Don't Overlook the Blessings

By Kenneth Copeland

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. - 2 Corinthians 4:17

It's easy to get your spiritual eyes fixed so firmly on the problems in your life, you overlook the blessings completely! As a result, you end up suffering through situations that should have you rejoicing.

Let me show you what I mean. Not long ago, this ministry was facing some terrific financial pressures. I stood in faith against them. I battled against them with the Word and in prayer.

What I didn't realize was this: During that time when the problems seemed so great--the blessings were even greater. This ministry was growing faster, ministering to more people, writing more letters, printing more publications, sending out more teaching tapes than ever before! It was a breakthrough time...a time for rejoicing. But I didn't know it because I was too busy thinking about the problems.

I was so tunnel visioned, all I could see was the pressure, and I suffered through some hard times when I should have been shouting the victory.

But thank God, He woke me up before it was over. He woke me up to the blessings and reminded me that the problems are temporary, or subject to change, but God and His Word of victory are never subject to change!

If you've been suffering through some hard times lately, wake up to the blessings around you. You'll be much more effective in battling the problems if you're giving God the glory for the solutions He's already provided. Take your eyes off the trouble and look around you. You'll soon be shouting the victory!

God's Discipline

By Kenneth Copeland

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? - Hebrews 12:6-7

There's a terrible misunderstanding among believers today about God's method of disciplining His children. They'll point to some kind of disaster-- a tornado or a car accident-- and say, "I guess God sent that catastrophe to teach us something."

No, He didn't! A loving God doesn't send death and destruction on His children to instruct them. He doesn't unleash His bad dog to bite us on the leg, so we'll learn to wear our boots!

How does He chastise His own? With His Word.

Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, "Every Scripture is God-breathed--given by His inspiration--and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, and for training in righteousness, So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work" (The Amplified Bible).

If you'll look in 2 Corinthians 7, you'll see an example of this. There the Apostle Paul talks about a situation in the Corinthian church that needed correction. That church had gotten out of line and had to be disciplined.

How did Paul do it? Not by asking God to send an earthquake to shake them up! He did it by writing them a letter. He wrote them a word of reproof that hurt so badly they would have preferred being beaten with a stick. It cut deep into their spirits and brought them to repentance.

Your heavenly Father loves you and because He does, He will chasten you. But He'll do it with spiritual, not fleshly tools. He'll use the spirit power in His Word to chasten unbelief and purify your spirit in such a way that you'll come out strong, not weak and condemned.

So quit bowing down to disasters and start subjecting yourself instead to the Word of God. Yield to the Word. Let it correct you and trim away the flesh and the lusts that lead you astray. Remember, the Sword of the Spirit is two-edged--one side is for Satan and the other side is for you. Let God use it to keep you in line!

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

May 28 - Receive the Man of God

By Kenneth Copeland.


"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." (John 13:20)

Dear Friend,

I can't tell you how many born-again, Holy Ghost-filled Christians pick their pastor apart on Saturday night and then expect him to pray the prayer of faith for them Sunday morning! They'll constantly make critical comments about the evangelists and preachers that God has sent to minister to them and then wonder why the rain of the Spirit has all but dried up in their churches.

Most of those folks would never dream of criticizing the ministry of Jesus. Yet, according to the Word of God, that's precisely what they're doing. You see, Jesus said, "He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me."

I know ministers fail sometimes. I know they make mistakes. Jesus knew they would too. But, even so, He said, "If you receive them, you receive Me."

If you think some preacher's doctrine is wrong, then pray for him. Stop sitting under his ministry if necessary. But the Scripture says, "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand" (Rom. 14:4, NIV).

The ministers of the gospel are not your servants, they're God's servants. Whether they're right or whether they're wrong, love them and respect them if for no other reason than to honor the One who sent them.

Learn to receive the minister of God that Jesus sends to you with the same respect and the same honor that you would give Jesus Himself. You'll open the door for great spiritual power to be released. You'll clear the way for God to meet your needs. The anointing of God will be released through the man of God to you.

Refuse to let criticism hold back the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Then get ready to be blessed because, I guarantee, He won't hold out on you.

Scripture Study: Numbers 12:1-16

May 26 - Discover What the Name Can Do

By Kenneth Copeland, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." (Philippians 2:9-10) Dear Friend, Once you make up your mind to keep the commands of Jesus and begin to allow the Word to dwell in you richly, the Name of Jesus will become far more powerful to you. It will become more than just a word. It will become a force that will cause every circumstance and every demon that tries to stand in your way to bow its knee to your command. I tell you, the Name of Jesus works. There is far greater power in it than any of us have yet realized. My faith is so set on the authority of the Name of Jesus that there are times I just say, "In the Name" and the power of God comes on the scene. In fact, I've discovered that the Name of Jesus--just the Name alone-- is effective when spoken by a Word-abiding believer. Revelation 19:13 says the Name of Jesus is the Word of God! So, when an evil spirit is trying to bring sickness, poverty, depression, or any other garbage into my household, I don't have to quote every scripture I know to stop him. I can just point my finger at him and say, "Jesus!" That's like throwing the whole Word of God in his face at one time! Discover for yourself what the exalted Name can do. Begin to speak it with confidence and authority. There is power in the Name of Jesus. Scripture Study: Acts 3:1-16