Be Watchful

Dear beloved: As we look to events of the day, it is important to keep in mind the Main Event that we are to be looking for: the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have just passed through the fall feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles, which all remind us prophetically of the coming return of our Savior. The question for us is this: Are we watching the events of the day and letting them overshadow our preparations to go in an instant when the Lord returns? The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:51, Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. v52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trump shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed.

Some who are here on earth will not taste physical death, as Paul says, we shall not all sleep. He explains this in further detail in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. v16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: v17 then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so we shall ever be with the Lord. V18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. So Paul says also to be ready, that when He comes it will happen in the twinkling of an eye, a heartbeat, an atomic particle as it moves and joins Jesus in the air. It is comforting as we think about these words, that no matter what happens here in the earth, for those of us who are born again believers we will always be with the Lord, whether here on earth or in heaven with the saints in glory.

In the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13, we see that five are wise and ready for the Lord's return, and five are foolish and were out shopping for oil when the Master came back. This is a picture of what you see in the world today; about half of those who claim to know the Lord are actually ready and watching for His return, the other half are saying to themselves, we still have plenty of time, let's play, shop, party, and have some fun. After all, those serious Christians have been saying for a long time that Jesus is coming back, and look, nothing has happened yet. v5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. v6 And at midnight there was a cry made, behold, the bridegroom cometh, go out to meet him. Well we know that the five foolish had no oil so they missed the coming of the Lord.

Watch and pray, beloved, for the coming of the Lord will be as a thief in the night! Get oil for your lamp now and be ready, it is the midnight hour. God bless you, in Christ, Jim

Feast of Tabernacles

Dear beloved: We are now midway through the Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of Booths as it is called in Leviticus 23:42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: v43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. The Lord instituted the Feast of Booths to remind the Israelites that He provided for them supernaturally as they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. He provided manna for them to eat, a food that they had never seen before (Deut. 8:3), and their clothing and shoes did not wear out over those years (Deut. 8:4), and He gave them water to drink from the rock (Exodus 17:6), that they and their livestock would not perish from thirst.

As we think about how God provided for the children of Israel, this is also the time for us to reflect on how God provides for us just as He did for His chosen people. Often we grumble and complain about our status or our provision, or the things that we want but don't have; how easy it is to fall into the attitude of ingratitude. And yet God continues to give us grace and provide for our every need, above and beyond all that we could ever think or imagine.

Prophetically we also see that the Feast of Tabernacles is the fulfillment of all of God's kingdom promises, and that the final outcome of all the prophecies of His word will be literally fulfilled in the second coming of Jesus Christ, when He comes to tabernacle with us here on the earth. John 1:14 tells us that Jesus came to tabernacle, or dwell among us. v14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,(and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. His first coming He came to dwell for only a few short years, and He came as the sacrificial lamb, the sinless one who shed His blood that through His blood we could all be cleansed and come to know the righteous
ness of God. The second time He comes will be as the Righteous Judge who will judge the wicked and the dead and put an end to rebellion once and for all. He will at that time set up His millennial kingdom reign and prepare the earth for the coming of the eternal, perfect state, the new heaven and new earth, Revelation 21:2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. v3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Give thanks to the Lord for all that He has given you today, for He is good. Jesus is coming back! God bless you, in Christ, Jim

Blow the Trumpet

Dear beloved: We are in the time of the Days of Awe, the Feast of Trumpets, which began on the eve of September 28th, and concludes on Friday eve, October 7th, the Day of Atonement. The Feast of Trumpets is given by the Lord in Leviticus 23:23-25: v24 Speak unto the children of Israel saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. v25 Ye shall do no servile work therein, but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. The blowing of the trumpets had several purposes with the children of Israel: the declaring of a Sabbath or a solemn assembly, a warning of danger and action to be taken, such as calling troops to war, or the announcement of arrival of a king.

For us the trumpet also symbolically does all these things for us, but more than anything else it heralds the arrival and coming of our King Jesus Christ. I Thess. 4:16-18, For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. v17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall ever be with the Lord. v18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. The blowing of the trumpets reminds us that Jesus is coming back and that we should at all times be ready for His coming; we should conduct our lives accordingly, as if He were just over the horizon. Are there things that you would do differently, or people that you would treat differently, if you truly believed that Jesus were coming back this very day?

Yesterday we gathered a group of people to pray over my land and to blow the shofar over the land, to release the Lord's blessing on the land. As the shofar blew out across the land, I could see in the spirit realm the blessings of the Lord piercing through the darkness and sending the enemy running. Just as Gideon went to battle against the Midianites with just three hundred men armed with trumpets, empty pitchers, and torches, he was able to scatter the enemy and rout them; they fell upon each other with swords. Judges 7:20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. v21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. v22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host, and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zenerath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

Pick up your trumpet or shofar and blow it over your land, your home, or your city today and send the enemy running. Get ready for the King is coming! God bless you, in Christ, Jim www.gathertheoutcasts.com

Pray for Israel

Dear beloved: The recent move by the Palestinians to circumvent the negotiation of a Palestinian state by going to the United Nations to have that body grant them the status of full member state has grave consequences, if approved, for Israel and for the United States. God has made an everlasting covenant with His children and the land He gave them is to be theirs for all eternity. In Genesis 12:1-3 God told Abrham, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; v2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; v3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse, And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Then in verse 7 And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land" So he built an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him. This is a test for all the nations of the world, to show that they either stand with or turn away from Israel. Tomorrow night, Wednesday, September 28 is the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, day one of the Hebrew new year. The blowing of the trumpets reminds us of the rapture of the church and also of the return of our Lord and Savior.

We know from many scriptures in God's word that eventually all the nations of the world will come against Israel. Zechariah 14:1 Behold, a day is coming when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. v2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. v3 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. This scripture is a reference to the mobilization of the nations to Armageddon(Ezekiel 38-39, Joel 3, Rev.16:13-16, Rev.19:11-21). Many nations of the world have already declared with certainty they will line up against Israel, not only in forums such as the United Nations, but also on the battlefield, as all Israel's neighbor enemies have stocked and overstocked their weapons arsenals, ready to move in at the slightest provocation. The question is for us here in the United States: Will we be among the nations that receives a blessing from God for standing with Israel, or will we be cursed as we go the way of those coming against Israel? It is our choice to make.

Beloved, pray at this time for our President Barak Obama and his advisers, for our Congress, for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and all the people of Israel and Jews scattered all over the world. Pray that the United States would line up and support Israel in rejecting this attempt to install legitamate government to an avowed terrorist state, a state whose purpose is not really to have a homeland but to destroy Jews and Cristians wherever they live on the earth. For the sake of our children and grandchildren and for the sake of God's great name and His glory, let us pray that our leaders make the choice that leads to blessings. May God bless you this day as you go forward in prayer. in Christ, Jim

Come Unto Me

Dear beloved: Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 "Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. v29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your weary souls. v30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Many of us this day are weary and heavy laden, it is a natural result of the earthly battle we are in. We fight day in and day out the good fight of faith, but it has a wearying and debilitating effect on us over time;in fact there are times when we just want to give up and say we are too weary to keep battling. It is at that time that Jesus says to come unto Him, that He will give us the rest we so desperately need. What does it mean to enter His rest?

It means to give all your cares and burdens to Him, just list them, everything that you are contending and battling for, write them down if you need to, and say to Jesus: "You are the King, you are the Captain of the Lord of Hosts, without You I can do nothing, and with You all things are possible." When you do that you are submitting your desire to control all the circumstances in your life, and you are saying to the Lord, "You are not only able to take care of me, but I willfully submit every problem, circumstance, and situation in my life to You, and I trust you that You are faithful and true to Your word to take care of it for Me in the way that best benefits me and brings glory to Your kingdom!"

In the practical sense for me this means putting on some worship music and spending time on my knees before the Lord, just thanking Him and acknowledging His sovereignty over My life, and admitting to Him that in some things I am powerless to control the events and circumstances of my life. Prayer moves mountains, it changes the atmosphere that you operate in, and as it brings you in close communion with the Master, you take on His countenance and His nature. Beloved, take on the yoke of Jesus today, spend some time on your knees, thanking Him for all the trials in your life. James says in James 1:2, Count it all joy when you face diverse trials, v3 Knowing this, the trying of your faith brings patience, v4 and let patience have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Thank Him today and He will give you rest. God bless you, in Christ, Jim

Separation of Sheep from Goats

Dear beloved: Everywhere we look these days we see the evidence of God's hand of judgment falling not only on this nation, but on all nations all over the world. There is a great separation going on; those who are gathering for the kingdom are being separated from those who are scattering. This is the earthly rehearsal for the eternal separation yet to come, when the sheep and the goats will be separated according to their works and treatment of Israel and their fellow man.

Jesus laid this plan out in great detail in Matthew chapter 25:31-46. The separation comes after all the nations of the world have been gathered in front of the Son of Man, and all the holy angels with him. V33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. v34 Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then Jesus goes on to list 6 groups of people that the sheep had ministered to: He said," I was hungry and you gave me meat, thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, naked and you clothed me, I was sick, and in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous asked the Lord, when did we minister to you in these places and in these ways? v40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."

Then Jesus goes on to separate out the goats and judge them on the same grounds that He judged the sheep, but He said to the goats (v41) "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels": And the King condemns them because they did not minister to Him in those same six groups of people. He wraps up His charge against them by saying in v45 "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these of mine, you did it not to Me. v46 And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

Although this judgment is concerned primarily with the persecution and treatment of Israel, it is a primary motivator for anyone who is looking for kingdom work. What does Jesus value when He makes His judgment? Look for the poor, the broken, those sick, in prison, that's where you will find Jesus. You will see Him when you look at and minister to these people. This scripture is what prompted me to answer the call to prison ministry, and has now opened up the doors to international crusades, orphan care in Africa, and many other open ministry doors. If you are wanting to step out in ministry, look for Jesus in the faces of these people, and you will see Him. God bless you, in Christ, Jim

African Countries at the Tipping Point

Dear Beloved: In Matthew 24:7 Jesus tells us that in the last days, "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places. v8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. v9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for My names's sake. v10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. v11 And many false prophets shall rise, and deceive many. v12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold. v13 But he that endures to the end, he shall be saved." Beloved, we are seeing first hand the words of Jesus are being literally fulfilled in countries all over the world.

On my recent trip to Kenya, I saw how people are being delivered up to be persecuted by the growing population of Muslims in that country. The church where I preached in Nairobi is in a mixed ethnic and religious neighborhood, and as a result there is tension there between faiths regarding land issues. At one point a few years ago the night watchman at the church was hacked to death one night as he guarded the church property; consequently, many in the church left that church for churches in safer neighborhoods. The loss in membership meant loss in collections, and the church was unable to keep up payments on a piece of property that it had committed to and had been paying rent on. The muslims in the neighborhood bid a higher payment and was able then to get the property away from the church; mission accomplished. When sin and iniquity abound, the love of many will grow cold. How else could people murder and bomb and destroy, all in the name of a religion of so called peace?

We need to pray for our brethren in countries that face these pressures on a daily basis. We also need to pray for Israel, as God's people are surrounded by these hate filled people who have declared that the only way they will tolerate Israel and the Jews, is if they do not exist at all. The same is coming to America; Islamic radicals will use the freedoms we offer them in this country, (that they offer no one in their own Shariah-bound countries), and they will use those very freedoms to take over our cities and our country, one neighborhood at a time. Revelation 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. The pale horse is on the move all over the world, in Africa, in Europe, and now in America. Pray that you may endure to the end! God bless you, in Christ, Jim

Prayers for Stephen

Dear beloved: One of the joys of preaching in Kenya was in meeting new people and listening to their stories; indeed, that is one of the great joys of being a missionary in a far off land. In Mumias, Kenya, I had the privilege of praying for a young man named Stephen, who was living with the Pastor Lucas and his wife Jane.

Stephen, who is 12 years old, has a story similar to many in Africa. His father is infected with the HIV virus, unable to take care of him; and Stephen's mother has already passed away from infection with the virus. The father took a couple of stepmothers to help him with the family, and they too became infected and passed away. And so Stephen is now living with the Pastor, his uncle. On the first night that I preached in the Mumias crusade, Stephen was one of the first to step forward for healing and salvation. I layed hands on him, and the mighty healing hand of Jesus touched him. The second day of the crusade he came forward again, and again the mighty healing hand of Jesus touched him. And again on the third day he came forward for healing prayers and the Lord touched him again. By the end of the week he was looking much better, displaying a healthy shine that would be normal for a young man his age. For you see, Stephen also is infected with the HIV virus. On Saturday of the final day of the Mumias crusade we had a baptism service in a river about a mile from the pastor's church, and Stephen was one of the first baptised, a testimony to the mighty work the Lord did in his life that week.

Matthew 18:2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them. v3 And said, "verily I say unto you, Except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. v4 Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. v5 And whoever shall receive one such little child in my name receives me. v6 But whoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it would be better for him that a millstone were hung around his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." I believe God is going to heal Stephen of AIDS, if He hasn't already, and that Stephen will be used mightily for the Kingdom to bring others to know Jesus as their Lord. Pastor Lucas has about thirty children that his church has taken in that are infected with AIDS, and they would like to build an orphanage as a permanent place to house, care for, and school these children. Would you pray about your part in helping to build an orphanage? They already have the land, now they just need resources for building materials. If you can help, get in touch with me through the contact information on my website, or email me at pureprairie@hotmail.com. Thank you and God bless you, in Christ, Jim

Fortunes Of Job Restored

Dear beloved: Another of the pastors who spoke at the morning conference sessions in Mumias, Kenya was a tremendous preacher and teacher of the Word, and in addition,he is a modern day old testament Job. Over the coarse of his life he had buried seven of his ten children. One by one they were taken from him through various events and circumstances that left him and his wife with only three children.

The weight of all that pain, coupled with his preaching regimen, finally caused him to collapse in exhaustion; a deep exhaustion that was unto death. He laid down and was ready to die. The angels of the Lord escorted his spirit up to heaven as he watched his physical body lying there unresponsive on the floor. As he was escorted up through the heavenlies, he was torn between feeling a need and desire for his physical body and the feeling of freedom and joy that he felt from his new spirit body. However, when he came to the gates of heaven, he was not allowed entry, the angels informed him it wasn't his time to stay just yet. And so they escorted him back to earth and into his earthly body; as he approached it his spirit laid down beside and rolled into his physical body. Amazingly, he was refreshed and renewed and he felt no after effects of the fatigue and exhaustion. He has since gone on to preach and pastor with great passion, and is instrumental in establishing a bible college near the border of Uganda with Kenya.

How does one stand up when the circumstances and tragedies of life tend to overwhelm? Not easy, I'm sure, few are tested and tried the way this pastor has been, let alone Job himself. Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. And in Job 13:15 Job says, "Though He slay me, I will hope (trust) in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him." Eventually we read in Job that the Lord restored to him a double portion of all that he had. Job 42:10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold, all his livestock and possessions. And he was given 10 more children, seven sons and three daughters. Why not 20 children, you say, that would be double? He was given 20; the ten in heaven that died he would soon be with, and ten more on the earth that were eventually also his to enjoy in heaven. v12 And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. v16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his grandsons, four generations. v17 And Job died, and old man and full of days. God bless you, in Christ, Jim

The Narrow Gate

Dear beloved: One of the pastors who preached at the conference in Mumias, Kenya, relayed this testimony to me about a lady from Spain who had been in a car accident and was in a coma, hovering near death for 48hrs. As she was near death's door, she was taken up in the spirit by the Lord for a visitation to heaven. (See Paul's account of his visitation to heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:1-9) While there in heaven, she met Jesus and He told her it was not her time to stay in heaven, that He was going to send her back to her life on earth with a message. She was to share the message with everyone she came in contact with, and the message is this: Jesus said "only 2 out of 100 people who are dying on earth right now are saved believers coming into heaven."

Matthew 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate,for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. v14 For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, few are those who find it." It is truly remarkable to think about all the ways the gospel is being preached all over the world this day and age: through radio, television, internet, Bible tracts, Bible distribution, preaching on street corners and in magnificent churches, and yet with all of that, only two percent of the people are being saved. The narrow gate is certainly narrow!

Where do you stand with the Lord Jesus today? If this were to be your last day on earth today, would you be one of the two who would stand at the gate and hear the Lord say, "Well done my good and faithful servant, come in to heaven to enjoy the place I have prepared for you." Or would you be one of the ninety eight who would hear the Lord say, "Depart from me you worker of iniquity, for I never knew you." And you would be banished to eternal torment, separated from God for all eternity because of your pride and hardness of heart. Spend some time today on your knees before the Lord, make sure that you are right with Him, that you have confessed Him before men as your Lord and Savior. You will then have no fear of death, and when you stand before the Lord you can hear those precious words, "Come in!" God bless you, in Christ, Jim