MIDWEEK CONNECTION
The Lord gave me a life-altering experience over four years ago. It was about three weeks after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. You may recall that the 7.0 magnitude quake that rocked Haiti on Jan 12, 2010 was the biggest urban disaster in modern history. More than 200,000 people were killed, and another 1.5 million were left homeless.
I was lying awake after a restless night of constantly seeing the TV images of Haiti running through my mind. I find myself always deeply affected by various events going on around the world. I began to pray in the spirit and instantly fell into a kind of sleep, but I wasn’t asleep.
I felt a powerful wind come upon me and I was taken up out of Harrisburg and carried way up above the earth. Then from what seemed to be a satellite view of the earth, my vision was focused upon the United States continent.
I was carried down out of space and another great wind came and carried me through city streets. At a speed, faster than sound or light, I was being carried from one city to another. The wind was carrying me through the streets, around buildings and through neighborhoods.
I recognized certain parts of north St. Louis, but then I realized it was not just St. Louis, but I was seeing many cities all at the same time. I was flying on the wind through one city after another, in a flash of time. It’s difficult to describe how fast it was happening and how I was in many places all at the same time.
I had a simple question, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"
Suddenly the wind carried me high into the sky and I was rocketed towards the Midwest. I realized I was flying toward St. Louis. As I was descending, I saw the stadium, but I did not quite reach the city. I stopped before I reached the boundary of the state line.
I asked the Lord, “Where do you want me to go?”
Suddenly, I was being pulled backwards. I thought: “Am I going back to Harrisburg, going to Philadelphia or New York?” But the wind suddenly shot me back up into a satellite type position, high above the Earth.
I looked straight down and my view changed to that of a satellite image. It was as if though I were looking down upon a city through the lenses of a camera. I heard the sound of a camera shutter and the image changed to another city; then another city; then another and another. The images begin to change faster and faster until it was moving at rapid-fire speed. It was far more cities than I could possibly count.
Then the wind carried me back to the Earth and into my body. I lay there still feeling the wind and the Lord said: “I’m going to put YOUR name in the wind… when I do; you are to put MY name in the wind.” Then I came out of the vision.
Last year, on the first Sunday in September, I revealed this vision to the Urban Life family for the first time. It was the first time I publicly spoke about it. I have never had this kind of experience in GOD. Remember, this happened four years ago.
Today, I share with you something that has been in my heart for many, many years. Through all of our training and experiences over the past 27 years, we have been prepared and groomed for a very specific latter-day ministry. And that ministry is starting to come alive.
For the past 10 years in Harrisburg, I have always told my wife that from the time we first moved to Harrisburg, I have not seen just a church or a church building for our ministry. I ALWAYS SAW MORE. That vision happened to me four years ago, and I have waited for the right time just to begin talking about it.
I can’t say that I have fully understood it, but the last three months have brought much of that vision into focus for me. For instance, in the vision, the sudden emphasis on St. Louis has now come to pass. I didn’t know what that part meant four years ago, but it’s pretty clear now.
In the vision, after that brief moment of being focused on St. Louis, God launched me into a position to reach the world. And now, as you all know, the Lord has connected us to people who also have a heart to reach the world.
He has connected us with other like-minded pastors and leaders who do a lot more than just TALK, but they are people of ACTION, like us. They do not procrastinate and they do not take months and years to finally decide to make the necessary steps to obey the voice of God. They are not allowing the precious time they have left on this earth to be wasted with the petty pursuits of money, fame and security.
We are sensing that the next part of our journey is coming upon us. Almost 34 years ago, we sensed God’s timing to move from Tulsa to St. Louis to work and serve with my brother. After serving in our home church for 17 years, the Holy Spirit spoke to us about moving to Harrisburg. Now after 10 years in Harrisburg, we sense the Lord shifting us and connecting us with these special people, who have the same call to turn our nation and our world to Christ.
At this same time last year, the Lord gave us a promise that HE was going to Open Doors for us in 2014.
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”
It is becoming more and more evident that a new season is upon us and a very significant door is being opened for Carol and me; and for those who have joined to us, who can answer the call, too. We have some very special things that we want to share with our entire church family and even for those who have not officially joined this ministry, but have felt connected to us.
NO, don't worry, Urban Life is not about to close, but it is about to CHANGE and we want to share our hearts with you THIS Sunday.
We’re calling for a special assembly of the Urban Life family so that Carol and I can talk about the direction we are going to take, immediately following our 10th anniversary celebration. When we meet this Sunday, we will not have any preliminaries. We’re going to get into the heart of the matter right from the start, at 11:00AM sharp.
We’re excited about our future and we look forward to what God has in store for us.
I was lying awake after a restless night of constantly seeing the TV images of Haiti running through my mind. I find myself always deeply affected by various events going on around the world. I began to pray in the spirit and instantly fell into a kind of sleep, but I wasn’t asleep.
I felt a powerful wind come upon me and I was taken up out of Harrisburg and carried way up above the earth. Then from what seemed to be a satellite view of the earth, my vision was focused upon the United States continent.
I was carried down out of space and another great wind came and carried me through city streets. At a speed, faster than sound or light, I was being carried from one city to another. The wind was carrying me through the streets, around buildings and through neighborhoods.
I recognized certain parts of north St. Louis, but then I realized it was not just St. Louis, but I was seeing many cities all at the same time. I was flying on the wind through one city after another, in a flash of time. It’s difficult to describe how fast it was happening and how I was in many places all at the same time.
I had a simple question, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"
Suddenly the wind carried me high into the sky and I was rocketed towards the Midwest. I realized I was flying toward St. Louis. As I was descending, I saw the stadium, but I did not quite reach the city. I stopped before I reached the boundary of the state line.
I asked the Lord, “Where do you want me to go?”
Suddenly, I was being pulled backwards. I thought: “Am I going back to Harrisburg, going to Philadelphia or New York?” But the wind suddenly shot me back up into a satellite type position, high above the Earth.
I looked straight down and my view changed to that of a satellite image. It was as if though I were looking down upon a city through the lenses of a camera. I heard the sound of a camera shutter and the image changed to another city; then another city; then another and another. The images begin to change faster and faster until it was moving at rapid-fire speed. It was far more cities than I could possibly count.
Then the wind carried me back to the Earth and into my body. I lay there still feeling the wind and the Lord said: “I’m going to put YOUR name in the wind… when I do; you are to put MY name in the wind.” Then I came out of the vision.
Last year, on the first Sunday in September, I revealed this vision to the Urban Life family for the first time. It was the first time I publicly spoke about it. I have never had this kind of experience in GOD. Remember, this happened four years ago.
Today, I share with you something that has been in my heart for many, many years. Through all of our training and experiences over the past 27 years, we have been prepared and groomed for a very specific latter-day ministry. And that ministry is starting to come alive.
For the past 10 years in Harrisburg, I have always told my wife that from the time we first moved to Harrisburg, I have not seen just a church or a church building for our ministry. I ALWAYS SAW MORE. That vision happened to me four years ago, and I have waited for the right time just to begin talking about it.
I can’t say that I have fully understood it, but the last three months have brought much of that vision into focus for me. For instance, in the vision, the sudden emphasis on St. Louis has now come to pass. I didn’t know what that part meant four years ago, but it’s pretty clear now.
In the vision, after that brief moment of being focused on St. Louis, God launched me into a position to reach the world. And now, as you all know, the Lord has connected us to people who also have a heart to reach the world.
He has connected us with other like-minded pastors and leaders who do a lot more than just TALK, but they are people of ACTION, like us. They do not procrastinate and they do not take months and years to finally decide to make the necessary steps to obey the voice of God. They are not allowing the precious time they have left on this earth to be wasted with the petty pursuits of money, fame and security.
We are sensing that the next part of our journey is coming upon us. Almost 34 years ago, we sensed God’s timing to move from Tulsa to St. Louis to work and serve with my brother. After serving in our home church for 17 years, the Holy Spirit spoke to us about moving to Harrisburg. Now after 10 years in Harrisburg, we sense the Lord shifting us and connecting us with these special people, who have the same call to turn our nation and our world to Christ.
At this same time last year, the Lord gave us a promise that HE was going to Open Doors for us in 2014.
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”
It is becoming more and more evident that a new season is upon us and a very significant door is being opened for Carol and me; and for those who have joined to us, who can answer the call, too. We have some very special things that we want to share with our entire church family and even for those who have not officially joined this ministry, but have felt connected to us.
NO, don't worry, Urban Life is not about to close, but it is about to CHANGE and we want to share our hearts with you THIS Sunday.
We’re calling for a special assembly of the Urban Life family so that Carol and I can talk about the direction we are going to take, immediately following our 10th anniversary celebration. When we meet this Sunday, we will not have any preliminaries. We’re going to get into the heart of the matter right from the start, at 11:00AM sharp.
We’re excited about our future and we look forward to what God has in store for us.
We are overcomers, moving into a new season,
Pastor Chris Green
