Increase Your Faith

See Yourself Risen With Jesus By Gloria Copeland

“Constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ, the Messiah, [as] risen from the dead” (2 Tim. 2:8 AMP).

This is the key to holding onto the blessings of God. When pressure comes, when troubles and trials are bearing down on you, remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!

Remember that when Jesus arose, you arose. When He came out of hell and defeated the enemy, you came out of hell and defeated the enemy. His victory is your victory because you’re in Him.

In the hard places, remember that. When the devil tells you you’re not going to get your answer this time, remember that. When he tells you there’s no way out, you remember Christ, the Anointed One, the Victorious Conqueror, risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father!

If there’s an image Satan hates more than any other, it must be that image of Jesus, rising from the dead, stripping him forever of his authority and openly displaying his defeat to all of heaven and hell. That’s the picture you need to keep in the forefront of your mind. Think about it until it’s etched into your heart so deeply that nothing Satan says or does can get it out of you.

That’s when the gifts of God will be established in your life. That’s when the devil won’t be able to talk you out of your inheritance with trials and tribulations. Keep in mind Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!

Source: From Faith to Faith Devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Bookmark to:

Treasure In…Treasure Out! By Billy Joe Daugherty

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the life of God comes into your heart, or spirit being, and you become a new creature in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:17.) Your head, however, is still full of the same old thoughts you had before giving your life to Christ.

When you think the wrong, or sinful, thoughts, your body will follow in that direction. To continue living in sin when your heart is filled with the life of God only brings guilt, condemnation, and frustration.

Unfortunately, this is where many Christians are today. They know what is right, but their unrenewed thinking leads them in a wrong direction.

The mind is a battlefield for many. Whatever you think about constantly will eventually be acted out in your life. You cannot put garbage in your mind and expect something good to come out. If you want a different output, then you have to change the input.

If the life you are experiencing is not what you want, then you must increase the amount of time you spend reading, hearing, studying, and meditating on God’s Word. The light of God’s Word will drive darkness out of your life.

Some people try to quit sinning—lying, stealing, lusting, and getting angry, to name a few areas of challenge of the old nature. Sometimes they ask their pastor to pray their old sinful nature out of them, but no amount of praying will work. If their minds aren’t renewed with God’s Word, they’ll still think wrong thoughts and act out what they are thinking. It’s only by putting so much of the Word inside of you that sin will quit you. This is the only way to overcome your old, sinful nature.

DECLARATION OF FAITH

I am filling myself up with the Word of God so sin will quit me. The light of God’s Word is driving all darkness out of me. I put God’s Word in my eyes, ears, mind, and heart and speak it from my lips. Anger, fear, loneliness, and all of my old nature are all removed by the power of Jesus inside of me.

Bookmark to:

The Bridge Between Two Worlds By Kenneth Copeland

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name…. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1,12,14).

Everyone knows what a great place heaven is. It has everything—wealth so immense that the streets are made of gold, health so abundant that sickness can’t exist there, joy so plentiful it forever extinguishes all sorrow.

Christians everywhere dream of going there when they die. But just imagine for a moment how wonderful it would be if you could have access to heaven right now. Think what it would be like if God would build a bridge between the realm of heaven and earth so that those boundless heavenly supplies could flow down to meet the needs in your life today.

It’s a wonderful thought, isn’t it? But do you know what’s even more wonderful? The bridge has been built!

Most people can’t even believe such a thing is possible! That’s because, in their minds, the world of the spirit where heaven exists isn’t quite real. So they can’t understand how the “reality” of this physical world of matter and the “unreality” of the spiritual world could ever be connected.

I used to think that way too. But some years ago, when God began to teach me about these things, He set me straight and renewed my mind. He told me that the spectrum of reality includes both the spiritual world and the material world. He also informed me that, contrary to popular belief, the spiritual world is not only just as real as this physical world, but it is more real!

You see, 2,000 years ago, in the city of Bethlehem, an angel exploded with joy announcing the good news: “Peace on earth. Good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14).

Jesus was born! The Word that brought life to Adam had come again as a way for you to have eternal life. Heaven and earth connected again…the bridge for your salvation was built…the separation that had existed since Adam chose to disobey God was over.

Because of that, today, you can have all your needs met in abundance. Every need…in your spirit, in your soul and in your body. That means your spiritual needs, your social needs, your mental needs, your physical needs, your health needs.

Jesus is born. You have been given the Savior! You have been given the Anointed One and His Anointing. Invite Him into your heart today…and walk across the bridge between two worlds.

Speak the Word: I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and God has raised Him from the dead. I am saved! (Rom. 10:9)

Bookmark to:

What Riches Were Meant to Do by Kenneth Copeland

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Ephesians 4:28

It always amazes me when I preach about prosperity and someone comes up to me and says, “I don’t need much prosperity. I’m a simple person with a simple life. So I just ask God for enough to meet my needs.”

They think that’s humility, but it’s not. It’s selfishness! They don’t realize it, but they’re actually saying, “All I care about is meeting my own needs. I have no ambition to help meet anyone else’s.”

They could ask God for a million dollars, take out just enough to meet their needs, and give the rest away. But that doesn’t even occur to them because when it comes to money, they’ve been brainwashed by a world that says if you have it, you’ve got to keep it.

That philosophy has hindered the ministry of Jesus Christ on the earth today. It has caused preachers to set aside their calling and get secular jobs just to survive. It’s handicapped churches and stunted the growth of ministries that could have reached thousands more for the Lord.

It takes money to preach the gospel. Jesus Himself knew that, and contrary to what some people think, His ministry was not a poor one. He had so much money coming in and going out through His ministry that He had to appoint a treasurer. His name was Judas.

But Jesus didn’t store up that money for Himself. He gave it to meet the needs of those around Him. He had such a reputation for giving that on the night of that last Passover when Judas left so abruptly, the disciples assumed that Jesus had sent him out to give to the poor.

Can you imagine how much and how often Jesus must have given to the poor for the disciples to make that assumption?

Jesus never built a worldly empire for Himself. But that doesn’t mean He was poor. It means He was the greatest giver who ever walked the face of this earth, and it’s time we started following in His footsteps.

Don’t turn down the wealth God wants to give you just because you don’t “need” it. Dare to accept it, then pass it along to those who do. Stop working for a living and start working for a “giving.” Discover for yourself what riches were really meant to do.

Bookmark to:

More Than Conquerors By Kenneth E. Hagin

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

If God’s Word had just told us we were conquerors, it would have been enough, but it tells us that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ.

Rather than saying, “I’m defeated,” rise up and say what the Bible says about you. Say, “I am a conqueror!”

It may not seem to you that you are a conqueror, but your confession of it because of what you see in God’s Word will create the reality of it in your life.

Sooner or later you will become what you confess!

You will not be afraid of any circumstances, if you make the right confession.

You will not be afraid of any disease, if you make the right confession.

You will not be afraid of any conditions, if you make the right confession.

You will face life fearlessly, as a conqueror!

Confession: In all things I am more than a conqueror through Him that loves me. I am not afraid of any circumstances. I am not afraid of any disease. I am not afraid of any condition. I face life fearlessly, a conqueror! I am a conqueror! In fact, I am more than a conqueror!

Bookmark to:

Mountain Mover By Billy Joe Daugherty

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” (Mark 11:22-23)

You have the God-kind of faith. The moment you were born again, you received “a measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3). In other places Jesus referred to faith as “a mustard seed.” (Matt. 17:20.) The faith you have now is capable of moving any mountain in your life. The “God-kind” of faith resides in you now.

Jesus said, “Whoever says to this mountain.” This means you are included since you are a “whoever.” You can speak directly to the mountain and address it with authority. If the mountain is strife in the home or business, say, “Strife, in the name of Jesus, I command you to leave this place now.” Then lift your hands and begin to thank God for removing the problem, or the mountain.

When you know your authority, you will believe that what you say will come to pass. You have this assurance because Jesus regained authority over the devil through His death and resurrection. (Matt. 28:18-20.) You expect your words to be fulfilled because of your covenant with God. Doubt has no place in you, for faith has flooded your heart.

You were born again to rule and reign in this earth under the authority of Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:17.) Expect things to change as you speak, for God has given you the power to move mountains.

DECLARATION OF FAITH

I am a mountain mover. Jesus lives in me. I have His nature, His name, His Word, His Spirit, and His life. I believe in my heart that what I say with my mouth comes to pass. I have what I say because I am led by the Spirit. No obstacle can stand against me. They are all removed in Jesus’ name.

Bookmark to:

Sorrow Not! By Kenneth Copeland

“The redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and grief shall flee away” (Isa. 51:11).

Did you know that as a believer you’ve been redeemed from the curse of grief and sorrow by the blood of Jesus Christ? You don’t have to put up with them any more than you have to put up with sin or sickness or disease.

God started teaching me about this personally several months before my mother went home to be with Him in August 1988. Every time He’d show me something about it, I’d put it into practice. (You ought to do that with anything God is teaching you. Start practicing it now, and you can walk in it when the time comes!)

So, eight and a half months before my mother left, I began standing against grief and sorrow. I made a decision to “sorrow not.” Immediately the devil began to attack my emotions.

But I’d say, “No. I won’t receive that. I take authority over these feelings in Jesus’ Name. I’ve given my body as a sacrifice well-pleasing unto the Lord, and I won’t partake of anything but His joy.” Then I’d start speaking the Word and praising out loud. I went through three rugged days of resisting until those sorry spirits were gone.

What I’m telling you is this: You’re going to have to stand against grief and sorrow. It doesn’t belong to you. It’s not from your Heavenly Father. You may have to walk the floor all night long. But instead of worrying and crying, walk the floor and quote the Word until that heavy spirit leaves and the joy of the Lord comes.

Remember who you are. You’re the one who shall obtain gladness and joy. You’re the one sorrow and grief shall flee away from. You are the redeemed!

Source: From Faith to Faith Devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Bookmark to:

One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires; he rejects all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1 (NET)

Pastor’s Commentary:

For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body – though many – are one body, so too is Christ. Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27 (NET)

Do not give the devil an opportunity. Ephesians 4:27 (NET)

It is one thing to get alone with God in prayer and dedication, but another thing altogether to absent oneself from the community of faith. I have learned much over the years and observed many things. One of the first manifestations of backsliding and the loss of hope is self-imposed isolation. The scenario plays out like this: folks who normally are part of church functions such as prayer and fellowship, for example, suddenly seem aloof and solemn. They become loners. Such people seem to forget that we are the body of Christ and each of us has a role to play with one another.

The source of God’s power for the church is in Love, which is the perfect bond of unity. In other words, the dynamic miracle power of God is derived from oneness with Him and one another. When individual body parts stop functioning properly, the whole body is negatively affected.

Very often, believers who isolate themselves think that they are doing something noble, when in fact, they are falling prey to the adversary. Satan knows that if he can get someone isolated from the power of God, he can deceive and ultimately destroy that person. At a minimum, he knows he can affect the entire body by getting one or two people in selfishness and strife. Like a lion or other predators, the enemy knows he can devour loners and outsiders with little effort. At the same time, he knows he doesn’t stand a chance against the entire flock of God.

Should you ever have the desire to isolate yourself from the local body of disciples the Lord has assigned you to, understand immediately that the Holy Spirit is not at work. Even if your season is up at a specific church, the Lord will simply tell you; He’d never tell you to become standoffish.

I believe, as do many, that the finest hour for the Church of Jesus Christ is just ahead. Let’s make a concerted effort to love one another without ceasing, forgive each other no matter the offense, and to always walk in unity with one another. Each of us must examine our own hearts and motivations. We must resist the devil and the flesh and operate the way God has instructed us, as one. Let’s seek His will and not our own desires.

Bookmark to: