August 2011
Hello friends and family,
One thing I can say about this past month is that it has been really hot living in Dallas, Texas. We’ve had around 20-25 days straight of temperatures over 100 degrees. We are waiting for a nice rainy day! Thankfully, God has been raining his Spirit over the past month, so there is at least some good news!
We have some good momentum concerning our initiative to mobilize Dallas/Fort Worth to reach the gay and lesbian community. In a couple of weeks we are having a luncheon for pastors in this area. The speaker I invited is one of the leading voices in America to educate and motivate the church to reach people bound by alternative lifestyles, Dr. Michael Brown. He is known for serving as the president of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry. Dr. Brown has devoted his life to this type of ministry and is joining with us in our efforts.
It looks like we will have around 40-50 pastors and key leaders from the DFW area in attendance. The goal of this meeting is to stir the church into a unified action in the city. After we get all of the key leaders on board we plan to have a conference at a later time and will invite around 750 churches to attend. Our purpose will be to train, equip, and dismantle fears in believers so that they will be more effective in reaching this group of people. We plan to raise our voices in the gay and lesbian community at least two-three days every week of every month, for as many years as necessary. The church can no longer abandon the homosexual community!
As God began to lay this on my heart I knew our ministry had to take action. If we don’t lift our voice now and reach out in love and truth, we are in danger of totally losing the moral fabric of our nation. PLEASE pray that God will give us a fresh anointing and strength to fulfill this task in our nation. What we are doing could become a model that is duplicated across America. Please pray and continue to stand with us in this time. Let’s be a part of turning back the tide in America - one small step at a time. Your partnership helps make this happen. At this point, Joe Oden Ministries is financially covering this entire initiative.
Another project that is in full swing is the G.O.D.(Global Outreach Day). I was asked to take the lead in mobilizing around 100 cities on the same weekend to coincide with many other nations around the world to reach more people in one day with the Gospel than has ever been done in our history. It’s a huge task, but we believe it is very possible. We are meeting in Chicago, Illinois next week to go over all of the details. Two key people who will be in the meeting are Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke and Cindy Jacobs.
I had the privilege of meeting with the head of evangelism for the Assemblies of God, Pastor Randy Hurst, a few weeks back with a few other key leaders, including Pastor Rick Dubose. We discussed the strategy I use across America and North Texas for mobilizing the church and raising up evangelism directors within the local church. It was received with great favor and will possibly lead to many more areas opening up to serve across America. As we stand together in partnership, you and I have a great opportunity to make an impact in America.
We are traveling more now than ever before. In the coming weeks we have four Acts 29 School of Evangelism and Outreach weekends in a row. We will be training and mobilizing hundreds of believers to reach thousands of people right here in America. God has given us a great support staff to help make all of this happen. Two of the young men who have worked with me the longest are now traveling and mobilizing areas and churches themselves as an extension of Joe Oden Ministries. They will be reaching multitudes, as well! Glory of God! Our ministry has duplicated itself and is moving forward to touch this nation at an aggressive pace. I genuinely thank God for His grace and mercy because I know that none of this would be possible without Him. For we know it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. So I say, Thank you Jesus!!!
We saw well over 300 get right with God in the month July, and possibly as many as 500. Thank you Jesus for touching the lost! People have been healed and set free from drugs, as well. Two drug addicts that come to mind were set free in Littlestown, Pennsylvinia at Gates of Praise with Pastor Samuel Garrett. They both testified in front of the church and described how they had never experienced God like that and how He took away their desire to use drugs. It was a miracle and they were excited! He came to bring liberty to the captives! Thank you to all of our supporters who helped us get there with your faithful support.
If you are ever in an area where I am ministering, please come and join us. Thank you so much for all of your prayer and support! It means so much to me and this ministry God has given to us. We are praying for you and look forward to hearing from and seeing you in the days ahead.
Together in the harvest,
Joe Oden