Daily Devotional for Thursday February 26, 2015
Standing Against Evil and For The Lord in These Final Days
(Matthew 5:11,12, 1 Peter 4:16)
***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, I cry out to you today. I have no place to turn but to you. My life is yours. Do with it as you will and I will obediently serve you with my very last breath. IN the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..AMEN!
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Matthew 5:11,12
Pastor Bill, I saw this quote and immediately thought of you and your ministry. God bless you for taking a stand against evil and for our Lord in this present age. You are in inspiration to all Believers!!!
"Some one, then, must undertake the ungracious task of probing and laying bare the evils of the age; for men must not be allowed to congratulate themselves that all is well. If others will not, he will. If others shrink from the obloquy of such a work, he will not. He loves the age too well; he loves his nation too well; he loves his fellow-men too well. They may upbraid him; they may call him a misanthropist, or a prophet of evil; they may ascribe his warnings to the worst of motives, such as pride, or arrogance, or self-esteem, or malice, or envy; but he will give no heed to these unjust insinuations. He will prefer being thus misunderstood and maligned, to allowing men to precipitate themselves upon a ruin which they see not. Rather than that they should perish, he will allow his own good name to be spoken against. He will risk every thing, even the hatred of brethren, rather than withhold the warning." -Horatius Bonar (December 19, 1808 - May 31, 1889)
I am honored that this dear friend of the ministry who sent the above quote, would even think of me in these terms. Bonar was a Scottish churchman, poet, and hymn writer who lived a long and faithful life of service to our Lord. As I read the words he penned, it was humbling, since I could not think of a better epitaph when my work here is over and I am on to my eternal rest. It is the most accurate description of who I TRY to be each day and PRAY to be each day!
...I am most blessed among men to be able to wake up each day over these past 22 years of serving the Lord, especially the last 15+ years of Liveprayer.com and nearly 12 years of the Liveprayer TV program. As the great prayer warrior E.M. Bounds said, "Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still!"
...I am in awe of God since I could have never imagined how God would use my life. At the time Liveprayer.com began I didn't even own a computer, yet over these years tens of millions of lives have been impacted, over 100 million emails for prayers responded to, we have an archive of just over 9 million praise reports, and now over 900,000 souls we know of have come to faith in Jesus. I did NOTHING but surrender my life completely to the Lord and He simply used my as His vessel!
...I am thankful daily for my dear friends who have faithfully prayed for me and those who have in many cases made great sacrifices for the Lord's work here at Liveprayer. I never forget for a day that nothing I do is possible without the prayers and support of my dear friends in the Liveprayer family.
...My heart breaks daily as I see the tens of thousands of people daily who come to Liveprayer for prayer. So many hurting people, so many needs. Only a great and mighty God is able to give people the strength to live through their problems while imparting His peace and joy to them as He leads them to their answers.
...I HATE satan for how he purposely destroys lives and helps lead people's souls to hell!
...Having lived long enough to remember when this nation mostly respected God and Biblical Truth, I can't believe in my short life how far from our Creator and His Truth we have fallen. I fight daily to see this nation turn back to God and His Truth, yet so often feel like that fight is in vain.
...The "Church of Jesus Christ" has become weak and virtually useless for the most part in this battle for souls and the soul of our nation. The vast majority of churches are exactly like the 7 churches in Revelation. Sadly, it will only be when God's ultimate judgment is meted out upon this nation that the church under great persecution will once again be the church.
...I praise God daily for those few churches who have not compromised the Truth, led by a shrinking minority of pastors who are true shepherds as described in John 10, and the remnant that exists today who won't bow their knee to baal! This small minority of true followers of Christ is all that is holding this nation from seeing God's ultimate wrath and judgment poured out for our sins, wickedness, and rebellion to God!
...I see so much so clear long before it actually happens. It is a wonderful gift from God, but a curse since few others see or understand what I am telling them and many simply write me off as another "religious nut." Sadly, when it is too late, I am vindicated though I take little comfort or pleasure in "being right."
...Few people will ever know or understand the personal price I have paid over these last 22 years. I have literally given my life to the Lord's work, surrendering my life and the things of this world for His service. I am comforted by the words of Jesus when he said, "Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
...I despise having to raise money. I started the ministry 22 years ago with nothing personally, and today still have nothing personally. This has NEVER been about money for me, but MINISTRY. All I have ever asked God for was not personal wealth, but the funds required to do His work as each new month dawns.
...I have always told people to take care of their family first, to make sure they have food on the table and their bills covered before they ever send a dime to Liveprayer.
...Prior to the economic collapse 6 years ago, I only had to share our needs 2-3x a month because I had a small group of 20 people who I could always call or email that had the ability and willingness to help with a gift of anywhere from $5,000-$20,000. Many times over these last 15+ years we have had friends who were able to send us $10,000, $20,000, even $50,000 at critical times so I never had to share those critical needs with everyone. Sadly, that group through the economic downturn in 2008 that hurt so many different businesses and people personally, through several going to be with the Lord, is down to only 1 who can only do so much so often leaving me with no choice but to share our needs with the entire Liveprayer family and trust in faith for the Lord to move on the hearts of those able to help me.
...From day one, I have refused to play the games most churches and all of the major ministries play in order to raise money. I have seen every fundraising gimmick known to man and find them offensive and refuse to engage in those types of games. I have never or will ever exploit people by LYING to them how they can have great wealth or other financial benefits if they simply send money to Liveprayer as the perverted "prosperity gospel" so many preach falsely promise.
...Many in the "mainstream Christian world" don't even know about Liveprayer since I won't play ball which always involves raising money. I simply don't understand why churches and ministries with millions in real estate and other assets, continue to ask people for more. The heads of many of these ministries live in multi-million homes, often more than one, fly around in private jets, take in hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in personal income, yet still ask for more?
...Unlike the churches and major ministries, Liveprayer purposely reaches out to lost and hurting people OUTSIDE of the four walls of the church. Apx. 40% of those who get the Daily Devotional and 60% of those who view the TV program are NOT Christians. I am well aware that by going on the Christian networks, playing ball with other major ministries, we could raise virtually an unlimited amount of money each year. However, I am more worried about ministering to those the church and ministries have abandoned because they aren't their "target audience to raise money from" and seeing the lost won to Jesus!
...I am amazed at how we do so much with so little. All we do daily online costs us just over $1,300 a day and on TV for right at $1,200 a day. I am proud that right at .93 cents of every dollar goes directly to ministering to people, while most churches and ministries eat up 40%, 50%, even more in overhead and fundraising costs.
...Less than 1/4 of 1% of the people we reach online and on TV EVER send a dime to Liveprayer. I pray daily that the Lord will move on the hearts of those who God has ministered to and blessed through Liveprayer will make the sacrifce to help me with a gift that enables us to minister to others who would not hear about the love of Christ otherwise. It has always been the "few who have fed the many."
...When I ask God for the "desires of my heart," I ask Him to send one person who could help me with a special gift of $12 million dollars! Within one year we would not just lead over a million plus souls to faith in Jesus, but could make an impact on the spritual state of this nation like nobody would believe by expanding our existing platform 15 fold creating a massive force of light the world would not be able to ignore or fight!!! For context, this is what a local church with only 3000 member would spend on a building!
I love and care about you so much! Thank you for taking the time to pray and feel my words today. As I do daily, I never hold back as I share with you God's Truth on the issues of the day as well as my personal thoughts and feelings. Even though I speak daily to a mass worldwide audience online and over a hundred thousand people 5 nights a week on the TV program, I try to speak to the heart of each person I am able to reach.
Please know that you and your family are in my prayers. I pray daily for God's protection, for His provision, and for His blessings to be upon you as together we press forward towards the prize, bringing hope to the hurting, salvation through faith in Christ to the lost, and use this platform the Lord has built to lead our nation back to the Almighty and His Truth!!!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller