When Steve Irwin was unexpectedly laid off, he and his wife, Cindy, were faced with the fact that they had been depending on themselves and not on God. As they evaluated their situation and renewed their relationship with God, things began to change.
Most people want to bring people to the Lord, but fear and intimidation keep them from knowing where to even start. We are each called to be salt and light in the world—even if it’s a bit uncomfortable at times! Here are seven things we teach at KCM Evangelism Training events that will help you formulate a plan to save the lost.
If you struggle with having inappropriate sexual thoughts and feelings, know that your struggle is no different than struggling with any other perversion or deception that resulted from Adam’s fall. We have great news! You have been made free by the blood of Jesus! John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
Sickness and disease are under the curse, which ultimately came into the earth as a result of Adam’s sin. However, through Jesus, we have been redeemed from the curse (Galatians 3:13)!
So, why do Christians still get sick?
If we violate natural laws (maintaining a poor diet, neglecting to exercise our bodies, allowing stress to dominate, smoking cigarettes, etc.), we’re opening the door to the devil’s work and the curse.
Not always, but it can be. The good news is that it’s not hard to recognize the difference.
First, let’s establish this: It is always appropriate for a child of God to communicate openly with the Father. We don’t have to completely stop praying about something once we have taken a stand in faith. When we have taken a specific stand in faith, we can expect that God will continue to speak to us about that situation and He will give us the wisdom and insight we need.
No. The Word of God does not teach that we should give God praise for things that He is not the source of. For instance, God doesn’t create confusion, sickness, strife, death, disaster and destruction. Nowhere does the Bible teach us to thank God for what Satan has done.
Although we don’t praise God for all things, we are to give Him praise in all things. First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Controlling your thought life is not only possible—it’s promised. But to do so, you have to advance to the front lines of spiritual conflict. Your mind is the main battlefield in the struggle to live a victorious, godly life.
Proverbs 23:7 teaches us that what a man thinks about or meditates on, is what he becomes. So your thought life is very important. There is no need for you to be harassed or tormented in your thoughts by the devil, because God has made provision for you to be successful in this area.
To understand the full intent and extent of THE BLESSING, you have to return to where it was first expressed—in the creation of man. In the Garden of Eden, God’s intent was for man to have dominion over the whole earth.
Kellie Copeland Swisher, aka Commander Kellie, reflects on Superkid Academy and the effect it has had on children around the world.
God’s will for you is healing and wholeness. The price has already been paid (Isaiah 53:5). The path to receiving your healing is outlined in the Word of God.
Divorce is not God’s best, but it is also not the end of a victorious Christian life. What causes many churches to restrict ministry by a divorced person is the Apostle Paul’s instruction to Timothy regarding selection of bishops, or elders, of the church: “So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife” (1 Timothy 3:2). They use this as a governing rule for their leaders in saying they cannot be in the ministry after they are divorced and remarried.
You are never too old to be useful in ministry. Remember, your desire to minister comes from God, and He isn’t depending on your resources to complete the task. He will give you the power and the opportunities to fulfill that desire—regardless of your age. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you (energizing and creating in you the power and desire), both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.”
As Christians, we know Jesus has already defeated Satan for us (Colossians 2:15), but Satan is still going to use certain strategies to try to trick us into believing otherwise. His strategies are intended to keep us defeated and to take everything that is rightfully ours.
We have a responsibility to stand our ground against the devil’s schemes. That is why God told us to “resist the devil” (James 4:7) and use “the weapons of our warfare” (2 Corinthians 10:4, KJV). It’s why He gave us “authority over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19).
Praise God. Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him at noon. Praise Him at night. If you've never praised God in your life, then get started right now. Praise Him for freedom. Praise Him for healing and Calvary. Praise Him for the Name of Jesus.
You ought to be shouting your way to work and shouting your way back home! If there's anything the devil can't stand, it's praise.
Jesus said as long as you live in the world, you're going to have trouble. (I can vouch for that!) But you're not just in the world. You're in Jesus in the world, and that makes all the difference. You're in Him and He's overcome every kind of trouble there is.
As God's child, you're not the defeated trying to get victory. You're the overcomer, and Satan's trying to rob you of the victory that already belongs to you.
Be not conformed to this world. If you live like the world, you'll be overcome by the world. It's as simple as that. So don't let the world squeeze you into its own mold.
Instead "...be transformed" by the entire renewal of your mind. Overcome the world by having your mind transformed to think like God thinks. In other words, when you see something in the Word, say, "I agree with that. From now on I'm acting on that instead of what I used to think."
No matter how bad the problem is you may be facing today, no matter how far under the circumstances you may be, in 24 hours you can be back on top!
"Oh, Brother Copeland, that would be impossible!"
That's what the Samaritans thought in 2 Kings 7. Their land was being ravaged by famine. Enemy troops had surrounded them and cut off all source of supply. Mothers were eating their own children just to survive.
I admit, it's tough to be enthusiastic about going through tests and trials. But can you get excited about being totally supplied in every way, in want of nothing? Well, according to the Word of God, if you'll use your trials to develop patience, you're going to be in precisely that position!
You see, patience doesn't mean what you thought it meant. It does not mean settling sweetly for second best. It does not mean standing meekly by while the devil romps all over you.
Preparation. When it comes to fighting spiritual battles, that's a word you'd do well to remember. Most believers don't pay much attention to it. They don't prepare themselves in advance. They fiddle around until the devil makes his move, then they jump up and try to fight him with the Word... and they usually lose.