Pray For Africa Mission

Dear beloved:  I have just returned from a time of rest and relaxation at a retreat for ministers and missionaries, thanks to the generosity of some ministry partners.  I feel refreshed and renewed, ready to embrace with vigor the call God has placed on my life, and the immediate projects that are before me at this time.

We have successfully completed the fundraising for the young Kenyan exmuslim lady who will be coming to Kansas to work as a counselor at a nearby Christian youth camp.  Thank you to all who contributed to her expenses.  For those of you in the Norton area, please feel free to contact me if you would like to meet her and the other counselors who will be coming from East Africa. There will be 8 total that will work at the camp.  We will have a barbecue get together at the Haven House in Norton this summer, so let me know if you are in the area and would like to meet them.

Plans are being finalized for the Africa crusades to be held in September of this year, and I must say this is going to be the most exciting time ever in Africa for me.  I have heard recently from the Pastors who are planning the Uganda crusade in Busia province, and they say anticipation is building there for a great pastors conference as well as three day crusade.  In addition, I will be going back to Goma, Republic of Congo, for another pastors conference and three day crusade.  In 2012 we had 350 pastors come to the Goma conference.  In addition to all that we will finish in Nairobi at Strathmore and Daystar University campuses, with the crusade being held at Strathmore.  I am looking forward to working with the students who kicked off the 24/7 prayer movement that spun out of the Nairobi crusade in Tassia in 2012.  God is really adding the fire to that movement.  Anyone wishing to go to Kenya for the Nairobi leg of the tour, please contact me, as I have arranged for housing in Nairobi and a tour of the Masai Mara wildlife refuge to finish out the stay

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Please pray for provision and for the success of these crusades.  The spiritual battles involved in Kingdom endeavors such as these are very intense, so I need your continued prayer support. For those in the Norton area, a fifth Sunday offering will be taken for me at the Norton Christian Church on June 30,  so any donations made through that will be tax deductible.  If you have any questions, please contact me at pureprairie@hotmail.com, I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.  Contributions to the mission fund can be made to Gather the Outcasts Ministry, Box 92, Norton, Ks. 67654. 

Trials and Tribulations

Dear beloved:  Many of you are undergoing trials and tribulations, and you may be wondering, is there any relief to the trials that I am facing?  The intensity of the trials will become greater as we move into the time of sorrows, or birth pangs that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24:8.  And just as birth pangs grow more intense as they grow closer together, so too will the pangs we experience grow more intense; there is a birthing coming, a new heaven and a new earth, and all creation, including each of us as individuals, experience the groaning of the new birth.  The apostle Paul tells of this coming birth in Acts 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. v21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  v22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. v23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit (those born again), even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

So what then is the solution to the trials, how can we find relief in the midst of the darkness that is swirling around us?` The divine wisdom of James, the half brother of Jesus, is given to us to help strengthen and encourage us in the face of various trials and tribulations.  He says in James 1:2, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations`(trials), v3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. v4 And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. So what he is saying is the exact opposite of the way we usually react to trials, which is often times  to complain, grumble, and shake our fist at God for allowing all this temptation and difficulty to come into our life and upset the calm water.  But James says do this: "Count it all joy!"  Not an easy assignment, but a radical shift away from the the mindset we have that life should be placid and easily encountered, especially after we have become Christians.  In fact, the opposite is true: we are marked for destruction by Satan, and he delights in trying to destroy us and separate us from fellowship with our Creator.

James says that when you persevere you will be perfect, not in the sense of sinless, but complete and made whole in the name of Jesus.  So the testing of our faith eventually leads to wholeness, restoration, and the coming  full circle where we can be joyful and thankful for every difficulty, knowing that we are maturing and growing in our kingdom walk.  And because of this perseverance we will be lacking in nothing.  God is for us, He wants us to be lacking in nothing, and so in His infinite wisdom He allows the trials so we will not be lacking, that we will continue to grow and mature.  Isn't that what we want, to grow stronger in our faith walk with the Lord?  So give God the thanks today that He is allowing trials to come into your life, and that because of that you will have the perfect result and be lacking in nothing.  God forward believing you are being made whole!  May God bless you as you pray today.  in Christ, Jim www.gathertheoutcasts.com

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

Jesus Our Sacrifice

Jesus Our Sacrifice‏

Dear beloved: Jesus stood up in the synagogue in Nazareth, and the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, (Luke 4:18), "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, v19, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." v20 And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him. v21 And He began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

As we enter this season of celebration of the resurrection of our precious Lord and Savior, we see that  fulfillment of the above scripture was accomplished on the cross of Calvary. When Jesus poured out His spotless, sinless blood for us on the cross, He cried out in agony, " It is finished!" And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit. (John 19:30) Because of His sacrifice, we now have the opportunity to tap into that anointing for ourselves, the same anointing that God poured out on His Son. Paul declared in Galatians 2;20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." Christ delivered Himself up for every man, woman, and child on this earth! Rejoice in the fact that it is finished, that everything Jesus came to do He accomplished so that you and I could walk in victory.

God wants to declare over you this is the favorable year of the Lord. He wants you to be blessed and reap the harvest of your tears and your prayers. With Christ all things are possible! Speak blessings over yourself, your family, your work and finances, your leaders and your country, for then you will be agreeing with what God is speaking over them. Thank Him for the blessings even before you see them, for it is truly finished. May God bless you as you pray this day. In Christ, Jim www.gathertheoutcasts.com

Disguises of Satan

Dear beloved:  I recently was given the opportunity to interpret a dream that a man had a couple years ago while he was sitting in the county jail.  In the dream, a demonic entity came to him and promised him that if he  fired his lawyer and took up with the demon, that the demon would get him out of "this mess".  Or in other words, he was given the opportunity to make a deal with the devil.  The most interesting thing about the dream is that the demonic entity was disguised as me (Jim), and it came to him dressed in black with a wicked looking face and left him feeling very cold after talking to him.  Another interesting aspect of the dream was that I met the man for the first time about two years after he had the dream.

The apostle Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.  v4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. Paul goes on to warn the Corinthians about how the devil can disguise himself to deceive and trick those who have received the gospel of Jesus.  He says in verse 13, for such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. v14 And no wonder, for even satan disguises himself as an angel of light. v15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds.  And so we see that satan will do just about anything to deceive God's elect, even to mimic and masquerade as ministers of the gospel, even to the point of masquerading as Jesus Himself.

The apostle John writes in 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. v2 By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; v3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now is already in the world.  Beloved, call on Jesus when the devil tries to trick you; He will not leave you cold or confused.  He will warm you with the Spirit of Truth and leave you with peace.  God bless you as you pray this day.  in Christ,Jim www.gathertheoutcasts.com

Pushing Back the Darkness

Dear beloved: One of the joys of being in the fellowship is the opportunity of corporate worship of  our Lord and Savior.  Psalm 111:1 Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly. Psalm 147:1 Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant and praise is becoming. Psalm 149:1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.  When the Lord commands us to not forsake the gathering of the saints; He has in mind that we would not only gather to encourage each other and stimulate each other to love and good deeds, but also that which is being done in heaven would also be done here on earth. Revelation 5:9 gives us a sampling of the songs in heaven, And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and did purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. v10 And thou has made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." 

Recently the brothers in the prison gathered for a church service, and as we began to worship the Lord, the glory of the Lord came down and began to fill the room.  As the service progressed, the worship became more intense and so did the glory!  The men began to worship with all their heart; some danced to the Lord, others knelt in prayer and adoration, others just stood with upraised arms in praise to the King.  After the worship was over, one of the brothers shared that the Lord had given him a vision while he was worshiping.  He saw the bright light of the Lord just push back the darkness in the prison.  Demons of suicide, destruction, anger, bitterness, false religions, and many others that combine to bring a dark cloud over the prison, were sent scrambling as the glory of the Lord spread from the small gathering to envelope the whole wing of the prison, and eventually the whole complex that is home to 800 inmates. Just the praises of a few can affect the atmosphere of the many, so let your praises ring!

Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven. v14 And He has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His godly ones; Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the Lord!  Beloved, gather with the saints to give God the praise that He is due, He will lift you up.  God bless you, in Christ, Jim  www.gathertheoutcasts.com

The Gathering of the Saints

Dear beloved:  The third leg of walking in the Spirit is to fellowship on a regular basis with the saints, to gather with them as the writer of Hebrews encourages us in Hebrews 10:24-25 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, v25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.  It is vital in our walk with the Lord that we gather together to encourage and stimulate one another to love and good deeds.  Although many are tempted to stay home and watch television evangelists or listen to radio ministries, the Lord desires that we meet together where we can look at each other and see with our own eyes how our brothers and sisters are doing; do they need prayer, do they need encouragement, do they need financial provision?  These things we can only discern by gathering together with the saints.

The hallmarks of the early church were four things:: Acts 2: 41-42 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls. v42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the 1) apostle's teaching, 2) and to fellowship, 3) to the breaking of bread, and 4) to prayer. The saints recognized and responded to their need to gather together in fellowship.  If we are not in a regular fellowship, it is easy for the devil to isolate and trick us and then remove us from our walk in the Spirit. The importance of the fellowship has been impressed upon me many times by the Lord.  He gave me a dream before I started preaching a crusade in Kibera, Nairobi, that the intercessors for the crusade would be the inmates from the fellowship at the correctional facility where I preach on a regular basis.  In the dream, about 40 inmates were lined up shoulder to shoulder, with their blue jeans, blue shirts, and red hats on, and they were standing on the ground between the platform and the people in the audience receiving the message.  The Lord was saying, these men from the fellowship will be your prayer intercessors and your covering, they are standing strong for you!

John wrote, when writing about his fellowship with Jesus, in 1 John 1:3, what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His son Jesus Christ. v4 And these things we write that our joy may be made complete. v7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.  Beloved, give thanks for the fellowship, for the saints that are standing with you, and you with them, so that we can all by our presence with each other and with the Lord Jesus Christ, move forward in His kingdom. Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! May God bless you this day as you move forward in the fellowship.  in Christ, Jim

Prepare For Drought

Dear beloved:  The drought that has gripped the central states of the nation shows no signs of abating.  God uses drought to bring judgment upon the land, to call people to repentance, as He did with His own children of Judah.. Joel 1:10 The field is ruined, the land mourns, For the grain is ruined, The new wine dries up, Fresh oil fails. v11 Be ashamed, O farmer, Wail, O vinedressers, For the wheat and the barley; Because the harvest of the field is destroyed. v12 The vine dries up, And the fig tree fails; The pomegranate, the palm also, and the apple tree, All the trees of the field dry up. Indeed, rejoicing dries up from the sons of men. And again He spoke through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah in Jeremiah 14:1 That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah in regard to the drought; v2 Judah mourns, and her gates languish; They sit on the ground in mourning, And the cry of Jerusalem has ascended. v3 And their nobles have sent their servants for water; They  have come to the cisterns and found no water. They have returned with their vessels empty; They have been put to shame and humiliated, And they cover their heads. v4 Because the ground is cracked. for there has been no rain on the land; The farmers have been put to shame, they have covered their heads. v7 Although our iniquities testify against us, O Lord, act for Thy name's sake! Truly our apostasies have been many, We have sinned against Thee.

The Lord recently gave me two dreams that leads me to believe the drought is going to continue and even intensify.  In the dream, a tractor pulling a big cultipacker farm implement was in a field across the road from where I was standing.  Several men and boys were standing on the implement, giving it more weight so that it would go into the ground.  The ground was dry and dusty, and the added weight did not help it penetrate.  All the men and boys got off the cultipacker, and they walked away dejected; interestingly, all the young boys had their baseball caps turned backwards. In the second dream, I am cleaning up a batch of wheat in a seed cleaner.  Much of the wheat is light in test weight and blows out with the chaff, and in addition to that, many of the hulls (whitecaps) are empty and have no grain in them at all.  So they too, are blown out with the chaff. I believe the Lord is saying the drought is going to continue; the farmers will be ashamed, for the harvest of the field will dry up.

Joel 1:14 Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, And cry out to the Lord. v15 Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near; And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.v16 Has not food been cut off before our eyes, Gladness and joy from the house of our God? v17 The seeds shrivel under their clods; The storehouses are desolate, the barns are torn down, for the grain is dried up.  Jeremiah 14:22  Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers: Is it not Thou, O Lord our God?  Therefore we hope in Thee, For Thou art the one who hast done all these things.  Beloved, pray for repentance, that we would mourn the condition of this nation in sackcloth and ashes, and turn from our wicked ways to seek the only One who can give rain.  Pray for showers of water and showers of blessings upon this land, that many would repent and turn to Him.  God bless you as you pray this day, in Christ, Jim www.gathertheoutcasts.com