Hello everyone!
August 7th, 2008 Posted in encouragement, family, Harvest Crusades, stellaThanks again for your prayers and wonderful letters of encouragement and support. I am really thankful to God that so many of you would think about our family and most, importantly, pray for us.
I also grieve with you who have also had loved ones die; your letters and entries have been especially meaningful.
I have to say, I have deep, deep moments of sorrow, missing my son. It was only the Thursday before last, July 24, that he left us for heaven.
The Bible tells us there is a place for mourning. As Solomon reminds us in the book of Ecclesiastes:
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4)
A season of mourning
So, for now, this is a season of mourning.
Some would say, “But Greg, your son is in heaven. Why mourn?”
Why? Because I miss him.
I don’t mourn for Topher (his nickname), for he is in the very presence of God. I mourn for us, his dear wife, children, and all of his friends who loved him.
Christopher was a happy, funny, creative person to hang out with, and his presence for those who knew him is missed in a huge way.
We mourn because we loved and love. Our depth of sorrow is an indication of our depth of love.
But the difference between the mourning of a nonbeliever and a believer is this. The believer’s sadness is mingled with hope! Paul reminded us that as believers mourning those who have gone to heaven before us, We do not sorrow as those who have no hope (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13). I have hope, because I know I will see my son again . . . in heaven!
Heaven!
I’ve been thinking a great deal about heaven the last few days. I also have been searching the Scripture and learning more about it than at any other time in my life.
I’m sure that will enter into what I will speak on at our upcoming Harvest Crusade in Anaheim, which believe it or not, is only eight days away!
I would appreciate your prayer as I seek to share the messages on the three nights of this event that will be from God’s heart and will show people their very real need for Jesus Christ.
A time to laugh!
There have been moments of joy too!
Solomon told us there is also a place to “laugh and dance.” Now, I am not very good at that (dancing, that is), but my granddaughter Stella is!
Yesterday, we got out some little toy musical instruments – Cathe on tambourine, Jonathan on some kind of rattle, and Grandpa on drums – and we put some happy music on and Stella jumped around the room with delight. We all laughed and had a great time.
I hope you will do something like that with your family today.
Talk to you soon . . .
Greg
Trying to tune in and keep on the site, I just learned of the loss of Greg’s son Christopher. With not much time to “surf” around the site due to work/family constraints, it is with a heavy heart I learned of this loss.
Greg Laurie was one of the first voices that caught my attention just over a year or so ago. With a son of my own, I started getting depressed just thinking about his loss as well as how I would feel if I suffered the same. That was until I listened to his message about his faith and knowledge that Christopher is with the Jesus and that makes the pain much easier to understand. But even with that understanding, my heart goes out to the Laurie family.
God Bless,
J. Bernard
Pastor Greg,
This world needs 1,000 Greg Lauries running around preaching the positive message of hope. Thank you for the inspiration. This past weekend was phenominal. Everyone is talking about it among my group of friends. God Bless you brother.
Pat
Dear Pastor Greg,
Your “Hope for Hurting Hearts’ was truly heaven sent for me and my family this week. We have heavy hearts as we lost our dear brother 4 years ago and this Thursday would mark his 45th birthday. I have forwarded this to my parents and siblings. Thank-you from the bottom of my heart. My most sincere condolences to you and your family on the loss of your dear son. God bless…
Joy Zaczyk
Ontario, Canada
I would like to say how inspired I am by your faith and encouragement to the world. I am thankful to hear the messages of God’s Word on the radio and what your family is going through right now. My heart is filled with anxiousness to seek God’s path and pray to give me and my family hope.
The Lord bless you, and keep you, the Lord will make His face to shine upon you and be gracious onto you. You’re all loved.
Last night was absolutely awesome!
I will be praying for the rest of the weekend.
I just loved what you shared—it made me encouraged, and refreshed, and inspired–and gave me much hope.
Dear Pastor Greg and Family,
I continue to hold each of you up to the Lord as you travel down this road called grief, moment by moment. I can remember when we lost my dear Mother, my grandmother telling us that grief is a lonely road and each of you will travel down it with the Lord’s arm around us each step of the way. She was right! There were times when I would cry out to the Lord, really not knowing what to say because my heart hurt so badly. I would actually tell Him, “Lord, what do you want me to say, my heart is so heavy aching with pain, what can I possibly say? He was always near me and I felt His very presence. It has been 17 years since Mom passed away and there is not a day that goes by that I do not think of her. I also remember her telling us that each of us have a purpose in life and we are all on borrowed time, each one of us a gift from God.
Three years ago in July, my pastor’s family lost their young daughter in an automobile accident…on her headstone it reads, “Ours for a Moment; Forever His. This is true for each one of us and why we need to live today as if it could be our last day on this Earth and reach out and touch as many people as we possibly can.
My daughter continues to grieve for her infant son each day and I always end my emails to her; “yesterday is gone and you are one day closer to meeting your son again in Heaven.” I leave the same quote to each of you……Praise the Lord that you have His promise that you will spend all eternity together.
I pray for your crusade this weekend and that millions of people will be saved, Pastor Greg. He will use this situation for His glory! I feel He is already in the works by your messages over the past several weeks as they have touched our hearts deeply.
God bless each one of you and may each of you feel His presence every second of the day.
Today, the angels are rejoicing—He is great and greatly to be praised!
We are praying for more power, more glory during the rest of the Crusade weekend.
YOU GO PASTOR GREG!!!!!!!!
I just watched last night’s Crusade and might I say the Holy Spirit was flowing through you in a mighty and powerful way!!!!
Be very encouraged my brother!!! I praise our heavenly Father and give all honor and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for showing His mighty power and strength through this incredible outreach!!!
I lift you up now and pray our Heavenly Father will continue to bless this ministry tonight and tomorrow and touch your heart to share His love through you and pour His Holy Spirit out over all who come to seek Him!!! Father You are a powerful God…Your love is so great…thank you for Greg and this ministry You have put in charge to lead…thank you for his heart, his passion for you Jesus, his God given gift to relate to people from all walks of life…God I sing praises to You for allowing me to witness Your mighty power…I thank you for being such a loving God… I thank you for Your grace and most of all for Salvation through a Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!!
I pray You continue to empower Your people through the Holy Spirit to spread this wonderful Good News, Your Living Word, may we all be confident to walk out in faith and preach the Gospel… I pray Your blessing upon the entire Harvest team as Your word states in Luke 10:2 (The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.) We pray You will open the hearts and minds of those who hear Your calling to serve in this awesome event…as this crusade continues on to Philadelphia and New York. I pray for wisdom and knowledge as You are equiping your workers through the Impact classes… I pray each person who is unable to serve behind the scenes or on the fields will have it on their hearts to support the crusade by praying for the Lord to reveal to them who to bring to the event.
We unite as the Body of Christ to continue to keep the preaching of God’s Word and this ministry in our prayers and believe in faith that as written in James 5:16 (The earnest prayer of a rightteous person has great power and produces wonderful results!!!!!)
All glory and praise to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!!!!!!!!!! In His Holy name…
Amen.
I can’t wait for the Philadelphia Crusade…I am blessed to be a part of the Follow-Up workers. The second impact class is tonight and I am very excited!! In closing I just want to encourage you more…The Lord has used you in such an awesome way to bring me back to Him…I myself was a prodigal. I am so thankful for God’s love for me, that He never gave up on me, and that He cared enough to call me back to Him and changed my heart and mind to surrender my life to Him…I can’t speak about it without getting emotional…
Greg, when I watch the Holy Spirit move in you and change people’s lives…I get so overwhelmed and my heart yearns to preach the Word and bring people to Christ. The Lord has used you to put that desire in my heart…and He continues to use you and your ministry to encourage me in my walk with Jesus… I look forward to what God has next for me and I thank God for using you in the way He has to speak to my heart and change my life!!
All glory to the Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!!
New Jersey loves you brother!!
Rob & Susan
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