LivePrayerDaily Devotional for Wednesday February 9, 2011
As a Man of Flesh and Blood I can Empathize with Other Men of Flesh and Blood in the Bible
(John 3:16)
As a man of flesh and blood, I can empathize with other men of flesh and blood like Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, and so many others we read about in the pages of the Bible. You see, they all had a deep and abiding relationship with God. They knew when God was speaking to them. They all took great steps of faith to accomplish what God had called them to do.
For Noah, it was God calling him to build a great ark to save the human race. How many days, weeks, months, years, did he toil building that ark while everyone around him mocked and laughed at him. For Abraham, it was leaving the comfort and prestige of Ur to go to "a land I will show you." Not to a specific destination, but one only God knew and required Abraham to leave by pure faith.
For Moses, it was first leading the children of Israel out of bondage to the Egyptians, and than to build the tabernacle with no money. He had to trust God in both cases since there was no certainty the people would follow him, and even after they did, no reason the people would sacrifce their personal treasures to help build a tabernacle to God.
For David, despite being a man of war and sinning in such a visible way as he did with Bathsheba, he still trusted God each step of his life from the battle with Goliath, to his very last days as king of Israel. For Paul, taking off on missionary journeys to the pagan cities of his day to tell them the good news of Jesus Christ. He trusted God for his journeys, for favor with the people he would speak to, and the gifts necessary from those who had given their life to Jesus to make it all happen.
Nearly 12 yrs ago, God told me to start an internet site when less than a million people even had the internet, that would bring hope to the hurting, salvation to the lost, and God's truth to this dark world we live in. I didn't even own a computer, the ministry had no money, yet BY FAITH, just like Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Paul, men of flesh and blood, I BELIEVED GOD AND TOOK MY WOK OF FAITH!
Here we are, in February of 2011. Tens of millions of lives worldwide have been impacted by Liveprayer over nearly 12 years. Over 2.4 million souls worldwide are fed daily through the Daily Devotional. Every 24 hours we receive 40,000 emails for prayer and counsel. Best of all, over 500,000 souls we know of will be in Heaven due to our efforts and faith.
During these past 12 yrs, I have had many opportunities to slip into the "Christian trough" that consists of the Christian media, the churches, and the vast majority of ministries. It would have been easy to live in the applause, comfort, and profitability of that subculture. However, I did not give my life to Christ for applause, for comfort, to make money. I gave my life to Christ to give hope to the hopeless, salvation through faith in Jesus to the lost, and to help lead a nation in spiritual freefall back to God and His Truth.
Over the years, it has been millions of friends like you praying, thousands of friends like you making sacrifices, sometimes great sacrifices, to help Liveprayer accomplish all it has. Back in 2007, I told you in a Devotional that the world as we know it was going to change greatly in the coming year. God was no longer going to sit back and watch a nation slaughter 4,000 innocent babies every day, make a mockery of His holy institution of marriage, see every type of perverted sexual act promoted and glorified, have His plan for the family altered...while men worshipped and bowed down to every false god and idol they had created in their evil minds!
So I walked by faith, and from day one have simply shared our needs to get through to the end of that month, got on my knees, and prayed for God to move on hearts to give so we could minister one more month. With the recent decline in the economy, our donations, like everyone, are down. Nearly 65%. In a tight situation, I had a wonderful group of 30 people I could call on to help with a gift of $5,000, $10,000, even $20,000. That group had dwindled down to just 2 for the past 18 months due to several deaths and a downturn in businesses, primarily those in real estate. As of this January even the last 2 are having difficulties in their businesses.
I come to you today at a great crossroads. By the grace of God, and in His perfect timing, after several months of rejection we have finally got a location in NYC by ground zero for the permanent home of the "9-11 Christian Center at Ground Zero." The final lease should be signed early next week, at which time I will hold a press conference to announce the address. Satan has done everything possible over these past 3 months to keep us from having a permanent home. I will share all of this struggle in the coming weeks to give YOU inspiration in the challenges you face in trying to serve the Lord.
Because we had counted on having the location tied down the first of November, opening in January, they delay has put us in a very difficult financial potion. However, NOTHING is too hard for God!
By the end of this month, we need to bring in $500,000. Again, NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR GOD! We need $460,000 for the opening of the evangelistic center, that includes a daily 30 minute program in the NYC market and around the nation on superstation WWOR. We have had $40,000 of $500,000 we needed in dedicated donations for the center so far, leaving us needing $460,000. We also have just finished paying off the balance of our January operation budget, so we still need to raise the $40,000 for February. So that is a total of $500,000
Here is a breakdown of our needs. For Liveprayer.com, $40,000. We have a bandwidth bill, which is the most critical of all since it is what allows us to broadcast our website and all of the audio, video content 24/7.on the internet that is due immediately of $15,000. The other $25,000 is operational expenses we need to have paid by the end of the month.
For the "9-11 Christian Center at Ground Zero," we need to cover the $80,000 deposit for the location next week when the lease is ready, now that it has been approved. We have to pre-pay the first two months of our air-time on WWOR, which is $40,000 a month, so that is $80,000. By the way, to reach the entire NYC market, plus over 50 million cable households 5 days a week for only $10,000 a week is a great deal. The other $300,000 covers our permits, build-out, and all of the furnishings and equipment needed for the new center.
I am asking the Lord to move on 4 special hearts today. One to cover our $15,000 bandwidth bill. Another to cover the $80,000 deposit. And two to cover the first two months we have to pre-pay for the TV program on WWOR.
You know, I get emails daily telling me to stop asking for money. Question? Why does President Obama, the Republican Party, and other politicians send out over 1 million letters and emails a week asking people for money to support their political ideology? Why does the heart fund, or the cancer society, your local arts center, the zoo, or botanical gardens constantly ask you for money? Why does your church, every other ministry ask you for money?
I could never ask you for a dime for myself, however if every kind of organization under the sun believes in what they are doing to ask people to support them, I certainly have no shame to ask for your help! The fact is, we do more with less than any non-profit, church or Christian minsitry I know of. That is because I don't use your money for buildings, huge staffs, private jets, multi-million dollar salaries for me and family members, to buy 10 million dollar beachfront mansions, or new Bentleys. Listen, if you want to give for those things that is up to you.
NINETY THREE CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR WE RAISE GOES TO WHAT WE DO! THAT IS SAVING SOULS, BRINGING HOPE TO THE HURTING, AND TO CHANGE THE SPRITUAL COURSE OF THIS NATION BEFORE WE SEE THE WRATH AND PUNISHMENT OF ALMIGHTY GOD UNLEASHED ON OUR LAND!!!
I need everyone today to pray! Pray for God to move on hearts who are able to help me at this critical time. I also need you to forward this Devotional to everyone you know who loves the Lord and wants to see God put back on the throne of this nation and His Truth proclaimed across the land. Lastly, even if you have to dig our a quarter from the couch, I need everyone reading this make a sacrifce to help me.
The Bible teaches to give according to our ability to give. For some, it may be just a quarter you find in the couch. For others, it may be $1, or $5. Still others, especially those who are working can give $20, $50, $100. Still others who God has blessed can send a gift of $200, $500, $1,000, even $10,000, $20,000, $100,000, or $1 million. People give $1 million every day to causes they care about. Is the eternal soul of a nation, the souls of millions of people worth $1 million if you have the ability to send such a gift?????
The key is the $500,000 we need by the end of this month, After praying, the most efficient way to get this initial amount in on time is to break it up into 100 $5,000 units. So far, we have had 10 units committed and need 90 more. We will be placing a gorgeous plaque in the lobby of the new center with 100 engraved leafs, each one in honor or memoriam of someone special in the life of the person giving the $5,000 unit for that leaf.
For a special gift of $100,000, we will name the new chapel in honor of a person the donor designates.
In addition, I need 100 people to give a gift of $1,000 for the "9-11 Memorial Prayer Room." We will also have a special plaque there with 100 leafs engraved in honor of the person the donor designates. So far, we have had 10 people make this sacrifce.
--->Lastly, to help cover the construction costs of the new "9-11 Christian Center at Ground Zero," we have 10,000 bricks that people can personally engrave for $100 each, that will form the main walls of the sanctuary where souls will be saved, and a nation will be turned back to God and His Truth!!! This is an incredible opportunity to honor someone you love, and memorialize them at a place millions of people will visit, and God will use to bring revival to this nation!!! To get 1 or multiple personally engraved bricks, please go to: www.liveprayer.com/brick
I am asking you today to pray about taking 1 or more of the $5,000 or $1,000 units we are offering, or at least one engraved brick. I realize for many this could be an incredible sacrifce, but when have you ever had the opportunity to be part of something that can literally change the spiritual direction of this nation???
NOW IS THE TIME AND THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!
***To make a special gift to the 9-11 Christian Center at Ground Zero, you can send your gift to Liveprayer on your major credit card at our website www.liveprayer.com under the "Donation" button, or you can give from your PayPal account by using my email address, bkeller@liveprayer.com , or you can mail it to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33709. One the credit card or PayPal form after your name simply mark (9-11). Also, in the notes section of your check mark (9-11). This will insure all of the gifts towards this special projects go to that cause. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.
--->I really need several people who have the ability to help me today. If you can overnight or wire to our bank $5,000 or more to help me cover our $15,000 bandwidth bill so our website doesn't go down, please contact me for the instructions at: bkeller@liveprayer.com
I have been on the front lines, taking the bullets, for nearly 20 years now. I refuse to retreat to the safety and profitability of the "Christian trough" while this nation is destroyed by satan and his minions and souls needlessly end up in hell. I have but one life, and when it was over, I want to be able to stand before God and know that I gave everything I had for the Kingdom. I want to take my last breath knowing my life's work is complete and I held nothing back in my service for the Lord.
I have only been able to fight this fight these past 2 decades because of dear friends like you. Now more than ever I need you to stand with me. Pray, give as you are able in accordance with what the Bible teaches, and take your stand with me. The time is short, the spiritual state of this nation hangs in the balance, the souls of hundreds of millions of people are at stake. It is time to act!!! THE ONLY WAY SATAN CAN KEEP ME DOWN IS BY LIMITING OUR FINANCES!!!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller