Greetings,

We want to thank you for your interest in Jeff DeVine Ministries. We want to share with you a little about us and the ministry that God has called us to.

Surrendered to the Lord

I first visited Thailand in 1987. Over the years that followed I made many trips there, mostly for business and to visit friends. I was often moved by the overwhelming darkness; by the lack of the presence of God. I had not yet surrendered my life to Jesus and the people I associated with certainly never acknowledged the existence, nor the need for God. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” ( Psalm 14:1) KJV

I, like the people that I associated with at the time, was totally occupied with the pursuit of material things and the pleasures of the world.

I knew of God and once had an intimate relationship with Him when I was a child. I was once very aware of His presence with me and His call on my life. “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them." ( Psalm 139:16) NKJV

I had slipped away from God gradually over the years and eventually began to run away. "And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19) KJV

I knew the way I was living was wrong but thought I had to straighten up before I could go to God. That makes as much sense as trying to get better before going to a doctor. I tried with every fiber of my being but could not seem to be “good.” I could not live up to the standards that religion had put on me as a child. So I gave up and just accepted the fact that I was lost.

In 1997 I was a single parent, my son was almost 10 and being fed up with life and seeking adventure I decided we would move to Thailand and start an export business. Shortly after we got there I met Mam. We eventually married and before we knew it we had twins on the way. I was still miserable and seeking some way to endure the miseries of life and try to patiently wait for something, I didn’t know what, but I knew something was coming, or at least I hoped something was coming. I truly was living out the definition of insanity; continuing to do the same things, expecting different results.

God’s grace and deliverance

I eventually came to the end of myself. By this time there was no doubt in my mind that my way would not work. “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23) KJV

I thought I had run so far from God that the journey back to the relationship I had once had would be too far and difficult to make. There was nothing left to do but cry out to God for mercy. Jesus came to me and comforted me. He assured me he had never stopped loving me and had never left me or given up on me. For the first time in my life I truly asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) KJV

I vowed that day to give God the rest of my life; after all, He had purchased my salvation, deliverance, and freedom with the blood of His son Jesus.

We finally made our way back to the US and I began living the life that I had always been told a good Christian was supposed to live; I worked, paid my bills, took care of my family, went to church every time the doors were open and patiently waited for Christ to return. I even began to tithe religiously. I bought a bible in Thai language for Mam and then left her alone. If she was to come to know God it would be between her and God. I was very careful not to influence her. I didn’t want her to make a false conversion for my sake. God opened her heart as she read and prayed for understanding. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matthew 7:7) KJV
Mam was born again in March of 2002. Praise God!

I was totally and completely dissatisfied in my heart. I knew there was more to life than to just tuck my “ticket to heaven” in my pocket and patiently wait for Christ to return. The quality of that life was no better than that of the Buddhist I had met in Thailand. I came home from work one day and told Mam I was going to fast and pray for God to show me what He wanted of me. I knew fasting was not a hunger strike to move God. I wanted to eliminate all distractions, spend the time fasting to prepare myself to hear clearly from God.

I had two questions for God, two desires burning in my heart.

1. Now that God had saved me and set me free, what did He want me to do? Surely there is more to the Christian life than just sitting and waiting for Christ to return.
2. Who was God going to send to help all the lost and hopeless people in Thailand that I had met? I saw some ministries there, but none of them were going into the north east of Thailand. Thailand’s population is less than 1% Christian as of 2007.

God’s call to the ministry

On the fourth day of my fast God showed me a very clear vision of His plan for our life. He wanted us to take the Gospel to the world and particularly the north east of Thailand. I admit I might be a little slow; it took me four days for God to get through to me. I knew I wanted to help the lost people in the world, but I thought that was just my plan. I assumed the burning desire in my heart to tell the world what God had done for me was just from me.

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Psalms 37:4) KJV

God made the way for us to go to Thailand in 2005. We took trunk loads of clothes to give to the people in one of the farming villages in the north east. The people there are Buddhist and have never heard the Gospel. Most of them had never heard the name Jesus before. We gave away all the clothes and preached the Gospel. The people were so gracious. Some received and embraced the Gospel. We prayed for a small girl that had been sick and feverish for days. Her fever immediately broke and she began running and playing with all the other children. The villagers were amazed by this and began bringing all their sick for us to pray for them. There were many miracles, but the most amazing miracle was to see hearts changed and these poor lost people come to know Jesus for the first time. “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” (Mark 16:20) KJV

The harvest

Some of the villagers cried and asked us not to leave. They had such a hunger to hear more. We sent several shipments of bibles and other literature to them after we returned to the US. Many of the villagers are now reading the word of God for the first time. They patiently waited for us to return and continue teaching them. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) KJV

God continued to open doors of opportunity in the ministry, preparing us for the work He’s called us to. I was so blessed to get to know Don and Alice Hurst; a couple that have dedicated their lives to prison ministry. They started the “Gospel Carriers” ministry over 30 years ago and have been faithfully ministering in prisons all over Alabama. God put a burning desire in my heart to be a part of the prison ministry and Don and Alice mentored me and allowed me to begin going to the prisons with them. I soon had the opportunity to begin preaching and ministering. My life has been transformed by that experience. Today, Don and Alice are on our board.

My heart is now filled with joy and peace for the first time in my life. I now truly know and am living the life I was born for. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 16:25) KJV

Continued preparation & future plans

Mam and I finished Bible college in Colorado May of 2008 we worked for the ministry for an additional year as apprentices and were mentored by so many great men and women of God. We purposed to spend that time preparing our hearts for a life of full time ministry. We recognized that there were “weak links” in our heart individually as well as in our family as a whole. It seems that everyone has some “baggage” to some extent. Mam had suffered many traumatic experiences in her childhood and early adult life. We went about trying to address those issues through numerous Christian counselors, books and much prayer. We knew the enemy would target those “weak links” and attempt to stop God’s ministry through us this way. Mam is not involved in the ministry at this time. The children and I are now living in another city. We pray for Mam’s healing and that eventually she will allow the Lord to minister to her.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) NKJV

The children and I are continuing to do the work that God has called us to. God’s grace has given my children a joy and peace that passes all understanding.

We continue to spread the Gospel and to minister to the needs of the people. Mam has decided to seek higher education and secular employment.

Although there are many needs in Thailand, the most important and urgent need is Jesus. We plan to eventually start a bible school to train Thai people to disciple their own people. We know God will provide everything we need to do what He has called us to do.

We thank God that by His grace we are able to move ahead and He is able to show Himself strong in us. It is His power, not ours.

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29-30) NKJV

Our Goal

The commission God has given me, which I embrace with all my heart, is to spread the true Gospel by introducing the Thai people to an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and to teach them to embrace the whole counsel of God’s word in order to receive all that God has for them. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” ( 2 Peter 1:3) KJV

I am available to minister in your church. Visit the contact page for details.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” (Romans 10:13-15) KJV

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