preparing to turn Halloween into an annual "Witnessing for Jesus Day."
American preacher Bill Keller, the founder of United States based Liveprayer.Com, said the holiday would be started by his interactive prayer and support group "and the 1.8 million people" receiving daily devotionals via e-mail and who are "part of Liveprayer."
In his e-mail message, which was also received by BosNewsLife reporter in Budapest, Keller said he got the idea while praying last month.
"God poured into my spirit that it is time for Christians worldwide to rise up on the most important day of the year for satan, Halloween, and claim that day for God! The first step, is to make it a special day for Christians worldwide," he explained
CANDY
"If Hallmark cards and candy companies can make up holidays to sell greeting cards and chocolate, why can’t the church? I am proud to announce that until our Lord returns, October 31st will now be "Witnessing for Jesus Day."
He said the "Witnessing for Jesus Day" is aimed at encouraging Christians to share the Gospel with at least three people during the day.
"If every Christian worldwide shared their faith in Christ with three people, it would literally turn the world upside down over night. The world will be "witnessing" their rebellion of God with their Halloween parties, their costumes, and satanic services."
"HELL HOUSE"
Keller stressed that Liveprayer.com and its supporters "will have churches in every community putting on "Hell House" or "Judgment House" productions as an alternative to the haunted house productions of the world."
Christians would also make their homes inviting for children out trick-or-treating, and in addition to candy, give them a Gospel Tract or Gospel of John booklet. "No child should come to your home and leave without knowing that Jesus is Lord," he told his supporters in Friday’s e-mail devotional.
"There is no reason a Christian should have to fear Halloween, nor is there any reason a Christian should have to participate in the way the world celebrates Halloween."
"It actually is a perfect opportunity to go on the offensive and make this a day to celebrate witnessing our faith to this lost and dying world. What better day than the day the world celebrates rebelling against God, Halloween," Keller said.
PRISON TIME
The latest project would have be unthinkable more than a decade ago when Keller was serving a two and a half year Federal Prison term for insider trading.
"Shortly after going into prison, Bill rededicated his life to the Lord, received an undergraduate degree in biblical studies from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and was discipled by two precious charismatic couples," Liveprayer.Com said in a statement seen by BosNewsLife.
However "upon his release in Aug. 1992, Bill went into full time ministry, holding evangelistic meetings in churches all over the country."
Besides Keller’s preaching ministry, in 1995 the BK Media division was formed to produce and syndicate television programming for Christian television stations nationwide. In August of 1999, the ministry’s internet site Liveprayer.Com was launched.
CHRIST ACCEPTED
Since that time at least 38,000 people "accepted Jesus Christ as their Personal Savior" while at least 50 people on the verge of suicide "decided to live" after contacting Liveprayer.Com the organization said.
Liveprayer.Com staff members reportedly receive about 40,000 e-mail a day, and the site has about 20,000 visitors. One in five people visiting the site are from outside the U.S., Liveprayer.Com added.
Keller said his ministry has "a special archive of over 1,000,000 praise reports from people who have requested prayer from Liveprayer.Com. Included are incredible miracles of physical healing, financial blessings, marriages that have been restored, and other needs that could have only been met by a supernatural move of God."
