"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith."1 John 5:4

As we are entering some of the most turbulent times in history, I've been receiving an unbelievable amount of email expressing concern about the future. But I want to tell you a little something -- the future is VICTORY! It's not defeat or loss. If you think about it, all the great leaders of the Bible shone in the hardest of times. When the giant Goliath stood against the army of Israel, David didn't sit around with his brothers complaining about how big Goliath was. Though David was a dwarf next to this evil giant, he was still convinced he was going to be victorious because God was on his side! When the apostles saw Jesus die, they must have felt utterly defeated -- then, suddenly, there he was, out from the grave, gloriously alive before them -- and from then on they walked in His victory! They didn't sit around complaining about Roman persecution, the Sanhedrin, or the Pharisees. They didn't get wrapped up in how evil the world was becoming; instead, they pressed forward in the worst of times and in those dark days they shone like the stars in the midnight sky. Brothers & Sisters, in the face of everything that's happening around us, let's be sure we're not developing a defeatist attitude. We are called children of the King, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. Despite how bad things may be getting -- don't forget we're on the winning team! We can stand against this evil and overcome it... with good! REMEMBER YOU'RE ON THE WINNING SIDE!

"But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. Then you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, and on my coming I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away."Matthew 25:26-29

Reading this parable, we are struck by the serious consequences of failing to produce Kingdom fruit. But there's something I want to particularly point out. Many of the great heroes of the faith -- people like Moses and David, were not given great responsibilities immediately. Each of these men first served as a lowly shepherd, tending sheep. Having tested them first in this humble vocation, God then felt confident to elevate them to positions of greatness -- but it all started with a small step! God is testing his saints in the little things -- as we pass our early tests, the Lord will promote us to greater things. Don't despise the day of small things -- a single talent invested wisely can produce a bountiful harvest! And remember that it begins with faithful stewardship of whatever gift or talent that God has allocated to you. Brothers & Sisters, let's be wise stewards in these last days, using our divinely given abilities for His glory and purposes so that we can produce an abundant return on the Lord's investment in our lives. Let's heed the warning and the encouragement that Jesus gives us in this parable, multiplying, rather than hiding our talent. Amen! MULTIPLY YOUR TALENTS!

"that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."Ephesians 3:16-19

D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass." After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, took out a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He used this simple demonstration to explain that living a victorious life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit. Later, he said, "I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled." Brothers & Sisters, let's begin emptying ourselves today! We need to be filled with God's Spirit so that we can be empowered to do great things! FEELING EMPTY?

"Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."Luke 6:12

Have you ever noticed that most of our phone conversations go something like this? You call, people are always making time to talk to us. In fact, usually they excuse themselves and go into a separate room so they can hear us loud and clear! If we make some time and excuse ourselves from a room to talk to someone important on the telephone, how much more should we do these things for the Lord of Glory?! William Wilberforce, Christian statesman of Great Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, once said, "I must secure more time for private devotions. I have been living far too public for me. The shortening of private devotions starves the soul. It grows lean and faint." We don't starve our bodies, do we? Then why do we starve our souls? We would never dream of not eating for a month or two, but how long has it been since we've gotten to a quiet room to nourish our souls with the Lord? Seems ironic, doesn't it? Our bodies are only temporary -- they will be buried six feet under some day, along with our belongings eventually. Our soul, though, is what we should be nourishing daily, what we should be guarding as our most prized possession because it will always be around! Brothers & Sisters, let's make sure our priorities are straight. Let's be sure to excuse ourselves from the hustle and bustle -- so we can hear from the Lord -- loud and clear! LISTEN, LOUD AND CLEAR!

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."Matthew 24:12-13

The Bible speaks of a great falling away in the last days (2 Thessalonians 2) before the end of the age arrives, and it seems that we're seeing it on a grand scale all around us. Virtually everywhere we look we're watching the decline of morality and ethics -- in government, entertainment, and social culture. It seems hard to deny that we're living in the final days of abounding iniquity which Jesus foretold. This is not an easy time for true believers. The evil around us can be so discouraging and the darkness so oppressive that it really threatens our ability to walk in love. Yet the reality of the gospel is brighter and more relevant than ever in this world. And the inner light of Messiah burning in us will be all the more intense and warm in this gloomy landscape, if -- and only if, we fill our lamps with His holy oil and burn with His last days love. Anti-Christ culture is permeating our society. But we respond with the enduring culture of Messiah, a culture of supernatural love that will not die. Brothers & Sisters, take heart and don't be deceived or discouraged, or allow your love to grow cold. These signs of the end are simply proof that God is on His throne and His sovereign Word is being fulfilled exactly as He spoke it. Continue in His love. Radiate His light. Wherever you are, wherever you go, bring His love. Love will endure, even forever. SHOW SOME END TIME LOVE!

"When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."Matthew 16:13-16

This groundbreaking conversation took place at Caesarea Phillipi, which lies today in the modern-day reserve of the Banias in the Golan Heights region of Israel. The city was established by Ptolemaic Greeks, a Hellenistic community where the worship of the god Pan was centered. Reviled by the Jews of Jesus' time and considered by them the most idolatrous place in the entire Galilee, to this day it remains a place of nature worship and deep paganism. Why did Jesus deliberately take his disciples to the most sinful, pagan place to reveal who He was? Why not in the temple courts, or the tomb of Jeremiah or one of the prophets, where He might feel more at home and welcomed? No, Jesus revealed who He really was... in the darkest corner of Israel. Now that tells me that the Lord is not shy about shining His light in dark places, and that includes the ones inside me. Psalm 139 tells me that He is intimately acquainted with all of them –that I can forget about keeping secrets from Him. It seems He rather delights in walking into enemy territory and taking ground. Those areas of my life that I don’t want anyone else to see, (and usually can hide from them) – He wants to visit, speak His word, illuminate and cleanse the place! The places where I'm darkest and weakest are His greatest opportunities to be glorified through repentance, transformation, and healing. Brothers &Sisters, take time to open before God the dark areas of your life, trusting in His perfect and patient love for you. He wants to reveal His forgiveness and beauty right where you are most ashamed and miserable. The gates of Hell shall not prevail against a saint whose faith and courage invite Jesus deep into the hidden areas of his soul, to be cleansed and given over to Him. LET THE LIGHT SHINE IN THE DARKNESS!

"Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a corrupt tree bears evil fruit. A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. So then you will know them by their fruits."Matthew 7:17-20

Now suppose I wanted to plant a fig tree -- would I go searching for lemon seeds? Of course not! And even if I planted a fig tree next to a lemon tree, it would still only produce figs, no matter how close it was planted to the lemon tree. So in our lives, though we may be surrounded with sourness, even planted in a "lemon grove", we are "fig trees" -- and the sweetness of our fruit will remain, because we were planted by the Lord Himself, to produce good fruit under all conditions. There is no question that if we are planted in Him the good fruit we bear will come forth in both good times and bad times. Life is filled with ups and downs, unforeseen circumstances that send our lives in strange loops we weren't expecting -- nevertheless, we were fashioned to be fruit bearers...unconditionally. You may say " Guide, you don't understand, you have no idea what's happening in my life right now!" You're right, I don't -- but I do know the Lord who laid down his life unconditionally for you -- and that He did it so He could abide in you and you in Him -- guess what for... Brothers & Sisters, if life is overwhelming you, then it's time to reach down deep and draw nourishment from the Root of our lives -- Jesus the Messiah. The sap of His Life will produce... MUCH! GOOD! FRUIT!...despite the lemons! BE FRUITFUL IN SPITE OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES!

"But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."Matthew 13:23

If you keep a grain of wheat in your pocket, it will look exactly the same ten years from now. But place it in the right environment -- some good ground, enough water -- it will sprout into a living sheaf of grain! Every kind of life requires its particular corresponding environment in order to achieve its full and predestined potential. It's no different with the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit in our hearts! God has readily made available to us the seeds of success. He gives us the opportunity to live a life of much fruit! A life abounding in the fruits of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith and self-control. But here they are -- just seeds -- sitting in our pocket -- waiting 'til we decide to plant them and allow them to become trees of plenty in our lives. Brothers & Sisters, is your soil is fertile and ready? Let's plant some seeds today and invite the Lord to water and nourish them so that we can produce fruit one-hundred fold for the Kingdom. WHERE'S THE FRUIT?

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."John 15:1-5

How do we produce much fruit? What is the Lord saying? In the modern world, the work ethic is, achieve and produce by working longer and harder! The focus is on getting results through human effort -- we've become product oriented and the bottom line is......the bottom line! But God's way runs contrary to this approach -- His way is much more oriented toward process and relationship rather than performance and production. He IS interested in results which He calls "fruit"; but not by pushing or egging us on to work harder or longer. The Lord's way is to work with and through us so that every result or product comes out of our abiding in Him, since without Him WE CAN DO NOTHING. This is opposed to of the culture we live in today, and to human nature in general. Think about it -- we're constantly bombarded with self-help books promoting self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-control -- our society is all about SELF! But God's way of success produces the results which He values; results which are not produced by self-effort, but which grow out of an intimate relationship with Him, in which we seek to constantly abide. Brothers & Sisters, the only way we can become abundantly fruitful is to understand the Lord's fruit-bearing process. As we lay down self-effort, our natural human independence, and seek communion with Him, abiding in the Vine, then His power, His will, and His desires will be realized in our lives, which then, will bear fruit that remains throughout eternity! ABIDE!

"(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:"2 Peter 2:8-9

When Jesus was attacked by Satan during His temptation in the wilderness, He countered every attack with the Word of God. But notice in Satan’s second attack – the enemy himself quoted the Scriptures, saying, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, 'He shall give his angels charge over thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.'” (Matthew 4:6 was a quote from Psalm 91:11, but the phrase, “to keep thee in all thy ways” was absent from Satan's quote). If we learn anything from this, we will realize that Satan has knowledge and some understanding of Scripture, and that he will use the Word attempting to deceive us with it into wrong actions. This tactic goes back even as far as the Garden of Eden where the adversary twisted God’s word saying, "Did God really say you shall not eat from every tree in the garden?" So it is today, that all around us we are hearing constant abuses, questions and attacks against the truth and reliability of God’s Word. Did God really create the world...in six days? Did God really say that marriage consists of a union between a man and a woman? Is God really going to judge the world and destroy it with fire? Has God really defined absolute moral truth? The enemy is constantly attempting to erode and destroy the foundational truths of God’s word using distortions, corruptions, half-truths, and modern "interpretations", for he knows that “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3) Brothers & Sisters, let’s not be deceived by these subtle ploys of Satan. If we agree to alter or dilute the Word of God to accommodate our circumstances or natural inclinations, we will end up exactly where that serpent wants us; in disobedience, sin, and sorrow. You know, Satan has been using religious language to tempt the saints since the beginning of time, even to the point of trying to persuade people that he doesn't even exist. We must be discerning. If we want to live and walk in the truth we will believe God’s Word undiluted without compromise or private interpretation, seeking to understand it with the help of His Holy Spirit, Who is the only perfect interpreter. If we do, the enemy's deceptions will fail, and we will be delivered from every temptation! DON'T DILUTE THE WORD!

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."Isaiah 6:8

A young couple was visiting a renown jewelry store in Harare City. They browsed through cases of magnificent diamonds with their gleaming yellow light along with many other splendid precious stones. Among those beautiful stones, one in particular caught his wife's eye. It was completely lusterless and didn't seem to be in the right place. "That is one terrible looking stone, do you see that?", the she said. The curious husband asked a clerk if they could see the stone. The clerk opened the case, took out the stone and held it in his hand for a few minutes. When he opened it, there was a perfectly flawless stone. There was not a place on it that didn't gleam with the splendor of the rainbow. "How did you do that?", they asked in surprise. "This is an opal", he replied. "It is what we call the sympathetic jewel. It only needs contact with the human hand to bring out its wonderful beauty." Merely a touch brings out this stone's beauty. We live in a world where beauty is hidden under pain, sin, and suffering. How many lives only need the warm touch of human sympathy, love, and compassion, to make them gleam with a radiant splendor? Brothers & Sisters, reach out and touch someone this week for His glory! Share with them the love of God and not only will they receive a glimmer of joy, but you will gleam with His radiance too! When the Lord asked whom shall I send, Isaiah replied "Hineni (here am I)". Let's say "Hineni" today and be used by the Lord to bring out the beauty of those around us! TOUCH SOMEONE AND BRING OUT THEIR INNER BEAUTY!

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."Romans 10:17

I could tell you about countless difficult and drawn out circumstances over which I have tried to stand firmly in faith until they finally came to pass. Sometimes I made it and sometimes I was weak and began to doubt. But God mercifully came through for me on most of these things, despite my lack of strength to stay faithful. There are some things in our lives that take a lot of prayer and a lot of faith to overcome. But why is it so hard sometimes to stand in faith for those things? D.L. Moody spent many hours praying for faith. He once said, "If all the time I have spent praying for faith was put together, it would be months. I thought that someday faith was going to come down and strike me like lightning. But faith did not come. Then one day I read in the 10th chapter of Romans, "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." I now opened my Bible and began to read God's Word and faith has been growing ever since." Much of what we believers describe as 'faith' has nothing to do with Biblical faith. Our faith must not be based on emotion, or want, and not on the latest exciting conference or revival. But it must be centered on God's Word, on Jesus, His death and resurrection, His salvation. The Living Word is the eternal, everlasting love of God which has been poured out upon our lives. Brothers & Sisters, let's read, hear, apply and live the Word today, and we will grow strong in faith! WHERE'S FAITH WHEN YOU NEED IT?!

"Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."Psalms 2:6-7 ; "God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David."Acts 13:33-34 ; "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:"Romans 1:4

The central fact of the gospel message is the resurrection of Jesus, declared in Psalm 2, the begotten Son of God. In 1952, Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in Cave 4 called the "Messianic Apocalypse". The Messiah's ministry of resurrection is reiterated in these ancient documents with an obvious reference to Isaiah 61:1-3. The scroll identifies someone who "... will heal the wounded, and revive the dead and bring good news to the poor." It is clear that at least some of the authors of these documents clearly understood the central nature and ministry of the coming Messiah, most certainly based on their intimate knowledge of the prophetic writings in the Tenach (OT)...that ministry, the resurrection of the dead. This reality of the resurrection of Jesus and His power to raise the dead cannot be overestimated. Death is the inevitable result of sin. Jesus became sin, bearing all of it in His body, and then was raised from death to eternal immortal glory. This wonderful fact has proliferated throughout the world, the most important and powerful message ever delivered to mankind. An illustration from our own time reveals the pervasive hope of Messiah's resurrection and victory over death. D.L. Moody the great 19th-century revivalist was called on early in his ministry to deliver a funeral message. Searching the Gospels to find a funeral sermon given by Jesus, he quickly discovered his search was in vain. Instead of ministering at funerals, Jesus broke up every funeral he ever attended! Death could not exist where He was. And when the dead heard His voice they sprang to life, for He truly is "the resurrection and the life." Brothers & Sisters, are you feeling dead and worn out today? Then be reminded that your Savior is Life and that He brings it abundantly wherever He is, and that death is overcome in His Presence. So GET IN HIS PRESENCE! Repent, pray, worship, read, dance, delight, intercede, seek Him with all your heart and soul. His Life is waiting to refresh, restore, and revive you. EMBRACE THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION & THE LIFE!