I Will Rise

 “I WILL RISE!” These words were quietly playing in my mind when I woke up at 3:35am this morning. I gave a little smile, rolled over, and went back to sleep. When I woke again at around 8:30am those same words were still playing in my mind, but now a little louder. I got up and began the day like usual and within a few minutes I was at my desk having my “quiet time.” I cannot explain it, but those words were still playing in my head as I read the Bible. It just so “happened” that my daily Bible study was in Revelation chapter 1, where Jesus Christ said, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!” Those Words from the Bible struck me! This was not just a “typical” daily quiet time but became one of the most intimate and real times I had experienced with the Lord in numerous years! Those words, “I WILL RISE!,” stopped me in my tracks…those words had been quietly playing and replaying on the fringe of my thoughts for 3 days, and they finally brought me down to my knees in my apartment living room. Here is when it started:

Two days ago, during the second Sunday morning worship service at our church, the music leader played a new song (or it was the first time I had heard it). The song began slowly and the momentum built up to the peak when two women, who both had voices like some of God’s angels, were singing these three words with a tone and harmony that was beyond words—“I WILL RISE!” You would have needed to be there to really “feel” what I mean. My heart and spirit were soaking in those three words like a starved person. I did not want them to stop singing those three words. Those words quietly played in the background of my thoughts from then until 3:35am this morning. It was then that those words, “I WILL RISE!” were moved from just background music in my mind to words of impact in my heart! 

I felt compelled to pass on to you, my friends and brothers and sisters in Christ, those same words—“I…YOU…WE…WILL RISE!” Someday there will be…no more barking dogs at 6am, no more rushing to work through traffic, no more cancer, no more broken bones, no more laundry, no more strokes, no suffering children, no more stress over anything, no more need for food or water or personal hygiene. Someday, WE WILL RISE to non-stop heavenly life! And after we rise, none of the following will exist: problems or pain or depression or the need of anti-depressants; no more divorce lawyers; no more Christians being persecuted; no more bickering between church members; no more jealousy; no more bad credit; no more watching a spouse need brain surgery; no more watching little babies with cleft palates…all this “human” stuff will finally be over! 

The past year, in a more precise way than usual, my “insides” have been aching to be free from my own flesh, to be free from my humanity…my sinful nature…my “human-ness.” Perhaps you can relate? As those two women sang those beautiful words, “I WILL RISE!,” for a few brief seconds I think God allowed me to have a glimpse of the freedom of “rising” and I “felt” liberated from my flesh. Someday, because I know Jesus personally, I WILL RISE above the limitations of being a human and will pass through death and enter eternal life in Heaven, and there, somehow, in some new way, life will truly begin! I will get to see my mom and brother (though they are still alive now) in a new, eternal way. And, how awesome it will be to see Moses and Noah, and Isaiah and Jeremiah, and Job, and King David and his son Solomon, and Matthew and Mark and Luke and John (John, the writer of the famous Bible verse, John 3:16). Plus, we will get to see the Apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament in our Bibles. We will get to meet the parents of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Joseph and Mary. And, of course, we will finally get to see what Jesus looks like and see Him smile! Can you imagine what it will be like? It is going to be so wonderful to see all my friends from throughout a lifetime, those who had turned to Jesus at some point in their lives, even childhood friends from my hometown, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and even from my birth town, Moberly, Missouri! I want to see my first pastor from 25 years ago, the one who baptized me and licensed me into ministry, who died a few months ago. I want to meet Christians in Heaven I was never able to meet in this life, such as D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham. Who are you looking forward to spending time with after you rise into eternity?

There is no specific practical reason I am writing this other than to share with you what encouraged me this morning, that—WE WILL RISE…YOU WILL RISE…and I WILL RISE! If you know Jesus Christ personally and have been born-again, someday you will rise to true life! And it will be then when all of us will be together—finally & forever—in the everlasting place the Bible has called HEAVEN! If you have not yet repented and surrendered your heart to Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, do it right now so that after you die “YOU WILL RISE” too and spend eternity with all of us in Heaven! 

“As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days YOU WILL RISE to receive your allotted inheritance” (Daniel 12:13).

Jesus Christ said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).

(Author, Scott Nute, May 13, 2014; revised, May 12, 2015)

Eternal Tribute to our Supporters and Volunteers!

One thing I look forward to seeing in Heaven is watching Jesus Christ hand out eternal rewards and tribute to the supporters and volunteers who have given to our ministry! Some of our supporters have been sending us out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ for over 20 years, while others joined our team of “senders” just last month at our Benefit Dinner in Houston. Please know how grateful I have been, and am, and always will be, for the generous support and prayers you have given to help this ministry make a difference in the world with the love of God!

Currently, we have opportunities for ministry in over a dozen nations. We are praying and being as selective as possible about where to go so that we can have both the widest and the deepest impact possible for the Kingdom of God. Later this year we will conduct our largest project to date in India. The Crusade venue holds 60,000 people, and we are praying and preparing to reach as many Indians as we possibly can! Those who commit to Jesus Christ will be followed up with and nurtured by pastors and Christians from the more than 500 churches involved in the pre- and post-project mobilization training. In tandem with the Crusade we will host our Leadership Development Conference, where hundreds of church leaders and ministry-minded Christians attend to receive valuable training and encouragement to help them strive forward in their service to God! Plus, we will be distributing Bibles, evangelism materials, and other ministry resources. (The black and white photo above is from my first crusade event in India in 1999, and God willing there will be many more to come…starting later this year!)

Over the years it has been quite the faith journey to say the least, watching God provide what is needed to send us to the nations on behalf of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Some people have been giving $10 almost every month for years and God has multiplied their support! Others were able to donate much more than that, such as last year when the tiny church in New Mexico gave $20,000! We are grateful for every amount you have given because, as the Bible says in Philippians 4:17, “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.”

Recently, due to the start of a new year and also due to our benefit, we saw supporter’s increase their giving by 25%, or 50%, with some doubling their giving to our ministry, and this means we will see more souls won to Christ! Whether it is your large, medium, or small donation, or monthly or quarterly or annual gifts (and anything in between), or giving via a gift in the mail and/or an online contribution, and for those who donate time and talents as a volunteer…I can hardly wait to watch in Heaven when Jesus hands out YOUR rewards with a smile of tribute and says to YOU who have helped us reach lives around the world with the Great News of Jesus Christ, “Well done, good and faithful servant!…Come and share your master’s happiness!”

Thankfully yours,

Scott Nute

Firemen for Jesus – Saving Lives Before Disasters Hit

Our ministry has the high privilege and responsibility of going around the world to call out human beings from the core of who they are. We call each person to make the ultimate choice in life—to accept Jesus Christ or to reject Jesus Christ! It is not a coincidence every project we conducted last year in three different nations (updates below) were quickly followed by major catastrophic events that ended the lives of thousands of people.

February 2013: We were on an island in the Philippines, Mindoro, where 3,218 individuals made a public decision to say yes to Jesus Christ! In November 2013, the largest recorded tropical storm in world history, Super Typhoon Haiyan, with winds up to 230-mph, ravaged the Philippines, killing over 6,200 people. I wonder if those Filipinos who turned to Jesus earlier in the year survived that storm? If not, what a joy it will be to see them in Heaven!

September 2013: We were in Machilipatnam, an area on the east coast of India, working with over 1,100 churches in a region-wide Crusade and Leadership Development Conference. Over 600 Indians, in spite of the threats of persecution, publicly repented of their sins and turned to Jesus Christ as their personal God and Lord! Three weeks after our project the 2^nd largest storm to ever hit the eastern part of India, Cyclone Phailin, forced the evacuation of over 1,200,000 people. Thankfully, due to the Indian government preparing in advance, the death toll was kept to a minimum in comparison to the more than 10,000 who died in the last super cyclone that hit East India in 1999.

October 2013: Our team conducted a 3-day Leadership Development Conference in South Sudan, which two years ago became the newest country in the world after breaking free from decades of radical Islamic rule in Sudan. We were in the capital city, Juba, where 75 church leaders from throughout the region gathered for ministry training and resource distribution. We also spoke in numerous school programs and local church meetings, with 1,617 South Sudanese accepting Jesus Christ! Little did anyone realize that less than two months later a military coup, fueled by tribal quest for political power, would explode throughout the entire country. It is heartbreaking to say the civil war continues and has grown into the beginning of genocide with up to 10,000 South Sudanese being killed, many of whom were innocent children and citizens. Please pray for the people of South Sudan!

Each of us has a different role in God’s Kingdom. Some are called to humanitarian efforts, others to long-term discipleship, and others, like our ministry, are called to call people to an immediate Heaven or Hell decision because, as I just reported, tragedies and disasters are happening with greater force and frequency than ever before and there isn’t always time to establish long-term relationships. As an evangelist I see my “job” somewhat like a fireman who does what he can to rescue people from a fire (hell), and those he saves are sent to the hospital (local churches) for attention and care (discipleship). Jesus Christ said in Matthew 7:13-14 there are two roads in front of us, one road goes to Heaven and the other goes to Hell. Which road are you, your neighbors, and your family and friends, on today? How grateful I am to my Lord Jesus that in spite of my sins, wounds, and an introverted personality, He still called me to the greatest “job” in the world…to do the work of an evangelist and “save some by snatching them from the fire” (Jude 1:23). Thank you for helping us save as many as we can before it is too late!

Fighting the good fight…for Heaven’s sake,

Scott Nute

Another Year of Global Opportunities

As we embark on a new year, I must say how wonderful it is to be a Christian and know I am going to heaven when I die! This brings such peace to our lives as Believers…to each day experience abundant life here and now that leads to eternal life later. Today, and throughout 2014, let’s rejoice in our salvation and share it with others!

The Lord has opened before our ministry endless opportunities to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to nations around the world! Because of the support we receive from our partners we, God willing, are going to see thousands of men, women, and families open their hearts to Jesus Christ in 2014! And if that were not exciting enough, we will also have the opportunity to inspire and equip hundreds, if not thousands, of church leaders scattered throughout impoverished third world nations.

A primary focus for us will be the world’s largest and most populated continent—Asia! With approximately 4.3 billion people, Asia hosts 60% of the world’s current population. Of its 32 different countries and cultures, perhaps the most unique is the southernmost country, India. Plans are already in motion as our ministry prepares for upcoming projects in India. Please pray for God to penetrate the hearts of many Indians when they hear the message of the cross, and that the Holy Spirit will bring much needed hope to the local churches we will be working with. Please also pray for the funds needed to embark on these projects. We are praying for God’s provision to raise the $55,000 needed for the next India project; close to 40,000 people attended our recent India crusade and hundreds came to Jesus Christ after I preached the Gospel and gave the public invitation…watch the brief 5-min video clip of this crusade at www.scottnute.org.

On February 7, 2014, our ministry is having our annual “BENEFIT DINNER” at Houston’s First Baptist Church. For those of you in the Houston area, or anywhere for that matter, please come and join us! We will have a wonderful evening together sharing fellowship and a delicious meal, and listening to testimonies and a ministry presentation I will give.

There are several ways you can partner with us for our ministry benefit or with our ministry in general. You can become a sponsor in one of these levels:  GLOBAL SPONSOR, $5000; NATIONAL SPONSOR, $2500; REGIONAL SPONSOR, $1000. You can also be a “Table Host” for $250, where you invite and bring 8 people to fill your table. Individual seats are $30 before January 24th, $40 after, and $50 at the door. You can visit our website to make your purchase: www.scottnute.org. For more information please contact us at info@scottnute.org or 713-277-8638.

Thank you for standing with us in another year of reaching and training the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I can hardly wait to see how God is going to change lives through us—together—in 2014!

For reaching hearts and souls in 2014,

Scott Nute

King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Greetings to you! As I think toward Christmas, the truth hits me that this special day is not just to celebrate the birth of a Baby born in the manger, but the birth of a King…God’s King, God as King! The Bible says Jesus Christ was, is, and always shall be, the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords!”

In His Name, the King of Kings, our ministry traveled to three countries this year—the Philippines, India, and South Sudan—to reach and train people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here are our ministry results for 2013:

• 5,435 people publicly turned to Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior during our crusades, school programs, and local church outreaches!
• 1,426 pastors and church leaders attended our Leadership Development Conferences where they received training and were given ministry resources!
• We conducted our largest evangelistic crusade to date in Machilipatnam, India, with a 2-night attendance of 39,000! And, we have invitations from several cities in India to return for more crusades and conferences in 2014!
• We distributed 1,050 Bibles in various local languages to church leaders who either did not own their own Bible or will give them to church members in need of a Bible!
• We distributed 146,000 salvation Tracts in various languages to church leaders and members, and to those who attended our crusades and events in churches and schools!
• We distributed over 4,000 pieces of Discipleship materials to church leaders and ministry-minded Christians!

Of all the life-changing testimonies we heard this year, the most touching was from a pastor in South Sudan who attended our Leadership Development Conference. He told the first-hand story about another pastor, a dear friend of his, which happened during the war when South Sudan was not yet free from the extreme Islamic rule of Sudan. He told us how this pastor was called by God to go into the mountains and see how the Christians hiding there were doing. In these mountains were religious extremist “soldiers” who shot and killed this pastor. News spread to his family and friends and they went to get his body to give him a proper funeral. When they found him they also found his personal bag and noticed that inside the bag were his “death clothes.” In their culture you choose in advance what clothes you want to wear at your funeral…this pastor was ready to live or die for Jesus and he ended up giving his life, knowing in advance that most likely he would die! I had to tell this man’s story because it reminds me of what our King of Kings and Lord of Lords did for us…Jesus came, and was born, knowing in advance He would go to the cross…yet He came anyway, because He loves you, me, and every person that much!

It is because of people like you who give and pray for our ministry that we were able to see God have such an impact during our projects this year! We need your help to do the same next year. As the Lord moves your heart, your special Christmas gift will help us reach and train lives around the world next year with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Your generous year-end donation sent today is deeply appreciated! Our website is available where giving a donation online is Safe, Secure, and Easy. To you, our partners who give so graciously, I say…thank you for helping us share the story of Jesus Christ with the world!

Merry Christmas,

Scott Nute