"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." Revelation 5:6

The word "midst", in the Greek, is 'meros' which literally means "the middle". In the 'meros' of the throne in heaven is the Lamb of God. The very focus of heaven -- the center of attention -- is the Lamb of God! So often we receive emails asking specific doctrinal questions about this new "revelation" or that new "teaching", and the very first thing I must ask myself is -- is Jesus in the center? If all of heaven is centered on the Lamb of God, how much should every doctrine be centered on Him? And how much more should our lives be centered on the Lamb that was slain for us? Brothers & Sisters, the Lord expects us to test all things (1 John 4:1), and see if they are of God. Let's not get distracted with doctrines in which He is not the center. WHO IS IN THE CENTER?

"And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to You on the water. And He said, "Come." And when Peter got out of the boat, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand, and caught him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:28-31

When Peter stepped out of the boat to walk on water – he literally stepped out of the boat! Imagine that! But was Peter going overboard? No, I don't believe so -- he was literally taking a step of faith with his eyes fixed on the Lord! Often, when we step out in faith – it may appear that we are going overboard, but are we really? Honestly, the question is -- "Can you really go overboard in your faith toward God?" I don't think so! When our passion is no longer on the Lord, then that's when we're going overboard. Brothers & Sisters, when you love the Lord God with "all your heart, mind and soul"-- it's okay to step out and go all out for God -- because in God, the only way to go overboard is to not go overboard enough! ARE YOU GOING OVERBOARD?

"And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever, 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world does not see Me any more. But you see Me. Because I live, you shall live also. 20 At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." John 14:16-20

Reading the gospels I find myself considering and identifying with the very human experiences and emotions of the Apostles, especially as the pace and intensity of the events of their lives with Jesus were unprecedented. I have to wonder if the pace and intensity of the days of our lives can compete with theirs. Witnessing His miracles, His authoritative and concise way of teaching, His inevitable rejection, torture and crucifixion, His astounding exuberant resurrection, and eventual returning flight to Heaven from whence He came...all this must have had a rather relentless effect upon those who walked in any way closely with Him. Would it be fair to compare our present day scientific and technical accomplishments, political gymnastics, information explosion, pandemics, media magic, and the plethora of personal events, encounters and challenges, with their apostolic roller coaster ride? Pop yourself into the sandals of an Israelite follower of Messiah, having tracked with Him through the dust of ancient Jerusalem and watched Him float up into the clouds after having commanded you to hold tight for ten days. "Tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high", He said. After all that went before, now, what did that mean? Of course they soon found out when the Holy Spirit arrived and gave them another experience to chew on...Tongues of fire! And an unprecedented power to communicate God's word with tremendous conviction. Are you feeling at all lost or bewildered lately? A little unhinged? Overwhelmed by the pace, quantity and quality of new and unexpected experiences? There are others like you, living now, today, and back then too in the old days of Biblical history. Our God has never spared humanity from the trepidatious and unexpected adventure of life in a fallen world. But one thing He has insured us with....Himself... His Holy Spirit, His real Presence. The Lord's desire to know and be known, His opportunity for personal intimacy has now arrived for all humankind to enjoy in the very context of uncertainty, intensity, danger, and challenge. Brothers & Sisters, if you are bewildered, bemused, battered, or confused, feeling lost in the frantic flow, wondering where to go; if you're recovering from a loss, fearing a boss, or just being tossed by real circumstances beyond your control; if you're losing the helm. on the verge of overwhelm, or simply squirming in some mud puddle, muddled and befuddled...remember the apostles and their ups and downs. It will sober and encourage you to reconsider what they went through with Jesus. But even more encouraging will be when you reconnect with His present day power, your own personal deposit of His Holy Spirit. He can get you successfully through anything! HE'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH!

"The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." Acts 3:13-16

Peter and John have just miraculously healed a man who was lame from his mother's womb and Jerusalem is wonderstruck. God's goodness and power turn a cripple into a living leaping testimony. We too come to the Lord as spiritual cripples, and He offers us a life of abundant joy as a testimony to Him. This life was purchased at an inestimably high price as recounted in verse 15 above: the death of the Prince of Life. The Hebrew, "Sar Ha-Chayim" actually expresses "life" in the plural, i.e. "lives" (chayim). This plural expression for life points to the literally millions of souls who have been redeemed by the death of Jesus, but also, to the abundant life He provides for us. As Messiah DIED to give abundant LIFE, this pattern also now belongs to us. "Whoever loses His life for my sake shall find it”; [Matthew 16:25]. The commitment of a true disciple, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer also said, calls him to die. But this death to self, to a life centered in my own desires, opens me to the abundant life which Messiah gives, because apart from Him I can do nothing [John 15:5], but in Him and with Him I can do all things [Philippians 4:13]. A great and wonderful irony is here which is often called the "exchanged life". Believers who truly choose this "crucified life" yield abundant fruit in their communion with Jesus. Brothers & Sisters, we're naturally repelled by death as the ultimate negative, yet the pattern offered to us by our savior stipulates death as the very means to the greatest most abundant blessed and fruitful life available. He is the Prince of Lives, offering, through death...the most abundant life conceivable! EMBRACE OVERFLOWING LIFE ..... BY DYING!

"as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory." 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

When the twelve spies were sent into Canaan to spy out the land, ten returned with a bad report. Their assessment was that it was impossible to conquer the land that God had promised them. Forgetting how God had led them with a pillar of fire by night, and fed them manna from heaven during the day, brought forth water out of a rock, and parted the Red Sea, they saw the situation with only their natural eyes, failed to walk by faith, and succumbed to fear. Joshua and Caleb however, returned with a good report. Refusing to be discouraged by what they saw, they fully trusted that their supernatural God was not going to break His promise to His people, Israel. We are living in days where the world looks bleak, and the evils seem to grow more threatening and dangerous. How will we react? Will we be devastated and terrorized like the 10 spies with a bad report? Or will we do something extraordinary -- will we walk by faith like Joshua and Caleb, trust in the love and power of our God, and seize the opportunities that are at hand? Brothers & Sisters, let's walk by faith and stand firm in it, facing every challenge, and laying hold of every opportunity that awaits us. May Joshua and Caleb be our examples of faith and courage in these days. With our God going before us, we also, can take the land, glorifying Him in every battle. WHICH REPORT WILL WE GIVE?

"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

As the war in the Middle East rages, its raised our "prayer intensity" and this reminded me of a story I came across some time ago, which I hope is a blessing. A United States Army officer who trained pupils at Fort Sill for over 20 years once described the different qualities of the students during the two decades of his tenure. During the 1950s, he observed the students' attitude as being so lax that the instructors had trouble keeping their students awake during their lectures. This drastically changed in the mid-1960s. The students began taking meticulous notes and absorbing every word of instruction. So, what changed? The lectures weren't any different. Were mid 60s students somehow more diligent? No... but the circumstances had changed. The pupils of the 1950s weren't expecting to be sent to war, but the men in the 1960's were being prepared to go to Vietnam. 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. Brothers & Sisters, 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!

"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 AND THE LIFE!

"And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living." Luke 15:12

As we study into the parable of the Prodigal son, let's focus on the role of the elder son. Most people overlook a very significant part of the parable, which is – the elder son received his inheritance as well! (Luke 15:12b) According to the custom of the times, the older son's inheritance would have been twice that of the younger son. In that light, his response to his younger brother's initiative, a response of silence...speaks volumes. The elder son, even in our own culture, normally would bear a greater responsibility for mending and healing any wounded relationships in the family. Yet this older son makes no apparent attempt to talk to his brother, to mediate or plead for his Dad, even though he was surely aware of the pain his brother's request was causing his father. He does nothing! It seems the sibling rivalry had grown pretty serious, but even so, shouldn't his love for his father have overwhelmed these feelings at such a critical moment? Worst of all, is he possibly entertaining the same attitude toward the inheritance as his brother, only secretly? Brothers & Sisters, there's a time to speak up, even when it goes against personal or selfish interests or ruffles some feathers...whether it's for the gospel itself, or any other issue of righteousness, we ought not to remain silent, for God's sake, for love's sake. Let's have the courage to do it. SPEAK UP!

"A man has joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!" Proverbs 15:23

A modern parable has been written about the tools of the enemy that I believe we can really learn from. "Some time ago, an advertisement appeared in which the devil was putting all his tools up for sale. On the day of public inspection, each one of his tools was marked with its selling price: Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on, were each on the block. Set apart, however, from all the rest of the pile, was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn, but priced very high -- it was discouragement!" Someone asked the devil, 'why is that one priced so high?' He replied, 'Ah, that one is more useful to me than all the rest. With it I can pry open a man's heart and enter, when I cannot get near him with any other tools. Once inside, I can lead him any way I choose. The tool is very worn because I use it on almost everyone, since few people know it belongs to me.'" The enemy loves to sow discouragement -- but believers have a tool much more powerful -- encouragement! We can speak a word into the lives of those who desperately need to hear it: to the college student adjusting to his new environment; to the missionary who may feel alone in the harvest field; to the disillusioned newlywed young couple; to the forgotten servants of God who labor in an obscure and difficult ministry; to the orphans and the widows; to all those who need to hear a word in due season! Brothers & Sisters, we have the power in our lips to rekindle a discouraged soul. Let's inspire one another with words of encouragement! It costs nothing, and reaps an eternal reward...encourage one another daily, as you see the Day draw near. [Hebrews 10:25] DISARM DISCOURAGEMENT!

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalms 1:2-3

One of my favorite passages in the Scriptures is Psalm 1, and clearly this psalm holds an important key for our lives as believers to be fruitful and prosperous. That key is meditation. The psalmist describes the one who prospers as one who meditates "day and night"; a continual meditation developing the Godly habit of disciplining one's mind in divine truth. I love what Charles Spurgeon said about meditation, "He is not the best student who reads the most books, but he who meditates the most upon them; he shall not learn most of divinity who hears the greatest number of sermons, but he who meditates the most devoutly upon what he does hear; nor shall he be so profound a scholar who takes down ponderous volumes one after the other, as he who, reading little by little, precept upon precept, and line upon line, digests what he learns, and assimilates each sentiment to his heart by meditation." Brothers & Sisters, meditation on the word of God brings its truth and light to bear powerfully upon your mind and soul. Since you are made in the image of God you are not a shallow creature, but a very profound one. You have the opportunity to be deeply affected and beautifully transformed by the living words of God. Don't miss out on it. As you contemplate and reflect on His Word, allowing it to expose, redefine, and transform every area of your life, you will flourish like a tree planted by a river, and whatever you do will prosper! Only remember, it begins with meditation. PROSPERITY BEGINS WITH MEDITATION!

"Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you." Hosea 10:12

Over the years, I've often gotten emails asking, "When do you think revival will come?" Well.... first, what is "revival," exactly? One of Merriam-Webster's definitions is "a renewed attention to or interest in something." Here are some important questions for us to answer today: How interested are we in knowing Him more intimately today than yesterday? How interested are we in gaining a greater knowledge and understanding of His Word? And just how interested are we in sharing those precious things with the dying world around us? A true revival must begin with us -- it must be intimately personal. And it's not just a one-time thing, either. Once, a lady asked Billy Sunday, "Why do you keep having revival meetings?" He quickly retorted, "Why do you always take a bath?" Revival is something that needs to happen daily. It's an ongoing transformation of our hearts to move by the Spirit of God constantly. We need to break up our fallow ground daily, those places in our hearts that we've allowed to grow hard. We have to ask the Lord to reveal those hard places, pray that He would forgive us, and ask Him to heal all our rough edges so that we might be soft before Him and sensitive to His leading. As we open ourselves to the moving of the Spirit of God ... then we will usher in a new move of God within us. Brothers & Sisters, let's get serious as we enter a new year! It's a new season -- so let's begin this year the right way -- in revival! REVIVAL IS HERE!

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at these heaven, change your world!" 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18

As believers, we are all called to transform the little world around us. C.S. Lewis offered a thoughtful perspective on remaining heavenly minded while continuing to make an impact in this present world. In Mere Christianity, he said. "Hope...means...a continual looking forward to the eternal world...it does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next...It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth 'thrown in': aim at earth and you will get neither." Brothers & Sisters, being heavenly minded is not natural. It happens when we focus and meditate on the reality and wonderful hope of the world to come. When we do, we can bring a taste of heaven to the little world around us. So let's not become complacent -- but stay focused there, so we can be effective here... and soon enough we will hear the Lord saying, "Well, done thou good and faithful servant!" e things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. SEE HEAVEN, CHANGE YOUR WORLD!

"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19

The Hebrew word for a dried up river bed is "Nachal". Israel has many of these. In Israel it rains in winter, but not in summer. In the summer, these places stand as a testament of the rains that once fell and of the rains yet to come. Then, when they do come, the Nechalim (nachal plural) almost instantly fill with water. This is what the Scripture means when it says, "I will give you rivers in the desert." There is a promise in that for us. We, like the Nachal, were made to flow with the water and the life of the Spirit of God. When we are not connected to God, to His flowing waters, we feel dry and empty -- without purpose. But we were meant to be overflowing! Maybe you are feeling dry and empty in your life and walk? Praise the Lord! What an opportunity to allow God to fill you with His rivers of living water! Brothers & Sisters, if you’re dry and thirsty, turn to the Lord today and the waters will flood in again! ARE YOU THIRSTY?

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalms 90:12

There were thousands of people bundled up the whole night in Zimbabwe Churches praying to witness a few short seconds during which a descending ball of light announces the arrival of a New Year. These hardy people endured the cool breeze to mark the passage of time, but even more, because they were anticipating a "new beginning!" Saying goodbye to a tumultuous 2023, they were looking forward to making a fresh start in 2024! One thing given equally to every person, rich or poor -- is time. In 2023, each of us lived 365 days, 8,760 hours and 525,600 minutes. How did you spend it? Reflecting over 2023, I am astounded how quickly the year seemed to pass -- almost like the proverbial blink of an eye. And looking back over it has caused me to ask, am I really carefully managing my time...the one commodity I "spend", that I can never buy back? Brothers & Sisters, the psalmist expresses a timely request on our behalf..."Teach us to number our days", so that every one of them truly counts for the Lord! We can't change the past, but we can always improve our time management in the year to come. With so much work to be done, let's apply our hearts to wisdom, and use our time wisely! AS THE BALL DROPS!