Don't Get in a Hurry

 Beloved of God,

By Kenneth Copeland
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt...talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. ...and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. - Deuteronomy 6:6-8

One of the reasons Gloria and I have seen the results we have in our lives and in our ministry is because when we realized what the Word of God would do, we literally immersed ourselves in it. We turned off the radio and television, we put down the newspaper, and spent nearly every waking moment of the time available either reading the Word, listening to tapes on the Word, or thinking about the Word.

All that time in the Word eventually had a powerful effect on us. It began to revolutionize everything about us. It began to turn failure into success.

All that didn't happen overnight, however. It took time. A great many believers don't realize that. They start out devoting themselves to the Word, but they make the mistake of expecting instant, miraculous results, and when they don't see them, they get disappointed and fall away.

Don't do that. Be patient. Give the Word time to do its work.

Jesus once said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). The Word of God feeds the spirit man just as bread feeds the body. Food has to be built into your body. The vitamins and minerals it contains have a cumulative effect on it, don't they? In fact, almost anything that affects your body instantaneously is considered dangerous.

Much the same thing is true with the Word of God. It has a cumulative effect. Yes, at times God will act instantly and perform a miracle, but only to get things back on track. What He really intends is for you to feed on His Word to grow in strength and in faith and to bear fruit in due season.

So don't get in such an all-fired hurry. Stay in the Word. Be patient. The results will come!
Source from kcm.org

Obey Him in the Little Things

"He who is faithful in a very little [thing], is faithful also in much." (Luke 16:10) Dear Beloved, Have you ever wanted to take on some really big project in the kingdom of God, but the Lord just wouldn't seem to let you? If so, there's probably a good reason why. You can see what I'm talking about if you'll read about what God did with the children of Israel after He brought them out of Egypt. He wanted to take them on into the Promised Land. But before He could do it, God had to know if they would obey Him. He had to know if they would listen to His voice. Because if they didn't, the enemies they were about to face would wipe them out. So, do you know what He did? He tested them in a small matter. Exodus 16:4 tells us about this simple test. "Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not." God took a little, insignificant matter, the food they ate--and used it to see if they would listen to Him or not. He told them how much of it to gather, when to gather and when not to, and what to do with it after they brought it in. And the Israelites went right out and violated those instructions. They showed God by their actions that His voice was not important to them. They were not willing to obey even His simplest commands. God works the same way today. Before He sends you on a major mission, He gives you the opportunity to prove you can be trusted with small instructions. But many of us miss that opportunity. We pray, "What do You want me to do, Lord? Where do You want me to go? I'll do anything You say." But then when the Lord says, "I want you to get up and pray in the Spirit one hour every morning," we fail to obey Him. We say, "Oh yeah, that would be good. I ought to do that." But somehow we never quite get around to it. Don't make that mistake. Start today obeying God in the little things. Let Him see that He can trust you out there in a place of much authority. Let Him know you'll be faithful to His Words and to the voice of His Spirit. Once He knows you won't let disobedience wipe you out, He'll start sending bigger assignments your way. Scripture Study:  Exodus 16:1-28

Let Your Life Shine

"Be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
(1 Timothy 4:12)

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Dear Beloved,

One thing the world needs to see is good examples. They need to see believers walk in love and purity and faith in their homes, in their schools and in their businesses.

The Apostle Paul exhorts us in Romans 12:17 to live above reproach in the sight of all men. Other scriptures teach us to avoid all appearance of evil. So, when you go after God, don't walk out on the edge, trying to see how much you can get by with. Go all out in God's direction. Conduct yourself in a way that will put to rest any question about whether or not you're a Christian. Let the people around you see your love and faith and purity in every situation.

Your example will go a lot further than your words. When our son, John, was a little boy, we were spending time with my grandparents. John was sleeping with my granddaddy and he woke him up in the night and said, "Pop, I have an earache. Would you pray for it?" Well, my grandparents were raised in a church that didn't believe in healing. I don't know what Pop did, but it didn't work. So, John just got up and said, "I'm going to go get in bed with my mother. When she prays, it stops hurting." About 18 years later, Pop told me the story.

You see, I had set an example of faith and love and John remembered it. While your children are growing up, they might forget some of the sermons you've preached or act like they're not interested in the things of God. But they'll never forget your example.

Even at the place where you work or go to school or just in your neighborhood, people might reject or argue with the words you say. But they'll never refute or forget your acts of love.

Don't let petty sins and spiritual compromises cast a shadow over your example. Live above reproach and let the light of Jesus shine brightly through you.

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Scripture Study:  Romans 12:9-21

Jun 26 - Take a Stand Against 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) Dear Friend, Throughout the Scriptures, God warns us about the danger of strife. Yet, it's still one of the most common problems among believers. We let it get into our homes, our work places, our churches...everywhere! Of course, we don't purposely let it in. We don't wake up in the morning and say, "I think I'm going to stir up some major strife today." We just inadvertently let it slip up on us one minor irritation at a time. So, I urge you today to take a big stand against those little opportunities for strife. If you have a tendency to let things irritate you, decide to overcome that tendency. Arm yourself against them with the knowledge that this world isn't perfect, that there are people in it that aren't going to be nice to you. There are people who are going to stir you up and annoy you on purpose or by accident. Make up your mind that, by the power of God, you're not going to let them get your peace. That peace is so important to your well-being. It will keep your body healthy. It will keep your relationships healthy. It will put you in a place where God can guide your steps and save you from some very grave mistakes. If you've spent a lifetime getting your feathers ruffled over every little thing, it may take a while for you to break that habit. You may have to work at it a moment at a time. But you can do it. I know. I had to do that where worrying is concerned. I'd worried for so many years and had come from such a family of worriers that I did it almost without thinking. When I learned worrying went contrary to the Word of God, I had to give it up one minute at a time. With the help of the Holy Spirit, every time a worried thought would come to me, I would overcome it with the Word of God. And I did that until I broke that worrying habit for good. You can do the same thing with strife. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you start to notice and overcome it one moment at a time. Then, every time you start to get upset about something, rebuke that strife in the Name of Jesus and resist it. Say right out loud, "I am walking in the peace of God today." You'll be surprised how much more wonderful living can be. Scripture Study: Matthew 5:21-26,43-48"

May 27 - God Wants You Well

"If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee." (Exodus 15:26) Dear Friend, Has the devil ever tried to put you under condemnation by telling you that it's contrary to the principles of faith to use doctors and medicine when you need healing? If so, here are some encouraging words that I believe will help you put your heart at rest. It is God's will to heal you. That's the first and most important thing for you to understand. If your faith is strong and you can believe the Word without wavering (regardless of what circumstances or symptoms come against you), then you'll be able to receive that healing by faith alone. But that kind of faith takes more than just hearing a few sermons about healing. It takes a deep personal revelation of God's healing power. So, if you haven't yet developed that kind of faith, the doctor is your best friend. If you're not certain whether your faith is strong enough or whether you need a doctor's help, follow the instructions of the Apostle Paul (Col. 3:15) and let peace be your umpire. If fear rises up within you when you think about doing without medical help, then go to a doctor. And go in faith! On the other hand, if you have a sure confidence within you that healing is yours strictly by faith, let your faith do its work and receive your healing directly. Whether or not you go to the doctor is not the issue. It is what you do with your faith. Either way, you can rejoice knowing God is working with you, meeting you at the level of your faith. Thank God for your healing--however it comes!--and do not let Satan put you under condemnation. It is none of his business! Scripture Study: Deuteronomy 7:8-15