"Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that I will seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."Psalms 27:3-4

Brothers & Sisters, we are already at war and the battle is raging. We cannot afford to be unprepared, as though we were at peace. Each of has a post or a position to occupy, or a battlefront to advance upon. So let us stay awake, alert and in constant preparation, feeding and abiding in the Word of God, continuing instant in prayer and growing mighty in it. There's so much work to be done, and our Commander in Chief is looking for eager volunteers who are well prepared to serve. Honoring Him in the battles ahead will bring great joy through the exploits He will enable us to do. PREPARE FOR WAR ON THE HORIZON!

"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:"Isaiah 44:3

As we are having a Revival in a few weeks, my spirit is anxiously awaiting what God will do! Each Revival, I love to study past revivals and in studying them, there's two recurring themes that stand out: First, that God has often used obscure and unknown individuals to lead revivals, and that even these men whom He used so powerfully never considered themselves to be "special", but often wanted to stay out of the limelight. And secondly, I haven't read a story about a revivalist who did not first go through a personal revival himself! Revivals were not sparked until these men went through a season of personal desperation and yearning for the fire of God – and only after this season were they used of the Lord to change their generation. How does this speak to us, obscure, unknown individuals? It shows us that a true and deep hunger for God can grow into a significant and powerful calling on our lives -- a specific mission which God Himself will empower! It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, old or young, educated or uneducated -- each of us has a potential destiny to accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God! But in order to go on and do those awesome works in His name, we need to be in a state of revival! Brothers & Sisters, -- let us seek hard after our own personal revival! We're alive for such a time as this -- to be spirit-filled vessels of revival to this lost and dying world! Press in, press on, and go forth in His Power...because there is so much work to be done! GO THROUGH A PERSONAL REVIVAL!

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising."Isaiah 60:1-3

When you do something for history, you want to do it right and with your whole heart! As children of God, what we do on this earth will redound to our eternal existence. The season we are in seems filled with portent, and many of us may be making critical decisions and choices now. Like Esther, we were born "for such a time as this". We will need prayerful, scriptural based discernment, and then, resolute boldness to stand where the Lord has placed us, say what He wants us to say, and do what He wants us to do. While untold millions have been waiting for the promised return of our Messiah for centuries– the one sign they lacked was the restoration of Israel. Through all those past generations it was only in our own that the Jewish people have returned to their homeland, the beginning of Ezekiel's vision, well under way, and inexorably headed toward the spiritual revival of the dry bones [Ezekiel 37]. We do not know all the details, but we are watching and participating in this with great excitement. Brothers & Sisters, we are living prophetic history....and are probably in the last act. As history advances and accelerates there will be times when we must be decisive, bold, and unwavering in spirit – fully realizing that our actions are being recorded now...and in the annals of eternity! TAKE PART OF PROPHETIC HISTORY!

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast,immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."1 Corinthians 15:55-58

Every day roughly 150,000 around the world die. Death has a way of raising our spiritual temperature and quickening us to re-evaluate life...especially to ask, "Am I doing all that I can do?" Have you ever heard of how the Nobel Peace Prize originated? Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, awoke one morning in 1888, shocked to discover his own obituary in the morning news. The newspaper had mistakenly printed the story about Alfred, instead of his brother, who had just passed away. As he read his own epitaph, the story of the "Dynamite King", the great industrialist who made an immense fortune from explosives -- Alfred Nobel was rudely awakened to the fact that the world viewed him as a merchant of death! The mistake was not wasted on him. Rather, it served as his wake up call! As he read his obituary with horror, Alfred resolved to make clear to the world his understanding of the true meaning and purpose of his life. So he used his immense fortune to create a foundation which would promote and embody his ideal for world peace...and he is now remembered, not as the "Dynamite King", but the creator of what we know now as the "Nobel Peace Prize." Brothers & Sisters, let's allow this little message to be our wake up call. Let's re-evaluate our lives, look within...and ask ourselves, "Are we truly doing all that we can be doing for the Lord?" Because when this life is finally past, and our deeds are all recorded in the "Books", only what was done with and for the Lord, will last...forever! YOU CAN'T ESCAPE IT!

"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:45

The Lord is quoted in this scripture in Matthew. It contains an important principle which believers sometimes tend to overlook. Many believe and even teach that if you're blessed, your life will be filled with material prosperity, and that if you are undergoing extreme trial, it must be because you have sinned or that you lack faith. The Lord says that the sun rises and the rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous alike. A life of good circumstances does not mean that God is with us. And likewise, a life of trial and suffering does not mean that God is not with us! If we base our lives on our circumstances, we are no different than people without God. What makes us different is that we have something far greater than our circumstances! We have a relationship with the Living God! Brothers & Sisters, there's nothing wrong with rejoicing in the good times but we need to rejoice in the bad as well! We have a greater treasure and a more amazing victory when our lives centered upon Him. YOU HAVE HIM, WHO IS GREATER THAN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES!

"The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."Isaiah 58:11

Bill Bright tells an amazing story in his book, "How You Can Be Filled with the Holy Spirit". During the Great Depression, poverty swept across America like a whirling tornado, ripping up dreams and scattering hopes to the wind. One such poverty twister hit a small part of Texas where a man named Yates ran a sheep ranch. Struggling even to keep food on the table, Yates and his wife did all they could to survive. Finally, they had to accept a government subsidy or lose their home and land to the creditors. One day, in the midst of this bleakness, a geologic crew from a large oil company came knocking. With Yates' permission, they wanted to drill a wildcat well on his property, promising him a large portion of the profits if they struck oil. "What could I lose?" thought Yates, and he signed the papers. The oil crew immediately set up the machinery and began drilling. Five hundred feet down, they came up dry. Eight hundred feet, dry. One thousand feet they sunk the shaft, and still no oil. Finally, at a little over eleven hundred feet, they tapped into one of the richest oil reserves in Texas. The hole sprayed its black wealth high into the air, and soon the well was pumping eighty thousand barrels of oil a day. Overnight, Yates and his family became millionaires. His property once called Yate's Field, became known as Yate's Pool. And soon hundreds of oil wells dotted the land where once only sheep grazed. Hmm. What if they had stopped at a thousand feet?? I believe that there is a well of blessing within us that is just waiting to be found. And the victory will only come when we dig for it. We need to press in when the circumstances look their bleakest! We need to believe that the blessing is there for the taking and not stop when we get discouraged and don't see the fruit of our labor! We need to expect great things and rich oil in the Spirit! Because this is what the Lord has for each one of us! Brothers & Sister, our breakthrough is just under our feet! Be encouraged! Keep digging! God has more in store than you can imagine! KEEP DIGGING!

"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD."Leviticus 23:15-17

In the Tenach (Old Testament), the Lord commanded Israel to count the Omer (the Barley Harvest) beginning the day after the sabbath during Passover, 50 days to the Biblical Festival of Shavuot (Pentecost). A remarkable fact is that for nearly 2000 years the Jewish people had no homeland, and no harvest to count – yet they continued to count the Omer, counting a harvest that did not exist. Then, about 130 years ago a historical miracle began as the Lord drew the Jewish people back to their ancient homeland, the land of Israel. The land was revived from dusty desert, and the barley harvest was restored, (as well a multitude of other crops), so that now, the Omer is counted as it was in ancient times, with an actual harvest! Now, if the Jews in diaspora (dispersion) could count the days of a non-existent harvest, in expectation of a divine blessing which they earnestly hoped for, then they set an excellent example for us who trust in the Messiah they gave to the world. Since faith is the conviction of things NOT seen, we, also, can begin to give thanks for blessings we're praying for, but have yet to receive. Our unsaved loved-one, chronic illness, broken relationship, financial disaster, loss of vision.....all these are trials which are testing and maturing our faith. We can rejoice in them, even as we give thanks in the expectation of victory, restoration, and a harvest of righteousness which is on the way. Brothers & Sisters, thank the Lord for the blessings you're about to receive -- they're on the way! COUNTING THE OMER -- AND YOUR BLESSINGS!

"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord."Leviticus 23:10-12 ; "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming."1 Corinthians 15:20-23

This season of the Resurrection also occurs during a significant Old Testament feast day, the feast of “Firstfruits” (Hebrew, “bikoreem”). When Jesus rose from the dead he was the firstfruit of the resurrection. On that day the keys of Hell and Death were obtained by our Lord. The apostle Paul connected the resurrection with the feast of Firstfruits in his letter to the congregation at Corinith. "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." Remember in the Garden of Gethsemane that all the disciples had fled in terror because of their connection with Jesus. Yet not much later they experienced an astounding transformation which empowered them to preach the gospel fearlessly and face all kinds of suffering and martyrdom. What inspired this transformation? The resurrection... the living, breathing Lord who appeared to them in a glorious resurrected body. No longer were they concerned about this life, having experienced the reality that death's power had been absolutely overcome and there was nothing remaining in this world to threaten or shake their complete confidence in eternal life. The letter of James identifies believers in Jesus as "a kind of firstfruits of all He created"; [James 1:18]. Through our faith In the Lord's resurrection we have received His Holy Spirit and gained His resurrection life and power. It is a power over the fear of death, an overcoming power which enables us to endure and triumph over every kind of threat, problem, affliction, every trial or test involving suffering, pain, even the greatest anguish this life can bring. It's the same power that filled the Lord's disciples and transformed them from terrified men into fearless witnesses. We are no longer bound by the circumstances of our lives – but, as "firstfruits" who share in the resurrection life of our Lord, are empowered to endure, be transformed by, and ultimately overcome everything we face. Paul exults in this wondrous triumph, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." And then he offers this exhortation, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Brothers & Sisters, we are the “bikoreem”, the "firstfruits" of the resurrection and we are no longer bound by the troubles and problems of this world. We can "count them all joy" as "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" we know that our labor is not in vain! WE ARE THE "BEKOREEM" OF CREATION!

"And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them."Matthew 21:10-14

There is a long-standing tradition of cleaning one's house in the springtime – hence the term "spring cleaning". One source for this tradition is certainly the Jewish Passover. Each spring as the holiday approaches observant householders in Israel and around the world perform a meticulous cleaning of their homes, especially to be sure there is no leaven in the house before Passover begins. Leaven, in scripture, is often a metaphor for sin and impurity; and this season of the year is often a time for emphasizing "spiritual housecleaning". When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time in His earthly life, before the Passover, and just before He was sacrificed, He went to the Temple and "cleansed" it by driving out the money changers and religious merchandisers. Apparently, these were "religious" people with impure motives, and the Lord considered them to be "leaven" in his Father's house. Immediately after this, the Lord miraculously healed the blind and lame. Brothers & Sisters, we can also be "religious" people with impure motives; seeking financial gain, or prestige, from "spiritual" activity, when the Lord desires a devoted heart of worship and prayer in His "house". Perhaps this is why we see so few miracles in our lives and "ministries". Let us also do a "housecleaning" for impure motivations. The Lord may then be freer to work His miracles through us. INSPECT YOUR TEMPLE!

"At that time the Lord said to Joshua, "Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time."Joshua 5:2, 8-10 ;8 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. 9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day. 10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. ; "but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."Romans 2:29

Passover celebrates Israel's final departure from Egypt – that's why we read about it in "Exodus!" Leaving their former lives of slavery, the Jewish people now pressed forward looking toward the "Promised Land" and a new way of life. Their purpose was not only departure – it was also arrival to a new destination. Now there was a significant 40 year delay in the wilderness.... .....but Israel finally crossed over the Jordan river into the 'Promised land'. And as they entered the land, Joshua was commanded to circumcise Israel a “second time”. This circumcision of the flesh was required for their passage into the Promised Land, and I believe it is a picture for us. The flesh must be sacrificed for us to enter our inheritance. While the Passover event is a picture of our deliverance from sin and death through the sacrificed Lamb, this "circumcision" of the flesh is required for a fruitful life in the spirit which produces an inheritance. One might also see it as a circumcision of the heart, a removing of flesh which makes our heart alive and sensitive to the Lord and to others producing a life of love and good fruit. Brothers & Sisters, deliverance from sin and death is a free gift through the sacrifice of Messiah our perfect Lamb. Our response should be to offer our bodies, our flesh, as living sacrifices that we may enter the destiny of love and fruitfulness which is our own personal Promised Land. A life of holiness is the fruit of a circumcised heart which will yield a rich inheritance in the world to come. CIRCUMCISED A SECOND TIME?

"And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."Matthew 21:9

As thousands of believers around the world celebrated Palm Sunday, I thought I'd offer some additional historical insight into the day Jesus entered Jerusalem. Most people associate Palm Sunday with the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass”. But there is another significant detail associated with this beautiful fulfillment... ...it is that Jesus entered Jerusalem on precisely the same day that the Jews would have been choosing their Passover lambs in preparation for the Pesach (Passover) Seder a few days later. Unbeknownst to them, the Lord had chosen their “Passover Lamb” who would deliver them, and the entire world from their sins [John 1:29]. As Jesus entered into Jerusalem, the people cried "Hosanna, Son of David– which means, “Save Now, Son of David!”- quoting the cry of the psalmist for the salvation of God to come to Israel; [Psalm 118:25-26]. This psalm was associated with the coming of Messiah, and the title, "Son of David" was a common reference to Him, the one who would bring God's salvation. It also contains the words, "Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!" So many of the people knew who He was, yet... ...this same Psalm also contains an amazing prediction: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone!” [Psalm 118:22]. Right there, in the same scripture, only a few verses apart, the astounding irony of Jesus' first advent is perfectly expressed. Received and hailed as Israel's Messiah, He was shortly to be scorned, rejected and crucified. Brothers & Sisters, this is a week to remember the humility of Jesus, the most humble King who ever lived or died. Our love for Him grows deeper as we reflect on this gentle Shepherd's submission, even though He was and is a King. His rejection was our acceptance. His death was our life. May we receive the grace to follow His example and so reveal His glory. BEHOLD THE PASSOVER LAMB!

"He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion."Psalms 111:4

A farmer was showing his visiting city-dwelling friend around his farm. "Watch this!" he said. He gave a whistle and his little dog came running from the house, herded the cattle into the corral, then latched the gate with her paw. "Wow, that's some dog -- what's her name?" The forgetful farmer thought for a minute and then asked, "What do you call that red flower that smells good and has thorns on the stem?" "A rose?" "That's it!" The farmer turned to his wife. "Hey Rose, what do we call this dog?" Funny how we forget things, isn't it? But I'm not so sure God finds it all that funny! When we read about the children of Israel and their journeys through the wilderness for forty years, we see how God provided wonderful miracles for them, feeding them daily with manna, guiding them by a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day, parting the Red Sea! How is it, then, that they became so very hard hearted toward Him? Over time, I think those miracles just became commonplace and they began to take them for granted! But then again when I look back on my life, I can't really blame them. It happens to the best of us! God has done miracles in our lives and I'm sure he's done many in each of yours as well! But we still get anxious when things aren't going quite the way we hoped, don't we? Recall a miracle of God in your life. Remember the joy you felt? We need to relive that joy today! The miracle of God's new birth in us and the many other miracles God has done are not ones to be quickly forgotten. We need to relive them daily! Brothers & Sisters, we never want to become cold toward God! Let's spend some time remembering the miracles He has done in our lives and strive to trust Him for the trials we face today! HAVEN'T YOU FORGOTTEN SOMETHING?

"And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? for you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."2 Corinthians 6:16

According to ancient Jewish legend, one day Abraham was shown his father, Terah's room of many idols. Young Abraham, thinking that perhaps he could discover intimacy with them, made some desirable delicacies and placed them before the idols. When nothing happened, he realized that these idols were nothing more than clay -- they could do nothing for him or anyone else for that matter. So he proceeded to destroy all the idols, except for one. When Terah received word of this, he went to Abraham and said, "Son, what did you do to my idols?!" "I brought them delicacies," Abraham replied, "and then the biggest idol became envious of the others, and destroyed them all." Terah, furious with Abraham, said, "You're lying to me! How can idols made by my own hands do such things?" "You're right father." Replied Abraham, "Now tell me, then, why do we worship idols that can not eat, drink or even move?" This kind of idol worship may sound far removed from us, but we too, have our idols. They may not be made of clay but they are very real! The love of money, possessions, success, leisure, food, sensuality, security and outward beauty -- the love of tradition and even our friends and family -- the pursuit of our goals and dreams are among some just off the top of my head. Most of these are not bad things in and of themselves, don't get me wrong. But if we are not careful, they can all easily become idols in our lives! What is the object of our affections today? What takes up the majority of our time, effort, and resources? These are our idols. Anything that we allow to run our life becomes our god. Brothers & Sisters, there is only One God we ought to be worshiping -- and He will not have any other god's before Him! Let's crush our idols today. We need to get right with the Lord so that we may be used mightily for His Kingdom! CRASH, MUTILATE, DESTROY!

"The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul."Proverbs 16:17

Mark 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." Proverbs says the "highway of the upright is to depart from evil". It's a highway -- a way of life so to speak. And this proverb coincides with the central teaching of Jesus -- "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." What does it mean to repent? The Greek Word is "metanoia" which simply means to change your mind about sin or to depart from evil. Repentance is essentially a new attitude about the way I conduct my life. I don't expect perfection while remaining in this mortal body -- but a lifestyle of repentance means that I choose to live my life set apart unto the Lord, in communion with His Holy Spirit who lives in me, constantly turning away from and/or confessing my sins. Repentance does not involve rehearsing guilt, regret, or sins of the past, because true repentance and confession removes those from our conscience and the Lord declares them to be as far as the east is from the west! Brothers & Sisters, choose the highway of the upright and speed your way through life's journey to the Kingdom of Heaven which awaits you. The enemy would love to sidetrack or distract you with the enticement of sin -- but even if he succeeds temporarily, you can always repent -- and speedily, get back on the right road --the highway of the upright. CHOOSE GODSPEED!

"And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"Acts 16:26-30

At first glance, it would seem that God allowed this earthquake to take place in order that Paul and Silas would be set free. The earthquake came and their bands were loosed. There was nothing holding them back. They could have fled immediately -- wouldn't have you? But no -- Paul and Silas waited...and as a result, the jailer and his entire family were saved! Many times we assume God's reasoning for doing the things He does. The Lord may have released us to walk through a door that He has clearly opened -- but He may also have other purposes in mind. Let's not be so quick to assume. There's no hurry. God won't shut a door if it is His divine will for it to be open!! Brothers & Sisters, let's be patient and be sure to be led by the Spirit of God. These are amazing times we're living in. We don't want to miss out on God's perfect will! GOD'S PURPOSES ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM!