Joel Osteen and “Night of Hope”
Daniel Wang (a 13-year-old from Gurnee who is battling a brain tumor) wrote a letter to televangelist Joel Osteen last month after hearing an inspiring sermon on his weekly broadcast.
Osteen told the story of a painted vase that went through fire and trials but came out more beautiful than before. The message touched the teenager, who was dealing with trials of his own, as he went through treatment.
On Saturday evening, Wang sat in front of the White Sox dugout at Cellular One Field, a Bible in his hand and a smile on his face, as Osteen hugged him briefly before striding to the center of the field for “A Night of Hope,” an event filled with messages from Osteen and his wife, Victoria, brimming with positive energy.
“God can breathe new life, God is a resurrection God” – Osteen told the crowd estimated at 37,000.
“You wouldn’t be alive unless God had another victory in store for you. You need to get ready, because jubilee is on the way” – he told them.
It’s a message that rang true for many in the crowd — which erupted in applause and cheers throughout the event — as well as for Wang.
“Every time I go [to treatment], I say no more, but he makes it easier” – Wang said. “I’m glad I had to go through this, because it was God’s plan for me to meet Joel.”
Osteen’s message has inspired millions around the country and in Houston, where his multimillion-dollar ministry has its headquarters.
“He’s got such a warm, positive message. It’s infectious” – said Mike Jasinski, 29, of Ingleside. “You can’t help smiling when he starts talking.”
Joel Osteen.
Joel Osteen (the pastor of America’s largest church) is set to rock the U.S. Cellular Field, the home of the Chicago White Sox, with praise and worship and a message of hope on Saturday night as part of his roving, inspirational event series, “A Night of Hope.”
As America is reeling under financial insecurity, the pastor of the Houston megachurch wants to highlight the hope a loving and caring God offers, to change the perception that “God’s out to get me.”
The pastor of Lakewood Church told The Chicago Tribune Friday that the God he preaches does not have “a baseball bat to knock us down.”
“God doesn’t want us to be poor and suffering” – Osteen was quoted as saying. “Jesus came that we might excel. People are hungry for hope. Everyone wants to be loved,” stressed the televangelist who reaches around seven million viewers around the world through his television ministry.
About 50,000 people are expected to flock to the ballpark in Chicago, Ill., Saturday night for the event which starts at 7 pm. Ticket are priced at $19.10 each.
“We have seen God work in extraordinary ways in lives around the world through our Night of Hope Events, and we are anticipating great things in your life on the 6th!” reads Osteen’s statement. “We are always humbled to see God open these doors and bring the numbers of people who come to worship and hear His Word.”
About the venue Osteen said: “This is a familiar place. They’ve been here watching the teams play; the Sox play. Here, your defenses come down.”
Osteen, who is also an author, has held over 100 “Night of Hope” events across the United States since 2004. He began using stadiums only after a successful mega event in 2009 at Yankee Stadium in New York, which drew a crowd of over 50,000.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv8FwssTGCg
Tens of thousands of people gathered at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field Saturday for televangelist Joel Osteen’s “Night of Hope.”
Osteen began by telling people in the audience he expected them to leave Saturday night’s event with “more faith, more glory, more peace.”
He encouraged the crowd to get up every morning and “get in agreement with God.”
“If you’re going to live a life of victory, you have to let everyday be a new beginning. You know, when you get up in the morning, you need to forgive the people that hurt you yesterday. Forgive yourself for mistakes that you’ve made. Let go of every disappointment. Don’t go into another day with hurts and pains from the past” – Osteen told the crowd.
The preacher and his wife, Victoria, hosted an event at the Family Christian Center in Munster, Ind. Wednesday. They have also held similar events at Dodger and Yankee stadiums.
Osteen heads up the Lakewood mega church in Houston, Texas. His ministry is based on a message of hope and assurance that, with faith, all things are possible.