Last weekend, I fulfilled one of my dreams that I've had since I was eh, about 14: to see Greg Laurie preach. Greg Laurie is a well-known pastor who preaches at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. When I was younger, I loved listening to him on the radio as my parents and I were driving to and from Rice Lake. I remember while listening how 'real' he is and I could hear his passion for Christ and it encouraged and excited me in my faith as well. I told my mom that I thought we should make a trip out to California, just to go to his church. Well, that has not happened yet, but instead Greg Laurie came to me! At Jon and my church, we had been preparing for a few months for the Harvest Crusade to come to Chicago by praying, going to evangelism classes and asking friends to come to the event. The crusade was three nights long and featured not only Greg Laurie, but other major Christian bands. I went on Saturday night and brought a friend and met up with some other people from work. You can actually watch all three nights if you wish, but I just linked Saturday night. For Saturday night, the bands were The Katinas, Kirk Franklin, and Skillet. Afterwards, Greg Laurie spoke and so you can skip ahead to the second half to listen to what he has to say; it's so good! I also learned more about Greg Laurie's background and testimony and I had no idea the life he had growing up. It's amazing how we (or maybe just I) get into thinking that many pastors were just born into the pastor roll and they haven't had struggles. But, I was really moved by his testimony and knew that Jon would also enjoy it, so I ordered his autobiography Lost Boy: My Story online and just got it yesterday. Once I finish the book I'm reading now (Don't Waste Your Life), I will quickly move onto Greg's book.
I wanted to go to Sunday night, but I was coming on with a cold and didn't make it. Sunday night's focus was "An Evening of Hope" featuring Steven Curtis Chapman, Jeremy Camp, and Greg Laurie sharing about their family loss' and how with God there is still hope even in great sorrow. Since I wasn't able to make it, I'm going to listen to it online. So there, I linked two out of the three nights if you want to listen or share it with someone else. Apparently, there was 47,600 people in attendance the three nights and 4,758 decisions for Christ! I had never been to a Crusade before, but it was amazing to hear how God uses people and their circumstances to reach others and then to see so many people walk down to the first level of the arena to accept Christ. Greg Laurie asked that rather than talking to your friends, that you pray for the people coming down and those still in their seats and I thought that was so important! I really wish I could have gone all three nights, but glad I was at least able to go to one of the nights.
I hope you get a chance to look at a link or two that I posted, I know you will be blessed.
I wanted to go to Sunday night, but I was coming on with a cold and didn't make it. Sunday night's focus was "An Evening of Hope" featuring Steven Curtis Chapman, Jeremy Camp, and Greg Laurie sharing about their family loss' and how with God there is still hope even in great sorrow. Since I wasn't able to make it, I'm going to listen to it online. So there, I linked two out of the three nights if you want to listen or share it with someone else. Apparently, there was 47,600 people in attendance the three nights and 4,758 decisions for Christ! I had never been to a Crusade before, but it was amazing to hear how God uses people and their circumstances to reach others and then to see so many people walk down to the first level of the arena to accept Christ. Greg Laurie asked that rather than talking to your friends, that you pray for the people coming down and those still in their seats and I thought that was so important! I really wish I could have gone all three nights, but glad I was at least able to go to one of the nights.
I hope you get a chance to look at a link or two that I posted, I know you will be blessed.
1 comment:
Glory to God that you went, Anika, and invited someone! And how Awesome is our God that He prepared and fed your young and hungry heart through Greg L's teachings SO MANY YEARS ago; I remember it well! I remember when, not only would you listen to and from RL, but I would come upstairs and see you, on your own, drinking in the Word from his teaching and his radio broadcast. you can see how God's Word, falling on GOOD SOIL at the time, NEVER comes back empty, even when the enemy TRIES to snatch, kill, or destroy it in us! Hallelujah to the Living Word, Jesus!
AND Jeremy Camp, SCC, and Kirk Franklin were there, too?! Well! If I would have known THAT, I would have been there, too! Oh, what glorious testimonies and music--plus someone else this past week just mentioned "Lost Boy" to me! Aren't you glad that you're reading things that are God's best, BUILDING YOU UP in your inner person, able to help you relate and love and understand others? instead of stuff that tears down or causes God such pain when His precious time and life in you or me is wasted...
EXCITED for you and the women you went with! Can't wait to hear for myself!
lytdy always! your smh xoxoxooxxo
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