“It’s Time to Wake Up the Sleeping Church”

"Therefore let us not SLEEP, as do others: but let us WATCH and be SOBER."—1 Thess. 5:6

Wow, time sure has been flying by! I haven’t had any time to write devotions.

Hopefully, I will have more coming out soon.

Meanwhile, I encourage you all to go to our website: www.biblefood.org as we have many devotions there; and if that is not enough, we have many more devotions in our archives at: www.geocities.com/biblefood/archive.html. Also, also our church site is beginning to include some of my sermon notes at: www.kanepa.org/sermons.htm

The LORD has been moving in our little town of Kane and in Go Proclaim Ministries/BibleFood reaching the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

In November 2006, I will be going to INDIA to minister at a Pastor/Minister Seminar and in churches, villages, and an orphanage in MALAKAPALLI - WEST GODAVARI.

The LORD has been so faithful in providing the finances and blessings to make this trip possible. Now I need your prayers more than ever.

Please PRAY for me to not get sick there, for my strength, and also for my voice, as I will be speaking 25-30 times in 2 weeks. Go to: www.goproclaim.com/india.htm

In preparation for this trip, a brother in Christ called me a couple weeks ago and told me I needed to get the book, “Revolution in World Missions” by K.P. Yohannan. Interestingly, I had picked up the book at a Pastors’ conference a few months back, but amongst my other books, it was overlooked and never. So when this brother told me about the book, I told him I already had two (unread) copies (my wife had also ordered it, not knowing that I had it – that’s another whole God story).

I have read the book with such excitement and vision, as I get ready to go to India. The LORD has been so faithful in providing that I will have money enough to help support some of the pastors in India. As a matter of fact, we have had more money come in for India than has come in for the past 8 years of Go Proclaim Ministries/BibleFood. WOW! What a MIRACLE!

After reading “Revolution in World Missions” by K.P. Yohannan, I have been so encouraged about our being able to support pastors who live in poverty in India.

Please get your free copy of this book at: www.gfa.org/gfa (scroll down to bottom left of page). They will mail it to you absolutely FREE (no shipping charge either). It is also available to download as a big PDF file (book), again, for FREE.

I feel that we are so spoiled in America. I believe originally it was God’s blessing on our country, but we have hoarded it upon ourselves and now what was once a blessing is causing us to FORGET God (See Prov. 30:7-9). I believe economic disaster is in the future of America (and deserved for forgetting God), but in the meantime we still have a chance to help get the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.

Today, are you among the financially blessed in America (or the world)? What are you doing with that blessing? Are you buying more homes, cars, stocks, toys, etc., OR are you properly using it to spread the Gospel around the world? WHY do you think God has blessed you financially, fellow Christian! Seriously, why has God blessed you financially? HE HAS BLESSED YOU TO HELP SUPPORT THE SPREADING OF THE GOSPEL! Not to buy more homes, cars, stocks, toys, etc. or as the Bible says it, “to build more BARNS” (See Luke 12:13-21).

I am not a money-making machine and have been personally criticized in the past for my lack of a secular trade or skill; and, thus, my lack of ability to make a decent income. Meanwhile, I continue to do what God has called me to do: Preach the Gospel AND do whatever jobs come along to help financially support my family and for the spreading of the Gospel. My wife and I feel, first and primarily, I must spend my time and energy in the work of the ministry as Pastor and all that goes along with that, as well as my calling to be a voice to the Body of Christ worldwide, even if it is but a whisper.

Maybe you are like me and haven’t been blessed financially by the LORD. By Third-World standards, I am considered extremely rich, but in American standards, pretty poor. Past stock market crashes have had no effect on me directly, and neither will future ones, as I have no stocks (guess that’s one benefit of not being rich). Some of you out there are much poorer than I, you wish you had more money to give to spread the Gospel, but God in His infinite wisdom has chosen a different path than riches for you. You still have such power (though not financially rich) in the LORD. Are you praying for those who do not know Jesus? If not, why not? Are you sharing Jesus with those in your everyday life in your circle of influence (friends, family, neighbors, etc.)? If not, why not?

EVERY SINGLE CHRISTIAN ON EARTH HAS A PART TO PLAY IN SHARING THE GOSPEL. ARE YOU DOING YOUR PART? IF NOT, WHY NOT?

This is not to put a guilt trip on anyone, but I believe God wants us to wake up out of our SLEEPING state and seek to do more of God’s will on this earth.

Time is short, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few!!! (See Matt. 9:37,38)

PRAYER: LORD, help us to see our Kingdom priorities and responsibilities as your laborers. Forgive us for our greedy, selfish and lukewarm state of our hearts. Give us a fresh vision of our purpose for being here, and help us to see our part in this end time harvest of souls. In Jesus’ Name – AMEN!

In His Service,
Jim (jim@biblefood.org)
www.biblefood.org