation.

In the end was. She ended up believing in him. Some of you watching me right now. Unbeknownst to you, but known to God, have an appointment with God right now this is the moment that the Lord has orchestrated for you to hear the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ and have your sins forgiven and have your name written in the book of life.

So when you even talking about. None of this even make sense to me. Here's what I'm saying.

God loves you God as a plan for your life. God wants to forgive you of all of your sin and Jesus wants to come and live inside of you as your Savior and your Lord and your friend. You do not have to be alone in life. My talking to somebody right now is thought of taking their own life. Maybe you've even attempted it. My talking to somebody right now that is given up all hope my talking to somebody right now the just the other day said God, if you're out there, make yourself known to me, that's what he's doing it right now. He loves you and he wants to forgive you and you can start a relationship with him. He's only a prayer away. 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ the son of God died on the cross for your sin and then he rose again from the dead and now he stands at the door of your life in the Knox and he says if you'll hear his voice and open the door to commit. Would you like Jesus Christ to come in your life would you like him to forgive you of your sin. Would you like to know with certainty that you will go to heaven when you die. Would you like to be ready for the Lord's return. If so on and a prayer. Prayer member to ask you to pray this prayer after me. So if you want Jesus to come in your life and you want him to forgive you of your sin, pray this prayer after me.

Okay, let's pray pray these words after me if you would just pray this, Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin rose again from the dead. Jesus come into my life now I choose to follow you from this moment forward in Jesus name I pray, amen.

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