Dearest Friends,
.
2 Timothy 3:1 says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” The word Perilous is the Greek word that means: hard times, troublesome times, and dangerous times.
.
Few would argue that the times in which we live could be easily described in those terms. Due to the economic situation facing this Nation many have found themselves falling on hard times. Companies are making cutbacks. Businesses are suffering inflationary challenges and families are having to make hard decisions.
.
These are also very troublesome times. I cannot think of a time in recent memory where there was such division and uncertainty. One look at today’s political landscape and you see the reflective condition of our Nation. If you think that there is trouble now—just a wait a few months until the November elections!
.
One would also have to admit that these are also dangerous times. Over 4,000 American soldiers have given their lives in Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of others have also lost their lives in the past few years in middle east conflicts, ethnic cleansing and civil wars in Africa and the standard heinous crimes which occur each day in this World’s cities.
.
There are now an increasing number of drug-resistant diseases and have you ever heard of as many cases of staph infection occurring among hospital patients? A recent article was published that said a staggering percentage of young women had contracted sexually transmitted diseases.
.
Having said all of that: I am personally very encouraged!
.
These are indeed Perilous Times—but they are also Glorious Times as well. In the midst of all of the mayhem and madness we are seeing some of the most powerful moves of God that we have seen in twenty years of ministry. In a time where downsizing is common place—we are seeing the Lord Jesus “extend the places of our tent” like never before!
.
The depth, breadth and scope of this ministry has never been greater. What was just a few people out in the streets trying to be faithful to the call of God a few years ago—has now expanded to a proverbial ARMY of soul-winners and people passionate about seeing this world impacted by the message of the Gospel.
.
What we are seeing God do now cannot be contained in the cozy-confines of a stained glass edifice. It is spilling out into the streets of places like New Orleans (Louisiana), Miami (Florida), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Santa Rosa (California), and Albuquerque (New Mexico).
.
You may not hear about it on the evening news or on a special report from your favorite Christian television station. It may be “under the radar” of the casual observer—but it has certainly caught the attention of Heaven!
.
Luke 15:7 “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”
.
We are doing our best by the grace of God to keep “Heaven Rejoicing” over the lost and dying coming to repentance! What we are doing for His Kingdom will never be measured in memberships to the local Church of the Frozen Chosen. It will never be validated by a best-selling book chronicling our exploits.
.
No. What we are seeing the Holy Spirit do will only be fully realized when, “…the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Matthew 16:27
.
These are GLORIOUS TIMES!
.
Each day as we come together before the crack of dawn in order to get the mind of Christ, we are challenged to die to ourselves a little bit more. We are compelled to examine our own hearts and minds that we might be greater representatives of the Lamb slain before the foundations of the World. The “things” in our lives that once seem benign have now become the very things that we would seek to rid ourselves of. “Be ye holy, even as I am Holy,” says the Lord God of Hosts.
.
I want to encourage you with a couple of scriptures:
.
Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
.
Psalm 91:1-3 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust. Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.”
.
These are not times to draw back, these are times to draw nigh to the presence of the living God and find rest, hope, salvation and deliverance in His glorious presence.
.
If you have been holding on to wickedness, unconfessed sin and living in lukewarm complacency---then you just simply need to repent and turn to the gracious and forgiving hand of the Lord Jesus Christ---before it is too late!
.
NOW is the time to respond to the voice of righteousness that is calling out to your soul. NOW is the time to “repent and be converted that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” NOW is the time for the wicked to “forsake his way.”
.
Holiness and righteousness are the what will differentiate between perilous times and glorious times. Which will define your life and walk with the Lord Jesus?
.
UPDATES:
.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to be a part of our LIVE Raven Institute of Ministry & Biblical Studies you have really missed out! (Well, not totally though)
Each morning from 9-10 AM (Eastern) I broadcast a live expository teaching from the Word of God.
.
We are presently in the midst of a year-long study in the Book of Romans. Today actually marked our 178th class! If you missed any of these classes, we now have them all available for FREE listening or download on our website. You can go to any of these locations to begin your own study in this tremendous Book of the Bible:
.
www.BigGrace.com (click on Raven Institute)
www.RavenInstitute.Blogspot.com (dedicated site)
www.myspace.com/raveninstitute (become my friend!)
.
I know that you will be challenged (and encouraged!) by these timeless truths given to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through His servant, Paul the Apostle. Also—you can continue to join us for the LIVE program as we continue into the 14th Chapter this week.
.
We have students “LIVE” from all across the USA, Canada, India, Africa and other parts of the World. These classes are being downloaded at the rate of 6,000-10,000 times each! Let’s get the Word Out!
.
ALSO---We REALLY need your help!
.
If you have been praying about a good time to give financially into Raven Ministries---this is it! If you haven’t been praying about it—please do and then give! Praise God!
.
God has and will continue to take care of us and meet our needs—but things have been somewhat “tight” for us (as it has probably been for many others). Some of the regular supporters of the ministry have not been able to continue in their support for various reasons and this has caused us to cut back and hold off on some of the things that we know God has directed us to do.
.
RIGHT NOW—we need to raise $600 to finish paying for the bus repairs on Raven Bus #2 that blew an engine and has been stranded in Texas since February. The new motor will be in the bus this week and we need to pay the balance of the $3000 that it cost to get it up and running again. Can you send “something” right away so that we can pay the balance of that bill before Friday?
.
RIGHT NOW—we are needing to book (3) flights to NYC for the May outreach there. We will be hosting a tremendous team that will be taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to “The Big Apple.” Flights can be booked right now for just $222 each (round trip), but with rising fuel costs and time restraints—those prices will escalate quickly.
.
Maybe you would want to sponsor one ticket (or all three if God has blessed you in that way) or maybe you would just want to give towards getting us on the streets of America’s most populated City with the Gospel.
.
RIGHT NOW---we need partners willing to stand with us financially on a monthly basis. You don’t know just how far your gift of $25 or $50 each month goes. We are a DEBT FREE ministry. We do not function off of credit and we are not behind on bills. We “do as much as we can with as much as we have.” If we don’t have it, we don’t do it! There is so MUCH THAT NEEDS to be done—and your regular support helps us take the message of Jesus to a lost and dying world each and every day.
.
As you all know…we are not ones to “sit back” and talk about what we are “going to do” for Jesus. We believe in actively pursuing the promises of God with a passion—and that is what we will continue to do. Your investment in this ministry is not an investment in something that “might happen” it is an investment on something that is already reaping the eternal dividends of souls for Jesus!
.
We love and appreciate you greatly and may the Lord Jesus anoint each of you mightily in all that you do for His Glory!
.
Blessings,
.
Pastor Troy D. Bohn
Raven Ministries International, Inc.
P.O. Box 1897
Daytona Beach, Florida 32174
.
Contact: PastorTroy@BigGrace.com
Prayer Requests: Pray@BigGrace.com
Bible Questions: Study@BigGrace.com
.
24 Hour “Holy Ghost Hot Line” 1-Go-Zap-Souls
.
2 Timothy 3:1 says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” The word Perilous is the Greek word that means: hard times, troublesome times, and dangerous times.
.
Few would argue that the times in which we live could be easily described in those terms. Due to the economic situation facing this Nation many have found themselves falling on hard times. Companies are making cutbacks. Businesses are suffering inflationary challenges and families are having to make hard decisions.
.
These are also very troublesome times. I cannot think of a time in recent memory where there was such division and uncertainty. One look at today’s political landscape and you see the reflective condition of our Nation. If you think that there is trouble now—just a wait a few months until the November elections!
.
One would also have to admit that these are also dangerous times. Over 4,000 American soldiers have given their lives in Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of others have also lost their lives in the past few years in middle east conflicts, ethnic cleansing and civil wars in Africa and the standard heinous crimes which occur each day in this World’s cities.
.
There are now an increasing number of drug-resistant diseases and have you ever heard of as many cases of staph infection occurring among hospital patients? A recent article was published that said a staggering percentage of young women had contracted sexually transmitted diseases.
.
Having said all of that: I am personally very encouraged!
.
These are indeed Perilous Times—but they are also Glorious Times as well. In the midst of all of the mayhem and madness we are seeing some of the most powerful moves of God that we have seen in twenty years of ministry. In a time where downsizing is common place—we are seeing the Lord Jesus “extend the places of our tent” like never before!
.
The depth, breadth and scope of this ministry has never been greater. What was just a few people out in the streets trying to be faithful to the call of God a few years ago—has now expanded to a proverbial ARMY of soul-winners and people passionate about seeing this world impacted by the message of the Gospel.
.
What we are seeing God do now cannot be contained in the cozy-confines of a stained glass edifice. It is spilling out into the streets of places like New Orleans (Louisiana), Miami (Florida), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Santa Rosa (California), and Albuquerque (New Mexico).
.
You may not hear about it on the evening news or on a special report from your favorite Christian television station. It may be “under the radar” of the casual observer—but it has certainly caught the attention of Heaven!
.
Luke 15:7 “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”
.
We are doing our best by the grace of God to keep “Heaven Rejoicing” over the lost and dying coming to repentance! What we are doing for His Kingdom will never be measured in memberships to the local Church of the Frozen Chosen. It will never be validated by a best-selling book chronicling our exploits.
.
No. What we are seeing the Holy Spirit do will only be fully realized when, “…the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Matthew 16:27
.
These are GLORIOUS TIMES!
.
Each day as we come together before the crack of dawn in order to get the mind of Christ, we are challenged to die to ourselves a little bit more. We are compelled to examine our own hearts and minds that we might be greater representatives of the Lamb slain before the foundations of the World. The “things” in our lives that once seem benign have now become the very things that we would seek to rid ourselves of. “Be ye holy, even as I am Holy,” says the Lord God of Hosts.
.
I want to encourage you with a couple of scriptures:
.
Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
.
Psalm 91:1-3 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust. Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.”
.
These are not times to draw back, these are times to draw nigh to the presence of the living God and find rest, hope, salvation and deliverance in His glorious presence.
.
If you have been holding on to wickedness, unconfessed sin and living in lukewarm complacency---then you just simply need to repent and turn to the gracious and forgiving hand of the Lord Jesus Christ---before it is too late!
.
NOW is the time to respond to the voice of righteousness that is calling out to your soul. NOW is the time to “repent and be converted that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” NOW is the time for the wicked to “forsake his way.”
.
Holiness and righteousness are the what will differentiate between perilous times and glorious times. Which will define your life and walk with the Lord Jesus?
.
UPDATES:
.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to be a part of our LIVE Raven Institute of Ministry & Biblical Studies you have really missed out! (Well, not totally though)
Each morning from 9-10 AM (Eastern) I broadcast a live expository teaching from the Word of God.
.
We are presently in the midst of a year-long study in the Book of Romans. Today actually marked our 178th class! If you missed any of these classes, we now have them all available for FREE listening or download on our website. You can go to any of these locations to begin your own study in this tremendous Book of the Bible:
.
www.BigGrace.com (click on Raven Institute)
www.RavenInstitute.Blogspot.com (dedicated site)
www.myspace.com/raveninstitute (become my friend!)
.
I know that you will be challenged (and encouraged!) by these timeless truths given to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through His servant, Paul the Apostle. Also—you can continue to join us for the LIVE program as we continue into the 14th Chapter this week.
.
We have students “LIVE” from all across the USA, Canada, India, Africa and other parts of the World. These classes are being downloaded at the rate of 6,000-10,000 times each! Let’s get the Word Out!
.
ALSO---We REALLY need your help!
.
If you have been praying about a good time to give financially into Raven Ministries---this is it! If you haven’t been praying about it—please do and then give! Praise God!
.
God has and will continue to take care of us and meet our needs—but things have been somewhat “tight” for us (as it has probably been for many others). Some of the regular supporters of the ministry have not been able to continue in their support for various reasons and this has caused us to cut back and hold off on some of the things that we know God has directed us to do.
.
RIGHT NOW—we need to raise $600 to finish paying for the bus repairs on Raven Bus #2 that blew an engine and has been stranded in Texas since February. The new motor will be in the bus this week and we need to pay the balance of the $3000 that it cost to get it up and running again. Can you send “something” right away so that we can pay the balance of that bill before Friday?
.
RIGHT NOW—we are needing to book (3) flights to NYC for the May outreach there. We will be hosting a tremendous team that will be taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to “The Big Apple.” Flights can be booked right now for just $222 each (round trip), but with rising fuel costs and time restraints—those prices will escalate quickly.
.
Maybe you would want to sponsor one ticket (or all three if God has blessed you in that way) or maybe you would just want to give towards getting us on the streets of America’s most populated City with the Gospel.
.
RIGHT NOW---we need partners willing to stand with us financially on a monthly basis. You don’t know just how far your gift of $25 or $50 each month goes. We are a DEBT FREE ministry. We do not function off of credit and we are not behind on bills. We “do as much as we can with as much as we have.” If we don’t have it, we don’t do it! There is so MUCH THAT NEEDS to be done—and your regular support helps us take the message of Jesus to a lost and dying world each and every day.
.
As you all know…we are not ones to “sit back” and talk about what we are “going to do” for Jesus. We believe in actively pursuing the promises of God with a passion—and that is what we will continue to do. Your investment in this ministry is not an investment in something that “might happen” it is an investment on something that is already reaping the eternal dividends of souls for Jesus!
.
We love and appreciate you greatly and may the Lord Jesus anoint each of you mightily in all that you do for His Glory!
.
Blessings,
.
Pastor Troy D. Bohn
Raven Ministries International, Inc.
P.O. Box 1897
Daytona Beach, Florida 32174
.
Contact: PastorTroy@BigGrace.com
Prayer Requests: Pray@BigGrace.com
Bible Questions: Study@BigGrace.com
.
24 Hour “Holy Ghost Hot Line” 1-Go-Zap-Souls
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