Let Jesus Heal People Through You

If we’re going to effectively conduct the Anointing of Jesus to heal the sick…we must refuse to fear.

•

We must simply believe.— K e n n e t h C o p e l a n d

®

If you’re a true believer, there have been times when you’ve longed to lay your hands on sick people and see them recover. Times when you’ve experienced a surge of compassion for some-one stricken with a debilitating disease. Times when you yearned to touch them and say, “Be healed, in Jesus’ Name.”

Let

b y K e n n e t h C o p e l a n d

The reason is simple. Deep in your heart, you know you’ve been called to do that. Your spirit understands, even if your intellect does not, that as a believer you’ve been divinely commissioned to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. You’ve been called to follow Jesus and He healed the sick time and time again. That was a big part of the work He did when He was on the earth.

Before He left He delegated that work. And He delegated it not just to ordained ministers or special full-time apostles and evangelists but to every single Christian. He passed His minis-

try on to all believers when He said: “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” ( John 14:12).

not what He preached there in Nazareth. He preached that He was anointed. He preached that the power of God was on Him to bring healing, deliverance, restora-tion of sight and liberty to people in every area of their lives. He preached that He was anointed to make them whole spiritually, physically, financially and socially. He didn’t just preach that once or twice. He preached it consistently. He preached it repeatedly, everywhere He went. That’s why, after Jesus had been crucified and resurrected, Peter delivered that same message to the Gentiles gathered at Cornelius’ house by proclaiming: “The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, I say, ye know…How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:36-38).

The Real Gospel Message

Peter didn’t just tell those folks that Jesus is the Son of God who came to forgive their sins. Peter told them that Jesus came preaching peace. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom and it means “nothing missing, noth-ing broken.” Peter also said, as Jesus did in Luke 4, that Jesus was anointed with the power of the Holy Ghost to heal all who were oppressed of the devil. Combine those thoughts and you’ll see what the real, true gospel mes-sage actually is. It’s that Jesus is anointed with the power of God to replace whatever is missing in your life and fix what-ever the devil has broken in your spirit, soul and body! The primary reason healings are in such short supply in the Church today is because most Christians haven’t believed that message—much less preached it! They’ve believed untrue things such as: God uses sickness to teach people something; miracles passed away with the apostles; or you never know what God’s going to do. Jesus didn’t say anything like that! He understood

Believers Who Haven’t Believed

In light of that scripture, we have to wonder why so few Christians are effectively laying hands on the sick these days. Why aren’t more people being healed in Jesus’ Name? Because for the most part we haven’t met the one condition Jesus mentioned when He gave us those instructions: We haven’t believed. I can almost hear feathers ruffling in righteous indig-nation. “Why, how can you say that, Brother Copeland? Every Christian believes in Jesus. All of us who are truly born-again children of God have put our faith in Him as our personal Savior and Lord.” Yes, thank God, we have—and that’s done a lot of good things for us. It’s taken us off the road to hell, for instance, and headed us toward heaven. It’s gotten us forgiveness of sin and peace in our hearts. But it hasn’t turned us into the heavenly ambassadors of healing Jesus intended us to be. For that to happen, we have to do more than simply believe that Jesus is the Son of God. We must believe the full message that He preached. The message He preached practically everywhere He went. The message He delivered in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth when, as Luke 4 tells us:

…as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (verses 16-19).

Jesus was and is the Son of God. But notice that’s

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And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 16:17-18

clearly that the devil—not God—is the author of sick-ness. The devil—not God—is the source of problems. He believed and boldly told them that the anoint-ing of God that was on Him would do exactly what Isaiah 10:27 said it would do: remove the burdens and destroy the yokes the devil had used to oppress them. If we’re going to lay hands on the sick and see them recover we have to believe and preach that too!

Jesus Is Anointed and So Are You

What ’s more, we must believe that we’re anointed with that same anointing of Jesus. I know that’s a staggering thought but the Bible clearly tells us it’s true. It tells us we’re in Him, He’s in us, and we are operating in His Name. It says, “…the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you,” (1 John 2:27) and “…as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). If you find it difficult to wrap your mind around that, think about it this way. When you were born again you became part of the Body of Christ. The word Christ actually means “the Anointed One.” Therefore you became a part of Jesus’ own anoint-ing. You became an anointed cell in His anointed Body. Scientists have learned that every cell in a human body carries within it that person’s complete DNA—the genetic imprint of all that person’s attributes and characteristics. Every one of your cells contains a little version of you. In the same way, as a believer you have God’s DNA in your spirit. You

have the anointed DNA of Jesus Himself inside of you. For you to minister that anointing to other people you must believe that, because faith is what connects us—and those we’re laying hands on—to the anointing. The woman with the issue of blood who reached

out by faith and touched Jesus, proved that. Jesus didn’t even know she was there. He never intention-ally released the healing anointing to her. But when she touched Him in faith, the anointing within Him began to flow. It went out of Jesus and into her. “Daughter,” He said to her when He realized what she had done, “thy faith hath made thee whole” (Luke 8:48).

Love Always and Fear Not

“Yeah, I know all that’s true,” you might say, “but I’m just af raid it won’t work for me. I’m afraid I’ll lay hands on somebody and they won’t get anything.” If you’re af raid, they probably won’t get anything because just like faith connects us to the anointing, fear blocks the anointing. That ’s why right after the woman with the issue of blood was healed, Jesus turned around to Jairus—who had just been told his daughter was dead—and said, “Be not afraid, only believe” (verse 50). Essentially Jesus was saying to Jairus, “If you yield to fear there’s not going to be much I can do for your daughter. So don’t give in to it. Keep believing instead.” If we’re going to effectively conduct

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S a l v a t i o n P r a y e r

simply pray the following prayer in faith, and Jesus will be your Lord! Heavenly Father, I come toYou inthe Name of Jesus .YourWord says ,“Whosoever shall call on the nameof the Lord shall be saved” and “Ifthou shalt confesswith thymouth theLord Jesus, and shalt believe in thineheart that God hath raised him fromthe dead, thou shalt be saved” (Acts2:21;Romans10:9).Yousaidmysalva-tion would be the result ofYour HolySpiritgivingmenewbirthbycomingtolive in me (John 3:5-6, 15-16; Romans8:9-11) and that if I would ask,Youwould fillmewithYour Spirit and giveme the abil ity to speak with othertongues(Luke11:13;Acts2:4). I takeYou atYourWord. I confessthat Jesus is Lord.And I believe in myheartthatYouraisedHimfromthedead.ThankYou for coming intomyheart, forgiving meYour Holy Spirit asYou havepromised, and for being Lord over mylife.Amen. If you have just prayed this prayer, please contact us and let us know of your decision. We have a free Salvation Package we would like to send you to help you begin your new life in Jesus! Simply write and ask for offer #60801, call 877-480-3388

Jesus Savior & Lord,

If you do not know

as your

Love always. Fear not. Then step out in faith and boldly tell others about the

Anointing of Jesus, and lay hands on the next sick person the Holy Spirit leads you to.

blessing to them to be concerned about that. When we’re loving folks, our faith (which conducts the anointing) flows at high tide because faith works by love! (See Galatians 5:6.) So love always. Fear not. Then step out in faith and fulfill the commission Jesus gave you in Mark 16. Boldly tell others about the Anointing of Jesus. Lay hands on the next sick person the Holy Spirit leads you to. Don’t quench the desire God has put within you but “stir up the gift of God, which is in thee. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7). Get out there and lay hands on the sick and let Jesus heal people through you! Victory

the Anointing of Jesus to heal the sick, we must follow those same instructions. We must refuse to fear. We must simply believe. How do we do that? By walking in love. The Bible tells us, “There is no fear in love; but per-fect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18). In addition, 1 Corinthians 12:31 tells us love is the most excellent way to operate in the power gifts of the Holy Spirit such as healing. It’s easy to see why that’s true. When we’re occupied with loving other people, we aren’t afraid of anything because we aren’t thinking of ourselves—we’re think-ing of them. We’re not concerned with what they’ll say about us if they don’t get an immediate manifestation of healing. We’re too wrapped up in wanting to be a

Jesus

Jesus wants to heal people through you…and we’ve put together a package that can help you start minister- ing to those you love. In the anointed to Heal Package, you’ll receive:

for youThe Power of the Anointing—this 2-CD set by Kenneth Copeland will inspire and challenge you to release the anointing that is in you now!

for a friend (free)!Healing Scriptures—The powerful healing scriptures read by Kenneth Copeland on this CD will help the listener stir up faith for healing.

You Are Healed pamphlet—God wants His children well, and this pamphlet gives you the promises to stand on and the steps to take.

You are Anointed to Heal!

Order the anointed to Heal Package today. It’s a great way to let Jesus heal someone through you!

Anointed to Heal Package | CDN$10 #B060205

The Power of the Anointing (2-CD set) | Healing Scriptures free! (single CD) | You Are Healed pamphlet free!

To order in Canada call toll free (877) �80-��88 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. PT Monday-Friday. Charge card orders only please. All major charge cards accepted.To place an order by mail, please use the address on the last page.

b y M e l a n i e H e m r y

Al Lindner bent over his son’s bed and kissed him goodnight. As the 4-year-old looked up at his dad with wistful eyes, Al steeled himself for the plea that would cause his heart to knock like an outboard motor running on bad gasoline. “Dad, can I hear you pray?” Troy asked. Al would do anything for his son. He would give his very life to protect him. But Troy persisted in asking the one thing that Al couldn’t do. “Dad says his prayers when he’s alone,” Al answered, turning out Troy’s light.

How could a 4-year-old kid make a man feel so confused and uncomfortable? Al wasn’t a confused, uncomfortable kind of guy. He’d always known what he wanted, and gone after it with dogged determination. As a boy growing up in Chicago, he’d spent many summers at his grandmother ’s summer cabin on Grindstone Lake in W isconsin, where he whiled away the long sum-mer days fishing. By the time he was 11, Al had declared with unwaver-ing faith that he would make a liv-ing fishing.

Anglingfor Heaven

Hisparentsdidn’tdissuadehim,nordidtheyexplainthatinthosedaysyoucouldn’tearnalivingfishing.Instead,everybirthday and Christmas they bought Al the best fishingtackleavailable.Whenhewas16,AlenteredaMuskyDerbyandwon.Forthefirsttimeinhislife,hegotpaidforfishing.Hookedonfishing,heneverlookedback. When Al served inVietnam, while other soldiers readtheirNewTestamentshestudiedLucas on Bass.Hisfishingbookswereasmarkedandannotatedasothermen’sBibles. After Vietnam, Al and his brother, Ron, decided topursue their dream. In late August 1967, they movedto Brainerd, Minn., where there were 430 lakes within a40-mileradius,andtheMississippiRiverranrightthroughtown.AlandRoncouldspendtherestoftheirlivesfishingthosewatersandneverplumbtheirdepths. The brothers became fishing guides and started LindyTackle, which eventually grew to be one of the largesttacklecompaniesintheindustry.Theyalsoquicklybecameexperts in the field, and even hosted a television fishingshowcalled“TheFactsofFishing.” Al fished the Bassmaster ProfessionalTournament cir-cuit, and both he and Ron spoke at sports shows andproduced their own magazine, In-Fisherman. Soon, theyadded other magazines: Walleye Insider; Catf ish Insider; and special, one-time issues on various subjects likeIce Fishing.And theyhosteda radioprogram five timesaweek.Together, thebrothersdevelopedtheF+L+P=S(Fish+Location+Presentation=Success)formula,whichmanyrefertoasthe“algebraofangling.”

A Different Formula | Al had always understood theformula for success, but when his brother, sister-in-law,wife and two sons all became born-again Christians, he’dbeen left out of the equation by his own free will. He’dbeen at home reading a fishing magazine when his wife,Mary,said,“Guesswhat,Honey?” “What?”Alasked,lookingup. “IaskedJesustobetheLordofmylifetoday!” Al blinked as he assimilated the information. That’s kind of a good thing,he thought.Mary and the kids need to be in church.Notthatheneededit.He’dbeenraisedintheCatholic church and decided at a young age that churchjustwasn’thisthing. “Al, what do you think about us saying prayers with

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the boys before they goto bed each night?” Maryhadaskedsoonafter.Eachnight the family knelt atTroy’s bedside to pray—firstTroy, thenShawnandfinallyMaryprayed.Eachtime,Aldodgedprayer. ThetruthwasthatAlLindnercouldn’tfindtheformulaforfaith. One night after prayer, Al sighed as he started up thestairs in the dark, still house. “Dad, would you snuggleme?”Troy asked groggily. Al smiled as he crawled intobedbesidehisson,gatheringhimtohischest.“MomandShawn are in bed and nobody’s here but us,”Troy saidsoftly.“CouldIhearyoupraynow?” Alwalkedtothebathroom,quietlyshutthedoor…andwept.

Taking the Bait|“Icouldn’tfigureoutwhatwashap-pening in my world,” Al recalls. “When Mary put ourboys in a private school, I hadn’t realized that it was aChristian school. It was through the relationships andactivitiessurroundingtheschoolthatMaryandtheboyshadfoundChrist. “Fromthatpointon,Ifeltconfusedandoutofsync.Twodays afterTroy begged me to pray with him, the pastorfromthekids’schooldroppedbyforacupofcoffeeandtotalkaboutfishing.AssoonashecastJohn3:16,Itookthebait.Idroppedtomyknees,repentedofmysinsandaskedJesustobetheLordofmylife,”Alrecalls. “Iwas37yearsoldandhadneverunderstoodanythingaboutGod.IopenedtheBibleandfeltonfire.Iwas likea sponge absorbing God’sWord. Since I had no spiritualbaggage,IjustacceptedwhatIreadatfacevalue.WhenIheardabouttheHolySpirit,Isaid,‘Let’sgo!’ “Probablythebiggestchangecameinourprayertime.Inotonlyprayedwiththeboys,butMaryandIdecidedtopraytogetherdaily.Itwaslife-changingforus.”

Taking a Stand | In-Fishermanmagazinewas8yearsold and still struggling financially. Like most small pub-lishers,AlandRonhadtriedtogetalcoholandtobaccoads,butthosecompanieshadnotwantedtoinvestinamagazinewithasmallcirculation.FourmonthsafterAlgavehis lifetotheLord,hewassurprisedtofindanorderforanalcoholadtobeplacedinthemagazine.Theadwastastefullydone,

Angling

As soon as he cast John 3:16,

I took the bait. I dropped to my knees, repented of my sins

and asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life.

yetforsomereasonitdidn’tsitrightwithAl. “That night I pondered the difference between ads,”Al recalls.“If I cutoutalcoholandcigarettes,whataboutchewingtobacco?Howdidbikinisfitintoournewmoral-ity? If I didn’t accept the revenue from the alcohol andtobacco companies, would we ever expand our market?HowdidthesedecisionssitwiththeChristianfishsymbolwe’dputonourlogo? “I read Proverbs 16:3, ‘Commit to the Lord whateveryoudo,andyourplanswill succeed.’We’dcommittedourlivestotheLord,andwhenweusedthefishsymbol,we’dcommitted our business to Him as well.That scripturegavemetheanswer.Wemadeahardandfast rulenot toacceptanyalcoholortobaccoads.”

Fishers of Men | The salesmen in the advertisingdepartmentwere severelydisappointed.ThenextdayoneofthemensteppedintoAl’soffice. “Al, you’re a hypocrite,” he said. “You drink, yet you’vemadeacorporatepolicyagainstadvertisingthoseproducts.” Hypocrite. ThewordhitAlhard.Isthatwhathe’dbecome?Ronhadbeendeliveredfromalcoholismwhenhewasbornagain, but Al had never had a problem with alcohol. Hedrankanoccasionalbeerorglassofwine,oratleasthediduntilthatwordfromthesalesmanwashurledathim.Fromthatmomenton,Alneverpickedupadrinkagain. Al and Ron fully expected their advertising decision tocostthemalotofmoney,andtheywerewillingtotakethefinancialhitandthecriticism.Overthenextfewmonths,theywerestunnedtosee lucrativeads fromvariousprod-uctsflowintotheirbusiness.Insteadofdwindlingfinances,theLordblessedthebusinessandcausedittoprosper. Withavoiceineveryformofmedia,AlandRonbecameoutspoken about their faith.They bought a campgroundand held “Fishers of Men” retreats—bringing hundredsintothesavingknowledgeofJesusChrist.Theygavetheirtestimoniesatsportfishingevents.Theyevensharedtheirfaith on television and radio, using the new formula theyhaddiscovered:Faith+Love+Presentation=Salvation. It was an algebraic equation that worked powerfully. Itshookthegatesofhell…andhellfoughtback.

Ice Angel | It was late afternoon the day beforeThanksgiving when Al, Shawn andTroy left home totrudgeontofrozenPerchLakenearby.WhileShawnandTroyplayedwith their friends,Al chiseled ahole in theicetocatchsomebluegillsfordinner.Thefishbeganbit-ing almost immediately. After a while the kids got coldandheadedhome.Aloneinicysilence,Alsighedindeep

God wants to be your best

friend and He can be—once

you learn to keep your eyes on Him. Just like brothers al and

ron Lindner discovered the benefits of Friendship With God, you can too with this teaching series and study guide from

Kenneth Copeland.

This special package includes al and ron Lindner’s book First Light on the Water, in which they share some of the fishing experiences

God used to shape and direct their lives. It’s their story of lessons

learned on and off the water and how faith guides them.

you’ll also receive FREE a handsome fearless faith cap embroidered

with Kenneth Copeland’s, al Lindner’s and John Copeland’s signatures.

Friendship With God PackageCDN$40 #B060207

Developing Friendship With God | 4-CD series with study guide

First Light on the Water | 5½” x 8½” | hardback | 131 pages

fearless faith cap

See response form for ordering information.

The Best Friend You’ll Ever Have!

as seen on TV

contentment.God has been so good to me, hethought. Withplentyoffish,Alheadedhome.Inthebayinfrontof his house, he suddenly stopped midstride. Something’s wrong. Without taking another step, Al used his chiseltotapthe ice infrontofhim.Theicecracked,splittinga3-footholeinthefrozensurface. Al’s fall into the frigid water was swift, slowed onlywhenhiselbowhitsolidiceonthewaydown,dislocatinghis shoulder.There was no one around to hear the quietsplashashesankintomorethan8feetoffreezingwater. AlLindner’sworldwentblank. Like a wrinkle in time, in the next instant Al foundhimself on top of the ice, kneeling, wet and shiveringbeside the gaping hole. He supported himself with hisleft hand. His right arm dangled uselessly. Rolling hisshoulder back into place with asickening jolt of agony, Al stoodandlookedaround. Who pulled me out of the water? Hewasaloneinthedusk. No devil in hell could with-stand the promise of Psalm 91,which vibrated with life in thatfrozen,barrenplace.He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

Fishing Tales | AlthoughAland Ron Lindner have now soldLindyTackle and their publica-tions, they still cast theWord ofGod to a sea of lost humanityeveryday. “We film 26 new segments ayear for television,” Al explains.“FouryearsagotheLordtoldmetoendeverytelevisionshowwithan inspirational message. Theother day, two men stopped mefor my autograph.They sharedhow much they liked the pro-gram, and then one of the mensaid, ‘But that God stuff at theendneedstobeleftinchurch.’ “I said, ‘God is not boxed upinside four walls of a buildingwaitingforyoutovisit.He’spres-entineveryareaoflife—evenonthewater.’”

Jesus is still calling people like fisherman brothers Al and Ron Lindner to lay

aside the things of the world and follow Him—to be His Par tners.

At Kenneth Copeland Ministries, we depend on our Par tners to help us share

the good news from God’s Word. Our goal is to use every available voice to

spread His message around the world. And with your prayers and suppor t, we’re

more effective together than we could ever be alone.

If you would l ike to become a Par tner with

Kenneth Copeland Ministries, or would like to find

out more about par tnership, just call 877-480-3388

or visit kcm.org. God has great things in store for

you!

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:18-19

(New International Version)

That’s Partnership!

Partners, in the days

ahead, please send us

your testimonies—we

would like to hear about

the glorious things God is

doing in and through you!

TheLordisespeciallypresentatfirstlight,whichiswhyAl and Ron wrote an inspirational book for fishermen,First Light on the Water: Lessons on Life From Al and Ron Lindner. It’s no surprise that, like Jesus, they drawmanyoftheirlessonsfromfishingexperiences. It’salsonosurprise thatwhenAl’spastoraskedhimtobringhis boat for a fishing expeditionwithKenneth andJohn Copeland, he quickly agreed. He figured a trip likethatwouldbeafisherman’sparadise. Once thing’s for sure, the men would have plenty totalkabout. They’reallanglingforheaven.Victory

editor’s Note: for more information on First Light on the Water, go to anglingedge.com and click on Inspirational.

It’s Your Year of Total Fulfillment!

Get Totally Immersed at Kenneth Copeland Ministries

2006 Meetings

is here!(

Are You Ready...

to join your faith with thousands of believers?

to hear a message that will turn your life around?

to experience total immersion in the Word?

It’s closer than you think…

Branson Victory Campaign | March 2-4 Faith Life Church | 3220 Falls Parkway | Branson, MO 65616

West Point Victory Campaign | April 7-8U.S. Military Academy | Bldg. 601 Cullum Road

West Point, NY 10996

Open to the public—photo ID required.

West Coast Believers’ Convention | July 3-8Anaheim Convention Center | 800 West Katella Ave.

Anaheim, CA 92802

southWest Believers’ Convention | July 31-August 5Fort Worth Convention Center | 1201 Houston St.

Fort Worth, TX 76102

Great Lakes Believers’ Convention | August 21-26U.S. Cellular Arena | 400 W. Kilbourn Ave.

Milwaukee, WI 53203

GoLd Coast Victory Campaign | October 5-7Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre

Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach

Queensland, Australia

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

Osborne Park, WA 6917 Australia

WashinGton, d.C. Victory Campaign | November 9-11Hylton Memorial Chapel | 14640 Potomac Mills Road

Woodbridge, VA 22192

Unable to attend? Join us via a live

video or audio broadcast at getimmersed.org!

I believe one of the most important things God

has cal led us to do i s to meet together. As

you jo in in the corporate anoint ing at these

meetings, the intense exposure to the Word of

God will renew your mind so you will become

prosperous-minded, healed and well.

— K e n n e t h C o p e l a n d

the

Terri Copeland Pearsons will be in Europe and Australia

March 20-April 1 (hosted by KCM Europe)

May 22-June 5 (hosted by KCM Australia)

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

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

One Word From God Can Change Your Life Forever! Be a voice of victory...Bring a friend!

Are You Ready...

to join your faith with thousands of believers?

to hear a message that will turn your life around?

to experience total immersion in the Word?

is here!(

April 25-29Azusa Street Centennial Los Angeles, Calif.

www.azusastreet100.net

September 1-3Thunder Over TexasJerry Savelle Ministries International

Texas Motor Speedway

3601 Hwy. 114 | Justin, TX 76247

(817) 297-3155

www.thunderovertexas.com

September 17-22Days of RefreshingEagle Mountain International Church

Kenneth Copeland Ministries Headquarters

14355 Morris-Dido Road

Newark, TX 76071 (not a mailing address)

(800) 600-7395

October 25-30 Prayer Mountain in the OzarksBillye Brim Ministries

P.O. Box 40 | Branson, MO 65615

(417) 336-4877

www.billyebrim.org

Admission is FREE!

Seek Love—Overlook the Offense | The most haz-ardous weapon the devil uses against us is also the foremost enemy of love. I’m talking about STrIfe. Strife means “vigorous or bitter conflict, discord and antagonism; to quarrel, struggle or clash; competition; rivalry.” This dangerous sin is an open door to the devil. It gives him license to bring confusion and evil into our lives. ! The Bible tells us how to avoid strife: “He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends” (Proverbs 17:9, The Amplif ied Bible). ! So what is the answer to avoiding strife? Well, most importantly, you are to yield to love. If you want peace in your life, give peace to others. Walk in love. Be quick to forgive and overlook an offense. Don’t repeat matters that cause strife. ! We can also avoid strife through forgiveness: “Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense” (Proverbs 19:11, The Amplif ied Bible). ! You know, the devil will always try to make us think the way the world thinks. The world says, “If someone mistreats or insults you, the only ‘macho’ response is to give him one right between the eyes!”

and Stop Strife

b y G l o r i a C o p e l a n d

“In order to walk in God’s wisdom

and keep the door of your life

closed to the devil, you must

guard diligently against strife and

seek diligently to love others.”

—Glo r i a Cope l and

Seek Love

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That’s because the devil operates and thrives on strife, since strife gives him an open door. The Bible says that where there is strife, there is also confusion and every evil work ( James 3:16). Satan likes that kind of atmosphere. It breeds evil. The devil tries to cause us to think like the world thinks. He wants us to believe that we have to defend ourselves when we are insulted. He wants us to think, I’m going to get the last word. I’ll give that guy a piece of my mind! But no one needs a piece of your mind. You should keep all you have! The Bible says it is to your glory to overlook an offense. It also says you have good sense when you restrain your anger. Actually, insults won’t hurt you if you don’t partake of them—if you refuse to allow them into your spirit. You can forgive the person and go on peacefully, knowing that you just exhibited wisdom. Not only did you respond in wisdom, but you are still free from the trap of the devil.

Love Stops Strife Before It Breaks Out

Let’s look at another important key to getting rid of strife: “The beginning of strife is as when water first trickles [from a crack in a dam]; therefore stop contention before it becomes worse and quarreling breaks out” (Proverbs 17:14, The Amplified Bible). You will never have a happy home if you don’t resist strife. You see, Satan wants to stop your faith from working, so he’ll try to slip in the back way and trick you into open-ing the door of your life to him. Getting you into strife gives him a way in. Strife may seem to start out small, but really there is no such thing as insignificant strife. Strife left unchecked will flood your life like an ugly torrent. The enemy likes to bring you an opportunity to get into a conflict with someone, because he knows that the moment you step into strife he can gain mastery over you. He uses strife to interrupt the flow of love in your life. And once he’s gotten you out of love, then he can cancel out your faith be-cause faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). Love is our com-mandment. Jesus said, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” ( John 15:12). So if you want to walk in the power and blessing of God, don’t open the door to the devil through strife. You have to make up your mind, “I am putting strife out of my house and out of my life!”

This is the way you do it: At the very first hint of strife, stop it. Don’t let someone pull you into an argument. Instead, walk in love and forgiveness and “stop contention before it becomes worse” (Proverbs 17:14, The Amplified Bible). It takes two people to get into strife, and you can decide not to get into it! You don’t have to fit the description of the person in Proverbs 17:19: “He who loves strife and is quarrelsome loves transgression and involves himself in guilt” (The Amplif ied Bible). So when you recognize a situation that sparks feelings of aggravation, jealousy or strife within you, just look at that situation through the eyes of God and talk to it. Say, “I refuse to allow this situation to bring strife into my life. I yield to the forces of love and joy within me.”

No Place for Strife in a Loving Home

Proverbs 17:1 (The Amplified Bible) gives you more in-sight into the danger of strife in your home: “Better is a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of feasting [on offered sacrifices] with strife.” The home is one of Satan’s biggest targets. He continu-ally tries to disrupt families by causing strife and division in your homes. Your family is a powerful force for God when you’re all in agreement with one another. That’s why it’s so important to stay out of strife and walk in love at home. Oddly enough, home is often the most difficult place to be loving! I think the reason for that is we don’t have our guard up when we’re at home. We’re not worried about our reputation. We’re not trying to impress anyone. At home, we relax and nothing stops us from being selfish except our commitment to walk in the love of God. But don’t be fooled into thinking that it doesn’t matter how you act at home. It matters a great deal. In fact, years ago the Lord said this to me, If you allow Satan to stop you with strife at your front door, you’ll be no threat to him any-where else.

Love Prevents Strife Among Brothers

Let me warn you that as soon as you start putting strife out of your home, the devil will pressure you even harder to get into strife somewhere else—at work, at church—just any-where will work for him. He’ll provoke someone to be rude to you or hurt your feelings. Or he’ll make sure you find out

b y G l o r i a C o p e l a n d

Treat the temptation to gossip and stir up strife as you would a poisonous snake .

Turn your back and run the other way, because in the eyes of God,

participating in strife is one of the most serious of sins.

about other believers’ mistakes, then try to convince you to talk about their mistakes to others. We must remember Paul’s words, “But as touching broth-erly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:9). When the enemy presents you with that opportunity, turn him down—fast! Treat that temptation to gossip and stir up strife as you would a poisonous snake. Turn your back and run the other way, because in the eyes of God, participating in strife is one of the most serious of sins. “finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of an-other, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8). Stay away from strife. Ask God to reveal to you if you’ve entered into strife—even inadvertently. He may remind you of a time you passed along some gossip about someone else or criticized the pastor. If He does, repent and make a decision to be more conscious of avoiding that strife in the future.

Born to Walk in Love

When Ken and I first received the revelation of the danger of strife, we realized that if we wanted to walk in the full measure of God’s blessings, we would have to stay out of strife. We wouldn’t be able to argue with people or fight back when people criticized or wronged us. We’d have to respond in love.

So we made up our minds to put strife out of our fam-ily. We made up our minds to keep it out of our ministry. We absolutely refused to operate in strife. And we deter-mined that if we did mess up and exchange harsh words, we would be quick to repent and keep the devil from gain-ing a foothold in our lives. If you want to walk in God’s love and keep the door of your life closed to the devil, that ’s the kind of decision you’ll have to make, too. So guard diligently against strife. Make the commitment to keep strife out of your life. See to it that your prayers prevail by stay- ing in harmony with your family members as well as others. The moment you slip up and get into strife, make it right. Go to the other person and say, “Please forgive me. I love you. I don’t want to be in strife with you.” Then tell the Lord, “father, I repent of strife. I refuse to be a person of strife. I choose to walk in love.” You may have to repent quite a bit at first if you’ve de-veloped habits that must be changed. But don’t get dis-gusted with yourself and give up. Just keep acting on the Word. Stop strife—and yield to love! The love of God has been shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost (romans 5:5). You are born of God to walk in His love. Victory

Walk in the Way of WisdomThe book of Proverbs contains an abun-

dance of spiritual wisdom for those who

want to fulfill God’s will. But sometimes

finding and understanding that wisdom

can be difficult. Gloria Copeland shows

how to unlock the secrets of one of the

Bible’s most famous books and leads

you step by step through rich, powerful

scriptures filled with wisdom.

Hidden Treasures 7” x 9” | paperback | 158 pages

CDN$11 #B060203

Praying Effectively!Terri Copeland Pearsons will teach you how to pray with purpose and get results.

Join her each day as she covers a key principle for powerful prayer.

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F e b r u a r y

BELIEVER’S VOICE OF VICTORY VOLUME 34 NUMBER 2 February 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 Manager/Kelly Weekly Publishing Manager/Glenda Bunkofske Partner Development Assistant

Manager/Julie King Managing Editor/Ron Jordan Editors/Deborah Ide Barbara Morley Writers/Michelle Medlock Adams Karen Adlong Darlene Breed Rick Bunkofske Kim Culp Gina Lynnes Christopher Maselli Don Turner

Editorial Assistants/Eileen Hooley Melissa Johnson Proofreaders/John Caccomo Jean De Long Michelle Harris Senior Designer/Michael Augustat Production Coordinator/Lynette Lundy Type Coordinator/Joyce Glasgow

Gloria CopelandTaking Steps Toward the Master Plan

Understand why it’s vitally important to research and seek God in order to discover the Master

Plan for your life. Gloria shares how to use your faith to connect with that plan.

Kenneth and Gloria CopelandThere Is Power in Partnership

Join Kenneth and Gloria for a special partnership broadcast, as they celebrate you—their Partners

and Friends. You’ll learn the biblical importance of partnership and how it affects your everyday life.

Gloria CopelandSeeking God First

Learn the importance of seeking God first and what the word seek really means. Gloria shares

that if you want to connect to God’s Master Plan, you must seek Him continually.

Praying With Authority!Terri Copeland Pearsons is back for another week of powerful prayer.

Learn how to pray from your position of authority because you are seatedin “heavenly places.”

Partnership MattersDon’t miss a broadcast with Kenneth and Gloria Copeland this week as

they teach on the power of partnership. When you join your faith with KCM, something explodes in the spirit realm. Find out your covenant rights as a

believer and discover the privileges of partnership.

Get Your Daily Dose of Faith Take time out of your busy day to get into the Word of God and build your

faith with these exciting broadcasts. One word from God can change your life forever—don’t miss out on your word today!

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5Kenneth Copeland

Defining Your Life by LoveFind out how to define your life by love and how

to let love be your guide in all situations.

Kenneth Copeland Kenneth Copeland Gloria Copeland Terri CopelandPearsons

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KCM Making a Difference… Through Ministry, Materials and Prayers I had just opened my Bible

and was about to pray Psalm 27

when the BVOV magazine with

Gloria’s article on God’s good-

ness came through the food slot

on my door. Tears started to

flow. You see, in 2001 my oldest

brother had a heart attack and

a stroke and is now in a con-

valescent home. This particular

Psalm is one God had given me

to stand on in believing for his

complete restoration and heal-

ing. Every time I get the BVOV

magazine there is a specific con-

firmation from the Almighty!

I have no words to express

what your ministry and materi-

als—books, Bibles and Partner

Letters, not to mention your

prayer team and their dedication

to fervent prayer—have meant in

my life. I’m sure countless others

both incarcerated and at liberty

feel the same way. Make no mis-

take, there are more children

of God, and more of them filled

with the Holy Ghost, because of

your ministry.

T.B. | Nevada

“I Finally Get It!” TheWordbecamealiveinmeandchangedmylifeatthe2005BransonVictory Campaign—my first campaign, but not my last. It has been suchapleasuretositundertheanointingofyourteaching.Asyoutoldushowyouwrote“JesusIsLord”oneverything(evenyourshoes)itsparkedafirein me. The teaching about loving the Lord and loving our neighbor haschangedmylife.Ifinallygetit.Itissosimple,butsoprofound. ThisVictoryCampaignhashelpedmegof romheadknowledgeoftheWord to heart knowledge with revelation and relationship. Thank GodforHisWordandforyourministry.B.J. Lamie | Dover, Ark.

Spina Bifida Bows to the Name of Jesus February 2004, my daughter had a miscarriage. By September she wasexpecting again. Just beforeThanksgiving her obstetrician said the baby hadspinabifida. Ididnot receive that report! I criedout toGod, theHolySpiritand the blood of Jesus—I claimed healing for thebabyandincreasedfaithformydaughter. I calledTBN and KCM. My daughter orderedGloria’shealing tapes and scriptures.We stoodonthem,andourfaithinGod.WhenwewentforherDecember checkup there was no indication of additional fluid buildup on thebrain.Therewasalsoacoveringoverthespine.

WecontinuedtostandontheWordofGod.Weprayedand listened to the tapes and read the healing scripturebooklet. God blessed us with a healthy, beautiful baby girl.She had surgery to close a small opening less than an inchlongatthebaseofherspineandtoplaceashuntinherhead.She was released to go home nine days after her birth. At

her two-week checkup the doctors said she’s doing fine.PraiseGod!Sheissuchablessingandmiracle.

I thankGod foryourministry.KCMhasministered tomysoulandspiritforyears.IthankGodforyourcommitment

toHim,andforyourobediencetoHisWord.Carol Becton | North Carolina

GoodNewsGazette

KCM has ministered to my soul and spirit for years.

whichthouhastlaidupforthemthatfearthee.”Psalm31:19

“Oh how great is thy goodness,

Covenant Provides Protection Since I started praying the prayer f romKellie ’s book Protecting Your Family in Dangerous Times, I have experienced thepowerofthatcovenant.October2,2004,whenIarrivedhomefromwork,myhusbandwasalreadyhomestandingaround drinking with his friends after work-ing on our car. My daughter was in front ofour flat, and I was standing in the doorway.Her14-month-oldsonwassittinginthepram

outside,nexttothedoor. My husband got into the car to park itand almost drove into my neighbor’s car, butturnedsharplyandcamestraight for us. Lord, what is he doing? Iwon-dered. As the car camecrashing into the build-ing, I jumped back intotheflat.Ihadcompletelyforgotten that my grandson was outside in hispramexactlywherethecarcamedown. My daughter screamed and I looked to seethe baby was crushed between the car and thewall. People were hysterical. All I said was,“Help me move the car.” When I took him inmyarmsIwasthankingandpraisingGod.Ididnotknowifanythingwaswrong,butIknewtheGodIserveisElShaddai. We rushed him to the hospital wherethe doctor examined him and took X-rays.Praise God there was no damage—not onebone broken. Two weeks later, my husbandstoppeddrinking! The following month, the same daughterandtwofriendswererobbedatgunpoint.Theywere not harmed. My daughter knows herauthority in Christ, and althoughshe had wandered away for alittlewhile,beforetherobberyshehadrecommittedherlifetotheLord.L.F. | South Africa

God Gave Me the Desire of My Heart Godhadgivenmeadreamof receiving agodlyhusbandandwonderfulmarriagewithus being called together inministry. In June 1986, Iwas led topray theprayeroffaith foragodlymate.Later,God specifically told me tobecome your Partner. I sentinaprayerrequesttoyourministryprayerteamtoagreewithmeforagodlymate. For18yearsIstoodonMark11:24,refusingtobemovedfromitortostartdating.Ifedmyfaithwithtapes,booksandvideosasGodpreparedme. June 2004 marked the 18th year of my faith stand, andI was resisting weariness big time, yet I knew my due sea-sonwascomingintoviewandI would not give up. In July2004, I received my BVOVmagazine.The Spirit had merereadtheentiresinglesarticle.AsIsatatmykitchentable,I reread the word that Gloria said: “God has the perfectpersonforeachofyou!”Suddenly,abreakthrough,afloodgateof tears of joy and laughter came out of me! All wearinesswasgone. Ten days later, I had a visitation of the Lord, telling meto get ready because my time of manifestation had come!TwodaysafterthatIwasgettingreadytoleaveafterchurchwhen a man walked over and asked me for prayer.We hadbeensittingonoppositesidesofthesanctuaryforyears! Eight months later, on our wedding day, April 2, 2005,AnthonyandIarestandinginourdream!GlorytoGod.Carol Cardinale | Buffalo, N.Y.

GoodNewsGazette

Marriage RestoredI want to give all honor and glory to the Lord forreturning my husband to me after we had beenseparatedfor1½years.WithouttheLord’sstrengthand comfort, I would not have stayed the course.He taught me patience, perseverance, wisdom andcompassion. Ultimately, He has and does continuetoteachmehowtoforgiveothersoftheirsinsasHehasforgivenmine.S.H. | Qatar

KCM has ministered to my soul and spirit for years.

“Oh how great is thy goodness,

I knew my due season was coming into view

and I would not give up.

Praise God there was no damage—

not one bone broken.

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b y M e l a n i e H e M r y

When she arrived in Malaita, Cherri found pastorsfromallacrosstheislandgathered.Theyhadprayedandfastedforthreeweeks,believingthatshewouldcomeandteachthemtheWordofGod. “Canyoubereadytopreachinanhour?”thedelegationhad askedwhenCherri arrivedon the island.From thatdayforward,shetaughtsixhoursaday,sixdaysaweektopeoplewhowereravishedwithhungerfortheWord. Now reports from Malaita had reached her.The vil-lagershad taken theWord literally and simplydidwhatit said. After Cherri left the island, a small band of herstudentsfastedandprayedforaweek.Thentheywenttothelocalhospitaltoprayforthesick. Nearly1,000patientswerehealedandsenthome,leav-ing the hospital virtually empty. Later, after two boysfrom two different villages died, two pastors who hadattended Cherri’s six-week class prayed for them. Bothboyswereraisedfromthedead. A child deathly ill with a hole in her heart had beenaboard a ship that was taking her for heart surgery. A

pastor from Cherri’s class prayed for her, and she wasmiraculouslyhealed. These miracles were happening in the same villageswhere,previously,peopletryingtopresentthegospelhadbeenchasedawaywithanax.

Finding Faith|Fanningherselfwithapalmleafinthetropicalheat,CherrithoughtaboutthelongjourneythathadledhertotheSouthPacificwheresomeofthemostbitter fighting of World War II occurred. Raised in aChristianhome,shehadbeenbornagainandfilledwiththeHolySpiritatayoungage.Whileattendingaretreat,shehadbeencalledbyGodtothemissionfieldwhenshewasonly12yearsold. Two years later, when her family moved to Denver,Colo., the bottom fell out of their secure lives. Cherri’smother couldn’t find work, and the company where herfatherworkedcollapsed.They lost everything.Homelessandlivinginarelative’sbasement,Cherri’sfamilydiscov-ered the teaching ministries of Kenneth Copeland and

Hope Ministries International herri Campbell sat under a banana tree on

Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands in the

Pacific Ocean. She needed a few minutes to herself

to thank God for the reports coming from Malaita—

another of the Solomon Islands.

Prior to arriving in Guadalcanal, she had spent four

months living in the bush and teaching her Bible cur-

riculum in Vanuatu. Then, thanks to a divine appoint-

ment, Cherri went on to Malaita, where reports of her

time in Vanuatu preceded her.

C

wasonaprimitive islandwhereI lived in thebushwithnoelectricityorrunningwater.Forthefirstfewmonths,Iwasplaguedby theheat, thehumidity,unfamiliar foodandhomesickness.Butthatwasnothingcomparedtothejoyof teaching everyday.By the endofmy four-monthstay in Vanuatu, the Lord had opened a door for me toministerintheSolomonIslands.”

Listen to Me, You Islands | Cherri came f rom along line of women on the cutting edge of ministry.Her great-great-grandmother attended AngelesTemplewhen Aimee Semple McPherson was there. She alsoattended Aimee’s L.I.F.E. Bible College. In addition,Cherri’sGreat-AuntStellawasaPentecostalpreacher inLosAngeleswiththeChurchofGodinChrist.Shealsoprovidedamissionhousewhereshefedandministeredtoalcoholicsandthehomeless. Both of Cherri’s grandparents were pastors, and herparents founded Hope Ministries International. Perhapsbecauseherancestorshadprimarilybeencalledtocities,Cherriassumedthatshewouldbeaswell. However, a few years before the Lord sent her into themission field, He gave her a scriptural promise in Isaiah49:1-2, “Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distantnations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from mybirth he has made mention of my name. He made mymouthlikeasharpenedsword”(New International Version).

The Manifestation of Faith | Forthepastfiveyears,Cherri has spent eight to 10 months each year preach-ing and teaching in India, the Philippines, Micronesia,Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands orVanuatu.SevenBible schoolshaveadoptedFoundations of Victorious Living—250 hours of study—as their pri-

marycurriculum. A single American woman traveling tothe far corners of the earth—some of themMuslimnations—topreachthegospel,Cherrikeeps the promises of God in her heart andon her lips. One of those promises is Psalm139:9-10,“IfIriseonthewingsofthedawn,if I settle on the far side of the sea, even thereyourhandwillguideme,yourrighthandwillholdmefast”(New International Version). Cherri Campbell is certain that all hertimesareinthehandoftheLord. Thatsamehandholdsyours.Victory

editor’s Note: for more information about this ministry, email hmi@hopeministriesintl.org or write to HMI, 1350 N. Tabor Dr., Castle rock, CO 80104

KennethHagin.Theyimmersedthemselves intheWordof God, and within eight months things began to turnaround.First, theywereable torentahouse.Thenthreeyearslater,theyownedahome.

Preparation for Purpose | After high school, CherriattendedOralRobertsUniversityinTulsa,Okla.,andlatergraduatedfromRhemaBibleTrainingCenter.Finally, shethought God would launch her into the mission field—somethingshehadbeenwaitingforherwholelife. Only…Goddidn’t. Cherri went to work for Marilyn Hickey Ministriesinstead. During that time, in 1994, the Lord dropped aBible curriculum in her heart. He said, Write this simply so that anyone can understand it. Cherri spent the rest of1994andallof1995writingthecurriculum,Foundations of Victorious Living. Now the Lord will send me to the mission f ield, shethought. But He didn’t. Instead, He told her to move toFortWorth,Texas. Cherri took a job with Kenneth Copeland Ministries,buttoldthemsheprobablywouldnotbethereverylong.A year passed, then two years, then three. Many doorsto ministry opened during that time, but each time sheprayed,CherriheardtheLordsay,This is an Ishmael. Wait on your promise. “Duringthattime,”Cherrirecalls,“theLordwasteach-ingmethepowerofpatiencewith joy.I learnedthat joyisachoicewemakeeverydayofourlives.Godremindedme of what Kenneth Hagin had said, ‘If you are willingto wait forever, it won’t take very long.’ After workingfouryearsatKCM,Imadeafirmdecisionthatifanother20 years passed, and I was still sitting at the same deskdoingthesame job,Iwouldbe joyfulandperfectlycon-tent. I meant that with every fiber in mybeing. Kenneth Copeland was my favoriteteacher and had influenced my life greatly,soifGoddidn’tsendmetothemissionfield,therewasnoplaceI’dratherbe.

The Joy of the Lord | “I was almost30 years old when my parents called fromTulsatosaytheyhadmetaministervisitingfrom Vanuatu and asked if I’d like to meethim.WhenIprayed,theLordsaid,Meet him and go where he sends you. “When I showed him my curriculum, heasked me to teach it in his Bible school inLuganville,ontheislandofSanto,Vanuatu.IflewthereinJanuary2001.TheBibleschool

f e B r u a r y ’ 0 6 | B V O V | 19

Ten percent of your gifts to Kenneth Copeland Ministries

go into outreaches of KCM and its Partner ministries to help

spread the good news around the world. Hope Ministries

International is one of them. If you are a Partner with KCM, you are helping this ministry reach thousands of people.

Thank you, Partners and Friends, for your support. It’s reaching further than you’ll ever know!

here are no human superstars in this story. Mention Azusa Street and most believers envision a mighty, supernatural outpouring of God Himself. Many have never even heard the names of those who were at the heart of it. When God began moving supernaturally in Los Angeles, it wasn’t in the mainline churches or among well-known preachers of the day. And He didn’t just touch one ethnic group or financial class. A small, humble group was handpicked by God Himself to put His plan in motion. Indeed, He chose “the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…that no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

William J. Seymour

When God planned this pivotal move, He chose as its leader William J. Seymour, the son of former black slaves f rom Louisiana. Born May 2, 1870, Seymour grew up in church and, as a youth, experienced dreams and visions. He taught himself by reading the Bible. He found his hope in God, who is no respecter of persons…regardless of class or color. He came to realize that only in Christ

Outpouringthe

begins

T

Azusa Street

“And it shal l come to pass in the last days, saith God, I wi l l

pour out of my Spir it upon al l f lesh: and your sons and your

d augh te r s s h a l l p rophe s y, a nd your young men sh a l l s ee

vis ions, and your old men shal l dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17)

Outpouringbegins

can anyone receive true liberation. In that day of racial chaos, few blacks ventured north. But by the time Seymour was 25, he was working as a waiter in Indianapolis. He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, which had an outreach to all classes of people. As race relations in the city deteriorated, he moved on to Cincinnati. There he joined a holiness group called the Evening Light Saints, which promoted unity, both among Christians and races. It was a time of challenge and change for Seymour. Miraculously he survived smallpox, which left him blind in one eye. He then felt compelled to answer the call to the ministry. After being ordained, he began to travel as an evangelist. Eventually he made his home in Houston, Texas, where he had family and a f riend, Lucy Farrow, who pastored a black holiness church. Farrow faithfully attended meetings in Houston that were held by Rev. Charles Parham, from Kansas. Parham had become well-known for teaching that speaking in tongues was Bible evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. His Houston meetings were attended by all races, and even reported on in the newspapers. When the Parhams returned home to Kansas, Farrow went to work for them. In her absence, she turned her church over to William Seymour. During Farrow’s time with the Parhams, she received the Baptism and spoke in tongues. Her account of these experiences caught Seymour’s attention. W hen Parham later opened a Bible school in Houston, Seymour became one of his students. At that time, it was against the law for blacks and whites to share a classroom, so Seymour listened f rom the hallway outside. Although he had not yet spoken in tongues, Seymour accepted the message and began preaching it himself.

The “Divine Call”

In January 1906, Seymour was invited to preach at a small holiness mission in Los Angeles. He saw this as a “divine call.” His first message included Acts 2:4, as he declared that tongues was proof a person had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. The pastor rejected this doctrine as radical and padlocked the door so Seymour could not preach there again. Subsequently, a family named Lee opened their home to Seymour and he began leading prayer meetings and

teaching there. But he was soon forced to endure a hostile cross-examination by a group of elders. Through it all, he refused to get in strife. Seymour later held prayer meetings at the home of Richard and Ruth Asberry at 214 Bonnie Brae St. Most of those attending were poor blacks. As word about the meetings spread, a handful of white seekers f rom area churches joined the group. The spir i tual atmosphere in Los Angeles was already saturated with the prayers of those who for years had been seeking a move of God. Many believed it was time, and that Los Angeles was the place for a major outpouring. For a month the small group of people on Bonnie Brae Street, who hungered for more of God, prayed hours each day for the true Baptism in the Holy Spirit. When the longed-for breakthrough didn’t come, Seymour arranged to bring Farrow f rom Houston to assist him. Her stirring testimony about her own experi-ence with speaking in tongues bolstered the group’s faith. They determined to fast and pray until they had the same experience.

Breakthrough!

On April 9, 1906, Mr. Lee asked Seymour to come and pray for his healing. Lee was immediately healed. Seymour then prayed for him to receive the Baptism in

the Holy Spirit, and Lee spoke in tongues! When the two gave their testimony at the meeting on Bonnie Brae Street that evening, six or seven others began speaking in tongues. Jennie Moore, who would later become Seymour’s wife, began singing in tongues and playing the piano. She had never played piano before then. The entire neighborhood was witness to the strange happenings that day, as some ran outside preaching and

The spiritual atmosphere in Los Angeles was

already saturated with the prayers of those

who for years had been seeking a move of God. Many believed

it was time, and that Los Angeles was

the place for a major outpouring.

f e b r u a r y ’ 0 6 | b V O V | 21

Tuesday-Friday, April 25-28Los angeles Convention Center

four days of ministry opportunities:

• Praise and worship

• Workshops

• bible study

• Historical site tours

• Many more activities around the city!

Saturday, April 29Los angeles Memorial Coliseum

Two Great Gatherings!International Centennial Assembly (1-5 p.m.)

This assembly will open with a

dramatic procession of spirit-filled

believers from around the world, car-

rying their flags and dressed in their

national attire. following that, the

assembly will focus on three areas:

remembering the rich history of the

Pentecostal Movement, lifting up the

present move of the Spirit and looking

to the future of the Movement with an

emphasis on prayer for personal and

corporate revival and renewal.

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

young people will be forever changed

as they are challenged to fulfill God’s

purpose for their lives. a specific call

will be made for those willing to com-

mit themselves as living sacrifices to

the cause of the gospel. Then a mas-

sive anointing service will launch this

army of young warriors into the next

century of Pentecostal witness.

for more information, log on to

www.azusastreet100.net or call (213) 989-4520.

Centennial Office | P.O. box 26157 | Los angeles, Ca 90026 | (213) 989-4520

speaking in tongues. The meeting went for three days. Swelling crowds pressed to get close to the house, causing the porch to collapse. God was drawing people from every culture and class. Many had experiences with God—salvations, healings, falling under the power or being baptized in the Holy Spirit. By the end of the three-day meeting, Seymour him-self had also finally received the Baptism with tongues. As the crowds continued to grow, i t was c lear

that a larger meeting place would be needed. An abandoned building in Los Angeles’ black ghetto, at 312 Azusa St.—formerly an old church, later a ramshackle stable—was the place God chose to con-tinue His move. Like another birth in a lowly stable, who could have imagined how this humble beginning was about to change the future of the Church and, in fact, the world! Victory

Over the past several years Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, their staff and Partners have been believing God for a Cessna Citation X for Kenneth Copeland Ministries. It ’s a plane the Copelands will be able to use in fulfilling their call to take the Word of God to the world—from the top to the bottom and all the way around! At 2 p.m. Friday, July 22, 2005, the initial deposit was made and the order signed for Citation X #240. The plane will be delivered the first week of March 2006! It will be put into service immediately as Kenneth and Gloria travel around the world preaching the victorious message that “Jesus Is Lord!” And that’s what it’s all about—souls! When God tells Brother Copeland to travel somewhere and minister, he can

travel immediately—there will be nothing to stand in the way. We will be able to hold more meetings and go more places…places we couldn’t go before, reaching people we couldn’t reach before. As the world’s fastest mid-sized corporate jet, the Citation X can make the flight between Los Angeles and New York City in just over four hours. Certified to fly as high as 51,000 feet, it can reach 43,000 feet in 30 minutes, and fly 3,430 nautical miles with- out refueling. The bottom line? The Citation X is a tool to help Kenneth Copeland Ministries reach more people, in

more places…together with YOU! We say thank You, Lord, for Your amazing grace that brought this plane to Kenneth Copeland Ministries! And thank you, Partners, for your faithful-ness to pray and give and believe for this day! You are a vital part of every-thing we do, so let’s all join together right now and shout the vICTORY! JESUS IS LORD!

“Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth.” Isaiah 58:14

2006 is the Year of Total Fulfillment and great things

are already happening!

I t Has F ina l ly Come to Pass !

To find out more about the Citation X

and to see the jet in action, visit

www.elitecxteam.org

24 | B V O V | f e B r u a r y ’ 0 6

Hardtobelieve?Well,notwhenyouunderstandthatGodcreatedourbodiestobeactive.Whenweexercise,ourbodiesrespondquicklyandfavorably.AccordingtotheSurgeon General ’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, “higherlevelsofregularphysicalactivityareassociatedwithlowermortalityratesforbotholderandyoungeradults.”Eventhosewhoaremoderatelyactiveonaregularbasishavelowermortalityratesthanthosewhoareleastactive,thereportsaid. Inaddition,thereportrevealedthatexercisehelpsreducetheriskofprematuredeath,ordeveloping

conditionssuchasheartdisease,highbloodpressure,highcholesterol,colonandbreastcanceranddiabetes. Exercise alsohelps to reduceormaintainbodyweightorbodyfat,buildsandmaintainshealthymuscles,bonesandjoints,reducesdepression and anxiety, improves psychological well-being, andenhancesyourwork,recreationandsportsperformance.

Health Is in the Air There are many forms of exercise with many different

health benefits. Most often we categorize exercise intotwokinds—aerobicandanaerobic.Aerobicisanyactivity“requiringoxygen.”Aerobicexer-cise uses large muscle groups, is rhythmic in nature andcanbemaintained foraperiodof time.Anaerobicmeans“withoutoxygen.”

Is God that smart? Did He actually design our bodies in a way that the more we use

them (without overuse) the healthier we get? | The fact is, exercise can not only

improve the quality of our l ives but can actually reverse the ef fects of aging. And

even better, it doesn’t take long to realize its many benefits. Even an overweight

or out-of-shape person can begin exercising and achieve a fitness level and health

benefits as if exercise had been a part of their l i festyle for many years.

Can Exe r c i se

Turn Back Time?

b y M a r t y C o p e l a n d

Doneconsistently,aerobicactivitytrainstheheart,lungsandcardiovascularsystemtoprocessanddeliveroxygeninamoreefficientmanner.Yourbodyissubjectedtoagoodkindofstressthatstrengthensandtrainsyourheartandlungstoworkmoreefficiently.Naturally,bystrengtheningyourheartmuscleyoureduceyourriskofcardiovasculardisease.

Good Reason Is a Good Reason to Exercise

When you exercise aerobically, you also increase yourlungcapacity.That’simportantforanumberofreasons. Taking in adequate oxygen is essential for life itself.Aerobicexercise,whichtrainsourbodytobreathedeeperandpullmoreoxygenoutoftheair,actuallyreversestheeffectsofagingandprolongslife.Takinginmoreoxygenmeans more oxygen goes to the brain, which helps youthinkandreasonbetter. Ifyouwanttostaymentallysharp,aerobicexercisecanhelp! Astudypublished in theArchives of Internal Medicine concludedthatalackofphysicalactivityisapossibleriskfactorinintellectualdecline.Aspartofthestudy,thecog-nitive ability of 6,000 women over 65 was tested at theonsetandthenagainsixtoeightyearslater. The results revealed that the women who walked themost(2.5milesdaily)wereleastlikelytoexperiencede-terioration in their cognitive ability. Only 17 percent ofthewomenshowedsignsofintellectualdeclineasopposedto a 24 percent decline in those who walked less thanonemileperweek. Aerobicexerciseincreasestheamountofoxygentoyourbrain.Ithinkthat’sanexcellentreasontogetmoving!

As the Fat Burns

Anotherimportantbenefitofaerobicactivityisthatitburnsstoredfat.Thisisvitalinachievingandmaintainingahealthyweight. Fatisaslow-burningfuelthatrequiresoxygen.Ifoxygenisdeliveredtomusclecellsinsufficientquantitiesthecellscaneasilyburnfatformostoftheirenergyrequirements.Burning fat requires continuous smooth movements, solearntodeveloparhythmicstylewhenexercising.Andtoeffectivelyburnfat,youshouldbreatheslightlydeeperandusealittlemorelungcapacity. Aconsistentexerciseroutinewillhelpyoubecomemorephysicallyfit.Asyoudo,youwillbegintolookbetterandhavemoreenergy.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

Another very important result of aerobic exercise is

Can Exe r c i se

Turn Back Time?that it causes you to feel better, not only physically butemotionally. As you exercise, endorphins are released inyourbody.Theseareneurotransmitters(biochemicalsub-stances)inthebrainthat,amongotherthings,produceasenseofwell-being.Whenyouexerciseyouwillnotonlyfeelstrongerandhealthier,butyouwillalsobebetterableto deal with day-to-day stress. In fact, many researchersbelieveexerciseisthebestantidepressantavailable. So if you struggle with depression or anxiety, gird upyourmindwithGod’sWordfirst.Findscripturestostandonthatwillbringyoupeace.Thenexercise—it’sanatural,healthy way to combat depression. And it will also helpyousleepbetter.

Ready, Set, Go!

I’msurebynowyouarereadytogetstarted,right? “Sohowmuchexerciseisenough?”youmightask. Well,thatdependsonyourage,gender,fitnesslevelandobjectives. The Cooper Institute for Aerobics ResearchinDallashasfoundthatwalking30minutesaday,three

Activity(one-hour duration)

Calories burned

aerobic dancing 416-442 501-533

Backpacking 448-476 539-574

Badminton 288-306 347-369

Bicycling (outdoor) 512-544 616-656

Bicycling (stationary) 448-476 539-574

Bowling 192-204 231-246

Canoeing 224-238 270-287

Dancing 288-306 347-369

Gardening 256-272 308-328

Golfing (carrying bag) 288-306 347-369

Hiking 384-408 462-492

Jogging, 5 mph 512-544 616-656

racquetball 448-476 539-574

rope jumping 640-680 770-820

running, 8 mph 864-918 1,040-1,107

Skating, (ice or roller) 448-476 539-574

Skiing (cross-country) 512-544 616-656

Skiing (downhill) 384-408 462-492

Stair climbing 576-612 693-738

Swimming 384-408 462-492

Tennis 448-476 539-574

Volleyball 192-204 231-246

Walking, 2 mph 160-170 193-205

Walking, 3.5 mph 243-258 293-312

So

urc

e:

May

oC

linic

.co

m

140 - 150pound person

170 - 180pound person

times a week, provides some cardiovascular benefits. Ifweight loss is your goal, then the institute suggests youincrease your walking time to 45-60 minutes, five to sixtimesaweek.Asyouprogress,youcanstriveforahigherleveloffitnessby increasing thedurationordifficultyofyourworkouts. Exercisecanbealotoffun!Findsomethingyouenjoydo-ingandaftergettingclearancefromyourdoctor—goforit! Thecharton thepreviouspage shows someways togettheexerciseyouneed.Italso lists theestimatednumberofcaloriesburnedwhileperformingtheseactivitiesforonehouratamoderateintensitylevel. Whencalculatingthenumberofcaloriesburnedwhileex-ercising,keepinmindthatthetypeofexercise,theintensityofyourworkout,andyourweightneedtobefactoredintotheequation.Asyougetintoanexerciseroutine,you’lldiscoveryoufeelbetterandhavemoreenergy.It’llputasparkofvital-itybackintoyourlife.

Be Strong

Another way to turn back the clock is to include someformofimpactexerciseorweighttraininginyourroutine. ThiswasprovenwhenalandmarkstudybyresearchersattheUSDAHumanNutritionResearchCenteratTuftsUni-versityrevealedthatweighttraininghasatremendouseffect

on aging. In only eight weeks, 10 fragile men and womenbetweentheagesof86and90,allofwhomhadchronicdis-easeordisabilities,increasedthestrengthoftheirlegmusclesbyadramatic174percentwithoutinjury.Theyalsoincreasedtheirbalanceandwalkingspeed. Accordingto theAmericanCollegeofSportsMedicine,weightorresistancetrainingistheonlytypeofexercisethatcansubstantiallyslowandevenreversethedeclinesinmusclemass,bonedensityandstrength thatwereonceconsideredinevitableconsequencesofaging. Asyoucansee,aphysicallyactivelifestyleprovidesmanyhealthbenefits.Exercisecanhelpyouregainenergyandvi-tality,improvethequalityofyourlifeandevenprolongyourlife.AnarticlebyMarkLanderofBetter Health and Medical Network states that reports have indicated that athleticallyandnutritionallyfitindividualscanbeasmanyas10to20biologicalyearsyoungerthantheirchronologicalage. Byexercisingyou can turn back time!Sowhywaitanotherminutetostartmoving?Victory

Checkwithyourdoctorbeforebeginninganydietorex-erciseroutine.

Certified by the Cooper Institute for aerobics research in Dallas, Texas, Marty Copeland is a personal trainer, nutritional counselor, author and minister of the gospel.

Stressed Out?Statistics show that 75-90% of all physician visits are due to stress-related disorders. Stress can negatively affect your health—in a BIG way! It’s time to get rid of the destructive effects of stress, and start living the healthy lives God created us to live.

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as seen on TV

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charge cards accepted. To place an order by mail, please use

the address on the last page.

A: It should be no surprise that when believers havetriedtowinthebattleofthebulgethroughtheworld’ssystem, they’ve failed. I know because I have experi-enced what you’re going through. You can get to thefullnessoftheAnointingintheareaofeatingthroughtheknowledgeofGod.Sobeencouraged! Here’swhatIsuggestyoudo. First,gettoknowJesusinyourquesttoloseweight.Thespiritualthingshaveto come first because you are a spirit.You live in a body. If you want yourspirittodominateyourbody,youhaveto feedyour spirit; youhave to renewyourmindtotrainyourflesh.Inotherwords,youhave tohavesomething tofightwith. Second, cast down every imagi-nation and every high thing thatexalts itself against the knowledge ofGod(2Corinthians10:5).Thatknowl-edge includes life, health, exerciseandnutrition. Thereasonmanyofushavemisseditintheareaofeatingrightandlosingweightisbecausewehaven’t“knownGod”inweightloss.We’veknownnaturalman’swisdom.Forexample,eat fewercaloriesthanyouburnandyouwillloseweight.That’safact,butthere’snopowerinknowingthat.WecanonlytakeourthoughtscaptivewiththesupernaturalpowerofGod.

ThepowertoovercomeisinthetruthofGod’sWord.When the temptation toovereat comes,wemust im-mediatelycastitdown. Third, concentrate on the “dos” and not on the“don’ts.” If you do what is right, the don’ts will takecare of themselves.This is oneof themost successful

principles I have seen in my one-on-onecounseling.I’llasksomeone,“Howmany glasses of water do you drink aday?”Often, the answerwill be,“Oneor two.”WhenIask,“OK,howmanyfruitsandvegetablesdoyoueataday?”thatpersonmaysay,“Oneortwo.” What I have discovered is that notvery much is being done right. Sothat’s where we begin—doing thedosofwhatGod said is good.Whiledrinking six to eight glasses of water,eatingtwotothreefruitsandthreetosevenservingsofvegetablesadaymaybe our ultimate goal, we don’t startthere. I will tell that person to begindrinking four or five glasses of water

eachdayaswell aseatingat least twopiecesof fruitandtwovegetableseachday. Ifyouwilltakeonestepoffaithatatimetodosome-thing that you arenot alreadydoing, youwill be onestepclosertothekindofperfectiontheBiblecallsusto.Victory

One Step at a Time…

How to Win at Weight Loss and Fitness

The reason many

of us have missed

it in the area of

eating right and

losing weight

is because

we haven’t

“known God” in

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f e B r u a r y ’ 0 6 | B V O V | 27

Stressed Out?

Q I have tr ied ever y diet on the market, and I sti l l can’t seem to lose weight. What do you recommend?

∫∫∫∫∫∫∫∫∫∫

LivingI t ’ s N o I m p o s s i b l e D r e a m

Many people claim to know God. But they are being robbed of the kind of relationship Jesus really wants with them. They can quote long passages of Scripture and some have even spent years in seminary studying the Bible. They are deceived, thinking: I pray and read the Word every day. I think that means I’m abiding in Jesus. | They do not understand what abiding really is. As important as reading, meditating and listening to God’s Word are, those things alone do not qualify you as one who abides. To be a true “abider” you must not only hear the Word, you must also act on it. | Abiding is obeying. As Jesus said:

the love ...b y G l o r i a C o p e l a n d

ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments.” All too often, Christians quote those first three verses and leave out the last one. But if we want to do the works of Jesus, we must live as He lived. We must abide in Him. And abiding is obeying His commandments.

Go in Love You may have noticed in several of the scriptures we’ve looked at that Jesus associated abiding and obeying with the love of God. The love of God is released in your life by acting on the knowledge of God’s Word. As we saw earlier in John 15:12, Jesus summed up the commandments with one statement: “Love one another, as I have loved you.” Without revelation knowledge fol-lowed by action, love lies undeveloped and selfishness continues to reign supreme in you—even though you are a new creature. But when you act on God’s Word in obedience, the love of God is perfected (1 John 2:5). That’s when love begins to flow from you to others. Living a lifestyle of love is essential if you want to maintain living contact with God. First John 4:16 says, “God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and contin-ues in him” (The Amplif ied Bible). Every step out of love is a step out of this vital, living contact with God because you are walking in disobedience. Years ago, Rufus Moseley wrote:

If we abide in His love and always go in love, feeling and willing and giving out nothing but love and all possible love to all men and all things, we will always be in Him and under His anointing. It was made known to me that I could write editorials and do everything else that can be done in the loving Spirit of Jesus. I could even be in heavenly places while plowing with a mule, pruning trees, in courtrooms, in death cells, in all places of need, provided all was done in the spirit of love.*

You’re Not on Your Own If you’re sitting there thinking you could never consistently

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. If ye keep my com-mandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you ( John 14:21, 23, 15:10, 12).

The Word that is truly alive in us is not the Word we know, but the Word we do. James 1:22 says people are deceived because they are not doers of the Word, but hearers only. First John 2:3-6 says it this way: “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his command-ments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” If we’re abiding in Jesus, we will live as He lived— in obedience! Jesus walked in love. He was obedient to God in all things. He wouldn’t even say anything except what the Father told Him to say ( John 12:49). Jesus lived to fulfill the Word and plan of His Father. He lived to be obedient ( John 6:38). Do you know how God responded to that obedience? He gave Jesus His Spirit without measure ( John 3:34). As a result, Jesus defeated Satan and destroyed his works at every turn. Everywhere He went, He made the blind see, the lame walk and the deaf hear. He cast out demons and raised the dead. No matter how the world tries to convince us that it’s more exciting to sin than to obey God, Jesus proved that it ’s not. He lived the most exciting life in his-tory. Obeying God won’t doom you to a life of boredom. Obedience will lead you into the most thrilling life of victory and blessing you could ever imagine. God desires to pour His power through you just as He poured it through Jesus. He wants to bring to pass in your life the promise Jesus made in John 14:12-15: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall

f e b r u a r y ’ 0 6 | b V O V | 29

LivingI t ’ s N o I m p o s s i b l e D r e a m

the Word that is truly alive in us is not the Word we know, but

the Word we do.

live a life of love, don’t worry. None of us could do it on our own. But, thank God, we’re not on our own! The Greater One is in us. It ’s His strength within us that makes us victorious. You see, abiding in Jesus enables us to bear all the fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, including love. All those fruit were put inside you the moment you were born again. They will forever be a part of your reborn spirit because it is made in the image of God. He put His

own, divine nature in you, and the fruit of the spirit are characteristics of His nature. Even though they are inside you, no matter how hard you work at it, you’ll never be able to consistently manifest those fruit in your life unless you are abiding in Jesus—spending time with Him in prayer and in the Word. Think about the illustration He gave of the vine and the branches, and you can easily see why that is. “I am the true vine…. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches…” ( John 15:1, 4-5). The branch of an apple tree doesn’t bear apples because it struggles and strives. It bears apples because it ’s connected to the trunk of the tree. The life that flows through the branch of that tree just naturally brings forth apples. In the same way, when you’re in union and com-munion with Jesus—the Vine—His divine life flows through you and produces spiritual fruit. Jesus is your Life Force! Your living contact with Him determines your spiritual results. Contrary to what many people seem to think, you cannot live from Sunday to Sunday, fellowship with the Lord just once a week at church, ignore Him the rest of the time, and still live a reasonably successful Christian life. Jesus was quite clear about that. Read what He said in John 15:6: “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered….” The word wither means “to shrivel, to lose or cause to lose energy, force or freshness.” The moment a branch is broken off the vine, it begins

to die. It doesn’t matter how close they are to each other. You can lay that branch right next to the vine, but if the union has been broken there will be no life flow. There will be no sap flowing from the vine into the branch. That ’s a vivid picture of what happens to us when we aren’t in vital contact and living union with the Lord. When we become too busy to spend time with God in prayer and in His Word, when we become preoc-cupied with natural, earthly things and disconnect from

communion with Him, we immediately begin to wither. We still belong to Him. We still have His life within us, but His energy is not flowing through us so we can’t produce anything.

The Fruit of Abiding and Obeying Of course, even when you do abide in Jesus, He won’t grow the fruit for you any more than the apple tree will take up the responsibility of the branch and grow apples straight from the trunk of the tree. He simply provides you with the power and the life. Then you must do your part by choosing to yield to that life. By an act of your will, you must let that which Jesus has put on the inside of you manifest itself on the outside. When someone says something ugly to you, for exam-ple, you have to make a decision. Will you yield to the irritation of your flesh and say something ugly in return? Or will you yield to your spirit and respond in love? The answer to those questions will be determined by two factors. The first is, of course, the choice you make. The second is the condition of your heart. If you have been neglecting your time with God, spending more time in front of the television than in the Word, you may find yourself too weak to obey the voice of the Spirit. Although your heart ’s desire is to act lovingly, your flesh will win the struggle with your undernourished spirit and lash out in anger toward the one who wronged you. But if you have been daily abiding in fellowship with the Lord, then your heart will be strong and full of the spiritual energy necessary to overrule the flesh and let the love flow.

30 | b V O V | f e b r u a r y ’ 0 6

JESuS IS YOuR LIFE FORCE! YOuR living contact WITH HIM DETERMINES YOuR spiritual results.

Every step out of love is a step out of this vital, living

contact with God.

You’ll begin to read words like, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God...” (1 John 3:1). You’ll begin to see by revelation of the Spirit that God actually is your Father and He does care for you. Begin to see yourself as the Father sees you. Whatever He says about you as His child, that’s the way it really is. All you have to do is come into agreement with Him and yield to His way of doing and being right. When you agree with the Word, you will obey it. You may not feel able in yourself, but the Greater One lives in you and He makes you able. Love Himself is inside you, so you are able to love. As you begin to abide in the Word—becoming not just a hearer but an obedient doer—the life of God and the love of God will become a reality in your life. Walking in the steps of Jesus will no longer be an impossible dream. Before you know it, you’ll be living the love! Victory *J. Rufus Moseley, Manifest Victory (Plainfield, N.J.: Logos International, 1971), p. 117.

Overcoming in Love Because God’s own Spirit lives inside us, constantly empowering us to do His will, obedience isn’t a burden—it’s a joy: “These orders of His are not irksome (burden-some, oppressive, or grievous). For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:3-4, The Amplif ied Bible). If you’re a born-again child of God, you are an over-comer. Maybe you have been abused and criticized so much that you think of yourself as unloved and a failure. If so, stop focusing on yourself and turn your focus on the Word of God instead. Allow the Word to change how you see yourself. You can step into an overcoming lifestyle by spending time in the Word developing your faith, and fellowshiping with the Father in prayer. When you become connected to the Word, you won’t see yourself in failure any longer. You’ll see yourself in God!

Living contact with God is not only possible…it’s

something He desires!

as you draw close and learn to trust Him, deal-

ing with difficult situations in your life will become

second nature. Love, joy and peace will not just be

something you’re striving to attain, it will be part of

who you are.

This compelling book by Gloria Copeland will help

you come To Know Him as never before! you’ll learn:

> The role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual growth

> The importance of living in the Word

> The urgency of guarding your heart

>How God will lovingly and masterfully teach

you His ways

When you have the desire and make the effort to

know Him—you will!

you will go beyond religion and enter into the

most rewarding and fulfilling relationship you can

ever have!

To Know Him 5½” x 8½” | hardback | 208 pages

CDN$18 #B060202

To order in Canada call toll free (877) 480-3388 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. PT Monday-Friday. Charge card orders only please. All major charge cards accepted. To place an order by mail, please use the address on the last page.

“When we f irst got born again, we didn’t know anything about God ’s Word or His plan. Our lives changed dramatically though when we learned to take the Word literally and obey it as God

speaking directly to us.” —Gloria Copeland

BeyondReligion—There’sRelationship!

�

Kenneth Copeland MinistriesPO Box 3111 STN LCD 1

Langley BC V3A 4R3

602

Victor y Campaign

Faith Life Church | 3220 Falls Parkway | Branson, MO 65616 | (417) 334-9233 | www.moorelife.orgMeetings 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.

2 0 0 6 — T h e Ye a r o f To T a l f u l f i l l m e n T !

Join Gloria Copeland for Healing SchoolSaturday, March 4 at 9:30 a.m.

M a r c h 2 - 4