FROM FAITH TO FAITH

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Take Time to Listen by Kenneth Copeland

    If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

    James 1:5

    When you’re facing a problem, the very first thing you should ask God for is wisdom. Not money. Not power. Not even healing. But wisdom.

    God’s wisdom is the key that will unlock every door in your life. It will turn your every failure into success. So, stop wasting your prayer power begging God for things you think you need and spend some time instead listening to what He has to say about your situation.
    If you’ve never tried that before, practically speaking, here’s what you need to do:

    First: Lay out the entire problem before the Lord, not because He doesn’t know what you’re going through, but because laying it out helps you. It helps you see things from a more objective point of view.

    I remember when I used to take my problems to my father, A.W. Copeland. Somehow, when I was explaining them to him, they began to look different to me. I’d get a new perspective, and as I talked, he’d point out areas I hadn’t considered yet. Explaining your problems to God, point by point, will help you accomplish the same thing.

    Second: Listen for the Spirit of God to advise you. Pay particular attention to what He says through the written Word. Most likely, the care of your problem has choked the Word of God right out of your heart (Mark 4:18-19). If so, you need to get the Bible and begin to put that Word back in again. Then the Holy Spirit will begin to speak to you through it.

    As you’re listening, be sure to remain teachable. Be ready to accept rebuke if necessary. Be very honest with God. Look for ways in which you’ve been wrong and confess them to Him. It’s all right. Those sins won’t come as any surprise to Him. He already knows about them. Confession just gives you the opportunity to get rid of them.

    Third: Act on the wisdom God gives you. Let go of your own methods and put His methods into operation. Be obedient. If you don’t, that glorious wisdom won’t do you any good at all.

    As you pray today, set aside your own ideas and start seeking the wisdom of God. It’s the only thing that can permanently solve the problems you’ve been facing. It’s truly the most precious gift God has to give.

    Seek wisdom.
    Scripture Reading:
    Proverbs 8:10-36

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No More Surprises Kenneth Copeland

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2-10

God is not full of surprises. He’s not an unpredictable being who likes to keep you guessing. Countless believers, however, have the idea He is.
“You just never know what God is going to do,” they say. They base that idea on 1 Corinthians 2:9 which says, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” They interpret that scripture to mean that God is keeping secrets from His people.

But, praise God, He isn’t!

In fact, verse 10 says He’s given us His Spirit to reveal those secrets to us! He desires for us to know everything that’s on His heart.

If you’re in the dark about God’s will for you, you don’t have to stay that way. He wants you to know about His plans and provisions for your life. He’ll show them to you if you’ll let Him.

So, don’t depend on guesswork. Determine today that you’re going to start receiving that revelation from the Holy Spirit. As you read the Word, pray in the spirit and ask Him to reveal to you the reality of the Scriptures. Ask Him to shed His light on them and show you exactly how they apply to you.

Remember: God isn’t in the business of keeping secrets from you. He’s in the business of revealing them. Take time to listen to Him and you’ll never have to settle for a life of uncertainty again

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 2:1-16

Can He Count on You? Gloria Copeland

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

Luke 12:42

We often praise God for His faithfulness. We’re thankful that we can always count on Him to be there for us. But we rarely consider the fact that He needs us to be faithful too.

It’s true. God needs people He can count on. He needs faithful and wise stewards He can trust over His household. In this final hour, He needs faithful believers to team up with, so He can manifest Himself in the earth more than ever before.

“Oh Gloria, God doesn’t need me!”

Yes, He does. Ever since the Creation, when He gave man dominion over the earth, He’s needed people to work with Him to get His will done here. You can see that all through the Bible. When the children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt and He wanted to lead them out, He teamed up with a man, Moses, to get the job done. Moses’ responsibility was to stretch out his hand in the earth and command the will of God to be done.
Why did He choose Moses? Because He needed someone who was faithful and would dare to act on His Word. He needed someone He could count on, and He knew Moses was that kind of man.

Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.” If Moses hadn’t been faithful to know God’s ways, the children of Israel would never have seen God’s acts!

God needs you just as He needed Moses. He needs you to be faithful and alert to spiritual things. He needs you to be someone He can trust to know His Word and be obedient to it. He needs you to be a steward who will stretch out his hand like Moses did so that He can perform signs and wonders before the people.

Will you be faithful? It’s a decision you have to make. No one can do it for you. Right now, commit yourself to be that wise and faithful servant. Say in your heart and with your mouth, “God, You can count on me.”

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 105:23-45

Train Your Spirit Gloria Copeland

It [grace] has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world.

Titus 2:12, The Amplified Bible

When an athlete goes into training, he practices to improve his skills. He works hard, repeating the same motions over and over until they become what we’d call “second nature” to him.

Most of us understand how crucial that kind of training is in the physical realm. We know that you simply can’t be a winner without it. But did you know we can train ourselves that same way where spiritual things are concerned?

That’s right! Hebrews 5:14 says we can train our senses to discern between good and evil. When you train, or practice, for something, you expose yourself daily to whatever it is you want to become. You practice it over and over until it becomes second nature to you. People who are lazy have practiced being lazy. People who are disciplined have practiced being disciplined.

Spending time with God is “spirit” practice. As you do it diligently, your spirit will grow stronger and will start to overcome the habits of the flesh.

If, for example, you have trouble getting up in the morning to spend time with God before the busyness of the day begins, if you’ve been giving in to your flesh and staying in bed, then you’ll have to start practicing getting up. The more you practice it, the easier it will be.

Don’t expect yourself to do it perfectly right from the beginning. Don’t get discouraged when you stumble and fail. You’re just out of practice. Get back on your feet and go at it again!

Become a spiritual athlete. Put yourself in training by practicing the things of God. Build your spirit muscles through fellowship with Him. You will be surprised to find just how much of a winner you can be.

Scripture Reading:
2 Peter 1:2-11

Break Through the Wall Kenneth Copeland

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:13

You’re running the race set before you, moving full-speed ahead with God’s blessing overtaking you at every step. Then suddenly, wham! You hit the wall. It may be a wall of sickness or financial trouble, of spiritual failure or family problems. But, regardless of the form it takes, the effect of “the wall” is always the same. It stops you cold.
The question is, once you hit a wall like that, what will you do? You’ll be tempted to quit, to turn back in defeat. But don’t do it. Because God will enable you to break through that wall and keep right on going.

I’m not going to tell you it’s easy. The truth is, it’s tough. But you have to push on through the tough times if you’re ever going to have a breakthrough.

Ask any athlete. He’ll tell you that! Because if he’s a winner, he’s been there. He’s pushed his body to what seems to be the maximum. His side has hurt. His lungs have ached. He’s had cramps in his legs and thighs. And just when he felt like he couldn’t go on, he’s heard some coach yell, “Come on! Move it!”
Athletes call that “hitting the wall.” It’s a time when the body says, “That’s it. That’s all I can do. I can’t go any farther. I can’t go any faster. I quit.”

But the seasoned athlete knows that “the wall” isn’t the end. It’s a signal that he’s on the verge of a breakthrough. If he’ll toughen up and push himself a little more, he’ll get a second wind. Suddenly, he’ll go faster than before. He’ll reach a level of excellence he couldn’t have reached any other way.

When you feel the worst, when failure is breathing down your neck, press in to the Word as never before. You may meditate on a particular scripture for days and even weeks sometimes, trying to get a revelation of it, seemingly without success. Then suddenly, like the dawn of the morning, light will come pouring in. You’ll see the way to break through. All you have to do is punch one little hole in that wall of problems, dig one tiny hole in it with your faith and with the Word of God.

Then keep tearing away at that hole. Don’t quit! And, before long, the forces of God will come bursting through, demolishing every obstacle in their path!

Once that happens you’ll never be the same again. You’ll be hooked. It will only take one breakthrough like that to make a never-dying, never-quitting champion out of you.

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 9:24-27


Be a Cheerful Giver Gloria Copeland

Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (that is, He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver…. And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8, The Amplified Bible

Some people say you need to “give till it hurts.” Don’t you believe it. God doesn’t want gifts given in pain. He wants gifts given in joy! In fact, those are the only kinds of gifts that please Him.

That’s why He tacked His promise of abundance onto His command about cheerful giving. The two are connected.

Cheerful, full of faith, even hilarious giving—that is the key that unlocks the treasure house of God. Have you ever seen a group of people give that way? I have. I’ll never forget it. I was at a camp meeting years ago when offering time turned into a spontaneous, supernatural celebration. Ken was singing Bread Upon the Water, and the people were just dancing their way down the aisles to give their money. The joy in that place was glorious. Great healings and miracles were done that night.

But what stood out to me above all was how joyously and hilariously the people brought their offerings to God. The offering wasn’t extracted from them like a dentist extracts teeth. It was brought forth gladly.

The concept of “giving till it hurts” didn’t come from God. He’d rather you give 10 dollars with that kind of joy than 20 dollars grudgingly. In 2 Corinthians 8:11-12, the Apostle Paul urges the church in Corinth to give with eager willingness. Eager willingness. That’s what God looks for!
If you haven’t given that way in the past, make a firm commitment to start. Repent for the times you’ve given grudgingly. Then spend some serious time with God and His Word in your prayer closet, so when you give again, you can give from a willing heart.

Put the “pain” of giving behind. Become “a cheerful, (joyous, ‘prompt to do it’) giver,” and believe me, your blessings will abound!

Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 9:6-15

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Don’t Let the Devil Put One Over on You Gloria Copeland

When [the devil] speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

John 8:44

Some people find it difficult to believe God’s promises because they’ve seen so many things in the natural world that seem to contradict them. They’ve seen faithful tithers go broke. They’ve seen sick Christians fail to receive their healing.

In reality, it would be more accurate to say that they think they’ve seen those things. Because, you see, there’s a deceiver at work in the world. A deceiver who’s busily doing the same thing he’s been doing ever since the Garden of Eden: tricking mankind into believing God’s Word isn’t true.

And, after working on it for thousands of years, he’s a master at it. Think about that the next time he tries to make things look as though God’s Word is not going to work for you, when he makes it look like all hope is lost. Say, “I don’t care about appearances. I believe the Word and I refuse to doubt it.”

Let me show you what I mean. Have you ever seen a magic show where someone crawls inside a box and then is sawn in half? You can see it with your own two eyes. The guy’s feet are sticking out one end of the box and his head is poking out the other, and the box is plainly cut in two. Then the magician slides the two halves back together and the sawed-apart fellow jumps out of the box in one piece.

Now tell me, did you really believe, even for a moment, that fellow was truly cut in half? Of course not! You knew that you’d seen a trick, a deception, something that appeared one way when, in reality, it was a different way altogether. You may not have known how it was done. You may not have been able to explain it. But you knew a person couldn’t be sawn in half, then put back together, so you refused to believe your eyes.

That’s exactly the way you need to be where the Word of God is concerned. You need to learn to trust it and rely on it to such an extent that when Satan shows you something in the natural world that appears to contradict it, you just say, “Well, I saw that, but I’m not going to be gullible enough to believe it. I’m just going to stick with the Word.”

If you’ll do that, the father of lies will never be able to put one over on you.

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 119:89-104

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Obedience: No Small Thing Kenneth Copeland

But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Luke 6:49

Do you ever have seasons in your life when it seems like every time you go to church and every time you spend time in prayer and every time you open the Bible, you receive a revelation from God? I do. Spiritually, everything will be going great. I’ll be higher than a Georgia pine. Then, suddenly, something starts to happen. I start drying up in spiritual things.

It seems like it doesn’t make any difference what I pray or how much I read the Word, I can’t get anywhere spiritually. I’m so dry my spirit’s creaking!

That used to baffle me. I didn’t know what the cause was. I didn’t have any sin in my life. I’d taken care of that. I was still praying. Still meditating. Still acting on and confessing the Word. But instead of getting results, I was getting nowhere. I’d stand in front of my mirror and confess faith over and over again and the only thing that happened was that my voice got tired!

If that’s ever happened to you, may I make a suggestion? Backtrack and find the last thing God told you to do that you didn’t do—and do it!

It’s probably nothing big. Just a seemingly small thing. But, believe me, those minor disobediences will dry up the flow of the Spirit just like the major ones will.

Most of us don’t realize that. We’ll get on our knees and say, “Oh Lord, I want to go to China for You. I’ll go to Africa. I’ll go to Russia.” But when God says, Go next door, we just shrug it off.


“I can’t do that,” we’ll say. “That guy next door doesn’t like me. Besides, I want to be like Brother Schambach and get a big tent.”

If you’ve done something like that, repent. Then pick up where you left off and do what God directed. And from now on, remember, no matter how insignificant God’s instructions may seem, obeying them is no small thing! It’s those simple acts of obedience that will make your spiritual house stand…or fall. All the small things combined become the direction of our lives.

Scripture Reading:
Luke 16:1-10

Press On in Patience Gloria Copeland

…Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

 

Hebrews 6:12

You’ve been walking by faith. You’ve been believing God to meet your need. But what do you do when the results seem slow in coming and you are tempted to give up?

Be patient!

There is not much said about patience these days. But, when it comes to receiving from God, it is just as important as faith.

It will make the difference between success and failure for you.

Patience undergirds and sustains faith until the result is manifest. After you have meditated on the promises of God and have them in your spirit, patience will encourage you to hold steady. Patience is power. It has the courage to refuse the lie of Satan that says the Word is not working for you. It knows that God’s Word has never failed. Patience will not draw back in fear but will press forward in faith until you have the answer.

When the results of your faith seem slow in coming, don’t give up! Continue to put the Word first, with patience, and you will surely receive the promise of God!

Scripture Reading:

Hebrews 10:32-39

 

It’s Beginning to Rain Kenneth Copeland

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

Joel 2:23

There’s a spiritual flood coming. God has promised it. He’s promised us an outpouring of Holy Spirit power that will bring in the greatest harvest of souls any of us have ever seen.

As believers, we’ve been reading about it in the Word and hearing about it from the pulpit for years. We’ve been staring toward heaven so long, waiting for it to come, that we’ve gotten cricks in our spiritual necks. We’ve had this mental image of God pouring down His Spirit from some sort of big heavenly pitcher above us.

But you know what? We’ve been looking in the wrong direction!

The pitchers God is going to use to pour out His power are right here on earth. Jesus explained it this way. “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

The end-time flood we’ve all been expecting is going to be composed of living waters that will pour forth from believers. The Holy Spirit within us will be the source of all the signs and wonders and miracles the prophets foretold. And when we begin to fervently pray the prayer of intercession, the flood of that power will begin to flow.

Zechariah 10:1 says, “Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.”

Our prayers, our intercession, are what will release the great outpouring of God’s Spirit. As we begin to join together and cry out to God, the rivers of living water within each one of us will join together and become a flood of spiritual power in the earth.

So, ask, pray for a Holy Ghost gully-washer. Intercede for the outpouring. Make this mighty flood of spiritual power a priority in your prayer life.

Glory to God, it’s already beginning to rain!

Scripture Reading:

Joel 2:23-32