Life & Work

In John 10:34-35, Jesus quoted an Old Testament passage which said, “...You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High” (Psalm 82:6).

Faith is key to receiving from God! But what happens when we’re standing in faith, and we still don’t see our breakthrough?

We find the answer in 2 Peter 1:5-7.

There are seven things we must add to our faith for it to be effective. If something isn’t manifesting in your life, check the following:

Religious tradition teaches that we just can’t know what God is going to do from one situation to the next, so it’s a good idea to tack on “if it be Thy will” to every prayer, just in case. Many churches teach that we should pray this way because Jesus did, but He only prayed this way once: in Luke 22:42. In most instances, He prayed with boldness and certainty of receiving an answer. For example, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He didn’t pray, “Lord, if it be Thy will, bring Lazarus up.” No. He said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me” (John 11:41).

Actually, what we are experiencing are the results of a principle that has been with us since Creation—the law of sowing and reaping: “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from the seeds sown from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:7-9).

Evil thoughts come from Satan. His strategy is to place them in your mind in the hope that you will act on them. If he can get you to speak or act on an evil thought, he has accomplished his mission in getting you to fulfill his will and not God’s Word. The bottom line is this: Satan wants to be your god (2 Corinthians 4:4).

You may not always be able to keep a wrong thought from entering your mind. But you can certainly determine what you are going to do with it.

You’re not alone. The Apostle Paul once faced the same dilemma! In Romans 7 he said, “I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh....For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing” (verses 18-19).

In verses 24-25, Paul asks (and answers) the same question you’ve been asking. “O unhappy man...that I am! Who will deliver me...? O thank God!—He will! through Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, our Lord!”

Paul found his deliverance in Jesus and so will you!

To understand what constitutes civil disobedience that is biblically backed, we first must examine what biblical civil disobedience is not—a loophole for policies which you find inconvenient or undesirable. For example, though most of us do not care for tax increases, the Bible is clear—“render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Mark 12:17, ESV). In paying taxes, we are not breaking God’s law or compromising our beliefs. In other words, simply disagreeing with a law is not grounds to willfully disobey.

Some people assume that a person who commits suicide is doomed to eternal damnation in hell. But that’s not what Scripture teaches. Scripture says that the only sin that will send a person to hell is the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:9). We should also remember that God does not want anyone going to hell but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:9).

If you’ve been feeling “stuck” in your finances, health, relationships, business or ministry, there are some steps you can take to break loose and move forward as God desires you to do. 

1. Pay attention to the “ifs” in the Bible.

Because elected officials vote with their party platform the majority of the time (Democrats 74%, Republicans 89%), it is important to vote not for an individual, but for the platform that most closely lines up with the Word of God.

What should you consider when looking at the platforms?

1. Israel
“I will bless those who bless [Israel], and whoever curses [Israel] I will curse.” –Genesis 12:3 (NIV)

Total immersion requires an investment of time. If you’re looking for a big renewing of your mind, our suggestion is 30 days. You don’t necessarily need to take time off work (although that would be great), but you’ll need to adjust your schedule to make your focus the Word of God.

For example, if you usually go to lunch with friends during the workday, spend that time, instead, listening to or reading the Word of God. Carve out as much time as possible, and spend as many hours each day as you can in total immersion.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” –Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

The command to honor your parents may seem easy to some, while much more challenging for others who were raised in negative or abusive environments. Are all parents deserving of honor? No. Does God still command it? Yes. 

How can you honor someone who has been cruel or who is no longer in relationship with you? You honor your parents in your heart.

We praise God for television. Through it Kenneth Copeland and others are reaching hundreds of thousands more people with the uncompromised Word of God than would ever be possible in a single church service. The television ministry is a tool to not only feed the Body of Christ but to also win the world to Jesus.

However, televised ministry should never take the place of assembling together with other believers under pastoral leadership. That is why Kenneth Copeland strongly encourages local church attendance over merely watching services on television.

Part of finding perfect peace is through learning to enter into God’s rest. To learn more about God’s rest, here’s a great Bible study outline from Kenneth Copeland. This outline is a part of his personal study notes and it is included in both the Kenneth Copeland Reference Edition Bible and the Kenneth Copeland Personal Notes Edition New Testament.

Entering into God’s Rest

I.  Hebrews 1:3—Jesus sat down.

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.”

Since Jesus already forgave our sins on the cross, on Judgment Day we will be judged and rewarded for our acts of righteousness, not for our sins. That’s not to say sin has no effect on us. Sin can still affect us by opening the door for Satan to attack us as long as we are still on this earth. When we do not walk by faith, we give Satan the right to destroy our lives (Romans 14:23). Through sin we can separate ourselves from God’s protection.

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. 

Yes, if given opportunity. And you can be sure Satan will try to take advantage of every opportunity made available to him (1 Peter 5:8). Many people are oppressed by Satan in their minds, as others are in their bodies. Satan cannot read our minds, but he can tempt us with wrong thoughts. The good news is that we can resist those thoughts by speaking God’s Word out of our mouths.

It’s easy to think that, but the truth is, you need the local church, and the local church needs you. Hebrews 10:24-25 urges, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (NLT).

There is no question that it is God’s will for you to live long and strong on the earth. It’s a promise He makes to His people again and again!

If you’re a believer in Jesus, you don’t have to slowly deteriorate in your mind and body, walking hunched over, suffering from age-related ailments, and living under the care of others. You don’t have to die young!

The Word of God has promised you long life, strength and health all your days. And…He has also told us how.