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Today, we are sad to announce that Bob Gass, the author of Vision’s daily devotional, The Word for Today, passed away peacefully on the evening of the 5th June, at his home in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Bob’s wife, Debby has given us permission to share this with you, as we know that many of you will have been greatly impacted by his ministry. David wrote, “Bob’s heart was always that the readers would get deeper into the Word of God. It has never been about ‘him’ or his ministry. But about seeing lives changed for good. Bob and I have spent hours in my office and on the phone, sharing (and debating) our thoughts on areas of God’s Word. And thinking about new ways to reach people with the truth of Scripture.” A huge heart for the Lord
Bob’s heart was always that the readers would get deeper into the Word of God. It has never been about ‘him’ or his ministry, but about seeing lives changed with the truth of Scripture. Bob himself, actually planned for this day, several years ago. The readers of The Word for Today were always at the front of his mind. As he grew older, he and the team wanted to ensure The Word for Today would continue to encourage and support believers for many years to come and he began a long writing project, which would mean the devotional could continue long after he passed away. Bob had a huge heart for ministry and wanted to ensure that when he finally did go to be with the Lord, the work would continue. We believe that Bob’s legacy will ensure that The Word for Today will reach even more people in years to come, than it has over the last 25 years. Furthermore, divine love doesn’t just give you ‘warm fuzzies’. It’s constantly at work to direct you towards making wise decisions, to protect you from making poor ones, and to correct you when you make bad ones. God’s love guarantees His acceptance when all others have rejected you, His forgiveness when all others have judged you, and His mercy when all others have condemned you. A wedding day message from God: ‘You will reach more people through your writing, than you will in all the years of your preaching.’ And people say to me I wish God would talk to me. I look at them and saying, well, exact ly what would you like him to say? Because if He talks to you, he may not be telling you what you want to hear. So I’ve got into this kind of argument with the Lord. You might say ‘how did you know it was The Lord?’… Because I would never have told myself to do that. And the devil is called a thief, so I know he would never have told me to do it. So that just leaves the one other option. And so finally I said, okay Lord, I’ll send it at the cheque was to be sent to the widow of a minister who had died in the Oklahoma City bombing – a Spanish pastor called Gilbert Martinez, with a wife and five children, the youngest was an infant in her arms.
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Bob had a special place in his heart for Australia, coming here many times during his itinerant ministry years. His final visit was in 2010 where he was very warmly received. When you’re worried and under stress. ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’ (John 14:27 NKJV).
Debby co-authored the daily devotions in The Word for Today, and Bob’s sister, Ruth, serves as a research assistant. Together, they have written a decade’s worth of devotionals ready for future publications of The Word for Today. Millions of people throughout the world receive The Word for Today quarterly — and testimonies flood in, demonstrating how many lives are blessed by it. Bob wrote, ‘I never did get to go to Bible school, but I had a one-on-one teacher in the form of my pastor friend. He taught me so much; to memorise Scripture, how to speak, how to behave in people’s homes. He held my feet to the fire and kept me accountable. So in my heart, I have always been called to the ministry, but while the calling has never changed, the method has.’ In addition to his passion for his family and his calling to share God's Word, Bob and Debby shared a deep passion for the orphans of Romania. They first went to Romania in 1991, and in the last 28 years they built a transition home called The Village of Hope. Through this ministry they have rescued over 5,000 children from the streets, the sex-trade, and orphanages and placed them into loving homes. Three-and-a-half years after Bob and Debby received that prophetic word on their wedding day, The Word For Today was printed for the first time. It was just 3,500 copies and only in the UK. 25 years later it has grown to reach millions worldwide including hundreds of thousands of people in Australia (the Australian edition was also first published in 1994). I believe we all have a kingdom destiny. We are each called by God to be priests and as believers, we all have access to the same anointing. The same Holy Spirit, the same presence of God rests on each of us and we need to get the message of the gospel to this culture. We live in a world where people are searching for happiness and looking for it in drugs, multiple relationships and money. People think that if they get just one more thing or make some more money, they will be happy. But that is not the answer. We have the answer and His name is Jesus Christ.”
Bob was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His father died when he was 12 and Bob’s mother raised Bob and his two siblings as a single parent.
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