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®

We must take steps

of obedience—whether little steps or big—by faith. We walk into our destiny through steps of obedience.

—Gloria Copeland

the

Names above ALL

by Kenneth Copeland

D

o you receive whatever you ask of God in prayer?

You can. Many believers don’t know that, but it ’s true.

Jesus Himself said so. He didn’t say it just once, either.

He said it again and again.

In John 14:13 He said, “W hatsoever ye shall ask in my name , that will I do , that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” In John 15:16 He said, “I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name , H e may give it you .”

In John 16:23 He said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.”

Those are startlingly clear statements. They leave no room for the traditional religious idea that sometimes God says yes to our prayers, and sometimes He says no. Jesus didn’t mention anything about God saying no to our prayers. He simply said, “Whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give you.”

“But Brother Copeland, Jesus was talking to the 12 disciples when He said that. They were a unique group. What He said to them about prayer doesn’t apply to all of us.”

Yes, it does. We know it does because the Apostle John repeated that very same promise to all believers in 1 John 3:22-23. He wrote: “Whatsoever we ask, we receive of [God], because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”

What Commandments?

I can almost hear you thinking. Keep the commandments? How can I ever qualify for answered prayer if I have to keep all the commandments in the Bible f irst? I’m not even sure I know them all!

Don’t worr y. That passage isn’t referring to all God’s scriptural instructions. It ’s not even talking about the Ten Commandments. It ’s talking about the two commands listed in verse 23, the commands especially given to us as New Testament believers: 1) Believe on the Name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ; and 2) Love one another.

Many times we focus only on the second command.

We assume because we’re born again, we’ve already done all we need to do about believing on the Name of Jesus. But actually, developing our faith in Jesus’ Name is something we must do continually. It’s our first and foremost responsibility.

Why? Because believing on Jesus’ Name is what unites us with His power, moment by moment and day by day. It’s what enables us to keep the command of love. It’s what empowers us to do everything God asks us to do.

And it is the golden key that opens the door to answered prayer.

What’s in a Name?

If you want to see an example of what faith in Jesus’ Name can do, look at the crippled beggar in Acts 3. He had been born lame. He’d never walked a day in his life.

He had to be carried to the temple gate so he could beg for money. Naturally speaking, his situation was impossible, incurable and totally hopeless.

But when the Apostle Peter said to him, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk,” the power of God shot through that man’s bones and instantly made him whole.

Of course, the people who saw it happen tried to give Peter the credit just like people do today. They thought he had some special healing powers because he was an apostle. But Peter set them straight. He said, “Why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus…. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong.”

“Well, I just don’t understand how somebody’s name could do that,” you might say.

That’s because in our Western culture a name doesn’t mean much. It ’s just some cuten biblical sounding word our mother cultures, names picked out so she could call us are crucial.

A to dinner without having to say, person’s name can “Hey, you!” direct the course In other cultures, howof his life. That’s ever, particularly in biblical why God changed cultures, names are crucial. A Abram’s name to person’s name can direct the Abraham when course of his life. That’s why He promised him God changed Abram’s name a child. to Abraham when He promised him a child. Abraham means “father of many nations.” So after his name change, every time someone called Abraham, he heard himself identified as the father of many nations. Every time he introduced himself, he declared he was the father of many nations.

Before long, Abraham had developed faith in the name God had given him and, sure enough, that oncechildless very old man became not only the father of Isaac but the father of many nations!

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A Dangerously Powerful Name

As believers, we ought to be developing that same kind of faith in the Name of Jesus. But before we can do that, we must understand what that Name really means. We must begin to see that it truly is the Name above all names.

Jesus’ Name is so powerful and exalted, there’s only one other name that even comes close to it. It’s the

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first great name ever made known to man—the holy, The Spirit of the LORD Is Upon Me unspeakable name of the Father God Himself. That What does all that have to do with the Name of is the awesome name God revealed to Moses when Jesus? Everything!

He spoke to him from the burning bush and told him The power that resides in the Name of the LORD to deliver the children of Israel out of the bondage of is what enabled Jesus to do the miraculous works He Egypt. When Moses asked what he should say when did when He was on the earth. He said so Himself. At the Israelites asked the name of the God who had sent the beginning of His ministry, after He’d been baptized him, God answered: “I AM THAT I AM: and he said, in the Holy Spirit, He walked into the synagogue and Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM declared: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach unto you: this is my name for ever…” (Exodus 3:14-15). the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). Jesus To our modern ears, the phrase I AM THAT I AM freely spoke the Name itself instead of a substitute. doesn’t mean much. We just think, I am what? But to It was the Spirit of the LORD that enabled Jesus a Hebrew it says, I am impossibly deep. I am everything. to go “about doing good, and healing all that were I am unsearchable. I have no beginning oppressed of the devil; for God was Salvation Prayer and no end. I am all in all. In Hebrew, with him” (Acts 10:38). In other If you do not know I AM THAT I AM communicates words, God so fully indwelt and something so strong that it makes your rested upon Jesus during His earthly hair stand straight up. Moses would ministry that Jesus’ Name carried the as your have been awestruck by that name power and authority of the Name of & alone. the LORD Himself. simply pray the following prayer in But God didn’t stop there. He went When Jesus went to the cross and faith, and Jesus will be your Lord! on to introduce Himself to Moses as took on Himself all the sins of the Heavenly Father, I come to You in “The LORD God of your fathers….” world, the unthinkable happened. the Name of Jesus. Your Word says, Notice the word LORD there is The Spirit of the LORD that had “Whosoever shall call on the name of printed in all capital letters. That ’s rested upon Him departed (Matthew the Lord shall be saved” and “If thou because it represents the name of God 27:46). Death came upon Him—not shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord referred to by Hebrew scholars as the Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart because He Himself had sinned that God hath raised him from the Tetragrammaton. but because He sacrificed Himself dead, thou shalt be saved” (Acts 2:21; A four-character Hebrew name becoming obedient to it.

Romans 10:9). You said my salvation used 6,000 times throughout the Old No doubt, at that moment He would be the result of Your Holy Spirit Testament, the Tetragrammaton is could hear the demons screaming giving me new birth by coming to live in the Father’s own, personal name. That in triumph. They thought they had me (John 3:5-6, 15-16; Romans 8:9-11) Name embodies all that God is. It carHim. They thought He had blasand that if I would ask, You would fill ries all His power and glory. It’s so awephemed God and God had damned me with Your Spirit and give me the some and holy that anyone who uses it ability to speak with other tongues Him forever.

(Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4). in vain will die.

But it was a trap…and Satan fell I take You at Your Word. I confess That’s why, in the Old Testament, for it. He boldly opened the door of that Jesus is Lord. And I believe in my the High Priest spoke that Name only hell and took Jesus in. There in that heart that You raised Him from the dead. once a year when he entered the holy pit, Jesus paid the full price for sin.

Thank You for coming into my heart, for of holies after ceremonial cleansings He bore the curse of damnation for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have and blood sacrifices had been made. all mankind. promised, and for being Lord over my The Jews eventually decided God’s life. Amen.

If you have just prayed this prayer, personal name was so dangerous they The Champion of please contact us and let us know of shouldn’t say it at all.

Champions your decision. We have a free Salvation Instead, they substituted the name But God didn’t leave Jesus in that Package we would like to send you to Adoni. Some people won’t even say pit. When the penalty for sin had help you begin your new life in Jesus! that. They simply say “HaShem,” which been fully met, the voice of the Simply write and ask for offer #50801, means “The Name.”

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Jesus

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heaven and exploded into the very depths of hell as He Father Himself—responds. When we utter that Name said: “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And in faith, the elements of the earth obey. When we declare again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a that Name in faith, all of hell and the devil buckles at Son?” (Hebrews 1:5) the knees. There’s nothing else they can do. The force With those words, the ver y glor y of God shot released by Jesus’ Name exerts so much pressure on Satan into Jesus’ tormented, sin-and-death-wracked spirit. that he has to flee. He can’t function in the presence of it.

Suddenly He rose up in power and majesty, and came Now you can see why Jesus so boldly said, “Whatsoever storming up out of that place a reborn glorified Man ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” He united with the LORD of glory Himself! Whipping understands the power of His Name. every demon principality, every power, every ruler of It’s time we understand it too. It’s time we reverence darkness, especially Satan himself. Jesus tore through it, develop faith in it…and put it to work. When we do, the region of the dead and freed the captives who were the will of God shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. in the bosom of Abraham. He came roaring out of And hell itself won’t be able to keep us from receiving there in glorious victory over all of hell, death and every the answers to our prayers. V ictor y devil and “made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15).

W hen Jesus went back to heaven, He returned as a conquering warrior. He returned as the hero of the ages who had by Himself purged our sins, stripped the devil of His weapons, and taken back the keys of death and hell.

In honor of Jesus’ great victor y, God bestowed on Him the greatest title that could be given. He highly exalted Him and gave Him “the name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things Discover under the earth; and that every the Name tongue should confess that Jesus Above All Christ is LORD, to the glory of Names God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

Do you realize what that as seen means? It means Jesus has been Jesus’ Name is far above every name and He’s Jesus—The Name given it to you to use! In fact, by understanding given the Tetragrammaton…

Above Every Name on TV the authority you have in His Name and your with honor added to it! He has 6 messages on 10 CDs right as a joint heir with Jesus to use it, you have with study guide been given that Name and every the same ability as Jesus!

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Come Sooner?

Why Didn’t You

b

ill P rankard stood in the snow as his belongings were loaded onto a small plane. He was preparing to leave the small Inuit (Eskimo) community of Povungnituk, Quebec, after finishing his first meeting in the region and was feeling pretty good about what had been accomplished. Many in the community were touched by the miraculous healings that occurred during the three-day meeting, and a church had been established within a few days.

Prankard was accustomed to big meetings in southern Canada, and even had a program on television. But now he had made the sacrifice to come north to this little community in the middle of nowhere.

Just then an old Inuit man approached Bill with an interpreter in tow.

“How long have you known about this?” the old man asked.

“About what?” Bill asked.

Bill

r e a d a n a rt i c l e a b o u t

Eskimos

almost

u n t o u c h e d b y o u t s i d e c i v i l i z at i o n l i v i n g at

R ussia in an area called T he E nds of Earth. Suddenly his vision for the ends of the earth became the Arctic Circle and above. the top of the

“Jesus.”

“Oh, a long time. Isn’t it wonderful?”

The man looked at Bill with piercing eyes and asked, “Why didn’t you come sooner?”

“I’ll tell you why he’s asking that,” the interpreter spoke up. He pointed across the airstrip to a pile of rocks covered with ice and snow and a little white cross on top. “That’s his wife. She died three months ago never hearing about Jesus.

He believes if you had come three months ago his wife would have been healed. She would still be alive.”

The old man had given his life to Jesus just that week.

Bill looked at the man’s tear-stained face and could only say, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Suddenly Bill wasn’t so impressed with himself. He knew why this tough question had come. He had told the people he was there because he cared about them and loved them. Now all Bill could think was if he had really cared, if he had really loved them, he should’ve come sooner.

Bill boarded the plane, pressed his face to the window and wept to God as the plane circled the village.

“I never want to look into the face of another person from the North,” he said, “and have them challenge me, ‘Why didn’t you come sooner?’”

That encounter sparked everything Bill Prankard Evangelistic Association (BPEA) has been doing among the Inuit people now for about 30 years.

“To say it changed my life is an understatement,” Bill reflects. “I fell in love with the people of the North. They’re just so real.”

The journey to Povungnituk began for Bill and his wife,

Gwen, while they were doing nationwide television and healing crusades.

“We were doing great things in Ottawa,” Bill said, “but then God said to me, You haven’t done what I told you to do.”

Bill knew God had told him to go to the “ends of the earth”—to go north. So he started going north from where he lived, ending up on Hudson Bay, in an Indian community.

After a service there, Bill stood on the shores of the Hudson thinking, Now I’ve done it. God, You must be so impressed.

God just said, North.

“I think I am,” Bill said.

Bill went back to where he was staying, found a world map and discovered there was much more country above where he was. Places he’d never heard of— including Povungnituk.

A few years before a friend had ribbed Bill about going farther north every year, saying if he kept going he was going to end up in Russia. Bill was thrilled that ministers were now going there and people were getting saved, but Russia just did not interest him.

Then on a trip back from northern Canada, Bill read an article about Eskimos almost untouched by outside civilization living at the top of Russia in an area called The Ends of the Earth.

Suddenly his vision for the ends of the earth became the Arctic Circle and above.

In 1994, the Prankards began taking teams of Canadian Eskimos to Russia to minister. Bill’s goal had been to establish churches there with their own pastors.

Then Gwen had the idea to establish video churches by providing the equipment and good teaching material. The association bought DVD players, and Kenneth Copeland Ministries provided copies of the Believer’s Voice of Victory programs dubbed into Russian.

KCM donated thousands of books that were translated into Russian. BPEA distributed a set of DVDs and books to churches in every community. Now the Inuit are pastoring all these churches.

“The only literature most of these people have is their Bibles and Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s books,” Bill said. “They have been born into the faith message. That’s all they know and it’s amazing.”

The Prankards have been very pleased and thankful for the impact these materials are having on people.

One man, who didn’t even have a Bible, was given a book

by Kenneth Copeland on the laws of prosperity. Through reading the book over and over he was born again.

“Now he’s a tundra pastor,” Bill said.

A family the Prankards met on one trip had never heard the gospel. They gave their lives to Christ and Bill gave them food, clothing, Bibles and a supply of books. When one family member asked for more books, Bill asked why she needed them. With the excitement of a new believer, the woman took Bill outside and pointed across the river to a community of tents. She said people over there needed what she had, and that she was going to be an evangelist just like Bill—telling them about Jesus, praying with them and giving them books.

In addition to ministry to the Inuits, Bill’s vision included establishing a healing center in Ottawa.

“I’d talked about it for years,” Bill said. “Three years ago, God said either do it or stop talking about it. We really felt directed to get a building, turn it into a healing center called Dominion Outreach Centre and train people to be healing evangelists.”

Halfway through the building project, it became apparent to Bill that it would be more complicated and expensive than he had imagined. Everything in the building had to be renovated to meet building codes.

“In the natural, there was no way we could do it or pay for it,” Bill said.

“We’re committed to not go into debt and if I could have pulled out, I might have. I didn’t know what to do, so we were just trusting God. The pressure was really tough.”

Then Bill got a call from David Styles, the director of Kenneth Copeland Ministries’ Canadian office, saying KCM was sending a seed gift to help with the healing center. Today, Dominion Outreach Centre is a reality. It’s a church, a walk-in healing clinic and training center for evangelists.

“Phenomenal things are happening,” Bill said. “Our medical system in Canada is in crisis. People are looking for alternatives, so we advertise this walk-in healing clinic.

It’s free. Muslims come in. Atheists come in. These people are coming to Christ as well. They’re getting filled with the Spirit. They’re being healed and set free.

“Kenneth Copeland Ministries is a vital part of what we do. To have a ministry with the credibility and integrity of the Copelands saying we believe in you is really a blessing.

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Gloria Copeland

Divine Protection S the ABCs of

Security. That one word, perhaps

more than any other, sums up what the world is searching for these days.

Everybody wants to feel more secure.

Yet with every day that goes by, things get more dangerous.

Is it possible to live in this crazy world with all its dangers and still feel secure?

Yes, it is, and Psalm 91 tells us how.

I have loved and taught on this Psalm for years. But I’ve never been more grateful for it than I am right now. It was definitely written for us today. If we will just believe and act on the words God spoke to us in it, we will be able to live in total freedom from fear. No matter what threats arise, we will be able to say to the Lord as David did, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3).

Although promises of God’s protection are echoed throughout the Bible, there is no single passage that captures God’s wonderful ability and desire to deliver His people in times of danger better than Psalm 91.

Every verse is worth studying, but let’s focus on the first seven.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; |

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His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you (New King James Version).

Enveloped in the Arms of God

Those verses prove that God declares the end from the beginning! Thousands of years ago, He saw our day coming. He knew what dangers would confront us in the 21st century and He specifically promised to protect us from them.

Many things challenge our security today. Yet God said we should not be afraid of them because when they come, we can run to Him and He will be our refuge. A refuge is defined as “that which shelters or protects from danger, distress or calamity; a stronghold which protects by its strength, or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness; any place inaccessible to an enemy.”

Doesn’t it comfort you to know that no matter where you are or what you’re doing you can be in the place of refuge? One commentary says the person who takes refuge in the secret place of the Most High “will be enveloped by God’s providence so that he can continue to seek holiness and wisdom without fear of those who would seek to do him harm.”

I particularly like that phrase “enveloped by God’s providence” because it expresses the kind of comprehensive protection depicted again and again in Psalm 91. Verse 4, for example, says God will cover us with His feathers and under

His wings will we trust and find refuge. If you’ve ever seen a mother hen gather her chicks under her wings, you know that she draws them so close to her, and covers them so completely, that they all but disappear beneath her wings.

That’s how thoroughly God takes care of us! He so covers us with His mighty, protective arms that no harm can even come near us.

The “A” of Abiding

As wonderful as God’s promises of protection are, they don’t work automatically. We aren’t supernaturally protected from harm just because we’re born again. There are conditions we have to meet, but they’re not complicated. In fact, you might say they’re as easy as A, B, C. We find the first condition at the beginning of Psalm 91 where it says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

This verse makes it clear that the person who will enjoy God’s protection is the one who abides in Him. The one who abides is the person who endeavors to always stay as close to God as possible. He’s stable and fixed in his love for the Lord. He doesn’t obey God just when it’s convenient. He continually reverences Him and purposes in his heart to always do what He says.

The “B” of Believing

Abiding in the Lord is a wonderful way to live. But to live in the fullness of His supernatural security we can’t stop there. We must also specifically believe and act on God’s guarantees of di-vine protection.

Believing is absolutely vital.

Many dear, devoted saints who loved and abided in the Lord have still fallen victim to calamity simply because they didn’t know God had promised to deliver them from it. Because they didn’t know, they couldn’t believe—and because they couldn’t believe, they couldn’t receive the benefits of their covenant of protection.

That’s the situation many Christians are in today. God has promised to be their protector and their refuge, but because they don’t know and believe it, His promises aren’t operating in their lives.

Everything we receive from God we must receive by faith, and faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The same thing is true with our protection. We must find out what the Word has to say about it and feed on that Word until faith arises and we believe it—not just with our heads but with our hearts.

To live in the secret place of God’s supernatural protection we must know what He has said He’ll do for us, and believe He is faithful to do it. The more we hear and read the scriptural promises of protection, the more assured we are that it’s God’s will to keep us safe. The more we read about real people in the Bible who were supernaturally delivered, the more confident we’ll be in His ability to take care of us in dangerous times.

We’ll realize that God truly is our source of protection.

The “C” of Confessing

Once we’re abiding in the Lord and firmly believing His promises of protection, there’s something else we will do. We will begin to confess, speaking words that express our faith in God’s delivering power. We’ll be like the Psalm 91 man who doesn’t just believe with his heart, he opens his mouth and says of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust” (verse 2).

One commentary describes this Yes, You Have a man as a “devout man who Promise of Protection! declares publicly that God is his refuge from all physical dangers and his fortress protecting him from all human enemies.”

In a time of calamity, cry out to God. Don’t speak unbelief, and say things like “I’m scared to death!”

Instead say, “I trust in God. He is the source of my protection. He is my refuge and fortress. I abide in the presence of God.” That will be difficult (if not impossible) for you to do in faith unless you have prepared in advance by filling your heart with the Word of God. The fact is that We live in challenging times, but God has out of the fullness of the heart the your security in mind. In Your Promise of Protection, Gloria Copeland teaches you mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). how Psalm 91 and the words of your Develop a lifestyle of spendmouth can deliver you from danger. So ing time in God’s Word. Build don’t live in fear. Discover true security in the Lord today!

His promises of protection into your heart and life before Your Promise of Protection CDN$6 trouble comes. Then, when trouble #B060702 | 6” x 4” | paperback | 78 pages See response form for ordering information.

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is here!

the July 3-8

West Coast Believers’ Convention

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Anaheim, CA

July 31-August 5

Southwest Believers’ Convention

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Fort Worth, TX

Healing School Come believing for your healing! Join Gloria Copeland for Healing School at each convention

August 21-26

Great Lakes Believers’ Convention

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Milwaukee, WI

on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. Discover what God’s Word says about your healing and receive laying on of hands for prayer.

Take a vacation that will change your family forever…

Get Your Whole Family Immersed in the Word at Kenneth Copeland Ministries 2006 Conventions grades 7-12

Kenneth Copeland

Gloria Copeland

Creflo A. Dollar

Jerry Savelle

Keith Moore (West Coast)

Jesse Duplantis

Bill Winston (Great Lakes)

When attending the Southwest Believers’ Convention, young people can put their focus on God at 14forty with Jeremy Pearsons! Each day we’ll feature awesome worship, great speakers like Ron Luce and Blaine Bartel, thousands of dollars in giveaways, a Friday night concert with Tree63 and Go Deep, and much, much more. Don’t miss it!

Visit 14forty.com for updates.

Calling all kids! ages 6-12

Unable to attend? Join us via a live video or audio broadcast at getimmersed.org.

West Coast Believers’ Convention Anaheim Convention Center 800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim, CA 92802 Southwest Believers’ Convention Fort Worth Convention Center 1201 Houston St., Fort Worth, TX 76102 Great Lakes Believers’ Convention U.S. Cellular Arena 400 W. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53203

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

One Word From God Can Change Your Life Forever!

Be a KCM volunteer!

To find out more, join us at the following locations prior to the convention: West Coast Believers’ Convention: Sunday, July 2 at 3 p.m. at the Anaheim Marriott.

Southwest Believers’ Convention: Sunday, July 30 at 3 p.m. at the Hilton Fort Worth.

Great Lakes Believers’ Convention: Sunday, August 20 at 3 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee.

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

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.

Join us for Superkid Academy with Dana and Linda Johnson and special appearances by Commander Kellie Commander Kellie!

It’s like a full week of Superkid Camp for FREE! And don’t miss Saturday… where you can be Dana and Linda a part of our very Johnson own Healing School.

See you there, cadets, for a weeklong vacation party with God!

glory

the

Last year, Kenneth Copeland prophesied that 2006 would be the Year of Total Fulfillment as well as the Year of the Glory.

Three years earlier, in 2003, Brother Kenneth Hagin prophesied that 2006 would be a glorious year. I’ve heard other ministries refer to this year as the Year of Signs and Wonders. But what does all of this mean?

by Happy Caldwell

God’s expected end for you!

We tend to use the term “the glory” as sort of a catchall phrase.

But if we don’t know what the glory is, how will we know when we experience it? How will we know when it’s here?

What Is the Glory?

Simply put, the glory is the manifest presence of God. So, if it’s time for the glory, then it’s time for the manifest presence of God. It’s time for the goodness, the compassion and the mercy of God. The glory God designed for us in the very beginning is about to appear like we’ve never experienced before. The Bible tells us the Church that is raptured will be full of glory. There will be signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost in the last days.

Many believe that these are the last of the last days, so the glory can’t be far off. The signs and wonders can’t be far off.

First Peter 1:8 says, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy

unspeakable and full of glory.” That ’s what we’re after—the full glorification—as much of the glory of God as we can possibly attain before the Rapture of the Church.

It’s time for the glory!

God’s Plan Hasn’t Changed God has had only one plan for man since before the foundation of the world, and that plan is for him to walk in glory. Think about it. Man was God’s crowning glory, created in the image and likeness of God. God filled man with His glory in the Garden of Eden, and Adam gave that glory away when he sinned.

But the Fall of Man didn’t change God’s original plan; it just delayed it until the full manifestation and final restitution of things could transpire. That’s why mankind spent years trying to get back to where we started—clothed in the glory in the Garden. Then God sent Jesus to die on the cross, and He defeated the enemy once and for all. With that crushing blow to the devil, we were back in the glory.

In John 17:5, Jesus prayed, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Verse 20 continues, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (New King James Version).

That includes you and me, because we’ve believed their words. Jesus is praying for us in that verse. That

puts us back in the equation—back in the glory. But how many of us are truly walking in the glory?

You may desire that today. If so, I have good news for you. According to 2 Corinthians 4:6, you already have the glory on the inside of you. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

God shined in our hearts not to give us the glory, because Jesus has already given us the glory. He shined in our hearts to give us the knowledge of that glory.

God is going to have His way this year, but you’ve got to have faith to see His plans unfold in your life.

The next verse says, “ We have this treasure in earthen vessels.”

The glory is a treasure, and it’s in you.

God’s Expected End for You But you say, “Happy, I am not feeling the glory.

I know that 2004 was supposed to be the Year of Fullness, but I didn’t see any of that fullness. And 2005 was supposed to be the Year of Overflow, but I J u ly

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didn’t experience any overflow. And now 2006 is supposed to be the Year of Total Fulfillment and Glory, but I don’t feel like I am fulfilling what God has for my life, and I certainly don’t see the glory.”

Well, I’d have to say that you’re not alone. Many people (whether they’d admit it or not) feel the exact same way. This is not a new phenomenon.

W hen Jesus stood in the temple and read f rom Isaiah 61, saying, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21), nobody who heard His words

The Fall of Man didn’t change God’s original plan; it just delayed it until the full manifestation and final restitution of things could transpire.

got it. But, that didn’t mean it wasn’t true, and that it wasn’t happening right there in the midst of them.

They just didn’t get it. It’s possible not everyone will get it, but everyone can.

We want to be the ones who experience the glory, the fullness, the fulfillment and the expected end that God intends for us, right?

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

That expected end is what God has intended for you since the Garden of Eden—total dominion, total authority, total health, total prosperity, total peace and total joy. But there is only one way to tap into that expected end—by faith.

As a born-again believer, there will never be a time in your life when you won’t have to live by faith, because the Bible says the just shall live by faith. Faith is always the order of the day.

God shows us how to use our faith to get that ex- pected end in Acts 3, in the story of the lame man at the Beautiful gate.

“And a certain man lame f rom his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them” (Acts 3:2-5).

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The lame man was healed because he expected something.

Are you expecting anything from God? The woman with the issue of blood is another example of the kind of faith and expectancy required to get your expected end.

Matthew 9:20-22 says, “And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, ‘If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.’ But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, ‘Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And the woman was made well from that hour” (New King James Version).

There were multitudes of people touching Jesus that day in the crowded street, yet only one person received a miracle. What did Jesus say to her?

“Your faith has made you well.”

You’re Not Too Late God is going to have His way this year, but you’ve got to have faith to see His plans unfold in your life.

Even though this year is half over, you’re not too late to experience the glory and enjoy the total fulfillment that God has for you in 2006. You haven’t missed it. God isn’t mad at you. In fact, He is thinking good thoughts toward you all the time. He is very patient, and it’s His heart’s desire to see you walking in all He has for you.

Some of you have been trying to get your expected end on your own. You’ve taken faith out of the equation, and you’ve given birth to a few Ishmaels. And now, you think you’ve messed things up so much that God can’t fix them, but He can and He will. All things are possible with God. It’s time to get in faith and get back on track.

Be encouraged! We are living in a day where the revelation of the glory abounds. It’s all around us, and if you’re a born-again believer it’s on the inside of you. Once you get hold of that truth, His glory in you will begin pouring out into the earth.

His goodness, compassion, mercy, wealth and magnificence—His manifest presence—will emanate through you and me. That’s when we’ll get our expected end, and we’re closing in on it. V ictor y

Happy Caldwell is founder and pastor of Agape Church in Little Rock, Ark., and founder and president of The Victory Television Network, reaching Arkansas and surrounding areas. For ministry materials or information write to Agape Church, P.O. Box 22007, Little Rock, AR 72221-2007.

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Back to the Cabin!

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland are back for a second week of broadcasts from

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

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Kenneth Copeland The Seed of Faith Will Grow and Become Greater Remember those seeds of faith you planted? Join us to find out how they are going to grow into something greater than you ever imagined.

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Kenneth and Gloria Copeland begin the first of two weeks of broadcasts from

Kenneth Copeland The Life Is in Jesus Watch and discover new dimensions to your life in Jesus.

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Kenneth Copeland The Seven Steps of Faith Tune in and find out how you can build your faith—step by step.

Bill Winston

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Gloria Copeland Healing School Come back for more Healing School wisdom.

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The Blessing of Abraham

Join Kenneth Copeland and Bill Winston for the first of two weeks together, and learn how to live your life in the eternal blessings of the Abrahamic covenant.

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The Blessing Anointing to Increase

Kenneth Copeland and Bill Winston are back for another week discussing the

increase in anointing that is coming and how you can be a part of it.

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.

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BELIEVER’S VOICE OF VICTORY VOLUME 34 NUMBER 7 July 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 Managing Editor/Ronald C. Jordan Contributing Editor/Don Turner Editor/Deborah Ide Writers/Michelle Medlock Adams Karen Adlong Darlene Breed Rick Bunkofske Gina Lynnes Christopher Maselli Proofreaders/John Caccomo Jean De Long Michelle Harris Eileen Hooley Senior Designer/Michael Augustat Project Manager/Lynette Lundy Type Coordinator/Joyce Glasgow

GoodNewsGazette When We Were Desperate, You Were There

Your ministry has been there every step of the way helping us rebuild our lives. You sowed teaching materials and books into us when we were desperate and needed it the most—when we had nothing but gratitude to give back.

When I reached out in crisis you were the only ministry to reach back.

I was suicidal and believed God had turned His back on me, and was judging me with an attack on my body.

Your prayer ministers were the only ones telling me they loved me, and it made such a difference!

In much physical and emotional pain, I felt ashamed for being attacked and I was growing bitter toward the Lord.

The local churches taught me to fear the wrath of God, but never mentioned Satan. Your ministry was the only one sending materials to help me stand on my own two faith feet. You were the only voice of hope during my darkest hours, and one of the only ministries educating believers about their authority in Christ! You all are blessings and gifts from God. Thank you.

K.G. | Tennessee

“My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the

Lord that hath mercy on thee.”(I saiah 54:10) Jesus Paid the Price

We were in a head-on collision in 1988 where I received injuries that caused me pain for many years. I was living on extra-strength pain relievers and an occasional narcotic just to manage the pain. My legs atrophied so much I had to use a fourprong cane to walk, and even then I’d fall.

But God gave me a graphic vision of Jesus being whipped. Thanks to that vision, your teachings and Brother Copeland’s testimony about his back, I received the revelation that I was supposed to live in divine health like Moses, who at 120 climbed a mountain to see the Promised Land.

I started to see myself playing tennis again. Throughout 2005, I declared it was our year to be revived and alive again. And then, about a week before Thanksgiving all my pain left and I haven’t taken anything for pain since. I can go up and down stairs normally, my legs are strong, my mind is clear and I can sleep at night. God is so wonderful!

For years we claimed divine health regarding colds and viruses, but not with our other health problems—until a few months ago. Now I am a walking testimony of God’s divine healing. Jesus Is Lord.

S.J. | Texas

Baby Jamin’s Miracle

God performed a miracle on our newborn baby, Jamin, who just celebrated his first year of life. He has defied the odds. At 3 days old he underwent the first of three openheart surgeries to correct a congenital heart defect that had been detected at 20 weeks gestation. The BVOV broadcast encouraged me and helped to strengthen my faith through the Word during my pregnancy.

This was a time when the doctors gave us the option to terminate the pregnancy and also told us there were no guarantees that our baby would even survive.

After Jamin was born, a friend gave me Kellie Copeland’s And Jesus Healed Them All CD and book. I still play it for my son when he’s having difficulties, as he did after his second open-heart surgery. Whenever the enemy tries to steal Jamin’s peace by restricting his breathing or causing him to not rest comfortably, I play the CD—and the Word of God and the songs of praise immediately change the atmosphere and allow him to breathe and rest peacefully. Thank you, Kellie, for your ministry which is powerful in the lives of the children of God. God bless you all as you continue to work and labor for the Lord.

Joyce Singer | Toledo, Ohio

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BVOV Leads the Lost Home

I’m 40 years old and this is my fourth time to prison. I had been living in sin for quite a while when I found your maga- zine on the window tier. I took it back to my cell, and I read every word from front to back. Then I prayed the Salvation Prayer and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior—I’m ready to start my new life in Jesus.

Your magazine has given me inspiration beyond belief! I want that life in Jesus and to live in His kingdom. Finding your magazine was the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. I can feel the Holy Spirit pour through me as I’m writing this to you. I can hardly see through my tears. Thank you from my heart. i8F BSF JO B AUTVOBNJ

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to Be Praised He Is Worthy tack I had a heart at A year ago y prayer line. M and called your down. rned upside world had tu ayer ministers One of your pr , and glory to prayed for me d my body and God, He touche Now delivered me. healed me and gs can do all thin m at peace– I I’ ens which strength through Christ is is so good. He me. The Lord aised. worthy to be pr

Travel Sickness Left Behind

I have always enjoyed traveling in spite of the travel sickness I had to endure.

Yes, I learned to stand on the Word and believe for my healing, but I still had to take travel sickness tablets which have bad side effects. Then I listened to the Freedom From Fear series and I prayed for total freedom.

Last October I had to journey to Norway, traveling by coach and air. I didn’t look forward to it, but I was prepared to stand not only for health but against fear. The coach driver was not one of the best.

He cut corners and sped over the small winding roads through villages and towns up to Heathrow.

But this time I had the victory— no travel sickness, no tablets. Praise the Lord!

I stood on the Word and this time nothing could keep me sick. Thank you, KCM, for continuing to teach the Word. I didn’t know fear was the root to my problem, but now I’m free!

C.R. | United Kingdom

In-Debt Dope User Gloriously Set Free

C.W.–Georgia

The money KCM sent my family really helped a lot.

God really does have a plan for everything. The check came right on time—the day after we received it in the mail, I gave birth to my third child. We lost all his newly purchased items to Hurricane Katrina, so my son had nothing. On top of that, he came three weeks early. Since he was born right after Christmas, when money is really tight, we really needed those funds. Thanks for taking the time to think about my family and me. You don’t know how much you have helped us.

Praise the Lord! I have been watchingyourbroadcasteversince it first came into the U.K. I had never heardoftheburden-removinganointing before that. Even as a Christian I used to smoke cigarettes and marijuana.

However, I can now tell you I am free from both, thanks to the power of God and your anointed teachings.

I also began to follow your financial teachings and the Lord has brought me into my wealthy place. I now have a very small mortgage, my credit cards are paid off, I have a paid-off overdraft and money in the bank. From being a bit of an in-debt dope user to being set free is glorious!

I.M. | Maryland

M.F. | United Kingdom

The Check Came Right on Time!

a Wi l l i n g H e a r t,

a Winning Spirit

by Ronald C. Jordan

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i sho p Kei t h A . Bu t ler s at i n t h e s i l e n c e o f h i s s pa c i o u s o f f i c e o n t h e s e c o n d f l o o r o f t h e 5 , 0 0 0 - se at Wo r d o f Fai t h In t e r nat i o na l Ch ri st i an Cen t er in S ou t hfield, Mich., w here he pa s tors. Except for the doze n s of pair s of eye s staring back at him from around the room—trophies of his expert mark smanship a s a hunter— Butler was alone.

It was a moment that doesn’t come very often these days for Butler. His time, normally spent leading his staff and 21,000-member congregation, has become more restricted in recent months. On top of heading one of the largest churches in the state of Michigan, Butler also oversees a dozen satellite churches he has planted across the United States and in the Virgin Islands, England and Canada, and he shepherds another 800 ministers through his Word of Faith Ministerial Association.

His precious moments of reflection on this day would soon yield to a schedule filled with opportunities for service.

Soon, he would board a jet and fly to Fort Worth, Texas, where he would offer spiritual guidance and encouragement to more than 1500 ministers attending a three-day conference at Kenneth Copeland Ministries. Then, upon returning to Michigan later in the day, he would step into a pulpit of a totally different nature.

As he has for nearly a year now, Butler would find himself on the road, crisscrossing the state of Michigan and surrounded by people—shaking hands, fielding questions and telling them why he should be the next person to represent them and his home state of Michigan in the U.S. Senate.

The coordination required in balancing such a busy schedule, and the ease and confidence he demonstrates while standing before hundreds—and sometimes thousands—of people week in and week out is not something born out of the adrenalin rush of personal ambition and

natural confidence. Instead it is something he has come to be comfortable with in 32 years of ministry, the 50-year-old pastor says. It’s a pace and a grace orchestrated by God. But in that single moment, alone in his office, it was not hard for Butler to recall a time when life was not so easy—when he was not so comfortable and confident about himself. Neither was it easy for him to believe he would ever amount to anything.

Setting the Course

“Growing up I did not have very strong self-confidence,”

Butler says. “I had an extremely poor self-image.”

From his opening remarks in The Force of Righteousness, There were a number of factors that caused Butler to Copeland’s words had begun to penetrate Butler’s spirit, feel this way. One of the biggest, he says, was because of igniting a fire in him that, over time, would erupt into an personal things that happened during his younger years. eternal flame.

Another was the “fire and brimstone” image—a fear “One thing holding more Christians in bondage than invoking image—the Church had painted of God. anything else is a lack of knowledge of righteousness,” “I had been raised with the belief that God was the Copeland wrote. “Unfortunately, over the years we have problem,” Butler recalls about his early experiences in developed some religious words and ideas that we place the Church. “He [God] was the One who beat you up, one meaning on at church and an entirely different and put tests and trials on you.” meaning on in our daily lives….

No one had ever bothered to tell him about the God “Through our traditional thinking, we have confused of love. righteousness with holiness. We think righteousness is That and things the young Butler witnessed in church— the way you act, but this is not true. Holiness is your things he either didn’t understand or felt were out of conduct; righteousness is what you are, the nature of place—made him not want to be part of it, he said. In fact, God…. When a man accepts Jesus, he is moved into a it made him not want anything to do with religion at all. position of new birth. He enters into the kingdom of “When I was 14, I told my mother I was never going God as God’s very own child and a joint heir with Jesus to another church again,” Butler recalls.

Christ. Consequently, there are certain privileges, certain Not moved by those words, his mother quickly estabrights, certain freedoms that we have as children of God lished where the authority was in her household: “Boy, because we are in right-standing with Him.” as long as you sleep on my sheets, as long as you eat “What affected me most was, I was always taught in my food, you’re going to go where I tell you, or you’ll church that I was a dirty sinner on the way to hell, and get…out on the street.” no good,” Butler says. “But in Brother Copeland’s book I House rules kept him in church. But three men God found out that God’s view of me was quite different. He placed in his life helped Butler lay aside the negative [God] has declared me righteous through the blood!” church experiences and begin walking the path God had The light that had come on for Butler gave him a prepared for him. greater understanding of God, His love and himself. For Bishop C.L. Anderson pastored Anderson Butler, the God who had been portrayed as “the problem” Memorial Church of God in Christ, where Butler had had suddenly become “the answer.” become a member at age 17, after leaving the Baptist Church.

“I got born again and filled with the Holy “The Force of Righteousness...did Ghost in the Church of God in Christ, and more for me than anything else in that’s where I accepted my call into the ministerms of my self-esteem, self-confidence try,” Butler says. “That church certainly had an impact on me.” and getting me to believe that I could Under the late Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin, and accomplish whatever God had for me his Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Okla., to do in this life. The first time I read Butler and his wife, Deborah, were pastored and received their ministry training. it, it was as if a light came on.”

And before attending Rhema, Butler —Keith Butler received a life-changing revelation while reading a book by Kenneth Copeland.

The Force Is With You! “A friend had given me a tape by Brother Copeland, Because of the work of redemption, you’re in right-standing and then I got hold of a book of his called The Force with God! Just like Keith Butler, you can learn how to take hold of Righteousness,” Butler recalled. “That book did more of the privileges, rights and freedoms that God has given to each for me than anything else in terms of my self-esteem, of His children. Through this powerful book, you’ll discover why self-confidence and getting me to believe that I could Kenneth Copeland—and Keith Butler—get so excited preaching accomplish whatever God had for me to do in this life,” about The Force of Righteousness.

Butler said. “The first time I read it, it was as if a light Request your FREE copy now! came on.”

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A Hunger for More

That revelation stirred a hunger and passion in Butler to know more about God and His righteousness.

“I wrote Kenneth Copeland Ministries, and eventually I got my hands on everything he had at the time.”

Butler also jumped at the first opportunity to hear Copeland speak in person. It came in 1977, shortly before Butler was scheduled to begin attending classes at Rhema, when Copeland was scheduled to speak at Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit.

“I was there at the doors a couple of hours early, waiting for them to open,” Butler remembers. “I wanted to get that front-row seat, right in front of the podium.”

Despite his eagerness, others equally anxious to hear the message made it to the front ahead of Butler and he wound up sitting on the third row. But the Word he received was a blessing in a key time of transition.

“I was about to leave and go to Rhema, which was a step out in great faith for me,” Butler said.

“I was preparing to leave a job working for IBM, which was the best job I’d ever had in my life. I was preaching part time. And I had a young wife and a child, and didn’t know it at the time but my wife “I feel strongly that this was pregnant with our is what I’m supposed to second child. do now for the people of “That shot of the Word Michigan and for America,” that I got from Brother Copeland before I left said Butler of his bid for was very important.” a Senate seat.

A Need Met in Time

Almost immediately after their arrival at Rhema, the Butlers began seeing God’s hand over them.

“I had not found a job yet, and we had gotten down to where the only thing we had left to eat was one TV dinner, which I gave to my wife and little boy,” Butler recalled.

“The little trailer we were living in had flooded, and everything we had had been washed away.”

It was a perfect place for Butler to draw on what he had learned about his right-standing in God. As an heir of God, and a joint heir of Jesus Christ, he was free from lack and poverty.

“There are certain privileges, certain rights, certain f reedoms that we have as children of God because

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we are in right-standing with Him,” he recalled from Copeland’s book.

The next day, Butler received an unexpected letter from a businessman he had sat next to while attending Copeland’s meeting in Detroit.

“I had told him I was going to Rhema and he had asked me to drop him a line to tell him what it was like in Oklahoma,” Butler recalled. He had written the man, but never heard back from him—until now—when he received the unexpected letter…and a check for $650!

Together, Butler and Deborah rejoiced over what God had done. Butler also realized that just as God had orchestrated his being in that meeting that evening, He had reserved Butler’s seat on the third row and orchestrated the meeting with that businessman. It was just for this moment!

Answering the Call

The revelations and testimonies from these early days of walking by faith would later play a vital role after the Butlers graduated from Rhema and took on what would be the first of several assignments toward building a ministry for God. At first, Butler resisted.

“I was on the road when the Lord spoke to me that He wanted me to open a church,” Butler recalled. “I did not want to be a [church] pastor. I wanted to be a road minister.”

Considering that two of the three people who had most influenced his life early on were road ministers, it seemed only natural that he would follow the same path.

“Lord, I’m too young to do this,” he reacted. “Why are You calling me to do this?”

The answer came swift, and clear.

I have spoken to six other men to do this, and they have refused to do it, Butler heard the Lord say. Now, I’m telling you to do it, and I know you will.

Several months later the Lord spoke again, this time drawing Butler’s attention to Romans 10:8—in particular the phrase, “…the word of faith, which we preach.”

“The Lord said I was to open a church and call it ‘Word of Faith,’” he said.

On Jan. 14, 1979, Word of Faith held its first service in a small storefront building in Detroit.

“We had 60 people show up at the little storefront for the first service, but that was because my parents had invited their friends and everybody else to come,” Butler said. The next week that number dropped to 10.

“Even then the majority was family,” Butler says with a chuckle.

But that would be the last time only a handful of

people graced the doors at Word of Faith.

By the end of its first year, church membership had grown to about 200. When the second year came to an end, membership had doubled and Butler had moved his congregation into their first real church building. By 1983, they had outgrown that facility and the 700-member congregation was forced to move to their third location in four years.

While Butler admits the pace with which his church was growing left him shocked, it was just more confirmation of what he had come to know about the God he served. Increase was as much a part of his inheritance as any other blessing that came from being an heir of God. And if God was telling him to build the ministry, then he could do it.

“When I was in school at Rhema, I had a knowing inside that I would probably end up being a pastor, but I didn’t want to hear that,” Butler said. “I thought if I ever did obey [and become a pastor], my hope would be that at the end of my ministry my church would at least be as large as Bishop Anderson’s church was.”

The largest congregation Anderson pastored, Butler recalled, was about 400.

No Limits in Sight

As his ministry has continued to expand, so has Butler’s relationship with Kenneth Copeland Ministries.

In 1981, Butler met Kenneth Copeland for the first time after inviting him to be a guest speaker at a convention in Detroit. That meeting sparked a relationship between Butler and Copeland that has grown stronger every year.

Butler has become a f requent guest on KCM’s Believer’s Voice of Victory television broadcast, as well as a regular guest speaker at the ministry’s annual Ministers’ Conference. In 2005, Butler was added to the speakers list for its Great Lakes Prosperity Overflow Convention.

At Word of Faith, Butler is assisted by his wife, who serves as co-pastor. Their son, Keith A. Butler II, a Rhema graduate, pastors the Faith Christian Center in Smyrna, Ga. Two daughters, MiChelle and Kristina, are also Rhema graduates. When he is not ministering at home, Butler travels extensively—speaking in churches, conferences and seminars throughout the United States and abroad.

Today, with the membership at Word of Faith now topping 21,000, Butler feels the end is nowhere in sight. And for the first time in 12 years, since he served a four-year term on the Detroit City Council, Butler has tossed his name once again into the political arena—another step of faith backed by being confident in who he is in Christ Jesus.

“I feel strongly that this is what I’m supposed to do now

for the people of Michigan and for America,” said Butler of his bid for a Senate seat. His platform includes working to restore the moral fabric of America, protecting religious liberty and national security, and strengthening the traditional American family.

Undergirding those values is his firm confidence in a God of love who is the answer, not the problem.

“I believe all these things will help bring God’s blessings back on this nation,” Butler said, “so that America can fulfill its God-given role in the rest of the world.” V ictor y

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The Force of Par tner ship!

“Gloria and I are privileged and honored to have anointed, praying and believing Partners around the world who have joined their faith and love with Kenneth Copeland Ministries.

These are believers who are committed to support KCM in every way that the Spirit of God leads them.

“It’s a great source of joy and strength just knowing that all our Partners are out there standing strong with us, wherever we might be in the world, facing whatever we might have to face. After all, it takes far more than what Gloria and I have in order to get the message of victory in Jesus into the hands of God’s people. It takes partnership!”

—Kenneth Copeland

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Earthly Authority The Heavenly Protection of

by Kenneth Copeland

Jesus left no room for compromise especially when it comes to love. | When Jesus was asked by the lawyers of His day what He considered the greatest command, His reply laid the foundation for love: “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” (Matthew 22:37-40). | And in His last time of fellowship with His disciples before His death at Calvary, He gave them what He called a new commandment: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). | Everything Jesus spoke to the disciples that John recorded in chapters 13 through 17 gave them the picture of what this new love was about. His words and actions portrayed that love as being established in service and energized by giving. He clearly taught them that the source of the total fulfillment of the love would be their heavenly Father—through the indwelling Holy Ghost living His life through them. | Jesus left absolutely no question about how the love of the Father can and should work in the life of the Body of Christ.

In the face of a battle,

whether it be a terrorist attack, an all-out war or an attack of nature, mankind usually rises to the occasion. Christians especially step up to the challenge and

Christ shines through His Body.

Now you may say, “Yes, I see that. I can do that. I can love God and most of my neighbors, and I love a lot of other Christians. It’s easy to love people who love me back. Where I have a challenge is loving people who are not returning the love. Some of them are even doing things that are against God’s will and contrary to His ways. How do I love them? Do I really have to love them?”

Do We Get to Choose?

As I said, Jesus left no one uncovered when He gave the love command. Not you, not me, not anyone!

In one of His earliest teaching sessions (what we call the Sermon on the Mount), in Matthew 5:43-45, Jesus said: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.”

So, who are we talking about here? Who are our enemies? Enemies are simply those who are opposed to you. Now that opposition may, and often does, develop into some level of full-fledged hatred depending on the issues on which they oppose you.

And, regardless of the degree of the opposition we receive from anyone, the Lord’s command remains, “Thou shalt love!” As children of our heavenly Father, we have no choice but to love.

Thinking Like Our Father

First John 4:7 tells us, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” In our daily, intimate relationship with Him, the word of life resident in God is planted by the Spirit into our hearts. He reproduces His life as our life, His ways as our ways, His will as our will, His thoughts as our thoughts. Verse 9 of that chapter says, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

God’s ultimate purpose for this kind of love is that we think as He thinks, talk like He talks, hear as He hears, move as He moves and act as He acts.

You see, God’s means of expressing His love in this world today is the same as when He expressed it through Jesus. He is still seeking and saving the lost.

While we were His enemies, in opposition to Him and often hateful toward Him, He loved us. Paul makes that very clear in Romans 5:8: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Everywhere Jesus set His feet, He was motivated by one thing only. He was no respecter of persons. He touched those who were cheering Him along. And He offered His love to those who opposed Him. Who Opposes You?

Opposition is no new thing. We get opposition from every direction, it seems. And we are the target When we love all of “enemy action” on many men and pray for levels. In personal situathose in authority, tions, God’s Word is clear we place ourselves about what steps to take. squarely inside First, we are to avoid strife and confusion (Philippians the realm of His 2:3). And, if we do find governorship. ourselves in the middle of an uncomfortable situation, the Word gives us instruction for settling differences and forgiving one another.

Regardless of the circumstances, love is the foundation of every step to reconciliation. Put the commandment of love first place in every situation in life.

Now what about those situations that aren’t always right at our doorstep, but the opposition is so strong and the enemy so bold we feel as though we’ve received a blow to the head?

In July 2005, when the bombings took place in London, we were in Anaheim at our West Coast Prosperity Overflow Convention. When I heard the

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news, my anger rose against those who continue to use terrorism to instill fear in the world. The memories of Sept. 11, 2001, loomed in my head. I went straight to the Lord, praying for the people in London and around the world.

When He responded to my prayer, His word to me was the same as it has been since Sept. 11: Love your enemies. I said, “Lord, doesn’t that leave us vulnerable?” He replied as quickly as you can snap your fingers, No, this doesn’t leave you vulnerable at all. He reminded me of Romans 12:19: “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.” His vengeance is our protection. Our faith, which works by love, is still functioning.

If we’ve learned anything since Sept. 11, surely we’ve learned that the Lord takes care of these hard situations. He uses Christians around the world to provide divine cover with love and prayer.

Paul instructed the churches to abound in love toward all men (1 Thessalonians 3:12). In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 he instructed, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” Love is the power. God is love!

So, our everyday love and prayer agenda must include all men!

All Men Means All Men

In the face of a battle, whether it be a terrorist attack, an all-out war or an attack of nature, mankind usually rises to the occasion. Christians especially step up to the challenge and Christ shines through His Body.

We have seen it in recent years. We saw it at the World Trade Center in 2001, at the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, in Southeast Asia during the tsunami of 2004, and in the onslaughts of 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes. Praise God that people all over the world worked in some sense of cooperation in the early days of these recent events.

But then, as mankind and governments are prone to do, once the immediate crisis is taken care of, the opposition begins. We start hearing, “Well, they didn’t do this.” And, “They should have helped more.” And, “If we had been in charge, we’d have done it this way.”

Not to mention, “Well, we should boycott them because they didn’t get on board with us.”

The same events that put us all on the same side— though briefly—eventually put us on opposite sides.

This is where our obedience to the love command is really tested. How do we love those “public enemies”

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who are in authority—those who say they are trying to keep world peace, but can’t even keep national peace?

Why do we have to pray for those in authority when they obviously, in so many instances, aren’t even praying for themselves and would be insulted to know we were praying for them? Why do we even have to submit to leaders who are not submitted to God? Why do we have to take on the responsibility to love everyone and pray for all men? Because we are children of the One who gave them their authority in the first place, that’s why. He ordained them to carry the load and He ordained us to cover them. It’s His plan. And it’s a good one!

Romans 13:1-2 tells us, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.” Now, God doesn’t ordain unrighteous governments, but He is still in the place of authority over all governments. And, when we love all men and pray for those in authority, we place ourselves squarely inside the realm of His governorship.

Wield the Sword

Hate is not an option. Our love and prayer for all people, especially those in authority, has far-reaching effects. We can’t afford…the world can’t afford…for the Body of Christ to have any attitude other than love.

According to Paul in his first letter to Timothy, quiet and peaceable living in godliness and honesty depends on it!

In so many nations of the world we have many avenues to effect change in our government without resorting to hate. Our vote, our support of righteous public officials, our participation in governmental processes at every level—these all lend themselves to attitudes and actions of love.

In every nation, God has ordained authority—from the local dogcatcher to the head of state. We have nothing to fear from any of them. Romans 13:4 tells us they “wear the sword” ( The Amplif ied Bible) for the public good to protect us against the evildoers.

He ordained them for our good. That settles the question of our vulnerability. God’s love plan has seen to everything.

As we love and pray for those in authority as part of our daily agenda, not only do they reap the benefits but so do we. As we pray in the spirit for them from a heart of love and obedience to the One who ordained them, we wield a bigger sword than they do—and the effects of it reach around the world. Victory

George

Washington P re s e r ve d for God’s Purpose

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e could not boast of the noblest lineage or the finest education, but George Washington, the nation’s first president, seemed chosen of God to lead a new nation dedicated to His glory.

God preserved him for a purpose. He was never even wounded in battle. God’s hand was clearly upon his life.

Promoted to colonel in the colonial militia by his early 20s, Washington became an aide to the British fighting the French in 1755. Although his mother tried to dissuade him, he reminded her, “The God to whom you commended me, madam, when I set out upon a more perilous errand, defended me from all harm, and I trust He will do so now.”

He was right.

Bulletproof!

During the French and Indian War, Washington

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fought alongside British officers who refused to hide behind trees like their opponents. In a battle on July 9, 1755, near Fort Duquesne, Pa., redcoats on horseback were being picked off by enemy bullets. But God’s hand of protection was on George Washington.

Horses were shot out from under him twice, but he was never injured. When a volley of clear shots left Washington untouched, a warrior declared, “This man was not born to be killed by a bullet!” An awe-struck chief ordered his braves to cease firing, realizing, “This one is under the special protection of the Great Spirit.”

In a letter to his brother, Washington gave glory to God for his deliverance: “By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat and two horses shot under me yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me!”

When Washington revisited the area in 1770, an aged chief told how his warriors had fired in vain that day.

“A power mightier far than we shielded you.” Then he prophesied: “Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man and guides his destinies—he will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire. I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven and who can never die in battle.”

As God’s plan for him unfolded, Washington was elected commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775.

During the American Revolution, divine guidance and protection would become increasingly evident in his life.

“A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.” (Psalm 91:7) God’s

hand of protection was on

George Washington. Horses

were shot out from under him twice, but he was never injured.

Heavenly Fog

Another heavenly intervention occurred in August 1776. When 32,000 British troops surrounded America’s 8,000 on Long Island, Washington declared they would “firmly rely on the protection of Divine Providence.”

Rough weather prevented an enemy attack via the East River.

General Washington was inspired to ferry his entire company, their supplies and livestock across the river and escape under cover of night. A torrent of rain and wind gave way to perfect conditions. Although every available vessel was enlisted, daylight threatened discovery of those left to cross.

But Washington’s chief of intelligence, Major Benjamin Tallmadge, noted a strange occurrence: “A very dense fog began to rise…and it seemed to settle in a peculiar manner over both encampments. I recollect this peculiar providential occurrence perfectly well, and so very dense was the atmosphere that I could scarcely discern a man at six-yards distance…. We tarried until the sun had risen, but the fog remained as dense as ever.” It didn’t lift until General Washington was crossing the river in one of the last boats.

A loyalist family nearby had sent a servant to alert the British. But he was delayed by German-speaking soldiers who could not understand him. By the time the British scrambled to fire on the retreating boats, it was too late. Once more God had intervened to preserve the destiny of George Washington…and the new nation he would lead.

A Christmas Surprise

By December 1776, the ragged American army was losing numbers and losing heart. Supplies dwindled, as did the hope of victory. General Washington made a bold decision to go on the offensive.

As Christmas night fell, American troops prepared to cross the Delaware River and march to

Trenton, N.J., for a surprise attack on Britain’s allies, the Hessian army.

A barrage of sleet and snow forced enemy watchmen to abandon their posts and seek shelter.

American boats weaved their way unnoticed through a maze of ice on the river. Once ashore, troops were pounded by brutal weather. Not all had boots and some would f reeze to death along the way. But a force greater than human ability propelled them.

Washington later wrote that “their march thro’ a violent Storm of Snow and Hail, did not in the least abate their Ardour.”

Early on Dec. 26, they charged the Hessian camp, surprising soldiers sleeping off a night of drinking. The Battle of Trenton took less than an hour.

Washington and the American cause were again preserved, as God’s hand began turning the tide of the American Revolution.

Father of His Country

In battle after battle, God continued to direct and protect Washington. In 1781, he forced a British surrender in the last major battle of the war.

He went on to lead the convention that produced America’s Constitution. Then he was elected our first president.

Called the “Father of his country,” Washington was the strong, godly leader America needed to see her through infancy to stability. Time after time, when all could have been lost, God intervened for this great man of faith and his destiny. It has been said that he did more to ensure American independence than any other person. God preserved his life so he could fulfill his purpose.

God has a purpose for our leaders today as well. Join us in praying that, like Washington, they will look to God for guidance and honor Him as the source of our deliverance and our future. Victory J u ly

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walking into your

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ne step of obedience in faith can alter your life forever.

That may seem like a bold statement, but I know it to be true.

I know when God leads you to do something—even if it seems small and insignificant—that one step of obedience can thrust you into your destiny. z That’s exactly what happened to us when God told Ken and me to move to Tulsa so Ken could attend Oral Roberts University. We had no idea the impact that one step of obedience would have on our destiny. by

Gl

o r i a

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p e l a n d

/ We must take steps of obedience— whether little steps or big—by faith.

We walk into our destiny through steps of obedience.

We couldn’t see how it was all going to work out.

God didn’t tell us that ultimately Ken would be flying Brother Roberts to the crusades and learning about the ministry of healing and deliverance. We didn’t know that God was taking us to Tulsa so we could attend Kenneth Hagin’s meetings and learn how to live by faith. When we were packing up the car and the children, we were just moving to Tulsa for Ken to enroll in ORU. We knew God told us to go, but we did not know our entire future depended on it.

Our willingness, however, to follow that one instruction from God by faith changed our lives forever.

We’ve discovered that obedience—to God’s Word and His Spirit—is the key to walking in the things God has planned for us. Obedience opens the door to destiny.

and it shall be done unto you” ( John 15:7). As we put God’s Word in our hearts, our faith will grow. We then can ask what we will—and it shall be done. Abiding isn’t just reading the Word once in a while. It’s meditating on the Word continually.

And if we desire to have “length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death],” storing up God’s Word in our hearts is the way we obtain that (Proverbs 3:2, The Amplif ied Bible).

Living in a place of continual satisfaction and blessing is possible—all it takes is obedience to God’s Word. When we give the Lord our time and attention by putting the Word in front of our eyes, in our ears and our hearts, we can know His will and stay in it.

A Firm Foundation

The fact is, God is not withholding vital information from us. He desires for us to know His will. Not only has He given us His written Word to keep us on course, He has also given us His Holy Spirit to abide within us and help us.

Psalm 143:10 is a wonderful prayer that talks about taking the right steps. It says, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me for ward on a firm footing” (New Living Translation). We can count on the Holy Spirit to lead us forward on f irm footing. He will teach us, lead us and direct us into God’s plan. We don’t have to stumble around in the dark trying to find our way.

In fact, God has already mapped out our course.

He has prearranged a good life for us. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that! It says, “ We are God ’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]” (The Amplif ied Bible).

Think about it! God has prepared paths for us to walk in. That, however, doesn’t mean we don’t have to do anything about it. We have the responsibility to take steps of obedience—whether little steps or big—

God has given us His Word to instruct, convict, correct and train us so we won’t get off course. That’s what 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us. It says, “Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action)” (The Amplif ied Bible).

In order to walk in God’s plan for our lives, we must know His Word. It says: Do this and you’ll prosper.

Do that and you won’t prosper.

God’s Word teaches us how to live in conformity to God ’s will in thought, purpose and action. So, spending time in God’s Word every day is important.

Matthew 6 tells us to “Seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides” (verse 33, The Amplif ied Bible).

We seek first His kingdom and His way of doing and being right by knowing His Word. Then all other things are added unto us—the door to provision is opened.

Jesus also told us that. He said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,

Move Forward on Firm Footing

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by faith. We choose to walk in our destiny through steps of obedience.

And, if we head in a wrong direction, the Lord will let us know that too. The Holy Spirit will endeavor to get our attention and keep us on the right track. If we sense an uncomfortable scratching down in our spirits, that’s Him letting us know we need to do or not do something.

For instance, you’ll have that scratchy feeling if He is prompting you to break a negative habit. Or, if He is drawing you to spend more time in prayer or work in the church nursery, you’ll sense His leading or unction.

Don’t ignore that unction in your spirit—no matter what it is. Your destiny just could be waiting on the other side of your obedience.

If you need to make a change—make it. I realize at times you may not think you are able to do what the Holy Spirit is telling you to do, but if the Lord wants you to do it, you can! He has equipped you to walk in your destiny.

You might say, “The Lord is leading me to be a doctor, but that takes 10 years! I’ll be 40 years old.”

Well, how old will you be in 10 years if you don’t become a doctor? You’ll be 10 years older and out of the will of God!

The Power of Disobedience

And, one step of disobedience is powerful and dangerous.

Moses discovered that to be true. When the children of Israel needed water, God gave M o s e s s p e c i fi c i n s t r u c t i on s .

Speak to the rock, God said, and it will bring forth water. (See Numbers 20:7-12.)

But, in an act of frustration, Moses disobeyed. He struck the rock twice rather than speaking to it. Even though water still came forth, Moses’ act of disobedience cost him dearly— he wasn’t allowed to enter the Promised Land. His life was altered dramatically by one act of disobedience.

That doesn’t mean if we’re in disobedience, we’re doomed.

No. God has made a way for us to get back on the right track.

When we do something wrong, we simply admit it, repent and do the right thing!

I remember a time in particular when I had to repent.

I was sitting in the congregation in one of the first churches where Ken was preaching, when the pastor asked me to say a few Walk in the Spirit 8-CD series words. It may be hard to believe CDN$20 #B060706 now, but at the time I was very shy. I said, “No!” and refused the To order in Canda call toll free pastor in front of the whole con(877) 480-3388 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

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I repented and said, “Lord, the To place an order by mail, please use the enclosed next time someone calls on me,

Get Ready for Great Things!

Sometimes the most difficult part of living in obedience to God is overcoming the natural desires of the flesh. But great things can happen when you retrain your flesh in the things of the Spirit.

In this dynamic series, Gloria Copeland shares about life in the Spirit, and provides the practical guidance you need to step into supernatural living. You’ll learn such things as: how to break bad habits; how to keep your priorities straight under pressure; how to know if you’re hearing God’s voice; and more.

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response form.

I’m going to jump up and open my mouth, and You’ll just have to fill it. If I fall on my face, at least I’ll know I did it obeying You!” Had I not repented then and agreed to speak to a few people, it’s doubtful I’d be speaking to thousands now.

A number of years later, someone told me God had something He wanted me to do. So, I said to the Lord, “If You have something for me to do, I’ll do it.” I had no idea He would say, Tell the people what you have learned about healing.

Was that what I’d planned to do? Not at all—but I did it.

How important was it for me to obey?

Well, that one act of simple obedience was critical to my destiny. It paved the way for us to hold

Healing School in all our meetings. It opened the door to a more fulfilling life than I could have ever dreamed. Thousands of people have been blessed, and that act of obedience (that I did not want to do) has blessed me more than anyone else. God’s plan is always the best whether you know it or not!

I’m telling you, saying yes to God’s will for your life makes all the difference. Obedience makes all the difference.

And, getting into His will and staying there is really no mystery. It isn’t difficult. We have the Word and we have the Holy Spirit to keep us on God’s prepared paths. It’s up to us to do what He tells us to do.

Simple, childlike obedience is the key to staying in the blessings of God…it is what opens the door to destiny! V ictor y

Questions and Answers I’ve been standing for my healing for a long

by Gloria Copeland

Q:

time, but it has not come. Is God withholding my healing from me or could something else be blocking it?

A:

God never holds out on us. His will is that all men be healed—and that includes you! Jesus purchased your healing at the same time He purchased your redemption from sin (Isaiah 53:4-5). So health is just as available to you as salvation is.

When we fail to receive something He’s promised, we can always be assured that the problem lies with us and not with Him. There are, however, several things that might be preventing you from receiving it.

1. Failing to walk in love

Galatians 5:6 says faith works by love.

So if you want your faith to prevail over

sickness or disease, you have to operate in love.

Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and find out how God’s kind of love behaves. After all, love is not a feeling. It’s an action. So start acting in love and your healing won’t be far behind.

2. Unbelief

In Mark 11:24, Jesus tells us what is required for us to receive from God. He said, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Most people are only willing to believe they’ve received healing after they can see or feel the results. But according to that

scripture, you must believe you receive it when you pray. When you believe by faith that you have what you ask for, then the healing will come.

3. Sin

First John 3:22 says we receive whatever we ask of God because we do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Living a life free from habitual sin and rebellion causes us to have confidence in our heart toward God. And confidence toward God is an essential part of the operation of faith.

4. Unforgiveness

This is perhaps the greatest hindrance to healing. That’s why immediately after giving instructions about faith, Jesus said, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26).

Notice the words when ye stand praying.

Don’t wait. As soon as someone offends you, forgive immediately and your prayers will never be hindered.

If you are obeying in these four areas consistently, then you can be confident that your healing will come. So just keep standing in faith (Ephesians 6:12-13) and you will receive! V ictor y J u ly

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