Greg Laurie

I had no idea Greg Laurie's life was what it was.  He grew up in a hotel, so he was homeless as a kid basically.  And his mom would drink a lot.  That is so sad!  It sounds almost like, or worse than, M and M's life growing up. :(  But Greg Laurie became a pastor.  What a huge miracle of God!  :) 

 

I used to go to the Harvest Crusades, taught by him every summer when I lived in Cali.  They were amazing!  And I am so proud that he is now doing HARVEST AMERICA!  He is becoming the next Billy Graham.  Praise God for Greg Laurie!  That is so awesome. :)  And just from humble Orange Country, CA, the OC lol :) 

 

I remember when I would go to the Crusades there would actually be people picketing outside the Angels stadium saying, "Greg Laurie leads people to hell" and crazy stuff like that.  Poor guy. :(  They are just haters.  Anytime anyone tries to do something great, especially for God, there will be haters, jealous people who try to discourage you.  But if you are doing something great, don't listen to them. :) 

 

The Harvest Crusades were how I got exposed to several great Christian bands and why I got excited about listening to Christian music 24/7, which I have since I was 14 and went to my first Harvest Crusade until now for the most part.  :)  That first summer that I went I got a Jennifer Knapp CD and a Supertones one.  I would listen to those over and over all that summer, which was the summer before I got "saved," or decided to start taking my walk with God seriously.  :)

 

On a side note, music REALLY makes a big difference in determining the whole course of your life.  What you listen to is what you become.  Why?  Because what you listen to determines the thoughts that you think.  And our thoughts become our actions which becomes our life.  Music is SO POWERFUL.  We underestimate how much power and influence the music we listen to has over us.  IT HAS A LOT OF POWER OVER YOU.  It can literally change the entire course of your life!  I know because I have seen that happen many times.  If you think about it, Satan was a minister of music in heaven before he fell, so he knows how powerful music is and he uses music for his own purposes just like God does, so beware of what you listen to. :(  Listen to worship music that praises God NOT music that praises Satan or any kind of sin.  Pretty much All music either praises God, or sin.  It's one or the other.  Jesus said "you're either for me or against me."  Music is the same.  There is no middle ground.  It either sends a message encouraging you to draw nearer to God or to walk further away from him. :(  So be careful what you listen to. :(

 

My mom always said growing up she could tell where I was in my walk with God based on what kind of music she could hear me listening to. lol and it's so true! 

 

But how cool would it be if Greg Laurie started out each session each night with his story and testimony?! :)  I think it is most effective when speakers begin with their testimony when they speak.  That would make everything he says so much more powerful if everyone in the stands knew he could really relate to them.  It would show he has been there.  That he has suffered and been through storms too, like all of us. :) 

 

Like the quote, "People won't care what you know, until they know that you care."   That is so true!  Amen?  Amen. :)

 

God bless!

 

 

(Facebook) Status Update

By Greg Laurie

When I was a kid, I always wanted a family but never had one. I remember one Christmas with my mom when we were living in a hotel. I got up on Christmas morning, excited about opening my presents, but she was passed out from a night of drinking. I looked around and thought, It has got to get better than this.

I believed that Christmas spoke of something greater. What Christmas really speaks of is what we can have in a relationship with Jesus Christ. The primary message of Christmas is that God came to us: " 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us' " (Matthew 1:23).

The message of Christmas is not "Let it snow"; it is "Let us worship" because God is with us. The first Christmas gifts were not from the wise men to the Child. Rather, the first gift of Christmas was the gift of Jesus Christ from God to us: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

The message of Christmas means this: You will never be alone in life again. Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23). That is an amazing statement. God the Father and God the Son are saying they want to make their home with you and me.

Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). That is a promise to all people. Why? Because of Immanuel—God is with us.