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 

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

The American Dream

Dear beloved: Pics, Tanzania Crusade 2021; Altar call, Dar es Salaam, TZ

Matthew 19:16 Now behold, one came to Him and said to Him, "Good teacher, what good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life.?" v20 Then the young man said to Him, "all these things (the commandments) I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?" v21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me." v22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 

All our formative years we are taught the important principles to work hard, be thrifty, save all you can; aspire to the American dream.   Along with this is the end goal of a comfortable retirement, hopefully when a person's health is still good enough they can enjoy the fruits of their labor and the golden years.  The rich young ruler who came to Jesus had led an exemplary life; he was a good man, and had many possessions.  But Jesus turned the American Dream upside down for him.  Jesus told him not to guard his life and his wealth, but to give it away and go!  When Jesus sent out the disciples two by two in in Matthew 10:8, He told them, "go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, heal the sick and cast out demons." Again, at the end of His ministry, Matthew 28:19, Jesus tells the disciples to "Go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of 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."  If we are to be made perfect (whole), we need to go.  If the gospel is to reach the nations, it is our responsibility to see that it gets to ends of the earth.  You can either go or you can send, the blessings are the same to a person either way. Pray about your part in supporting Gather the Outcasts Ministry in Africa.  We have many projects on hold and some not even begun, waiting for the funds to get them going.  Thank you for your prayers and support, 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 America

 

Dear beloved: pics, Prophecies for America;  Sabatia Crusade, Kenya 2022

Genesis 15:5  Then the Lord brought Abrahm outside and said, "Look now toward heaven and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." v6 And Abrahm believed in the Lord , and He accounted it to him for righteousness. v7 The God said to him, "I am the Lord, who brought you out of the Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it."

Beloved, we need to lift up America in prayer, it is a precarious time for this nation as well as our allies. The leaders of this nation have many heavy decisions weighing on them, they need the wisdom of God to take the right steps. Global conflict could easily spiral into a much broader war.  We also have great challenges here at home, with porous borders and lawlessness sweeping across the land.  In my book "Prophecies for America", I write about a dream the Lord gave me, showing a breathtaking, large explosion rocking a city in the USA.  I was certain as I recorded the dream, that it was a terrorist attack. (this was years after 9/11).  As part of the same dream, I saw a familiar city in the USA filled with troops, as in a martial law type situation. You can read about all this in the "Prophecies for America" book, it also tells of hyper inflation and breakdown in the food chain.  We have seen some of that already, but there may be more on the horizon depending on the outcome of the current events. Get a copy for yourself so you can know how best to prepare yourself for the events to come, as well as pray, pray, pray.! The fervent, effectual prayers of a righteous man avails much. Get the book at this link:    https://store.bookbaby.com/book/Prophecies-for-America

We invite you to partner with Gather the Outcasts Ministry as we take the good news of the Gospel to the nations of Africa. 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

Lion of Judah

Dear beloved: pics, the lion of Judah, Masai Mara; Children eating at Children Funday/Feeding program

Genesis 49:1 And Jacob gathered all his sons and said, "Gather together, so that I may tell you what may befall you in the last days." v8. "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise (Judah means praise); Your hand shall be on the neck of Your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you. v9 Judah, You are a lion's whelp; from the prey, My son, You have gone up. He bows down, He lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall dare to rouse Him?"

Beloved, one of the magnificent wonders of the world is the Masai Mara Wildlife Refuge in southern Kenya.  The sprawling landscape plays host to millions of animals as they migrate up into Kenya from the Serengeti Plain in Tanzania, in search of fresh grass for themselves and their newborn.  One can easily spot the big five animals on a good safari, they include lions, cheetah, leopards, rhino, and elephants.  They are accompanied by the grazing animals, the zebra, impala, and wildebeest, along with many others. The lion in the picture above was only ten feet from the land rover we were riding in.  He looked old and tired, like he had been through many battles, with still some on the horizon. He was oblivious to us, yet no one in our safari group would have dared to jump out of the truck and rouse him, that would have been a foolish thing to do.  When you rouse a lion, you never know for sure how he will react!  I have Masai watchmen who work for me, they have shown me the scars of their encounters with lions.  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love you. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  We invite you to partner with Gather the Outcasts Ministry here in Kenya, we are making a difference in the lives of the children and the people of Africa.  Pray about your part!  Consider making a year end donation to boost the work, we are lagging way behind where we were a year ago at this time.  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  

Psalm 83

Dear beloved: Pics, Veteran Lyman after returning to USA from Guam; My boys, Mikey left, Hilary 

Psalm 83:1 Do not keep silent, O God!  Do not hold your peace, And do not be still, O God!  v2 For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. V3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones.  v4  They have said, " Come, let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more."

Beloved, at this Veteran's Day in the USA, I want to give honor to all the Veteran's who have put their lives on the line, in the past and present, to help guarantee our freedoms in the USA.  My Dad, Lyman Rowh, was barely a few days out of high school when he was shipped out to Naval Training School, and eventually on to Guam in the Pacific theatre for two years during WW2.  His older brother went the other direction and ended up in the Army in Northern Africa. Many young men and women of that generation gave great sacrifice, some the ultimate sacrifice, in defending us against the evil forces of the day. Psalm 83 is a prophetic Psalm that gives us a picture of the end time battle over Israel. The spirit of the antichrist forms a confederacy of ten nations to attempt to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.  Does this phrase have a familiar ring to it?  I don't believe the current battle that Israel is facing is the one described in this Psalm, but it is a type and shadow of a greater battle to come. The nations are taking their stand.  Beloved, the end times are rushing toward us; it is the time of sorrows, the time of wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and pestilence.  At Gather the Outcasts Ministry in Kenya we are preaching Christ and Him crucified, the only answer to the tumult of the day. Come to Jesus, see to it that you are not troubled!  We invite your prayers and support, planning for a big fifth anniversary event for Living Water Church of Makunda in December.  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