ANAHEIM, Calif. – An estimated 29,000 people were present for the opening night of the 19th annual Southern California Harvest Crusade in Anaheim, Calif., including some 2,750 people who made their first-time commitments or rededicated their lives to Christ.
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(Photo: The Christian Post / Edwin Tsuei) -
(Photo: The Christian Post / Edwin Tsuei) -
(Photo: The Christian Post / Edwin Tsuei) -
(Photo: The Christian Post / Edwin Tsuei) -
(Photo: The Christian Post / Edwin Tsuei) -
(Photo: The Christian Post / Edwin Tsuei) -
(Photo: The Christian Post / Edwin Tsuei)
Kicking off this year’s three-night evangelistic event were musical artists including the Katinas, Leeland, and first-time Harvest performer Randy Travis. And despite the recent death of his 33-year-old son, pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie took to the stage to deliver the keynote sermon, proclaiming with boldness his persistent faith in the ever-present God and the place in Heaven that has been assured to those who believe.
“I’ve been preaching for – believe it or not – 35 years; I started when I was 3,” Laurie said Friday night, drawing the laughter of the crowd. “And I’ve talked about Heaven my whole life. And I’ve given many messages on life after death. And I’ve counseled many people who have lost a loved one. And I thought I knew a little bit about it. But I have to say that when it happens to you it’s a whole new world.”
While Laurie confessed that he missed his son terribly, the evangelist reiterated the fact that he has had no doubt that the moment his son’s life on earth ended, he was taken up to Heaven to be with the Lord.
“I’ve been studying Heaven,” Laurie said, standing on the platform that his late son had designed. “And my desire to go there has even increased. And Heaven is more real to me now than it’s ever before because I have an investment there, you see. And some of you do as well.”
Despite what some newspapers had claimed following the departure of his son, Laurie emphasized that the headlines were not true.
“He’s not dead,” Laurie assured. “He’s more alive than he’s ever been before."
“I haven’t lost my son because I know where he is,” he also stated. “ And I’ll join him one day. And all believers will join loved ones.
“When you are a believer in Christ, you’ll never die,” he proclaimed.
Laurie’s sincere and heartfelt message seemed to resonate in the hearts of the crowds more than previous years due to the deeply personal side of this year’s sermon.
And Laurie’s emphasis on the unpredictable nature of life – as evident in the sudden death of his son – brought many to take a look at their present state and wonder where they would be if their life came to an end sooner than expected.
“Death – it comes unexpectedly,” the megachurch pastor said. “Now when you’re old like me, you know it’s coming. But when you're young, you think you’re invincible. When you’re young you think ‘Oh, not now. Maybe in 50 years. Maybe in 60 years.’ And that may be true, but death knocks at every door.”
Laurie urged the attendants to thoroughly look at how they’re living their lives and whether it’s for Heaven or for the world – the latter of which he said was like wasting two hours in line for a one-and-a-half minute ride at the amusement park.
“What do you live for?” he asked, reiterating the sermon’s title.
As Laurie invited attendants to stand up from their seats and make their way down to the field of Angel Stadium to commit or rededicate their lives to Christ, hundreds trickled down from the stands, greeted by dozens of volunteers who gave out Bibles, counseled, prayed for, and connected with those seeking for change in their lives.
Harvest Crusade continues for a second night Saturday with the special “Amplify” youth event, which will feature musical performances by P.O.D., Kutless and Lincoln Brewster.
The three-night event concludes Sunday with a first-time Harvest appearance by award-winning Christian music star Michael W. Smith among other musical guests.
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I am disappointed that anyone would use Greg Laurie's Son's tragic passing to throw insults or argue over Christianity. Why would this site not be used to show support for another human being's loss of a child? Someone's tragic death whether they are a believer in Christ or not should not be an open door for debating anything!!! Shame on all of you.
chimpanzee -
<<Christians know this and that why preachers are constantly talking about hell and heaven.>>
You haven't been in a church recently have you? I can't remember the last time I heard an entire message on hell, or heaven for that matter.
<<Take away the reward in heaven and take away the fear of hell, and Christianity would be extinct in less than a day.>>
Nope, that won't do it, but I know what will so let me challenge you with it: Produce the body of Jesus Christ. Do that and Christianity will indeed crumble in a day, probably less than a day.
Get back to us when you've done that.
chimpanzee/human-ape,
What an ambition! To be compared to an ape. More power to ya.
But how tryte and cute. "Take away the reward in heaven and take away the fear of hell, and Christianity would be extinct in less than a day."
If you're going to debate in here, you might want to step it up a few notches. When my daughter was 5 she could argue better than you do now.
chimpanzee
Proverbs 10:8 - "The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall."
Talmid: "The fool"
I replied to your insult, but my comments were deleted and my userid was banned, proving to me beyond any doubt that Christians are cowards who love censorship.
What I said was you use the Bible as a weapon to insult people and you should be ashamed of yourself.
schumacr: "you're parroting Freud"
Actually I know virtually nothing about what Freud ever said. It's just obvious to me that when people believe in heaven, they are believing in exactly what they wish to be true. If that isn't wishful thinking then I don't know what is.
Take away the reward in heaven and take away the fear of hell, and Christianity would be extinct in less than a day. Christians know this and that why preachers are constantly talking about hell and heaven. That's the only way for the preachers to keep the money coming in from their gullible customers who will never be able to ask for their money back after they drop dead.
<<schumacr, To me it sounds like you're admitting your religion would be extinct if not for people's fear of a barbarian God.>>
Not at all; respectfully I'd say you're seeing what you want to see in what I wrote. I'm only pointing out the fact that you're parroting Freud who accused those involved in religion with having a wish fulfillment factor. And my stance is that there's a wish fulfillment factor on the other side, which the Bible clearly lays out.
Do I 'fear' God? Most certainly. But, as a Christian, my fear is a mature one where I fear not pleasing the One who loves me and died for me. If my wife prepared a wonderful meal for the two of us, and, after we had finished, said she was 'afraid' I wouldn't like it, is she 'afraid' I'll hurt her? Of course not. She loves me and wants to please me. That's the mature fear Christians have of God.
Humanape, have you never heard the famous verse: "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."(Psa 14:1)?
Just because physical death moves one out of an earthly tent into a heavenly mansion for the child of God, doesn't mean Pastor Greg is delusional. Just because Christopher Columbus didn't see or know America was on his way to India didn't mean it wasn't there or existed, don't you think? Just because you can't explain something doesn't mean it's an invalid point of view, right?
schumacr, To me it sounds like you're admitting your religion would be extinct if not for people's fear of a barbarian God.
humanape:
Wishful thinking: That you'll not be held accountable for your actions/decisions in this life and not stand before a holy God one day at the Judgment.
"When you are a believer in Christ, you'll never die"
Wishful thinking: Interpreting matters as one would like them to be, as opposed to what they really are.