It is not the time to draw back, it is the time to press in!!!
Dec 7 - Press In
By: Kenneth Copeland
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...."(Colossians 3:16)
Things in this old world aren't getting any better, and in recent times, the Holy Spirit has been speaking an urgent message to my heart. He's been saying, "Press in. Draw into a more intimate relationship with your heavenly Father. If you don't, you won't make it. If you do, you will see more glorious outpourings of God than you can imagine."
That message isn't just for me. It's also for you--and for every other believer on the earth today. We are in the last of the last days of this age. Jesus is coming soon. It's an exciting time, but it's also a dangerous time. Those who don't do what the Spirit says, who don't press into the Lord, are going to go from disaster to disaster. But those who do will defeat the disasters and turn them into glory, in Jesus' Name!
Your first step in drawing closer to God is to realize that you know God first in His Word. Time spent meditating in the New Testament is time spent with Jesus.
Most people don't realize that. So, instead of getting to know the Lord through His Word, they try to know Him through their feelings and that just won't work.
Letting the Word dominate your thinking is to allow the Holy Spirit to have control over your mind. As you do that, your feelings will eventually fall in line.
Remember this: John 1 tells us that Jesus is the Word. That means, when you spend time in it, you're spending time with Jesus. When His Word is dwelling in you richly, then Jesus is dwelling in you richly too!
Don't go from disaster to disaster. Take those disasters and turn them into glory, in Jesus' Name. Press into Jesus. Press into the Word and you'll make it through these dangerous days just fine!
Scripture Study: John 1:1-14
Kenneth Copeland MinistriesFort Worth, TX 76192-0001
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Allow your FAITH in God and His Word to be the driving force of your life and you will lead a victorious and effective life!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
I’m Behind You One Thousand Percent
The following is a great story that I shared with my youth group tonight as I taught on encouragement and the power of our words and the effect our words and attitudes have on others!
"Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing. Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among you [recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and respect them all]--your leaders who are over you in the Lord and those who warn and kindly reprove and exhort you. And hold them in very high and most affectionate esteem in [intelligent and sympathetic] appreciation of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we earnestly beseech you, brethren, admonish (warn and seriously advise) those who are out of line [the loafers, the disorderly, and the unruly]; encourage the timid and fainthearted, help and give your support to the weak souls, [and] be very patient with everybody [always keeping your temper]. See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody. Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always)..." 1 Thes. 5:11-16
"I’m Behind You One Thousand Percent" –
The Power of an Encouraging Word
As a youngster I developed a thoroughly annoying and humiliating problem of stuttering. Any person afflicted with this puzzling menace can tell you that certain letters and sounds are especially hard to say. Two troublesome letters for me were L and P. My name is Larry and I attended Plymouth-Whitemarsh junior and senior high schools in Pennsylvania.
In the ninth grade, I was elected president of our junior high student body. During an assembly of the seven, eighth, and ninth grades – several hundred students – I was beckoned by the principal to join him on stage for the induction ceremony.
Standing nervously in front of the squirming, bored crowd, I was told to repeat after the principal the words, "I, Larry Crabb of Plymouth-Whitemarsh Junior High School, do hereby promise…" That’s how the principal said it. My version was a bit different: "I L-L-L-L-Larry Crabb of P-P-P-P-Plymouth-Whitemarsh Junior High School, do hereby p-p-p-promise…"
The principal was sympathetically perplexed, my favorite English teacher wanted to cry, a few students laughed out loud, most were awkwardly amused, some felt bad for me – and I died a thousand deaths. I decided right then that public speaking was not for me.
A short time later, our church celebrated the Lord's Supper in a Sunday morning worship service. It was customary in our congregation to encourage young men to enter into the privilege of worship by standing and praying aloud. That particular Sunday I sensed the pressure of the saints (not, I fear, the leading of the Spirit), and I responded by unsteadily leaving my chair, for the first time, with the intention of praying. Filled less with worship than with nervousness, I found my theology becoming confused to the point of heresy. I remember thanking the Father for hanging on the cross and praising Christ for triumphantly bringing the Spirit up from the grave. Stuttering throughout, I finally thought of the word "Amen" (perhaps the first evidence of the Spirit's leading), said it, and sat down. I recall staring at the floor, too embarrassed to look around, and solemnly vowing never again to pray or speak aloud in front of a group. Two strikes were enough.
When the service was over, I darted toward the door, not wishing to encounter an elder who might feel obliged to correct my twisted theology. But I was not quick enough. An older Christian man named Jim Dunbar intercepted me, put his arm on my shoulder, and cleared his throat to speak.
I remember thinking to myself, "Here it comes. Oh well, just endure it and then get to the car." I then listened to this godly gentleman speak words that I can repeat verbatim today, more than thirty years later.
"Larry," he said, "there's one thing I want you to know. Whatever you do for the Lord, I'm behind you one thousand percent." Then he walked away.
Even as I write these words, my eyes fill with tears. I have yet to tell that story to an audience without at least mildly choking. Those words were life words. They had power. They reached deep within my being. My resolve never again to speak publicly weakened instantly.
Since the day those words were spoken, God has led me into a ministry in which I regularly address and pray before crowds of all sizes. I do it without stuttering. I love it. Not only death, but also life lies in the power of the tongue.
God intends that we be people who use words to encourage one another. A well-timed word has the power to urge a runner to finish the race, to rekindle hope when despair has set in, to spark a bit of warmth in an otherwise cold life, to trigger healthful self-evaluation in someone who doesn’t think much about his shortcomings, to renew confidence when problems have the upper hand.
From Encouragement: The Key to Caring by Larry Crabb Jr. and Dan B. Allender, Zondervan.
Source: 1000 Percent
"Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing. Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among you [recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and respect them all]--your leaders who are over you in the Lord and those who warn and kindly reprove and exhort you. And hold them in very high and most affectionate esteem in [intelligent and sympathetic] appreciation of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we earnestly beseech you, brethren, admonish (warn and seriously advise) those who are out of line [the loafers, the disorderly, and the unruly]; encourage the timid and fainthearted, help and give your support to the weak souls, [and] be very patient with everybody [always keeping your temper]. See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody. Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always)..." 1 Thes. 5:11-16
"I’m Behind You One Thousand Percent" –
The Power of an Encouraging Word
As a youngster I developed a thoroughly annoying and humiliating problem of stuttering. Any person afflicted with this puzzling menace can tell you that certain letters and sounds are especially hard to say. Two troublesome letters for me were L and P. My name is Larry and I attended Plymouth-Whitemarsh junior and senior high schools in Pennsylvania.
In the ninth grade, I was elected president of our junior high student body. During an assembly of the seven, eighth, and ninth grades – several hundred students – I was beckoned by the principal to join him on stage for the induction ceremony.
Standing nervously in front of the squirming, bored crowd, I was told to repeat after the principal the words, "I, Larry Crabb of Plymouth-Whitemarsh Junior High School, do hereby promise…" That’s how the principal said it. My version was a bit different: "I L-L-L-L-Larry Crabb of P-P-P-P-Plymouth-Whitemarsh Junior High School, do hereby p-p-p-promise…"
The principal was sympathetically perplexed, my favorite English teacher wanted to cry, a few students laughed out loud, most were awkwardly amused, some felt bad for me – and I died a thousand deaths. I decided right then that public speaking was not for me.
A short time later, our church celebrated the Lord's Supper in a Sunday morning worship service. It was customary in our congregation to encourage young men to enter into the privilege of worship by standing and praying aloud. That particular Sunday I sensed the pressure of the saints (not, I fear, the leading of the Spirit), and I responded by unsteadily leaving my chair, for the first time, with the intention of praying. Filled less with worship than with nervousness, I found my theology becoming confused to the point of heresy. I remember thanking the Father for hanging on the cross and praising Christ for triumphantly bringing the Spirit up from the grave. Stuttering throughout, I finally thought of the word "Amen" (perhaps the first evidence of the Spirit's leading), said it, and sat down. I recall staring at the floor, too embarrassed to look around, and solemnly vowing never again to pray or speak aloud in front of a group. Two strikes were enough.
When the service was over, I darted toward the door, not wishing to encounter an elder who might feel obliged to correct my twisted theology. But I was not quick enough. An older Christian man named Jim Dunbar intercepted me, put his arm on my shoulder, and cleared his throat to speak.
I remember thinking to myself, "Here it comes. Oh well, just endure it and then get to the car." I then listened to this godly gentleman speak words that I can repeat verbatim today, more than thirty years later.
"Larry," he said, "there's one thing I want you to know. Whatever you do for the Lord, I'm behind you one thousand percent." Then he walked away.
Even as I write these words, my eyes fill with tears. I have yet to tell that story to an audience without at least mildly choking. Those words were life words. They had power. They reached deep within my being. My resolve never again to speak publicly weakened instantly.
Since the day those words were spoken, God has led me into a ministry in which I regularly address and pray before crowds of all sizes. I do it without stuttering. I love it. Not only death, but also life lies in the power of the tongue.
God intends that we be people who use words to encourage one another. A well-timed word has the power to urge a runner to finish the race, to rekindle hope when despair has set in, to spark a bit of warmth in an otherwise cold life, to trigger healthful self-evaluation in someone who doesn’t think much about his shortcomings, to renew confidence when problems have the upper hand.
From Encouragement: The Key to Caring by Larry Crabb Jr. and Dan B. Allender, Zondervan.
Source: 1000 Percent
A God of Limitations?
God is only a God of limitations, when we place limits on Him because of our underestimation of His ability and lack of knowledge in who He is! He is still the God who supercedes our expectations, desires, needs, etc. He is still the God of the Bible! He NEVER changes, so if He doesn't look mighty to you, check your thoughts!
"Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]--"
Eph. 3:20 AMP
"Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]--"
Eph. 3:20 AMP
I Am Your Pastor
Great expression of the heart of a true Pastor! They are there for you in your ups and downs, there to help you through the circumastances of life, there for you even when you despise them, because they love YOU!
When you rise to your highest and best, I am your Pastor.
When you yield to temptation and fall to your lowest, I am your Pastor.
When you live in the Spirit and manifest the attitude of a Christian, I am your Pastor.
I Am Your Pastor
Memo to: My Congregation
From: Your Pastor
When you rise to your highest and best, I am your Pastor.
When you yield to temptation and fall to your lowest, I am your Pastor.
When you live in the Spirit and manifest the attitude of a Christian, I am your Pastor.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Compromise
If you compromise the Word, you compromise your soul! The Gospel is either wholly truth or completely farce, if you compromise a single verse you show your lack of faith in God & His Word. You've made it clear that your way is better than God's and that, my friends, is called pride. The spirit you win people with is the spirit you must maintain to keep them. So will you win them with a Spirit of Compromise or a Spirit of Truth & Power?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
It Only Takes a Few
I didn't write this, but it blessed me so much that I wanted to share it with you!
It Only Takes a Few
By: Kenneth Copeland
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Dear (insert your name here),
You may be thinking, "Can a few people like us actually change the whole nation?" Let me ask you this: Can one demonic person change a nation for the worse?
Definitely. Hitler did it in Germany, didn't he?
If the devil's power resting on a man can change a nation for the worse, you can be sure that a group of men and women with God's power resting on them can change a nation for the better.
It Only Takes a Few
By: Kenneth Copeland
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Dear (insert your name here),
You may be thinking, "Can a few people like us actually change the whole nation?" Let me ask you this: Can one demonic person change a nation for the worse?
Definitely. Hitler did it in Germany, didn't he?
If the devil's power resting on a man can change a nation for the worse, you can be sure that a group of men and women with God's power resting on them can change a nation for the better.
Monday, October 12, 2009
I Want to be a True Child of God
Wow, this verse is pretty clear!
Those who think they are exempt from correction and discipline are illegitimate offspring of God... That's not my opinion that is what the Bible says, puts a fire under you to make sure you are listening to God and any correction He may be speaking into your life.
He does it because He loves us, not because He wants to be mean!!!! I don't want to be an illegitimate child of God, illegitimate children tend not to inherit the family blessing and end up hidden in a shack somewhere. I don't know about you, but I sure do want to be a true, legitimate child of God and inherit all the blessings and benefits that are included in that and live in the family mansion...
Those who think they are exempt from correction and discipline are illegitimate offspring of God... That's not my opinion that is what the Bible says, puts a fire under you to make sure you are listening to God and any correction He may be speaking into your life.
He does it because He loves us, not because He wants to be mean!!!! I don't want to be an illegitimate child of God, illegitimate children tend not to inherit the family blessing and end up hidden in a shack somewhere. I don't know about you, but I sure do want to be a true, legitimate child of God and inherit all the blessings and benefits that are included in that and live in the family mansion...
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Grace -- Your Get Out of Hell Free Card.
Many questions are asked today by Christians regarding Grace, that is the unmerited favor of God. One of the most popular is, "Can a Christian backslide?" Well, before we jump to a quick response, we should take a look at the Word of God and see what it has to say about the matter, after all the Bible should be the deciding factor, not a man's opinion.
Now there are many patterns of thought on this subject, but I will list the two most extreme. One line of thought is that you must achieve salvation through your works and you constantly lose you salvation and constantly have to repent and work out, through good deeds, your salvation. The other line of thought is once saved, always saves or that because we are under grace we can do no wrong and can't backslide.
First, let us discuss what grace actually is. Grace typically refers to that act of Jesus on the cross. That is, the Father's unconditional love for mankind and the sacrifice of His son Jesus to redeem us from sin and the curse, being made a curse for us (Gal.3:13).
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Are You a Grasshopper or a Giant Killer?
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Here is the question for today, are you a grasshopper or a giant killer? There are characteristics that can be found for each of these in the Bible, but before we continue discussing this topic, let’s look at Numbers 13 & 14 to see what I am referring to.
Numbers 13 & 14
"AND THE Lord said to Moses, Send men to explore and scout out [for yourselves] the land of Canaan, which I give to the Israelites. ... And Moses called Hoshea son of Nun, Joshua. Moses sent them to scout out the land of Canaan, and said to them, Get up this way by the South (the Negeb) and go up into the hill country, And see what the land is and whether the people who dwell there are strong or weak, few or many, And whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the cities they dwell in are camps or strongholds, And what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is timber on it or not. And be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Be Patient Warriors of Faith
"Therefore, brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable. Firm as a rock, devoted to Christian life, for their faith is not vain." - 1 Corinthians 15:58
Too many Christians become unsettled, weary, and unhappy with were they are in life. These people give up, change churches, blame others (spouses, family, pastors, other Christians), or even blame and turn their back on God. The problem is not all of these external things listed above, it is internal. The real issue is that they do not have patience and do not use their faith -- rather than press on towards their divine destiny, which was right in front of them; they retreat and push their destiny further from them. There is a quote by Gordon Lindsay that fits perfectly with this, he said "Don't dig up in unbelief what you planted in faith."
Too many Christians become unsettled, weary, and unhappy with were they are in life. These people give up, change churches, blame others (spouses, family, pastors, other Christians), or even blame and turn their back on God. The problem is not all of these external things listed above, it is internal. The real issue is that they do not have patience and do not use their faith -- rather than press on towards their divine destiny, which was right in front of them; they retreat and push their destiny further from them. There is a quote by Gordon Lindsay that fits perfectly with this, he said "Don't dig up in unbelief what you planted in faith."
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Every Changing Wind of Doctrine
"So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of [a]unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead." - Ephesians 4:14
There is a very common trend that can be seen in the church today. More and more people are moving away from the truth and developing their own doctrine. We see the church becoming driven by emotions rather than faith – an environment of "feel-good" gospel, rather than life-changing gospel. The most recent and prevalent of these doctrines is that of grace. There are people who have now put the entire focus of Christian living on the grace of God.
There is a very common trend that can be seen in the church today. More and more people are moving away from the truth and developing their own doctrine. We see the church becoming driven by emotions rather than faith – an environment of "feel-good" gospel, rather than life-changing gospel. The most recent and prevalent of these doctrines is that of grace. There are people who have now put the entire focus of Christian living on the grace of God.
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