http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219 Enjoy these timely and lighthearted messages from Pastor Joe and Natalie Radiant WebTools Matthew 13:55 - 'Is not this the carpenter's Son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?' My two sisters and I are one year apart. When we were growing up, as siblings sometimes do, especially girls, we would monitor each other's every move. One time, when I was sitting all grown up like, with my legs crossed and toes pointed, looking like a young lady, I heard one of my sisters say, 'Who does she think she is?' Slowly, I began to slump over and figured I wouldn't put myself out there and be something that they apparently think that I'm not. At 53 years old, I still remember that incident and that same accusing voice like it was yesterday. Does this scenario sound familiar? You go for that promotion at work, you try something new, you get out of your comfort zone, and as soon as you step out, the thought comes, 'Who do you think you are?' In other words, get back to where you were before, don't you dare move out and be something that you're not, that's for other people, you're too young, you're too old, you're not good enough, you tried that already, or simply...disqualified!!! When Jesus went about doing miracles, it says in Matthew 13:55 that the people from His hometown said to one another, 'Hey, I remember him, he's that carpenter's son? You know, his mom is Mary (the one who got pregnant when they were engaged!), His brothers hung out with our kids. What's he doing now?'...(my translation). Where do those accusations come from? The thief, Satan, who comes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus said I have come to give you life, and life more abundant.' (John 10:10) The abundant life means increase in every area. God is the one Who is encouraging us to step out, make changes, develop your gifts and talents, go for that degree, join that group, try out for that team, audition for that part, get in shape, get out of debt, update your look, raise the bar, write that book, take those lessons, start that company, fulfill your calling! When David stepped out and offered to fight Goliath, his brothers laughed at him and reminded him he was nothing but a shepherd boy, and that he better get back to his sheep where he belongs. On the contrary,God is always drawing us forward to fulfill the assignment He has for us while we are on this earth. We are a threat to the enemy any time we make progress on the path that God has for us, he wants to draw us backward, he wants us to retreat. Especially when we make a mistake or fail along the way, he tries to use that as proof that we are not going to make it. The best thing to do after we fail is to get back up and get back on the path, more resolved and more determined to reach the finish line. So, get moving, trust God, fight fear with a plan, go further than you've ever gone before, cross that imaginary line that you haven't seemed to get past, when God speaks, obey quickly, take the opportunities that are presented to you! And when that thought comes, 'Who do you think you are?', just say, 'I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, walking out the good life He has prepared for me! You ain't seen nuthin yet!' (Ephesians 2:10) Matthew 13:55 - 'Is not this the carpenter's Son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?' My two sisters and I are one year apart. When we were growing up, as siblings sometimes do, especially girls, we would monitor each other's every move. One time, when I was sitting all grown up like, with my legs crossed and toes pointed, looking like a young lady, I heard one of my sisters say, 'Who does she think she is?' Slowly, I began to slump over and figured I wouldn't put myself out there and be something that they apparently think that I'm not. At 53 years old, I still remember that incident and that same accusing voice like it was yesterday. Does this scenario sound familiar? You go for that promotion at work, you try something new, you get out of your comfort zone, and as soon as you step out, the thought comes, 'Who do you think you are?' In other words, get back to where you were before, don't you dare move out and be something that you're not, that's for other people, you're too young, you're too old, you're not good enough, you tried that already, or simply...disqualified!!! When Jesus went about doing miracles, it says in Matthew 13:55 that the people from His hometown said to one another, 'Hey, I remember him, he's that carpenter's son? You know, his mom is Mary (the one who got pregnant when they were engaged!), His brothers hung out with our kids. What's he doing now?'...(my translation). Where do those accusations come from? The thief, Satan, who comes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus said I have come to give you life, and life more abundant.' (John 10:10) The abundant life means increase in every area. God is the one Who is encouraging us to step out, make changes, develop your gifts and talents, go for that degree, join that group, try out for that team, audition for that part, get in shape, get out of debt, update your look, raise the bar, write that book, take those lessons, start that company, fulfill your calling! When David stepped out and offered to fight Goliath, his brothers laughed at him and reminded him he was nothing but a shepherd boy, and that he better get back to his sheep where he belongs. On the contrary,God is always drawing us forward to fulfill the assignment He has for us while we are on this earth. We are a threat to the enemy any time we make progress on the path that God has for us, he wants to draw us backward, he wants us to retreat. Especially when we make a mistake or fail along the way, he tries to use that as proof that we are not going to make it. The best thing to do after we fail is to get back up and get back on the path, more resolved and more determined to reach the finish line. So, get moving, trust God, fight fear with a plan, go further than you've ever gone before, cross that imaginary line that you haven't seemed to get past, when God speaks, obey quickly, take the opportunities that are presented to you! And when that thought comes, 'Who do you think you are?', just say, 'I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, walking out the good life He has prepared for me! You ain't seen nuthin yet!' (Ephesians 2:10) http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=41619 41619 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:24:00 +0000 Proverbs 3:5-6 – 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight'. Early this month, one of my favorite athletes, Tim Tebow, arrived at the New York Jets training camp in Florham Park, NJ, just after dawn to begin his daily workout. When he finished his workout, just after the sun set that night, he was 'let go', cut from the team, with no salary. The news traveled fast throughout the social networks and in print. Critics from all over mocked and scorned him saying, 'I knew this would happen'…'Tebow can't play quarterback, never could'…'He's done, no one will ever sign him again, he's nothing more than a big distraction'. He was told when he was signed that he would be given at least 20 offensive plays a game, they lied, he had a total of 77 plays in a 16 game season, threw a total of eight passes and completing six. When asked for a response to all the chatter and criticism, and his experience with the Jets, he made no comment, he simply posted a scripture on Twitter…Proverbs 3:5-6. The result, he was vilified for only quoting a Bible verse. They wanted more, they wanted retaliation, anger, vengeance, drama, but instead, he went from 'bad to verse'. There's no victim here, only a victor, more than a conqueror, a true winner who trusts in the Lord, knowing that God will direct his path to future victories. How about you? Are you facing a tough situation right now? If not now, then you will later, we all do. But like Tim, we can choose to be better instead of bitter. We can turn lemons into lemonade. We can go from 'bad to verse' when we allow God's Word to change our perspective, see things from His vantage point, Who sees the big picture. With our eyes on Christ, our path will lead us to 'Trust Avenue' and 'Victory Boulevard'. Tim will wind up on top, he always does, because it's a lifestyle of faith with him, and it should be with us. A steady pace forward, from faith to faith, in the Word, allowing it to direct our path, taking us where God wants us to go…'from bad to verse', every time. Proverbs 3:5-6 – 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight'. Early this month, one of my favorite athletes, Tim Tebow, arrived at the New York Jets training camp in Florham Park, NJ, just after dawn to begin his daily workout. When he finished his workout, just after the sun set that night, he was 'let go', cut from the team, with no salary. The news traveled fast throughout the social networks and in print. Critics from all over mocked and scorned him saying, 'I knew this would happen'…'Tebow can't play quarterback, never could'…'He's done, no one will ever sign him again, he's nothing more than a big distraction'. He was told when he was signed that he would be given at least 20 offensive plays a game, they lied, he had a total of 77 plays in a 16 game season, threw a total of eight passes and completing six. When asked for a response to all the chatter and criticism, and his experience with the Jets, he made no comment, he simply posted a scripture on Twitter…Proverbs 3:5-6. The result, he was vilified for only quoting a Bible verse. They wanted more, they wanted retaliation, anger, vengeance, drama, but instead, he went from 'bad to verse'. There's no victim here, only a victor, more than a conqueror, a true winner who trusts in the Lord, knowing that God will direct his path to future victories. How about you? Are you facing a tough situation right now? If not now, then you will later, we all do. But like Tim, we can choose to be better instead of bitter. We can turn lemons into lemonade. We can go from 'bad to verse' when we allow God's Word to change our perspective, see things from His vantage point, Who sees the big picture. With our eyes on Christ, our path will lead us to 'Trust Avenue' and 'Victory Boulevard'. Tim will wind up on top, he always does, because it's a lifestyle of faith with him, and it should be with us. A steady pace forward, from faith to faith, in the Word, allowing it to direct our path, taking us where God wants us to go…'from bad to verse', every time. http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=41522 41522 Wed, 8 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Romans 4:5 (Amplified Bible) – 'But to one who, not working [by the law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God).' 'My bad'. Used to hear this a lot, but not as much anymore, guess it was a passing phase, or should I say a 'passing phrase', okay that wasn't all that funny. Anyway, it meant that 'Oops, I made a mistake', or 'I got that wrong', 'or 'My fault'. In the old covenant, God demanded righteousness (right standing) of man, but in the new covenant, God imparts righteousness (right standing) to us through the finished work of Jesus. I mean, it's amazing, that God imparts righteousness to the ungodly, apart from any works! In fact, in the new covenant, this covenant of grace, God will no longer remember your sins. Hebrews 8:12 says 'I will be merciful to your unrighteousness, and your sins and iniquities I will remember no more'. It's a huge part of this new covenant! You may remember your sins, but God doesn't. God is no longer keeping a record of 'your bad', God has no record of your sins. To justify, literally means 'to declare righteous'. God is able to justify the ungodly. Just like He did with you and me, God can impart righteousness to the worst sinner that you may know. When you keep remembering what God forgets, that type of thinking brings sin consciousness, it brings guilt and it kills. Something happens to you when you realize that you've been made righteous, you think differently, you do things differently, you expect differently. So what are we supposed to do? Our job is to get this Gospel of grace to the 'ungodly', because it's grace that will change an ungodly person, not a focus on sin. The law had a purpose for the unsaved, it is to bring that person to Jesus. Galatians 3:24 says that 'The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith'. Verse 25 says that after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. So all the bad was put on Christ, for us, on our behalf. You don't have to think on our past failures or sin because all of us were ungodly at one time but now we are righteous in Christ. So, you're not bad, 'you're good', thanks to Jesus, its all good! Romans 4:5 (Amplified Bible) – 'But to one who, not working [by the law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God).' 'My bad'. Used to hear this a lot, but not as much anymore, guess it was a passing phase, or should I say a 'passing phrase', okay that wasn't all that funny. Anyway, it meant that 'Oops, I made a mistake', or 'I got that wrong', 'or 'My fault'. In the old covenant, God demanded righteousness (right standing) of man, but in the new covenant, God imparts righteousness (right standing) to us through the finished work of Jesus. I mean, it's amazing, that God imparts righteousness to the ungodly, apart from any works! In fact, in the new covenant, this covenant of grace, God will no longer remember your sins. Hebrews 8:12 says 'I will be merciful to your unrighteousness, and your sins and iniquities I will remember no more'. It's a huge part of this new covenant! You may remember your sins, but God doesn't. God is no longer keeping a record of 'your bad', God has no record of your sins. To justify, literally means 'to declare righteous'. God is able to justify the ungodly. Just like He did with you and me, God can impart righteousness to the worst sinner that you may know. When you keep remembering what God forgets, that type of thinking brings sin consciousness, it brings guilt and it kills. Something happens to you when you realize that you've been made righteous, you think differently, you do things differently, you expect differently. So what are we supposed to do? Our job is to get this Gospel of grace to the 'ungodly', because it's grace that will change an ungodly person, not a focus on sin. The law had a purpose for the unsaved, it is to bring that person to Jesus. Galatians 3:24 says that 'The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith'. Verse 25 says that after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. So all the bad was put on Christ, for us, on our behalf. You don't have to think on our past failures or sin because all of us were ungodly at one time but now we are righteous in Christ. So, you're not bad, 'you're good', thanks to Jesus, its all good! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=41452 41452 Fri, 3 May 2013 13:56:00 +0000 Matthew 6:22, 23 (Amplified Bible) – 'The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light. But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you [your conscience] is darkened, how dense is that darkness!' Most of you may have heard of the recent events regarding the Rutgers University Men's Basketball coach who was caught on video abusing, berating and forcefully pushing players, and throwing balls at them. When the videos went viral, it eventually lead to his termination as Head Coach. The bottom line, he has a problem with anger, and his problem was caught on video tape, and if truth be told, none of us would like our worst moment played on the nationals news every half hour. Like my neighbor who has a hole in his wall. When I asked what happened, he simply said, 'I had a moment'. I knew what he meant, he let his anger get the best of him, and BOOM, he did something he wished he could take back. In Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus said that the eye is the 'light of the body'. What did he mean? The eye represents our mind or our thought-life. When the 'eye' takes something in, an image is immediately formed in our mind. We are taking things into our minds all the time, all kinds of images are being formed every millisecond. Then He said, 'when the eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light'. Sound means to be single, whole, healthy and good, the opposite of evil (verse 23). Then He warns us, 'if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness'. Unsound here means evil, diseased, wicked, twisted, unhealthy. A healthy eye or mind results in a healthy body, a healthy family, a healthy outlook. An evil eye or mind produces darkness, unhealthy anger, outbursts, rage, out of control actions, destruction, things that you can't take back. It all starts in how we see things. When our eye is sound, our entire body will be full of light. When our eye is dark, our entire body will be full of darkness. So, instead of 'mad in your eye', learn to see things through the eyes of Jesus, see the best and think the best, and your whole life will be full of light. Matthew 6:22, 23 (Amplified Bible) – 'The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light. But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you [your conscience] is darkened, how dense is that darkness!' Most of you may have heard of the recent events regarding the Rutgers University Men's Basketball coach who was caught on video abusing, berating and forcefully pushing players, and throwing balls at them. When the videos went viral, it eventually lead to his termination as Head Coach. The bottom line, he has a problem with anger, and his problem was caught on video tape, and if truth be told, none of us would like our worst moment played on the nationals news every half hour. Like my neighbor who has a hole in his wall. When I asked what happened, he simply said, 'I had a moment'. I knew what he meant, he let his anger get the best of him, and BOOM, he did something he wished he could take back. In Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus said that the eye is the 'light of the body'. What did he mean? The eye represents our mind or our thought-life. When the 'eye' takes something in, an image is immediately formed in our mind. We are taking things into our minds all the time, all kinds of images are being formed every millisecond. Then He said, 'when the eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light'. Sound means to be single, whole, healthy and good, the opposite of evil (verse 23). Then He warns us, 'if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness'. Unsound here means evil, diseased, wicked, twisted, unhealthy. A healthy eye or mind results in a healthy body, a healthy family, a healthy outlook. An evil eye or mind produces darkness, unhealthy anger, outbursts, rage, out of control actions, destruction, things that you can't take back. It all starts in how we see things. When our eye is sound, our entire body will be full of light. When our eye is dark, our entire body will be full of darkness. So, instead of 'mad in your eye', learn to see things through the eyes of Jesus, see the best and think the best, and your whole life will be full of light. http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=41233 41233 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Romans 8:37 - 'Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us'. As a boxing fan, one of the most memorable championship fights in history was the famous 'No Mas Fight' in November, 1980, which was the second fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran II. The first fight was in June that same year in Montreal Canada, when Duran wrestled the title away from Leonard, who abandoned his usual slick boxing style and stood flat-footed and angry at Duran's numerous insults. It was a great fight but Leonard lost by unanimous decision, which virtually guaranteed a rematch. When they met again in November at the Louisiana Superdome, Leonard used his superior hand and foot speed to demoralize a confused Duran. In the closing seconds of the 8th round, Duran turned his back on Leonard and raised his glove and began saying to the referee, 'No Mas! No Mas!', which means, 'No more' in Spanish, hence the great 'No Mas Fight'. In Romans 8:37, Paul says 'in all these things' (referring to verse 35)...suffering, affliction, tribulation, calamity, distress, persecution, hunger, destitution, peril or sword... things you are facing in life or have faced at some time...sickness, battles, problems, troubles, lack, etc. He says, 'in all these things' you are 'more than conquerors'. It's a great experience to conquer, to win, to overcome in battle, however, he says that we are MORE than conquerors. How can we be more than a conqueror? By someone else winning the victory for us. It's the same a Leonard being in the ring and winning the fight, but they give You the victory. Though the 'No Mas Fight' was one of the most famous fights in history, the greatest victory in history was when Jesus conquered death and sin on the cross, making us 'more than conquerors', and gaining a 'surpassing victory through Him Who loved us'. Hallelujah! He took sin, sickness, poverty, the curse, and defeated it all! He stood in 'the ring' on our behalf, He went to hell on our behalf, he took back the keys of the Kingdom and gave them to us, the church! We don't have to fight a fight that has already been won by Jesus, just take the victory and say thank you. He is saying live mas...live more! Live a life of more, more health, more abundance, more increase, more family members and neighbors being saved, more service, more restoration, more promotion... Take it today, say out loud what it is that you want more of! You are more than a conqueror! Live Mas! Romans 8:37 - 'Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us'. As a boxing fan, one of the most memorable championship fights in history was the famous 'No Mas Fight' in November, 1980, which was the second fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran II. The first fight was in June that same year in Montreal Canada, when Duran wrestled the title away from Leonard, who abandoned his usual slick boxing style and stood flat-footed and angry at Duran's numerous insults. It was a great fight but Leonard lost by unanimous decision, which virtually guaranteed a rematch. When they met again in November at the Louisiana Superdome, Leonard used his superior hand and foot speed to demoralize a confused Duran. In the closing seconds of the 8th round, Duran turned his back on Leonard and raised his glove and began saying to the referee, 'No Mas! No Mas!', which means, 'No more' in Spanish, hence the great 'No Mas Fight'. In Romans 8:37, Paul says 'in all these things' (referring to verse 35)...suffering, affliction, tribulation, calamity, distress, persecution, hunger, destitution, peril or sword... things you are facing in life or have faced at some time...sickness, battles, problems, troubles, lack, etc. He says, 'in all these things' you are 'more than conquerors'. It's a great experience to conquer, to win, to overcome in battle, however, he says that we are MORE than conquerors. How can we be more than a conqueror? By someone else winning the victory for us. It's the same a Leonard being in the ring and winning the fight, but they give You the victory. Though the 'No Mas Fight' was one of the most famous fights in history, the greatest victory in history was when Jesus conquered death and sin on the cross, making us 'more than conquerors', and gaining a 'surpassing victory through Him Who loved us'. Hallelujah! He took sin, sickness, poverty, the curse, and defeated it all! He stood in 'the ring' on our behalf, He went to hell on our behalf, he took back the keys of the Kingdom and gave them to us, the church! We don't have to fight a fight that has already been won by Jesus, just take the victory and say thank you. He is saying live mas...live more! Live a life of more, more health, more abundance, more increase, more family members and neighbors being saved, more service, more restoration, more promotion... Take it today, say out loud what it is that you want more of! You are more than a conqueror! Live Mas! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=41114 41114 Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Proverbs 18:21 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof'. When this new year began, I started a Bible study from Kenneth Copeland's Believers Voice of Victory broadcast called 100 Days of Prosperity with Pastor George Pearsons. It has truly transformed my mind, habits, thoughts, expectations, giving, preconceived ideas, and most of all...my words. I have learned over the years to choose my words wisely and do my very best to speak only what the Word says, 'Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;' (2 Cor. 10:5). But when I studied the lesson on Words, I realized that most of my efforts have been on making sure I don't say the wrong thing, and not nearly as much time speaking creative words that describe the amazing future God has for me. Listen to how the lesson defines words... Words are God's method of operation by which He accomplishes His will, purpose and desire. Words set spiritual laws in motion The Law of Sin and Death The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Words are the most important things in the universe Faith-filled words will put you over Fear-filled words will defeat you Words are spiritual containers that carry power Carry love and faith Carry hate and fear Words are seeds sown with your mouth that produce after their own kind Words are the process starters of life Words are the building blocks with which you construct your life and future Words set the cornerstones of your life Words set boundaries, which confine or release you Words have creative ability They create the realities you see God's Word—the incorruptible seed, has within it the ability and DNA to cause itself to come to pass Words program the human spirit for success or failure Words of God, conceived in the heart, spoken out the mouth become a spiritual force that release faith—which is the creative ability of God Words establish strongholds, break habits, change things, redirect thought patterns Words point you in whatever direction they are aimed and released Words set the course of your life Words determine your future, your health, your wealth and your place in eternity— you are the prophet of your own life Words arrive at your future before you do Words create desires and transmit images that you will eventually live out Words frame your world Words spoken today become a living reality tomorrow Words give permission and license to spiritual forces to work for you or against you Words can turn around any situation Words make demands on the blessing or the curse—whichever you call for Words are goal setters that give direction and establish destination Words are our method of operation, by which God accomplishes His will, purpose and desire for our lives The original purpose for our words was not to communicate, but to create! Let's get busy creating our world! Have fun! Proverbs 18:21 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof'. When this new year began, I started a Bible study from Kenneth Copeland's Believers Voice of Victory broadcast called 100 Days of Prosperity with Pastor George Pearsons. It has truly transformed my mind, habits, thoughts, expectations, giving, preconceived ideas, and most of all...my words. I have learned over the years to choose my words wisely and do my very best to speak only what the Word says, 'Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;' (2 Cor. 10:5). But when I studied the lesson on Words, I realized that most of my efforts have been on making sure I don't say the wrong thing, and not nearly as much time speaking creative words that describe the amazing future God has for me. Listen to how the lesson defines words... Words are God's method of operation by which He accomplishes His will, purpose and desire. Words set spiritual laws in motion The Law of Sin and Death The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Words are the most important things in the universe Faith-filled words will put you over Fear-filled words will defeat you Words are spiritual containers that carry power Carry love and faith Carry hate and fear Words are seeds sown with your mouth that produce after their own kind Words are the process starters of life Words are the building blocks with which you construct your life and future Words set the cornerstones of your life Words set boundaries, which confine or release you Words have creative ability They create the realities you see God's Word—the incorruptible seed, has within it the ability and DNA to cause itself to come to pass Words program the human spirit for success or failure Words of God, conceived in the heart, spoken out the mouth become a spiritual force that release faith—which is the creative ability of God Words establish strongholds, break habits, change things, redirect thought patterns Words point you in whatever direction they are aimed and released Words set the course of your life Words determine your future, your health, your wealth and your place in eternity— you are the prophet of your own life Words arrive at your future before you do Words create desires and transmit images that you will eventually live out Words frame your world Words spoken today become a living reality tomorrow Words give permission and license to spiritual forces to work for you or against you Words can turn around any situation Words make demands on the blessing or the curse—whichever you call for Words are goal setters that give direction and establish destination Words are our method of operation, by which God accomplishes His will, purpose and desire for our lives The original purpose for our words was not to communicate, but to create! Let's get busy creating our world! Have fun! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=40967 40967 Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Proverbs 16:7 (Amplified Bible) 'When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him'. I like golf. Especially the final round of a tournament on a Sunday afternoon. My favorite golfer, and one of my favorite athletes, is Tiger Woods. I know, some of you are saying, 'Tiger Woods?', 'Didn't he really mess up?', 'Didn't he live a secret life?'. Yes, he did, big time. But there's something in me, and I believe God too, that loves a comeback. I'm not saying that he is perfect, or that he isn't flawed in some areas, but I like Tiger. I've been praying for complete restoration in his life for a long time. A couple of Sundays ago, he won the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Invitational Golf Tournament for the 8th time, his third major win this year. When interviewed after the win, he was asked, 'How could you be so consistent in putting and driving?', and 'How does it feel to be #1 in the world again?' His answer was short, but it said it all, 'It is a byproduct'. In other words, what he was experiencing that day was a result of hours and days and years of preparation. Webster's defines byproduct as a secondary and expected result. Second! Wow, for Tiger that means that winning over a million dollars and the Bayhill trophy was secondary to hours and hours of grueling practice and preparation. Similarly, Proverbs 16:7 says that when my ways, not just my words, but when my ways please the Lord, when I have the right motives, and the right heart, He makes even my enemies to be at peace with me. My enemies being at peace with me is the byproduct of my ways pleasing the Lord. When my ways please the Lord, the jealous co-worker, the estranged relative, or the crabby neighbor will actually like me. What we are experiencing today is a byproduct of what we spent our time and energy on in the days leading up to now. Luke 6:38 says that when we give, it will be given back to us. It's that simple. Financial blessings are a byproduct of our giving, they are secondary compared to the primary focus of giving into the kingdom of God. Remember, the car, the house, the clothes, the material things and money are not primary, they are secondary, they are the byproduct of our giving. Walking in victory is the byproduct of a renewed mind, walking in health is a byproduct of knowing who you are in Christ. Is it that simple? Yes! The good life we enjoy is a byproduct of walking in the covenant... life is a byproduct! Proverbs 16:7 (Amplified Bible) 'When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him'. I like golf. Especially the final round of a tournament on a Sunday afternoon. My favorite golfer, and one of my favorite athletes, is Tiger Woods. I know, some of you are saying, 'Tiger Woods?', 'Didn't he really mess up?', 'Didn't he live a secret life?'. Yes, he did, big time. But there's something in me, and I believe God too, that loves a comeback. I'm not saying that he is perfect, or that he isn't flawed in some areas, but I like Tiger. I've been praying for complete restoration in his life for a long time. A couple of Sundays ago, he won the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Invitational Golf Tournament for the 8th time, his third major win this year. When interviewed after the win, he was asked, 'How could you be so consistent in putting and driving?', and 'How does it feel to be #1 in the world again?' His answer was short, but it said it all, 'It is a byproduct'. In other words, what he was experiencing that day was a result of hours and days and years of preparation. Webster's defines byproduct as a secondary and expected result. Second! Wow, for Tiger that means that winning over a million dollars and the Bayhill trophy was secondary to hours and hours of grueling practice and preparation. Similarly, Proverbs 16:7 says that when my ways, not just my words, but when my ways please the Lord, when I have the right motives, and the right heart, He makes even my enemies to be at peace with me. My enemies being at peace with me is the byproduct of my ways pleasing the Lord. When my ways please the Lord, the jealous co-worker, the estranged relative, or the crabby neighbor will actually like me. What we are experiencing today is a byproduct of what we spent our time and energy on in the days leading up to now. Luke 6:38 says that when we give, it will be given back to us. It's that simple. Financial blessings are a byproduct of our giving, they are secondary compared to the primary focus of giving into the kingdom of God. Remember, the car, the house, the clothes, the material things and money are not primary, they are secondary, they are the byproduct of our giving. Walking in victory is the byproduct of a renewed mind, walking in health is a byproduct of knowing who you are in Christ. Is it that simple? Yes! The good life we enjoy is a byproduct of walking in the covenant... life is a byproduct! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=40913 40913 Wed, 3 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Genesis 31:41 - 'I have been twenty years in your house, I served you these fourteen years for your two daughters, and six for your cattle, and you have changed my wages ten times.' I just read a story about a groundbreaking, precedent setting court case that will affect pre-nuptial agreements in divorce cases in years to come. Commonly known as a 'pre-nup', this is an agreement between a prospective husband and wife, before marriage, that states if either decides to divorce the other for any reason, the one with the money will not have to split the belongings, property and wealth 50/50. It's an escape clause that really prepares for failure in marriage before it even takes place. In this particular case, the wife of a Long Island real estate mogul got a judge to rip up her pre-nup, which probably sent shivers down the spines of other couples who have put their trust in their pre-nup. In Genesis 31:41, we have a powerful story that culminates with a man named Laban, who cheated Jacob for 20 years. Jacob first served Laban seven years for his daughter Rachel's hand in marriage. His love for her was so strong that Genesis 29:20 says that 'the seven years he served for Rachel seemed like a few days'. He loved her so much! However, on his wedding day, it was Laban's older daughter, Leah, that was given to Jacob in marriage. Laban tricked him into another seven years of service for Rachel because of his great love for her, along with another six years for what rightfully belonged to Jacob. In Genesis 31:41, Jacob told Laban, 'you have changed my wages ten times!' Has anyone ever made an agreement with you and then cheated you or betrayed you? That's what happened to Jacob...his 'pre-nup' became a 'pre-nope'. He felt betrayed. He trusted and was taken advantage of. What's amazing is that even in this 20 year cycle of agreements and betrayal, there was such a blessing on Jacob. Genesis 30:27 says that Laban said 'I have learned by experience that thy Lord has blessed me for your sake'. Jacob knew that the blessing was on him, no matter what, even in a pre-nup or pre-nope, it didn't move him. In Genesis 30:30, Jacob says, 'What you had was little before I came, and it is now increased into a multitude; the Lord has blessed you since my coming'. Jacob was blessed and had the blessing on him, he brought the blessing everywhere he went. Maybe you've had a 'pre-nope' in your life. Maybe you've been cheated or lied to, or an agreement that you made with someone was broken, you trusted someone and it went bad. The good news is, when the blessing is on you, like it was Jacob, and like it is for all believers who are in covenant with God, you can always start over. God is the One who gives us the power to get wealth (Deut 8:18). He didn't say that He gives us wealth, He gives us the power to get wealth. In God, whatever has been stolen from you will be restored to you. Not only what was stolen but more besides. You are blessed, you are Abraham's seed, just like Jacob, through Jesus Christ. Genesis 31:41 - 'I have been twenty years in your house, I served you these fourteen years for your two daughters, and six for your cattle, and you have changed my wages ten times.' I just read a story about a groundbreaking, precedent setting court case that will affect pre-nuptial agreements in divorce cases in years to come. Commonly known as a 'pre-nup', this is an agreement between a prospective husband and wife, before marriage, that states if either decides to divorce the other for any reason, the one with the money will not have to split the belongings, property and wealth 50/50. It's an escape clause that really prepares for failure in marriage before it even takes place. In this particular case, the wife of a Long Island real estate mogul got a judge to rip up her pre-nup, which probably sent shivers down the spines of other couples who have put their trust in their pre-nup. In Genesis 31:41, we have a powerful story that culminates with a man named Laban, who cheated Jacob for 20 years. Jacob first served Laban seven years for his daughter Rachel's hand in marriage. His love for her was so strong that Genesis 29:20 says that 'the seven years he served for Rachel seemed like a few days'. He loved her so much! However, on his wedding day, it was Laban's older daughter, Leah, that was given to Jacob in marriage. Laban tricked him into another seven years of service for Rachel because of his great love for her, along with another six years for what rightfully belonged to Jacob. In Genesis 31:41, Jacob told Laban, 'you have changed my wages ten times!' Has anyone ever made an agreement with you and then cheated you or betrayed you? That's what happened to Jacob...his 'pre-nup' became a 'pre-nope'. He felt betrayed. He trusted and was taken advantage of. What's amazing is that even in this 20 year cycle of agreements and betrayal, there was such a blessing on Jacob. Genesis 30:27 says that Laban said 'I have learned by experience that thy Lord has blessed me for your sake'. Jacob knew that the blessing was on him, no matter what, even in a pre-nup or pre-nope, it didn't move him. In Genesis 30:30, Jacob says, 'What you had was little before I came, and it is now increased into a multitude; the Lord has blessed you since my coming'. Jacob was blessed and had the blessing on him, he brought the blessing everywhere he went. Maybe you've had a 'pre-nope' in your life. Maybe you've been cheated or lied to, or an agreement that you made with someone was broken, you trusted someone and it went bad. The good news is, when the blessing is on you, like it was Jacob, and like it is for all believers who are in covenant with God, you can always start over. God is the One who gives us the power to get wealth (Deut 8:18). He didn't say that He gives us wealth, He gives us the power to get wealth. In God, whatever has been stolen from you will be restored to you. Not only what was stolen but more besides. You are blessed, you are Abraham's seed, just like Jacob, through Jesus Christ. http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=40584 40584 Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Hebrews 11:1 - 'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen' Many years ago, a friend of mine took me to the Empire State Building. For $16 we could take a 30 minute virtual tour of 30 New York City landmarks, called the New York Skyride. It's advertised as 'a perfect way to see the city without having to travel farther than the second floor'. Using virtual reality technology, the simulation experience allows visitors to fly over the city while seated in a specialized seat. This tour, narrated by actor Kevin Bacon takes you to Yankee Stadium, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and even a major detour through the New York City subway system. It's so amazing and so real, it's like you are actually there. Time for a reality check! The word reality means fixed, permanent, or immovable, not artificial, not fraudulent or an illusion. The word real means genuine, occurring or existing in actuality. In Hebrews 11:1, says that 'faith is the substance of things hoped for', very interesting. The word substance in the Greek is hupostasis, which means support, groundwork, confidence, and...reality. Interesting because the definition of faith is simply believing and speaking the word of God. Romans 10:17 says 'faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God'. If you put the two verses together, if you are a Christian, you can say that the word of God is your reality. For example, the word of God is more real than the bill sitting on your kitchen table, more real than the test results from the lab. What's written in the Bible is more real to you than anything else in life. As the old song goes, 'Whose report will you believe? I will believe the report of the Lord'. Hebrews 11:1 also says, 'things hoped for'. Hope is a positive imagination and expectation of good. It's able to paint a picture of success on the inside of you, with the word of God as your paintbrush and paint. The substance of 'things hoped for' or things that are imagined positively in line with the word of God, hallelujah! You can see yourself healed before you experience healing. You can see yourself with a six month's salary in the bank, while you still have debt or you are barely making it. Why? Because faith is your reality. You can see your loved one home and restored when they are still out in the world. You can see your family saved when they are running from God. The word of God is more real than what you see. We don't deny what we see, we simply choose to believe what the word of God has to say as reality. Why? Because it is. It is more real than what we see. It's time for a reality check...let's get real! Hebrews 11:1 - 'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen' Many years ago, a friend of mine took me to the Empire State Building. For $16 we could take a 30 minute virtual tour of 30 New York City landmarks, called the New York Skyride. It's advertised as 'a perfect way to see the city without having to travel farther than the second floor'. Using virtual reality technology, the simulation experience allows visitors to fly over the city while seated in a specialized seat. This tour, narrated by actor Kevin Bacon takes you to Yankee Stadium, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and even a major detour through the New York City subway system. It's so amazing and so real, it's like you are actually there. Time for a reality check! The word reality means fixed, permanent, or immovable, not artificial, not fraudulent or an illusion. The word real means genuine, occurring or existing in actuality. In Hebrews 11:1, says that 'faith is the substance of things hoped for', very interesting. The word substance in the Greek is hupostasis, which means support, groundwork, confidence, and...reality. Interesting because the definition of faith is simply believing and speaking the word of God. Romans 10:17 says 'faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God'. If you put the two verses together, if you are a Christian, you can say that the word of God is your reality. For example, the word of God is more real than the bill sitting on your kitchen table, more real than the test results from the lab. What's written in the Bible is more real to you than anything else in life. As the old song goes, 'Whose report will you believe? I will believe the report of the Lord'. Hebrews 11:1 also says, 'things hoped for'. Hope is a positive imagination and expectation of good. It's able to paint a picture of success on the inside of you, with the word of God as your paintbrush and paint. The substance of 'things hoped for' or things that are imagined positively in line with the word of God, hallelujah! You can see yourself healed before you experience healing. You can see yourself with a six month's salary in the bank, while you still have debt or you are barely making it. Why? Because faith is your reality. You can see your loved one home and restored when they are still out in the world. You can see your family saved when they are running from God. The word of God is more real than what you see. We don't deny what we see, we simply choose to believe what the word of God has to say as reality. Why? Because it is. It is more real than what we see. It's time for a reality check...let's get real! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=40585 40585 Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 2 Corinthians 2:14 - 'Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place.' The 1972 season Miami Dolphins football team remains the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. Think about it, they were undefeated and untied for an entire season, from the opening game all the way to the Super Bowl. Every year when a prospective team gets close to being undefeated, then loses a game, players from the 1972 Dolphins team get together to celebrate once again the amazing season that they had, which has yet to be beat. As a born again, Spirit filled believer, YOU are amazing, winning is in your DNA, it's who you are. The victory has already been given to you, you need to just take it, it's that easy. How? Every day, declare out of your mouth, 'Today, I take the victory that Jesus already won for me on the cross, I am a winner in Christ'. In 2 Corinthians 2:14, it starts with 'Now', that means today, it's present tense, not 'soon' or 'next year' or 'when you get your act together', it says right NOW. Then it says that God is causing you to win, to come out on top in the end. Whatever it is that you are experiencing right now, you are going to win, you will be 'undefeated', praise God! You might be in the 'fourth quarter', but when we look at the 'scoreboard', which is in the Word of God, you win, hallelujah! It goes on to say 'always', or at all times, or forever, or all the time, which means that you are always a winner, not sometimes, but all the time. You might be going through a tough time right now, but I'm telling you, the clock has not run out yet, God is committed to your victory in every area of your life. He says in this verse that He is going to cause it, He is saying that He is going to get involved and make you undefeated. This good news is for every believer, everyone in Christ. There is a savor on believers, you can 'smell' victorious people in Christ, they wear a certain fragrance, it's the knowledge of God, it's His Word. I don't know about you, but I'm putting on 2 Corinthians 2:14 cologne every day! He finishes with saying that this savor is in every place, wherever we go, whatever we are involved in, there is victory. It's the favor of God on our lives. We are undefeated, victorious, winners. 2013 is the Year of His Goodness, your best year ever! 2 Corinthians 2:14 - 'Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place.' The 1972 season Miami Dolphins football team remains the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. Think about it, they were undefeated and untied for an entire season, from the opening game all the way to the Super Bowl. Every year when a prospective team gets close to being undefeated, then loses a game, players from the 1972 Dolphins team get together to celebrate once again the amazing season that they had, which has yet to be beat. As a born again, Spirit filled believer, YOU are amazing, winning is in your DNA, it's who you are. The victory has already been given to you, you need to just take it, it's that easy. How? Every day, declare out of your mouth, 'Today, I take the victory that Jesus already won for me on the cross, I am a winner in Christ'. In 2 Corinthians 2:14, it starts with 'Now', that means today, it's present tense, not 'soon' or 'next year' or 'when you get your act together', it says right NOW. Then it says that God is causing you to win, to come out on top in the end. Whatever it is that you are experiencing right now, you are going to win, you will be 'undefeated', praise God! You might be in the 'fourth quarter', but when we look at the 'scoreboard', which is in the Word of God, you win, hallelujah! It goes on to say 'always', or at all times, or forever, or all the time, which means that you are always a winner, not sometimes, but all the time. You might be going through a tough time right now, but I'm telling you, the clock has not run out yet, God is committed to your victory in every area of your life. He says in this verse that He is going to cause it, He is saying that He is going to get involved and make you undefeated. This good news is for every believer, everyone in Christ. There is a savor on believers, you can 'smell' victorious people in Christ, they wear a certain fragrance, it's the knowledge of God, it's His Word. I don't know about you, but I'm putting on 2 Corinthians 2:14 cologne every day! He finishes with saying that this savor is in every place, wherever we go, whatever we are involved in, there is victory. It's the favor of God on our lives. We are undefeated, victorious, winners. 2013 is the Year of His Goodness, your best year ever! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=40509 40509 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Ephesians 3:12 – 'In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.' Remember years ago when you would check into a hotel and they would give you an actual key to your room, not a card, but a real key? I guess it was too costly to replace all the lost keys that they modernized with the scanners that read the key card instead of having a keyhole. Because I travel a lot for work, I can't tell you how wonderful it is to arrive at my room after a long day, scan my key card and see that little green light go on, turn the handle and I'm in! One time I was really tired and I scanned my card and…no green light, instead it was red which means no access. I tried it again, slower, faster, backwards, and any other way I could think of, but to no avail. I had to carry my bag back down to the lobby and have them reprogram my card so that I could have access to my room. In Ephesians 3:12 it says something extremely powerful. It says, in Christ, we have boldness and access with confidence! Wow! The word 'access' means the ability to enter, or approach; to communicate with a person, freedom or ability to obtain unto, make use of something. Praise God, the 'green light' is always on when it comes to accessing the promises of God (verse 6) and making use of the 'unsearchable riches of Christ' (verse 8). Notice it says 'we have access', this isn't something that is going to happen, it has already happened, Jesus done did it! We don't have to go through any steps to get there, we NOW have access. With access comes boldness and confidence that everything that Jesus died for is ours, it belongs to us, we have authority, we have healing, we have provision, we have peace… I call this 'the power of have', that's present tense, it's today, it's right now. In Ephesians 2:13 it says that '…now in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Jesus'. Payment has been made, you're near, you're in, you've got it. Paul is speaking about the temple and its various compartments. In verse 11, it says that the Gentiles were called the Uncircumcision, and therefore limited to the outer court, whereas the Jews were permitted in the inner court, and only the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies one time a year to atone for sins. According to this set up, as Gentiles, we were 'far off', we had no access to the inner court or the Holy of Holies, we were 'aliens and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in this world'. But in verse 14 it says that the middle wall of partition was broken down, now everyone has access. Romans 5:2 says, 'By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.' We're not going in and out of grace, we are permanently there, in the grace and favor of God. Hallelujah! You have your 'keys' and the 'green light' is on, all you have to do is say, 'I have it, I take it!' Enjoy your access today! Ephesians 3:12 – 'In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.' Remember years ago when you would check into a hotel and they would give you an actual key to your room, not a card, but a real key? I guess it was too costly to replace all the lost keys that they modernized with the scanners that read the key card instead of having a keyhole. Because I travel a lot for work, I can't tell you how wonderful it is to arrive at my room after a long day, scan my key card and see that little green light go on, turn the handle and I'm in! One time I was really tired and I scanned my card and…no green light, instead it was red which means no access. I tried it again, slower, faster, backwards, and any other way I could think of, but to no avail. I had to carry my bag back down to the lobby and have them reprogram my card so that I could have access to my room. In Ephesians 3:12 it says something extremely powerful. It says, in Christ, we have boldness and access with confidence! Wow! The word 'access' means the ability to enter, or approach; to communicate with a person, freedom or ability to obtain unto, make use of something. Praise God, the 'green light' is always on when it comes to accessing the promises of God (verse 6) and making use of the 'unsearchable riches of Christ' (verse 8). Notice it says 'we have access', this isn't something that is going to happen, it has already happened, Jesus done did it! We don't have to go through any steps to get there, we NOW have access. With access comes boldness and confidence that everything that Jesus died for is ours, it belongs to us, we have authority, we have healing, we have provision, we have peace… I call this 'the power of have', that's present tense, it's today, it's right now. In Ephesians 2:13 it says that '…now in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Jesus'. Payment has been made, you're near, you're in, you've got it. Paul is speaking about the temple and its various compartments. In verse 11, it says that the Gentiles were called the Uncircumcision, and therefore limited to the outer court, whereas the Jews were permitted in the inner court, and only the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies one time a year to atone for sins. According to this set up, as Gentiles, we were 'far off', we had no access to the inner court or the Holy of Holies, we were 'aliens and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in this world'. But in verse 14 it says that the middle wall of partition was broken down, now everyone has access. Romans 5:2 says, 'By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.' We're not going in and out of grace, we are permanently there, in the grace and favor of God. Hallelujah! You have your 'keys' and the 'green light' is on, all you have to do is say, 'I have it, I take it!' Enjoy your access today! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=40277 40277 Wed, 6 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000 Romans 12:2 (Amplified Bible) - 'Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs] but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude].' Certain times of the year, especially around the holidays, and after some beer and alcohol commercials you hear the phrase 'Drink Responsibly' or 'Don't Drink and Drive', in an effort to convince people to stay off the road when drinking. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard lately about car accidents caused by drunk drivers, it's so selfish and beyond dangerous. My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones, like the football player of the Dallas Cowboys who was in a car driven by a friend who had a blood alcohol level double the legal limit. More important is to 'Think Responsibly', which I believe is the most important principle of our lives. Why? Proverbs 23:7 tells us that our whole life, and how we perceive other people and ourselves, is summed up in 'As a man thinks in his heart, so is he'. Your life is a product of your thinking. Just like an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol, the 'negaholic' is addicted to negative thinking. To be negative is to have a way of thinking that lacks positive qualities. Positive thinking is a principle of the Word of God, not a positive humanistic exercise. It's thinking the best, the Word, in negative situations, it's a confident expectation of good. 'Negaholism' is something that can only be combated with one thing, the Word of God. We must be in a constant, and I repeat, constant state of renewing our minds. Here are four types of negaholics: Attitudinal Negaholics: they are successful people who are driven. On the outside, they appear to have it all together, but inside they are tormented and obsessed with wanting more and more, nothing is ever good enough. Verbal Negaholics: they are hopeless, helpless and unable to change their negative statements about themselves, others, situations, and just about everything. They don't have the slightest idea they are being negative. They are constant complainers, they herald disaster, gloom and doom. Behavioral Negaholics: they try so hard that you don't want to fault them, but self-sabotage is written all over them. They are unable to break negative patterns, they procrastinate, they never measure up, they act out through smoking, overeating, excessive drinking, gambling, over-exercising, over-working. The Perfectionist: they have high and unreasonable standards, anything short of perfection is unacceptable. The up side to their work is that you will always get outstanding products and services from them, but the down side is that if you work for them and don't measure up, you will get the ax. They are almost impossible to please. In 2013, let's make a commitment to be transformed in our minds by the Word of God. Let's get rid of any negative thinking patterns and replace them with positive expectations of good, which is the Word of God. 2013 is the best year of your life! Romans 12:2 (Amplified Bible) - 'Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs] but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude].' Certain times of the year, especially around the holidays, and after some beer and alcohol commercials you hear the phrase 'Drink Responsibly' or 'Don't Drink and Drive', in an effort to convince people to stay off the road when drinking. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard lately about car accidents caused by drunk drivers, it's so selfish and beyond dangerous. My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones, like the football player of the Dallas Cowboys who was in a car driven by a friend who had a blood alcohol level double the legal limit. More important is to 'Think Responsibly', which I believe is the most important principle of our lives. Why? Proverbs 23:7 tells us that our whole life, and how we perceive other people and ourselves, is summed up in 'As a man thinks in his heart, so is he'. Your life is a product of your thinking. Just like an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol, the 'negaholic' is addicted to negative thinking. To be negative is to have a way of thinking that lacks positive qualities. Positive thinking is a principle of the Word of God, not a positive humanistic exercise. It's thinking the best, the Word, in negative situations, it's a confident expectation of good. 'Negaholism' is something that can only be combated with one thing, the Word of God. We must be in a constant, and I repeat, constant state of renewing our minds. Here are four types of negaholics: Attitudinal Negaholics: they are successful people who are driven. On the outside, they appear to have it all together, but inside they are tormented and obsessed with wanting more and more, nothing is ever good enough. Verbal Negaholics: they are hopeless, helpless and unable to change their negative statements about themselves, others, situations, and just about everything. They don't have the slightest idea they are being negative. They are constant complainers, they herald disaster, gloom and doom. Behavioral Negaholics: they try so hard that you don't want to fault them, but self-sabotage is written all over them. They are unable to break negative patterns, they procrastinate, they never measure up, they act out through smoking, overeating, excessive drinking, gambling, over-exercising, over-working. The Perfectionist: they have high and unreasonable standards, anything short of perfection is unacceptable. The up side to their work is that you will always get outstanding products and services from them, but the down side is that if you work for them and don't measure up, you will get the ax. They are almost impossible to please. In 2013, let's make a commitment to be transformed in our minds by the Word of God. Let's get rid of any negative thinking patterns and replace them with positive expectations of good, which is the Word of God. 2013 is the best year of your life! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=39677 39677 Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Proverbs 19:22 - 'Kindness makes a man attractive.' It's Valentine's Day! Love is in the air! Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet 43 begins 'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...'. Well, what I found out recently is the things us men count as important sometimes aren't as important as we think. It's the big AND little things that mean a lot to women. Here's what happen. My wife, Natalie, came home from her monthly Moms in Prayer meeting a few weeks ago and the first thing she said when she walked in the door was, 'Guess what Charlie did?' Charlie is the husband of the woman who hosted prayer at their home that night. She said that it had started to snow when they arrived for prayer and was accumulating pretty quick. she went on to gush about while the ladies were praying, Charlie went out and brushed the snow off all the women's car windows. When they walked out to leave, what a surprise it was not to have to do this themselves. They were amazed! I had to hear about this all over again as my wife shared it with another woman at a high school basketball game my daughter was cheering at a few nights later. Then SHE began to gush about how kind that was, and how wonderful that was of Charlie. So, what's important? What does a woman want? Thoughtfulness, putting the other person first, simple acts of kindness. Like the scripture says, 'Kindness makes a man attractive'. I'm not quite there yet, but my wife says I've come a long way! I once heard a minister share how he and his wife were out window shopping and she commented on a sweater at a particular store that she would like. He immediately made a mental note that he would get that sweater for her for Valentine's Day, which he did, much to her surprise. It meant so much to her that he was listening to things she said with the intention of looking for ways to bless her. Good idea! So men (I say men because women seem to be born with this gift of kindness), do you want your wife or fiancé or girlfriend to think you are attractive and more handsome than ever? Be thoughtful, speak kindly, do kind things, think kind things about them. And all the women said...AMEN! Charlie, you are way out ahead of us, thanks for setting the bar. I'm sure the women are still talking about it. Got any ideas for Mother's Day? Kindness makes a man attractive, such a simple thing, but so important. Proverbs 19:22 - 'Kindness makes a man attractive.' It's Valentine's Day! Love is in the air! Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet 43 begins 'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...'. Well, what I found out recently is the things us men count as important sometimes aren't as important as we think. It's the big AND little things that mean a lot to women. Here's what happen. My wife, Natalie, came home from her monthly Moms in Prayer meeting a few weeks ago and the first thing she said when she walked in the door was, 'Guess what Charlie did?' Charlie is the husband of the woman who hosted prayer at their home that night. She said that it had started to snow when they arrived for prayer and was accumulating pretty quick. she went on to gush about while the ladies were praying, Charlie went out and brushed the snow off all the women's car windows. When they walked out to leave, what a surprise it was not to have to do this themselves. They were amazed! I had to hear about this all over again as my wife shared it with another woman at a high school basketball game my daughter was cheering at a few nights later. Then SHE began to gush about how kind that was, and how wonderful that was of Charlie. So, what's important? What does a woman want? Thoughtfulness, putting the other person first, simple acts of kindness. Like the scripture says, 'Kindness makes a man attractive'. I'm not quite there yet, but my wife says I've come a long way! I once heard a minister share how he and his wife were out window shopping and she commented on a sweater at a particular store that she would like. He immediately made a mental note that he would get that sweater for her for Valentine's Day, which he did, much to her surprise. It meant so much to her that he was listening to things she said with the intention of looking for ways to bless her. Good idea! So men (I say men because women seem to be born with this gift of kindness), do you want your wife or fiancé or girlfriend to think you are attractive and more handsome than ever? Be thoughtful, speak kindly, do kind things, think kind things about them. And all the women said...AMEN! Charlie, you are way out ahead of us, thanks for setting the bar. I'm sure the women are still talking about it. Got any ideas for Mother's Day? Kindness makes a man attractive, such a simple thing, but so important. http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=39948 39948 Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:00:00 +0000 Romans 2:4 – '…it's the goodness of God that leads you to repentance'. For so long, Satan has trapped people into a sin consciousness, always thinking about what's 'wrong', a performance based system of measuring our worth, accusing us of every little thing. That's a lousy way to live, but so clever on his part. Why? He knows if he can overload our thoughts with lots of 'wrong' and condemnation, it will be harder for us to recognize and accept when God wants to bring sin to our attention. When God shows us the error of our ways, it's totally the opposite of the way Satan does. Satan pounds us, but God is good, He speaks to us and guides us and leads us into repentance. It's a still, small voice, like an 'error message' that pops up on your computer or phone or TV. According to Wikipedia, Error Messages are 'used when intervention is required, or to indicate that a desired operation has failed, or to relay important warnings'. Whatever you do, don't ignore or resist an 'error message' from God! It's a good thing! Hebrews 12:6 says that the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, as a loving father with his child. Allow yourself to be corrected, quickly. I know it's not easy, 'for the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful' (verse 11), but 'afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it'. Better yet, when temptation to sin comes, don't give in. Genesis 4:7 says, 'Sin is crouching at your door, its desire is for you, but you must master it'. How? 1 Cor. 10:13 says, 'God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.' Side note: temptation to sin is not sin. It's when we give in to temptation that we actually sin. Jesus was tempted in all ways but without sin. Get rid of that sin consciousness, and quickly respond to the Error Messages that GOD sends, because He loves you and wants the best for you. When you sense that something is not right, make this your prayer, 'Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting' (Psalm 139:23-24). Be totally vulnerable with God, really get to know Him, enjoy your relationship with Him, you can trust Him with your heart. Romans 2:4 – '…it's the goodness of God that leads you to repentance'. For so long, Satan has trapped people into a sin consciousness, always thinking about what's 'wrong', a performance based system of measuring our worth, accusing us of every little thing. That's a lousy way to live, but so clever on his part. Why? He knows if he can overload our thoughts with lots of 'wrong' and condemnation, it will be harder for us to recognize and accept when God wants to bring sin to our attention. When God shows us the error of our ways, it's totally the opposite of the way Satan does. Satan pounds us, but God is good, He speaks to us and guides us and leads us into repentance. It's a still, small voice, like an 'error message' that pops up on your computer or phone or TV. According to Wikipedia, Error Messages are 'used when intervention is required, or to indicate that a desired operation has failed, or to relay important warnings'. Whatever you do, don't ignore or resist an 'error message' from God! It's a good thing! Hebrews 12:6 says that the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, as a loving father with his child. Allow yourself to be corrected, quickly. I know it's not easy, 'for the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful' (verse 11), but 'afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it'. Better yet, when temptation to sin comes, don't give in. Genesis 4:7 says, 'Sin is crouching at your door, its desire is for you, but you must master it'. How? 1 Cor. 10:13 says, 'God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.' Side note: temptation to sin is not sin. It's when we give in to temptation that we actually sin. Jesus was tempted in all ways but without sin. Get rid of that sin consciousness, and quickly respond to the Error Messages that GOD sends, because He loves you and wants the best for you. When you sense that something is not right, make this your prayer, 'Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting' (Psalm 139:23-24). Be totally vulnerable with God, really get to know Him, enjoy your relationship with Him, you can trust Him with your heart. http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=39637 39637 Wed, 6 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Genesis 13:8 - 'And Abram said unto Lot, let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen, for we be brethren.' Message Translation: 'Abram said to Lot, 'Let's not have any fighting between us, between your shepherds and my shepherds, after all, we're family.' It's that time of year again, this weekend is the Superbowl! Last year was inspirational for me when my New York Giants, the Big Blue Wrecking Crew, came through with a great victory. But, new year, new teams...two really good teams, the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. The story-line this year is equally as compelling with Ray-Ray Lewis announcing his retirement just before the playoffs, and the two coaches, who happen to be brothers. With John Harbaugh of the Ravens, and his younger brother of 15 months, Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers, both extremely competitive, some are calling this the 'Bro-Bowl'. Their father, Jack Harbaugh, must be picturing the days when the boys shared a bedroom, many years ago, and said, 'When I leave this room, no fighting!' In Genesis 13, we have an account of Abram and his brother's son, Lot, who had so much wealth and resources between them, that their land couldn't hold both of them, now that's rich. With this problem came strife, or what I call a 'blessing blocker', it blocks the blessing from flowing in our lives. Strife is defined as a bitter, and sometimes violent conflict. James 3:16 says, 'Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work'. Philippians 2:3 says, 'Let nothing be done through strife...' Strife will not allow anything to work, if we want the blessing to flow, we must get strife out! Abram was smart, he knew nothing good could come with strife, so in Genesis 13:8 he said, 'Let there be no strife', you can pick what land you want and I'll go the other way. As we connect the dots to the rest of this account, we can see why in Genesis 24:1 that 'Abraham was old...and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things'. My Bible commentary says that Abraham was 140 years old, so the key word in that scripture is 'had' blessed Abraham, it HAD taken place. Blessed with what? Longevity, health, flocks, herds, silver, gold, menservants, maidservants, camels, asses (Genesis 24:35). Praise God! I believe Abraham's decision to get strife out had opened him up for the commanded blessing of God to flow. In fact, Genesis 13:14 says that after Lot was separated from him, now God was about to give him more land than he could have ever imagined. 'It's all relative'! Let's all get rid of sibling rivalry, jealousy, envy, fighting, strife, between husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, all family members, and watch the blessings flow. Genesis 13:8 - 'And Abram said unto Lot, let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen, for we be brethren.' Message Translation: 'Abram said to Lot, 'Let's not have any fighting between us, between your shepherds and my shepherds, after all, we're family.' It's that time of year again, this weekend is the Superbowl! Last year was inspirational for me when my New York Giants, the Big Blue Wrecking Crew, came through with a great victory. But, new year, new teams...two really good teams, the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. The story-line this year is equally as compelling with Ray-Ray Lewis announcing his retirement just before the playoffs, and the two coaches, who happen to be brothers. With John Harbaugh of the Ravens, and his younger brother of 15 months, Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers, both extremely competitive, some are calling this the 'Bro-Bowl'. Their father, Jack Harbaugh, must be picturing the days when the boys shared a bedroom, many years ago, and said, 'When I leave this room, no fighting!' In Genesis 13, we have an account of Abram and his brother's son, Lot, who had so much wealth and resources between them, that their land couldn't hold both of them, now that's rich. With this problem came strife, or what I call a 'blessing blocker', it blocks the blessing from flowing in our lives. Strife is defined as a bitter, and sometimes violent conflict. James 3:16 says, 'Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work'. Philippians 2:3 says, 'Let nothing be done through strife...' Strife will not allow anything to work, if we want the blessing to flow, we must get strife out! Abram was smart, he knew nothing good could come with strife, so in Genesis 13:8 he said, 'Let there be no strife', you can pick what land you want and I'll go the other way. As we connect the dots to the rest of this account, we can see why in Genesis 24:1 that 'Abraham was old...and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things'. My Bible commentary says that Abraham was 140 years old, so the key word in that scripture is 'had' blessed Abraham, it HAD taken place. Blessed with what? Longevity, health, flocks, herds, silver, gold, menservants, maidservants, camels, asses (Genesis 24:35). Praise God! I believe Abraham's decision to get strife out had opened him up for the commanded blessing of God to flow. In fact, Genesis 13:14 says that after Lot was separated from him, now God was about to give him more land than he could have ever imagined. 'It's all relative'! Let's all get rid of sibling rivalry, jealousy, envy, fighting, strife, between husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, all family members, and watch the blessings flow. http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=39636 39636 Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Galatians 5:22 (The Living Bible) 'But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.' As the New Year begins, so does the tradition of making New Year resolutions. Unfortunately, it's estimated that only 3% of the people that make New Year resolutions actually stick to them. As we all know, weight loss is one of the more popular resolutions, hence all the fitness club memberships, products, and gadgets advertised every January. You'll love this one…you've heard of the 'smart phone', well now there is the world's first 'smart fork'. This electric gizmo is called a Hapifork, which begins to vibrate when bites are eaten in less than eight to 10 seconds, along with a flashing light. Experts say the faster you eat, the more you eat, so this fork is designed to slow you down! Amazing, a fork talking to you and telling you the right thing to do. In Galatians 5:22-25, God shows how to live a Spirit lead, powerful, supernatural life. When we are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, everything we need is already on the inside of us. Regarding eating habits, unknowingly, some have prayed for self control, even though self control is already on the inside of them, along with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness. It's when we allow ourselves to be controlled by the Spirit we have all the self control that we will ever need and plenty to give away. Zechariah 4:6 says, 'It's not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord'. Will power and positive thinking can only take us to a certain level, but through the power of the Holy Spirit we can overcome in every area of life. In 1 John 4:17, it says 'As He is [present tense], so are 'we' in this world.' When are we like Him? Now. Where are we like Him? In our spirit, our spirit is perfect. So self control is already inside of us, we simply tap into that reservoir, that place where everything is kept in store and waiting for me. In this case, it's the fullness of the godhead dwelling in me (Col. 2:10). It's God. It's the Holy Spirit. It's Christ in me, the hope of glory, the anointed One, and His anointing. I am anointed with self control in my eating habits and every area of my life. We just need to draw it out, as in Isaiah 12:3, 'with joy we draw water out of wells of salvation', glory to God! Start thanking God for already giving you everything you will ever need, acknowledge Him as your Source for everything. So, if you are looking to succeed in your New Year resolutions – specifically to lose weight – remember 'the weight is over'. He has already given you ALL things pertaining to this life and godliness! Galatians 5:22 (The Living Bible) 'But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.' As the New Year begins, so does the tradition of making New Year resolutions. Unfortunately, it's estimated that only 3% of the people that make New Year resolutions actually stick to them. As we all know, weight loss is one of the more popular resolutions, hence all the fitness club memberships, products, and gadgets advertised every January. You'll love this one…you've heard of the 'smart phone', well now there is the world's first 'smart fork'. This electric gizmo is called a Hapifork, which begins to vibrate when bites are eaten in less than eight to 10 seconds, along with a flashing light. Experts say the faster you eat, the more you eat, so this fork is designed to slow you down! Amazing, a fork talking to you and telling you the right thing to do. In Galatians 5:22-25, God shows how to live a Spirit lead, powerful, supernatural life. When we are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, everything we need is already on the inside of us. Regarding eating habits, unknowingly, some have prayed for self control, even though self control is already on the inside of them, along with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness. It's when we allow ourselves to be controlled by the Spirit we have all the self control that we will ever need and plenty to give away. Zechariah 4:6 says, 'It's not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord'. Will power and positive thinking can only take us to a certain level, but through the power of the Holy Spirit we can overcome in every area of life. In 1 John 4:17, it says 'As He is [present tense], so are 'we' in this world.' When are we like Him? Now. Where are we like Him? In our spirit, our spirit is perfect. So self control is already inside of us, we simply tap into that reservoir, that place where everything is kept in store and waiting for me. In this case, it's the fullness of the godhead dwelling in me (Col. 2:10). It's God. It's the Holy Spirit. It's Christ in me, the hope of glory, the anointed One, and His anointing. I am anointed with self control in my eating habits and every area of my life. We just need to draw it out, as in Isaiah 12:3, 'with joy we draw water out of wells of salvation', glory to God! Start thanking God for already giving you everything you will ever need, acknowledge Him as your Source for everything. So, if you are looking to succeed in your New Year resolutions – specifically to lose weight – remember 'the weight is over'. He has already given you ALL things pertaining to this life and godliness! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=39312 39312 Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 2 Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified Bible) – 'And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His {very own} image in ever increasing splendor {and} from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.' When I came home from work a couple of weeks ago, it was THE day, the tradition was in full swing, it was 'The Making of Christmas Cookies'! All the ingredients, the sprinkles, the red and green sugar, the rolling pin, the Christmas cookie cutters, the mess, the flour was all over the counters. Of course, our dog Benny was close by too, waiting for something, anything to drop. One of my favorite things about this tradition, besides the great aroma of sugar cookies in my house, is the icing on the cookies. I enjoy watching (notice I said watching, then eating, one at a time!) them ice the cookies. Joy's two friends joined her this time and they were so artistic about the icing and decorations, unlike Joy and Natalie who simply smeared the icing and dunked them in the toppings. You must agree with me that icing on anything is the best part, it makes it more special. It's something that you put on something good to make it better. I believe that's what the God kind of life is, the life that God sets before us. Like the lyrics we sing to the song by Lakewood Church, Sweeter, that says that 'Every day with You Lord, is sweeter than the day before'. In other words, the God kind of life gets better and better every day and every year. Do we have challenges? Yes, of course. Does it sometimes look like there's a set back? Sure, but it's really only a 'set up' for God to move on our behalf! Living the good life means that God can and will take something good and make it even better…from good to better to best. Just like Christmas cookies, it may look like a bunch of sugar and flour and sprinkles in a mess, but eventually it all becomes something so good. Eventually the icing goes on! If things have been bad, and for some it has, the 'icing' is going to make it good, and if it's been good, you're about to find your way to better, then best. 2 Corinthians 3:18 describes your Bible as a mirror. I call it a supernatural mirror, because when you look into it, you see who you really are. You see a completely healthy body, you see a 100-fold return in times of recession in a Babylonian system, you see a loving and fulfilling marriage, kids that are sold out to God, your neighbors receiving salvation, and so much more. Whatever you need or whatever you want, it's in there. It says, 'from one degree of glory to another'. You could say that in 2013, 'God is taking me from glory to glory!' I believe 2013 is going to be the best year ever. God is smearing the 'icing' on all the different areas of your life. He is taking the bad and making it good, He is taking the good and making it even better. I believe you are going to increase in every area of your life, that health is springing forth speedily, that your relationships will be stronger than ever, that walls of containment and limitations are coming down. In 2013… Look into the Word as a mirror and what it says about you. Start to see yourself successful in every area of your life. Start talking like it, words are seeds that produce. Plant seeds and invest in others, you are blessed to be a blessing. 2013 is going to be your best year ever…it's icing on the cake! 2 Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified Bible) – 'And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His {very own} image in ever increasing splendor {and} from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.' When I came home from work a couple of weeks ago, it was THE day, the tradition was in full swing, it was 'The Making of Christmas Cookies'! All the ingredients, the sprinkles, the red and green sugar, the rolling pin, the Christmas cookie cutters, the mess, the flour was all over the counters. Of course, our dog Benny was close by too, waiting for something, anything to drop. One of my favorite things about this tradition, besides the great aroma of sugar cookies in my house, is the icing on the cookies. I enjoy watching (notice I said watching, then eating, one at a time!) them ice the cookies. Joy's two friends joined her this time and they were so artistic about the icing and decorations, unlike Joy and Natalie who simply smeared the icing and dunked them in the toppings. You must agree with me that icing on anything is the best part, it makes it more special. It's something that you put on something good to make it better. I believe that's what the God kind of life is, the life that God sets before us. Like the lyrics we sing to the song by Lakewood Church, Sweeter, that says that 'Every day with You Lord, is sweeter than the day before'. In other words, the God kind of life gets better and better every day and every year. Do we have challenges? Yes, of course. Does it sometimes look like there's a set back? Sure, but it's really only a 'set up' for God to move on our behalf! Living the good life means that God can and will take something good and make it even better…from good to better to best. Just like Christmas cookies, it may look like a bunch of sugar and flour and sprinkles in a mess, but eventually it all becomes something so good. Eventually the icing goes on! If things have been bad, and for some it has, the 'icing' is going to make it good, and if it's been good, you're about to find your way to better, then best. 2 Corinthians 3:18 describes your Bible as a mirror. I call it a supernatural mirror, because when you look into it, you see who you really are. You see a completely healthy body, you see a 100-fold return in times of recession in a Babylonian system, you see a loving and fulfilling marriage, kids that are sold out to God, your neighbors receiving salvation, and so much more. Whatever you need or whatever you want, it's in there. It says, 'from one degree of glory to another'. You could say that in 2013, 'God is taking me from glory to glory!' I believe 2013 is going to be the best year ever. God is smearing the 'icing' on all the different areas of your life. He is taking the bad and making it good, He is taking the good and making it even better. I believe you are going to increase in every area of your life, that health is springing forth speedily, that your relationships will be stronger than ever, that walls of containment and limitations are coming down. In 2013… Look into the Word as a mirror and what it says about you. Start to see yourself successful in every area of your life. Start talking like it, words are seeds that produce. Plant seeds and invest in others, you are blessed to be a blessing. 2013 is going to be your best year ever…it's icing on the cake! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=39313 39313 Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Psalm 24:7 'Lift up your heads…that the King of glory may come in.' David wrote in Psalm 40:12, 'For innumerable evils have compassed me about; my iniquities have taken such hold on me that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me {and} forsaken me.' When trouble comes or when we bring trouble on ourselves like David did, our head sometimes slowly begins to hang with every thought of condemnation, fear, anxiety and dread. When your head is down, your eyes are looking down…on your problems and yourself. We cannot go through life looking down, thinking about our problems, dwelling on how bad things are, reliving every negative thing that has happened, and expect to have God's best. If you want God, the King of glory to come in and show you His favor, you've got to lift up your head. That's where your help comes from. How? Ask God to help you. Say what Psalm 3:3 says, 'But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.' Ask God to lift Your head. Ask Him to help you see what He sees. When thoughts come that try to get you to 'look' at the doctor report, the overdue bill, the news, the letter from the lawyer, people's judgmental or intimidating faces, what is 'wrong' in your life, lift up your head, let the King of glory in. When situations come that try to get you to 'look' at them and turn away from God, don't do it, keep your eyes fixed on Him. When you've really messed up, sinned, or made an awful mistake, don't look down in shame, look up to God, your Deliverer, Redeemer and the Lover of your soul. The Psalmist in 121:1-2 said 'I don't look to the mountains for help, I look to the One Who made the mountains'. Get a vision from God for your future, see yourself through His eyes fulfilling the amazing plan He has for you. Heads up everyone! Psalm 24:7 'Lift up your heads…that the King of glory may come in.' David wrote in Psalm 40:12, 'For innumerable evils have compassed me about; my iniquities have taken such hold on me that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me {and} forsaken me.' When trouble comes or when we bring trouble on ourselves like David did, our head sometimes slowly begins to hang with every thought of condemnation, fear, anxiety and dread. When your head is down, your eyes are looking down…on your problems and yourself. We cannot go through life looking down, thinking about our problems, dwelling on how bad things are, reliving every negative thing that has happened, and expect to have God's best. If you want God, the King of glory to come in and show you His favor, you've got to lift up your head. That's where your help comes from. How? Ask God to help you. Say what Psalm 3:3 says, 'But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.' Ask God to lift Your head. Ask Him to help you see what He sees. When thoughts come that try to get you to 'look' at the doctor report, the overdue bill, the news, the letter from the lawyer, people's judgmental or intimidating faces, what is 'wrong' in your life, lift up your head, let the King of glory in. When situations come that try to get you to 'look' at them and turn away from God, don't do it, keep your eyes fixed on Him. When you've really messed up, sinned, or made an awful mistake, don't look down in shame, look up to God, your Deliverer, Redeemer and the Lover of your soul. The Psalmist in 121:1-2 said 'I don't look to the mountains for help, I look to the One Who made the mountains'. Get a vision from God for your future, see yourself through His eyes fulfilling the amazing plan He has for you. Heads up everyone! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=38994 38994 Wed, 9 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Exodus 14:15 'And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:' Forward: to or toward what is ahead or in front, progress, relating to, or getting ready for the future. In the above verse, God was speaking to Moses, His commander in chief on the earth and He says, 'Why are you crying to me?', I have already told you to go forward! In verses 10-12, the children of Israel began to complain because they were uncomfortable. Their minds even conjured up stories of their fondness for Egypt, challenging Moses and asking him, 'Why did you bring us here? We want to go back to Egypt, back to the way it was!' The devil is real good at making the things that you couldn't wait to get out of, something that you want to go back to, when you face challenging times. I believe that the word forward is a word for 2013. It's time to advance, it's time to take ground, it's time for progress, it's time to go forward. I always say, 'That's why God made the windshield of the car bigger than the rearview mirror, because He's more interested in you moving forward!' Sometimes we can get stuck in a certain place, sometimes for weeks, or sometimes for even years. Because the misery of the known can seem safer than the need to trust in the unknown. I'm sure when Peter stepped out of that ship to walk on the water, it was a 'forward' moment in his life. He wasn't just walking on water, he was walking on the water to go to Jesus, he was going someplace, he was going to Jesus. That's the perfect will and purpose for every person, to go to Jesus . He is the only One who has the fulfillment and contentment we desire in life. Things don't, hobbies don't, even other people can't fulfill us. Don't get me wrong, those things are good, but if you want meaning in your life, you've got to get out of the 'ship' and 'walk on the water', walk on the Word. What word? The word 'come'. That's what Jesus is saying for 2013, 'Come, I have new things for you, I have a destiny and a plan waiting for you, come to Me'. Lastly, back to Exodus 14, verse 13…'the enemies that you have seen today, you will see them no more', and then He says, 'forever'. Verse 14, 'the Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace', nothing missing, nothing lacking! It's time to move forward! Exodus 14:15 'And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:' Forward: to or toward what is ahead or in front, progress, relating to, or getting ready for the future. In the above verse, God was speaking to Moses, His commander in chief on the earth and He says, 'Why are you crying to me?', I have already told you to go forward! In verses 10-12, the children of Israel began to complain because they were uncomfortable. Their minds even conjured up stories of their fondness for Egypt, challenging Moses and asking him, 'Why did you bring us here? We want to go back to Egypt, back to the way it was!' The devil is real good at making the things that you couldn't wait to get out of, something that you want to go back to, when you face challenging times. I believe that the word forward is a word for 2013. It's time to advance, it's time to take ground, it's time for progress, it's time to go forward. I always say, 'That's why God made the windshield of the car bigger than the rearview mirror, because He's more interested in you moving forward!' Sometimes we can get stuck in a certain place, sometimes for weeks, or sometimes for even years. Because the misery of the known can seem safer than the need to trust in the unknown. I'm sure when Peter stepped out of that ship to walk on the water, it was a 'forward' moment in his life. He wasn't just walking on water, he was walking on the water to go to Jesus, he was going someplace, he was going to Jesus. That's the perfect will and purpose for every person, to go to Jesus . He is the only One who has the fulfillment and contentment we desire in life. Things don't, hobbies don't, even other people can't fulfill us. Don't get me wrong, those things are good, but if you want meaning in your life, you've got to get out of the 'ship' and 'walk on the water', walk on the Word. What word? The word 'come'. That's what Jesus is saying for 2013, 'Come, I have new things for you, I have a destiny and a plan waiting for you, come to Me'. Lastly, back to Exodus 14, verse 13…'the enemies that you have seen today, you will see them no more', and then He says, 'forever'. Verse 14, 'the Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace', nothing missing, nothing lacking! It's time to move forward! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=38993 38993 Wed, 2 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Matthew 1:18 'Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.' You've probably heard the phrase, 'You can't judge a book by its cover', or maybe 'looks can be deceiving', or 'all that glitters is not gold'. I found out how true this is when I recently asked a woman and man that I met who were walking together at the mall, both wearing wedding rings, 'How long have you been married?' She said, 'Oh, this isn't my husband'. I was embarrassed to learn that it was a relative of hers. Same goes for when we see someone driving a Mercedes Benz, only to find out it's a borrowed car. In Matthew 1:18, Mary was unmarried and pregnant, what was a person to think? There was only one thing to think, right? Wrong, it definitely wasn't what it looked like according to Isaiah 7:14. He prophesied of a virgin conceiving a son, and His name would be called Emmanuel. You see, it may look like you're not getting that new job, or there is cancer on your body, or your investments are down, or your kids have no interest in God, or you're broke. But when God is involved, I want you to know today that it's not what it looks like. It might look like nothing is changing in the situation you are in, it may look like that person in the wheelchair will never walk, but according to the Word of God, it's not what it looks like. Here is the key, in Matthew 1:18, she was 'with child of the Holy Ghost'. When God gets involved, supernatural things happen, glory to God! Checks come from unexpected sources, the growth on your neck is here one day and gone the next, the company president offers you a job that you interviewed for three months ago AND increases your salary by $50k. Things start to happen. Why? The Holy Ghost. Simply trust God! Mary didn't understand how what the angel said would come to pass. She asked in Luke 1:34, 'How shall this be, seeing I not know a man?' Good question. The answer for her, and all of us who may not understand how the promises of God are going to come to pass, 'the Holy Ghost shall come upon you'. Are you ready for the Holy Ghost to come upon you? For the supernatural hand of God to move on your behalf? Don't be surprised at some 'suddenly's' to take place in your life. Remember, whatever you see, it's not what it looks like! Matthew 1:18 'Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.' You've probably heard the phrase, 'You can't judge a book by its cover', or maybe 'looks can be deceiving', or 'all that glitters is not gold'. I found out how true this is when I recently asked a woman and man that I met who were walking together at the mall, both wearing wedding rings, 'How long have you been married?' She said, 'Oh, this isn't my husband'. I was embarrassed to learn that it was a relative of hers. Same goes for when we see someone driving a Mercedes Benz, only to find out it's a borrowed car. In Matthew 1:18, Mary was unmarried and pregnant, what was a person to think? There was only one thing to think, right? Wrong, it definitely wasn't what it looked like according to Isaiah 7:14. He prophesied of a virgin conceiving a son, and His name would be called Emmanuel. You see, it may look like you're not getting that new job, or there is cancer on your body, or your investments are down, or your kids have no interest in God, or you're broke. But when God is involved, I want you to know today that it's not what it looks like. It might look like nothing is changing in the situation you are in, it may look like that person in the wheelchair will never walk, but according to the Word of God, it's not what it looks like. Here is the key, in Matthew 1:18, she was 'with child of the Holy Ghost'. When God gets involved, supernatural things happen, glory to God! Checks come from unexpected sources, the growth on your neck is here one day and gone the next, the company president offers you a job that you interviewed for three months ago AND increases your salary by $50k. Things start to happen. Why? The Holy Ghost. Simply trust God! Mary didn't understand how what the angel said would come to pass. She asked in Luke 1:34, 'How shall this be, seeing I not know a man?' Good question. The answer for her, and all of us who may not understand how the promises of God are going to come to pass, 'the Holy Ghost shall come upon you'. Are you ready for the Holy Ghost to come upon you? For the supernatural hand of God to move on your behalf? Don't be surprised at some 'suddenly's' to take place in your life. Remember, whatever you see, it's not what it looks like! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=38992 38992 Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 2 Corinthians 4:18 – 'While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen, for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal'. Honey I Shrunk the Kids, a 1989 comedy about an inventor who accidentally shrunk his and his neighbors' kids to a ¼ inch with his electro-magnetic shrink ray machine, is a tremendous depiction of how the problems we face in this world can appear bigger than life. The mound of bills on the kitchen counter, the layoff notice in the mailbox, the words 'I'm pregnant' from your teen, the lump on your body. To others, not getting your favorite parking spot, or not seeing the items you wanted on the menu could be big. My point is that, as believers, we need to look through the 'eyes' of God's Word to see things in perspective. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, the Apostle Paul speaks of the contrast between the believers' perspective of their problems in comparison to the 'bigness' of God. There is no comparison, it's not even close. When we see things through the eyes of God, they shrink in comparison to His greatness. Just like in the movie, whatever you are facing, God is saying to you, 'Honey, I shrunk the _____', you fill in the blank. In 2 Corinthians 4:17, Paul calls the challenges we face a 'light affliction'…'light' in comparison to the 'heaviness' of God. What are some of the 'light' afflictions that he referred to in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28: prison, escaping death, scourged five times, tied upside down and beaten with rods on the bottom of his feet, stoned, shipwrecked, a full night and day in the ocean…and you think you're having a bad day! It all comes down to how we see things. Others saw Goliath as too big to defeat, David saw Goliath as too big to miss! How do you see the 'giants' in your life? The Bible says that 'with God all things are possible'. If you are saved, God is with you. Paul said, no matter what happens, even the worst case scenario, nothing compares with eternity and with the God of the universe. We don't have to fall apart like a cheap suit because we receive an unexpected bill, or because our day wasn't perfect. We need not shrink back and break down because we receive a negative report. What you are facing only lasts for 'a moment', it has an expiration date. Start seeing your victory afar off, it's getting closer and closer with each passing day. Shrink the devil in your mind, see him as who he really is, defeated, and magnify the Word and the Lord in your life. Live positive in a negative world! 2 Corinthians 4:18 – 'While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen, for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal'. Honey I Shrunk the Kids, a 1989 comedy about an inventor who accidentally shrunk his and his neighbors' kids to a ¼ inch with his electro-magnetic shrink ray machine, is a tremendous depiction of how the problems we face in this world can appear bigger than life. The mound of bills on the kitchen counter, the layoff notice in the mailbox, the words 'I'm pregnant' from your teen, the lump on your body. To others, not getting your favorite parking spot, or not seeing the items you wanted on the menu could be big. My point is that, as believers, we need to look through the 'eyes' of God's Word to see things in perspective. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, the Apostle Paul speaks of the contrast between the believers' perspective of their problems in comparison to the 'bigness' of God. There is no comparison, it's not even close. When we see things through the eyes of God, they shrink in comparison to His greatness. Just like in the movie, whatever you are facing, God is saying to you, 'Honey, I shrunk the _____', you fill in the blank. In 2 Corinthians 4:17, Paul calls the challenges we face a 'light affliction'…'light' in comparison to the 'heaviness' of God. What are some of the 'light' afflictions that he referred to in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28: prison, escaping death, scourged five times, tied upside down and beaten with rods on the bottom of his feet, stoned, shipwrecked, a full night and day in the ocean…and you think you're having a bad day! It all comes down to how we see things. Others saw Goliath as too big to defeat, David saw Goliath as too big to miss! How do you see the 'giants' in your life? The Bible says that 'with God all things are possible'. If you are saved, God is with you. Paul said, no matter what happens, even the worst case scenario, nothing compares with eternity and with the God of the universe. We don't have to fall apart like a cheap suit because we receive an unexpected bill, or because our day wasn't perfect. We need not shrink back and break down because we receive a negative report. What you are facing only lasts for 'a moment', it has an expiration date. Start seeing your victory afar off, it's getting closer and closer with each passing day. Shrink the devil in your mind, see him as who he really is, defeated, and magnify the Word and the Lord in your life. Live positive in a negative world! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=38746 38746 Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Romans 8:37 – 'What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us'. I've only played golf a handful of times in my life, tennis is really my game, but I love to watch golf. For those of you who watch golf, you must be familiar with the term used in golf, 'fore', which means 'heads up, there's a ball coming your way'. I like the word 'for', which means to favor, represent, or on behalf of. In Romans 8:31, Paul says 'If God be FOR us', Hallelujah, it doesn't get any better than that! Go ahead and make your day, say out loud, 'God is for me, who can be against me!' The 'who' is the enemy that wants to stop you or inflict evil upon you, the principalities, powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness that want to neutralize you. Yet NO ONE is a match for God. Jesus shows us in Matthew 12:29 how to deal with the enemy. He says, 'first bind the strong man, then you will spoil his house'. The word bind means to not allow, to muzzle, or to tie the hands, which we do by exercising our authority in Christ. Spoil means to strip, or take something back. How? With our words. In Romans 8:31, I never saw this before, it says 'what shall we say to these things?' There it is again, speaking to things in our life, we can't get away from faith! It says to speak to that job offer, that promotion, lack, sickness. Verse 32 goes on to say, 'How shall He not with Him also give us all things?' If you have Jesus, you already have everything you need. It's not He that's going to give it to you, Paul says that 'with him' you already have everything, the job, the land, the good report…Jesus is our everything! For!!! Romans 8:37 – 'What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us'. I've only played golf a handful of times in my life, tennis is really my game, but I love to watch golf. For those of you who watch golf, you must be familiar with the term used in golf, 'fore', which means 'heads up, there's a ball coming your way'. I like the word 'for', which means to favor, represent, or on behalf of. In Romans 8:31, Paul says 'If God be FOR us', Hallelujah, it doesn't get any better than that! Go ahead and make your day, say out loud, 'God is for me, who can be against me!' The 'who' is the enemy that wants to stop you or inflict evil upon you, the principalities, powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness that want to neutralize you. Yet NO ONE is a match for God. Jesus shows us in Matthew 12:29 how to deal with the enemy. He says, 'first bind the strong man, then you will spoil his house'. The word bind means to not allow, to muzzle, or to tie the hands, which we do by exercising our authority in Christ. Spoil means to strip, or take something back. How? With our words. In Romans 8:31, I never saw this before, it says 'what shall we say to these things?' There it is again, speaking to things in our life, we can't get away from faith! It says to speak to that job offer, that promotion, lack, sickness. Verse 32 goes on to say, 'How shall He not with Him also give us all things?' If you have Jesus, you already have everything you need. It's not He that's going to give it to you, Paul says that 'with him' you already have everything, the job, the land, the good report…Jesus is our everything! For!!! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=38747 38747 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 John 8:32 - 'And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'. In 1996, about six weeks before our daughter Joy was expected, I received a phone call from the hospital where my wife had spent many months, saying that today was the day that she was to be born! The labor pains had started, it was going to happen. My response, 'the baby can't be born today, we have six weeks left before her due date, her nursery isn't ready yet!' 'Mr. Fortunato', the nurse said, 'today is the day'. This was an inconvenient truth. Joy Alison Fortunato was born on July 2nd, just like they said, six weeks premature and healthy. Sometimes things happen in our lives that are inconvenient, inopportune, unseasonable, not at the time that we want. Sometimes truth is inconvenient when we want to do what we want to do, then all of a sudden, a light goes on, and BAM, we have to make a decision to obey that truth or not. In John 8:32, Jesus gives us a powerful principle for freedom in our lives: that truth, His truth, His Word, makes us and keeps us free. There is no bondage or slavery in truth, only freedom and liberty. Sometimes it seems like it's inconvenient, it seems like it's at the wrong time, but it's not, truth is truth and it's always at the right time. Many people only quote half of this verse and leave out the most important part. They say, 'the truth shall make your free', yeah, but it's the truth that you KNOW that shall make you free. The word 'know' is the same as in Genesis 4:1, which describes the intimacy between Adam and Eve, by which she conceived a child. It's more than just reading the Word, it's knowing the Word, and the truth being conceived in your heart. If you really want to understand John 8:32, go back to verse 31, 'If you continue in my Word', which is the real key to knowing the truth and being made free. It's a lifestyle of renewing your mind as consistently as you eat and sleep. When you renew your mind every day, the Lord is able to show you the truth, and even when it's inconvenient, you still live by it, you own it. That's exactly how you live a life of total freedom in every area of life! Simply stated, be a disciple, continue in God's Word, and the truth that you know will make you free! John 8:32 - 'And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'. In 1996, about six weeks before our daughter Joy was expected, I received a phone call from the hospital where my wife had spent many months, saying that today was the day that she was to be born! The labor pains had started, it was going to happen. My response, 'the baby can't be born today, we have six weeks left before her due date, her nursery isn't ready yet!' 'Mr. Fortunato', the nurse said, 'today is the day'. This was an inconvenient truth. Joy Alison Fortunato was born on July 2nd, just like they said, six weeks premature and healthy. Sometimes things happen in our lives that are inconvenient, inopportune, unseasonable, not at the time that we want. Sometimes truth is inconvenient when we want to do what we want to do, then all of a sudden, a light goes on, and BAM, we have to make a decision to obey that truth or not. In John 8:32, Jesus gives us a powerful principle for freedom in our lives: that truth, His truth, His Word, makes us and keeps us free. There is no bondage or slavery in truth, only freedom and liberty. Sometimes it seems like it's inconvenient, it seems like it's at the wrong time, but it's not, truth is truth and it's always at the right time. Many people only quote half of this verse and leave out the most important part. They say, 'the truth shall make your free', yeah, but it's the truth that you KNOW that shall make you free. The word 'know' is the same as in Genesis 4:1, which describes the intimacy between Adam and Eve, by which she conceived a child. It's more than just reading the Word, it's knowing the Word, and the truth being conceived in your heart. If you really want to understand John 8:32, go back to verse 31, 'If you continue in my Word', which is the real key to knowing the truth and being made free. It's a lifestyle of renewing your mind as consistently as you eat and sleep. When you renew your mind every day, the Lord is able to show you the truth, and even when it's inconvenient, you still live by it, you own it. That's exactly how you live a life of total freedom in every area of life! Simply stated, be a disciple, continue in God's Word, and the truth that you know will make you free! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=38713 38713 Wed, 5 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Romans 8:16 (Amplified Bible) - 'The Spirit Himself testifies together with our own spirit, assuring us that we are the children of God'. Several months ago, before the school year started, we hired a tutor to help our daughter with Spanish. She did the best she could on her summer packet, but it just wasn't clicking. It was so frustrating for her, trying harder just didn't seem to make a difference. It was...well...foreign to her, she just couldn't get the answers. She needed personal, one on one help, to sit with her for an hour or so, and allow her to ask questions, and for the tutor to give her the answers. When they finished, she said, 'Now I get it'. You see, the answers were right in front of her, all she needed was help from someone with expertise in that foreign language. To the tutor, it was easy, they already had an understanding. The purpose of a tutor is to teach, to guide, individually in a special subject, or for a particular purpose, to coach, to instruct privately. In Romans 8:16, it says that each person who is born again has their own personal tutor, so to speak. I like the Amplified Bible which says, 'the Spirit Himself', unlike the King James Version Bible that says, 'the Spirit itself'. The capital S in Spirit and H in Himself signifies that He is the third Person in the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.Wow! In the born again, recreated spirit we have the Holy Spirit. He is already there, He is in our spirit, not in our soul, not in our body, but He is living in our spirit. He has taken up residence. In the old covenant the Holy Spirit came upon the people of God, but in the new covenant, He resides in us. John 14:16 says that He is 'another comforter', or another of the same as Jesus. He abides or lives in us 'forever'. He is not going anywhere, even when we sin, He is not going anywhere. In John 14:17, He is called the 'Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive', because He must take up residence in a new creation, a born again spirit. It goes on to say in verse 17, that 'you know Him'. If you're saved, you know Him, He can tutor you, He can coach you, He can give You advice, but you have to follow that advice, He won't make you do anything, you have a free will. Instead, John 16:13 says that He guides you, tutors you, shows you how to do things, what to do, what not to do, according to the Word of God. We have a Tutor, we just need to take the time to sit with Him and listen, He has every answer, He has expert information, inside information that will bring you success. So, if you don't know the answer, it's time to call on the Tutor, and to listen and learn! Romans 8:16 (Amplified Bible) - 'The Spirit Himself testifies together with our own spirit, assuring us that we are the children of God'. Several months ago, before the school year started, we hired a tutor to help our daughter with Spanish. She did the best she could on her summer packet, but it just wasn't clicking. It was so frustrating for her, trying harder just didn't seem to make a difference. It was...well...foreign to her, she just couldn't get the answers. She needed personal, one on one help, to sit with her for an hour or so, and allow her to ask questions, and for the tutor to give her the answers. When they finished, she said, 'Now I get it'. You see, the answers were right in front of her, all she needed was help from someone with expertise in that foreign language. To the tutor, it was easy, they already had an understanding. The purpose of a tutor is to teach, to guide, individually in a special subject, or for a particular purpose, to coach, to instruct privately. In Romans 8:16, it says that each person who is born again has their own personal tutor, so to speak. I like the Amplified Bible which says, 'the Spirit Himself', unlike the King James Version Bible that says, 'the Spirit itself'. The capital S in Spirit and H in Himself signifies that He is the third Person in the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.Wow! In the born again, recreated spirit we have the Holy Spirit. He is already there, He is in our spirit, not in our soul, not in our body, but He is living in our spirit. He has taken up residence. In the old covenant the Holy Spirit came upon the people of God, but in the new covenant, He resides in us. John 14:16 says that He is 'another comforter', or another of the same as Jesus. He abides or lives in us 'forever'. He is not going anywhere, even when we sin, He is not going anywhere. In John 14:17, He is called the 'Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive', because He must take up residence in a new creation, a born again spirit. It goes on to say in verse 17, that 'you know Him'. If you're saved, you know Him, He can tutor you, He can coach you, He can give You advice, but you have to follow that advice, He won't make you do anything, you have a free will. Instead, John 16:13 says that He guides you, tutors you, shows you how to do things, what to do, what not to do, according to the Word of God. We have a Tutor, we just need to take the time to sit with Him and listen, He has every answer, He has expert information, inside information that will bring you success. So, if you don't know the answer, it's time to call on the Tutor, and to listen and learn! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=38263 38263 Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 James 5:17-18 – 'Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.' Several weeks ago, I woke up in the middle of the night and I heard these words, 'Ordinary people doing extraordinary things'. I fell back asleep. When I woke up the next morning, immediately again, I heard the same thing 'Ordinary people doing extraordinary things'. My first thought…I'm going to be famous! Finally, my big break! I'm going to do something really, really big, very public, and amazing! I pictured news cameras, interviews, talk shows. Call me really vain and insecure, or if you're honest, perhaps a few of you would have thought the same thing! If not, pray for me! I tucked that in my mind and waited for God to show me what He had in mind. That same week, my husband was teaching at the Faith International Training School at Faith Fellowship Ministries World Outreach Center in Sayreville, NJ. As he was visiting the Administration Building, he happened to run into Pastor Demola's wife, Diane, in the hallway. They chatted for a short while and caught up on all the recent events in our lives and moved on. Later that week, she saw Joe again in the hallway and she said that the Lord had spoke to her at 5:00 a.m. that morning, and told her to tell us to 'speak to the circumstances in our children's lives'. The following week, I wasn't even thinking about what the Lord had said earlier, when He revealed to me what extraordinary things He was talking about. As I was reading a small book called Praying Circles Around Your Children, by Mark Batterson, He spoke to my heart and said, 'These are the extraordinary things'. I was stunned. I stopped and stared straight ahead, in awe of what He was saying. Then I laughed at myself as the images of news cameras quickly faded. I love it! The ordinary people are you and me. The extraordinary things are the results of our prayers. Prayers according to the Word of God for those around us, speaking to the circumstances in their lives. Ignoring what we are seeing with our eyes, ignoring our emotions and automatic reactions and the past, ignoring the lure of the world, and speaking to their spirit, calling those things that be not as though they are. Expecting things to change in their lives, and the promises of God to be fulfilled, and extraordinary things to happen. I've never been so excited about being an 'ordinary' woman of God. I'm like Elijah, which James 5:17 in the Amplified Bible says, 'was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]'. He made mistakes, he wasn't perfect. God wasn't moved by that. God wants us to pray, then expect the extraordinary, according to His will, not our will. All you ordinary people out there, are you ready to do the extraordinary!? I am!! More than ever! James 5:17-18 – 'Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.' Several weeks ago, I woke up in the middle of the night and I heard these words, 'Ordinary people doing extraordinary things'. I fell back asleep. When I woke up the next morning, immediately again, I heard the same thing 'Ordinary people doing extraordinary things'. My first thought…I'm going to be famous! Finally, my big break! I'm going to do something really, really big, very public, and amazing! I pictured news cameras, interviews, talk shows. Call me really vain and insecure, or if you're honest, perhaps a few of you would have thought the same thing! If not, pray for me! I tucked that in my mind and waited for God to show me what He had in mind. That same week, my husband was teaching at the Faith International Training School at Faith Fellowship Ministries World Outreach Center in Sayreville, NJ. As he was visiting the Administration Building, he happened to run into Pastor Demola's wife, Diane, in the hallway. They chatted for a short while and caught up on all the recent events in our lives and moved on. Later that week, she saw Joe again in the hallway and she said that the Lord had spoke to her at 5:00 a.m. that morning, and told her to tell us to 'speak to the circumstances in our children's lives'. The following week, I wasn't even thinking about what the Lord had said earlier, when He revealed to me what extraordinary things He was talking about. As I was reading a small book called Praying Circles Around Your Children, by Mark Batterson, He spoke to my heart and said, 'These are the extraordinary things'. I was stunned. I stopped and stared straight ahead, in awe of what He was saying. Then I laughed at myself as the images of news cameras quickly faded. I love it! The ordinary people are you and me. The extraordinary things are the results of our prayers. Prayers according to the Word of God for those around us, speaking to the circumstances in their lives. Ignoring what we are seeing with our eyes, ignoring our emotions and automatic reactions and the past, ignoring the lure of the world, and speaking to their spirit, calling those things that be not as though they are. Expecting things to change in their lives, and the promises of God to be fulfilled, and extraordinary things to happen. I've never been so excited about being an 'ordinary' woman of God. I'm like Elijah, which James 5:17 in the Amplified Bible says, 'was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]'. He made mistakes, he wasn't perfect. God wasn't moved by that. God wants us to pray, then expect the extraordinary, according to His will, not our will. All you ordinary people out there, are you ready to do the extraordinary!? I am!! More than ever! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=38262 38262 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Psalm 23:2 (Amplified Bible) – 'He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures.' Go Green! You've probably noticed that Go Green is everywhere! As I'm driving my daughter to school I see a big sign for a construction project, Going Green! On the back of the envelopes for my bills, it reads Go Green, Go Paperless! My wife uses the environmental friendly grocery bags. Even the Philadelphia Eagles have a Go Green Playbook. All working to create a more environmentally friendly world. Green signifies growth, increase, and health. In the Dictionary, green literally means to rejuvenate, which means to renew youth or make younger. Green also means to revitalize, to give new life or new health. In fact, the very first words that God spoke was Go Green, well, not really, but He did say to be fruitful, which is the same thing. In Psalm 23, David sings, 'He makes us lie down in green pastures'. To lie down is to rest in God. We don't have to worry about our children, our family members, or our future. We don't have to worry about a negative economy. Like someone said, 'I'm not participating in recession!' We can rest in God's Word and trust that as the righteous, God says we will never be forsaken. Hallelujah! In Psalm 23 it also says that the Lord is our Shepherd, He is our Source for fruitfulness and growth, therefore we shall not have want of anything. God supplies our every need AND our wants. When one of my friends announced that he was getting a large flat screen TV, his wife asked him, 'Is that a want or a need?!' When you Go Green, when you are fruitful, God wants you to have what you want. I know that rubs some religious people the wrong way. Now, we don't need TV sets to make us happy or fulfilled, but the point is, God supplies our wants, that's what Psalm 23 says. Psalm 1:3 says that Going Green is like a tree that's planted by the rivers of water, the rivers of God's Word. He said 'rivers of water' not puddles, not drops of water. Not even ponds of water, because rivers are always moving, moving forward, not backwards, that's what the Word does in us, that's what God wants us to do. It goes on to say that he 'brings forth fruit in its season'. Seasons of bringing forth fruit are coming. Your 'leaf shall not fade or wither' and 'everything you do shall prosper'. Did you hear that? He said everything! That's Real Green, that's Going Green, glory to God! Just get yourself planted, fixed, make God's Word Your home. Go Green, Think Green, flourish, bear much fruit, revitalize, renew your mind, grow, grow, grow…enjoy! Psalm 23:2 (Amplified Bible) – 'He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures.' Go Green! You've probably noticed that Go Green is everywhere! As I'm driving my daughter to school I see a big sign for a construction project, Going Green! On the back of the envelopes for my bills, it reads Go Green, Go Paperless! My wife uses the environmental friendly grocery bags. Even the Philadelphia Eagles have a Go Green Playbook. All working to create a more environmentally friendly world. Green signifies growth, increase, and health. In the Dictionary, green literally means to rejuvenate, which means to renew youth or make younger. Green also means to revitalize, to give new life or new health. In fact, the very first words that God spoke was Go Green, well, not really, but He did say to be fruitful, which is the same thing. In Psalm 23, David sings, 'He makes us lie down in green pastures'. To lie down is to rest in God. We don't have to worry about our children, our family members, or our future. We don't have to worry about a negative economy. Like someone said, 'I'm not participating in recession!' We can rest in God's Word and trust that as the righteous, God says we will never be forsaken. Hallelujah! In Psalm 23 it also says that the Lord is our Shepherd, He is our Source for fruitfulness and growth, therefore we shall not have want of anything. God supplies our every need AND our wants. When one of my friends announced that he was getting a large flat screen TV, his wife asked him, 'Is that a want or a need?!' When you Go Green, when you are fruitful, God wants you to have what you want. I know that rubs some religious people the wrong way. Now, we don't need TV sets to make us happy or fulfilled, but the point is, God supplies our wants, that's what Psalm 23 says. Psalm 1:3 says that Going Green is like a tree that's planted by the rivers of water, the rivers of God's Word. He said 'rivers of water' not puddles, not drops of water. Not even ponds of water, because rivers are always moving, moving forward, not backwards, that's what the Word does in us, that's what God wants us to do. It goes on to say that he 'brings forth fruit in its season'. Seasons of bringing forth fruit are coming. Your 'leaf shall not fade or wither' and 'everything you do shall prosper'. Did you hear that? He said everything! That's Real Green, that's Going Green, glory to God! Just get yourself planted, fixed, make God's Word Your home. Go Green, Think Green, flourish, bear much fruit, revitalize, renew your mind, grow, grow, grow…enjoy! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=38261 38261 Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Daniel 3:19 – 'Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and his face became distorted and full of rage, he commanded the furnace be heated seven times hotter.' I'm at the drive-through at KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). Instead of ordering the traditional or extra crispy chicken, I ordered the hot and spicy. It was one of those times when the words are coming out of my mouth while my mind is saying, 'Should I just change this? How hot and spicy is hot and spicy?' But I went the hot and spicy anyway. Needless to say, with every bite, it went from hot, to hotter, then hottest! My mouth was burning, I felt like I needed a fire hydrant to put out the fire in my mouth! I will never do that again. In Daniel 3, the king decreed that when the music played, every man should bow down and worship a golden image. Word got back to the king that there were three young men that refused to bow down. He was furious and commanded that these men be brought before him. He literally gets up in God's face and says, 'Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?' They flat out said to him, 'we are not careful to answer you'. Hallelujah, three guys with a spiritual backbone, with the lion's roar of faith on the inside. They were not your normal every day guys. Daniel 3:12 says, 'there were certain Jews', they were extraordinary, and they believed in an extraordinary God. They told the king that if he threw them in the fire, God would deliver them, and if he didn't throw them in, they still wouldn't bow down and worship or serve his idols. Side note: religion has misinterpreted the words 'but if not' in verse 18 to insinuate that God was not able or willing to deliver them. If that be so then the verse would read, 'if you throw us in the fire and God doesn't deliver us, we still won't worship your gods'. That's true, they would be dead. Common sense. Their consequence? They were thrown into the fiery furnace, seven times hotter than usual. Have you ever felt that way? Like, as they say, 'going from the frying pan to the fire'? Then what happened? Jesus showed up! When the king looked into the furnace, he said, 'Hey! Didn't we throw three men in the fire? Who's that fourth man, He looks like the Son of God!' That's what's going to happen in your fiery situation, Jesus is going to show up. Three things about the three Jews… Verse 16 - They were bold and confident, they didn't try to be politically correct. Verse 17 – They declared, not only is God able, but God will do what He said He would do. Verse 18 – They went all the way with God, and God responded to their faith, He showed up and showed off! Is it getting hot? Are you in a fiery situation? Don't worry, the FOURTH MAN is about to show up! Daniel 3:19 – 'Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and his face became distorted and full of rage, he commanded the furnace be heated seven times hotter.' I'm at the drive-through at KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). Instead of ordering the traditional or extra crispy chicken, I ordered the hot and spicy. It was one of those times when the words are coming out of my mouth while my mind is saying, 'Should I just change this? How hot and spicy is hot and spicy?' But I went the hot and spicy anyway. Needless to say, with every bite, it went from hot, to hotter, then hottest! My mouth was burning, I felt like I needed a fire hydrant to put out the fire in my mouth! I will never do that again. In Daniel 3, the king decreed that when the music played, every man should bow down and worship a golden image. Word got back to the king that there were three young men that refused to bow down. He was furious and commanded that these men be brought before him. He literally gets up in God's face and says, 'Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?' They flat out said to him, 'we are not careful to answer you'. Hallelujah, three guys with a spiritual backbone, with the lion's roar of faith on the inside. They were not your normal every day guys. Daniel 3:12 says, 'there were certain Jews', they were extraordinary, and they believed in an extraordinary God. They told the king that if he threw them in the fire, God would deliver them, and if he didn't throw them in, they still wouldn't bow down and worship or serve his idols. Side note: religion has misinterpreted the words 'but if not' in verse 18 to insinuate that God was not able or willing to deliver them. If that be so then the verse would read, 'if you throw us in the fire and God doesn't deliver us, we still won't worship your gods'. That's true, they would be dead. Common sense. Their consequence? They were thrown into the fiery furnace, seven times hotter than usual. Have you ever felt that way? Like, as they say, 'going from the frying pan to the fire'? Then what happened? Jesus showed up! When the king looked into the furnace, he said, 'Hey! Didn't we throw three men in the fire? Who's that fourth man, He looks like the Son of God!' That's what's going to happen in your fiery situation, Jesus is going to show up. Three things about the three Jews… Verse 16 - They were bold and confident, they didn't try to be politically correct. Verse 17 – They declared, not only is God able, but God will do what He said He would do. Verse 18 – They went all the way with God, and God responded to their faith, He showed up and showed off! Is it getting hot? Are you in a fiery situation? Don't worry, the FOURTH MAN is about to show up! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=38260 38260 Wed, 7 Nov 2012 23:22:00 +0000 James 1:5 (Amplified Bible) – 'The giving God Who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly…without fault finding'. As we enter the final days of the highly charged political season, every day, opposing sides, no matter who it is, democrat or republican, are looking for that soundbite, that statement, that embarrassing event from ten years ago, that mis-step, the slightest inconsistency…why? They're looking for a 'gotcha'. Something that can be used to draw negative attention to the other candidate or their record, or their personal life. We've all seen them in the ads, the debates, the talk shows. I'm so glad that God has not shown all of my 'gotcha moments' on the front page of a major newspaper. Or featured them on the big screen at the local theater for all to see. No, God is not like that, He is just the opposite. In James 1:5, it says that God, in His love, grace and mercy gives without faultfinding. That says it all. God is not looking for or at our faults. He is not trying to find a 'gotcha moment' so He can pounce on us with judgment and criticism. Do you have any faults? Have you ever said something you shouldn't have in public or private? Are there any embarrassing photos of you hanging around? It's the enemy of our soul that accuses us, and exposes and exploits our faults and failures, and wants to bring shame and guilt on us and those around us. I think we should be more like God. In other words, stop trying to 'find faults' in others, so we can elevate ourselves. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13 that we should overlook the faults of others, and in Ephesians 4:2-3, that we should make allowances for one another because we love one another. Let's not accentuate others' faults, love covers a multitude of sin. Let's live that way, let's get rid of the 'gotcha' mentality, get rid of the fault finding. Hey, tomorrow it could be you that is caught in a 'gotcha moment', and you'll want mercy and grace! So, let's make a decision now, no more looking for 'gotcha moments' in others. James 1:5 (Amplified Bible) – 'The giving God Who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly…without fault finding'. As we enter the final days of the highly charged political season, every day, opposing sides, no matter who it is, democrat or republican, are looking for that soundbite, that statement, that embarrassing event from ten years ago, that mis-step, the slightest inconsistency…why? They're looking for a 'gotcha'. Something that can be used to draw negative attention to the other candidate or their record, or their personal life. We've all seen them in the ads, the debates, the talk shows. I'm so glad that God has not shown all of my 'gotcha moments' on the front page of a major newspaper. Or featured them on the big screen at the local theater for all to see. No, God is not like that, He is just the opposite. In James 1:5, it says that God, in His love, grace and mercy gives without faultfinding. That says it all. God is not looking for or at our faults. He is not trying to find a 'gotcha moment' so He can pounce on us with judgment and criticism. Do you have any faults? Have you ever said something you shouldn't have in public or private? Are there any embarrassing photos of you hanging around? It's the enemy of our soul that accuses us, and exposes and exploits our faults and failures, and wants to bring shame and guilt on us and those around us. I think we should be more like God. In other words, stop trying to 'find faults' in others, so we can elevate ourselves. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13 that we should overlook the faults of others, and in Ephesians 4:2-3, that we should make allowances for one another because we love one another. Let's not accentuate others' faults, love covers a multitude of sin. Let's live that way, let's get rid of the 'gotcha' mentality, get rid of the fault finding. Hey, tomorrow it could be you that is caught in a 'gotcha moment', and you'll want mercy and grace! So, let's make a decision now, no more looking for 'gotcha moments' in others. http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=37842 37842 Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Eph 5:26-27 (Amplified Bible) 'So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word. That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].' As I was leaving my house to walk my dog last week, my sprinklers were on. I glanced over at one sprinkler in particular on the edge of my property. It was facing the neighbor's house and watering their lawn in a perfect 180 degree arc! I stopped and stood there amazed at the fact that I've been watering my neighbor's lawn all summer! I wondered why I had a big dry spot in that area! But I never took the time to do anything about it. Sound familiar? Do you have any 'dry spots' in your life? Are there some weak areas that you are struggling with, or maybe areas that you are resisting God? Or maybe you know what you're doing isn't good for you, but you're not doing anything about it? We all have 'dry spots' from time to time. How do you get rid of them? Water them with the Word of God. Renew your mind. Your spirit is perfect, there are no spots or wrinkles, so when we renew our minds with the Word of God, our spirit and our mind agree. Things begin to change. Dry spots become strengths instead of weaknesses. All because of the water of the Word. More good news…it's only a dry spot. Just like in my lawn, all the other areas of the yard looked great, they were getting plenty of water, it was just that one spot. The enemy loves to make a big deal about that one 'dry spot', tells us that WE are a failure, weak, hopeless, a mess. Not so. We are all a work in progress when it comes to renewing our minds in the Word of God, no one has fully accomplished this and never will. So, the next time the Holy Spirit shows you a dry spot, allow Him also to show you what the Word says about that dry spot, renew your mind, water it with the Word and watch it grow healthier every day! Eph 5:26-27 (Amplified Bible) 'So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word. That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].' As I was leaving my house to walk my dog last week, my sprinklers were on. I glanced over at one sprinkler in particular on the edge of my property. It was facing the neighbor's house and watering their lawn in a perfect 180 degree arc! I stopped and stood there amazed at the fact that I've been watering my neighbor's lawn all summer! I wondered why I had a big dry spot in that area! But I never took the time to do anything about it. Sound familiar? Do you have any 'dry spots' in your life? Are there some weak areas that you are struggling with, or maybe areas that you are resisting God? Or maybe you know what you're doing isn't good for you, but you're not doing anything about it? We all have 'dry spots' from time to time. How do you get rid of them? Water them with the Word of God. Renew your mind. Your spirit is perfect, there are no spots or wrinkles, so when we renew our minds with the Word of God, our spirit and our mind agree. Things begin to change. Dry spots become strengths instead of weaknesses. All because of the water of the Word. More good news…it's only a dry spot. Just like in my lawn, all the other areas of the yard looked great, they were getting plenty of water, it was just that one spot. The enemy loves to make a big deal about that one 'dry spot', tells us that WE are a failure, weak, hopeless, a mess. Not so. We are all a work in progress when it comes to renewing our minds in the Word of God, no one has fully accomplished this and never will. So, the next time the Holy Spirit shows you a dry spot, allow Him also to show you what the Word says about that dry spot, renew your mind, water it with the Word and watch it grow healthier every day! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=37797 37797 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Hebrews 12:23 - 'To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect'. In my travels up and down the New Jersey turnpike, around exit four, I always take notice of a giant water tower that says Cherry Hill in bold letters. I envision all of Cherry Hill being supplied with water, it's all right there for everybody who lives there. But what if someone didn't have a conduit, or a way to access the water out of the tower and somehow get it to their house, yet it's right there for them? In Hebrews 12:23, the writer of Hebrews says, 'to the spirits of just men made perfect' Notice that they word 'spirits' is not capitalized, signifying that this is not the Holy Spirit, but instead, your own saved, born again spirit. He also mentions, 'to the church of the firstborn'. These are those who receive Jesus as their Savior. But what really strikes me is the 'spirits of just men made perfect'. He actually says the word 'perfect'. Perfect means...well...perfect, there's no way around it. We're complete, flawless, whole! This is hard for people who believe that God's work is incomplete or lacking. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul says, 'and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless'. This is radical! It says that in your born again spirit, you are completely perfect, you have perfect health, perfect peace, prosperity, everything you will ever need is already on the inside of you, in your spirit. The key is to access it and release it into your soul and your body. To renew your mind and allow the spiritual to be manifest in the natural. For example, complete health and well being is already in your spirit if you are born again, you just need to get that 'pipeline', the conduit from the 'water tower to your house'. Romans 5:2 says, 'by whom also we have access by faith into this grace'. So how does our soul and body gain access from our perfect spirit? By faith, simply believe the Word of God, speak out what it says about you, what you already have, say it out loud, 'it's mine, I've already got it'. Healing is yours, that new and better paying job is yours, your children are saved and serving God, you will meet and marry the person that God has waiting for you! Access perfect! If you're not born again, or you are not sure that you're saved and you would like to be, it's simple, just say 'Jesus, I believe You died for my sin, and I receive you today as my Savior'. That's it, access perfect! Hebrews 12:23 - 'To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect'. In my travels up and down the New Jersey turnpike, around exit four, I always take notice of a giant water tower that says Cherry Hill in bold letters. I envision all of Cherry Hill being supplied with water, it's all right there for everybody who lives there. But what if someone didn't have a conduit, or a way to access the water out of the tower and somehow get it to their house, yet it's right there for them? In Hebrews 12:23, the writer of Hebrews says, 'to the spirits of just men made perfect' Notice that they word 'spirits' is not capitalized, signifying that this is not the Holy Spirit, but instead, your own saved, born again spirit. He also mentions, 'to the church of the firstborn'. These are those who receive Jesus as their Savior. But what really strikes me is the 'spirits of just men made perfect'. He actually says the word 'perfect'. Perfect means...well...perfect, there's no way around it. We're complete, flawless, whole! This is hard for people who believe that God's work is incomplete or lacking. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul says, 'and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless'. This is radical! It says that in your born again spirit, you are completely perfect, you have perfect health, perfect peace, prosperity, everything you will ever need is already on the inside of you, in your spirit. The key is to access it and release it into your soul and your body. To renew your mind and allow the spiritual to be manifest in the natural. For example, complete health and well being is already in your spirit if you are born again, you just need to get that 'pipeline', the conduit from the 'water tower to your house'. Romans 5:2 says, 'by whom also we have access by faith into this grace'. So how does our soul and body gain access from our perfect spirit? By faith, simply believe the Word of God, speak out what it says about you, what you already have, say it out loud, 'it's mine, I've already got it'. Healing is yours, that new and better paying job is yours, your children are saved and serving God, you will meet and marry the person that God has waiting for you! Access perfect! If you're not born again, or you are not sure that you're saved and you would like to be, it's simple, just say 'Jesus, I believe You died for my sin, and I receive you today as my Savior'. That's it, access perfect! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=37697 37697 Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Revelation 3:20 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock'. I heard a story today about a new pastor that was visiting the homes of his parishioners. At one house, it seemed obvious that someone was home, but no one answered the door as he continued to knock. So, this pastor took out a card and wrote Revelation 3:20 on the back of it and stuck it in the door. When the offering bucket was passed the following Sunday, the pastor noticed the card had been returned. Added on the bottom was Genesis 3:10. When he looked up the scripture he began to laugh out loud. Revelation 3:20 says 'behold, I stand at the door and knock', and in response the parishioner quoted Genesis 3:10, 'I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid, for I was naked!' Go ahead and laugh too, it's a joke! Seriously...I began to think about Revelation 3:20, and the part that jumped out at me was, 'if any man hear my voice and open the door'. Sometimes when people come to my door, I don't want to open the door, it's my choice, the handle is on the inside. It's clear in Revelation 3:20 that God will never, no matter what the circumstances, force Himself into my life, or anyone else's life. Here He is, the God of all creation, maker of heaven and earth, the author of the universe, and He gives us the choice to let Him in to our lives. He doesn't barge in, He leaves the decision totally in our hands. He said that 'if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him', so He will come in to our circumstances, our church, our jobs, our homes, our relationships, but He wants us to invite Him in. He wants us to want Him in, He wants us to initiate. Then He says, 'I will sup with him, and he with Me'. To sup means to take the chief meal of the day, it's talking about communion, a relationship, oh how He wants that with us. He wants you to open the door and let Him in, He wants to be your friend, your God, the Lover of your soul, your companion, He wants to be with You. We know this because He said that He would be with us always, but He wants us to open the door to Him. So when you hear His voice today, open the door, let Him in, commune with Him, enjoy His presence! Revelation 3:20 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock'. I heard a story today about a new pastor that was visiting the homes of his parishioners. At one house, it seemed obvious that someone was home, but no one answered the door as he continued to knock. So, this pastor took out a card and wrote Revelation 3:20 on the back of it and stuck it in the door. When the offering bucket was passed the following Sunday, the pastor noticed the card had been returned. Added on the bottom was Genesis 3:10. When he looked up the scripture he began to laugh out loud. Revelation 3:20 says 'behold, I stand at the door and knock', and in response the parishioner quoted Genesis 3:10, 'I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid, for I was naked!' Go ahead and laugh too, it's a joke! Seriously...I began to think about Revelation 3:20, and the part that jumped out at me was, 'if any man hear my voice and open the door'. Sometimes when people come to my door, I don't want to open the door, it's my choice, the handle is on the inside. It's clear in Revelation 3:20 that God will never, no matter what the circumstances, force Himself into my life, or anyone else's life. Here He is, the God of all creation, maker of heaven and earth, the author of the universe, and He gives us the choice to let Him in to our lives. He doesn't barge in, He leaves the decision totally in our hands. He said that 'if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him', so He will come in to our circumstances, our church, our jobs, our homes, our relationships, but He wants us to invite Him in. He wants us to want Him in, He wants us to initiate. Then He says, 'I will sup with him, and he with Me'. To sup means to take the chief meal of the day, it's talking about communion, a relationship, oh how He wants that with us. He wants you to open the door and let Him in, He wants to be your friend, your God, the Lover of your soul, your companion, He wants to be with You. We know this because He said that He would be with us always, but He wants us to open the door to Him. So when you hear His voice today, open the door, let Him in, commune with Him, enjoy His presence! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=37538 37538 Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Eph 6:10 - '...be strong in the Lord and the power of His might' Here we go, I'm about to quote a couple of sports superstars! My husband is rubbing off on me! The two women I'm talking about are Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May Treanor, three time Olympic Gold Medalists in beach volleyball. When I heard their motto 'Breathe, Believe, Battle', I couldn't help thinking of my daily experience as a Christian. Many times throughout the day, as a wife, a parent, a friend, an employee, a woman in the ministry, and involved in the community, I have to remind myself to 'breathe'. To think before I speak, to reign in my emotions, to listen to people and to the Holy Ghost, to be patient with myself and others, to take one day at a time. It's so easy to react to situations instead of respond, to get way out ahead of God. When I take a breather, life seems to stay on track, strife has no place, I learn and grow instead of stay the same. Mark 9:23 says that 'all things are possible to them that believe'. Believe what? What God's Word says about me. I want every possible thing that God has for me in this life. Whatever the Word says, it's mine, if I only believe, it's that simple. Too simple, huh? You want to take the long route to God's promises in trying to earn them, go ahead, but I'm going to do what He said to do, 'only believe'. The last part of the motto, Battle. I have a little pink boxing glove on my desk that I received from Terri Savelle Foy Ministries that says, 'You will never outgrow warfare, you must simply learn to fight'. How true. We're in a war against powers and principalities that want to hijack our destiny and destroy everything in our path. Sounds serious? It is. We need to learn how to fight, to aim our spiritual weapons in the right direction, at the root of all evil, Satan, and not at people, or ourselves, or God. We need to run to the battle, not away from it, in the power and dominion given to us by the blood of Jesus and in the name of Jesus. So there you have it, Breathe, Believe, Battle...now let's do it! Eph 6:10 - '...be strong in the Lord and the power of His might' Here we go, I'm about to quote a couple of sports superstars! My husband is rubbing off on me! The two women I'm talking about are Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May Treanor, three time Olympic Gold Medalists in beach volleyball. When I heard their motto 'Breathe, Believe, Battle', I couldn't help thinking of my daily experience as a Christian. Many times throughout the day, as a wife, a parent, a friend, an employee, a woman in the ministry, and involved in the community, I have to remind myself to 'breathe'. To think before I speak, to reign in my emotions, to listen to people and to the Holy Ghost, to be patient with myself and others, to take one day at a time. It's so easy to react to situations instead of respond, to get way out ahead of God. When I take a breather, life seems to stay on track, strife has no place, I learn and grow instead of stay the same. Mark 9:23 says that 'all things are possible to them that believe'. Believe what? What God's Word says about me. I want every possible thing that God has for me in this life. Whatever the Word says, it's mine, if I only believe, it's that simple. Too simple, huh? You want to take the long route to God's promises in trying to earn them, go ahead, but I'm going to do what He said to do, 'only believe'. The last part of the motto, Battle. I have a little pink boxing glove on my desk that I received from Terri Savelle Foy Ministries that says, 'You will never outgrow warfare, you must simply learn to fight'. How true. We're in a war against powers and principalities that want to hijack our destiny and destroy everything in our path. Sounds serious? It is. We need to learn how to fight, to aim our spiritual weapons in the right direction, at the root of all evil, Satan, and not at people, or ourselves, or God. We need to run to the battle, not away from it, in the power and dominion given to us by the blood of Jesus and in the name of Jesus. So there you have it, Breathe, Believe, Battle...now let's do it! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=37442 37442 Wed, 3 Oct 2012 20:31:00 +0000 Colossians 3:15 (Amplified Bible) - 'And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].' Let me tell you about Morgan, a yellow Labrador Retriever, one of seven 9-week-old puppies handpicked by breeders and Ivy League researchers for a study to develop superior sniffer dogs. Not only will the puppies work with search and rescue missions and military developments, they will also be trained to detect cancers! 'These dogs will have the foundation to detect anything', says University of Penn Veterinarian Cynthia Otto, 'but for right now they are in prep school'. In Colossians 3, the Apostle Paul speaks about what God has given us, something supernatural, 'scent-sational' on the inside of our hearts called the peace of God. Or like the Amplified Bible says, our 'inner umpire'. This is so vital, especially in the last of the last days that we are in. We need to train ourselves to listen to this supernatural, spiritual sensor on the inside of us that can decide and settle all questions or situations that arise in our lives. This is none other than the Holy Spirit Himself, living on the inside of us, guiding us to the right places where the blessing is already waiting for us. I call Him the 'guide inside'. It's the supernatural gifts of the Spirit that can 'sniff' out anything that's going on around us, every question we have, the right response to every situation, the direction we need for every purchase, every decision, every relationship, all that concerns us at work. We can literally train ourselves to listen to, and obey that still small voice. Here are four things that have helped develop my 'scent' for things: Stay in the Word of God on a regular basis, remember, the Spirit and the Word agree. Don't rush or be impatient, learn to be still and know that He is God. Don't procrastinate, which is a fancy word for fear. Be quick to obey, otherwise Satan will be glad to provide you with a second voice so that you can second guess what the Spirit of God is saying. A good friend of mine taught me that peace is the evidence of trust, learn to trust God as Your only Source. That's it, that's all it takes to be scent-sational! Colossians 3:15 (Amplified Bible) - 'And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].' Let me tell you about Morgan, a yellow Labrador Retriever, one of seven 9-week-old puppies handpicked by breeders and Ivy League researchers for a study to develop superior sniffer dogs. Not only will the puppies work with search and rescue missions and military developments, they will also be trained to detect cancers! 'These dogs will have the foundation to detect anything', says University of Penn Veterinarian Cynthia Otto, 'but for right now they are in prep school'. In Colossians 3, the Apostle Paul speaks about what God has given us, something supernatural, 'scent-sational' on the inside of our hearts called the peace of God. Or like the Amplified Bible says, our 'inner umpire'. This is so vital, especially in the last of the last days that we are in. We need to train ourselves to listen to this supernatural, spiritual sensor on the inside of us that can decide and settle all questions or situations that arise in our lives. This is none other than the Holy Spirit Himself, living on the inside of us, guiding us to the right places where the blessing is already waiting for us. I call Him the 'guide inside'. It's the supernatural gifts of the Spirit that can 'sniff' out anything that's going on around us, every question we have, the right response to every situation, the direction we need for every purchase, every decision, every relationship, all that concerns us at work. We can literally train ourselves to listen to, and obey that still small voice. Here are four things that have helped develop my 'scent' for things: Stay in the Word of God on a regular basis, remember, the Spirit and the Word agree. Don't rush or be impatient, learn to be still and know that He is God. Don't procrastinate, which is a fancy word for fear. Be quick to obey, otherwise Satan will be glad to provide you with a second voice so that you can second guess what the Spirit of God is saying. A good friend of mine taught me that peace is the evidence of trust, learn to trust God as Your only Source. That's it, that's all it takes to be scent-sational! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=37289 37289 Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 1 Samuel 17:37 – 'And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee'. This past Tuesday was a day of remembrance of the fateful day in 2001and the terrible attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, when nearly 3,000 people were brutally murdered by terrorists. In response, many ordinary Americans suddenly became extraordinary through heroic acts of valor and courage. One group in particular was on board United Airlines Flight 93 on their way to San Francisco when they were hijacked and rerouted possibly toward the White House. Fortunately the plan was thwarted by a group of passengers, lead by Todd Beamer, that stormed the cockpit, overtook the hijackers and voluntarily lost their lives to save others as the plane went down near Pittsburgh. The now famous command given by Todd Beamer as they launched their own counterattack…'Let's Roll'. In 1 Samuel 17:37, David responded in the same heroic way when he prepared his counterattack against Goliath, a Philistine giant that was threatening the people of God. All he needed was Saul's command to 'Go!' More than half of any battle is won in making the decision to move out and 'Go!' Once you begin to move, 'the Lord will be with you'. If you're like a lot of us, you want to know the whole picture before you make a move, to know every detail, know if it's going to work, know how will it end, know what's going to happen. What happens if we wait until we 'know'? We don't do anything, we stand still. But here is a simple but powerful principle, 'just go!', make your move toward obedience and the details will unfold. Make that phone call, take that job, make that appointment for a 'well visit'. As you go, the money will come in for that project, the interview will lead to an upward career change, you will meet the person God has for you. As you go, the Lord promises, 'I'm going to be with you', but remember it's as you go, not as you stand still. Two thirds of GOD is GO! Get moving! Make a decision. Start writing that book, prepare for that cross country trip, schedule that mission trip, walk around the track or the park with a friend, clean out that closet, take a couple of classes to finish your degree, go out on a date. God honors movement, He honors moving forward. He is so good, even if we get off course, He is faithful and merciful to lead and guide us into all truth. So be encouraged. Be like Todd Beamer, declare each day, 'Let's Roll!' Go! And the Lord be with you! 1 Samuel 17:37 – 'And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee'. This past Tuesday was a day of remembrance of the fateful day in 2001and the terrible attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, when nearly 3,000 people were brutally murdered by terrorists. In response, many ordinary Americans suddenly became extraordinary through heroic acts of valor and courage. One group in particular was on board United Airlines Flight 93 on their way to San Francisco when they were hijacked and rerouted possibly toward the White House. Fortunately the plan was thwarted by a group of passengers, lead by Todd Beamer, that stormed the cockpit, overtook the hijackers and voluntarily lost their lives to save others as the plane went down near Pittsburgh. The now famous command given by Todd Beamer as they launched their own counterattack…'Let's Roll'. In 1 Samuel 17:37, David responded in the same heroic way when he prepared his counterattack against Goliath, a Philistine giant that was threatening the people of God. All he needed was Saul's command to 'Go!' More than half of any battle is won in making the decision to move out and 'Go!' Once you begin to move, 'the Lord will be with you'. If you're like a lot of us, you want to know the whole picture before you make a move, to know every detail, know if it's going to work, know how will it end, know what's going to happen. What happens if we wait until we 'know'? We don't do anything, we stand still. But here is a simple but powerful principle, 'just go!', make your move toward obedience and the details will unfold. Make that phone call, take that job, make that appointment for a 'well visit'. As you go, the money will come in for that project, the interview will lead to an upward career change, you will meet the person God has for you. As you go, the Lord promises, 'I'm going to be with you', but remember it's as you go, not as you stand still. Two thirds of GOD is GO! Get moving! Make a decision. Start writing that book, prepare for that cross country trip, schedule that mission trip, walk around the track or the park with a friend, clean out that closet, take a couple of classes to finish your degree, go out on a date. God honors movement, He honors moving forward. He is so good, even if we get off course, He is faithful and merciful to lead and guide us into all truth. So be encouraged. Be like Todd Beamer, declare each day, 'Let's Roll!' Go! And the Lord be with you! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=37052 37052 Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:15:00 +0000 Hebrews 10:2 - 'For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because tat worshippers once purged should have no more conscience of sin.' Yesterday, I was watching one of my favorite Bible teachers, Andrew Womack, and they were doing a special on Discipleship. They featured two people that had gone through their Bible School, who described their goal for their first year…to 'detox'. They said they had to unlearn some embedded and erroneous ways of thinking about God and who He is. The dictionary definition of detox is, to remove a harmful substance, a poison or toxin and other effects of such toxins. The reference they used was in regards to the addiction to alcohol or drugs. Before any change could take place, these toxins must be removed from the body, or one must 'detox'. The writer of Hebrews speaks about a certain way of thinking in chapter 10, verse 2, a consciousness of sins, or being sin conscious, which is a way of life that is based almost exclusively on performance. Sin consciousness focuses on not doing enough, not praying enough, not even measuring up. Righteousness is being in the presence of God without feelings of guilt, inferiority, or condemnation. Guilt is the state of one who has committed an offense, violated the law and therefore involving penalty. Inferiority means to be situated lower, of low degree or rank, resulting in extreme timidity or through overcompensation an exaggerated aggressiveness. Condemnation means to pronounce guilty, to sentence, to declare to be wrong or judge unfit for use. These are toxins that need to be removed by God's unconditional love for you, an understanding of the grace of God for you, His unmerited favor, and the gift of righteousness.Get rid of the toxins and start with a clean slate. Receive a big dose of God's love, mercy, acceptance and approval! Detox! Hebrews 10:2 - 'For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because tat worshippers once purged should have no more conscience of sin.' Yesterday, I was watching one of my favorite Bible teachers, Andrew Womack, and they were doing a special on Discipleship. They featured two people that had gone through their Bible School, who described their goal for their first year…to 'detox'. They said they had to unlearn some embedded and erroneous ways of thinking about God and who He is. The dictionary definition of detox is, to remove a harmful substance, a poison or toxin and other effects of such toxins. The reference they used was in regards to the addiction to alcohol or drugs. Before any change could take place, these toxins must be removed from the body, or one must 'detox'. The writer of Hebrews speaks about a certain way of thinking in chapter 10, verse 2, a consciousness of sins, or being sin conscious, which is a way of life that is based almost exclusively on performance. Sin consciousness focuses on not doing enough, not praying enough, not even measuring up. Righteousness is being in the presence of God without feelings of guilt, inferiority, or condemnation. Guilt is the state of one who has committed an offense, violated the law and therefore involving penalty. Inferiority means to be situated lower, of low degree or rank, resulting in extreme timidity or through overcompensation an exaggerated aggressiveness. Condemnation means to pronounce guilty, to sentence, to declare to be wrong or judge unfit for use. These are toxins that need to be removed by God's unconditional love for you, an understanding of the grace of God for you, His unmerited favor, and the gift of righteousness.Get rid of the toxins and start with a clean slate. Receive a big dose of God's love, mercy, acceptance and approval! Detox! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=36863 36863 Fri, 7 Sep 2012 08:00:00 +0000 2 Corinthians 5:21 - 'For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.' When I was at a theme park last week, there was a storm brewing right over me. It started to rain and thunder, then a lightning bolt struck what seemed like right over me! I began to think about the light tower right next to me, acting as a lightning rod, which is when I said to myself, 'I'm outta here!' Have you ever thought about a lightning rod and what it's used for? It's a grounded metallic rod set up on a structure, like a building, to protect it from lightning by drawing the lightning and imminent destruction to itself. Interesting, huh? As a preacher, I see a message in just about everything, and in 1 Corinthians 5:21, I got my message! Jesus became our 'lightning rod', He took all sin - past, present and future - and drew it to Himself, He took all the curse, 'He was made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree' (Galatians 3:13). Jesus took it all. Like the lightning rod, He drew it to Himself - the penalty, the destruction, the punishment, the guilt, the shame - was all taken by Him. Wow! Thank You Jesus! John 12:31-33 says that Jesus drew all judgment upon Himself. And because of that, if you're saved, then you're safe. Did you ever hear that you should get in your car when you are in a lightning storm? It's because the lightning travels around the surface of the vehicle then falls to the ground. That's what Jesus is, a strong tower, we run into it and we are safe (Proverbs 18:10). Jesus is our 'lightning rod', no storm can ever harm us when we rely on Him. You are safe!! Click here to sign up for the Weekly E-Message today! 2 Corinthians 5:21 - 'For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.' When I was at a theme park last week, there was a storm brewing right over me. It started to rain and thunder, then a lightning bolt struck what seemed like right over me! I began to think about the light tower right next to me, acting as a lightning rod, which is when I said to myself, 'I'm outta here!' Have you ever thought about a lightning rod and what it's used for? It's a grounded metallic rod set up on a structure, like a building, to protect it from lightning by drawing the lightning and imminent destruction to itself. Interesting, huh? As a preacher, I see a message in just about everything, and in 1 Corinthians 5:21, I got my message! Jesus became our 'lightning rod', He took all sin - past, present and future - and drew it to Himself, He took all the curse, 'He was made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree' (Galatians 3:13). Jesus took it all. Like the lightning rod, He drew it to Himself - the penalty, the destruction, the punishment, the guilt, the shame - was all taken by Him. Wow! Thank You Jesus! John 12:31-33 says that Jesus drew all judgment upon Himself. And because of that, if you're saved, then you're safe. Did you ever hear that you should get in your car when you are in a lightning storm? It's because the lightning travels around the surface of the vehicle then falls to the ground. That's what Jesus is, a strong tower, we run into it and we are safe (Proverbs 18:10). Jesus is our 'lightning rod', no storm can ever harm us when we rely on Him. You are safe!! Click here to sign up for the Weekly E-Message today! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=36745 36745 Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:51:00 +0000 Genesis 1:3 - 'And God said, Let there be light: and there was light' The most watched event in television history was none other than the 2012 Olympics. It was so exciting, from seeing Michael Phelps winning his 22nd medal, now the most decorated Olympian of all time, to watching the 'fastest man on earth', Usain Bolt win another gold in the sprints. But my favorite was Gabby Douglas, a member of the USA girls gymnastics team. She is not only a great athlete, she has a radiance about her that makes you want to smile. When interviewed about her gold medal in the All Around event, she was asked 'How did you keep your nerves about you during the competition?' She said that she meditates on scriptures and sees herself winning, then said simply, 'I give God all the glory, because when the glory goes up, the blessings come down'. Wow! What an answer. In Genesis 1:3, God shows us His pattern of things that take place, 'He said, and then He saw', which happen to also be the first words of the National Anthem of the United States, 'Oh say can you see'. That's exactly what God is calling us to do, to say and to see. That's the law of Genesis. It's a law that works every time, every day, in every circumstance, both in the positive and the negative, it just works. Genesis is called the book of beginnings, and God, in the beginning, shows us that we, made in His image, can operate this law. God said then God saw, over and over again in the first chapter of Genesis...'oh say can you see' is in operation. Think about your life today, what you're seeing today is the sum total of the words you have spoken in your yesterday's. If it's good, it can get better, if it's not good...it can get good, then better, then best. It's a lifestyle, check yourself out, listen to your own words. We are living in a day when it's time to go for 'gold', it's all there waiting for you in the Word of God! See yourself standing there with a gold medal around your neck singing, 'oh say can you see!' Genesis 1:3 - 'And God said, Let there be light: and there was light' The most watched event in television history was none other than the 2012 Olympics. It was so exciting, from seeing Michael Phelps winning his 22nd medal, now the most decorated Olympian of all time, to watching the 'fastest man on earth', Usain Bolt win another gold in the sprints. But my favorite was Gabby Douglas, a member of the USA girls gymnastics team. She is not only a great athlete, she has a radiance about her that makes you want to smile. When interviewed about her gold medal in the All Around event, she was asked 'How did you keep your nerves about you during the competition?' She said that she meditates on scriptures and sees herself winning, then said simply, 'I give God all the glory, because when the glory goes up, the blessings come down'. Wow! What an answer. In Genesis 1:3, God shows us His pattern of things that take place, 'He said, and then He saw', which happen to also be the first words of the National Anthem of the United States, 'Oh say can you see'. That's exactly what God is calling us to do, to say and to see. That's the law of Genesis. It's a law that works every time, every day, in every circumstance, both in the positive and the negative, it just works. Genesis is called the book of beginnings, and God, in the beginning, shows us that we, made in His image, can operate this law. God said then God saw, over and over again in the first chapter of Genesis...'oh say can you see' is in operation. Think about your life today, what you're seeing today is the sum total of the words you have spoken in your yesterday's. If it's good, it can get better, if it's not good...it can get good, then better, then best. It's a lifestyle, check yourself out, listen to your own words. We are living in a day when it's time to go for 'gold', it's all there waiting for you in the Word of God! See yourself standing there with a gold medal around your neck singing, 'oh say can you see!' http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=36586 36586 Sat, 25 Aug 2012 08:00:00 +0000 Matthew 15:27 - 'And she said, truth Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the masters table'. I recently read about a posh hotel opening in Chelse NY, catering solely to pampered dogs. For $100 per night the suite comes complete with a fitness spa, gourmet meals prepared by a private chef, and full size beds and flat screen TV's featuring movies such as Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Fox and the Hound. In the spa the pampered pups can get a 'pawdicure' if desired, as well as stay in shape with the custom doggy treadmill. Sounds hilarious but it's true, these dogs are treated like royalty! In Matthew 15, a woman of Canaan comes to Jesus needing a miracle for her daughter. Jesus' response to her may have sounded offensive to us, but not for that day and time. He says, 'It is not meet [proper], to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs'. The term dog simply referred to Gentiles, those not within the boundaries of the covenant which included healing and restoration. This woman, however, gets Jesus' attention, when she says [my paraphrase], 'you're right, Jesus, but I don't need a whole loaf of bread, all I need is just a few crumbs'. She knew that there was enough power in the covenant, that even a few 'crumbs' could deliver and heal her daughter. You don't have to know the whole Bible to be free or blessed or victorious. You can live like 'royalty' if you simply get a revelation of the goodness of God. Ephesians 2:12 says, 'at one time you were without Christ, being aliens from the rights of a citizen, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world'. Praise God, you are NOT without Christ, if you are saved, you HAVE rights and privileges, you HAVE God's covenant, and you HAVE total hope in the world. It's already yours, just receive it, healing is yours, prosperity in every area of your life is yours, deliverance and freedom are already yours in Christ. You don't have to be a Bible scholar, it's already yours, just take it! Matthew 15:27 - 'And she said, truth Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the masters table'. I recently read about a posh hotel opening in Chelse NY, catering solely to pampered dogs. For $100 per night the suite comes complete with a fitness spa, gourmet meals prepared by a private chef, and full size beds and flat screen TV's featuring movies such as Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Fox and the Hound. In the spa the pampered pups can get a 'pawdicure' if desired, as well as stay in shape with the custom doggy treadmill. Sounds hilarious but it's true, these dogs are treated like royalty! In Matthew 15, a woman of Canaan comes to Jesus needing a miracle for her daughter. Jesus' response to her may have sounded offensive to us, but not for that day and time. He says, 'It is not meet [proper], to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs'. The term dog simply referred to Gentiles, those not within the boundaries of the covenant which included healing and restoration. This woman, however, gets Jesus' attention, when she says [my paraphrase], 'you're right, Jesus, but I don't need a whole loaf of bread, all I need is just a few crumbs'. She knew that there was enough power in the covenant, that even a few 'crumbs' could deliver and heal her daughter. You don't have to know the whole Bible to be free or blessed or victorious. You can live like 'royalty' if you simply get a revelation of the goodness of God. Ephesians 2:12 says, 'at one time you were without Christ, being aliens from the rights of a citizen, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world'. Praise God, you are NOT without Christ, if you are saved, you HAVE rights and privileges, you HAVE God's covenant, and you HAVE total hope in the world. It's already yours, just receive it, healing is yours, prosperity in every area of your life is yours, deliverance and freedom are already yours in Christ. You don't have to be a Bible scholar, it's already yours, just take it! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=36451 36451 Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:02:00 +0000 Hebrews 12:3 - 'Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds'.Did you know that the state of New Jersey has established what is called a 'safe surrender' program offering persons wanted by the police for non-violent crimes to turn themselves in, and, usually, be granted probation or a reduced fine instead of jail time? So far, 3,901 people have turned themselves in, including 550 people who weren't actually wanted for anything, who simply wanted to check to see if they was a warrant out for them. In the Christian walk, there is no such thing as a 'safe surrender' program! Christians who refuse to quit don't own a white flag - the symbol of surrender declaring that they have given up the fight and the enemy has won. Listen, no one ever said it was going to be easy, especially if you're going to do what God has called you to do. I've been there! There will be opposition, an enemy who is trying to get you to wave that white flag and give up on the things of God. Maybe you feel like giving up, stopping the fight, going for a 'safe surrender' program, compromising your goal or promise from God's Word. I have advice for you today, 'burn that white flag' and stir up the spirit inside of you to fight. In Hebrews 12:3, the writer says to 'consider him that endured'. Consider means to set your mind on, to fix yourself upon, to focus upon. It goes on to say, 'lest you faint'. Faint means to cease to be able, but interestingly, you cannot cease to do something you are able to do. The game the enemy plays is to try to convince you and me that we can't do what God says we can do. Say this, I'm not going down without a fight…in fact, I'm not going down at all'. Here are five things that will help you in the fight: Train yourself to see what's not there, to look beyond the problem Always focus on getting better not bigger. If you get better, no one can stop you from getting bigger. You have to know your 'core', core strength comes from what you're gifted to do, not what you can't do. Don't just tell people how to live, just live it. Be willing to change when God says change. Go ahead, get rid of that white flag, you're not going to need it! Hebrews 12:3 - 'Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds'.Did you know that the state of New Jersey has established what is called a 'safe surrender' program offering persons wanted by the police for non-violent crimes to turn themselves in, and, usually, be granted probation or a reduced fine instead of jail time? So far, 3,901 people have turned themselves in, including 550 people who weren't actually wanted for anything, who simply wanted to check to see if they was a warrant out for them. In the Christian walk, there is no such thing as a 'safe surrender' program! Christians who refuse to quit don't own a white flag - the symbol of surrender declaring that they have given up the fight and the enemy has won. Listen, no one ever said it was going to be easy, especially if you're going to do what God has called you to do. I've been there! There will be opposition, an enemy who is trying to get you to wave that white flag and give up on the things of God. Maybe you feel like giving up, stopping the fight, going for a 'safe surrender' program, compromising your goal or promise from God's Word. I have advice for you today, 'burn that white flag' and stir up the spirit inside of you to fight. In Hebrews 12:3, the writer says to 'consider him that endured'. Consider means to set your mind on, to fix yourself upon, to focus upon. It goes on to say, 'lest you faint'. Faint means to cease to be able, but interestingly, you cannot cease to do something you are able to do. The game the enemy plays is to try to convince you and me that we can't do what God says we can do. Say this, I'm not going down without a fight…in fact, I'm not going down at all'. Here are five things that will help you in the fight: Train yourself to see what's not there, to look beyond the problem Always focus on getting better not bigger. If you get better, no one can stop you from getting bigger. You have to know your 'core', core strength comes from what you're gifted to do, not what you can't do. Don't just tell people how to live, just live it. Be willing to change when God says change. Go ahead, get rid of that white flag, you're not going to need it! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=36182 36182 Wed, 8 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Luke 15:23 - 'Bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us be merry.' Several weeks ago, my family enjoyed a wonderful vacation at the beach. We had great weather, fun, time to reconnect, lots of relaxation, and an awesome time. For meals, my wife cooked a few, we ordered pizza one night, and generally just stayed at home after a long day at the beach and ate together as a family. However, one night my wife and I treated ourselves to a wonderful meal, a very overpriced, but wonderful meal! I couldn't help thinking of all the things we could have done with that $100 plus bucks! But I'm real glad we went, we had a great time together. I can still taste the medallions of fresh salmon in a light sauce with capers and olives. My wife had pan seared tuna in a dark and tasty sauce, mmm! Anyway... In Luke 15:23, there was a great celebration for a long lost son who had returned and was being restored to his family. In his honor, they killed the 'fatted calf', the young cow or veal that was eaten on special occasions only. I call this 'the real veal', or a lifestyle of enjoyment, a lifestyle of restoration, a lifestyle of expectation and celebration of good. 'The real veal' is a mindset, it's a thought pattern that knows that God isn't mad at you, that you don't have to atone for your sins. The fatted calf symbolizes God's desire for good things for you. He doesn't want to punish you, He loves you and has prepared the best of the best for you. Here's the key, 'the real veal' is good because God is good and wants good for you! Don't feel guilty when things are going 'too' good, and think you don't deserve it, or things are 'too good to be true', and that God is going to sprinkle some bad your way. 'The real veal' is a life of celebration, it's filled with laughter, it's not being so serious all the time. It's time to make merry and be glad. Like the lost son, you were once dead, and now you're alive, go ahead a live like it! Enjoy 'the real veal'! Luke 15:23 - 'Bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us be merry.' Several weeks ago, my family enjoyed a wonderful vacation at the beach. We had great weather, fun, time to reconnect, lots of relaxation, and an awesome time. For meals, my wife cooked a few, we ordered pizza one night, and generally just stayed at home after a long day at the beach and ate together as a family. However, one night my wife and I treated ourselves to a wonderful meal, a very overpriced, but wonderful meal! I couldn't help thinking of all the things we could have done with that $100 plus bucks! But I'm real glad we went, we had a great time together. I can still taste the medallions of fresh salmon in a light sauce with capers and olives. My wife had pan seared tuna in a dark and tasty sauce, mmm! Anyway... In Luke 15:23, there was a great celebration for a long lost son who had returned and was being restored to his family. In his honor, they killed the 'fatted calf', the young cow or veal that was eaten on special occasions only. I call this 'the real veal', or a lifestyle of enjoyment, a lifestyle of restoration, a lifestyle of expectation and celebration of good. 'The real veal' is a mindset, it's a thought pattern that knows that God isn't mad at you, that you don't have to atone for your sins. The fatted calf symbolizes God's desire for good things for you. He doesn't want to punish you, He loves you and has prepared the best of the best for you. Here's the key, 'the real veal' is good because God is good and wants good for you! Don't feel guilty when things are going 'too' good, and think you don't deserve it, or things are 'too good to be true', and that God is going to sprinkle some bad your way. 'The real veal' is a life of celebration, it's filled with laughter, it's not being so serious all the time. It's time to make merry and be glad. Like the lost son, you were once dead, and now you're alive, go ahead a live like it! Enjoy 'the real veal'! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=36107 36107 Thu, 2 Aug 2012 20:36:00 +0000 Galatians 4:4 (Amplified Bible) - 'But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman'. Being that we are in the middle of baseball season, you know that I'm going to have at least one (maybe two) E-messages on this sport that I love so much! I love it because a) it's a great sport, b) my Yankees are usually in first place, I like to win, and c) baseball season has great weather. The thing about playing baseball, it's not always about what you do, as much as when you do it, and when you do it is all about the 'clutch'. Clutch means to be successful in a crucial situation. It's what you do when the game is on the line. For instance, there are some players that are great 'practice players' who are...great in practice. But when the game is on the line, they are nowhere to be found. They get nervous and hope that they won't get up to the plate in a crucial situation. The phrase 'two outs and one on [base]' is a situation where one hit will drive in a winning run, that's the time you want that hit, not when there is no one on base. God is 'clutch'! He is always on time, He does great things in the most crucial situations. In Galatians 4:4 it says 'in the fullness of time', or at the exact and proper time, Jesus was born as our Savior. God's timing is always perfect if we will just trust in Him, that's the key folks, TRUST. My Pastor used to always say it this way, 'God is never early, God is never late, but He is always on time'. Praise God! You may be facing some challenges today...it's the 'ninth inning' and 'you're down one run', and there's 'two outs and one on'! God is clutch!! God gets the important hits when they matter the most. Listen to me today, God is going to come through for you today! This is not the time to give up hope, throw in the towel, put your head down in defeat. God is making a way where there is no way. We serve a clutch God! Galatians 4:4 (Amplified Bible) - 'But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman'. Being that we are in the middle of baseball season, you know that I'm going to have at least one (maybe two) E-messages on this sport that I love so much! I love it because a) it's a great sport, b) my Yankees are usually in first place, I like to win, and c) baseball season has great weather. The thing about playing baseball, it's not always about what you do, as much as when you do it, and when you do it is all about the 'clutch'. Clutch means to be successful in a crucial situation. It's what you do when the game is on the line. For instance, there are some players that are great 'practice players' who are...great in practice. But when the game is on the line, they are nowhere to be found. They get nervous and hope that they won't get up to the plate in a crucial situation. The phrase 'two outs and one on [base]' is a situation where one hit will drive in a winning run, that's the time you want that hit, not when there is no one on base. God is 'clutch'! He is always on time, He does great things in the most crucial situations. In Galatians 4:4 it says 'in the fullness of time', or at the exact and proper time, Jesus was born as our Savior. God's timing is always perfect if we will just trust in Him, that's the key folks, TRUST. My Pastor used to always say it this way, 'God is never early, God is never late, but He is always on time'. Praise God! You may be facing some challenges today...it's the 'ninth inning' and 'you're down one run', and there's 'two outs and one on'! God is clutch!! God gets the important hits when they matter the most. Listen to me today, God is going to come through for you today! This is not the time to give up hope, throw in the towel, put your head down in defeat. God is making a way where there is no way. We serve a clutch God! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=35760 35760 Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Exodus 3:8 - 'I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land into a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey…' Sweet Lord! The Episcopal Bishop of New York recently welcomed the newest members of his congregation, a hive of 15,000 bees he hopes will provide a harvest of tasty honey and help pollinate local gardens. The blessing Rev. Mark Sisk prayed over the bees, 'may the sweetness of their honey remind us of the sweetness of God's love for us'. In Exodus 3:8, the Lord came down to deliver the Israelites out of the hand of the Egyptians. I really like the rest of the verse that says, that He not only was bringing them out, but He was bringing them IN to something great. You see, here is the principle folks, God doesn't just bring you out of bondage and stop there…He always brings you out, that He might bring you in to something new, something exciting. This verse says that He is bringing Israel out of bondage and into a good land, and, I like this, 'a large'. When God gets involved it's going to be good and it's going to be large, God doesn't do anything small. A land flowing with milk and honey describes a lifestyle of prosperity, and prosperity here doesn't just mean money. If you're sick and have a million dollars in the bank, you're a poor man with money. The same goes for your marriage, a million dollars doesn't do much good if your whole family is broken apart. No, prosperity is every area, health for your body, prosperity for your bank account, and well being for every member of your family. Hive'n sent is the good life, it's the sweet life, it's giving yourself permission to enjoy your life. So go ahead, God is bringing you out, but, shout a little bit, He is bringing you in, because your life is hive'n sent! Exodus 3:8 - 'I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land into a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey…' Sweet Lord! The Episcopal Bishop of New York recently welcomed the newest members of his congregation, a hive of 15,000 bees he hopes will provide a harvest of tasty honey and help pollinate local gardens. The blessing Rev. Mark Sisk prayed over the bees, 'may the sweetness of their honey remind us of the sweetness of God's love for us'. In Exodus 3:8, the Lord came down to deliver the Israelites out of the hand of the Egyptians. I really like the rest of the verse that says, that He not only was bringing them out, but He was bringing them IN to something great. You see, here is the principle folks, God doesn't just bring you out of bondage and stop there…He always brings you out, that He might bring you in to something new, something exciting. This verse says that He is bringing Israel out of bondage and into a good land, and, I like this, 'a large'. When God gets involved it's going to be good and it's going to be large, God doesn't do anything small. A land flowing with milk and honey describes a lifestyle of prosperity, and prosperity here doesn't just mean money. If you're sick and have a million dollars in the bank, you're a poor man with money. The same goes for your marriage, a million dollars doesn't do much good if your whole family is broken apart. No, prosperity is every area, health for your body, prosperity for your bank account, and well being for every member of your family. Hive'n sent is the good life, it's the sweet life, it's giving yourself permission to enjoy your life. So go ahead, God is bringing you out, but, shout a little bit, He is bringing you in, because your life is hive'n sent! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=35328 35328 Wed, 11 Jul 2012 15:00:00 +0000 Hebrews 12:2 - 'Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross' Tight rope walker, Mike Wallenda, says he finds it hard to visit a new place without envisioning a wire strung over his head. As a six year-old, while visiting Niagara Fall, he pictured himself walking a tight rope over the raging waters, crossing from New York to Canada. On June 15, 2012, Wallenda became the first person ever to walk a tight rope over the falls. Mike is a committed Christian, who could be heard on ABC's broadcast of this event, praying and calling on the name of Jesus as the Source of his strength to make the almost 30 minute walk on the steel rope across Niagara Falls. In Hebrews 12:2, we see how Jesus was able to overcome the pain and suffering of the crucifixion that He endured for all the world to be saved. It says, 'for the joy that was set before Him', joy was what Jesus was able to see, to see all those that would be redeemed. In 1 John 3:8 it says, 'for this purpose the Son of God was manifest, that He might destroy the works of the devil'. Jesus was able to see something that carried Him through the most painful death anyone could ever endure. If Jesus could actually see joy, and could see beyond the cross, you and I can endure whatever we are facing every day. Mike Wallenda focused on Jesus, his relationship with the Father, and prayed as he walked over the raging waters, and a certain death if he ever fell. But Wallenda was able to walk above what could have killed him. He focused on Jesus, not on the danger. Wallenda was a 'falls guy'. You can walk above what you're dealing with. Why? How? Do what Mike did, looking to the finish, looking at the joy at the end of the battle. That's the key, to be able to see beyond your current circumstances. You are a 'falls guy' when you look unto Jesus, and 'look away from all that will distract' [Amplified Bible]. You are what you see. Don't look down, look up at God's Word. Remember, you're a 'falls guy'. Hebrews 12:2 - 'Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross' Tight rope walker, Mike Wallenda, says he finds it hard to visit a new place without envisioning a wire strung over his head. As a six year-old, while visiting Niagara Fall, he pictured himself walking a tight rope over the raging waters, crossing from New York to Canada. On June 15, 2012, Wallenda became the first person ever to walk a tight rope over the falls. Mike is a committed Christian, who could be heard on ABC's broadcast of this event, praying and calling on the name of Jesus as the Source of his strength to make the almost 30 minute walk on the steel rope across Niagara Falls. In Hebrews 12:2, we see how Jesus was able to overcome the pain and suffering of the crucifixion that He endured for all the world to be saved. It says, 'for the joy that was set before Him', joy was what Jesus was able to see, to see all those that would be redeemed. In 1 John 3:8 it says, 'for this purpose the Son of God was manifest, that He might destroy the works of the devil'. Jesus was able to see something that carried Him through the most painful death anyone could ever endure. If Jesus could actually see joy, and could see beyond the cross, you and I can endure whatever we are facing every day. Mike Wallenda focused on Jesus, his relationship with the Father, and prayed as he walked over the raging waters, and a certain death if he ever fell. But Wallenda was able to walk above what could have killed him. He focused on Jesus, not on the danger. Wallenda was a 'falls guy'. You can walk above what you're dealing with. Why? How? Do what Mike did, looking to the finish, looking at the joy at the end of the battle. That's the key, to be able to see beyond your current circumstances. You are a 'falls guy' when you look unto Jesus, and 'look away from all that will distract' [Amplified Bible]. You are what you see. Don't look down, look up at God's Word. Remember, you're a 'falls guy'. http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=35327 35327 Wed, 4 Jul 2012 15:00:00 +0000 John 1:14 - 'And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.' I recently drove through my old 'stomping grounds' in Eatontown, NJ and passed by one of our family's frequent stops, the Grand Chinese Buffet. It sure brought back memories...for only $8.95 you could eat all the dumplings, spare ribs, chicken, lo mien, crabs, fish, and almost every imaginable Chinese delight you want, including desserts! Yes, we ate all we could eat, we left barely able to walk, which is why we nicknamed it the 'Grand Chinese Barf-eh'. Well, we eventually stopped going there and eating like that in general, but when I think of being 'full', that place comes to mind. In John 1:14, the Apostle John is speaking of the Word becoming flesh, speaking of Jesus, and he goes on to state that He was full of grace. Grace means favor, unmerited favor, and supernatural ability. When you received Jesus, you received this grace, it's on the inside of you. You are full of favor, and God's supernatural ability, you are literally 'stuffed'. There is so much on the inside of you, most of which you have not even tapped into yet. In verse 16, the Amplified Bible says, 'For out of His fullness [abundance], we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. Praise God! You're stuffed! AND you can go back to the 'buffet' as much as you want, to get whatever you want or need, whenever you want. It's all there, it's all in you, the man said, 'You're full of grace'! Tap into it! How? By faith. Take it. Whatever God asks you to do, whatever challenges you face, for any situation that seems impossible...the buffet is open and it never closes. Take it today, your full of grace, favor and ability! John 1:14 - 'And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.' I recently drove through my old 'stomping grounds' in Eatontown, NJ and passed by one of our family's frequent stops, the Grand Chinese Buffet. It sure brought back memories...for only $8.95 you could eat all the dumplings, spare ribs, chicken, lo mien, crabs, fish, and almost every imaginable Chinese delight you want, including desserts! Yes, we ate all we could eat, we left barely able to walk, which is why we nicknamed it the 'Grand Chinese Barf-eh'. Well, we eventually stopped going there and eating like that in general, but when I think of being 'full', that place comes to mind. In John 1:14, the Apostle John is speaking of the Word becoming flesh, speaking of Jesus, and he goes on to state that He was full of grace. Grace means favor, unmerited favor, and supernatural ability. When you received Jesus, you received this grace, it's on the inside of you. You are full of favor, and God's supernatural ability, you are literally 'stuffed'. There is so much on the inside of you, most of which you have not even tapped into yet. In verse 16, the Amplified Bible says, 'For out of His fullness [abundance], we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. Praise God! You're stuffed! AND you can go back to the 'buffet' as much as you want, to get whatever you want or need, whenever you want. It's all there, it's all in you, the man said, 'You're full of grace'! Tap into it! How? By faith. Take it. Whatever God asks you to do, whatever challenges you face, for any situation that seems impossible...the buffet is open and it never closes. Take it today, your full of grace, favor and ability! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=35098 35098 Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:49:00 +0000 Jeremiah 18:3 - 'Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was working at the wheel'. One day last week, I had worked a very full day and was truly looking forward to getting home. I got in my car and started to drive out of the parking lot and heard 'thump, thump, thump'. I had a flat tire. If you've ever had a flat tire you know that it never happens at a convenient time, and this was one of those times. I was tired, it was late, and I was over an hour from home. And the thought hit me, 'you have to change the tire to get moving'. No matter how much I stared at that tire, it had to be changed, that is if I wanted to get anywhere. In Jeremiah 18:1-6, the Prophet is speaking about 'change'. In verse 3, he went down to the potter's house, and saw that he was working at the wheel. A potter uses two wheels to work the pottery, a lower wheel operated by his feet and an upper wheel to mold the clay. The word of the Lord in verse 6 says, 'Cannot I do with you as this potter? Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand'. What is this speaking of? 'Keeping it wheel!' Being ready for change! Just the same as my car, if I had not changed that tire, I wasn't going anywhere! How about you? Where do you want to go? Do you want to move from where you are? It's going to require change. Most people fight change, but you can't have the 'new' in your life without it. 'Keeping it wheel' is doing whatever God says to you, no matter how different it seems. Will you allow yourself to be on the potter's wheel? Change doesn't happen until you first submit to the change in your heart. I encourage you to 'keep it wheel' and experience God's best for your life. Jeremiah 18:3 - 'Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was working at the wheel'. One day last week, I had worked a very full day and was truly looking forward to getting home. I got in my car and started to drive out of the parking lot and heard 'thump, thump, thump'. I had a flat tire. If you've ever had a flat tire you know that it never happens at a convenient time, and this was one of those times. I was tired, it was late, and I was over an hour from home. And the thought hit me, 'you have to change the tire to get moving'. No matter how much I stared at that tire, it had to be changed, that is if I wanted to get anywhere. In Jeremiah 18:1-6, the Prophet is speaking about 'change'. In verse 3, he went down to the potter's house, and saw that he was working at the wheel. A potter uses two wheels to work the pottery, a lower wheel operated by his feet and an upper wheel to mold the clay. The word of the Lord in verse 6 says, 'Cannot I do with you as this potter? Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand'. What is this speaking of? 'Keeping it wheel!' Being ready for change! Just the same as my car, if I had not changed that tire, I wasn't going anywhere! How about you? Where do you want to go? Do you want to move from where you are? It's going to require change. Most people fight change, but you can't have the 'new' in your life without it. 'Keeping it wheel' is doing whatever God says to you, no matter how different it seems. Will you allow yourself to be on the potter's wheel? Change doesn't happen until you first submit to the change in your heart. I encourage you to 'keep it wheel' and experience God's best for your life. http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=34886 34886 Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Jude 20 - 'But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost'. The other day, I was having a conversation with someone from our church and they said something that I think is so important in our daily life. They said, 'Before I go to work every day, I make sure that I'm prayed up so as to be able to deal with the various problems and challenges and conflicts that I have to deal with'. I thought about that long after we talked, it is so essential to be 'prayed up'. What does 'prayed up' mean? It means, before you start your day, before you have your first conversation, before that first challenge comes, before that traffic jam, before that co-worker crosses your path…and all the other 'before's'…being prayed up means to be prepared spiritually for the day ahead of you. Jude 20 says, 'building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost'. Praying in the Spirit is so powerful because in Romans 8:26-27 it says that there are some things that we just don't know how to pray for as we ought to. In verse 27 it says that the Holy Spirit is making intercession for us according to the perfect will of God. When you pray in Spirit before your day starts, you are already interceding for what may come your way that day. It's the believer's secret weapon, it's a powerful gift. I encourage you to be 'prayed up' before you go to the office, go to that interview, before you talk with your teenager about the incident that took place, or before you go in for that follow up visit to the doctor. To me, being 'prayed up' means having a wall of protection and a prepared heart and mind before facing life's challenges, both the ones that we know about ahead of time, and those that take us (but not God) by surprise. Here are three things that I recommend as to how to be 'prayed up' 1) Talk with God before you talk to people 2) Get alone with God, and 3) Start first thing in the morning, don't wait until later. In the days we're living in, your key to victory is to be 'prayed up'! Jude 20 - 'But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost'. The other day, I was having a conversation with someone from our church and they said something that I think is so important in our daily life. They said, 'Before I go to work every day, I make sure that I'm prayed up so as to be able to deal with the various problems and challenges and conflicts that I have to deal with'. I thought about that long after we talked, it is so essential to be 'prayed up'. What does 'prayed up' mean? It means, before you start your day, before you have your first conversation, before that first challenge comes, before that traffic jam, before that co-worker crosses your path…and all the other 'before's'…being prayed up means to be prepared spiritually for the day ahead of you. Jude 20 says, 'building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost'. Praying in the Spirit is so powerful because in Romans 8:26-27 it says that there are some things that we just don't know how to pray for as we ought to. In verse 27 it says that the Holy Spirit is making intercession for us according to the perfect will of God. When you pray in Spirit before your day starts, you are already interceding for what may come your way that day. It's the believer's secret weapon, it's a powerful gift. I encourage you to be 'prayed up' before you go to the office, go to that interview, before you talk with your teenager about the incident that took place, or before you go in for that follow up visit to the doctor. To me, being 'prayed up' means having a wall of protection and a prepared heart and mind before facing life's challenges, both the ones that we know about ahead of time, and those that take us (but not God) by surprise. Here are three things that I recommend as to how to be 'prayed up' 1) Talk with God before you talk to people 2) Get alone with God, and 3) Start first thing in the morning, don't wait until later. In the days we're living in, your key to victory is to be 'prayed up'! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=34674 34674 Wed, 30 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Romans 2:15 (Amplified Bible) - 'They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts {and} are operating there, with which their consciences (sense of right and wrong) also bear witness; and their [moral] decisions (their arguments of reason, their condemning or approving thoughts) will accuse or perhaps defend {and} excuse [them]' How many of us have heard the words 'shame on you!' spoken to us, or we've spoken them to someone else? Ouch! So opposite of what God says about us! Let's take a few minutes to explore guilt and shame. God has given us His Word for how we can best live in this world. His instructions for life are not there to make our lives miserable, but to guide us into living with the greatest freedom in this world. His Word is deeply embedded in our minds, 'written in our hearts', in what we call our conscience, as stated in Romans 2:15. When we sin and go against the Word, we should feel guilt, this is appropriate guilt for what we've done and the effect it may have had on others. The more we ignore and repress the guilt the more insensitive our consciences become. David ignored his guilt for many months after sinning with Bathsheba and murdering her husband to cover it up. Because of His love for David and His people, God sent the prophet Nathan to expose his sin and give him the opportunity to confess his sin and repent, so that He could forgive him and remove his guilt and shame. Thank God for His Word written in our hearts that sounds the alarm when we sin, and His love for us that removes our sin through confession and forgiveness. Now let's look at shame that comes from Satan. When we sin, instead of us just acknowledging our sin, confessing it and receiving forgiveness, Satan tries to take it one step further. Guilt says, 'I have done something wrong', but shame says, 'I am a bad person'. This type of shame brings with it the feeling of being dishonorable, worthless and inferior. It results from failing to live up to expectations: our own, other people's, God's. It's usually triggered when we anticipate disapproval or rejection, and when our foolishness, weakness or sin is exposed. But when it comes to God, failure is an event, not a person. When we confess our sin, God forgives us and restores us and washes away our shame and guilt. Let's make a decision to never side with the enemy and pronounce shame on anyone or ourselves, let's be instruments of righteousness and follow God's way of dealing with sin. In Him, there's no shame on you! If guilt and shame is something that you are struggling with, I encourage you to click here for The Power of the Cross music video, and let God remind you of His love for you and the cleansing power of His forgiveness through the cross of Christ.Portions paraphrased from the book, Perfecting Ourselves to Death, by Richard Winter. Romans 2:15 (Amplified Bible) - 'They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts {and} are operating there, with which their consciences (sense of right and wrong) also bear witness; and their [moral] decisions (their arguments of reason, their condemning or approving thoughts) will accuse or perhaps defend {and} excuse [them]' How many of us have heard the words 'shame on you!' spoken to us, or we've spoken them to someone else? Ouch! So opposite of what God says about us! Let's take a few minutes to explore guilt and shame. God has given us His Word for how we can best live in this world. His instructions for life are not there to make our lives miserable, but to guide us into living with the greatest freedom in this world. His Word is deeply embedded in our minds, 'written in our hearts', in what we call our conscience, as stated in Romans 2:15. When we sin and go against the Word, we should feel guilt, this is appropriate guilt for what we've done and the effect it may have had on others. The more we ignore and repress the guilt the more insensitive our consciences become. David ignored his guilt for many months after sinning with Bathsheba and murdering her husband to cover it up. Because of His love for David and His people, God sent the prophet Nathan to expose his sin and give him the opportunity to confess his sin and repent, so that He could forgive him and remove his guilt and shame. Thank God for His Word written in our hearts that sounds the alarm when we sin, and His love for us that removes our sin through confession and forgiveness. Now let's look at shame that comes from Satan. When we sin, instead of us just acknowledging our sin, confessing it and receiving forgiveness, Satan tries to take it one step further. Guilt says, 'I have done something wrong', but shame says, 'I am a bad person'. This type of shame brings with it the feeling of being dishonorable, worthless and inferior. It results from failing to live up to expectations: our own, other people's, God's. It's usually triggered when we anticipate disapproval or rejection, and when our foolishness, weakness or sin is exposed. But when it comes to God, failure is an event, not a person. When we confess our sin, God forgives us and restores us and washes away our shame and guilt. Let's make a decision to never side with the enemy and pronounce shame on anyone or ourselves, let's be instruments of righteousness and follow God's way of dealing with sin. In Him, there's no shame on you! If guilt and shame is something that you are struggling with, I encourage you to click here for The Power of the Cross music video, and let God remind you of His love for you and the cleansing power of His forgiveness through the cross of Christ.Portions paraphrased from the book, Perfecting Ourselves to Death, by Richard Winter. http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=34499 34499 Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Numbers14:27-28 – 'I have heard the murmurings of the children ofIsrael, which they murmur against Me…as you have spoken in My ears, so will I do to you.' In the early 70's there was a popular television show called 'The Gong Show', where contestants would perform in song or dance or any crazy talent in front of judges. For those contestants who were really annoying, the judges would take a giant mallet and hit it against a giant gong, the performance would cease, and the audience would be put out of their misery! In Numbers 14:27-28, God speaks of hearing the 'murmuring' of the children of Israel, which translated from the Hebrew is the English word 'gong', which means to murmur, complain or speak critically. It's a conversation or a word spoken in a low tone, sometimes in a whisper or under your breath. The children of Israel would complain about everything, even the manna God provided for them in the wilderness. They even talked of going back toEgypt, the place of bondage that God delivered them from. The sad fact was that in verse 28 God finally said 'as you have spoken in My ears, so will I do to you'. God hears everything! Even when they said in verse 2, 'I wish that we would have died inEgypt' and 'would God we had died in this wilderness?' Which is exactly what happened, they were hung by their tongue. How about you, are you a complainer, are you saying some things about your life or situations that are negative, are you saying negative things under your breath when faced with a challenging situation, are you having your very own 'Gong Show'? Here are a few things to remember… It starts in your heart, go to the root, David said 'create in me a clean heart'. Your attitude determines your altitude, David also said 'renew a right attitude inside me'. Learn to cancel negative statements, check yourself and reverse negative mindsets as soon as you recognize them. It's time to get off 'The Gong Show'! Numbers14:27-28 – 'I have heard the murmurings of the children ofIsrael, which they murmur against Me…as you have spoken in My ears, so will I do to you.' In the early 70's there was a popular television show called 'The Gong Show', where contestants would perform in song or dance or any crazy talent in front of judges. For those contestants who were really annoying, the judges would take a giant mallet and hit it against a giant gong, the performance would cease, and the audience would be put out of their misery! In Numbers 14:27-28, God speaks of hearing the 'murmuring' of the children of Israel, which translated from the Hebrew is the English word 'gong', which means to murmur, complain or speak critically. It's a conversation or a word spoken in a low tone, sometimes in a whisper or under your breath. The children of Israel would complain about everything, even the manna God provided for them in the wilderness. They even talked of going back toEgypt, the place of bondage that God delivered them from. The sad fact was that in verse 28 God finally said 'as you have spoken in My ears, so will I do to you'. God hears everything! Even when they said in verse 2, 'I wish that we would have died inEgypt' and 'would God we had died in this wilderness?' Which is exactly what happened, they were hung by their tongue. How about you, are you a complainer, are you saying some things about your life or situations that are negative, are you saying negative things under your breath when faced with a challenging situation, are you having your very own 'Gong Show'? Here are a few things to remember… It starts in your heart, go to the root, David said 'create in me a clean heart'. Your attitude determines your altitude, David also said 'renew a right attitude inside me'. Learn to cancel negative statements, check yourself and reverse negative mindsets as soon as you recognize them. It's time to get off 'The Gong Show'! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=34451 34451 Sun, 20 May 2012 13:09:00 +0000 Ephesians 6:2 - 'Honor thy father and thy mother: which is the first commandment with promise'. As Mother's Day approaches, I think of Genny, my mother, who was a very special lady in my life. Not only as a mother, but as a friend. One of her best attributes, among many, was her ability to make people laugh. She went to be with the Lord in heaven several years ago, and is probably making God laugh as well. When we were kids, we would celebrate Mother's Day by making my mom breakfast in bed. Then we would tell her to wait in bed until her 'present' was ready. Then we would plant lots of flowers in the backyard. Then we would finally let mom come out and observe our masterpiece! Her excited response would always make us feel so special. 'Mom's' the Word means to honor our mothers. By honor, I mean to place high value on, like my mom used to say, 'you have lots of friends, but you only have one mother!' This Sunday, let's remember our moms. Let's all make sure to honor all of our mothers and show them in a very special way how much we love and appreciate them. God places so much importance on moms that He says, to honor them is 'the first commandment with promise'! Remember, 'Mom's the Word!' Ephesians 6:2 - 'Honor thy father and thy mother: which is the first commandment with promise'. As Mother's Day approaches, I think of Genny, my mother, who was a very special lady in my life. Not only as a mother, but as a friend. One of her best attributes, among many, was her ability to make people laugh. She went to be with the Lord in heaven several years ago, and is probably making God laugh as well. When we were kids, we would celebrate Mother's Day by making my mom breakfast in bed. Then we would tell her to wait in bed until her 'present' was ready. Then we would plant lots of flowers in the backyard. Then we would finally let mom come out and observe our masterpiece! Her excited response would always make us feel so special. 'Mom's' the Word means to honor our mothers. By honor, I mean to place high value on, like my mom used to say, 'you have lots of friends, but you only have one mother!' This Sunday, let's remember our moms. Let's all make sure to honor all of our mothers and show them in a very special way how much we love and appreciate them. God places so much importance on moms that He says, to honor them is 'the first commandment with promise'! Remember, 'Mom's the Word!' http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=34191 34191 Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:00 +0000 Proverbs 18:21 - 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.' Ask my family, speaking words that bring life is something that I am real passionate about. There are so many phrases that we use on an everyday basis that roll off our tongues without really understanding the impact they have on our lives. For example, as I was going about my day several weeks ago, just enjoying myself, living life to the fullest, I said to someone who commented on my upbeat attitude, I responded, 'hey, life is short!' Then the light went on, and the Holy Ghost arrested me, got a hold of me, and said, 'Don't say that anymore'. He asked me, 'Is that what you're believing for? Is that what you want?' I changed my tune right away, now I say 'Life is LONG!', like the Word says in Mark 11:23, 'You shall have whatsoever you say'. Gloria Copeland was sharing the exact same thing on the Believer's Voice of Victory Broadcast when she included, don't say 'my bad' when we make a mistake. This may sound radical and fanatical, but if screaming fans at the NFL Draft can take the day off from work and show up at Radio City Music Hall wearing their favorite team jersey, we can certainly get radical and fanatical about God's Word. Getting back to Gloria, she explained that we need to watch out for those phrases that come out of the world and get into the church. Think about it, do we want to take possession of anything 'bad'. Do we want to call something extraordinarily amazing 'sick'? Do we want to say that when we do something great that we 'killed' it? Do you really love someone 'to death'? Please don't love me that way! But you might say, yea, yea, but Pastor Joe, that's not what is meant. But that's what was said, and Proverbs 18:21 says that you are going to experience the words that you say, whether you mean them or not, it's a spiritual law. 'Life is long' is speaking the kind of life you want to live, the life God has promised us in Psalm 91:16, 'with long life will you satisfy me'. Hallelujah! So let's be Word fanatics, speaking spirits, just like God! Proverbs 18:21 - 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.' Ask my family, speaking words that bring life is something that I am real passionate about. There are so many phrases that we use on an everyday basis that roll off our tongues without really understanding the impact they have on our lives. For example, as I was going about my day several weeks ago, just enjoying myself, living life to the fullest, I said to someone who commented on my upbeat attitude, I responded, 'hey, life is short!' Then the light went on, and the Holy Ghost arrested me, got a hold of me, and said, 'Don't say that anymore'. He asked me, 'Is that what you're believing for? Is that what you want?' I changed my tune right away, now I say 'Life is LONG!', like the Word says in Mark 11:23, 'You shall have whatsoever you say'. Gloria Copeland was sharing the exact same thing on the Believer's Voice of Victory Broadcast when she included, don't say 'my bad' when we make a mistake. This may sound radical and fanatical, but if screaming fans at the NFL Draft can take the day off from work and show up at Radio City Music Hall wearing their favorite team jersey, we can certainly get radical and fanatical about God's Word. Getting back to Gloria, she explained that we need to watch out for those phrases that come out of the world and get into the church. Think about it, do we want to take possession of anything 'bad'. Do we want to call something extraordinarily amazing 'sick'? Do we want to say that when we do something great that we 'killed' it? Do you really love someone 'to death'? Please don't love me that way! But you might say, yea, yea, but Pastor Joe, that's not what is meant. But that's what was said, and Proverbs 18:21 says that you are going to experience the words that you say, whether you mean them or not, it's a spiritual law. 'Life is long' is speaking the kind of life you want to live, the life God has promised us in Psalm 91:16, 'with long life will you satisfy me'. Hallelujah! So let's be Word fanatics, speaking spirits, just like God! http://www.ffmsnj.org/index.cfm?i=8991&mid=25&blogid=5219&comments=34028 34028 Thu, 3 May 2012 16:09:00 +0000