Daily Devotional for Monday July 16, 2007
Where There is no Vision, the People Perish
(Proverbs 29:18 )
"Where there is no vision, the people perish" Proverbs 29:18
Fourteen days that could ultimately impact the spiritual direction of this and many nations, as well as hundreds of millions of souls for all eternity! At some point in the third year of Liveprayer I had one of those "light bulb going off" moments, where God clearly showed me the incredible impact Liveprayer was having in millions of lives around the world. The fact is, God has used this ministry to touch and impact the lives of so many who are reading these words today. It was in that moment my eyes were opened and God allowed me to see the untapped potential for Liveprayer to impact the spiritual state of this nation and others, and the eternal souls of hundreds of millions of people worldwide for Christ!
Fifty three months ago, God sovereignly moved to birth the perfect companion to what we do on the Internet, the Liveprayer TV program on secular television. It was a true miracle of God for the program to even start. We are talking about being on an affiliate of the world's largest media conglomerates, Viacom, in the number 12 TV market in the nation, Tampa, plus for a year being on several of the ABC Network affiliates in Florida and for 10 weeks last year, on a major national secular network. The program is on for an hour every Monday through Friday "live," which is virtually unheard of except for news and sporting events. What makes it a true miracle only God could have orchestrated is the CONTENT OF THE PROGRAM!
People to this day sit back in amazement that I not only deal with the issues I do each night from a Biblical worldview, but that the network doesn't try and censor me! Let me hit you with a dose of reality. THERE IS NO CHRISTIAN NETWORK IN THIS NATION THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO SAY WHAT I DO EACH NIGHT, NONE! In looking back, I can see why God gave me the burden He did for this TV program. Nobody was in the marketplace on secular television bringing a true Biblical worldview to the issues of the day and in people's lives, and no Christian network would have allowed me to take the stands I do without censoring me or asking me to "tone it down."
Let me tell you where we are at in this nation. It will not be very long before I will not be allowed to air my program on any TV station. Trust me, we are going to see great persecution of the Christian faith in this nation, in our lifetime, that will be very similar to what many of our brothers and sisters in Christ in other countries live with each day. Simply preaching from the Bible will soon land you in prison! The next wave we will see, however, is this wave of apostasy ranging from watered down Christianity to pure outright heresy. We are already seeing it happening now! Most of the biggest names in Christendom aren't preaching the Gospel, but a feel-good, motivational message that refuses to call sin what it is and hold people accountable for their choices and actions. It is a move to a "social Gospel" that won't offend people.
Many of the biggest churches in the nation don't give altar calls, they condone gross sins like homosexuality and abortion, and are little more than great entertainment meccas where people go for an hour each week to watch a performance and hear a message to make them feel good. People no longer are challenged to sacrifice and serve,. They no longer hear about the blood and the cross. Hell is a four letter word never uttered in most churches today. So many churches have become so perverted and in rebellion to God and His Word that they have practicing homosexuals occupying the pulpit and leading the people.
The largest growing Christian group are those who go to church and are known as "Christian left." This was the topic of a recent Daily Devotional that you need to read if you missed it ( http://www.liveprayer.com/ddarchive3.cfm?id=2966 ). Those people and churches who hold the Bible to be God's inspired, inerrant Word, representing Absolute Truth and our final authority in all matters are being drowned out by people and churches who identify themselves as "Christian," but operate in rebellion to God's Word.
I hope and pray I have articulated the urgency that exists my friend. It is because of this urgency, my every waking breath for several years now has been spent trying to bring the Liveprayer TV program to the entire nation. During the 10 weeks last year we were successful in accomplishing that, I experienced first-hand the incredible power of that instrument in God's hands. Several hundred thousand viewers to a program that nobody ever heard of. 4,000-5,000 emails a night for prayer. Several hundred decisions for Christ at the end of every program.
It is no wonder why satan has been literally battling with all he has to stop this program from ever being back on a national stage for any period of time. He knows that it will not only bring millions of people God's Truth and the hope and love of Christ, but will lead millions to find faith in Christ and could be the catalyst God uses to not only bring this nation back to Christ, but usher in a real spiritual revival like we have never seen before in our lifetime!
Let me share with you why these next 14 days are so critical and what YOU can do. First, I am asking everyone reading this today to PRAY! Not just you, but get your prayer partners, your prayer groups and circles, your churches, everyone you know to be praying for me and Liveprayer over these next 14 days. I am asking those who are led and able to fast at least one meal a day for the next 14 days. Take that time and spend it in prayer for God to send His legions to join the battle going on in the heavenlies and that we will see victory by July 30th.
I have an option that expires on July 31, to regain the Midnight-1 a.m. EDT time slot every Monday through Friday on the "i" Network. This option calls for us to be back on starting Monday, September 3rd. In addition, I flew to New York to meet with Howard Stern's head man and will be working to finalize this week a deal with Howard to simulcast the audio of the TV program each night on his Howard 101 channel on Sirius satellite radio. This package would allow us for an hour every Monday-Friday to have the TV program in 90 million of the 100 million TV households in the nation, simulcast the audio on Stern's Sirius satellite radio channel, as well as stream the program live each night on the Liveprayer.com website making it available to anyone in the world with internet access. How powerful is that!!!
This program can very quickly become a powerful voice in the mainstream media for a Biblical worldview. People aren't going to get that truth on CNN, or MSNBC, or Fox News, or any of the major networks. Larry King isn't going to deal with life from a Biblical viewpoint, nor is Bill O'Reilly, nor is Sean Hannity, or is anyone else on major secular media outlets. There is NOBODY on secular TV who will stand up to the pro-homosexual agenda, the agenda of the baby killers, the growing threat of Islam that is only going to get worse, or call out someone like Romney for being part of a satanic cult. The Christians who should be are hiding on the Christian networks where even over there, they are too busy selling books and trying not to offend people so they can maximize their donations.
I HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF NEARLY 20 YEARS OF MINISTRY, NEARLY 8 YEARS OF WRITING THE DAILY DEVOTIONAL TO A DAILY AUDIENCE OF MILLIONS, AND OVER 1100 TV PROGRAMS ON MAJOR SECULAR TELEVISION NETWORKS THAT I WILL NOT COMPROMISE THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD TO APPEASE ANY MAN AND WILL FAITHFULLY PROCLAIM THAT FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY HOPE FOR MAN IN THIS LIFE AND FOR ETERNITY!!!
Of course, the big hurdle last year was how do we cover the $1 million a month it costs us to buy the airtime from the "i" Network and our production costs. I have contracted with a major media organization in St. Petersburg, Wilson Media, to handle the ad sales for the TV program. The CEO of Wilson Media is Paul Wilson. Paul's father John, is a long-time news anchor on the FOX affiliate in Tampa and his brother is Patrick is the award-winning actor who has appeared in many Broadway productions, television programs, and movies like "The Phantom of the Opera," "Hard Candy," and several films out in the last couple of years and a few soon to be released.
Paul has been a consultant and helped in the syndication efforts of the TV program since we started. He is convinced that based on our past viewership numbers, if the program has 3 months on the air, we will have ratings sufficient to find enough niche advertisers to sustain the program long term. Based on what national TV advertising costs, Paul is certain that we can charge a minimum of $3,000 for a 30 second commercial, which is a fraction of what national TV advertising normally costs. Plus, we will have Howard's Sirius radio audience in addition to those who watch the program on Liveprayer.com. In addition, we will be letting our 2.4 million Daily Devotional subscribers know who are advertisers are, making it a really incredible opportunity for advertisers to reach a huge audience through Liveprayer.
There will be 12 minutes a night of commercial time in each program, or 60 minutes a week, which will generate $360,000 in ad revenues, minus the standard 15% ad agency commission, leaving us with just over $300,000 a week of revenue. That more than covers what we need to not just meet all of the TV program expenses, but all of the Liveprayer.com operational expenses as well!!! It has always been my goal to have the ad revenues from the TV program cover all of the Liveprayer financial needs, allowing us to only have to ask people to give for special projects we are led by God to help fund. Those who have sacrificially and faithfully given to this ministry the past 95 months have not only helped impact tens of millions of lives worldwide, helped us lead over 180,000 people we know of to faith in Jesus Christ, but put us in the position we are in today to even have the opportunity to make such a huge worldwide impact for the Gospel!
So we have put the deal together to not just get back on the air nationwide on the "i" Network September 3rd, but added an incredible radio component to the broadcast as well. We have brought in a very well respected, seasoned, and competent ad agency who has the ability to bring the right niche advertisers to sustain the program long term. The battle that has to be fought and won over the next 14 days is coming up with the $3 million dollars we need to get through those first 3 months in order to build the audience. What makes this deal so powerful is that this is not some pilot program that we hope people will watch. We just completed our 1,140th "live" program Friday night. This program has a nearly 5 year track record on major network affiliates and a 10 week track record on the "i" Network last year. So this is not some unseen program we "hope" people will watch. We have already proven people will watch!
There are 3 possible sources for the $3 million we need, and I am asking you to pray today about how you or anyone you may be personally connected with might be God's answer to this need. The first source is someone who is willing to donate the $3 million. Obviously, there is only a limited number of people who could do this, but they are out there. People every day donate $3 million and more to different causes. People every day donate that amount and more to build buildings. As worthy as so many causes are, as necessary as bricks and mortar are, there is nothing a person can EVER give their money to as worthwhile as to help lead lost souls heading to eternity in hell, find everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no greater investment than in the eternal souls of men. A person who was led by God to donate $3 million to help me would be playing a huge role in seeing millions of souls, potentially hundreds of millions of souls, come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and this nation turn back to God and Biblical values!!!
The second possible source is someone who was able to loan the $3 million to Liveprayer Productions, the for-profit corporation that was set up for the TV program since we can't mix ad revenues with donations without jeopardizing our tax exempt status. The Board of Liveprayer Productions has approved me to secure a $3 million loan that would be paid back with 10% interest in 12 months. After 12 months, we would have 9 moths of ad revenues of just under $15 million, minus apx $9 million of operating expenses, leaving roughly $5 million that would be used to pay back the loan and interest.
The third possible source would be an MLM company. For those who are familiar with that world here is my thought. The greatest asset of these types of companies are the people, their downlines. If an MLM company made a $3 million investment for 90 days in building their downline, they would end up with thousands, even tens of thousands of people nationwide. They would become the exclusive advertiser of Liveprayer for those first 3 months. They would use the 12 minutes of commercial time each night for a business opportunity type of ad to recruit people for their company. The time we are on is the prime time for infomercials that are selling some sort of business opportunity. Between a nationwide TV audience, Stern's Sirius audience, and Liveprayer.com, an MLM company who invested $3 million over 90 days into their downline, would end up with an organization that would be generating millions annually for many years to come.
*Of course, any company that wanted to be the exclusive sponsor of Liveprayer during the first 3 months would have the same opportunity to control all of the adverting time for their business, organization, or cause.
I love you and care about you so much. I have to admit, I am a bit weary, but I am finding renewed strength today knowing that this need is now not only my burden, but the burden of each one who is part of the Liveprayer family. Obviously, as I have been putting these pieces together, I have already been seeking out a potential donor for the $3 million we need, talking to those who could possibly loan us what we need, and seeking out an MLM company with the vision and resources to take advantage of this unique opportunity for their business.
In the end, God has given me the responsibility of making this happen and I will keep pressing forward. However, I feel today like much of the weight of this burden has been lifted. I can hear the trumpet sounding as the cavalry charges over the hill. I believe in my heart that someone reading this today in the Liveprayer family will be the instrument God uses to help me put this final piece of the puzzle in place.
The Bible tells us that without vision the people perish. The church has had no vision for a long time. They have become fat and lazy and apathetic doing the same old thing. They build newer buildings to attract people from other churches rather than doing the hard work of gong out and getting people saved. They create media for the Christian networks rather than trying to bring Christ to the lost world we live in. It is safer, easier, and MORE PROFITABLE to preach to the choir than it is to take Chris to this lost and hurting world we live in. So we really have nobody to blame but ourselves for the spiritual state of this nation.
However, with whatever time God blesses me with in this life, I am gong to keep pressing forward to bring His Truth and the hope and love of Jesus Christ to the masses who don't go to church, will never come in contact with the Christian media, and without Jesus, will die and go to hell. God has blessed us with the two greatest communication tools man has ever known, the internet and television, and we are using them both with great synergy to touch this world for Christ. I never forget for a moment that all I do each day is only possible because of your love, and prayers, and sacrificial gifts. YOU are Liveprayer.
As we wind down the 8th year of this incredible mission God has called us to, we are on the verge of becoming a force the world won't be able to ignore or tune out. I am willing to literally give my life for the Gospel, and am seeking one person in the next 14 days who will make that same commitment by helping me with this final piece that I know is being fought over so fiercely in the heavenlies as I speak.
Please commit this need to prayer and if God is speaking to you, and you or someone you know is able to help me, please contact me at: bkeller@liveprayer.com . Possibly God will give you some Divine revelation how to come up with the $3 million we need for those first 3 months. We only have 2 weeks, but you may have an idea I have not thought of. I thank each of you for praying, for fasting, and standing with me as we watch God move over these next 14 days!!! HE IS ABLE!!!