Author: Greg Laurie

Pages: 110

Release Date: 2005

Ease of Reading: Easy

Nonfiction

This book has a bit of a soft spot in my heart even though I had never read it before. The first message I had ever from Greg Laurie was Israel, Iran and the Antichrist. At least that's how I remember the title. In any case many of the points from that sermon were repeated in this book. But that's not a bad thing. He has some excellent points including one that caught me off guard. I'll be saving that for a bit later in a different post because I'm curious how others will take it.

The other reason I appreciate Greg is because he is very good at telling stories and then driving them back to the Gospel.

One he relates in the book that is entertaining

To quote Jay Leno again, "So what does happen if you get arrested for saying the words 'under God' while reciting the pledge? You go before a judge and have to take an oath to 'swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me GOD.'

Another that kind of ties to the free will discussion here:

The apostle Paul had the privilege of actually going to heave but then had to come back to Earth.

...

I have often tried to envision that scene. Can you imagine? You are preaching the gospel. Then you are run out of town and stoned. Suddenly, you find yourself hurtled into the very presence of God.

"Lord, it is so good to be here! I am so thankful I am with You!" Paul might have said as he stood face-to-face with Jesus.

Perhaps the Lord responded, "Paul, I have some good news and some bad news. First, the good news. You will be coming back here."

"Coming back? Am I going somewhere?"

"That brings me to the bad news, Paul. There is a group of believers praying right now around your broken body, and I am sending you back because I have work for you to do."

"Lord, don't listen to them," Paul might have said. "They are sinners. Don't answer their prayers!"

I've heard Greg express this before and I think it's great:

Deep down inside, all of us long to be in heaven. It's as though God has built inside of us a homing instinct for heaven. The Bible says that God has placed eternity in our hearts (see Eccles. 3:11). You will have those moments in life when everything is going along beautifully. Perhaps you will be watching a beautiful sunset as you're sitting next to the one you love, and think This is so great. I wish it could always be like this. But it isn't, because it can't be on Earth. Do you know what you are experiencing during moments such as these? It is homesickness for a place you have never seen. It is homesickness for heaven, the future destination of every believer.

I realize as I look over this review I don't include the meat of the book. The argument about whether these are the last days. I'll let you read his book to get that answer. But he does discuss whether we should be looking for the antichrist or Jesus next. He does discuss the pre-tribulation vs. post tribulation argument, He discusses where America is in Revelation. He also discusses why we should be nervous about what Putin is doing. Not specifically because this book was written a couple of years ago, but the role Russia looks to be playing.