Category Archives: Prophecy

March 11, 2016 · 11:15 am

The Rumors of Larry’s Death Were Not Greatly Exaggerated (Part 9)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

I began this series on January 10, 2015, but because nothing was moving forward for me, I placed it on hold. Now things are happening again. So, I’ve decided to rerun the earlier parts before I began anew. If you don’t want to wait, you can read the first ten parts in their entirety here.

 

From the articles I have read, most of today’s authors follow fairly rigid disciplines and begin writing at a set hour. Each has a certain amount of words they hope to write for the day. The number of words falls generally in the 1000 to 2000 words range.

Since, I did not know any better when the Lord told me to write, I set my early goals at 1200 words per day. This worked out to about four or five pages of new material per day.

Yet, I remember many, many days when I would bang away on the computer for a couple of hours and maybe had 650 words done, but then realized something was missing. Sadly, that something was the presence of the Holy Spirit. I would then end up deleting every word I wrote.

It  would be great to pretend that I am a quick learner, but the truth is that it took months and months for me to learn this process for myself. I now sit down and if the presence of the Holy Spirit isn’t there, I don’t write.

Just so you know, I do not claim to write straight from the mouth of the Lord…oh I wish I did! But I do claim that His presence needs to be there to comfort and encourage me as I write. 

Okay, a few days ago, I came up with what I think was an inspired opening for the next Luke and Cat Stoner novel. And almost 700 words later, the book was on its way. I saw the characters coming to life, where they lived, and a little bit of what would happen in the early stages. It was so exciting that I now fall asleep thinking about the story.

So, the other day, I sought the presence of the Lord and this is my latest writing:

FullSizeRender-4

Yep, we’re talking about what looks like another major detour in my publishing career. What’s new, huh?

Who ever thought that I would end up attempting to start a Noontime Prayer Meeting For Geezers?

(Continued in Part 10)

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March 10, 2016 · 4:54 pm

Thursday’s Prayers for America (3/10/2016)

As a Christian car salesman at a General Motors/Toyota dealership in Iowa, many of my Christian friends stopped to see me when they were ready to buy a new car. Now, can you guess how many of them purchased new cars from me? None. Zero. Zilch.

The usual scenario would go something like this:

The husband and wife would stop by the dealership. I would show them the cars, they would choose one. I then would give them every possible discount and rebate the dealership would allow me to offer them on a new car. When I asked them if they were ready to sign the order, they invariably said, “We need to pray about this.”

The next day I would see them driving a competitor’s new car.

I would call them up and ask why they bought from my competitor instead of me. The usual answer: “Your competitor beat your deal by $50.”

This happened so often that I sought the Lord in prayer. “Lord, why are You telling my Christian friends to buy from a pagan salesman, rather than from me? Don’t I always pay tithes and offerings on my commissions? What does the pagan salesmen give You?”

In a clear voice, I felt the Lord said to my heart, “They never asked Me and I never told them to buy from your competitor.”

My prayer today:

Lord, I pray that American believers – as they have opportunity – do good to everyone, but especially to those who are of the family of God so that at just the right time they will reap a harvest of blessings. (Based on Galatians 6:9-10)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

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March 8, 2016 · 2:56 pm

Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (3/8/20160

Just the other day, the Lord impressed on my heart that I had not faithfully prayed and fasted for all of the Asian nations. He then showed me the Middle East nations, which I had overlooked. So, for the next few weeks, I will fast and pray for these Asian nations.

SYRIA: 22.85 million people (90% Muslim and 6.3% Christian)

The civil war that erupted in March 2011 has killed more than 191,000 people, displaced more than a million people within its borders and has sent more than 2.9 million fleeing across the country’s borders, according to U.N. reports. One in every eight Syrians has fled the country, a million more than in 2013. The majority of these have fled into neighboring Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. (Voice of the Martyrs)

In the above 4-minute video a Christian leader says: “We have something more important than anything else that makes us stay in the country, that something is the life-giving message from the Lord. We are ambassadors of the Lord…if heaven withdrew its ambassadors from our country, it is a disaster. Our privilege is not that we are able to leave Syria, but our privilege is that we are able to stay in this country for such a time as this.”

“Whatever you do in life, it begins with concern,” said Brother Andrew of Open Doors. “These are people who are a part of the Body of Christ. If you want something easy in life, I advise you not to get involved with the Syrian Church. There is a price to be paid. ‘Unless you deny yourself and follow Me,’ He said, ‘you cannot be My disciples.’ Nothing ever starts suddenly. Always one thing leading up to another, as long as you keep saying, ‘Yes to God.'”

My prayer today:

Lord, I pray that You strengthen the Christians who remain in Syria so that they hold fast to what they have received. May they all be overcomers who are clothed in white garments so that You confess their names before the Father and His angels. (Based on Revelation 3: 2-5)

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for prisoners in Asia, according to Hebrews 13:3.

 Why Asia?

1. 4.4 billion people live in Asia.

2.. 85.4% of world’s unevangelized people live in Asia. (Unevangelized means they may have heard the gospel but have no understanding on how to respond.)

3. The world’s three largest non-Christian religions – Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhists – are based in Asia.

4. Of the 37 countries of the world that are less than 10% Christian, 32 are in Asia. Of the 14 countries, that are less than 2% Christian, 12 are in Asia.

5. 600 million people live in abject poverty in the slums of Asia.

6. 85-90% of unreached people live in Asia. (Unreached means that they have never heard the name of Jesus.) (Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation)

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March 6, 2016 · 8:24 am

The Rumors of Larry’s Death Were Not Greatly Exaggerated (Part 6)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

I began this series on January 10, 2015, but because nothing was moving forward for me, I placed it on hold. Now things are happening again. So, I’ve decided to rerun the earlier parts before I began anew. If you don’t want to wait, you can read the first ten parts in their entirety here.

 

Have you ever heard of Fred Smith?

When Smith attended Yale in the 1960s, he wrote a term paper, which invented an industry and dreamed of changing the impossible into the possible. His professor couldn’t visualize the revolutionary implications of Smith’s ideas and gave Smith’s term paper an average grade. The professor’s reasoning: the business was not feasible.

Smith’s impossible dream became a reality on April 17, 1973, when Federal Express began operations with 389 employees, 14 planes, and 186 packages in Memphis, Tennessee. The packages were flown to 25 cities and delivered the following day.

Today, we think little about dropping a package off at a Federal Express site or a competitive carrier and then expecting the package to be delivered the next day or soon after. Yet, the whole air/land express industry was just a dream fifty years ago and pooh-poohed by experts at the time.

Let’s say that I sat next to Fred Smith in his business class at Yale and also had to write a term paper on a proposed business, just like Smith did. For my business model, being the believer that I am today, I would have written:

1. My publishing company will have no partners, except for family.

2. It will never ask for money.

3. With the exception of book stores and eBook publishers, my publishing company will not set prices for its books.

4. My publishing company will operate under the U.S. and state business laws as a business and not as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax exempt organization.

5. The millions of dollars generated by my publishing company will help feed and care for the poor and needy of the world.

What do you think the professor would have said to me after reading my paper?

The professor probably would have called me into his office, closed the door, and stared at me for a few minutes in total quiet. Maybe he would have shaken his head and blown out a deep breath before saying, “Son, you remind me of the two guys who came up with the brilliant idea of buying watermelons in San Diego for $1 each and then hauling them to LA and selling them two for a dollar. Business was great, but it wasn’t long before the two men learned they were losing lots of money. One of the guys finally came up with an idea. ‘We need a bigger truck so we can be like K-Mart and make up our losses with bigger volume.'”

I can guess what my grade would have been on the paper. Can you?

(Continued in Part 7)

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March 4, 2016 · 8:54 am

The Rumors of Larry’s Death Were Not Greatly Exaggerated (Part 4)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

I began this series on January 10, 2015, but because nothing was moving forward for me, I placed it on hold. Now things are happening again. So, I’ve decided to rerun the earlier parts before I began anew. If you don’t want to wait, you can read the first ten parts in their entirety here.

 

“I would much rather be the trusting child of a rich Father, than a beggar at the door of worldly men.” (Tramp for the Lord by Corrie the Boom)

I have read Tramp for the Lord over and over again. The book’s thirty-five chapters are spread over nearly two hundred pages and filled with godly wisdom. Chapter Twelve – God Will Provide – has helped to shape part of my business approach to publishing.

The people in America seem to feel I should not hesitate to ask for money for my ministry, which supports other ministries such as Bible and book translations in many parts of the world. However from the very beginning of my ministry, I have felt it was wrong to ask for money – even to ask for travel expenses. I did not want to be paid for “services rendered.” I simply wanted to preach the gospel and let the Lord provide for me.

…Was God speaking to me? Was it wrong to speak of my own work while at the same time I urged people to be converted or to forgive their enemies? Was it wrong to listen to these Americans who were urging me to receive collections for my ministry? I dropped to my knees in prayer. God knew my needs.

The answer was very clear from the Lord. “From now on you must never again ask for money.” (Tramp for the Lord by Corrie ten Boom, excerpt from Chapter 12)

Just so you know: I do not believe every believer has to run their business like I do, and to be honest, I have no problem in asking for offerings for missionary ministries.

And also: The Lord dealt with my attitude about my books one day when He asked, “Do you believe people should read your books?”

I hemmed and hawed without really answering His question, but it did not take long before I realized He did not like my equivocating and false humility.

So, do I now believe in my books? Yes! Do I believe others should read them? Yes!

Another lady helped to further shape my business atitudes.

(Continued in Part 5)

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March 3, 2016 · 10:16 am

Thursday’s Prayers for America (3/3/2016)

As footsteps approached, the twenty-eight year old man looked up from the cluttered workbench. His dark beard and long hair matted by perspiration, mixed with sawdust. Wet sweat rings outlined the armpits of his faded tunic. He laid the chisel and mallet down and stood up, wiping his hands together.

“Shalom, may I help you?” he said.

“Shalom,” said the middle-aged man with ringlets in his gray beard. Deep furrows etched his forehead. His off-white cloak and brown leather sandals were covered with dust from the road he had just traveled on.

“My wife says we need a new dining table. And you know how women are, right?” the man said with a wink. “Some of our neighbors have recommended your workmanship.”

The man folded his arms across his barrel-shaped chest, readying himself for whatever negotiations awaited him. He wanted a good deal.

The carpenter’s bronze-colored face blushed slightly at the compliment. A natural humility radiated through his eyes, which always put people at ease around him.

“That’s nice of your friends. However, to be completely honest, whatever skills I may possess are the result of being taught by the best carpenter in all of Galilee – Joseph, my dad.”

“Oh yes, I should have known,” the man said without moving his arms from their set position on his chest. “You’re the son of Joseph, huh? Who hasn’t heard of his woodworking skills?”

He leaned toward the carpenter.

“What do you think the table will cost me? And remember I have three sons and their families living with me. Oy vey! You can’t believe how much they eat.”

The young carpenter nodded.

“Hmm, let me think for a few minutes.”

The carpenter looked around the shop. He turned and walked to the back of the room, pulling out boards from a large pile, and checking each. After a few minutes, he nodded to himself as if he had it all figured out. He returned to the man.

“If you want the table made out of fir, it will cost fifteen shekels. Oak will be five shekels more. The choice is up to you,” the carpenter said with his eyebrows arched in anticipation of a response from the buyer.

The man unfolded his arms. His shocked expression looked as though a sharp sword had pierced his heart. He gasped and pounded his chest with both fists.

“Your price is much higher than I could have ever imagined. Fifteen shekels, how outrageous! I just can’t believe it.”

He turned around and stomped off. Before he reached the shop’s entrance, he stopped and looked back.

“I’m curious. Do you offer discounts to your more impoverished buyers…people like me?”

The carpenter sighed.

“Okay. Let me think,” he said, rubbing his jaw with his hand. “If you pay cash today, I can do it for thirteen shekels. The table will be done in two weeks.”

The man stood like a statue.

“I had a price more like eleven shekels in mind,” the man said in a clipped voice. Then he added, “And not one shekel more.”

The carpenter shrugged his shoulders and raised his arms in surrender.

“Okay, you win,” he said, shaking his head slowly back and forth. “I have some expenses coming up in a few days. This is my final offer: twelve shekels and it will be ready for you in ten days. Take it or leave it.”

The man walked toward the carpenter.

“Though eleven shekels is a very fair price, I’m going to give in and pay your outrageous price of twelve shekels.”

The buyer stretched out his right hand and shook the hand of the young carpenter named Jesus. As he did, he felt the calluses and strength in his hand.

(Jesus Was First A Businessman, an excerpt from Deceived Dead & Delivered by Larry Nevenhoven, ©2013, Amazon eBook)

 

My prayer for today:

Lord, raise up an army of American businessmen, like the Apostle Paul, Jeremiah Lamphier, Samuel Hill, John Nicholson, William Knights, or Demos Shakarian, who are willing to invade the marketplace with the love of Jesus Christ and plant fellowships in business communities.

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

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March 1, 2016 · 1:53 pm

Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (3/1/2016)

Children's Church markpeddar.wordpress.com

Children’s Church
markpeddar.wordpress.com

Do you ever scratch your head and wonder: “Is fasting for today? Or is it an outdated dinosaur stuck in the swamps of times long since forgotten?”

Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. (Isaiah 58:4)

In the first few verses of Isaiah 58, the Lord tells the people of Israel they are fasting with the wrong attitudes. Then, in verse 4, He tells them their collective voice will not be heard on high because of these attitudes.

Does this mean the Lord is hard of hearing unless we fast properly?

to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10)

God is not hard of hearing. He hears all of our prayers.

But yet, our prayer battles are not against flesh and blood, or even against God, but instead, our prayer battles are against principalities, powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Fasting is a spiritual warfare weapon that the church must use to set cities, nations, and continents free from Satan and his kingdom of darkness.

My prayer for today:

Lord, I pray that You raise up a church in America that is willing to fast for Asia, so the bonds of wickedness will be loosed, heavy burdens will be removed, the oppressed will be set free, and You break every yoke of bondage in Asia. So that the people of Asia will know You and the power of Your resurrection and the fellowship of Your suffering, being conformed to Your death. (Based on Isaiah 58:6 and Philippians 3:10)

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for prisoners in Asia, according to Hebrews 13:3.

 Why Asia?

1. 4.4 billion people live in Asia.

2.. 85.4% of world’s unevangelized people live in Asia. (Unevangelized means they may have heard the gospel but have no understanding on how to respond.)

3. The world’s three largest non-Christian religions – Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhists – are based in Asia.

4. Of the 37 countries of the world that are less than 10% Christian, 32 are in Asia. Of the 14 countries, that are less than 2% Christian, 12 are in Asia.

5. 600 million people live in abject poverty in the slums of Asia.

6. 85-90% of unreached people live in Asia. (Unreached means that they have never heard the name of Jesus.) (Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation)

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February 29, 2016 · 12:04 pm

The Rumors of Larry’s Death Were Not Greatly Exaggerated (Part 2)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

I began this series on January 10, 2015, but because nothing was moving forward for me, I placed it on hold. Now things are happening again. So, I’ve decided to rerun the earlier parts before I began anew. If you don’t want to wait, you can read the first ten parts in their entirety here.

 

“Larry, you will write and own a large publishing company,” the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart in the fall of 1985.

I was ecstatic when I heard these words and made a decision which has guided my life for nearly thirty years. I decided to never accept a job that would hinder my dreams of writing and being a publisher. For the most part, this meant being a car salesman, laborer, house painter, and minimum wage employee.

Looking back, none of my fifty or so jobs since 1985 have offered me much of a chance to be promoted, which was fine with me. Promotions would have been obstacles for my goals because they would have required a greater commitment than I wanted to give.

Let’s be honest, okay?

When the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and I made my career decisions, I did not realize it would take twenty-nine years to publish my first book. Twenty-nine years! It just seems so unbelievable that the dream is still so strong in me, even though my youth has long since disappeared.

I can still remember when Bonnie Chavda prophesied to Jim Goll and me at a 1999 meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. She first pointed at Goll and said, “Your writing career will take off. You will write many books because God has anointed you for now.”

She then turned to me. “God is holding your writing career back. You will be successful, but at a much later time.”

Jim Goll has written over twenty-five books and is a big time prophetic author. Most of his books have been published since that night.

I have just published my first book and have a few eBooks on Amazon right now. That’s the extent of my accomplishments since Bonnie prophesied to me.

If you have any thoughts that God is unfair when he raises up one person compared to another, then you need a greater understanding of God. He is the Boss. He knows what it will take to ready a person for His plans and is not willing to lower His standards in the least.

As far as finances and time goes, God uses these as tools to mold His people.

One experience still brings tears to my eyes.

(Continued in Part 3)

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February 28, 2016 · 9:47 am

The Rumors of Larry’s Death Were Not Greatly Exaggerated (Part 1)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

I began this series on January 10, 2015, but because nothing was moving forward for me, I placed it on hold. Now things are happening again. So, I’ve decided to rerun the earlier parts before I began anew. If you don’t want to wait, you can read the first ten parts in their entirety here.

 

“Well, what are your plans for your life?” asked Carol, my fiancee of just a few hours.

“I am going to start a large publishing company which will generate millions of dollars to help feed and care for the poor of the world,” I said without hesitation.

Carol giggled. “Sounds great, honey.”

This actual conversation took place sometime during the week of March 10, 1996. Carol and I had first met each other on the previous Friday, had our first date on the following night, and became engaged on that Sunday morning. We eventually communicated our dreams, our hopes, our middle names, and so forth on the fly as we planned for our wedding on April 5, 1996.

Now, let’s fast forward to the various times when we had no money to pay our car payments, our rent or house payments, our creditors, buy groceries, and whatever else over the last eighteen years. The conversations between Carol and me in the midst of our Dunkirk crises  generally followed along these lines:

“Larry, what are we going to do? We don’t have enough money to buy a cup of coffee, let alone make the house or car payment,” said Carol.

“I really don’t know,” I replied.

“Well, what do you know?”

“I know the Lord has called me to start a large publishing company which will generate millions of dollars to help feed and care for the poor of the world. So, that means the Lord has a way for us to survive this predicament.”

“O Lord, I’m married to a man who has no clue about the real world and has his head stuck in the sand!”

Yet, the Lord has always brought us through our valleys. It hasn’t always been textbook pretty, but we have survived.

The publishing company, LarryWho, is now alive and on the ground. Its first book, The Day LA Died, is off the printing presses and awaiting release right now. Everything seems to be coming up roses, right?

Maybe.

You see, this series came about because I decided to evaluate my publishing and book marketing qualifications at 3:15 this morning. And guess what? I am clueless. I laid in bed for forty-five minutes before deciding to get up and face my inadequacies.

I walked downstairs, fed the cats a few treats, and sat down, expecting to seek the Lord in my normal manner. But I couldn’t concentrate. So, I walked through the house praising the Lord.

As I praised Him, a revelation dawned on me:

When the Lord created the universe, how much input and advice did He need from me? How about when He set the sun, moon, and stars in place? Or the mountains and seas? Or man and the duckbill platypus? He accomplished it all without my help. Thus, why am I concerned about my lack of publishing and marketing qualifications? The Lord, my CEO, my Sales Manager, knows how to do it all. I need to trust Him to open doors and reveal each step of the journey.

So, this series will be about a blind pilgrim – me – fulfilling a dream of starting a large publishing company. Who knows? Maybe my journey will encourage you to do the same.

(Continued in Part 2)

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February 25, 2016 · 5:01 pm

Thursday’s Prayers for America (2/25/2016)

The first time I met Paul was in Louisville, Kentucky, over forty years ago. He was a salesman for Bristol Meyers and I was a salesman for Johnson & Johnson. We became instant friends.

In one of life’s many quirks, we both ended up moving to Iowa. He took over his father’s insurance brokerage in a small western Iowa town while I sold a farm publication to a company in Fort Dodge.

When I gave my life to the Lord on May 20, 1985, I couldn’t wait to tell Paul about Jesus. I told him about the Lord in phone conversations and on one visit. Yet, he seemed unfazed by my words.

That winter, my son played a sophomore basketball game at Sioux City Heelan High School. Paul and his family came to the game. He asked numerous questions about the Lord during the first half of the game. Both of us then filed out with the crowd at halftime and went to the restroom, which was filled with men.

Paul grabbed my shoulder in the restroom. “Why don’t I give my life to the Lord now?” he asked.

“Here? And now?” I said, looking at all of the men around us.

“Yes, right here and now,” he said.

There in the midst of twenty or so men, urinals, toilets, and sinks, I led my best friend to Jesus Christ. It may not have taken place at a church’s altar, but the results were still the same. Paul met the Lord and accepted Him as his Savior.

My prayer today:

Lord, help us American believers to overcome our fears so that we can obey Your commandment about going into all of the world to proclaim the gospel. (Based on Mark 16:15)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you today?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

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