MAY 2003 VOL 6 NUM 4
Dear Friends,
This has been such a busy season, in the past month we've seen at least 30 saved, many more delivered, and a local man healed of cancer (after the doctors did all they could and there was no hope, then the REAL HOPE JESUS SHOWED UP). I had to really make an effort to make time to sit and write this. We started writing newsletters 6 years ago for 2 reasons. The first is to remember all the good things the Lord does daily and to thank Him for it. The second was to share with y’all who pray for us and support us the results of those prayers. It is wonderful to hear that many get saved, but it is even better when you hear details. Like the man in jail who is finally desperate, he knows he has messed up, he misses his wife and children his life ruined because of a few beers, some stupid words, a brawl and eventually a dead body. On any other day you would have thought he was a nice guy. But the book of Jeremiah says the heart of man is wicked above all things, who can understand it? Without Jesus there is no such thing as a nice guy. Without Jesus there is no such thing as a good heart. But with Jesus there is LOVE JOY AND PEACE!! In abundance. Yes there are struggles and lots of persecution, we’ve seen plenty lately, but there is still peace. There is still joy, and the love is indescribable. It is impossible to know true love outside of Jesus. That man in jail melted under the power of conviction, he admitted he couldn’t do it on his own, he submitted to Jesus and although he may spend the rest of his life behind bars, he is free! He is free!!! He now has a purpose for life. But it didn’t come easy, and it will probably get harder, but there is absolutely nothing out there that is worth trading that peace for. I once explained to a man what salvation felt like from my own testimony. I told him that even as a child I remember waking up with that guilty feeling, like I had done something wrong, and how could I ever fix it. But that is what salvation is all about, freedom from guilt, and as long as you keep coming back to HIM you have that freedom, no matter where you are or what you have done. But it HAS TO come by way of Jesus. There is no other way. Many have tried, many who call themselves Christian are still trying. There are no shortcuts, absolutely none. You must walk the road that Jesus walked, and you must do it daily. Or you begin to lose it, that freedom. Then you get in a rut, and soon you get that guilty feeling again, and you run out to get the newest worship CD, that newest book, but it doesn’t work. No shortcuts. As in all relationships you get out of it what you put in to it. How is your relationship with Jesus today? A dear sister shared a great revelation years ago, she said, "you know, I always thought I was reading the Bible for God, then I realized He already knows it all!" She was so right, fasting, praying, worship, study, it is all for us, a means for us to get closer to HIM, to know HIM better. Do you know why your prayers are better answered when you fast? Because you are more sensitive to His voice and you can pray more effectively. You aren’t doing God a favor by fasting, He is doing you a favor by honoring your hunger for Him above your hunger for earthly things. "Oh Lord, whatever it takes to get closer to you, to know you better, to feel your breath on my life." Then comes revelation and you see a new side of Him that you haven’t seen before. And you fall in love with Him all over again. Every day.
ANSWERED PRAYER- A couple weeks ago the Lord gave us a gift, a NEW VAN!!! Wow, there is a miracle in our driveway!!! It is a 12 passenger van, looks like a church bus, WHAT A COINCIDENCE!!!! And what color is it, new wine color of course. Jesus knew exactly what we needed and provided through His servants, thank you all for the prayers!! What was the first thing we were blessed to be able to use it for? Well, give a ride to Billy Graham of course.
BILLY GRAHAM PAULOSE-For years we have been honored to consider Billy Graham Paulose from India a dear friend. He was recently in our area, so we picked him up in Columbia and had him on the radio with us, what an honor. His family is every bit as well respected in India as the Billy Graham in America. They are humble servants of Jesus who have paid the price to know Him intimately. He shared with us on air many testimonies and about the training center they are currently building. As he shared about the training center the Lord gave me a vision of Solomon’s Temple and showed me the FIRE OF GOD descending upon it, I could actually here it! He showed me that what Billy and his family are doing is HIS plan and that the GLORY and the FIRE of Heaven will dwell there. It is not a monument or a cathedral to man, but a place where the Lord’s presence will be felt. It will truly be a blazing light in the midst of darkness where darkness has reigned for many generations. Watch for it, India will be home to one of the greatest revivals man has ever known. ( that was a "thus sayeth the LORD" for those of you who didn’t recognize it!) If you would like to join in this vision that will birth a revival you can contact Billy at billybcm1@yahoo.com or at their US connection, Body of Christ Ministries /UV P.O. Box 1848 Bandon OR 97411. Tel # 541-347-1910
COUNTY JAIL AND PRISON-There has been an increasing amount of hunger, men that actually want Jesus to change them. There must first be surrender, and that is what is happening, men surrendering to Jesus with all their heart. Learning how to truly worship, not just singing the songs but true worship. Learning how to love Jesus, really love Him, more than loving your own life. All of this leads to salvation, deliverance, and healing. Many of the men have joined Jim in a covenant of fasting and prayer.
RADIO, COWBOYS FOR CHRIST, HOME MEETINGS, AND EVANGELISM-All these and more keep us busy on a regular basis, in addition to the prison work. But it all takes a back seat to the real part of the ministry. The real part is HIM, spending time with Him. If we don’t spend time with Him, we don’t know how to operate in HIS KINGDOM! If we are operating in our own strength then things are only temporary instead of eternal. Yes we spend hours of time each day in prayer and worship before we go to any kind of ministry, and we would even if we had no ministry to do. But ministering to others flows from what happens when you minister to God. Try it, see if I’m wrong.
TAKING THE LAND-As a family we have been studying the book of Joshua, interesting how the Lord gives you just what you need right when you need it! What has he been telling us ever since we moved here? TAKE THE LAND!!!!! Then He puts us in Joshua. There is only one thing that truly bothers us, you can mock us, spit on us, persecute us, and threaten our lives and we will say "oh well". But the thing that really gets us is when you get in the way of our worship, our private peace with God. That time of communing with HIM. Well that is what has happened since we moved to Lawrence County, and I am finally figuring it out. Jesus has put a mandate to us to TAKE THE LAND, and made it impossible to ignore it!! The Lord put us in a beautiful place, paradise, but just outside our property lines is like Sodom and Gommorah!! Over the hill to one side is a shooting range, sounds like a war zone (it is!) sometimes. To the other side is a historic bridge where people come to party with all the filth and immorality that comes with drugs and alcohol. None of this was obvious on that quiet Sunday afternoon when we told the previous owner, "we’ll take it". We knew God said, "this is it", so we agreed. Does Jesus do that! He sure does. Then last summer a young unmarried unsaved couple from out of state bought the property beteewn us and the bridge, they still can’t figure out why it feels like they live in a war zone, but they do. It is a war between light and dark, and the light will overcome the darkness. So here it is, in order to maintain what we have going with Jesus, there must be peace in this valley, we must take the land for HIM. HE must be pronounced KING over this area!!!! About 14 months ago the bridge was closed, and the only way in or out on our side is to drive past our house on the county road which runs through our property. Our property is HIS property. So will you agree with us, pray with us, that The presence of the Lord will be so strong that no one can drive through with out feeling HIM in His fullness, that they will bow and submit to Him or go elsewhere, that they feel a definite boundary line, that they feel welcome if they are willing to submit, and that they feel unwelcome if they are unwilling to submit, that HOLINESS REIGNS, and that immorality is removed, that drunkenness, and drug use and sale will not be tolerated in the name of Jesus, that lewd nakedness and sexual immorality will not be tolerated in the name of Jesus, that thievery and lies will not be tolerated in the name of Jesus. That the army of partygoers will become David’s army "in the cave", that the entire area will become Jesus territory. That every step we take will now have the authority of MANY prayers all in agreement with the purposes of JESUS. That this will truly become the Valley of Beracah as He showed us before we moved here. That anyone with evil purposes will be removed and realize their defeat. That we will be clothed with Jesus every step of the way. HIS WILL BE DONE!!!!! After this side of the bridge area is taken for Him, next will be the other side, the beautiful beach area that has been defiled with filth, it will be cleansed by HIS BLOOD and HIS LOVE and many will be saved and baptized there!!!!! It is just land owned by an absentee owner that does not care how it is used or by whom, so it has been taken over by the enemy, but not for long. It is time to get offensive. What is our strategy for taking the land? The Jehoshaphat approach of course. (2 CHRONICLES 20)
CONFIRMATIONS-We were so absolutely blessed this past weekend attend a worship conference, where the Lord confirmed so many things. A couple that was sitting behind Jim heard him singing and asked if he was a worship leader. For those of you who have heard him play the tambourine, you know how funny that question was. But it wasn’t really, that was the point of the whole conference, worship with your heart, pour your whole being into it and others can’t help but join in. The musical talent and ability cannot touch "whole hearted worship". Jason Upton has such a precious heart, all Jesus, no career aspirations.
IN CLOSING-So that’s what we’ve been up to, how about you? Please also agree with us that the Lord provides as we work on more writings and recordings and that He gives me the understanding to learn what I need to put together a webpage with recordings on it, some teaching some worship. We are working on some new materials, to be available soon I hope. One of our tracts was recently published in "An Encouraging Word" magazine. You can subscribe at .http://www.anencouragingword.net/aewindex.html
Thank you so much to those of you who support us monthly in agreement prayer and also gifts, we work and Jesus supplies through your obedience. We thank you so much, please let us know how we can pray for you. We seriously take your requests to the Holy Hill.
IN HIS SERVICE,
PENNY & JIM RAINE