People think politicians will solve all their problems. They think the answer lies in technology, psychology or ecology. But the real truth? The answer is in theology without apology. We need God to write all wrongs and turn things right side up.
In a world that sometimes feels like a mess, what’s right and wrong are up for grabs. Pastor Greg Laurie helps us to see how the influence of heaven will eventually come down to earth.
Worst Days in the End Times
Our whole world has been infected by the stench of sin, and there’s no way to get rid of it. We can run all we want and try to escape it, but we can’t get rid of the effects of sin. What does sin do in the lives of people? It causes destruction and misery. In the last days things are bad because Satan is allowed to have his way. God allows evil in the world. This is one of the hardest things to accept, and sometimes we are hard pressed to come up with an explanation that will satisfy people.
Satan is described in the Bible as the God of this world. He is behind the wickedness and the depravity and all the things that are wrong. But the devil needs to be knocked off his perch. He may be invisible and also insidious, but he is not invincible. In fact, one of the reasons things are so bad in the last days is because the devil knows his days are numbered.
“Speaking of the devil speaks of a violent burst of fury,” says Greg. “Why is Satan so filled with hate and venom? Why does Satan want our destruction? Because he knows Jesus is coming for us. This is an incentive to live a Godly life and reach people with the Gospel. When the devil thinks of Jesus coming, he wants to wreak as much havoc as possible. This world is bad because God is not completely having His way yet.”
God is sovereign, which means He’s ultimately in control. He is allowing the enemy to do what he wants to do. But eventually the Lord is going to step in and change everything. He will bring an end to the evil reign of the devil and his demons. We need God to write all wrongs and turn things right side up.
Good is Bad, Bad is Good
Right now, we’re living in a day when basically bad is good in good is bad.
We’re living in a time where anything that is virtuous and wholesome is attacked. Like the institutions of family and marriage. Someone who loves Jesus and wants to help others is seen as extremist and narrow minded.
The Bible even says in Isaiah 5:20, woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.
“Sometimes Christians will say, one day I’m going to die and go to heaven, and I’ll live there forever,” continues Greg. “But that’s not technically true. Because according to the Bible, one day heaven and earth are going to become one.
God is not going to abandon His creation. He’s going to restore it.”
Turning the World Right Side Up
The system of evil and Satan is going to be overthrown. God’s going to restore bodies and He’s even going to restore our planet. God’s perfect plan, according to this scripture is to bring all things in heaven and earth together under Christ. Peter preached in Acts 3:21 that Christ must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything.
“God is going to make earth into heaven and heaven into earth,” Greg says. “The wall that separates the two will be removed. When Christ comes and rules on this planet, there will be world peace. In Isaiah, it says the Lord will settle international disputes and all the nations will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
There’ll be joy and happiness. When Christ reigns, there’ll be no more depression, no more wheelchairs, no more blindness or deafness. People will live really long lives.”
“I think animals will be completely tame and docile. There will also be universal justice and righteousness.”
“All creation is waiting for the day when God will remove the curse from the planet.”
To listen to the rest of Greg’s messages on Turning the World Right Side Up, click below.
Listen to Greg Laurie’s podcasts via Vision Christian Media app, online. Click here to download the app from the App store. Click here to download the app from playstore.
Joel Courtney’s Step of Faith in Jesus Revolution
Joel Courtney who plays a young Greg Laurie in the movie Jesus Revolution joined the V180 team to talk about his role in the movie. Jesus Revolution is based on Pastor Greg Laurie’s life as a young hippie living in a trailer park with his alcoholic mother.
‘Jesus Revolution’ – The Impact of the Bible’s Message on a Generation
As a prolific author, one of Greg Laurie’s best sellers has been his autobiographical story of the Jesus Revolution in the late 1960s and how he was swept up in this revival.
God’s Plan For Families
Nothing is more vital for our children than having both a mum and a dad by their side. As parents, we have a God-given purpose that cannot be taken lightly – to lead our children to Jesus Christ.
The Day That Changed The World
Jesus entered the darkness so that we might walk in the light. Jesus was forsaken of God for a time so that we might enjoy His presence forever. It was an uneven exchange, but one that was heavily in our favour.
Images via Shutterstock.
