January 2010
Greetings friends and family,
Wow! 2010 here we come! I am filled with gratitude for what God did in 2009, and filled with anticipation and zeal for what He is going to do in 2010. I want to cast vision for what God has been burning on the inside of me for this new year.
Before Moses faced the evil of his day, he had a powerful encounter with the fire of God. Every calling must be coupled with Holy Spirit fire. This is the pattern of the New Testament. Luke 4:1,16-20, Acts 1:8, 2:1-4, Acts 9 & 10 just to name a few references. My burning bush experience took place the night I was saved and it went along with God’s word. He continually spoke to me that people are lost and in need of Jesus. The Bible is also our burning bush; it is Gods voice. The last words of Jesus Christ were to GO into all the world and PREACH the Gospel (Matt 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and Acts 1:8). This has been the perpetual burning theme of my life for well over a decade.
God has refined the ministry and I have matured through the years. The fruit and influence has grown as I listened to God’s instructions and have been faithful in the little things. The hand of God will need to be upon the ministry with the goals I have for this upcoming year. I do not want to have a ministry where I can do it without God’s help and hand. It would just be another project, and in this hour, the world we live in today doesn’t need another project or flesh-birthed idea. We need God’s voice and then to take action. “God moves with movers, He works with workers, but He does not sit with sitters.”Reinhard Bonnke. You do not need any anointing to sit on a church pew. It is time for action and this year our goal is to take more action to America and the world than we ever have.
To make things very simple, I would like to give you three focus points with the primary purpose of seeing the maximum fruit - short and LONG term:
Point One: If its not broken, don’t try to fix it. The Acts 29 School of Evangelism and Outreach has been very effective in equipping the church and winning souls. So it will not change, but only be enhanced to create more fruit that will remain for decades to come. We will continue to train, equip and mobilize the church full-steam ahead in 2010.
Point Two: To fully establish a nationwide evangelism directors network. One of my goals this past year was to begin to disciple key men, women, or couples within local churches to take on the burden to continue mobilizing, equipping, strategizing, and reaching the community with the Gospel. This is being established, so after I minister in or conduct the Acts 29 School of Evangelism at a local church, the impact goes far beyond a weekend event. Right now this is actively taking place in many states throughout America, including Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois, and Arkansas. God has given me favor with a key leader in Texas that has oversight of around 550 churches and wants to see this happen in all of the churches. In 2010 I will also be establishing this in Kansas, Mississippi, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, all over Texas, Thailand, and Mexico. That is what is on the calendar so far and there will be many more states to come.
Point Three: To raise up other young evangelists to do this work. I am very disturbed at the lack of young evangelists in America and the lack of training in many Bible schools for this office in the five-fold ministry of church. I have been asked to help a major university in training and equipping the next generation of evangelists. I am working with several young men to do exactly what I am doing. A couple of them are beginning to travel even now to mobilize and equip churches. I continue to teach at Heartland School of Ministry to raise up young evangelists, as well. A goal of mine is to reproduce myself in three people to do it just like me in the next year and this will quadruple the fruit.
In 2009, hundreds upon hundreds were equipped to win souls, and thousands were reached with the Gospel outside of the church. Countless people were healed from cancer, deaf ears opened, sight restored, and much more. Through preaching in local churches, outreach, radio, and television, hundreds of thousands of people were reached with the Gospel. In 2010 there will be no limit. We plan to run harder than ever toward the prize of the high calling. Together we CAN touch this nation! Lets be God’s dream team and plunder hell and populate heaven this year!!
Once again, thank you for all your vital and very valuable prayer and support to all we do!
It takes team work to make the dream work,
Joe Oden