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January 4, 2022 3:00 am
Pastor Greg Laurie has the answer today on A New Beginning directly from God’s Word, in one of the most requested messages of the past year. Part of our “top ten.”
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A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.
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Learn more@harness.org and while you're there, browse our library and free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith will serve a specific ministry in the life of the artist to assist the minister to us, sometimes to the dogs sister Greg and Lori's angels are real. The Bible says maybe an angel or to right now angels are spirits sent to serve those who will inherit eternal life that can accurately not little babies should be on cloud or two wings of a glowing halo and not all angels are the good guys, what's the truth about Greg. Lori has the answer today on the new beginning directly from God's word and one of the most requested messages past year. Right now all around us is a supernatural world.
It's an invisible world around us right now are thousands of mysterious created beings called angels. Most of them are holy. I'm sorry to say, some of them are not. Some of them are fallen, but you find what the Bible says about angels in both the old and the New Testament affect the Bible mentions angels 300 times that there are so many misconceptions about angels. Let me just say first off the job of an angel is the kind of work undercover. I like to compare angels to Navy SEALs, you know, Navy SEALs are that elite force that we dispatch in certain situations to take care of business. They go into things all the time and we often don't hear about what they did they just get the job done. That sort of a good description of angels they get the job done for God are not there to draw attention to themselves. They're not there to have us have extended conversations with them. Though it's possible you spoken with an angel and I'll tell you why believe that the few moments but you probably were aware of it.
If you were speaking with an angel.
I would suggest you.
There are times when angels of spoken to you, which you probably didn't know it was an angel but they're very interesting creatures sort of working behind the scenes working undercover sort of like God's secret agents, but there's a lot of misconceptions. As I said, for starters, people think that that when we die we might become an angel, you know I've heard it said when someone dies. Well, God must've needed another angel in heaven. Well, God doesn't need anymore angels in heaven.
More to the point people don't become angels when they got angels are created being there other group all under themselves. When we die we receive a new body and and so forth but but we have no connection to angels made to break this to you girls, but in every appearance of an angel on earth. It was a guy not a girl, I know that is hard for some people to believe because we use the term angel sometimes in a feminine way like Jesus pretty is an angel right we don't generally say these as handsome as an angel but actually all of the appearances of angels are appearing as men in the Bible and so these are amazing created beings that are there working constantly in our life. It would appear from Scripture that they are eternal, it would seem as though they never die. Speaking of those who have died and gone to heaven.
Jesus said in the chapter 20. Neither can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels now have a specific ministry in the life of the Christian they are dispatched from heaven to assist us to encourage us to minister to us sometimes to protect us occasionally to speak to us. Hebrews 114 says angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit eternal life. There's many instances in Scripture were angels intervened and angel spoke to Philip and told him to go to the desert. He went and the men came to faith from Ethiopia and then we have the story of Peter, who was taken to prison and he was going to be executed because James had already been put to death by King Herod and the church pray and an angel was dispatched to wake Peter up and get him out of jail.
So an angel was sent as an answer to prayer is a story in the book of Genesis, for God was speaking to Jacob at this show on the world of angelic activity and in Jacob had a dream and in this dream or vision he saw stairway or a ladder of angels going up and down the stairway or up and down the escalator if you will just angels constantly at work moving between heaven and earth doing the work of God and is already set. It's entirely possible you've met an angel is a will. How would that be well. Hebrews 13 to says, don't forget to entertain strangers bread doing so some people a better team angels without knowing it. So you know you you might survive how what I know you probably wouldn't know. Maybe you know when you get to heaven and you be walking around in some angel what's out there to say thanks for get me that burger but what got me that burger we met with Matt, never that homeless guy that you ran into in this date and I was hungry and I said can I get a meal and you took me into In-N-Out Burger, and you got me a great burger double double. As I recall, animal style still remember it, even in heaven want to thank you for that. You are an angel. Yes, I was because the idea is that when you dinner for a stranger.
Somebody that was Anita Goodman in angel undercover so it's possible you've met in angel. It's possible there's angels in the room right now and I know there during the invisible realm, but it's not entirely outside of the realm of possibility that they could be an angel as a person to look around the ground. You never know the look for feathers or anything like that would be mind blowing. If an angel appeared to us right now. I tell you what if an Angel did appear to be very tempted to worship the angel that actually happened to the apostle John in angel appeared. He was so blown away, fell down to worship it.
Any of those that do not worship me worship God. But there's so incredible. There's so awe-inspiring, you'd be inclined to worship but imaginative Gabriel or Michael or another angel appeared before a friend. I did hear a story about a time in a church service when the devil himself appeared so here people at church and all of a sudden Satan appears on the stage, people are screaming and freaking out, climbing over each other to get out of the church are climbing out of the windows running up the doors they're terrified the church is empty then just seconds except one older man sitting in the second row, the devil says why aren't you running do you know who I am, limits as I know who you are and the devil says I am the devil. I have a lot of power I could bring a lot of misery in your life where it you afraid of me. The old guy said I was married to your sister for 46 year.
That's a true story.
Notice this one of those lame preacher jokes. I even angel of the Lord appeared, we would certainly be amazed that sometimes the question is asked, we have guardian angels. I don't know the answer to that but I think the answer is maybe. I mean, I know we have angels evolve in our lives. But do we have a specific angel that is assigned to us like that your job you watch over that child or you watch over that person. We can know with certainty, but there is an interesting statement were Jesus says in Matthew 1810 don't look down on these little one.
Speaking of children pride tell you there angels in heaven always see the face of my father in heaven. Interesting phrase there angels in heaven, so that would imply maybe a guardian angel going back to the story of Peter when he was sprung from the prison by the angel. He showed up at a house for a bunch of dresses for praying and he knocked on the door and that they they can believe in God and answer their prayers so quickly and so when someone said it was actually the main rotor.
She said Peter is standing at the front door knocking. One of the other said while it's probably just his angel and they loved him talking to me for me. If an angel knocks on him unless the men pay a FedEx box. I open the door. When I opened the door for an angel. And so that's a curious thing but it's interesting that they state.
Maybe it's his angel so maybe there are guardian angels that there are or there are not, that's really not that important.
You can just be confident of this. You have angels actively involved in your life protecting you watching out for you. As I said, God's secret agents Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment.
So many listeners have come in the help they receive these daily messages God's word ministers to them and often gets them through some of their darkest hours working here. 20. I had heart and my dad had heart and with the way three days after that my husband and I tested positive listening to your Encouraging Word and your books on audible have helped me through it with a smile on my face and joy in my heart I know there will be more bound along the way, mainly because I'm a fixed time cancer survivor that I know who gave me in my journey and I thank God for service IQ as well. God bless you listeners are curing these messages using his word to comfort.
I'll have Pastor Greg studies impacted your life would you let him know drop an email to greg@harvest.org that's great@harvest.org will Pastor Greg is offering insights today from our series of most requested messages of the past year.
Let's continue now.
So the title of this message is angels and demons.
So this is what kinda perplexes us is where the heck did demons come from, why do we even have to have demons while they're out there for sure in this simplified a demon is a fallen angel God did not create demons as we know them today he created angels what he gave to these angelic creatures of free will and an ability to choose and as hard as it is to believe one third of the angels followed a high ranking angel known as Lucifer, the son of the morning and a rebellion server is also known as Satan and the devil.
So, before I address where demons came from. Let me just talk about where the devil came from the forward as the word of the devil come from most of you would probably say how the double came from. No, actually that's not true. The limits are you.
Where the devil really came from the double came from heaven. That's right. Now he wasn't the devil in heaven. He was, as I mentioned Lucifer this beautiful angel. Maybe an archangel if not certainly a high ranking angel on the level of maybe a Gabriel but I don't think I'm Michael but taught certainly a high ranking angel, but he rebelled against God.
In fact, it's described in vivid detail over in Ezekiel 28 word is said of Lucifer, you were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, you were in Eden, the garden of God, you are anointed as a guardian sheriff Friar Dean you you were on the holy mountain of God.
You walked among the fiery stones. I don't know what the fiery stones are, but he walked among them you were blameless in the day you were created listen to all wickedness was found in you and through your widespread trait you are filled with violence and you send and I drove you in disgrace from the mountain of God, but I expelled you all guardian cherub from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud, on account of your beauty and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor, so I threw you to the earth and made you a spectacle before kings, so what happened to Lucifer wickedness was found in him.
It's also spoken of in Isaiah 14 the fall of Satan, Lucifer allowed his perfection to be the cause of his corruption.
He wanted the number one job Satan says in Isaiah 14 again I will be like God, I will be like the most likely one of the top job and the Lord said, you're outta here, so he lost a position he once held in one third of the angels followed him.
Instead of wanting to worship God. He himself wanted to be worship you know it's interesting that it says he was filled with violent. This is so insane. These shootings and you we always want to find the motive all first of all those in the political world want to find out is he a Republican or is he a Democrat and make it all a political discussion OR what we would race was. He was the why was he black with the Hispanic but they missed the big issue there is a spiritual dynamic going on and we forget the fact that there's evil in the world today and there's a devil who is full of wickedness and full of violence that inspires people to take the lives of other people. That's what I mean when I say word a spiritual battle I sent out a tweet negative.
Let's pray for everyone who is in office right now whether you put them there or not. I got liberals and conservatives mad at me. What is wrong with you people and so I think the thing that we don't realize is this is a spiritual world that we get caught up in the political fights and caught up in the these other little things we forget were children of the most high in our kingdom is in heaven were ambassadors of the kingdom of God. We need to remember that and so we'll talk about that more next time.
In our message on spiritual warfare. But anyway, so the devil yet sees no longer in that exalted position in heaven. This might surprise you.
He is a backstage pass into the presence of God. You see well how do you know that because we read about it multiple times in Scripture. The book of Job is the account of the Angels of the Lord, presenting themselves before the Lord. So here's all the Angels and guess who shows up blue surfer is there and the Lord says that what you been up to.
Says is devil I'm going back and forth across the earth watching everything that's going on. What an interesting description is just like roaming around. He's looking for trouble right with what happened to my rack. What would misery can I bring you would like can I potentially destroy. That's where the Bible describes him as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour.
That's him you know and that's when a lion is like a hunting for prey. The devil never takes a vacation wouldn't be nice to be that when integrated right we can announce save we just found out Satan's taking August off no devil in August, you know, I think even if Satan took August off we would still get ourselves in the trouble unto the coming so but the devil doesn't take a month off the devil doesn't take a week off. He doesn't take a day off. He doesn't take an hour off. He's always at work. If he's beaten, he rises again. If he can't come in the front door he'll come in the back door if he can climb dump of the roof built total up through the floor he'll find a way to get in any he's looking from vulnerability is looking for someone he can grab you know going back to lines and are usually the easiest way from line to get their lunch or dinner is when they watch that little herb of antelope or whatever it is, there chasing after there's always the lacquer right as a group and then there's one guy you know 20 feet behind the doodle appliances and looks like lunch to me. You want to know something surprising though more people are killed in Africa by hippos then alliance God's true life skills. Number oh hippos kill way more in the funny thing about a hippos they don't even look threatening you know what I plead hungry hippo.
They're so cute you know you gone the jungle Cruise ride in Disneyland and that there was a little ears and they do that are reliable or turnaround like that and then uniting how dangerous are they there very dangerous and did you know the really fast on land and others because I went to Africa years ago and we stayed in the tented camp and and they took us to our tent and they warned us about the hippos that come out at night.
Hippos are you serious. I should be scared of hippos goes on. They move fast in the attack people so I bring that up because the Bible does not say that your adversary the devil is like a hippo running around okay says is like a lion but the point I'm making is sometimes of the Gallia.
What's up with the lives of the devil can come to you. Many in way sometimes and come in all of his depravity and wickedness and perversion, and other times to come to you as an angel of life but always with the purpose of deceiving or miss leading you and he is a well organized network of demon powers doing his bidding, and those are his demons. We read numerous passages that refer to Satan and his minions, not those minions these minions. Matthew 1224 speaks of Beelzebub, which is another name for the double.
The prince of the demons. Then in Matthew 25, 41, the devil and his angels. Revelation 12 seven.
The Dragon another phrase for the devil and his angels, and of course hell is the future of dwelling place of the devil and his angels. Now it seems to me that the purpose or objective of demons is twofold.
Number wanted is to hinder the purposes of God. Number two it is to extend the power of Satan. Again, the purpose of demons i.e. fallen Angels is to fall they want to hinder God's purpose in your life and they want to extend the power of the devil. So I know that kind of a scary movie talk about things like this and it's true that one third of the angels followed Lucifer but it's also true that two thirds of the Angels are on our side. More importantly, God is on our side. So were on the winning side to Greg Lord close look at the world of angels and demons today on a new beginning, and there's more to come in this message. Everybody I have a very special guest with me right now.
My friend Levi Lesko and he has written a brand-new book for you parents to read to your children to help them grow spiritually is called roar like a lion 90 devotions to a courageous faith. You know what I love about this book is its beautifully done. Graphically it takes the truth of the word of God and presented in a very appealing way little sidebar articles build the little factoids to keep the interest of the kids and the parents or grandparents depending on his reading of it, but Levi's here with me right now.
Levi thought maybe I would ask you to pick one of these devotions and just read it to us so we can see what roar like a lion is all about will thank you so much Pastor Greg and I just want to encourage everyone to make sure and support new beginning because above and beyond you receiving this amazing gift. You're going to have fruit in heaven through what God does is people come to Jesus on a new beginning every day and at such an important calling out every day 60 which is called supernatural.
The Scripture verse for the day is from Psalm 4211 says, why am I so sad. Why am I so upset I should put my hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and my God so you didn't make the team you spent weeks practicing for funk the test even though you studied hard. Your mom got called into work and that trip you been dreaming of is suddenly canceled. Life comes with so many good things, but it also comes with disappointments when things don't go the way you had planned.
What you do, do you mope around all sad and gloomy.
Do you complain or throw a fit. After all your upset it's only natural to show it right.
What if you chose to do something supernatural instead.
Now when I see supernatural. I'm not talking about ghosts or magic or nonsense like that. I'm talking about doing something bigger and better than what people usually do, like praising God were looking for something good in the middle of your disappointment are showing others how good God is through the way you act okay so you didn't make the team.
So cheer on your friend who did yeah you flunk the test, but a number on a piece of paper doesn't make you any less wonderful to God and missing the trip was a bummer.
So why not think of something closer to home that your family can do together when you're disappointed don't do it seems natural due to supernatural the prayer for the day. Dear God when things don't go the way I want them to help me remember all the reasons I have to praise you. Amen. And then the did you know for the day which I tell you in our family.
We never say, did you know we always do. The highest squeaky's voice we can. We always save each other. Did you know it doesn't work unless your voice cracks so we go as high as you can.
It's a fun little game. We do here is the did you know what does Abraham Lincoln's beard have to do with boardgames. It all started with a man named Milton Bradley he was a talented lithographers kind of printer in one of his best-selling Prince was a portrait of Abraham Lincoln beard less Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln grew a beard.
No one wanted the beardless Prince anymore. It was a pretty disappointing time in Bradley's life. In fact, he had to find another way to make a living.
He created a board game called the checkered game of life which later became simply the game of life. Thankfully it was a hit. His company went on to create several other games you might've played including Candyland operation and battleship.
I think I played all those so listen everybody you've just been listening to Pastor Levi Lesko read from his brand-new book roar like a lion 90 devotions to a courageous faith and we want to send you a copy of this book for your gift of any size whatever you send to us here. The new beginning will take those resources that money and channel it into continuing this ministry and even expanding this ministry around the nation and the world. So for your gift of any size will send you your copy of roar like a lion if such an engaging resource the artwork from Catherine Pearson is just stunning. And what better time to get a new devotional resource than right here at the start of a new year, so thanks so much for partnering with us.
We can continue to touch lives with the gospel and to thank you tangibly will send the new book roar like a lion by Pastor Levi Lesko. You can make a donation online@harvest.org or reach us by phone anytime 24 seven at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 everybody Greg Laurie here. You know my uncle Fred Jordan at one of the first Christian TV programs out there. It was called church in the home. I remember watching it as a little boy when I was living with my grandparents we have church in the home for you every weekend is called harvest@homeinvitedharvest.org we have worship in a message of God's word. So join us this weekend for harvested home harvest.will next time more insight on Angels and Demons at an important warning from Pastor Greg about the devil and his strategies join us here on a new beginning.
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