Merry Christmas

We love the holiday season because of what it means to our immediate family. Ten years ago we moved to south central Pennsylvania and discovered a part of the country that still celebrates the holidays in traditional ways. It was a pleasant surprise to find ourselves in a region where decorations were going up all over the city and people still placed candles in their windows. 

Having grown up in a big city where many people, for personal safety, had stopped greeting one another with “Merry Christmas!” and the cynical air of commerce had choked out the giddy excitement of family get-togethers, I found myself a bit ashamed that I had grown so callous about Christmas.

Being in this part of the country brought back those days of growing up in the 60’s when our parents piled up their children in the family car and we drove around the city just to look at all the homes decorated with sparkling lights, along with extravagant displays on the front lawns.

However, as the years went by, people found their lawns raided and their homes vandalized. Crime began to sky-rocket in the city during the holidays until most of the lights were no longer put up and the only place to see lawn displays were the in the exclusive gated communities, which we could not enter.

Massive lay-offs and urban sprawl changed the holiday landscape until the season became, for many, just three or four weeks to endure the tension between gift-giving expectations and the fact that they had no money for anything beyond the basics: shelter, food, and heat. Christmas is a distasteful time of year for a lot of people.

However, we always had a great time in the Green household which always included getting together at grandpa and grandma’s house for a massive assembly of relatives from all sides of everyone’s families. Christmas with the Greens was like a Broadway production, only with no script or choreography. It was incredible and indescribable.

Some of the warm memories from my childhood were stirred again as we came upon our first Christmas in Pennsylvania. Since we were away from our closest friends and family, it drew us closer with our sons. We were able to spend quality time together, especially since we were aware that these would be the last of those times for us. We made a few trips back to St. Louis for the holidays, but time was dictating that a new phase of life was quickly coming to our family.

During our final Christmas together, we went to a local mall to take family photos. We told our sons this was going to be important because this would be the last time we’d be together in this way. We told them that in the future, the photos would include their wives and children. They didn’t believe us at that time, but that’s exactly what is happening.

As we come upon Christmas, tomorrow, our youngest son, David Matthew lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with Michelle, his wife of 18 months. Our middle son, Jonathan Mark, is in his final year of school and he’s only home for breaks and holidays. Our oldest son, Christopher Michael, lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is preparing to marry the love of his life, in three months.

We have wonderful Christmas memories with our children from our years in St. Louis as well as our years in Harrisburg. It’s just that the years go by so very fast and we are thankful that we made memories instead of making regrets.

We set out to be very intentional about making sure we didn’t have any regrets as parents. That doesn’t mean that we were going to be reckless and throw caution to the wind. No, that simply meant that we were going to seize the moments that God was granting us every day, every week, every month and every year with each other and with our children.

A lot of Christian Believers spend the holiday season debating about how Christmas is celebrated or even if we should celebrate it. One day they will look back and realize that they missed golden opportunities with their families and friends.

In the end, it won’t matter if whether you did or did not have gifts, toys, trees, or decorations. All that will matter is if you spent time with the ones who are dear to you. Just ask the people who are missing their loved ones during this holiday season. They’re not interested in a debate about Christmas. They would just like to be with their mom, dad, sister, brother, cousin, uncle or aunt, one more time.

So, Carol and I encourage you to stay focused on the people and things that matter most. If your family is living in three different time zones, like ours is right now, make sure you take some time to make a connection.

Immediately after the holiday, we’ll get back to our jobs and the daily task of making a living. But during this holiday we encourage you to continue in the mission and vision that God has placed in your hands; to rebuild, restore and renew hearts and homes.

May you have a safe and happy Christmas,

Chris and Carol Green

The Verdict Is In

I apologize upfront. This is a long video blog (vlog). I was a bit emotional because this issue hits close to my heart. I tried to articulate an intelligent response to the verdict regarding the Michael Brown murder.

Presented 11-30-14: In this video Chris Green provides a Kingdom perspective, calls for multicultural dialogue, and gives a Godly charge for Christian Believers to respond in unity to the racially charged battles that are dividing our nation and Church families.

We need a fresh encounter with God

In the last few months, our hearts have been ripped by the events in Ferguson Missouri. Then just before the verdict, a wonderful brother, friend and mentor, Dr. Myles Munroe, passed away in a plane crash. While still reeling from that loss, the verdict came forth regarding the killing of the teen by a police officer and insult was added to injury.

Since then, as part of my processing, we've vented through our weekly blog, trying to put into words how important it is for our White brothers and sisters to try to understand why so many Black Christians in St. Louis are so upset about the verdict.

As a man born and raised in  St. Louis, it is very hard to put into words what it is like growing up there. We actually lived in the Canfield Green Apartments in Ferguson, where this tragic event took place. The racism and struggle there is like something out of a Twilight Zone, horror movie. Outsiders simply cannot understand it and even when told, they rarely believe it. They honestly think that this level of oppression is not possible in this era in America.

But St. Louis is where the  infamous Dred Scott decision took place. This is where a federal decision, that considered Black's voting value as 3/5 of a person, was upheld. Dred Scott was not granted freedom with this declaration, "THE BLACK MAN HAS NO RIGHTS THAT THE WHITE MAN IS BOUND TO RESPECT." And St. Louis lives, thrives, and functions under the foundation of that statement to this very day. Just let that declaration sink into your thoughts before you move on. Imagine trying to accomplish anything under that atmosphere.

So, many of us had to leave that area if we were going to see any success for ourselves and our children.

The past few days, I've seen wonderful post like the one by the football player of the New Orleans Saints. I've read Facebook post that were combative, racist, insensitive, clueless, annoying, irritating, thoughtful, criminal and Biblical.

This is another one of those critical moments where I have to ask myself, What would Jesus do? How would the King of kings and the Lord of lords respond to what is happening in America right now?

He did a lot of great things in those amazing three years of His ministry. But I see that it all was leading to a date on the cross for all of our sins. I look at the cross and I see Jesus, horribly disfigured by the sins of us all. He died for Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson, too. 

So what would Jesus do?

I believe He would walk up to Michael Brown's parents and He would hug them. He would cry with them. He would sob and wail with them.

I believe He would go to Darrel Wilson and his family, and He would embrace them, too. He would meet with them behind closed doors. Only officer Wilson knows what really happened and God is well able to get to the bottom of all of this. He did that with a guy named Zacchaeus. The Bible doesn't tell us what happened in that private conversation. We just hear Zacchaeus' response to whatever happened between him and Jesus.

So, we're praying that these people, the ones who are directly involved in the whole situation, will have personal encounters with the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

The rest of us, who are responding out of our negative experiences with local police, Black people, White people, Latino people, Asian people, young people, old people, church people, government people, corruption, racism and violence, need our own personal encounters with God as well.

I admit that I need one. I need a fresh encounter with God. Clearly there is still a lot of hurt and anger buried deep inside of us and God is shaking all of our foundations.

Just look at what He says in Matthew 5:23-24, "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

We want our hearts to be right toward our brothers. We don't want to allow the racial tension in our nation to continue to tear us apart in the Church.

Responding to the Cry for Help

Two nights ago, I attended a town hall meeting in Harrisburg. It was organized and hosted by Harrisburg Hope, an initiative from the office of Representative Patty Kim. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss some of the ways Harrisburg can avoid becoming the next Ferguson, MO. The meeting had a panel which included several key players of the Harrisburg landscape.

One the panelist was a young minister from St. Louis. Of course I was pleasantly surprised. He graduated from the same high school as the police shooting victim, Michael Brown. It is the same high school where one of my sisters-in-law teaches. This minister graduated from there in 1998 and came to Pennsylvania for college.  After his college graduation, he moved to Lancaster, PA.

His comments, during the discussion, kept taking the conversation back to the realities of an American system in which our nation profits from the poverty of the least of its citizens (minorities, children, elderly, disabled, etc). I was very impressed with him and I was also impressed with Representative Kim because she boldly called out and challenged the Dauphin County leadership for how they have treated African American men and boys.

Up until that meeting, I have always wanted to learn who are the people that genuinely have the best interest of Harrisburg in their hearts.  That night I discovered some of them. In the midst of the typical posturing and rhetoric, these two stood out, head and shoulders, above the group. I must admit that I don’t know these people and I have never been involved in their organizations, so I cannot make a judgment concerning any of them. But from the comments that were made in that meeting, I have a much clearer understanding of Harrisburg.

The largest portion of the meeting was given to allow comments and questions from the audience. Obviously, there was a lot of frustration and anger expressed from most of them. They challenged the unfair treatment of community by the police and the horrible practices within the school system that includes drugging the children and criminalizing the behavior of the Black male children in particular.

Some people stood and expressed desperate pleas for funding and volunteers in their individual efforts to provide activities and programs for youth and children. All throughout the session, I kept hearing a consistent theme: We need someone to help us!

After the event, I made my way to meet the young minister and to meet Representative Patty Kim. I expressed to both of them how much this was needed. I asked one of the panelists if this meeting was the first one with true intention to bring everyone to the table for solutions and he confirmed that my assessment was true. I told Representative Kim that if this kind of meeting had been offered in St. Louis, then the Ferguson incident might never have happened.

I didn’t hand out my business cards to anyone that night and I made no political or religious contacts or connections. My purpose in going was to watch and observe. I came away from that meeting with clear vision. It gave me an understanding of our times and the wisdom to know what Urban Life must do.

I heard a community crying out for help. I saw disconnected and disjointed efforts by many individuals to provide help. I saw all kinds of people with all kinds of strategies to meet all kinds of needs. Each one, in his own way was saying, come over here and help me provide the help. Not one person said, "I will connect what I’m doing with what you’re doing." Not one person said, "I’ll connect my program with your program and pool our resources to make a bigger impact." Instead I observed the continuation of the problem in which everyone wants to be the boss, but no one wants to follow. Some call it the Messiah Syndrome because each one wants to be the savior for Harrisburg.

So now I have a better understanding of why God has us here in Harrisburg at this time. God has allowed my hometown to become a central theme of major problems in our country and right here in Harrisburg, people are crying out for help to try to avoid a similar social upheaval. Now we're all faced with the one question: How will we do it?

OUR first order of business is to establish an Urban Life Ministry Team that can respond to that cry for help. Right now, we’re going to prepare ourselves by alternating Sundays between intercessory prayer, one week, teaching the next week.

I don’t know when we’ll make connections with the various people on that panel. I certainly desire to do so. In the meantime, we are getting ourselves prepared. We are doing what we can for now.

We’re going to do our part in the upcoming street outreach in south Harrisburg and we’re going to prepare ourselves for harvest. We’re going to prepare out nets for a great catch of fish. We’re going to be ready to serve and minister to others in these perilous times and we’re going to fulfill God’s purpose for Urban Life in this community, in this nation and in this world.

Are you ready to respond to the cry for help?

An Open Door for Repentance

This has been an incredible week. It's been a very emotional week for us as well. We realize the events in St. Louis may not have a lot of connection for you personally, but we would like to share some things to help you see some prophetic connections.

Over a week ago, a young man was shot and killed by a police officer after he had some type of altercation with that officer. As he ran, he was shot at from behind and eye witnesses say he stopped, turned around and put his hands up to surrender. Instead arresting him and putting him in handcuffs, he was shot 5 more times. Then his body was left in the street for about four hours. 

I was born and raised in St. Louis. Carol and I lived in that apartment complex where this all took place. We are extremely familiar with that area. Several of our friends and spiritual children live in that community. My parents and other family members live only 10 to 15 minutes away. This is very, very personal for us. We admit that we have been a little traumatized by it.

As the community responded with protest by marching down a main street in that area, the police came out in military and full riot gear. They were armed with rubber bullets, tear gas and attack dogs. They came for a showdown and a conflict. However, the protesters stopped and the two sides met in front of the gas station/ convenience store known as Quik Trip. The crowd consisted of parents, children, teenagers, young adults and grandparents.

As the police brought the dogs closer and began to toss the tear gas, the crowd erupted in chaos and the younger people began to fight and riot, having been incited and taunted into that negative response. They burned down the Quik Trip and destroyed several businesses in that immediate area. Unfortunately, that burned out building has become the focal point and symbol to the world. 

However, that is just a media ploy to make you think this was about an out of control, animalistic mob. By painting that picture the masses will assume that just like the teenager who was shot, these people deserved to be treated this way.

This scenario was repeated each night but the people didn't riot. They simply ran away. This also happened a fourth night, but this time, the police roughed up and arrested some national news reporters. When they were released from jail, they immediately reported to the world what was really going on.

Upon that exposure, the Governor finally stepped in and President Obama made a statement. Then the local police were replaced by the Missouri Highway patrol. Things calmed down until another tactic was used and that was to release a video showing the young teen had shoplifted from a convenience store and pushed the owner away when he confronted him. This video release led to another riotous response. 

However, several dynamics are taking place between day and night. In the day time, people march up and down the street carrying signs and chanting. Many churches have come out also, walking up and down the streets lifting praise to God and praying for people. Pastors have been out there praying and preaching.

But at night , the negative elements, most of whom are coming into the area from outside of that community, start making trouble. 

So a curfew has been announced and the military presence has returned. Now the area has been told to prepare for a military-like presence for the entire area. The curfew is the first step toward establishing martial law in an American city. We told you it was coming and now it's here. When martial law is established a curfew is imposed and all civil rights are suspended.

What does all of this have to do with you in your city? Well, we hate to tell you, but whatever happens in St. Louis will establish a precedence to be implemented in every city in America. If this leads to Martial Law, we're all in trouble. Martial law = no civil rights for anybody: Black, White, Latino, Asian, nobody.........

You may recall that we have warned and predicted these things would happen Back on November 13, 2013 we sent an email titled:  2014-The New America? and wrote these words:

As we watch the suffocating grip of a new system of government slowly coming upon our nation, all of us are left to wonder, how the church can continue in such an environment. Freedom of speech is essentially nullified. Gay Rights and Pro-Choice activist have vilified all religious organization. Muslims, within America, are now being called upon to start a holy jihad against Jews and Christians, and even Homeland Security has now classified many Christian groups as domestic terrorist.

Believers all over America are having dreams about soldiers invading their homes through the initiation of martial law; stripping away all citizen rights. Like us, many pastors and Christian leaders are beginning to implement plans and strategies to launch home church and under-the-radar gatherings, right here in America.

As I share these things, please don’t panic. The Church has survived all kinds of cruel and harsh governments and movements. It’s just that in America, now it’s our turn to face the real struggle that has been going on, all along, all over the world.

Today we are watching it come to pass. As much as we enjoyed the powerful messages during our all-day prayer gathering at the Giant Center in Hershey last Saturday, I know that predictions about church revival is conditional. If the conditions of repentance, reconciliation and humility are met, we will see revival. But if the people of God do not repent and if St. Louis erupts in a major race and class war, and if the race riots break out in other cities, you will eventually see the tanks roll into your city, too. We will experience our daily lives being dictated by America's new military police force.

So what are saying? We're saying we've got ONE MORE CHANCE to turn and repent. We've got one last time to get it right.  

Will you take the invitations?

We're On the Brink

In about three days we will unite with Believers from all over the state, nation and world to pray for America. There are so many dark forces that are already within this country that it is amazing that we aren’t in the midst of civil war right now.

Please understand that our nation is on the brink today. We’re stepping forward into either the greatest revival our nation has ever known, or we’re stepping into the collapse of the nation as we have known it.

In my hometown, there has been rioting following the shooting of a Black teen by a White policeman. Our world is falling apart even now.

Many years ago, when Carol I traveled to Africa, we became aware of how chaotic and barbaric the world really is. We became of aware of how unpredictable and unsafe the world really is. We became aware of just how blessed we have been to be born in the United States. While many people in the world hate America, they have also envied us. Many have been driven to overthrow our country. That's why our military and many others have worked so hard to protect our freedom.

There has been a constant and persistent effort to infiltrate our country on every level and sadly enough, the efforts have been successful and we are now closed in on every side in nearly every aspect of society. We've been here before. That's where America was when it was forced into World War II.

Meanwhile, many Christian Believers continue to mindlessly and aimlessly pursue wealth, fame, and security. Personal dreams and fantasies have blinded their vision to the reality of what’s going on in our world.

For instance, did you know that crowds of Islamic protesters have recently marched in Chicago and in New York, calling for the elimination of Israel as a nation? Do you understand that they are following the same pattern that they implement in the countries from which they have come? Their next steps have usually been acts of violence: car bombings, building bombings, and suicide bombings. One group has already talked about a plan to release anthrax, to kill millions of Americans.

Jihadi websites were lighting up last Friday saying that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is calling on Muslims around the world to attack the U.S. homeland!

Just like they have done in various countries around the world, they plan to bomb churches, target Christians and kill anyone who embraces any other belief other than theirs. It’s coming, everyone. Personally, feel that we should heed the warning. I really believe it’s coming.

The people who HATE Christians and Jews are right here in America; in Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, in our schools, and in our neighborhoods. I really fell like they are standing ready, right now, to carry out that call to attack us. They’re screaming in our streets. They have completely taken over one city in Michigan. They openly carry banners that say "NO Democracy. We want just Islam!" They’re crossing the borders in the southwestern section of America, pretending to be Mexicans coming into America seeking a better life.

We’re praying that it won’t take a rash of bombings to wake us up. Christians all over the world are already going through this right now. It’s time for us to get prepared in America. It’s time to pray. One of our biggest concerns is that most of our people (meaning African Americans) seem to have no clue or concern about what is happening. We can't possibly believe that we will be exempt from what is coming.

We don’t know what the next few weeks and months may hold so let me write this to you today:

Carol and I have been honored to serve and do our small part in this massive effort to rally Believers in these calls to prayer. I find myself crying in my cubicle at work, weeping in my pillow at night, and interceding in my vehicle as I drive the streets of Harrisburg.

I am fully confident that I can stand before my Lord and savior and say I have done, to the best of my ability, with what HE gave me, all that I could do to prepare His people for this great and terrible day of the Lord.

We have invested in our congregation by purchasing 20 tickets for the ‘Unite to Restore America’ prayer event so that anyone who desires to go can attend for FREE. We have done all that we could do to help our people clearly see the vision and not miss the day of the Lord’s visitation.

We are leading our church family in a 31-day prayer vigil of consecration and fasting. Over the last five years we have written and released several books to instruct and encourage God’s people. We have given the books freely to those who attend our weekly gatherings. We’ve made them available online for people outside of this community who desire to obtain them. We have produced well over 800 videos and video clips to keep the word going forth long after we have completed our Kingdom assignment in Harrisburg.

In other words, we’ve done everything we could do to help our people become a part of history and not just merely read about it. The last thing I ever want to have to say is that I wish I had done…

In these past 25 years, we’ve come across a ton of people who SAY they want a new move of God. They SAY they want something more. Yet, when the moment comes, they always drop off and miss the God-given opportunities to break the endless cycles of defeat and depression.

We know we’re not the first or only people sent to this region to give urban-dwelling people a chance to get out of their bondage. Many pastors have come and gone through the years. Now the moment has come for this community, your community, and all of us in our churches. We now stand on this brink together.

After this weekend, we will have crossed the threshold into a mind-blowing triumph in God or into the catastrophic collapse of hearts and homes built on sand. The choice is up to each and every one of us.

We’re praying that we're stepping into a nation-sweeping revival in the church. Don’t miss it. You have been waiting all of your life for this moment.


*****


But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!   2 Timothy 3: 1-5

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.   Matthew 24: 2-14

And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

“But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.     Mark 13: 5-10


And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”

Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.    Luke 21: 8-17

It's All About Jesus

Last week we came across a CNN article from December of 2010. It was about an extremely successful pastor who resigned from his church because he was getting to be too famous. Yes, you read that correctly. He stopped because he was becoming too famous.

Here’s a brief excerpt from that article:

He pastored a 4,000-member church in California. He was a sought-after speaker at major conferences, wrote two best-sellers and launched a DVD teaching series.

Then he abruptly resigned and left the country.

But in Francis Chan’s unexpected journey there apparently is no hidden scandal, no money trail, and no ‘other’ woman.

“I just want to disappear for a while,” he said in late September as he prepared to leave Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California for an undisclosed location in Asia.

Before selling his house and packing up his wife and three children, Chan was becoming “Christian famous” in Evangelical circles.

“Even in my own church I heard the words, ‘Francis Chan’ more than I heard the words, ‘Holy Spirit’,” he said.

That was a big part of the reason he walked away at the peak of his professional career.

“I think there has been too much emphasis on me. I want to be used by God, but I think we have this desire to make heroes out of people rather than following God and the Holy Spirit.”

He quotes the apostle Paul, who told his followers “I didn’t die for you.”

In his world of big conference crowds, multiple services each week, and instant access to social media, the notion of pastoral care had begun to change. His fame was straining his work as a pastor.

We share this story with you today because THIS is exactly how we feel about our role in Harrisburg.

If people leave our Sunday gatherings and they're only thinking about our singing, our teaching and our wonderful marriage, then we have failed.

If people feel that they MUST talk to Chris and Carol about their problems and they MUST get US to help them, then we have failed. Pastors have ONE job: To lead the sheep to the food and water. And we're not the food (the word) and we’re not the water (the Spirit).

A church or an assembly of Believers is not about the shepherd. It's all about JESUS!!!!!!

Although we are very thankful that the Lord is using our books, DVD’s and our internet outreach to bless many lives, it does not mean that we are to become some type of superstar pastoral celebrities. The whole point of everything we give away and pour out is to make sure that you know how to hear from God and obey His voice in your heart and in your home. It’s not to get people to look to us for the answers.

Already we are noticing that as God starts to elevate our names and our influence in this community, it immediately begins to attract people who want to get something from us that will provide them some kind of extra advantage in their life.

There is nothing we can do to help anybody except to offer them Jesus. If Jesus is not enough, then we certainly can’t do more for anyone than He can.

We have launched into another 31-day prayer watch and we are seeking God concerning our nation. The day will come when Chris and Carol, nor any other pastors and leaders will be able to give people an encouraging word or an extra boost. We won’t be able to give them a word of wisdom or a word of counsel. So now is the time to dedicate and consecrate ourselves before the Lord, fast, pray, seek His face, and obey His voice.

If revival breaks forth upon the land, you’re going to be needed in the trenches to disciple souls. If disaster breaks out upon our land, you can’t be in a mindset of trying to seek out a pastor to try to figure out what to do. You’ll need to have the word of God, already hidden in your own heart, in your own home, so that you won’t sin (or miss) the will of God.

We’re not interested in becoming famous pastors with a famous church filled with famous Christians. Our only desire is that we will all be faithful to Christ.

Take the Pledge

As we approach the month of August, we are coming upon another one of our designated prayer-watch months.

During each prayer-watch, we ask you to join us in a 31-day prayer pledge.

What is a 31-Day prayer pledge, you ask?

It is 31 days of committing to seek God in a very specific and united way. 
As you already know, we’re going to be part of a national prayer gathering at the Hershey Giant Center on Saturday, August 16th, but for Urban Life, it’s more than just one day. We are dedicating the entire month of August to prayer.

We want to invite you to join us on a 31-Day Prayer Pledge. Take the challenge and let's anticipate God's intervention in our hearts and homes. 
We want you to take the prayer guide that we gave you last week, called ‘For Such a Time As This’ and starting with Day-One of the guide, let’s get united in prayer.

The prayer guide provides a daily scripture and prayer for our country’s government leaders, businesses, educators, media, churches, military, and families. We're asking you to take some time each day to read the prayer for that day. Then spend a few minutes in prayer about what you read.

On Wednesdays, we're asking you to fast at least one meal that day. During that meal time, please read the prayer guide, spend some time in prayer or log onto our Urban Life Weekly Post Blog page to receive encouraging words from the video clips that we will post throughout the day. Every Wednesday we will fill the Blog site with encouraging video clips from special teaching moments at Urban Life.

If you take the pledge you are declaring that:

1. You will daily read and follow the 'For Such a Time As This' prayer guide.

2.  You will kneel in prayer daily, reminding yourself that you are under authority.

3.  You will commit to fasting, every Wednesday in August, for the healing of our city, state and nation.

4.  You will daily worship the Lord Jesus who saved you.

5.  You will daily recommit your life to God and His Kingdom assignment for your life.

The reason we are asking you to join us in this prayer pledge is simply because we believe that this is the best thing we can do for our community, state, region and country.

The state of our nation is so desperate that there is nothing humanly possible that can be done to save us. Kids are romping through the streets, randomly attacking people. Shootings and violence are out of the control of law enforcers. Efforts are being made to make America a police state. Strong efforts are being made to subjugate and convert this nation by very powerful social, religious and political groups. Our economy’s total collapse is a matter of WHEN and not IF it will happen. Disease, plagues, famine, and pestilence are now in the news, right here in America.

We will either sink into chaos and anarchy or some powerful movement will sweep in to take over this nation. We are praying for a move of God because if it’s anything else that takes over, we believe we are in for one of the darkest periods in the history of the United States.

What can one small band of Believers do in the face of all of this? We can pray. We can unite with other Believers and pray. And we will pray.

Starting this Friday, August 1st, we will begin praying together using our prayer guide and our Weekly Blog to keep us united.

Are you ready? Let’s answer the call to pray!

Leanness of Soul

Part of the tragedy of many Church-goers today is that they don’t understand they are not living in the will of God. Due to very poor teaching that is pumped through several of today’s Christian television broadcast, podcast and webcast, many have been led to feel validated merely because God has answered their prayers.

Today, we want to show you that answered prayers are not always a validation from God. Did you know that you can insist on having your way with so much intensity and defiance that God will give in to your demands?

Here’s proof!

When the Psalmist recalled a couple of incidents where God’s own people made demands of Him, we clearly see that He met their demands, but He also added something else.

Psalm 106: 13-15 reads: "They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul."

Could it be that a huge reason why the Church is so week in America is because God has sent leanness into our souls? A lean soul is a heart, mind and spirit that are never satisfied. They’re never content, never at peace or resting in divine security. A lean soul is always longing for a something new, something special, or something more, but it never obtains what it craves. 

So the lean soul searches beyond the boundaries of God for fulfillment and satisfaction. A lean soul cannot provide help and depth to others in their journey. A lean soul cannot offer wisdom from the word of God. It can offer personal experience and that experience is basically a shallow relationship with God that gets depressed and quits on God when things go wrong. It throws a temper tantrum and quotes scriptures to demand blessings from God. It threatens to leave the faith if he or she does not get their way.

Here’s the worse part, many of today’s preachers teach that this kind of lifestyle is a Godly lifestyle. Lean-souled preachers tell lean-souled Believers that all they have to do is quote scriptures when they are in trouble and demand that God perform His Word. 

Now there are thousands of Believers who have no idea what it means to live under the commands and constraining love of God. They have no depth of wisdom and peace within them and they feel justified in their rebellious and compromising lifestyle simply because every time they get themselves in trouble, God always bails them out. 

They don’t understand that with every bail out, their soul becomes even more lean, even more malnourished, even more dry, even more hardened against the will and purpose of God. That’s why we have thousands and maybe even millions of Believers who have bought into the world system and world’s views on social, economic and political issues.

We don’t claim to have all the answers and we don’t claim to be perfect in our journey. But we do declare that we refuse to teach that every time God answers your prayers, it is a sign of His approval of your lifestyle and choices.

While it remains true that God loves us and will do anything for us, the true mark of a son or daughter of God is that they strive to love God unconditionally, too. They strive to please HIM and not just please themselves. While they realize God will always be there for them, they also start living in such a way as to show God that they will be there for Him, too. True followers of Christ have longing souls instead of lean souls. They have a desire for God that goes beyond their own desires.

So what are we doing to stem the tide?

We are trying to obey the strategy the Lord gave us for this ministry. He told us to return to the pattern of the early church in the second chapter of Acts: We are giving ourselves to apostolic teaching and fellowship, to breaking of bread and to prayer.

We’re not avoiding the tough issues of life and we’re making every effort to hold everything, including our personal opinions and views, to the standard of God’s word. We want you to be like the Bereans of Acts 17 and check out the scriptures for yourself to see if what we are teaching is really what the Bible says and if it’s what the Bible really means.

Let’s continue on this journey together. 

Psalm 107:9 assures us, “…He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”

The Boiling Frog

If you plunge a frog into boiling water, it will try to jump out. But if you place the frog into cool water and slowly heat it to boiling, the frog won’t notice and will slowly cook to death. Even though this is a myth, the thought behind it is what many are attempting to communicate to a nation that is right now boiling in debilitating bliss.

While millions of Christian Believers remain focused on the latest reality TV shows and the personal pursuit of prosperity, the world is falling apart around them. Like the clueless frog, they don’t seem to notice or care. They live under the delusion that none of these things will affect them.

When they see the 12 seconds video bytes on the news, they conclude that they are observing the problems of THOSE people, in THOSE countries and none of that will have any effect on them.

However, the reality is that the Islamic Jihads are already taking place right here in America. Numerous cases have already been buried as attacks on Christians by Muslims are hidden away by the police and the media.

The gay agenda has done a great job of masking their agenda behind human rights and acceptance, but even the people who have escaped from the gay lifestyle have come out and spoken boldly that the gay agenda is not about civil rights or acceptance. Their goal is to completely take over society and the best way to do that is to take over media, education and politics. They have done all three. 

Did you know they have a manifesto? It was written and published back in the late 1980’s.

Before someone assumes that I might be homophobic, here’s a direct quote from their published agenda: 

“We shall sodomize your sons, emblems of your feeble masculinity, of your shallow dreams and vulgar lives. We shall seduce him in your schools, in your dormitories, in your gymnasiums, in your locker rooms, sports arenas, seminaries, truck stops, male clubs, and in your Houses of Congress.

Wherever men are with men together, your sons shall become our minions and do our bidding.They will be re-cast in OUR image. They will come to crave and adore us.

All laws banning homosexuality will be revoked. If you dare cry "homo", "fairy", or "queer" at us, we will stab you in your cowardly hearts.

All churches who condemn us will be closed. Our only gods are handsome young men.

We shall be victorious because we are fueled with the ferocious bitterness of the oppressed.

We too, are capable of firing guns and manning the barricades of ultimate revolution.”

Wow! If a church came out with a threat to even take up guns to advance their cause, the pastor would be jailed immediately.

However, the one person they won’t confront is the Muslim. Even though they know Islamic law condemns homosexuality and even penalizes it with death, they won’t dare speak out against Islamic nations are people. Why? Well, because the people behind the radical gay agenda are bullies. Everyone knows that bullies pick on the people they feel are the easiest ones to intimidate. They obviously think Christians are an easy target. 

So as more Christians are moved out of power and influence and as more Muslims and Gays are moved into power and influence, these two sides are headed for a major collision. 

This is just one aspect of why the waters are boiling in America and why God is awakening His true Church.

So what is the response from you and your family today? Carol and I won’t be like the boiling frog, that’s for sure.

God has given us an assignment to rebuild, restore and renew hearts and homes. In the midst of these ideological, philosophical and moral wars, there will be casualties of war and we must be ready, like today’s first-responders, to go into the fire and rescue the wounded.

So let’s stay on course, stay united in prayer, and stay united in purpose.

Everything Has Led to This Moment

A couple weeks ago I shared a bit of our story with an assembly of prayer leaders and ministers, as we met to strategize and prepare for a prayer gathering that will be held in August at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.

I told them how the Lord led Carol and me to Harrisburg in 2004, to start a ministry that would rebuild, restore and renew hearts and homes. Along the way we have had many battles and yet, we have met many other leaders in this community, most who also seemed to be very down and disappointed about how their lives and ministries have progressed through the years. Mostly it was the lack of progression that had so many of them so discouraged.

In our ten-year journey in Harrisburg, there have been several pastoral prayer gatherings that seemed to get started with great fire and then fizzled out. Then there have been large prayer gatherings of Believers that seemed to spark some movement, but that faded out, too. There have been various pastors and leaders experiencing personal battles and ministry failures. Each time something has been launched in this region, it seemed to fade out over time.

I told the group how God has been connecting us to certain people and specific leaders over the past ten years. All of those connections, in spite our disappointment, still led to me sitting at that table, that night, at that moment. It all still led to this opportunity to become part of the preparation of this upcoming national prayer gathering.

I told them we must all stop looking back at the disappointments because all of those disappointments are merely the result of things not turning out the way WE expected. But what if things were actually going according to God’s plan?
I asked everyone, ‘What if God was accomplishing, all along, what HE had in mind?’ Maybe the other prayer gatherings and special meetings were simply God’s way of connecting the right people to someday come together at just the right time, in the right place, to pray for our nation.

I watched the Holy Spirit bring a lot of people encouragement through that revelation. That night everyone got on board with this new initiative of prayer.

I share this story with you today because the same thing applies for our little church family.

Somehow, your journey to various churches and ministries still led you to wherever you might be today. Your winding path has led you to the precious brothers and sisters that you have now come into fellowship with and you now share in Holy Communion and divine intercession. Now you can know for sure that you are not alone in the journey. There really are others who are seeking God just like you. There really are others who want to praise and worship God, just like you. There really are others who love God and want to live for Him, just like you.

From our perspective, as ministry leaders, we were praying and asking God for a congregation that wanted to serve Him with all their hearts, the same way WE wanted to serve God with all our hearts. Eventually the paths finally crossed and look where we all are today. The journey for each one of us has led us to this open door to sit at the same table with the Lord and to dine together, with Him.

Now we must stop allowing the disappointment of the past to hinder us from embracing this moment of destiny that has been set before us.

Our nation, state, city, neighborhoods and families are in crisis and WE have the solution. We have the answer. God has given us a testimony. He has given us gifts and abilities. He has given us technology. He has given us a strategy. And we’re going to take what God has placed in our hands and go forth to make a difference in our world.

Think about this blog as you go to your church, assembly or home group next week, to continue to learn more about our God and how He wants to use all of us to change the world.

Happy Father's Day

Thank You Daddy

I have some very fond memories with my dad. He was a fun-loving dad who always threw caution to the wind. It got him in trouble many times, but it also gave his children a sense of adventure and daring that proved to be very helpful for us when we found ourselves called in to the ministry.

My dad saw my love for sports and took me to my first baseball game. The St. Louis Cardinals were playing the Montreal Expos and Jose Cardenal hit a two run double in the seventh inning that gave them a 4-2 victory. I couldn’t believe I was actually there, in a 50,000 seat stadium, looking at the high tech scoreboard, the massive crowd, and experiencing all the sounds I always heard when I listened to games on the radio. I had become a devoted fan; and dad gave me a chance to experience the real thing; to actually see my heroes live and in person. I have cherished that memory all of my life. 

There were many other games in the years that followed. I especially loved the day I sat between my dad and his dad and watched Bob Gibson, my all time favorite Cardinal baseball player, pitch on Labor Day. I actually realized I was experiencing something very special that would never happen again; three generations, sitting together, enjoying our favorite sport.

James Green (My Dad)

Those were the times that established something in my heart that I have tried to give my children. There are once-in-a-life-time opportunities that come your way, and I tried to stay prepared for those moments with my sons. Then there are some things you cannot wait for, because some memories you simply have to make.

Through the years, I hope my children have had special moments that they can recall with the same kind of fondness and deep impacting love that I feel when I think back on special moments with my dad.

My dad didn’t always put his arms around my shoulder, or say 'I love you' in those moments. He wasn’t that kind of man. He gave us nicknames and he always told us he was proud of us. When I was struggling in arithmetic, he started calling me 'math major' and it built my confidence to try harder and I found success. I became a straight-A student in math.

My dad is not perfect. He had his issues with his children from time to time, like any father. I was sort of a middle child. He married my mom, who already had a precious little girl, and they had three sons before I came along. One son died while my mom was pregnant with me. Then they had two more children after me. 

There were many times when life was very hard. It was downright harsh and cruel for him. I was angry with him a few times, mainly because I had no idea what it took to be the head of the household. I learned from his mistakes, as well as his resiliency. And maybe that’s the greatest thing my dad gave us; resiliency.

Just like my dad’s journey, as a husband and father, life has been hard, sometimes harsh and downright cruel for me, but I learned from my dad how to get up and go to work every day, no matter how you feel. When I lost jobs, opportunities, homes, friends, and loved ones, I knew how to get up and keep going. Dad demonstrated to us that you should never give up, even after a failure. You never stop, no matter how you feel.

So in honor of my dad and ultimately, God, my heavenly Father, I wrote a song many years ago that expresses thanks. I gave it an informal title: Thank You Daddy.

I just want to share that song with you this week. 

The original recording can be heard HERE.

The lyrics are:

There’s so much I take for granted, Like the rising of the sun

Every time I see the morning, Never thankful for the dawn

Like a father who’s always there, With the same things every day

So consistent and expected, Sometimes I forget to say

(Chorus)

Thank you daddy

For the blue that’s in the sky

Thank you daddy

For the light that’s in Your eye

Thank you daddy

For the life beat I’ve been handed

I get so busy

I'm taking you for granted

There’s so much you’re always doing, You watch my life and keep me safe

Sometimes you throw in extras, Giving me a little bit more grace

You take the time to listen, When all I bring are complaints

You carry me on your shoulders, And you sing to me in the rain

I can always recall the discipline you gave

All the nights you spent with me, And the path that you have paved

You’ll give more love tomorrow than all my yesterdays

So please forgive me daddy, I never take the time to say 

Thank you, thank you

For every single day

Thank you, thank you

For every breath I take

Thank you, thank you 

You made us sons and daughters

Thank you, thank you

Because you are our Father

Thank you

© Green, Christopher 2001

For the least of these, 

Getting Equipped

A few weeks ago I came across the above cartoon on Facebook. As you can see, a pastor takes the brain out of an attendee and says, “Welcome to church. You won’t be needing this.”

The cartoon emphatically declares that when you attend a church gathering, you don’t need to think. You don’t need your brain. It’s basically saying that weekly messages and lessons from the Bible are for people who don’t have a mind of their own, or it's saying Believers don’t really think for themselves. Worse yet, it's saying pastors encourage people to not really engage their minds when they come to church.

Nothing could be further from the truth. So I responded to the cartoon by posting a message to our Facebook followers:

“This will never be true at the Urban Life Family Center. We expect spiritual and mental engagement with the Bible as we explore the life and ministry of Christ. We are making every attempt to provide solid contextual and balanced instruction in the Word of God, to not only inspire our faith, but to also challenge our thinking!”

This blog features another mind-challenging, heart-probing message. By now you have realized that Chris and Carol Green talk about life and bring up issues in ways that go beyond the surface. We don’t preach condemnation sermons about WHAT people do, because we delve into WHY people do what they do.

We address more than the problems and trials that we are all going through in life. We get into the overall purpose and will of God and how what we are going through is connected to the ONE who is greater than ourselves.

We don’t give you an emotionally charged and hyped-up church service about getting a financial breakthrough or gaining deliverance from some storm in your life. We emphasize the importance of learning Biblical principles and Godly wisdom, so that we can understand how we got into the situation, how we can navigate our way out of it, how we can avoid getting back into a similar circumstance, and how to turn the focus of our lives to Christ.

By now you realize that we don’t try to answer everyone’s questions or solve everyone’s problems, but we try to provide the tools that everyone will need; so that each person can learn and grow in the ways of God and not become dependent upon a pastor or another Believer to spoon feed them the scriptures or carry them in every single step they must take in their life. We want you to learn how to properly read and understand the Bible for yourself.

Last Sunday, we explored some of the reasons WHY this ministry functions the way it functions; so you can have a healthy expectation of what GOD is actually trying to accomplish in your heart and home.

If you don’t understand that we host a session where Believers are being TRAINED and COACHED to live out their faith outside of the walls of our facility, then you might become very frustrated, confused or disappointed with the direction in which we are going.

There are several benefits for you and your family when connecting with a LIFE-DEVELOPMENT ministry like Urban Life. A life-development ministry establishes the foundation of Christ in your life. 

For instance, did you know that the Bible is not about us? It was not written just for us to pick up quotes on how to get through our problems. It was written to point us to Christ. Accepting this foundational truth will change your life forever.

According to Ephesians 4, there are several benefits to having the right foundation, but we’ll just mention three for now.

First: A solid, Christ-centered, foundation will keep you from being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine or the trickery of men in cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. Stability will come into your life and you won’t be swept away by the latest trends, fads and false teachings from some Christian entertainment and television programs.

Second: This solid foundation will help you grow up (mature) in Christ.

Third: This foundation will help you find your place in the Body of Christ and enable you to do your part with no envy, strife, or insecurity in your heart.

As we continue to move forward in this season, you are being equipped to serve in your families, on your jobs, in your schools, and in this community. 

So come prepared, every week, to engage your brain. Come prepared to have the Word of God challenge the way you think and live. Come prepared to learn about the priority of Christ in every area of our lives. Come prepared to be equipped to do the work of the ministry.