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Walking Out Your Faith—Ministry Minute

Walking Out Your Faith Ministry Minute

In this Ministry Minute, our good friend and ministry Partner Dennis Burke shares how walking out your faith is a decision that will change your life. Don’t just stop at salvation—there’s so much more!

 

Walking out your faith will enable you to do things you never thought you could do. So, how do you know you’re walking out your faith? Watch this Ministry Minute with Dennis Burke to find out.

 

 

The scriptures are clear that God wants us to enjoy long, productive, fruitful lives. However, the blessings of God do not come automatically. There are conditions attached. By faith, we must choose to believe God’s Word and obey it in order to reap the benefits of a long, healthy and prosperous life.

A person who lives a life of sin and rebellion takes a great risk with his life because Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. Satan will take every advantage to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Jesus, on the other hand, desires that we might have life and have it more abundantly. We can enjoy that abundant life when we honor God and obey His Word.

Every aspect of your spiritual life depends on faith in the Word of God! If you’re not living by faith, the power of God is totally neutralized in your life. He can do no mighty works for you. You can go to church every Sunday. You can even read your Bible every day. But if the Word you read and hear preached isn’t mixed with faith and obedience, nothing will come of it.

No matter what you’re going through, don’t look back, keep moving forward. Determine to walk out your faith by leaving past habits behind and determining to obey God’s Word in every way. When you’re walking out your faith, you’re walking into victory!

 

Do you have an idea for a Ministry Minute teaching? Leave it in the comments below. Don’t miss a video from Kenneth Copeland Ministries! Subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

 

Related Articles:

How Faith Works in Your Life

4 Truths That Can Make or Break Your Faith

How Faith Opens Doors

 

Is Poverty God’s Will? Ministry Minute

Ministry Minute Is Poverty God's Will

Is poverty God’s will? Find out In this Ministry Minute teaching by Kenneth Copeland. Has God lifted you out of poverty? Encourage someone with your testimony in the comments below.

 

Have you ever wondered, is poverty God’s will? In this Ministry Minute video teaching, Kenneth Copeland explains how poverty is not God’s will for your life. On the contrary, God’s will is for you to prosper and have life more abundantly. But first, you have to believe and receive this truth to operate in it, expect it and walk in it.

Is poverty God’s will for anyone? We know from His Word that He hates poverty, and He calls it a curse (Deuteronomy 28:15-31). Satan wants you to live your whole life in poverty. But poverty is a curse, and Jesus set us free from the curse! There’s no way it would ever be called a blessing. Jesus came to minister to the poor and to bear the curse on our behalf.

Some people will tell you that financial problems are actually a blessing in disguise. This is a lie used by the devil to keep Christians down. As a result, many Christians today are suffering one financial defeat after another. So, is poverty God’s will when it is under the curse? No! The curse is meant to destroy, so don’t buy into the lies. Get your thinking in line with the Word of God. If you’re a born-again child of God, you no longer have to live under the curse of poverty or any other curse for that matter. You’ve been redeemed!

Have you enjoyed this Ministry Minute teaching? Watch this video with Kenneth Copeland to learn more about how you’ve been redeemed from poverty to enjoy God’s abundance.

Do you have an idea for a Ministry Minute teaching? Leave it in the comments below. Don’t miss a video from Kenneth Copeland Ministries! Subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

 

 

Related Articles:

How to Get Rid of Poverty for Good

5 Truths About Biblical Prosperity

18 Bible Verses That Can Change Your Finances

How to Go From Hope To Harvest

How to Go From Hope to Harvest

What can you do when God’s promise seems delayed? Here are five strategies to help you go from hope to harvest.

Are you in the middle of a faith stand? Maybe you’re believing God for a miracle in your finances, healing in your body or the restoration of a struggling marriage. You’ve been standing on the Word to see a manifestation of God’s promises in your life, but the time between waiting and reaping a harvest has grown longer and longer, leaving you wondering what went wrong. You may be even losing hope.

Maybe you’re firing off faith confessions like a machine gun, but the delay in the manifestation of God’s promises has caused them to be spoken more out of desperation than faith. You may even feel like your faith has failed.

Here is something that will change your life. What you’re experiencing is not the failure of your faith…it’s a breakdown of your hope.

The good news is that hope can be rebuilt. You can go from hope to harvest when you develop a supernatural expectancy that looks eagerly for God’s promises with courage, and puts the ingredients of victory to work.

So, what can you do when God’s promises seem delayed? Here are five strategies to help you go from hope to harvest.

1. Have a Supernatural Expectancy

“Hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” –Romans 8:24-25, NKJV

Most believers don’t pay much attention to hope. They don’t think of it as very important. They certainly don’t consider it to be as important as faith. But the fact is, faith won’t function without hope.

You may think you have hope for your situation, but is it natural hope or Bible hope? Real Bible hope involves supernatural expectancy. The kind of hope the Word of God talks about is much stronger than natural hope because it’s not based on wishing or wanting. It is based on your covenant with God and the anointing God has provided to carry out that covenant in your life.

Just knowing God’s promises, however, isn’t enough. Hope comes when you begin to see yourself with what God has promised you, instead of seeing yourself without it. Real hope stands firm. It doesn’t move, and it isn’t distracted by natural circumstances. It is an expectancy that keeps your faith alive until those things you are believing for are pulled from the spiritual realm into the natural.

2. Stick Your Neck Out

“So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.” –Acts 3:5, NKJV

If you’ve ever seen a child waiting at the window in eager anticipation of the arrival of his grandparents, you’ve seen someone stick his neck out in hopeful expectation. That’s what real Bible hope is—a stick-your-neck-out kind of expectancy. It’s a knowing that what is expected will surely arrive.

The reason many people don’t have more success receiving from God is their hesitation to get into the Word, build up their hopes, and tell everyone what they’re going to receive. They don’t want to be disappointed, so they play it safe.

Real Bible hope stands up and says, “I believe I’m going to get it with my faith. I won’t accept anything less. I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to lose. The devil is not going to take it from me. It belongs to me, in Jesus’ Name.”

How do you develop that kind of hope? You stay in the Word until you’re so confident and expectant that your neck is stuck out in anticipation.

Don’t ever be afraid to get your hopes up. Why? It’s the secret to victory.

3. Stand with Courage

“This is my command–be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.” –Joshua 1:9

Living a life of faith takes courage. Most people don’t realize it, but it does! It takes courage to stand up in the face of sickness and declare you’re healed by the stripes of Jesus. It takes courage to believe for prosperity and put your last dime in the offering plate when poverty is staring you in the face.

There are going to be some days when you’d rather pull the covers over your head and hide than take another faith stand against the devil. But you can’t. Because the battle of faith isn’t fought once and then forgotten. If you want to keep living in victory, you have to fight it again and again.

We need to keep fighting the good fight of faith. We need to take that promise and put our name in it. After all, it’s ours! We’re the seed of Abraham. Don’t ever let the devil discourage you and push you around. Instead, say: “Fear not, [your name]. God is your shield, your abundant compensation, and your reward shall be exceedingly great!” (Genesis 15:1, AMPC).

4. Mix Hope With Faith and Love

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love….” –1 Corinthians 13:13

When people refer to the “secret sauce” of a company or organization, they’re referring to those factors or techniques that make it a great success. Well, the Bible has given us a “secret sauce” for victory in every area of our lives.

Equal in potency, unparalleled in power, and unchanging from generation to generation, these three ingredients are unstoppable. What are they? Faith, hope and love. Not one at a time, or one instead of another—but all three mixed together in beautiful harmony.

Why do we need all three? Well, faith is not the same thing as hope. And, it isn’t the same as love.  God is Love. Hope is expectancy. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. And all three are connected.

So, remember to mix all three ingredients of the secret sauce into your faith stand. Don’t leave any of them out. FAITH + HOPE + LOVE = Harvest!

5. Put in the Sickle

“When the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.” –Mark 4:29, AMPC

Now that you’ve developed your hope—it’s harvest time!

Once you’ve developed real Bible hope, you can be sure your harvest will come. But even collecting a harvest takes work!

Mark 4:29 tells us to “put in the sickle,” to reap a harvest. What is a sickle? It is a sharp instrument used for cutting crops during a harvest. Our sickle is the Word of God coming out of our mouths.  Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow….”

Our words of faith cut down the crops and bring in the harvest. The words you speak today will dictate tomorrow’s harvest. So, be sure your words are calling in your harvest with faith. They are powerful harvesting tools!

Looking for more ways to call in your harvest? Find them here.

When you have supernatural expectancy; stick your neck out in hope; stand with courage; and mix it all with faith, hope and love, you will have everything you need to put in the sickle and reap your harvest. Whatever you’ve been standing for—no matter how long you’ve waited—today is the day to renew your faith stand. God always keeps His promises. So, get your hopes up! Your victory is on the way.

Related Articles:

How to Renew Your Hope

8 Scriptures to Stand on to Renew Your Hope

Your Victory Playbook: 4 Steps to Triumph in Any Situation Using the Word of God

4 Steps to Triumph in Any Situation Using God's Word

Every year, the two top football teams from the country face off in the Super Bowl—a final battle for total and complete victory. The much-anticipated final moment of the game crowns the new winner and champion for that year, sparking passionate conversation around the nation. As the cameras pan from the cheering crowd to the celebrating members of the winning team, one thing is often unnoticed by the millions of viewers—the playbook in the hands of the winning coach.

It may seem that victories are won or lost due solely to a star player’s special skills or a lack of talent on the other team. But, the truth is, a triumph of this magnitude is the result of long hours of training and practice, and a set of special strategies outlined in the team playbook.

Maybe you enjoy watching these teams put their strategies to work for a win, but when you turn off the television, there is an even greater battle for victory happening in your own life. It’s fun to watch a team win, but what about your own need for victory in your health, finances and family? The good news is, you don’t have to wait all year long for one great and final triumph—you can take victory NOW. Today. And it is all by the grace of God.

You know that special playbook with the secret strategies of the winning team? You have it. God gave it to you for that very reason. The Word of God is your victory playbook. Now, it’s time to put its strategies to work in your life and take the win you’ve been promised. The following four steps will put you in position to receive your victory.

  1. Refuse to Give Up

“For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”  –1 John 5: 4-5

 

In football, or any sporting event, those who take the prize are those who refuse to give up. There have been Olympians who competed with broken bones, football players who played with painful injuries, and high school athletes who pushed past criticism and ridicule. The bottom line is, you can’t take the prize if you aren’t even in the race.

That’s why Paul said in First Corinthians 9:24-25, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So, run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”

Notice that Paul says, “everyone runs,” so just being in the race is not enough. Everyone runs a race—whether they want to or not, so we must be running our race to win.

At the 2017 Southwest Believers’ Convention, Jerry Savelle talked about a boxer who was the first to ever give up and quit fighting in the ring. From that day on, no matter what he did, he was always remembered as the one boxer who gave up. He forfeited his chance for victory because he refused to stay in the ring!

God intends for you to be victorious in life! When you understand your covenant rights as a child of God, it doesn’t matter what you are going through; the victory is available in Christ Jesus. “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

Overwhelming victory. That’s worth staying in the game for, isn’t it? Say, “I will not be defeated in life, and I will not quit!”

  1. Stand Your Ground

“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” –Romans 5:2

 

If you’ve ever watched a football game, one thing you’ll never see is a lineman running away from another player. No. His entire job is to face the giants rushing toward him from the opposing team. He is there for one thing—to stand his ground. When he does, the fans jump and cheer in the stands. Why? Because, innately, they know that’s what we were created to do in life. God has given us the strategies to stand against the devil in His playbook—the Bible—but we have to follow the plays as they appear in the book. We can’t alter them in any way. They are the tried-and-true path to victory.

The devil wants you to turn tail and run the other way every time adversity shows itself in your life. He knows if he can get you into fear, he has you. Walking into fear and outside of faith is like trying to take on a bully when your much bigger brother is right there to protect you. It doesn’t make sense! Jesus is our big Brother—He is much bigger, and He is calling you to stand behind Him and let Him take care of you. But, you must keep out of fear!

How do you stand your ground? Through the grace and goodness of God. Look at Romans 5:2 again: “Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

God’s grace has provided everything we need through Christ Jesus, and the authority He has granted us as His children—that is the confidence we can have in standing our ground.

Armed with the grace and goodness of God, take your stand, and don’t fall back into the devil’s trap of believing you are in bondage to guilt, shame or adversity (Galatians 5:1). You’ve been set free! Now, fully expect the glory of God to manifest in your situation.

  1. Focus on the Word of God

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” –Joshua 1:8

 

Ask any successful athlete the key to success, and one answer will certainly be “focus.” To focus is to concentrate and fix your eyes intently upon something without looking to the left or to the right (Proverbs 4:27).

Have you ever noticed that if you walk on a very narrow surface without focusing on a single point, you start to fall over? Sometimes, we face challenging situations in our health, finances or family relationships. It can feel like we’re walking on uneven and narrow ground. We might even feel like our footing isn’t as solid as we’d like it to be, and we start to lose our balance. That’s when we need to focus and concentrate our attention in one direction.

The only focal point that will bring us back into balance is the Word of God. If we focus our ears and eyes on what the world has to say, we won’t find anything solid to stand on, and we’ll remain unsteady. But, when we put our complete focus on the TRUTH of the Word of God, it is solid ground that cannot be moved.

That’s what Joshua 1: 8 is saying. God’s Word of grace is able to give and supply everything you need, and meditation on His Word will tell you how to receive it. Every problem you face, every struggle, every hardship—there is an answer. But you must spend time getting to know His Word if you want to have the answers readily available.

So, give your attention to God’s Word each and every day, allow His Words to penetrate your heart, and never lose sight of them (Proverbs 4:20). Then, you’ll never lose your balance, no matter what trials you face.

  1. Speak Victory Only

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” –Ephesians 4:29, NKJV

 

Your words determine your destiny. Sound intense? It is! And it’s true. But, too often, we are careless with our words, thinking they really don’t make a difference.

Maybe you already know how important your words are in your life, but you struggle to keep from speaking negatively about frustrating circumstances. Today is the day to start choosing your words as if your life depends on it—because it does! What you say today is what you’ll have tomorrow.

If you are in a tough situation with your finances, and you’ve been speaking God’s Word over the problem, when an unexpected bill arrives or another seeming setback crops up, resist the temptation to speak anything contrary. Refuse to give place to the devil or entertain his thoughts. When you resist him, he will flee from you (James 4:7).

Answer every doubt immediately with the Word of God. That’s how you “[cast] down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NKJV).

If you take these four strategies from your victory playbook and make them your new game plan, you’ll be on the road to victory in every area of your life! Don’t quit, stand your ground, focus on the Word and speak victory only, and you will see your life turn in a new direction—toward the winning goal!

5 Reasons Why Obedience Will Draw You Closer to God

Anyone who wants to know God—to walk closely with Him—must obey Him. Sounds like a strong statement, doesn’t it? But there is no way that we can come into a close relationship with the Lord, walk fully in THE BLESSING and enjoy the communion that our spirits desire without obeying Him.

If we will walk with Him, obey His Word, and follow the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit, then we will enjoy the close relationship that we desire and relish the benefits of that relationship. Here are five reasons why obedience will draw you closer to the Lord:

Reason No. 1: When you are obedient, you can walk with God.

No one can walk with God without being obedient. Just look at these three examples of people in the Old Testament who enjoyed walking closely with the Lord, and note how obedience played an important part in that relationship for each of them.

1. Enoch

The Word records that “Enoch lived in close fellowship with God” for 300 years (Genesis 5:22)! Imagine spending 300 earthly years in close fellowship with the Lord—obeying His commands, learning His ways, and caring for the things that most concern Him. That was Enoch’s life. And the result? Scripture tells us that Enoch did not experience an earthly death. Instead, “he disappeared, because God took him” (verse 24).

2. Noah

Noah lived during a dark time. Scripture tells us that evil had grown to such an extent on the earth that “the Lord was sorry he had ever made [humanity]” (Genesis 6:6).

Then He said He would “wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing” (verse 7). It was a desolate time, but then the Lord looked and saw Noah. The Word notes that “Noah found favor with the Lord” (verse 8). Instead of conforming to the wickedness of the civilization around him, Noah upheld morality and goodness. The result of Noah’s obedience was that he and his entire family were saved from the flood that destroyed every other living thing on earth.

3. Adam

We all know about Adam’s failure, but consider his life before that detrimental mistake. He had walked in communion—daily relationship—with the Lord. God had breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7), set him in the magnificent Garden of Eden where all his needs were met (verse 15) and then gave him the privilege of naming all the animals (verse 19). That was the result of Adam’s obedience. He was set with a blessed life! In fact, his wife, Eve, was too. They only needed to continue to obey the Lord. Sadly, Adam followed the enemy’s voice instead and betrayed the trust that God had placed in him. That disobedience cost Adam big! He and Eve were thrown out of the Garden, forfeited THE BLESSING, and endured hardship the rest of their lives.

Reason No. 2:

When you are obedient, you can obey God’s voice.

There are many good and kind people in the world who are without a relationship with the Lord and therefore cannot hear and follow His voice. As believers, we, on the other hand, have the ability to follow God and obey His voice. This is a privilege that belongs to His children. We can know His voice and nature through His Word, His Holy Spirit, and the wisdom He gives to other believers (i.e., pastors, ministers, mentors, prayer partners, godly friends, etc.).

Deuteronomy 4:5-6 says, “Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations.”

When we follow God’s voice, we help others see His wisdom and hopefully draw them to Him, too.

Reason No. 3:

When you are obedient, you will be blessed.

God promises that if we will obey Him, blessings will follow. Just look at these verses that show the connection between God’s BLESSING and obedience:

  • Joshua 1:8: “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and
    night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
  • Isaiah 1:19: “If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat.”
  • John 14:21: “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

While God loves and shows favor to all of His children, Scripture is clear that there is an inherent blessing that comes as a result of obedience.

Reason No. 4:

When you are obedient, you’re choosing God’s best.

God’s love for us is clear from the sacrifice He arranged through Jesus Christ. And by the power of His Holy Spirit, He drew us to Him and adopted us into His family. We can’t lose His love. But God is not a tyrant. He does not force His will on us. He always gives us the choice of whether to follow Him or not. If we follow Him, then we receive the privilege of THE BLESSING (see Reason No. 3). If we choose not to follow Him—to walk in disobedience—then we walk outside of that BLESSING. It’s our choice, one He has given to all His children throughout history.

“‘Come now, let’s settle this,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the Lord, have spoken’” (Isaiah 1:18-20)!

We may choose to blatantly disobey the Lord by rebelling against Him and His Word. This is the case when we turn our backs on the Word, follow our own ways and knowingly sin. However, not all obedience is active; some is passive. Passive disobedience is much subtler. It may be allowing old ways of thinking (i.e., worldly carnal thinking or religious mindsets) to seep into our thinking instead of basing our thoughts on God’s Word. Disobedience can even include holding on to misinformation or remaining ignorant of the things of God.

“How can we be held accountable for things we don’t know?” you might ask.

We can be because He has already given us His manual for living—His Word. We have the responsibility to open that Word, read it, meditate on it and allow it to shape our thinking. That is what obedience allows us—and requires us—to do.

Reason No. 5:

When you are obedient, you’re trusting God to be God.

Obeying God means moving aside and allowing God—His Word, His Holy Spirit and His way of operating—to move in our lives. It means trusting (having faith) that He will be true to His Word. When we obey, we don’t try to control our lives and the situations around us by our own human strength. Instead, we focus on the Lord by keeping Him and His Word before our eyes and allowing Him to have His way and trusting that He will fulfill His promises.

We cannot claim to love God without obeying Him and His Word. Let’s commit to obey Him with heartfelt love and show an appreciation for all He has done for us. We serve a big, magnificent, awe-inspiring God. Let’s obey Him immediately and wholeheartedly so we can walk with Him closely and enjoy the benefits of our obedience!

4 Ways to Grow in Your Faith

4 Ways to Grow in Your Faith

God has dealt to every person a measure of faith (Romans 12:3, NKJV). But as a Christian full of faith, God doesn’t want you to become stagnant. He wants you to GROW in Him! Growing in Him means growing from faith to faith (Romans 1:17, KJV). It means getting to know Him better, and getting to know Him more this week than last week, and more today than yesterday. Below are four ways you can grow in your faith.

  1. Grow Through Hearing the Word

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17, NKJV).

If you want to grow in your faith, it starts by hearing, and that means feeding yourself with God’s Word. When you hear God’s Word, it changes you. It affects your worldview and alters the way you think. Is this talking about brainwashing? Yes—if brainwashing means washing your brain with the Word of God!

We want to see things the way God sees them, and we want to think the way He thinks. The good news is, there’s an entire book filled with the way God thinks: the Bible. Open your Bible and begin to read. Get an audio recording of the Bible, and listen to it as you go to sleep, as you get ready in the morning, or as you drive in your car. Get audio and video teaching from Bible teachers you can trust. We have hundreds of teachings and media resources available to you for free on our website in the Watch section. Additionally, you can subscribe to our podcast and listen to faith-filled teaching on the go. It’s a great way to start your growth.

  1. Grow Through Believing the Word

It’s one thing to hear the Word…it’s another to believe it. You may have heard for years that Jesus is Lord. You may have grown up in a Christian home and been taught that since you were old enough to understand what your parents were saying. But something happened the day you believed it. Everything changed. “The old passed away and everything became new.”

Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (KJV, emphasis added). You became a Christian from hearing—and believing—God’s Word. That goes for every part of your Christian life. When you read God’s Word, don’t hesitate to believe it. If God said it, it doesn’t matter how you feel about it. If God said it, it doesn’t matter what you’ve heard that’s contrary to it. God’s Word trumps everything else. You may be struggling with your health. You may feel sick. You may have gone to a church that says God doesn’t heal today. What does God’s Word say? It says:

  • “I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26).
  • “By his wounds you are healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
  • “[Jesus] healed all the sick among them” (Matthew 12:15).

If God’s Word says it, the matter is settled. It’s time to believe it.

  1. Grow Through Taking God’s Word

“But I’m still sick!” you may say.

Once you’ve heard God’s Word and made the decision to believe it, you need to make the decision to take it. Take hold of the truth and never let go.

Taking it means putting God’s Word before your eyes and keeping it before your eyes. Every day, speak that truth. When you want to receive your healing, search through God’s Word and find verse after verse after verse about how God wants to heal you. Highlight those verses. Print them out. Tape them on your mirror. Add them as the home screen on your smartphone. Speak them every day.

When you take God’s Word, the world may be playing tug of war with you, but you won’t let go of that truth! Read it, believe it, take it and never let go no matter what comes your way!

  1. Grow Through Acting on God’s Word

“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead…. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:17-18, NKJV).

It’s one thing to read, believe and take hold of something. It’s another to act as though you believe it.

When you know that you know God has healed you—because that’s the loving God He is—it’s time to act like it. Wake up in the morning and thank God for your healing. You may feel sick; you may feel like not moving a muscle. But don’t let your feelings stop you from acting on God’s Word. You may not be able to do much yet, because sometimes it takes time to get the natural in line with the supernatural. If someone tells you, “You look sick,” reply, “No, I’m doing great because by His stripes, I am healed!”

As you act upon His Word, you’re allowing it to grow in you, settle in you, become active and strong in your life.

 

Hearing. Believing. Taking. Acting. When you listen to the Lord, believe what He says, take Him at His Word, and act on it, you’ll find yourself growing in your faith like never before. Then, God’s Word will be working in your life in a way like nothing else can. It’ll be working in a life full of FAITH!

Stopping the Division Among Us: How to Take a Stand Against the Deadly Enemy of Strife

Stopping the Division Among Us

There is no place for strife in the Body of Christ. None.

 

This world is in a precarious place. People in the world can’t seem to agree on anything. Democrats and Republicans create gridlock as they disagree on every issue. Fringe groups have risen up standing for inequality based on income or the color of one’s skin. But that’s nothing but outspoken bigotry and racism. It creates strife of the greatest degree—and according to James 3:16, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (KJV). It’s no wonder the world seems hopeless anytime you hear the latest news. Strife is a deadly enemy as it opens the door for murder, theft, lying, rebellion, hatred, violence…and the list goes on and on.

 

If you’re like many in the world, you have probably found more opportunities to be offended, and to be in strife, than any other time in recent history. But the Body of Christ shouldn’t operate like the world. As believers, we should be standing together. Income inequality, racism, disagreements over denominational differences and other blatant works of the enemy that cause strife and division have no place among us. Taking a stand against the deadly enemy of strife should be one of our top priorities as followers of Jesus Christ who endeavor to lead a life worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1).Stopping division and strife in our countries, communities, workplaces and churches must start with us, in our own personal lives.

 

Why Is Strife So Dangerous?

In Mark 3:24-25, Jesus tells us why unity is so important. He declared, “If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (KJV).

 

Jesus knew the toll that strife, which leads to division, takes on believers and the Body of Christ. Ultimately, the spirit of division takes men and women who are strong in the Lord—spiritual powerhouses—and returns them back to the same helpless place they were before they knew Jesus. Strife stifles the power of the Holy Spirit working, whether in an individual’s life or corporately.

 

The Apostle Paul encountered this issue when he visited the Corinthians…

 

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

 

In this passage, Paul is scolding the Corinthians because they had allowed strife—jealousy and quarreling—to enter their midst. And what had it done? It had turned them into “infants” again. The sinful nature does that to you. If you yield control to it, you have forfeited the power of the Holy Spirit and are living like people of the world, who are separated from Christ…without hope and without God (Ephesians 2:12).

A house Not Divided

How to Identify Strife in Your Life

Strife is easy to identify. It’s division, harsh words, complaining. It’s jealousy and envy. It represents a struggle—one person’s will against another person’s will. Arguments come out of strife. Complaining, demanding your way, divisions, harsh words, disagreements and emphasizing differences all bring about a lack of harmony. Strife is caused by insecurity and pride. Where there is strife, or lack of peace, you know the human will is in charge, not the Holy Spirit. And, from strife comes confusion and every evil work!

 

In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus says, “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.”

 

Evil and sin begin in the heart. If you see that strife has taken root in your heart, the first thing you want to do is repent. Ask God to forgive you for any words or actions you’ve taken that are against His will. Replace your words with the Word of God. Ephesians 5:4 says, “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes–these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.”

 

You can’t speak harshly and thank God at the same time. You can’t criticize those around you, if you have a thankful attitude about them.

 

This approach will bring peace to any situation where there’s a temptation to tear into someone with cruel and unkind words. When someone crosses you on the job, at school, on social media or wherever, instead of verbal abuse, let your mouth be filled with praise to God. He is worthy of your praise! If you are thinking about how good God is, you can’t be talking about how bad others are.

 

Then, after you’ve repented, there’s a better way.

 

There’s a Better (and More Mature!) Way

If we keep ourselves busy with God’s ways, we will be so full of God’s love that there won’t be any room for strife. That’s the key to having the power of God show up in our lives, just like it was evident in Jesus’ life.

 

The way of Christ is love:

 

“So now I am giving you a new commandment,” Jesus said to His disciples. “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35).

 

Our love for one another proves to the world that we are different and serves as a powerful testimony to unbelievers. If we’re a part of division and strife in our country, at home or work, or even on social media, we are not walking in God’s ways, and we are not demonstrating the love of God to others. God’s love must be overflowing in your heart for it to come out of your mouth. And, the best way to be filled with the love of God is to continually think about Him.

 

The way Brother Copeland renews his mind to the love of God is to study and meditate 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. He reads it in the first person like this: “I am patient and kind. I am not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. I do not demand my own way. I am not irritable, and I keep no record of being wronged. I do not rejoice about injustice but rejoice whenever the truth wins out. I never give up, never lose faith, am always hopeful and endure through every circumstance.” This is a valid confession because God is Love, and you are born of God. Therefore, you are born of Love.

 

The love of God in your heart and the praise of God on your lips are an unbeatable team. When an unlovely person tries to provoke you into strife, you will remember, I am not irritable. Instead of retaliating, let the praise of God come out of your mouth.

 

Stop Strife With Faith and Love

Additionally, walking in love is not just refraining from saying hateful things. It’s proactively speaking what is life and health to others. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” says Proverbs 18:21 (KJV). It’s putting faith and love into action when you encounter an opportunity to be personally offended, or when you see racism or division around you.

 

“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead,” wrote James. “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:17-18, NKJV).

 

Whenever we’re offended or see inequality, racism or division, it’s our responsibility to take a stand against strife for our household, and for our “Faith House” as the Body of Christ. This includes strife in the Body of Christ caused by denominational differences. We must stop tearing each other down with our words and do good to one another. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10, NKJV).

 

Do whatever it takes to stay out of strife. Let your words be full of encouragement, and let God’s love shine from you everywhere you go.

 

As you avoid strife, here are some things you can do:

 

  • Identify an area of your life that moves you into feelings of strife
  • When you are tempted to respond to strife, determine exactly what you will say to replace your words with God’s words of love
  • Ask God to cleanse you completely from past areas of strife, and to protect you from situations that bring strife.

 

In conclusion, there is no place for strife in the Body of Christ, and we should individually and corporately refuse to be people who take part in it. As people called by His Name, we should take a stand against strife by living differently from people in the world. Our houses should be places of faith, without strife. Our churches should be places of faith without strife. And we should be agents bringing the light and love of God to a dark and lost world.

 

Ministry Minute: Is Prosperity A Blessing?

Ministry Minute: Is Prosperity A Blessing?

Is prosperity a blessing? Let’s find out what God says about it in this Ministry Minute teaching from Kenneth Copeland.

 

 

In this Ministry Minute, Kenneth Copeland explains how prosperity is a blessing from God. While some Christians don’t believe we’re supposed to prosper, God has put spiritual laws in place that guarantee our prosperity. Have you made up your mind that God wants you to increase and live a prosperous life—spirit, soul and body? Prosperity is a blessing from God and is a result of being obedient to what God says in His Word. So, let’s get serious about being obedient and reaping God’s blessings!

 

Thank you for joining us for this Ministry Minute with Kenneth Copeland. Have faith in God, and always remember… Jesus Is Lord!

 

Don’t miss quick, helpful video teachings like this from Kenneth Copeland Ministries! Subscribe to our YouTube channel @ www.youtube.com/copelandministries. Got a question you’d like us to answer in about a minute? Comment below to let us know your suggestions.

 

 

Ministry Minute: How Bad Do You Want It?

How Bad Do You Want It? Ministry MInute

Are you believing for something to come to pass in your life that just hasn’t happened yet? We’ve all been there! It can be hard to understand why the promises of God haven’t happened yet. While there can be many reasons, one question to ask yourself is, How bad do you want it?

Faithful Abraham is a good example. He wanted God more than ANYTHING else in life, so he pursued God with all he had. Listen as Kenneth explains more in this Ministry Minute teaching, How Bad Do You Want It?

 

The Bible says repeatedly that those who seek God with their whole heart will find Him. Pursue God with all your heart, and you will see the power of God move. What seemed impossible will become a reality. If Abraham can do it, so can you!

 

Thank you for joining us for this Ministry Minute with Kenneth Copeland. Have faith in God, and always remember… Jesus Is Lord!

 

Don’t miss quick, helpful video teachings like this from Kenneth Copeland Ministries! Subscribe to our YouTube channel @ www.youtube.com/copelandministries. Got a question you’d like us to answer in about a minute? Comment below to let us know your suggestions.

How to Build a Life That Lasts

Learn how to build a life that lasts.

In order to build a life that lasts, your spiritual foundation must be built on Jesus.

 

No structure can stand for long without a solid foundation. Without a strong base, the slightest breeze will bring it tumbling to the ground. The same is true for your spiritual well-being. Without a solid spiritual foundation, you will struggle and fumble in your walk with God. You’ll misunderstand Scripture and fall prey to all sorts of false doctrine. With a strong spiritual foundation, however, you’ll be ready to walk in all God has for you—your ministry, your calling, revelations, relationships and more. You’ll have a life that’s built to last!

 

Of course, building your foundation isn’t an overnight process. It takes time—often several years. After more than 50 years of building a strong foundation in his own life, Kenneth Copeland has said that he is just now walking in the calling and position God set for him. It has taken a while, but the results have been legendary!

 

Where Does a Strong Foundation Begin?

The world has many ideas of what makes a strong foundation. Some say it’s education. Some say it’s a love of and reliance on self. Others claim that it’s power. Still others believe it’s money. And today, with the prominence of social media, a growing number believe it’s influence and prestige. But none of these ideas are foundations that will build a life that lasts. Every one of them will crumble, falter, disappoint and lead you astray.

 

Only Jesus and the Word of God forever stand true. The Bible tells us that Jesus and the Word are one and the same:

 

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it (John 1:1-5).

 

Jesus is the foundation on which the Body of Christ is built. He is the Word made flesh, and through Him revelation and truth became possible. When you build your foundation on Him—the Word—then your foundation is strong.

Only One Thing Minibook by Kenneth Cope;amd

Continue to Strengthen Your Foundation

Strengthening your foundation is not a one-time event. Salvation happens in a moment, but fortifying your spiritual foundation—your life—with the Word of God is a process. Jesus spoke of this when addressing Peter:

 

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it (Matthew 16:13-18).

 

Jesus didn’t promise to build the Church on Peter. He promised to build His Church on the revelation knowledge that Peter had received. What is that revelation knowledge? It’s the understanding of who Jesus is. And that’s still true today.

 

Jesus and revelation about who He is, what He is speaking to the Body of Christ and what He is doing to bring people to Himself is the foundation of the Church. It’s this revelation knowledge that creates a rock-solid foundation in God’s people, including you (Matthew 7:24)!

 

The Holy Spirit’s Role

In all of this, of course, you’re not left to go it alone. The Holy Spirit is at work in you.

 

  • He’s enlightening the truth of who Jesus in your life
  • He’s revealing truth about the Scriptures
  • He’s sharing what the Lord is doing in the Body of Christ
  • He’s directing and comforting God’s people.

 

In all the Holy Spirit does, He’s working to develop a firm foundation in you. Think about your salvation. There was a time when you were living in spiritual darkness, but someone told you about Jesus. It may have been a one-on-one conversation, or you may have watched a television broadcast or online video. You could have read a book, or heard someone speak at a church service. However the message came, when you heard that Word, the Holy Spirit went to work. He brought revelation knowledge to you. The result: A new man or woman was born inside of you. You became a new creation.

 

But it didn’t end there! If you will listen with your spiritual ears, the Holy Spirit will continue to bring revelation knowledge to you.

 

For example, as you study the Word of God, the Holy Spirit brings revelation knowledge to you by showing you new, deeper meaning on every page. He shows you how to apply what you read in a new or practical way. During this process, He is helping you build your firm foundation. You could have read a scripture many times before and then one day—bam!—it suddenly comes alive. You understand it in a whole new or deeper way. That’s revelation knowledge!

 

Right now, commit to building your life—your firm foundation—on Jesus, the Word of God, and trusting your heavenly Father to complete the good work that He has begun in you (Philippians 1:6). Then as you study, allow the Holy Spirit to bring you revelation knowledge so that you can grow and develop. Doing so puts you in a place to be used mightily by the Lord…to fulfill the ministry or vocation He has called you to…and to be a witness to everyone who crosses your path.

 

That’s when you’ll find you have a legendary life, too. A life that’s built to last!