Great God

Notes: Great God
Psalm 139
Guest SPEAKER:Pastor James Merritt
Sunday, October 26, 2014 — 10:00 
http://bit.ly/1yUQjGd

In today's message, guest pastor Dr. James Merritt, pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Georgia, speaks on the greatness of God and His love for us.

Greg introduced James as one of the best Gospel teachers today. He says James is very quotable.

James came out to speak and said Greg is one of the best pastors in America. He said Greg stands by the Word of God.

James is talking about trying to figure out what he was going to preach today. He said he prayed with his son about what to preach. Lord spoke to James that he should talk about God.

He is showing us a picture of a blue whale and how big it is. He then showed us how big Mt Everest is, then the earth, then the sun, then a giant star, the the Milky Way, then the universe. He says the universe is filled with billions of Galaxy.

Psalm 33:6 NKJV
[6] By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

God is great.

It was said that what we think about God is the most important thing about us. 

Do you have a big God, or do you think bad things about God?

Too many of us have little faith in a little God. We need to have great faith in a great God.

Psalm 139:1-4 NKJV
[1] O LORD, You have searched me and known me. [2] You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. [3] You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. [4] For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

The greatest knowledge we can have is knowledge of just how great our God is.

1. God is omniscient, He know me.

He knows everything about everything all the time.

1 John 3:20 NKJV
[20] For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

God doesn't just know about you, God knows you.

Psalm 139:1 NKJV
[1] O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

He sees right through us. There is nothing we can hide. He knows you from the bottom of your own heart.

If you think you are a nobody and unknown. God knows you and He loves you.

Psalm 139:2 NKJV
[2] You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

God can read your mind easier than you can read email. You can't keep a secret from God.

Psalm 139:3 NKJV
[3] You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.

God knows it all, His eyes are on you. He knows you better than we say St. Claus knows our kids.

Proverbs 15:3 NKJV
[3] The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

2. God is busy watching everyone. 

Psalm 139:4 NKJV
[4] For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

He knows what you say and what you are going to say before you say it.

Psalm 139:5-6 NKJV
[5] You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. [6] Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.


Gods mind blows my mind. He knows you, yet he still loves me.

Psalm 139:7 NKJV
[7] Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

You can't hide from Him.

Psalm 139:8-9 NKJV
[8] If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. [9] If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Psalm 104:3 NKJV
[3] He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,

You are always as close to God as your u can be.

Psalm 139:10-12 NKJV
[10] Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. [11] If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me; [12] Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

We can appreciate that there is no difference between light and dark to God.

Jeremiah 23:23-24 NKJV
[23] "Am I a God near at hand," says the LORD, "And not a God afar off? [24] Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.

One thing you can not leave behind is God. You may be lonely but you are not alone, 

3. God is Omnipotent
God can't do things that are contradictory to Himself. 

David looked at the human body to prove God existed.

Psalm 139:13 NKJV
[13] For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.

One person said the human body is a statistical monstrosity.

Psalm 139:15-16 NKJV
[15] My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. [16] Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

In Hebrew, intricately woven, is a beautiful phrase. Describing the wonderful work that God has done and it is a miracle that the human body is what it is.

Psalm 139:14 NKJV
[14] I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

Your body contains 30 trillion cells. If you were to catalogue the information in just one cell, it would take 40,000 books. 

Psalm 139:17 NKJV
[17] How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

Psalm 139:18 NKJV
[18] If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

King David is saying that he can't even get his mind around the mind of God.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV
[8] "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. [9] "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

When God said that to Isaiah, He is saying that His thoughts are so high above a humans mind, it is not possible to comprehend. To put that in science terms, His thoughts are about 12.3 Billion light years above ours.

What does all this mean to us? If God is really this great God, then what problem do we have that God can not solve.

God is so great, you can not only trust him on earth but for all eternity.

Psalm 139:23-24 NKJV
[23] Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; [24] And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

King David wrote this understanding that God sees all of his faults, lust, greed, envy. King David may have been thinking how can God love me as I am.

God came to us as a human being through Jesus, to excuse us of all of our sins. 

He didn't do any of those great things through our technology. 

We serve a God that is a being so great that the universe can not contain Him, yet He is so loving that He will live right in our hearts with us.


Sent from my iPad

Stewardship from God's Perspective

Notes : Stewardship from Gods Perspective

Tony Amaradio

Company: Select Portfolio Management

Ministry: Faithful with Finance

Family Matters Series at Harvest OC

October 25, 2014 

Tony is giving his testimony. Talking about how he grew up in Detroit. He was selling fresh produce for the family when he was 6 years old.he was 11 when he had a very successful paper route. Played a lot of basketball. When he was a sophomore in college, he went to a prayer committee. He was raised in a Catholic Church home. But he was born again when he was 20 years, he is now 62 years old. 

After he was saved he became a prodigal son. He put all of his focus on becoming rich, he said that was a horrible goal. He got really successful and rich in New York. He said he then fell flat on his face. Left the huge Wall Street company, and got into a huge legal battle with them. It drained all of his bank accounts and he was broke.

He fell to his knees and prayed to God admitting that he was worshiping a false god. He gave up his business which was destroyed any how. That next morning he got a phone call saying the company would settle with him.

At that time God accepted his prodigal son back.

He is now back in the business. He went to a conference that was called Generous Givers. They challenged him to give all of his wealth to God. 

He felt called by God, to give all to Him. He realized that God has called him to manage money. God didn't need his money. God owns him, so he is there to serve God. He did not like to work with Christians at the time. But now he said God called him to work with Christians and Christian ministries. 

He said some years later he felt lead to work with Christians that had no money. 27% of Christians are considered broke. 51% of the country are getting support from the government. Faithful Finances. He is called to help others be faithful stewards regardless of their incomes.

Gods perspective on stewardship. Three parts we all have, time, talents and treasures.

Tony says Treasures is the most neglected part.

Psalm 24:1 NKJV

[1] The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

Over 2000 references to many in the Bible.

16 out of 38 parables speak about earthly treasures.

Matthew 25:14-30 NKJV

[14] "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. [15] And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. [16] Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. [17] And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. [18] But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. [19] After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. [20] "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' [21] His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' [22] He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' [23] His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' [24] "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. [25] And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' [26] "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. [27] So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. [28] Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. [29] 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. [30] And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

1. God trusted us with assets and resources.

2. God expects a return 

3. God holds us accountable

4. God will reward us based on results 

Tony said he is expecting rewards in heaven. 

7 steps to successful stewardship

1. It's not optional

2. Write a mission statement

3. Create. Plan using discernment and prayer.

4. Formulate a plan.

5. Build a spiritual and tech team

6. Develop your implementation plan.

7. Review and update your plan annually.

You need to plan your giving. The average American Christian only gives 2.2%

Portfolio Design

1.Cash for emergency - Cash

2. Taxable investments - 100% liquid

3. Tax advantaged investments - not liquid till 59 and a half

4. Real property - Non liquid

Tony says they teach people and plan for them how to give more money and not change their lifestyle at all. Doing tax advantaged charitable giving.

He says we should not give more to taxes then we should. 

He said he likes Dave Ramsay but there is not much logic in tax advantages with him.

He says most people are not allocating their funds appropriately. 

The importance of investment diversification and portfolio management. 

Investments can be used to hedge against uncertainty in the uncertain economy,

Insured MUNIs:

Tax Free

Nationally diversified or state issued

Guaranteed Interest and Principal Payments.

High Yield Alternatives

Prefer securities 

High dividend stocks have been valuable holdings for decades. Dividend yield is one of the main factors to consider investing in dividend paying sticks.

Equity Index Annuities:

Principal never goes down, but still can participate in the stock market.

The importance of financial planning:

It is critical for safeguarding your family's future.

People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. 80% of Americans do not have a financial plan.

Gather Data, analyze data, create plan, implement plan, monitor plan, review goals. 

With a plan, many can give more.

What is financial planning?

It is becoming good stewards. What are you doing in these areas.

Legal, tax, investments, insurance, stewardship.

Are you "planning" your taxes or "doing" your taxes.

One of the most neglected areas in the US is uninsured men, leaving their families unprotected if they die without life insurance.

He says they work with the broke, normal people and the wealthy.

Tony is offering a Free Consultation. 800-445-9822

They have online video class called marriage and Money. Ministry is called Faithful with Finance.

The Hatred of Mind Tricks of an Addiction

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. — John 8:34 NKJV

As a freedom fighter from slavery to sin, I have put these words on paper before I get so far removed from them that I will not be able to remember them any more.

It was not long ago I was a slave to a master that I could not see but always followed, that I could not hear but always listened to, that could not speak but would not stop commanding me, had no teeth but was chewing me up alive.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

560 days ago I had stopped drinking for the last time. Prior to that I had never been able to stop for more than three to six months using all my greatest efforts. The reason I would go back to drinking is because I truly felt like I enjoyed drinking, I thought it relaxed me; I would say that it was “my off switch”. I was a workaholic and “it was the only way that I could truly stop thinking about work and relax”. These statements were all lies that I told everyone just to protect my abusive master.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV

My freedom came when a hero came in and exposed my addiction of all its lies and sins and evil ways. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and He filled me with the Holy Spirit and He did not let any other abusive master tell me what to do.

Sin will not be your master. Law does not rule you. God’s grace has set you free. Romans 6:14 NIRV

The power of the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the tricks that sin had been playing on me. There are so many different ways for me to describe it; I could say it was like having the curtain pulled back or being shown how a magic trick works. It was worse than that though, it was more like seeing a graphic scene, it was like witnessing a crime, seeing a bully, or a child abuser... it was horrible to see that I was being abused by a substance.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2 NKJV

Once it was shown to me, I could look back at my life and see how it has manipulated and abused me for years. It was so clear to me: I was being abused, and I don’t let people abuse me, and I sure was not going to let a substance abuse me any more.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. Romans 8:5 NLT

The exposure was to the manipulation of my thought process. It was just a short ten days after I had truly submitted to Jesus Christ and had not had a drink of alcohol in that time. But then, the Holy Spirit exposed my old master and abuser to me so clearly that I still remember it like it was yesterday.

      And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.1 John 5:20 NKJV

Here is the thought process that I had, like I had so many times before and never really paid attention to it: Only ten days had gone by since I had my last drink, my wife was happy with me and I was feeling pretty great about it too. But then just as always, the sin decided to creep back in my life. It was a Saturday and there was a pay per view professional fight that night. There was also a birthday party for my wife’s friend and then we were going to do something the following morning after we went to church. We were supposed to go out to dinner with them and a few of their friends. They pretty much all drank. That gave my sinful nature the great idea of how I was going to start drinking again.

It just came to me like a great idea, and the Holy Spirit exposed it as the horrible idea it really was. Sin and addiction took all those things and said to me, lets drink tonight! I thought, no way, I can’t! I am doing so good. God loves me, my wife is happy with me and no way would she let me get away with it. Unless I could blame someone else!

                                          I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me. 

Jeremiah 16:17 NLT

I had a great idea: I would blame her. She wanted to go to dinner with her friend for her birthday, they would all be drinking, and I would order a drink and tell her that I felt pressured to drink. She would be okay with just one, and then I would order another one. When she said something I would tell her that she knows I can’t have just one. Then I would order a third one, that would really make her mad and then I would tell her that it was all her fault, that I didn’t even know these people, it was her fault for letting me be around them when she knew I was trying to stop.

After that, she would really be mad at me and I would have reason to take off. I would go drop her off at home with the kids because we were fighting and she wouldn’t want to see me anyhow. Then I would go meet up with my buddies who didn't know I was not drinking any more and watch the professional fight with them and get drunk again for the first time. Then I would get really drunk so that I couldn’t drive, and then I would stay out till the bar closes, because I would not be able to drive. I would then take a cab home. When she wakes me in the morning I would tell her I am sleeping in because I was out so late because she made me mad and I had no way home after I drank because I would not drink and drive. That would get her mad again; she would leave for church and go to the event afterwards. I would get to watch the daytime basketball game and drink again without her seeing.

It all seemed so brilliant at the time. What a great well thought out plan. Except for the fact that it was all a horrible idea with one goal in mind, to get drunk! 

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 NLT

The Holy Spirit being inside me was not going to let that happen. That plan sat in my head for hours in the morning and into the day. Then I decided to tell my wife I wasn’t going. I let her know that I was feeling tempted and did not want to be around alcohol that night. Then the next day I had told her some more details of my plans so I could go get drunk. She was amazed at how far I would have taken it. Quite frankly, so was I!

Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.  But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:9-11 NKJV

It has put hatred in me towards alcohol and addiction to sin. The biggest thing that the Holy Spirit has given me the power to understand is that I was not in control of me. Sin was controlling my thought processes. That is the truth or I would not have been debating myself over what I should be doing. While I knew my wife and family were happy with me and I was not out making myself look like a fool on a regular basis, I still wanted to do it. That made no sense; it still makes no sense, if you don’t want to do something then why would you be doing it?

The Bible says in Romans 7:13-25 ESV — Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

The fact is, that we all serve a master that no one sees.  It can be Jesus Christ or it can be some other sin, an addiction, a hobby, a “passion”, pride, power, money, food, they are all false gods or idols. God has put that void and desire in us in the hopes that we find Him. When we are lost and don’t know God we fill it with something else. 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

Only the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit, also known as the Living Water. If we are not believers then we will fill it with something else. That is because deep down we need it. I was once told, true or not, that a source of obesity for many people is that we don’t know how to read our own bodies. That so many people eat when they are actually only thirsty and they have trained themselves that when their body is telling them it needs water that they mistakenly seek food. That is why it is important to always drink water, not just because we need so much but because we can’t intelligently decide to only drink and not eat when that signal is sent out.

I believe the water concept is the same thing with our need for Jesus Christ; if we don’t know Him, we don’t seek Him, so we seek other things to fill that void. The Bible teaches about the woman at the well in John 4:13-14 NKJV—Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Matthew 6:24 NKJV

Just like always drinking water when you are trying to retrain your body to become healthy. As a sinner you need to always seek Jesus Christ’s Living Water when you are trying to retrain your mind not to sin. For a new believer that could be going to church daily, reading the Bible constantly, praying several times a day, serving in a church, being around other Christians, or something else Christ centered. The basic idea is that you will eventually get your mind to understand it is Living Water that the signal is being sent out of your head looking for, not sin.

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. 
Proverbs 26:11 NLT

We all know water takes care of physical thirst immediately; you are replacing the water you have already used and need more of it. In sin you may be dying from dehydration. Replacing deep-rooted sin and addiction may require a great amount of Living Water, but once that thirst is quenched it is immediate relief with Jesus Christ. Do not let your mind tell you that you are hungry for your sin when you are thirsting for Living Water. Just like drinking extra water when you are becoming physically healthy, you need to spend more time with Jesus Christ because your mind is not able to intelligently decide if you need the Living Water or sin.

Christ has set us free. He wants us to enjoy freedom. So stand firm. Don’t let the chains of slavery hold you again. — Galatians 5:1 NIRV

What Jesus Taught about Prayer

Notes: What Jesus Taught about Prayer
Harvest
October 19, 2014
Pastor Greg
Sunday morning
Ephesians 6 / Matthew 6

Pastor Greg is telling a funny story or joke, about a pilot calling to the air controller in a panic. After all the checks the air controller decided to lead the pilot in the Lord's Prayer.

He says that the Lords Prayer is a template for how we should pray.

Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
[18] praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-

We should pray always. “All prayer.”

We can pray publicly, privately, on our knees, while driving, in bed, we can pray anywhere.

Many think the best place to pray is in the church, which is a great place to pray, but God doesn't live in the church He lives in you.

Daniel was a man of God and prayer, the king's other advisors did not like him. So they tried to take him down by attacking his prayer life.

Daniel 6:10 NKJV
[10] Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Do your enemies know that you pray? They may try to attack you but they know there is power in prayer.

Rule of thumb from the Bible, prayers in public should be short and prayers in private should be long.

Daniel gave thanks to God just as usual after the law was made that he could not pray.

Give thanks to the Lord because he is good. He is sovereign and we should acknowledge that.

1 Timothy 2:8 NKJV
[8] I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

Nehemiah 2:5 NKJV
[5] And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it."

To pray at all times does not only mean to bow your head and pray; it means you are to simply be conscious of the fact that God is with you wherever you go.

1. We should pray because Jesus told us to!
(Luke 18:1 NKJV
[1] Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,)

Jesus on earth was fully God and fully man. The only time in history that God has done that. Even Jesus prayed to God His Father.

John 11:41-43 NKJV
[41] Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. [42] And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." [43] Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"

When Jesus fed the 5000 is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels.

Matthew 19:13 NKJV
[13] Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.

2. We should pray because prayer is God’s appointed way for obtaining things.
(James 4:2 NKJV
[2] You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.)

You may be facing difficulty right now because you have not prayed about it.

The Bible says you have not because you ask not.

Greg is not suggesting that God will always answer your prayer as you ask for it. He will however listen to your prayer. You can then sit and listen to Gods response.

John 14:3-4 NKJV
[3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. [4] And where I go you know, and the way you know."


3. Prayer is the way by which God helps us to overcome our anxiety and worry.
(Philippians 4:6 NKJV
[6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;)

It's been said if your knees are shaking then kneel on them.

What do we do for anxiety? Turn your worries into prayers. Offer it right to the Lord and move on.

4. Prayer is one of the ways in which we make ourselves ready for Christ’s return.
(Luke 21:34 NKJV
[34] "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.)

Mark 13:32-33 NKJV
[32] "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. [33] Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.

Greg says many say, "I did pray and God didn't answer my prayer!". Greg says that isn't true, He just didn't say yes to you

If you want God to speak to you, provide for you, help you not to worry, and be ready for His return, you must pray!

If the request is wrong, God says, “No.”
If the timing is wrong, God says, “Slow.”
If you are wrong, God says, “Grow.”

But if the request is right, the timing is right, and you are right, God says, “Go!”

Is there a secret to prayer? Yes and no

Matthew 6:5-13 NKJV
[5] "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. [6] But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. [7] And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. [8] "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. [9] In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. [10] Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. [13] And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Jesus refers to the Pharisees as hypocrites, originally the base of the word hypocrite means an actor.

It is not hypocritical to sin as a Christian, we are all sinners. You should repent of your sin and turn from it after, we will sin again in the future because we human.

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, they didn't ask Him to teach them a prayer.

Don't teach your children a prayer, teach them how to pray.

Matthew 6:7 NKJV
[7] And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their man

The objective of prayer is not to change God; it’s to change you.

Align your will with God's will, not God's will with your will.

When you are in a boat and you throw a rope to the dock, you don't pull the dock to you, you pull yourself to the dock.

The value of prayer is that it keeps me in touch with God.

True praying is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.

The first three (hallowed, kingdom come, will be done) deal with God’s glory.

The second three (daily bread, forgive debts, lead not into temptation) deal with man’s needs.

The God of the Bible can not be contained. If you have a big God then you have small problems. Not that your problems are serious but it gives you the correct perspective. Our Father in Heaven loves us.

Jews kept God in great reverence, almost to a point of fear. Jesus taught us that God is like a Father to us. We should treat Him as that caring Father.

Greg is talking about his experience as a child, how his mom had 7 husbands. Greg was adopted by Oscar Laurie, that is where he got his last name. That is the only father that treated Greg as if he was Greg's father. Greg loved him.

Greg is now talking about all the different types of fathers, good and bad.

Greg says he doesn't know how your father in earth is, but he knows that your Father in Heaven loves you.

We are sinners and God still loves us, just like as if we are with a loving father on earth.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 NKJV
[2] Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.

Romans 8:15 NKJV
[15] For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

John 14:9 NKJV
[9] Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

John 8:19 NKJV
[19] Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."

Hallowed means, “set apart.”

Matthew 6:10 NKJV
[10] Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

1. This is a request for the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.

2.This is a personal request.

3. This is a request for the salvation of those that don’t know the Lord.

Isaiah 53:12 NKJV
[12] Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Acts 7:59-60 NKJV
[59] And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." [60] Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Do you have a relationship with your Heavenly Father?

Essentials: Antichrist, Armageddon, and America

Notes: Essentials: Antichrist, Armageddon, and America
Thursday, October 16, 2014 — 7:00 p.m.
Revelation 13 and 16
Pastor Greg Laurie

Dominic Bali played and he was awesome.

Greg is talking about America, says he is happy to be an American.

Patrick Henry said it can't be denied that this country was found on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Greg is talking about how we had wars to get where we are now. He is saying through those wars we became a super power. That without America that the Nazis probably would of won. Then we had the Cold War. He is talking about how horrible Stalin was in Russia. How America stood up against Russians. How America has been the worlds police.

Now he's asking the question can you imagine the world without America? He says that there is no mention of America in the end times events of the Bible.

The Anti-Christ will be sent by the devil himself. He is saying we have real and fakes in everything. That the devil is going to hand us his fake version of Jesus Christ, he will be found to be the Anti-Christ.

The Anti-Christ will bring peace to the Middle East. A historian wrote, that by forcing us into fighting with such super weapons we are all going to be looking at a new Caesar.

If the anti-Christ is close, then the return of Jesus Christ is even closer.
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 NKJV
[17] Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Revelation 13:1-4 NKJV
[1] Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. [2] Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. [3] And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. [4] So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"

To understand the book of Revelation it is good to study the book of Daniel.

The dragon is clearly defined as the devil.

The devil is the god of this world. God is God of this universe, but has let the devil be the god of this world.

The devil will give the anti-Christ all the powers that the devil offered Jesus in the wilderness. The anti-Christ will be against Christ and instead of Christ.

Greg is talking about how Stephen had set up a fake Facebook page about Greg.

1. He is coming to deify Satan.

Revelation 20:2 NKJV
[2] He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

It was Satan's desire for worship that got him thrown out of Heaven in the first place. God tells us satan was an angel.

Isaiah 14:13-16 NKJV
[13] For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; [14] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' [15] Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. [16] "Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,

2. He has come to take the place of Jesus.

Revelation 13:5-6 NKJV
[5] And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. [6] Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.


3. He comes to kill Christians.

Revelation 13:7 NKJV
[7] It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Instead of trying to figure out who is the anti-Christ figure out if you are anti-Christ

1 John 2:18-19 NKJV
[18] Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. [19] They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

4. Anti-Christ is coming to dominate the globe.

Through peace he will deceive many. He will bring world peace. With that he will be grabbing power.

The Tribulation will not start violently but will start peacefully.

He will succeed where others have failed in peace.

Revelation 13:2 NKJV
[2] Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

History teaches that man learns nothing from history.

It was said that all new news is old news happening to new people.

Revelation 16:12-16 NKJV
[12] Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. [13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. [14] For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. [15] "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." [16] And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

We hear Armageddon a lot these days. Always describing the last battle.

Reagan once wrote in a diary asking if he was destined to witness Armageddon.

Armageddon is not a battle but the place of a battle.

King Saul was slain there, in Judges 4-6 there was a battle there.

Napoleon said that Megiddo is the most natural battle ground on earth.

Revelation 16:13 NKJV
[13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Satan came to steal, kill and destroy.

Satanic things are happening all around us. Without the power of America policing and the church around there will be killing everywhere around the world.

If God is not, then everything is permitted.

Moral absolutes come from the Bible. With e absence of it then you have chaos.

Greg was talking about the Euphrates, and how continents several continents meet there.

The Bible states the Kings of the East will march through the river Euphrates.

Now talking about America. Where is America in this scenario?

Some possibilities. We could be devastated in a nuclear attack. He is not saying probable, but possible. We simply may decline as a world power.

Rome lasted for nine centuries

Isaiah 40:15 NKJV
[15] Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.

Greg says he loves that in America that when a crisis hits we know where to go. We turn to the church! Such as 9/11.

Lastly, we might not be in the scenario because of a great revival. The rapture could happen and the Christians could disappear.

Greg is praying that we experience at least one more revival.

Greg says register and vote from a Biblical world view.

The only thing that can turn this world around is to turn to God.

If the rapture occurred tonight would you be with the Lord or left here?