As part of his “Twisted” series, ‘s Craig Groeschel breaks down the idea that God will give you whatever you want if you ask in the name of Jesus.  

In John 14:13-14, Jesus says, “I will do whatever you ask in My name, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” 

If you’re among the multitude who asked for something in the name of Jesus and didn’t get it, Groeschel has some wisdom.  

“Obviously this verse is not true. Obviously this verse does not work. Obviously this is not what Jesus was saying, it’s not true,” Groeschel says. “Or, perhaps, we’re twisted in our understanding in our application of what Jesus was saying.” 

Watch the video to see him break it down. 

Editor’s Note: Some of these links contain graphic images of the attack. Discretion is advised.

Two Muslims barbarically hacked a Christian man to death after he attempted to prevent Muslim drug dealers from corrupting Christian children, according to the British Pakistani Christian Association. 

Earlier this month, Nazeer Masih was working in Pakistani fields when two men approached him “armed with a chopping knife and iron rod attacked him cutting straight through his face and slicing open his throat.” 

According to Christian Today, Masih’s body was then taken by local Christians to the nearby G T Road, one of Asia’s oldest major roads.  

“Before and after our church services Muslim drug dealers swarm around our church trying to sell drugs to our vulnerable youth,” local pastor Alfred Azam said.

“When our older men tell these criminals to leave our young people alone, they get killed.” 

BCPA reports no arrests have been made, though both alleged killers were identified by an eye witness.  

“The problem of drug addiction in Christian communities is a rising concern. The coercing of vulnerable Christians and other minority youth into drug addiction, often by force, has developed wealthy Muslim drug lords who continue to target such vulnerable communities,” BPCA Chairman Wilson Chowdry said.  

“Their success and accumulated wealth has given them great power, often with authority over police forces who turn a blind eye to their crimes on the offer of rishwat (bribes). This influence to murder without impunity is devastating for Christians and must be met with the full force of the law for the sake of justice. It is high time the government of Pakistan set up a specialist task force to crack down on the drug cartels that have destroyed so many lives,” Chowdry said. 

The polygamist family featured in the reality television show Sister Wives lost its bid to overturn parts of Utah’s anti-bigamy law under a federal appeals court ruling issued on Monday.

The case, filed after the show’s popularity prompted a criminal investigation into whether star Kody Brown was illegally married to four women, drew international attention and raised questions about whether the state could bar consenting adults from living together as a family.

Polygamy is illegal in all 50 states. But Utah’s law is unique in that a person can be found guilty not just for having two legal marriage licenses, but also for cohabiting with another adult in a marriage-like relationship when already legally married to someone else.

Brown is legally married to one of his wives, and “spiritually” married to the others.

In 2013, U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups struck down part of the state’s law, saying it criminalizes intimate relationships among consenting adults.

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit overturned that ruling on Monday. The court said because the Browns had not actually been charged under the law—and the state said it would not prosecute multiple marriage cases unless there were allegations of fraud or criminal activity—the case was moot.

“Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction,” the court wrote. “They lack power to decide issues—however important or fiercely contested—that are detached from a live dispute between the parties.”

Utah is the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, which abandoned polygamy in 1890 as Utah was seeking statehood. Some sects and breakaway groups, however, follow the early doctrine of plural marriage.

The Brown family and their 17 children are members of the Apostolic United Brethren, a Utah-based church which follows a plural marriage doctrine.

The family’s attorney, legal scholar Jonathan Turley, said in a blog post Monday he would appeal the decision.

“The Brown family is obviously disappointed in the ruling but remains committed to this fight for the protections of religion, speech and privacy in Utah,” Turley wrote.

But Utah Federal Solicitor Parker Douglas said the state had a legitimate interest in prosecuting abuses that can arise in polygamous relationships.

Shortly after Waddoups struck down the law, a woman alleged that her polygamous husband had shunned her and planned to “sell” their daughter and a niece, and he was not able to use the bigamy law in prosecution, Douglas said. {eoa}

© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

The secularist assault on veterans memorials continues.

While a court is being asked to reconsider the 90-year-old Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial, another display in honor of America’s veterans is now under attack. This one is just down the road from a display that was forced to be moved a year ago.

According to the Albia Union-Republican newspaper in Iowa, the Welcome Home Soldier Monument, an honored place in the heart of Iowa and a grateful nation where all soldiers, living and deceased, can be at home with their comrades, is now being attacked by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The Washington, organization went after a veteran memorial in nearby Knoxville last summer.

Now the organization, which bills itself as a “nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans,” has asked the City of Albia and Monroe County to divest themselves from the Welcome Home Soldier Monument. The official complaint, which once again comes from an “anonymous” complainant, reads, in part:

We have received a complaint regarding Monroe County’s and Albia City’s support of the Welcome Home Soldier war memorial park. The memorial prominently features numerous Latin crosses. We understand that Monroe County donated eight acres of property to a private entity for the memorial site. We further understand that the Albia City enacted a measure earmarking 45 percent of the proceeds of a hotel/motel tax for the memorial park. Finally, we have also received a report that the County plans to expend taxpayer funds for grounds upkeep and park development and maintenance.

We write to inform you that the use of governmental resources to support this religious display violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Please end all governmental support for this park and recover the resources that have already been provided.

We understand that there has been some controversy over whether the land where the memorial site was lawfully conveyed to the private entity. If the county retakes ownership of the land, it must either remove the crosses from the memorial park or sell the land to a private entity for fair-market value under an open bidding process that does not favor buyers who wish to keep the crosses on the property.

City and county officials were given 30 days to respond, or face a lawsuit. Americans United for Separation of Church and State made similar demands to the City of Knoxville—which is about 30 miles north of Albia—prompting city leaders to capitulate just days before city council elections, which saw several of those who voted to remove the display removed from office by write-in candidates.

The Knoxville display was a frequent element of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential stump speech while he campaigned ahead of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus in February.

“I had a feeling something like this would come up,” Jim Keller, a Vietnam combat veteran who has headed up the Welcome Home Soldier effort, said. “Frankly, I’m sick of it. … Everything we’ve done at the memorial has had the approval of either the county board of supervisors or the taxpayers of Monroe County.”

He told the local newspaper his group is under a “28E” public-private agreement with the county allowing them to use the land for 20 years and as long as it remains open to the public as a veterans park. Welcome Home Soldier and Monroe County have purchased a lawn mower together, which county employees use to mow Secondary Roads Department property and volunteers use to mow the Welcome Home Soldier Memorial.

Monroe County Attorney John Pabst told the paper he was still processing the letter, but it was his understanding that existing laws authorized funds for veterans parks. He also said he didn’t believe the county ever gave money to the Welcome Home Soldier committee.

A rally has been scheduled for Sunday, May 15, at the monument.

Meanwhile, several hundred miles to the east in Bladensberg, Maryland, a new development has emerged in the case of the 90-year-old World War I memorial. A bipartisan group of members of Congress have filed a brief in support of the memorial, asking the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals asked the court to uphold its constitutionality.

In the brief, the Congressional members argue that the Establishment Clause does not prohibit the use of religious text and imagery to honor the nation’s military fallen. The use of a cross as a military symbol of courage, sacrifice and remembrance, especially during World War I, is both deeply rooted and widespread here and around the world. They contend that prohibiting the use of a cross to honor and commemorate the nation’s military veterans would show a hostility to religion that is inconsistent with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

“In a time when America is divided over many issues, there is one thing members of the House and Senate, both Democratic and Republican, have agreed on—along with 90 percent of the American public—our veterans memorials should be protected,” Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of First Liberty Institute, which is defending the memorial, said. “We must always strive to honor the selfless sacrifice of our fallen heroes.”

In the wake of two large-scale prayer gatherings this past weekend where tens of thousands joined together with faith—AzusaNow in Los Angeles and UnitedCry DC16 in Washington, D.C.—questions arise about long-term impact. What changed? How is the world different?

Life stories and experiences reveal some outcomes, in time; others may never be known. One woman’s journey illuminates how a massive prayer meeting propelled her into pro-life ministry, where she is now educating and helping women in one of America’s most difficult areas: The Bronx in New York City.  

Monique Ortega recently shared how she is studying to become a counselor—to help women and save innocent lives in the womb. “Abortion keeps women in darkness—in a lot of shame, guilt and depression with no place to go for hope,” she stated, speaking from own experience, suffering from multiple abortions.

Continuing the interview, Ortega reveals how her faith led to action and how persistent prayer is making the way for her to start conversations that bring healing.

Bound4LIFE: Where did your journey begin of knowing God deeper?

Monique Ortega: At a little church in the Bronx, a sister spoke over my life what I believe was a prophetic word. I came into the service praying, “Lord, let me receive what You have.”

I was at a season in my life when I knew God forgave me, but I couldn’t forgive myself for the abortions that had occurred. I asked the Holy Spirit to teach me, lead me and guide me.

This woman prayed for me and said, “The Lord is going to use you for the international movement. He’s going to use you—and it’s not going to be just local, it’s going to be international, so He is preparing you for that.” Not long after, I was introduced to Bound4LIFE International.

Bound4LIFE: How did that happen?

Monique Ortega: In 2011, God led me to a revival event in Chicago, and it was where I was baptized in the Holy Spirit—when Reinhard Bonnke was teaching one of the sessions.

Lou Engle was there, and he mentioned an event coming up called The Esther Call; there were some wonderful video clips about receiving complete healing from abortion. That caught my attention. I was like, “Lord, You really hear prayer, huh?”

When the event date was announced by The Call, I knew the Lord was stirring my heart: The Esther Call would be 16 years to the day, from the actual date of my first abortion. I was just broken all over again.

Somehow I knew going to The Esther Call in Dallas would be a big step in the process of full forgiveness. We did the Silent Siege at the court, we did the walk, and we did the prayer and worship rumble in the evening.

I had never fasted completely, an “Esther fast” as they say, but I joined in that day with others who fasted. Worshipping, dancing around, praying, doing everything—the Lord started to truly touch my heart. It was revelation after revelation. We were there to intercede for others, and God actually brought to mind other women I’d known who had abortions. I prayed for their healing, especially emotionally.

The Lord stopped me at one point and said, “This is the time for you.” I prayed for a whole week. I had received so much at The Call event, I was journaling so many things. I was so stirred up, but I didn’t understand why. Finally I said out loud: “Lord, what are You telling me?”

Bound4LIFE: And you had heard about Bound4LIFE at The Esther Call event?

Monique Ortega: Yes. After the conference, I began to research whether there was a Bound4LIFE chapter in The Bronx; others were located in New York, but none close by.

At first, I was like “No, that’s not for me.” It was a little struggle there with the Lord. Then when I prayed on it, the Lord was like: “Go! This is a time for you to share your testimony and connect with other sisters.”

I believe He led me to think about my children in heaven—how I want them to know that I think about them, I love them and I will reunite with them when it’s my time. So I called Paige and asked her, “How do I go about becoming a chapter leader?”

After praying with her and receiving all the details, I just got off the phone and sat at the Lord’s feet. He led me to Isaiah 6, which is a very powerful passage for me. I saw echoes of the journey I was on, where the prophet Isaiah says, “Here I am, send me.” But it also warns that he will encounter opposition.

It’s been four years now that I’ve been praying with Bound4LIFE team members outside a Planned Parenthood abortion center in The Bronx; and as the Word says, it has been hard at times. In it all, the Lord’s still, small voice told me: Just go for Me. I’m with you.

Bound4LIFE: Why is prayer and advocacy to end abortion so important for you? 

Monique Ortega: If you understand the root of abortion, you see how important standing for life is. Margaret Sanger came from New York City, which is now the epicenter of abortion in America as we discussed.

Her purpose behind Planned Parenthood was population control, believing black and minority children to be inferior to others. This is a root evil, affecting the current generation and eliminating those to come. It’s a horror that disregards humanity.

For Christians, we know there’s a commandment that says, “You shall not murder.” Abortion is a “solution” that God would never even consider. Innocent bloodshed grieves His heart. His Word speaks of the spirit of adoption, where He calls us to support families.

But if you don’t understand the foundations and the implications, so many people just don’t care—even in the church. I believe prayer is a way to activate believers, opening the door for the Holy Spirit to bring revelation on these issues.

Bound4LIFE: From your experience, how is supporting adoption tied to your pro-life convictions?

Monique Ortega: My mom and dad went through many difficulties as young parents, turning to drug addiction that ultimately left my siblings and me without them in our lives.

It took so long for me to come to know the Lord because my siblings and I never came across anyone who shared the gospel with us. In a time of crisis as kids, we didn’t have anyone come in to rescue us—we went to group homes.

Of the four of us, one was adopted; another lived with his father’s side of the family. Having four kids divided into different homes wasn’t healthy for any of us. The only one who had a more stable life was the one who was adopted.

Even though he didn’t get to grow up with his own family, he didn’t endure the rough lifestyle the rest of us lived—in group homes and on the streets. Now the family is open to having us communicate, and he is part of our lives.

Adoptive families bring hope into our society. They prevent a lot of circumstances that could have taken place. I see the opportunities my adopted brother had, the new direction his life took—it was for the better.

Bound4LIFE: What role do you believe churches have in standing up for lives in the womb?  

Monique Ortega: To some degree, believers have this mentality, Just go to service on Sunday, then that’s it. That is not really taking Scripture to heart, in how to labor in God’s kingdom. And if you can’t labor directly in some work, maybe you’re called to finance it. There’s a lack there.

Churches need to educate on life issues, not to take away from the incredible Bible teaching and leadership of pastors. There need to be more open doors for other ministries to come in and educate the body of Christ—because God wants to rescue the brokenhearted.

I have had some opportunities to share my story in small settings. In the church I attend now, they have a pro-life service in January every year. My pastor has been very open, allowing me to share my testimony—the pain and guilt I faced from abortion, along with the healing found in Jesus. The past two years I shared.

Bound4LIFE: What’s ahead for you in life and ministry?

Monique Ortega: My heart is to be light in the darkness, as Jesus speaks of in Matthew 25.

Part of that is a lifestyle of purity. I’m a witness that, even if you made wrong decisions in the past, there is a way to live differently. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, we can avoid making choices in relationships that lead to such heartache.

God has revealed to me that there is so much inner healing that needs to take place in New York. The next steps will probably be a Bible study; there is one called Surrendering the Secret I am currently in online training to lead.

We will continue to prayer siege at the abortion clinics and courthouse for justice, mercy and revival. I know the Lord is going to continue to open doors from there; wherever He wants me to speak and help educate, I will go in faith anywhere God leads.

Josh M. Shepherd serves in communications at Bound4LIFE International, a grass-roots movement to pray for the ending of abortion, carry the spirit of adoption and believe for revival and reformation. He previously served on staff at The Heritage Foundation, Focus on the Family and in the U.S. Congress.

Reprinted with permission from Bound4LIFE.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Ted Cruz is getting support from Jewish voters in the Republican Party not because of his policies, but because he’s the best chance to stop front-runner Donald Trump.

Cruz was the only presidential candidate to attend a Republican Jewish Coalition meeting in Las Vegas, put on by a number of GOP donors over the weekend. Among those in attendance was Ari Fleischer, an RJC board member and the first-term spokesman for President George W. Bush.

JP reported:

Ted Cruz came here to woo Republican Jews over the weekend, and in the absence of his opponents for the GOP presidential nomination came away with qualified support based not on who he is but who he is not—Donald Trump.

Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich skipped the spring meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, leaving Cruz as the sole hopeful to address the 560 Jews packed into a conference room at The Venetian casino resort.

“This is a room of dear, dear friends and people who are becoming dear friends,” Cruz reportedly said during his Saturday night address.

No one questions Cruz’s conviction when it comes to Israel. But the Texas senator’s warm reception at the event definitely had more to do with who he’s running against than what he’s trying to accomplish, if elected.

“There was a very clear realization that where we are today, Ted Cruz is our best choice to be the nominee,” Jay Zeidman, a Houston businessman who was one of the leading fundraising “bundlers” for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, said. “Everyone understands we need to get Cruz to get to the convention to at least stop Trump from getting the nomination.”

Norway’s Lutheran Church voted on Monday in favor of allowing same-sex marriage, becoming the latest of a small but growing number of churches worldwide to do so.

Last year the French Protestant Church allowed gay marriage blessings, while the U.S. Presbyterian Church approved a change in the wording of its constitution to include same-sex marriage.

In a vote at the annual conference of the Norwegian Lutheran Church on Monday 88 delegates out of 115 in total backed same-sex marriage.

“Finally we can celebrate love independently of whom one falls in love with,” said Gard Sandaker-Nilsen, leader of the Open Public Church, a religious movement within the church that had campaigned to change the rules.

Under the new rules, priests who do not want to marry a same-sex couple will still have the right to object.

The vote by Norway’s Lutheran Church reflects increasingly liberal attitudes in wider Norwegian society to issues such as homosexuality.

Norway became the second country in the world after Denmark to allow same-sex registered partnerships in 1993. The Nordic country of 5.2 million people has allowed civil same-sex marriage since 2009.

Some 74 percent of Norwegians were members of the Lutheran Church last year, according to the national statistics agency, but that number has been declining. {eoa}

© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

As many of you know, I was stricken with Chikungunya virus in May of 2014 while in Haiti, which made walking painful. The doctors told me it could take up to two years for my body to be totally healed. Although I was recovering well, growing stronger every day and praising my Healer, evidently with the two-year anniversary date approaching, the Great Physician decided it was time to bring closure to the matter.

While I was sitting in my study on Feb. 4, 2016, I experienced a supernatural encounter with the Lord when He suddenly spoke to my spirit and said, “Take up your bed and walk.” I felt like lightning from heaven was going through my body, even causing me to scream. The encounter with God lasted for several seconds, and was a powerful, life-changing experience.

From that day forth, I have been walking, leaping and praising God. My youth has been renewed. As I continue to walk, I go from strength to strength and glory to glory. I immediately started losing the extra weight I had gained during the illness, often a pound a day. The living Word was alive and active in my study on that amazing day, and I was restored and made whole. And this is what Jesus wants for you!

Take Up Your Bed

John 5 teaches us about the pool of Bethesda, where many sick, blind, lame and withered people would gather together, waiting for an angel to stir the waters. When the waters were stirred, the first person to get in was healed of whatever disease he or she had. Being the first to get in the pool does not imply a point in time here; rather, it implies those who first seek God’s affection, His kingdom and His righteousness.

John tells us that a certain man was there, who had been unable to walk for 38 years. When Jesus came by, He saw the man lying there, and knowing that he had been unable to walk for such a long time, Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6). The man explained that he had no one to help him. Upon hearing this, Jesus said to the man, “‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked” (John 5:8-9). When Jesus speaks, we have proof of the omnipotence of Christ; He not only restored this man to health, but He gave evidence to those around Him that this was a real miracle.

Some of you may want to ask the Lord if you’ve been lying on a bed for too long. When the Lord says, “Rise,” it is a command from heaven. It’s awesome to know that this man was made whole and was obviously strengthened, as he was able to pick up his bed and walk. We can receive that same command of healing today. It only takes one word from Jesus to make us completely whole. The man at the pool was paralyzed, his body was contorted, and he was unable to walk, but when Jesus spoke, he was restored. I think it’s amazing that Chikungunya means “contorted.” If you’re feeling paralyzed in any way, remember that our God is an awesome God!

Qualifiers

If we are to experience restoration, we must believe in one true God and in His living Word. God promised us this very thing through Joel: “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you” (Joel 2:25). What a magnificent promise. Do you believe it? I’ve been around long enough to be able to decree: God keeps His promises! They may not always line up with our time frame, but always with His.

If we are to experience restoration and completeness, we need to repent. A great army of locusts was sent among the people of God. Who sent the invasion? God did. Joel is speaking of a time when a great empire ruled Israel because of their sins and refusal to repent. The consuming locusts were even a specific kind of locusts—gryllus gregarius—that could make things suddenly disappear because of the speed by which they moved through a land, stripping it bare. If we turn to God once again with our whole heart, changing the way we think and thus the way we live, then there are no landing strips for evil spirits to invade and devour.

The Truth and the Whole Truth

To restore means that God makes restitution for what has been taken. It means to complete, finish and to make safe. Interestingly enough, the Hebrew word for restoration is the root word of shalom, which means that God makes us whole, He strengthens us, and restores our peace. When God says that He will restore to us what the locusts have eaten, He is promising to make us whole and complete, which will in turn lead us into our destinies.

God is not just talking about restoring a few days; He will restore the years that have been lost. This is a supernatural act of God. Perhaps some of the lost years came about by our own poor choices; or maybe they have been lost by the choices of others, circumstances we had no control over. Whatever the case, God promises to be the God of restoration, and He says to you today, “I will restore all of those years!”

What Can God Restore?

Since we serve a God of restoration, we might ask the question: “What can God restore?” The answer is that God can restore everything that has been lost; nothing is impossible with Him (Luke 1:37). Whatever has been lost in your life, whatever has been stolen and whatever has been taken from you, God is able to restore it. Not only that, but whatever you have willingly given up for God can be restored too.

Consider Abraham, who willingly climbed Mount Moriah with his son Isaac, preparing to sacrifice him in obedience to the command of God. As Abraham had the knife raised above his head, God called out, “Stop! Now I know that you love Me.” Because Abraham was willing to give up his promised son, God gave him many sons in return, making him the “father of many nations.”

And Jesus likewise promises, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matt. 19:29). In other words, what we give up, God gives back.

What have you sacrificed, friend? Have you given up money or time? What has been taken from you—your health, your joy, your marriage, or your business? I’m here to shout from the rooftops that God is about to restore what the enemy has taken from you. He clearly showed me there will be a harvest before the Great Harvest. We are about to see the greatest harvest of souls known to mankind, and it’s important to be blessed in order to be a blessing to thousands.

• How wonderful it is to cling to God’s promises and know that He restores strength, energy, passion and motivation, even in old age? The women said to Naomi toward the end of her life, after she had lost her husband and her sons: “And may [God] be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age” (Ruth 4:15).

• God can restore your flesh: “‘Put your hand in your bosom again.’ So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh” (Ex. 4:7).

• If you have lost property, then know that God is able to restore that as well: “So David said to him, ‘Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually'” (2 Sam. 9:7).

• Positions can be restored too: “Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand” (Gen. 40:21).

• Our God of mercy, compassion and love can restore those who fall: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Gal. 6:1). So, not only does God restore our lives, but He then uses us to bring restoration to others. To say it another way, Paul said, “[He] comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:4).

• If our health has been taken away, then know that God is the One who restores our health. He said through Jeremiah, “‘For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord” (Jer. 30:17).

• Finances can also be restored as seen in Genesis 42:25: “Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey.”

• God even promises to restore the damages that have taken place in our soul—our mind, will, and emotions—so that we can prosper once again: “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Ps. 23:3), and, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2).

• And last, but certainly not least, if we become discouraged, we must remember that God is the One who restores our joy: “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit” (Ps. 51:12). Oh beloved, the joy of the Lord is our strength—if we lose our joy, we lose our strength.

The Conclusion of the Matter

No matter what you are going through today, rest assured that we serve a God of restoration. Restoration is what He does. He even sent His only begotten Son to bring restoration to the Earth. You see, Jesus went to the ultimate length to restore us as the people of God—He died so that we could be restored to life.

God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. Everything that Adam had lost in the Fall by giving over to the enemy, Jesus came to redeem and restore. When Adam and Eve sinned, they allowed the enemy to have access to their lives—body, soul, and spirit—but Jesus came to defeat the enemy and to give us life … abundantly. John wrote, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

Jesus gave the lame man three commands in John 5:8: to rise, take up his bed and walk. Today, Jesus is commanding us to rise above earthly ways and to step into in heavenly pools of glory, for the glory of God is the divine source of all that’s good. Taking up our bed and walking signify a way of giving God the glory in our healing and in our restoration. We are not beggars lying on mats but rather ambassadors of Christ walking in and living abundant lives. God wants us to become miracles for the world to see and ask, “How can I know this miracle-working Jesus?”

Bethesda means the house of mercy or house of grace. It is wonderful to know that God’s mercy reigns over judgment, and He pours out His grace on withered, dry bones. It is time to stand to our feet and become an exceedingly great army. It is time for us to believe the promises and speak the promises of God. It is time that we open our mouths, speaking life to each and every situation, because we are reminded that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21). The power of God is released when we release the power of God.

Are you feeling paralyzed by life today, or perhaps blind or lame—physically, mentally, emotionally or even spiritually? Do you feel like you’ve been lying by the pool for years, waiting for help, waiting for an angel of God to stir up miraculous healing powers? Well, isn’t it fascinating that after waiting for 38 years, the man who was healed never did get in the pool? Jesus just showed up on the scene, singled him out and made him whole.

Let’s ask ourselves that probing question that Jesus asked so many years ago: “Do I want to get well?” Jesus asked the question in order to identify the need. Is there an addiction, a habit or a behavior that you’ve come to enjoy way too much and don’t really want to be healed of? We’d better be ready when we answer the question, because healing and wholeness bring tremendous responsibility to walk in the fullness of God and fulfill the Great Commission.

Today is a great day for miracles. It’s a great day to get up and fight the good fight as a champion of God. Jesus is the Restorer; He’s the One who will single you out and say, “Hey! It’s your turn to rise up and walk.”

Paulette Reed is a powerful preacher, prophetic minister, encourager and author. She is a full-time revivalist/evangelist. Her passion is to share the love of Christ and unite people to the inexplicable love of our heavenly Father, exhorting them to arise and shine! She is an extremely accurate prophetess who has been raised up to bring hope and healing to the Body of Christ. Without a vision the people perish, so the Lord is using this handmaiden as His mouthpiece to speak forth individual and corporate vision, catapulting people into their destinies. Paulette loves to see God’s people awakened and proclaim the active extension of the Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. She ministers in the revival anointing accompanied by revelatory ministry, healing, miracles, signs and wonders. Read out to her by email at info@.

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Dr. Mark Rutland is my favorite expert on leadership and management in the Christian community. He has a way of connecting the dots to make things that seem complex totally understandable. Recently, I interviewed him on the Charisma Podcast Network about “quality control.” I asked him why so many ministries and churches have the reputation of poor quality.

He said quality comes down to this: “meeting expectations.” There is not an objective measure of quality—everyone would see it somewhat differently—so a leader must manage expectations and then meet those expectations!

If a church advertises that it is the “friendliest church in town” but isn’t friendly, it doesn’t matter if it has a wonderful music ministry, a great youth ministry or anything else.

Sadly, for many ministries, “good enough is good enough.” Many ministries are not known for quality. It’s well-known that many churches and ministries have a reputation of poor quality.

I interviewed Dr. Rutland for my “Strang Report” podcast, which will be online in a few days. I asked him why so many ministries and churches are in this predicament. To fix it, he offered these tips:

• Define expectations. There is no such thing as a “quality youth ministry” or “quality music ministry.” It must be the expectations of the leadership in that church.
• Write the expectations down. Should the expectation of the youth ministry be to “babysit” the children of the adults in the church or reach every teenager in the county with the gospel? Is the music ministry to be more traditional or should it try every new song from Hillsong?
• Teach the expectations. Give an “elevator speech” of what the ministry’s goals are that people can repeat in a few seconds. This will aid word of mouth and help your ministry grow.
• Leaders should accept responsibility to make this happen and not expect someone else to do it. That’s when confusion reigns, and that’s anything but “quality.”

When Dr. Rutland teaches these principles, the effect he has on people is similar to what I saw with Peter Drucker, the well-known management “guru,” who died a couple of years ago. His management technique transformed many industries, particularly in the aftermath of World War II. I had the privilege of attending two of his seminars when he was close to 90. He was dynamic and was able to teach concepts that I remember to this day.

For example, he said, “New trends start as an unexpected surprise.” As a result, he looked for unexpected surprises, both good and bad, as a harbinger of things to come. However, he says, in the beginning, a trend and a fad look exactly alike. I have found that to be true.

In a somewhat similar way, I learned from Dr. Mark Rutland that a turnaround requires the same sort of energy and leadership as a start-up. That helped me when I was confronted in my career with the enormous changes in the digital world and had to incorporate digital publishing into what we had done successfully for so many years. That one phrase was life changing because I understood what a start-up involved.    

I asked Dr. Rutland what an average person could do to improve quality in their own sphere—either in the organizations they lead or the products they produce, or even simply in how they do their jobs. He said to identify what the expectations are and to communicate them widely. Then, meet with your people from time to time to see what kind of progress they are making.  

Isn’t it interesting that sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to pull off, yet when we have an excellent mentor and teacher like Dr. Rutland, things start to fall into place?

Dr. Rutland has been the president of two major universities. He has written many books, and he is the head of the National Institute of Christian Leadership (which Charisma Media has the privilege of co-sponsoring). I have personally gone through the course and, in the process, have seen transformation that takes place when leaders finally seem to understand some of the concepts that are necessary to successfully lead.  

The National Institute of Christian Leadership is graduate-level quality. The classes are four times a year for 2 ½ days each. At the conclusion, several universities will accept it for credit toward either an MBA or a seminary degree. I urge you to go to to find out more, including dates and locations. {eoa}

The love-hate-love relationship between conservatives and Geraldo Rivera came to a head recently when the FOX News Channel commentator attacked U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Rivera, who insists he’s a Republican, attacked the senator’s “New York Values” comment, saying it would be his downfall in next Tuesday’s New York Primary. Then, he took his criticism a bit farther.

“I think that he is going to get routed in New York, and deservedly so, aside from the stinking anti-Semitic implications that I see in that whole New York values, money and media-coded message that he put out there pandering to those Iowa voters,” he said. “It was designed to bring to the heartland the negative impression of greedy New Yorkers trying to take money out of people’s pockets, and I think the association is indelible and undeniable.”

But, in an interview with OneNewsNow, Laurie Cardoza-Moore, president of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, said Rivera doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Not only that, but the commentator revealed his “ignorance” when he accused Cruz of being anti-Semitic.

“There’s never been a statement by Senator Cruz that would even come close to allowing someone to believe that he’s an anti-Semite,” she said. “He’s not talking about Jews in New York, he’s talking about the liberal establishment in New York City.

“[Rivera is] trying to interject his opinion into something that he has no business opining on, especially when it’s false.”