The Last Crusade?

The Last Crusade? - Harvest Christian Fellowship

        Let me share with you some things, for history's sake, for those of you from outside this area and stop by here regularly. I have had a link to Harvest Christian Fellowship and their Crusade site on my front page since the late 90's. The upcoming 2011 Harvest Crusade's schedule, now in their 21st year, brought back some memories for me, memories from back in the early 1980's.

        The standard Harvest Crusade history published by the church usually states that the first crusade outreach was at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa, California, in 1990. "Officially," yes. But that wasn't where it all really started. The seeds for this were initially planted many years previously.

        I recently had opportunity to talk with a few people who were involved with this ministry in the late 70's. They reminisced about the very early years of this church and evangelical events they were involved in, including Hawaii. But most agreed the first notable events were when Pastor Greg Laurie and senior staff at that time took the initiative to engage in a more overt outreach to the local community here in Riverside and put together summer musical/evangelical events at Anza Narrows Park down the street from the church.

The original Cupid's Burgers Drive-In at Sixth St. and Grand Blvd., pre-1980's. Photo courtesy of D.M. Carstensen, daughter of original family owners. [CLICK to enlarge]

        I remembered those. The guys and I would go. We would stop and get grinders at a place called Cupid's Burgers that had been at Sixth Street and Grand Blvd. in Corona for decades and head out to the event. They were great grinders. They were simple times for all of us as we were still young in our relationship with God.

        Cupid's is gone now, converted to a taco stand. And those initial evangelical outreach events Calvary Chapel, Riverside, now Harvest Christian Fellowship, set out to engage in, in obedience to Jesus' mandate to "go out into all the world" and preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15, Luke 14:23) away from the comfort of the church property, has grown into a national and international campaign that, personally, continues to amaze me. No grand strategies, no big "church growth" plans, but a simple obedience to the foundational mandate of the Spirit-filled Church.

        The world has radically changed since those early years. The Internet was still a nascent communications device few had access to, America Online (AOL) and its revolutionary impact on American culture was still in the infancy of its creation, and internet concepts like conventional mass email, Facebook, MySpace, Youtube, and simple high-speed access for the masses was still yet to come.

        In the ensuing years, Harvest Christian Fellowship was one of the first ministries to exploit this "new media" for the proclamation of the gospel, the American inspired global internet the new Roman roadway system the first century church utilized to bring the gospel to the world of their time. Now we, the Spirit-filled Church here in America, have certainly come full circle; our historically critical times a mirror of what the book of Acts Church faced in their critical times.

        Having been witness to the very early beginnings of this ministry; the simplicity and "small beginnings" of the Anza Narrows Park outreaches, the 2010 Harvest Crusade season was a pinnacle of sorts, with Chicago, Illinois, and Seattle, Washington. Over twenty years of Crusades, from Anaheim California to New York City, the Holy Spirit continues to roll this outfit into some pretty spiritually dark places here in America. All this in the midst of radical global changes—many unprecedented in world history.

        Not only that, new media and the Internet continues to play a critical role in the reach and scope of this one Holy Spirit outreach. All three Crusades in 2010 had a solid two-to-one ratio of live-streaming Internet viewers compared to those attending the event in person. This was truly incredible!

        Which brings us to the summer of 2011. With the long-established Crusade at the Anaheim Angel Stadium, this year the Los Angeles Dodger Stadium will be hosting a one night Crusade on September 10. This is notable. Los Angeles is the second most populous, if not the most diverse/multicultural, city in the United States, next to New York. The Dodger Stadium is the largest baseball stadium in America by seating capacity.

        Furthermore, whether culturally, economically, politically, technologically, or most importantly as an American city—spiritually, Harvest Christian Fellowship, in prayer and support of the Crusade staff, and Pastor Greg Laurie will be setting up on the corner of this international crossroads, itinerant street corner preachers to a global audience, both in real time and digitally.

        Additionally, after results in 2010, many, including me, are predicting this Crusade will be digital before real time; this big city street corner at the crossroads of the world on the information superhighway. (Which should be a heads-up to the propeller heads in the tech department overseeing the server portals.)

        Global events, just in recent months, with the turmoil in the wake of the Tunisia uprisings that has swept the Middle East; it is incredible how the geo-political realities of the area continue to quickly line up with an Ezekiel 38-39 scenario—and all the other implications of this along with it. After three decades of personal observation of Bible prophecy pundits of all stripes continually struggling to force the square pegs of past events into the round holes of end times prophecy—and wearying many—the chain of events of the last twelve months have even the most cynical startled. Former State Assemblyman and retired Army Intelligence officer Chuck Devore's Middle East assessment, "The Next Middle East War" published by Human Events is just another example reinforcing the urgency of our times.

        Since the startup of the Iranian Bushehr nuclear reactor in the summer of 2010 it is as if suddenly the Holy Spirit has wrested away this jumbled Rubik's cube from the limited understanding of men, and with rapid dexterity, the disorderly clutter of Middle East affairs and world trends is prophetically coming together in solid colors—and fast.

        So what if this was Harvest's last Crusade, and by wider implication the culmination (the return of Jesus Christ for His bride) of the Spirit-filled Church's mandate to the world? How would that affect our approach to this sizable Gospel outreach and people we daily interact with? People, we need to start aiming for the fence!

        Simple logistics and distance dictate there are only so many that can attend these events with someone who doesn't know the Lord in tow to hear the Gospel. To hear of sin, repentance, hope for today and for eternity, the exclusive Lordship of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross of Calvary the only path to salvation for Gentile, Jew, and Muslim.

        Nevertheless, Internet access is absolutely unlimited. Like I mentioned previously, the 2010 Crusade season saw a solid two to one margin of people viewing online compared to those in real time attendance. There is no reason why that can't be four to one, or even five!

        The church provides to their friends and supporters a wide variety of web banners any individual can add to their web site, blog, or Internet forum profile page to help promote this evangelical outreach. Christians constantly barraged by dubious fund-raising appeals from every worldly source would do better storing up treasure in heaven by helping bankroll this event and donating to Harvest online. Please help if you are so led!

        Any member of Harvest will give all glory and credit to the Lord for what has happened over the last four decades at Harvest, this writer included; still, not bad for an obscure local congregation that initially set out on a quest into middle America in a local river side park thirty years ago in obedience to the Lord's leading (Mark 16:15), not knowing what was going to come of it. Harvest's reach is now global.

        Yet, as pastor Greg has stated from the book of Acts 2:47 many times before, concerning all this, "…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." It has grown ever since simply because of that.

        In these critical times, that mandate is more important than ever before. The rain is falling. The history of mankind is on the very precipice of great transition.

        So back to the original question. The last Crusade? No, that would certainly be presumptuous. Still, something tells me this could be the most important Crusade of all.

        If you can't be there in person, stop by online either Anaheim on August 12-14, or the big one in Los Angeles Sept 10. I'm sure the boys in the tech department will have the door open for you.

        And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. … He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Rev 22:17 and 20)

The Rain Is Falling - SalemTheSoldier.us

Ready for the Wedding? [The Berean Call]

The Joy of Evangelism - Greg Laurie [2010]

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Since I first wrote "A Rear-guard Action" mid-2010 and ensuing events and research, there has been an evident and regular pattern many Christian writers and commentators on Islam have been missing, although I know others in past history, the spiritually perceptive, have faithfully pointed it out. It is the defining issue of the debate and we miss it at our own peril. In the almost ten years since 9/11, more has been written about Islam than in the preceding thirteen centuries, which is good, but what are we really learning?

Rather, why has Islam seen yet again a dynamic and historical resurgence since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, violently persecuting all in its path, now to the point menacing Christianity in middle America? From Asia and the Persian Gulf, to Lebanon, to Europe and now the US, Jesus promised of His Church, "…the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18) Yet it seems the gates of hell are prevailing.

A stark conclusion? The two major patterns throughout history, where the Lord has permitted Islam to rise as a prod and correcting influence: a tepid, compromised and comfortable Church, having strayed far from Biblical orthodoxy, and with no concern for the lost, a complete lack of effective and aggressive evangelism. These are the most conspicuous failings.

Dr. Hammond speaks on Sudanese history in his essay, and these are some high points:

"There is little historical evidence that the common people were effectively evangelized. … Most of the leaders of the church were Egyptian, Greek or Coptic. These languages were understood by the king and the educated people in his court - but not by the common people. Hence, Christianity in Northern Sudan was a religion of the educated elite and not of the common man."

"…Christianity did not die out in Northern Sudan because of external persecution by Muslims. The churches were empty and abandoned long before Islam filled the vacuum and became well established. The fact that few Nubians were literate and that services were in Greek and Coptic meant that the Word of God was not well known amongst the common people."

Reading this man's views, most of what was historical Christianity in Africa mirrored little of the Church's posture and conduct in the book of Acts at the beginning of the Holy Spirit's drive into that continent (Acts 8:26-40), with Philip on the point of the spear.

A very basic military tactical doctrine is the diversion. If you can divert and detour your enemy's attention and resources off mission from their objectives - their victory and your defeat - whether immediately or long term, it strengthens and gives you cover to attack them from another angle. Satan has become adept at this in American Evangelical Christian culture in recent decades. Now, frankly, we have been outflanked.

This comment should resonate with anyone well-versed in contemporary political trends:

"…The churches were so closely connected with the kings and to the patriarchs of Alexandria (in Egypt) that they rose and fell with them. … The churches were too closely allied to the political power structures and fell with the kings. … We need to be very careful not to be co-opted by secular politicians, only to be used to advance their humanist agendas."

Paul Proctor, writing in December of 2004 after the American public voted into office a Republican President, Republican House, Republican Senate and a majority of Republican Governors and the Supreme Court made up of a super-majority of Republican appointees-a Republican majority-registers a long list of "conservative" issues one would assume would be concentrated on by this golden calf of political activism's potential now realized.

Of course we know now they weren't. The post-Bush era is stark, irrefutable proof of this betrayal. After he won his second term, the concerns of Evangelical Christians/Conservatives were largely cast aside. Political analyst James E. Campbell of the University at Buffalo stated, "I don't see this as a big rift," … Christian evangelicals will not sit out next year's presidential election, Campbell said. "Where are they going to go?"

Where we should have been right after 9/11, at the foot of the Cross, repenting of our unfaithfulness to the Lord and returning to our "first love," (Rev 2:4) returning to our "first works," (Rev 2:5) and abandoning the world's way of doing things, focusing on political and social "activism" to reform society at the expense of preaching the Gospel and returning fully to the Spirit-filled Church's original mandate.

But we didn't, and haven't and the Bride of Christ is still "riding around on the back of someone else's Harley." And the Lord is supposed to bless this? The Lord is supposed to say nothing to this disloyalty and infidelity.

Dave Hunt writes recently on this issue on his Facebook site:

"The Christian mission has been to call individuals out of this evil world and into God's "heavenly kingdom" (2 Tm 4:18). Any "reformation" of society has been a byproduct of the transformation of individuals who were born again through faith in Christ and whose lives then became an influence for good. Further, for Christians to join with unbelievers to reform this world was unthinkable. Then it began to happen…."

Now Muslims-eternally lost souls-are praying at the White House, where Evangelical Christianity was doing so just a few months prior and Islamists are building a mosque near Ground Zero. It is mirroring the Sudan and Lebanon all over again as internal national conflict increases and following the same pattern. And with the recent nominal Republican resurgence in the 2010 midterm elections, the charade of "taking America back" is continuing. What utter futility.

At the 2010 mid-term elections, almost 3.98 billion dollars would be spent on the elections, a more than thirty percent increase from 2006, and making it the most expensive ever. This happens in the midst the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. How much of this money is from Christian donors; resources detoured from the storehouse of the Lord? How much diverted from funding churches and seminaries teaching apologetics so the next generation is grounded in their faith and world-view? What has the political process given the Spirit-filled Church in America for all this?

Chuck Colson recently wrote:

"Look in the mirror. The Church, the bride of Christ, has been unfaithful. WE are at fault. We-collectively and individually-have chased after every idol the world has to offer. We have tried so hard to be relevant that we've become almost completely irrelevant. We offer no other way, there is nothing distinctive about us.

We have not been what Jesus called us to be: Salt and light. We have blended in with the world so well that we are practically invisible. That's why so few nonbelievers can see what Paul wrote about in Colossians: 'the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.'"

Do you want to "take America back?" Do you want to see a reversal of this cultural slide into Gomorrah and Sharia Law? Are you are one who "names the name of Christ?" (II Timothy 2:19)

Talk radio host Ingrid Shlueter writes at WorldViewWeekend.com:

"…Some evangelicals are calling for conservatives to 'take America back.' The truth is, we can't take our own churches back from false teaching and moral squalor that at times rivals that of the world. The resignation of a well-known pastor after an affair with his personal assistant made headlines just a few weeks ago. If Christians can't keep their own homes and lives in godly order, how in the world are we supposed to "'return America to its godly roots?'"

We need to quit whoring around with the things of this world (Judges 2:17). I have been part of "organizations," and "movements," and "efforts," which came to nothing and expended an incredible amount of time, resources, and effort that went no where because they were worldly; secular; "non-sectarian" and always addressed the symptoms of various cultural pathologies and not the disease. I am still chagrined at the waste of my personal time and energy on these things. In spite of that, maybe others will learn from these errors.

This is meant to diminish the importance of Christians being involved in the political process, rather, as Dr. Del Tackett meticulously illustrated in The Truth Project, there are distinctly different social spheres that have their separate roles and priorities. New Testament, book of Acts Christianity has a spiritual mandate, not a temporal political agenda.

We are already a member of an "organization" - His Church. (I Corinthians 12 - Ephesians 4:25) We already have organizational goals and mandates. (Mark 16:15 - II Timothy 4:2) This was Jesus' Purpose Statement. "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose." (Luke 4:43) "…Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49)

"We are not called to proclaim philosophy and metaphysics, but the simple gospel. Man's fall, his need of a new birth, forgiveness through atonement, and salvation as the result of faith, these are our battle-ax and weapons of war." - C. H. Spurgeon

The encroachment of Islam in America culture is just another, although more overt, symptom of our national decay, taking root in the rot of already decades present progressive liberalism and religious pluralism-and these present in our own churches! That's our fault. The one feature of Dr. Hammond's writing is he puts the burden of responsibility where it belongs-on the Spirit-filled Church; as I argued in A Rear-guard Action, Islam once again a power the Lord providentially permitting on His Church as a prod/correcting force ever since the 7th century.

Rather, put thirty million Evangelicals on American streets, testifying the Gospel message. We already have them. Put thirty million Evangelicals with a Biblical world view, working outward from well funded churches and seminaries bankrolled by finances not diverted into secular "activist" organizations and useless politician's campaign coffers. Put thirty million Evangelicals on the streets with a first century book of Acts world view, rededicated to the transformative power of the Word of God, "declining neither to the right hand, nor to the left" (II Chronicles 34:2 - Proverbs 4:27) engaging the culture and this world with the truth. Give it a year. See what happens.

Still, there are some who, rebelling in their hearts against God's clear correction, like the Jews in Jeremiah's time (Jeremiah 21), refuse to see this and would radicalize the Church against Muslims as a missionary field, only making things worse.

It was Dr. Joseph Holden who said in his definitive presentation, "Islam and Our Communities," at Calvary Chapel, Chino Valley:

"...But yet today we're finding this radicalizing against Islam, as far as socially speaking. We're finding groups, even here in Southern California, across the country, groups overseas, they're wanting you to radicalize politically and socially against Islam, to the extent now where you don't even share the faith or attempt to evangelize Muslims. … Don't let anyone radicalize you against the great commission."

Muslims oppressing and killing minorities? That's what unbelievers do. Muslims being deceitful of their intentions, practicing "Taqiyya and Kitman" a Shi'ite form of religious lying? Yes, that's what unbelievers do.

Muslims can't be reached with the Good News of Jesus Christ's final and complete atonement on the cross? Nonsense. Muslims are coming to genuine Holy Spirit directed repentance and into real and dynamic relationships with Jesus every day. If one who claims to be a Christian says otherwise, it reveals much on where their hearts are at, and why the Spirit-filled, Evangelical Church finds itself on the defensive on so many issues.

Any speaker or "anti-Islamist" organization that does not couple their presentation with the Gospel, clear separation between the ideas of Islam/the Koran and the people who are imprisoned in this false belief system, and the need of the Church to repent of their unfaithfulness to Biblical truth should not be allowed to speak or recruit on church property! Anything else at this point, and the Church is "off mission" and dabbling with sin.

In 2010, the three big cultural conflict items, among other less high-profile conflicts, were the "Ground Zero" mosque proposal, the Murfreesboro, Tenn. mosque proposal, and the Temecula Valley, Calif. Mosque proposal. All three are on track to being built, no matter all the rallies and protesting, organizing, compelling stories and riveting testimonies from those who have escaped Islam. The planners of the Park51 project even exhibited the audacity to seek public funding for the venture from a federally subsidized aid agency set up to help small businesses harmed by 9/11. And why not? They'll get it. They, Progressive liberalism and Islamism have the field in the American cultural arena, not us.

A few blind Christians, in the grip of their own rebellion against our socio-political reality, have even suggested amending the Constitution/City Charters to "…prohibit an organization from calling itself a religion if it advocates terrorism, slavery, gender inequality and other beliefs that clash with the U.S. Constitution."

Really? I have seen Biblical Christianity described this way in many progressive liberal and transnational forums. This is being deceived by the enemy; tying the knot on our own noose. Deception, lies, and darkness have the field, not us.

Yet, as we have seen, repentance from temporal, worldly efforts and a radical return to the Great Commission and Holy Spirit directed evangelism by the Church in America, back on mission, is the only answer.

Dr. Hammond writes:

"…The Church in Malawi had fallen victim to the myth of neutrality. One Malawian commented that they had neglected to effectively "disciple the nations ... teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded" Matt 28:19 and failed to preserve Biblical principles in the public sphere. "... if the salt loses its flavor … It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Matthew 5:13

The myth of neutrality. We are either advancing or losing ground. Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." (Matt. 12:30) No middle ground or "strange fire" on the alter. (Lev. 10:1)

The much watched city of Temecula Planning Commission meeting is instructive. The effectiveness of a policy of confrontation and protest advocated by some was tested and predictably failed pertaining to the Islamic Center of the Temecula Valley proposal. Bright, motivated Christians, "chosen soldiers," diverted into this clamor where their energies would be much more effective supporting and proclaiming the Gospel, seeking to save the lost in these spiritually critical times, squared off against these Muslims, only to see the Imam of the mosque boast, "We Muslims aren't going anywhere," and the Planning Commission members, more concerned with the "city's image" in self-righteous indignation condemning them for their "bigotry" and intolerant "fear." The proposal passed 5-0 unanimously. It was hard to see these few Christians in the audience, partnered with a mixed multitude, coming to grips with the sovereignty of their Lord. Unfortunately, this militant misrepresentation of the Lord possibly hardened the hearts of a portion of the community to the truth of the Gospel.

That prod again.

This spiritual and cultural challenge will continue and get worse, but it does not have to. These mosque proposals have stirred up a lot of ugly stuff, and certainly people with a temporal world view have responded predictably. But we are not of this world (Eph. 2:2) to model an "us against them, are you for us or our adversaries" mentality; Nay, but as our Captain of the Host of the Lord, Jesus is now come.

As I pondered the aftermath in the early morning following the Planning Commission meeting, what the Lord was trying to convey to His Church in this matter in Temecula, a mosque being built right across the street from a Baptist church, I had a quiet and clear impression from the Holy Spirit on my heart.

"Where is your love for the lost?"

Indeed, where is our love for the lost…

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"Perhaps if there were more of that intense distress for souls that leads to tears, we should more frequently see the results we desire. Sometimes it may be that while we are complaining of the hardness of the hearts of those we are seeking to benefit, the hardness of our own hearts and our feeble apprehension of the solemn reality of eternal things may be the true cause of our want of success." - Hudson Taylor.

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Harvest Christian Fellowship Riverside, California www.Harvest.org Evangelical Christianity is now on the "point of the spear" and has the field in the Holy Spirit's outreach to the American nation! I have corresponded with hundreds of people nationwide who have stated how they just do not have access to any type of solid Christian ministry in their area. Harvest Christian Fellowship has developed an extensive online presence and treasury of resources in response to that. Get the technology or high-speed access needed, and exploit this dynamic online ministry! •An Easter Sunday at Harvest• 20 April, 2003 •The Harvest Crusade, Anaheim - 2006• 15 August, 2006