Encore: Why We Should Be Studying the Book of Revelation | Special Interview

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I was nosy with us, Laurie, and it's our second testing of you were doing and this one is about this right of the press is the revelation book and don't want to have limit of a conversation about new and what it took to do this and why this is such a big book. So that's out. Without this is almost 500 pages so there's been a lot of books about various books of the Bible. What did you feel the discount of warranted disorder volume.

Yeah, I think it will first of all, I enjoy the challenge of it.

I I am not an expert on Bible prophecy, but I am a student of Bible prophecy, and I've been teaching Bible prophecy for over 50 years.

So I've been effectively preparing for this for decades, but the morning teaching Bible prophecy, the more I want to make it understandable to rank-and-file people make it understandable and I think God wants us to understand Bible prophecy, you know it's interesting when the topic of the abomination of desolation is discussed in Matthew 24 and that's the event when the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem in the and the Antichrist erects an image of himself. The man's people worship it when that is mentioned. Jesus says let the reader understand so I think God wants us to understand these things from Paul is writing to the believers in Thessalonica. He's talking about the coming of the Lord. He says brothers I don't want you to be ignorant concerning these things. So what is the word revelation mean and means unveiling it is not God's desire to conceal but to reveal and Bible prophecy is not given to scare us but to prepare us so I wanted to show the practical side of understanding end times events and how to impact us studying Bible prophecy should expand our hearts, not merely inflate our brains and should cause us to want to live a godly life and it should cause us to want to reach out to people that don't know the Lord. But you know one thing I would say is when we read the book of Revelation, with the understanding we realize that God's in control and answering reassuring them even talk about the design when I was talking to where our lead designer. I said I want something that's vibrant and colorful, optimistic, and optimistic because usually when you see a commentary and revelation.

It's red and black and very ominous Angel yeah yeah and I thought let's make this because what is it it's a book of promises. And one of the thing I would add that there is a special blessing promised of the person who reads cures and keeps the book of Revelation. Now there's no blessing like that attach to any of the book of the Bible. So there's a blessing. If I read it, and it's implied in the original language to read it out loud so I deleted that I need to hear it. I need to understand what the messages and keep it. It should impact me in day-to-day living. So I thought. People want to understand this book. I want to try to write a commentary on Revelation, that is understandable for regular people so they can know with this important book of the Bible has to say to them, which would be fair to say that is probably that the most misunderstood book in the Bible that yet. It always feels and we talked about the design and get it looked optimistic and you and you almost joyful because Christ is coming back and that's the SCN game. What he said people that say you know it's a scary when I got to close going to do this with you without my God is a scary book. So what is it will to say that what I mean (parts of Revelation that are are very intense. We see the judgment of God being poured upon planet Earth.

We see the revealing of the most wicked man, who will ever lived identified as the antichrist and the beast. We see the horrible tribulation. We see the rise of Babylon. Yes, we feel that, but it's interesting. People seem to miss the fact that the first part of the book of Revelation were caught up in the heaven and Jesus gives specific words to his church is symbolized by the seven churches of Revelation, which by the way, followed a postal route, so these were not only actual churches that existed actual congregations, but I believe that they speak to us today, and the very relevant words and so it it starts with the message of Christ and the church. So I begin by asking what if you got an email from Jesus or a text from heaven. Would you read it, of course, these are likely email of the Lord a letter from Jesus directly to us as his followers and and there are rays of light throughout the book I heard about a man who was not known for his deep Bible knowledge who said to some others. I understand the book of Revelation.

These are the guys will more theologically astute. They said no one understands the book of Revelation. It's an enigma. It's a mystery lamented no. I think I understand it, they said no you understand it. Okay one is the book of Revelation about the man said the book of Revelation basically says we win in the end you don't and there's truth to that. So I think is a wreath of this book, I discover arm reminded of the fact God is in control of everything that is happening in the world. He's tells us the future. And when God predicts the future and I use the word predict loosely because he knows the future when God speaks of the future. He it's as though we were speaking of the past and in fact it's more accurate because I forget things that happened.

You know sometimes I'll tell a story of what happened in a certain place of my wife would be listing Chelsea, you got the story wrong say you weren't even there. She said no but the first time you told it, you and other details you left out and she's right so God remembers the past, but he knows the future and living in the realm of eternity. When he tells us what is going to happen is not like the Lord is out there on a limb and think the Lord knows what's coming down the knees just revealing it to us so I find Revelation to be a very reassuring book throughout the book, and throughout the actual revelation that we talked about the role that America downplays on the and we live in.

Probably in my lifetime. Now the scariest time but it's also true. The previous generations also lived closer, having we looked at the on the fall, the germ money. All of this throughout the years. Hitler was looked as that could be the antichrist because I am zero godly once you spoke about this in the book. So every generation seems to have their times what you think. This time is just a particularly good question.

Okay, there are signs of the times and then there's a super sign and the super sign of the time is the rebirth of the nation Israel, which actually has a connection to what happened in World War II on May 14, 1948 Israel became a nation against all odds, despite losing over 6 million Jewish people in the Holocaust, the Jewish people, almost as if on cue, returned to their homeland. I think the Jewish people recognize we need to fend for ourselves. We need to defend ourselves. We cannot depend on anyone else to do it and so they returned to their homeland and they fulfill the Bible prophecy, the Bible tells us in many occasions this would happen. In Ezekiel 37, 30, even 39 that talks about the regathering of the Jews into their homeland and multiple times and says in the end times. In the end times. So were reminded when this happened. It's like a prophetic clock starts ticking that is unique to our generation.

The reemergence of the nation Israel.

Now, as we see hostility toward her as a nation, as we see other signs of the times happening before our eyes were being reminded that the Bible is told us all of these things Jesus compared the end times events to birth pain or a labor pains, I should say so.

As a woman is getting closer to having her baby, her labor pains get closer and closer together.

So the idea is we've only send signs of the times, if you will, and Hitler and the Third Reich and all the Nampa to World War II were certainly huge events but no were seeing things get closer and closer together where there's not months in between events. It seems like there's weeks and sometimes days sometimes even hours we see things unraveling before Isaac take the Middle East as an example would happen in Afghanistan, which in all honesty I think was done very poorly and in it was a horrible chain of events, and in it was not done the way it should have been done with the tragic loss of of 13 American service people and one who attended here yet. One what one of the members of the that died tragically there and couple was it came to Christ, along with his family at the harvest Crusade so were thankful that the family believes but oh what a tragedy it is. But now we see the reemergence of Islamic terrorism and never went away but now it's on the front page again and writers were coming to the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and I just watch a documentary on that and it was just so shocking to sort of relive those moments because this documentary followed it in real time with a thought just some playing maybe a small plane crash by accident in the World Trade Center then is there filming the fire they see a commercial jet flying into the tower and then do what those towers crumble before our eyes, and the tremendous loss of life exceeding the lives lost, even at Pearl Harbor, and it's hard to believe that happened here we are 20 years later and were still dealing with this threat. These two are signs of the times, reminding us that Jesus is coming back again this is something in the book that the role of America. It's either one of revival or judgment. Yeah and I thought it was really a great statement because we can either decide as a country would have this great revival. We talked about the Jesus movement had armies which were received, the part of what path are we going were going towards the revival of her going towards judgment well at the moment has a little bit but I want to again, sorry to say I mean you know I'm reminded of the opening lines of his in the tale of two cities. It was the best of times it was the worst of times.

I think both are happening at the same time, really bad things happening in our culture. The collapse of the American family.

The redefinition of a family. The redefinition of the sexes and you can really take the breakdown of the family and it is at the root of most of our societal ills today.

I almost everything is traced to a broken home is specifically a fatherless home so as we see all of these things happening it it doesn't look good, but then at the same time as I see young people coming to Christ and acing their passion for their faith and their desire to serve the Lord.

He gives me hope. So I think were in a weight inseam moment, so we need to pray, we need to pray that God would send another great spiritual awakening were starting a brand-new series in the book of that and so I was pointing out in the message. I recently gave that the if we want to learn about revival.

We need to go back to the 60s and I don't mean the 1960s, I mean 8060.

That was the first Jesus movement that Jesus himself started. There were no bellbottoms or there was longhair beards and sandals like the modern 60s it was a different kind of movement that Christ himself started that literally change the world. Here is what concerns me as I read the book of Revelation and other books of the Bible. I cannot see any mention of the United States. You clearly find Israel spoken of in the end time scenario think you have a very good case for I ran and their roles are going to play in the prophetic puzzle. I think you can make a pretty good case for Russia and even China. But how is it that the reigning superpower, the United States is really nowhere to be seen well.

It may be that we just grow weaker with the passing of time and that we become a part of the 10 nation confederacy behind the coming world leader identify them.

Revelation is the antichrist, it may be that were were decimated in some kind of a nuclear war God for bid and it could also be that there is such a mess of revival in America and people are caught up to meet the Lord in the air that that would obviously change that the, the nature of our nation overnight. I don't know why were not in the end times scenario, but I'm praying that God will send 123 or more revivals before he comes for his church and I don't know when that will be lots, the key with no one knows when no one knows that we need to be prepared as Christian grants right beside by the antichrist because I think that's always a fascinating subject for TV shows and classroom generally endlessly enter number one messages on YouTube or pretty much all in the antichrist is always portrayed as this evil looking sort of dark, but in the book, you were very clear about this antichrist will be one that has atomic harassment would be very intelligent will be very compelling to listen to will bring peace out and lots away.

So if you look at all those characteristics you think well good guy right. So, why, how would you be able to discern from that.

Yeah well I jokingly said he can be in the cover of Newsweek and GQ at the same time think the devil wears Prada right.

Why do we think you'll be a menacing figure.

He has to be a charismatic figure because people follow him and I think that he's he obviously is economic solutions. He has military solutions he comes as a man of peace initially but he's not a peacemaker he's a troublemaker and if Satan never had a son. This is him but he's a deceiver. Remember we call them anti-Christ, the prefix anti-doesn't just mean against it also means instead out so he'd be a Christlike figure to some Jesus and one of the end time signs is many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ, so he'll be that man. How will we be able to discern Levi don't expect to be around to discern because my understanding of Bible prophecy would tell me that before antichrist can be revealed. The church will be removed. This is based on the statement by the apostle Paul, the book of Thessalonians when he says he who now restrains will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way then that wicked one will be revealed whom the Lord will destroy with the brightness of his coming, so that wicked one is antichrist. He who now restrains, I believe, is speaking of the work of the Holy Spirit through the church. The church is like a restraining force in the world today it's Christians and speak up for the unborn. It's Christians that defend the family. It's Christians and stop trying to stop the spread of evil.

Imagine if we were taken suddenly from this planet, how quickly evil can spread for a restraining force, but once were removed.

Antichrist can be revealed. So I often remind people don't be looking for antichrist be looking for Jesus Christ less, what I wanted to get to the giant of God is is while we know where our comfort lives that we know where our hope resides just a lot of people look at Revelation. This amount it's a long book there is a long period of time so that we can wait. All this time, we should people say like well once got to be our resolution wears our comfort now in these times when you see these. Well, the Lord's going to come in the Lord's can come Jesus and no one knows the day of the hour. Only the father in heaven, so we should never set dates, but in the meantime, we have a job to do in the book of acts and the opening chapter, the disciples come to Jesus and say you know basically what when you go to establish her kingdom.

Jesus said and some for you to know the times of the seasons, but you will receive power at the holiness after the Holy Spirit comes upon you to be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the in those parts of the alumni loosely paraphrase it. Lord, what are you going to establish her kingdom on earth guys get off that it'll happen when it happens. You have a job to do the gospel. That's a very loose paraphrase and interpretation. In fact, but I think that's what we should be focusing on. You know, when we pray by kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. As a part of the Lord's prayer were praying for a the return of Christ to the earth that will happen at the appointed moment, but were also bring the people will come to Christ because every time a person believes in Jesus the kingdom of God is extended a little bit further so we need to focus on our job, and here's what were told in Peter a God is not late as some men count lateness.

He's long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repent so constantly gone sometime and he wants so many people to come to the kingdom before or come up to meet the Lord in the air so our job is not to stand on a rooftop staring at the sun waiting for Jesus to return is to be about our father's business, sharing the gospel and expanding the kingdom until God brings his actual technical kingdom to this planet, we tend to forget that little bit that is not just a wait-and-see yes game it's and it's an active company to be proactive yeah donning our faith. But in the message that we have.

We talked about the message of harvest, which is to know in the making known nothing of that's pretty evident there something in the in the book that you talk about the up the sick and dying church which was pretty faceted. By that passage, and you talked about all the ills that can fall into the church for a variety of reasons of you talk about the fact that you know if you a few years back. Having a TV in church was a big problem you are having it having a service that was broadcast on the website.

One of the factors that contribute to a dying church up there such a thing. Yeah well, as I mentioned earlier, as the book of Revelation begins before we get into the juicy stuff that everyone wants to talk about antichrist millennial reign second coming battle of Armageddon.

False prophet, etc. before we get into that Jesus has specific words to his church. It starts with his words to the church of Ephesus. He says I know how hard you work. I know how discerning you are, but I have this against you. You've left your first love. So remember from where you will fall in and repent and do the first works quickly so very tenderly and lovingly.

Jesus reminds the church and reminds us as Christians stay in your first love relationship with Jesus to close to the Lord.

So you start with the church of evident Ephesus and you wind up with the church of Laodicea and that is a church where Jesus is on the outside trying to get it and he says behold, a stent of the door and I knock if you will hear my voice, and open the door. I'll commit so we've gone from a church that is apostolic or ending up with a church that is apostate. What happened what happened is that church did not stay close in their first love the begin the drift to let other things get in the way the sign of the sick and dying church is a church that is living in its past instead of in the present and looking to the future.

You mentioned the TVs in church so what years ago we you we put up a big flat screen and we film the services and I remember having a couple sake were leaving the church.

We don't come to church to watch TV. Okay, worn out, watching TV, selling, or watching the show. It's like were just trying to take modern tech and use it to reach people. I've had people be critical of everything. Why are you going on on online that's dangerous well look there's a lot of wickedness out there, don't we want to go out there with the gospel.

I think Christians need to permeate everything we need to permeate mass media, social media, we need to be involved in the arts.

We need to be involved in politics. We need Christian lawyers Christian doctors Christian athletes we need to go out there and infiltrate the world and show people what a Christian looks like and share the gospel and so we shouldn't be afraid of these things and sometimes a church get stuck in ruts, cultural ruts and and we can adapt to the times and I think that we want to adapt to the times are living without compromising our message and so it's interesting that you come to the church before Leo to see in the church of Philadelphia. He says you have a little strength and so the ideas of a sick person getting about their sickbed and you know, so we start with the church that is in danger of leaving their first love, a church against very sick within the church is coming back again and that gives me hope for revival because I believe that God could revive the church and we can have a come back in and we need to do that we need to be known more for what we are for them won't work against, and in there is a place for us in culture, a place for us and all these things but don't let those things take the place of our primary mission. Our primary mission is to proclaim Jesus Christ to call people to Christ and help them get up on their feet spiritually discipling them and repeating the process. That is what we call the great commission, we can't lose sight of what the book is about me. The subtitles a book of promises me, the promise of what Jesus holds for us in the future you thought about this in the book quite a bit of vision and game to this Jesus is coming back, yes, and were to be with him in heaven.

That's right, you think the people lose track of the doubt that there is there is an in game and there's an actual is a reward that people go, we find people going to church and go through motion.

Every Sunday clock you go sit down at the probably the same place y'all it's a doubt that you have your routine zest and some people look at the screen talk about TV cycle will look at you, even though that year you look at it from the screen as though they forget that there's a reward that how do we convince people that there's a long game being played, but I think it's just look at what Scripture says you know CS Lewis once said, those that think the most of the next life to the most in this one loose paraphrase, and I think it's good to be heavenly minded and I think people misunderstand what that means you for the person there so heavenly minded there no earthly good.

I would say some people are so earthly minded. There no heavenly good been heavenly minded means that I think of the eternal, you know, in ancient documents are used to write the phrase Momento Mori MIP over your bank account how much money you have in the Bay Company properties you own, whatever Momento Mori which means think of death. The idea was just have an eternal perspective. It's not a morbid preoccupation with that. It's the understanding that life on earth ends, but life continues on later this should be a warning to the nonbeliever because there's a final judgment. It should be a promise to the believer because there are future blessings and rewards for us and you know sometimes when a young person dies.

We feel like that's the worst tragedy and of course it is a great tragedy when anyone dies, but especially a younger person and but we act as though all that's it and they missed out on all the opportunities we forget there is an afterlife and maybe dreams will be realized in the next life that were not fully realized. In this one. And don't forget one day heaven and earth are going to become one.

This is spoken of.

At the end of the book of Revelation, and so we will be together again with loved ones in a preceded us in faith. The Bible even talks about building houses and planting vineyards in the land with the lion is a very tangible things are going to happen. So there is great hope for the future for the child of God. But it's not so for the person who is not put their faith in Christ so thing like emphasizing in this book and always in my ministry.

As you will come to Jesus and believe in him and then begin to live for him and put God first and seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and God will just put all the other areas of your life in their proper order is a real promise to be fulfilled.

Yeah well we talked about juicy stuff.

And of course we can leave that out. I want to talk about Armageddon you people forget that is a natural place, the adjuster, etc. and in the book you you illustrate that quite a few times about Pres. Reagan not talking about collapse and saying they were headed to mentors Armageddon and it became became a movie in an email and all of this people are curious about those actual things are yet Is Taken Pl. in Revelation about America Armageddon specifically in the role that America would play in them because we don't really see it.

So talk to me little bit about yeah I don't know if America will play a role in Armageddon that basically Armageddon is from the root word Armageddon. Armageddon valiantly got also in Israel there is a place called the Valley of Megiddo.

According to Scripture. This is one of the final battles are going to be fought at the end of the great tribulation. So here's kind of the prophetic calendar as I see it. Next event is the rapture of the church that we have the antichrist emerge.

He rebuilds the Jewish temple. He comes initially with overtures of peace but at the halfway point of the tribulation.

Antichrist shows his true colors and commits that abomination of desolation or erects an image of himself in the temple and commence people to worship at this sort of signals that second half of the tribulation with the judgment of God is poured out on the earth. The antichrist is sort of a sidekick if you will, a false prophet of a religious figure Guru type guy who sort of brings a spiritual movement wrapped around the antichrist with his economic and military solutions, and according the revelations are both energized by the Dragon and is identified for us as Satan in Revelation chapter 12 so all of these things or culminating things are looking pretty bleak.

But even in the midst of this horrible tribulation. God raises up as witnesses.

There's two witnesses that are raised up that are proclaiming the truth. We don't know who they are. Many think that Moses and Elijah one has the power to stop it from raining. Another can call fire from heaven. Unique traits attributed to those profits.

Plus, when Jesus was transfigured, Moses and Elijah were on each side of him.

I don't know if it's Moses and Elijah. I personally think it probably is. And then the antichrist kills them.

So looks like is prevailing in the Bible tells us in that God raises them from the dead and they ascend to heaven, so there are these glimpses of light breaking through the darkness of the tribulation period, including an angel going to the heavens proclaiming the everlasting gospel but everything is building now building to the final battles the battles of Armageddon. It's the antichrist and his combined forces of 10 nations. We don't know they are in particular facing off against the kings of the east. Some of the surmise that could be China, China and Japan, perhaps in the is involved. I don't know that that's all guessing there but there will be the forces of the antichrist.

There will be the kings of the ease that much. I know in no face-off in the battle of argument Armageddon while they're battling away this is the moment when Christ returns in the second coming.

He ends the battle of Armageddon and then he establishes his kingdom on the earth, so Armageddon is a place at the bottle or a series of battles which is ended by the return of Jesus Christ. I want to be part of that movie will you will you be a part of why because the Bible tells us when Christ was alive, shall appear, we shall appear with him in glory so the Lord is coming back with armies from heaven, so the way I see it, Eve is recounted to meet the Lord in heaven. And then when the Lord returns of the earth. We return with Jesus back to the planet so will of a front row seat will I believe will be there mentioned something in the book which I Limited was unaware that the word rapture is not mentioned in the Bible. So where did that come from one of the word rapture. And here's the common rebuttal of rapture that something that was invented in the early 1900s and it didn't exist before that nonsense okay.

The word rapture comes from the Latin word rapture us that's built on the Greek word par pause right so if I have a Latin Bible I come to the word caught up her puzzle. It would be rapture so you could say that the word is in some translations of the Bible, but the event is clearly in the Bible and spoken of often the word harp also is used repeatedly. First Thessalonians 4 is probably the most well-known use of the word when it says the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, the dead in Christ will rise first.

We which are alive and remaining shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. The word caught. It means that from the word harp also taken by force taken quickly. It's the ultimate great escape and so this is spoken of. Many times Jesus in John 14 said in my father's house are many mansions that were not so I would've told you if I go I come to Barbara. I go to prepare a place for you and I will come again and receive you harp also receive you one.

The myself, there were I am, you may be also. We read about this event many times in Scripture so the event has always been in the Bible and it's an event where the Lord comes for his church. I think there's a difference between the rapture. If you will, or the harp, so if you prefer, and the second coming in the rapture. He comes for his church and the second coming. He returned with his church in the rapture.

It's before the great tribulation.

The second coming is at the end of the tribulation in the rapture.

He comes as a thief in the night and the second coming every I will see him so there there's many distinctions that sometimes in the Bible.

They're both spoken of together as the coming of the Lord. So I think the main thing is you just need to be ready to meet the Lord. The book I think is perfect soon junction between allegory in these vivid images that we all have in our heads and really practical application listen. Your job is not like you sense him to stand up on the rooftop and weight is to be proactive in your faith. Is there a time where we are caught standing and looking around and waiting for things to happen, as opposed to just let a listen. It's time for us to be proactive. It's time for me to go talk about my faith you so that it doesn't know me. We called in those moments all sure. I think you know what I think it is either think and we get distracted in order. Jesus ascended the Angels and why do you stand looking up into the sky missing Jesus easy will come back again.

Then there the get on with the work that they're called to do and I think that people Christians today get very distracted. We let other things take the place of the Lord. Let me use as an example, politics. You know I I said before on the Christian should run for office. I think it's great when Christians are elected in the Bible even says when righteous people are ruling the people rejoice. Having said that, our primary focus on life should not be impolitic. It should be on spreading the gospel and calling people into God's kingdom. And I've seen Christians that used to be passionate user social media platforms talking about Jesus all the time. Now it's other things that the more passionate about my be the political candidate might be for or against the vaccine for or against mask wearing for or against fill in blank here is what I'm saying you're entitled to your opinion.

I have my opinions but I don't get up in the pulpit and talk about those things because those are secondary issues. My messages Jesus Christ and him crucified and resurrected and so I think that we we should not allow ourselves to become distracted. Jesus warned actually about a servant that's waiting for his Lord's return, whether distracted by the cares of this life.

Once again, either once again aware what the going to drink.

There's nothing wrong with saying what Mike and I have for dinner. One of again aware today what career path will I follow good, those are good things to think about will be obsessed with those things. Put God first coming back to Matthew 633 seek first thinking about God and his righteousness and all these things begin about will eat, wear and drink etc. will be added to you.

So I'm saying this had your primary passion be about Jesus.

It's okay to enjoy life affect the Christian should enjoy life more than anybody else. The Bible says God is given us all things richly to enjoy enjoy it.

Have a great meal admired the sunset. Enjoy time with family and friends enjoy what God is giving you. But let your primary passion be for Christ and that's what we should be doing all the time but especially in light of the fact that Jesus is coming is while I hate to has question but is it really possible in these days to be able to say listen, I have this life where my life is dedicated Christ. Yeah, I have these other pursuits that I'm doing can we find I I've yet to find a really good politician that doesn't get attacked for his believe the minute the date the code of self-care Christians you know there on the spot right away. Now they only have to defend their positions. But after the offender faith as well is it is a possible can we do this nowadays, we can I think in a way, we must, you know, I've given the opportunity to have in-depth conversations with many political leaders, many that if I name them, people would know them but I don't always talk about what I say to these people, but I try to take I I'm a pastor I I'm I'm not there is a political advisor. I'm not a pundit I'm I'm I'm a pastor in the ministry and so II like to point them to Christ. I like to remind them of what Scripture says I prefer them. I admire them and but but I don't get all involved in the political aspects of it but but I want to you know be able to minister to wherever God puts in my path and and I think it's a wonderful thing when people want on Laura take one example, my friend Marco Rubio, senator from Florida Marco post is Scripture on his twitter feed every day.

He is come under tremendous attack for that but I admire the fact that the senator is not some pastor, a senator wants to post to Scripture. There's nothing politically hopeful about that. In fact, but this is something that the conviction of Marco and I I once met him and his wife Jeanette. No one said that with the multiple times with I was going to married couples conference in Hawaii and after it was over with someone came and said I Marco Rubio certainly would like to meet you. I said Sen. Marco Rubio, and indeed it was him and we spent time together and I saw how much he loved the Lord. He love the word of God. His wife was just a great Bible student just a wonderful Christian couple and an my feeling this I am appreciative that someone like that would be out there serving our nation with their faith in Christ intact.

I've talked to others that have strong faith, though we may not always agree with every position they take on everything but I'm thinking when I see these people ask for prayer and ask for biblical counsel and I think we should rejoice because there are other politicians that go out of their way to oppose biblical values they go out of their way to oppose things that we believe are true and right for our nation and so we shouldn't be all about politics, but we should leave it out either.

There is a place for us to be involved in that process, but again when I'm reminding people of his God is ultimately in control and and we want to focus our primary energies on bringing people to Christ. Is it something that I just picked up on of all those things that we wallowed to some famous people have reached out to you and that you talk to counsel to abuse or something just now at the end of the demo pastor. When I think of you.

It's always pastor Lori it's never it's never Greg and it's never here and call me Greg. I will I don't, I will do so.

Okay.

But I and it's not for any other reason other than the fact that I see is my pastor know my wife sees you as her pastor and deposition is rare here and you we don't see very much other people because Sean is become bigger and that you've you've remain in your heart.

A pastor, and brings me back to what we did with Billy Graham with the book yeah and he was always a simple country. Still, you see yourself as this.

This simple pastor that came from really humble background and now we we almost 50 years later I do and because I'm still that person right and I'm just that I was a confused kid 17 years old using drugs going the wrong way in life.

I heard the gospel. Jesus came into my life and change my life. I found myself I was a graphic designer at that time in my soul aspiration was to go on the design that one. That's what I wanted to do and I did that for a couple of years, but then I saw the Lord put his hand upon me to preach the gospel and teach not something I ever aspired to. In fact, it was a horrible student in school, but you know know it something to talk about something to write about and it became a student, I became a reader, which I was not up to that point was more of a television viewer and you know in reading like worthless magazines and things that weren't helpful and suddenly I find myself devouring biblical literature and other things you know to expand my thinking and growing and you know so fast forward 50 years you know I still want to just reach regular type foci. I'm not an intellectual.

I've never claimed to be an unthinking when anyone is ever accused me of being an intellectual IME. I'm a person who is Christ in my life and I want other people to have Christ in their life, and if anything is a years of past. I think I become simple by intention, wanting to bring it down in the most understandable way to people what I'm talking about the book of Revelation, or any other thing I'm teaching the book of acts right now.

I want people to see how it relates to their day-to-day living how they can apply it in their life.

I'm not trying doing press people. When I preached I want to reach people. I want to educate them. I want to edify to use a biblical word edify and build them up spiritually. That's my job and and I think it's a very high calling and and I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a preacher you know sometimes symbols it will. I'm a life coach or I'm a motivational speaker, Ryman influencer okay I'm a preacher and I'm happy to be a preacher.

That's what I do and does so I tried to influence and I tried to do with a Canon other platforms, but I'm not embarrassed to say that's what I do. You know we do films were working on a new film right now that will be released in the months to come. That's an evangelistic type film similar to something we did a while back called a rush of hope. So yeah, I'm a I'm a bit of a filmmaker right now, but again it's just to bring the gospel is just the reach people in a different way and and that's what I'm called to do and that's what I'm thrilled to do and privilege to do this book is not only for small companies you read your you would think that if 500 page book is an easy read, but it is advocates well split yeah it's it's it feels like Greg Laurie wrote it down and and of course she did, but is spoken in the way that the same with the people that reach out to us and say he made the Bible, understood you.

I was able to understand the concept really easily because of language use is something I noticed when we we speak every time we speak. I'm Dennis and by that will end with this in the middle of writing this and many other books that you've done, you find still yourself excited by the because every time you talk that there's a level of accent I see I see your posture changes in your you. There's an excitement that avails in the air at you may not call yourself a little touchable but I was truly call your Bible scholar and do you still find yourself excited to find new things designer you found new things when you wrote this out always excited.

I mean, the thing I love to do more than anything else is in love to study discovered for myself. This truth then write it in a way that is understandable. I work a long time. People might be surprised to know that I worked a long time it crafting a message so it doesn't feel sermonic but it feels more conversational managing takes the extra effort. I once saw Billy Graham being interviewed by I'm on is no frost David Frost Hempstead Robert Frost. He was a writer know David Frost, the British interviewer interview Billy and Billy said this and I it's stuck with me says I study to be simple and so I go out of my way to simplify to make an understandable not to make it simplistic the difficult job. Well it is. I've it takes more effort. So when I get up to speak. I don't want people to see the scenes in the message or what ever I went through to get that message to them. I just wanted to be fed just take away truth then drawn closer to God that that's the impression it makes than the meds. I did my job and and so this is something I love to do.

I actually love to study. I love to write messages and I love to deliver messages. A lot of other things I do I do because I need to do them.

I don't love them as much. Perhaps but but I love the actual process of preparing and delivering messages and it's always exciting to see something you order to rediscover something you forgot and I'm kind of excited although I can't wait to share this you know so there's a joy in learning something and sharing it with others. Reminds me of something in the late 80s I believe in you and I are certainly old enough to remember NBC didn't do new programs in the summer with our motto was, well, if you haven't seen it. It's new to you. So I think I ice almost see that the same way with with young Christian them a common message may have been old but the hears of the first sentence. Again, when, and on this in the book you write something about the best is yet to come. What is the best is yet to come. Knowing the answer. All yeah the better you up with the other benefit is yet to come is is is the hope of heaven it it's it's the resolution of everything, it's the answer to every question.

It's the drawing of every tier. It's when everything comes together and we say I finally got it. You know there are things in life that make no sense. I've had things happen. The mean tragedies, the loss of my son 13 years ago makes no sense to me but I know one day all have an eternal perspective.

The Bible says all know is I am known to right now I know in part I get little glimpses, but I don't get the big picture. But one day everything will be revealed and and rewards will be given and conversations that were ended will be restarted and and everything will be returned to Its Proper Pl., God will redeem things he he will revive things that will make all things right so make all things new. That's the promise of Revelation. That's the promise of the afterlife that is the promise of eternity given to every follower of Jesus Christ.

So I think it's always very important. You know to to be looking up. Jesus said, speaking event times events when you see these things begin the cabin look up for your redemption is drawing near.

He didn't say freak out.

He said look up and and then Colossians 3.

The apostle Paul says, set your mind on things above and another way to translate that is think heavenly thoughts or literally just think Kevin just, you know, every day.

Think Kevin a little bit. There is a heaven. There's an afterlife. There is blessings that are coming.

This isn't all there is. Some people make it all about the here and now and they forget all about the by-and-by leading the big picture and that's it.

Revelation does for us is it reminds us of the big picture that God is in control is who Lori is always was great.

Thank you, thank you so much Vicki everybody thinks you're listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and the find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God