"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."James 4:7-10

Over the past month, it seems that we've been dealing with different internet issues ... and hopefully, these issues will be resolved sooner rather than later. Being that the bulk of our work is based upon the internet, it can be problematic at times, especially when you're suddenly disconnected from the web! And speaking of being disconnected, one missionary tells of his experience about being assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering this problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years. When a new missionary came to take over his station, he proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started. As he was talking, the young missionary picked up the hood only to find that the only trouble was a loose cable. He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and the engine roared to life. For two years, needless trouble had become routine -- but the power was there all along -- and the only thing that was needed was a better connection! So it is for us as believers, we can walk through this life stumbling and struggling ... having a loose connection with God -- or we can determine to be steadfastly connected to Him -- and His unlimited power. As James clearly says, "Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you," so we have the choice to be as close or as distant as we want to the King of Kings! God's decision to be intimate with us was already made when He displayed His love for us through the sacrifice of His Son! Now it's in our hands ... what kind of relationship do we want? Brothers & Sisters, so let's resolve to spend some time under the hood, double checking those connections, and making whatever adjustments necessary to get better connected to God -- and His omnipotent power. Amazingly, if you go through the self-inspection process -- you'll begin going through personal revival -- and true revival begins one person at a time -- perhaps it'll be you this weekend! CHECK THE CONNECTIONS!

"And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he strikes a man."Revelation 9:5

Scorpions are commonplace here. They can often even be found in the house and they aren't easy to kill. These little creatures have a knack for survival. I have even read that scorpions have survived nuclear weapon testing! But what's more interesting is their method of devouring prey. Scorpions use their fast-acting venom to kill or paralyze their prey so that it can be rendered useless and eventually eaten. However, since they can only digest food in a liquid form, scorpions use external digestion, that is they spit digestive fluids onto the remains of their prey, which causes their flesh to turn to liquid so they are able to suck up the resulting soup. It sounds repulsive, I know. And you're thinking "these things can be found in the house?!" But I couldn't help but see an analogy here. This precisely how our enemy likes to operate. Satan and his demons come out of the cracks in our walls and lure us with subtle temptations which establish a foothold that eventually can become a stronghold. Once they establish that stronghold, they go in for the kill. They inject us with their fast-acting venom to paralyze us. Then they secrete the poison of sin and self-justification and turn us to mush until they can finally suck all the life out of us. However, we are not ignorant of his tactics! [2 Cor. 2:11] We can call upon Him who is our "fortress and our deliverer" [2 Samuel 22:2-20] and expect to be freed from the enemy in our lives! Seriously, who doesn't want to live in a "scorpion-free" environment? Brothers & Sisters, so let's call upon the Lord today and ask him to eradicate every crevice of our being, to cleanse every area we've allowed 'the enemy' to come in and gain a foothold! Make it a point today to live in a "scorpion-free" zone -- for we have been given authority to tread on them! [Luke 10:19] CALL THE EXTERMINATOR!

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."Romans 12:2

New Covenant believers are called "a royal priesthood" [1 Peter 2:9], and we also, are called to live a holy life, dedicated to God and separated from the world in our thoughts and intentions. It's not always an easy task. Our thought life is constantly challenged from within and without. In this battle, the crown of the high priest can be a powerful symbol for us; the beauty and purity of gold standing for the beauty and purity of thinking with the mind of Messiah. Since Jesus was the perfect "Nazarite", set apart in absolute purity, His thoughts were always "golden". In communion with Him by His spirit, our thought life too, can move more and more toward His perfect mind. Philippians 4:8 says this; "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. " This, as believers, is our mandate to "positive thinking". In this world, negativity, cynicism, and impurity abound, and it becomes easier and easier to dwell on things that are depressing and sinful, impure and evil. But these thoughts must be cut off and destroyed from our minds. Thoughts of lust, jealousy, covetousness, and self-pity will take us away from our Lord, and need to be taken captive before they get a foothold. Replace them with those of Philippians 4:8. You have the mind of Messiah [1 Cor. 2:16] Choose to know and think with it. Crown yourself with thoughts that are pure as gold by taking control of that ceaseless flow. You'll be amazed at how your life will change under the influence of Jesus' mind! Brothers & Sisters, make the determination this weekend to transform your mind on those thoughts above. In doing so, you'll find yourself changing the world around you -- for His Glory and for His Kingdom! CROWN YOUR MIND!

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."John 10:10

I came across a powerful parable written by a Haitian pastor illustrating to his congregation the need for total commitment to the Lord. A certain man wanted to sell his house for two thousand dollars. Another man wanted very badly to buy it but couldn't afford the full price the owner was asking. After much bargaining, however, he agreed to sell the house to the poor man for half the original price -- along with just one stipulation: He would retain ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door. After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell. So the first owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog and hung it from the single nail he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail. The Haitian pastor concluded that "If we leave the Devil with even one small peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it, making it unfit for Christ's habitation." Brothers & Sisters, the devil has only come to steal, kill and destroy. He can be very crafty and he would love nothing more than to steal from us our very inhabitance in the Lord. Let's ask the Lord to reveal any pegs we may be leaving for the devil today and take back all that belongs to us -- for this truly is the season of restoration and repentance! WHAT SMELLS?

"For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. Afterward, the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days."Hosea 3:4-5

On the Hebrew calendar, we're at the end of the month of Elul. This particular month the shofar is sounded once a day as a call for the people to repent as we approach the Hebrew month of Tishri. Interestingly enough, Rosh HaShanah (Hebrew for "Head of the Year") also known as Yom Teruah [Hebrew for "Day of the (shofar) blast"] falls on the 1st day of Tishri (beginning this Sunday night) which is also the seventh month of the year -- yet it has been designated as the New Year. This season is also known as the season of "teshuva". In Hebrew, "teshuva" means "repentance", and yet it also means "return". So, ironically, the beginning of the year is connected to the end of the harvest year. The beginning is connected to the end. And the end is connected to the beginning. Thus, a cyclical pattern emerges: the gospel message was delivered by the Jewish people whose Messiah Jesus appeared at the beginning of this age. This message has gone to the nations for nearly 2000 years and is now returning to its source, Israel and the Jewish people, whose return to their homeland signals the completion of the cycle culminating in the spiritual resurrection of the nation. We are certainly witnessing the beginning of this fulfillment at the end of the age with Messianic believers multiplying and proclaiming faith in the true Messiah to their own Jewish people. Brothers & Sisters, in this season of repentance ("teshuva"), as we ourselves turn to the Lord, please remember to be praying for the Jewish people -- not only for their return to their homeland, the physical restoration -- but for their repentance and faith in the only Name given under heaven by which we must be saved -- the spiritual restoration which signals the coming of King Messiah Jesus. IT'S THE SEASON OF REPENTANCE!

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."Psalms 51:17

The word contrite in Hebrew is 'dakah' which means one that is crushed to pieces. Paul wrote of being a 'living sacrifice' holy and acceptable to God. Being a living sacrifice means we often can walk off the altar. To be a continual living sacrifice we need to renew our minds day to day! Let your mind be renewed -- off the things which are worldly and onto those things which are Godly. When our minds are focused on those things above, on His holiness, His righteousness, His grace, and His mercy -- we realize that we can always be closer to Him! We understand what Isaiah meant when he said, "our righteousness is nothing but filthy rags before the Lord." When God provided for Himself the perfect sacrifice, His Son, 2000 years ago -- His heart bursted! His heart was cut through -- cut for you! God desires you to be a living sacrifice and a necessary ingredient is a heart that has been cut through by God's sharp knife. When you allow your heart to be continually cut through by God's Spirit, then your life will be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable before Him! Brothers & Sisters, it's wonderful what God can do with a broken heart, especially when we give Him all the pieces! BE BROKEN!

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."Ephesians 2:8-10

Have you ever heard how a pearl is formed? It is truly fascinating. A foreign object, often a grain of sand, somehow makes its way into the tightly sealed crack of an oyster. Instead of spitting out this irritating object, the oyster covers it with layer upon layer of a substance secreted from its own body. After months or even years, a beautiful pearl is formed. The longer the pearl stays in the oyster, the more valuable it becomes. What a picture of God's mercy toward us! The Lord doesn't spit us out when we come to Him! "We are accepted in the beloved!" God has every right to cast us out because of our sin but instead, He brings us into His body and covers over our sin with His beautiful covering! When God found us we were nothing more than an irritation but by His grace, He keeps us under His covering, so that we can be made into something valuable to His Kingdom! God is using our time now under His covering to conform us into His image! Brothers & Sisters, let's cherish this time under God's covering and take this opportunity to grow more and more beautiful -- that we attract many for His Kingdom in these trying times! YOU'RE COVERED!