Just As I Am

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT 

Excerpt from 02-02-14: 
Chris Green  encourages the Urban Life family 
with the lyrics to a hymn written in 1835.

The Right People for the Right Season

MIDWEEK CONNECTION

Chris and Carol Green receive prophetic words.

Greetings Urban Life Family,

It’s good to be back in Harrisburg, where we can continue to go forth with our God-given assignment to rebuild, restore and renew hearts and homes. We were so pleased to learn of your very successful and uplifting Urban Life Sunday gathering.

It brings a leader the greatest pleasure to know that the church family can carry on without them. No true leader wants to settle for a group of mind-less robots who can’t do anything without their leader. True success is being able to develop and release successors who can carry a group, organization, team or church even further than the leader can take them. This past Sunday encouraged us because it told us that you guys are more than able. It confirmed that we have the right people in the right season.

You know, of course, that this means Carol and I want you guys to continue in those roles once we move into the New Year. We’ll talk about that later, but we just wanted to let you know what the future holds.

Our weekend in St. Louis can best be described as an action-packed, holy spirit-led, prophetic assignment. Not one single moment was wasted or idle. God set up everything so well that we are able to spend almost the entire weekend with our son Christopher and his fiancée Antonette Simmons. How wonderful it was to be able to get to know our next, future daughter in law (love).

The wedding of our niece was awesome. It was very emotional for us because we remember when she was first brought home from the hospital after she was born. My voice cracked several times as I took them through the ceremony. Her husband, Larricus Brown, had a daughter and our niece, Ariel, had a son. She also adopted two boys (cousins) who would have been placed in the foster care system. So, we even conducted a family vow ceremony as well, and that part was really emotional. The Lord gave me a prophetic word for her husband in the closing prayer, and a prophetic word for their new family.

Afterwards, we spent some time with Chris, Antonette, and three of our spiritual daughters at a St. Louis downtown restaurant. From there we were off to the wedding reception where we were mobbed by several people that we haven’t seen for many years.

Even as the reception ended, we found ourselves praying for a dear relative who is in the midst of a marriage crisis. It was another Godly appointment.

The next day, Sunday morning, Bishop Raphael asked us to share a few words with the congregation before the youth and young adults ministered. Carol gave a powerful exhortation about never taking what we have in God, for granted. Then I shared about the journey the Lord has taken us on over the last few months and how we came into the real reasons why God sent us the Harrisburg. I talked about Unite to Restore, the invitation to go to Kurdistan with the Living Hope Alliance team (http://www.iraqrefugeefund.com/medical-facility-project.html) and the call upon the Church in St. Louis to prepare for a season of exile, like the exile mentioned in Jeremiah 29. I closed by asking the church to pray for us.

Then the Elders and leaders came forth and prophesied over us for the next 40 minutes. The Spirit of God totally interrupted the day’s agenda. I don’t think the words we shared were recorded, but the prophetic words were captured. The audio is a bit distorted, but you can still hear enough of the speaking to understand what was being said. 

Here is a small sample:

  

We plan to play those prophetic words during our next prayer gatherings. 
We want you to share in those powerful moments of prophetic confirmation.

After the service, we met with several people. We got a chance to pray for two of the daughters of our spiritual son who passed away last year. One just fell into my arms weeping. Their mother has desired this moment for a long time, but that was the right time. It’s always about God’s timing.

Our home church blessed us with a love offering and several people gave us an offering as well. It was enough to pay for our upcoming passport renewals so we can start making international trips. We simply didn’t have the money. The passport renewals were going to cost more than $200. So God not only sent the confirming words about international travel, but He’s already begun to pay for it as well.

God is truly preparing Urban Life for something special. More and more we are convinced that HE sent us to Pennsylvania to connect with the right people for the right season, in order to fulfill His purpose and plan. What an honor it is to serve the one, true and living God.


It’s all for the harvest,

Chris and Carol Green

 

We're Not Here to Play Games

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - 

Excerpt from 01-26-14: Chris Green discloses the heart and soul 
of the vision and strategy of Urban Life.

Going Home

MIDWEEK CONNECTIONS

 Greetings Urban Life Family and Friends,

This week’s letter is being sent to you even as we prepare to go home to St. Louis, Missouri. As many of you have been following in the news, St. Louis has become the epicenter of a major power-struggle in our nation.

Following the shooting of an unarmed Black teen by a White police officer, thousands of people have converged upon St. Louis organizing protest and street marches and leading the charge in civil disobedience strategies. However, within the mix of all of this, another teen was shot and killed, which led to even more uprising where people have been burning the American flag.

The unrest has now shifted and spread from the suburb of Ferguson, to a city-wide movement of protest and outbreaks. The situation has been escalating quickly, as various special interest groups, each with their own agendas and initiatives have descended upon the city.

All of St. Louis is bracing for the expected decision by a grand jury, to not prosecute the officer. The chaos and rioting that could result from that decision, could easily lead to some serious violence and bloodshed, along with the implementation of martial law. The decision is supposed to be made today or tomorrow, so we have no idea what kind of situation we are about to enter when we get there Friday morning.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE PRAY FOR US!

We know that months ago, when we wrote about this and talked about this, it seemed far-fetched and unreal. But things are happening just as we told you. We just had no idea that it would start in my own home, and that we might actually BE THERE when it started. 

Those warnings still stand. What’s happening in St. Louis will spread throughout the country. It will happen in Harrisburg, too. No, we may not see riots, but we will see military police patrolling the streets of Harrisburg. We will see the government dictating our days, nights and weekends. It’s coming. It’s just a matter of time, now.

We’re actually going to St. Louis to perform the wedding of our eldest niece. God has given us powerful prophetic utterances for her and the blended family that is coming together under the bonds of holy matrimony. This trip is also giving us the opportunity to spend some time with my parents, siblings, and all of the other nephews and nieces. We'll also get to meet our next daughter-in-law (love). Beyond that, we don't know what will happen.

We share all of this with you so that you can join with us in prayer. We really don’t know what to expect this weekend. We rest in the peace of God because HE knew that we would be going into the hot spot of the nation at this time.

We know that God will direct our steps throughout the weekend and we’ll see the people we need to see and be able to minister to those who need a word. We are also going to release a word of encouragement, comfort and a call to war for the people of God. We don’t know how all of that will take place, but we know God will work out all the details.

This is a multipurpose trip. It’s a family connection. It’s a dangerous assignment. It’s a response to the call of God that has been upon us for many years.

Please pray for us as we embark upon this secret mission.

Remember, there is NO Friday night prayer this week, but our Sunday Gathering is still on the schedule. We know you guys will do well this Sunday. Even though we’ll be in St. Louis, the Urban Life family will still gather in the PA United Church Center as usual. We still expect you to welcome any visitors, to pray for one another, and to receive more instruction in the plan of God for our ministry.

We hope you enjoy the special video that we are leaving behind.  Even though we won’t be there physically, thanks to technology, we’ll still be with you via video. You can get a hint of what we have for you at this LINK HERE.

We can’t wait to get back with you. We hope to send updates (text, photos and video clips) from St. Louis. We love you and miss you already.

It’s all for the harvest,

Chris and Carol Green

Biblical Declarations, Decrees and Commands

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Excerpt from 01-19-14: Chris Green answers an online question
 and presents a balanced and Biblical understanding 
of what it means to speak words of faith.

8 Seconds from Eternity

Midweek Connection

Greetings Urban Life family,

If you go to Google and ask about the attention span of a gold fish, it will tell you this:
The average attention span for adults in 2013 was only 8 seconds
The average attention span for adults in 2000 was 12 seconds
The average attention span of a gold fish is 9 seconds

Conclusion: People now have a shorter attention span than a goldfish.

It goes on to say that attention span is the amount of concentrated time on a task without becoming distracted. Most educators and psychologists agree that the ability to focus attention on a task is crucial for the achievement of one’s goals. It’s no surprise attention spans have been decreasing over the past decade with the increase in external stimulation. The average length watched of a single internet video is about 2.7 minutes.

This data comes from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.

So why is this, the topic of discussion this week?

Well, because it is an alarming revelation that people are now so easily distracted that it makes it very easy for the enemy of all of mankind to keep millions of people on the planet from thinking about the reality of eternity. Even when ministers and churches like Urban Life, bring up the subject of ‘What happens after death’; we basically have only 8 seconds to hold someone’s attention.

Over the past few years we have posted over 1200 video and audio clips, along with the release of several devotional books, but the best we can hope for, according to these latest statistics, is that most people will spend less than three minutes watching the videos, listening to the podcast or reading the books. That’s if we can hold their attention long enough to get them to engage at all.

Wow! What can we say in 8 seconds that will hold someone’s attention about their eternal destiny? How do you communicate the seriousness of being eternally separated from God? How do you get the message across, to the millions of people who hold the title “Christian,” that their hearts are far from God and they are not on their way to heaven? How do you explain that living a double life of willful sin, unforgiveness and disobedience, will not qualify them to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? How do you make it clear that just because they recited the sinner’s prayer, it does not mean that the Spirit of God lives within them?

I tried to think of a few phrases and the best I could come up with was, “You’ve got 8 seconds to eternity!”

Or consider this question, “If you had 8 seconds to live, what would you do?”

Perhaps these are the type of questions we need to ask to get our family and friends to STOP and THINK about their lives and what follows AFTER this life. Maybe this is what it will take for Christian Believers to STOP and examine themselves.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”  ---2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV)

This is why we are so thankful for the Holy Spirit within us. He helps us to stay focused and to not become so easily distracted by the cares of this life, the demonically inspired entertainment or the fear inducing news about wars, pestilence or religious heretics.

The Lord brought a powerful word of exhortation through our brother Michael Smith last Sunday, about staying focused in spite of the distractions of this era. We just wanted to rehearse that exhortation in this week’s letter.

As we gather to pray this Friday evening and again on Sunday morning, we are seeking God for wisdom in how to break past the distractions, to impart seeds of His Word and promises.

In everyday life, each of you has been given an assignment by the Lord Himself. On our jobs, in the neighborhood, in our schools, and in our families, God is giving us priceless moments to impart the reality of eternity to people who don’t really know Him.

In spite of the distractions of demons or life itself, we are trusting God, that somewhere in those 8 second intervals, we will be able to impart, declare and demonstrate the good news  (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ and how He opened the way for us to have eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

Very soon we’ll have some postcard invitations available so you can invite people to the film about Heaven on Sunday, November 9, 2014. In the meantime, please submit the names of people that you are praying for as we anticipate this time of sharing the Gospel. We’re praying for all of the names on the prayer list when we gather this weekend. We’re simply trusting God.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.  ---1 Corinthians 1:21 (NKJV)

We hope you can join us in this Kingdom work!


It's all for the harvest,

Chris and Carol Green

Come Into the Secret Place

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Excerpt from  01-12-14: Chris Green encourages the Urban Life family 
to go into the secret place of prayer in these troubled and perilous times.

A Community—Building Church

As the Lord continues to guide us into this new phase of the ministry, we’re receiving confirmation everywhere we turn.

As we told you a couple of weeks ago, we came across an article by Rod Edmonson, a pastor and church leader who has a passion for church planters. He provided 7 Ways to Be a Community-Building Pastor. We know that finding that article was not a coincidence. It was confirmation that we are moving the right direction. 

In the article he writes: How can a pastor—or ministry leader—be a community builder? I don’t have all the ideas, but I have some suggestions:

1. Know key leaders - I think you should know who the leaders in the community are and know as many of them personally as possible.
2. Listen to concerns - Wherever you are, wherever you go, whatever you do in the community—whether at city hall, a school meeting or the grocery store or barbershop, listen to hear the things people are talking about around you.
3. Love what they love - I am intentionally trying to love the people to whom God has placed me to minister—and part of that—as I would do for any family member—is learning to love the things they love.
4. Learn the community - make appointments with people who are known in the community for their years of service to the community.
5. Build your community network - I’m consistently asking people to connect me with people I should know in the community.
6. Serve somewhere in the community, besides your church - we need to lead the way so that others in the church will serve in the community also.
7. Lead your church to be community builders - This isn't something we do in a campaign once a year. This must be a lifestyle—getting the church into the community—being community builders—so we can eventually be Kingdom builders.

As we are making intentional plans to become much more of an evangelism-focused church, we want to provide opportunities for each of you to invite your family, friends, co-workers and classmates to special times to hear the gospel presented in unique ways that will touch their lives.

We also want to adequately prepare you to disciple someone in the ways of God. That’s why, over the years, we placed so much emphasis on rightly dividing the word of God. We want to help each of you to know how to give the right words at the right times.

For instance, if a co-worker has lost a loved one or is having a battle with a sickness, we shouldn't tell them, “God won’t put on you more than you can bear.” Not only is that a misquoted scripture, but it is not the word of comfort for someone who needs encouragement. It would be more appropriate to say, “God wants us to bring every burden that we have to Him. Do you mind if I pray with you?” Or “Until I committed my whole heart to God, things like this in life were always overwhelming me, too. Do you have a minute to let me pray for you?” 

A couple of weeks ago, I stood on a microphone and preached the Good News in an outdoor setting for the first time in over ten years. We have desired to do that ever since we first moved to Harrisburg. I must admit that the Spirit of God came upon me in that strong and heavy anointing that I always felt many years ago, on the streets of St. Louis or during altar calls in my home church. It was awesome to be back in that flow again.

Following that evangelistic outreach in Harrisburg’s Hall Manor, we realized we must really become much more serious about ensuring that we all know how to share our faith and how to lead people who are new to the ways of God. We want to become faithful and competent stewards of God’s word. We want to be faithful as He sends us out into the harvest in these last days.

Most of us are already in the trenches regarding evangelism due to the positions God has given us on or jobs. As your pastors in this season, we want to be faithful to always equip you for your daily assignments. 

Over the last couple of weeks, the Lord has been dealing with us strongly about getting back to preaching the pure, uncut, uncensored truth about God’s love, heaven, hell, and even about Christians who have been deceived into thinking they are going to heaven even though they are living double lives.

I openly repent of any and all messages that I have preached that allowed anyone to feel comfortable in sin, prayerlessness and settling for the pursuit of personal goals rather than seeking God with all their heart. I denounce any and all teachings that I have done that reinforced a carnal lifestyle and the harboring of secret sin. From this day forth, Carol and I are preaching and teaching the whole truth of God’s Word.

Carol and I have been convicted by the Holy Spirit for trying to rebuild, restore and renew hearts and homes without placing the main emphasis on SALVATION, first.  People have got to get saved. Christians have got to come out of carnality and sin. There’s nothing else to say!

Even in these modern times, with all of our impressive technology and information, it all still comes down to that same old ancient message that Jesus Christ commanded His followers to give to the world:

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."  Mark 16:15 (NKJV)

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 24:14 (NKJV)

If we truly believe that these are the last days, then we must live like it is so, and we will preach like it is so. 

We’ll see you Friday for our next Prayer Watch and Sunday for our next Equipping Families session.


It's all for the harvest,

Chris and Carol Green

Even with a Little Strength

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Excerpt from 01-05-14: Chris Green encourages the church family 
that even though they've only had a little strength, 
they have still been faithful to keep God's word.

We Will Become a Thousand

 MIDWEEK CONNECTION

Greetings Urban Life family,

As the Lord continues to guide us into this new phase of the ministry, we’re receiving confirmation everywhere we turn. Sunday's prophetic message from Abby Abildness was the absolute most profound word we've ever received.

Abby was given a word for us while she was in Iraq. While ministering with the pastor who requested for her to come to his town, she observed many similarities of that pastor there and Pastor Chris here in Harrisburg. The similarities were so profound that she had to come and share it with us.

That church of 15-25 people had gone 10 years with little growth or change. For 10 years, that pastor had been praying for a million souls. His first 3 converts were killed by ISIS, ten years ago when his church first started. That left him almost afraid to lead any others to Christ. For ten years he has had this prayer in his heart, for a million souls.

Meanwhile, back here in America, in Harrisburg, PA, we have been holding to a prophetic promise that came to us in our first year that thousands and thousands would be touched by this ministry.

Like me, the pastor in Iraq also works in the government. He's also a technical specialist. He also moves in the prophetic. He also has been waiting a long time for the promises of God to be fulfilled.

Due to the onslaught of the Islamic Jihadist known as ISIS, a million refugees have been forced into the town of this only remaining Christian church in that dangerous region. That church has suddenly gone from 15-25 attendees to, thousands of people almost overnight. That pastor and church are stationed only 30 miles from the headquarters of ISIS and they refuse to flee.

Abby came to share with Urban Life, our prophetic destiny, which is very similar to that church in Iraq. God is preparing us to be a safe haven and a refuge during a time of crisis that is coming to America. Abby confirmed what we have been telling you for many months.

Islamic Jihadist, like ISIS, are now in America. Just this week, ISIS sent out an audio message for their followers to begin blowing up roads and bridges in the United States and to begin attacking American citizens in their homes. I think it's time for us to get ready for whatever is about to happen in this nation and right here in this city. It's time for us to prepare for thousands.

The prophetic word through Abby was this:
"A little one shall become a thousand, And a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.” ----Isaiah 60:22

She gave us several exhortations and prophetic promises this past Sunday:

•    Chris and Carol Green were sent to reach more than Harrisburg. God is going to take them and this message to the nations.
•    This ministry is like the principle of the Kingdom of God and the mustard seed. It started off very small and has been growing undetected until one day it sprouts forth and the tree grows and the branches extend.  And it will provide shelter for many. This ministry is a place of refuge and a safe haven.
•    These flags on your walls represent the many nations where God is going to send you.
•    God has used you and the emphasis on family to show His order and desire for families. You have been modeling it all these years. I was blessed that you were moved to tears while talking about your wife. Your sons have been with you in ministry. You have lived out God's desire and plan for families in practical everyday life.
•    I thought when I met Pastor Chris that he was a powerful man of God, but when I met his wife, then I saw the power behind the man of God. God is calling the women to step forth in your royal (Queen) authority.
•    As I watched you on the platform with all the equipment, I saw you broadcasting. Somehow God is going to have you broadcasting.

We can’t procrastinate and wait until the crisis hits and we can’t start getting prepared AFTER a thousand people show up. We need to get ready right now.

Is your household ready to minister to people who are desperate? Are you ready to give sound Biblical guidance to someone who needs Jesus? Are you ready to serve, even when it is totally inconvenient for your lifestyle and future plans? Are you ready to serve others even when you feel like you need someone to help you?

If whether you answered yes or no to any of these questions, it’s time to get ready to become a thousand. That’s the word God gave us and that’s how we’re going to respond.

You see, Carol and I don’t take a “wait and see” attitude when it comes to God’s word. When God gives us a word (a command or a promise) we start preparing immediately. We adjust our plans, change our plans, or we rearrange our time to accommodate God’s agenda over our own.

Unless you do that in response to God’s word, then you’re still just playing church. You’re still operating in unbelief or rebellion. There’s no other reason in God’s eyes. There are only three responses to the word of God: obedience, unbelief or rebellion. Only one is acceptable in His sight.

God says we will become a thousand, so Chris and Carol are going to prepare this ministry to handle a thousand.

That’s why the change in our church schedule. We’re preparing now.

One of the things that keeps Harrisburg floundering in debilitating mediocrity and sloth, is the “wait and see” attitude when it comes to responding to God’s word. Wait and see simply means, you are like Doubting Thomas. You won’t believe it unless you see it first. Well, faith doesn’t wait. Faith responds to God like His promises have already come forth. Faith says, YES LORD. I OBEY YOU, RIGHT NOW!

Our preparation looks like this in October:

1.  31-Day Prayer Watch (STARTING TODAY) Follow THIS LINK  for details.
2.  Friday evening prayer (6:00PM – 7:15PM) every Friday in October at the United Church Center
3.  Sunday, October 5th and 19th Intercessory Prayer Team (11:00am – 12:15pm)
4.  Sunday, October 12th and 26th Hope for America Evangelism Preparation (11:00am – 1:00pm)

As Bishop Raphael Green said in his anniversary video greeting to us on Saturday night, “Men and women, brothers and sister, ladies and gentlemen, you are involved in the greatest work on this planet; it’s the work of the Lord!”