Greg’s Blog

I Am On James Dobson’s Radio Program Again Today

On today’s program, Dr. Dobson is playing my personal story of how I came to faith in Jesus Christ. To listen to the program, click here.

As you know, Dr. Dobson will be joining us at the Southern California Harvest this coming Sunday. I’m going to interview him and ask him questions about pain and suffering. Our focus on Sunday night is to provide an eternal perspective and a good dose of hope for those who are hurting.

Do you know someone who is in some kind of pain right now? Perhaps they heard bad news from their doctor. Or their marriage has fallen apart. Or maybe a loved one close to them has suddenly died,leaving them stunned.

You will want to bring them to hear this interview I will do with the good doctor, as well as a message I will give. We will be joined in music by Steven Curtis Chapman and MercyMe. Trust me,you will not want to miss this night.

Sunday’s event will be broadcast live on KFSH (95.9 FM) in Southern California, along with the first two nights of the Southern California Harvest. You will also be able to listen online at The Fish’s Web site, and watch the live and archived webcast at harvest.org.

Timing Is Everything!

He has made everything beautiful in its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

When I look back on my life, at the things God has allowed me to do and the opportunities He has opened up, I can see the wisdom of His perfect timing.

Our tendency is to rush things, but just because something has not yet happened in your life doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t happen tomorrow. And that doesn’t mean it won’t happen a month or a year from now.

Perhaps one phase of your life is ending and another is beginning. Maybe everything that has happened to you up to this point in your life has been preparation for what is still ahead.

Late bloomers

Moses’ ministry didn’t get going until he was 80 years old. Wandering out there in the desert of Midian with his little flock of sheep, he probably thought his life was pretty much over. In reality, it was just about to begin.

Then there was Caleb, another Israelite who left Egypt in the Exodus. Along with Joshua, Caleb came back full of optimism and belief when they were sent to spy out the Promised Land. But when the Israelites believed the pessimistic report of the 10 other spies, God was so displeased that He refused to allow them to enter the land.

Wait on the Lord

Years later, when Joshua led a new generation of Israelites into the Promised Land, Caleb was among them. And at 80 years old, he told Joshua:

I’m asking you to give me the hill country that the LORD promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the Anakites living there in great, walled cities. But if the LORD is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the LORD said. (Joshua 14:12 NLT)

Joshua gave him his little segment of land, as promised, and Caleb drove out all of its inhabitants. Caleb believed God’s promises, and God was faithful. We need to do the same.

David offered the same advice with these words: “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD! (Psalm 27:14 NIV)

For Those Who Do Not Feel “Worthy” To Approach God In Prayer

Do you ever feel as though you are not “worthy” enough to approach God in prayer?

If so, then read this Scripture:

His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to! Now all praise to God for his wonderful kindness to us and his favor that he has poured out upon us because we belong to his dearly loved Son.  (Ephesians 1:5-6 TLB)

What God has done for us

So often, we hear about what we are supposed to do for God. But the emphasis of the Bible is not so much on what we are supposed to do for God, but rather on what God has done for us.

If we can get hold of that in our minds and hearts, it will change our outlook and actions. The more we understand of what God has done for us, the more we will want to do for Him.

This is no small truth. In fact, it’s fundamental to our spiritual lives.

The devil would love to keep you from praying at all by reminding us how “unworthy” we are—telling us, in effect, that we have a lot of nerve to even think that we could approach a holy God. He whispers, “Do you think that God would hear your prayers after what you have done?” But the real question to ask is this: “Is Jesus Christ worthy to come into the presence of the Father whenever He wants?” Of course, He is.

“Accepted in the Beloved”

The fact is that we are “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Because Christ has open access to the presence of the Father at any time, we have the same access when we come to God the Father through our relationship with Jesus. It’s not on the basis of what we have done for God. It is solely on the basis of what Christ has done for us.

Listen to the writer to the Hebrews:

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s people, let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. (Hebrews 10:19-21 NLT)

I just can’t imagine any better news than that.

Are You Discouraged Today?

Even the most committed believer has those moments when fear or worry can kick in.

Anxiety can overtake us. Maybe we’re concerned about our future, feel discouraged about some of our failures and shortcomings, or find ourselves anxious about the lives of our family members.

Far too often, though, we are afraid of the wrong things in life, and not afraid of the right things . . . or the right One. Many people don’t fear God, giving Him the awe and the reverence that is His due. Yet the Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom.

What is the “fear of the Lord?”

The Bible says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).

To fear God doesn’t mean that we cowering in terror before Him. Rather, the fear of God has been properly defined as a wholesome dread of displeasing Him. If I have sinned, my fear should not be based on the anticipation of what God will do to me, but on what I have done to displease Him. I love Him so much that I would never want to grieve His heart by turning my back on Him or going my own way. That is what it means to fear the Lord.

Don’t be discouraged today

David wrote, “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever” (Psalm 19:9). It is good for us to fear Him. The remarkable thing is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else. On the other hand, if you don’t fear God, then you fear everything else, and you find yourself running from shadows.

In another psalm, David stated, “The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). Only the person who can say, “The Lord is the strength of my life,” can then say, “Of whom shall I be afraid?”

Maybe you feel that your life has been a failure, or perhaps find yourself discouraged, depressed, or afraid of something. If you’re gripped by fear and worry today, then let the Lord be the strength of your life. Trade in all your lesser and destructive fears for the fear that will bring wisdom and peace.

Heavenly Hope!

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)

We don’t have to be stressed out or troubled in our hearts because, as Christians, our destination is eternal life in heaven. No matter what happens, no one can rob us of that great hope.

Maybe you’ve lost your job or your car won’t start. Maybe you have all kinds of problems in your life right now. But you are still going to heaven.

The apostle Paul encouraged the church with these words:

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever! So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 TLB).

The surest word in the universe

Jesus promises that there is a real place called heaven, and you have His word on it—the surest word in all the universe.

Now when Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions,” I don’t believe He was speaking of a celestial Beverly Hills with beautiful, palatial mansions for those who live really godly lives on Earth. The Amplified Bible renders this verse: “In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (or homes).”

Who can begin to imagine what these “homes” or “dwelling places” will be like? All I know is that Jesus Himself—the One who created the universe with all its wonders—has been working on preparing a place for us for more than 2,000 years.

I can only imagine

I agree with Paul when he wrote: “No mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord” (2 Corinthians 2:9 TLB).

Jesus has promised us that we will be together with Him in heaven, for eternity, in the place He has prepared for us. And He will keep His word.