At the same time, 5 miles across town on the waterfront between 4,000 and 7,000 Christians---some say there were more, gathered for a worship service. People accepted Christ and were baptized in the river.
Last night worship leader Sean Feucht moved the worship gathering from Portland to Seattle.
While some in the media are attacking and undermining the gatherings and Feucht, thousands are thanking God for this obvious move of His Spirit.
Be informed, not misled.
The spiritual battle exposed.
Fox News reported Sunday,
"Thousands of Christians gathered outdoors in Portland, Oregon on Saturday to sing spiritual music amid the state's coronavirus social distancing measures---just hours before a riot was declared across town (again) and a separate crowd lit fire to the city police union headquarters."
Worship leader Sean Feucht told Fox and Friends Sunday:
"Thousands came together ---White, Black, Hispanic, male, female---we all came together and released our song of hope over the city. People gave their life to Jesus. Hundreds of people---we baptized people in the river behind us. There was so much joy that took over the streets of that city last night."
Fox promised they would be having Feucht on again soon.
In stark contrast, KGW TV 8, Portland's NBC affiliate, reported the event with this: "Hundreds of people gathered along Portland's waterfront Saturday evening in defiance of state orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19."
KGW warned, "They came to see Sean Feucht, a controversial worship leader and political activist who has held similar crowded outdoor services on beaches in California in defiance of coronavirus restrictions there. "
The "news" from KGW continues pointing out that the "vast majority were not wearing masks" and that many in the crowd were from "out of town." In their attempt to make the gathering look like something other than what it was--- the out-of-towners they could identify were from Longview, WA. and central Oregon.
Sean Feucht is only controversial to the media because he shares the gospel and people get saved. And yes, he strongly encourages Christians to get involved politically and vote.
He is a worship leader in a local church in California and founder of "Hold the Line Ministries."
He has also been holding similar outdoor worship services on the beaches of California with hundreds of people accepting Christ as Savior and being baptized in the ocean. I wrote about it a few weeks ago in this Faith and Freedom Daily column. His worship gathering was not so much in defiance of coronavirus restrictions or anything else, but in praise and worship to God in the middle of one of the nation's most chaotic, lawless times in our history.
When is the last time you heard the news media question the rioters in Portland, Seattle, or anywhere else for not wearing masks or violating distancing orders? They never question it. In fact, they preface every report by describing the nightly riots as "mostly peaceful."
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot comprehend it.
The message of light.
Feucht tweeted yesterday, "I will never ever, ever, ever forget what God did last night! We will tell our children's children about it! Nothing is too hard for God! On 8/8, new beginnings for PORTLAND!! Thank you JESUS!!!"
Feucht told Fox, "Our tagline last night was "Riots to Revival", which we're carrying with us into Seattle tonight. We just believe that the church has the ability to change the narrative."
Indeed it does.
In Seattle
In Seattle last night Feucht and his team held their worship service in Cal Anderson Park in what was formerly known as "CHOP", then revised to "CHAZ"
What a contrast. From lawless CHAZ to prayer and praise to Almighty God.
As far as I could see, none of the Seattle press had reported on the gathering at Cal Anderson as late as 10 PM last night.
However, my daughter, son-in-law, and their 21-year-old son---one of my grandsons who is preparing for the ministry, attended. So we have an eye witness account, although they left before the gathering dismissed.
There were thousands of people in attendance. The park was completely filled with people.
Unlike Portland, there were people in attendance who were actively trying to disrupt the worship gathering. Some appeared to be Black Lives Matter and some appeared to be ANTIFA.
My grandson noted that as a black pastor from Minneapolis was giving an invitation to accept Christ, the agitators in the crowd would begin to shout with piercing sounds, trying to drown out the message. Sean Feucht would step to a microphone and ask the Christians to repeat the name "Jesus, Jesus," and the agitators would quiet a bit.
At one point the agitators cut the cords of the sound system---the worship continued until new cords were installed.
My grandson said it looked like at least a hundred or more accepted Christ.
This will continue. The black pastor shared that the Lord spoke to his heart following the death of George Floyd, telling him the Lord is going to do something significant.
One thing certain; This is not a war against flesh and blood and it isn't merely political. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12).
Feucht and his team held their worship service in Cal Anderson Park in what was formerly known as CHOP, then revised to "CHAZ"
What a contrast. From CHAZ to prayer and praise to God.
Yesterday morning Sean Feucht told Fox's Pete Hegseth,
"America has just seen these buildings burning, and they've seen this destruction and this violence, and the mainstream media seems to be infuriated with this. But what I'm telling you is that there's another story of what God is doing in these cities and the church is rising up."
The virtue-signaling so-called "progressive left" defines equity and equality only in their relativistic terms. And declare the solutions in twisted humanistic terms.
God has a different way and it's higher than our ways. While the media criticized these multi-ethnic, racially diverse gatherings, whites and blacks, and Hispanics and Asians and Native Americans sang together, prayed together, and worshiped God together. And those who felt lost and disenfranchised were lovingly introduced to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
And they experienced what John Newton, the slave trader, experienced many years ago: "I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see."
"Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me."
That's true equity. All have sinned. And God's grace is extended to all.
Be Informed. Be Blessed. Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful.