Daily Devotional for Monday March 31, 2014
I have Refused to Sell Out to the Temptations of Great Financial Gain
(John 14:6, Ephesians 2:8,9)
***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, how do you feel about the Pope confessing his sins to a priest? I thought Catholics believed the Pope was infallible.
ANSWER: First, it was refreshing to see the Pope admit he is a man, and like any man, he sins. First John tells us that if we say we are without sin we lie. The whole doctrine of Papal Infallibility is just one of numerous "man-made traditions" in the Roman Catholic Church that either has zero Biblical support or is in direct contradiction to the Bible. Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
"Bill, our God is great and His people are wonderful! Program manager called. He apologized and said I still have my job. Thank you for praying!"
"Pastor Bill, on March 8th, 2014 my husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary!! We have been back together now for over 2 years! Our God is indeed a miraculous God! We have never been so close. Our love is stronger than ever! I knew God would bring him back to me if I was patient. I thank him every day for the strength he gave me and wanted you to know your prayers were heard and answered. You have made a huge difference in my life and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Continue in God's work and may He richly bless you!!!"
"Your prayers for my lost cat helped bring her back home safe & sound! I know it may have sounded silly, but I love her like she were my own child. I live in the desert in Phoenix with coyotes & hawks and she could have been easily killed. Thank you so much for taking the time and praying with me for her."
"Pastor Keller, my name is Bob. I'm a single parent raising my 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son. I've never been a very strong believer in religion, but my friend Tom sent me a copy of your Daily Devotional and I subscribed. I've never lived a very good life. I've been involved with alcohol and drug use in the past but am well past that now. My children's mother only calls every five or six months or so and I feel that we all need something more in our lives. I don't want them to miss out on anything, especially on something that will make them grow to be better people. I think I'm ready to accept Jesus in my life but I don't know how. If you could help to show me how to start I would really appreciate it Pastor."
"Mr. Keller, I wanted to send you a thank you for your Daily Devotionals. My father has been going through a difficult time and has just recently signed onto the internet. I decided that I would share the Daily Devotional with him as he is a very spiritual man. He sent me an email stating the Daily Devotionals could not have been a more inspirational and healing thing for him. Thank You, from a very appreciative Daily Devotional reader."
"Pastor Bill, I've prayed the prayer and have received the Lord into my heart! I know with Jesus my life will be better and am looking forward to growing in my faith. I have read your Daily Devotional off and on for years when my mom sends them to me. Today, it came at the exact right moment for where I was at in my life and I want to thank you for being there and doing what you do."
My dear friends and co-laborers in His work here at Liveprayer. The emails like the ones above we have received daily for nearly 15 years now, the real lives that have been impacted, many for eternity by our work here, is what has kept be going literally 24/7/365 through this last decade and a half.
The attacks are daily. Obviously some days much worse than others, but not a day goes by we aren't dealing with some issues that are designed to slow down or ultimately end Liveprayer. I have learned how to live with the attacks, knowing that the "battle is the Lord's" and He is there each moment watching over me and His work here at Liveprayer.
I have refused to sell out to the temptations of great financial gain, refused to compromise the Truth of God's Word no matter how many donors quit supporting us, refused to be silent knowing it is easier to raise funds if I didn't talk about the difficult issues, and refused to be part of the political games of big time ministry that enables them to attract multi-million dollar gifts.
I didn't answer God's call to the ministry 22 years ago for money, or for fame, or for any other reason than to serve the Lord who died on that cross for me, pray for people saved or not in that time of need everyone comes to in their lives, and boldly proclaim the Gospel as the only hope for this life and all eternity in order to see people come to faith and Jesus and be saved!
Trust me, over these many years I have had SCORES of opportunities to turn Liveprayer into just another typical ministry that generates millions of dollars allowing me to live like the ruler of a small nation by simply playing the games ALL of the major ministries must play to generate the kind of finances they do. In the end, I never forget I will die one day and want to be able to stand before my Lord and say, " I was faithful, I never sold You out, and have given You everything I have!"
That is why Liveprayer has never needed huge buildings and staffs that need to be supported. We don't ask people to help us so we can buy private jets, high-end luxury cars, and mansions. I have ONLY asked people to help me to bring the Truth of God's Word to the lost masses in the marketplace, and to be here in able to minister to people worldwide each day and pray for their needs.
If Liveprayer just had the cost of what many ministries pay in gas for their private jets, what they pay in maintenance fees each year on their buildings, their annual AMX bills for staying in luxury while on the road, we would never have to worry about the funds we need to impact the lives of people worldwide living without Christ, most churches and major ministries have abandoned because those people aren't likely to send them a "love gift!"
Look at what happened recently to World Vision. ONE BILLION IN DONATIONS ANNUALLY! Money is the only reason a Chrisitian ministry would even for a second consider hiring openly homosexual couples to work there in order to be politically correct! Like ALL major ministries, supporting such a huge operation is why these ministries end up putting money raising schemes ahead of ministry and why usually less than 50% goes to what their mission is once you work through their creative accounting. Sadly, ALL of these huge ministries end up compromising the Word, playing the political games necessary to raise the incredible dollars they need each year simply to self-perpetuate.
As we are at the final day of March, Liveprayer is in a desperate, critical situation financially. Over 22 years we have been at this place several times, and every time God has honored our faith by sending several key people with the ability to help us and hundreds of others being faithful to step up and be counted!
We need $27,000 to cover the balance of our March basic internet operations. *I need $5,000 of that by the end of business today (Monday). That can happen by wire transfer, or if you have a Wells Fargo branch near you, simply depositing the funds into our operations account there. I am asking ONE FRIEND of this minsitry to contact me ( Email me: bkeller@liveprayer.com ) as early as possible today to get the information you will need to get that money into our account before 5pm.
I need the other $22,000 between tomorrow and Wednesday. I am praying in faith for 1-4 friends of Liveprayer who can overnight a gift (send it FedEx or UPS for 10:30 delivery and mark: Bill Receiver) of $5,000 or more, or you can put it on your credit card before NOON or as early as possible Monday. That would cover that final amount of our March operations which are critical to simply keeping Liveprayer going.
If everyone else who can make a sacrifce of $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, $1,000 or more will be faithful and obedient to send the most generous gift possible by mail, or put it on your credit card or give via Paypal ( http://www.liveprayer.com/donation.cfm ), that will enable us to get off to a positive start in covering the $40,000 we will need for our April basic internet operations so we aren't in this place at the end of April.
*To send a 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. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.
--->The other immediate need is for the Liveprayer TV program. We were supposed to make a payment of $25,160 last week for our next 4 weeks programs (20 nights) starting tonight. The station has given us until this coming Friday to make that payment, or at least be able to send them a copy of a Cashier's Check this Friday that they will get on Monday the 7th. Otherwise, we will lose our contract and this coming Friday will be our final program in that market. That would be an incredible setback!!!
Being on in Chicagoland, a market with 10 million people, "live" from 11p-1a CDT Mon-Fri is a HUGE part of getting a national syndication contract in the coming months. That would enable us to have a true national presence and real voice in the national secular media daily helping us to influence the spiritual course of this nation!
We have been on in Chicago on WJYS-TV62 since February, and after just 2 months are already pulling apx 200,000 viewers from that market each night. We are also seeing donations beginning to come in from the viewers in that market! By the end of the 6th month (July) we will have a large enough following and new donors from Chicagoland to see our monthly TV costs covered by the viewers!
I love and care about you so much! So, you have heard my heart. I have been obedient over these many years and never played games or insulted your intelligence by promising things Scripture does not just to get you to send a donation. I have simply prayed over this Devotional and asked the Lord to bless the words to open the hearts of those who can help me with His work here at Liveprayer at this most critical time in the spritual life of this nation.
As you know, Liveprayer is one of the very few ministries daring to constantly go into the marketplace, in the secular media, and boldly challenge the lies of satan with the Truth of God's Word without compromise! Anyone who has lived 30 years or more can clearly see the spritual freefall our nation is in, and Liveprayer is the ONLY major ministry with the proven minsitry tools and plan in place to turn our nation back to God and HIS Truth!!!
The tens of millions of lives impacted, 800,000 souls we know of who have come to faith in Jesus over 15 yrs of Liveprayer.com and 10 years of Liveprayer TV have only been possible because of YOUR love, YOUR prayers, and YOUR generous sacrifce. We have come a LONG way together over these past 15 years, but our work isn't over yet. Our greatest challenge is ahead of us as we help spark a true national revival while turning this nation back to God and HIS Truth!!!
I NEED YOU NOW MORE THAN EVER TO PRAY AND STAND WITH ME!!!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller