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®

eating from the

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He gave them free will to choose whether or not they would come to the Tree of Life to partake of His goodness. And He gives us the same freedom of choice today. – Gloria Copeland

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Discovering the

Cross sweet secret

of the

by Kenneth Copeland

The super natural power to touch a bitter life and make it sweet.

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That’s the

secret people have been searching for almost since time began. Every human heart cries it out. Every person ever bor n longs for the power to tur n sickness into health, loneliness into love, bondage into freedom and failure into victory. All mankind year ns to taste the full sweetness of abundant life…and to bring that sweetness to others whose lives have become little more than one bitter pill to swallow.

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But does such power really exist? Is there truly a secret that can

make any life an abundant life?

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Absolutely. And, if you’ve made Jesus Christ

the Lord of your life, you’ve already discovered that secret. of the Cross.

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It’s the secret

“What do you mean, Brother Copeland?” you might ask. “The

Cross is no secret. Lots of people know about the Cross.”

Well, they may know some basic facts about the Cross, but they don’t understand the true power of it. If they did, then they’d know why the New Testament tells us quite plainly that “…the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Notice that verse doesn’t tell us that the Cross was the power of God in the past, in days gone by.

It says the Cross is the power of God that brings us salvation (which means deliverance from all temporal and eternal evil) now, today, in the present—and every single day of our lives!

Everything good comes f rom the Cross. It changed the entire future of humanity and all of heaven forever.

The Cross affected everything. The problem is, most of us don’t even begin to understand the fullness of what happened there. We simply think of it as the place where Jesus paid the penalty for sin so that we could go to heaven and escape hell. That kind of thinking is right, as far as it goes. But it doesn’t go far enough. There’s much more to it.

Looking Back to the Good Old Days

To see just how much more actually happened at the Cross, we have to go back to the beginning, to the creation of man, to see how this all began. We have to go back and find out how bitterness got into the life stream of humanity in the first place. God certainly didn’t put it there.

The book of Genesis tells us again and again that

everything God created on the earth was good. He created the land and the water and “it was good” (Genesis 1:10).

He created all vegetation and “it was good” (verse 12). He created the sun, moon and stars; He created the animals and every other living thing and saw that they were good (verse 25).

Once all that was done, God made the body of man from the dust of the earth and breathed His own life into him after saying, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion…” (Genesis 1:26). At that moment, man became a living soul. He was clothed with God’s own glory. God Himself empowered Adam (and later, his wife, Eve) to bring blessing and prosperity to the whole earth.

And when it was all finished, the Bible says that “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (verse 31). Those truly were the good old days.

The Touch of Death

In those days, Adam and Eve were free to enjoy God’s good creation and reign in Eden as His representatives in the earth. They were free to enjoy nothing but sweetness and light forever—on one condition: They were to keep God’s command.

Everything depended on that. If they obeyed God’s command, life would be glorious and wonderful. If they disobeyed His command, they would die.

Sadly, they made the wrong choice. They disobeyed…and the light of God’s glory that once radiated from them was snuffed out by the spiritual darkness of sin. Satan, whom they had obeyed, became their overlord. His deadly nature invaded their spirits, and everything beautiful God had breathed into Adam and Eve was instantly twisted and marred.

The fruit of God’s Spirit that once filled their souls— qualities like love, joy, peace and faith—were suddenly corrupted. Love became hate. Joy became sorrow. Peace became turmoil. Faith became fear.

The anointing of God that had once empowered them to bless the earth was transformed into a touch of death that cursed the entire planet. The very ground itself was cursed because of what happened to them. Every molecule was infected by it. The earth, and everything in it, was cursed.

That, in itself, would have been bad enough. But the horror didn’t stop there. Because God had ordained that every seed produce after its own kind, Adam and Eve were destined to reproduce children infected by the curse of sin. So the more they multiplied, the more the effects of the curse increased!

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made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, Under the curse of sin, life on earth which had once been so sweet became indescribably bitter. In fact, “bitthe glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of terness” is the definition of the Hebrew root of the grace and truth” ( John 1:14). word curse.

Jesus, the Word Himself, was born as the pure, sinless I doubt if Adam realized the full extent of what had Son of Man and Son of God. There was no bitterness happened right away, but as time passed the magnitude of in Him. No trace of the curse. He passed every test of it must have dawned on him. He must have thought, Dear temptation that Adam had failed. He lived as a free man.

Lord, the seed of everything in the earth is bitter! My own Death could not touch Him. seed is bitter! How will anything on earth ever be pure again?

But then He did the unthinkable.

God, how can I ever be Your friend again?

“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled Adam didn’t have a clue. He didn’t know what God’s himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death plan was. It was a mystery hidden in God before the world of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). began (1 Corinthians 2:7). Yet from the very first moment Jesus was already free. He didn’t have to do that. But the curse hit the earth, God began to talk about redempHe chose to do it so “…that through death he might tion. Right there in the Garden of Eden after Adam destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the sinned, God spoke to the devil and devil; and deliver them who through Salvation Prayer said, There is One coming, the son of a fear of death were all their lifetime subIf you do not know woman, and He will crush your head…. ject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

(See Genesis 3:15.)

God Did the Impossible

The devil himself must have wondered how God was ever going to find such a man. After all, the entire race of man was under demonic lordship.

They were all sinners. They couldn’t defeat the devil. They were his slaves.

And through their sin, they’d all earned the same wages: bitterness and eternal death.

Of course, according to God’s system of covenant justice, if God could find one pure man, the blood of that man could be shed for the rest of mankind. He could become their substitute and take their punishment. But God had no pure seed on the earth to work with. He couldn’t even start again from scratch to form a new Adam from the dust of the earth, because the dust itself was cursed and impure. How could God ever find human blood that was not already cursed with bitterness? It was impossible!

Or so it seemed. But God made a way. He visited a young woman named Mary and spoke His Word to her. She believed it and that Word went into her. “And the Word was

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Jesus as your

Savior Lord, &

simply pray the following prayer in faith, and Jesus will be your Lord!

Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” and “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” (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9). You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live in me (John 3:5-6, 15-16; Romans 8:9-11) and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Spirit and give me the ability to speak with other tongues (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4).

I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus is Lord. And I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead.

Thank You for coming into my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen.

If you have just prayed this prayer, please contact us and let us know of your decision. We have a free Salvation Package we would like to send you to help you begin your new life in Jesus!

Simply write and ask for offer #50801, check the circle on the response form in the center of this magazine or call 877-480-3388.

Living in Heaven’s Sweetness

That ’s what happened on the Cross! Jesus redeemed us from the bondage of the curse by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He not only paid the awful price for what Adam did, He broke the power of the curse and destroyed Satan’s authority to use it on any believer who, by faith, will walk in their purchased redemption.

Jesus took away the authority of bitterness and released the blessing—heaven’s sweetness—bac k into the earth! He bore our bitterness and gave us His sweet abun- dant life.

He opened Eden’s goodness to us again.

How do we live in that goodness?

The same way Adam and Eve were supposed to do it—by obeying God’s commandment. If we’ll do that, the curse will be helpless to function in our lives and God’s good blessings will overtake us (Deuteronomy 28:1-2).

The saving power of the Cross itself is released in every area of our lives— spirit, soul and body—when we keep God’s commands.

And as 1 John 5:3 says, “His commandments are not grievous.” In fact, they are delightfully simple. “This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another” (1 John 3:23).

Or, as Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Believe and love. That’s all we have to do to live free.

April 7&8

the Glory is here!

There’s no need for us to suffer the effects of the curse any longer. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God has not only made it possible for us to taste the sweet life of God, He’s put a well of it inside us ( John 4:14).

He’s given us rivers of it, rivers that will never run dry ( John 7:38).

The supernatural power to touch a bitter life and make it sweet has already been given to you. So release your faith and let that sweetness flood not only your own life, but the lives of countless others as well. Step into the overflow through the power of the Cross! V ictor y

One Word From God Can Change Your Life Forever!

Get Totally Immersed in God’s Word at the

WestPointChristianFellowship Spring Revival

Speaker Schedule* Friday, April 7 7 p.m. Kenneth Copeland

Unable to attend?

Saturday, April 8 10 a.m. Gloria Copeland 1:30 p.m. Kenneth Copeland

Join us via live

video or audio broadcast at getimmersed.org!

Sponsor: West Point Christian Fellowship Service | Contact: Chaplain Albert Downing (845) 938-3412

*Schedule subject to change.

Location: Thayer Hall in Robinson Auditorium, West Point, N.Y. 10996 Open to the Public – Admission is FREE | Be a voice of victory...Bring a friend!

No child care provided. | NOTE: To gain access to the military base, attendees must present the following items to the front gate guard • One form of photo ID (i.e. a driver’s license) • Vehicle registration • Proof of vehicle insurance | No firearms or weapons will be allowed.

Meetings are subject to change without notice. For updated information, please log on to getimmersed.org or call the KCM office nearest you. Partners and Friends within the United States call (800) 600-7395. Partners and Friends within Canada call (877) 480-3388.

by

M e l a n i e

H e m r y

GoD Can Handle It

Jim and Brenda Mervine looked at the balance in their checkbook and the overdue bills on the kitchen table that needed to be paid. Once again they were behind on everything, including their house payment. Jim ran his fingers through his blond hair in frustration. Neither of them mentioned the obvious: Brenda was pregnant with their second child. The depressed economy in rural Pennsylvania had gotten worse in the shadow of Sept. 11, and both worked for family-owned businesses that were struggling.

Texas Motor Speedway © 20 05

Jim was willing to take another job; he simply couldn’t find one.

Clicking his way through the Internet one day, Jim stumbled onto a Web site that advertised a job opening with a NASCAR race team. Working for NASCAR, how cool would that be? Jim thought. In spite of the fact that he had no qualifications, Jim filled out the online résumé and tried to submit it. But there was a fee to submit it that required a charge card.

Jim had neither money nor a charge card. With a shrug, he logged off the computer. Oh well…

Meanwhile, Brenda sat down and penned a letter to God. Dear God, I believe You will handle all my situations. I believe right now and always. I put fear aside. No looking back at yesterday. I will forget about tomorrow, for You’ve already taken care of it. I know You love me. I turn my

needs loose and rest in the fact that You have them handled.

There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). I will be still and know that You are God (Psalm 46:10). Brenda Retrieving the pile of unpaid bills, Brenda stacked them neatly on her desk and taped the letter above them. Every time fear tried to overwhelm her, she read the letter out loud and prayed. It was all she knew to do.

A New Direction

“Six months later, in May 2002, Jim got a phone call offering him a job with a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team out of Ohio,” Brenda recalls. “To this day we don’t know how his résumé got to NASCAR, because he couldn’t send it in without a charge card.

“The job was a stretch for Jim in many ways. He had a three-hour commute one way to work each day. He

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s e e m e d l i k e o u r f a i t h s t a n d w o u l d l a s t f o r e v e r,

a n d t h e n o u r ‘ s u d d e n l y ’ h a p p e n e d a l m o s t o v e r n i g h t .”

was responsible for getting the race car and every piece of equipment they might need to each race on time.

In addition, he was in charge of cooking for the team.

Each of these presented a challenge, because Jim knew nothing about racing, and he knew almost nothing about cooking.”

Jim threw himself into the job, borrowing Brenda’s cookbooks and learning to cook, while he learned everything he could about racing and the equipment he hauled. In August the Mervines put their house on the market so they could move to Ohio. Meanwhile, Jim refused to allow his new job to deprive his children of their father. Though exhausted from hauling equipment to each race, Jim drove another 150 miles home each day to spend time with his children before they went to bed at night. In the morning, he would get up at 4:30 to leave for work. Brenda pled the blood of Jesus over him daily.

Dozens of prospective buyers looked at their house, but none bought it. With two small children, Brenda hardly made enough money at her job to cover day-care expenses, but she enjoyed the adult conversation at work and felt less lonely in Jim’s absence.

September 2002, four months after taking the job with NASCAR, Jim made a long haul with the race truck and then headed home. The exhaustion and long stretches of road caught up with him, and he fell asleep at the wheel.

Jim’s car flipped and slammed into a telephone pole.

The car was a total loss, but Jim walked away from the accident unharmed.

Taking a Stand | Though grateful that her husband was not injured in the crash, Brenda quickly realized the accident had brought another hardship. With only one car, she had no way to get to work. “We lived outside of town surrounded by cornfields instead of neighbors,” Brenda explains. “So without my job, I felt very isolated.

We never imagined that it would take so long for our house to sell, or that Jim would have a six-hour daily commute for months on end.”

As the winter snows set in, Jim’s drive home became more treacherous. He drove through blizzards, and during snowstorms he had to get up before his usual 4:30 to make it to work on time. When there was a

race, Jim didn’t get to come home at all.

Gas and car expenses were eating up the little bit of extra money Jim got for this job, Brenda recalled. And with her out of work, their financial situation worsened.

Jim was working harder than ever, but they were still behind on bills.

“As Christmas approached, things were so dismal that on occasion I walked out into the cornfields and screamed at the devil to take his hands off my finances, my family and my home,” Brenda said. “I’d been raised in a Christian home, and my mother was a Partner with Kenneth Copeland Ministries. When I was in my early 20s, my mother asked me to videotape each weekly BVOV broadcast for her, because I had cable and she didn’t.

That’s how I got acquainted with KCM. Later, Jim and I became Partners as well. I’d always devoured the magazine and listened to tapes, but as the months passed with no relief in sight, it was hard to stand in faith.

Having Done All—Stand | Little did Brenda know that the Word she had been exposed to years earlier while taping BVOV broadcasts would become a focus for the relief she sought.

“My family came to my rescue. My mother brought over all the videotapes I’d made for her years earlier, and I watched them over and over. My uncle had a huge collection of cassette tapes by Kenneth and Gloria. He showed up on my doorstep with his collection. I listened to them like a lifeline, because that’s what they were to me.”

While the family finances were teetering on disaster, Jim excelled at his job. The team loved his work and declared that he was their best cook. In addition to his other responsibilities, Jim was trained as the fuel man on the pit crew. Later he was trained to change the front tires.

In May 2003, it had been a full year since Jim had gone to work for NASCAR and their house still had not sold.

Brenda took a deep breath, relieved that the winter was past and spring had arrived. Surely things will get better now, she thought.

That month the dryer blew up, the hot water tank broke and the pipes in the house burst, flooding the basement. With Jim on the road and no money for

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repairs, Brenda turned to family members for help.

The following month, the Mervines finally got a contract on their house. | “I was more than ready for our family to be together again,” Brenda says. “But even so, when we finally moved in July it was very difficult because we had to leave both our families. In Ohio, when Jim wasn’t on the road he c ame home from work every day. But the racing season was Valentine’s Day through Thanksgiving, so he was gone a lot, and we didn’t know a soul.”

Brenda gradually made friends, found a church Jim and Brenda Mervine and put down roots in Ohio. Four months later, Jim received a phone call from a race team in North Carolina that had heard he was the best at what he did. They offered him $10,000 more than his current salary to come work for them.

Jim didn’t want to leave his team, but his family desperately needed the extra money. He and Brenda told both their families that they would be moving to North Carolina. But when Jim resigned his job, his boss matched the $10,000 salary increase. They called their families and announced they would be staying in Ohio.

Two weeks later, Jim received a call from the team of a well-known race-car driver, with an offer of $10,000 more than his new salary. Certain that his current team couldn’t match the money, Jim went to his boss and resigned.

His boss offered him another $10,000 to stay.

“After scraping by for all that time, Jim got a $20,000 raise in two weeks!” Brenda says. “It seemed like our faith stand would last forever, and then our ‘suddenly’ happened almost overnight. We knew that God had moved on our behalf, and we gave Him all the praise.”

Manifestation of a Miracle

| Since North Carolina is the hub of the NASCAR racing industry, Jim knew that sooner or later, his family would have to move there. By the end of 2004, Jim realized it was time. After agreeing to go work for a team in North Carolina, Jim left for his new job on New Year’s Day 2005. Brenda and the children stayed behind in Ohio, where their oldest son, Devin, was now in school. Jim would have to find them a new home.

Along with the move came yet another hardship. Now, Making the Move

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instead of a three-hour commute to and from work, the drive from home to work was an impossible nine hours.

There was no more tucking Devin and Trevor into bed, no more bedtime stories.

“I was home alone with the boys more than I had been before,” Brenda recalls. “We didn’t get to see much of Jim for months, which was hard. It was also difficult that I couldn’t be there to pick out a place for us to live. I had to trust the Lord to lead Jim to our home.

“Once again the Lord exceeded my wildest expectations.

When we moved to North Carolina in April 2005, Jim moved us into a new house. Devin immediately introduced himself to all the neighbors and made new friends. Except when the team was on the road, Jim was home every night. I suspect that we’re here to stay.” | In December 2001, when Jim stumbled onto a Web site promoting a job with NASCAR, he never imagined himself living as a NASCAR guy. It’s been a long journey for Jim and Brenda since then. Not just the journey from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, but the journey of faith that has taken them from living in lack to living their dream.

Many people would have given up long before the manifestation of the miraculous. In the face of every trial, Jim and Brenda stood firm in simple trust that God would answer their prayers, and be faithful to fulfill His promises.

In all their packing and moving, Brenda had carefully protected one of her most precious possessions. It was the letter she wrote to God. Dear God, I believe You can handle all my situations….

There was a time when all she knew to do was read that letter aloud and pray. As it turns out, that was enough.

Brenda believes that God wanted Jim on the NASCAR team. Although the transition wasn’t easy, they feel certain that they have moved into God’s plan for their lives.

“If we hadn’t been Partners with KCM, I don’t think we could have stood in faith through all the hard times,” Brenda admits. “KCM was our lifeline. I wrote them lengthy prayer requests and knew beyond a doubt that people were praying for us. We desperately needed victory in our own lives, and so it was important that we be in partnership with people who were victorious. Their prayers, their teaching and their faith kept us going.”

Because Jim and Brenda kept on going, God had opportunity to prove to them He truly can handle the toughest situations. If they’ll only keep believing, He is well able to lead His children out of lack and into the life of their dreams. V ictor y Journey of Faith

Make The Partnership Connection with Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Benefits of Partnership Prayer: Kenneth and Gloria, along with the entire KCM ministry family, pray for our Partners daily. You can count on strong prayer support from us for the rest of your life—until Jesus comes!

The Picture Is Not Complete Without You! Believers joining together create a divine connection in which the anointings of each party combine to accomplish more than either could ever do alone! This connection makes the picture complete!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries is reaching the world with the bold message that “Jesus Is Lord!”—through worldwide magazines, farreaching television broadcasts, faith-stirring meetings and more. And it has happened because of God’s faithfulness and the prayers and support of our Partners.

For 39 years, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland have seen the power of partnership impact the world—and lives—beyond all they could ever imagine. And you can count on the fact that each day we’re standing with you, too, praying for your victory and joining our anointing with yours for breakthrough.

Standing with one another like this is a unique blessing…it’s The Partnership Connection! And with it, together, we’re changing the world!

If you haven’t already, isn’t it time you found out where you fit in the puzzle and make The Partnership Connection?

Make The Partnership Connection

getting connected, just let us know.

with Kenneth Copeland Ministries

To become a Partner or learn more about

today and receive the Partnership

partnership: check the appropriate box

Package with complete information

on the response form in the center of

about partnership, complimentary

this magazine, call (800) 600-7395,

gifts and more.

or visit kcm.org.

Or, if you’d like more information about

It’s time for your breakthrough!

Partner Letter: Kenneth says, “ Way over 90 percent of the revelation I preach—the seed of it—begins in praying over my monthly Partner Letter.” And it will come right to your mailbox.

Connected Anointings: The God-given anointing on KCM joins with your anointing, and your anointing joins with the anointing of this ministry. With combined anointings, the effectiveness of all God has called each of us to do increases.

Special Gifts and Mailings: As the Lord leads, Kenneth and Gloria provide special gifts and teachings to their Partners.

Your Opportunity to Sow Seed: As God directs, you can sow seed into KCM’s many worldwide ministries…and have a direct part in reaching a mighty harvest of souls! Plus, every seed you sow into KCM is sown again, as 10 percent of your gift is given to other trustworthy ministries who feed, clothe and minister the love of God all around the globe. You will share in the eternal reward!

• •• •

• •• •• •• •

Gather in a Faith Harvest This Spring!

Understanding, believing and receiving God’s goodness is the very foundation of our faith.

In Blessed Beyond Measure, Gloria Copeland reveals the steadfast goodness of our loving Father. Learn how everything God has provided— salvation, healing, deliverance, peace and every other blessing promised in His Word—comes from His true nature of goodness, and is available to you today!

Blessed Beyond Measure 5¾” x 8¾” | hardback | 212 pages CDN$ 18 #B060403

Living contact with God is not only possible… it’s something He desires!

As you draw close and learn to trust Him—love, joy and peace will not just be something you’re striving to attain, it will be part of who you are.

This compelling book by Gloria Copeland will help you come To Know Him as never before!

You’ll learn:

9 The role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual growth 9 The importance of living in the Word 9 The urgency of guarding your heart 9 How God will lovingly and masterfully

teach you His ways When you have the desire and make the effort to know Him—you will!

You will go beyond religion and enter into the most rewarding and fulfilling relationship you can ever have!

To Know Him 5½” x 8¾” CDN$ 18 #B060402

| hardback | 208 pages

Get eight of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s popular minibooks. The Successful Living Minibook Package includes: Love—The Secret to Your Success You win some, you lose some. There’s no way around it, right? Wrong! Discover the God-given way to succeed every time!

The Power to Live a New Life Many Christians find themselves in a constant war with their flesh. Uncover the strength that comes from God to give believers a new and victorious life.

The Protection of Angels Protection…you could hire a hundred natural men for your security, but they would be limited by natural things. Not so with angels.

From Old Testament times until today, angels have been on the job, protecting and delivering God’s people.

God Has Your Miracle on His Mind If you need a miracle, God has one just for you. Discover how to expect the impossible; take action to “position yourself” for your miracle; and stand strong—even when it seems like it’s too late.

The Winning Attitude Everyone was created to be a winner...but some people feel like losers. Discover the steps to a winning attitude that can transform any life.

God’s Success Formula Discover the truth about success in the workplace and relationships through God’s Success Formula!

The Power to Be Forever Free Most people have things in their lives that hold them back from achieving their goals and dreams. This minibook offers biblical steps to overcoming every obstacle.

The Image of God in You To make changes in your life, you first have to change your self-image—you must see yourself as a winner, not a loser. Learn how to look into the Word of God and see His image in you.

Successful Living Minibook Package CDN$ 8 #B060409

To order in Canada call toll free (877) 480-3388 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. PT Monday-Friday. Charge card orders only please. All major charge cards accepted.

• •• •

• • • • • Jesus’ Name is far above every name and He’s given it to you to use! By understanding the authority you have in His Name, and your right as a joint heir with Him—you have the same ability as Jesus!

Kenneth Copeland shows you step-by-step how to use the Name of Jesus and expect signs to follow. You’ll get the rock-solid confidence you need in the authority you have in His Name.

Jesus, The Name Above Every Name 6 messages on 10 CDs, plus study guide CDN$ 25 #B060421

This fresh, updated and heartfelt contemporary praise and worship album is truly a worship experience. You’ll love the original faith-filled songs that usher you right into the presence of God. This CD is filled with the same power-packed Word you find in the popular From Faith to Faith devotional. Sung by anointed worship leaders, songs include:

• Faith to Faith • The Body of Christ • It’s All About Love • Cover Me

The Cross was God’s plan to redeem man from Satan’s authority. Every need of mankind has been met by God through Calvary. Satan no longer has the right to steal, kill and destroy where the believer is concerned.

In this series, Kenneth Copeland explains how you can experience the power of God in your life through the message of the Cross.

Paid In Full 4 messages on 6 CDs

|

CDN$ 15 #B060405

To order in Canada call toll free (877) 480-3388 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. PT

You’re sure to love Faith to Faith Worship!

Monday-Friday. Charge card orders only please. All major charge cards accepted.

Faith to Faith Worship CDN$ 15 #B060404

• The Superkid Adventures Combining action, suspense, special effects and the power of the Word, Commander Kellie and the SuperkidsSM provide great movie fun for the whole family in these exciting adventures! Get the Commander Kellie and the Superkids Power Pack, which includes all four DVDs for one low price!

Judgment: The Trial of Commander Kellie—Commander Kellie (Kellie Copeland) is falsely charged and brought to trial by NME. It’s up to the Superkids and Daniel Lyon (Kenneth Copeland) to prove her innocence!

The SWORD—General Fear creates a new device to stop the message of the gospel—but not before the Superkids take up the sword of the Spirit.

Armor of Light—Darkmaster (Mylon Le Fevre) starts leading children into a gang of corrupt bikers, so the Superkids put on their spiritual armor and fight to the finish.

The Intruder—The Superkids help a young singer (Carman) rediscover his mission in life—while stopping an NME agent’s plans to infiltrate the Academy.

Discover the power of God’s Word in these exciting movies today!

Commander Kellie and the Superkids Power Pack 4 DVDs CDN$ 30 #B060406

Author Michelle Medlock Adams has created a delightful Easter story of Christ’s death and Resurrection as told by an eyewitness who happens to be a small sparrow.

“I’ve called you here,” the sparrow said, “to tell you what I saw. A miracle has come to pass! In fact, I’m still in awe!”

Sparrow tells all his friends how Jesus was crucified, was buried and rose to live again. Children of all ages will love the bright illustrations of this unique Easter story.

The Sparrow’s Easter Song 10½” x 10¼” | hardback | 36 pages CDN$ 15 #B060422

This unique story from Michelle Medlock Adams tells of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem the Sunday before Easter. A little donkey colt tells how he was specially chosen to carry the Son of God into the city.

Little Colt’s Palm Sunday 10½” x 10¼” | hardback | 34 pages CDN$ 15 #B060423

Get Totally Immersed at Kenneth Copeland Ministries

2006 Meetings

the

is here!

It’s Your Year of Total Fulfillment!

I b e l i e v e o n e o f t h e m o s t i m p o rtant things God has called us to do i s to m eet tog ether. As you join in the corporate anointing

at

these

meetings,

Kenneth Copeland

Gloria Copeland

Jerry Savelle

Jesse Duplantis

the

i n t e n s e e x p o s u r e t o t h e Wo r d o f God will r enew your mind so you will become prosperous-minded, healed and well.

Creflo A. Dollar

—Kenneth Copeland

Terri Copeland Pearsons will be in Europe and Australia March 20-April 1 (hosted by KCM Europe) May 26-June 4 (hosted by KCM Australia)

Keith Moore at West Coast

Bill Winston at Great Lakes

Admission is FREE! Meetings are subject to change without notice. For updated information, please log on to getimmersed.org or call the KCM office nearest you.

Partners and Friends within the United States call (800) 600-7395. Partners and Friends within Canada call (877) 480-3388.

One Word From God Can Change Your Life Forever!

Be a voice of victory...Bring a friend!

West Point

Christian Fellowship

Join Kenneth and Gloria at these meetings:

| April 7-8 Spring Revival

April 21-22 The Copeland Girls Ladies’ Conference

Sponsor: West Point Christian Fellowship Service Location: Thayer Hall in Robinson Auditorium

Eagle Mountain International Church Kenneth Copeland Ministries Headquarters 14355 Morris-Dido Road Newark, TX 76071 (not a mailing address) (800) 600-7395 www.kcm.org

West Point, N.Y. 10996 | Contact: Chaplain Albert Downing (845) 938-3412 | Open to the public—photo ID required.

West Coast

Believers’ Convention

|

July 3-8

Anaheim Convention Center | 800 W. Katella Ave. Anaheim, CA 92802

April 25-29 Azusa Street Centennial

Southwest

| Believers’ Convention

July 31-August 5

Los Angeles, Calif. www.azusastreet100.net

Fort Worth Convention Center | 1201 Houston St. Fort Worth, TX 76102

May 7 Cathedral of Praise

Great Lakes

I-30 at N. Fielder Road Arlington, TX 76012 (817) 265-3333

Believers’ Convention

|

August 21-26

U.S. Cellular Arena | 400 W. Kilbourn Ave.

June 16 Annual Word of Faith International Christian Center Conference

Milwaukee, WI 53203

Gold Coast Victory Campaign

|

October 5-7

Word of Faith International Christian Center 20000 W. Nine Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075-5597 (248) 353-3476

Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach Queensland, Australia

Per th

| October 10-11 Victory Campaign Victory Life Centre | 1 Neil St.

Unable to attend?

September 1-3 Thunder Over Texas Join us via

a live video or audio broadcast at

getimmersed.org!

Osborne Park, WA 6917 Australia

Washington, D.C. Victory Campaign |

September 17-22 Days of Refreshing

November 9-11

Eagle Mountain International Church Kenneth Copeland Ministries Headquarters 14355 Morris-Dido Road Newark, TX 76071 (not a mailing address) (800) 600-7395

Hylton Memorial Chapel | 14640 Potomac Mills Road Woodbridge, VA 22192 Believers' Conventions will feature: Superkid Academy | Calling all kids, ages 6-12!

Join us for Superkid Academy with Dana and Linda Johnson and special appearances by Commander Kellie! It’s like a full week of Superkid Camp for FREE! And don’t miss Saturday…where you can

Commander Kellie

Praise and worship led by Len Mink and the KCM band.

Join Gloria Copeland for Healing School | Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

Victory Campaigns will feature: Praise and worship by the KCM band

October 25-30 Prayer Mountain in the Ozarks Billye Brim Ministries P.O. Box 40 | Branson, MO 65615 (417) 336-4877 www.billyebrim.org

be a part of our very own Healing School. See you there, cadets!

Speakers: Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Jerry Savelle Ministries International Historic Granbury Town Square 100 E. Pearl St. | Granbury, TX 76048 (817) 297-3155 www.thunderovertexas.com

Dana and Linda Johnson

GoodNewsG Sowing to Be Debt Free T h a n k yo u , K e n n e t h a n d Gloria, for your obedience and cons istenc y in teac hing the Word! I’ve been a Partner for more than 20 years and when I heard that 2004 was a year of harvest that depended on seed sown, I began sowing to be debt free. I sowed into the good soil of KCM, my local church and other ministries God placed on my heart. I gave diligently, sowing and speaking over my seed as I planted it and afterward. I knew how much I needed to be debt f ree, and in May 2005, I received an overflow miracle of more than twice that amount!

I gave the first fruits of this increase to a missionary I had supported for years. It enabled him to immediately return to the mission field!

My second step was to pay off the mortgage on my house, then every other debt to finally be debt f ree! My wife and I then paid cash for a new automobile.

I have experienced God’s overflow of abundance in my life!!

Thank You, Lord!

L.B. | Alabama

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

(Psalm 23:1)

A Better Job With Benefits On Sept. 7, 2005, I lost my job. I called for prayer and sent a seed for a new job and that God would meet my needs. Praise God, before you even got my seed I received a new job. I started work September 19. It is better than the job I had and has benefits! A few days later I received a money order from a friend for $500. I have no doubt that God will meet my need for the money to pay my rent the first of the month.

Also, I had applied for two jobs. Shortly after I started working at the first job, I received a call from the second company. So I took that as a part-time job to help get caught up on my bills. After a month, I received a promotion and a dollar an hour raise! Now that’s really double for my trouble! I am so blessed.

Josie Norman | Sarasota, Fla.

From Desperation to Victory I’ve been a Partner of KCM since 1988 when I began the daily Bible studies with Kenneth and Gloria. I’m proud of my partnership with KCM and am happy to help as God directs. God provides the seed and I try to be sensitive to His leading.

In 1988, my life was in turmoil. I had remarried in 1980 and my husband and I were deep in debt and struggling with personal conflicts. KCM was the lifeline I clung to. As I learned to pray, I noticed a difference in my life and finances.

Through Kenneth and Gloria’s teachings I learned to listen to God, and He took me through law school and the Texas Bar Exam, then set me up in my own law office. He has prospered me in every area of my life.

My role is to be a distribution center for the gospel and His love, and to care for those around me. My partnership with KCM is one way I accomplish this.

Kenneth is a prophet of God and I claim my prophet’s reward.

My life is a dream come true. My husband is also a Partner, and our marriage is wonderfully rich and harmonious. Praise God! Christina Soliz | Texas

I received an

overflow

miracle

We Called for Prayer…

My mother is 53 years old. She was put on life support with no hope of recovery.

We called for prayer and received great things from God. Not only did she come off of life support, but four days later she came home and is in good health! Thank you for all your prayers on her behalf, and ours. We tape your programs and listen to them every day.

A.S. | Indiana

My Eyes Have Been Opened Many thanks to Kenneth and Gloria Copeland. Thanks to you, my e yes have been opened to many truths about God, His love and His will for my life. He has removed many fleshly desires. Thank God I can see His work in my life. I cannot thank you enough!

Michael Estes | Bosworth, Mo.

Gazette Communion and the Word—Powerful Medicine Our 11-month-old was afflicted with high fever, rash and a cold. We took Communion, we prayed and believed and confessed the Word over him and watched all symptoms leave his body. God is great! Thank you for your teaching on Communion.

Depression Left Me I ran a bad depression. Thank heaven KCM came to our house. I studied healing and the depression left my body; it just couldn’t stand hearing healing scriptures. Praise God I have been delivered f rom it for more than a year now. Praise the Lord!

T.B. | Canada

Free From Fear and Torment

I live in Brooklyn Park where we had some very severe weather last night. Earlier yesterday I had watched the broadcast where Gloria was preaching about taking authority over the weather. When the storms approached, I went out on my deck and took authority over them and prayed a bubble of armor over my home and family. As the storm raged, I continued to pray in tongues and claim my right as a daughter of God to have protection over my property. As we surveyed the damage this morning, I’m happy to report we only had a little damage to our trampoline, which I wanted to get rid of anyway! Praise God for His goodness!

Thank you, Kenneth and Gloria, for your teachings!

I had no knowledge of God’s love or the faith and hope the Bible teaches until I received my copy of the Believer’s Voice of Victory magazine. KCM has brought me the real joy of God’s salvation—with prosperity and victory in every area of my life.

I was paralyzed and fearful but now I am fear f ree through the principles you have taught me through your ministry magazine.

I now have a beautiful daughter. Thanks to your prayers and the prayer leaflet you sent me, we experienced a peaceful and fearless pregnancy. I am also f ree f rom tormenting thoughts that were blessing blockers in my life. I am teaching and preaching the same principles of love and faith in my church, and everywhere God leads me.

Jodi Brecke | Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Y.M. | Pakistan

Not a Bone Was Broken!

God Will Keep Me Safe

B. and C.M. | Canada

Devil Delivers No Damage

On March 20, 2005, I was operating a tractor and bucket loader when my younger brother, Stephen, attempted to climb on the tractor. I had stopped the tractor and was opening the door as he climbed on when I accidentally released the clutch and the tractor lurched backward. He fell off the tractor and the f ront tire ran over his legs. I quickly stopped the tractor but it stopped on his left leg!

I drove it forward off of him and screamed, “Lord Jesus in heaven!”

I rode Stephen’s ATV to get our mother, praying in tongues and confessing, “He keepeth all his bones. Not one of them is broken.” When we got back to the field my brother stood and walked to the truck on his own! The weight of that tractor on the front axle is 4400 pounds, not including the extra weight of the loader. We took him to the ER and the X-rays confirmed not one broken bone. He only pulled a ligament in his knee. God is so good!

Jackie Sevalstad | Jackson, Mont.

I thank God to have people like you in my life. I give Him praise for the teachings in your monthly magazine. I have gained faith and confidence in how the Word of God works.

I would like to tell you that the first tapes I bought from you, God ’s Word—Final Authority and The Word Prevails, taught me to apply the Word of God in ever y situation—good or bad, scary or exciting. My life has changed, my faith has increased and al l my prayer requests to you have been answered. No matter what the devil says about our land, I have faith in God to keep me safe in His secret place.

M.D. | South Africa

by Jesse Duplantis

Askof Me

Daddies love to give good gifts to their children, and I am definitely a daddy.

Cathy and I only have one child—our daughter, Jodi. So when she was growing up I told her, “Jodi, honey, if you want something, just ask your daddy. Ask me and I’ll do whatever I can for you.” s

One day when Jodi was about 13 years old, she came up to me in the shopping mall and said,

“Hey, Dad, got a couple of bucks?” her $2.

s

I said, “Yeah,” and I reached into my pocket and handed

She looked down at those two dollars, and then back up at me with her big,

sad puppy-dog eyes. only $2!”

s

s

s

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

s

“Dad,” she said, “it’s

I said, “You asked for a couple of bucks, didn’t you?”

s

“But,

Dad, I can’t do anything with just $2,” she reasoned. “Let the Lord lead you, Daddy.”

Jodi could get real spiritual when it came to money.

I decided this was the perfect time to teach my daughter a great spiritual lesson, so I said, “Jodi, if you want anything, ask for it and say it plainly because you may get exactly what you asked for.”

Just Ask God!

It’s the same way with our heavenly Father. He wants to give us good things. In fact, He wants to give us an abundance of good things, but we have to boldly ask Him. Psalm 2:8 says, “Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession” (New King James Version).

Years ago, I asked the Lord, “How do I get the nations?”

His answer was very direct. He said, Television ministry. So I started believing God to be on television at a time when I didn’t have enough money to fill up the 10-gallon gas tank of a Toyota. And that’s when

you this: How can you know what too much is if you’ve never had it? You can’t!

That kind of thinking reminds me of a friend who had become a marriage counselor. When he told me of his new venture, I said, “But you’re not married! That’s crazy! How are you going to counsel people about something you’ve never experienced?”

He said, “Well, I’ve read books and I’ve taken courses on the subject, so I’m qualified.”

I said, “Son, you’re not qualified until you’re married…and you learn real quickly to say, ‘Yes, Dear.’”

Don’t get pulled into that kind of mentality. The key to receiving from God is to simply ask. If you have given the Word priority in your life, you can be sure your asking is in line with that Word.

Psalm 1:1-3 says: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight

Another reason people fail to ask God for things is because they aren’t sure they’ll get what they’re asking for. They call it “being careful,” but it’s actually being fearful. gas was only 45 cents a gallon.

But I had a word from God, and He had said to ask. So that’s what I did. I didn’t go to people and ask them for money to put me on TV. I just went to God. Before long I was on TV saying, “Hello, this is Jesse Duplantis…”

“Lord,” I said, “You mean that’s it? All I have to do is ask?”

He said, Jesse, that’s what I’ve been saying all along.

I thought about that for a while. Asking seemed so simple, so why was I having such a hard time with it?

I found out I wasn’t the only one who had hang-ups when it came to asking God for things. I discovered that many born-again, Spirit-filled believers were having trouble with what seemed like such a simple thing.

Poverty Is a Curse

The devil has deceived many into believing that poverty equals sacrifice, which equals holiness. The church has elevated poverty to a place of distinction, when it’s actually a curse. They say, “But Jesus embraced poverty.” No, it was just the opposite. Jesus said He had been anointed to preach the gospel to the poor to get the poverty off of them (Luke 4:18).

A poverty mentality is one of the main reasons people have trouble asking God for anything. They say, “Well, I don’t want to get too much.” Let me ask

is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (New International Version). If you ask based on Psalm 1:1-3, you’ll never ask amiss.

Another reason people fail to ask God for things is because they aren’t sure they’ll get what they’re asking for. They call it “being careful,” but it’s actually being fearful. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? We’re to be careful for nothing! I don’t ask carefully. I ask prayerfully.

When you understand Philippians 4:6, then you’ll understand the next verse which says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” God’s promise of peace is for those who ask prayerfully, not carefully. You have to trust God to do what He says He will do. God is not a liar. He wants to give you abundance in every area. If you really believe that, you won’t have a problem asking Him for anything.

When You Ask, Ask in Faith!

Everything you see belongs to the Lord, and He has the right to give it to anyone He chooses. Don’t A p r i l

’ 0 6

|

B V O V

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19

you want Him to choose you? It’s true that God is no respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of faith. Faith is what moves God—not need. You have to ask in faith.

James 1:6 says: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” If you’re asking in faith, then you’re not going by what you see, because the evidence of it is not seen, right?

If you can’t see it, then you know you’re asking correctly.

When you don’t see anything happening, then it’s time to shout! That means your faith is working!

Faith isn’t a difficult concept to grasp—not if you remember three words: Now faith is. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Don’t be moved by what you see, but by what you believe. If you can find it in the Word, ask God confidently.

I like how Brother Keith Moore responds when you ask him a question. He will say, “Well, what does the Word say?” That’s the right attitude, because our whole life is established on the Word of God. And everywhere I look in the Word, I see nothing but overflow! That’s how we know that overflow—spiritually, physically, financially and other-

Q &

A

Question and Answer

Q: I’ve heard other believers talk about how the Word of God healed them, delivered them from a problem or even brought them through financial trouble. But even though I read the Bible every day, those things aren’t happening in my life. How can I get the Word to work for me?

A: You’ll find the answer to your question in James 1:22-25.

There we’re instructed to: Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

According to that scripture, if you want your deeds to be blessed, if you want to see supernatural results in your life, you’ll have to do more than simply read the Word of God. You’ll have to put it into action.

That’s what I did. Years ago when I realized God was the

wise—is God’s will for His people. And that overflow will give you greater freedom in every area! You’ll have more love, more joy, more peace—more everything! Overflow is God’s gift of abundance, but you have to ask.

Asking may seem too simple, but the gospel is simple.

I tell people in my ministry, if you want to know something, just ask me. God is the same way. He tells us to ask of Him. Ask Him for abundance. If He didn’t think you could handle it, He wouldn’t have prompted you to ask for it in the first place. He trusts you. Do you trust Him? God wants to give you abundance of overflow beyond your wildest dreams because He trusts you. So go ahead— ask of Him. It’s amazing what the Lord will do if you’ll only ask. V ictor y Jesse Duplantis is the president and founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries, with international headquarters in Louisiana and additional offices in the UK and Australia.

He is a best-selling author and hosts a weekly television program. For ministry materials and information, write to Jesse Duplantis Ministries, P.O. Box 20149, New Orleans, LA 70141-0149, call (985) 764-2000 or visit www.jdm.org.

by Kenneth Copeland One who had the answers to all my problems, that He was the One who could supply all my needs, I committed myself to do ever ything His Word told me to do. I made a quality decision to step out in faith on ever y command I saw there.

It wasn’t always an easy thing to do. (In fact, it was hardly ever an easy thing to do.) But when I did it, I always ended up blessed.

When I found out, for example, that God’s Word instructed me to tithe, Gloria and I were already trying to stretch what little money we had further than it could possibly go. We were up to our necks in debt. We couldn’t possibly afford to give away 10 percent. But we did it anyway and before too long we began to see financial miracles in our lives.

“Sure, it worked that way for you,” you might say, “but will it work that way for me?”

Yes! So, keep on reading and studying the Bible! Listen to teaching tapes! Go to church and hear the Word preached! But don’t stop there. Go one crucial step fur ther by taking the Word you’ve heard and putting it into action.

As God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8, don’t let the Word depart out of your mouth; meditate in it day and night so that you can observe to DO all that’s written in it. Then God will be able to make your way prosperous and you will have good success. V ictor y

Believer’s

Kenneth Copeland

of

Gloria Copeland

Sunday Broadcast 2

April

Voice

9

Kenneth Copeland Heaven Has Filled the Earth There’s an overflow of ministr y going on around the world. Tune in and see what God is doing!

16

Kenneth Copeland Everything Is About the Cross Discover how a revelation of what Jesus did for you on the cross will change your life forever.

23

Kenneth Copeland Heaven’s Blessings Are Available to You Find out how meditation and study of God’s Word opens up blessings beyond what you can imagine.

B roa d c a s t

Gary Joe Kinne

C a l e n da r

Jesse Duplantis

Billye Brim

Daily Broadcast 3 Mon

Gloria Copeland Healing in the Name of Jesus Discover how pursuing God’s Word concerning your healing can bring your breakthrough!

V i c to ry

4 Tue

5 Wed

6 Thu

7 Fri

Bulletproof Faith

Hear the powerful testimony of how Gary Joe Kinne was given only a 10 percent chance of sur vival after being shot at point-blank range. He joins Kenneth Copeland all this week.

10

11

12

13

14

Give Debt the Boot

Kenneth Copeland and Jesse Duplantis join together for an insightful discussion about how to get rid of deficits and live life to the fullest.

17

18

19

20

21

Deficit Devaluation

No one likes to fall short…and this week Kenneth Copeland and Jesse Duplantis continue their teaching about how to rise above deficits of all kinds.

24

25

26

27

28

Called Unto Glory!

Gloria Copeland and Billye Brim show how walking in love manifests God’s glor y in your life.

30

Kenneth Copeland Believing Connects You to the Power of Heaven Start believing God’s Word and start producing faith…the force that affects ever ything around you!

Tune in to the BVOV broadcast Monday through Friday and on Sunday each week at www.kcm.org.

Watch the BVOV broadcast again and again!

Order your audio or video copies of the BVOV broadcast now by using the form in the center of this magazine.

CD Daily broadcast (one week) CDN$10 Sunday broadcast CDN$5

DVD Daily broadcast (one week) CDN$15 Sunday broadcast CDN$10

BELIEVER’S VOICE OF VICTORY VOLUME 34 NUMBER 4 April 2006 BELIEVER’S VOICE OF VICTORY is published monthly by Eagle Mountain International Church Inc./Kenneth Copeland Ministries Inc., a nonprofit corporation, Fort Worth, Texas. © 2006 Kenneth Copeland Ministries Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. BELIEVER’S VOICE OF VICTORY and the logo on the back page are registered trademarks of Eagle Mountain International Church Inc./Kenneth Copeland Ministries Inc., in the United States and international countries where BELIEVER’S VOICE OF VICTORY circulates. Printing and distribution costs are paid for by donations from KCM Partners and Friends. Printed in the United States of America. For a free subscription write to Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Fort Worth, TX 76192-0001 or sign up online at www.kcm.org. Because all BELIEVER’S VOICE OF VICTORY issues are preplanned, we are unable to accept unsolicited manuscripts. Partner Development Strategy Manager/Kelly Weekly Publishing Manager/Glenda Bunkofske Partner Development Operations Assistant Manager/Julie King Managing Editor/Ronald C. Jordan Editor/Deborah Ide Writers/Michelle Medlock Adams Karen Adlong Darlene Breed Rick Bunkofske David Holland Gina Lynnes Christopher Maselli Don Turner Proofreaders/John Caccomo Jean De Long Michelle Harris Eileen Hooley Senior Designer/Michael Augustat Production Manager/Lynette Lundy Type Coordinator/Joyce Glasgow

Purge the

Glory Pipe by

Ke

n n e t h

Co

p e l a n d

Several years ago, I was in a hotel room preparing a message and stopped for a moment to pray in the spirit. When I did, I had a vision.

I saw a 6-inch pipe suspended about 18 inches from my face and angled up at about 45 degrees. It was like looking up through a telescope, but the telescope was clogged.

Behind this pipe was another pipe, also at a 45-degree angle. They were end-to-end, but not connected. A substance was gushing out of the second pipe down toward the one clos-

est to me, but because of the clog in the first pipe, only a trickle of the substance made its way to the end facing me. There was just enough to squirt me in the face.

“ W hat is this?” I yelled.

Then I heard the Lord say, That’s My glory being poured out...but that pipe is your spirit and it’s so clogged that there’s only a tiny spew getting through.

When I asked Him what I needed to do to fix it, He said, Purge the pipe.

The Lord explained that over the years my spirit had become clogged with spiritual filth from unconfessed sin. He gave me specific examples of the sins He was talking about.

I t w a s n’ t t h e “ B I G ” s i n s i n l i f e t h a t w e r e s t o p p i n g u p m y spirit. I had been diligent to r e p e n t o f t h o s e . R a t h e r, i t w a s t h e s m a l l , d a y - t o - d a y s i n s c l o g - ging my spirit. Things like harsh words to my wife, complaints about bad ser vice in restaurants and f u s s i n g o v e r t r a f f i c w e r e t h e s i n s I had failed to confess. And the y were keepi n g m e f r o m r e c e i v i n g t h e f u l l f o r c e o f God ’s outpouring.

It wasn’t the “BIG” sins in life that were stopping up my spirit….

It was the small, day-to-day sins…. Things like harsh words to my wife, complaints about bad service in restaurants and fussing over traffic were the sins I had failed to confess.

Declogging Your Spirit

Well, I’m here to tell you there’s a supernatural way to “purge the pipe” and forget those haunting “sins from the past” once and for all—the way God does when He forgives us. God has given us everything we need to cleanse our spirits and minds of past sins. As new creations in Christ Jesus, we have been given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Once we purge our minds of the memor y of old sins, we open ourselves up to the full force of God’s supernatural outpouring I saw gushing out of the pipe in my vision. That’s exactly what the devil doesn’t want.

To be totally free from the sins of our past we first need to step boldly into the light and judge ourselves because 1 John 1:7 tells us, “If we walk in the light, as [God] is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

No More Sin Symptoms

Once we go through the process of judging ourselves and repenting of sin, it’s important that we also purge our conscience of those sins by the blood of Jesus.

Under the Old Covenant, God’s people focused on remembering their sins, not forgetting them.

Hebrews 10:3 tells us, “But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.”

Animals were sacrificed, offered as atonement for the lives of the worshipers. But only their sins were cleansed, not the memory of them. Under the New Covenant, Jesus became the sacrifice for man’s wickedness. Through the shedding of His blood, our sins were purged. We should no longer be conscious of them (Hebrews 10:2).

The Name of Jesus and His blood have removed the sin. All that remains is the memory of it.

Bury the “Old You”

Before he was converted, the Apostle Paul had a reputation for persecuting and even killing Christians.

Still, he wrote, “Receive us; we have wronged no man...” (2 Corinthians 7:2). How could a one-time

ruthless killer say, “I have wronged no man,” with a clear conscience? How did he get rid of all those old memories?

The same way we can today. Paul meditated on the blood and the Name of Jesus until his spirit and mind were purged of past sins. It was Paul who also wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.

Notice in Paul’s account, Jesus was telling us to replace all the ungodly junk from our past—whether it was 20 years ago or 20 minutes ago—with a remembrance of Him and what He did for us. Once we sit in judgment over ourselves, judging sin in our lives, confessing it and receiving forgiveness and cleansing from it, any image of that sin that comes up is only a symptom of that sin. It is not the sin itself.

Paul said, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). In verse 21, he says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in [ Jesus].” This makes it clear how Paul could boldly declare, “I have wronged no man.”

Saul, murderous sinner that he was, died on the road to Damascus when he cried out to Jesus.

Today, when something from your “past” raises its ugly head and starts speaking contrary to what the Word of God says about you, put yourself in remembrance of Jesus and purge your soul of the past.

Supernatural forgetfulness will keep you wide open to the flow of God’s glory. V ictor y

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Par tners and Friends, Never underestimate the impor tance of your par tnership with Kenneth Copeland Ministr ies in minister ing the uncompromised Word of God from the top of the world to the bottom and all the way around. Through many media “voices” worldwide, you help us teach people how to go from the milk of the Word to the meat, how to grow and live victorious lives. That’s what Kenneth Copeland Ministries is about. And we are deeply grateful for your suppor t.

—John Copeland, CEO Kenneth Copeland Ministries

We’re Here for You! | The Believer’s Voice of Victory television broadcast is meeting the needs of people and changing lives as it airs daily and Sundays for 2,119.5 hours each week worldwide—reaching a potential audience of more than 605 million people!

Worldwide Television Broadcast

| More than 569,000 faith-filled, Word-based Believer’s Voice of Victory magazines are mailed each month. A constant source of encouragement to our Partners and Friends, we publish, print and mail FREE magazines to 135 countries on five continents. SHOUT! The Voice of Victory for Kids magazine is sent to more than 189,000 children. This magazine is designed to help train up Superkids who know their covenant rights and will make a difference in the kingdom of God and the world! If your family isn’t receiving these magazines and you would like to, contact the KCM office nearest you to receive your FREE subscription!

Faith-Filled Magazines

United States | www.kcm.org | Reaching you—right where you are!

Australia | www.kcm.org.au The KCM Internet outreach continues to grow, Canada | www.kcmcanada.ca and by incorporating the latest technology we Europe | www.kcm.org.uk are better able to meet your needs. Our daily and South Africa | www.kcm.org.za Sunday Believer’s Voice of Victory broadcasts, MP3 audio teaching files, live “Internet Radio,” a 24/7 Bible study center and on-demand capabilities are all available on our Web site. There are also ministry updates, meeting information, articles, prophecies and more. And by visiting e-connection, our Web site’s communications area, you can send us your prayer requests and choose to receive ministry updates by email. You can even ask to have the From Faith to Faith devotional delivered to your inbox daily. Check it out!

Internet

Kenneth Copeland Ministries is not only proclaiming the good news through media, but we’re also building and sustaining relationships with Partners around the world. We’re helping them grow from “the milk to the meat” of God’s Word. | KCM meetings are truly Holy Ghost get-togethers filled with ministry, miracles and more! Thousands of people around the

Worldwide Holy Ghost Meetings

Focused on ministering to our Partners and Friends

| When you need someone to agree with you in prayer, our prayer ministers stand ready to pray for you according to the Word. And not only are we here when you call us, we also call you—to keep in touch and to pray for you! The prayer calls we answer and the calls we place at KCM have a common purpose—to minister to you, our Partners and Friends.

Praying for Partners

Touching Lives Through Products and Mail

Brother Copeland prays for his Partners every day. And each month he seeks the Lord about what to share in the Partner Letter he personally writes. These Partner Letters are dear to Brother Copeland’s heart because his Partners are dear to his heart! And responding to letters, product orders and emails is the call and anointing of our mail processing, production and distribution center teams. You, our Partner, are the reason for every product produced, every letter written…everything we do! V ictor y

Australia Canada Europe South Africa

| Although Kenneth and Gloria Copeland preach to hundreds of thousands of people, their message and love for their Partners and Friends remains personal. The KCM Relationship Team is here to build better, stronger relationships with our Partners and Friends. So we’re here for you when you need prayer, to rejoice with you about the victories in your life, to answer questions you may have, to receive product requests and to correspond with you by mail.

The relationship team is working together with a single purpose in mind—to minister to you in a personal way!

Building Relationships

KCM International Offices Are Reaching Out!

Ukraine

world gather for times of refreshing, fellowship and revelation. People are set free from torment as they learn to walk in love and focus on God’s promises, rather than the world’s chaos. They are saturated in the Word and refreshed by the presence of God during the meetings. Many testify of healing in their bodies, miracles in their finances and restoration of relationships!

Check our Web site for the most current meeting information and make plans to attend a KCM meeting today!

KCM Australia minister s not only in Australia, but also in Asia and the Pacific Rim. In China we are helping to supply more of the Word to hungry Christians in the underground church by printing and distributing books in the Chinese language.

KCM Canada is growing in every area.

Construction is complete on our new ministry center, which includes warehouse and office space to better serve our Partners and Friends in Canada.

KCM Europe, with more than 5,0 0 0 Partner s and 13,0 0 0 Friends, is committed to taking the uncompromised Word of God throughout England and into neighboring nations. The BVOV magazine is currently mailed to Partners and Friends in more than 50 European countries. And approximately 60 0 German-speaking people across Europe are receiving a special bimonthly edition of the BVOV magazine in the German language!

KCM South Africa is ministering throughout the continent of Africa.

The light of Jesus is brightly shining into what has been called “The Dark Continent”—even in the most remote places, people are responding!

KCM Ukraine has been translating books written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland into the Russian language. More than half a million books in Russian have been gi ven to churches and sent out through the mail. People are open to the Word of God in the Ukraine and many have been saved through the BVOV broadcast.

We’re excited about all God is doing through our KCM international offices!

You can contact the office nearest you for additional information!

David Welsh, Director KCM Australia

David Styles, Director KCM Canada

Martin Hawkins, Director KCM Europe

James McClintock, Director KCM South Africa

Volodymyr Kolesnyk, Operations Manager KCM Ukraine

Spreading the Fire…

After Azusa “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Holy Ghost fire fell in Los Angeles in 1906. It exploded into a firestorm that couldn’t be extinguished or contained, but blazed across the globe.

Those who had a real encounter with God at Azusa Street carried the fire with them when they left. Many were saved, healed and baptized in the Holy Spirit.

The Baptism empowered them to be bold witnesses for God, both in word and demonstration. The Pentecostal flame was eventually passed on to millions, even beyond America’s shores. Only a genuine experience with God has such power and momentum.

love for the lost and dying. He empowered them to be servants in His Name according to Mark 16:17-18.

Some took this Holy Spirit power to the streets of Los Angeles. Others took it back to their own cities. A number of them answered the call to travel abroad as Pentecostal missionaries.

By 1909, the initial outpouring at Azusa Street was winding down. Division from within and without was taking its toll. Controversy raged over men and women of every race and class mingling and preaching. Their unusual doctrines and behavior raised questions. Some churches had branded speaking in tongues as a work of the devil, and barred their members from the meetings. The mainstream Church didn’t believe this had been a true move of God. Accusations of every kind started flying.

Strife and newly imposed structure at Azusa Street had a stifling effect on the move of God. But the fire didn’t go out. It was spreading. Those indelibly touched

by God carried His impact wherever they went.

One black leader who helped spread Pentecostalism was Bishop Charles H. Mason, founder of the Church of God in Christ. Mason had received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and tongues at Azusa Street in 1907. To his church in Memphis he declared this a valid New Testament experience. The church split over this doctrine and reorganized as a Pentecostal denomination. Today it is one of the largest.

A white minister who had a life-changing experience at Azusa Street was the Rev. Gaston B. Cashwell of the Pentecostal Holiness Church of North Carolina.

Racial bias had caused him to reject what he witnessed in Los Angeles. But the Lord dealt with his heart and he humbly received the Baptism with tongues.

Later, his Pentecostal meetings in North Carolina became a major revival dubbed “Azusa Street East,” and Cashwell became known as the “Apostle of Pentecost to the South.”

Pastor William F. Durham of Chicago, who also received the Holy Spirit baptism at Azusa in 1907,

Winds of Change

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| The results of the Azusa Street revival speak for themselves. Those who were baptized in the Holy Spirit went forth as bold witnesses, just as was spoken in Acts 1:8. They were living proof that this experience was not just about speaking in tongues. God infused them with Empowered to Serve

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Countless churches, denominations and ministries can trace their beginnings to Azusa Street. Wherever Pentecostal truth was embraced, the fire continued to spread.

Carriers of the Fire

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Join Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Frederick K.C. Price, Jerry Savelle preached the Pentecostal message in overflow services back home, where Aimee Semple and others were healed.

Ministers drawn to his meetings carried the experience back to their churches. From Chicago the Pentecostal movement spread, even into other lands.

These are just a few of the pioneers who carried the Pentecostal message across America and beyond our shores. Missionaries like John G. Lake also visited Azusa Street and spread the fire to Africa and many other lands.

Missionary Fervor | In the early 1900s, Jesus’ return was hotly anticipated by much of the Church.

That fueled a fervor for missions work to fulfill the Great Commission. Many prayed for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit like that in the book of Acts. They knew He could empower them to be bold witnesses and receive signs and wonders to draw the unsaved to Christ.

When seekers received their Pentecostal experience, the next step for many was the mission field. They carried the torch in all directions: to Canada, Africa, Scandinavia, England, across Europe, to such remote places as Indonesia, China, and eventually “unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Holy Spirit Visitation | For decades, Pentecostalism was rejected by the mainline Church. But in the late 1940s, the healing ministries of preachers like Oral Roberts, Jack Coe, William Branham and others sparked public interest. Roberts’ television ministry, for example, had a groundbreaking effect on public awareness and opinion.

By the 1960s, a number of pastors in mainline denomi- nations had received the Baptism with tongues. In the past this would have spelled the end of their ministries.

But now the Holy Spirit began a sweeping visitation of mainline churches. He was making Himself known in every branch of Christianity. The Charismatic Renewal was underway. More and more people discovered that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and His gifts are still valid, even essential.

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street revival, Pentecostal believers now number in the hundreds of millions worldwide. Our biblical charge to be witnesses for God is clear. We are responsible to carry the good news of God’s love and the demonstration of Holy Ghost power to the ends of the earth. As the return of Jesus grows near, let’s continue spreading the fire and finish the work He has given us! V ictor y

and Creflo A. Dollar at the Believers’ Convention in the FaithDome for

Tuesday-Friday, April 25-28 Los Angeles Convention Center Four days of ministry opportunities: • Praise and worship • Workshops For more information, log on to • Bible study www.azusastreet100.net • Historical site tours • Many more activities or call (213) 989-4520. around the city!

Saturday, April 29 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Two Great Gatherings!

International Centennial Assembly (1-5 p.m.)

Assembly will open with a dramatic procession of spirit-filled believers from around the world, carrying their flags and dressed in their national attire. The assembly will focus on three areas: remembering the rich history of the Pentecostal Movement, lifting up the present move of the Spirit, and looking to the future of the Movement with an emphasis on prayer for personal and corporate revival and renewal.

International Youth Convocation (7-10 p.m.)

Young people will be forever changed as they are challenged to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. A specific call will be made for those willing to commit themselves as living sacrifices to the cause of the gospel. A massive anointing service will launch this army of young warriors into the next century of Pentecostal witness.

Centennial Office | P.O. Box 26157 Los Angeles, CA 90026 | (213) 989-4520

Eating from the

Tree of Life by

Gl

o r i a

Co

p e l a n d

T

h e re i t w a s , p l a n t e d i n t h e h e a r t o f

paradise . It was the centerpiece and crowning glor y of the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life .

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God had given it to His people as a source of bless-

ing and eternal life . In fact, God had given Adam and Eve ever ything they could possibly ever need. They even had the manifest presence of God Himself. They could walk and talk with Him “in the cool of the day.” “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8, The Amplified Bible).

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Notice that it does not say only that the Lord

walked in the Garden but that “they heard the sound of the Lord walking….”

The point is, God was physically, substantially present in the Garden. Whatever form the awesome sounds took, Adam and Eve heard it. They “heard” God. But they did more than that. They talked with Him and fellowshiped with Him.

m J es u s is the T ree of Life !

H e i s t h e w i s d om of G od — t h e Wor d m a de f l e s h .

P r e s s i n t o t h at Tr e e a n d s tay c l o s e .

This was God’s plan for man. This is what God has always wanted and still wants today—to be near His children, to delight in them and for them to delight in Him. God longs to be close to us. He wants us to hear Him and come running into His loving presence.

Yes, God gave Adam and Eve everything they could possibly ever need or want. But He gave them something else, too. He gave them a choice. He gave them free will to choose whether or not they would come to the Tree of Life to partake of His goodness.

And He gives us the same freedom of choice today.

We can choose to draw nigh to Him and partake of His goodness. Or we can choose not to. I don’t know about you, but I want to walk with God! The good news for you and me is today, 6,000 years later, we can get to that place of intimacy with God. We, too, can hear Him and come into His presence with the excitement and anticipation of the first human beings to ever meet God face to face. The Tree of Life is available to us today.

Draw Nigh to Wisdom

In Proverbs 3, the Word of God describes the benefits of obtaining God’s wisdom as eating from “a tree of life.” There we read that wisdom’s profit is better than the profit of silver or gold. We’re told that it is more valuable than precious jewels. “Long life, riches and honor” belong to the one who presses in to the wisdom of God. But, as we learn in this passage, wisdom is something even more valuable than all the benefits it makes available to us: “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast” (Proverbs 3:13, 18, New American Standard Bible).

Wisdom—God’s way of doing and being right—is a “tree of life!”

As did Adam and Eve, we also have the ability to press in and draw close to the Tree of Life. Or, we can do what too many of God’s people do—linger around the fringes of the Garden and live far beneath our privileges.

Seek Him

The Tree of Life is the source for everything that God has in store for our lives. And the way we draw near to it is the way Jesus instructed us in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first His kingdom” (New American Standard Bible). If we don’t seek, we’re not going to find. Even if we’re born again, if we don’t seek after God, we won’t find His wisdom. The root word in Hebrew for seek means “to frequent,” or “to tread often.” To seek something is to draw close to it with diligence and persistence.

It’s when we aggressively, actively go after the things of God that we get revelation (another word for wisdom!). What is the revelation that we find? When we partake of the Tree of Life we find that God is good.

We run right into the goodness of God. We find that God is love. We find that God desires to pour His blessings out upon our lives in every way.

Wishing won’t work. It has no power to bring God’s highest and best into manifestation. Seeking works. Seeking, according to the Word of God, gets rewarded. “Seek and ye shall find” (Matthew 7:7).

“He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). So seek diligently and tap into wisdom and understanding. “ Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7).

No doubt the Garden of Eden was a setting of unspeakable beauty, and heaven will be a place of unimaginable joy, but there’s a wealth of goodness to be enjoyed right here and now when you seek God each step of the way.

Draw Near to the Right Thing

Diligent seeking is not a new concept to people.

Everyone on earth is diligently seeking after something. But there is supposed to be a big difference in the kinds of things we believers pursue. As Jesus said: “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have

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He gav e them free w ill to choose w he ther or not the y would come to the

Tree of Life to partake of His goodness.

And He giv e s us the same freedom of choice today.

need of all these things” (Matthew 6:31-32).

The Amplif ied Bible says, “for the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things.”

That’s just the kind of tenacity we need to have about seeking the tree of life—God’s wisdom. When we get as fervent about going after God as those who are outside of God’s covenant are about going after worldly things, we will really begin to see the glory.

Why don’t we need to seek after the things of this world? Because “your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:32, New American Standard Bible). We have a covenant with God! It is written and ratified in the blood of Jesus. Jesus brought the covenant to His people to redeem us from the curse.

The curse includes every sickness, every lack and every difficulty we could have.

Yes, God knows exactly what we need. He knows what we need spiritually, physically, financially and socially.

He knows what His covenant people need and desire. And the wonderful thing about God is that He delights in providing these things for us! He wants us to have peace and wholeness—nothing missing, nothing broken.

That’s why all we have to be concerned about is drawing near to and feeding from the Tree of Life.

“Gloria,” you may say, “that’s easy to say, but how do I do that?”

It’s simple! Proverbs 3:18 tells us that the Tree of Life is God’s wisdom. And that wisdom is as close as the nearest Bible.

Connect to the Word

One of the best ways to draw near to God and His wisdom is to dive into His Word, one-on-one—just you and God. Some of the most precious and powerful moments of my walk with God come while I’m fellowshiping with Him in His Word. The wisdom and revelation of God begins to come and I get so excited!

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without learning how to study His Word on your own.

It’s one of the primary ways you can experience Him speaking personally and powerfully to you each day.

What does Matthew 6:33 say? Seek, aim at, strive after first of all His kingdom and His righteousness— God’s way of doing things (The Amplif ied Bible). Do you notice that this is not a passive statement? It’s very active. When you begin to find out from the Word of God what is right, and then start walking in it, you will simultaneously begin walking in the blessings of God. The more you know about God’s ways and the more you align your life and attitudes with them, the more the blessings of God will overtake you.

You’re feeding from the Tree of Life.

If, however, you walk in doubt, unbelief and disobedience, you’re shutting off His blessings. But when you turn to God and seek Him through His Word, you will find yourself walking closely with God and your needs will be met.

Sometimes I lose myself in the richness of my time in God’s Word and I feel like saying, “Help! I’ve fallen into the Word and I can’t get out!” That is my prayer for you—that you would find yourself getting lost in the goodness of God through your time in His Word.

Stay Close to the Plan

God always has a plan. When the promises of God seem slow in manifesting, it’s easy to start murmuring, grumbling and becoming impatient. Our job is to stay close to the Tree of Life so we can begin to understand what that plan is. I love the way the Lord expresses it: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” ( Jeremiah 29:11, New International Version).

If you haven’t fed from the Tree of Life long enough to find God’s plan, you haven’t lived yet. And if you haven’t been going after the plan God has for you, you’re missing the best part.

How does that plan come about? Not through your own striving, I can assure you. It comes the same way the rest of the benefits of salvation come: “For it is by free grace that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves” (Ephesians 2:8, The Amplif ied Bible).

Being “saved” includes everything the Hebrew word peace (shalom) includes—health, wholeness, soundness and prosperity. Note that this salvation is not of ourselves. It is not of our own doing. Our part is to press in to God and believe. God’s plan is a plan of wholeness, freedom and peace. We must never forget that.

We all have things that we are believing God for in the future, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

What is wrong is to fail to appreciate what we’ve already been given and to grumble when things haven’t been manifest yet. I’ve seen believers who seem to be saying, “Hey God, You’re getting slack on the job!”

What we need to be doing is maintaining a grateful heart toward God while we are waiting. For example, if we’re believing God for a new car, we ought to be saying, “Lord, I thank You for my new car and I thank You that I have a car now. Thank You that I can go to work and go to church. Thank You that I have a warm home to go to at the end of the day. Thank You for being so good to me.”

Never forget that God has a plan. Don’t listen to the doubts the devil wants to use to fill your mind with fear and despair. Remember that God is not moved by murmuring. God is moved when you draw near to Him in faith: “But my righteous one will live by faith.

And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him” (Hebrews 10:38, New International Version).

In addition to being grateful, we need to be patient.

In Luke 8:15, Jesus says the good ground bears fruit with patience. If seeking God’s will and walking in it didn’t take patience, everyone could do it. But God’s way is not always the easy way.

People would often like for things to move quickly, but God wants to see patient, believing hearts that hold steady when things aren’t moving quickly. You may think God doesn’t move fast enough. Yet God’s way is fail safe. When you seek God first, you are following the “no-failure” way. And I think you would agree that it ’s much more desirable to be patient and hold out for God’s best than to move quickly and wind up out of His will. “For as the heavens are

higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

God’s will is not just a good plan, it’s the best plan.

It’s a plan worth waiting for.

Draw Near, Stay Near

God delights in doing His children good. We sometimes start thinking that we’ve got to talk God into the idea of manifesting Himself. In the back of our minds there lurks a nagging thought that unless we do something to really get His attention, God is not going to make an appearance.

But that was not the way it was in the Garden.

God came down out of His own free will to talk with His children. They didn’t have to beg Him to come down. It was His idea. He wanted to get as close to them as He could. And it is still God’s idea to manifest Himself to His children today and to be near them and have them seek His companionship.

God’s nature is goodness. When you meet someone whose nature is good, their pleasure is in doing good for others. God gets His pleasure that way.

“But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all [His] works” (Psalm 73:28).

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” ( James 4:8, New American Standard Bible).

“He who keeps on seeking finds” (Matthew 7:8, The Amplif ied Bible).

God’s desire hasn’t changed f rom the beginning when He revealed His love to the first man and woman. God’s desire is to be close to His people, to have them draw near to Him so that He can bestow His goodness and blessings upon them.

Can you sense His presence near you? Can you hear His Word echoing within your heart? He wants you to draw near. As you diligently seek Him and come into His presence, remember to be grateful.

Thank Him for each stage of His plan that He has already revealed to you while you wait in faith for the next stage to be manifest.

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). You see, Jesus is the Tree of Life! He is the wisdom of God—the Word made flesh. Press in to that Tree and stay close. All who draw near to Him will be blessed.

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West Coast Kenneth Copeland

Gloria Copeland

Jerry Savelle

Jesse Duplantis

Creflo A. Dollar

Get Totally Immersed at Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Keith Moore

The Glory Is Here!

July 3-8

Believers’ Convention

Join Gloria Copeland for Healing School Saturday, July 8, at 9:30 a.m.

Unable to attend?

Then join us via a live broadcast through Internet BVOV TV and Internet Radio at www.kcm.org.

Calling all kids, ages 6-12!

Admission is FREE. | Be sure to register—it’s free and you could win a FREE prize!

Meetings are subject to change without notice. For updated information, please log on to getimmersed.org or call the KCM office nearest you. | Partners and Friends within the United States call (800) 600-7395. Partners and Friends within Canada call (877) 480-3388.

Anaheim Convention Center | 800 West Katella Ave. | Anaheim, CA 92802

Join us for Superkid Academy with Dana and Linda Johnson and special appearances

by Commander Kellie! It’s like a full week of Superkid Camp for FREE! And don’t miss Saturday…where you can be a part of our very own Healing School. See you there, cadets!

It’s Your Year of Total Fulfillment!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries PO Box 3111 STN LCD 1 Langley BC V3A 4R3

604

Commander Kellie

Dana and Linda Johnson