RAVEN MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL

The WORD never fails! (Testimony from the Streets) URGENT REPORT!

2012-02-03T02:31:00.000-05:00

Miracle for Souls - Jan 31 UPDATE

2012-01-31T19:07:00.000-05:00

Gangsters Get Saved! (Testimonies from the Streets)

2012-01-27T17:08:00.000-05:00

Rescued From Bourbon Street! (FB Miracle for Souls Update)

2012-01-26T18:36:00.000-05:00

"Dont Make Eye Contact" : Testimonies from the Streets

2012-01-26T18:35:00.001-05:00

Joe the Warlock: Testimonies from the Streets

2012-01-26T18:35:00.000-05:00

Street Testimonies

2012-01-26T18:29:00.000-05:00

Street Testimonies

2012-01-26T18:28:00.000-05:00

SPECIAL EDITION: Mardi Gras 2012 NewsLetter

2012-01-21T18:42:00.004-05:00

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"They are ALL on Fire!" UPDATE: FaceBook "Miracle for Souls"

2012-01-17T21:23:00.000-05:00

November 2011 Newsletter

2011-11-17T11:22:00.008-05:00

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October Newsletter

2011-10-20T18:32:00.007-04:00

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OPERATION IMPACT

2011-07-07T01:47:00.003-04:00

HELP US MINISTER TO LA'S SKID ROW

2011-05-11T21:13:00.000-04:00

“ I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.” John 12:24-25

Occassionally the Lord will bring someone into your life that makes an impact on you without even setting out to do so. It is not as if they are seeking to be recognized or looking for the approval of man. They just seem to be "themselves" and who they are just touches the lives of all those that are fortunate enough to have been around them.

My friend, Craig Schuman, was one such man. I met Craig, a country boy from Abilene, Texas, in of all places - inner-city Philadelphia during an outreach that we hosted there in two years ago Memorial Day Weekend. We had spoken by telephone a number of times, but had not had the chance to meet face to face until then. It seemed as though we'd always known one another.

Following that outreach, we would sometimes speak by telephone 2-3 times each week; usually not for anything particular - just a conversation between two brothers in the Lord. Most times our conversation would find its way to a discusion about things that could be done to reach the "least of the least" with the Gospel (and some good old fashioned love and Texas hospitality in the process!)

Several of our conversations centered around going into economically and spiritually repressed areas and meeting physical needs (ie.. food, clothing, etc) while sharing with them the Good News of salvation in the process. He said, "Man, I got the trucks and the trailers! Let's do it!"

Unfortunately, time did not allow for all of our plans to materialize while Craig was with us. After a short and courageous battle with cancer - Craig went to be with the Lord Jesus on March 17th of this year. A kernel of wheat fell to the ground...

At his "homegoing" many people came forward to testify as to the impact that Craig had quietly made on their lives - from prisoners, to young people, to preachers of the Gospel like me, the investment of his life testified of a great harvest.

Like that kernel of wheat that falls in the field, the lives of those who know and truly serve God continue to produce fruit long after the stalks seem to wither away. The legacy of their passion resonates through their familes, their co-workers, and those that they so humbly took the time to invest something into.

Because of this investment in me - I felt lead to talk to Craig's wife, Jonya, about starting something that will see he and I's discussions become something more than just a distant memory. We are calling this the "Kernel of Wheat Project" and the first project will be just after the anniversary of our meeting in Philly back in 2009.

The premise behind this is to show that "normal" everyday believers can make a difference in this world by merely "doing as much as they can with as much as they have." Small investments when coupled with prayer, passion and persistence can have a genuine and eternity-impacting effect on the World.

On June 7th I will be leaving the City of New Orleans for a 2,000 mile (one way) trip to Los Angeles' infamous "Skid Row." This is the home to the nations largest homeless population (25,000 +) I will be taking with me: Men's clothing, shoes, socks, underwear and personal hygiene items and will be delivering them in honor and recognition of my dear brother in the Lord, Craid Schuman, to Pastor Patrick Ersig of the Jonah Project on Skid Row.

Pastor Patrick has been ministering to the broken and lost for several years and feeds and shares Jesus with thousands of men, women, and even children right in the midst of this spiritual battlefield.

Would you like to help with the "Kernel of Wheat Project" to LA's Skid Row? If you live along the I-10 corridor and would like to donate men's clothing items - I will schedule driving by and picking them up along the way (email me at raven@biggrace.com) or if you would prefer giving financially to purchase those items or to assist in the fuel costs, you can give securely only by going to PayPal.com and using raven@biggrace.com as the recipient (please not that your gift is for the Kernel of Wheat Project)

Thank you in advance for your love, prayers and support for this -- and thank the Lord Jesus that we can honor Him (and) the memory of one of His faithful servants as well!

Blessings,

Pastor Troy D. Bohn

Raven Ministries International, Inc

PO Box 2102

Kenner, LA 70063

(504) 202.0939

WEST COAST MEMORIAL DAY OUTREACH

2011-05-11T00:30:00.006-04:00

UC Raven (West Coast) will be hosting a Memorial Day Weekend Outreach at the University of California, Santa Barbara May 27th - May 30th.

Joshua Rowden (Pastor Troy's son-in-law to be and a Senior at UCSB) will be serving as the outreach coordinator for this event. He can be contacted for more information at 707-327-6343

The host site will be: Shoreline Community Church: 935 San Andres Street, Santa Barbara, California 94101 >> bring your sleeping bags, air mattresses, personal hygiene items, etc.. The church will be providing us a place to sleep, shower, meet and UC Raven will be providing meals during this event.

UCSB islocated about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles and is situated right on the Pacific Coast. With nearly 20,000 undergraduate students on campus, this will be a prime location to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a generation deeply in need of an encounter with the Holy Spirit.

Joining Joshua and the UCSB team will be Raven West Coast director, Pastor Rudy Gonzalez and a team from Santa Rosa, California along with teams from Cal Poly, Berkely, San Francisco University and UC Davis among others.

The Outreach Schedule is tentatively set as follows:

Friday - Preaching and ministering on Del Playa (a very busy party street/area)

Saturday - (AM) Ministry to the Homeless at Plaza Del Mar park (afternoon) Ministry at Beach (PM) Ministry on Del Playa

A detailed (hour-by-hour) schedule is available by contacting Joshua at the number listed above.

Sunday we will have a special guest speaker with us: Pastor Patrick Ersig of LA's (Skid Row) Jonah Project:

Pastor Patrick Ersig was born in 1970 and has a wife and three children. Patrick was saved by the grace of God from a life of drugs, violence and alcohol. After surrendering his life to the Lord, Patrick always had a burden to help those who were in the same bondage that he had been held in for many years.

In the spring of 2005, the Lord called Pastor Patrick to mission work in the inner-city streets, parks and projects of Detroit, Michigan. Since then, Patrick, his wife Mary, and three children have been working with the homeless, gangs, prostitutes, drug addicts and drug dealers in some of the worst ghettos of America, including Cass Corridor in Detroit, MI and Skid Row in Los Angeles, CA. God has called us “to preach the gospel to the poor”.

He has sent us to "heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" - Luke 4:18. Pastor Patrick and his family have answered this call and have taken the love of Jesus, the message of the Cross and the Good News of the Gospel to inner-city streets. As a result they have seen many precious souls come to repentance, devote their lives to Jesus, be freed from the bondage of drugs and addiction through the power, mercy, grace, love and glory of GOD!

After spending much of the spring of 2007 traveling the country and preaching at revival and street ministry conferences, the Lord called Pastor Patrick and his family to sell what they had in Detroit, MI and drive cross-country to Los Angeles, CA to minister to the lost and hurting souls of Skid Row.

Once in California Pastor Patrick began preaching on the streets of Skid Row, ministering to the residents there and began an open-air street church in Skid Row. For a year and a half Pastor Patrick and his family were feeding between 200 and 300 people a week, along with providing clothes for those in need along with the operation of Skid Row street church. Each Saturday and Sunday they would have live worship music and preaching prior to feeding the homeless.

Wednesday evenings Pastor Patrick be would on the streets, personally mentoring, discipling and doing Bible study with those we have met on the weekends. Lives were being touched and changed, and people were being baptized (in the back of a pickup truck!) Most importantly, Jesus Christ is being lifted up and the Gospel trumpeted right in the midst of the devils camp! Through the calling of God Pastor Patrick continued taking the message of the Cross, the Good news of the Gospel and the love of Jesus Christ to desperate and needy people of Skid Row!

JOIN US FOR RAVEN CANADA OUTREACH!

2011-05-10T23:38:00.005-04:00

Raven Ministries International along with Raven Canada, will be hosting a Memorial Weekend Outreach in Ontario May 27th - 29th. The outreach will begin Friday Night at 7:00 PM at our Raven Training Center in Lindsay, Ontario with a coordinated youth event featuring the Little Brittain Community Church Worship Team with Pastor Troy D. Bohn, Founder/Director of Raven International, as the the keynote speaker.

Following the evenings scheduled events, the team will then take to the streets of Lindsay for a time of street ministry to this small town coping with record teen pregnancy rates and a serious drug and alcohol problem among the local youth.

The Training Center is located at 30 Logie Street in Lindsay. For more information on the Youth Service please contact: Ed & Wanda Baker (Raven Canada Directors) at 905.244.1373

Saturday's outreach will be held just to the south of Lindsay in Canada's largest city, Toronto. Toronto boasts a metro population of over 5 million people. This makes the Toronto Metro Area the seventh largest cosmopolitan area in North America - thus it deals with the same issues facing other major cities (drugs, gangs, poverty, etc..)

Our team will be departing Lindsay at 10:30 AM for ministry in Toronto's downtown area. We plan ministry to the homeless, youth, and various others places in the city. At 7:00 PM we will be hosting "Raven Street Church Toronto" on Yonge Street. Yonge Street once boasted being the "longest street in the world." It is a very diverse area with a very "Times Square" feel on the north end, with the south end toward Lake Ontario being a hot bed for crime, homosexuality and other vice.

We will depart Toronto by 12:00 midnight to return to our base camp in Lindsay.

On Sunday we will spend the day at the spectacular Niagra Falls. This area is not only amazing to behold due to the wonder of the falls - but it is also an incredible place to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the thousands of tourist flocking to this natural wonder.

We will depart Lindsay for the falls at 9:00 AM and will be flexible on our return back from Niagra Falls that evening.

Other Details:

We will be staying at the Raven Training Center Building - bring your cots, air mattresses, sleeping bags, and personal hygiene items. The weather at night will be cool - bring coats, jackets, hoodies. The daytime temperatures will typically be between 60-70 degrees.

Are You Concerned for Lost Souls?

2011-02-08T12:45:00.000-05:00

Radio Interview Parts 1 & 2

2011-02-03T16:07:00.001-05:00

2011-02-02T01:12:00.000-05:00

"Seeking Whom he may Devour"

2011-01-21T19:04:00.002-05:00

The photograph was taken by South Africa photojournalist, Kevin Carter, in 1993 while on assignment to the Sudan. The child was reportedly crawling to a feeding location set up by the Untited Nations just a little over a mile from the site of this photograph. The vulture in the background was waiting for this weakened child to die from starvation or exposure so that he could consume it.
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Carter waited over 20 minutes for the vulture to "spread its wings" so that he would have the "perfect shot." When the shot didnt materialize as he had hoped, he snapped this shot and immediately left the area. The photo was sold by Carter to the New York Times where it was first printed March 26, 1993. On May 223, 1994 Carter was awarded the most coveted award for photojournalism, The Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography.
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Within hours of publication, the NYT's received thousands of inquiries concerning the whereabouts and condition of the child pictured in the photograph. They had no answer - because their focus was on reporting the event and not actually involving themselves in the lives of those that were suffering that day.
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Sad to say, this is also a picture of much of the Church today. As the ultimate "vulture" (Satan) waits for people to be weakend by famine (not a famine of food, but of the hearing of the Word of God - Amos 8:11) and exposure to the filthy and debauchery of this world - we "report" or "preach" about the conditions we see, yet never make the effort to actually intervene.
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Men, women, young people, and children are "fallen in the streets" of sin ravaged cities. They are crawling and scratching for survival - yet the Church has more often than not stayed within the cozy confines of our "UN Base Camps" saying, "If they really want to know the truth, then they will come here." The "UN" of these places is obviously not "United Nations" but rather:
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UN - concerned
UN - motivated
UN - willing
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It was reported that Carter was asked (many times) why he didnt do anything to help the child. He responded, "That wasnt my assignment." Unfortunately, that is the same answer given by the mass majority of Christians who are asked, "Why wont you go to where the lost and dying are and share the message of JESUS with them." They say, "That is not my calling or my gifting."
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On July 27, 1994 - just a couple of months after claiming the top prize of in his field - Ken Carter took his own life. There in the vehicle that he rigged to be filled with carbon monoxcide a not was found that said, "I am depressed ... without phone ... money for rent ... money for child support ... money for debts ... money!!! ... I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings and corpses and anger and pain ... of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners...I have gone to join Ken if I am that lucky."
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Perhaps if his "assignment" would have been to "DO" rather than just "OBSERVE" he would have not found that barren, empty void within his soul that would drive him to kill himself.
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You may never find yourself in the famine infested areas of sub-Saharan Africa, of in the dumps of Mexco where starving children abound. But there are PEOPLE all around us who are STARVING for HOPE and that HOPE can only be found in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Will you merely take a picture with your mind and go on about your business, or will you finally drop your personal agendas, fears, and SIN and reach out to the broken, lost and dying for Christ? The "vulture" stands by waiting to see if you will intervene - hoping that you do no so that he can claim another soul for hell.

Be a Part of this Year's Event!

2011-01-21T18:17:00.002-05:00

"The Enemy is coming in like a FLOOD.... but the SPIRIT OF THE LORD is raising up a STANDARD against him. Come and be a part of the UPRISING!"

(Watch the Video and then Click the Mardi Gas link above for more info!)

Order your new outreach shirts today!

2011-01-19T00:22:00.003-05:00

There will be no mistaking who you are representing when you step out into the streets in these new outreach t-shirts! The name of JESUS will be blazing in blood red with the news that He "is the only way." These shirts are sure to be conversation starters and tools to share your faith with unbelievers.

This year we are taking on the theme of "Street Church" to commemorate both the Book of Acts demonstration that "Church" is not a place - but rather people and to recognize the powerful, Biblical ministry that is taking place around the world in the streets of some of the most dangerous and notorious cities.

The deadline for ordering you group or individual shirts is February 14th [there will be some shirts available for purchase at this year's Mardi Gras outreach in limited sizes and quantities]

The cost for the various shirts is as follows:

Short-Sleeve T-Shirts $10 up to XL (add $1 per additional X)
Long-Sleeve T-Shirts $15 up to XL (add $1 per additional X)
Hooded Sweat Shirts $20 up to XL (add $1 per additional X)
Zippered Hoodie $25 up to XL (add $1 per additional X)

Send your order on a sheet of paper with size and style details with checks payable to:

Raven Ministries International - PO Box 2102 Kenner, LA 70063

You can also order by send an email with details to: Raven@BigGrace.com and then paying via www.Paypal.com and use Raven@BigGrace.com at recipient

Redeeming the Time . . . because the Days are Evil

2011-01-18T19:09:00.006-05:00

Levon Jones - six years ago next week several young men visiting from Georgia Southern University passed our team on Bourbon Street on their way into a local night club. The last young man in the pack [Levon] came past me and I said, “Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” Turning away from me he said, “Dude I aint got time for that.” He was right: 15 minutes later he lay dead on the street in front of the bar that he passed me by to go into. A fight had broken out inside and one of the bouncers took Levon to the ground where he asphixiated and died.

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What if he had “redeemed the time?” He was 26 years old

What would you say to someone if you knew that your words might be the very last thing that they hear before standing before God in judgment?

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Would you try to “make friends” with them or offer them a bottle of water or perhaps invite them to a special event at your church? Probably not. But how do you know if the person you talk with next will have their soul required of them after your conversation? You don’t.

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Ephesians 5:16 really hits home with me on this topic:

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“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

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Walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans a number of years ago the Spirit of God spoke to my heart clearly and said, “What would you do if you saw a young lady run out of one of these bars on fire?” I answered in my mind, “I would do whatever it took to put her out.” The Spirit quickly responded, “They are ALL on fire!”

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That exchange chilled me to the bone and woke me up to the realization that:

a) The Days are Evil

b) It is time for us to redeem the time that we have left

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As you could ascertain from the brief glance of what the Lord had us doing in 2010 - we are never off. Since we have been “bought with a price” and “[our] lives are not our own” all of our decisions have been made for us by our Lord and Savior.

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We are in situations every single day that necessitate us seeking His face, His empowerment, His wisdom, His provision, and His direction. This has really been impressed upon me recently due to instances that came back to me and several that have unfolded of late.

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Earl Wheeler - Each night as we make our way onto Bourbon Street we pass the popular Pat O’Briens. There are typically several employees on the sidewalk taking a break as we pass. Most times they will look away as the 12 ft tall bright red cross passes in front of them—and occasionally they will quickly glance and then look away—but never will they engage in conversation.

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The day after Thanksgiving this year, after we had packed up Raven Street Church for the night—Earl was driving home a few blocks from work when he was shot and killed by six assailants. What if he had “redeemed the time?” He was 21 yrs old.
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Sgt. Ryan Lekoski - Halloween in New Orleans brings many things to the French Quarter: Voodoo Fest, costumed partiers, and this year The Marine Corps Ball. As we preaching boldly on Sunday night [October 31] dozens of corpsmen passed by us dressed in their dress blues.

Some were accompanied by their dates to the ball [as in the case with Sgt. Lekoski] others were “stag” and looking for a companion for the night. One thing they all seemed to have in common though—they didn't have time to stop and talk about the condition of their souls.

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Some would say, “I’m fighting for this country. I deserve to have a good time.” Two hours after our departure that night - Sgt. Lekoski was murdered a block away after getting into a confrontation with a man that insulted his wife, Kristen. What if he had “redeemed the time?” He was 23 yrs old.
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James 4:14 says, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

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Please keep us in heavy duty prayer and consider investing in this work with both your finances and your involvement. When we talk about lives [and souls] being at stake—it is not just rhetoric it is reality.

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Let us “redeem the time, because the days are evil”

We GO so that the world may KNOW

2011-01-18T18:49:00.004-05:00

In Mid-October while conducting our Raven Street Church –Bourbon Street Chapel services we were suddenly attacked by a man who knocked our cross into the street. I was able to subdue the man in an effort to keep him from committing any additional acts of violence.
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An off-duty police officer arrived and told me to let the man go [I had him restrained from behind]. As soon as I let him go he began to attack people in the crowd—one of whom, struck him and knocked him out! His head violently hit the pavement and an ambulance was called.
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The attackers girlfriend would also attack Melanie—punching her in the face and chest! Melanie was fine, but the attacker was carried away in serious condition and the man that struck him was apprehended.
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The bottom line is that Satan just does not want his territory invaded with the Gospel! We are seeing souls saved and he is doing whatever he can to discourage us from “Taking the Good News Into Bad Place” - We have no plans to stop!

JAMES [pictured above] is just one of the reasons that we go. He approached the Cross just recently and said, I am depressed and I think of committing suicide every singe day. I need help.”

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As we prayed for him, the woman [seen handcuffed on the ground in the picture to the right] came out of nowhere yelling, “Satan is Here!” and began to push the Cross and punch and kick James!

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She was arrested and we went with James to his home where an hour later he cried out to the Lord Jesus in repentance and received Christ as his savior!

We are willing to take the GOOD NEWS into the BAD PLACES because their are SOULS at stake and the only way that they will have a chance to know Jesus is if someone sees the need and actually goes to where the lost and hurting are.

Will you consider helping us to CONTINUE GOING? There are a lost more young men like "James" needing someone to answer the call.

New Year . . . New Opportunities!

2011-01-18T18:18:00.010-05:00

I find myself extremely grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ every time the calendar turns for a brand new year! It just reminds me that God has graced me with another year to live for Him and is about to give me another opportunity to know and serve Him in a deeper way.
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2010 was quite an amazing year to look back on to say the least! It has been a year of challenging triumphs and transitions for the ministry and for our family [to say the least!]
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As we announced in September both of our children are engaged to be married in 2011 and Melanie and I just celebrated our 24th Wedding Anniversary on Nov. 15th. Jered & Anne will be getting married in Amarillo, Texas and Joshua & Kayla are getting married in New Orleans on June 25th.
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We have another major milestone in January as well. It was twenty years ago that God brought me into full-time ministry. I was just 24 years old when Melanie and I went to Gospel Light Fellowship to visit on a Wednesday night and the pastor (whom I had not met until that night) approached me after the service and asked me to preach in his absence the following week.
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I did and would end up being named the pastor of the church about six weeks later! I had only preached in a pulpit one time prior to that and immediately was given the responsibility to preach three times a week in addition to the other basic pastoral responsibilities!
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God certainly gave me a lot of grace in those early days and even more to those that had to put up with me! We made it through some of the most life-transforming times that one could imagine—and saw the hand of God in operation more times than I could ever remember!
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We are now excited about the next twenty years and the next generation of young leaders and ministers that we are being given the opportunity to equip and release!

Practical Ways You Can Help

2011-01-17T18:49:00.007-05:00

People will often ask us, "Are there any practical ways that we can assist in the ministry on a regular basis?" The answer is a definite, "YES!" There are so many things that go into taking the Gospel to the streets of this nation that many people might never stop to think about. Here are just a few of ways that you might consider partnering with us for souls!

PARKING: Each week our team here in New Orleans takes "Raven Street Church" to Bourbon Street in the French Quarter - and not unlike other big cities - the amount of "free" parking available is miniscule and seldom available. We have given up on driving around for an hour looking for a spot and [because of the equipment we use] parking a long distance away is not practical.

That means that we are required to use public parking areas that charge an hourly rate. The lot that we use provides us: 1) Security for our vehicles 2) A central meeting place for teams joining us 3) A short jaunt to Bourbon Street - - - that's the GOOD NEWS

The down side is obviously the cost involved. With the time that we spend ministering on a given day, our parking expense will typically be $13 on average. With our team ministering (3) nights per week - that is nearly $40 EVERY WEEK (or over $150 per month) or $1800 annually!

Would you consider sponsoring (1) or more nights parking per month? Perhaps you feel led to cover the expense of our parking each month or every other month or something.

GASOLINE: It is (15) miles from our front door to the French Quarter - about a (20) minute drive with light traffic. It works out to about 100 miles a week just to get back and forth! That is over 5,000 miles a year that we will drive just to do that part of the local ministry! That is a lot of miles and a lot of gasoline. Maybe you would desire to buy (1) tank of gas per months ($45) or send a prepaid gas card or something. That would help with the estimated $950 per year that is cost simply to host our weekly Raven Street Church.

OIL CHANGE: We really try to get the most out of everything that we have - that means taking care of the vehicles that we drive. Most of our vehicles are 10+ years old and have tons of miles on them. One thing that keeps us going is regular oil changes. These cost about $30 each now.

VEHICLE REPAIR: (97 Monte Carlo ) - donated by Steve & Jodi Ignowski a few years back needs fuel pump replaced and new head gaskets soon.

BATTERIES: Having a "mobile ministry" requires that we have "moble equipment" and as a result we go through a ton of batteries each month. Raven Street Church requires (10) D Cell batteries and (1) 9 volt battery each week. We pay $1 each for the D Cells and $2 for the 9 volt. That comes up to about $625 per year just to power our sound equipments. That does not even take into account the $5 spent on batteries each week to power our camera equipment. That is an additional $260 a year for a grand total of nearly $900 a year for batteries!

As you can tell these practical aspects of the ministry come at a cost of over $3700 per year alone! So, if you are looking for a way to help eleviate some of the financial burden that we face in reaching the lost - this might be a good way to get involved in the process.

You can give securely online by going to: http://www.paypal.com/ and using our email address Raven@BigGrace.com as the recipient or by mailing your offering to:

Raven Ministries International - PO Box 2102 Kenner, LA 70063

Testimony from the Streets!

2011-01-14T01:04:00.002-05:00

This is a first hand testimony from our recent ministry on Bourbon Street in New Orleans during Raven Street Church. People often ask, "Does it really do any good?" or "Do people really stop and listen to what you are saying." Occassionally someone will come up that claims to be a Christian and say, "What you guys are doing in WRONG!"

Read this note that was recently sent to Gracie by a sweet young lady that just needed a little direction, prayer and encouragement in the Lord!

[above - Kayla, Jessica & Gracie @ Raven Street Church]

Hey Gracie!

I'm glad I found y'all on here too.. I know it will be a positive influence on me and it will help to keep me in line and on track.. I'm starting to remove people out of my life, my close friends who I'm realizing aren't really good influences on me.. but amazingly I've made an even better friend who is sweet & believes in God, and lives her life in a way I want to be.. I haven't been the best but I'm trying to be better..

I've repented and I am taking small sure steps to make certain I don't go back. I still haven't drank alcohol since that night on bourbon, and I have no desire to.. another cool thing is I am now going back to college.. my new friend helped me out, and it was weird because everything fell into place.. classes were available, advisor lifted flags immediately, and I was able to get a payment plan..

Jjust pray for me overall, I always need Gods help and guidance in my life.. and I'm so thankful to have met y'all when I did because without that night I know this year would have been straight downhill for me.. bless y'all & thank you so much, more than you could know..

♥ jessica

Kicking off the New Year @ Raven Street Church

2011-01-11T01:16:00.004-05:00

It may be a New Year - but Raven Ministries International is still doing what we have always done and that is "TAKING THE GOOD NEWS INTO BAD PLACES"

We are gearing up for our annual Mardi Gras Outreach (March 3-8) by taking the Gospel to New Orleans' Bourbon Street multiple times each week to prepare the fields for a tremendous harvest of souls!

GRACIE - RAVEN STREET CHUCH

PASTOR JAMIE - RAVEN STREET CHURCH

KAYLA -RAVEN STREET CHURCH

One Lost Sheep

2011-01-09T23:11:00.006-05:00

Matthew 18:11-12 says, "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?"

According to one of the Police officers that regularly work Bourbon Street, there are approximately 40,000 people on the streets during a typical Friday or Saturday night!

That means that over the course of an evening of preaching and ministering during RAVEN STREET CHURCH: BOURBON ST CHAPEL that our team will preach to what would be the equivalent of preaching to the whole population of Cleveland, Tennesee or Hackensack, New Jersey all in one night!

The things is though, is that the people hearing the open-air preaching of the Word of God during Raven Street Church are not just from one or two US cities - or from one or two countries for that matter! We talk to people each week from all across the USA, Canada and this past week I personally had conversations with people from England, Nigeria, Brazil, Australia, and Honduras to name a few.

With all of the tens of thousands of people that potentially hear the Word preached each week (120,000 + in a weekend of ministry), it is still that "one lost sheep" that we are on the look out for.

Saturday night as I stood next to the "Bourbo Box" towards the close of the evening, a young man in a group of 5-6 twenty-somethings stopped and pointed at my black leather Bible sitting in front of me on the speaker. "What's this all about?" he said to me. "That is my Bible and we are here preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost and dying that have come to be a part of Raven Street Church."

Recognzing that this was not just another mocker making a quick statement and dashing down the street, I asked him, "So what about your relationship with Jesus?" "Oh, I am good. I go to an Assembly of God Church and I am strong in the faith...", tapering off somewhat and sounding more as though he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince me.

"That's interesting," I said. "You are a Spirit-filled, Jesus-loving young man of God, but here you are partying on Bourbon Street and walking around with a beer in your hand? Something is wrong with this picture?"

Over the better part of the next hour me and this young man talked about the Word of God and he shared with me how that just a few years earlier he had been mixed up with drugs and alcohol and felt as though life was no longer worth living. He shared how the Lord Jesus came to him and how he had repented and given himself to Christ. . . then the slow fade.

"I'll be honest with you," he said as his friends would come back periodically to prod him to join them at their next stop, "I just lost the fire and I need to get it back." I took him to the Word of God and showed him how people start "adjusting to the darkness" [1 john 1:6] and that God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we will repent [1 John 1:9]

With a defeated sound in his voice he would say, "I know, but everyone is going to fall sometime." Stopping him, I took him to the Word of God and showed him that we have been set free from sin and not set free to sin [Romans Chapter 6} and that even though we are all tempted - Jesus always provides a way to escape any and all temptations [1 Corinthians 10:13]

The Spirit of God truly orchestrated the conversation that night and this young man [22 years old] genuinely could be seen desring to return to a sincere and intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus. We were able to pray together and encourage him further in the faith - and we invited him to come back to the City and spend some time with us. Please keep him in your prayers - heaven is still seeking those "lost sheep" that have wandered out of the way.

The GREAT DISCOVERY

2011-01-06T01:47:00.002-05:00

While working on one of his many scientific projects, a benevolent and intelligent man made a discovery that could possibly change the future and fortunes of untold millions. “How do I get this incredible information to the most people,” he reasoned to himself? This news is so valuable that it must be made available to everyone without delay he determined.
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“I know!” he exclaimed! “I will go about my everyday life and as I make friends with people and build relationships with them – I will eventually get around to telling them this profound news!”
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(or)
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“I can just apply this discovery to my own life and over time people will see the great affect that it has had upon me and they’ll curiously ask me about it!”
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(or)
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“I can go to a local park, smile at people and offer them a cup of cold water to drink! I could even tell them how much they are loved and place a smiley faced sticker on their clothing. Surely THAT would be the most effective way of getting this information to the most people!”
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(but)
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After deeper consideration he came up with an ingenious plan that would enable his discovery to impact the multitudes! “I alone could not possible disseminate this information to the masses . It will require the ability to spread this good news in many different directions simultaneously!”
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Soon the man had a tremendous warehouse built and he purchased a state of the art printing press that would duplicate his discovery upon newsprint! The newsprint with the discovery printed upon it could then be circulated to every corner of the globe!
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Within a few short weeks the warehouse was built, the printing press was installed and copies of the printed discovery were being churned out by the thousands. “Even though I am able to print thousands of papers here; there are BILLIONS of people needing to know about this discovery.”
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He had a new idea! “I will build MORE warehouses! Not just here, but in neighborhoods and in strip malls and on major highways! I won’t just build large warehouse, but also small and medium warehouses as well and I will install a suitable printing press in each and every one!”
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Soon tens of thousands of warehouses were built and an equal number of printing presses were installed – but wait, he realized that he would need laborers to help in the reproduction process. He quickly got the word out that there were jobs available at his air-conditioned warehouses. They would only have to work one or at the most two days per week and they would be doing a great service to their communities and to the world!
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Thousands flocked to fill the positions and soon the work of printing the great discovery was underway. It wasn’t long before the warehouses were filled with freshly printed papers announcing the great discovery. The man was elated at his work. “Soon the whole world will hear about and experience for themselves this great discovery.”
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But wait! Now that the printing was complete – the great discovery was merely stacked in piles in his cozy warehouses. While the printing was of excellent quality and the quantity was more than adequate – those needing to read them were not in possession of the great discovery.
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Alas an idea! The man gathered up all of the workers that had come to fill the warehouse and printing positions, “Now that you have read the discovery and have seen the great need for all to experience it as well. Now that the work of gathering the information and readying it for distribution is complete – I need a show of hands of all of those who would be willing to take the stacks and share them among the people.”
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Expecting everyone to volunteer for the task – the man was shocked when not one of the workers volunteered to distribute the great discovery.
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“I am not really a distributor” said one. “I didn’t hire on for that job” replied another. “I thought this was a once hired always hired place to work – now you are asking me to leave and do something else” exclaimed another.
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One by one each offered their own excuse as to why they could not join in taking the great discovery out to where the man had expected it to go. They all returned to their posts and continued to print and to stack. When their warehouse was full, they would simply add on to make room for more stacks of the undistributed discovery.
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Occasionally one of the printed copies will find its way out of the warehouse and into the hands of those that it was designed to be read by, but most will simply discount it and say that there is a time and a place for great discoveries – and that is back in the warehouses where they are all neatly stacked.

Tuesday Night Street Church: Sugar Bowl Edition on Bourbon Street in New Orleans

2011-01-05T15:02:00.003-05:00

1 Corinthians 1:21-23 "Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense." [above] Jessica returned to talk to the girls [Kayla and Gracie] for a second night. She had appraoched the Cross the night before with a beer in here hand and wanted to show they that tonight it was "just Gatorade." She confessed that a year ago she was walking with the Lord and actually involved in evangelistic ministry herself - but this 22 year old had been caught up in the compromises of college and the allure of peer pressure. She told the girls that she wanted to get her life back on track with Jesus and to do what they were doing - and even with them sometime!

[above] Sara came from a family with a Baptist mother and a Quaker father, at 18 years old she had yet to come to a relationship with Jesus Christ. She said that she was looking for the "answer" and Kayla and Mercedes well all-to-willing to provide her with the only answer to life's questions: Jesus Christ. She openly wept as they prayer for her and ministered the Word of God to her for the better part of an hour.

[above] "I totally agree with what you are doing and thank you," he said through slurred words effected by the consumption of alcohol. "I am a Baptist and I try to do right." Pastor Troy immediately took him to the Word of God in regards to the consequences of durnkenness and compromise [1 Cor 6:9-10; Rev 3:15-16] Challenging him to repent and flee the entangelments of this world, the man thanked PT for telling him the truth and being there that night.

[above] Drawn to the place of the Cross, this man would say, "I know you are right and I know what I need to be doing . . . but my friends." Pastor Jamie and PT tried to show him how "the friend of the world is the enemy of God" [James 4:4] but this man just could not overcome the pressure to please his friends while transgressing the righteousness of God.

"You may not have TWENTY minutes"

2011-01-05T14:58:00.003-05:00

"I believe everything that you are saying and on twenty years I'll probably be doing the same thing," said the young man as I shared the Gospel with him on Bourbon Street during our Sugar Bowl Outreach. He had stopped with this "I am going to be belligerent" look on his face, but I beat him to the punch and quickly took the conversation to Jesus' desire to change and transform lives.
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As I drove home the need for all to "repent and believe the Gospel", he quickly retreated into the above statement; almost in an attempt to agree and acquiesce so that he could escape and excuse himself from the conversation. Seeing that his thought process was all to typical of the "I will live forever" generation - I drew him close with my right arm so that I could speak clearly into his ear.
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"Six years ago this past Friday I met another young man that shared your mentality. His name was Levon Jones. When I attempted to talk with him about Jesus he pulled away from me and said, "I don't have time for that", and he was right - because twenty minutes later Levon was DEAD just 20 yards from where you and I are now standing. Levon didn't have twenty years to get things right - and you may not have twenty minutes!"
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Those words, the reality of the frailty of life and the presence of the Spirit of God immediately brought a soberness to this young man's face. His shoulders dropped and his eyes focused on me and he said, "You are right." He turned and slowly walked away and into the crowd without saying another word of even looking back at me.
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I do not know where he went or what he did following our brief, yet direct conversation - but what I do know is that the Lord Jesus pierced through the darkness and [if for even just a brief moment] the grace of God provided an awe flash of His presence and gave this young man a glimpse of what it was to be in His presence.
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Please pray for him - and for all of those in this generation that continue to foolishly believe that they are invincible to satan's devices that are designed to "steal, kill and destroy."

SUGAR BOWL EDITION of Raven Street Church

2011-01-04T20:00:00.002-05:00

(above) local team member, Mercedes Fernandez ministers the Word of God to one of the thousands of football fans gathering in the French Quarter in advance of the game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Ohio State Buckeyes scheduled to take place at the New Orleans Super Dome on Tuesday January 4th.

(above) Pastor Troy and Pastor Jamie open their "playbook" to reveal what it will take to win in the game of life - "repentance from dead works, faith towards God and the finished work of the Cross of Christ". This young man chose to stay on the "losing team" that night - unfortunate.

(above) Team JESUS Members (still undefeated) Mercedes Fernandez, Garcie Burroughs, PT, Pastor Jamie, and Kayla Bohn (in front)

(above) Gracie Burroughs came over to us in a mid-season "trade" with Raven West Coast! She will be visiting us through the 12th when she heads back to California to continue her studies at the University of San Francisco.

(above) offensive "first stringer" Kayla Bohn takes a break from preaching to explain what it mean to serve Jesus and live a holy life to a "free agent" out on the streets last night.

New Years in Daytona Beach

2011-01-04T14:46:00.003-05:00

It is hard for me to "sit still" when I know that there is an opportunity to share the Gospel with the multitudes - this New Year was no exception. I can't remember the last time that I wasnt able to bring in a new year while sharing Jesus with someone - somewhere!

This year we were in Daytona Beach preparing for the wedding that would take place the next day and heard that there was going to be a major event on Main Street in Daytona. I quickly called up Jesse "Famous" Amos and recruited him to go with me to the streets [Jesse never says no to that!]

When we arrived we instantly knew that the crowd was five times larger than last year's Main Street crowd - it looked like Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras with people stading shoulder to shoulder from Penninsula Blvd all the way down to Atlantic Ave.

We parked in our normal spot at Main & Noble and jumped into "Ground Zero" where they had the New Year's Ball Drop set up - it took less than 30 seconds for us to engaged in a witness and soon I had Jess open air preaching just beneath the ball drop. A young man, Ramseys, was drawn to us and we were able to minister at length to this 20 year old young man that came from a God-fearing family.

We actually plucked him off the street that night and he went to the church with us for a time of praise and worship and some personal ministry from son of the guys that were there. He is really a torutred sould - devestated both by compromise AND by the effects of the wide-gate, false religion that he has been exposed to in his life. Please keep him in your prayers - and all of those that we were able to share with that night.

(Above) that is Ramsey in the center of the above picture with the beenie cap - the "blur" is Jesse preaching the Word to the Crowd =)

Christmas with the Rowdens

2011-01-04T14:36:00.002-05:00

(Above) Kayla and her fiance', Joshua Rowden at the wedding of Anthony England and Brittany Durrance. It was a blessing to have Joshua's mom and dad, Tom & Lori Rowden, and his younger brother, Benjamin, come to New Orleans and spend the Christmas holiday with us before making the drive to Daytona for the wedding. This is such a blessed family and we are thankful to the Lord Jesus Christ for bringing them all into our lives.

(Above) Kayla and Joshua again! These guys are really "two peas in a pod." They love JESUS, preaching on the streets, the Lion King movie, and Nachos -- match made in heaven!

(Above) Kayla and "Momma" Lori - Melanie and I are so tremendously blessed that Kayla is getting such a dear mom and dad in law in Tom & Lori. They too are excited about having a "daughter" after raising two boys! Lori is already spoiling Kayla though =)

(Above) The Rowdens (l-r) Benjamin, Lori, Tom, and Joshua - at a truck stop on our way to Daytona Beach -- they sure look like southern rednecks even though they are from Northern California! lol - - Nice hats

Congrats to this Beautiful Couple!

2011-01-04T14:27:00.003-05:00

It was such a blessing to be a part of the wedding of Anthony England and Brittany Durrance this past weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida. Anthony is the son of Pastor Rudy & Lori Gonzalez of Raven West Coast and Brittany is the daughter of Pastor Scott & Robon Durrance of Raven International.
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I first met Anthony in Tijuana, Mexico while he was just a teenager struggling with his relationship with Jesus - he has truly become a tremendous young man of God over the years. He is a student at UC-Berkeley and plans on attending law school following his undergraduate staudies.
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Brittany and I met while she was on the streets of New Orleans with her dad during a Mardi Gras Outreach and she was actively involved in the ministry of Raven Daytona while we resided there. She and Kayla graduated from the same Christian high school. Brittany attended Daytona State College and plans on continuing her education in the Bay area (San Fran) in pursuit of her degree as a nurse practitioner.
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They will work with the Raven West Coast (UCRAVEN) teams around the state and on the campus of UC-Berkeley

What will you do in your hour of visitation?

2010-12-29T14:25:00.003-05:00

"That I May Dwell Among You"

2010-12-23T01:55:00.003-05:00

"And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it." Ex 25:8-9
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God has always desired a place of habitation [or dwelling] amongst His people. The reason for this is because of God's great love for His creation and the deep sense of compassion towards us that has revealed since the beginning. This desire to "dwell among [us]" is expressed vividy in a study of the Tabernacle of Moses.
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Years before I was ever in full-time ministry, I was introduced to some of the deep meanings of the tabernacle by my mother's sister, "Aunt Vee". She sahred with me some of the insiights that God had revealed to her through prayer and study and challenged me to dig even deeper into this amazing place of seeing Christ Jesus and the Cross expressed thousands of years before the incarnation.
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This past year [2010] the Lord Jesus called me to a unique season of fasting. I heard Him say to me at the close of 2009, "I want you to fast half the year." What? I thought - six months of fasting and prayer? Is that possible or healthy! The Lord calmed my fears when He revealed to me that I would fast every other day for the whole year. So that is what I have done. It has truly been a challenging [and grace filled] experience that has produced a new level of diligence, determination, and perseverance. If I could use one word to discribe what He was working in me this past year it would be "discipline."
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Hebrews 12:5-7 says, "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons..."
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Many times we associate chastening with something negative or as the result of some fault or error; but the Lord has revealed to me just the opposite this past year in a very humbling and encouraging way. He has so graciously allowed me to go through and endure some of the greatest trials and tribulations of my twenty years of full-time ministry.
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The word chasten in the Greek is the word "paideian" and it means: to tutor, to nurture, educate and discipline
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While 2010 brought forth a plethora of challenges - I can honestly say that the Spirit of the Lord truly served as a spiritual tutor and taught me some enormous lessons while providing the care and nurture that can only come from a true Father.
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Having said that...
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I fell that while 2010 was a year where fasting was central to God's directive for me [and the ministry] that the emphasis for 2011 will be one of prayer and deeper intimacy with Christ Jesus. Just as He provided a clear fasting directive for 2010 - I believe that 2011 will bring with it a clear prayer directive. [I think I know what He is saying, but I will wait to share it until it is certain - - it is challenging!]
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Part of this directive will be to teach on the subject of the Tabernacle of Moses in 2011. I will most likely teach this and make it available LIVE by means of our webcast [www.BigGrace.com] This will most likely be a daily class [Monday - Friday] and will then be made available for free download through our Raven Institute of Ministry & Biblical Studies [www.RavenInstitute.blogspot.com]
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I want to invite each of you to make prayer a greater emphasis than you ever have before in this coming year - and not just a time of endless petition or vain repetition - but rather a time of listening and learning from the Greatest Instructor one could ever have!
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Looking forward to even deeper waters,
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Pastor Troy D. Bohn

Raven Ministries International, Inc
PO Box 2102
Kenner, LA 70062
(504) 202-0939

2010-12-22T16:43:00.001-05:00

DON'T ASK - DON'T TELL - while this has caused a fury because of it's recent repeal in the military - the policy seems to be firmly in place within the American Church >> they are neither ASKING the lost if they know Jesus or TELLING the lost how to get saved.

SET FREE from the GRIP OF SATAN!

2010-12-17T14:35:00.003-05:00

James [JC] approached the Cross as we ministered the Gospel. He wanted to talk - so we took the time to listed and share the Word with him. He was raised in a "religious" home and was even sent to a Presbyterian boarding school. The problem was that he had many experiences with "religion" but never an encounter with JESUS [until this night!]

He said, "I think of committing suicide EVERY DAY." While we were praying for him, a demonized woman attack us! She attempted to knock down the Cross and actually struck the young man a number of times while screeming, "Satan is here... Satan is here."

Watch and see how things turned out...

Answering the Skeptics: Bourbon Street

2010-12-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

IT IS ALL WORTH IT

2010-12-08T15:35:00.003-05:00

Worth Reposting This Year . . .

2010-12-07T15:08:00.000-05:00

"Yesterday, 7 December 1941-a date which will live in infamy-the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."

This was the opening statement on this date sixty-four years ago as President Franklin D. Roosevelt stood before the congress of the United States of America asking for a declaration of war against the nation of Japan, who a day earlier had attacked the naval station at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

160 aircraft were destroyed. 18 ships were sunk or severely damaged and the US suffered 3,581 casualties in this surprise attack on our nations soil. Or was it a "surprise attack" at all?

We know from history that the War had already began years earlier. We just chose to call it someone else's war. Just as long as it didn't effect us, we chose to honor a "neutrality agreement" to stay out of the fight. German tanks had already rolled into Poland and Eastern Europe.

Many Jews had already been detained in Nazi concentration camps and many had perished in the gas chambers as well. Japan meanwhile was terrorizing the South Pacific and building an imperial juggernaut that would soon be emboldened to take on a world super-power on its own turf.

But, weeks in advance of the first Japanese Zeroes strike on the unsuspecting, early morning servicemen and women of Pearl Harbor, an encrypted message had been intercepted and delivered to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. for examination and determination. On January 27, 1941 Joseph C. Grew, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, wired Washington that he had learned information that Japan was planning a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

No one in Washington believed him and most thought that if Japan was to attack any US interests that it would be in Manila, Philippines to disrupt naval routes. They were obviously wrong--even though they were rightly informed.History often has a way of repeating itself. While many in the US Military and government would acknowledge that their was the "potential" for an attack, their actions or inactions certainly told an altogether different story.

They failed to listen to the warnings of the man, Joseph C. Crew, whom they (the President and Congress) had appointed and confirmed as their Ambassador to Japan. His job was to know what was going on their in the land of the "Rising Sun" and report back from the vantage point of one on the "front lines."His pleas and warnings fell on deaf ears and the end result was the loss of nearly 4,000 US lives needlessly to a power who had already "tipped their hand" to their intentions.

We sometimes feel like Joseph C. Crew as well. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says that we are "Ambassadors for Christ." We have been named, appointed, and commissioned as His "front-line" representatives in a very hostile environment. From our vantage point on the front-lines of the City of New Orleans and various other places that we regularly take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to--we have intercepted "data" that reveals (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that the enemy has planned a full-out aerial assault on our "soil."Yet, there is no urgency still.

The "Church" at large continues in its lackluster, mundane and often indifferent approach in winning people to Jesus Christ in these "last days." Maybe they have forgotten that these are the "last days."2 Peter 3:2-4 says, "I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."Much of the Modern-Church has adopted this same mentality--just as it was prophesied that they would!

"If we ignore it, it might just go away" is the attitude that is prevalent in many circles. "That is such a negative message" is another common perspective as well.THIS AMBASSADOR has news for you though: The enemy has devised a plan to attack YOU and take YOU out once and for all.

The US thought that they were somehow out-of-reach and untouchable by their adversaries--and it took a catastrophe to wake them up to the realization that an invasion force desired to defeat them on their own turf.

We have got to get ready and launch a PREEMPTIVE STRIKE against the works of the devil BEFORE he invades and claims more lives! You can believe it or not--but from my perspective "on the front lines" there is an attack fast approaching on the horizon.

2010-12-06T19:27:00.001-05:00

Kayla was recently invited by Pastor Don Eskine to speak at the Friday night service at the Jesus Miracle Power Discipleship & Recovery Center in New Orleans.

This is Part 1 & 2 of that service

Tag-Teaming for JESUS!

2010-12-06T00:18:00.002-05:00

Pastor Jamie Sanders and Pastor Troy D. Bohn
Preaching the Word of God at
Raven Street Church: Bourbon Street Chapel
New Orleans, LA

More from the Bayou Classic

2010-12-02T04:55:00.002-05:00

PASTOR BOOGALOO STEPHENS (RAVEN NORTH SHORE) BRINGING THE WORD

URBAN MISSIONARY: KAYLA BOHN CALLING OUT HER GENERATION

MAKE WAR!

2010-11-29T15:18:00.000-05:00

2 Cor 10:3-4 declares "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."
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We are in a BATTLE FOR SOULS during Raven Street Church: Bourbon St Chapel and our adversary [the devil] is going about live a roaring lion seeking those that he can devour.
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Our PURPOSE and our PASSION is to see hearts and lives transformed by the Blood of Jesus and the Message of the Cross.
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Still "Taking the GOOD NEWS into the BAD PLACES"

Breakthrough in the Bayou

2010-11-28T18:50:00.005-05:00

Each year the city of New Orleans serves as host to the annual Bayou Classic football game that pits the grambling Tigers against their rival, Southern Jaguars. Regardless of these teams records coming in - it always proves to be a highly anticipated matchup drawing in excess of 200,000 visitors into the city.
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This event also provides our team a vehicle to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to tens of thousands of visitors that come into the French Quarter [Bourbon Street] to sight see and party before and after the game at the Super Dome. .

This past Saturday night our team [myself, Melanie, Kayla, Pastor Don & Sabrina, Pastor Boogaloo, and Bro Albert] set up at our normal Raven Street Church location at the 500 block of Bourbon Street. We errected our 15ft cross with built in pa system and began to preach the Word of God to an enormous crowd of visitors.
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Within moments of Kayla opening up with preaching, many stopped to hear what she had to say and others asked questions of team members and several were prayed with. The night was a very fruitful night with no extreme opposition coming from the crowd. We spent several hours tag-team preaching and one-on-one witnessing before wrapping up and leaving the location just before midnight.

[Once the team departed . . . from local news paper article]

Bourbon Street conflict leaves two in hospital

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Published: Sunday, November 28, 2010Kari Dequine, Times Picayune
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New Orleans police are investigating the shooting of two men on Bourbon Street early Sunday morning. Both men, a 23-year-old from Baton Rouge and a 39-year-old from New Orleans, were transported to a local hospital and are listed in stable condition.
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According to authorities, just after midnight in the 500 block of Bourbon Street, the 23-year-old man encountered a man with whom he had an earlier altercation in Baton Rogue.

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In an interview with the 23-year-old victim's family, investigators learned that he had been shot by the same suspect while in Baton Rouge, though the exact date and nature of the previous injury is unknown.

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Investigators reported that when the 23-year-old saw the suspect, described as a man approximately 17 years old, he was shot in the abdomen without provocation. The 39-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. The relationship between the two victims is unknown at this time.

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Police officers, NOPD spokeswoman Shereese Harper said, were just feet from the location when they heard gunshots, and were at the scene of the shooting within seconds. The area was immediately sealed off, but later the block was reopened to patrons on the busy Bayou Classic night.

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The suspect, however, was not apprehended, and police are still looking for the man who is believed to be from the Baton Rogue area. He is described by police as being 5' 5", 120 pounds with a dark complexion and a "very low and even haircut." He was wearing a blue pullover hooded sweatshirt with black pants.

Thank you all for your prayers and support as we continue to

Take the GOOD NEWS into BAD PLACES!

Recent Testimonial Letter Received in the Mail

2010-11-26T15:36:00.003-05:00

(Picture of Kayla ministering on Bourbon for illustration)

11/20/2010

Raven Ministries,

This last week while attending a convention in New Orleans, I decided to visit the French Quarter. Although I was shocked by what I saw - I was also temptied to participate... until I came upon the Raven Group. In particular I was touched by the power of Kayla's words, her courage, and the strenght of her faith. It brought tears to my eyes. After she finished I thanked her and went back to my hotel in peace!

I again want to express my thanks...

P.C.

Alexandria, Virginia

The reason we GO where we GO...

2010-11-18T02:32:00.002-05:00

Romans 15:20-21 declares,

"And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel,

not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation, but as it is written:

To whom He was not announced, they shall see;

And those who have not heard shall understand."

Happy Anniversary! 24 years and counting...

2010-11-16T16:32:00.003-05:00

In 1984 while a junior at Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas - I first saw this beautiful sophomore walking down the hallway. I wasted little time asking this girl out . . . and the rest is history!

It was November 15, 1986 when two 19 year olds stood before our pastor [Bobby Tow] and exchanged vows to one another and the Lord Jesus Christ - pledging our lives to Him and our fidelity and commitment to one another. That was TWENTY-FOUR years ago and I must say that I cannot thank the Lord Jesus enough for the tremendous blessing that He entrusted me with.

Many people made predictions about our marriage and our future: "They won't last a year...", "They are too young...", and some good ones as well, "God is going to bless and use you both mightily...", "You guys are PERFECT for one another...". I praise the Lord Jesus that our marriage was not built upon the predictions of man but rather upon the promises of the Lord Jesus Christ!

FIRE in the FRENCH QUARTER!

2010-11-15T15:17:00.002-05:00

PASTOR JAMIE SANDERS - FREEDOM IN THE FRENCH QUARTER

KAYLA BOHN - PREACHING THE GOSPEL ON BOURBON STREET

Wake Up Church! - A MUST Watch Video

2010-11-10T01:55:00.001-05:00

NEWS FROM VOODOO FEST OUTREACH

2010-11-03T01:20:00.003-04:00

Thank you all who prayed for us during the VooDoo Fest 2010 Outreach here in New Orleans. Your prayers were very much felt in the midst of one of the biggest battlegrounds that we will face in this Nation: Rebellion & Revelry join forces with Darkness & Debauchery.

Last year's VooDoo Fest outreach may have benn the most intense outreach atmosphere that I have encountered in all of my years of ministry. The oppression and all out opposition from the adversary was unprecedented. This year - the prayers and the months of fasting were the difference makers! While we obviously encountered opposition and oppression - it was nowhere to the degree that we faced in 2009. PRAYER changes THINGS!

We were blessed to have some great friends come in to help from around the country: Aaron Frazier and Troy Morris made the 600 mile drive from Daytona to lend a hand. These guys are amazing witnesses for JESUS. In addition, Pastor Rusty Watson and Pastor Troy Gartner of Beech Grove Fellowship [Shepherdsville, Kentucky] came. It is always a pleasure and a great help to have these seasoned [and anointed] leaders come into the city. The State of Kentucky was actually well represented at the outreach as Bro. James Beams, his wife Michelle and their friend Ms. Bobbi came and brought a team of young people that dove into the midst and went after souls for JESUS.

Some great brothers also came from the surrounding area: CJ,Chris and Brandon - students at World Evangelism Bible College & Seminary [Baton Rouge] drove in and helped on one of our toughest nights.

One thing - I was cited by the New Orleans' Police for "Disturbing the Peace" as our team preached! What was interesting is that I wasn't preaching and they gave me the ticket -- yet the preaching NEVER ceased!

UPDATE REGARDING CITATION: We contacted the Alliance Defense Fund (A Christian Legal Organization) and they offered to take on our case against the NOPD. I told them that I would go to the Municipal Court and get the required information. When I went to the court house - they decided to drop the charges and stamped my ticket as such! Praise JESUS for a victory for proclaiming the GOSPEL!

2010-11-01T23:16:00.001-04:00

Homosexual getting set free!

2010-11-01T21:38:00.000-04:00

‎[VooDoo Fest 2010] Team praying with a young man that desired to be set free from homosexuality. A woman [on assignment from Satan] comes by as we are praying and pours her drink all over us.

Pastor Jamie Sanders Preaches during VooDoo Fest 2010

2010-11-01T21:33:00.002-04:00

Kayla Bohn - VooDoo Fest 2010 [New Orleans]

2010-11-01T21:25:00.000-04:00

HALLOWEEN: Is there really anything HAPPY about it?

2010-10-27T17:28:00.003-04:00

HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

Celtic New Year

October 31 is the most important day in the satanic year. [It is known as the devil's birthday.] It marks the Celtic new year. It was the end of the growing season. It became a festival of death. On this day, the god of the Celtics was to have called up the spirits of the wicked dead who had died during the past year. At the same time, other evil spirits arose and went about the countryside harassing the people. On October 31, the Celtics expected to be harassed by ghosts, evil spirits and demons; and it was no fun and games to them. They would light bonfires to guide the spirits to their own town and to ward off evil spirits.

DRUIDS

The Celtics had priests called druids. On October 31, the druids went from house to house demanding certain foods, and all those who refused were cursed. The people were tormented by means of magic. As they went, the druids carried large turnips which they had hollowed out and on which they had carved demon faces as charms. Each one was believed to contain the demon spirit that personally led or guided that priest: his little god.

DIVINATION

Those who practiced fortune telling and divination found that this was the night that they had the most success. They called upon satan to bless their efforts. One form of divination was to put apples in a tub and bob for them. The one who first successfully came up with one without putting them in his teeth was to have good luck throughout the year. They would then peel the apples and throw the peeling over their shoulders and then quickly look around. They expected to see a vision or an apparition of the one they were to marry.

SACRIFICES

These things happened several centuries before CHRIST. Sacrifices were made to the gods, especially the god of death - Samhain (pronounced Sah win). Sacrifices all the way from vegetable to human were offered. This went on and on, and, in some parts of the world, still goes on today.

8th CENTURY

In the 8th century, the Pope, in an effort to get the people to quit the festival of Sam hain, invented All Saints Day (Nov. 1). This was an attempt to get the people to turn away from the horrible observance of Sam hain. All Saints Day was intended to honor the martyrs of the Roman persecutions. It did not work! It never works to Christianize a pagan holiday. The holy and the profane do not mix.

THE MIDDLE AGES

In the Middle Ages, there was a great revival of satanic practices and witchcraft and magic - like there is today. During this time the belief developed that witches traveled on broomsticks to the black Sabbaths to worship satan on October 31. They were guided by spirits in the form of black cats. The Druids worshiped cats believing them to be reincarnated evil people.

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT

This festival of death has survived all the efforts of the church to stamp it out. The church is joining the opposition by celebrating this festival. All Saints Day became All Hallows Day. Hallow means holy or sacred. October 31 is the evening before All Hallows Day and came to be called in the western world all hallows evening and then all hallows een. Een is an abbreviation for evening. Finally, the word was reduced to the way we have it today, Halloween. That's where the name came from, and even if it is called all hallows evening, it has nothing to do with Christian faith, and it never did.

MODERN HALLOWEEN

Now let's look at the present day celebration of Halloween. Isn't the whole theme one of darkness, death, fear, threats, destruction and evil? There are witches, broomsticks, bats, owls, ghosts, skeletons, death, and monsters. You dress up your children as demons and witches and ghouls and monsters and werewolves and send them out into the street in the darkness to reenact the Druids' practice of demanding food from people under threat of tricks (or curses) if they don't comply.

You take, not a turnip, but a pumpkin and carve demon faces in it and decorate with it.

At Halloween there will be apple bobbing, divination, fortune telling, haunted houses, candles lit and spirits called up. There will be seances and ouija boards in the name of fun and excitement. There will be sacrifices of dogs, cats, rats, chickens, goats and even humans!

You say, "Well, we don't take it seriously." But the devil does and so does God. Particularly this is true when the Church which He purchased with His own precious blood builds houses of horror in its fellowship halls so that the little lambs who have been entrusted to its care can be terrified and opened up to invading spirits of fear and torment and confusion.

How this must Grieve the Lord!

Scriptural References: Hosea 4:6; Ezekiel 44:23; Deuteronomy 18:9-14; 7:25-26; James 1:27; II Corinthians 6:14; I Corinthians 10:19-23; I Thessalonians 5:21-23; Philippians 4:8.

We Need YOUR Help to Reach People for JESUS!

2010-10-25T15:12:00.001-04:00

VOODOO FEST
New Orleans Outreach

In just a few days, the City of New Orleans will once again roll out the red carpet to Satan and another one of his strategic devices aimed at destroying the very souls of men: New Orleans’ VooDoo Fest.

VooDoo Fest is billed by organizers as “a festival celebrating music and culture.” Yet, there motto is, ‘Worship the Music.”

The Bible speaks of such things in Romans 1:25 “[they] changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creation more than the Creator…”

With a musical lineup featuring such names as: Ozzy Osbourne, Eagles of Death Metal, Soul Rebels and Rock City Morgue – it doesn’t take much to understand the spirit behind this demonic event. Our purpose is to “Make a Stand For Light [Jesus] in the Midst of the Darkness.”

This is an excerpt from one of the local VooDoo Practitioner Websites:

VOODOOFEST is our FREE annual festival, held EVERY Halloween, which celebrates the Voodoo religion's many important contributions to New Orleans' traditions. VOODOOFEST’s primary goals are to honor the Ancestors, educate the public about this widely misunderstood religion & to preserve and celebrate the unique Spiritual & Cultural Heritage of New Orleans.

They have scheduled a full line up of VooDoo priests to educate people on casting spells and curses and various other aspects of this demonic religion. [and the City swings wide open their doors for it!]

WE ARE TAKING A STAND FOR JESUS AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!

• Please pray for us! We will be on the frontlines from Thursday through Sunday night with our team of soul-winners. Pass the word to intercessors, FaceBook and MySpace friends and anyone that would take the time and make the efforts to bombard heaven on the behalf of righteousness this week.
• Consider making a financial investment into this Harvest by sponsoring one of our incoming Urban Missionaries [or two] for just $50 each. You can do this online by going to our website: www.BigGrace.com and then clicking on the “Make A Donation” icon or by going to www.PayPal.com and using Raven@BigGrace.com as the email address to give directly into this ministry.

We have a team of about 30 coming in from around the country. Several are coming TOTALLY on faith. I called them and said, “We need your help. Can you come.” They said, “YES”, but did not have the finances to come.” I assured them that if they provided the willingness to obey and come – that our Lord would provide the resources.

Please consider making a donation today to cover the cost of the place we will be sleeping and showering during the outreach (they are charging us $10 per person a day to use it) Melanie and I are working to put together some meals to feed the team that is coming in. Anything would be a great help to us.

MELANIE GOT PUNCHED IN THE FACE FRIDAY NIGHT ON BOURBON STREET!

You can certainly tell that the enemy is getting perturbed at our team setting up Raven Street Church right on Bourbon Street during the week’s busiest nights [Thurs – Sat]. This past Friday as I was preaching the Gospel in front of our 12ft Cross with built in PA System – a man attacked us!

He tackled Jonathan as he held the cross before I could restrain him. A plain clothes officer arrived and told me, “Let him up, I have things under control.” As soon as I let the man up he started attacking people in the crowd! Before you knew it he had been knocked unconscious by another Bourbon Street partier!

The blow was so forceful that the original attacked fell violently to the pavement, striking his head against the street! I rushed in to render aid and the man’s eye sockets were filling with blood and he was unresponsive. Soon an ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital. [we do not know his present condition]

The thing is – Melanie was filming me preach when everything happened and it was all caught on tape. You can view the entire attack and aftermath by going to www.RavenOutreach.Blogspot.com A woman that was with the original attacker then attacked Melanie, tried to destroy our camera and ended up punching Melanie in the jaw!

Praise JESUS that Mel was okay and that the Lord kept her [and the whole team] from any serious harm or injury. “No weapon that is formed against us will prosper.”

We will be back out in the battlefield [harvest field] this week preaching the LIFE-TRANSFORMING message of Jesus to the 10’s of thousands that pass our way each and every week. We know that God’s Word never returns to Him void, but accomplishes all that He sends it to do!

In addition – Our teams were out in Daytona Beach [preaching to 250,000 bikers] and on college campuses, and on the streets of cities from San Francisco to Guadalajara [Mexico] to Ontario [Canada] and many points in between. Thank you all that have prayed, given and encouraged us for many years as we have endeavored to share the GOOD NEWS in BAD PLACES!

Blessings,

Pastor Troy D. Bohn
Director of Raven Ministries Int’l
PO Box 2102
Kenner, LA 70063
(504)202-0939

Raven@BigGrace.com

RAVEN TEAM ATTACKED ON BOURBON ST

2010-10-24T02:56:00.003-04:00

ACTUAL FOOTAGE OF ATTACK!

Why don't you: 'Fly Away From Hell?"

2010-10-21T01:31:00.001-04:00

Raven Street Church - every Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights beginning at 9:00 PM (CST) right at the 500 Block of Bourbon Street in New Orleans (footage on this video from our Sat 10/16 service).

Something to Think About

2010-10-21T01:23:00.003-04:00

[think about it] The Church is "sicker" than it has been in its 2000 yr history. From the looks of things it is on life-support! [why] Jesus said that the "sick" are the ones in need of the care of the physician [Matt 9:12] and it seems that most ministers [pastors, elders, etc..] spend the majority of their efforts an...d the majority of the churches money on those coming to their sunday services.

[so] It makes you wonder if "pastors" are really doing their job or not? Is it their job to "keep people coming to church" or is it their job to "equip them for the work of the ministry?" [soul-winning] How ministers must feel to have the same [high maintenance - low impact] faces staring at them each week and giving the obligatory "amen" and knowing that most of those people will never take the word to heart and actually go do something with it.

‎[I had a minister friend call me a week or so ago] after he had seen a video of Kayla [my daughter] preaching on Bourbon street [he said] "I was convicted! That little girl walked in more boldness than any five minister I know put together!"

We Need Your Help!

2010-10-17T22:55:00.000-04:00

"GOD IS NOT MOCKED" - Straight from the Streets of New Orleans'

2010-10-16T14:23:00.001-04:00

Raven Street Church: The Bourbon Street Chapel (New Orleans) "The Word of God is quick, and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

RAVEN STREET CHURCH TONIGHT!

2010-10-15T21:31:00.001-04:00

Join us tonight @ the 500 block of Bourbon Street at 9:00 PM for RAVEN STREET CHURCH'S:

BOURBON STREET CHAPEL!

Are you GAZING FROM ROOFTOPS or are you ADVANCING UPON BATTLEFILEDS?

2010-10-14T13:26:00.001-04:00

Thank you!

2010-10-13T19:42:00.003-04:00

Dear Friends,

Melanie and I want to thank all of you who have been so faithful to pray for and support the work of the ministry. For nearly twently years we have worked to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to some of the most desperate and hurting people across this nation and beyond.

We have ministered to thousands of homeless on the streets of Los Angeles' Skid Row.
We have seen the drug addict set free in San Francisco's Tenderloin.
We have fed thousands of hungry families in Texas.
We have watched Jesus do miracles in New York City.
We have experienced God's protection and provision during Hurricane's.
We have seen entire Muslim families come to Jesus in the Nation of Turkey.
We have ministered to prostitutes in the streets of Kingston, Jamaica.
We have prayed for transvestites and street kids in Toronto, Canada.

And have seen the Lord Jesus do so many other powerful things in the lives of people from coast to coast over the past years! He is faithful and He is worthy to receive all the glory!

We are so excited to once again have the ministry based out of the City of New Orleans. It provides us a cetralized place to oversee the ever-expanding ministry of Raven. Our teams are now stretched out across the USA, Canada and Mexico! (Loook what the Lord has done!) New Orleans also provides an incredible platform to train and equip others desiring to launch into the harvest fields of souls.

Presently we are leading teams into the infamous French Quarter and Bourbon Street several times each week with amazing results and testimonies. From heroin addicts to homosexuals - we are seeing the delivering power of the Holy Spirit change and transform lives! In addition we are hosting RAVEN STREET CHURCH: Bourbon Street Chapel - every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at the 500 block of Bourbon! It is glorious to see the 12 ft cross standing in the midst of the darkness as we declare the message of Jesus Christ.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Even though the ministry has greatly expanded over the years, one thing has not changed - this is still a completely faith-based ministry that must depend upon the grace of God and the generosity of His people to invest in the work that He has ordained for us to do in these trying days.

Please consider making an investment in His Kingdom this month. There are so many pressing needs that face us and we are standing firm in obedience to the call and commision of the Lord Jesus. Your missions offering will go a long way in helping us to reach the lost and hurting.

Thank you and many blessings,

Pastor Troy D. & Melanie Bohn - Raven Ministries Int'l

PO BOX 2102

Kenner, LA 70062

We Need YOUR Help!

2010-10-12T03:13:00.002-04:00

JUST HOW MUCH WOULD YOU SAY A SOUL IS WORTH?

Heaven's Gates or Hell's Bells?

2010-10-12T03:13:00.001-04:00

2010-10-11T01:34:00.004-04:00

"Many Churches will use things from the WORLD to REEL people into their buildings; I prefer using things from the WORD to REAL people into His Kingdom."

Pastor Troy D. Bohn

Urban Missionary: Kayla Bohn @ Raven Street Church's Bourbon Street Chapel

2010-10-11T01:30:00.001-04:00

Coming to the Cross: Robert @ Raven Street Church: Bourbon Street Chapel (New Orleans)

2010-10-10T20:21:00.001-04:00

COMING SOON!

2010-10-07T01:20:00.002-04:00

Pastor Troy D. Bohn and the RAVEN Institute of Ministry and Biblical Studies will be returing soon with a brand new LIVE expository teaching from the Word of God. This will be a daily webcast in a similar format as our teachings on Romans (197 hours) and the Revelation (65 hours)

Watch this site of the exact time and date of the webcast. We will feature special in studio guests and panel discussions as we seek to examine the Word of God in a deeper and more practical way.

RAVEN Street Church Schedule: New Orleans

2010-10-06T20:25:00.002-04:00

JOIN US THIS WEEK IN NEW ORLEANS FOR

RAVEN STREET CHURCH

Thursday (October 7) @ 9:00 PM

Friday (October 8) @ 9:00 PM

Saturday (October 9) @ 9:00 PM

All services held in the 500 block of New Orleans' BOURBON STREET

This is New Orleans' "Original Mega-Church" where THOUSANDS attend our street services! The only church in town where the lost, drunkards, atheists, drug addict, homosexual, pervert, adulterer, cult-member, pagan, and back-slider come out in droves!

Bring your BIBLE . . . bring a PASSION for the LOST. . . bring the FIRE of the HOLY GHOST!

'Where is the Weeping Between the Porch & the Altar?"

2010-10-05T18:11:00.005-04:00

Joel 2:17 “Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

The Book of the Prophet Joel is a three-fold vision that should serve as a prophetic insight into what is facing the modern church. This three-fold vision can be divided into these revelatory observations:

That which they were presently facing - in this case an actual plague of locust that had come in and devoured the land

That which was soon to come - the invasion of the land by the armies of Judah’s enemies.

That which was conditionally promised - an outpouring of the Spirit of God as a result of the repentance

Not unlike in the days of the Prophet Joel, the church of today is in much the same condition as Judah was in that day. Judah had allowed the idolatrous worship of Baal, the people were walking in lawlessness and the priest had ceased to teach the law and were no longer serving God with a pure heart.

Out of this rebellion came a plague: A plague of locust that literally devoured the land and ushered in a severe drought! Neither man not beast escaped the consequences of this Nation’s rebellion.

Walk into many a modern church and the pre-plague conditions are visibly in place:

Dry-eyed preaching and pop-culture based sermon series have effectively inoculated the Body of Christ from any true move of God. A genuine move of God simply would not fit within the finely tuned and orchestrated presentation being billed as worship services!

Intercession has been abandoned for Entertainment
Perseverance has been discarded for Performance
Consecration has been forsaken for Comfort
Revelation has been vacated for Relevance

and as a result the fields have become barren and a drought of the Spirit of God has come upon the land.

“The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off
from the House of the Lord; the priests,
the Lord’s ministers mourn.” Joel 1:9

This spiritual plague of locust has made waste of the House of the Lord. Compromise and disdain for the truth has eaten away at the very fabric of what God has built His church upon: What this has done is cut off the spiritual meat offering and drink offering.

The Meaning of the Meat Offering

The term meat here can be misleading in that the offering didn't actually contained any meat in it. This offering was a type and shadow of (a) The Cross of Christ (b) Our identification with His suffering

The Meat Offering was actually composed of four primary ingredients:

Fine Flour - representing Perfection (or Holiness)

Oil - representing the Holy Spirit

Frankincense - representing the Priesthood of Jesus

Salt - representing Purification & Preservation

When the devourer is allowed into the Church, the first casualties are typically the contents of the meat offering!

Listen to the messages being preached in the most popular places. See how many messages are preached on holiness; See if the Holy Spirit is given free reign to move; See if it is Jesus being exalted or if everything is man-centered, man-focused, and man-pleasing! Then check the lives and testimony of those flocking to such places and you’ll see the lack of salt!

Their lives will be a bastion of compromise and lukewarmness and they will have abandoned their responsibility to be salt and light to the lost and dying world!

The Cross of Calvary was designed to produce this work in our lives, The absence of the Meat Offering is typically revealed in the absence of genuine preaching on the Cross!

With the dereliction of fundamental preaching on the command to “be crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20) there will invariably be the elimination of any message that might mention that ‘those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim 3:12)

Comedic monologues, sports stories, movie and television references, and multi-media presentations will take the place of the Holy unction!

There was no leaven (sin or compromise) and no honey (self righteous, good works) to be added to the meat offering. The Cross had to be enough! (1 Cor 2:2)

The Meat Offering is Cut Off!

As a result of the meat offering being cut off from the House of the Lord, the drink offering will also be made of none effect.

The Meaning of the Drink Offering

There are (5) historical references concerning the drink offering found in the Word of God: 1 Chr 29:21; 2 Kings 16:13-15; 2 Chr 29:35; and Ezra 7:17 and they all serve as shadows concerning the coming Millennial Reign of Christ Jesus where he alone is worshipped!

This is very significant because - once the meat offering is cut off (the message of the Cross) then there is no legitimate worship of God (regardless of the professionalism or apparent sincerity).

The drink offering was a strong wine without mixture. It was not diluted or otherwise tempered by any other thing.

Today we have dumbed down and diluted the truth to such a degree that the crimson blood has been reduced to a pastel pink! Where is the weeping between the porch and the altar?

All of these things are much like the first portion of Joel’s three-fold vision: They are things that we are presently facing in the Body of Christ!

That Which was Soon to Come

“ Blow ye the trumpet in Zion,
and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.” Joel 2:1

Following the Prophets prophecy of the locust, the second part of the three-fold vision came to him. It was things that would soon come upon Judah: the invasion of the land by the armies of the Assyrians!

In the midst of the plague of locusts (the result of the people entering into idolatry, and the priests refusal to preach the truth) God still gave them space to repent!

“Gird yourselves, and lament ye priests; howl ye ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.” Joel 2:12

A Day of Darkness and of Gloominess

The plague of the first vision of the Prophet brought with it the devastation of anything that grew in the fields. This in turn brought about a famine in the land - and a subsequent drought.
These three things are now present in much of the modern Church and are significant for several reasons

Matthew 7:16 reveals that “you will be known by your fruits.” Yet, the modern Christianity is by in large a landscape of desert wasteland (at best) or a man-centered basket of plastic fruit seeking to pass itself off as the real McCoy!

Amos 8:11 declares, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.”

How many warnings did the Kingdom of Judah receive to repent and return to the place that God had desired?

How many warnings has the Body of Christ received to repent from our spiritual harlotry and religiously disguised idolatry and come back to a fidelity in Jesus?

The Day of the Lord is Great and Very Terrible

Just as Judah was overran by the invading armies in the midst of famine and drought - so has the enemy of the Body of Christ made plans to invade our ranks at a time of unparalleled weakness.

Instead of sword-wielding armies, the adversary has brought to our ranks, “philosophy, vain deceit, traditions of men and humanistic thinking” Colossians 2:8

Many have read the verses of Joel chapter 2 and have sang and mistakenly identified them as a “liberating” army sent by God to restore Judah, but these are armies sent by God to reprove Judah!

There are things happening across our Nation right now that many are calling “God’s blessing” or “God’s favor.” They boast of progress and influence - yet the Word of God calls them “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.” Revelation 3:17

As we minister the Gospel on the streets of this Nation, our biggest opposition doesn't come from the drug addicts, the gangs, the pagans or the atheists - it comes from those who claim to belong to Jesus!

Their consciences have been seared because of their hypocrisy (1 Tim 4:2) and they have given themselves over to “seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim 4:1) because of their departure from the true faith.

In the last 125 years this has opened the door to a plethora of false religions and false teachings that have used His name, yet forsaken His precepts: Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist, and the Seeker-sensitive movement

Even in what were once considered “orthodox” churches the armies of sin and compromise have run rampant: Homosexuality, pedophilia, adulterous leaders, greed and a false grace message!

Jude 3-4 declares, “Dear friends, I had been eagerly
planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives.

Will we sit idly by and allow Christ’s Church to be completely overran by such things?

The Third Vision of the Prophet

God is faithful in that he will not only reveal to us the problems that we face, but will also give us His solution as well.

In Joel 2:1 it says, “Blow the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm…”. This was in advance of the judgment of the invading armies.

In Joel 2:15-16 it say, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation…”.

We most assuredly serve a gracious and merciful God who leaves room for not only repentance, but also restoration and REVIVAL!

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh…” Joel 2:28

For the Kingdom of Judah, this was a promise to fulfill that which He had covenanted with Abraham; for the Church it is the conditional promise that He will bring an end-times opportunity to see His Glory revealed before His return.

The key to experiencing the fulfillment of Joel’s third vision is to “rend you heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord our God.” (Joel 2:13)

In other words, when His priests (Pastors, leaders, and saints) will cease from “forms of godliness” and “ways that seem right to men” (2 Tim 3:5, Prov 14:12) and will cry out in humility to the Living God - then we can rest assuredly that He will “pour out His spirit upon all flesh.”

The Danger of Taking a Step in the Right Direction

2010-09-27T21:27:00.002-04:00

I want to talk to you about the subtle danger of a tendency common among many Christians. On the surface this tendency may seem harmless, but in reality it can cause shipwreck. I call this dangerous tendency the practice of "taking a step in the right direction."

Now, it is always good to take a step of faith when we have placed our trust in Christ. As a minister of the Lord, I applaud that kind of step. Yet the Bible shows us there is great danger if we don't follow up that first step with increased faith.

Lot is one of the Bible's prime examples. In Genesis 19 we read of Lot's supernatural deliverance from Sodom and Gomorrah. The angel of God's wrath had appeared on the scene, warning Lot, "We will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it" (Genesis 19:13).

When Lot heard this he immediately acted in faith. "Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out" (19:14). Lot believed the angel's warning and took it seriously enough to tell his family about it.

Then we read that Lot "lingered" the next day: "When the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand…

"And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace" (19:15-19).

Lot knew he had been blessed with the saving grace of God. He had been mercifully delivered from Sodom, which God was poised to judge. The Lord even gave Lot specific direction, telling him to flee to the nearby mountain.

But again Lot hesitated, making a request of God that was self-serving: "Thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one" (19:19-20).

The truth is Lot didn't want to go to the mountain. He wanted instead to settle on the plain, in a city called Zoar, whose name means "little." In Lot's mind, it was a "little matter" to request of God.

Here is a picture of a man taking a step in the right direction, a step of faith. If Lot had followed up on that first step with further faith, he would have been on his way to a place of blessing, in the perfect will of God.

In my opinion, Lot is like many Christians today. It is possible for us to be delivered from our own type of Sodom. We can be saved from a life of sin, fear and disappointment and instead taste of the wondrous mercy of God. And we begin to hear the Lord directing us, "Go up on the mountain."

Here is the first lesson we are to draw from Lot's deliverance: We are to go where God tells us to go.

For Lot, the mountain was meant as a place of further blessing. Yet Lot didn't have a single ounce of faith, despite being blessed so greatly. He had tasted God's salvation, mercy and deliverance, yet he didn't translate any of this into faith.

As a result, Lot wasn't dependent on the Lord at all. You might think someone who had experienced such saving grace would think, "I have been delivered by the very angels of God. Surely the Lord has his hand on me. I can trust his merciful love."

But Lot resisted, going his own way. And he had no idea of the consequences of his self-directed decision.

The same is true for us today. Like Lot, we who make up Christ's body have been delivered out of Sodom. We have tasted mercy and grace. But do we always believe we're headed for a place of blessing when we follow God's direction?

The fact is some of the places God sends us are going to be hard.

As a minister of the Lord, I have learned something crucial over the years. It is never to stand in the way of a godly man or woman on their way to a place where God has directed them.

When these servants get to the place God has sent them, they may endure one of the most difficult periods of their lives. Nevertheless what they experience is God's way for them. I have seen destruction result when well-meaning, "logical" Christians stand in these servants' way, hindering them from entering a place that seems risky or dangerous.

Lot, who had no faith, was drawn to Zoar because it was easy and comfortable. To him it was a step in the right direction — and so he went. Yet Lot couldn't have known the saving, delivering benefit of following God's specific direction.

The fact is the sulphuric fumes devouring Sodom were soon to engulf and cover the entire region. Picture the volcanic cloud that emerged from Iceland recently, affecting that entire part of the world. It must have been very much like what God's judgment of Sodom produced. That's why God told Lot to go to the mountain instead of to the plain.

When we disobey the voice of God, we have no idea the terrible things he wants to spare us from. Eventually, Lot was chased up the mountainside by the fiery destruction. And because he had no faith, he ended up in despair. His lack of faith resulted in incest and other horrible consequences. That is never God's way for us; he doesn't want to take any of his children on that route.

Perhaps right now you are struggling against a certain itch. Like Lot, you want to move ahead of God and do something on your own. I can only say one thing to you: Be exactly where God has told you to be. If you are there now, then you are at peace. If you are not at peace — if you're not trusting the Lord in the place he has put you — I assure you, you won't trust him anywhere.

Perhaps the things you're doing right now seem insignificant to you. In your mind, they may not be up to your high calling. But when you make peace with where God has sent you, you will be blessed. The Lord who knows your frame will keep you, instruct you and bless you beyond anything you could know. The point is always to go (or stay) where he has directed you in his infinite wisdom.

Jacob spent twenty years with Laban outside of God's blessing and plan for him.

During the two decades Jacob spent working for his father-in-law, he was not under God's full blessing. On the contrary, he was in a place of deception. The Lord was determined to change that for his servant. One day he told Jacob, "I want you to pull up stakes and go back home. Get to your kindred in Bethel."

Jacob took his first step toward blessing. He did as God directed him, gathering his clan and heading toward Bethel. And I can imagine Jacob was glad to go. He had been toiling for Laban in Syria for twenty years. And all that time he continually lived in disappointment with little to show for his labors.

You see, years before, Jacob had made a deal with God that concerned material things. Like many responsible believers, Jacob had reasoned, "I have to provide for my family." But if you want to follow the route to God's greatest blessing, you must follow his direction all the way, no matter what the cost. And now God wanted more for Jacob. He had a greater purpose for him.

When Jacob and his clan came to the border of Canaan, he was tired and weary. He had the pressure of caring for his two wives and all of their children, as well as their servants and herds. This man had responsibilities that stretched beyond his mental capacities. He was also fearful, because soon he would be facing his brother, Esau, from whom he had stolen the family inheritance years before.

So when Jacob came to a little town called Selah, he was tempted to stay there. Indeed, he bought a piece of land, building a house and even an altar where he could worship the Lord. Up to that point Jacob had taken a step in the right direction. But now he faced the danger that faces everyone who has taken that first step.

The name "Selah" means "safe place."

"Selah" indicates green grass, a nice home, good things. In short, the peaceful little town of Selah had great appeal to the embattled Jacob. It must have attracted him the same way Zoar attracted Lot.

But God's direction for Jacob was to build an altar to him at Bethel. The name "Bethel" means "house of God." The Lord was saying to his servant, "Jacob, you spent twenty years living for your family and yourself. Now I want all of your heart. I want my vision to become a part of your very being. Therefore, I want full control of your life. You are to take directions from me from now on."

To Jacob, moving forward looked risky, even dangerous. But God wanted to bless him. And Jacob couldn't enter that blessing unless he gave up his own self-made plans. From that point on, there could be no more deception, no more deal-making. God was saying to this beloved man, "I want to offer you something beyond your imagining. In the process, I'm going to make you the servant I have purposed you to be."

Beloved, that is the wonderful thing about grace. Jesus not only has bestowed grace on us by casting our sins into the sea, he also leads us by his merciful grace.

Once while in prayer, I heard the Lord say to me: "David, if I gave you the chance to direct your own life, doing everything right in your human ability, you still couldn't get close to my blessing for you. I have your steps outlined for you."

If we are going to follow him, we are to do so all the way, with no shortcuts. That is the only path to his purpose and blessing.

In the Old Testament many of God's servants took a first step of obedience but murmured and complained when things got tough.

I'm not referring to the normal human reaction we all have when we're in such a battle. When we're in a deep struggle, things can come at us fast and furiously. At such times we may think, "Lord, I don't know if I can handle this. I don't see how I can ever make it through." At such times the enemy takes advantage, moving in with principalities and powers to try to rob, steal and shipwreck our faith.

Dear believer, this happens to every true servant of God. Peter lovingly warns us it would happen, saying, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:12).

What I'm talking about is a heart that has become hardened. This type of murmuring, complaining spirit is infectious, and God chastens such. Throughout the Old Testament we see what happens in every instance of hardened complaining: God does not abide it. When he tells his servants to trust him, we are to do what he says without murmuring, knowing he has our best in mind.

Israel under Moses is the most obvious example. The people had been camped at Mount Sinai for a year and had become somewhat cozy there. Then word came from the Lord they were to move out into the wilderness. And the people obeyed.

Now, when you line up a million or more people, you can imagine the scale of such an undertaking. And what a glorious sight it must have been. Trumpets sounded and banners waved as every tribe and family assembled. Everyone was coming under the Lord's divine order.

It was a step in the right direction. But after only a short time, a group whom one translation calls "the rabble" began to murmur. These people's hearts had become hardened by their trials, and now they were just going through the motions. Soon their murmuring infected the whole camp and nearly everyone was complaining. It made God angry.

Think of it: Here were God's people who had been saved miraculously. They had been delivered from the hand of their enemy through a supernatural work at the Red Sea. But now the rabble weren't walking according to God's word. And because of their murmuring and complaining, God chastened them.

Terrible things fell upon Israel after that. It was a series of consequences they brought on themselves. Because they resisted God's direction, they suffered until an entire generation of murmurers finally died out in the wilderness.

After decades of service to the Lord, I am still learning.

I can honestly say I am still being trained by the Lord in this area of following his clear direction, especially into hard places. I am still learning not to say, "That's it, God, I've had enough." I'm also still learning to say, "Lord, I don't see the way ahead. I don't know where I'll find the grace to get through this. But you promised to provide it. You said you would be my strength."

This is the place of true faith. It is also where we find our rest: by fully trusting in the Lord's love for us. As Paul states, what else do we have to present to him but our faith? Not works. Not performance. We have only our belief in him and reliance on him to provide all. At each day's end now, my wife, Gwen, and I will bow our heads and say, "Lord, you did it again. You brought us through."

And, dear one, he is going to bring you through. He wants to take you to a place of incredible blessing. You may have to be willing to do insignificant things. You'll face tests and trials that will be hard, seemingly beyond your ability to endure. Yet that is the training ground God has set apart for multitudes of his most beloved ones. It is where we learn his nature, his character, his blessing and his goodness.

It's hard to understand that in spite of our failures we are cherished by a holy God. But we are loved with the same love he has shown his Son. And he has a holy purpose for us, just as he did for his own Son. Therefore, we have a peace that passes all understanding. And we rest knowing his blessing lies ahead of us. Thank you, Lord — Amen!

David Wikerson

"Devil Gets Decked!"

2010-09-27T21:24:00.001-04:00

It is amazing sometimes when we minister how the Lord moves in ways that are unexpected. One of the things that wee have seen Him do on a number of occassions is to turn our enemies against one another. We have seen one friend argue and say that there is no God and his buddy will get in his face and tell him to shut up!

We have seen pushing matches get started and friends dragging their buddies off because they came at us in an agressive way. It is like the breaking of the waterpots in the Book of Judges when the enemies turned their swords upon one another! During this years' Southern Decadence Festival - we recieved word that one of our biggest "opponents" in the French Quarter had met a similar fate.

Leo Watermeier is a former State Representative and Mayoral Candidate that operates in what I would call the "Spirit of Anti-Christ." When we are preaching during 'Raven Street Church" he would often come and stand with a bullhorn in front of us saying, "Blah, Blah, Blah" over and over again to keep the people from hearing the Gospel.

Seems that the Saturday of the outreach, he found another group of street ministers to harass with his antics. A witness to the scene said that two guys standing by got tired of his bullhorn-business blasting them in the eardurm. They told him to stop. He continued to "Blah, Blah, Blah" when one of the guys handed his drink to his buddy and "BAM" - - he knocked poor Leo out cold!

Leo hasn't visited us during "Raven Chuch" since the incident - - maybe he has found that it is not the best idea to come against a Servant of the Lord Most High!

"Taking It to the Streets" - Bourbon Street Chapel

2010-09-25T03:58:00.001-04:00

How can we get the "Evangelists" out of the Building?

2010-09-24T12:46:00.001-04:00

OBSERVATION - - just returning from the streets tonight and thought about the number of "evangelists" on facebook and wondered where they all are? What do you call an "evangelist" that never actually "evangelizes?"

1) I am not an Ephesians 4:11 "Evangelist", yet I cannot help myself but to "evangeliize" the lost and dying. Even the "Apostles" where first called to be "fishers of men" (Luke 5:10)

#2) If, as Jesus' "disciple" - I am to "follow or immitate" Him, then what He "primarily" came to do was to "seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10) . . . shouldn't "soul winning" be at the forefront of my walk, rather than an incidental afterthought?

#3) If I am His diisciple (Matt 16:24) and I truly love Him (1 John 2:3) then I will keep ALL of His commandments, which would include "going" and "preaching the Gospel" (Mark 16:15)

#4) As a believer (any believer) I have (a) been reconciled to God (b) been given the ministry of reconciliation (c) have had committted to me the WORD of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-19) - that "word" (logon') is something "said" - so if I never go "say" anything am I being faithful to that responsibility?

#5) Further, He calls us His "ambassadors" (2 Cor 5:20) or one acting as His representative - - So, if we are representing, demonstrating, or commmunicating who Jesus is to the world -should we not be walking as He walked - - that being with the primary task to evangelize the world? (John 3:17)

#6) With all of the prayers that He has answered of mine - given the chance - would I not want to answer the one prayer request He made? "pray[ing] the Lord of the Harvest would send forth laborers [not even "Evangelists"] into His harvest" (Matt 9:38)

#7) If we believe that the return of the Lord Jesus is near, and we know that it is His desire that not perish (2 Pet 3:9) then why would we be so "passive" about telling as many people as possible about Him before it is too late? Why wouldn't we make the "main" thing the "main" thing?

#8) While there are certainly "diversities" of (a) gifts (b) administrations (c) operations (1 Cor 12:4-6) It is the "same" Spirit - and that Spirit (The Holy Spirit) came to "convict the world of sin, righeousness and judgment" (John 16:8) - - and because He is in us (John 14:7) We are now His voicepiece of this "reproof" [elengxei] - admonishment, tellling, and rebuke (2 Tim 4:1-2) - - differing "merthods" perhaps - but the same "message"

#9) Paul exhorted Timothy concerning the errors that would find their way into the "last days" Church: (a) loving pleasure or pleasurable things more than they love God (b) having a "form of Godliness, but denying the "power" (2 Tim 3:1-4)

#10) That "power" (Acts 1:8) is designed to make us "witnesses", not (a) administrators (b) helps (c) pew warmers, locally and unto "all the world"

#11) That the way to stay grounded in the word when many will cease to hear and recieve sound Biblical teaching (2 Tim 4:3) is to "do the work of" or "take the responsibility assigned to" an Evangelist - to make full proof of your ministry.

I pour over the scripture for hours each day and I just cannot escape the responsibility that has been handed over to all beleivers to GO and PREACH to the lost - - maybe not where I have been blessed to go do it - but somewhere! and with urgency and responsibility!

I want the whole world to know.

Romans 10:14-16 says, [read it all] " But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!" But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, "Lord, who has believed our message?"

Do you welcome the Good News? or would you rather leave the responsibility of "telling the world about Him" to someone else? Which would bring us to. . .

#12) Are you qualified to tell people about Jesus (evangeliizing)? We will always speak about that which is in the greatest supply within our hearts (Luke 6:45) Not every person who claims to be (a) christian (b) evangelist (c) church goer will make it to heaven (Matt 7:21) but only those that do "His will" - - which is to "seek and save the lost"

Many will try to tell Him about the many great "church" things that they did on the day of judgment (Matt 7:22-23) but He will tell them that He never knew them (or walked in true intimacy with them) - and will call them "lawbreakers"

I just want to be found faithful and do not want to see anyone go to hell without an opportunity to hear about my sweet Jesus - - regardless of what title I go by.

URGENT PRAYER NEEDED!

2010-09-16T19:54:00.005-04:00

Mark 2:1-4 says, "When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God's word to them, FOUR men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.4 They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus."

Dear Friends -

Many of your either know Sue Scott personally, correspond with her on FB, or might have seen or heard about this dear sister in Jesus on my FB page in the past few months. Sue has been involved with RAVEN Ministries since it was founded in Amarillo, Texas back in the Mid 90's. Her friendship, encouragment and FAITH are truly legendary! I have seen her stand for miracle after miracle for so many people and have seen first hand the fruit of her intercession and travail. Now - it is her that needs OUR FAITH to become legendary in JESUS.

Her son-in-law (and my son in the Gospel) Pastor Alex Hill called me this afternoon and I was immediately alerted by the tone of his voice that something was deeply concerning him. "We need some serious and urgent prayer", he said. "Sue is not doing good at all and she has been in and out of it all day long," he added. He asked if we would stand in prayer for Sue with He and Holly if he went in where she was and put the phone on speaker. Melanie and Kayla and I were in the car and we joined with them in prayer for Sue's healing!

Some of you may not know that she has been battling Stage (5) cancer and "medically speaking" - they have not given her much hope (if any), but I am not in the medical field - - I am in the JESUS FIELD and so is our dear friend and sister, Sue Scott.

When we hung up from prayer, the Lord immediately impressed upon Melanie and I that we needed to get in the car and drive the 600 miles to Daytona and stand in faith with Pastor Alex and Holly for her mom's healing and to encourage them in the Lord as well.

I was quickened to the above passage from Mark chapter (2) and opened to it. The third verse gave me pause, "four men (or friends) arrived carrying their friend." I felt like shouting out, "Melanie and I are the other two friends!" In the next hour, we are going to get in the car and head east towards Daytona to be with Sue and "tear through the roof" and believe God for her healing!

Just yesterday the Spirit of the Lord lead me to a passage from ‎1 Corinthians 16:9 "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." - - He was telling me that the "doors" or "passage ways" into the greatest, most effective, and most powerful - - will always be marked by a "formidable adversary" just on the other side. I consider this one of those doors - - and that lying devil of cancer one of those adversaries!

Lately God has truly been building our faith up. He has had me fasting every other day this whole year to bring a greater level of personal discipline in my life. He has called me back into the thick or things in the midst of this Nations most notorious proving ground (Bourbon Street in New Orleans) and has allowed me to see homosexuals and heroin addicts set free through the power of the Blood of Jesus! He has strengthened us physically, deepened us spiritually, and provided for us financially. God is Good and its ALL THE TIME!

The Lord spoke a word to me way back in 2003, "Expectancy is the birthplace for the miraculous and there is a greater reality than what you SEE and that is what I have SAID." God has proven this to us time and again - and we are convinced of these things:

Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"

Romans 4:20-21 "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform."

Please pray for us and especially stand with us in intercession for Sue Scott (please pass it on and lets bombard heaven on her behalf!) We do not know how long we will have to be gone, but if you would like to help in any way with the expenses - any missions giving would be greatly appreciated.

Blessings,

Pastor Troy D. Bohn

Servant of Jesus &
Director: Raven Ministries International, Inc.
PO Box 2102
Kenner, LA 70062

You can give securely online by going to: www.BigGrace.com and clicking on the "Make A Donation" button.

Joshua & Jared - The Power of HIS Name!

2010-09-15T04:04:00.000-04:00

These two young men were hooked on heroin and living on the streets of New Orleans when the testimony of the Cross and the power of the Word of God drew them to where we were preaching the Gospel on the infamous Bourbon Street

Raven Streets Church - New Orleans & the NFL

2010-09-10T14:40:00.002-04:00

The NFL kicked off its 2010 season in New Orleans with a huge celebration and parade prior to the rematch of last years two NFC Championship teams. Out team (TEAM JESUS) was also on hand at the festivities to lift up the name of Him who has never had a losing season!

Seems that most all were welcome to the events, but not those desiring to share the Good News of Salvation. We endured the mild persecution and continued to take the message of the Gospel out into the market place.

Raven Street Church: Southern Decadence Outreach in New Orleans

2010-09-09T13:37:00.002-04:00

The Raven Ministries International team took the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST into the streets of New Orleans to share with the 10's of thousands gathering for the annual Southern Decadence Gay, Lesbian & Transgendered Festival.

Raven Street Church: Bourbon Street Chapel

2010-08-17T00:11:00.001-04:00

Raven Internationa Training Center - Canada

2010-07-17T22:01:00.007-04:00

I had a great couple of days up in Ontario Canada with Ed & Wanda Baker. They are the directors of Raven Ministries Canada and some very passionate people for Jesus!

We are excited about the starting of the Raven International Training Center - Canada that will be operating in the facility pictured. (That is Ed & Wanda in the photo with me)

The facility is right at 10,000 total sq ft (with basement) and will serve as a training and mentoring location where we can bring in those desiring to be equipped to fulfill the Great Commission! There is some work that needs to be done to the building to get it ready - but we are confident that the same Lord that provided the building will also be able to provide the labor and resources to get it ready for use and occupation.

The building is located in Lindsay, Ontario Canada. Lindsay is a town with a "bad reputation" for drugs, teenage pregnancy and other related problems--- which is exactly the type of place that we like to be!
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Here is a picture of the main drag of Linday The area is very pictureesque and just north of Toronto and several other communities that are primed for outreach and evangelsim.
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Toronto itself is about an hour away and provides a host of ministry opportunities to both train ministers and to reaching out to this cosmopolitian city represented by multiple cultures, languages, and religions. The Greater Toronto Metro Area is the home to nearly 6,000,000 people.
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There is a large homeless and homosexual community in the City and drug use, gangs and other violence is prevailent in many of the inner-city areas of this beautiful gateway city perched on the banks of Lake Ontario.
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On our night of ministry in the city, we encountered several people whose lives had suffered the effects of satan's treachery including, "JoAnne" - a transvestite working as a prostitute on Younge Street in innercity Toronto. We were able to minister to this young man and buy him something to eat before praying for him and giving Him the TRUTH.
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The training center will also be withing close proximity to Niagra Falls, Canada. This is not only one of the most beautiful places you will ever see, but also a magnet for people from all over the world who need to hear about JESUS.
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Please continue to pray for Ed & Wanda and all those involved in thhe Raven International Training Center - Canada > and please consider being a financial sponsor for this international evangelistic work. You can send your missions offering to:
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Raven Ministries International
PO Box 2102
Kenner, LA 70063

Or use the PayPal link on the website to give securely online.

Girls GONE WILD. . . for JESUS!

2010-07-15T00:37:00.000-04:00

Raven Street Church - Bourbon St 7/7-7/8, 2010

2010-07-09T17:25:00.000-04:00

ATTACKER RETURNS!

2010-07-09T13:42:00.001-04:00

Last night as we were witnessing on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, I was approached by a young man and young woman who were obviously gunning for an argument. They had stopped as Pastor Jamie proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the French Quarter crowds.

"So, what do you think about Jews?" asked the young lady. "I am a Jew and we killed Jesus didn't we? Don't you hate us for that?"

About that time, Travis (who was the attacker from the night before), came up behind me and grabbed my shoulder. He looked in my eyes and said, "Man I want to apologoze to you again. Please forgive me. I am so sorry for what I did and am humiliated at my actions towards you and your friend."

I stopped him and said, "Travis, do not even think about it again. You are forgiven and we hold not aught towards you at all." You could see the relief in his eyes once again and his squeezed my hand tightly.

After he walked off, the young man and young woman said, "What was that all about?" I responded, "Oh, that was Travis. He kicked me in the groin and punched my friend in the cface last night while we were witnessing about Jesus."

Stunned they said, "And YOU forgave him!" I said, "Absolutely! As a follower of Jesus, we are required to follow and live by His example. All of our sins beat and crucified Him and He said, 'Father forgive them...".

This opened up a 1/2 conversatio wherein I was able to answer their questions and expose them to the message of the Messiah that they have both spiritually and culturally rejected. The young man admitted to being a homosexual (expecting me to bristle), and I was able to share with him God's miraculous power to deliver ANYONE from ANYTHING.

At the end of the conversation the young woman said, "My experience with Christians from where I am from has always been very bad. You have got to be the nicest person that I have ever met."

WOW - - that is certainly not soemthing that I hear everyday - - but praise God that we past the test and even in the midst of persecution and opposition we were able to demonstrate the Character of JESUS to both Travis and these young people.

GOD IS GOOD!

Attacked on Bourbon Street!

2010-07-08T21:38:00.001-04:00

Last night while we were ministering the Gospel on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Pastor Jamie Sanders was approached by a man and a woman who passed by as he open-air preached in the midst of several XXX night clubs.

"I have a question for you!" said Travis, as his female companion attempted to drag away the obviously intoxicated man. Then pulling out his St. Christopher medalion from beneath his shirt he said, "Does this make me any less f a Christian than you are?" -- seemingly thinking that his life-long devotion to the Catholic religion provided him a free pass into heaven.

Pastor Jamie attemted to "cut to the chase" and avoid a Catholic/Protestant debate went straight to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of living in righteousness. The man (Travis) persisted and continue to tug at the gold tone medalion previuously hidden from site beneath his yellow t-shirt. "DOES THIS MEAN I AM LESS OF A CHRISTIAN?"

He then began to ask, "What religion are you?" - - obviously trying to conjur up a debate about the origins of the Christian faith.

As they continued in their exchange, I pulled the female companion from the conversation and began questioning her about her relationship with Jesus. She too immediately went for her Catholic "trup card" to justify the lifestyle that they were obviously living (sinful). I soon found out that her knowledge of Jesus was limited to the regurgitaion of a few well-worn phrases and her knowldedge of the Word of God was virtually zero (she did not know one passage from it!)

While we spoke, her male companion left his conversation with Pastor Jamie and soon tried to interrupt my conversation with the woman. When the conversation returned to his false faith in the Catholic religion, things took a turn! Quoting from 1 John 1:6 and saying, "If you say that you have fellowship with Him [Jesus] yet continue to walk in darkness - - then you are a liar."

Upon hearing that statement, Travis screamed out and through a kick to my groin area. Supernaturally, the blow had no effect at all! This only infuriated the man more and he attempted to "get at me" and try again.

Pastor Jamie immediately stepped in the way to keep the man from physically attacking any further and was the recipient of a wild punch to the jaw! Our team (Pastor Jamie, Nathan, Jonanthan and myself) remained calm and merely stood our ground for the Gospel without making any retaliatory or agressive moves towards the man.

In a few minutes the police were there and questioning the man, us and the bouncers closest to the altercation. The man and the bouncers both told lies as to the exchanged -- but a man came down from a balcony and told the police the true story! He said to Pastor Jamie, "Man you turned the other cheek..," and was amazed at how our team responded to the violent act.

The police cuffed the man and were going to book him on two counts of assault - - then he asked to speak to me. The officer asked if I wanted to say anything to him. . . of course I did.

I was able to share the Gospel with the man and show him how his actions proved what we were telling him about his so-called relationship with Jesus. He apologized and said that he knew that his actions were both stupid and wrong for anyone claiming to be a Christian. I assured him that we were not angry with him at any time, but that sin would destroy him life.

The officer then said to the man, "Your situation is in these guys hands" and I looked at the officer and said, "Let him go." The man shook my hand and continued to apologize and said, "You may not believe me, but I will never forget what you just did for me."

Please pray for this man - that the Holy Spirit will continue to take him to this moment and show him that he stands between MERCY and JUDGMENT and that he must truly surrender his heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ!

...and thank the Lord for Pastor Jamie who "took one for the team!" PTL

Pastor Troy D. Bohn - - taking the LIGHT of God's Word into the DARKEST of places

Attack leads to OUTPOURING on Bourbon Street!

2010-07-08T21:33:00.003-04:00

Earlier we posted the report from the streets of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street concerning being attacked while preaching the Gospel - - but the real story is what happened afterwards as Jesus showed up and showed out!

Following the physical attack upon our team and the subsequent opportunity to minister to the assailant, the Spirit of God began to fall there on the streets of the French Quarter. Here are just a few of the ensuing opportunities we had to see the Holy Spirit speak into the lives of several hurting people.

“Mina” was a shop keeper standing outside of her souvenir store last night. As she stepped out to smoke a cigarette, the Holy Spirit began to impress upon me to go and speak to her. As I stood there praying about what I should say to her she suddenly went back into her shop.

I knew that I had to go over to the front because she would eventually step back outside. No sooner that I stepped in front of the door - - she stepped out. I said to her, “Can I read something to you?” She said, “Sure.”

I turned to the Gospel of Matthew and read…

“He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world."

Her eyes welled with tears as I spoke what the Holy Spirit wanted to say to her concerning her life and her past and that JESUS was the only way that she could be healed and delivered. I asked her if I could then pray with her and she quickly accepted. At the end of the prayer she let out a deep sigh and said, “YES, that is it.” Please keep her in your prayers - - maybe we will see her again as we minister there on the streets.

A few minutes later (as I was still rejoicing over Mina) a man and woman entered a store directly across from where I had just ministered to Mina. The Spirit directed me to Psalm 103

I turned there and as I did the woman walked out and was just hanging up her cell phone following a call. I walked up to here and said, “Excuse me. Can I read something to you?” She said, “Sure” as I held out my Bible to the Book of Psalm

“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;”

I then said, “We serve a God that still heals. . . even those things that seem impossible.” As soon as I said that she turned and looked at me and said, “You know?” She went on to tell me that she had just received a call from her daughter in Hawaii telling her that her granddaughter was on her death bed - - dying from cancer and that the doctors had said there was no hope.

We laid hands on her and prayed that her granddaughter would be healed in Jesus’ name! I gave her my card and told he to call me with the GOD report!

“Keith” was working at the door of an adjacent night club as I prayed and upon walking away, he called me over. “I have a question for you.” “Sure, what is it?” He went on to tell me that he was once a strong Christian, but fell away after his mother died of cancer.

He asked, “Do you think it is wrong for me to work in a place like this even though I am not here to drink or party?” I turned to the Word of God and read to him:

2 Peter 2:8 “Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.”

I told him, “You cannot be here day after day and not become affected and in-fected by what is going on.”

He listened to several other scriptures I shared and said that his boss was coming and that he had to get back to work (these club owners are funny about having their employees talk to us – go figure!). I gave him my card and told him to call me and that we’d have coffee soon.

Before we parted I asked him, “So, your mom was a devoted follower of Jesus?” He said, “Absolutely.” I told him, “If you ever want to see her, you need to get your life right with Jesus.”

With everything happening in the Gulf Coast right now, we believe that it is a PRIME TIME to take the Word of God into the Harvest Fields of the New Orleans area and beyond!

Blessings,

Pastor Troy D. Bohn
Raven Ministries International
New Orleans, LA

RAVEN IMPACT @ Metro Praise (Chicago, Ill)

2010-07-03T01:45:00.001-04:00

2010-06-11T02:24:00.001-04:00

One Arrested as Team Persecuted by Local Police

2010-03-22T01:15:00.000-04:00

Mardi Gras Outreach 2010

2010-02-22T22:09:00.000-05:00

2010 Mardi Gras Misson from Nate Pfeil on Vimeo.

There is still time to join the team!

2010-01-23T10:32:00.001-05:00

COUNTDOWN TO THE HARVEST! There is still time to be a part of the 2010 Mardi Gras Outreach to New Orleans (Feb 12-16) Joined hundreds of Soul-Winners as we take the message of the Gospel into the "Big Easy" - Contact Pastor Troy at Raven@BigGrace.com to participate or give financially towards this incredible mission opportunity.

An URGENT CALL and CHALLENGE to HOLINESS

2009-11-25T12:40:00.001-05:00

Open Air Preaching in Hollywood, Florida

2009-11-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

Salvation on Bourbon Street!

2009-11-21T23:48:00.001-05:00

INTERNATIONAL REPORT: Raven Guadalajara

2009-11-19T11:56:00.002-05:00

I wanted to thank you for putting up the last 2 sermons. There are days when we can't get back in time and so I really appreciate being able to still listen to them. Shayne and I are headed to
Michoacanejo, Jal. (near Aguas Calientes) and hoping to deliver more Bibles and encouragement to a young "pastor" living there.

Thanks for all the prayers for outreach in centro last night, God was amazing. Praise God, for leading us to the harvest fields. We got to preach to crowds that came to us. I think the enemy sent a discourager, but God used this guy to draw crowds and then have God's gospel preached. Of course there were many more opportunities God gave us as well. I am thankful that God is changing my heart and those that are going out with us. Before I think the discourager could have brought defeat, NOW we know that that is not possible. For God has given us victory over the enemy and that he uses all things for the good of those that love HIM.

I was not planning on preaching to crowds, and I think God decided otherwise. The man tried to preach history and garbage, but we just taught to the crowds JESUS!! He would bring up lies, but God would give us the truth to share. At one point I heard sirens, and thought I was headed to jail, but God let us go home free that night. I thank God for the work he is doing here in Guadalajara. There are very few Christians in this city, and God gave me the opportunity to share with many of them last night to GO and Preach.

Please pray for Roberto, a man that was walking with the Lord, but when his wife left him he went back to his worldly ways. He was reading our sign drinking a beer, and looking very depressed. He tried to hide from me, but not very well. In the course of our conversation God took him from complaining about his wife and pastor, to having hope and joy. We took him to the end of Romans 7-and he said that is me. I told him to keep reading about the hope for us. He began to become more and more excited. He had been warned from his pastor that his choices
would lead him to hell. So when I showed up he said he didn't care about going to hell, I told him I had a problem with that. By the end, I saw a man that God was restoring. I think that he saw that his feelings of abandonment was a lie, God sent us out to him in centro.

After talking he said, I am going to liga biblica to buy a Bible. I went there just a few days before and saw that they were closed until the 17, so I told him that God was giving him one here. We shared some more scriptures, he gave me a hug, and left a man with hope. I hope that makes sense, its one example of an amazing God we serve. Some of the girls got to share with indigenous women that are from Chiapas, the south of Mexico where there is much witchcraft and evil. I know we don't share too often what is going on here.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support. I am seeing how often God does miracles. We are seeing that here in Mexico, God answers prayers. Also please pray for Apolinar-that God would give him a heart for the lost and he would go and preach. We praise God for Ruth, a young hyper girl, who is on fire for Jesus and preaching HIS gospel. Before we went out, she spent hours preparing. We also thank God for Leshan, a woman who has a heart for Jesus and the Lost.

Pastor Nick and Shayne Paff