DON'T SERVE THE PROBLEM

July 31 - Don't Serve the Problem

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him."
(Isaiah 55:7)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can't win a victory as long as the problem is the biggest thing in your life!

The Lord woke me up to that fact a few years ago. At that time I was facing some difficulties in my ministry that seemed so big to me, I thought about them from morning till night. Even though I was standing against them, I was thinking more about those problems than about the scripture promises I was standing on.

Then I saw something in Matthew 6:24-25:

"Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life."

I'd read that scripture hundreds of times, but that day I saw something I'd never noticed before. I saw that immediately after Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters," He said, "Take no thought." Suddenly it hit me: We serve our thoughts!

That's why Isaiah 55 says for us to forsake our thoughts, and by the Word, take God's thoughts. That's why 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to cast out thoughts that challenge the Word and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Do you want deliverance from your problems today?

Then quit serving them! Quit allowing them to consume your thought life. And don't wait until circumstances change to do it. Instead, realize that circumstances won't ever change until you switch from wrong to right thinking.

I know that's not easy to do, especially in the midst of heavy darkness and trial. But you can do it if you'll do these three things:

First, remember you aren't alone. You have the Word (God's thoughts). You have the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and you have the mind of Christ.

Second, get around people who are full of faith. Instead of rehearsing your problem, let them do the talking. Make yourself listen. Join in with their faith and resist darkness.

Third, praise God. Do whatever it takes to make yourself praise. When you begin to praise, God's presence will turn back those worried thoughts and make them fall!

Your problems are not the biggest thing in your life. Jesus is. Serve Him with your thoughts and He will set you free!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Isaiah 55

Kenneth Copeland Ministries Fort Worth, TX 76192-0001

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FALL

July 30 - You Don't Have to Fall

"Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."
(2 Peter 1:10)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


You shall never fall. When you think about it, that's a startling statement, isn't it? Most of us have been tripped up by the devil so many times we don't like to think about it.

But the Word of God says it doesn't have to be that way. He says there's something that can keep us on our feet. What is it? Diligence.

If you haven't already, you need to realize how important diligence is. You need to face the fact that you simply can't live a life of victory without it.

You can't stand strong on the Word of God and not pick your Bible up during the week. Sunday morning alone isn't going to get the job done. Yet most believers try to get by on that. That's precisely why we have thousands of churches all over the world filled with born-again people who don't have enough faith to blow their hats off. No diligence.

I remember several years ago when I ministered to a lady who was healed of cancer. She'd gotten into the Word, taken a stand of faith, and had been delivered. But several years later she called me and said, "Brother Copeland, I wish you'd pray for me. This cancer has come back on me again."

Right away I recalled the scripture the Lord had given us to stand on those years before: "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." So I said, "Get your Bible and let's go back to Isaiah 54:17."

In the background I could hear her whispering to someone else in the room, "Where's my Bible?" When I heard that, I almost cried out. I knew she wasn't going to make it. Why? No diligence.

Listen, this is a daily thing. The devil's out there 24 hours a day devising ways to make us fall. Jesus is on the throne 24 hours a day giving us power to resist him, and we need to be exercising our faith all the time.

If you're going to stand in the days ahead, you're going to need a lot more than Sunday school faith. You're going to need some full-grown, mountain-moving faith, and there's only one way to get that: By giving yourself to the Word more diligently than you ever have before.

Give diligence to make your calling and election sure; and no matter how slippery the situation gets, you won't have to fall!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Scripture Study: 2 Peter 1:3-10

Kenneth Copeland Ministries Fort Worth, TX 76192-0001

STEP INTO THE LIGHT

July 29 - Step Into the Light

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
(Psalm 119:105)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As long as you live by the Word of God, you never have to be in the dark again. You never have to remain in confusion about which path to take. You never have to grope blindly along, struggling to find your own way.

Isn't that great? Isn't it exciting to know that the Word of God will give you all the light you need every day of your life if you'll allow it to?

Build your faith in that Word and renew your commitment to it as you make this confession today:

"Father, in the Name of Jesus, I commit myself to walk in Your Word. I recognize that Your Word is integrity itself-- steadfast, sure, eternal--and I trust my life to its provisions.

"You have sent Your Word forth into my heart. I let it dwell in me richly in all wisdom. It does not depart out of my mouth; I meditate in it day and night so that I may diligently act on it. Your Word is an incorruptible seed, abiding in my spirit, and it's growing mightily in me now, producing Your nature, Your life.

"I thank You, Father, that Your Word is my counsel, my shield, my buckler, my powerful weapon in battle. It is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It makes my way straight before me, and I never stumble or fall for my steps are ordered by Your Word.

"I recognize the strategies and deceits of Satan and I put a stop to them by speaking Your Word out of my mouth in faith.

"I am confident, Father, that You are at work in me both to will and to do Your good pleasure. I exalt Your Word. I hold it in high esteem and give it first place in my life. I boldly and confidently say that my heart is fixed and established on the solid foundation--the living Word of God. Amen!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Psalm 119:89-105

Kenneth Copeland Ministries Fort Worth, TX 76192-0001

WE'RE WINNING

July 28 - We're Winning

"Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not."
(Numbers 14:9)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Thousands of years ago, God told the children of Israel to go up and occupy the land that He had given them. He told them to take it, by force and without fear, from the ungodly ones who were dwelling there.

He's still saying that today. God is still trying to get us, as His people, to take the good land He's given us. He's still trying to get us to use the power He's given us to run the wicked one out.

You see, this earth doesn't belong to the devil. It belongs to God (Ps. 24:1). The devil has just moved in and taken control of things because we believers haven't stopped him.

That is our job, you know. Jesus took Satan's legal rights away from him on Resurrection morning. Then Jesus put us in charge of enforcing Satan's defeat. The Scripture says that Jesus is going to sit at the right hand of the Father until His enemies are made His footstool (Heb. 10:12-13). Do you know what that means? It means Jesus is waiting on us to kick the devil and his crew out of the affairs of this earth. He's waiting on us to carry out the victory He won at Calvary and occupy this land.

But just like Israel had to rise up physically to take the land of Canaan, you and I have to rise up in the Spirit if we're going to establish the dominion of God in the earth. We're going to have to get moving. We can't do it sitting down!

Listen, you may not know it, but we're at war. We're in a spiritual battle--and we're winning. In fact, if you realized what was already established in the spirit world, you'd laugh at the devil every time he showed his face.

So today if the devil has control of an area of your life or your church or your community, rise up in the Spirit through faith and prayer and the Word and start taking that territory back. Don't be afraid. His defense is departed from him. He has no weapon that can stand against you.

The Lord is with you. Rise up in the Name of Jesus and take back the land!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scripture Study: Exodus 14:10-31

Kenneth Copeland Ministries Fort Worth, TX 76192-0001

BE SEPARATE

July 27 - Be Separate

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."
(2 Corinthians 6:17)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


We're surrounded by a world which is ruled for the most part by Satan. How can we avoid getting caught up in it? How can we stand apart?

You'll find the answer in John 17:17. There Jesus was speaking to the Father about all those who would believe on Him. "Sanctify them through thy truth," He said. "Thy word is truth." Sanctify means "to separate unto." So Jesus was saying, "Separate them by the Word." The Word separates!

When you initially believed the Word of God, you were born again. You were separated spiritually from the kingdom of darkness and separated to the kingdom of Light. Now that's where a lot of people stop. They let the Word of God do its initial separating work and then go right on living like everybody else. Spiritually, they're still separated from death. But physically and mentally, they're up to their necks in it. They're poor. They're sick. They're worried. They're confused. They're upset. In other words, they're just like everyone else in the world.

But if you'll give the Word of God first place in your life, it will continue to separate you from the poverty and the anxiety and the sickness and the hatred and the darkness of your old habitat.

There's something else that the Word of God will do for you too. It will not only separate you from the things of this world, it will separate you to the things of God.

You can't simply separate yourself from any old destructive habit without separating yourself to something else. You can't turn away from the things of the world unless you turn to something stronger. I'm telling you, you can scream and squall and kick the altar bench and everything else trying to get rid of the sin in your life. You can cry, "Dear God, take this sin away from me." But all the begging in the world won't separate you from your sin. It's the Word that does it!

Make a decision to give the Word first place in your life. Make it a quality decision, a decision from which there is no retreat. Lock into the Word and let the Word do its work. Let it separate you from the things of the world and to the things of God.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Kenneth Copeland Ministries Fort Worth, TX 76192-0001

METAMORA PATTER'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

WISDOM WISDOM EVERYWHERE
BY PAT GULLEY


Luke 21:15
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. (KJV)


There are many people who have a mouth on them. Don't you wish they also had wisdom to go along with that mouth? (Especially if the ones you have to deal with are teenagers.)

Wisdom is everywhere today, but there are few people who seem to avail themselves of her many treasures. I love reading the Book of Proverbs written by Solomon because they are filled with the teachings of his father, King David, who raised his son to be King. We all raise our children with the hope and desire of seeing them live lives that are fruitful and productive in all things good and healthy.

The idea in the Proverbs is for young men and women to chose to follow the path of Wisdom and not walk the pathway of Fools. It appears that on every corner of their lives and at every turn there are two options to choose from.

Prov 9:1-6
1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.
4 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
5 "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.(NIV)

Wisdom calls loud and clear to all who walk the streets of the city or the back roads of the countryside. She offers them a seat at her table where they can wine and dine on the finest food of the land. She promises them long life and good days if they will but trust her and learn to know and understand her ways. Wisdom proclaims the pathway to salvation is through the blood and body of Jesus Christ. Jesus paid it all. Come and dine at the table Wisdom has prepared.

But there is another voice that is also heard in the land. That voice pretends to be the voice of reason and insight; but it leads to a place where no one who understands its final destination wants to go. This is the voice of this world's wisdom. (1Corinthians 1:21)

Prov 9:13-18
13 The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge.
14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way.
16 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
17 "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!"
18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave. (NIV)
(18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and her guests are in the depths of Hell) (KJV)

Wisdom calls, as does Folly. The one you chose to listen to denotes whether you are wise or a fool. When you recognize Wisdom as being for you, and not against you, you will never ever be the same. When you accept Jesus as Lord, which is the wise thing to do, your mouth will be filled with words of wisdom and you will walk in the pathway of peace filled with goodness and grace.

FEAST ON THE WORD

July 26 - Feast on the Word

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
(Matthew 4:4)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Word of God is to your spirit as bread is to your body. When your body feeds on physical food, it produces a physical power called strength. When your spirit feeds on the spiritual food of the Word, it produces spiritual power called faith. And just as you can't eat one meal and then feed on the memory of it for several weeks, you can't just remember what the Word says and stay strong in faith. You have to read it. Even if you've read it a hundred times, you need to read it again.

Try this: Close your eyes and see yourself slicing a lemon. Now stick that lemon slice between your teeth and when I say, "Three," bite down on it so hard that the juice squirts into your mouth. One. Two. Three. Bite!

Chances are, you have such a vivid memory of what it's like to bite on a lemon that your mouth is watering right now. But let me ask you this, "Have you received any nourishment from that memory?" No.

Remembering the Word of God isn't enough. You must continually feed on what it says. Get it out and read it. Go to church and hear it preached.

One day, you'll read a familiar verse...a verse you've read thousands of times before...and suddenly God will give you the greatest revelation you've ever had. A completely fresh revelation from that old familiar verse! And it's likely to be exactly what you needed to know about your current situation.

Yes, you can feed on the Word that is on deposit in your spirit. But remember this: You can't get continued results if you don't spend time in prayer and in the Word of God allowing the Spirit to nourish you daily.

Don't try to live on the memory of your last spiritual meal. Replenish the force of faith within you. Feast on the Word of God today.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: John 6:48-58

DON'T LET YOUR FAITH SLIP

July 25 - Don't Let Your Faith Slip

"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."
(Hebrews 2:1)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Something very serious has been happening to the Body of Christ. We've often let the things which we have heard, the message of faith and righteousness, slip.

I'm not just talking about those believers who've been so surrounded by religion that they've never heard about the power that's theirs in Christ Jesus. I'm talking about those of us who have heard the Word and have known the thrill of living by faith.

In my own life, for example, there were times when I'd pray for healing. I'd say all the right words, "Thank God, I believe I receive..." and all that. But inside I'd be thinking, "I wonder why God isn't healing me?"

You see, even though I'd said that I believed I was healed, I hadn't really. I'd staggered at the promise of God, believing what my body told me instead of the Word of God.

I don't care how long you've been a believer or how long you've been practicing the principles of faith. You can easily slip into unbelief about the promises of God. And, when you do, it will cost you dearly.

"But if slipping into unbelief is so easy," you may say, "how can we avoid it?"

Hebrews 4:11 tells us: "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

We must labor! Not by working with our hands and feet or struggling to get God to do something, but by spending time in God's Word--hanging onto the promises of God by faith day after day. We must labor by hearkening to the Word and refusing to let it slip.

Don't get casual about the Word. Don't make the mistake of thinking, "Oh I know all that faith stuff. I know how to receive my healing." Don't slack off or one of these days the devil will catch you unprepared and steal you blind.

Instead, dig more deeply in the Word than ever. Labor! Be diligent to keep your faith from slipping--and you won't have to fall!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Hebrews 10:23-39

LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND

July 24 - Leave Behind the Past

"But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3:13-14)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Spiritual bumps and bruises. Inner aches and pains that just don't seem to go away. Most all of us know what it's like to suffer from them but too few of us know just what to do about them.

We limp along, hoping somehow those hidden wounds will magically stop hurting, thinking that maybe (with a little extra sleep or an extra helping of dessert) that nagging sense of depression will finally disappear.

But does it ever happen that way? No!

I know. I've been there.

But thank God, I'm not there anymore. You see, over the past few years, I've faced some fierce spiritual battles. And I've found out those battles can leave you bruised and beat up on the inside just as surely as a fistfight can leave you bruised and beat up on the outside.

Before I was born again, I learned just how physically devastating a real slug-it-out kind of brawl could be. Yet as bad as I felt, a few days rest would take care of me.

The healing of a bruised and beaten spirit, however, doesn't come that easily. In fact, the passing of time often worsens this condition.

The reason is this: Instead of putting painful failures behind us, we often dwell on them until those failures become more real to us than the promises of God. We focus on them until we become bogged down in depression, frozen in our tracks by the fear that if we go on, we'll only fail again.

But there is a way out. If depression has put you into a spiritual nosedive, all you have to do to break out of it is to get your eyes off the past and onto your future--a future that's been guaranteed by Christ Jesus through the exceedingly great and precious promises in His Word.

Chances are, that won't come easily to you at first. Your mind has probably had years of practice in focusing on the past. Like an old horse that habitually heads for the barn, your thoughts will probably start galloping that direction every time you give them any slack.

So, don't give them that slack. Keep the reins tight. Purposely meditate on the Word of God. Replace thoughts of the past with scriptural promises about your future and be diligent about it. Then, instead of being a wounded soldier, you'll become the conquering warrior God made you to be.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Philippians 3:12-21

CAN STRANGERS SEE JESUS IN YOU?

July 23 - Can Strangers See Jesus in You?

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."
(Acts 4:13)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How would you like to be so full of the glory of God that it's unmistakable to those around you? How would you like for people to be able to know just by looking at you that you'd been with Jesus? It's entirely possible if you are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. The same mighty power that changed you inwardly when you were saved can so revolutionize you outwardly that even strangers on the street will be able to see Jesus in you.

One of my favorite testimonies is the one Jerry Savelle tells of the time he was in a shopping mall with his wife Carolyn. He was sauntering from one store to another, casually passing time until Carolyn finished her shopping.

A woman walked up to Jerry and said, "Will you pray for me?" Since he didn't know the woman, he was puzzled. "Out of all the people in that mall, how was it that she'd picked him out?" he asked.

She said, "The Lord told me to come to this mall and someone would be here who could pray for me. I came here looking for that person. I noticed a beam of light. It would go into one store, wander around, then go to another store and wander around some more. I followed the light until I found where it was coming from--and it was coming from you!"

What was that light? The glory of God! It was shining from Jerry much like it shone from the face of Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai. And that radiant presence of God brought healing to that woman when Jerry prayed.

Just as the fact that Peter and John had been with Jesus was unmistakable, so was the fact that Jerry Savelle had been with Jesus when that lady walked up to him in the mall.

When you spend time with Jesus, it will be undeniable. His power and His glory will be reflected in you to the world. And His presence upon you will meet needs everywhere you go. Take time to be with Jesus today!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scripture Study: Acts 4:1-20

NOTHING TO LOSE BY GLORIA COPELAND

July 22 - Nothing to Lose

"Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him."
(Isaiah 3:10-11)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you ever been afraid to give yourself totally to the Lord because you think you might be deprived of some pleasure in this life? Chances are, you have. That's because Satan is working overtime to convince you that he can really make your life worth living. But don't believe him for a minute. The real truth is, yielding completely to the Lord won't cost you anything that's worth having. It will only cause you to live life to its fullest!

Jesus' life on earth was a perfect example of a totally yielded life. He was a walking example of the benefits godly living brings. Everywhere He went, Jesus made the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk. He lived in perfect peace and absolute victory.

That all sounds pretty good to me. All He missed out on was the devil getting dominion over Him to kill, steal and destroy. In fact, the devil couldn't do anything to Him until, by the Father's will, He laid down His life. Until that time Jesus walked in total victory over the enemy.

Do you think you would miss out on a lot if you lived that way? Of course not! You can walk in that same anointing and power and glory of God that Jesus did.

Do you have to give up your whole life to do it? Yes! You have to trade your life for the life of God. You have to trade your sickness for His healing, your poverty for His prosperity, your anxiety for His peace, your sin for His righteousness.

So why hesitate? When it gets right down to it, you really have nothing to lose.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Psalm 37:7-23

THE KEY TO CONFIDENCE

July 21 - The Key to Confidence

"Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
(1 John 3:21-22)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can never get away with disobeying God.

Some people think they can. They think that if nobody finds out about it, it won't hurt anything. After all, God is merciful. He's not going to hold it against them, right? And if no one else knows...what's the difference?

What they don't realize is that their own hearts will start giving them problems. Their own hearts will start to condemn them. Everyone else may think they're great. They may be spouting faith talk all over the place, but when they come before God in prayer, they'll be filled with doubts and fears that keep their prayers from being answered.

That's one of the reasons why it's so important to live in obedience to the Lord. A life of obedience will give you a spiritual boldness you've never had before. It will give you a boldness in prayer, a boldness in faith. It will give you a confidence toward God, as the Apostle John says, that those who are trying to get away with sin don't have.

I'm not saying that you have to be perfect. That you must never make a mistake. But you should walk in obedience to the light you have. Take the time to listen and be responsive to the Spirit of God. When He tells you to do something, do it.

As you do, that confidence will rise up within you. It won't be something you mentally drummed up or talked yourself into. It will just be there. Instead of being consumed with doubts and feelings that the Word of God isn't going to work for you, you'll find yourself filled with faith that it will. You'll begin to trust God and to flow with Him. You'll come to a place the Bible calls "rest in the Lord."

Remember this: Even though the eternal price for your sins has been paid, a life of disobedience will still cost you dearly. It will cost you the boldness that is rightfully yours in Jesus. It will rob you of faith and rock you with fear.

Don't let the condemnation of your heart cut your confidence short. Do the things that are pleasing in God's sight and walk tall in the kingdom of God.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: 1 John 3:21-22

GIVE MORE--NOT LESS

July 20 - Give More--Not Less

"There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that with holdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty."
(Proverbs 11:24)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


When money gets tight, it's always a temptation to cut down on your giving. After all, it seems like the logical thing to do. Don't do it! You'll end up cutting off the flow of God's financial blessings just when you need them most.

I faced that kind of situation just a few years ago. This ministry had fallen behind financially--one million dollars to be exact. Gloria and I had been living by faith for 20 years at that time. We knew firsthand that God would meet our needs--"according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19). We'd seen God prove that over and over again, not only in our personal lives but in the life of our ministry as well.

Yet this particular time, all the prayers and the faith that had brought us victory before just didn't seem to get the job done. In fact, as time went on, the situation grew worse instead of better.

By the end of the year our deficit had grown to be a million dollars.

Frustrated and weary, I finally went to God one day and laid the situation out before Him. "Lord," I said, "You see the condition of this ministry. I need a million dollars just to break even."

"Oh no, you don't!" the Lord replied.

I could hardly believe it. How could He possibly be telling me that I didn't need a million dollars? Hadn't He looked at the books? Hadn't He talked to my accountant? I was stumped. All I could figure was that I'd misunderstood something. So I went through it all again.

Again He said, "Oh no, you don't."

Despite my initial confusion, as I kept asking and listening, I began to understand what the Lord was telling me. He was saying that the red ink on the books wasn't the only thing wrong. There was a bigger problem behind it.

Then He showed me what I needed to do was to start giving ten percent of the ministry's income into ministering to the poor.

To the natural mind that looked like no solution at all. How do you solve a deficit by giving away what money you've got? But when I applied that solution, the million dollar deficit began to disappear.

Remember that next time the devil tries to put the squeeze on you. Break his hold on your finances by giving more instead of less. It won't be long until the prosperity of God is poured out on you!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: 1 Kings 17:1-16

METAMORA PATTER"S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

BIBLE SCHOOL AND CHURCH CAMP
BY PAT GULLEY

Deut 6:7
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and 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. (KJV)


Moses was a firm believer in teaching the Jews' History with God to their children. (You should also teach them your history with God) They were to be taught diligently by spoken word as in stories and testimonies, and by example. The Word of God was to be taught in the home. Parents never underestimate the power of the spoken word to your children. God also has people set in the Church to teach the word to children as well as to adults. (Eph 4:11-12)

My husband and I raised four children and I know that the Devil spoke to my kids in many and various ways. He would plant lies in their thoughts by telling them that they were not liked or were underappreciated. We had to learn to replace those lies with words of truth. We learned how important it is to tell our children they were loved and God had a plan for their life.

As they grew older and as we grew in the knowledge and understanding of the Lord and His word, we realized that we were in a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of our children. My husband and I would have nightly gatherings with our kids, which we called. "Family Circle." They would participate in the Bible lessons and in the joining of hands and praying for the needs of the day. (I remember one time when my youngest daughter prayed and then said, "My prayers may not be as pretty as Mom's but they're just as good")

I loved those times with the family. If we had guests and it was time for "Circle", we would invite them to join us and often they did. But like Moses said, we talked about the ways of God in the home, before we went to bed at night, and when we arose in the morning.

We also spent time singing God's praises when we rode in the car. I loved listening to the kids sing. They were full of love and enthusiasm for the Lord and never had to be forced to sing or to praise the Lord.
They loved going to Bible School when they had an opportunity. (I remember Bible School as being one of the best things about summer when I was a kid.) Our son went to Church Camp and still talks about it today with his Grandfather, who was the one who took him. I thank God for the people who gave of their time and energy to teach other peoples' children in the Bible Schools and Church Camps.

Twice we took the youth of the Church on a Bible field trip in a bus called "God's Nightcrawler." (Thank you Jean and Eugene) We visited the Smokey Mountains one year and saw the Passion Play at Branson Mo another. (The bus left the Church at night and arrived at our destination in the daytime: thus the name Nightcrawler)

I highly recommend Bible School and Church Camp for children. If you have children or grandchildren you should encourage them to attend one if there is an opportunity to do so. Many churches have vans or church busses and will come to your house and pick up your kids. It is good for your children to be taught the ways and stories of God. The seeds that will be planted in their young hearts and minds may bring forth fruit that will bless them their entire lifetime. (Mark 10:14)

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red, yellow, brown, and black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world. Sing it again.

NO HARD HEARTS BY KEN COPELAND

July 19 - No Hard Hearts

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him."
(2 Chronicles 16:9)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pharisees had a heart condition that grieved Jesus. Their hearts were hard and insensitive. If you'll look in Mark 3, you'll see what I'm talking about.

God was right there in their midst and they, of all people, should have realized it. They knew the Scriptures backward and forward, and Jesus fit every messianic prophecy written there. But the insensitivity of their hearts literally blinded them to who He was.

The hearts of the Pharisees were also hardened to the needs of the people around them.

That very same thing is still happening today.

Just think again about what those Pharisees were doing. They were:

1. Criticizing the minister of God.

2. Protecting their religious traditions instead of obeying the Word of God.

3. Worrying about their own welfare rather than that of those around them.

Have you ever known any believers who fit that description? Sure you have! In fact, every one of us has done those things at some time in our lives.

Every one of us, to one degree or another, has fallen prey to the same mistake the Pharisees did. We've gotten so caught up in doing and saying all the "right" things that we've let the tender warmth of God's love inside us grow cold.

I know that's true because if it weren't, we'd be seeing tremendous moves of God among us. We'd be seeing revival on every corner.

That's what God longs to do. God longs to pour out His Spirit in supernatural power and abundance through His Church. But we've developed a heart condition that's holding Him back.

Today if you are desiring an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life and the manifestation of His power in your church, check the condition of your heart. If you find any hardness there, repent and ask God to change you. Ask Him to give you the kind of heart that will allow Him to show Himself strong on your behalf.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Mark 3:1-6

ALEGEND IN YOUR OWN MIND BY GLORIA COPELAND

July 18 - A Legend in Your Own Mind

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."
(Romans 12:3)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you want to know one of the secrets of staying in the will of God, of keeping yourself from getting off track?

Don't overestimate yourself!

Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." How many times have we seen that borne out! How many times do we see believers get into trouble because they get an overblown idea of themselves. They begin to think they're so smart that they have it all figured out.

Then, the next thing you know, they're thinking they have to straighten everyone else out. Instead of just letting Jesus be Head of the Church, they feel like they have to step in and do the job.

Once that happens, it's just a matter of time before they're flat on their faces in failure. Why? Because the Bible says God resists the proud! (1 Pet. 5:5).

Don't put yourself in a position where God has to resist you. Rate your own abilities soberly. Adopt an attitude of humility. Keep a watch on yourself, and when you catch yourself getting puffed up with your own greatness, repent and remember that every good thing you enjoy and every bit of success you've had has come by the grace of God and by His power.

Look back on your life and see how many times you could have lost what God had given you. See how many times, when you were floundering around making every mistake imaginable, His tender and precious mercy pulled you through.

Don't become a legend in your own mind. Instead, humble yourself beneath the mighty hand of God, and let God do the exalting--that prevents some very painful falls.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: 1 Peter 5:5-7; James 4:6-17

MAKE HELL TREMBLE BY KEN COPELAND

July 17 - Make Hell Tremble

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."
(1 John 3:8)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is the devil giving you fits today? Is he causing trouble for you at every turn?

If so, turn the table on him. Start making him miserable for a change. You have the power to do it, you know. You have the power residing in you to destroy his works, to heal, to deliver, to set the captives free. You have so much power in you that every time your alarm clock goes off, the devil should wail, "Oh no! That troublemaker is up again!"

A few years ago, I got a letter from a little girl who had attended one of my healing services in Los Angeles. Although she was far too young to understand theology or anything like that, the Lord gave her a very simple and profound revelation as she watched people being healed.

She said that as she looked up at the platform, she couldn't see me at all. She just saw Jesus. And she also saw a devil. Do you know what the devil was doing? He was lying on the floor crying, "This can't be! This can't be! This can't be!"

Right now, at this very moment, the power of the Lord Jesus Christ is at work within you. And it's not just there to get you to heaven someday. It's there so you can give the devil a fit right here on earth. It's there so you can build the kingdom of God now-- while there's still time.

Line up with God's Word and will for your life. Let the anointing of Jesus go forth from within you. All of hell will tremble. And you will never be quite the same again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: 1 John 5:4-20

TAP INTO THE TRUTH BY KEN COPELAND

July 16 - Tap Into the Truth

"When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."
(John 16:13)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Jesus said the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. Not just enough truth to get by on. Not just an occasional truth to help us teach our Sunday school classes. All truth!

If you're a businessman, that means the Holy Spirit will show you how to increase your profits and reduce your expenses. If you're a mother, it means the Holy Spirit will show you how to settle arguments between your children. If you're a student, it means the Holy Spirit will show you how to excel in your classes.

In fact, if you know Jesus Christ and are baptized in the Holy Ghost, somehow inside you is the answer to every financial problem, every spiritual problem and every physical problem that exists. You have answers for problems you don't even know about yet!

Back during World War II, for example, the United States ran into some serious trouble. Their ships were being sunk by the enemy faster than they could build new ones, a process which at that time took a year.

In an effort to solve their dilemma, a method was devised by which a ship could be built in a single day. The problem was, the process involved building the ship upside down and, when the ships were turned upright, the welds would pop and the ship would come apart.

The problem was presented to a deeply spiritual man who was a famous industrialist at the time. "I'll find out how to do it," he said. And, sure enough, after days of prayer and fasting, God showed him the welding formula that would hold the ship together.

If you're facing a problem today, don't drag around trying to handle it on your own. Take Jesus at His Word and start asking the Holy Spirit to give you the knowledge you need to solve it. Put the wisdom of the ages to work on your job, in your family and in your world. Tap into the truths He's placed in you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: John 14:6-17

DISCOUSRAGE THE DEVIL BY KEN COPELAND

July 15 - Discourage the Devil

"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets."
(Luke 6:22-23)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you want to know how to depress the devil? Just follow the instructions in that last verse. When persecution comes, when friends or family criticize you because you lay hands on the sick and believe in healing, and when coworkers call you a fanatic because you love Jesus and aren't afraid to say so, rejoice! Shout hallelujah and leap for joy!

I tell you that will discourage the devil to no end. He's expecting that persecution to hurt you. He's expecting it to damage your faith, to wipe you out, and to leave you in dismay.

I'm not saying you should enjoy the persecution itself. But you can learn to overlook the discomfort of those things by focusing your attention on the reward that's coming and the fact that Jesus said you are blessed.

The Apostle Paul certainly knew how to do that. He was an expert on rejoicing in the midst of persecution. Satan was constantly stirring up trouble for him. But do you know what he said about all that persecution? He said it was not even worth considering compared to the glory that was about to be revealed.

If Paul could rejoice in the midst of beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, imprisonment and almost every other kind of persecution, you can too!

Just do what he did. When he was told by the Holy Ghost that bonds and afflictions awaited him, he said, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

Don't get all caught up in what people think and what people say down here on earth. Get caught up in pleasing the Lord. Get caught up in finishing your course with joy. Get caught up in the glorious hope that's ahead. For that hope is enough to make anyone--under any circumstances--leap for joy!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Acts 16:16-35

YOUR DEADLY ENEMY BY KEN COPELAND

July 14 - Your Deadly Enemy

"I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again...."
(1 Thessalonians 4:13)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Many of us, even though we're believers, have seen grief and sorrow as such a natural part of life that we haven't even questioned them. In fact, if we're honest, we'd have to admit there are times when we actually want to feel sad and sorry for ourselves.

Why would we choose to feel sorrow? Because sorrow has an emotional kick to it. It offers a surge of feeling that, in the beginning stages, is almost intoxicating.

But grief and sorrow are dangerous things. Several years ago God showed me that they're not the innocent emotions we've thought they were. The force behind these emotions are actually spirit beings sent by the devil himself to kill, steal and destroy.

They are a part of the devastating, satanic barrage Jesus took on Himself when He died on the Cross (Is. 53). He bore grief and sorrow, so we wouldn't have to. If they come knocking on your door, remember, they are not innocent emotions. They are deadly enemies that Jesus already carried away at Calvary.

Don't live as those who have no hope. You're a believer. You know that Jesus Christ died for you and rose again. That not only gives you hope where physical death is concerned, it gives you hope in every situation. Sorrow not!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Scripture Study: Isaiah 51:11-16

DON'T OVERLOOK THE BLESSINGS

July 13 - Don't Overlook the Blessings

"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!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Psalm 13

METAMORA PATTER'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

THE WAY OF LIFE IS BEFORE YOU
BY PAT GULLEY


Jer 21:8
And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. (KJV)

There is a way that appears to lead to life but in reality it is the road to death. The time has come for you to consider the road that you are taking. The Lord had made provision for all people to live in eternity with Him and He sent His only begotten son, Jesus, to secure that life for us. Jesus is the WAY to everlasting life and His Father has invited each of us to come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

You may believe that it is okay for you to turn your back on God's invitation and to live your own life according to your own desires and pleasures, but you are sadly mistaken. When you get to the end of your road and realize the error of your ways, it may be to late to go back and to take the road that the Lord recommended. (But as long as there is breath in your body, it is never too late to invite Jesus into your heart.)

Did you ever secretly want to go ahead and peek into heaven to see if it really does exist? Did you ever ask God for a sign so you would know for sure that you were going to heaven when you die even if you never allow Jesus into your heart? I have. I used to wonder what was true and what was false. But God never did show me a sign. All I ever heard or saw was the story about Jesus being born of a virgin and then dying on a Cross and rising from the dead three days later. (I guess all I knew for sure about God was Christmas and Easter)

Matt 7:13-14
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
(14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (KJV)


I often consider the whys and wherefores of each person's life, and I know that each of us has a story to tell. We all have a past and a reason for doing the things we do and for choosing the steps that we take. There is not a person who is not of value in the eyes of someone, and that Someone is God, the Creator of all human life.

He sent Jeremiah to tell the people of Israel that he set before them the way of life and the way of death. And He has sent His Son Jesus to tell you the same thing. Life and death are available to you, but you can only choose one. There are not very many choices that are this easy.

Please think about it and consider your situation. Are you on the path of life, freedom, victory, and peace? If not, take this moment and invite Jesus into your heart to be the Lord of your LIFE. When Life and Love live in your heart your will never again wonder or fret about the future. Walk each day on the path of Life and be sure to enjoy the journey.

EXPECT RESULT

July 11 - Expect Results

"Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss."
(James 4:2-3)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Are all your needs met today? If not, why not?

According to the Word of God, it's either because you're not praying about them at all or because when you do pray, you're praying wrong.

What does it mean to pray wrong? In many cases it simply means to pray without expecting results. Many believers do that, you know. They use prayer as a kind of spiritual wishbone. They just play around with it. "This probably won't do much good," they think, "but who knows? It won't hurt to give it a try."

If that's been your attitude, then change it! Start getting serious about prayer. Stop praying just because it's proper. Stop praying just because you always pray at this point in the church service. And start praying to get results.

Start praying in the Name of Jesus, according to the Word of God, and expecting to receive what you ask for every single time. Isn't that a little presumptuous? No, but it is bold, and you have a scriptural right to be bold.

According to the Word of God, you have a standing invitation from your heavenly Father to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that [you] may obtain" (Heb. 4:16). That word obtain is a word of certainty. The dictionary says it means "to get possession of."

So pray, expecting to get possession of what you need, not just once in a while, but every time! When prayers do go unanswered, don't just wander away saying, "I guess you never know what God's going to do." Tackle the problem with both hands! Go to God in prayer and in the Word and find out where you missed it and get the problem corrected.

When you go to God in accurate, Word of God based, Spirit inspired prayer, you do know what He's going to do. He's going to answer you. He's going to meet your need exactly as you asked Him. Start expecting Him to do it today.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: 1 John 5:4-15

TURN UP YOUR HOPE

July 10 - Turn Up Your Hope

"May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing--through the experience of your faith--that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing(bubbling over) with hope."
(Romans 15:13, Amp)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


You know, that's what I want to be...running over with hope! I want to dare to throw my whole life and everything I have into building a dream that comes from the heart of God. I want to get out there so far that without God's help, I can't get back.

Many people don't think that way though because they're afraid to fail. Fear of failure is dangerous. If you let it dominate you, it will cause you to do the one thing that inevitably guarantees failure and that's not attempting at all.

How do you counteract the fear of failure?

You turn up your hope. You get alone with God and listen to Him. You meditate on His promises until the picture is so clear on the inside of you that nothing can jar it out of you.

If you're lying on a sickbed and the doctor has told you you'll never walk again, instead of wallowing around in that bad report, you start dreaming. You start building a dream of climbing mountains and witnessing to people in the backwoods. Go to the Word that promises that those who wait upon the Lord shall run and walk and not faint or be weary. Look at it until you see nothing else. Picture yourself walking for miles and running from one place to the next, telling everyone that Jesus has raised you up and made you whole.

That's what hope is all about. It's a divine dream. It's an inner image that's bigger than you are because it's built on the promises of God.

If you're a Christian, you ought to be a dreamer. Take the Word of God and build some dreams today.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Psalm 33:18-22

KEEP THE WEEDS OUT BY KENNETH COPELAND

July 9 - Keep the Weeds Out

"So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground."
(Mark 4:26)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Christian,

Jesus compared the kingdom of God with the planting of seed and reaping the harvest. It's a simple concept. One all of us understand. Why, then, aren't all of us producing bumper crops every season? Because we're sitting around waiting for God to do all the work.

He doesn't operate that way. He'll work with you, but He won't do it all. There are some essential things you must do by faith if you want to have a crop to reap at harvest time.

First, you must sow the seed of the Word in faith, expecting it to grow. You must find precious promises from God in His Word, plant them in your heart and in your life.

Next, you must water the seed. Water it every day with praise. Water it with the spiritual water of the Word. That Word contains life and those seed promises can't grow without it.

And finally, you have to keep the weeds out! When the weeds of unforgiveness, doubt, fear, discouragement, (and all the other junk the devil tries to sow into your crop) try to enter in, get rid of them. They'll choke the Word.

That's going to take some diligence on your part. No one else will do it for you. You're going to have to weed your own crop yourself. So get tough about it. When a little weed pops up, kill it! Don't hang on to it for even a moment. Pull it up by its roots. Spray it with the Word. Don't be tempted to keep a wildflower when you can have the best--God's best.

Don't sit around waiting for God to produce your harvest. Start planting. Start watching over your land (your heart and your mind) to keep it moist, watered with the Word, and free from weeds.

Commit to do your part and trust God to do His. You will have a bumper crop this season!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Ephesians 4:22-32

PROTECTED BY LOVE

July 8 - Protected by Love

"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven."
(Matthew 5:44-45)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Christian,

Love your enemies...turn the other cheek...to most people that sounds like a pretty weak way to handle somebody who's causing them trouble. But, the truth is, it's the most powerful way there is. It's the way Jesus did it-- and His way never fails.

Do you remember when Jesus went back to Nazareth and the religious folks were angry with Him and wanted to push Him off a cliff? What happened? He just walked right past them, and no one could lay a finger on Him. Another time they decided to stone Him, and He didn't retaliate that time either. He just walked off. No one could touch Him.

When Jesus walked through that crowd, He wasn't afraid. He knew they couldn't hurt Him because He was walking in the love of God.

When Jesus said to turn the other cheek, He didn't mean for you to stand there and have your brains beaten out. He meant for you to stand there in love and in faith believing that the protecting power of God that accompanies that love would keep you safe. He meant for a man to swing at you and not be able to hit you!

The story of Nicky Cruz as recorded in David Wilkerson's book, The Cross and the Switchblade, is a perfect example of that. Nicky was reputed to be the most ruthless gang leader of his time. Yet, when David Wilkerson stood in front of him, telling him about Jesus, Nicky was totally unable to hurt him. He thrust his knife at David several times. But every time he did, David just said, "Nicky, you can cut me into a thousand pieces and every piece will still say, 'I love you and God loves you.'" Because of love, Nicky couldn't get his knife close enough to David to hurt him. A supernatural force always stopped it short.

"But I don't have that kind of love!"

Yes, you do. Romans 5:5 tells us that the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit. All you have to do is make the decision to be motivated by that love rather than your own human feelings.

My friend, love never fails! You don't have to be afraid of failure anymore. In fact, you don't have to be afraid of anything. If you're walking in the love of God, you're living the most powerful kind of life there is.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Matthew 5:38-48

FREE FROM DEBT BY KEN COPELAND

July 7 - Free From Debt!

"The borrower is servant to the lender."
(Proverbs 22:7)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friend,

If you're up to your neck in debt today, I have good news for you. God wants to set you free from those debts and He has the power to do it.

I know. He did it for me.

I'll never forget it. I had $22,000 worth of bad debts at the time. I'd committed to God to pay them off and never borrow another dime--but it looked to me like I'd never be able to do it.

We didn't see how, but we believed that "God is able." Day by day we looked to God for our deliverance from debt. Not asking Him every day, but thanking Him because we believed we received when we prayed. Eleven months later, we were out of debt. As we looked back, nothing spectacular had happened, but God worked in our finances continuously. As we were faithful, He was faithful.

God can do the same thing for you if you'll dare to believe His Word. If you'll make a commitment before Him to get out from under those debts and then obey Him every step of the way.

As you look at your situation right now, you may not be able to see how you could ever get out of debt, much less stay that way. I felt that way too, at first. I just didn't see how I'd ever be able to do much of anything without borrowing money.

But He showed me how--and He'll do the same thing for you.

There's no debt too big and no business too complicated for Him to handle. If you'll trust Him to manage yours, He will bring you out on top...and you'll never have to be a slave to debt again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Psalm 37:21-40

UP IN SMOKE

July 6 - Up in Smoke

"The tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."
(James 3:5-6)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friend,

Words. Use them right and they'll move mountains. Use them wrong and they can cause your entire life to go up in smoke.

"Now, Brother Copeland," you may say, "I find it hard to believe that major catastrophes can be caused by a few simple words. I just can't see the connection."

Look again at the phrase James used. "How great a matter a little fire kindleth!" Have you ever lit a few little pieces of kindling wood and set them in the fireplace beneath a stack of logs?

What happened?

Most likely, the fire began to spread first to one log then to another until finally you had a great big blaze going. After it was over, you couldn't go digging around in the ashes to find the kindling that started it all, could you? No! It would be burned. There would be no trace of it at all.

The tongue is like that. It first defiles the body, then sets on fire the whole course of nature with a blaze so great that it leaves no natural trace of its origin. The words that started it end up so deeply buried in the ashes that you would never even know they were there.

So, don't ever underestimate the power of your words. I can assure you, Satan doesn't. He works constantly to get you to turn them in a negative direction. He'll fire darts of pain and sickness and discouragement at you just to get you to speak faithless words--words that will eventually send your life up in smoke.

Don't let him succeed. Instead, put out that fire by following the instructions in Ephesians 6:16. Do as the Apostle Paul says and "above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

Speak words of faith and stop the fire before it starts today!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: James 3:1-10

"DON'T THINK LIKE THE WORLD" says Ken Copeland

July 5 - Don't Think Like the World

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
(2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friend,

If you think like the world thinks, eventually you will act like the world acts. Unrestrained thoughts produce unrestrained actions. So control your thoughts by bringing them into obedience to the Scriptures.

Program your mind with the Word of God. The Word is spirit and it is life. When your mind is totally saturated with the Word of God, your will becomes strong to exercise authority to overcome every ungodly thought and evil habit.

Don't let Satan deceive you into sacrificing the glory of God in your life for a few moments of self-indulgence and sin. Restrain your thought life. Meditate the Word instead of selfish, carnal thoughts. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Psalm 119:11-18

GOD IS HEALING OUR LAND BY KEN COPELAND

July 4 - God is Healing Our Land

"Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid."
(Romans 3:3-4)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Christian,

Faith-filled words. That's what changes things. They'll move mountains into the sea. They'll turn sickness into health. They'll turn a sinner into a saint.

They'll also take a sin-ridden nation and turn it into God's own country. That's right. Then, if we believers would back up the prayers we've been praying for this nation with words of faith instead of doubt and discouragement, we'd soon begin to see spiritual resurrection in the United States.

God promised us that if we, His people, would humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, He would heal our land. And let me tell you, there are prayer warriors all over this country (I hope you're one of them) who are doing what that promise requires.

But, even so, you don't hear many people saying, "This is great! God is healing the land." You don't hear people speaking out by faith the promise of God. Instead, you hear them saying, "Oh my, oh my, did you hear what those terrorists are doing?" or some other destructive thing they've seen on television.

Listen, we need to stop preaching what the terrorists are doing and start telling what God is doing! God said He is healing this land.

We must start speaking about this country by faith instead of going around spouting bad news all the time. Of course, that will sound odd to most people. Some of them may even think we've slipped a few cogs. But that's nothing new.

Let me tell you something: One handful of believers who are listening to, trusting in, and speaking out the good news of God are more powerful than all the devils on earth. One handful of believers are more powerful than a whole army of unbelieving doomsayers. Their unbelief will not make the faith of God of no effect!

That's why over the last 25 years, Gloria and I have learned to turn a deaf ear to the bad news and just start praising and thanking God for His deliverance. Every word of praise we speak releases faith in our heart.

Get determined with Gloria and me right now. Take a firm stand with us that things are changing in this country. Settle it in your heart as you pray. Speak it out. Call it forth. God is healing the land!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Scripture Study: Nehemiah 6:1-16

GOD'S DISCIPLINE

July 3 - God's Discipline

"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)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Christian,

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!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: 2 Corinthians 7

Kenneth Copeland says "BE UNREASONABLY COMMITTED

July 2 - Be Unreasonably Committed

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: crown of glory shall she deliver to thee."
(Proverbs 4:7-9)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Christian,

If you really want to get the wisdom of God, you'll have to do more than casually read the Scriptures a few minutes a day. You'll have to feed on them night and day. You'll have to get rid of the rubbish you've been feeding into your consciousness by reprogramming your mind with the Word of God.

"Oh, Brother Copeland," you may say, "that's unreasonable!"

Yes it is. But consider this: A music major in college practices for hours every day. Olympic skaters spend six to eight hours a day training for their routines. They do it because they're unreasonably committed to their goals.

The same is true for you. If you're going to achieve the kind of spiritual excellence you're hungry for, you're going to have to be unreasonably committed to the Word of God.

That may well mean that you'll have to carry a tape player around with you everywhere you go. It may mean that you'll have your razor in one hand and your tape player in the other or a tape player in one hand and a fork in the other.

Do whatever it takes to totally saturate yourself with the Word of God. I would speak to you no differently if I were your commanding officer about to send you into combat against the best trained elite troops of a savage enemy.

You are God's frontline assault force. You have an enemy who is doing his dead level best to destroy you. In this crucial, all-out, no-holds-barred offensive, Satan will dispatch hell's choicest personnel to bring you down. If you're going to make it through in victory, you're going to have to put yourself in training.

Be unreasonably committed. Get wisdom.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Proverbs 1:7-33

LATER IS HERE BY KENNETH COPELAND

July 1 - Later is Here!

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household?"
(Matthew 24:45)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Christian,

The Word tells us that God shows Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are "perfect" toward Him (2 Chron.16:9). That word "perfect" doesn't mean that we have to do everything just right and live without making a mistake. Thank God, we don't have to do that. It means "devoted"--a heart consecrated, dedicated, loyal and faithful to God.

The mistakes we make will not stop God from working in our lives. Only our lack of faithfulness can do that.

Who is faithful? The one who spends his time doing what God has called him to do. Or as Jesus put it, the one who takes up his cross and follows Him. The one who denies his fleshly desires and spends his life on the things God desires him to do.

Maybe God has been urging you to spend more time in His Word and in prayer or dealing with you about ministering more to the people around you. He may be calling you to pray for the sick or to teach the Word. But you're busy, so you glide on with good intentions and tell God you'll do it later. Well, later is here!

Decide today that you are going to be the faithful and wise servant. Find out what is stealing your time from the Lord. Serve His interests instead of your own.

Do you want to be a ruler in the household of God? Do you want Him to show Himself strong for you? Then take up Jesus' thoughts today. Take up His purposes and His plans. Now is the time to be faithful!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scripture Study: Matthew 24:42-51