www.GAJohnson.org | Hebrews Twelve Two

ministering to gangs

Tonight, Becky and I met with Latino young men in our city that need to leave the gangs.  I once again reminded them that following Jesus was a sign of strength and not weakness.  I also encouraged them to get rid of any distractions in their life that would keep them from following Jesus.  We looked at I Samuel 15 together and how Saul had all the right tools to be successful, but he allowed distractions to get in his way.  One of his big distractions was pride.  God detests pride and pride will always cause us to disobey God's Word and fall.  To succeed, we must humble ourselves and follow Jesus.  I continue to encourage them to memorize Hebrews 12:2 and 1 Peter 2:21.  Reuben was able to quote 75% of Hebrews 12:2 for us.  I love following Jesus in point of need ministry!

Please pray for these young men.  Also please pray for me and Becky as we continue to try to impact our city and our world with point of need ministry.  We are insurgents behind enemy lines and the devil is not happy with what we are doing.  He would rather that we just have church.  Following Jesus in point of need ministry makes the devil nervous.

We will continue to minister to the homeless, to those incarcerated, to the gangs, and to those coming out of incarceration in our city.  We will also continue to minister to the poor and suffering around the world.

We need prayer coverage.  Please help us through your prayers and click here to sign up as one of our prayer partners where you will be updated occasionally by email on our specific prayer needs.

We are always thankful for the help God brings us through praying people.

gaj

going to save many lives from number one killer

I'm flying 2500 miles from Portland, Oregon, to Huntington, West Virginia, today to participated in the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Walk on April 26, 2008. West Virginia leads the nation in heart disease and I want to make a difference in that statistic.  I've been running races since October 2007, including 3 marathons in 9 weeks, trying to raise $10,000 for critical research to help fight the number one killer - heart disease. Click here to watch a short news clip on my running to help others.

Follow our fund raising progress for critical research all this week on the AHA Heart Walk website. <----Click here.  They posted a picture there on their website of my family that met me at the finish line when I finished the 2007 Marshall University Marathon in November.  It was my 2nd marathon in 4 weeks.

I will not be blogging while I'm gone, but will be updating via twitter and you can follow me at www.twitter.com/PastorGreg . Twitter will also keep you up to date of my doings at the bottom of this post and on facebook or myspace.

What I am doing....

Know that you are loved,

gaj

Too Blessed to be Stressed

We had Easter again today at the LGF Salem Campus. 

I talked about being too blessed to be stressed.

Listen in <-------------- Click here

Or use mini player below.

 gaj

Marathon Man

 

Click to view Stephanie Stricklen's story on my running to save lives.  

Stephanie is the health reporter for NBC affiliate KGW in Portland, Oregon.     

I'm running down the home stretch now and can use your help in reaching my goal!   

Thanks Stephanie for a great story! 

   

gaj

 

Click to view Stephanie Stricklen's story on my running to save lives.  

Stephanie is the health reporter for NBC affiliate KGW in Portland, Oregon.     

I'm running down the home stretch now and can use your help in reaching my goal!   

Thanks Stephanie for a great story! 

   

gaj

GoodSearching

 

 

What if Loving God Fellowship earned a penny every time you searched the Internet?   Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause?  Well, now it can!  

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!  

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.  

Just go to http://www.goodsearch.com/ and be sure to enter Loving God Fellowship as the charity you want to support.  And, be sure to spread the word!  

Know that you are loved,  

 

www.GAJohnson.org 

Founding Pastor 

Loving God Fellowship 

www.LovingGodFellowship.org     

 

 

Kenya Crisis

 

I received an email at 1:13 AM this morning from Robert in Kenya. Robert is a part of the LGF Internet Campus. In cause you have not yet heard, Kenya is in crisis with ethnic strife causing death and homelessness. Click here for the latest report from CNN. Please read Roberts email below.  

Dear pastor, 

Thank you for your ever encouraging messages ,This year 2008 beggins sadly with us here in Kenya many have losst  lives many have been rendered homeless.In our church there more than 173 people homeless,it has not been easy even puting a meal on the ta ble its very hard please pray w ith us. 

I weep and pray for Robert and others like him around the world that are a part of the LGF Internet Campus and need our prayers and help.  In the last three weeks we have ministered to 1,354 unique individuals from 25 different countries.  I'm overwhelmed by the needs and frustrated with our lack of resources to meet those needs.  I don't know where to turn other than God.

 

Will you pray with me for Robert and the crisis in Kenya.

 

   

Know that you are loved,

   

 

 

Founding Pastor

Loving God Fellowship 

www.LovingGodFellowship.org   

 

 

Technorati Tags: Kenya, Prayer

Praying with Joy

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now...  -- Philippians 1:4-5

I can really relate to the Apostle Paul in this prayer.  Paul was a revolutionary church planter.  He was radical for Jesus.  He realized that he could not do what he was doing without the partnership of others that wanted to see the work of Christ increase in their day.  He was able to pray with joy because of their partnership.

On January 8, 2006, Becky and I planted Loving God Fellowship (LGF) in the capitol of the most unchurched state in America.  There are more prison and jails in our county (Marion County Oregon) than any other county in America.  There are more homeless people in Oregon, California and Washington than any where else in America.

All we had to start this work on was a little bit of money in our personal savings and a whole lot of faith in God, His Word and His calling on our life.  We have had no jobs and we are not funded or endowed by any outside group or denomination.  We have been persecuted and shunned by those that don't want us here who are mostly religionist that need a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Two years ago, I was told in a letter by a denomational official and pastor in this city that this city did not need any more churches.  I have that letter in safe keeping.  It will always indicate to me that I'm in the right spot.  When a Latino community activist in our city passed away and I was asked by the family to officiate the funeral, two churches with large facilities turned the family down on the use of their facility and told the family that it was because I was officiating.  When the religious are unsettled, you know that you are right on.  A church with a smaller facility lovingly opened their doors to the family.  In the midst of it all, let me say that God has been faithful and has rewarded our obedience in the face of much opposition.

This Sunday we will be celebrating our 2nd year anniversary as Loving God Fellowship.  God has done much in a short time:

The LGF Salem Campus

• Every Sunday we celebrate our risen Lord and Christ at Stephens Middle School in Salem, Oregon.
• Every Sunday night we conduct back to back services inside the Marion County Jail for women and men incarcerated there.
• Every Tuesday night we conduct a Bible study inside the Cavazos Center for young Latino men desiring to leave the gang lifestyle.
• Every Wednesday night we provide a FREE meal and Bible Study for our city at Stephens Middle School.
• Monthly we are ministering Christ and His message of love and hope to 100-200 homeless people in downtown Salem, Oregon.
• Weekly we have LGFers volunteering their time at a homeless shelter for women and children in Keizer, Oregon and at a transitional home for men coming out of prison in Salem, Oregon.
• Daily we have LGFers ministering at the point of need, making a difference in our day in the workplace, in the market place, in schools and in neighborhoods..
• We partner with Stephens Middle School in meeting needs there.
• We financially support a missionary in Africa, a ministry to children in the drug infested government projects in Charleston, West Virginia, RBC (our daily bread) who is spreading the Gospel around the world, Medical Teams International, Union Gospel Mission Homeless Shelter, the Willamette Valley Habitat for Humanity and transitional housing for men and women coming out of prison in our city.

The LGF Internet Campus

• We are now ministering daily to those around the world by Internet technology.  People are listening to the preaching of God's Word, participating in Bible study, prayer and Christian fellowship online.  The church has no walls and we are seeing that God has made us into one church with many locations.
• I receive email daily from people around the world thanking us for the ministry of LGF.

The future looks very bright for Loving God Fellowship as we continue to love God and love others. We look to expand our locations in other cities as God leads.  Thanks for being a part.  We could not do what we do without the partnerships of people that desires to see the work of Christ increase in our day.

I like the Apostle Paul pray with much joy because of you.  You are precious to me! 

Know that you are loved,

gaj

Tags: LGF, Loving God Fellowship, Church Plant

LGF Home Page

Loving God Fellowship has a new home page for the new year. Click here and check it out.

What do you think about it?

gaj

Great Australian Blog!

I want to turn you on to a great Australian blog from my e-buddy Robert.  He is a part our LGF Internet campus and supports our ministry financially and by posting our sermons on his blog in Australia.  Give him a shout and drop him a comment at his blog, Experiencing the Love of the Father.  Tell him that Pastor Greg from LGF sent you!

Know that you are loved,

gaj

Fellowship with Christ Followers without Boundaries

Bob in Australia posted the following on the forums at the LGF (Loving God Fellowship) Internet Campus:

It is about time we Christians start using the Forums that have been set up here. They are a gift for those missing out on Christian fellowship. I will pop by regularly and add my 2 cents worth (That's Australian for "my opinion"). I want some "fair dinkum" (Australian for "real") Christian fellowship. I used to go to a good mens bible study group but it ended. I often can't get to the groups at Church, their times clash with my busy times.

I love utilizing Internet technology for God!  Stop by the LGF forums today and fellowship with Christ followers around the world void of any geographic boundaries.

Know that you are loved,

gaj