The Leader's Impact

Dear beloved:  The apostle Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, v2 for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. v3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, v4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth.  So Paul links praying for our leaders,and in the case of America, our elected leaders, to the ultimate outcome of leading lives of tranquility and peace in godliness and dignity, and even beyond that to have the opportunity to reach out to others with the saving knowledge of the gospel. The importance of who we elect and how much we pray for our leaders has profound effect on every single person in the country; because of their position of authority, their actions are magnified either for positive or negative as they ripple across the landscape.

King David was the warrior king, the man after God's own heart, the shepherd boy who became king and led Israel for 40 years.  But a story  recorded in 2 Samuel 24  tells of a serious blunder King David made that many of his subjects had to pay for with their lives.  2 Sam 24:1 Now again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."  Even though David received  wise counsel from Joab, the commander of the army, not to number the people, David insisted and prevailed, so in defiance of God's command, the people of Israel were numbered.  God had given David the command not to number the people because He wanted David to depend on Him and not the strength of his own army and might.  God had shown countless times, from Moses delivering His people from Egypt, to Gideon defeating the myriads of Midianites, to King Jehoshaphat defeating the enemies of Judah through praise and worship, that the number of the people and size of the army was not the determining factor in who wins the battle.  The Lord said if you depend on Me, you have all you need!

Then David realized his sin. Verse 10, David's heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have acted very foolishly."  God was then merciful to David and actually gave him the choice of his punishment or consequences, and David chose to allow three day pestilence in the land.  v15 So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time; and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. v17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, "Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep,. what have they done? Please let Thy hand be against me and against my father's house."  Beloved, the effect of fools and corrupt people in places of authority has dramatic impact on the people of the land, and can even cause the sheep their premature death.  Pray for our leaders, that the Holy Spirit would arrest them and they would come to a knowledge of the truth, and repent of their wicked and foolish ways.  May God bless you as you pray, in Christ, Jim www.gathertheoutcasts.com

Africa Mission 2013

Dear beloved:  I am excited to announce the plans for the upcoming mission to Africa in September 2013.  God has faithfully opened many doors in Africa, and after prayerfully considering the opportunities, the Lord has given me the go ahead to release the following schedule.  I humbly ask for your prayers for this nation taking tour, as well as your financial contributions to help make the trip a reality.  1 Chronicles 29:9 Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly. v10 Then David blessed the Lord in sight of all the assembly; and David said, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of Israel our Father, forever and ever. v12 Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. v13 Now therefore, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name.'

I will be going first to Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, September 4-8, to do a three day outdoor crusade and pastor training for 350 pastors, hosted by Apostle Samson Ilunga.  Goma is the location of  recent rebel conflicts in Eastern Congo, and I am looking forward to completing what was started last year, namely the defeat and dispersion of the enemies of Goma and North Kivu state. What a mighty victory we had in Goma last year, and the latest I have heard on the rebels is that that have been killing each other as a fulfillment of the scripture I preached regarding King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20.  The second leg of the tour will be to Busia province in Uganda for another 3 day outdoor crusade and pastor training for 200 pastors, September 11-15.  My hosts for this leg of the trip will be Pastor David Odong of Uganda, and Pastor Lucas Obanda from Mumias, Kenya. The last leg of the trip will be a crusade in Nairobi at Strathmore University.  It will be a three day outdoor crusade on the campus, and in addition I will be speaking at the university during the week.  Dates for this meeting will be September 18-22.  In addition, that week I will be speaking at Daystar University, a Christian university in Nairobi.  I am looking forward to working with the students at these two universities, these are the faithful servants who kicked off a 24/7 prayer movement after a crusade I conducted in Nairobi in 2012.  They are expecting 4-5,000 students from all over Kenya for the crusade, what a joy it will be to encourage these young people!  We will wrap up the trip with a trip to the Masai Mara Wildlife Preserve to unwind, relax, and take in the beauty of the big animals of Kenya, the lions, elephants, and rhinos, God's magnificent creations.

I will be taking a team with me on the last leg of the trip including ministering at Strathmore and Daystar University, as well as visits to orphanages and other kingdom endeavors in the Nairobi area.  If you would be interested in this please contact me for trip details and costs.  You will of course need a current passport as the first requirement.  Dates for that portion of the trip will be appoximately Sept 15-26.

Beloved, please lift this trip up in your prayers, the battle belongs to the Lord, but the victory will be claimed through prayer.  Pray for souls, for the dispersion of the enemies of all these saints in Africa, and for provision for my travel and related crusade expenses.  Total budget for the tour is $22,500.  Estimated cost for individuals wanting to go on the Nairobi-Masai Mara is $3500.  May God bless bless you as you pray, in Christ, Jim  email: pureprairie@hotmail.com      web:www.gathertheoutcasts.com  mailing address: Gather the Outcasts Ministry, Box, 92, Norton, Ks. 67654

The Nations Rage

Dear beloved:  As we listen to the increasingly boisterous and bellicose statements being issued by the leader of North Korea, this man whom the devil is using to strike fear into the hearts of people all over the western hemisphere, it is time and past for the people of God to get down on their knees and cry out for deliverance. Psalm 2:1 Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing? v2 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His anointed: v3 "Let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us!"  The culmination of years of communist, atheist isolation is now bearing the fruit of that which has been sown.  This is a country whose leaders cry out, "let us cast the cords of God away from us, so we can be unrestrained in our anger and violence."

Psalm 2:8 Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Thy possession.  v9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware."  This 28 year old leader believes he is the king as he shakes his fist in the face of world opinion, but the scripture tells a different story. Psalm 2:4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. v5 Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury: v6 But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.  If this man were just a fool who says there is no God it would not be such a terrifying situation, but with his finger on the trigger of nuclear weapons it becomes the height of terrorist hostage taking.

Beloved, let us be in prayer for God to deliver us and show this man who is the real King.  Psalm 3:3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.  v4 I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. Let us even pray that the Lord Jesus will reveal   Himself to this man and he will have a dramatic conversion, that his country will be unified with South Korea and that there will be a wave of openness to the preaching of the gospel in North Korea.  With God all things are possible! God bless you, in Christ, Jim  www.gathertheoutcasts.com