Roll Call, FALL IN!

Tom Roberts
Pastor of Administration
World Ministries International

In chapter six of the book of Acts, we can see some of the struggles and activities of a ‘start-up organization’: The headaches of dealing with day-to-day operations, making time and provision for expansion, and somewhere in the mix getting a little advertising campaign underway. Most importantly, we see the solution that God has for our fledgling enterprise – a blueprint for the proper infrastructure.

Acts 6:1-7
1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

You see, though it was not to be the primary function or responsibility of the apostles, taking care of widows, orphans and the less fortunate was something that needed to be done.

I have seen numerous ‘Mom and Pop’ businesses begin; I’ve also seen the results. You and your wife venture out into the turbulent waters of business ownership bent on providing the next ‘greatest thing ever invented’ or to provide a service that you think is lacking in your local community. For the first few years things look awfully bleak and the finances are lean as you struggle to fund the start-up costs and, at the same time, provide food for the dinner table. Mom oversees the family and the business finances while Pop breaks his back for eighteen hours a day trying to ‘make it work’.

As the Pastor of Administration, I provide oversight for the day-to-day activities at World Ministries International (WMI). So what does that mean? As with any organization we need people and resources to ‘make it work’. My goal is to oversee the details that make the ministry tick so that, as we read in verses 3 and 4, Apostle Hansen is freed to devot his time to the advancement of the gospel. For example: “Did the radio and short-wave messages get sent? How about television? What programs are we working on this week? Did the bathrooms get cleaned today? Did the department heads get their calendars? What?! The internet is down again? Hey, all of the sudden my printer won’t work.” You know, administrative things. On top of that, I produce every television program we record, shoot much of the footage when we travel, am the local ‘computer geek’ of sorts, am the head of the youth group for our local church, oversee production of our two newsletters per month, am the dean of our Bible school…I am sure you get the picture.

But more importantly than all these things, I am working toward the high calling of Christ for my life: to be a minister of the gospel. Please understand that I am not trying to draw attention to myself, for there are others just like me that are wearing multiple hats of responsibility. What I am trying to do is to make you aware of the need for people just like you to alleviate those who are called in the five-fold offices of full-time ministry (apostle, prophet, teacher, evangelist, pastor) of some of these responsibilities.

You see, like Mom and Pop’s operation, we too have started out with a vision, and have been putting together what we intend to be a success. And, just like Mom and Pop, we have had to fill the gaps that appear along the way until proper personnel arrive on the scene. Mom and Pop’s goal is not to be “Mom and Pop”; rather, it is to be “Mr. and Mrs. Successful Corporate Giant.” So, too, our goal and vision is incredibly large: it is God’s plan, therefore, it is tremendous in size; it is much more than we can do alone. That is where faithful folks like you come into the picture; do not underestimate your value and worth to the Kingdom. You are a resource that the Lord wants to put into operation to fulfill His plans. We are looking to turn over responsibilities to responsible people.

WMI has been in America for ten years and has been growing substantially, but we are under-equipped for the task at hand. Infrastructure has been set in place and is being added to constantly, however, we need people to fill out the puzzle. My question to you is, are you one of those people? “Who, me?” you might ask. Yes, you. God has given all of us the Great Commission; have you obeyed? Have you really worked with Jesus Christ to win the lost, feed the under-privileged, heal the afflicted? What works have you done for Him (James 2:14-26)? How have you shown your love for Jesus other than by singing in your weekly church service?

What I want you to know is that you can make a difference! You can! Most might say, “But I never studied theology. How could I work in ministry?” Did you read verses two and three from the passage above? It takes many different talents to fulfill an enormous vision. Right now I could use a full-time office administrator, a television editor, a sound tech and engineer, and the list goes on. I look at it this way: the world has spent time and money to train you so that you can be a blessing to the Kingdom of God! Are you retired? Are you in construction? What do you do today that you could do in this local area, thereby make yourself available to serve even part-time or full-time as a volunteer?

For example, over the years I have literally spoken to at least a dozen young men that work in construction who are so tired of the worldly work environment that seems to go hand-in-hand with many of their job sites or lifestyles of their coworkers. They wish that they could be in a Christian environment rather than working in a ‘hostile’ environment. I have suggested that, with as many as have told me this, they should all move here and form their own Christian construction group, the result being that they would be available to help at the ministry, be involved with our local church, take bible school courses, missions trips, etc. And all of these are things that they have wanted to do, but have not ever done because of fear.

Are you retired? You may have spent the last forty years doing television editing or radio broadcasting work. Why not keep your hands in it and use that knowledge for Jesus? How much golf can you play, how many trips do you need to take while the world takes the fast track to Hell? You CAN make an impact for Jesus Christ. We need men and women that will help us take the land and save as many souls as possible. We need men and women that see the signs of the times and are willing to do something about it. Take these scriptures from 1 Chronicles 12 as an example: “32 men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do…33 men of Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty…35 men of Dan, ready for battle…36 men of Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle…38 All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king.”

Now, obviously, the only King we are trying to put in place is Jesus Christ, but you should see from these verses that we are looking for those who are serious about serving the Lord and are prepared to sow themselves into the Kingdom.

Even Apostle Paul was known to be a part-time tent maker, but that certainly was not his calling or what he was remembered for. So too, we do many part-time things but are looking to move our pastoral staff from tent making to full-time ministry. Every day people move across the country for reasons as simple as a change in the weather. How much more important is the high calling of God? Will you accept the call? The army is forming. We are sounding the call to fall in and be counted. Join us!

Reveille! Awake, Church!

The year was 1971. In compliance with the law, I had recently finished filling out the information on my selective service card and I was now officially registered for the draft lottery. After completing this task, I continued going about my life, never giving a second thought to the fact that I might be called some day to serve in the military or to go fight in a war. As a matter of fact, I hardly gave a second thought to the fact that there was a war going on at the time! Of course, I was conscious that American troops were still dying in Vietnam, but I was not really aware of the status of the war or that soldiers might still be needed. I was too busy to give it too much thought because, quite frankly, I was interested in meeting my own needs for a career/job, house, car, entertainment, relationships, etc. Certainly, I had much compassion for the men who were fighting, and for the families of those who had died; I just did not view it as my war. In other words, I WAS ASLEEP.

Then, one day, everything changed. An acquaintance of mine mentioned that the draft lottery numbers had been released and asked about my status. I nervously examined the numbers published in the newspaper and discovered, to my disbelief, that my number was quite low. This was not a good sign. But, after a few weeks of worry, I forgot about it once again and returned to my everyday life of serving myself. In other words, I dropped back off into a deep slumber.

Several months later the inevitable occurred. I received a letter from the government indicating that I had been drafted. I was ordered to report to active duty. I was now fully awake!

I believe this story illustrates how most people who profess to be believers operate. You and I are in the middle of a spiritual war within and all around us, but we are completely asleep! The Apostle Paul identifies the war and the enemy in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This war is our war, whether or not we want to recognize it. All who profess to know Jesus Christ have been enlisted.

2 Timothy 2:4
No soldier when in service gets entangled in [civilian] life: his aim is to please and satisfy the one who enlisted him.

Most of us are too busy dealing with our daily life and attempting to meet our own “needs” to be aware of, or concerned about, this struggle. In biblical terms, we are walking in the flesh and not the spirit.

Romans 8:8
So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.

Many of us “Christians” have made a public confession and have “signed on the dotted line”, but we have never really engaged in this spiritual battle or made a genuine commitment to do so. Again, we are often too apathetic, lazy, or self-absorbed to really care. Yet, look what Paul says regarding his own concerns about his commitment to this war:

I Corinthians 9:26-27
Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary. But [like a boxer] I buffet my body, [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].

If the Apostle Paul was concerned about his ministry and fitness to serve God, how much more should we?

Many of us are at different levels of consciousness; we are at some degree of awareness that there is a war going on for our very souls and for the nations. Even the most comatose are at least vaguely aware that today the spiritual forces of evil are bombarding us today like never before. Our country and many nations of the world are experiencing unprecedented degradation in areas such as murder, abortion, violent crime, drug abuse, and all forms of immorality. Many of us would prefer not to hear about the atrocities and perversions that are occurring around the world, much less in our own neighborhoods. It is far easier to divert our attention elsewhere, even by doing such simple things as turning on our television sets, grabbing the newspaper, or reading a book or magazine. Any activity will do, as long as it functions to tickle our ears until we are able to drift back to sleep.

To make matters worse, the “Biblical” teaching in many American churches is so watered down and full of false doctrine that is powerless in convicting or equipping soldiers for spiritual battle. Nonetheless, it is our responsibility to take action, for we will be judged one day for everything we say and do (Romans 14:10-12). It is time for us to “walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit” where there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). It is time for every person to WAKE UP and get in the war!

Ephesians 5:14
Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead (spiritual death), and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light.

Joel 3:9,10
Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare war! Stir up the mighty men! Let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong [a warrior]!

Some of us might argue that we are too tired, too poor, too weak, too ill equipped, etc. to get involved in this larger battle. We might convince ourselves that we are not fit for warfare. Yet, remember what God did through David in the cave of Adullam.

1 Samuel 22:1
And everyone that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

Does this sound like any of us? God took this small group of ordinary people under David’s leadership and turned them into a large, magnificent fighting machine. This group became his “mighty warriors”, the strongest army of their day.

World Ministries International has answered the call to go to the world and do battle. God is a righteous, fair father who is bringing His judgment to the nations. We are committed to strengthen and unite followers of Jesus Christ into an army prepared to wage war against Satan and the spirits of darkness. The intensity of this war is increasing daily. The urgency to fight is as great as it has ever been! Like David, we are committed to building a mighty army of soldiers who are willing to enlist or be drafted.

We realize that not everyone can fight on the front lines with this ministry. Our desire is that you will become a warrior in your own home, church and community. Yet, we are also believing for an army of 200,000 people who will be willing to donate twenty-five ($25) dollars per month to support our ministry to eighty-eight nations of the world. For this donation, each month, you will receive bi-monthly newsletters and a one hour CD or audio cassette teaching which will assist you in deepening your walk with God.

Every day, the pastors at World Ministries International enter into our “war room” together to read Scripture and pray for wisdom, revelation, insight and strategy to meet the needs and accomplish the goals of this ministry. We have a passion and commitment to bring the uncompromised Word of God to the nations. There is more work to do than ever before as we are being called to go to new countries and return for follow-up and crusades in other countries. A few good men and women are not enough! The war is too big! That is why we urgently need your help in these last days!

We realize that many of you are already sowing into this ministry, and for that we are so grateful. There are others of you that have given graciously in the past, but are no longer giving. Finally, there are many of you who receive our newsletters, but have never donated to this ministry. We are simply asking you to either continue in the battle with us, or join our army by supporting us financially and in prayer.

This is an apostolic ministry that is doing real warfare, not just talking about it. Our television and radio broadcasts, along with our newsletters, tapes and CDs are not intended to tickle your ears, or put you into a spiritual slumber; Instead, they will often challenge your carnal nature ,and are designed to bring uncompromised truth. These teachings are based solely on the anointed, inspired Word of God. They should increase your conviction and motivation to join in this great battle.

Of course, every “real warrior” knows that he or she needs to consult with their “commander” before making a strategic decision. Therefore, I implore you to take this to your “war room” (prayer closet) and ask God what He would have you to do. Once you hear his voice, simply step out in faith and obey!

Dear Saint, September 11, 2001 was no accident! Neither was the natural disaster of hurricane and floods that hit New Orleans! I prophesied both! In fact, New Orleans will be rebuilt and be destroyed again; the next time, however, it will not be only through a flood alone. There are reasons why God lifts his hand of protection off of a person, family, business, city, state or nation . You can read about them in my upcoming book, “The Science of Judgment.” Yes, there are reasons why God allows evil to happen. But, praise the Lord, Jesus will return at the battle of Armageddon to stop the insanity throughout the world that has been caused during man’s reign, and there will be peace, happiness, healing and protection for all.

Please pass this article on to other people whom you feel would support me with their prayers, and by becoming one of my Tape or Video of the Month Partners. Through this partnership, they too can be strengthened by receiving monthly anointed, Word-based radio or television programs that will equip them to better serve our Lord in the coming days of trails and testing. Together we can “sound the alarm” and save the people of the nations while there is still time and freedom to do so before Jesus returns to rule and reign!

May God bless you,
Jonathan Hansen

© 2005 World Ministries International