Get Up and Make Your Own Bed

Acts 9:34 NASB translation - “Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you, get up and make your own bed”. And immediately he got up”. I can’t get enough of this scripture, it’s amazing and truly insightful. I just love what Peter said to Aeneas, “Jesus Christ heals you now get up and make your own bed”.

Think about it, Aeneas was paralyzed for eight years. That meant that his bed had become his world, he never left that bed never went anywhere, and never could do anything. And now suddenly Peter comes along and says something powerful, “Jesus Christ heals you”.

Now, we know that Jesus is the Healer, but Peter makes it clear where the power to heal is, in the name of Jesus! But then he tells Aeneas to do something. There was an action associated with his miraculous healing…to roll up his mat. Why? Because he’s been made whole, he’s not going back to that old life, AND from now on, he can make his own bed.

Healing, health, and wholeness allows you to move forward and live a productive, vibrant, purposeful life. That’s what Jesus did for you; HE changes everything in one moment. Peter never even touched Aeneas, he just said “Jesus Christ heals you”. So, no matter what you’ve been through, no matter how long it’s been, today is your day to arise and get up because Jesus Christ heals you!

You Rest, He Works

Psalm 127:2 “For He gives (blessings) to His beloved even in his sleep.“ (Amplified Bible)

I have GREAT news for you. While you sleep (rest) God works on your behalf, praise God! As you may have noticed, I see everything through the eyes of “grace”. So, when we finally purchased an automatic swimming pool cleaner a month ago, after I plugged it in and watched it work, I said to myself, “Now this is a perfect example of God’s grace!”. While I was in the house resting, the pool cleaner was in the pool working. No more long hours manually vacuuming the pool for me, hallelujah! Why did I wait so long to get one of these!?

That’s what God does for you. In Psalm 127:2, it says “HE gives (blessings) to His beloved even in his sleep”. You are His beloved! In other words, you are His be-loved. As you allow yourself to BE loved by Him, and receive His love for you, things begin to happen effortlessly. While you rest, He works. While you sleep tonight, He’s arranging the right people to come into your life and He’s removing the wrong people, He’s opening doors for you and He’s closing other doors because He loves you. When you wake up tomorrow, wake up expectant of all the good things waiting just for you. Enjoy!

Lord, Let Me Be Your Mobile Office

Ephesians 3:20 - “Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”

You’ve heard of a mobile home, mobile restaurants, mobile pet grooming, mobile banking, and even a blood mobile. How about a “mobile office”? God wants YOU to be His mobile office. Wherever you go, He wants you to be ready to be a blessing. He wants you to be well equipped on the inside with the tools you need to minister to whoever He brings across your path. Pastor Kenneth Hagin and his wife prayed every day, “Lord, make me a blessing to others today”. Pastor Greg Mohr also prays this every day.

When you hear people quote, Ephesians 3:20, often they stop after the word “think”. But there’s an especially important comma after the word think. The key to Him doing “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” is “according to the power that works IN US”. God wants to flow through you to others. You don’t need to ask Him for more power, to pour out His Spirit on you, to move His hand. He’s already given you everything you need in your born-again spirit. Everything. You just need to release His power that’s already working in you and start using it. A better way to pray is “Lord, show me who I am, show me what I have, and show me how to release it wherever I go”. You might also want to add, “Lord, let me be Your mobile office!”

The King's Speech

2 Corinthians 4:13 “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, therefore have I spoken, we also believe and therefore we speak”

In the movie, The King’s Speech, England’s Prince Albert ascends to the throne as King George VI with a very unusual attribute…he has a speech impediment. Knowing that the country needs her husband to be able to communicate effectively, his wife Elizabeth hires an Australian actor and speech therapist to teach the King to speak with confidence.

In 2 Corinthians 4:13 Paul says that we have “the same spirit of faith”. It’s interesting how Paul goes on to describe what “faith” is in this verse - “we believe and therefore we speak, according to that which is written”. Written where? Written in the Word of God. Faith is simply believing and speaking! We have the same spirit of faith that God has when He spoke the worlds into existence (Mark 11:22). YOU have the true King’s speech. Believe and speak the Word of God today with confidence.

Your Mountains Melt Like Butter

Psalm 97:5 “The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.”

How do you like your butter? Refrigerated or unrefrigerated? In our house, we love unrefrigerated butter, fresh from the butter dish in our cupboard. The knife just slides right through and spreads perfectly across toast. For all you refrigerated butter fans, you must chop away at the butter and then somehow spread the slivers across your food. Am I right about that?

For those of you who have been reading the Weekly E-Messages for any length of time, you know that I see everything through the eyes of Grace vs. Law. Hence…the softened butter is Grace, and the hardened butter is the Law. The Law is like a mountain, immovable and unyielding. Grace is Jesus, and Psalm 97:5 says that “mountains melt like wax in the presence of the Lord”. It’s easy. It’s effortless.

What’s your mountain today? Is it a mountain of debt? Is it a mountain of pain? Is it a mountain of confusion? Allow the presence of God and the power of His Word to melt every mountain you are facing like wax. His presence and His Word are the answer to every worried or anxious thought you have. Enjoy His mountain-melting presence today!

New Testament Grammar 101

Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the law but under grace”

Let me introduce you to New Testament Grammar 101. First item, righteousness is a noun (a person place or thing), not a verb (action). You don’t have to earn it, deserve it, or work for it. Jesus made you righteous. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, “You are in Christ Jesus who is made unto you righteousness“. What is righteousness? Right standing with God. Period.

Second item, in the New Testament, sin is mostly translated as a noun, not a verb. Romans 6:14 says, “Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the law but under grace”. Hallelujah! Sin, the curse, and all its affects from the fall of man shall not have dominion over you. What affects? Sickness, poverty, divorce, death, recession and on and on. None of these shall have dominion over you. Period.

Use Your Inside Voice

Matthew 10:27 (Amplified Bible) - “What I say to you (privately) tell in the light (publicly) and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the (housetops) to many people”

As parents, many times we’ve softly told our over-excited kids, “Use your inside voice”. In other words, they were talking too loud in an inside setting. It’s a not too subtle request to speak more quietly. The inside voice, according to Matthew 10:27 means that God speaks to our hearts, in our born again spirit, and tells us things in secret. He whispers things in our ear. That’s so important to our walk with the Lord. He has so much He wants to tell us and share with us every day. But it doesn’t stop there. The real power comes when we speak those things out publicly and “proclaim them from the housetops to many people”.

Psalm 19:14 says something extremely powerful, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight”. Meditating on and proclaiming what God speaks to our hearts (our inside voice) is what brings supernatural results and manifestations in our lives. We must allow God’s Word to “marinate” in our hearts, then when we speak them out, they carry weight and power. God created the worlds with His Word and He’s created us with that same authority and power. So “use your inside voice” and proclaim publicly what God is speaking to you privately, and you’ll see things happen that will astound you!

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Ephesians 2:13-14 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation“

There aren’t too many people who can resist singing along to Marvin Gaye’s 1967 hit single, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough…

If you need me, call me,
No matter where you are
No matter how far,
Don't worry, baby
Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry
You don't have to worry
'Cause baby, there ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you, baby

In Ephesians 2:13 it says that at one time, before we were born again, we were far off. When you see the word “far” in the Bible in relation to Christ, it’s not talking about distance, it’s talking about the condition of our heart. It also says that “but now are made near by the blood of Christ”. Verse 14 goes on to say, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation”.

Praise God! There’s no more separation between us and God. Like the song says, there ain’t no mountain high enough to keep Him from gettin’ to you. If you need Him, call His name. He’ll be there in whatever situation you might be facing. There is NO separation between you and God, between you and your answer, between you and your victory in Christ.

Can't Grow a Beard Overnight

Matthew 12:20 “A bruised reed He will not break, a smoking flax He will not quench”

How often have we expected new converts to produce fruit overnight? The moment they are saved we expect them to stop cussing and to choose their words carefully. We expect them to instantly stop smoking, drinking and running around, and read their Bible and pray an hour a day. It’s like a father who expects his son to grow a beard overnight. It’s impossible. It takes time. Then once he gets started, he will keep growing a beard for the rest of his life.

Our heavenly Father is so patient and loving in His expectations of us. Matthew 12:20 says that a bruised or an imperfect reed He will not break and He doesn’t throw away. Instead, through His grace, love and mercy He restores each “bruised reed” to its original purpose. To make the beautiful flute-like sound that it was created to make. It just takes time. Remember, we can’t expect to “grow a full beard overnight”. We start with “stubble” and then experience growth every day. He’s so faithful. His grace never ends. Let’s be patient with ourselves and those around us.

None Feeble, None Sick

Psalms 105:37 “He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble among their tribes”

What an amazing scripture! Think about it…the day after they celebrated the Passover meal, about two to three million Israelites walked out of Egypt and there was not a single weak or sick person among them, NOT ONE. So, no matter what age or condition they had, even if they were on the verge of death, after eating the Passover supper, they were healed, healthy and strong.

During a traditional Passover supper, one of the questions that is asked is so powerful to me, “Why is this night different from all other nights”. The same can be asked of holy communion. Why is it different than any other “meal”? Just by receiving the finished work on the cross that is symbolized through communion, something different happens that is unexplainable.

I submit to you that something happened to the Israelite’s bodies that night that they ate the Passover lamb, a type of Jesus the Lamb of God. Something happened that reversed all the effects of years of backbreaking labor and stress injuries, ligament strains, incapacitating work injuries, age-related conditions, and infections. Something happened that night that reversed it all and caused them to be supernaturally healthy AND supernaturally rich! None feeble, none sick, and none broke! The same thing is waiting for you by receiving the finished work on the cross through Jesus’ body and blood. Receive today!

Grace is My Favorite Teacher

Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men…it teaches us”

Do you have a favorite teacher, coach, preacher? Is there one that stands out among the rest? I’ve had some amazing teachers over the years, but the most outstanding teacher I’ve had in my life is grace. Titus 2:11 says that grace has appeared to all men, or all mankind. Appeared speaks of a person and His name is Jesus.

Grace is our teacher. Grace teaches us how to parent our children. Grace teaches us how to love our spouse. Grace teaches us how to budget our money, learn new skills, solve problems, make important decisions, and every other imaginable thing we need to know in life. Grace has appeared to all mankind. Grace is here, right now, for you. You can’t earn it or deserve it. Like a student in a classroom, simply receive it.

What You Hear About Jesus Matters

Mark 5:27 “When she heard about Jesus, she came in the press behind and touched His garments”

Have you ever thought to yourself or heard someone say, If Jesus were right here and I could see Him and hear Him, I could receive my miracle. My opinion as to whether it’s possible for Jesus to appear to someone or audibly speak to them is not important. But what IS important is that Mark 5:27 doesn’t say that the woman that was healed from a blood disorder “heard” Jesus, it says that she “heard about” Jesus.

Do you know what that means? It means that we can have the same faith that this woman had just by hearing about Jesus…hearing the Word. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”, Romans 10:17. It means that when we hear the Word, we can immediately receive it and apply it to our own lives no matter how long we’ve suffered. No matter how many expensive treatments we’ve tried. What she heard caused her to press into Jesus and receive her breakthrough. Press in to the Word today. Press in to Jesus. Receive your breakthrough by the goodness and grace of God. What you hear about Jesus matters!

Focus on the Cross, Not the Sickness

Numbers 21:8 “Then the Lord said to Moses, make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live”

A lion tamer can teach us a whole lot about focus. What is his number one tool in the ring with a lion? A stool. The lion tamer uses the stool as a method of distraction. The lion, when faced with the legs of the stool, tries to focus on all four at once. Confused, and unable to focus, it stands there, frozen!

In Numbers 21:8 it says that the children of Israel were bitten by deadly fiery snakes in the wilderness. What was the remedy? What was the anecdote? What healed the people? FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS! The Lord told Moses to make a fiery serpent of bronze and set it on a pole, and when the people looked at it, they would live. This was a foreshadow of Jesus on the cross, Who took sickness upon His body and redeemed us from this curse. The same instructions the Lord gave Moses stand today. What we focus on is what we become. If we focus on the sickness, we stay distracted, frozen, confused, and sick. If we focus on the Healer, we are healed and live!

Qualified

Colossians 1:12 “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance in the light”

Have you ever been disqualified from a contest, competition or sporting event? My wife was. She was in high school, yet she remembers it like it was yesterday! She used to compete in horse shows in barrel racing. In one show, she had the fastest time but was disqualified for reaching over and “ever-so-lightly” and “for no reason” touching the last barrel before she rounded her way to the finish line. In a split second, according to the rules of barrel racing, she was disqualified. Ouch.

No matter how disqualified we feel sometimes or how many times we’ve messed things up, we can thank our heavenly Father that HE has qualified us to receive all that He has promised us. HE qualified us to receive our inheritance of divine health, abundance, increase, strong relationships, long life, and so much more. To be qualified means that certain requirements have been satisfied to become eligible for certain benefits. Who satisfied the requirements for us to receive God’s promises? You? Me? Certainly not. It was Jesus. Jesus paid the ultimate price through His blood and satisfied the debt for OUR sin. He made it possible for us to stand before our Father, every moment of every day, as if we had never sinned. So, the next time the enemy whispers in your ear “disqualified”, boldly speak out of your mouth, “Thank you Father for qualifying me to receive every covenant blessing and promise you have for me!”

The Three Most Powerful Words in the Bible

John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”

Most of us know what it’s like to owe money for a loan. Every month, the payment notice arrives like clockwork. Every month we chip away at the payments until we receive the final notice that says, “paid in full”. Greg Mohr says, “Most people when they go to God in prayer for something, go as a person who goes before a loan officer for an unsecured loan”. They tiptoe into His presence hoping for a little something to happen.

What they don’t realize is that every promise in God’s Word has already been provided for us at the cross. Jesus paid for it all AND He paid it in full! Praise God for the three most powerful words in the Bible spoken by Jesus just He died on the cross…IT IS FINISHED. He paid for our eternity, for our healing, for our deliverance, for our peace, and every other good thing. As you celebrate Resurrection Sunday this weekend, remember Jesus’ last words and all He did for us on the cross and shout…IT IS FINISHED!

A Groan Will Reach the Throne

Exodus 2:23-24 “Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage, so God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob “

Ever watch a professional tennis match? Did you notice that almost every time each player hits the ball, they let out a huge groan? I played tennis for many years and don’t remember such a thing. I often wonder if this is a big distraction for the players or the audience.

Now that you have that word picture, it says in Exodus 2 that after hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, all the children of Israel could do was groan. There was nothing left in them to compose any prayers. But “God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob“. I want you to know that you don’t have to come up with impressive declarations of faith or do anything fancy for God to hear you. Even a “groan” will reach the throne. Whatever you might be going through, know that a simple groan will reach the heart of your Father in Heaven. If a simple groan from the children of Israel could activate the covenant of God made to their forefathers, how much more would your cry accomplish as a child of God?

Don't Let Fear Shut You Up

John 20:19-20 “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said, peace be with you. When He said this, He showed them His hands and His side, and His disciples were glad.”

Why were the doors shut? “For fear of the Jews”. Knowing this, Jesus first words as He stood in the midst of them was “peace be with you”. Jesus is saying the same thing to you today. Don’t let fear shut you up. Don’t hide behind closed doors in fear or hide behind a closed mouth in fear. Open your mouth and say, “Peace is with me!”

The Hebrew word for peace is shalom meaning wholeness and completeness. In John 20:19-20, Jesus spoke shalom and then He showed His nail pierced hands and a His side. These were the receipts of His payment for your guaranteed peace. When fear comes, the enemy can gain a lot of ground if you will just keep your mouth shut. Don’t let that happen, speak out God’s promises in faith. Don’t let the spirit of fear shut you up. Declare over every negative situation in your life today, “It is well”. Remember Jesus’ nail pierced hands and His side and do like the disciples did, BE GLAD! Open the door of your mouth today and rejoice and shout “Peace, peace, Jesus is with me!”

What? What? What?

Mathew 6:31 “So do not worry, saying, ‘WHAT shall we eat?’ or ‘WHAT shall we drink?’ or ‘WHAT shall we wear?’”

In Mathew 6:31, Jesus shares a tremendous principle in what to do with anxious thoughts and worry. Simply put, He said not to let those thoughts out of your mouth! He said, “take no thought, SAYING”. Negative thoughts are going to come, but don’t give them life with your words. That’s powerful.

You might be thinking, “WHAT am I going to do with this child!”, “WHAT if I lose my job?”, “WHAT is this lump on my neck?” Those thoughts might be filling your mind with worry, but don’t let them out of your mouth. Take no thought, saying. Use your words to speak what God’s Word says about those situations. “My children are taught of the Lord, and great is their peace” (Isaiah 54:13). “God is able to make all grace about toward me, having all sufficiency in all things” (2 Cor. 9:8). “By His stripes, I was healed” (1 Peter 2:24). So, the next time you find yourself thinking “What? What? What?”, STOP! Then start saying the “Word, Word, Word”!!

Move On or Move Forward by Natalie Fortunato

"Let's just move on". Sure, that's an option. But how about if we "move forward" instead? To move on, we put the old aside and go on to something new. But to move forward, we choose to take what we learned from the old and make the new even better. What can we take from 2020 to make 2021 our best year yet? What amazing things happened in the midst of turmoil?

Jesus said in John 10:10 "the thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they might have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance". I love this verse because it doesn't ignore that bad things do happen, but it also shows that those bad things don't come from God. On the contrary, Jesus came that we might have and enjoy life. We get to choose how we will respond to the bad things that come our way...move on or move forward.

At the South Jersey Dream Center, our mission is to help people take steps forward, to change their status quo, and fulfill their God given purpose. For many people in poverty, they've heard all their life that "this is it for you, this is all there is". That's simply not true. When people discover their value and how much they are loved unconditionally by their Heavenly Father, something good happens on the inside. And when good things happen on the inside, good things eventually start to happen on the outside. They begin to move forward into a life they've only "dreamed" of.

In 2020, we received and distributed over 175,000 pounds of resources to thousands of local families. But we don't want to just "move on" from here, we want to move forward...literally! We've outgrown our donated space (again), and hope to move into a facility of our own this year. Let's move forward together!

Streams of Revenue

Proverbs 28:20 “A faithful man will abound with blessings”

While at a meeting with Andrew Wommack Ministries this past week, a prophetic word was given by ARMI Director, Pastor Greg Mohr, saying that “God is releasing streams of revenue in 2021”. He shared with us Proverbs 28:20, “a faithful man shall abound with blessings”.

In geography terms, a stream may have more than one source and when two or more streams come together it’s called a confluence. In biblical terms, God is our Source, and He uses various streams of revenue to carry funds to us to fulfill His purpose in our lives. Here’s an important key: God won’t release funds into an unfaithful man’s hands. If you’ve not been faithful with the assignment God has given you, make a decision today to get things in order and move forward with His plan. If you have been faithful with the assignment God has given you, get ready for “streams” of revenue to converge together into one huge “river” of financial increase to fund all that God has called you to do.