The Crowd gathers

6:24 - Welcome to the 3rd night of the Greater Philadelphia Harvest Crusade! This is the 2nd night of the Harvest Jam here at First Union Spectrum. Tonight's musical guests will include The Cross Movement, The Kry and Audio Adrenaline. Pastor Greg Laurie from Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, CA will be bringing the gospel message.

Last night's Harvest Jam saw 8,500 people in attendance and 817 registered decisions to follow Jesus Christ. What a blessing to see hundreds of new believers pour out onto the floor here at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. We are excited to see what the Lord will do here tonight in the hearts of attendees at the Spectrum and viewers on the internet!

7:01 - The crowd is getting anxious as we are just a few minutes away from the beginning of tonight's Harvest Jam. They are standing on their feet, shouting in groups, "We love Jesus, Yes we do...We love Jesus, how about you?"

Sing Praises to the Lord!

7:15 - The evening opens with a brief video of street interviews asking the question, "What bugs you about preachers?" Some answers that they don't like preachers who talk loud, act artificial or don't talk about things that matter. The video ends to the shouts and applause as Pastor Ricky Ryan steps to the podium and says "It's time for the Harvest Crusade!"

Pastor Ricky introduces the first musical guests, Cross Movement, a local rap group. It's clear from the audience response that these guys are favorites! As the bass throbs they say "Take your eyes off me, and put your eyes on Him..." "...to my brothers out there...to my sisters out there...to the believers in Christ...stay sure and firm..."

Pastor Ricky introduces Pete, Jean-Luc and Yves...The Kry! The crowd stands to their feet and clap as they begin with "I Believe". Looking around the arena, you can see teenagers, small children and even grandparents singing along with the words to "I Can't Stop Thinking About You". Pete tells the crowd, "We're excited you're here with us tonight. There's a lot going on out in the world, but you're here tonight and Greg Laurie is going to share some truth with you!" The enthusiasm builds as they sing one of their most popular songs, "Call His Name".

With a brief break, the audience has an opportunity to learn how the Harvest Crusade how reached over 165,000 people who have made decisions to follow Jesus. They learn that The Harvest Crusade is sponsored by local churches and businesses and by the offering at the event. Harvest Crusades is a not-for-profit event and Greg Laurie does not receive any compensation for this ministry. The Kry plays an instrumental song as the offering is given. Pastor Ricky prays, thanking God for blessing us and asks that there would be fruit from this event seen throughout the area.

Next up: Audio Adrenaline. They pump energy into an already excited crowd! Their first song is "New Body". They move right into "I've Got A Secret". "I once was sinking in a quarry of sand somebody noticed and they offered me a hand...I've got a secret and I cannot keep it...there is a God and He's alive and keeps me well...I want to tell it, I want to say it, I want to show it, want you to know it!" Lead singer, Mark, introduces the next song, "Superfriend". The whole arena vibrates with cheers and the pulsing music as they lead into "We're A Band". Mark tells the crowd that he's happy to be here and that Audio Adrenaline is about rock and roll but ultimately, their only priorty is to tell people about Jesus. This is the second year that Audio Adrenaline has joined Harvest Crusade. Their first appearance was in Philadelphia in 1997. They close with "Walk On Water".

Pastor Ricky approaches the podium as the arena quiets down and people get ready to hear from God as Pastor Greg comes to teach us.

The gospel is preached

Greg is speaking tonight on "Signs of the Times".

Pastor Greg greets the crowd and tells them that there are people logged on all around the world on the internet. The crowd greets you!

Greg prays..."Lord, we know you're in this room with us and that you want to speak to hearts and bring people into your kingdom. To belief. Speak to our hearts Lord, because we believe you are coming again."

Greg tells the story of a little boy visiting his grandparent's house. He loved to listen to the grandfather clock chime, especially at noon when it would chime twelve timeks. He listened one day, and the clock began to chime, ten, eleven, twelve... thirteen, fourteen...the clock was broken. The little boy ran to his grandma and says "Grandma! It's later than it's ever been before!" And that's how it is with the time we live in. It's later than it's ever been before. Never in all the history of the world have we been closer to the end of the world.

The coming of Jesus is near, and people are desperate to know what the future holds. Pastor Greg says that there is only one book that can tell the future. The Bible. The Bible is the only book that dares to predict the future. Over 2/3 of Bible is prophecy and half of that has already come true. This shows us that when God says something will happen, you can "Take it to the bank!"

Some signs the Bible gives: A rapid increase in violence. Over the last three decades there has been a 560% increase in violent crime. Teenagers have higher rate of teenage violence than any other age-group. The killing by teenagers has increased 172% since 1985. Not only are kids violent against each other, Greg says, but they are commiting violence against themselves. There is an epidemic of teenage suicide happening right now. Reasons teens kill themselves: family discord...problems with a boyfriend or girlfriend...but the word that keeps coming up is "hopelessness". Are you feeling hopeless tonight? There are other signs of times:

Wars and rumors of war. Quoting from Associated Press, Greg says that we face a grave threat of nuclear missile attack. The "Doomsday Clock" has been advanced 5 minutes, bringing it to 9 minutes to midnight. We are closer than ever.

"I want to look at the story of a man who ignored the signs of his time," Greg says. The story is of Belshazzar, who went out of his way to break God's commandments. He found out that there is a law just as sure as the law of gravity. It's the Biblical law of "sowing and reaping." Reading from Daniel Ch. 5 Greg tells about how Belshazzar had a party in honor of some pagan god. Amazingly, the prophet Jeremiah had told this would happen. Not only did God say it would happen, but He actually named the man who would lead the invasion 175 years before he was born! Belshazzar would have been able to know, but he never paid attention. He had clear prophecies of scripture telling him that judgement was coming and he ignored them. We do the same thing. "I want to tell you something," Greg says. "When God tells you not to do something, it isn't to ruin your fun. It's for your own good." Every sin we have ever committed will come back to us, unless we ask for forgiveness and ask God to wipe our slate clean. You can do that tonight.

So Belshazzar sees this hand writing on the wall. It scares him so badly that he asks someone to come tell him what it means. The queen mother tells him that Daniel was a man who had interpreted dreams for Belshazzar's grandfater, Nebuchadnezzar. Belshazzar has him come and Daniel tells him that the message means "You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting." Daniel tells Belshazzar that he forgot the story of how his grandfather was converted. Daniel reminds him of how his grandfater built this beautiful city and how he was filled with pride. But God dealt with Nebuchadnezzar and he turned to the Lord.

Belshazzar ignored the experience of his grandfather. Maybe someone here ignores what the older generation tells them. You ignore, but deep down inside you know what you need to do. "With knowledge comes responsibility," Greg says. "Here's the gospel in a nutshell. Every one of us falls short of God's standards. We're not good enough to get to heaven on our own. We are guilty. But 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ came and shed His blood for us and rose again and now He says 'I stand at the door and knock. If you open, I'll come in.' That's the gospel! Now you're responsible."

Belshazzar was weighed in the balance and found wanting. Most people think that if they do enough good works God will let them into Heaven. If they do bad things they will go to Hell. They believe that God "grades on the curve" but God does not judge us that way. "Let's just say for the sake of a point that were true," Greg says. "Do you really think you have done more good works than bad ones? Be honest! We haven't even come close." But the good news is that God doesn't judge us that way. But here is the bad news. He demands absolute perfection! Jesus said, "Be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." But there is hope--only in Jesus Christ. Not through good works, moral living, not religion, not church attendance. Only coming to God and saying "I'm sorry for my sin. Come into my life." God himself came to this earth and stood in the gap that separated us from Him. Tonight, you are being weighed in the balance and found wanting.

"What if this were your last night on earth?" Greg asks. Would you be ready to meet God? "What if Jesus were to come back tonight?" Greg says that the Bible teaches there are only two destinations after death: heaven or hell. If you reject God's offer of forgiveness you essentially seal your own fate. God doesn't send people to hell so much as they send themselves there by rejecting His offer. "It's your choice," Greg says. "You decide." He says it's like being lost in the sea and a helicopter comes over and drops down a rope to you, but you ask for a different color--one that matches your swimsuit! That would be crazy. "God has offered one lifeline...and that lifeline is Jesus Christ." Jesus offers you a life worth living, Greg says. One that doesn't need drugs, or alcohol. One that will fulfill you. "Don't live a hopeless life. Don't live an empty live. Don't live an unprepared life. Be ready."

How do you get ready? If you tried to get on a plane without a ticket you wouldn't be allowed on the plane. Do you want to go to heaven? You need a ticket. But you can't afford it. But the good news is that Jesus Christ bought the ticket for you. You can't get on the plane without that ticket, but all you have to do is receive that "ticket" from Jesus Christ.

"Here's what it comes down to," Greg says. "Realize you're a sinner. That Jesus died for your sin. Repent from your sin. Receive Him into your life. Ask Him to be your Savior. You must do this publically. And you can do it now."

As Pastor Greg tells the crowd here at the First Union Spectrum that if they want to come to Jesus tonight by coming down onto the arena floor, you can make this decision as you join us by internet.

As people stream down onto the floor, Greg asks the crowd to be in prayer. As The Kry sings, "He Won't Let You Go" the floor fills with hundreds of people, young and old, black and white.

"Many of you have an appointment with God tonight," Greg says. "It might not be written in your calendar, but there have been signs. You've been out partying, or chasing after pleasure, and you find yourself saying, 'This is so empty.' This is just a reminder telling you that you need to get right with God. Some of you have walked away from the Lord, like a prodigal. It's time to get home. Get home before dark! The only sin that God will not forgive is the sin we won't confess. That means we need to acknowledge it."

If you want to make this decision, you can let us know by pressing the feedback button. We will send you the same "New Believer's New Testament" that each person coming forward here at the arena will receive. In a few moments, Greg will lead these in a prayer asking Jesus into their heart. You can join him in that prayer.

If you want to ask Jesus into your heart, pray this prayer:

"God I'm sorry for my sin. I thank you for sending Jesus the Son of God to die on the cross and to shed His blood for every sin I've ever committed. Jesus, come into my heart. Be my Savior. Be my Lord. Be my God. Be my friend. Fill me with Your Spirit and help me to follow you from this night forward as Your child. Thank You for forgiving me and making me ready for Your return. Amen."

Welcome to the family of God! Your prayers have been answered!

Pastor Greg is encouraging the hundreds of people on the arena floor to speak to one of the counselors standing by. These counselors will tell them how important it is to read the Bible, pray to God, get invovled in a church, and share this experience with others. These four steps will start them on the road to growing into a strong, healthy believer.

We encourage you to make this decision, pray this prayer, and join us in the family of God.

Join us again tomorrow night for the final Harvest Crusade here at the First Union Spectrum in Philadelphia. Next weekend, October 23-25, the Harvest Crusade will be in Rochester, New York at the War Memorial. If you live in the area and can attend, please come out. If not, please join us again here on the internet! Goodnight, and God Bless You!

The work of the Holy Spirit