"Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a shofar into every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. And he said to them, "Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do: When I blow the shofar, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the shofars on every side of the whole camp, and say, 'The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!' " So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the shofars and broke the pitchers that were in their hands."Judges 7:16-19

When God called Gideon to lead Israel against their enemies, He wanted to show that a small army empowered by God was more effective than the largest armies. But notice how they fought – without weapons that an army would normally use. They fought with shofars and lamps! They fought with weapons that the world would consider ineffective, yet triumphed mightily over their enemies. They shouted as loud as they could, sounded the shofar, and broke the vessels that held the fire so that their lamps burst through with brightness. This breaking of the lamps of clay holds a powerful metaphor for us. If we too are "earthen vessels" holding the fire of God – the Spirit of God within us, then a "breaking" of the outer man is necessary for His inner light to burst through. Victory can come out of brokenness. Our old life of self, often called the "old man", when truly crucified and broken, will give way to the release of the Lord's Spirit of God in our lives. The death of our Lord has broken the power of our self-life, since we were crucified with Him. Walking in that awareness brings light and victory. Brothers & Sisters, let the love, peace, joy, and all the fruit of the Spirit break through in your life. Your old life of Self has been and is being broken, as Jesus' victorious light shines through your earthen vessel. LET THE LIGHT BREAK THROUGH!

"What? do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have of God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."1 Corinthians 6:19-20

While there is no longer a physical temple today, the Bible declares that we, as believers in Jesus, are living temples of God. But we need to recognize that our enemy is constantly at work, trying to erect idols and desecrate our temple in various ways so that we cannot be used to glorify God. How long has it been since we cleansed and rededicated our temple to the Lord? We should really be be doing it daily! Brothers & Sisters, we want to be more holy -- more pure -- more righteous so that we can be found a peculiar people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, as the scripture says. Let's strive to be a people who shine forth the glory of God today! Let's pull down the strongholds and destroy the idols that pollute us! HOW DEDICATED ARE YOU?

"This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it: for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid nor be dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."Joshua 1:8

The Festival of lights is not a Biblical feast, it is an important one. It commemorates the story of small group of men with much courage -- enough courage to defeat even the greatest of the world’s empires. The Greek-Syrian Emperor Anticochus Epiphanes defiled the Temple by erecting an idol within it, and commanded all of Israel to worship it. If that wasn’t enough, he made it illegal to follow God's laws and anyone caught observing them would be put to death. Jesus pointed out in Matthew 24 -- when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel -- flee! This was a foreshadow of a future event which He was referring to. So what happened? A few men, the Maccabees, decided to fight an entire empire on their own! They had a miraculous victory, restoring and rededicating the Temple, and relighting the menorah -- a victory which we celebrate. Brothers & Sisters, in these dark days approaching, we're going to be called to a deeper walk with the Lord, to stand up for His truth and be a light to the dying world around us! Let's get restored, rededicated and rekindled so that we can be strong for Him! BE COURAGEOUS!

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."Matthew 25:1-13

This parable in Matthew 25 is a warning to the entire body -- be ready with your oil! Each of these virgins was anticipating the Lord's return; none were atheists, or non-believers. They were all virgins who claimed to be awaiting the Bridegroom's arrival. But notice carefully that only half of them were truly ready. In the ancient Temple era the Aaronic priests were in charge of lighting the lamp of God and keeping it burning. Their main responsibilities included trimming the wicks, refilling the lamp constantly with fresh oil, and making sure it never burned out. A clear parallel can be drawn between the Aaronic priesthood and the New Covenant priesthood of Melchizedek and Jesus. Both are responsible to keep the lamps burning! Brothers & Sisters, are you feeling burned out? Then trim your wick by getting rid of the useless things in your life and diving deeper into His Word. Are you feeling spiritually drained? Then wait on the Lord and ask Him for a fresh anointing. Bearing the light of God is the responsibility of all true believers; you are the bearer of that light; so be reignited today and keep your lamps burning bright for Him. Let's be wise virgins, anxiously awaiting His return! TRIM YOUR LAMPS!

"And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch."John 10:22-23

The Jewish celebrate the feast of dedication,all over the globe. Those of us who are grafted in through the atoning work of Messiah, we who know God, have an opportunity to see the deeper significance in the Biblical holidays and are not only welcome but encouraged to celebrate as well! Over 150 years before Jesus’ birth, a group of Jewish warriors led by Judah Maccabee defeated Antiochus IV. Though terribly outnumbered by their foes, the Maccabees triumphed over the Grecian Syrian Empire. This led to the establishment of the feast of dedication. According to an ancient Jewish legend, Judah entered into Jerusalem only to find the Temple desecrated by a sacrificed pig and an idol of Zeus. Upon seeing this, he immediately began to cleanse the Temple. Judah also found that there was only one cruse of undefiled oil which could burn in the Temple Menorah (holy candelabra which had to continually burn). This oil was only enough for one day but it miraculously lasted for eight days, just enough time to get more of this special oil made. So in memory of this miracle and the rededication of the Temple, the Festival of Lights has been celebrated by the Jewish people for over 2000 years and was even celebrated by Jesus Himself! Every Festival, (the candelabra of nine candle holders) are lit. Each candle holder has a special candle, known as the Shamash which is raised above the other eight. The word ‘shamash’ means ‘servant, helper, or minister -- so the Shamash candle is the servant candle, or the ministering candle, and is used to light all the other candles. It is the servant who is raised up and lights all the others, symbolizing Messiah, for us who believe. Jesus came and proclaimed that ‘He is the Light of the World and whoever follows Him shall have the light of life!’ The one who serves the Lord will be a light! The one who does the will of God will shine! The more we serve the Lord, and earnestly do His will, with all our heart, soul and mind -- the more we will shine with the light of God and so ultimately will we be raised up! Brothers & Sisters, let's strive to serve the Lord with gladness this season and light up the world around us! We may be small but a small light will go a long way in a dark place. BE A LIGHT!

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss [with wrong motives], that you may consume it upon your pleasures."James 4:3

Do you ever wonder why it is that sometimes we don't get the things we pray for? James hits it on the nail when he says that we ask amiss, that we may consume it upon our pleasures. Think about this. You work for a large company. You've been with them for quite some time and been faithful and diligent to do what's been required of you. You've gained some trust and seniority. One day, the boss decides to give you access to the company card, should you ever need it, trusting that if you'll use it, you'll be using it to purchase something for the good of the company. We who know Jesus are in God's company -- and we have been entrusted with the company card! When we swipe that card and ask for that thing in the name of Jesus, we will get it --- as long as it will benefit the company! Brothers & Sisters, is that thing for which you've been praying going to benefit the Kingdom? If so, then pray in faith! God will do it! If not, let's ask God to help us know how to pray today! WHERE'S YOUR COMPANY CARD?

"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."John 4:23

President used to attend church in Harare. One day somebody phoned the church and asked, "Do you expect the President to be in church this Sunday?" The rector answered, "That I cannot promise. But we can expect God to be here, and we fancy that will be incentive enough for a reasonably large audience." What if we overheard that the President of the Zimbabwe was coming to our next worship service? We'd probably be very excited, invite all our family and friends and get there early enough to get a front row seat! Brothers & Sisters, if that's what we'd do for the President, how much more excited should we be every week when someone far greater is expected to attend? The King of the Universe! Be excited about going to worship services. Let nothing stop you. Expect God to be there and He will speak things to your heart, great and mighty things you may not know! ENTER INTO HIS PLACE OF WORSHIP!

"And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment."1 Chronicles 12:32 ; "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."Luke 21:36

Among the mighty men of David were those of the tribe of Issachar whose special gift was their understanding of the times, a gift of prophetic insight; and this was such a precious gift because included in their discernment was the ability to know how to apply it. In our time prophecy is everywhere. Jesus warned us that there would be false prophets in the last days, especially approaching His second coming, and He said the prophecy would be so subtle and the false signs so powerful that even the elect might be deceived if that were possible; [Mt. 24:24] While it's clear to many of us that we're living in prophetic days, there are also millions who have no clue of the current times and seasons. So we're faced with a challenge and a profound, multi-faceted responsibility: to acknowledge the significance of our times, to awaken others to this reality, to rightly discern true from false prophecy, and to know what to do about the things we rightly discern. Wow! Not an easy task. How do we even begin? I believe that we have a prophetic "anchor"...a fundamental sign, missing throughout all of Church history, until our day. This sign is the rebirth of Israel as a nation. Many of the OT prophets foresaw the in-gathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland in the latter days. [Jeremiah 30; Isaiah 43:5-6; Amos 9:14-15; and many others]. Isaiah prophesied the nation's rebirth in a single rhetorical question, "Can a nation be born in a day?" [ Isaiah 66:8]. One hundred years ago Israel, (then called "Palestine" by the Romans, as an insult to the Jews), was a barren, sparsely inhabited province in the Ottoman empire, and Jerusalem was hardly ever mentioned in conversation unless someone was reading scripture. Today, Israel is a thriving resurrected nation, reclaimed from desolation, established in one single day, and Jerusalem is in virtually every daily newspaper, the subject of intense controversy throughout the civilized world. This one sign assures me, personally, that we are really and truly living at the end of the age. I believe we must acknowledge this, share it, WATCH very carefully, and PRAY as the developments in the Middle East conform themselves to the Word of God. The prophetic clock is ticking toward the final hours of this age when the Lord Jesus will return in power and great glory to judge the entire world of men. Brothers & Sisters, the sons of Issachar understood their times, and knew what to do. Watching and praying, we can too. Preparing ourselves with holy living for the Lord's return, we must also warn those who live in ignorance of these amazing days by showing them the prophetic sign of Israel's resurrection, and warning them to repent, believe the gospel, and be accounted worthy to escape all these things and to stand before the Son of Man! UNDERSTAND THE TIMES!

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!"John 4:35

Here’s an interesting fact about American church history that you may not know. Years ago, when the first New England churches were designed, they were built with clear windows rather than the stained glass ones we see so often today -- and the graveyard was usually built in the churchyard, which would normally be seen from the pulpit. Why? It was so that the pastor could see the graveyard while he preached and be reminded of the urgency of his message! It was so he could be reminded that everyone who sat in the pews before him as he spoke, would eventually fill a place in that cemetery outside the window and ultimately have to stand before God to be judged. Can you imagine? Back then, the first and foremost priority of the church was to bring men and women into a right relationship with the Lord. What’s happened to us that we’ve started building churches with windows you can’t see through!? Brothers & Sisters, there is a harvest outside! Let’s uncloud our windows and give ourselves to the work that needs to be done! Let’s make a commitment to share the good news with someone today! LOOK OUR YOUR WINDOW!

"Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; In You I take shelter."Psalm 143:8-9

During Chimurenga war, a ZANLA Soldier was separated from his unit in a jungle in Zimbabwe. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed. As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen." After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one.." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave. "Ha," he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor." As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web are stronger than a brick wall." Brothers & Sisters, God's resources to protect you are vast. When you pray for protection, believe that He hears you and is able to manage it with great skill, and even perhaps a stroke of humor. TAKE A SHELTER IN HIM!

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us."2 Corinthians 4:7

When the apostle Paul compared our lives to clay pots, he focused not on the earthen vessels, but rather the contents of those vessels. Jars of clay deteriorate over time, become chipped, cracked, and eventually broken. However, the real value of those ancient pots was not in the clay containers themselves, but in what they contained. We human beings tend to focus on the frailties and imperfections of our decaying "vessels", looking, characteristically, on the outward form rather than the substance within. But the inward reality is what matters to God, and ultimately, to us as well, since that reality is His living Presence within us; a treasure of wisdom, power and love with inestimable value. Brothers & Sisters, the Lord's evaluation of us is not by outward appearance, which is corruptible and deteriorates with time. His indwelling Spirit, His Living Word, and the dynamic intimate relationship into which He invites us--- are where the real treasure lies! BRING FORTH TREASURE!

"Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith-- to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen."Romans 16:25-27

Colonel G.W. Goethals, the man responsible for the completion of the Panama Canal, had major problems with the climate and the geography as it was being built. If that wasn't enough to deal with, he had an even bigger problem. It was the growing criticism back home from those who predicted he'd never finish the project and had opinions about how to do it better. One day, a colleague asked him, "Aren't you going to answer all these critics?" "In time," answered Goethals. "When?" his partner asked. "When the canal is finished. We, who know Jesus and have given our lives to his purposes have a big task at hand -- a bit bigger, I would say, than the building the Panama Canal. There is a world of people who are hungry to know God and the time is short. The climate and geography may not be ideal and people around us might be critical, but the task still remains -- and we who love God must all contribute and stay focused!! Yes, we may come across some obstacles along the way but we cannot let them distract us from our calling! Brothers & Sisters, if you haven't been focused on sharing the Good News of Messiah with the lost, let's take this opportunity make it a goal today. If each of us led only one person to the Kingdom, can you imagine what a difference that would make?! Let's make it a point to lead at least one person to the Lord before the holidays! People are searching -- it's not as hard as you think! DON'T LOSE FOCUS!

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,"Philippians 3:20

When we think of a good citizen, we probably think of a law-abiding, productive contributor to society who takes pride in his country. I'm sure all of us would like to be thought of as good citizens of the countries in which we live. We, as believers in Jesus, have to remember that we also have dual citizenship. We must become good citizens of both Heaven and Earth. How do we do this? We love God with all our heart, mind and soul and love our neighbor as ourselves. We become productive contributors in our local assemblies and/or in our local communities, and we continually give our best to the Lord, living our lives for Him and for His Kingdom. Brothers & Sisters, so often we forget that we are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13), but let's remember that while we make our pilgrimage in the flesh here, we are ambassadors of the King of Kings, and citizens of His Heavenly Kingdom! BE A GOOD CITIZEN!