Gather the Outcasts

Check out our web site www.gathertheoutcasts.com for upcoming events, audio messages, pictures of mission trips, and other contact information.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Blessed Are the Meek

 

Dear Beloved: pics, Mbeya, Tanzania Crusade; Worship leader/singer Bony Mwaitege of TZ

Matthew 5:2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: v3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. v4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. v5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. v6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. v7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  v8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Beloved, you haven't really seen the totality of the gospel message in all its power until you have been to some of the poor countries of the world.  In the Scripture above, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord Jesus lays out some very profound truths.  Why do the poor in spirit, and the poor in material wealth, so often coincide in the same people, in the same countries of the world?  The poor have nowhere else to turn when they have exhausted all their resources, and government has very little to offer them to help them out of their poverty.  "Where could I go, where could I go, seeking a refuge from the storm?  Needing a friend, to help me in the end, where could I go but to the Lord?"  (Gaither Vocal Band).  At Gather the Outcasts Ministry, we are making only a small dent in the poverty of the village. We employ quite a number of people, working on the farm and children's home, operating the posho mill and duka store.  However, the impact in the spirit realm, though not easily measured, is much more profound, as it goes on for eternity.  To see people come to the Lord, especially from generations of pagan religions and witchcraft, is exciting and the most fulfilling endeavor to which a person can aspire.  This is our daily walk, the fire that burns in us, to fill the poor in spirit with the Living Water, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ. We invite you to partner with us as we take the message of truth to the people of Kenya.  Pray about your part!  Thank you for your prayers and support.  Living Water Church @www.facebook.com/jimrowh

In Christ, Jim   Gather the Outcasts, Box 92, Norton, Ks. 67654   501c3    Paypal@ www.paypal.me/gathertheoutcasts   or   www.gathertheoutcasts.com    Email: pureprairie@hotmail.com               www.facebook.com/jimrowh     www.jimrowh.blogspot.com  

God Breathed Scripture

 

Dear beloved: Pics, Andrew teaching at Children's Funday; Altar call Tanzania Crusade

2 Timothy 3:16  All Scripture is God breathed and given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, V17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

Beloved, many people cry out for the Lord to speak to them, and granted, He does speak to us in many different ways.  Audibly at times, or through nature the heavens declare the glory of God; through dreams and visions, and prophetic words given by people who may be sent to us by the Lord. However, the two most common ways are through the Holy Spirit who abides in every believer, and by His holy Word, the Bible. Many times I have been awakened by the Lord in the middle of the night as He spoke a particular passage of Scripture into my ear and mind.  After we are saved, what comes next?  The Word speaks to us for training in righteousness, so that we may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  What good works, you might ask?  The works that He has so ordained for you from the time before you were born. Are the good works more faith, or is there more?  There is more, for faith without works is dead. Put your faith into action with a mission trip to Kenya, see what the Lord is doing through Gather the Outcasts Ministry.  We can build a mud house for a needy widow, minister to the village children on Funday, or conduct a conference to help disciple future leaders.  If you can't go, maybe you can send.  Let the Lord use you, and you will be fulfilled.  May God bless you as you pray!

In Christ, Jim   Gather the Outcasts, Box 92, Norton, Ks. 67654   501c3    Paypal@ www.paypal.me/gathertheoutcasts   or  www.gathertheoutcasts.com    Email: www.pureprairie@hotmail.com         www.facebook.com/jimrowh    www.jimrowh.blogspot.com

Hundredfold Blessings

 

Dear beloved: pics, Banana plantation with soybean intercrop; Praying for sick in Burundi

Mark 10:29 So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, v30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions- and in the age to come, eternal life." 

Beloved, when the Lord called me to the nations to preach the gospel, the most difficult life for me to let go was working the family farm in Kansas.  That farm has been in my family for about 85 years, and I love to be there and get my hands in the soil planting and harvesting.  But when I finally yielded to the Lord and gave up working the farm, the Lord blessed me with another place on the earth to till, in Kenya.  And He added to that joy by giving me the opportunity for the harvest of souls in several nations in Africa. I'm not sure what the hundredfold blessing looks like, or if I will know when I attain it, but at least the joy of what has transpired so far is far above anything I could ever think or imagine.  What about you, what is holding you back from yielding to the call the Lord has placed on your life?  You really have to trust the Lord that He is able to take care of you, and there will be that hundredfold blessing at the end of the road.  How can we say no to Jesus when He says, " Go to all the nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching all that I have commanded you, and lo, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age."   Pray about your part in sending Gather the Outcasts Ministry to the nations, or go yourself!  May God bless you as you pray!

In Christ, Jim   Gather the Outcasts, Box 92, Norton, 67654  501c3    Paypal@ www.paypal.me/gathertheoutcasts  or  www.gathertheoutcasts.com   Email: pureprairie@hotmail.com                  www.facebook.com/jimrowh    www.jimrowh.blogspot.com 

Set Apart for Ministry

 

Dear beloved: Pics, Buseresere, TZ, Crusade; Tarime, TZ, Crusade

Acts 13:1 Now at the church that was at Antioch, there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucious of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. v2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work which I have called them." v3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. v4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

Beloved, the Holy Spirit of God will guide you into the truth in all things, yes, even things to come. You can see in the above Scripture, the Holy Spirit spoke to these brethren, and they all heard the command clearly and obeyed. Scripture doesn't go into detail about if they were seeking divine callings, it just says they were ministering to the Lord and fasting.  When the Spirit speaks, you have an opportunity to obey or say no thank you. When you continually say yes to the leading of the Holy Spirit, you will be led into a place that will not be of your own choosing.  That is the Apostolic calling, through that the Sauls of the world become the Apostle Paul. Little did Saul know that he would end up traversing the roads of Asia, the seas and islands of the Mediterranean, and become the most noted Apostle and Evangelist to the Gentile nations of Asia and Europe.  When people in Kenya ask me how I chose to come to Kenya to minister, I just politely say, "I didn't choose it. God did." Kenya, nor any other place in Africa was high on my bucket list.  But for God......  We invite you to partner with Gather the Outcasts as we take the good news of the Gospel to the nations of Africa.  Even donations of $50 or $100 per month will go a long way to reaching the lost here, and providing food for the children and widows that we support.  May God bless you as you pray about your part!

In Christ, Jim   Gather the Outcasts, Box 92, Norton, Ks. 67654   501c3     Paypal@ www.paypal.me/gathertheoutcasts   or   www.gathertheoutcasts.com    Email: pureprairie@hotmail.com               www.facebook.com/jimrowh    www.jimrowh.blogspot.com

Structure of the Church

 

Dear beloved: Pics, Praying for Tanzania Masai refugees; Crusade in Sabatia, Kenya

Ephesians 4:10 He who descended is the one who has also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. v11 And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. v12 For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. v13 Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Beloved, the infinite wisdom of God is such that the perfect structure of the church, the Body of Christ, was laid out as gifts to be given to men by our Lord Jesus Christ.  These gifts were first given when Jesus ascended to heaven following the resurrection.  The apostles are the sent ones, the governors, who lay the foundation of the local work on the foundation of Jesus Christ; the prophets are the guides, who drop the plumb bob to bring edification, exhortation, and consolation over nations or individuals; the evangelists, the gatherers, who through the Word and the Holy Spirit draw people to Christ; the pastors, the guardians of the flock; and teachers, those who ground the flock in sound doctrine.  When a person commits to ministry in a foreign land, it is easy to see how all the pieces fit together to equip the saints for the work of service. Just as a steel building is held up and given strength by the strong steel frame pieces that anchor the building to the cement foundation, so also is the Body of Christ anchored to Jesus.  We invite you to come to Kenya to visit Gather the Outcasts Ministry, it will be an eye opening, and possibly life changing experience for you.  You can see first hand how God is moving in other places outside of the USA.  Or if you can't come, can you send?  We have projects on hold waiting for funding, including purchase of an acre of land so we can start making plans for building a school.  Pray about your part in equipping the saints here in Kenya.  May God bless you as you pray!

In Christ, Jim   Gather the Outcasts, Box 92, Norton, Ks. 67654   501c3   Paypal@ www.paypal.com/gathertheoutcasts   or  www.gathertheoutcasts.com    Email: pureprairie@hotmail.com                www.facebook.com/jimrowh    www.jimrowh.blogspot.com  

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Parable of the Sower

 

Dear beloved: Pics, part of fall maize harvest; Altar call, Mbeya,TZ Crusade 

Matthew 13:22 "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. v23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."  Matthew 9:37 Then Jesus said to the disciples, "The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. V38 Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

Beloved, one of the great joys in my life is to work the land and see the fruit of our labor translate into good food for our children and ministry.  The Bible is rich with parallels drawn between the physical and spiritual harvest. In Jesus day, the life of most of the people revolved around the agrarian lifestyle; tilling the land, seedtime and harvest, and shepherding the sheep and other livestock. Life in Africa today is very similar to that. The majority of the people of Kenya live on the land and practice some type of subsistence farming. For them the thirty, sixty, and hundredfold harvest can mean the difference between having food or going to bed hungry, or having money to send their children to school.  One thing that hasn't changed much over the years is that the spiritual harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. We invite you to come to Kenya and spend two weeks with Gather the Outcasts to see firsthand the work to which the Lord has called us.  As you participate, you will have a greater appreciation for what it means to work as a laborer in the harvest. If you can't come, pray about sending a generous end of year donation so we can prepare for the work in the coming year.  We have many projects in mind that are on hold due to lack of funds.  Pray for our Living Water Church Fifth Anniversary celebration and crusade coming Dec.19th.   May God bless you as you pray!

In Christ, Jim    Gather the Outcasts, Box 92, Norton, Ks.   67654       501c3   Paypal@ www.paypal.me/gathertheoutcasts   or  www.gathertheoutcasts.com   Email: pureprairie@hotmail.com                  www.facebook.com/jimrowh   www.jimrowh.blogspot.com 

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Heart of Gratitude

 

Dear beloved: Fall maize, 2023; Crusade harvest, Mbeya, Tanzania

Psalm 65:9 You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. v10 You water its riches abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth. v11 You crown the year with goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. v12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice on every side. v13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with grain; They shout for joy, they also sing. 

Beloved, the author of this Psalm, King David, obviously has the heart of the shepherd boy that he once was when God anointed him to be the king over Israel.  This time of year and the Thanksgiving holiday certainly remind us of the goodness of God.  He is a provider, and the whole earth is filled with His glory.  A person can't sit down to an abundant meal such as we have in the USA without being humbled with gratitude for the abundance that the Lord has given us.  Its not quite that simple here in Kenya, where many children and families are food insecure. Whenever I walk in Mumias town, I am brought down to the reality of the fact, that many here are starving. As a mzungu in this land, it is an extra burden to bear simply to walk in among the people.  At Living Water Church of Makunda, we are all about trying to provide for the physical needs of people, as well as take care of their spiritual needs.  It can be an overwhelming task at times. We want to build decent mud houses for people, help them get out of the leaky, delapidated structures they are in.  We also want to feed the hungry and homeless, as many don't have the money or land they need to provide for their families.  Can you help us take care of the needy with a generous year end donation to boost the ministry?  Pray about your part. We have made it easy to donate, just go the Paypal link to use a credit or debit card, or drop a check in the mail.  There is no limit to what God can do when we reach out and bless people with simple acts of kindness.  May God bless you as you pray!      For clips of Living Water Church services, go to:   www.facebook.com/jimrowh

In Christ, Jim    Gather the Outcasts, Box 92, Norton, Ks. 67654   501c3   Paypal@ www.paypal.me/gathertheoutcasts   or  www.gathertheoutcasts.com   Email: pureprairie@hotmail.com                 www.facebook.com/jimrowh     www.jimrowh.blogspot.com 

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Send Me

 


Dear beloved: Pics, Living Water farm, rope of organic bananas; Ordination service at Norton Christian Church

Isaiah 9:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with thongs form the altar. v7 And he touched my mouth with it and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity has been taken away, and your sin purged." v8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?"  Then I said, "Here am I!  Send me." 

Beloved, when the Lord sends someone out to spread the good news of the gospel, he is not looking so much for  consecrated vessels as He is willing vessels.  The Lord can sanctify a person to be sent out, and while He is on the journey the process of consecration takes place. No one is equipped to do what God calls them to do, God equips the chosen as they go. When the Lord set aside Saul on the road to Damascus, He blinded Saul for three days and told Ananias, "I'm showing Saul what he must suffer for my sake to take the gospel to the Gentiles."  Saul had a choice to make, very likely he had some fear to go with it.  But he had seen the Lord, now his Savior, as he arose from his blindness and was baptized.  Little did Saul realize God would use him to write many of the books of the New Testament, and take the Gospel to many of the Gentile nations.  What is the Lord calling you to do that brings fear in your heart? Does going on a mission trip to Africa strike fear in you?  If the Lord would speak to you, would you say, "Here am I send me?"  Pray about your part in sending me to preach the good news.  As you send, we go.  Thank you to those who responded to the special request for funeral and hospital expenses for our adopted daughter, Faith.  We still have some bills to cover amounting to $300 if you can help.  Also we have a painting project in the Children's home, we need fresh paint and some ceiling repair of $500.  Thank you for prayers and support.  God bless you!

In Christ, Jim  Gather the Outcasts, Box 92, Norton, Ks. 67654  501c3   Paypal@ www.paypal.me/gathertheoutcasts  or www.gathertheoutcasts.com    Email: pureprairie@hotmail.com                 www,facebook.com/jimrowh    www.jimrowh.blogspot.com 

The Spirit of Man

 


Dear beloved: Pics, Hillary getting a nap; Everline, teaching youth at Children's Funday, Living Water Home

1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart. 

Beloved, the two pictures above tell the story of our passion for children at Living Water Home here in Kenya.  The little guy Hillary in the picture at left, is only two years of age. Already he has suffered much trauma in his short life, as he is an abandoned child. In the picture, he is at peace.  He just finished his lunch and is settled in for a nap, the concrete bed not withstanding.  The picture on the right is our teacher Everline, telling the children Bible stories at our Children's Funday.  We average about 125 children twice a month for the funday, it is a great outreach to all the Makunda village children, many are of other religions. The spirit of a man, even these small children, desires to hear and receive from God.  We are made in the image of God, so we desire to communicate and commune with our Maker. That desire transcends race, tribe, cultural tradition, and economic status.  That is how God speaks to man to save his soul. We invite you to partner with us at Gather the Outcasts Ministry, either a regular monthly donation, or a one time gift to help keep the Children's Home and other aspects of the ministry running.  When you lend to the poor, it is the Lord Himself who pays you back.  Pray about your part in helping us.  May God bless you as you pray!

In Christ, Jim   Gather the Outcasts, Box 92, Norton, Ks.  67654   501c3   Paypal@ www.paypal.me/gathertheoutcasts   or  www.gathertheoutcasts.com   Email:  pureprairie@hotmail.com                www.facebook.com/jimrowh     www.jimrowh.blogspot.com 

Pray for Israel

 


Dear beloved:  Pics, children filling jugs at Living Water; Encounter men, Ben and Lucas, baptizing Naomi

Psalm 121:4-8 Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your shade at your right hand.  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this day forth, and even forevermore. 

Beloved, we are shocked as all of you at the events that are unfolding in the region of Israel and the surrounding nations.  We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and the peace of Israel.  The Lord knew this day was coming, in May in Kansas City, USA, I joined with others for a time of 21 day intercession for the nation of Israel.  I didn't understand all the reasons why the Lord had me stationed there at that time, suffice it to say the Holy Spirit sees all things and impressed upon my spirit to be there. Israel has the right to defend herself, just as the USA did after 9/11 and after the attack on Pearl Harbor. My own Dad, as an 18 year old high school graduate, went from a small town in Western Kansas, to the Islands of Guam in the South Pacific within a year to help Allied forces defeat the Japanese in WW2.  Jesus said, "In the beginning of sorrows, there will be wars and rumors of wars, see that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."  At Gather the Outcasts, we make a point to reach out to people of other faiths.  In the photos above, villagers of Makunda village come to get water given to them at Living Water children's home. The baptism scene, two brothers from Encounter Ministry, lead a young lady of another faith to Jesus Christ. The Lord's arm in not too short that it cannot reach out and save, nor His ear too dull to hear. Pray about partnering with Gather the Outcasts, as we share the good news of the gospel with people in Kenya and across East Africa. Leading people to Jesus, one soul at a time. God bless you!

In Christ, Jim    Gather the Outcasts, Box 92, Norton, Ks. 67654   501c3   Paypal@www.paypal.me/gathertheoutcasts   or  www.gathertheoutcasts.com     Email: pureprairie@hotmail.com   www.facebook.com/jimrowh   www.jimrowh.blogspot.com