fundraising propaganda starts

Yes, you heard it right; the fundraising propaganda has started. I was talkin to my good friend Paul Adams last week or so and he related to me his vision to get to Sudan to preach the Gospel and do all sorts of crazy missions work in refugee camps, slums, etc etc etc. Lets just say that Paul and I had planned to meet up again some day to do Kingdom work, and it appears that Sudan could be that plan fulfilled. Iris Ministries is breaking new ground in Sudan and needs some pioneers to go in and take Jesus to the lost, broken, dying, poor, of that country.

Needless to say, a lot has to be accomplished for me to reach my goal of being in Africa by august at the absolute latest!!! Plane tickets, visas, vaccinations, savings, monthly support, and on and on and on need to be provided before that goal happens. So, I got on PayPal and ended up with a 'Donate' button on my webpage. Pretty sweet. Anyone willing to contribute to this 'Africa fund' is now able to! All proceeds will go towards expenses needed to make this trip happen.

Supporting a missionary is perhaps the wisest and most worthwhile investment one can make. Meeting the poor's financial needs is impossible, but meeting their spiritual needs is not only possible, it's inevitable..................if people are willing to send those whom are willing to go. Know what I mean. So click on the 'Make a donation' button to support the Gospel in Mozambique/Sudan. I will let you all know how the funds and plans progress. Africa calls, and I'm gonna answer.

Mission Statistics

Facts about evangelical status worldwide:

• approx. 2 billion people are considered an unreached people group
  
• only 2-3% of protestant missionaries are reaching this group
  
• 95% of all unreached people live in the 10/40 window
  
• 66,000 people die every day from this group
  
• out of every gospel dollar only 4 cents goes to missions
  
• of the 4% that goes to the mission field, 80% of it goes to already established works
  
• 27% of the planet has 2-3% of the missionary work force helping them get saved
  
• 97% of missionaries work in already evangelized fields
  
• last year more money went towards ecclesiastical crime than went to missions
  
• America spends more money on dogfood than on missions
  
• 10,000 chinese come to the Lord every day
  
• every 7 weeks 1 million Latin Americans come to Christ
  
• most expensive country to send a missionary to-Japan
  
• least expensive-Mozambique

RICH AWED BY POOR'S ABILITY TO LIVE LIKE THAT. "No Way We Could Do It," Say Leaders of Wealthy Nations

Monterrey, Mexico (SatireWire.com) — At a United Nations conference last week to address world poverty, dozens of leaders from the planet's wealthiest nations concluded they were "totally in awe" of the 1.2 billion people who reportedly live on less than $1 a day.

With no medicine, sanitation, or food, the poor do it anyway.
"Lord knows I couldn't do it," U.S. President George W. Bush told a roundtable of colleagues Friday. "The mortgage on my ranch alone is $5,500 a month."

"I think the hardest part would be keeping it up," added South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. "Every now and then I'd have to sneak out for a nice meal with my wife, or maybe a movie."

But truly poor people, several delegates noted in wonder, never do that.

"How often do you see a really poor person splurge for a steak dinner, or an upgrade to first class on an airliner?" said French President Jacques Chirac. "I tell you, these people are incredible."

Said Bush, after a momentary pause: "I'd like to propose that the world doesn't just have a billion poor people, it's got a billion heroes."

However, some attending the International Conference on Financing for Development respectfully suggested the leaders, while apparently no longer indifferent, were missing the point.

"The poor don't have mortgages. They don't have houses," said U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. "Most days, they don't even have food."

"Oh heavens no, I'd have to eat," replied World Trade Organization chief Michael Moore. "I could maybe skimp on dessert, but that's it."

As the meeting adjourned, a spokesman for the World Development Movement announced that almost half the earth's population — 2.8 billion people — lives on less than $2 a day. The attendees stood in unison to cheer until it was explained to them that these people wanted money.

Copyright © 2002, SatireWire

John 12:32

Jesus will indeed draw people to Him if we but lift Him up and give Him the praise, honor, and glory due His name. Josh Heymans, Melody Wallace, Mark Enos, and I went to the Pen Center this evening for some evangelism and had a time and a half. First we split up into two groups (Josh & Mark; Myself & Melody) and we cruised around looking for people to witness to. It didn't go too great untill we met up at the food court and started challenging each other. Then Josh stepped in front of these two teenagers and asked them if they knew about God's abundant love for them, or something to that effect. They weren't up for it and walked away; but they told 3 of their other friends who came over immediately and started asking if we were the ones who knew about God. So within 10 minutes, we had a group of about 12 teenagers all standing around us in the middle of the mall as we preached up a storm to them. It was quite an event. Most of them were really willing to actually 'listen' to us and recieve the things which God had for them to hear. It was really something. It was something God initiated Himself and something we couldn't have done in our best attempts at all.

Then we headed to Niagara International Worship Center for a saturday night Worship EXPLOSION!!! It was actually quite AMAZING. But that song 'friend of God' follows me around like a bad cold! I cant escape it. "Whats up with that God?!!" Anyways, see what ya's think. Blessings all; it truly was an anointed evening.

tales from galatians 6:17

I looked at the old eagle, and for the first time I noticed the scars amid his torn and broken feathers. However, the scars were not ugly, but were lined with gold that was somehow not metal, but rather flesh and feathers. Then I could see that it was this gold that gave off the glory that emanated from the eagle, making his presence so awesome.

"Why did I not see this before?" I inquired.

"Untill you have beheld and appreciated the depths of the treasures of salvation, you cannot see the glory that comes from suffering for the sake of the gospel. Once you have seen it, you are ready for the tests that will release the highest levels of spiritual authority into your life. These scars are the glory that we will carry forever. This is why even the wounds our Lord suffered are with Him in heaven. You can still see His wounds, and the wounds that all of His chosen ones have taken for His sake. These are the medals of honor in heaven. All who carry them love God and His truth more than their own lives. These are the ones who followed the Lamb wherever He went, being willing to suffer for the sake of truth, righteousness and the salvation of men. True leaders of His people, who carry genuine spiritual authority, must have first proven their devotion this way.

I looked at the leader of the company of angels that followed me. I had never witnessed deep emotion in an angel before, but these words were unquestionably moving him greatly, as well as the rest. I really thought that they were about to cry. Then the leader spoke:

"We have witnessed many wonders since the creation. But the voluntary suffering of men for the Lord, and for their fellow men, is the greatest wonder of all. We, too, must fight at times, and we do suffer, but we dwell where there is such light and glory that it is very easy to do this. When men and women who dwell in such a place of darkness and evil with so little encouragement, not able to behold the glory but only having a hope in it, choose to suffer for that hope in which they can only see so dimly in their hearts, it causes even the greatest angels to bow their knee and gladly serve the heirs of salvation. At first we did not understand why the Father decreed that men would have to walk by faith, not beholding the reality and the glories of the heavenly realm, and suffering such opposition. But now we understand that through these sufferings their worthiness to recieve the great authority that they will be given as members of His own household is surely proven. Now this walk of faith is the greatest wonder in heaven. Those who pass this test are worthy to sit with the Lamb on His throne, as He has made them worthy, and they have proven their love."

Then the eagle interjected, "Courage is a demonstration of faith. The Lord never promised that His was would be easy, but He assured us that it would be worth it.............."

- from The Final Quest

by Rick Joyner

evangelism wednesday

Today was 'evangelism wednesday' at CBC. So Josh Heymans and I took Priscilla out to the Pen Center to see what we could get ourselves into. We looked for sick people but couldn't find any cause the Pen Center ain't very busy on a wednesday afternoon. So Pricilla and I started playing chess on this floor chess board. We were hopin to draw a crowd, wherewich we could do some soap-box preaching, but a crowd just didnt get interested. So Josh just cruise's over to this handful of students and starts witnessing to them. This sparked a great time of cruising around the mall and doing some prophetic evangelism. We were asking for God to give us names of people walking by, and then we would approach them and ask them if their names were the ones which we believed God gave us. It's a great way to learn to hear God better. Our batting average wasn't very high, but at least we went down swinging rather than stand at the plate and watch pitches go by. I did go up to one girl at the food mart and speak a bit of God's love for her into her day, so that was sweet. We also got to push Priscilla WAY out of her comfort zone. I like doing that to people.

So I am thinking of changing evangelism times from wedensday afternoon, to saturday afternoons. The opportunities to speak to people are infintely greater, as the numbers are so much more. T'was good times today. It's a great thing to get into the habit of actually doing what the bible says to do...........................oops, did I just say that.

unbelief becomes hardness

Today, Josh Heymans came over to 35 Elma St, picked me up and we cruised to the Pen Centre to see what we could get ourselves into. Actually we were going to Dairy Queen for some Cheesquake Blizzards, which we did, and they were awesome!!! But really, we were on a scouting mission from Holy Spirit to see if we could pray for anyone. We seen a few people who were obviously disabled, etc. It's a strange thing, you know; it's not a problem to be able to get the blind, etc, to let you pray for them; the problem is the people whom they are with. They are the ones who think we have 'ulterior motives'. They are hindrances to the advancement of divine healing.

Anyways, before we left, we passed this gentleman who was walking with a cane and an obvious limp. I approached him and asked if I could ask him a question. He was reluctant, but agreed. I said that I noticed his leg was not well and proceeded to ask if he would let me pray for God's healing power to take care of his leg. Before I could get the 'God's power' deal out of my mouth, he denied me the opportunity. He walked away saying that he "had nothing against God" but obviously didn't want anything to do with my prayers.

Such is the state of much of Christianity. We can acknowledge the fact that the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) are for today, well, most of us anyway. But even in those, we deny the application of those gifts in our own lives. We have much unbelief. We welcome Holy Spirit into our churches, then kick Him out when He starts pushing us out of our comfort zones. I am realizing that our own pride and unbelief are not quite as restricting as other's unwillingness to let us pray for them. The battle does indeed continue..........

no one like Jehovah

the sick are healed

the blind can see

the cripples dance

the demons flee

at the name of Jesus

every knee will bow

the dead are raised

the deaf can hear

as we proclaim

"the Kingdom is here"

at the name of Jesus

every tongue will shout.....

.... "there is no one like our God

there is no one like Jehovah

You are worthy

forever worthy"

-Kelanie Gloeckler

wednesday morning prayer meeting

There is a 9-11 scene with two huge towers constructed in the middle of a huge parklike area. It's actually like a forest but the trees are so small in comparison to the buildings that it looks more like a park. The two buildings are part of no city, they are out in the open, all alone and unhidden. The sun is shining in more than all it's strength. It's intense. Planes are flying towards the towers. There are people in the buildings and some are leaping out to their death from fear of the attacking enemy. The other people are standing in front of the windows with their eyes closed and their arms outstretched, worshipping the sun. The roofs are lit on fire by the extreme heat of the sun; they burst into flames. The sky is cloudless, it's a beautiful (but extremely hot!) day.
As the planes collide with the building they leave only small damage and minimal wreckage as they crumple against the awesome stability and solid structure of the towers. The scars that are left from the planes are minimal, but necessary.
The people in the buildings are fearless, eyes closed, worshipping God, as the planes collide, over and over again against the building. The onslaught ceases and the Believers radiate with the same heat and light as that which they worship.

The interpretation:
the sun = Jesus
planes = enemies attacks
jumping people = christians that are not strong in their relationship with the Lord
worshippers = Believers that know their standing in Christ
the towers = the temple of Holy Spirit
the area the towers are in = the life centered in God
no clouds in the sky = the strength of the Almighty in relation to the attacks of the enemy
fire roofs = the anointing the mature Believers will recieve to resist the enemy
the radiation at the end = the anointing the mature Believers will carry throughout their lives

This was a vision type thing that I recieved at the prayer meeting yesterday morning. It is one of the most indepth visions I have recieved in my walk with the Lord. It pales only in comparison to a couple I had in Pemba at the mission school. Pretty crazy. Just the beginning................or continuation..................

Matthew 25:35-40

A day off, but not really. This morning, Josh Heymans picked me up and we cruised to Niagara Falls and went to Niagara International Worship Center for a service. The Pastor (Christer Ihreberg) used to teach at WIBI, so it was cool to see his church and stuff. It was pretty sweet. A couple awesome things he said was that 'we won't see rivival until we are in a place to accomodate it'. In other words, we won't see God bring 500 people into a church until we are equipped to handle it. To expect God to bring in new converts without the adequate structure in place is leaving them sheep without a shepard. It's a pretty crucial word, if you think about it. The other thing I really recieved was that he said "Our warfare is love". Nice. A true statement; we wage warfare by loving people. Thats powerful.

After that service, Josh dropped me back at NCC and I met up with Millie, Amy, Lynette, and Guy, and we headed to Niagara Detention Center to conduct a service of our own. I stepped up and led the service which was attended by 5 guys in the maximun security wing. I spoke from Isaiah 59:1-2, and how we separated ourselves from God by sin, and how He reconnected to us by Jesus. It was alright, I guess. As usual, I am very critical of myself. After I spoke, We divided up into one-on-one and had some ministry time. The gentleman I paired up with had had a very hard life, but I believe I was able to speak some much needed encouragement into his life. He rededicated himself to the Lord and is quite open to having weekly meetings with me. God is so good, and not just when we want Him to be.

Tomorrow I start what looks like a very busy week. Some courses I will be tackling this week are: Ministry Gifts, New Testament Survey, Church Birthing, Practical Ministry, and Counseling. I also do my work at NCC, and Wal-Mart, and Prison Ministry, and Evangelism, and tape duplicating. Wow, indeed. Good times.