Daily Devotional for Tuesday September 20, 2011

Christians Better Prepare for Real Persecuation

(Haggai 1:5,6)

"Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.' " Haggai 1:5,6

The economy continues to decline as Christians better prepare for real persecution. It is sad that you won't hear the truth about the economy on Christian TV and radio. I understand they don't want to talk about it, since they are afraid it will scare people into not giving them money. So they simply ignore the most important event happening in our nation today that is affecting most everyone's life. I have also yet to see anyone in the Christian media with the foresight to warn the people about the existing and ramped up persecution of Christians. This is not something that may happen, this is something that IS happening!

Let me give you the bottom line on the economy and some counsel. I shared with you several year ago, that God could very easily use the economy as a form of His judgment on this nation for our sins and wickedness. Over the past few years, tens of millions of people have lost their jobs, and many have lost millions in the markets and other investments. I remember distinctly telling you that the reason all of the economists, business executives, politicians, and pundits had no answer since they were looking for an economic answer to fix a spiritual problem.

Despite borrowing trillions of dollars, all of the governments efforts have failed. Once again, there are no real answers on the horizon other than to keep giving away money we don't have to different sectors. Bank of America announced it is laying off 40,000 people. The US Post Office is billions in the red and most likely will be laying off tens of thousands. The fact is, a large percentage of the jobs lost in this country, are permanently gone! They aren't coming back!

Over the course of the last few years, the United States Government now has an equity stake in the major banks, the auto industry, the largest insurance company in the world, the health care industry, as well as the real estate market which is the sector of the economy that started this economic disaster. Even though the government claims that these are only short term positions to help these various industries during this downturn, as I told you in an earlier Devotional, they are going to be in these equity positions for a long time because there are no signs of any turn around for quite a while in any of these sectors.

Coming at the same time as the economic crisis, is going to be the first real taste of persecution Christians in this nation have ever tasted. President-elect Obama ran his Presidential campaign with typical Chicago political thuggary. He sought to intimidate and silence anyone who opposed him. He has an "internet army" of 3.1 million who patrol the Net to go after anyone who has the audacity to question Obama and target those who oppose him. Trust me, Christians who speak out against Obama's support of killing babies, the radical homosexual agenda, and his favor towards Palestine, are targets of his internet army. I deal with it daily!

My friend, the Godless, the secular humanists, those who have rejected Christ and the Bible, see this as their big opportunity to silence once and for all those who still hold to faith in Jesus Christ and believe the Bible is the Word of God and our only Truth. As aggressive as they have been in the past, they will be even more aggressive in the coming months and years. Add to their efforts activist judges who legislate from the bench, and you have a climate ripe for real persecution of those who take their faith into the public square.

Please understand, most churches won't be affected because they don't speak up now, and if they do, it is behind closed doors. Those who will be the targets of this persecution are those who will dare to go into the public square and declare the Truth of the Bible. They will become easy targets as they will be labeled as hate mongers, purveyors of hate speech, intolerant, radicals, extremists, and find little sympathy from the Christ-less masses for whatever they have to endure.

I love you and care about you so much. Listen to me! As for the economy, there are incredible flaws in the business models of many of these companies that were bailed out. All the money in the world can't make a bad business work. It only allows that business to stay afloat. That is why government intervening in the free markets is foolish, unless it plans to nationalize those businesses like the communist countries do. I don't see anything positive happening in the economy for a very long time, if ever, if indeed this is one of the ways God is going to punish this nation.

For those who love the Lord, He will watch over you. You may lose your job, but God will give you a new job. You may lose money in the markets, God will insure your needs are met. You may be struggling right now, but don't worry, God has not forsaken you and will provide. Many of you God will give great favor to and despite the economic downturn, you will flourish and prosper! You have a good job and are earning a good wage so that God can use you in a big way to help keep His work funded and moving forward.

I know the economy is a huge issue and is gong to continue to be a huge issue. I pray today as God keeps you employed, keeps funds flowing through your home, and even in this downturn, gives you great favor and blessings in your finances. May He entrust in your hands resources, so that you can help employ those resources to further His work here on earth. The enemy is well financed in their quest to lead souls to hell. We need to be well financed as we fight satan for those same souls, helping to lead them to everlasting life with their Creator in Heaven!!!

As for the coming persecution. I refuse to change or compromise, even though I realize that I have a huge bulls-eye on my back. I refuse to be intimidated or bullied and will keep pushing forward to reach even more people with God's Truth no matter what the obstacles may be. Now more than ever our work here is critical to insure God's Truth is heard in the marketplace by the lost and hurting masses. Every day I hear of churches closing their doors, ministries having to shut down for a lack of funding. We have been down over 65% in our donations from just two years ago. However, God is our source and I continue to walk in faith each day, knowing that the Lord can raise up new people to support our work financially, and give favor to those in the Liveprayer family who faithfully support His work here!!!

***(From and email I received yesterday) "Bill, I wanted to add this word of testimony and encouragement. I am on disability for a sometimes severe and painful chronic condition. My husband got laid off two years ago and hasn't found a job yet. I have been determined to keep up my support of Liveprayer, even though logically I didn't know how I could. I still don't know, but by God's grace, I haven't missed one month of my support of your critical work for the Lord. WHAT A BLESSING IT IS FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS! Thank you for the opportunity to be part of a ministry that is laying up treasures in heaven!!!"

So many like this dear friend, make the sacrifce each month to help me keep our work for the Lord moving forward. Please take a moment today and pray about what sacrifice you can make to help me. Liveprayer has cut back all we can to continue our daily operations, feeding over 2.4 million souls worldwide each day, sending personal responses to over 40,000 emails every day for prayer and counsel, all for free.

With 11 days left in September, we have finally covered the $5,000 from our August operations shortfall. Praise God! We now need to focus on the $40,000 for September's operations, plus the last $20,000 of the $150,000 I asked the Lord to deliver by the end of April so we could catch up all basic operational expenses we have been in arrears. That is $60,000 to have everything paid by the end of the month. I am simply asking you to pray and see what the Lord would have you do today to help me as we press forward to fulfilling all the Lord has called us to do here at Liveprayer.

TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card on our secure server at: www.liveprayer.com under the "Donation" link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: bkeller@liveprayer.com,or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Ave. North, St.Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.

Know that you and your family are in my prayers each day. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support as we take our stand in these last days. The time is very short, Jesus is coming at any moment, OUR TIME IS NOW!!!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller