25 Days of Dare To Shine His Light on Christmas!
SHINE HIS LIGHT ON Christmas
DAY 25: Dare to Shine His Light on The Greatest Gift
by Kenneth Copeland
Merry Christmas!
Christmas often provides wonderful opportunities to share your faith with those who think Christmas is only about Santa Claus, presents and Frosty the Snowman. Between parties, school functions with your kids, and family gatherings, the odds are that you’ll be surrounded by people who don’t know The LORD.
As believers, we are called to be a light to others and to always be ready to share the greatest gift anyone could ever receive—the gift of salvation. The thought of sharing your faith may send chills up your spine. And in some cases, you may see a particular group of people as a lost cause because they’re “too far gone” or even hostile toward Christianity.
The LORD never writes anyone off, and neither should we. We may be the very people He will use to reveal His love to them.
That reminds me of a story.
In the early years of our ministry, Gloria and I would be talking with someone and they’d mention a certain city and say, “That’s the worst place in the world to preach. It’s so spiritually dead, no one can have revival there.”
Gloria always knew what my response was going to be. Before I could even open my mouth, she’d say, “Well, I know where we’re going.”
If they said it was the worst place to preach, I was determined to preach there!
I’m still that way. I was reminded of it recently when I was telling some people about the first time I preached in Las Vegas. I could almost hear what they were thinking.
Sin City? You held meetings in Sin City?
Yes, I did, because that’s where the sinners were!
I didn’t hold the meetings in a church, either. Although these days I do preach in churches there, back then my venue was the Sierra Hotel and Casino. I chose that location because of a phone call I’d gotten from my friend Wayne Cochran. He’s a preacher now but he was once a major rock ’n’ roll star.
For years, Wayne had the longest-running show in Las Vegas, and he practically lived in the Sierra Hotel. After God got hold of him and changed his life, he led the owner of the hotel to The LORD.
“Wayne, now that I’m a believer, I want to do something for God,” the converted hotel owner said. “But I’m stuck in this hotel! Do you think Brother Copeland would come and preach a meeting here?”
Wayne told him he was certain I would—and, of course, he was right. I was thrilled at the thought of preaching the gospel in a casino. The whole reason I’m on earth is to bring the good news about Jesus to people who need it. Taking His light into the darkest of places is what I was born again to do.
If you’re a believer, the same is true of you!
You Are Called
God didn’t save you and then leave you here on this sin-plagued planet just so you could sit around and complain about how spiritually dark it is. He didn’t save you so you could sit here waiting for the Rapture and wishing all the sinners would leave you alone.
No, you and I and every other believer have been called, equipped and sent by God into this world for a specific purpose, and in Philippians 2:15-16, the Apostle Paul told us what that purpose is—to shine our light in a dark world.
“But Brother Copeland, you don’t understand the kind of darkness I have to put up with!” you might say. “When I go to work every day I’m surrounded by people who cuss and act ugly and make fun of me for being a Christian. It’s too much for me to handle.”
No, it isn’t. You have the same Holy Spirit living in you the Apostle Paul had living in him, and Paul not only handled more dark situations than you can imagine, he overcame them.
On the Battlefield
When the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Philippians, he was locked up in prison and surrounded by wickedness at its worst. Some believers wonder why Paul had to go through such hard times.
The answer is simple: Jesus asked him to do it.
He showed Paul, before he ever went into ministry, the things he would suffer for Jesus, and Paul agreed. (See Acts 9:16.) He knew he would not just be in church services, but places of deep darkness, absolutely steeped in sin.
Born-Again Blackjack Dealers
“But Brother Copeland,” someone might say, “sometimes I just don’t feel very shiny. Even if I did, I don’t know where God would want me to go and what He would want me to do.”
Then stop focusing on your feelings. Instead, focus on Jesus who came, shed His blood and put His own light on the inside of you. Ask Him to reveal His plan to you.
If His will is a mystery to you, you can just pray about it in other tongues and trust Him to reveal it to you.
That’s how I ended up preaching the gospel in the Sierra Hotel and Casino all those years ago in a city that’s absolutely famous for sin!
Of course, as it turned out, a lot of other believers had gotten there before me. They’d actually beaten me to the punch. One of them showed up just before the meeting started, when I was about to go out and preach.
He stuck his head through the curtain behind the platform where I was standing and said, “Brother Copeland! I’m a blackjack dealer, and I’m working the floor tonight so I can’t be in the meeting, but I just want you to know a lot of us here will be praying for you!”
I probably looked a little startled. “Really?” I said.
“Oh yeah! A lot of us who work here are born again. We witness and win people to Jesus all the time. Those of us who aren’t working will be at the meeting tonight. The rest of us will be backing you up in prayer.”
I had to laugh! Here I thought I was going in there to break new ground, and God had already invaded the place. He already had people positioned there. Those meetings turned out to be some of the greatest we’ve ever had!
The Power of Obedience
One day, in between meetings, I was walking through the hotel and The LORD drew my attention to a particular couple, a man and a woman who looked to be in their 30s. I want you to witness to them, He said. I obeyed Him and right there in the middle of the hotel, after asking their permission, I told them everything The LORD instructed me to say. When I finished, they just looked at me with blank stares. I thanked them for their time and walked away.
Well, that went over big, I thought.
I hadn’t taken more than about three steps when another fellow stopped me. He’d overheard the things I’d shared and wanted to talk to me. “I’d like you to pray for me,” he said.
Although he was so drunk he could barely stand up, he leaned against the wall, and I laid hands on him. The power of God hit us, and I found myself praying all the same things I’d just finished telling the other people. I realized with a shock that God had been talking to this man all along instead of to them.
Why He chose to do it that way, I don’t know. He’s the Boss. I just work here. I just do what I’m told to do. But I can tell you this: By the time I finished praying, that man was stone-cold sober—standing upright, with his hands raised, praising God and praying in tongues.
“I want to thank you!” he said. “I’m a backslidden Pentecostal preacher. But I’m not backslidden anymore. I’m back!”
Years have come and gone since then, but I still love having those kinds of encounters. I still relish those kinds of fights: first, because the devil is the one I’m fighting; and second, because Jesus conquered him at Calvary, so they’re fights I can always win.
This is why we, as believers, are here, my friend! To fight the good fight of faith.
Share the Greatest Gift This Christmas
As you prepare to spend time with those who don’t know The LORD today, pray, listen to God and get your marching orders. You will probably end up like me…surprised and amazed at how God will use you to shine His light on the most precious gift they could ever receive, the gift of Salvation.
To your family from mine, Merry Christmas. And remember…Jesus is Lord!
Dare to Shine His Light on the Greatest Gift This Christmas!
How can you show unbelievers the love of God through your actions this Christmas?
The best way is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39) by treating everyone with love, kindness and respect.
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DAY 24: Dare to Shine His Light on Peace
by Kenneth Copeland
Peace on Earth.
That’s a popular phrase this time of year. It’s Scriptural. It’s short. It fits nicely on the front of Christmas cards and looks great in gold script.
But let’s get real. That phrase, as spiritual as it might sound, isn’t worth the card it’s printed on if it’s not a reality in our lives. Peace on earth doesn’t mean anything to us when our stomachs are in knots over unpaid bills. Peace on earth is just a cliché when our minds are troubled and our lives are in turmoil.
In order for the good news of peace on earth to have real meaning, somehow that peace—the wholeness that Jesus provided for every person’s spirit, soul and body—must become real in our own lives.
The question is: How does that happen?
Do we ask God to do it for us? Do we just keep begging Him to give us peace and deliver us from our troubles until He finally gives in? Do we just keep pleading with Him on and on to heal, prosper and bless us?
No. Quite frankly, that’s a waste of time. The Scriptural fact is—God has already done all He is going to do about our deliverance.
As children of God, our heavenly Father has already blessed us “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3, KJV).
What we do with those blessings now is completely up to us.
You Have a Determined Enemy
I realize your flesh doesn’t care to hear that. Neither does mine. Our flesh doesn’t like to take responsibility for anything.
It would rather wallow around helplessly waiting for Jesus Himself to descend from heaven, pat us on our pitiful heads and say, “There, there, honey. You just sit down, watch television and I’ll take care of all your problems for you.”
But it doesn’t matter how long we cry and moan, or how sad and desperate we act, Jesus is not going to do that for us. God is not moved by circumstances, but there is one thing He is moved by.
Faith.
God has already sent us His WORD. It’s up to us to put that WORD in our hearts and in our mouths. It’s up to us to believe it and act on it, so its power can work in our lives.
“But, Brother Copeland, I just don’t feel like doing that. I’m too busy getting everything ready for Christmas dinner. I’m too tired after shopping and wrapping gifts. I’m too overwhelmed.”
Then get ready for a lifetime of defeat, because you have an enemy who is determined to keep you from ever enjoying peace on this earth. He is totally committed to stealing from you, killing you and destroying you—even at Christmas.
His name is the devil, and if you don’t rise up and resist him by faith in The WORD, you will never fully experience the blessings Jesus came to earth to give.
Four Simple Instructions
That may not sound like a very nice thing to say at Christmastime, but it’s the truth. And the best gift I can give you is to tell you what to do about it. So I’m going to share with you some simple but powerful instructions from Isaiah 7.
There we find an Old Testament king named Ahaz facing much the same situation we face. Although he was one of God’s covenant people, a king of God’s own nation of Judah, Ahaz was about to be attacked by an enemy who was bent on his destruction.
Naturally speaking, Ahaz didn’t have a chance. The situation was desperate.
What did God do for Ahaz in that dark hour? He sent him His WORD through the prophet Isaiah. He gave Ahaz a set of supernatural instructions that, if followed, were divinely guaranteed to bring him victory and peace (verses 3-4, 7, 9).
Look carefully at that passage and you’ll see that in essence, God gave Ahaz three simple commands in Isaiah 7:4 and 9.
Although all four commands are relevant to us, for now I am going to focus on the first two. I will show you how they can empower you to live a fearless life of overcoming faith—a life in which peace on earth is not the exception but the rule.
Take Heed!
Notice the very first thing God said was take heed or, in other words, pay attention!
What are we supposed to pay attention to? The WORD of God!
Maybe you already know what The WORD says. But it’s not enough for us just to know it. We must meditate on it and keep our attention trained on it until revelation arises in our hearts. Then, and only then, will it become real in our lives.
Giving The WORD that kind of undivided attention isn’t easy. It takes determined effort. It requires us to watch diligently over our minds and refuse to give our attention to any thought that is contrary to that WORD. We must choose to think only thoughts that agree with it.
You won’t be able to pay attention to The WORD of God if you’re constantly flooding your mind with things that violate it. You can’t bring every thought into captivity when you’re continually feeding on hours of foolish fables on television and reading stacks of what the world calls news.
So, before you can fully pay attention to The WORD, you’ll have to make some decisions. You’ll have to ask yourself, “Am I going to just do what comes easy, or am I going to stand up and be a champion in the things of God?” If you decide to be a champion, you’ll have to turn off some of that trash you’ve been watching and start spending time in The WORD instead.
Be Quiet
The second thing the Lord commanded King Ahaz to do was this: Be quiet! Or to put it in blunt, West Texas terms, Keep your big, blab mouth shut!
Why is it so important for us to be quiet in times of trouble?
Because our words have power. They are always working—either for us or against us. Most Christians don’t realize that. So when they hear the good news that God has given them the victory, they ruin everything by talking about their defeats!
Don’t do that! Even if those thoughts are flying through your mind, don’t give voice to them. Just cast them out and agree with God!
We have a New Testament example in Luke 1 of a man who should have done that and didn’t. About a year before Jesus was born, Zacharias was tending the altar of incense in the Temple, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him to give him some very good news about the coming birth of Zacharias’ son.
If Zacharias had taken heed to the word that had been given him, if he had given it his undivided attention, he might have done all right.
Instead, he focused on the problems in his life. He started thinking about all the reasons why God’s WORD wouldn’t work for him. After all, Elisabeth was barren. On top of that, both she and Zacharias were too old to have children anymore.
With those things on his mind, Zacharias opened his mouth and started talking. He interrupted the whole plan of God. Those were the last words Zacharias spoke for nine months.
You and I need to learn a lesson from that story. If we can’t say something good, if we haven’t grown spiritually strong enough yet to respond with words of faith, we shouldn’t say anything at all.
Make Your Choice This Christmas
God is not going to do to us what He did to Zacharias. He is not going to force us to be quiet. He doesn’t have to. He has already completed the work of salvation through Jesus. He has fulfilled His promise to mankind.
Now He is giving us a choice.
We can either choose life or death. We can choose to believe The WORD or not. We can choose to heed The WORD or focus on our circumstances. We can choose to be quiet about those circumstances or we can yap on and on about how awful they are.
It is totally up to us.
If we’ll make the right choices and follow God’s instructions, “peace on earth” will become more than a pretty phrase on a Christmas card. It will become a powerful, personal reality in every area of our lives.
Dare to Shine His Light on Peace This Christmas!
What’s disrupting your peace?
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DAY 23: Dare to Shine His Light on the Tree of Life
by Gloria Copeland
Every year in New York City, thousands are drawn to the annual tree-lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center. The Christmas tree, which is at the center of America’s busiest city, is lit and decorated exquisitely, and stands anywhere from 70 to 100 feet high. I’ve never attended myself, but its sparkling, majestic presence seems to draw people in, creating awe and wonder.
Long before New York City had the idea, there was an even more spectacular tree planted in the heart of Paradise. It was the centerpiece and crowning glory of the Garden of Eden. It was called the Tree of Life. God had given it to His people as a source of blessing and eternal life.
What’s more, God had given Adam and Eve everything they could possibly ever need. They even had the manifested presence of God Himself. They could walk and talk with Him “in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8, KJV). God was physically, substantially present in the garden.
Walking, talking and fellowshiping with God was His original plan for us. This is what God has always wanted and still wants today—to be near His children, to delight in them and for them to delight in Him. God longs to be close to us. He wants us to hear Him and come running into His loving presence.
Yes, God gave Adam and Eve everything they could possibly ever need or want. But He gave them something else, too. He gave them a choice. He gave them free wills to choose whether or not they would come to the Tree of Life to partake of His goodness.
And He gives us the same freedom of choice today. We can choose to draw near to Him and partake of His goodness. Or we can choose not to. I don’t know about you, but I want to walk with God and enjoy all His goodness!
The good news for you and me is today, 6,000 years later, we can get to that place of intimacy with God. We, too, can hear Him and come into His presence with the excitement and anticipation of the first human beings to ever meet God face to face. A Tree of Life is available to us today.
How do we draw near to the Tree of Life? The Bible tells us that we can draw near to Him through seeking His wisdom and His Word while also completely trusting Him.
Draw Near to the Tree of Life Through Wisdom
In Proverbs 3, the Word of God describes the benefits of obtaining God’s wisdom. There we read that wisdom’s profit is better than the profit of silver or gold. We’re told that it is more valuable than precious jewels. Long life, riches and honor belong to the one who presses in to the wisdom of God (verse 16).
But, as we learn in this passage, wisdom is something even more valuable than all the benefits it makes available to us: “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom…. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast” (verses 13,18, NASB).
Wisdom—God’s way of doing and being right—is a “tree of life”! You have full access to this Tree of Life through God’s Word.
Draw Near to the Tree of Life Through Seeking
The Tree of Life is the source for everything that God has in store for our lives. And the way we draw near to it is the way Jesus instructed us in Matthew 6:33, NASB: “Seek first His kingdom.” If you don’t seek, you’re not going to find.
It’s when we aggressively, actively go after the things of God that we get revelation. You’ll run right into the goodness of God. You’ll find that God is love. You’ll find that God desires to pour His blessings out upon your life in every way.
Wishing won’t work because it has no power to bring God’s highest and best into manifestation. Seeking works, which is how we draw near. Seeking, according to the Word of God, gets rewarded (Hebrews 11:16).
No doubt the Garden of Eden was a setting of unspeakable beauty, and heaven will be a place of unimaginable joy; but there’s a wealth of goodness to be enjoyed right here and now when you seek God each step of the way.
Draw Near to the Tree of Life by Trusting
Diligently seeking is not a new concept to people. Everyone on earth is diligently seeking after something. But there is supposed to be a big difference in the kinds of things we believers pursue. Jesus said we are not to worry about what we will eat or wear, or any other material need (Matthew 6:31-32).
When we get as fervent about going after God as those outside of God’s covenant are about going after worldly things, we will really begin to see the glory.
Why don’t you need to seek after the things of this world? Because “your heavenly Father knows that you need them” (verse 32, NIV).
Yes, God knows exactly what we need. He knows what we need spiritually, physically, financially and socially. He knows what His covenant people need and desire. And the wonderful thing about God is that He delights in providing these things for us! He wants us to have peace and wholeness—nothing missing, nothing broken.
It is up to us to completely trust Him to provide all we need.
Draw Near to the Tree of Life by His Word
One of the best ways to draw near to God and His wisdom is to dive into His Word, one on one—just you and God. Some of the most precious and powerful moments of my walk with God come while I’m fellowshiping with Him in His Word. The wisdom and revelation of God begin to come, and I get so excited!
You will never walk in the fullness of God’s goodness without learning how to study His Word on your own. It’s one of the primary ways you can experience Him speaking personally and powerfully to you each day.
Draw Near, Then Stay Near
Throughout the Bible, God shows us in His Word that He desires for us to draw near to Him. The responsibility lies with us to draw near and stay near. “But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all of His works” (Psalm 73:28, NKJV).
God’s desire hasn’t changed from the beginning when He revealed His loving Self to the first man and woman. God’s desire is to be close to His people, to have them draw near to Him, so He can bestow His goodness and blessings upon them. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8, NKJV).
Can you sense His presence near you this Christmas season? Can you hear His Word echoing within your heart? He wants you to draw near now and always. You see, Jesus is the Tree of Life! He is the wisdom of God—the Word made flesh. Press in to that Tree and stay close. All who draw near to Him will be blessed.
Dare to Draw Near to the Tree of Life This Christmas!
Determine to press into Jesus, the Tree of Life, and stay close!
DAY 22: Dare to Shine His Light on Wisdom
by Kenneth Copeland
I once saw a bumper sticker on an old pickup truck that read, “Wise Men Still Seek Him.”
That sure is true. And, this Christmas, I think it’s a good time to talk about why seeking God is wise.
If you look at any Nativity scene, you’ll see a group of three men on camels, wearing priestly clothing. Religious tradition refers to them as the “three wise men,” though the Bible never indicates a specific number. But, what do we really know about this group who were among the first to seek Jesus after His birth?
We are first introduced to these people, known as the Magi, in Daniel 2:2. They were in the court of the king because they were considered to be the most educated people in the land. Known as Chaldeans in Babylon, they were a special group of priests who were experts in philosophy, science and astronomy. The wise men seeking Jesus would have descended from these people, known for their great intellect.
But, many others besides this group of wise men had also heard this information. The prophecy was very well known by the Jews and their leaders. So, what made the wise men different than so many others? Matthew 2:2, NKJV, says: Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
The wise men had opened their hearts to receive revelation from God, and then acted in faith on what He had revealed to them. They sought to worship Him, which means they had already determined that He was the Messiah.
That’s wisdom. Taking knowledge and allowing God to show you how to put it into operation. That’s what the Magi were doing when they set out to seek Jesus—putting their knowledge into operation through God-given insight.
The Jews had their Messiah right in front of them, yet because of the hardness of their hearts, they did not seek Him or receive Him. The wise men were seekers of truth, and did not allow customs, reasoning or objections from others to block their pursuit of it.
So, what can we learn about wisdom from these “wise men”? I think there are three things we can learn: Wisdom seeks truth, wisdom goes to great trouble to find God, and wisdom obeys God rather than man.
Wisdom Seeks Truth
The wise men had spent much of their lives seeking for answers—perhaps even for meaning and purpose in their lives. They clearly had a hunger for truth, which likely inspired them to spend a great deal of time studying the coming of the Savior.
In Matthew 2:6, they also revealed that they knew of the prophecy of Christ’s birth. They had clearly invested time to find out more about what God had said.
If we want to walk in wisdom, we must also be seekers of truth—God’s truth. Proverbs 4:13, NKJV, says, “Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life.”
First Corinthians 3:18 tells us not to judge our wisdom or intelligence by the standards of this world. We need to find our instruction in The WORD of God—that’s where truth is found.
Wisdom Goes to Great Effort to Find God
The wise men likely traveled a great distance to find Jesus. This would have come at great personal expense, as well as an investment of time. The trip may have been dangerous to themselves, their animals and those who accompanied them. They were willing to put seeking God ahead of themselves or any other interest.
There is no way around it. If we want to operate in the wisdom of God, we must put Him first in our lives. The most powerful thing we can do in life is take the time to seek God with all our hearts without compromise.
Every believer who truly wants to follow God must make this declaration: “I am going to live by The WORD of God. Whatever I find in The WORD, that’s what I’m going to do!”
This is what it means to walk in the fear of The LORD. And when we do that, He’ll begin to reveal truths to us—even things no one else has ever seen before. That is how the goodness of God begins to flow into our lives.
Every time we get up in the morning, we should see God’s goodness manifested all around us—in our homes, in our children, in our relationships with our spouses, in the cars we drive, and in the clothes we wear.
That good place is available to you. God wants to reveal His wisdom for living abundantly and victoriously to you.
Wisdom Obeys God Rather Than Man
When the wise men had been searching for Jesus, they came in contact with Herod. When Herod heard the purpose of their journey, he instructed them to come back and tell him where he could find Jesus. They could have been intimidated by this powerful figure, known for merciless acts. Instead, they put the word from The LORD first.
“Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way” (Matthew 2:12, NKJV).
The wisdom of God will reveal things to you that you wouldn’t otherwise know. Sometimes it will be for your protection and sometimes it will be for your promotion.
“For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand” (Mark 4:22-23).
It’s important that we have “ears to hear” what God is saying to us through His WORD. We must keep The WORD in our mouths and “be listening” to His voice so we can “perceive and comprehend” the mysteries of His wisdom.
We need to be vigilant about what we allow our ears to hear. If we’re hearing trash, we can’t help but get trash down into our hearts. If we put unholy things before our eyes, the desire for sinful things will grow in our hearts. In Psalm 101:2-3, David says, “I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes” (NASB).
That’s why we must be careful what we’re hearing—because unbelief comes the same way faith comes—by hearing!
There is simply no other way to live free, blessed, well and supernaturally prosperous in the earth but to keep The WORD of God before our eyes, in our ears and “in the center of our heart.” This is how we obtain the treasure of God’s wisdom.
Enjoy the Benefits of Wisdom This Christmas
There are wonderful benefits that belong to anyone who will take hold of God’s wisdom. That’s why Proverbs 4:7, KJV, says, “Wisdom is the principal thing….” That means it’s the most important thing—the main thing you should want.
Wisdom is what will get you off the roller coaster of having your healing, then feeling symptoms again. Getting a great job, then losing a job. To solve your problems, you need wisdom!
How many times have you prayed and failed to receive your answer? I can tell you it wasn’t because God missed it! The WORD of God says you ask and receive not because you ask amiss (James 4:3). You need wisdom to ask for the right thing.
That means you need God’s thoughts about the situation before you can pray effectively.
So let The WORD of God, the wisdom of God, begin to influence your thinking. God’s way of thinking will save your life, pull you out of debt, and put you on the road to prosperity. It will introduce you to possibilities you have never seen before and get you out of any trouble—just like it did for those wise men 2,000 years ago.
Dare to Shine His Light on Wisdom This Christmas!
Have you made wisdom the principal thing?
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DAY 21: Dare to Shine His Light on Renewal
by Kenneth Copeland
If you’ve ever had a fresh Christmas tree in your home, you know what it’s like to water it and work to keep it strong and green. It gives off such a wonderful smell of pine when it’s freshly cut!
Over time, it doesn’t look quite as fresh anymore. No matter how much you water that tree, it’s just decided it’s done being fresh and green. Then, those pesky pine needles start to drop all over the floor. By the time you take it out to the curb, half the needles are still in your house on the floor, and it sure doesn’t look like that strong, sturdy tree you first brought home.
Sometimes, I think people liken their lives to that Christmas tree. They only have an expectation that life will be good for so long, and then they just expect it to decline.
Maybe this describes you. You’re not feeling as “fresh” as you used to, and for physical or emotional reasons, you’ve lost that zest for life you once had in your youth.
Well, this Christmas, I’m here to tell you about one of God’s greatest gifts to you as His child that can put pep in your step and a spark back into your life, and that’s the gift of renewal.
God’s Promise of Renewed Strength
Let me set the record straight: I plan to die young…at a very old age.
Or, to put it more accurately (since, as a believer, I’ve already done all the dying I’m ever going to do), I plan to depart this earth and go to heaven as a very youthful old man.
Spiritually, I have the DNA to do it. So do you and so does every other born-again child of God.
As people of faith, we all have great spiritual genes. If you need evidence, just take a look at Abraham. He lived to be 175. According to Romans 4:11, KJV, he’s “the father of all them that believe.” So longevity runs in our spiritual family.
It’s not the kind of longevity that just involves a lot of years, either. It’s not the kind that leaves you weak, worn out and sitting in a nursing home. No, it’s the kind that comes from having your youth renewed.
That’s what happened to Abraham. At somewhere around 100 years old, he got a new lease on life. His old body that had aged to the point where it was reproductively dead, got a fresh spark. The same thing happened to his wife, Sarah. At 90, she started coming alive as never before. So at an age most people consider ancient, Abraham and Sarah started over. They stepped into the fulfillment of God’s promise and had a baby.
Think of it! Those are the spiritual genes we inherited when we received Jesus as LORD, and God grafted us into the family of faith! We’re born again into a lineage of folks who were famous for living vibrantly on earth for a long, long time. We know we have their spiritual DNA because the Bible says, “Those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:9, 29, NKJV).
I have made a quality decision to lay claim to that heritage. I’m following the example of Abraham knowing that, because I have the same covenant of BLESSING, if I do what he did, I’ll get the same results.
Beware the Generational Curve
One enemy I encountered a few years ago is what I call the generational curve. That’s an influence passed down through our natural parents and grandparents. In my life, that curve came through the Indian bloodline that runs through my mother’s relatives. Physically, and in the way I think, I take after her side of the family.
But there’s something I’ve had to guard against: People on that side of my family start going downhill at about 70 years old.
Take my grandfather, for example. A strong, hardy man all his life, he hit his late 60s and began slowing down for no apparent reason. When he turned 70, he retired, sold the North Texas farmland that had been his home for years, and moved to town. He continued to decline until he passed away.
My mother’s life followed generally the same pattern. She lived just about the same number of years that he did. The year my mother died, I was sitting beside her hospital bed late one night praying for her to receive healing, when all of a sudden, the word of The LORD came to me.
Your mother doesn’t need healing, He said.
I was so startled, I jumped. “Well, You could have fooled me!” I answered. “Look at her!
After reminding me of how quickly she’d gotten healed of the pneumonia she’d had a few days earlier, He said, Her body parts are worn out. What she needs is not healing but the covenant benefit in Psalm 103:5.
I looked down at my open Bible and read it. “Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (NKJV).
What The LORD told me next changed the course of my life.
Youth renewal is included in THE BLESSING of Abraham that’s yours in Christ Jesus, He said. If your mother had laid claim to that benefit and declared it over her life every day, things would have turned out differently for her. She didn’t know she should do that. But you do! You ought to say every single day, “I receive the benefit of my youth being renewed today!”
That was in 1988, and I’ve been claiming youth renewal ever since.
Never Quit
Thank God I did, too. Because about 20 years later, the devil snuck up on me through that generational curve. A few years before I was about to turn 70, I started wanting to quit. I’d look at my preaching schedule and think, I’ve been at this for 40 years now. I ought to just get in my bass boat and head up the creek. I ought to relax, retire and get ready to die.
Let me tell you right now that no born-again, faith-walking believer should ever think about quitting! We don’t have any business retiring from God’s service at 65 or 70 years old. We ought to give Him at least 100 years to BLESS the world through us.
Meanwhile, I found out my physical body had been affected. I went to the doctor with pain like I’d never experienced in my life. He diagnosed it as degenerative joint disease. The MRI he took of my spine showed one of the disks had ruptured, and a piece of it had worked its way into the nerve canal of the spine.
As if that wasn’t enough, the doctor did a full physical on me and found out my adrenal glands had just flatlined. I had no strength.
So it wasn’t just my mind wanting to quit. My body wanted to quit, too. I was going downhill fast, and the devil thought he had me beaten.
But there was something the devil didn’t consider: Psalm 103:5—THE BLESSING of youth renewal I’d been claiming by faith ever since 1988.
Act Like Abraham This Christmas
Then, just like Abraham, I started giving glory to God. I determined to be grateful and give Him thanks by faith. It occurred to me, for instance, that even though some parts of my body hurt, others didn’t. So I’d thank Him for that.
I thanked Him that I was saved and going to heaven instead of hell. I thanked Him for my children who are all serving Him. I thanked Him for all kinds of other blessings He’s given me. After a while I noticed that as long as I was shouting my gratitude to God, I wasn’t hurting. So I just kept it up.
Somewhere along the way, my physical body started changing. I don’t know exactly when. But I can tell you this: Sixteen months later, all signs of degenerative joint disease had vanished. I’ll be 80 years old this month and instead of slowing down, I’m gearing up. Instead of getting weaker, I’m getting stronger.
My physical body has been quickened by the resurrection power of God! Not only have I been healed from the disease that tried to destroy me, my adrenal glands are functioning. My thyroid has come back to life. I’m more alive in every way than I was 20 years ago!
I have a fresh spark. I’m enjoying a whole new fruit-bearing season of life, and I intend to live it to the fullest until Jesus and I are both satisfied. Not like some old Christmas tree that has a short season of glory, then just withers away.
Then, and only then, I’ll depart this planet like Abraham did. “He died at a good (ample, full) old age, an old man, satisfied and satiated, and was gathered to his people” (Genesis 25:8, AMPC).
The way I see it, that’s the only way to go.
Dare to Shine His Light on Renewal!
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Day 20 - Dare to Shine His Light on Victory
by Gloria Copeland
On Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, millions of Americans gather around their television sets to cheer on their favorite football team to win. We even enjoy small victories in our lives—Christmas lights hung on the highest peak of the house, a snowman that took four hours to build, and a pumpkin pie made from scratch that’s actually edible.
Victory. It’s what we’re all searching for, isn’t it? And not just the small wins that come from our favorite team winning the game or building a snowman. We want victory for the big things in life – like our finances, careers, ministry, health and relationships.
Webster defines victory as “final and complete supremacy.” That means when it’s over, it’s over. There is no more vying for the position of triumph. It is finished. And you have the crown.
You might be thinking, I could use some victory right about now. The good news is that you have it! First Corinthians 15:57, AMPC, says, “But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.” That means the victory has already been won—our victory.
Because of Jesus, we are not fighting for a position of victory, we are fighting from a position of victory.
The Victor’s Prize
When you think of a victor, you think of someone who won a battle or competition, and you also think of someone who took the spoils.
If you have ever watched the Olympics, you know that there have been quite a few times when a team won an Olympic gold medal due primarily to one person’s effort. Even a player who sits on the bench during the medal rounds will still receive a gold medal because he or she is aligned with that team.
We, as believers, have aligned ourselves with Jesus. Though we played no part in the victory he claimed on the Cross, we are partakers of the spoils because we’ve received what He did for us.
What is the prize?
Whenever there is a competition that involves a reward of some kind, the first thing everyone wants to know is what is the prize? People want to know what they’re fighting for. It helps them to decide if it’s worth the effort and to determine what is at stake if they lose the fight.
In this case, the prize is total victory in every area of your life. I’d say that’s worth fighting for!
You already have it, but there’s an enemy who wants to take it from you or, better yet, convince you that you don’t even have it in the first place.
What are the spoils that you have through Jesus?
He won victory over death, grief, sin, sadness, lack, poverty, sickness, disease, strife, division and so much more. He defeated everything under the curse (Galatians 3:13). That’s a big victory!
It belongs to you—you just have to fight to keep it. Here are four steps to ensure that you keep your victory!
Four Steps to Ensure That You Keep Your Victory
Make the decision:
I will not be defeated; I will receive from God (1 John 5:4-5). What would happen if those Olympians we talked about went around acting sad, defeated and miserable after winning their gold medals? What if they kept talking about how they just can’t seem to win? You’d say, “You’ve already won!”
That’s what Jesus is saying to you today. You’ve already won! But, you have to collect your prize and gather your spoils. He isn’t going to do it for you. He already did everything on the Cross. Your job is to receive those gifts and refuse to be defeated in life. You’ve already won!
Resist Satan:
Refuse to entertain his thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; James 4:7). As you begin to wonder in your mind, you will begin to wander from God’s best.
Anything that does not line up with the Word of God is a thought that must be cast down immediately. Don’t even entertain it. When thoughts do come in, respond and talk back with the truth of God’s Word concerning your situation. We have victory in every area of our lives—so find the scripture that matches your problem and speak it in the Name of Jesus, believing you receive it.
Give your attention to God’s Word(Proverbs 4:20-22): Fix your mind on God’s Word (Joshua 1:8).
The more time you spend in His Word, the more the truth of your victory through Christ Jesus will become a reality in your life. It will be more real to you than your circumstances.
Purpose to avoid feeding your spirit negative influences (media, secular television). Faith comes by hearing—the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Fear comes by hearing that which is contrary to the Word of God.
Refuse to speak words contrary to what you believe you have received from the Lord(Mark 11:23-24): Answer every doubt immediately with the Word of God—that includes every symptom of sickness, unforgiveness, lack, strife, fear, etc. Put His Word ahead of the word of the doctor, the bank, your co-workers or your friends. Your victory is voice activated—make sure you’re only speaking victorious words.
Live a Life of Victory This Christmas!
As you are consistent in these steps, victory will become a regular part of your life, just as Jesus promised in John 14:21: “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
There will be trials and troubles in this world. But, through Him, you’ve overcome them, mastered them, suppressed them and prevailed over them—conquered them.
To conquer means “to get the better of in competition or struggle, to master, suppress, prevail over, overwhelm, surmount, to gain superiority, to subdue, to vanquish, to crush, to defeat.”
No wonder 1 Corinthians 15:57 shouts, “Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory, [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ” (AMPC)!
Know that you are joined up with the One who has conquered the world, the flesh and the devil. Shout hallelujah and enjoy the victory!
You have world-overcoming victory faith!
Dare to Shine His Light on Victory This Christmas!
In what area of your life do you need victory this Christmas? Go through the four steps above to claim your victory!
If you’re struggling in your finances this Christmas, don’t despair!
Resist the temptation to seek the world’s solutions. Go to the Word, find the many scriptures that promise you abundance, provision and a life without lack. Speak them, study them, meditate on them. Then, believe God for supernatural financial blessing this Christmas.
If you have sickness, disease or any kind of struggle in your physical body--
Jesus already fought and won the victory over that specific problem for you. Now, reach out and take it. Don’t wait for the new year. It belongs to you NOW.
Is there strife in any of your relationships?
Time for victory. Go to the Lord, and ask for His wisdom. Speak truth and refuse to speak contrary to the Word of God concerning your relationships. Pray and believe Him for a change even now.
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DAY 19: Dare to Shine His Light on Seed Faith
by Kenneth Copeland
If you’re planning to visit a Christmas tree farm this year, the trees you’ll be choosing from are the result of careful planning. Five or six years ago, the farmer planted a pine cone seed in fertile soil. He believed in that pine cone seed and that one seed would produce enough to stake his livelihood on it.
I learned what drives farmers like that to do what they do when I was a student at Oral Roberts University in 1967. It set the course of my life and ministry, forever. It is something so simple, yet, powerful enough to create an entire universe. It is something so obvious, yet easily overlooked.
It is…faith in seed.
I remember boldly declaring to Gloria back then, “I am going to have the hundredfold return. You and I will walk in it. We’re going to do things and have things that people will be too scared to even talk about. But we are going to do it!”
Since that time, a lot of people have told me, “Copeland, you just set your sights too high.”
Well, I’m just doing what the Apostle Paul did: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, KJV).
Notice it’s a high calling, not a low one.
That’s why, in nearly 50 years of ministry, I’ve found that a lot of church people—even preachers—get upset when you start talking about believing God for 30, 60 and a hundredfold return on what you sow into His kingdom. They get real nervous when you challenge them to receive all God has set before them.
But go talk to some farmers about the hundredfold return. That’s what they’re all after. They’re doing everything they can to get a hundredfold harvest from the seed they sow.
Why, then, are Christians so reluctant when it comes to believing God for a hundredfold return?
Because they don’t understand the principle of seed faith. Believers should use their faith for return on what they sow, the same as the farmer does.
God does everything He does by seed, and farmers do everything they do by seed.
A Lesson From a Farmer
In fact, a farmer is whom God used in 1947 to plant a seed in the heart of Dr. Oral Roberts. He planted this very principle of faith in a seed.
At the time, Dr. Roberts was pastoring a small church in Enid, Okla. He and his wife, Evelyn, had two children—and that was about all. They had no home, no car, few belongings, and lived from house to house with church members.
But on an unusually cold spring morning, just a couple hours before sunrise, a farmer knocked at their door.
The man apologized for waking them, but explained that he couldn’t wait any longer. He was about to lose his farm.
It turned out that this man was a member of Dr. Roberts’ church and happened to be one of the wealthiest men in the county. He had a large farm, but had lost a lot of money in the stock market and was about to lose everything. He came to Dr. Roberts for a miracle.
“God had me dig this up out of my backyard,” he said. Then he handed an old can to Dr. Roberts. Inside were four one-hundred dollar bills. “I want to put this in the offering for you and your family.”
In a church service the night before, Dr. Roberts had approached the church members about purchasing a parsonage. An offering was taken toward the down payment of a house and this farmer gave nothing. That night, however, God spoke to him.
“Oral,” the man said, “I’m a farmer, and I believe in seed. I’m not considering this as money. I’m considering it as seed for my miracle.”
Those words struck Dr. Roberts’ heart, and by the Spirit of God he heard, Seed faith!
Faith in seed. Faith in God’s way of doing things.
In the end, that farmer got his miracle, and Dr. Roberts got his house. But Dr. Roberts also went on to build his life, his ministry and a university worth more than half a billion dollars in property alone—and all by faith in a seed.
We Say Need—God Says Seed!
When we go to God with a need, He immediately begins talking to us about seed—something we can sow, or that we have sown, that will meet that need. Oftentimes, however, that’s the last thing we want to hear.
For example, there was a young rich man who ran up to Jesus and asked, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17, KJV).
He literally knelt before The LORD with all his need. He wanted eternal life.
“Go…sell whatsoever thou hast,” Jesus told him, “and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me” (verse 21, KJV).
With that, the man got up from his knees and walked away downcast. Verse 22 tells us why. “For he was holding great possessions” (AMPC).
This rich man came to Jesus with a need—the need for eternal life—and Jesus began talking to him about planting seed, but the man didn’t realize it. In his natural way of thinking, he thought Jesus meant he was just supposed to give away everything he had.
But that wasn’t the case at all. Jesus was simply trying to help him change from the world’s way of doing things to God’s way, by sowing a seed.
Teaspoonful or Truckload?
If you and I are going to enter God’s kingdom and operate in His ways, we must have faith in seed—and I don’t just mean have faith in God. Yes, we must trust God, but we must also have faith in the seed itself. We must believe it will produce for us, the same as a farmer would believe.
The Bible tells us that God based His kingdom, as well as the universe, on the principle of seedtime and harvest (Genesis 8:22). It has operated that way ever since.
Using parable after parable, Jesus taught His disciples the value of seed, as well as the power of faith in seed (Mark 4:21-34). But in the middle of all that teaching, He challenged them to have ears to hear. “To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them” (verse 25).
In other words, you and I are only limited by how much we choose to hear, or how much we choose to measure.
What exactly are we measuring? The amount of WORD we hear.
Like the disciples, God’s challenge is, “How much will we measure? How much of His WORD will we give ourselves to?”
The 30, 60 and hundredfold is not a theological debate. It’s a responsibility that falls back into our laps. We ultimately determine the amount of “return” we receive from every seed we sow into the kingdom of God. We decide whether it will be a teaspoonful, a handful or truckload.
God has faith in seed. That’s His way of doing things. His kingdom doesn’t operate any other way.
God is waiting. It’s your move. It’s your measure.
You don’t have to wait for the new year to begin sowing seed. That Christmas tree farmer is already five years ahead in his sowing. Now, you do the same!
Dare to Shine His Light on Seed Faith This Christmas!
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DAY 18: Dare to Shine His Light on Possibility
by Gloria Copeland
There’s something about Christmas that inspires children to begin dreaming. Maybe it’s the sparkle of Christmas lights on houses, the stockings hung and waiting to be filled, or dazzling packages nestled under the Christmas tree.
Somehow, anything seems possible this time of year. Many youngsters will even rush to bed much earlier than normal because they are so excited about the possibility of what will be under the tree when they wake up the next morning.
That’s what is so wonderful about children—their hopeful expectation. They dream big and expect miracles. Perhaps that is why Jesus desires for us to have childlike faith (Matthew 18:2-5).
What about you? Are you childlike in your anticipation this Christmas? Anticipation has always been a huge part of Christmas, as Jesus was the most anticipated gift ever received!
Put yourself in Mary’s shoes. She must have experienced months of anticipation as Jesus, the Messiah, grew in her womb. Moreover, the Jewish people had been taught for centuries to earnestly await the One who would save them, and here she was about to give birth to Him!
We also know the Magi traveled a great distance to see Jesus because they expected Him to be the king of the Jews. In the book of Daniel, we learn that the Magi were among the highest ranking officials in Babylon. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they began asking, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” They had not seen Him, but expected to see Him.
Just imagine what the Magi had to be thinking and dreaming! They must have been overwhelmed with excitement at the possibility of finding God in the form of a human baby.
They had to believe it was possible and put faith in God’s Word! They couldn’t afford to think ‘small’ or they may have never made that trip to find baby Jesus.
Small Thinking Limits God
Small thinking and small expectations limit God’s ability to work on your behalf. That’s why He often asks His people to raise their sights right before He does something remarkable.
For example, God wanted to do great things for and through Abram. While Abram was just looking for a plot of land to pasture his flocks, God wanted to give him all the land stretching out beyond the four points of the compass.
In the same way, Abraham wanted a single heir, but God wanted to make his descendants as innumerable as the dust of the earth.
God instructed him to “lift up your eyes.” In other words, “Raise your sights! You’re thinking too small.”
Abram believed God and caught His vision for his life, and what God spoke to him came to pass.
This Christmas season, God is telling us to raise our sights. To stop thinking small. We need to allow ourselves to dream about the possibilities that come along with believing God.
You don’t have to wait for the new year either; God is waiting to do more for you right now—in this season.
Expand Your Vision
Looking up and raising your level of expectation will impact every area of your life. Just as God had to move Abraham from thinking of only one son to thinking in terms of whole nations, God wants us to lift our eyes beyond being concerned only for our immediate needs and wants and only for those things that seem possible. He wants us to expect mighty things and to bring whole nations into His kingdom.
In what ways can you begin to think bigger? With the spirit of anticipation and excitement in the air this season, it’s a perfect time to start. Here are three ways to shine His light on possibilities:
Raise Your Expectations
As long as you’re willing to live without God’s best, you will. In order to raise your expectations, you must look to God’s Word and His promises. Those promises, and nothing less, should be your expectations.
Here are a few promises from God’s Word every believer should have his or her sights on:
God’s best for you is healing (Isaiah 53:5). So, don’t expect sickness or disease.
His best for you is financial prosperity (Psalm 35:27, KJV). Therefore, don’t settle for lack or poverty.
His will for you is an “abundant increase of favors” (Genesis 12:2, AMPC). That means you should believe for favor in every area of your life. And you don’t have to earn it or be qualified for it in the natural!
Since God’s Word provides much better promises than anything this world has to offer, your expectations should be much greater than unbelievers’.
Walk in Obedience
God’s will for you is to dream big and receive big. But, there is a condition. You must be obedient to His Word.
For example, if you are believing for health and healing, you must mix your faith in Isaiah 53:5 with obedience in taking care of your body (1 Corinthians 6:19). Whether that be eating properly, exercising, or any other specific instruction that the Lord has given you personally—obedience is key.
Most people tend to associate obeying God with drudgery and pain. But the truth is, obedience is always to our advantage. We need to change our expectations accordingly. When, in answer to the call of God, you leave behind your old lifestyle, your old habits and your old patterns of thinking, you experience great advantage.
Refuse Fear
Once you have begun to expect more and walk in obedience, the devil will send in doubt and fear to try and rob you of your blessing. This is a critical moment in receiving all that God has made possible for you.
We know that faith and fear are opposing forces, so you can’t have both at the same time. This requires an intentional effort to reject fear and only speak words of faith. James 4:7, KJV, says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” That means, the devil has to go when you resist him. Fear cannot stay when you fight with faith.
Don’t Limit God
Dreaming big was never meant to be limited to Christmastime. All of the wonder, hope and expectation that is felt at this time of year is to be in the heart of the believer each and every day. Purpose to live expecting great and exciting things in your life every day.
Dare to Shine His Light on Possibility!
As you watch your kids and grandkids dream this Christmas, look for ways to exhibit that same childlike faith in God and endeavor to “lift up your eyes” to greater things.
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DAY 17: Dare to Shine His Light on Priorities
by Kenneth Copeland
Have you ever seen one of those advent calendars that counts down the days until Christmas? Some of them will have a little window you open to reveal a Scripture verse. Others have a trinket or a chocolate inside. Either way, you can’t open all the windows at once; you have to take them one day at a time.
Think how great it would be if you had only one thing on your to-do list today.
Not 100.
Not 10.
Just one.
That might be hard to imagine with Christmas right around the corner.
What if that one thing would put you and keep you in the perfect will of God, guarantee your success, and empower you to be BLESSED and a BLESSING every day of your life?
Sounds great, doesn’t it? But to most people (Christians included) it also sounds too good to be true. “My life is complicated and demanding,” they say. “I have to earn a living. I have to take care of my family and fulfill my responsibilities at church. I have a lot of different priorities. I can’t tend to just one thing!”
From the world’s perspective, such statements make sense. But according to the Bible, that’s not how God sees it. He says we have just one priority: “My son, attend to my WORDs” (Proverbs 4:20, KJV).
What does it mean to attend to God’s WORD? It means we put it first and make it final authority in our spirit, soul, body, finances and everything we do every day. It means we always take time to hear what The LORD is telling us so we can say and do whatever He tells us to.
In short, it means we hang on to Jesus’ every word.
Living in a Martha World
“But Brother Copeland, I’m too busy,” you might say.
That’s what Martha thought, too. Remember her story? She’s the woman in Luke 10 who hosted one of Jesus’ teaching meetings in her home.
If anyone ever had reason to think she didn’t have time for The WORD, Martha did. Especially the day Jesus came to her house. He had His 12 disciples with Him, and who knows how many of His other 70 staff members.
Needless to say, Martha was very busy! She was not only playing hostess to a virtual multitude, she was trying to figure out how to keep them fed. (That might describe you, too, especially this time of year!)
She didn’t have the luxury of calling Colonel Sanders to deliver meals for everyone like we do today. She had to make everything. She assumed her sister Mary would help, but instead of heading for the kitchen, Mary joined the disciples, “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word” (verse 39, KJV).
So while Jesus taught and everyone else listened, Martha tended to the business of cooking…all by herself.
And she wasn’t happy about it.
Finally, Martha couldn’t stand it anymore. Convinced Jesus should correct the situation, she marched in and interrupted His sermon. “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me” (verse 40, NKJV).
Too Many Things to Do
Imagine this! Not only did Martha make a scene right in the middle of Jesus’ meeting, she as much as accused Him of not caring about her.
Martha was “[overly occupied and too busy]…distracted with much serving” (verse 40, AMPC).
She had too many things on her to-do list.
How did Jesus help her? He answered and said to her: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (verses 41-42, NKJV).
To Martha’s credit, she didn’t argue with what Jesus told her. She didn’t say, “Be practical, LORD! What am I supposed to do? Just let everyone go hungry?”
That’s how most Christians these days would have responded. But the fact is, Jesus didn’t say people should go hungry. What He said was that only one thing is needed: to hear and obey His WORD.
When we make that one thing our priority, everything else falls in line.
The Teacher Is in Your House
“But Brother Copeland,” you might say, “Martha’s situation was different than mine. Jesus was right there with her, teaching God’s WORD!”
Yes, He was. But the same is true for you. As a Holy Ghost-baptized believer, you can sit down, open your Bible, and hear Jesus preach to you every day. Why? Because you not only have God’s written WORD to read, you have the Holy Spirit living inside you to quicken that WORD.
In other words, just like Martha, you have the Teacher in your house—and every day He is saying the same thing to you He said to her: The one thing you really need to do is hear and obey God’s WORD.
The Secret to 100-Percent Success
God’s WORDs are the foundation of everything in His kingdom. They don’t just carry information, and they’re not only a means of communication. They’re infused with the very power of God Himself.
That’s why in John 6:63, Jesus said His WORDs are “spirit and life.”
Everything Jesus accomplished in the Gospels, He did by hearing and acting on God’s WORD.
Consider the incident at the pool of Bethesda. The Bible tells us that when Jesus walked up to that pool, multitudes of blind, crippled and diseased people were crowded all around waiting for the angel to stir the water. Yet Jesus walked right past them all and focused His attention on one bedridden man. “Wilt thou be made whole?” He asked. “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk” (John 5:6, 8, KJV).
Twelve words. That’s all Jesus spoke because that’s all the Father told Him to say. As a result, He had 100-percent success.
You know as well as I do, if we’d been there we would have set up the Pool of Bethesda Healing Association. We would have bottled the water, lined up all the sick people and anointed them with it.
But none of it would have done any good because only one thing is needful. The WORD of God.
Whatever He says, that’s what we need to say and do—and nothing else!
The Answer to Your To-Do List
God’s WORD can supply enough divine wisdom, power and life to conquer any challenge you might be facing. When you give His WORD first place, you open your heart and your ears to hear the Holy Spirit leading and guiding you. He can give you insights on how to tackle your daily to-do list more efficiently. He can relieve you of the burdens and life struggles you are carrying.
So make it your priority this Christmas. Simplify your life and make attending to God’s WORD the only thing on your to-do list. Just like that advent calendar, you can’t take on everything all at once. There has to be an order to things.
Spend time with Him every day and find out what He’s saying to you. Then stick with His plan. Say whatever He tells you to say, and do whatever He tells you to do.
It’s the only sure way to live BLESSED.
Dare to Shine His Light on Priorities This Christmas!
Rearrange your priority list by putting attending to God’s WORD at the top of the list. With a long Christmas to-do list, when can you make time for the most important item on the list—attending to God’s WORD?
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DAY 16: Dare to Shine His Light on Worry
by Gloria Copeland
Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtledoves, and a partridge in a pear tree…That’s a lot of birds in one Christmas carol!
Birds, like robins and red cardinals, not only appear on Christmas cards, but they also have great symbolism in the Bible. God references eagles, doves and sparrows, among many others. They play a significant part in many well-known stories in the Bible.
I have sat at my kitchen table and looked out the window at the birds. In the cold of winter, I have seen a bird and thought, God has put Himself on the line to provide for that bird. Then I have gone out and thrown him something to eat.
Do you know that in all the times I’ve done that, I have never seen a bird looking worried about where his next meal would come from. God said He would provide for the birds, and He keeps His Word. He’s a good God.
So what about you? Are you worried? Do you feel like you’re spinning your wheels trying to get the things you need?
Then you aren’t living in a revelation of the goodness of God and His willingness to bless you. You aren’t following Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 6:25-34 to receive the good things God has laid up for you.
Why Worry?
You may think, But I’ve already heard that God is good, and He wants to bless me.
Then why are you worrying instead of receiving?
Many people believe God is good, but head knowledge alone doesn’t affect their daily lives. It takes more than head knowledge to change your circumstances—it takes a revelation from the Word of God.
Do you know what a revelation is? It’s a truth that becomes so real to you, as the Holy Spirit shines light on it, that it becomes a part of your life. You don’t just hear it and then forget about it. You act on it. It is knowledge acted on that brings results.
This is what happened to me years ago when this passage in Matthew 6 became my first encounter with a revelation from the Word of God.
I had been raised in a church where they didn’t really think God was interested or would get involved in their lives. As a result, they worried about everything—and they taught me to worry. I even believed it was irresponsible not to worry!
But when I read that God was even interested in the birds, I knew He must care about me! This scripture put great faith in me. It became a revelation to me, and I asked God to take my life and do something with it. I found out that when you give God just a little opening, He will come right in.
How to Not Worry
Now understand, just because I received revelation about worry doesn’t mean the temptation to worry immediately left me. When I took hold of these scriptures, I had to learn to not worry.
Minute by minute I would reject worried thoughts that came at me from every direction. Though I didn’t know it at the time, I was doing what 2 Corinthians 10:5 says. I was “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” (KJV).
At the time, Ken and I were in desperate need of all kinds of things. We were drowning in a sea of debts and trouble, and the Word became our life preserver! I had read in Matthew 6:33 that if I would seek God first, He would take care of the “things.” This was such good news to me, I wanted to learn more.
My way out of worry and into the reality of God’s goodness all started with one scripture. Revelation from God’s Word has to be the basis for any real change you make. The Word has to be No. 1.
I would like to say this is always easy. But it’s not.
In this busy world, especially at Christmastime, what is easy is to get our priorities out of order. We can become so caught up in the cares of daily life that we don’t make time for God and His kingdom to be first place.
As a result, the Word gets choked out by cares and distractions—what Jesus called “thorns” in Mark 4:18-19.
If watching the news puts care, fear and worry into you, don’t watch. Nowadays you can watch bad news 24 hours a day, but that doesn’t mean you should! Spend that time in the “good news”—that’s what the word gospel means.
How do you stop worrying? You replace worrying with believing what the Word says. You can refuse worrying as you replace it with believing what the Word says
You see, meditation on the Word is more than just reading. It’s applying what is says to your life and changing your situation.
Trust God’s Goodness
God wants you to trust Him for everything you need. Look at Psalm 31:19: “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.”
When you trust Him, you can receive the good things He has laid up for you. To build that trust, you have to keep the Word as the center of your focus.
But if you’re listening to the devil’s lies and agreeing with them instead, you can’t be in faith. You’re sure to be anxious and worried.
When you worry, you’re in little or no faith, and that’s no place for a believer. Matthew 6:30 says, “And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”
So choose to trust God. Choose to believe He will take care of you—even down to what you will eat, drink and wear.
Win the Battle of the Mind
Casting your cares on God is an act of faith. It may not be easy at first, but it is necessary if you want to live in victory.
First Peter 5:8-9, KJV, says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
You can’t worry and be in faith at the same time. Resist the devil’s lies and give him no place (James 4:7; Ephesians 4:27). As Matthew 6:25, KJV, says, “Take no thought….” You have to consciously refuse to take those worried thoughts he brings.
The result will be perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).
That’s what I have done all these years, and I hardly ever have a worried thought anymore. I walk in the peace that passes understanding. It doesn’t make sense to the natural mind, but, I’m not living a natural life.
Whenever you are tempted to worry, just look at a bird. Does it seem worried? No, it has a heavenly Father who cares about it.
Well you have that same Father, and He delights in providing for you.
Remember, the Lord is good to all.
That includes you. So why worry?
My prayer is that you won’t. You’ll be just like the birds, and you will enjoy a worry-free Christmas!
Dare to Shine His Light on Worry This Christmas!
God is on the line to take care of the birds, and He’s on the line to take care of you, too. Meditate on these truths as you watch the birds outside your own window.
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DAY 15: Dare to Shine His Light on Receiving
by Kenneth Copeland
Christmas is a season of giving. God sent His Son to earth to redeem all mankind, and we spend the entire season celebrating this most precious gift. As part of the festivities, people go to great effort and expense to select and purchase gifts for loved ones. If you’re like me, you find great joy in giving.
Giving is certainly an important principle to learn in the kingdom of God. If you study the Bible, it’s not hard to discern that God, too, finds great joy in giving, and He’s the biggest Giver of all.
But, what about receiving? If God is the biggest Giver of all and finds great joy in giving to us, how are we supposed to receive from Him? Let me illustrate what I mean by telling you a story about Pop, Gloria’s grandfather.
Strong. Sweet. Godly.
Pop was one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known. He belonged to a generation that was determined to pay its own way. He’d give you everything he had, but you couldn’t give him anything.
Of course it’s an admirable thing for people to want to pull their own load; but the fact is, our lives aren’t complete until we learn how to receive. And that was something Pop had never learned.
I remember when I discovered how true that was. He had an old, beat-up watch that he’d been wearing for years. One day the watchband broke, so he ran a paper clip through the band, bent the paper clip over the top of the watch, and wore it that way.
When I saw that paper clip holding his watchband together, I thought, A fine gentleman and man of God shouldn’t be wearing an old, broken watch like that! So I bought him a new watch. I didn’t pay a lot of money for it, but I saw it, liked it and decided to buy it. When Christmas came, I gave the watch to him as a gift.
Two or three months later we were back over at his place and I noticed that Pop didn’t have on his new watch. He was wearing that same old, broken watch.
I said, “Pop, where’s your new watch?”
“Oh, I don’t wear that,” he said.
“Is there something wrong with it? If that’s the case, I’ll get you another watch.”
“Oh, no, no. It’s a fine watch. It’s too fine. That watch is too nice for me.” He was serious.
He simply couldn’t receive my gift.
I remember feeling as if a door had slammed in my face. I had given Pop that watch and wanted to see him wear it. I was left with something missing when he refused to receive it from me (the joy of being a blessing to someone I cared about); and he was left with something missing, too. He was left without the blessing of wearing a new watch.
Robbed by False Humility
At that moment, The LORD spoke to me. Do you see how that Robbed by False Humilitymakes you feel? It does the same thing to Me. Of course, you know that he’s saying these things out of humility, don’t you?
I said, Yes, Sir, I know he is.
But do you realize that it isn’t true humility? The LORD continued. All it did was grieve your heart.
Suddenly, I had a clear picture of how I had often treated The LORD.
We have the tendency to do the same thing Gloria’s grandfather did. Every day, God’s grace is extended to us, but often a sense of false humility keeps us from receiving. We don’t have confidence in the Giver so we turn away from His gifts.
You are Mine. Come and be blessed by Me, The LORD says.
“Oh, God,” we reply, “I might take a little bit of Your provision, just enough to get by, but I don’t think that it would be right for me to receive too many blessings from You.”
That’s false humility, and as I learned from Pop, false humility grieves God
How can we avoid grieving God in this way? We must learn that we walk in a great, eternal covenant that’s been formed between the Son and the Father. In addition, we need to get a clear concept of the grace of God, and take our place in it.
Let God Bless You
Your ability to operate in the grace to receive from God is linked to your understanding of your righteousness before Him—a righteousness purchased for you by Jesus’ sacrificial death.
In fact, 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares that we become the righteousness of God. Chapter 6, verse 1, says this: “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (KJV).
Do you see the connection? The WORD is clear. Failing to understand that you stand before God completely righteous—robed in the purity and authority of Jesus Himself—will cause you to nullify the operation of God’s grace in your life.
God wants to treat you as if you’ve never sinned. He wants to treat you like you are the smartest, holiest and most beautiful thing that ever existed.
All this time, He’s been trying to treat us this way, and yet we wouldn’t allow it. Like Gloria’s grandfather, we haven’t learned how to receive. When God has tried to bless us, we’ve said, “I’m just an old sinner, saved by grace. I’m not deserving of that.”
Well, you’re either an old sinner or you’re saved by grace. You can’t be both, and you need to make up your mind which one you want to be. If you are saved by grace, then you need to quit calling yourself an old sinner and start believing in the fullness of God’s saving grace.
When you refuse to receive the gifts that God is trying to bestow on you, you insult the blood of Jesus and reject the grace of God. You need to make up your mind that you’re not going to do that anymore!
I want to remind you that God is no respecter of persons. Everything that He has ever done for Jesus, He will do for you. Everything He has ever given Jesus, He will give to you. Remember: “If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32, KJV).
We are joint heirs with Jesus and His Anointing. We are one spirit with Him. Everything that Jesus has is ours, and we access these blessings by faith.
Faith to Receive This Christmas
In 2 Corinthians 8:9, the Bible says that Jesus, who was very rich, for our sakes became poor so that we, through His poverty, might become rich. He did it so that we would be abundantly supplied.
In this hour, God is urging us to abound in this grace, too. Jesus has given us everything heaven has to offer, and He wants us to step into our wealthy place in Him (Psalm 66:12).
Sadly, when most Christians hear that news, they respond as Pop did. “I can’t wear that. It’s too nice for me.” Don’t be guilty of grieving God’s heart in this way. Receive God’s promise of abundance by faith so that you might abound in His grace.
God loves it when you find out what is yours. He doesn’t wait until Christmas to bless us with His promises. They are ours for the taking every day! Will you receive them?
Dare to Receive From Him This Christmas!
Right this very moment, God has blessings and promises that He has set before you, in the same way I set the watch before Pop.
DAY 14: Dare to Shine His Light on True Prosperity
by Gloria Copeland
Are you dreaming of a white Christmas with soft snowflakes falling to the ground? An abundance of snow covering any landscape is considered the perfect Christmas scene. Beautiful versions appear on Christmas cards, in shop windows and in seasonal movies. Even children dream of waking up to an abundance of snow-covered hills and trees.
There was one such boy who lived in Texas who had always dreamed of building a snowman on Christmas morning. This year, he knew he had that chance, as he was traveling to visit his grandmother in Colorado. When he arrived, there was no snow anywhere to be seen.
He was disappointed, but his grandmother prayed with him. They asked God to send snow for Christmas.
The next morning, when the little boy awoke, three feet of snow had fallen overnight! An abundance of billowy white snow covered the mountains, streets, yards and doorways!
“That’s going to make a BIG snowman!” he exclaimed.
The little boy no longer lacked the snow he needed to build his dream snowman. He had prayed to the Lord and asked Him for what he needed, and the Lord answered. I am sure that little boy has never forgotten how the Lord provided for him that Christmas!
That boy experienced what I like to call true prosperity. God provided everything needed…abundance, success, well-being and security. Some people get the idea that prosperity is only related to finances, but it is so much more.
True prosperity is the ability to use the power of God to meet every need in your life—spirit, soul and body. And the Word clearly tells us that God delights in the prosperity of His servant.
Just like the Lord provided for the boy, it is also His will for you to live an abundant life now—in this lifetime.
The Journey to Prosperous
The beginning of a prosperous life is a prosperous soul.
But how do you get there?
My journey to the prosperous life began years ago when I read Matthew 6:33 in a Bible Ken’s mother had given him: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” In The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, it says to seek “His way of doing and being right.”
That’s the foundation of God’s prosperity. When I found this verse, I was ready to try God’s way. I needed a lot of things and my way wasn’t working. I discovered that God’s prosperity isn’t just financial blessings. It also includes healing, protection, favor, wisdom, success, well-being and every good thing you could possibly need—all the good things Jesus paid for you to have.
Isaiah 53:5 says, “The chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole” (The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition). The Hebrew word for peace in this scripture is shalom. It basically means “nothing missing, nothing broken,” or wholeness in every area of life—spirit, soul and body.
Prosperity’s Foundation
That kind of prosperous life doesn’t just happen. And it doesn’t happen overnight.
But you can begin building the foundation for true prosperity by walking in truth, tithing and sowing, and believing and saying.
Walking in Truth
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4).
Ken and I weren’t exactly walking in prosperity when we married. I wore a $2 veil with the white cotton dress my mother made for the wedding. Ken’s friend married us at his home and his wife baked the cake. We even borrowed $100 for our honeymoon. We had no money and no wisdom.
But then something happened that totally changed our lives.
We found that the first step to increase is walking in truth. I’m not talking about just reading scriptures about prosperity. You prosper when you walk in all the words God says to you, living a godly lifestyle—in obedience to what God says is right.
That’s the wisdom of God. When we began obeying everything we saw in the Word of God, we began to increase.
And increase can come to you, too. God desires for you to increase. As you faithfully and diligently seek Him without compromise, you will see a change in your life, just as we did.
Tithing and Sowing
“Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency…and with the firstfruits of all your income; so shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10, AMPC).
Tithing is a covenant transaction that gets God involved in what you are doing. The first 10 percent of your income—the tithe—belongs to God. The Bible calls it firstfruits. Tithing is how you honor God with your money. It makes a way for Him to bless you supernaturally.
Ken and I never had any financial growth until we became faithful in tithing. At first it looked impossible to give that 10 percent. But when we did, the 90 percent we had left went further than the 100 percent we had before.
Whatever we do must be in obedience and faith for God to be pleased with it. We are to give with a willing heart, as an honor to God, and worship Him with our tithes. Then He is in partnership with us.
After we tithe, we are to sow according to what the Lord lays on our hearts, with the right attitude. The Hebrew word for offering comes from a root word that means to “draw near.” We draw near to God with our offering.
Scripture plainly says you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7). If you desire to be a receiver, you have to be a giver.
Tithing is supernatural—don’t miss out on the benefits. God has an interest in your finances. He desires to increase you and bless you because He loves you.
Believing and Saying
The Bible says several times in the King James Version, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).
Faith must be in two places—in your heart and in your mouth. Believing in your heart and saying with your mouth produce the operation of faith. Jesus said, “For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23, KJV).
Ken and I learned that if we put the Word of God in our eyes, put it in our ears, and let it get down into our hearts in abundance, it would come out of our mouths in faith-filled words that would change our lives and circumstances.
Time to Increase This Christmas
The three keys I’ve shared are how Ken and I laid a foundation for the prosperous life—and this is how we maintain it. I can tell you from experience, these are the first steps to increase, no matter what you need.
This Christmas, be like the little boy who believed God to give him the snow he needed to build his snowman. Believe for God to provide what you need to prosper in every area of your life: healing, protection, favor, wisdom, success, well-being and any other area. After all, we’re celebrating the One who came to give us life and that more abundantly!
Dare to Shine His Light on True Prosperity This Christmas!
Commit to obeying everything you see in God’s Word. If there is any area in your life where you are not walking in obedience, commit to change it today. Repent for being disobedient, then make a commitment, just as Ken and I did years ago, to obey everything you see in God’s Word.
Day 12 - Dare to Shine His Light on Love
by Gloria Copeland
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV).
One of the most recognized Bible verses of all time, this verse sums up how much God loves us in one sentence. This is the time of year when we reflect on that love. God is love. And Christmas is a celebration of the greatest gift we have or will ever receive as a result—Jesus.
In spite of this truth, sometimes it seems as though we witness anything but love this time of year. Cars swiftly pull in front of others to secure the best spot. Women fight over hand towels at Black Friday sales. Families bicker over Christmas dinner.
The devil would love to distract us from the real reason for our celebration this Christmas. He seeks to steal our joy, kill our peace, and destroy a treasured time for families everywhere. But, we don’t have to let him!
It’s time to put the focus back on what Christmas is all about.
Love at Christmas
Why is important to show love at Christmas? This season is a celebration of the greatest gift of love ever shown to mankind. If we truly want to honor God for sending Jesus, it won’t be accomplished through decorating, shopping and baking. There isn’t anything wrong with adding those things to our celebration, but it isn’t a substitute for what God desires most.
What does He desire most?
He told us in Matthew 22:37-40: “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
First, Love God
Many people claim to know God. But they are being robbed of the kind of relationship Jesus wants with them, one in which they abide in Him. They are deceived, thinking: I pray and read the Word every day. I think that means I’m abiding in Jesus.
The issue is, what it means to abide in Him. As important as it is to spend time reading, meditating and listening to God’s Word, those things alone do not qualify you as one who abides. To be a true “abider” you must take one more step. You must not only hear the Word, you must also act on it.
Abiding is obeying. As Jesus said: “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me” (John 14:21).
The Word that is truly alive in us is not the Word we know, but the Word we do. James 1:22 says people are deceived because they are not doers of the Word, but hearers only. First John 2:4-5 says it this way: “If someone claims, I know God, but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him.”
Without revelation knowledge followed by action, love lies undeveloped and selfishness continues to reign supreme in you—even though you are a new creature.
Second, Love Others
In John 15:12, KJV, Jesus summed up the commandments with one statement: “Love one another, as I have loved you.”
Exactly what is the spirit of love? How does it display itself? First Corinthians 13:4-8 gives us a clear answer to those questions.
Let’s put these verses in perspective when looking at our day-to-day activities this Christmas season.
Love endures long at the grocery store. It is patient with children even under pressure. It is kind to spouses no matter what the situation. It is not envious of another’s decorations or baking skills. It is not boastful about gifts, vacations, accomplishments or anything else this season. It isn’t rude in parking lots or toward difficult in-laws.
Love does not insist on its own way when deciding what to buy or which events to attend. It takes no account of those who cut others off in traffic, take the last piece of fruitcake or speak unkind words.
Love bears all things during holidays, and every other time. It is ready to believe the best in every person at the Christmas party, and every relative at the family gathering. It endures everything that may come with a pure heart and a godly attitude. Love never fails….
There is nothing—absolutely nothing—that is more important than learning to love. In fact, how accurately you perfect the love walk will determine how much of the perfect will of God you accomplish.
That’s because every other spiritual force derives its action from love. For example, the Bible teaches us that faith works by love. And answered prayer is almost an impossibility when a believer steps outside of love and refuses to forgive or is in strife with his brother.
Without love, your giving will not work. Tongues and prophecy will not work. Faith fails and knowledge is unfruitful. All the truths that you have learned from God’s Word work by love. They will profit you nothing unless you live the love of God.
Sounds like a tall order, doesn’t it? But don’t despair. You are a love creature. God has re-created your spirit in the image of love. And He has sent His love Spirit to live in you and teach you how to love as He loves.
You’re Not on Your Own
If you’re sitting there thinking you could never consistently live a life of love, that it would simply be too hard for you, don’t worry. None of us could do it on our own. But, thank God, we’re not on our own! The Greater One is in us, and it’s His love that makes us victorious.
Will you commit to learning how to love this Christmas? Determine to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. Then, watch how merry your Christmas will be as you bless others with the love of God.
Dare to Shine His Light on Love This Christmas!
Show love to God and others this Christmas by daring to take on one or more of the following challenges. You might be surprised how blessed you will be when you give the love of Christ to others.
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Day 11 - Dare to Shine His Light on Prayer
by Kenneth Copeland
Gloria is known as the cook in the family. Right about this time each year, her red cookbook comes out and she begins planning and preparing. Many of her recipes have been passed down and shared by family members over the years. The pages are worn and certain recipe cards have turned yellow. But, one thing still remains the same—those recipes still work!
I have a tried-and-true recipe that I’d like to share with you this Christmas. It is a recipe for effective prayer. Just as with Gloria’s recipes, if you leave out even just one ingredient, you won’t get the desired result.
Early in my ministry, I learned a vital lesson: For any effort to be successful, it must be backed by prayer. Effective praying is the key to success in every area of your life.
So, what are you struggling with this Christmas? What endeavors do you want to be successful at now and in the future?
I’m sure you have a long list! It’s time to back your life with effective prayer. Below are five key ingredients you will want to include in your prayer recipe so that you get results!
1. Adopt an Attitude of Prayer
Prayer is more than just time spent with God. It’s not just an emotional release, nor is it an escape valve. It is much more than asking God for a favor. Most importantly, it is not a religious exercise.
Prayer is an attitude.
An attitude of prayer is a state of being, in which you are living in constant contact with your heavenly Father.
The Lord instructs us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, KJV), and “always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1, KJV).
James 5:16, NKJV, says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
These scriptures illustrate what an attitude of prayer looks like, and how to get the results you’re hoping for. When you don’t have an attitude of prayer, you’re often just shooting some scatter-shot type of prayer, and hoping something might happen.
2. Pray the Will of God
Praying the will of God is the only kind of praying that can consistently and confidently be expected to bring results. In order to do that, you have to grab your Bible and find out what the will of God is.
God’s WORD is His will. He has made some very specific promises, and it’s His will to fulfill every one of them.
When you’re praying about something, find promises from the Bible that apply to your situation, and pray the answer—not the problem.
Do you need healing in your body? Don’t pray what the doctor says, but instead pray, “By His stripes I am healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
Do you have financial needs? Don’t pray your problem. Pray what God has said He will do: “My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
God wants His will done on earth. So, before you pray, make sure you pray His will, and expect God to move.
3. Have Confidence in Your Prayer
God’s WORD says that we are to be confident that God hears our prayers and that He will give us what we ask for.
“And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.” – 1 John 5:14-15
How can we develop that kind of confidence? John 15:7 gives us the answer: “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!”
His words remain in us when we meditate on them and do what He says. When we do this, we are exercising our faith and living according to The WORD of God. This gives us confidence that we are qualified to receive that for which we ask.
The next step of confidence is to believe that we receive our answer according to Mark 11:24: “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
So when you pray, believe that your prayers have been heard and that you’ve already received the answer.
4. Thank and Praise God for the Answer
Sincere thanksgiving and praise are critical to a successful prayer life. They are more than just words, because they communicate your heart of gratitude to God and infuse your prayers with power.
Once you have believed that you have received the answer to your prayer, put your faith in action by thanking God and praising Him for the answer. Psalm 22:3 says that when you do that, God will inhabit your praises.
You can be sure that two things are present when God inhabits your praises: His presence and His power. You can’t separate His power from His presence. If you want God’s presence and power moving in your situations, begin thanking and praising Him for answering your prayers.
Avoid Prayer Hindrances
God’s desire is to answer your prayers when you pray according to His will. Unanswered prayer is not the result of God’s unwillingness to use His power, but is often the result of hindrances that block the answers you seek.
Below are the most common hindrances to your prayers:
Doubt and Unbelief
Doubt comes from ignorance of God’s WORD. For example, many have the idea that God will no longer heal people, or they think He is not interested in their financial affairs. Consequently, their prayers are hindered because they do not know what God’s WORD actually says.
To get rid of doubt, you must educate yourself about what God’s WORD says by studying the Bible.
Unbelief is when a man knows God’s WORD, but does not believe it. Instead, he chooses to believe only what he can feel and see—the natural circumstances. His prayers are hindered because He does not have confidence, or faith, in God’s WORD.
To get rid of unbelief, you must believe what God’s WORD says and make it the final authority in your life.
Unforgiveness and Strife
Next to doubt and unbelief, one of the best ways for you to not get your prayers answered is to refuse to forgive someone who’s wronged you and act in strife. Mark 11:25-26 directly addresses this: “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
In this verse, Jesus was teaching forgiveness before the cross, to those trying to gain God’s approval through fulfilling the law. Today, after the cross, God forgives our sins when we accept Jesus as our LORD, so our refusal to forgive does not mean we aren’t forgiven.
So, to put this verse in perspective, we could rephrase it to say: “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, because your Father in heaven has forgiven you.”
God wants you to forgive because He has forgiven you. When you forgive, you are exercising God’s love toward others. If you are not walking in God’s love toward others because of unforgiveness, your prayers will be hindered, and you will likely begin to act in strife.
Strife is merely acting on unforgiveness. The dictionary defines strife as “angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.”
James 3:16, KJV, tells us the consequences of strife: “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
The quickest way to stop strife is to forgive. When you do that, your prayers will no longer be hindered, and you’re on your way to seeing results!
A Recipe for Prayer Success
You can have powerful and effective prayer in your life this Christmas. Add the right ingredients of an attitude of prayer, praying God’s will, believing that you receive, praising God for His answers, and shaking off hindrances, and God will show Himself strong on your behalf. His tried-and-true recipe never fails!
Dare to Shine His Light on Your Prayer Life!
Make prayer a family priority this Christmas. Determine things you can pray for, and go through each ingredient in the recipe for prayer success together.
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Day 10 - Dare to Shine His Light on Joy
by Gloria Copeland
Are your holidays lacking the real joy you know the season should bring?
Even in what’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of year, we can face situations that seem custom-designed to steal all the joy out of Christmas and life.
Financial pressure. Family dynamics. Work situations. Health concerns. These are all things that try to steal our joy every day of the year.
The world will tell you that it’s impossible to feel joyful or happy all the time, especially in the midst of challenges, and if you do, something must be wrong with you.
Well, the world is wrong again, because the Bible says something different. The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and without this joy, we won’t be able to live the blessed life God has planned for us at Christmas, or any other time of year.
Your Joy Is Your Power
The world is always seeking happiness, but happiness is only an emotion that can come and go without warning.
On the other hand, joy is one of the most powerful spiritual forces in the world and one of the fruits of the Spirit that only comes from a relationship with Almighty God.
Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.”
That strength we find in Him gives us the power to overcome trials and great obstacles in our lives.
That’s what makes joy so crucial. You can’t live a life of faith without being strong in the Lord—and when God wants to make you strong, joy is what He uses to do the job!
The joy of the Lord is not dependent upon your circumstances—it comes from your spirit. When the truth in God’s Word gets down into your spirit, the truth will set you free from bondage, depression and fear.
Joy Stealers
If the joy of the Lord is your strength, you can be sure that the devil is out to steal it from you. He knows that if he can get your joy, he can take everything else from you, too.
But, you can be aware of and on the lookout for his schemes. Here are three ways the enemy will attempt to steal your joy:
Depression
If you’ve ever faced a trying situation, such as the loss of a job, a loved one, a struggling marriage relationship, or health problems, you know that depression tries to come on you quickly.
The only weapon the devil has is lies. And he’ll use those lies to try and get you to accept what he’s dishing out instead of what God wants you to have. If you play along, he’ll defeat you.
What happens when you get down, sad or depressed because you’re believing the enemy’s lies? You lose your will to fight. You don’t resist the thoughts of the enemy, and you don’t speak words of power that could bring redemption to the situation. You lose your joy, and therefore, you lose your strength and the victory.
Instead of giving in to the temptation to be depressed, we must resist the devil and get right back into joy. How?
Go to the Word of God, and choose to believe His promises. Speak what God says about the situation aloud.
For example, say, “No, you don’t, problem.”
“Sickness, you get off my body.”
“Poverty, you’re under the curse, and I’ve been redeemed from the curse.”
“Satan, get your hands off my money!”
This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).
God’s Word is the source of your joy. Joy is a cure for depression because you can’t get depressed and also walk in the joy of the Lord at the same time. It just doesn’t work! So stay in joy!
Fear
The opposite of faith is fear. Fear is putting faith in what you don’t want to happen. Fear is not a position of strength but of weakness. When you choose to allow fear to come into your life, it zaps the joy and strength right out of you.
When you’re walking by faith, you believe you receive God’s promises, and therefore, you have no reason to fear or lose your joy.
On the other hand, if you are afraid, you are not believing that you will receive God’s promises. You’ve stepped out of faith and out of the joy of the Lord, and therefore, you no longer have strength to receive what God has promised.
When you are tempted to fear, roll your care over on the Lord and refuse to worry about it anymore. Find a scripture that promises what you need, and don’t let go. Refuse to let fear and discouragement come in.
Take a stand and say, “I believe I receive my healing.”
“I believe I receive my car.”
“I believe I receive the salvation of my children. I have it. Thank You, Lord.”
Unforgiveness
Have you ever noticed that when you’re angry with someone who has wronged you, your joy goes out the window?
Think about it. If you don’t practice walking in love, someone is going to get your joy before dark.
The Bible says that love forgives and takes no account of the evil done to it. That’s how you maintain your joy when someone does you wrong. If you don’t forgive, you are forfeiting your joy.
One way to prevent unforgiveness from stealing your joy is to immediately forgive those who have wronged you.
Keep Your Joy This Christmas
Everyone can experience the joy of the Lord. The real challenge is keeping it every single day. As you prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, don’t let the pressures of the season and everyday life steal your joy. Instead, choose to be full of joy, and strong in the Lord. Draw on the supply of the Holy Spirit within you, and you’ll come out on top!
Dare to Shine His Light on Joy This Christmas!
What situations threaten to steal your joy this Christmas? Defeat your enemy by the strength that comes only from the joy of the Lord!
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Day 9: Dare to Shine His Light on Sorrow This Christmas!
by Kenneth Copeland
Christmas is supposed to be the most joyous time of year, and for many, it certainly is. But, for many others, it is a season of deep loneliness and sorrow instead. That empty place at the table or those missing packages under the tree leave a void that cannot be denied.
You may be experiencing the loss of a child, spouse, parent, marriage or relationship, and this time of year only accentuates the pain you’re feeling, maybe even to unbearable proportions. You may feel like no one understands your grief, but I assure you there is Someone who comprehends the depth of your sorrow.
Jesus intimately knows your pain because Scripture tells us He died on the cross carrying it (Isaiah 53:4). He has felt every bit of the pain that you have.
When Jesus died on the cross, He defeated the curse of grief and sorrow. Today, the enemy uses grief and sorrow to steal our hope and our joy…if we let him.
As a believer who’s been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, you can learn how to resist the enemy and experience the joy of The LORD this Christmas! Allow me to explain…
The Danger of Sorrow
It comes disguised as a simple, “healthy” emotion. Then, little by little, it drains you dry. It is devious and destructive, and it’s the constant companion of death itself.
Grief and sorrow are dangerous. In fact, grief and sorrow were part of the devastating, satanic barrage Jesus took on Himself when He died on the cross.
Isaiah 53:4, KJV, says: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” That phrase, “griefs and sorrows,” can also be translated sickness, weakness and pain. But any way you translate it, they’re all pieces of the same destructive puzzle.
Grief and sorrow are part of the devil’s game. They are the ever-present, shadowing companions of death. Yet countless Christians are still shouldering them today.
As a believer, you’ve been given hope through Calvary concerning your situation. And you cannot have hope and sorrow at the same time!
“But, Brother Copeland,” you may say, “aren’t grief and sorrow just natural emotions?” Yes, they are. That’s what makes them so dangerous.
Are You Hanging On to Grief?
We’ve seen them as such a natural part of life that we haven’t even questioned them. Some believers will even fight for the right to be sad.
When I was teaching a series of meetings on prayer in Oklahoma, a woman was there who was grieving over the death of one of her children. Although it had been several years since the child had died, she was still deep in sorrow and grief when I met her.
After one of the sessions, she came up to me to tell me how she’d prayed and prayed over that child and it hadn’t done any good. She was crying as she spoke. Again and again, she sobbed, “My baby died…my baby died….”
When I opened my mouth to reply, the Spirit of God came on me and I said to her, “God didn’t take your child. You let the devil beat you at the game of life, and he’s still whipping you today.”
Suddenly, she was furious. She wasn’t about to let me or anyone else take her grief away from her. Her husband had to take her out, she was so mad.
The next night, however, she came back with a smile on her face. Something had obviously changed. “Brother Copeland,” she said, “please forgive me. How can I ever thank you? For all these years I’ve been so caught up in grief that I’ve failed my family.
“I haven’t been a wife to my husband or a mother to my children. When I got to thinking about what you’ve been teaching on prayer, I remembered all the unbelief we cried and prayed over that baby. We thought it was prayer, but there wasn’t any real prayer to it.
“We just all agreed she was dying and kept hollering about it. We didn’t release any faith to keep it from happening. I did let the devil beat me, back then, and he’s been beating me ever since. But I’m telling you this: I will never let him do it again.”
If you’ve ever been seduced by grief, like this woman was, you’ve experienced an addictive kind of agony. You’ve found that even though the sorrow hurts, there’s something in it that makes you reluctant to let it go.
Grief Is a Burden, Not a Blessing
Webster defines grief as “a heavy emotional weight resulting from loss.”
That’s how it feels, isn’t it? Like a heavy weight on your heart that’s aching for release. When you give in to it, there’s a rush, a wave of emotion that rolls over you and the tears overflow. It feels good.
Your friends nod, pat your back and say, “Go ahead…just let it all out.” So you do, and the pressure lets up for a while.
Then later, when all the mourners and the back patters have gone home, that grief comes rising up in you again. Only, this time it comes with an overwhelming pain of loneliness that is almost unbearable.
Contrary to popular belief, grief and sorrow don’t come to help you. They come to hurt you. They’re deceivers sent for one purpose: to choke The WORD of God out of your heart.
Most of us have assumed that the lust of the flesh, as described in Mark 4:18-19, refers only to sex and pleasure. But the Holy Spirit has shown me plainly that the spirits of grief and sorrow fall into this category. If you’ll look up the word lust in the dictionary, you’ll find that it literally means “applied pressure.”
Sorrow comes when the devil applies pressure to our emotions. He pressures us to give in to the fleshly tendency to grieve—to lust after and long for that emotional flood and release that sorrow initially provides.
It’s Time to Show Sorrow the Door This Christmas
If grief and sorrow are not inevitable—if, in fact, they’re part of the devil’s bag of misery and death—how do we get rid of them?
Isaiah 51:11, KJV, says, “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.”
Did you hear that?
It said sorrow and grief will run from us! 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, sickness or disease. So, if you’ll follow the instructions in James 4:7 and resist them, they’ll have to flee from you!
Psalm 107:2 tells you how to do that. It says, “Let the redeemed of The LORD say so!” That means when sorrow and grief start bearing down on you, say, “Oh no, you don’t! I’m the redeemed of The LORD. I’ve been delivered from the likes of you. So you just get right on out of here!”
What I’m telling you is this: You’re going to have to stand against grief and sorrow. They don’t belong to you. They are not from your heavenly Father. But the devil’s a scoundrel. He’ll put them over on you if you’ll let him get away with it.
If the devil is trying to burden you with grief and sorrow, trying to make you forget the reason for the season, stand up and resist him!
Remember who you are! You’re the redeemed of The LORD. Don’t you think it’s about time you started saying so?
Yes, it is.
Say it aloud, and sorrow not!
Dare to Shine His Light on Sorrow This Christmas!
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Day 8: Dare to Shine His Light on Your Relationships!
This time of year can bring wonderful reunions with loved ones. One of the things I cherish most about Christmas is getting to spend time with friends and family members I haven’t seen much throughout the year. If you’re like me, you’re probably looking forward to reconnecting with certain people and catching up on life’s events.
Or…are you?
Well, maybe you’re not actually looking forward to having parents, in-laws, siblings, aunts and uncles in close quarters because it is not always a positive experience. Or maybe the thought of that Christmas office party where you’ll be expected to mix and mingle with some co-workers you don’t necessarily see eye to eye with is upsetting.
If that’s the way you feel, you’re not alone. Whether at home or at the office, strained relationships can undoubtedly put a damper on a celebration meant to bring great joy.
How It Is Meant to Be
Think of what your Christmas party or gathering would be like if you had great relationships with everyone there! Imagine—if there were no family disagreements, and no misunderstandings with friends or co-workers.
Sound impossible?
Well, I am here to tell you that it is certainly not impossible. In fact, this should be every believer’s reality, and God wants to help you make it yours.
But before He can help you, there’s one thing you have to get right first.
Get This Right First
The most important relationship you have is with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. If you don’t have this relationship right, it’s going to be difficult to get the others right.
The good news is that this relationship is the easiest of all relationships to get right because the Lord is waiting on you with unconditional love. You don’t have to convince Him you are worthy and you don’t have to argue about who was right or wrong from a previous disagreement.
So, how do you know if your relationship with the Lord is right? See how many of these statements you can answer yes to:
Next, let’s talk about three keys that will help you improve your relationships.
3 Keys to Improving Your Relationships
Once you’ve got your relationship with the Lord right, three more principles from God’s Word will help you improve every relationship you have.
1. Forget Your Naughty List
Do you have a naughty list? I am not talking about a physical list of things you’ve done wrong. What I’m talking about is a list of people who have done you wrong.
You probably silently carry this list around in your heart every day, and when someone’s name on your list comes up, you immediately associate them with how they’ve hurt you.
Just the thought of having to face them at Christmas or any other time could range from unpleasant to absolutely horrifying. If you find yourself in this position, the next thing you need to do is to forget your naughty list.
How? By forgiving them.
You may be wondering…How on earth do I do that, Gloria? You have no idea what these people are like and what they’ve done to me.
No, I don’t. And frankly, it doesn’t matter.
The Lord commands us to forgive those who’ve wronged us and to pray for our enemies (Matthew 6:15, 5:44). To forgive them is not to condone their actions, but to release you from bondage. It sets you free, and it keeps you in line with God’s Word.
It’s so simple, and so easy to say: “I obey! I forgive!”
Now, every time negative thoughts of that person cross your mind, say it again: “I obey! I forgive!”
Don’t let that mental conversation play over and over in your mind about what that person did. When you catch yourself doing that, stop IMMEDIATELY, and say, “I obey! I forgive!”
2. Love Others Like God Loves Them
In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam just one “do not.” It was, Don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God only gave one command, but it certainly covered a lot of territory.
Today, if you think about it, you and I still only have one “do not”—Don’t get out of love. That’s our one commandment. We are to walk in love, which covers a lot of ground. In fact, we see in this passage that our love walk is connected to everything we do in life as believers, including our faith. Faith—without love—is going nowhere.
God wants us to walk in love because love never fails. He wants the best for us, and since the best is found in love, you and I must walk in love in order to receive God’s best.
You can choose to love those who irritate you and act ugly toward you. Don’t sit around waiting for a warm, fuzzy feeling—just pray for them. Ask God to help you see that person the way He does.
3. Pray Over Your Relationships
Prayer is a powerful force and can change your relationships. God promises that the prayer from the heart of a man (or woman) who is right with God has much power (James 5:16, NLV). Speak promises from the Word of God and declare that each relationship is blessed.
Ask God for His wisdom to know what to do in each relationship. Listen for His instruction, and then be obedient.
Have a Merry Christmas
God desires that all of your relationships are blessed. Put these three principles into practice as you prepare to celebrate Christmas with your family, friends and co-workers. Don’t settle for the idea that certain relationships have to be uncomfortable. Pray and expect God to do great things this Christmas!
Dare to Shine His Light on Your Relationships!
• Make a list of everyone who has wronged you. Bring that list before God and forgive them. Then, tear that list up as a symbol of your commitment to forgive everyone on it.
Day 7 Dare to Shine His Light on Your Faith!
By Kenneth Copeland
Have you ever opened a wrapped package and inside was another, smaller package, and then another, and another, until you finally found a gift in the last box? If so, why did you keep unwrapping when the first box held nothing but another box?
The answer is: You had faith. You had faith that if you kept at it, you would finally unwrap the real present.
When a child wakes up on Christmas morning, he tumbles out of bed and goes barreling down those stairs to find out what’s under the tree. The night before, there was nothing under the tree, but he knows with certainty that on Christmas Day, what he’s been asking for will show up!
These are examples of the kind of faith God is looking for in His people. Faith that doesn’t complicate things, but keeps them simple. The kind of faith that knows with certainty, whatever it’s believing for will happen.
When things look complicated, it can be very tough to exhibit that kind of faith. But, Jesus said the answer to any problem you come up against is really as simple as four little words— “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).
Leave it to Jesus to solve today’s complex problems with a scripture so simple even a child can understand it, and so broad it covers every possible situation.
“But Brother Copeland, what are we going to do about the economy?”
Have faith in God.
“What are we going to do about the government?”
Have faith in God.
“What are we going to do if countries around the world go bankrupt? What will we do if there’s a flu pandemic? What will we do if oil prices continue to skyrocket?”
Have faith in God.
“Oh, come on, that can’t be the answer to everything,” someone might argue. “Jesus said those words 2,000 years ago, and this world is in a bigger mess now than it was then.”
I know it. That’s what’s so great about Mark 11:22. The person who bases his life on it never has to change his lifestyle to suit the times, the economy or anything else.
Faith in God never changes because God never changes. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever!
Gloria and I can personally attest to it. We first started learning how to live by faith 50 years ago, and we haven’t looked back. I’m going to share with you in four steps what it took us years to learn, so you can start enjoying victory today and enjoy it every day!
1. Faith Hopes
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, KJV).
What are you hoping for this Christmas season?
The bare minimum? Just what you need to eke by? Just enough to buy your family presents and pay your bills?
If faith is the substance of things hoped for, then the first thing you’ve got to do is start hoping for something better than what you’ve got now! We aren’t supposed to be the “ekers by,” we’re called to wear the victor’s crown. And it starts with believing for, hoping for and expecting MORE.
How do you know what to hope for? Look in The WORD of God. All of His promises, and there are many, are laid out for you to take hold of and hope for, expect, and see come to pass in your life.
2. Faith Acts
Faith is movement. It’s a mouth in motion. Here’s an example of what I mean.
Let’s say my body is being attacked with symptoms of sickness. Thousands of years ago, God spoke a promise about healing in Isaiah 53:5 and Galatians 3:13. These scriptures describe Jesus lifting the curse of sin, sickness and death from our lives.
Now, here I am with symptoms attacking my body. What do I do?
Remember, faith is what gives substance to what I hope for, and I’m hoping to be delivered from this sickness. So, now I need to make a draw on God’s WORD. I do this by speaking The WORD and then acting as though it is done. I speak from Isaiah 53:5:
“By His stripes, I am healed!”
Faith must act. The faith stored in our hearts must come out of our mouths. Otherwise it is dead and of no use. You put your faith into action with your words.
3. Faith Loves
Love isn’t just a feeling. It’s a living being. God is love—all that He is, all that He can do, all He ever was or will be. Without a revelation of the love of God, you’ll never have close fellowship with Him, and you’ll never walk in faith to the fullest extent.
Faith is dependent on receiving the love of God, and showing love to others. Jesus’ teaching on faith in Mark 11 begins with Him telling the disciples that they can speak to a mountain in faith and have whatever they said. Then, He continues in verse 25:
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses” (NKJV).
Jesus is saying that faith is connected to love. First Corinthians 13:2-3 shows us how much:
“…if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”
God wants us to walk in love because love never fails. Since the best is found in love, you and I must walk in love in order to receive God’s best.
4. Faith Waits
Anytime you find faith mentioned in the Bible, you’ll also find patience. Faith and patience are power twins. Together, they produce every time.
The definition of patience is “being constant” or “being the same way all the time.” If we want faith to produce, we must respond to our circumstances the same way every time—with The WORD of God.
Hebrews 6:12, NKJV, tells us that we are to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
That means, no matter what trial you’re facing, let patience have its perfect work, and avoid slipping into fear and doubt. Patience says, “I will not be moved by what I see or feel. I know God’s WORD is true!”
Grow Your Faith This Christmas
Those four steps are vital to living a life of faith. Just like when you opened that layered package, if you’re willing to put these four steps into practice, faith will bring forth treasure. Remember, this is a season that began with faith that God would deliver a Savior to His people. Those who were willing to hope, act, love and wait were the ones who saw it come to pass. You can put those principles to work in your life, too.
And remember…It doesn’t matter what you’re facing right now—you already have the answer that never changes:
Have faith in God!
Dare to Shine His Light on Your Faith!
Write a letter to God, and let Him know what you are hoping for this Christmas. Search for one to three scriptures that back up your hope.
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Day 6, Dare to Shine His Light on Traditions
by Gloria Copeland
For many people, family traditions are a cherished part of the Christmas season. Whether it be attending a candlelight Christmas Eve service, driving around town to look at the sparkling light displays, or gathering around the fireplace to read about the birth of Christ—traditions give everyone something to look forward to each year.
A tradition is simply a custom passed from one generation to the next, linking a family together and creating a lasting bond. Its sole purpose should be to draw your family together in unity and create lasting memories. Even if you’ve initiated new traditions in your family, your children and grandchildren will likely continue them for years to come.
The Most Important Tradition
There is nothing more important than passing down the tradition of faith. The greatest legacy you can leave is of a family that honors the Lord in everything they say and do. That tradition comes by training your children and modeling for them a life that is pleasing to God.
If this was not lived out before you as a child, you have the honor and privilege of being the one to establish this tradition in your family. When you teach and train your children and grandchildren in His Word and His ways, you are creating a family custom of living in victory!
Everything in Its Place
You’ve heard the saying, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Well, that’s true of our traditions, too. It’s fun to have things we know we can expect at Christmas, and other times, and God loves for us to enjoy ourselves. But, we need to make sure that we keep traditions in the proper place.
Jesus spoke of displeasure with placing customs and traditions above following Him. In Matthew 15:3, NIV, Jesus said, “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?”
If we get into a habit of doing or saying things because “we’ve always done it this way,” we may miss what God has to say about it. For example, perhaps your family watches a certain Christmas movie every year, but God is nudging at you and signaling that the content isn’t what He’d like you to be putting into your eyes and ears. Time for a new tradition! Don’t be hesitant to replace those customs that are not pleasing to the Lord.
Traditions and Food
This Christmas, I’d like to invite you to join my family in one of our favorite family traditions—food! Many of our family traditions at Christmas involve old family recipes. I’ve always loved cooking. I learned from my mother. She taught many members of our family how to cook, and we’ve created a great tradition of food and fellowship over the years.
This year, I went digging through my old cookbook that I put together years ago and found some of my favorite recipes. I’d like to share those with you and your family, and I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we have over the years. Many, like my recipe for John’s Jell-O, have been a staple at our Christmas dinner table for years. This is one I think everyone should have in their life!
For this recipe, and many others, please visit my recipe page.
From our family to yours, wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
Dare to Shine His Light on Traditions This Christmas!
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Day 5: Dare to Shine His Light on Stress by Kenneth Copeland
Christmas is just weeks away, and many of you are probably feeling stressed. Starting around Thanksgiving time, it seems that the stress level in the atmosphere goes up a few notches, and it increases every day until Christmas.
If you’re like a lot of people, stress at Christmas is yet another load you must carry, on top of your “normal,” day-to-day stress. And if that’s not bad enough, some people even believe that a little stress is healthy, while others brag about how stressful their lives are. It’s as if being stressed has become a badge of honor, and whoever has the most stress wins!
Nothing could be further from the truth. Stress is burden, overload, pressure and anxiety, and you were not created to lug that weight around with you every day. So, what’s the answer?
The world says to cope with it, and offers everything from books and seminars to expensive counseling sessions to help you live with it. But the Bible says don’t cope with stress—get rid of it!
Does this situation sound familiar?
You go to bed at night with something on your mind. You’re trying to understand: How am I going to get out of this? What are we going to do?
You go over the whole thing in your mind, but you don’t have an answer. So, you go back through the whole thing again, still without an answer. You try to go to sleep, but you can’t let the problem go. So you spend most of the night rehearsing the entire situation, slowly going over every detail step by step. And by the time you get through it again, you don’t have any more answers than you did at the beginning.
The answer to your problem wasn’t in your head. In fact, it only made matters worse because now you’re frustrated and tired. Your problem is still there, so what should you do?
Rest in Him
Proverbs 3:5 exposes the source of stress and gives us the answer to it: “Trust in The LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
If you’re leaning to your own understanding about something, you don’t understand that you’re in a mess. Stress is caused not by hard work but by failing to find the right object of our trust. The way out of that mess, and the stress of it, is to trust in The LORD with all your heart.
If we’re going to have a Proverbs 3:5 answer to that challenge, we will need to remember what trust is. Noah Webster, in his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, defined trust as: “Resting the mind on the integrity, veracity, friendship and sound principles of another person.”
Take No Thought
How do you rest your mind on God? In Matthew 6:24-34, KJV, Jesus repeated the answer to that question five times: Take no thought. No thought about your life, what you will eat, drink, wear. In other words, health, safety and provision.
Now if you’ll think about it, those basic necessities of life that Jesus said to take no thought about are at the root of nearly all our stresses.
The word mammon (verse 24) literally means “money.” Notice that Jesus didn’t say that you can’t have money and serve God; He said you can’t serve money and serve God. Serving money is constantly worrying about getting your needs met by the world’s ways or system.
You shouldn’t be serving money. Money should be serving you as you serve God and others with your money.
Let God Do the Adding
Now the fact that we need to be trusting God—not money; not the world’s way of doing things—is not new to us. The challenge has been the process. How do we “take no thought” about those basic needs of life? How do we stop relying on a lifetime of training in how to be our own gods by taking care of ourselves?
If you’re not going to take thought about the needs of this life, which your heavenly Father already knows about, then you are going to have to take thoughts about something else.
In verse 33, Jesus tells us what we are to think about: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God [His covenant; His way of doing things], and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33, KJV).
Do you see where our stress has come from? Instead of having God add to us what we need, and the dreams and desires of our hearts, we’ve been trying to add them to ourselves.
When you think about it, there are only three ways we can add to ourselves, and none of them work very well. One, you can steal. You know better than to do that. Two, you can borrow. That doesn’t benefit anyone except the credit card company. Three, you can work hard and save. That’s good, but the world can do that, and even that is not enough if you don’t have the grace of God in it.
Obviously, we’re not supposed to add to ourselves. If we seek first the kingdom of God, all these things will be added to us. That’s God’s way.
Better Plans Than You Can Dream
The next time the devil tries to trouble you to take some of those worried thoughts about the basic needs of life, remind him what Jesus said in Matthew 6:32. Tell him, “No, I’m not taking those thoughts. My heavenly Father knows I have need of those things. So, I’ll continue to focus my thinking on His covenant promises to me.”
If the thought comes that you’ll never have anything if you don’t figure out how to do it yourself, remember to consider the lilies of the field that “toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you?” (verses 28-30, KJV).
God has plans to meet your needs and desires on a scale much grander than even the glory of Solomon’s wealth and possessions.
Get Rid of the Stress This Christmas
What can you do about stress this Christmas? Get rid of it! Trust God with your whole heart, take no thought about your basic needs, and seek the kingdom of God first.
Refuse to worry! Fill your mind with the promises God has given you. Speak and act on God’s WORD in faith. Consider Jesus—not your body, your finances or your situation—and give the care of your harvest to Him.
Then turn over. And go to sleep!
Dare to Shine His Light on Stress This Christmas!
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Day 4, Dare to Shine His Light on the Circle of Blessing
by Gloria Copeland
One of my favorite Christmas decorations is a beautifully arranged, fresh pine wreath. With accents of pine cones and lights, it adds so much to any room at Christmas. You might have one on your door or over your fireplace, and you likely see them everywhere you go this time of year.
Have you ever wondered what a Christmas wreath symbolizes? Tradition says that the evergreen represents growth and everlasting life. Those made with holly branches have thorns, representing the thorns of Jesus’ crown.
But, what about its circular shape? With no beginning nor end, this symbolizes eternity. There’s something special about that shape, isn’t there? And it’s about more than just Christmas wreaths.
All you have to do is spend a little time examining God’s wonderful creation and you’ll start to see a pattern—God uses circles. He must, because nature is full of them.
Drop a rock in a still pond and you’ll see rings of circles spreading out. The earth spins on its axis, making the sun appear to circle our sky. In fact, the whole universe seems to be spinning and dancing in circles.
The other day as I was reading the Word, I discovered another amazing circle—one that I believe is God’s favorite. It certainly is one of mine: “Where is the man who fears the Lord? God will teach him how to choose the best. He shall live within God’s circle of blessing, and his children shall inherit the earth” (Psalm 25:12-13, TLB).
Most people want to know how to choose the best in life. I know I do. Well, according to this wonderful verse, God Himself will teach us how, if only we will reverence Him and put Him first in our lives.
Learn to Choose the Best
If you go out and about this time of year, you’ll see people examining poinsettia plants, squeezing produce, and comparing gifts in an attempt to choose just the right one. We like to choose the best when it comes to planning for Christmas festivities.
What about choosing the best when it comes to God?
I’ve noticed that for many believers, one of the biggest obstacles to moving into the good things of God is that they simply haven’t learned how to choose the best. I know that was certainly the case when Ken and I were just starting out.
To a large extent, your quality of life today is a product of the choices you made yesterday. And the choices you make today—the words you choose to speak, the thoughts you choose to meditate on, the people you choose to associate with—will determine your quality of life in the future.
The wonderful truth is, when we put God and His Word first, He will do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20, KJV).
God has shown Himself to be the One who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all I can ask or think so many times, I’ve almost stopped being surprised by what He does.
Whatever it may be—God’s plan is the highest and the best. And as we put Him first, He’s faithful to put us on the road to fulfilling that plan by teaching us to “choose the best.”
A Change of Address
If you’ve put God and His Word first in your life, you have a new address! No matter where your house is located, you’re living on Blessing Circle. Furthermore, everywhere you go, that circle follows you. It is around you! It is a zone of increase and protection that surrounds you wherever you go.
You can go to the deepest jungle and that circle of blessing will follow you because it is not based on your external circumstances but rather on the faithfulness of our covenant-keeping God. It ought to be that wherever you go, not only are you blessed, but everyone around you is blessed because of your presence.
I believe this circle of blessing is what the psalmist had in mind when he wrote: “Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12, NIV).
Do you see it? Can you picture an invisible shield of God’s favor and blessing surrounding you wherever you go?
What does it mean to live in God’s circle of blessing?
When you live in God’s circle of blessing, you prosper in every area of your life—materially, physically, emotionally and, of course, spiritually (Psalm 25:13).
I like the way the King James Version renders it. It says: “His soul shall dwell at ease….”
Would you like to dwell at ease even with a hectic Christmas season schedule and preparing for family visits?
Living in this special place reserved for those who put God first in everything means being able to “dwell at ease.” Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t work hard or face challenges. But it does mean we walk in peace. And it means freedom from having to strive or worry about getting our needs met.
Show and Tell Time
By observing our lives, people in the world ought to see that there is a God and that He is a good God. By looking at our lives, looking at the way we conduct ourselves, and seeing the circle of blessing around us, they should be able to discern the glory of God and desire to know Him like we do.
This Christmas, let those around you see that your circle of blessing is much bigger than the wreath on your front door!
Dare to Shine His Light on the Circle of Blessing!
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Day 3, Dare to Shine His Light on Christmas Spending
by Kenneth Copeland
The first Christmas was simple. There were no decorations, no feasts, and no Christmas cards or gifts. The only guests were shepherds, who briefly stopped by without expecting to be entertained. The focus was on the One who had come to save the world from sin.
Since then, it seems that Christmas has become more of a sales frenzy than the celebration of the birth of Christ. Statistics show that the average American will go into debt to fund their Christmas spending. The stress related with those expenses can last for months after the snow has melted.
There’s nothing wrong with giving gifts at Christmas. It symbolizes when we received our greatest gift. But, giving and celebrating should be a joy to you and those you wish to bless, and pleasing to the One who has been at every Christmas since the very beginning.
The Pressure to Borrow
Some time ago, The LORD told me something that I believe is the reason most of us take part in the world’s system of lending and borrowing. What He told me was simply this:
When you see people in the world who have spiritual problems that they’re trying to answer with material things, that’s materialism.
Having things and money in this lifetime is not bad. It’s the love of things and money that’s wrong (1 Timothy 6:10). Sin creeps in when “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16, KJV) are applied to things and money.
Debt, then, usually comes into play when lust is added to material things.
Why? Because lust brings with it pressure—the pressure to get, the pressure to get more, the pressure to hoard. The list is endless. And all that pressure is based in fear.
Instead of operating according to God’s principles of finances, such as sowing and reaping—taking the time to sow seed and believe God for the harvest—too often we step over into the world’s system which looks faster and easier.
At best, we prefer to have enough faith to believe God for the monthly payments on what our flesh is pressuring us to buy.
Keep in mind, however, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23, KJV).
Owe No Man
When Gloria and I were first married, we were $24,000 in debt. In 1967, that was a lot of money.
Going into debt was the only way I knew how to get anything in life. That was the way you bought your car and your house. That was the way you paid for your education and started your own business. Debt was a way of life for everyone—believers and unbelievers, alike.
As we sought The LORD, Gloria and I committed that, whatever we saw in The WORD of God—whether we liked it or not—we would adopt it into our lives immediately.
Well, it wasn’t but a few weeks later that I came across Romans 13:8, KJV: “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another…”
Owe no man anything?
My first thought when I read that was, There goes the whole deal right there…we’ll never have anything!
I grabbed The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, and read the same verse. I just knew this couldn’t be right. “Keep out of debt and owe no man anything,” it said.
That was worse.
Gloria said, “Well…The WORD of God was not written for our disadvantage. It was written for our advantage. I don’t know what this means, but that’s just the way it is.”
Eleven months later, we were completely debt free, and we never were able to figure out how it happened except that it was God. Since then, we’ve never owed any man anything…“but to love one another.”
’Tis the Season for Debt Freedom
With the commercialization of Christmas, you may be facing regular temptations to overspend. Keeping up with the neighbor’s outside lights, the kids’ wish lists, and trying to impress out-of-town relatives could lead to a big mess. If you’re already struggling with debt, now isn’t the time to add to your mountain.
Jesus is the greatest gift you or I have ever received. We honor God best by obeying His WORD and being good stewards of what He has entrusted to us. Ask and believe God for what you need or would like to have, but don’t take matters into your own hands. That’s putting your trust in the wrong place.
The Covenant Connection
If you think about it, you cannot take out a loan for something without getting into some sort of “covenant agreement.” Whether it’s a simple handshake, or signing a 30-year mortgage, a covenant is being established and you’re stepping into a serious situation.
Borrowing is a replacement covenant. It is going to someone else when you should have gone to God and received through our covenant established in the blood of Jesus.
Take Your Place This Christmas
By going into debt, you become the tail, not the head. You can never be the head when you borrow from someone else. You’ll always be the tail. You’ll always be beneath.
What’s more, when we go to someone other than God to get something, we subject ourselves to spiritual forces and elements that are tied in with that person or institution. We open ourselves up for devils to have a shot at us that they didn’t have previously—even when we borrow from born-again believers.
The bottom line is, any time we get unequally yoked, we’re opening ourselves up to trouble. We may not see the effects instantly, but there’s a whole team of demons after us that wasn’t there before.
As you can see, debt is a dangerous business.
Remember, it is God who gives us “power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers” (Deuteronomy 8:18, KJV). He is the only financial backer we’ll ever need.
Dare to Shine His Light on Spending!
by Gloria Copeland
The Christmas season is filled with wonder and anticipation. As excitement fills the air, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of wrapping gifts, preparing for guests, and baking goodies for the whole neighborhood.
If you’re preparing to host a party or receive overnight guests, you may also be thinking about where to hide the overflow of wrapping paper, decorating supplies and clutter that may have accumulated in your house.
I have a special room like that in my house. It’s a room most company never gets to see. In the beginning, it had some pieces of exercise equipment in it. And I used them, too—to stack boxes on and prop things up!
Eventually, that room became my official place to put “stuff.” Boxes and boxes of stuff, including Christmas decorations and anything else I needed to hide when guests were coming to stay with us.
Perhaps you have a room or closet like that in your home. A place where things accumulate. A cluttered place.
Did you know your heart can be such a place? It can. And when a child of God’s heart becomes cluttered, it stops being good soil for the Word.
Let me show you what I mean.
The Overcrowded Heart
Jesus uses four types of soil as a picture of the four categories of hearts that are exposed to the Word of God (Mark 4:1-20). The first two categories—the pavement-like heart and the stony-ground heart, never even come close to bearing any fruit. Contrast these people to those in Jesus’ fourth category—the good-soil believers who bear fruit—30, 60 and a hundredfold. These are the ones who see God’s kingdom manifested in their lives. They see His heavenly provision of healing, abundance, miracles and power manifested right here on earth.
But what about that third category of believers? It’s here I believe we find the majority of Christians today. In this group are those who allow “thorns” to choke the Word. Jesus elaborates on this type of heart for His disciples:
And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word; then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless (Mark 4:18-19, AMPC).
As I’ve said, the sad truth is most Christians live here in Category 3. They’re saved. Yet they live “fruitless” lives. Why?
According to Jesus, it’s because, like that room in my house, their hearts have become too cluttered.
We see this truth paralleled in the story of Jesus’ birth. Luke 2:7, KJV, tells us that, after Mary had given
birth to Jesus, she “wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
It is important to note the word translated as “inn” is also translated as “house” or “guest room.” Rather than the traditional idea that an inn was without vacancy, it is more likely that Joseph and Mary, who was pregnant and unwed, were actually rejected and turned away from the guest room of a family home.
Forced to stay in a place where animals lived was a foreshadowing of things to come—a world that would reject and shame Christ. A world of people with no room in their hearts to receive Him.
Do you want to have the best Christmas ever? Make room in the “inn” of your heart for Jesus, especially this time of year. You may have received Him as Lord and Savior, but how much of your heart is He allowed to occupy?
The Clutter of Care
Christmastime is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. The most blessed of celebrations. After all, we are celebrating Jesus!
So, how is it that we end up driving in traffic, rushing in and out of stores, frantically baking cookies, and trying not to look frazzled in family portraits? That sounds like a crowded schedule! And it may be crowding your heart with cares, as well.
The first thing Jesus cited in His description of the Category 3 heart was “the cares and anxieties of this world.” And with good reason. You can’t be worried and walk in faith. You’ve got to drive worry out of your life if you want your faith to produce a hundredfold harvest.
You wouldn’t know it now, but I used to be a world-class worrier. In fact, I came from a long line of worriers. In my family, they thought worrying was a virtue. You were irresponsible if you didn’t!
When I discovered that worry wasn’t of God, I knew I needed to make a decision to walk in faith rather than fear. I learned to cast my cares upon the Lord, even when I had much to do (1 Peter 5:7).
Of course, it wasn’t easy at first. When an anxious thought would pop into my mind, I would take it captive. I would say, “No, I refuse to take the care of that. Jesus, in accordance with Your Word, I roll the care of that over on You because I know You care for me.”
Clearing Out the Clutter This Christmas
At Christmastime, we can become so busy and worried with baking, shopping, decorating and planning that we can end up crowding out our relationship with the Lord because there is “no room in the inn.” But you don’t have to clutter your heart with worry. You don’t have to let the thorns of anxiety and fear choke the Word out of your life this Christmas season.
Your best Christmas ever starts with a heart that is good soil for the Word—an uncluttered heart. All clutter of the heart ultimately springs from putting things before God and His Word. As you embrace the joy and excitement of this Christmas season, remember to guard your heart from cares and worries, and make time for the One we are celebrating.
Dare to Shine His Light on Your Heart!
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Day 1 - SHINE HIS LIGHT ON Christmas
by Kenneth Copeland
The over-commercialization of Christmas has long been a struggle for believers who seek to focus on the real reason for our joy and celebration—the birth of Christ. Even the beloved character Charlie Brown has been voicing his dismay since 1965 in the classic Christmas movie.
A slurry of ads for Black Friday, Black Thursday and Black November arrive in our mailboxes, driveways and doorsteps by storm. Each one is calling us to: Buy more! Give more! Spend more!
Christians have often felt frustrated or discouraged with the focus being placed in the wrong place. Some have even questioned whether it is acceptable for believers to participate.
At the same time, we need to remember that God is the One who instituted the concept of holidays. He instructed Israel to have feasts and special memorial celebrations in the Old Testament, knowing it is beneficial for mankind to continually remember and praise God for all the good things He has done for them.
Satan is the one who imitates and twists whatever God originally created or instituted. So if anyone is doing the imitating in regard to the celebrating of holidays like Christmas, it is the ungodly, not Christians.
We should make no apologies for wanting to commemorate and thank God for the greatest gift He ever gave us—His precious Son, Jesus. Instructions for celebrating the life of Jesus are not specified in the New Testament, except for the instructions given regarding Communion in 1 Corinthians 11:23-34. But there are certain principles we can follow as we prepare to celebrate this season.
Honor The LORD in Whatever We Do
Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
We honor the true meaning of Christmas by celebrating it as an opportunity to renew our minds to the fact that God’s love was lived out before us in the person of Jesus Christ. No longer do we see Jesus as just a little baby, but as a full-grown man raised from the dead, seated at the right hand of Father God, praying for us every moment of the day.
We give gifts and share our love for one another just as God shared His love and gave us the greatest gift of all—Jesus. We spend this time as a worship and praise to our God.
Colossians 2:16 says not to let people judge you of these things. So, again, we remind you to allow the Holy Spirit to be your guide. If you will always keep Christ as the center of each day, then every day belongs to The LORD.
As long as we are celebrating the reality of the One who is the real reason for the celebration, we are not condemned if we enjoy other Christmas traditions.
Share His Love With Others
Christmas is a very important time of year. It’s a time of year when the whole world is hearing the message of the birth of Jesus. It’s a time when people are tenderhearted…the perfect time to plant seeds of love in the lives of those you meet.
Sometimes those seeds may just take the form of a kind word in the middle of rush hour shopping. Other times, you may get the opportunity to pray and minister to someone. But whatever the situation, keep a sharp eye out for even the smallest chance to assist people.
I’ve had some outstandingexperiences giving a few dollars to someone in need. As they are taking the money, I tell them, “This money is from The LORD Jesus Christ. I serve Him. He is the One who instructed me to help you.”
It’s amazing how many people are ready to hear what you have to say when you say it in love. They’re starved for someone to really care. Be that someone this Christmas season. Spread The WORD about the peace that’s available in Jesus. Tell about His goodwill toward men. Who knows how many of those small seeds may one day take root and bring one more precious person into the glorious kingdom of God?
Remember the Greatest Gift
Jesus was God’s ultimate gift of love—His plan for the world from the beginning. Acts 3:26 says God sent His Son, Jesus, to BLESS you.
The Names of Jesus recorded in Isaiah 9:6—“Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (NKJV)—express THE BLESSING and the fullness of our faith, hope and love.
This Christmas, let’s wholeheartedly celebrate the greatest gift ever given, and let’s be purposeful to share the love of Jesus with everyone we meet!
Dare to Shine His Light on Christmas!
Let’s remember to be a blessing at every opportunity so that we can show others the love of Jesus:
DAY 25: Dare to Shine His Light on The Greatest Gift
by Kenneth Copeland
Merry Christmas!
Christmas often provides wonderful opportunities to share your faith with those who think Christmas is only about Santa Claus, presents and Frosty the Snowman. Between parties, school functions with your kids, and family gatherings, the odds are that you’ll be surrounded by people who don’t know The LORD.
As believers, we are called to be a light to others and to always be ready to share the greatest gift anyone could ever receive—the gift of salvation. The thought of sharing your faith may send chills up your spine. And in some cases, you may see a particular group of people as a lost cause because they’re “too far gone” or even hostile toward Christianity.
The LORD never writes anyone off, and neither should we. We may be the very people He will use to reveal His love to them.
That reminds me of a story.
In the early years of our ministry, Gloria and I would be talking with someone and they’d mention a certain city and say, “That’s the worst place in the world to preach. It’s so spiritually dead, no one can have revival there.”
Gloria always knew what my response was going to be. Before I could even open my mouth, she’d say, “Well, I know where we’re going.”
If they said it was the worst place to preach, I was determined to preach there!
I’m still that way. I was reminded of it recently when I was telling some people about the first time I preached in Las Vegas. I could almost hear what they were thinking.
Sin City? You held meetings in Sin City?
Yes, I did, because that’s where the sinners were!
I didn’t hold the meetings in a church, either. Although these days I do preach in churches there, back then my venue was the Sierra Hotel and Casino. I chose that location because of a phone call I’d gotten from my friend Wayne Cochran. He’s a preacher now but he was once a major rock ’n’ roll star.
For years, Wayne had the longest-running show in Las Vegas, and he practically lived in the Sierra Hotel. After God got hold of him and changed his life, he led the owner of the hotel to The LORD.
“Wayne, now that I’m a believer, I want to do something for God,” the converted hotel owner said. “But I’m stuck in this hotel! Do you think Brother Copeland would come and preach a meeting here?”
Wayne told him he was certain I would—and, of course, he was right. I was thrilled at the thought of preaching the gospel in a casino. The whole reason I’m on earth is to bring the good news about Jesus to people who need it. Taking His light into the darkest of places is what I was born again to do.
If you’re a believer, the same is true of you!
You Are Called
God didn’t save you and then leave you here on this sin-plagued planet just so you could sit around and complain about how spiritually dark it is. He didn’t save you so you could sit here waiting for the Rapture and wishing all the sinners would leave you alone.
No, you and I and every other believer have been called, equipped and sent by God into this world for a specific purpose, and in Philippians 2:15-16, the Apostle Paul told us what that purpose is—to shine our light in a dark world.
“But Brother Copeland, you don’t understand the kind of darkness I have to put up with!” you might say. “When I go to work every day I’m surrounded by people who cuss and act ugly and make fun of me for being a Christian. It’s too much for me to handle.”
No, it isn’t. You have the same Holy Spirit living in you the Apostle Paul had living in him, and Paul not only handled more dark situations than you can imagine, he overcame them.
On the Battlefield
When the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Philippians, he was locked up in prison and surrounded by wickedness at its worst. Some believers wonder why Paul had to go through such hard times.
The answer is simple: Jesus asked him to do it.
He showed Paul, before he ever went into ministry, the things he would suffer for Jesus, and Paul agreed. (See Acts 9:16.) He knew he would not just be in church services, but places of deep darkness, absolutely steeped in sin.
Born-Again Blackjack Dealers
“But Brother Copeland,” someone might say, “sometimes I just don’t feel very shiny. Even if I did, I don’t know where God would want me to go and what He would want me to do.”
Then stop focusing on your feelings. Instead, focus on Jesus who came, shed His blood and put His own light on the inside of you. Ask Him to reveal His plan to you.
If His will is a mystery to you, you can just pray about it in other tongues and trust Him to reveal it to you.
That’s how I ended up preaching the gospel in the Sierra Hotel and Casino all those years ago in a city that’s absolutely famous for sin!
Of course, as it turned out, a lot of other believers had gotten there before me. They’d actually beaten me to the punch. One of them showed up just before the meeting started, when I was about to go out and preach.
He stuck his head through the curtain behind the platform where I was standing and said, “Brother Copeland! I’m a blackjack dealer, and I’m working the floor tonight so I can’t be in the meeting, but I just want you to know a lot of us here will be praying for you!”
I probably looked a little startled. “Really?” I said.
“Oh yeah! A lot of us who work here are born again. We witness and win people to Jesus all the time. Those of us who aren’t working will be at the meeting tonight. The rest of us will be backing you up in prayer.”
I had to laugh! Here I thought I was going in there to break new ground, and God had already invaded the place. He already had people positioned there. Those meetings turned out to be some of the greatest we’ve ever had!
The Power of Obedience
One day, in between meetings, I was walking through the hotel and The LORD drew my attention to a particular couple, a man and a woman who looked to be in their 30s. I want you to witness to them, He said. I obeyed Him and right there in the middle of the hotel, after asking their permission, I told them everything The LORD instructed me to say. When I finished, they just looked at me with blank stares. I thanked them for their time and walked away.
Well, that went over big, I thought.
I hadn’t taken more than about three steps when another fellow stopped me. He’d overheard the things I’d shared and wanted to talk to me. “I’d like you to pray for me,” he said.
Although he was so drunk he could barely stand up, he leaned against the wall, and I laid hands on him. The power of God hit us, and I found myself praying all the same things I’d just finished telling the other people. I realized with a shock that God had been talking to this man all along instead of to them.
Why He chose to do it that way, I don’t know. He’s the Boss. I just work here. I just do what I’m told to do. But I can tell you this: By the time I finished praying, that man was stone-cold sober—standing upright, with his hands raised, praising God and praying in tongues.
“I want to thank you!” he said. “I’m a backslidden Pentecostal preacher. But I’m not backslidden anymore. I’m back!”
Years have come and gone since then, but I still love having those kinds of encounters. I still relish those kinds of fights: first, because the devil is the one I’m fighting; and second, because Jesus conquered him at Calvary, so they’re fights I can always win.
This is why we, as believers, are here, my friend! To fight the good fight of faith.
Share the Greatest Gift This Christmas
As you prepare to spend time with those who don’t know The LORD today, pray, listen to God and get your marching orders. You will probably end up like me…surprised and amazed at how God will use you to shine His light on the most precious gift they could ever receive, the gift of Salvation.
To your family from mine, Merry Christmas. And remember…Jesus is Lord!
Dare to Shine His Light on the Greatest Gift This Christmas!
How can you show unbelievers the love of God through your actions this Christmas?
The best way is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39) by treating everyone with love, kindness and respect.
- Tell The LORD you’re willing to share this gift, and ask Him to direct you to the right person, whether it’s a co-worker, friend, family member or stranger.
- Ask Him to give you the words to speak, and pray that he or she would receive Jesus as LORD.
- When the time comes, let The LORD lead your conversation.
- Trust Him to give you words to speak and wisdom to deliver the message.
- Trust God with the outcome, no matter the person’s response.
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DAY 24: Dare to Shine His Light on Peace
by Kenneth Copeland
Peace on Earth.
That’s a popular phrase this time of year. It’s Scriptural. It’s short. It fits nicely on the front of Christmas cards and looks great in gold script.
But let’s get real. That phrase, as spiritual as it might sound, isn’t worth the card it’s printed on if it’s not a reality in our lives. Peace on earth doesn’t mean anything to us when our stomachs are in knots over unpaid bills. Peace on earth is just a cliché when our minds are troubled and our lives are in turmoil.
In order for the good news of peace on earth to have real meaning, somehow that peace—the wholeness that Jesus provided for every person’s spirit, soul and body—must become real in our own lives.
The question is: How does that happen?
Do we ask God to do it for us? Do we just keep begging Him to give us peace and deliver us from our troubles until He finally gives in? Do we just keep pleading with Him on and on to heal, prosper and bless us?
No. Quite frankly, that’s a waste of time. The Scriptural fact is—God has already done all He is going to do about our deliverance.
As children of God, our heavenly Father has already blessed us “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3, KJV).
What we do with those blessings now is completely up to us.
You Have a Determined Enemy
I realize your flesh doesn’t care to hear that. Neither does mine. Our flesh doesn’t like to take responsibility for anything.
It would rather wallow around helplessly waiting for Jesus Himself to descend from heaven, pat us on our pitiful heads and say, “There, there, honey. You just sit down, watch television and I’ll take care of all your problems for you.”
But it doesn’t matter how long we cry and moan, or how sad and desperate we act, Jesus is not going to do that for us. God is not moved by circumstances, but there is one thing He is moved by.
Faith.
God has already sent us His WORD. It’s up to us to put that WORD in our hearts and in our mouths. It’s up to us to believe it and act on it, so its power can work in our lives.
“But, Brother Copeland, I just don’t feel like doing that. I’m too busy getting everything ready for Christmas dinner. I’m too tired after shopping and wrapping gifts. I’m too overwhelmed.”
Then get ready for a lifetime of defeat, because you have an enemy who is determined to keep you from ever enjoying peace on this earth. He is totally committed to stealing from you, killing you and destroying you—even at Christmas.
His name is the devil, and if you don’t rise up and resist him by faith in The WORD, you will never fully experience the blessings Jesus came to earth to give.
Four Simple Instructions
That may not sound like a very nice thing to say at Christmastime, but it’s the truth. And the best gift I can give you is to tell you what to do about it. So I’m going to share with you some simple but powerful instructions from Isaiah 7.
There we find an Old Testament king named Ahaz facing much the same situation we face. Although he was one of God’s covenant people, a king of God’s own nation of Judah, Ahaz was about to be attacked by an enemy who was bent on his destruction.
Naturally speaking, Ahaz didn’t have a chance. The situation was desperate.
What did God do for Ahaz in that dark hour? He sent him His WORD through the prophet Isaiah. He gave Ahaz a set of supernatural instructions that, if followed, were divinely guaranteed to bring him victory and peace (verses 3-4, 7, 9).
Look carefully at that passage and you’ll see that in essence, God gave Ahaz three simple commands in Isaiah 7:4 and 9.
- Take heed.
- Be quiet.
- Fear not.
- Believe.
Although all four commands are relevant to us, for now I am going to focus on the first two. I will show you how they can empower you to live a fearless life of overcoming faith—a life in which peace on earth is not the exception but the rule.
Take Heed!
Notice the very first thing God said was take heed or, in other words, pay attention!
What are we supposed to pay attention to? The WORD of God!
Maybe you already know what The WORD says. But it’s not enough for us just to know it. We must meditate on it and keep our attention trained on it until revelation arises in our hearts. Then, and only then, will it become real in our lives.
Giving The WORD that kind of undivided attention isn’t easy. It takes determined effort. It requires us to watch diligently over our minds and refuse to give our attention to any thought that is contrary to that WORD. We must choose to think only thoughts that agree with it.
You won’t be able to pay attention to The WORD of God if you’re constantly flooding your mind with things that violate it. You can’t bring every thought into captivity when you’re continually feeding on hours of foolish fables on television and reading stacks of what the world calls news.
So, before you can fully pay attention to The WORD, you’ll have to make some decisions. You’ll have to ask yourself, “Am I going to just do what comes easy, or am I going to stand up and be a champion in the things of God?” If you decide to be a champion, you’ll have to turn off some of that trash you’ve been watching and start spending time in The WORD instead.
Be Quiet
The second thing the Lord commanded King Ahaz to do was this: Be quiet! Or to put it in blunt, West Texas terms, Keep your big, blab mouth shut!
Why is it so important for us to be quiet in times of trouble?
Because our words have power. They are always working—either for us or against us. Most Christians don’t realize that. So when they hear the good news that God has given them the victory, they ruin everything by talking about their defeats!
Don’t do that! Even if those thoughts are flying through your mind, don’t give voice to them. Just cast them out and agree with God!
We have a New Testament example in Luke 1 of a man who should have done that and didn’t. About a year before Jesus was born, Zacharias was tending the altar of incense in the Temple, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him to give him some very good news about the coming birth of Zacharias’ son.
If Zacharias had taken heed to the word that had been given him, if he had given it his undivided attention, he might have done all right.
Instead, he focused on the problems in his life. He started thinking about all the reasons why God’s WORD wouldn’t work for him. After all, Elisabeth was barren. On top of that, both she and Zacharias were too old to have children anymore.
With those things on his mind, Zacharias opened his mouth and started talking. He interrupted the whole plan of God. Those were the last words Zacharias spoke for nine months.
You and I need to learn a lesson from that story. If we can’t say something good, if we haven’t grown spiritually strong enough yet to respond with words of faith, we shouldn’t say anything at all.
Make Your Choice This Christmas
God is not going to do to us what He did to Zacharias. He is not going to force us to be quiet. He doesn’t have to. He has already completed the work of salvation through Jesus. He has fulfilled His promise to mankind.
Now He is giving us a choice.
We can either choose life or death. We can choose to believe The WORD or not. We can choose to heed The WORD or focus on our circumstances. We can choose to be quiet about those circumstances or we can yap on and on about how awful they are.
It is totally up to us.
If we’ll make the right choices and follow God’s instructions, “peace on earth” will become more than a pretty phrase on a Christmas card. It will become a powerful, personal reality in every area of our lives.
Dare to Shine His Light on Peace This Christmas!
What’s disrupting your peace?
- Heed The WORD concerning your situation.
- When you’re tempted to speak things like, “I don’t think I’m ever going to get everything done,” or, “I can’t afford to buy gifts this year,” stop yourself before you even start to say them and replace them with the truth in God’s WORD.
- “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
- “My God supplies all my need according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
- Be quiet. Refuse to complain or say anything that contradicts God’s WORD today!
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DAY 23: Dare to Shine His Light on the Tree of Life
by Gloria Copeland
Every year in New York City, thousands are drawn to the annual tree-lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center. The Christmas tree, which is at the center of America’s busiest city, is lit and decorated exquisitely, and stands anywhere from 70 to 100 feet high. I’ve never attended myself, but its sparkling, majestic presence seems to draw people in, creating awe and wonder.
Long before New York City had the idea, there was an even more spectacular tree planted in the heart of Paradise. It was the centerpiece and crowning glory of the Garden of Eden. It was called the Tree of Life. God had given it to His people as a source of blessing and eternal life.
What’s more, God had given Adam and Eve everything they could possibly ever need. They even had the manifested presence of God Himself. They could walk and talk with Him “in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8, KJV). God was physically, substantially present in the garden.
Walking, talking and fellowshiping with God was His original plan for us. This is what God has always wanted and still wants today—to be near His children, to delight in them and for them to delight in Him. God longs to be close to us. He wants us to hear Him and come running into His loving presence.
Yes, God gave Adam and Eve everything they could possibly ever need or want. But He gave them something else, too. He gave them a choice. He gave them free wills to choose whether or not they would come to the Tree of Life to partake of His goodness.
And He gives us the same freedom of choice today. We can choose to draw near to Him and partake of His goodness. Or we can choose not to. I don’t know about you, but I want to walk with God and enjoy all His goodness!
The good news for you and me is today, 6,000 years later, we can get to that place of intimacy with God. We, too, can hear Him and come into His presence with the excitement and anticipation of the first human beings to ever meet God face to face. A Tree of Life is available to us today.
How do we draw near to the Tree of Life? The Bible tells us that we can draw near to Him through seeking His wisdom and His Word while also completely trusting Him.
Draw Near to the Tree of Life Through Wisdom
In Proverbs 3, the Word of God describes the benefits of obtaining God’s wisdom. There we read that wisdom’s profit is better than the profit of silver or gold. We’re told that it is more valuable than precious jewels. Long life, riches and honor belong to the one who presses in to the wisdom of God (verse 16).
But, as we learn in this passage, wisdom is something even more valuable than all the benefits it makes available to us: “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom…. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast” (verses 13,18, NASB).
Wisdom—God’s way of doing and being right—is a “tree of life”! You have full access to this Tree of Life through God’s Word.
Draw Near to the Tree of Life Through Seeking
The Tree of Life is the source for everything that God has in store for our lives. And the way we draw near to it is the way Jesus instructed us in Matthew 6:33, NASB: “Seek first His kingdom.” If you don’t seek, you’re not going to find.
It’s when we aggressively, actively go after the things of God that we get revelation. You’ll run right into the goodness of God. You’ll find that God is love. You’ll find that God desires to pour His blessings out upon your life in every way.
Wishing won’t work because it has no power to bring God’s highest and best into manifestation. Seeking works, which is how we draw near. Seeking, according to the Word of God, gets rewarded (Hebrews 11:16).
No doubt the Garden of Eden was a setting of unspeakable beauty, and heaven will be a place of unimaginable joy; but there’s a wealth of goodness to be enjoyed right here and now when you seek God each step of the way.
Draw Near to the Tree of Life by Trusting
Diligently seeking is not a new concept to people. Everyone on earth is diligently seeking after something. But there is supposed to be a big difference in the kinds of things we believers pursue. Jesus said we are not to worry about what we will eat or wear, or any other material need (Matthew 6:31-32).
When we get as fervent about going after God as those outside of God’s covenant are about going after worldly things, we will really begin to see the glory.
Why don’t you need to seek after the things of this world? Because “your heavenly Father knows that you need them” (verse 32, NIV).
Yes, God knows exactly what we need. He knows what we need spiritually, physically, financially and socially. He knows what His covenant people need and desire. And the wonderful thing about God is that He delights in providing these things for us! He wants us to have peace and wholeness—nothing missing, nothing broken.
It is up to us to completely trust Him to provide all we need.
Draw Near to the Tree of Life by His Word
One of the best ways to draw near to God and His wisdom is to dive into His Word, one on one—just you and God. Some of the most precious and powerful moments of my walk with God come while I’m fellowshiping with Him in His Word. The wisdom and revelation of God begin to come, and I get so excited!
You will never walk in the fullness of God’s goodness without learning how to study His Word on your own. It’s one of the primary ways you can experience Him speaking personally and powerfully to you each day.
Draw Near, Then Stay Near
Throughout the Bible, God shows us in His Word that He desires for us to draw near to Him. The responsibility lies with us to draw near and stay near. “But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all of His works” (Psalm 73:28, NKJV).
God’s desire hasn’t changed from the beginning when He revealed His loving Self to the first man and woman. God’s desire is to be close to His people, to have them draw near to Him, so He can bestow His goodness and blessings upon them. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8, NKJV).
Can you sense His presence near you this Christmas season? Can you hear His Word echoing within your heart? He wants you to draw near now and always. You see, Jesus is the Tree of Life! He is the wisdom of God—the Word made flesh. Press in to that Tree and stay close. All who draw near to Him will be blessed.
Dare to Draw Near to the Tree of Life This Christmas!
Determine to press into Jesus, the Tree of Life, and stay close!
- To help you stay accountable, consider joining a Bible study group, or join KCM’s Partner Community.
- Practice the presence of God by walking and talking with Him every day, all day. Talk to Him as you walk to your car, go shopping and do chores.
- As you study His Word today, write down what God is saying to you through that Word, and how you will respond.
- Share the Tree of Life! Ask God to show you someone you can share this post with, and be obedient!
DAY 22: Dare to Shine His Light on Wisdom
by Kenneth Copeland
I once saw a bumper sticker on an old pickup truck that read, “Wise Men Still Seek Him.”
That sure is true. And, this Christmas, I think it’s a good time to talk about why seeking God is wise.
If you look at any Nativity scene, you’ll see a group of three men on camels, wearing priestly clothing. Religious tradition refers to them as the “three wise men,” though the Bible never indicates a specific number. But, what do we really know about this group who were among the first to seek Jesus after His birth?
We are first introduced to these people, known as the Magi, in Daniel 2:2. They were in the court of the king because they were considered to be the most educated people in the land. Known as Chaldeans in Babylon, they were a special group of priests who were experts in philosophy, science and astronomy. The wise men seeking Jesus would have descended from these people, known for their great intellect.
But, many others besides this group of wise men had also heard this information. The prophecy was very well known by the Jews and their leaders. So, what made the wise men different than so many others? Matthew 2:2, NKJV, says: Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
The wise men had opened their hearts to receive revelation from God, and then acted in faith on what He had revealed to them. They sought to worship Him, which means they had already determined that He was the Messiah.
That’s wisdom. Taking knowledge and allowing God to show you how to put it into operation. That’s what the Magi were doing when they set out to seek Jesus—putting their knowledge into operation through God-given insight.
The Jews had their Messiah right in front of them, yet because of the hardness of their hearts, they did not seek Him or receive Him. The wise men were seekers of truth, and did not allow customs, reasoning or objections from others to block their pursuit of it.
So, what can we learn about wisdom from these “wise men”? I think there are three things we can learn: Wisdom seeks truth, wisdom goes to great trouble to find God, and wisdom obeys God rather than man.
Wisdom Seeks Truth
The wise men had spent much of their lives seeking for answers—perhaps even for meaning and purpose in their lives. They clearly had a hunger for truth, which likely inspired them to spend a great deal of time studying the coming of the Savior.
In Matthew 2:6, they also revealed that they knew of the prophecy of Christ’s birth. They had clearly invested time to find out more about what God had said.
If we want to walk in wisdom, we must also be seekers of truth—God’s truth. Proverbs 4:13, NKJV, says, “Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life.”
First Corinthians 3:18 tells us not to judge our wisdom or intelligence by the standards of this world. We need to find our instruction in The WORD of God—that’s where truth is found.
Wisdom Goes to Great Effort to Find God
The wise men likely traveled a great distance to find Jesus. This would have come at great personal expense, as well as an investment of time. The trip may have been dangerous to themselves, their animals and those who accompanied them. They were willing to put seeking God ahead of themselves or any other interest.
There is no way around it. If we want to operate in the wisdom of God, we must put Him first in our lives. The most powerful thing we can do in life is take the time to seek God with all our hearts without compromise.
Every believer who truly wants to follow God must make this declaration: “I am going to live by The WORD of God. Whatever I find in The WORD, that’s what I’m going to do!”
This is what it means to walk in the fear of The LORD. And when we do that, He’ll begin to reveal truths to us—even things no one else has ever seen before. That is how the goodness of God begins to flow into our lives.
Every time we get up in the morning, we should see God’s goodness manifested all around us—in our homes, in our children, in our relationships with our spouses, in the cars we drive, and in the clothes we wear.
That good place is available to you. God wants to reveal His wisdom for living abundantly and victoriously to you.
Wisdom Obeys God Rather Than Man
When the wise men had been searching for Jesus, they came in contact with Herod. When Herod heard the purpose of their journey, he instructed them to come back and tell him where he could find Jesus. They could have been intimidated by this powerful figure, known for merciless acts. Instead, they put the word from The LORD first.
“Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way” (Matthew 2:12, NKJV).
The wisdom of God will reveal things to you that you wouldn’t otherwise know. Sometimes it will be for your protection and sometimes it will be for your promotion.
“For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand” (Mark 4:22-23).
It’s important that we have “ears to hear” what God is saying to us through His WORD. We must keep The WORD in our mouths and “be listening” to His voice so we can “perceive and comprehend” the mysteries of His wisdom.
We need to be vigilant about what we allow our ears to hear. If we’re hearing trash, we can’t help but get trash down into our hearts. If we put unholy things before our eyes, the desire for sinful things will grow in our hearts. In Psalm 101:2-3, David says, “I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes” (NASB).
That’s why we must be careful what we’re hearing—because unbelief comes the same way faith comes—by hearing!
There is simply no other way to live free, blessed, well and supernaturally prosperous in the earth but to keep The WORD of God before our eyes, in our ears and “in the center of our heart.” This is how we obtain the treasure of God’s wisdom.
Enjoy the Benefits of Wisdom This Christmas
There are wonderful benefits that belong to anyone who will take hold of God’s wisdom. That’s why Proverbs 4:7, KJV, says, “Wisdom is the principal thing….” That means it’s the most important thing—the main thing you should want.
Wisdom is what will get you off the roller coaster of having your healing, then feeling symptoms again. Getting a great job, then losing a job. To solve your problems, you need wisdom!
How many times have you prayed and failed to receive your answer? I can tell you it wasn’t because God missed it! The WORD of God says you ask and receive not because you ask amiss (James 4:3). You need wisdom to ask for the right thing.
That means you need God’s thoughts about the situation before you can pray effectively.
So let The WORD of God, the wisdom of God, begin to influence your thinking. God’s way of thinking will save your life, pull you out of debt, and put you on the road to prosperity. It will introduce you to possibilities you have never seen before and get you out of any trouble—just like it did for those wise men 2,000 years ago.
Dare to Shine His Light on Wisdom This Christmas!
Have you made wisdom the principal thing?
- Invest the time in His WORD each day to seek God and His infinite wisdom.
- Ask God to give you wisdom in all your ways, according to James 1:5, and He will give it to you!
- Do a search for all the verses in the Bible with the word wisdom, then study and meditate on those truths.
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DAY 21: Dare to Shine His Light on Renewal
by Kenneth Copeland
If you’ve ever had a fresh Christmas tree in your home, you know what it’s like to water it and work to keep it strong and green. It gives off such a wonderful smell of pine when it’s freshly cut!
Over time, it doesn’t look quite as fresh anymore. No matter how much you water that tree, it’s just decided it’s done being fresh and green. Then, those pesky pine needles start to drop all over the floor. By the time you take it out to the curb, half the needles are still in your house on the floor, and it sure doesn’t look like that strong, sturdy tree you first brought home.
Sometimes, I think people liken their lives to that Christmas tree. They only have an expectation that life will be good for so long, and then they just expect it to decline.
Maybe this describes you. You’re not feeling as “fresh” as you used to, and for physical or emotional reasons, you’ve lost that zest for life you once had in your youth.
Well, this Christmas, I’m here to tell you about one of God’s greatest gifts to you as His child that can put pep in your step and a spark back into your life, and that’s the gift of renewal.
God’s Promise of Renewed Strength
Let me set the record straight: I plan to die young…at a very old age.
Or, to put it more accurately (since, as a believer, I’ve already done all the dying I’m ever going to do), I plan to depart this earth and go to heaven as a very youthful old man.
Spiritually, I have the DNA to do it. So do you and so does every other born-again child of God.
As people of faith, we all have great spiritual genes. If you need evidence, just take a look at Abraham. He lived to be 175. According to Romans 4:11, KJV, he’s “the father of all them that believe.” So longevity runs in our spiritual family.
It’s not the kind of longevity that just involves a lot of years, either. It’s not the kind that leaves you weak, worn out and sitting in a nursing home. No, it’s the kind that comes from having your youth renewed.
That’s what happened to Abraham. At somewhere around 100 years old, he got a new lease on life. His old body that had aged to the point where it was reproductively dead, got a fresh spark. The same thing happened to his wife, Sarah. At 90, she started coming alive as never before. So at an age most people consider ancient, Abraham and Sarah started over. They stepped into the fulfillment of God’s promise and had a baby.
Think of it! Those are the spiritual genes we inherited when we received Jesus as LORD, and God grafted us into the family of faith! We’re born again into a lineage of folks who were famous for living vibrantly on earth for a long, long time. We know we have their spiritual DNA because the Bible says, “Those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:9, 29, NKJV).
I have made a quality decision to lay claim to that heritage. I’m following the example of Abraham knowing that, because I have the same covenant of BLESSING, if I do what he did, I’ll get the same results.
Beware the Generational Curve
One enemy I encountered a few years ago is what I call the generational curve. That’s an influence passed down through our natural parents and grandparents. In my life, that curve came through the Indian bloodline that runs through my mother’s relatives. Physically, and in the way I think, I take after her side of the family.
But there’s something I’ve had to guard against: People on that side of my family start going downhill at about 70 years old.
Take my grandfather, for example. A strong, hardy man all his life, he hit his late 60s and began slowing down for no apparent reason. When he turned 70, he retired, sold the North Texas farmland that had been his home for years, and moved to town. He continued to decline until he passed away.
My mother’s life followed generally the same pattern. She lived just about the same number of years that he did. The year my mother died, I was sitting beside her hospital bed late one night praying for her to receive healing, when all of a sudden, the word of The LORD came to me.
Your mother doesn’t need healing, He said.
I was so startled, I jumped. “Well, You could have fooled me!” I answered. “Look at her!
After reminding me of how quickly she’d gotten healed of the pneumonia she’d had a few days earlier, He said, Her body parts are worn out. What she needs is not healing but the covenant benefit in Psalm 103:5.
I looked down at my open Bible and read it. “Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (NKJV).
What The LORD told me next changed the course of my life.
Youth renewal is included in THE BLESSING of Abraham that’s yours in Christ Jesus, He said. If your mother had laid claim to that benefit and declared it over her life every day, things would have turned out differently for her. She didn’t know she should do that. But you do! You ought to say every single day, “I receive the benefit of my youth being renewed today!”
That was in 1988, and I’ve been claiming youth renewal ever since.
Never Quit
Thank God I did, too. Because about 20 years later, the devil snuck up on me through that generational curve. A few years before I was about to turn 70, I started wanting to quit. I’d look at my preaching schedule and think, I’ve been at this for 40 years now. I ought to just get in my bass boat and head up the creek. I ought to relax, retire and get ready to die.
Let me tell you right now that no born-again, faith-walking believer should ever think about quitting! We don’t have any business retiring from God’s service at 65 or 70 years old. We ought to give Him at least 100 years to BLESS the world through us.
Meanwhile, I found out my physical body had been affected. I went to the doctor with pain like I’d never experienced in my life. He diagnosed it as degenerative joint disease. The MRI he took of my spine showed one of the disks had ruptured, and a piece of it had worked its way into the nerve canal of the spine.
As if that wasn’t enough, the doctor did a full physical on me and found out my adrenal glands had just flatlined. I had no strength.
So it wasn’t just my mind wanting to quit. My body wanted to quit, too. I was going downhill fast, and the devil thought he had me beaten.
But there was something the devil didn’t consider: Psalm 103:5—THE BLESSING of youth renewal I’d been claiming by faith ever since 1988.
Act Like Abraham This Christmas
Then, just like Abraham, I started giving glory to God. I determined to be grateful and give Him thanks by faith. It occurred to me, for instance, that even though some parts of my body hurt, others didn’t. So I’d thank Him for that.
I thanked Him that I was saved and going to heaven instead of hell. I thanked Him for my children who are all serving Him. I thanked Him for all kinds of other blessings He’s given me. After a while I noticed that as long as I was shouting my gratitude to God, I wasn’t hurting. So I just kept it up.
Somewhere along the way, my physical body started changing. I don’t know exactly when. But I can tell you this: Sixteen months later, all signs of degenerative joint disease had vanished. I’ll be 80 years old this month and instead of slowing down, I’m gearing up. Instead of getting weaker, I’m getting stronger.
My physical body has been quickened by the resurrection power of God! Not only have I been healed from the disease that tried to destroy me, my adrenal glands are functioning. My thyroid has come back to life. I’m more alive in every way than I was 20 years ago!
I have a fresh spark. I’m enjoying a whole new fruit-bearing season of life, and I intend to live it to the fullest until Jesus and I are both satisfied. Not like some old Christmas tree that has a short season of glory, then just withers away.
Then, and only then, I’ll depart this planet like Abraham did. “He died at a good (ample, full) old age, an old man, satisfied and satiated, and was gathered to his people” (Genesis 25:8, AMPC).
The way I see it, that’s the only way to go.
Dare to Shine His Light on Renewal!
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Day 20 - Dare to Shine His Light on Victory
by Gloria Copeland
On Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, millions of Americans gather around their television sets to cheer on their favorite football team to win. We even enjoy small victories in our lives—Christmas lights hung on the highest peak of the house, a snowman that took four hours to build, and a pumpkin pie made from scratch that’s actually edible.
Victory. It’s what we’re all searching for, isn’t it? And not just the small wins that come from our favorite team winning the game or building a snowman. We want victory for the big things in life – like our finances, careers, ministry, health and relationships.
Webster defines victory as “final and complete supremacy.” That means when it’s over, it’s over. There is no more vying for the position of triumph. It is finished. And you have the crown.
You might be thinking, I could use some victory right about now. The good news is that you have it! First Corinthians 15:57, AMPC, says, “But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.” That means the victory has already been won—our victory.
Because of Jesus, we are not fighting for a position of victory, we are fighting from a position of victory.
The Victor’s Prize
When you think of a victor, you think of someone who won a battle or competition, and you also think of someone who took the spoils.
If you have ever watched the Olympics, you know that there have been quite a few times when a team won an Olympic gold medal due primarily to one person’s effort. Even a player who sits on the bench during the medal rounds will still receive a gold medal because he or she is aligned with that team.
We, as believers, have aligned ourselves with Jesus. Though we played no part in the victory he claimed on the Cross, we are partakers of the spoils because we’ve received what He did for us.
What is the prize?
Whenever there is a competition that involves a reward of some kind, the first thing everyone wants to know is what is the prize? People want to know what they’re fighting for. It helps them to decide if it’s worth the effort and to determine what is at stake if they lose the fight.
In this case, the prize is total victory in every area of your life. I’d say that’s worth fighting for!
You already have it, but there’s an enemy who wants to take it from you or, better yet, convince you that you don’t even have it in the first place.
What are the spoils that you have through Jesus?
He won victory over death, grief, sin, sadness, lack, poverty, sickness, disease, strife, division and so much more. He defeated everything under the curse (Galatians 3:13). That’s a big victory!
It belongs to you—you just have to fight to keep it. Here are four steps to ensure that you keep your victory!
Four Steps to Ensure That You Keep Your Victory
Make the decision:
I will not be defeated; I will receive from God (1 John 5:4-5). What would happen if those Olympians we talked about went around acting sad, defeated and miserable after winning their gold medals? What if they kept talking about how they just can’t seem to win? You’d say, “You’ve already won!”
That’s what Jesus is saying to you today. You’ve already won! But, you have to collect your prize and gather your spoils. He isn’t going to do it for you. He already did everything on the Cross. Your job is to receive those gifts and refuse to be defeated in life. You’ve already won!
Resist Satan:
Refuse to entertain his thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; James 4:7). As you begin to wonder in your mind, you will begin to wander from God’s best.
Anything that does not line up with the Word of God is a thought that must be cast down immediately. Don’t even entertain it. When thoughts do come in, respond and talk back with the truth of God’s Word concerning your situation. We have victory in every area of our lives—so find the scripture that matches your problem and speak it in the Name of Jesus, believing you receive it.
Give your attention to God’s Word(Proverbs 4:20-22): Fix your mind on God’s Word (Joshua 1:8).
The more time you spend in His Word, the more the truth of your victory through Christ Jesus will become a reality in your life. It will be more real to you than your circumstances.
Purpose to avoid feeding your spirit negative influences (media, secular television). Faith comes by hearing—the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Fear comes by hearing that which is contrary to the Word of God.
Refuse to speak words contrary to what you believe you have received from the Lord(Mark 11:23-24): Answer every doubt immediately with the Word of God—that includes every symptom of sickness, unforgiveness, lack, strife, fear, etc. Put His Word ahead of the word of the doctor, the bank, your co-workers or your friends. Your victory is voice activated—make sure you’re only speaking victorious words.
Live a Life of Victory This Christmas!
As you are consistent in these steps, victory will become a regular part of your life, just as Jesus promised in John 14:21: “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
There will be trials and troubles in this world. But, through Him, you’ve overcome them, mastered them, suppressed them and prevailed over them—conquered them.
To conquer means “to get the better of in competition or struggle, to master, suppress, prevail over, overwhelm, surmount, to gain superiority, to subdue, to vanquish, to crush, to defeat.”
No wonder 1 Corinthians 15:57 shouts, “Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory, [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ” (AMPC)!
Know that you are joined up with the One who has conquered the world, the flesh and the devil. Shout hallelujah and enjoy the victory!
You have world-overcoming victory faith!
Dare to Shine His Light on Victory This Christmas!
In what area of your life do you need victory this Christmas? Go through the four steps above to claim your victory!
If you’re struggling in your finances this Christmas, don’t despair!
Resist the temptation to seek the world’s solutions. Go to the Word, find the many scriptures that promise you abundance, provision and a life without lack. Speak them, study them, meditate on them. Then, believe God for supernatural financial blessing this Christmas.
If you have sickness, disease or any kind of struggle in your physical body--
Jesus already fought and won the victory over that specific problem for you. Now, reach out and take it. Don’t wait for the new year. It belongs to you NOW.
Is there strife in any of your relationships?
Time for victory. Go to the Lord, and ask for His wisdom. Speak truth and refuse to speak contrary to the Word of God concerning your relationships. Pray and believe Him for a change even now.
- Take inventory of your life. In what areas do you need renewed strength?
- Write them down and acknowledge them before God.
- Begin to speak the promise of renewed strength over these specific areas of your life.
- Speak the promise of renewed youth and health over yourself every day. Say “My youth is renewed just like the eagle’s! I receive the benefit of my youth being renewed every day!”
- Identify any generational curves you may have in your family, and determine and confess that they don’t have to belong to you! Begin praying that you will break those curses and overcome those obstacles with God’s help. Be like Abraham!
- Give glory to God and thank Him by faith while you’re waiting for renewal
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DAY 19: Dare to Shine His Light on Seed Faith
by Kenneth Copeland
If you’re planning to visit a Christmas tree farm this year, the trees you’ll be choosing from are the result of careful planning. Five or six years ago, the farmer planted a pine cone seed in fertile soil. He believed in that pine cone seed and that one seed would produce enough to stake his livelihood on it.
I learned what drives farmers like that to do what they do when I was a student at Oral Roberts University in 1967. It set the course of my life and ministry, forever. It is something so simple, yet, powerful enough to create an entire universe. It is something so obvious, yet easily overlooked.
It is…faith in seed.
I remember boldly declaring to Gloria back then, “I am going to have the hundredfold return. You and I will walk in it. We’re going to do things and have things that people will be too scared to even talk about. But we are going to do it!”
Since that time, a lot of people have told me, “Copeland, you just set your sights too high.”
Well, I’m just doing what the Apostle Paul did: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, KJV).
Notice it’s a high calling, not a low one.
That’s why, in nearly 50 years of ministry, I’ve found that a lot of church people—even preachers—get upset when you start talking about believing God for 30, 60 and a hundredfold return on what you sow into His kingdom. They get real nervous when you challenge them to receive all God has set before them.
But go talk to some farmers about the hundredfold return. That’s what they’re all after. They’re doing everything they can to get a hundredfold harvest from the seed they sow.
Why, then, are Christians so reluctant when it comes to believing God for a hundredfold return?
Because they don’t understand the principle of seed faith. Believers should use their faith for return on what they sow, the same as the farmer does.
God does everything He does by seed, and farmers do everything they do by seed.
A Lesson From a Farmer
In fact, a farmer is whom God used in 1947 to plant a seed in the heart of Dr. Oral Roberts. He planted this very principle of faith in a seed.
At the time, Dr. Roberts was pastoring a small church in Enid, Okla. He and his wife, Evelyn, had two children—and that was about all. They had no home, no car, few belongings, and lived from house to house with church members.
But on an unusually cold spring morning, just a couple hours before sunrise, a farmer knocked at their door.
The man apologized for waking them, but explained that he couldn’t wait any longer. He was about to lose his farm.
It turned out that this man was a member of Dr. Roberts’ church and happened to be one of the wealthiest men in the county. He had a large farm, but had lost a lot of money in the stock market and was about to lose everything. He came to Dr. Roberts for a miracle.
“God had me dig this up out of my backyard,” he said. Then he handed an old can to Dr. Roberts. Inside were four one-hundred dollar bills. “I want to put this in the offering for you and your family.”
In a church service the night before, Dr. Roberts had approached the church members about purchasing a parsonage. An offering was taken toward the down payment of a house and this farmer gave nothing. That night, however, God spoke to him.
“Oral,” the man said, “I’m a farmer, and I believe in seed. I’m not considering this as money. I’m considering it as seed for my miracle.”
Those words struck Dr. Roberts’ heart, and by the Spirit of God he heard, Seed faith!
Faith in seed. Faith in God’s way of doing things.
In the end, that farmer got his miracle, and Dr. Roberts got his house. But Dr. Roberts also went on to build his life, his ministry and a university worth more than half a billion dollars in property alone—and all by faith in a seed.
We Say Need—God Says Seed!
When we go to God with a need, He immediately begins talking to us about seed—something we can sow, or that we have sown, that will meet that need. Oftentimes, however, that’s the last thing we want to hear.
For example, there was a young rich man who ran up to Jesus and asked, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17, KJV).
He literally knelt before The LORD with all his need. He wanted eternal life.
“Go…sell whatsoever thou hast,” Jesus told him, “and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me” (verse 21, KJV).
With that, the man got up from his knees and walked away downcast. Verse 22 tells us why. “For he was holding great possessions” (AMPC).
This rich man came to Jesus with a need—the need for eternal life—and Jesus began talking to him about planting seed, but the man didn’t realize it. In his natural way of thinking, he thought Jesus meant he was just supposed to give away everything he had.
But that wasn’t the case at all. Jesus was simply trying to help him change from the world’s way of doing things to God’s way, by sowing a seed.
Teaspoonful or Truckload?
If you and I are going to enter God’s kingdom and operate in His ways, we must have faith in seed—and I don’t just mean have faith in God. Yes, we must trust God, but we must also have faith in the seed itself. We must believe it will produce for us, the same as a farmer would believe.
The Bible tells us that God based His kingdom, as well as the universe, on the principle of seedtime and harvest (Genesis 8:22). It has operated that way ever since.
Using parable after parable, Jesus taught His disciples the value of seed, as well as the power of faith in seed (Mark 4:21-34). But in the middle of all that teaching, He challenged them to have ears to hear. “To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them” (verse 25).
In other words, you and I are only limited by how much we choose to hear, or how much we choose to measure.
What exactly are we measuring? The amount of WORD we hear.
Like the disciples, God’s challenge is, “How much will we measure? How much of His WORD will we give ourselves to?”
The 30, 60 and hundredfold is not a theological debate. It’s a responsibility that falls back into our laps. We ultimately determine the amount of “return” we receive from every seed we sow into the kingdom of God. We decide whether it will be a teaspoonful, a handful or truckload.
God has faith in seed. That’s His way of doing things. His kingdom doesn’t operate any other way.
God is waiting. It’s your move. It’s your measure.
You don’t have to wait for the new year to begin sowing seed. That Christmas tree farmer is already five years ahead in his sowing. Now, you do the same!
Dare to Shine His Light on Seed Faith This Christmas!
- What need do you have in your life right now? How can you sow a seed toward receiving a harvest in that area? If you aren’t sure—seek The LORD and have ears to hear His answer.
- Sow seed by giving to your local church or a ministry committed to furthering the work of the Kingdom.
- Sow seed by giving someone an unexpected gift that you know will bless them.
- Sow seed by paying for someone’s coffee or food at a restaurant.
- Keep a journal of the seed you’ve sown. Be sure to name each seed by documenting what you are believing for in return for the seed sown.
- Begin to seek and expect supernatural blessing on your life this Christmas season. God’s provision is better than anything you’ll ever find under a Christmas tree.
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DAY 18: Dare to Shine His Light on Possibility
by Gloria Copeland
There’s something about Christmas that inspires children to begin dreaming. Maybe it’s the sparkle of Christmas lights on houses, the stockings hung and waiting to be filled, or dazzling packages nestled under the Christmas tree.
Somehow, anything seems possible this time of year. Many youngsters will even rush to bed much earlier than normal because they are so excited about the possibility of what will be under the tree when they wake up the next morning.
That’s what is so wonderful about children—their hopeful expectation. They dream big and expect miracles. Perhaps that is why Jesus desires for us to have childlike faith (Matthew 18:2-5).
What about you? Are you childlike in your anticipation this Christmas? Anticipation has always been a huge part of Christmas, as Jesus was the most anticipated gift ever received!
Put yourself in Mary’s shoes. She must have experienced months of anticipation as Jesus, the Messiah, grew in her womb. Moreover, the Jewish people had been taught for centuries to earnestly await the One who would save them, and here she was about to give birth to Him!
We also know the Magi traveled a great distance to see Jesus because they expected Him to be the king of the Jews. In the book of Daniel, we learn that the Magi were among the highest ranking officials in Babylon. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they began asking, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” They had not seen Him, but expected to see Him.
Just imagine what the Magi had to be thinking and dreaming! They must have been overwhelmed with excitement at the possibility of finding God in the form of a human baby.
They had to believe it was possible and put faith in God’s Word! They couldn’t afford to think ‘small’ or they may have never made that trip to find baby Jesus.
Small Thinking Limits God
Small thinking and small expectations limit God’s ability to work on your behalf. That’s why He often asks His people to raise their sights right before He does something remarkable.
For example, God wanted to do great things for and through Abram. While Abram was just looking for a plot of land to pasture his flocks, God wanted to give him all the land stretching out beyond the four points of the compass.
In the same way, Abraham wanted a single heir, but God wanted to make his descendants as innumerable as the dust of the earth.
God instructed him to “lift up your eyes.” In other words, “Raise your sights! You’re thinking too small.”
Abram believed God and caught His vision for his life, and what God spoke to him came to pass.
This Christmas season, God is telling us to raise our sights. To stop thinking small. We need to allow ourselves to dream about the possibilities that come along with believing God.
You don’t have to wait for the new year either; God is waiting to do more for you right now—in this season.
Expand Your Vision
Looking up and raising your level of expectation will impact every area of your life. Just as God had to move Abraham from thinking of only one son to thinking in terms of whole nations, God wants us to lift our eyes beyond being concerned only for our immediate needs and wants and only for those things that seem possible. He wants us to expect mighty things and to bring whole nations into His kingdom.
In what ways can you begin to think bigger? With the spirit of anticipation and excitement in the air this season, it’s a perfect time to start. Here are three ways to shine His light on possibilities:
Raise Your Expectations
As long as you’re willing to live without God’s best, you will. In order to raise your expectations, you must look to God’s Word and His promises. Those promises, and nothing less, should be your expectations.
Here are a few promises from God’s Word every believer should have his or her sights on:
God’s best for you is healing (Isaiah 53:5). So, don’t expect sickness or disease.
His best for you is financial prosperity (Psalm 35:27, KJV). Therefore, don’t settle for lack or poverty.
His will for you is an “abundant increase of favors” (Genesis 12:2, AMPC). That means you should believe for favor in every area of your life. And you don’t have to earn it or be qualified for it in the natural!
Since God’s Word provides much better promises than anything this world has to offer, your expectations should be much greater than unbelievers’.
Walk in Obedience
God’s will for you is to dream big and receive big. But, there is a condition. You must be obedient to His Word.
For example, if you are believing for health and healing, you must mix your faith in Isaiah 53:5 with obedience in taking care of your body (1 Corinthians 6:19). Whether that be eating properly, exercising, or any other specific instruction that the Lord has given you personally—obedience is key.
Most people tend to associate obeying God with drudgery and pain. But the truth is, obedience is always to our advantage. We need to change our expectations accordingly. When, in answer to the call of God, you leave behind your old lifestyle, your old habits and your old patterns of thinking, you experience great advantage.
Refuse Fear
Once you have begun to expect more and walk in obedience, the devil will send in doubt and fear to try and rob you of your blessing. This is a critical moment in receiving all that God has made possible for you.
We know that faith and fear are opposing forces, so you can’t have both at the same time. This requires an intentional effort to reject fear and only speak words of faith. James 4:7, KJV, says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” That means, the devil has to go when you resist him. Fear cannot stay when you fight with faith.
Don’t Limit God
Dreaming big was never meant to be limited to Christmastime. All of the wonder, hope and expectation that is felt at this time of year is to be in the heart of the believer each and every day. Purpose to live expecting great and exciting things in your life every day.
Dare to Shine His Light on Possibility!
As you watch your kids and grandkids dream this Christmas, look for ways to exhibit that same childlike faith in God and endeavor to “lift up your eyes” to greater things.
- Identify an area where you have been limiting God. Look up verses to support God’s promise for you.
- Confess to God that you’ve been thinking small, and tell Him that you believe His Word over your circumstances.
- Have faith in God, and expect Him to move accordingly.
- Spend some time dreaming with God about the possibilities for your life, and then, dare to ask Him for what you really want in your life. Reference a scripture that backs your claim, and ask—expecting to see great things.
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DAY 17: Dare to Shine His Light on Priorities
by Kenneth Copeland
Have you ever seen one of those advent calendars that counts down the days until Christmas? Some of them will have a little window you open to reveal a Scripture verse. Others have a trinket or a chocolate inside. Either way, you can’t open all the windows at once; you have to take them one day at a time.
Think how great it would be if you had only one thing on your to-do list today.
Not 100.
Not 10.
Just one.
That might be hard to imagine with Christmas right around the corner.
What if that one thing would put you and keep you in the perfect will of God, guarantee your success, and empower you to be BLESSED and a BLESSING every day of your life?
Sounds great, doesn’t it? But to most people (Christians included) it also sounds too good to be true. “My life is complicated and demanding,” they say. “I have to earn a living. I have to take care of my family and fulfill my responsibilities at church. I have a lot of different priorities. I can’t tend to just one thing!”
From the world’s perspective, such statements make sense. But according to the Bible, that’s not how God sees it. He says we have just one priority: “My son, attend to my WORDs” (Proverbs 4:20, KJV).
What does it mean to attend to God’s WORD? It means we put it first and make it final authority in our spirit, soul, body, finances and everything we do every day. It means we always take time to hear what The LORD is telling us so we can say and do whatever He tells us to.
In short, it means we hang on to Jesus’ every word.
Living in a Martha World
“But Brother Copeland, I’m too busy,” you might say.
That’s what Martha thought, too. Remember her story? She’s the woman in Luke 10 who hosted one of Jesus’ teaching meetings in her home.
If anyone ever had reason to think she didn’t have time for The WORD, Martha did. Especially the day Jesus came to her house. He had His 12 disciples with Him, and who knows how many of His other 70 staff members.
Needless to say, Martha was very busy! She was not only playing hostess to a virtual multitude, she was trying to figure out how to keep them fed. (That might describe you, too, especially this time of year!)
She didn’t have the luxury of calling Colonel Sanders to deliver meals for everyone like we do today. She had to make everything. She assumed her sister Mary would help, but instead of heading for the kitchen, Mary joined the disciples, “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word” (verse 39, KJV).
So while Jesus taught and everyone else listened, Martha tended to the business of cooking…all by herself.
And she wasn’t happy about it.
Finally, Martha couldn’t stand it anymore. Convinced Jesus should correct the situation, she marched in and interrupted His sermon. “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me” (verse 40, NKJV).
Too Many Things to Do
Imagine this! Not only did Martha make a scene right in the middle of Jesus’ meeting, she as much as accused Him of not caring about her.
Martha was “[overly occupied and too busy]…distracted with much serving” (verse 40, AMPC).
She had too many things on her to-do list.
How did Jesus help her? He answered and said to her: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (verses 41-42, NKJV).
To Martha’s credit, she didn’t argue with what Jesus told her. She didn’t say, “Be practical, LORD! What am I supposed to do? Just let everyone go hungry?”
That’s how most Christians these days would have responded. But the fact is, Jesus didn’t say people should go hungry. What He said was that only one thing is needed: to hear and obey His WORD.
When we make that one thing our priority, everything else falls in line.
The Teacher Is in Your House
“But Brother Copeland,” you might say, “Martha’s situation was different than mine. Jesus was right there with her, teaching God’s WORD!”
Yes, He was. But the same is true for you. As a Holy Ghost-baptized believer, you can sit down, open your Bible, and hear Jesus preach to you every day. Why? Because you not only have God’s written WORD to read, you have the Holy Spirit living inside you to quicken that WORD.
In other words, just like Martha, you have the Teacher in your house—and every day He is saying the same thing to you He said to her: The one thing you really need to do is hear and obey God’s WORD.
The Secret to 100-Percent Success
God’s WORDs are the foundation of everything in His kingdom. They don’t just carry information, and they’re not only a means of communication. They’re infused with the very power of God Himself.
That’s why in John 6:63, Jesus said His WORDs are “spirit and life.”
Everything Jesus accomplished in the Gospels, He did by hearing and acting on God’s WORD.
Consider the incident at the pool of Bethesda. The Bible tells us that when Jesus walked up to that pool, multitudes of blind, crippled and diseased people were crowded all around waiting for the angel to stir the water. Yet Jesus walked right past them all and focused His attention on one bedridden man. “Wilt thou be made whole?” He asked. “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk” (John 5:6, 8, KJV).
Twelve words. That’s all Jesus spoke because that’s all the Father told Him to say. As a result, He had 100-percent success.
You know as well as I do, if we’d been there we would have set up the Pool of Bethesda Healing Association. We would have bottled the water, lined up all the sick people and anointed them with it.
But none of it would have done any good because only one thing is needful. The WORD of God.
Whatever He says, that’s what we need to say and do—and nothing else!
The Answer to Your To-Do List
God’s WORD can supply enough divine wisdom, power and life to conquer any challenge you might be facing. When you give His WORD first place, you open your heart and your ears to hear the Holy Spirit leading and guiding you. He can give you insights on how to tackle your daily to-do list more efficiently. He can relieve you of the burdens and life struggles you are carrying.
So make it your priority this Christmas. Simplify your life and make attending to God’s WORD the only thing on your to-do list. Just like that advent calendar, you can’t take on everything all at once. There has to be an order to things.
Spend time with Him every day and find out what He’s saying to you. Then stick with His plan. Say whatever He tells you to say, and do whatever He tells you to do.
It’s the only sure way to live BLESSED.
Dare to Shine His Light on Priorities This Christmas!
Rearrange your priority list by putting attending to God’s WORD at the top of the list. With a long Christmas to-do list, when can you make time for the most important item on the list—attending to God’s WORD?
- Is early morning best or in the evening before bed? Whatever you do—make spending time in His WORD and in prayer your top priority. Everything else will fall into place.
- Set up a reoccurring daily appointment in your phone’s calendar for you to spend time studying God’s WORD.
- Listen to The WORD on the go! If you have a lot of errands to run, consider listening to the Believer’s Voice of Victory podcast in your vehicle. Download your favorite podcast app, add the BVOV video or audio podcast, and allow The WORD to fill your spirit and bring peace to your day.
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DAY 16: Dare to Shine His Light on Worry
by Gloria Copeland
Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtledoves, and a partridge in a pear tree…That’s a lot of birds in one Christmas carol!
Birds, like robins and red cardinals, not only appear on Christmas cards, but they also have great symbolism in the Bible. God references eagles, doves and sparrows, among many others. They play a significant part in many well-known stories in the Bible.
I have sat at my kitchen table and looked out the window at the birds. In the cold of winter, I have seen a bird and thought, God has put Himself on the line to provide for that bird. Then I have gone out and thrown him something to eat.
Do you know that in all the times I’ve done that, I have never seen a bird looking worried about where his next meal would come from. God said He would provide for the birds, and He keeps His Word. He’s a good God.
So what about you? Are you worried? Do you feel like you’re spinning your wheels trying to get the things you need?
Then you aren’t living in a revelation of the goodness of God and His willingness to bless you. You aren’t following Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 6:25-34 to receive the good things God has laid up for you.
Why Worry?
You may think, But I’ve already heard that God is good, and He wants to bless me.
Then why are you worrying instead of receiving?
Many people believe God is good, but head knowledge alone doesn’t affect their daily lives. It takes more than head knowledge to change your circumstances—it takes a revelation from the Word of God.
Do you know what a revelation is? It’s a truth that becomes so real to you, as the Holy Spirit shines light on it, that it becomes a part of your life. You don’t just hear it and then forget about it. You act on it. It is knowledge acted on that brings results.
This is what happened to me years ago when this passage in Matthew 6 became my first encounter with a revelation from the Word of God.
I had been raised in a church where they didn’t really think God was interested or would get involved in their lives. As a result, they worried about everything—and they taught me to worry. I even believed it was irresponsible not to worry!
But when I read that God was even interested in the birds, I knew He must care about me! This scripture put great faith in me. It became a revelation to me, and I asked God to take my life and do something with it. I found out that when you give God just a little opening, He will come right in.
How to Not Worry
Now understand, just because I received revelation about worry doesn’t mean the temptation to worry immediately left me. When I took hold of these scriptures, I had to learn to not worry.
Minute by minute I would reject worried thoughts that came at me from every direction. Though I didn’t know it at the time, I was doing what 2 Corinthians 10:5 says. I was “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” (KJV).
At the time, Ken and I were in desperate need of all kinds of things. We were drowning in a sea of debts and trouble, and the Word became our life preserver! I had read in Matthew 6:33 that if I would seek God first, He would take care of the “things.” This was such good news to me, I wanted to learn more.
My way out of worry and into the reality of God’s goodness all started with one scripture. Revelation from God’s Word has to be the basis for any real change you make. The Word has to be No. 1.
I would like to say this is always easy. But it’s not.
In this busy world, especially at Christmastime, what is easy is to get our priorities out of order. We can become so caught up in the cares of daily life that we don’t make time for God and His kingdom to be first place.
As a result, the Word gets choked out by cares and distractions—what Jesus called “thorns” in Mark 4:18-19.
If watching the news puts care, fear and worry into you, don’t watch. Nowadays you can watch bad news 24 hours a day, but that doesn’t mean you should! Spend that time in the “good news”—that’s what the word gospel means.
How do you stop worrying? You replace worrying with believing what the Word says. You can refuse worrying as you replace it with believing what the Word says
You see, meditation on the Word is more than just reading. It’s applying what is says to your life and changing your situation.
Trust God’s Goodness
God wants you to trust Him for everything you need. Look at Psalm 31:19: “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.”
When you trust Him, you can receive the good things He has laid up for you. To build that trust, you have to keep the Word as the center of your focus.
But if you’re listening to the devil’s lies and agreeing with them instead, you can’t be in faith. You’re sure to be anxious and worried.
When you worry, you’re in little or no faith, and that’s no place for a believer. Matthew 6:30 says, “And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”
So choose to trust God. Choose to believe He will take care of you—even down to what you will eat, drink and wear.
Win the Battle of the Mind
Casting your cares on God is an act of faith. It may not be easy at first, but it is necessary if you want to live in victory.
First Peter 5:8-9, KJV, says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
You can’t worry and be in faith at the same time. Resist the devil’s lies and give him no place (James 4:7; Ephesians 4:27). As Matthew 6:25, KJV, says, “Take no thought….” You have to consciously refuse to take those worried thoughts he brings.
The result will be perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).
That’s what I have done all these years, and I hardly ever have a worried thought anymore. I walk in the peace that passes understanding. It doesn’t make sense to the natural mind, but, I’m not living a natural life.
Whenever you are tempted to worry, just look at a bird. Does it seem worried? No, it has a heavenly Father who cares about it.
Well you have that same Father, and He delights in providing for you.
Remember, the Lord is good to all.
That includes you. So why worry?
My prayer is that you won’t. You’ll be just like the birds, and you will enjoy a worry-free Christmas!
Dare to Shine His Light on Worry This Christmas!
God is on the line to take care of the birds, and He’s on the line to take care of you, too. Meditate on these truths as you watch the birds outside your own window.
- Refuse to worry! Commit to be obedient to Jesus’ command and to receive all God has for you (Matthew 6:25-34).
- For every issue you’re tempted to worry about, find scriptures that apply to your situation. Keep them in front of your eyes, and going in your ears and out your mouth, until that truth gets into your heart.
- Whenever you find yourself worrying about anything, say out loud, “I take no thought about that.” Then speak a scripture promise that applies to what you were tempted to worry about.
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DAY 15: Dare to Shine His Light on Receiving
by Kenneth Copeland
Christmas is a season of giving. God sent His Son to earth to redeem all mankind, and we spend the entire season celebrating this most precious gift. As part of the festivities, people go to great effort and expense to select and purchase gifts for loved ones. If you’re like me, you find great joy in giving.
Giving is certainly an important principle to learn in the kingdom of God. If you study the Bible, it’s not hard to discern that God, too, finds great joy in giving, and He’s the biggest Giver of all.
But, what about receiving? If God is the biggest Giver of all and finds great joy in giving to us, how are we supposed to receive from Him? Let me illustrate what I mean by telling you a story about Pop, Gloria’s grandfather.
Strong. Sweet. Godly.
Pop was one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known. He belonged to a generation that was determined to pay its own way. He’d give you everything he had, but you couldn’t give him anything.
Of course it’s an admirable thing for people to want to pull their own load; but the fact is, our lives aren’t complete until we learn how to receive. And that was something Pop had never learned.
I remember when I discovered how true that was. He had an old, beat-up watch that he’d been wearing for years. One day the watchband broke, so he ran a paper clip through the band, bent the paper clip over the top of the watch, and wore it that way.
When I saw that paper clip holding his watchband together, I thought, A fine gentleman and man of God shouldn’t be wearing an old, broken watch like that! So I bought him a new watch. I didn’t pay a lot of money for it, but I saw it, liked it and decided to buy it. When Christmas came, I gave the watch to him as a gift.
Two or three months later we were back over at his place and I noticed that Pop didn’t have on his new watch. He was wearing that same old, broken watch.
I said, “Pop, where’s your new watch?”
“Oh, I don’t wear that,” he said.
“Is there something wrong with it? If that’s the case, I’ll get you another watch.”
“Oh, no, no. It’s a fine watch. It’s too fine. That watch is too nice for me.” He was serious.
He simply couldn’t receive my gift.
I remember feeling as if a door had slammed in my face. I had given Pop that watch and wanted to see him wear it. I was left with something missing when he refused to receive it from me (the joy of being a blessing to someone I cared about); and he was left with something missing, too. He was left without the blessing of wearing a new watch.
Robbed by False Humility
At that moment, The LORD spoke to me. Do you see how that Robbed by False Humilitymakes you feel? It does the same thing to Me. Of course, you know that he’s saying these things out of humility, don’t you?
I said, Yes, Sir, I know he is.
But do you realize that it isn’t true humility? The LORD continued. All it did was grieve your heart.
Suddenly, I had a clear picture of how I had often treated The LORD.
We have the tendency to do the same thing Gloria’s grandfather did. Every day, God’s grace is extended to us, but often a sense of false humility keeps us from receiving. We don’t have confidence in the Giver so we turn away from His gifts.
You are Mine. Come and be blessed by Me, The LORD says.
“Oh, God,” we reply, “I might take a little bit of Your provision, just enough to get by, but I don’t think that it would be right for me to receive too many blessings from You.”
That’s false humility, and as I learned from Pop, false humility grieves God
How can we avoid grieving God in this way? We must learn that we walk in a great, eternal covenant that’s been formed between the Son and the Father. In addition, we need to get a clear concept of the grace of God, and take our place in it.
Let God Bless You
Your ability to operate in the grace to receive from God is linked to your understanding of your righteousness before Him—a righteousness purchased for you by Jesus’ sacrificial death.
In fact, 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares that we become the righteousness of God. Chapter 6, verse 1, says this: “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (KJV).
Do you see the connection? The WORD is clear. Failing to understand that you stand before God completely righteous—robed in the purity and authority of Jesus Himself—will cause you to nullify the operation of God’s grace in your life.
God wants to treat you as if you’ve never sinned. He wants to treat you like you are the smartest, holiest and most beautiful thing that ever existed.
All this time, He’s been trying to treat us this way, and yet we wouldn’t allow it. Like Gloria’s grandfather, we haven’t learned how to receive. When God has tried to bless us, we’ve said, “I’m just an old sinner, saved by grace. I’m not deserving of that.”
Well, you’re either an old sinner or you’re saved by grace. You can’t be both, and you need to make up your mind which one you want to be. If you are saved by grace, then you need to quit calling yourself an old sinner and start believing in the fullness of God’s saving grace.
When you refuse to receive the gifts that God is trying to bestow on you, you insult the blood of Jesus and reject the grace of God. You need to make up your mind that you’re not going to do that anymore!
I want to remind you that God is no respecter of persons. Everything that He has ever done for Jesus, He will do for you. Everything He has ever given Jesus, He will give to you. Remember: “If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32, KJV).
We are joint heirs with Jesus and His Anointing. We are one spirit with Him. Everything that Jesus has is ours, and we access these blessings by faith.
Faith to Receive This Christmas
In 2 Corinthians 8:9, the Bible says that Jesus, who was very rich, for our sakes became poor so that we, through His poverty, might become rich. He did it so that we would be abundantly supplied.
In this hour, God is urging us to abound in this grace, too. Jesus has given us everything heaven has to offer, and He wants us to step into our wealthy place in Him (Psalm 66:12).
Sadly, when most Christians hear that news, they respond as Pop did. “I can’t wear that. It’s too nice for me.” Don’t be guilty of grieving God’s heart in this way. Receive God’s promise of abundance by faith so that you might abound in His grace.
God loves it when you find out what is yours. He doesn’t wait until Christmas to bless us with His promises. They are ours for the taking every day! Will you receive them?
Dare to Receive From Him This Christmas!
Right this very moment, God has blessings and promises that He has set before you, in the same way I set the watch before Pop.
- Ask The LORD to reveal to you the gifts you have left on the table. Then, ask for God’s forgiveness for not accepting them, and tell Him that you’ll receive them now!
- Thank God for all that He has provided for you through the gift of Jesus Christ, and determine to receive everything He died to give you.
- Ask God for the wisdom to bless others this season with the gifts He’s given you.
- Practice being a good receiver! Each time you are given a gift this Christmas, receive it with joy by expressing your thanks and gratitude. Eliminate phrases like, “I wish you wouldn’t have done that,” and “I can’t possibly accept this.” Instead, say things like, “I receive this gift as a blessing from The LORD,” and, “I will receive it.”
DAY 14: Dare to Shine His Light on True Prosperity
by Gloria Copeland
Are you dreaming of a white Christmas with soft snowflakes falling to the ground? An abundance of snow covering any landscape is considered the perfect Christmas scene. Beautiful versions appear on Christmas cards, in shop windows and in seasonal movies. Even children dream of waking up to an abundance of snow-covered hills and trees.
There was one such boy who lived in Texas who had always dreamed of building a snowman on Christmas morning. This year, he knew he had that chance, as he was traveling to visit his grandmother in Colorado. When he arrived, there was no snow anywhere to be seen.
He was disappointed, but his grandmother prayed with him. They asked God to send snow for Christmas.
The next morning, when the little boy awoke, three feet of snow had fallen overnight! An abundance of billowy white snow covered the mountains, streets, yards and doorways!
“That’s going to make a BIG snowman!” he exclaimed.
The little boy no longer lacked the snow he needed to build his dream snowman. He had prayed to the Lord and asked Him for what he needed, and the Lord answered. I am sure that little boy has never forgotten how the Lord provided for him that Christmas!
That boy experienced what I like to call true prosperity. God provided everything needed…abundance, success, well-being and security. Some people get the idea that prosperity is only related to finances, but it is so much more.
True prosperity is the ability to use the power of God to meet every need in your life—spirit, soul and body. And the Word clearly tells us that God delights in the prosperity of His servant.
Just like the Lord provided for the boy, it is also His will for you to live an abundant life now—in this lifetime.
The Journey to Prosperous
The beginning of a prosperous life is a prosperous soul.
But how do you get there?
My journey to the prosperous life began years ago when I read Matthew 6:33 in a Bible Ken’s mother had given him: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” In The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, it says to seek “His way of doing and being right.”
That’s the foundation of God’s prosperity. When I found this verse, I was ready to try God’s way. I needed a lot of things and my way wasn’t working. I discovered that God’s prosperity isn’t just financial blessings. It also includes healing, protection, favor, wisdom, success, well-being and every good thing you could possibly need—all the good things Jesus paid for you to have.
Isaiah 53:5 says, “The chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole” (The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition). The Hebrew word for peace in this scripture is shalom. It basically means “nothing missing, nothing broken,” or wholeness in every area of life—spirit, soul and body.
Prosperity’s Foundation
That kind of prosperous life doesn’t just happen. And it doesn’t happen overnight.
But you can begin building the foundation for true prosperity by walking in truth, tithing and sowing, and believing and saying.
Walking in Truth
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4).
Ken and I weren’t exactly walking in prosperity when we married. I wore a $2 veil with the white cotton dress my mother made for the wedding. Ken’s friend married us at his home and his wife baked the cake. We even borrowed $100 for our honeymoon. We had no money and no wisdom.
But then something happened that totally changed our lives.
We found that the first step to increase is walking in truth. I’m not talking about just reading scriptures about prosperity. You prosper when you walk in all the words God says to you, living a godly lifestyle—in obedience to what God says is right.
That’s the wisdom of God. When we began obeying everything we saw in the Word of God, we began to increase.
And increase can come to you, too. God desires for you to increase. As you faithfully and diligently seek Him without compromise, you will see a change in your life, just as we did.
Tithing and Sowing
“Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency…and with the firstfruits of all your income; so shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10, AMPC).
Tithing is a covenant transaction that gets God involved in what you are doing. The first 10 percent of your income—the tithe—belongs to God. The Bible calls it firstfruits. Tithing is how you honor God with your money. It makes a way for Him to bless you supernaturally.
Ken and I never had any financial growth until we became faithful in tithing. At first it looked impossible to give that 10 percent. But when we did, the 90 percent we had left went further than the 100 percent we had before.
Whatever we do must be in obedience and faith for God to be pleased with it. We are to give with a willing heart, as an honor to God, and worship Him with our tithes. Then He is in partnership with us.
After we tithe, we are to sow according to what the Lord lays on our hearts, with the right attitude. The Hebrew word for offering comes from a root word that means to “draw near.” We draw near to God with our offering.
Scripture plainly says you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7). If you desire to be a receiver, you have to be a giver.
Tithing is supernatural—don’t miss out on the benefits. God has an interest in your finances. He desires to increase you and bless you because He loves you.
Believing and Saying
The Bible says several times in the King James Version, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).
Faith must be in two places—in your heart and in your mouth. Believing in your heart and saying with your mouth produce the operation of faith. Jesus said, “For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23, KJV).
Ken and I learned that if we put the Word of God in our eyes, put it in our ears, and let it get down into our hearts in abundance, it would come out of our mouths in faith-filled words that would change our lives and circumstances.
Time to Increase This Christmas
The three keys I’ve shared are how Ken and I laid a foundation for the prosperous life—and this is how we maintain it. I can tell you from experience, these are the first steps to increase, no matter what you need.
This Christmas, be like the little boy who believed God to give him the snow he needed to build his snowman. Believe for God to provide what you need to prosper in every area of your life: healing, protection, favor, wisdom, success, well-being and any other area. After all, we’re celebrating the One who came to give us life and that more abundantly!
Dare to Shine His Light on True Prosperity This Christmas!
Commit to obeying everything you see in God’s Word. If there is any area in your life where you are not walking in obedience, commit to change it today. Repent for being disobedient, then make a commitment, just as Ken and I did years ago, to obey everything you see in God’s Word.
- Begin tithing. If you have not been a tither, begin to give 10 percent of your gross income to your local church in obedience to God’s Word. Then, sow into the kingdom of God through other ministries, as the Lord leads you.
- Determine to live by faith. Place a ban on words, phrases or attitudes that are in direct contradiction to the Word of God. Don’t declare that you can’t afford something or that you feel sick. Declare that you are healed, healthy and whole (Isaiah 53:5) and all of your needs are met according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19).
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DAY 13: Dare to Shine His Light on Power
by Kenneth Copeland
Have you ever thought about just how powerful Christmas is? This one day is able to bring people together from all over the world for family gatherings, parties and events. We decorate our houses, neighborhoods and shopping centers. Retail stores start selling Christmas supplies in September so people can begin preparing months ahead of time. People are extraordinarily generous and give to family, loved ones and those in need like no other time of year. Generosity and goodwill to all abound. All this to celebrate one day, the birth of Jesus.
That’s the power of Christmas.
Despite all of the good things happening because of Christmas, you may find yourself feeling powerless during such a powerful time of year. Maybe you’re facing a situation and you don’t know what you should do or what direction you should go. Maybe things just aren’t working out at your job, a relationship is on the rocks, or your health is on the line. Or maybe you feel powerless to help someone else in need.
Whatever it is, you can be sure that God knows your situation, and He’s made available to you the power needed to change it. As a born-again, Spirit-filled believer, you’re meant to be a pipeline of God’s love and power. When that pipeline is open and the power is flowing, you can speak with new tongues, lay hands on the sick and see them recover, preach the gospel to every creature with conviction and power, and cast out devils (Mark 16:15-18); and walk in the spirit (Galatians 5:16).
But, there are times for all of us, especially this time of year, when the day-to-day business of life, the constant demands of our flesh and the busyness of the season seem to get in the way. Somehow our pipeline gets clogged with carnal things, and the rushing stream of God’s power is reduced to a trickle in our lives.
It’s a common problem. Even Jesus’ first disciples ran into it. Jesus had given them power to cast out devils (Luke 10:19), and they had even experienced some of this power (Luke 10:17). But in Mark 9:28, we find them stumped by a particularly tough situation. They had been presented with a boy controlled by a demon. And, for some reason, they found themselves unable to drive that demon out. Later, the disciples asked Jesus why they had failed. “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (verse 29, KJV).
Now fasting, in this instance, would not have changed God or His will concerning the boy. But it would have changed the disciples. Jesus had already directed the disciples to cast the demon out. That demon was undoubtedly stubborn, and when he resisted, the disciples slipped into unbelief. Had they been fasting and praying, they would have been strong in the spirit, and they would have been able to do what Jesus did—cast the demon out! (See John 14:12.)
Proclaimed Fasting
Obviously, fasting is a valuable spiritual tool. So let’s look into it a little more closely. There are basically two categories of fasting. The first category is a proclaimed fast (Joel 1:14). A proclaimed fast brings you to a place where you can hear from God. The ideal time to go on a proclaimed fast is when you need divine direction.
In 2 Chronicles 20:1-15, the Bible tells what happened to God’s people when they fasted and prayed to seek His direction. There we see the Israelites hemmed in by their enemies and badly in need of divine guidance. Their king, Jehoshaphat, proclaimed a fast that was directed toward seeking The LORD. He wanted to draw his people’s attention toward God. Why? Because God reveals Himself to and rewards people who are seeking Him, whether individually or corporately.
When the congregation was in one accord, the Spirit of The LORD came upon Jahaziel. “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (verse 15, KJV). Imagine how good that sounded to their ears! The Holy Spirit spoke and that was the reward they were seeking!
Personal Fasting
The second type of fasting is a personal fast (Matthew 6). It also yields very gratifying rewards.
In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus said, “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
You can either receive your reward from the admiration of men or you can receive your reward from God. The key is fasting in secret so that God can reward you openly. Being proud of the fact that you’re fasting will destroy everything you are trying to accomplish.
In Isaiah 58, God explains the kind of fast to which He is calling the Body of Christ. That passage will give you a good idea of the kinds of rewards to believe God for when you fast. There The LORD says, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (verse 6, KJV).
According to that scripture, you can fast for the deliverance of a friend or loved one—to set them free from oppression of the devil. You can fast for other believers who are under heavy burdens. And you can fast to break the yoke of bondage within your own life.
No matter what you are seeking from The LORD, however, decide before you begin what you wish to obtain through your effort. Find God’s promises that cover your situation and believe you receive before the fast begins. Faith brings the results you desire, and faith is born out of The WORD, not out of fasting.
It is important for you to understand that it’s not the fasting itself that brings deliverance. Jesus has already obtained deliverance through the complete work of Redemption. Fasting simply limits the influence of physical appetites so that you can more effectively hear from and respond to the Spirit. This enhances intercession; and effective, Holy Spirit-led intercession sets the captive free!
Just remember, fasting is not a method of twisting God’s arm to get Him to respond when you pray. Fasting does not change God, it changes you!
The Power of Fasting This Christmas
Fasting brings personal rewards like being able to clearly hear God’s voice so you can receive direction, increasing the anointing on your life, breaking chains that set captives free, and so much more. Nothing can bring you closer to God’s will than living a life of prayer and fasting. As you enjoy the power of the season, don’t forget about the power in you.
Dare to Shine His Light on Power This Christmas!
- At some point during this Christmas season, consider fasting for one of the reasons mentioned in this article. This can be for one meal 24 hours, or several days, depending on your physical condition.
- Study the scriptures referenced about fasting, and educate yourself on the benefits of fasting from a physical, emotional and spiritual perspective. A good resource is Dr. Don Colbert’s book, Fasting Made Easy.
Day 12 - Dare to Shine His Light on Love
by Gloria Copeland
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV).
One of the most recognized Bible verses of all time, this verse sums up how much God loves us in one sentence. This is the time of year when we reflect on that love. God is love. And Christmas is a celebration of the greatest gift we have or will ever receive as a result—Jesus.
In spite of this truth, sometimes it seems as though we witness anything but love this time of year. Cars swiftly pull in front of others to secure the best spot. Women fight over hand towels at Black Friday sales. Families bicker over Christmas dinner.
The devil would love to distract us from the real reason for our celebration this Christmas. He seeks to steal our joy, kill our peace, and destroy a treasured time for families everywhere. But, we don’t have to let him!
It’s time to put the focus back on what Christmas is all about.
Love at Christmas
Why is important to show love at Christmas? This season is a celebration of the greatest gift of love ever shown to mankind. If we truly want to honor God for sending Jesus, it won’t be accomplished through decorating, shopping and baking. There isn’t anything wrong with adding those things to our celebration, but it isn’t a substitute for what God desires most.
What does He desire most?
He told us in Matthew 22:37-40: “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
First, Love God
Many people claim to know God. But they are being robbed of the kind of relationship Jesus wants with them, one in which they abide in Him. They are deceived, thinking: I pray and read the Word every day. I think that means I’m abiding in Jesus.
The issue is, what it means to abide in Him. As important as it is to spend time reading, meditating and listening to God’s Word, those things alone do not qualify you as one who abides. To be a true “abider” you must take one more step. You must not only hear the Word, you must also act on it.
Abiding is obeying. As Jesus said: “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me” (John 14:21).
The Word that is truly alive in us is not the Word we know, but the Word we do. James 1:22 says people are deceived because they are not doers of the Word, but hearers only. First John 2:4-5 says it this way: “If someone claims, I know God, but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him.”
Without revelation knowledge followed by action, love lies undeveloped and selfishness continues to reign supreme in you—even though you are a new creature.
Second, Love Others
In John 15:12, KJV, Jesus summed up the commandments with one statement: “Love one another, as I have loved you.”
Exactly what is the spirit of love? How does it display itself? First Corinthians 13:4-8 gives us a clear answer to those questions.
Let’s put these verses in perspective when looking at our day-to-day activities this Christmas season.
Love endures long at the grocery store. It is patient with children even under pressure. It is kind to spouses no matter what the situation. It is not envious of another’s decorations or baking skills. It is not boastful about gifts, vacations, accomplishments or anything else this season. It isn’t rude in parking lots or toward difficult in-laws.
Love does not insist on its own way when deciding what to buy or which events to attend. It takes no account of those who cut others off in traffic, take the last piece of fruitcake or speak unkind words.
Love bears all things during holidays, and every other time. It is ready to believe the best in every person at the Christmas party, and every relative at the family gathering. It endures everything that may come with a pure heart and a godly attitude. Love never fails….
There is nothing—absolutely nothing—that is more important than learning to love. In fact, how accurately you perfect the love walk will determine how much of the perfect will of God you accomplish.
That’s because every other spiritual force derives its action from love. For example, the Bible teaches us that faith works by love. And answered prayer is almost an impossibility when a believer steps outside of love and refuses to forgive or is in strife with his brother.
Without love, your giving will not work. Tongues and prophecy will not work. Faith fails and knowledge is unfruitful. All the truths that you have learned from God’s Word work by love. They will profit you nothing unless you live the love of God.
Sounds like a tall order, doesn’t it? But don’t despair. You are a love creature. God has re-created your spirit in the image of love. And He has sent His love Spirit to live in you and teach you how to love as He loves.
You’re Not on Your Own
If you’re sitting there thinking you could never consistently live a life of love, that it would simply be too hard for you, don’t worry. None of us could do it on our own. But, thank God, we’re not on our own! The Greater One is in us, and it’s His love that makes us victorious.
Will you commit to learning how to love this Christmas? Determine to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. Then, watch how merry your Christmas will be as you bless others with the love of God.
Dare to Shine His Light on Love This Christmas!
Show love to God and others this Christmas by daring to take on one or more of the following challenges. You might be surprised how blessed you will be when you give the love of Christ to others.
- Print out 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and put it somewhere you can see it every day.
- Volunteer to serve Christmas dinner to the homeless or pack boxes at a food bank.
- Gather a group and visit senior citizens who have no family.
- Leave a box of Christmas food and goodies on the doorstep of a family that is struggling financially. Be sure to do it anonymously.
- Donate toys at a local toy drive for kids in need.
- When others are losing their patience in the stores, show the love of Jesus by refusing to join in. Avoid arguing or vying for a parking space.
- Smile, and wish those around you Merry Christmas! It will soften hearts and remind them to do the same.
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Day 11 - Dare to Shine His Light on Prayer
by Kenneth Copeland
Gloria is known as the cook in the family. Right about this time each year, her red cookbook comes out and she begins planning and preparing. Many of her recipes have been passed down and shared by family members over the years. The pages are worn and certain recipe cards have turned yellow. But, one thing still remains the same—those recipes still work!
I have a tried-and-true recipe that I’d like to share with you this Christmas. It is a recipe for effective prayer. Just as with Gloria’s recipes, if you leave out even just one ingredient, you won’t get the desired result.
Early in my ministry, I learned a vital lesson: For any effort to be successful, it must be backed by prayer. Effective praying is the key to success in every area of your life.
So, what are you struggling with this Christmas? What endeavors do you want to be successful at now and in the future?
I’m sure you have a long list! It’s time to back your life with effective prayer. Below are five key ingredients you will want to include in your prayer recipe so that you get results!
1. Adopt an Attitude of Prayer
Prayer is more than just time spent with God. It’s not just an emotional release, nor is it an escape valve. It is much more than asking God for a favor. Most importantly, it is not a religious exercise.
Prayer is an attitude.
An attitude of prayer is a state of being, in which you are living in constant contact with your heavenly Father.
The Lord instructs us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, KJV), and “always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1, KJV).
James 5:16, NKJV, says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
These scriptures illustrate what an attitude of prayer looks like, and how to get the results you’re hoping for. When you don’t have an attitude of prayer, you’re often just shooting some scatter-shot type of prayer, and hoping something might happen.
2. Pray the Will of God
Praying the will of God is the only kind of praying that can consistently and confidently be expected to bring results. In order to do that, you have to grab your Bible and find out what the will of God is.
God’s WORD is His will. He has made some very specific promises, and it’s His will to fulfill every one of them.
When you’re praying about something, find promises from the Bible that apply to your situation, and pray the answer—not the problem.
Do you need healing in your body? Don’t pray what the doctor says, but instead pray, “By His stripes I am healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
Do you have financial needs? Don’t pray your problem. Pray what God has said He will do: “My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
God wants His will done on earth. So, before you pray, make sure you pray His will, and expect God to move.
3. Have Confidence in Your Prayer
God’s WORD says that we are to be confident that God hears our prayers and that He will give us what we ask for.
“And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.” – 1 John 5:14-15
How can we develop that kind of confidence? John 15:7 gives us the answer: “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!”
His words remain in us when we meditate on them and do what He says. When we do this, we are exercising our faith and living according to The WORD of God. This gives us confidence that we are qualified to receive that for which we ask.
The next step of confidence is to believe that we receive our answer according to Mark 11:24: “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
So when you pray, believe that your prayers have been heard and that you’ve already received the answer.
4. Thank and Praise God for the Answer
Sincere thanksgiving and praise are critical to a successful prayer life. They are more than just words, because they communicate your heart of gratitude to God and infuse your prayers with power.
Once you have believed that you have received the answer to your prayer, put your faith in action by thanking God and praising Him for the answer. Psalm 22:3 says that when you do that, God will inhabit your praises.
You can be sure that two things are present when God inhabits your praises: His presence and His power. You can’t separate His power from His presence. If you want God’s presence and power moving in your situations, begin thanking and praising Him for answering your prayers.
Avoid Prayer Hindrances
God’s desire is to answer your prayers when you pray according to His will. Unanswered prayer is not the result of God’s unwillingness to use His power, but is often the result of hindrances that block the answers you seek.
Below are the most common hindrances to your prayers:
Doubt and Unbelief
Doubt comes from ignorance of God’s WORD. For example, many have the idea that God will no longer heal people, or they think He is not interested in their financial affairs. Consequently, their prayers are hindered because they do not know what God’s WORD actually says.
To get rid of doubt, you must educate yourself about what God’s WORD says by studying the Bible.
Unbelief is when a man knows God’s WORD, but does not believe it. Instead, he chooses to believe only what he can feel and see—the natural circumstances. His prayers are hindered because He does not have confidence, or faith, in God’s WORD.
To get rid of unbelief, you must believe what God’s WORD says and make it the final authority in your life.
Unforgiveness and Strife
Next to doubt and unbelief, one of the best ways for you to not get your prayers answered is to refuse to forgive someone who’s wronged you and act in strife. Mark 11:25-26 directly addresses this: “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
In this verse, Jesus was teaching forgiveness before the cross, to those trying to gain God’s approval through fulfilling the law. Today, after the cross, God forgives our sins when we accept Jesus as our LORD, so our refusal to forgive does not mean we aren’t forgiven.
So, to put this verse in perspective, we could rephrase it to say: “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, because your Father in heaven has forgiven you.”
God wants you to forgive because He has forgiven you. When you forgive, you are exercising God’s love toward others. If you are not walking in God’s love toward others because of unforgiveness, your prayers will be hindered, and you will likely begin to act in strife.
Strife is merely acting on unforgiveness. The dictionary defines strife as “angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.”
James 3:16, KJV, tells us the consequences of strife: “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
The quickest way to stop strife is to forgive. When you do that, your prayers will no longer be hindered, and you’re on your way to seeing results!
A Recipe for Prayer Success
You can have powerful and effective prayer in your life this Christmas. Add the right ingredients of an attitude of prayer, praying God’s will, believing that you receive, praising God for His answers, and shaking off hindrances, and God will show Himself strong on your behalf. His tried-and-true recipe never fails!
Dare to Shine His Light on Your Prayer Life!
Make prayer a family priority this Christmas. Determine things you can pray for, and go through each ingredient in the recipe for prayer success together.
- Forgive all who have hurt and wronged you. Commit to avoiding strife—even if it means biting your tongue when you think you have something to say.
- Study The WORD and take doubtful and unbelieving thoughts captive. Refuse to entertain them. You wouldn’t let a criminal come into your house and take charge of the atmosphere. Those thoughts are just as dangerous. Keep them out!
- When you pray, praise and worship God for the answer. Set a timer on your phone for every hour to stop and praise God for answering your biggest prayer. Don’t give yourself any time to doubt that what He says is true. Expect an answer to your prayer!
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Day 10 - Dare to Shine His Light on Joy
by Gloria Copeland
Are your holidays lacking the real joy you know the season should bring?
Even in what’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of year, we can face situations that seem custom-designed to steal all the joy out of Christmas and life.
Financial pressure. Family dynamics. Work situations. Health concerns. These are all things that try to steal our joy every day of the year.
The world will tell you that it’s impossible to feel joyful or happy all the time, especially in the midst of challenges, and if you do, something must be wrong with you.
Well, the world is wrong again, because the Bible says something different. The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and without this joy, we won’t be able to live the blessed life God has planned for us at Christmas, or any other time of year.
Your Joy Is Your Power
The world is always seeking happiness, but happiness is only an emotion that can come and go without warning.
On the other hand, joy is one of the most powerful spiritual forces in the world and one of the fruits of the Spirit that only comes from a relationship with Almighty God.
Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.”
That strength we find in Him gives us the power to overcome trials and great obstacles in our lives.
That’s what makes joy so crucial. You can’t live a life of faith without being strong in the Lord—and when God wants to make you strong, joy is what He uses to do the job!
The joy of the Lord is not dependent upon your circumstances—it comes from your spirit. When the truth in God’s Word gets down into your spirit, the truth will set you free from bondage, depression and fear.
Joy Stealers
If the joy of the Lord is your strength, you can be sure that the devil is out to steal it from you. He knows that if he can get your joy, he can take everything else from you, too.
But, you can be aware of and on the lookout for his schemes. Here are three ways the enemy will attempt to steal your joy:
Depression
If you’ve ever faced a trying situation, such as the loss of a job, a loved one, a struggling marriage relationship, or health problems, you know that depression tries to come on you quickly.
The only weapon the devil has is lies. And he’ll use those lies to try and get you to accept what he’s dishing out instead of what God wants you to have. If you play along, he’ll defeat you.
What happens when you get down, sad or depressed because you’re believing the enemy’s lies? You lose your will to fight. You don’t resist the thoughts of the enemy, and you don’t speak words of power that could bring redemption to the situation. You lose your joy, and therefore, you lose your strength and the victory.
Instead of giving in to the temptation to be depressed, we must resist the devil and get right back into joy. How?
Go to the Word of God, and choose to believe His promises. Speak what God says about the situation aloud.
For example, say, “No, you don’t, problem.”
“Sickness, you get off my body.”
“Poverty, you’re under the curse, and I’ve been redeemed from the curse.”
“Satan, get your hands off my money!”
This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).
God’s Word is the source of your joy. Joy is a cure for depression because you can’t get depressed and also walk in the joy of the Lord at the same time. It just doesn’t work! So stay in joy!
Fear
The opposite of faith is fear. Fear is putting faith in what you don’t want to happen. Fear is not a position of strength but of weakness. When you choose to allow fear to come into your life, it zaps the joy and strength right out of you.
When you’re walking by faith, you believe you receive God’s promises, and therefore, you have no reason to fear or lose your joy.
On the other hand, if you are afraid, you are not believing that you will receive God’s promises. You’ve stepped out of faith and out of the joy of the Lord, and therefore, you no longer have strength to receive what God has promised.
When you are tempted to fear, roll your care over on the Lord and refuse to worry about it anymore. Find a scripture that promises what you need, and don’t let go. Refuse to let fear and discouragement come in.
Take a stand and say, “I believe I receive my healing.”
“I believe I receive my car.”
“I believe I receive the salvation of my children. I have it. Thank You, Lord.”
Unforgiveness
Have you ever noticed that when you’re angry with someone who has wronged you, your joy goes out the window?
Think about it. If you don’t practice walking in love, someone is going to get your joy before dark.
The Bible says that love forgives and takes no account of the evil done to it. That’s how you maintain your joy when someone does you wrong. If you don’t forgive, you are forfeiting your joy.
One way to prevent unforgiveness from stealing your joy is to immediately forgive those who have wronged you.
Keep Your Joy This Christmas
Everyone can experience the joy of the Lord. The real challenge is keeping it every single day. As you prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, don’t let the pressures of the season and everyday life steal your joy. Instead, choose to be full of joy, and strong in the Lord. Draw on the supply of the Holy Spirit within you, and you’ll come out on top!
Dare to Shine His Light on Joy This Christmas!
What situations threaten to steal your joy this Christmas? Defeat your enemy by the strength that comes only from the joy of the Lord!
- Spend time building yourself up in the truth of His Word concerning your situation.
- Use a concordance, the index in the back of your Bible, or the internet to search for all of the Bible verses that contain the word Then meditate on these scriptures as you seek to make them a reality in your life.
- When you find yourself tempted to grumble, complain, or feel sorry for yourself, declare aloud, “The joy of the Lord is my strength!”
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Day 9: Dare to Shine His Light on Sorrow This Christmas!
by Kenneth Copeland
Christmas is supposed to be the most joyous time of year, and for many, it certainly is. But, for many others, it is a season of deep loneliness and sorrow instead. That empty place at the table or those missing packages under the tree leave a void that cannot be denied.
You may be experiencing the loss of a child, spouse, parent, marriage or relationship, and this time of year only accentuates the pain you’re feeling, maybe even to unbearable proportions. You may feel like no one understands your grief, but I assure you there is Someone who comprehends the depth of your sorrow.
Jesus intimately knows your pain because Scripture tells us He died on the cross carrying it (Isaiah 53:4). He has felt every bit of the pain that you have.
When Jesus died on the cross, He defeated the curse of grief and sorrow. Today, the enemy uses grief and sorrow to steal our hope and our joy…if we let him.
As a believer who’s been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, you can learn how to resist the enemy and experience the joy of The LORD this Christmas! Allow me to explain…
The Danger of Sorrow
It comes disguised as a simple, “healthy” emotion. Then, little by little, it drains you dry. It is devious and destructive, and it’s the constant companion of death itself.
Grief and sorrow are dangerous. In fact, grief and sorrow were part of the devastating, satanic barrage Jesus took on Himself when He died on the cross.
Isaiah 53:4, KJV, says: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” That phrase, “griefs and sorrows,” can also be translated sickness, weakness and pain. But any way you translate it, they’re all pieces of the same destructive puzzle.
Grief and sorrow are part of the devil’s game. They are the ever-present, shadowing companions of death. Yet countless Christians are still shouldering them today.
As a believer, you’ve been given hope through Calvary concerning your situation. And you cannot have hope and sorrow at the same time!
“But, Brother Copeland,” you may say, “aren’t grief and sorrow just natural emotions?” Yes, they are. That’s what makes them so dangerous.
Are You Hanging On to Grief?
We’ve seen them as such a natural part of life that we haven’t even questioned them. Some believers will even fight for the right to be sad.
When I was teaching a series of meetings on prayer in Oklahoma, a woman was there who was grieving over the death of one of her children. Although it had been several years since the child had died, she was still deep in sorrow and grief when I met her.
After one of the sessions, she came up to me to tell me how she’d prayed and prayed over that child and it hadn’t done any good. She was crying as she spoke. Again and again, she sobbed, “My baby died…my baby died….”
When I opened my mouth to reply, the Spirit of God came on me and I said to her, “God didn’t take your child. You let the devil beat you at the game of life, and he’s still whipping you today.”
Suddenly, she was furious. She wasn’t about to let me or anyone else take her grief away from her. Her husband had to take her out, she was so mad.
The next night, however, she came back with a smile on her face. Something had obviously changed. “Brother Copeland,” she said, “please forgive me. How can I ever thank you? For all these years I’ve been so caught up in grief that I’ve failed my family.
“I haven’t been a wife to my husband or a mother to my children. When I got to thinking about what you’ve been teaching on prayer, I remembered all the unbelief we cried and prayed over that baby. We thought it was prayer, but there wasn’t any real prayer to it.
“We just all agreed she was dying and kept hollering about it. We didn’t release any faith to keep it from happening. I did let the devil beat me, back then, and he’s been beating me ever since. But I’m telling you this: I will never let him do it again.”
If you’ve ever been seduced by grief, like this woman was, you’ve experienced an addictive kind of agony. You’ve found that even though the sorrow hurts, there’s something in it that makes you reluctant to let it go.
Grief Is a Burden, Not a Blessing
Webster defines grief as “a heavy emotional weight resulting from loss.”
That’s how it feels, isn’t it? Like a heavy weight on your heart that’s aching for release. When you give in to it, there’s a rush, a wave of emotion that rolls over you and the tears overflow. It feels good.
Your friends nod, pat your back and say, “Go ahead…just let it all out.” So you do, and the pressure lets up for a while.
Then later, when all the mourners and the back patters have gone home, that grief comes rising up in you again. Only, this time it comes with an overwhelming pain of loneliness that is almost unbearable.
Contrary to popular belief, grief and sorrow don’t come to help you. They come to hurt you. They’re deceivers sent for one purpose: to choke The WORD of God out of your heart.
Most of us have assumed that the lust of the flesh, as described in Mark 4:18-19, refers only to sex and pleasure. But the Holy Spirit has shown me plainly that the spirits of grief and sorrow fall into this category. If you’ll look up the word lust in the dictionary, you’ll find that it literally means “applied pressure.”
Sorrow comes when the devil applies pressure to our emotions. He pressures us to give in to the fleshly tendency to grieve—to lust after and long for that emotional flood and release that sorrow initially provides.
It’s Time to Show Sorrow the Door This Christmas
If grief and sorrow are not inevitable—if, in fact, they’re part of the devil’s bag of misery and death—how do we get rid of them?
Isaiah 51:11, KJV, says, “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.”
Did you hear that?
It said sorrow and grief will run from us! 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, sickness or disease. So, if you’ll follow the instructions in James 4:7 and resist them, they’ll have to flee from you!
Psalm 107:2 tells you how to do that. It says, “Let the redeemed of The LORD say so!” That means when sorrow and grief start bearing down on you, say, “Oh no, you don’t! I’m the redeemed of The LORD. I’ve been delivered from the likes of you. So you just get right on out of here!”
What I’m telling you is this: You’re going to have to stand against grief and sorrow. They don’t belong to you. They are not from your heavenly Father. But the devil’s a scoundrel. He’ll put them over on you if you’ll let him get away with it.
If the devil is trying to burden you with grief and sorrow, trying to make you forget the reason for the season, stand up and resist him!
Remember who you are! You’re the redeemed of The LORD. Don’t you think it’s about time you started saying so?
Yes, it is.
Say it aloud, and sorrow not!
Dare to Shine His Light on Sorrow This Christmas!
- Choose to take your stand against grief and sorrow. 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.
- Resist the devil’s attempts to discourage you by declaring aloud that you have been redeemed from sorrow and grief by the blood of Jesus.
- Surround yourself with supportive friends and family who will uplift and encourage you. Start a new tradition you can look forward to, and even honor an old tradition that will bring back positive memories of your loved one.
- Volunteer to help families in need this Christmas season. This puts the focus on others, which will lift your spirits as you carry out the work of The LORD and make a positive difference in your community.
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Day 8: Dare to Shine His Light on Your Relationships!
This time of year can bring wonderful reunions with loved ones. One of the things I cherish most about Christmas is getting to spend time with friends and family members I haven’t seen much throughout the year. If you’re like me, you’re probably looking forward to reconnecting with certain people and catching up on life’s events.
Or…are you?
Well, maybe you’re not actually looking forward to having parents, in-laws, siblings, aunts and uncles in close quarters because it is not always a positive experience. Or maybe the thought of that Christmas office party where you’ll be expected to mix and mingle with some co-workers you don’t necessarily see eye to eye with is upsetting.
If that’s the way you feel, you’re not alone. Whether at home or at the office, strained relationships can undoubtedly put a damper on a celebration meant to bring great joy.
How It Is Meant to Be
Think of what your Christmas party or gathering would be like if you had great relationships with everyone there! Imagine—if there were no family disagreements, and no misunderstandings with friends or co-workers.
Sound impossible?
Well, I am here to tell you that it is certainly not impossible. In fact, this should be every believer’s reality, and God wants to help you make it yours.
But before He can help you, there’s one thing you have to get right first.
Get This Right First
The most important relationship you have is with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. If you don’t have this relationship right, it’s going to be difficult to get the others right.
The good news is that this relationship is the easiest of all relationships to get right because the Lord is waiting on you with unconditional love. You don’t have to convince Him you are worthy and you don’t have to argue about who was right or wrong from a previous disagreement.
So, how do you know if your relationship with the Lord is right? See how many of these statements you can answer yes to:
- I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
- I am seeking to know the Lord by studying His Word and praying every day.
- I am putting into practice what I learn from reading and prayer.
- I look to the Lord for His guidance and protection in every area of my life.
- When you’ve got this kind of intimate relationship with the Lord, you will be in a position to let Him help you develop, repair and nurture your relationships with family, friends and co-workers.
Next, let’s talk about three keys that will help you improve your relationships.
3 Keys to Improving Your Relationships
Once you’ve got your relationship with the Lord right, three more principles from God’s Word will help you improve every relationship you have.
1. Forget Your Naughty List
Do you have a naughty list? I am not talking about a physical list of things you’ve done wrong. What I’m talking about is a list of people who have done you wrong.
You probably silently carry this list around in your heart every day, and when someone’s name on your list comes up, you immediately associate them with how they’ve hurt you.
Just the thought of having to face them at Christmas or any other time could range from unpleasant to absolutely horrifying. If you find yourself in this position, the next thing you need to do is to forget your naughty list.
How? By forgiving them.
You may be wondering…How on earth do I do that, Gloria? You have no idea what these people are like and what they’ve done to me.
No, I don’t. And frankly, it doesn’t matter.
The Lord commands us to forgive those who’ve wronged us and to pray for our enemies (Matthew 6:15, 5:44). To forgive them is not to condone their actions, but to release you from bondage. It sets you free, and it keeps you in line with God’s Word.
It’s so simple, and so easy to say: “I obey! I forgive!”
Now, every time negative thoughts of that person cross your mind, say it again: “I obey! I forgive!”
Don’t let that mental conversation play over and over in your mind about what that person did. When you catch yourself doing that, stop IMMEDIATELY, and say, “I obey! I forgive!”
2. Love Others Like God Loves Them
In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam just one “do not.” It was, Don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God only gave one command, but it certainly covered a lot of territory.
Today, if you think about it, you and I still only have one “do not”—Don’t get out of love. That’s our one commandment. We are to walk in love, which covers a lot of ground. In fact, we see in this passage that our love walk is connected to everything we do in life as believers, including our faith. Faith—without love—is going nowhere.
God wants us to walk in love because love never fails. He wants the best for us, and since the best is found in love, you and I must walk in love in order to receive God’s best.
You can choose to love those who irritate you and act ugly toward you. Don’t sit around waiting for a warm, fuzzy feeling—just pray for them. Ask God to help you see that person the way He does.
3. Pray Over Your Relationships
Prayer is a powerful force and can change your relationships. God promises that the prayer from the heart of a man (or woman) who is right with God has much power (James 5:16, NLV). Speak promises from the Word of God and declare that each relationship is blessed.
Ask God for His wisdom to know what to do in each relationship. Listen for His instruction, and then be obedient.
Have a Merry Christmas
God desires that all of your relationships are blessed. Put these three principles into practice as you prepare to celebrate Christmas with your family, friends and co-workers. Don’t settle for the idea that certain relationships have to be uncomfortable. Pray and expect God to do great things this Christmas!
Dare to Shine His Light on Your Relationships!
• Make a list of everyone who has wronged you. Bring that list before God and forgive them. Then, tear that list up as a symbol of your commitment to forgive everyone on it.
- Determine to love everyone with God’s love, even those who have wronged you.
- If you have a relationship that continues to challenge and frustrate you, then you may need a second opinion or someone to stand with you (Proverbs 11:14).
- Talk to your pastor, a trusted mentor or a friend.
- You can even call KCM’s 24-hour Prayer Line at 1-817-852-6000 for prayer.
Day 7 Dare to Shine His Light on Your Faith!
By Kenneth Copeland
Have you ever opened a wrapped package and inside was another, smaller package, and then another, and another, until you finally found a gift in the last box? If so, why did you keep unwrapping when the first box held nothing but another box?
The answer is: You had faith. You had faith that if you kept at it, you would finally unwrap the real present.
When a child wakes up on Christmas morning, he tumbles out of bed and goes barreling down those stairs to find out what’s under the tree. The night before, there was nothing under the tree, but he knows with certainty that on Christmas Day, what he’s been asking for will show up!
These are examples of the kind of faith God is looking for in His people. Faith that doesn’t complicate things, but keeps them simple. The kind of faith that knows with certainty, whatever it’s believing for will happen.
When things look complicated, it can be very tough to exhibit that kind of faith. But, Jesus said the answer to any problem you come up against is really as simple as four little words— “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).
Leave it to Jesus to solve today’s complex problems with a scripture so simple even a child can understand it, and so broad it covers every possible situation.
“But Brother Copeland, what are we going to do about the economy?”
Have faith in God.
“What are we going to do about the government?”
Have faith in God.
“What are we going to do if countries around the world go bankrupt? What will we do if there’s a flu pandemic? What will we do if oil prices continue to skyrocket?”
Have faith in God.
“Oh, come on, that can’t be the answer to everything,” someone might argue. “Jesus said those words 2,000 years ago, and this world is in a bigger mess now than it was then.”
I know it. That’s what’s so great about Mark 11:22. The person who bases his life on it never has to change his lifestyle to suit the times, the economy or anything else.
Faith in God never changes because God never changes. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever!
Gloria and I can personally attest to it. We first started learning how to live by faith 50 years ago, and we haven’t looked back. I’m going to share with you in four steps what it took us years to learn, so you can start enjoying victory today and enjoy it every day!
1. Faith Hopes
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, KJV).
What are you hoping for this Christmas season?
The bare minimum? Just what you need to eke by? Just enough to buy your family presents and pay your bills?
If faith is the substance of things hoped for, then the first thing you’ve got to do is start hoping for something better than what you’ve got now! We aren’t supposed to be the “ekers by,” we’re called to wear the victor’s crown. And it starts with believing for, hoping for and expecting MORE.
How do you know what to hope for? Look in The WORD of God. All of His promises, and there are many, are laid out for you to take hold of and hope for, expect, and see come to pass in your life.
2. Faith Acts
Faith is movement. It’s a mouth in motion. Here’s an example of what I mean.
Let’s say my body is being attacked with symptoms of sickness. Thousands of years ago, God spoke a promise about healing in Isaiah 53:5 and Galatians 3:13. These scriptures describe Jesus lifting the curse of sin, sickness and death from our lives.
Now, here I am with symptoms attacking my body. What do I do?
Remember, faith is what gives substance to what I hope for, and I’m hoping to be delivered from this sickness. So, now I need to make a draw on God’s WORD. I do this by speaking The WORD and then acting as though it is done. I speak from Isaiah 53:5:
“By His stripes, I am healed!”
Faith must act. The faith stored in our hearts must come out of our mouths. Otherwise it is dead and of no use. You put your faith into action with your words.
3. Faith Loves
Love isn’t just a feeling. It’s a living being. God is love—all that He is, all that He can do, all He ever was or will be. Without a revelation of the love of God, you’ll never have close fellowship with Him, and you’ll never walk in faith to the fullest extent.
Faith is dependent on receiving the love of God, and showing love to others. Jesus’ teaching on faith in Mark 11 begins with Him telling the disciples that they can speak to a mountain in faith and have whatever they said. Then, He continues in verse 25:
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses” (NKJV).
Jesus is saying that faith is connected to love. First Corinthians 13:2-3 shows us how much:
“…if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”
God wants us to walk in love because love never fails. Since the best is found in love, you and I must walk in love in order to receive God’s best.
4. Faith Waits
Anytime you find faith mentioned in the Bible, you’ll also find patience. Faith and patience are power twins. Together, they produce every time.
The definition of patience is “being constant” or “being the same way all the time.” If we want faith to produce, we must respond to our circumstances the same way every time—with The WORD of God.
Hebrews 6:12, NKJV, tells us that we are to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
That means, no matter what trial you’re facing, let patience have its perfect work, and avoid slipping into fear and doubt. Patience says, “I will not be moved by what I see or feel. I know God’s WORD is true!”
Grow Your Faith This Christmas
Those four steps are vital to living a life of faith. Just like when you opened that layered package, if you’re willing to put these four steps into practice, faith will bring forth treasure. Remember, this is a season that began with faith that God would deliver a Savior to His people. Those who were willing to hope, act, love and wait were the ones who saw it come to pass. You can put those principles to work in your life, too.
And remember…It doesn’t matter what you’re facing right now—you already have the answer that never changes:
Have faith in God!
Dare to Shine His Light on Your Faith!
Write a letter to God, and let Him know what you are hoping for this Christmas. Search for one to three scriptures that back up your hope.
- Each day, act on your faith by speaking out loud God’s WORD concerning what you’re hoping for.
- Meditate on the love God has for you. Ask God for a deeper revelation of that love.
- Practice God’s love toward others by forgiving and staying out of strife.
- Exercise patience. When you feel yourself fearing or doubting, answers those fears out loud with The WORD of God.
- From now until Christmas, commit to a fast from speaking anything contrary to The WORD of God regarding your situation. That’s a tough one, but with God’s help, you can do it!
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Day 6, Dare to Shine His Light on Traditions
by Gloria Copeland
For many people, family traditions are a cherished part of the Christmas season. Whether it be attending a candlelight Christmas Eve service, driving around town to look at the sparkling light displays, or gathering around the fireplace to read about the birth of Christ—traditions give everyone something to look forward to each year.
A tradition is simply a custom passed from one generation to the next, linking a family together and creating a lasting bond. Its sole purpose should be to draw your family together in unity and create lasting memories. Even if you’ve initiated new traditions in your family, your children and grandchildren will likely continue them for years to come.
The Most Important Tradition
There is nothing more important than passing down the tradition of faith. The greatest legacy you can leave is of a family that honors the Lord in everything they say and do. That tradition comes by training your children and modeling for them a life that is pleasing to God.
If this was not lived out before you as a child, you have the honor and privilege of being the one to establish this tradition in your family. When you teach and train your children and grandchildren in His Word and His ways, you are creating a family custom of living in victory!
Everything in Its Place
You’ve heard the saying, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Well, that’s true of our traditions, too. It’s fun to have things we know we can expect at Christmas, and other times, and God loves for us to enjoy ourselves. But, we need to make sure that we keep traditions in the proper place.
Jesus spoke of displeasure with placing customs and traditions above following Him. In Matthew 15:3, NIV, Jesus said, “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?”
If we get into a habit of doing or saying things because “we’ve always done it this way,” we may miss what God has to say about it. For example, perhaps your family watches a certain Christmas movie every year, but God is nudging at you and signaling that the content isn’t what He’d like you to be putting into your eyes and ears. Time for a new tradition! Don’t be hesitant to replace those customs that are not pleasing to the Lord.
Traditions and Food
This Christmas, I’d like to invite you to join my family in one of our favorite family traditions—food! Many of our family traditions at Christmas involve old family recipes. I’ve always loved cooking. I learned from my mother. She taught many members of our family how to cook, and we’ve created a great tradition of food and fellowship over the years.
This year, I went digging through my old cookbook that I put together years ago and found some of my favorite recipes. I’d like to share those with you and your family, and I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we have over the years. Many, like my recipe for John’s Jell-O, have been a staple at our Christmas dinner table for years. This is one I think everyone should have in their life!
For this recipe, and many others, please visit my recipe page.
From our family to yours, wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
Dare to Shine His Light on Traditions This Christmas!
- Are you carrying on the most important tradition of teaching your children and grandchildren how to live for the Lord? If not, ask God how you can begin training them today.
- Evaluate your family traditions and determine if any should be eliminated because they are outside of God’s best for your family.
- Seek the Lord for new family traditions, and choose one or two to begin this Christmas.
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Day 5: Dare to Shine His Light on Stress by Kenneth Copeland
Christmas is just weeks away, and many of you are probably feeling stressed. Starting around Thanksgiving time, it seems that the stress level in the atmosphere goes up a few notches, and it increases every day until Christmas.
If you’re like a lot of people, stress at Christmas is yet another load you must carry, on top of your “normal,” day-to-day stress. And if that’s not bad enough, some people even believe that a little stress is healthy, while others brag about how stressful their lives are. It’s as if being stressed has become a badge of honor, and whoever has the most stress wins!
Nothing could be further from the truth. Stress is burden, overload, pressure and anxiety, and you were not created to lug that weight around with you every day. So, what’s the answer?
The world says to cope with it, and offers everything from books and seminars to expensive counseling sessions to help you live with it. But the Bible says don’t cope with stress—get rid of it!
Does this situation sound familiar?
You go to bed at night with something on your mind. You’re trying to understand: How am I going to get out of this? What are we going to do?
You go over the whole thing in your mind, but you don’t have an answer. So, you go back through the whole thing again, still without an answer. You try to go to sleep, but you can’t let the problem go. So you spend most of the night rehearsing the entire situation, slowly going over every detail step by step. And by the time you get through it again, you don’t have any more answers than you did at the beginning.
The answer to your problem wasn’t in your head. In fact, it only made matters worse because now you’re frustrated and tired. Your problem is still there, so what should you do?
Rest in Him
Proverbs 3:5 exposes the source of stress and gives us the answer to it: “Trust in The LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
If you’re leaning to your own understanding about something, you don’t understand that you’re in a mess. Stress is caused not by hard work but by failing to find the right object of our trust. The way out of that mess, and the stress of it, is to trust in The LORD with all your heart.
If we’re going to have a Proverbs 3:5 answer to that challenge, we will need to remember what trust is. Noah Webster, in his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, defined trust as: “Resting the mind on the integrity, veracity, friendship and sound principles of another person.”
Take No Thought
How do you rest your mind on God? In Matthew 6:24-34, KJV, Jesus repeated the answer to that question five times: Take no thought. No thought about your life, what you will eat, drink, wear. In other words, health, safety and provision.
Now if you’ll think about it, those basic necessities of life that Jesus said to take no thought about are at the root of nearly all our stresses.
The word mammon (verse 24) literally means “money.” Notice that Jesus didn’t say that you can’t have money and serve God; He said you can’t serve money and serve God. Serving money is constantly worrying about getting your needs met by the world’s ways or system.
You shouldn’t be serving money. Money should be serving you as you serve God and others with your money.
Let God Do the Adding
Now the fact that we need to be trusting God—not money; not the world’s way of doing things—is not new to us. The challenge has been the process. How do we “take no thought” about those basic needs of life? How do we stop relying on a lifetime of training in how to be our own gods by taking care of ourselves?
If you’re not going to take thought about the needs of this life, which your heavenly Father already knows about, then you are going to have to take thoughts about something else.
In verse 33, Jesus tells us what we are to think about: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God [His covenant; His way of doing things], and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33, KJV).
Do you see where our stress has come from? Instead of having God add to us what we need, and the dreams and desires of our hearts, we’ve been trying to add them to ourselves.
When you think about it, there are only three ways we can add to ourselves, and none of them work very well. One, you can steal. You know better than to do that. Two, you can borrow. That doesn’t benefit anyone except the credit card company. Three, you can work hard and save. That’s good, but the world can do that, and even that is not enough if you don’t have the grace of God in it.
Obviously, we’re not supposed to add to ourselves. If we seek first the kingdom of God, all these things will be added to us. That’s God’s way.
Better Plans Than You Can Dream
The next time the devil tries to trouble you to take some of those worried thoughts about the basic needs of life, remind him what Jesus said in Matthew 6:32. Tell him, “No, I’m not taking those thoughts. My heavenly Father knows I have need of those things. So, I’ll continue to focus my thinking on His covenant promises to me.”
If the thought comes that you’ll never have anything if you don’t figure out how to do it yourself, remember to consider the lilies of the field that “toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you?” (verses 28-30, KJV).
God has plans to meet your needs and desires on a scale much grander than even the glory of Solomon’s wealth and possessions.
Get Rid of the Stress This Christmas
What can you do about stress this Christmas? Get rid of it! Trust God with your whole heart, take no thought about your basic needs, and seek the kingdom of God first.
Refuse to worry! Fill your mind with the promises God has given you. Speak and act on God’s WORD in faith. Consider Jesus—not your body, your finances or your situation—and give the care of your harvest to Him.
Then turn over. And go to sleep!
Dare to Shine His Light on Stress This Christmas!
- Are you worrying or “taking thought” about the basic needs of life —what you will eat, drink and wear? Make a list of all the worries you’re carrying and put them in categories. How many are considered basic needs?
- Remember, God knows you have these needs, and He promises to take care of you. Choose to roll the care and the worry of these basic needs onto The LORD. Most importantly, refuse to take them back! Release them to Him in faith, and ask Him to do a tangible work in your life.
- If you’ve accepted stress as a normal part of life, it’s time to renew your mind in The WORD of God! Study and memorize verses about peace, joy and casting your cares upon Him. Let them sink into your spirit until they become a natural part of your thinking.
- Whenever you are tempted to worry or stress about a situation, say out loud, “I take no thought about that! God has provided for me, and I receive it in Jesus’ Name!”
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Day 4, Dare to Shine His Light on the Circle of Blessing
by Gloria Copeland
One of my favorite Christmas decorations is a beautifully arranged, fresh pine wreath. With accents of pine cones and lights, it adds so much to any room at Christmas. You might have one on your door or over your fireplace, and you likely see them everywhere you go this time of year.
Have you ever wondered what a Christmas wreath symbolizes? Tradition says that the evergreen represents growth and everlasting life. Those made with holly branches have thorns, representing the thorns of Jesus’ crown.
But, what about its circular shape? With no beginning nor end, this symbolizes eternity. There’s something special about that shape, isn’t there? And it’s about more than just Christmas wreaths.
All you have to do is spend a little time examining God’s wonderful creation and you’ll start to see a pattern—God uses circles. He must, because nature is full of them.
Drop a rock in a still pond and you’ll see rings of circles spreading out. The earth spins on its axis, making the sun appear to circle our sky. In fact, the whole universe seems to be spinning and dancing in circles.
The other day as I was reading the Word, I discovered another amazing circle—one that I believe is God’s favorite. It certainly is one of mine: “Where is the man who fears the Lord? God will teach him how to choose the best. He shall live within God’s circle of blessing, and his children shall inherit the earth” (Psalm 25:12-13, TLB).
Most people want to know how to choose the best in life. I know I do. Well, according to this wonderful verse, God Himself will teach us how, if only we will reverence Him and put Him first in our lives.
Learn to Choose the Best
If you go out and about this time of year, you’ll see people examining poinsettia plants, squeezing produce, and comparing gifts in an attempt to choose just the right one. We like to choose the best when it comes to planning for Christmas festivities.
What about choosing the best when it comes to God?
I’ve noticed that for many believers, one of the biggest obstacles to moving into the good things of God is that they simply haven’t learned how to choose the best. I know that was certainly the case when Ken and I were just starting out.
To a large extent, your quality of life today is a product of the choices you made yesterday. And the choices you make today—the words you choose to speak, the thoughts you choose to meditate on, the people you choose to associate with—will determine your quality of life in the future.
The wonderful truth is, when we put God and His Word first, He will do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20, KJV).
God has shown Himself to be the One who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all I can ask or think so many times, I’ve almost stopped being surprised by what He does.
Whatever it may be—God’s plan is the highest and the best. And as we put Him first, He’s faithful to put us on the road to fulfilling that plan by teaching us to “choose the best.”
A Change of Address
If you’ve put God and His Word first in your life, you have a new address! No matter where your house is located, you’re living on Blessing Circle. Furthermore, everywhere you go, that circle follows you. It is around you! It is a zone of increase and protection that surrounds you wherever you go.
You can go to the deepest jungle and that circle of blessing will follow you because it is not based on your external circumstances but rather on the faithfulness of our covenant-keeping God. It ought to be that wherever you go, not only are you blessed, but everyone around you is blessed because of your presence.
I believe this circle of blessing is what the psalmist had in mind when he wrote: “Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12, NIV).
Do you see it? Can you picture an invisible shield of God’s favor and blessing surrounding you wherever you go?
What does it mean to live in God’s circle of blessing?
When you live in God’s circle of blessing, you prosper in every area of your life—materially, physically, emotionally and, of course, spiritually (Psalm 25:13).
I like the way the King James Version renders it. It says: “His soul shall dwell at ease….”
Would you like to dwell at ease even with a hectic Christmas season schedule and preparing for family visits?
Living in this special place reserved for those who put God first in everything means being able to “dwell at ease.” Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t work hard or face challenges. But it does mean we walk in peace. And it means freedom from having to strive or worry about getting our needs met.
Show and Tell Time
By observing our lives, people in the world ought to see that there is a God and that He is a good God. By looking at our lives, looking at the way we conduct ourselves, and seeing the circle of blessing around us, they should be able to discern the glory of God and desire to know Him like we do.
This Christmas, let those around you see that your circle of blessing is much bigger than the wreath on your front door!
Dare to Shine His Light on the Circle of Blessing!
- If you haven’t determined in your heart to let the Lord show you the best in life, let Him know that you’d like to live in His circle of blessing. Commit to reverencing His Word, and putting Him first.
- Declare aloud every day that you live in God’s circle of blessing, and His divine favor surrounds you wherever you go.
- Make a list of the ways God has blessed you because you have chosen to honor Him. Share that list on your social media page and use hashtags #25DaysofChristmas and #KCM25DayDare.
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Day 3, Dare to Shine His Light on Christmas Spending
by Kenneth Copeland
The first Christmas was simple. There were no decorations, no feasts, and no Christmas cards or gifts. The only guests were shepherds, who briefly stopped by without expecting to be entertained. The focus was on the One who had come to save the world from sin.
Since then, it seems that Christmas has become more of a sales frenzy than the celebration of the birth of Christ. Statistics show that the average American will go into debt to fund their Christmas spending. The stress related with those expenses can last for months after the snow has melted.
There’s nothing wrong with giving gifts at Christmas. It symbolizes when we received our greatest gift. But, giving and celebrating should be a joy to you and those you wish to bless, and pleasing to the One who has been at every Christmas since the very beginning.
The Pressure to Borrow
Some time ago, The LORD told me something that I believe is the reason most of us take part in the world’s system of lending and borrowing. What He told me was simply this:
When you see people in the world who have spiritual problems that they’re trying to answer with material things, that’s materialism.
Having things and money in this lifetime is not bad. It’s the love of things and money that’s wrong (1 Timothy 6:10). Sin creeps in when “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16, KJV) are applied to things and money.
Debt, then, usually comes into play when lust is added to material things.
Why? Because lust brings with it pressure—the pressure to get, the pressure to get more, the pressure to hoard. The list is endless. And all that pressure is based in fear.
Instead of operating according to God’s principles of finances, such as sowing and reaping—taking the time to sow seed and believe God for the harvest—too often we step over into the world’s system which looks faster and easier.
At best, we prefer to have enough faith to believe God for the monthly payments on what our flesh is pressuring us to buy.
Keep in mind, however, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23, KJV).
Owe No Man
When Gloria and I were first married, we were $24,000 in debt. In 1967, that was a lot of money.
Going into debt was the only way I knew how to get anything in life. That was the way you bought your car and your house. That was the way you paid for your education and started your own business. Debt was a way of life for everyone—believers and unbelievers, alike.
As we sought The LORD, Gloria and I committed that, whatever we saw in The WORD of God—whether we liked it or not—we would adopt it into our lives immediately.
Well, it wasn’t but a few weeks later that I came across Romans 13:8, KJV: “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another…”
Owe no man anything?
My first thought when I read that was, There goes the whole deal right there…we’ll never have anything!
I grabbed The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, and read the same verse. I just knew this couldn’t be right. “Keep out of debt and owe no man anything,” it said.
That was worse.
Gloria said, “Well…The WORD of God was not written for our disadvantage. It was written for our advantage. I don’t know what this means, but that’s just the way it is.”
Eleven months later, we were completely debt free, and we never were able to figure out how it happened except that it was God. Since then, we’ve never owed any man anything…“but to love one another.”
’Tis the Season for Debt Freedom
With the commercialization of Christmas, you may be facing regular temptations to overspend. Keeping up with the neighbor’s outside lights, the kids’ wish lists, and trying to impress out-of-town relatives could lead to a big mess. If you’re already struggling with debt, now isn’t the time to add to your mountain.
Jesus is the greatest gift you or I have ever received. We honor God best by obeying His WORD and being good stewards of what He has entrusted to us. Ask and believe God for what you need or would like to have, but don’t take matters into your own hands. That’s putting your trust in the wrong place.
The Covenant Connection
If you think about it, you cannot take out a loan for something without getting into some sort of “covenant agreement.” Whether it’s a simple handshake, or signing a 30-year mortgage, a covenant is being established and you’re stepping into a serious situation.
Borrowing is a replacement covenant. It is going to someone else when you should have gone to God and received through our covenant established in the blood of Jesus.
Take Your Place This Christmas
By going into debt, you become the tail, not the head. You can never be the head when you borrow from someone else. You’ll always be the tail. You’ll always be beneath.
What’s more, when we go to someone other than God to get something, we subject ourselves to spiritual forces and elements that are tied in with that person or institution. We open ourselves up for devils to have a shot at us that they didn’t have previously—even when we borrow from born-again believers.
The bottom line is, any time we get unequally yoked, we’re opening ourselves up to trouble. We may not see the effects instantly, but there’s a whole team of demons after us that wasn’t there before.
As you can see, debt is a dangerous business.
Remember, it is God who gives us “power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers” (Deuteronomy 8:18, KJV). He is the only financial backer we’ll ever need.
Dare to Shine His Light on Spending!
- Develop a budget for all Christmas-related expenses. Commit to sticking to that budget and paying with cash rather than credit.
- Honor The LORD with your finances this Christmas. Keep the focus on Him, rather than on acquiring more for the season.
- Answer His call to care for orphans and widows by planning a financial gift in your Christmas budget.
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by Gloria Copeland
The Christmas season is filled with wonder and anticipation. As excitement fills the air, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of wrapping gifts, preparing for guests, and baking goodies for the whole neighborhood.
If you’re preparing to host a party or receive overnight guests, you may also be thinking about where to hide the overflow of wrapping paper, decorating supplies and clutter that may have accumulated in your house.
I have a special room like that in my house. It’s a room most company never gets to see. In the beginning, it had some pieces of exercise equipment in it. And I used them, too—to stack boxes on and prop things up!
Eventually, that room became my official place to put “stuff.” Boxes and boxes of stuff, including Christmas decorations and anything else I needed to hide when guests were coming to stay with us.
Perhaps you have a room or closet like that in your home. A place where things accumulate. A cluttered place.
Did you know your heart can be such a place? It can. And when a child of God’s heart becomes cluttered, it stops being good soil for the Word.
Let me show you what I mean.
The Overcrowded Heart
Jesus uses four types of soil as a picture of the four categories of hearts that are exposed to the Word of God (Mark 4:1-20). The first two categories—the pavement-like heart and the stony-ground heart, never even come close to bearing any fruit. Contrast these people to those in Jesus’ fourth category—the good-soil believers who bear fruit—30, 60 and a hundredfold. These are the ones who see God’s kingdom manifested in their lives. They see His heavenly provision of healing, abundance, miracles and power manifested right here on earth.
But what about that third category of believers? It’s here I believe we find the majority of Christians today. In this group are those who allow “thorns” to choke the Word. Jesus elaborates on this type of heart for His disciples:
And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word; then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless (Mark 4:18-19, AMPC).
As I’ve said, the sad truth is most Christians live here in Category 3. They’re saved. Yet they live “fruitless” lives. Why?
According to Jesus, it’s because, like that room in my house, their hearts have become too cluttered.
We see this truth paralleled in the story of Jesus’ birth. Luke 2:7, KJV, tells us that, after Mary had given
birth to Jesus, she “wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
It is important to note the word translated as “inn” is also translated as “house” or “guest room.” Rather than the traditional idea that an inn was without vacancy, it is more likely that Joseph and Mary, who was pregnant and unwed, were actually rejected and turned away from the guest room of a family home.
Forced to stay in a place where animals lived was a foreshadowing of things to come—a world that would reject and shame Christ. A world of people with no room in their hearts to receive Him.
Do you want to have the best Christmas ever? Make room in the “inn” of your heart for Jesus, especially this time of year. You may have received Him as Lord and Savior, but how much of your heart is He allowed to occupy?
The Clutter of Care
Christmastime is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. The most blessed of celebrations. After all, we are celebrating Jesus!
So, how is it that we end up driving in traffic, rushing in and out of stores, frantically baking cookies, and trying not to look frazzled in family portraits? That sounds like a crowded schedule! And it may be crowding your heart with cares, as well.
The first thing Jesus cited in His description of the Category 3 heart was “the cares and anxieties of this world.” And with good reason. You can’t be worried and walk in faith. You’ve got to drive worry out of your life if you want your faith to produce a hundredfold harvest.
You wouldn’t know it now, but I used to be a world-class worrier. In fact, I came from a long line of worriers. In my family, they thought worrying was a virtue. You were irresponsible if you didn’t!
When I discovered that worry wasn’t of God, I knew I needed to make a decision to walk in faith rather than fear. I learned to cast my cares upon the Lord, even when I had much to do (1 Peter 5:7).
Of course, it wasn’t easy at first. When an anxious thought would pop into my mind, I would take it captive. I would say, “No, I refuse to take the care of that. Jesus, in accordance with Your Word, I roll the care of that over on You because I know You care for me.”
Clearing Out the Clutter This Christmas
At Christmastime, we can become so busy and worried with baking, shopping, decorating and planning that we can end up crowding out our relationship with the Lord because there is “no room in the inn.” But you don’t have to clutter your heart with worry. You don’t have to let the thorns of anxiety and fear choke the Word out of your life this Christmas season.
Your best Christmas ever starts with a heart that is good soil for the Word—an uncluttered heart. All clutter of the heart ultimately springs from putting things before God and His Word. As you embrace the joy and excitement of this Christmas season, remember to guard your heart from cares and worries, and make time for the One we are celebrating.
Dare to Shine His Light on Your Heart!
- Is your heart overcrowded and cluttered? Identify those things you are putting before God and His Word. Repent, and ask God for forgiveness according to 1 John 1:9. Then, commit to giving God and His Word first place.
- Spend time daily with God, praising Him, praying and studying the Bible.
- Listen to Bible teaching while you wrap gifts, bake cookies, clean house, etc.
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Day 1 - SHINE HIS LIGHT ON Christmas
by Kenneth Copeland
The over-commercialization of Christmas has long been a struggle for believers who seek to focus on the real reason for our joy and celebration—the birth of Christ. Even the beloved character Charlie Brown has been voicing his dismay since 1965 in the classic Christmas movie.
A slurry of ads for Black Friday, Black Thursday and Black November arrive in our mailboxes, driveways and doorsteps by storm. Each one is calling us to: Buy more! Give more! Spend more!
Christians have often felt frustrated or discouraged with the focus being placed in the wrong place. Some have even questioned whether it is acceptable for believers to participate.
At the same time, we need to remember that God is the One who instituted the concept of holidays. He instructed Israel to have feasts and special memorial celebrations in the Old Testament, knowing it is beneficial for mankind to continually remember and praise God for all the good things He has done for them.
Satan is the one who imitates and twists whatever God originally created or instituted. So if anyone is doing the imitating in regard to the celebrating of holidays like Christmas, it is the ungodly, not Christians.
We should make no apologies for wanting to commemorate and thank God for the greatest gift He ever gave us—His precious Son, Jesus. Instructions for celebrating the life of Jesus are not specified in the New Testament, except for the instructions given regarding Communion in 1 Corinthians 11:23-34. But there are certain principles we can follow as we prepare to celebrate this season.
Honor The LORD in Whatever We Do
Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
We honor the true meaning of Christmas by celebrating it as an opportunity to renew our minds to the fact that God’s love was lived out before us in the person of Jesus Christ. No longer do we see Jesus as just a little baby, but as a full-grown man raised from the dead, seated at the right hand of Father God, praying for us every moment of the day.
We give gifts and share our love for one another just as God shared His love and gave us the greatest gift of all—Jesus. We spend this time as a worship and praise to our God.
Colossians 2:16 says not to let people judge you of these things. So, again, we remind you to allow the Holy Spirit to be your guide. If you will always keep Christ as the center of each day, then every day belongs to The LORD.
As long as we are celebrating the reality of the One who is the real reason for the celebration, we are not condemned if we enjoy other Christmas traditions.
Share His Love With Others
Christmas is a very important time of year. It’s a time of year when the whole world is hearing the message of the birth of Jesus. It’s a time when people are tenderhearted…the perfect time to plant seeds of love in the lives of those you meet.
Sometimes those seeds may just take the form of a kind word in the middle of rush hour shopping. Other times, you may get the opportunity to pray and minister to someone. But whatever the situation, keep a sharp eye out for even the smallest chance to assist people.
I’ve had some outstandingexperiences giving a few dollars to someone in need. As they are taking the money, I tell them, “This money is from The LORD Jesus Christ. I serve Him. He is the One who instructed me to help you.”
It’s amazing how many people are ready to hear what you have to say when you say it in love. They’re starved for someone to really care. Be that someone this Christmas season. Spread The WORD about the peace that’s available in Jesus. Tell about His goodwill toward men. Who knows how many of those small seeds may one day take root and bring one more precious person into the glorious kingdom of God?
Remember the Greatest Gift
Jesus was God’s ultimate gift of love—His plan for the world from the beginning. Acts 3:26 says God sent His Son, Jesus, to BLESS you.
The Names of Jesus recorded in Isaiah 9:6—“Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (NKJV)—express THE BLESSING and the fullness of our faith, hope and love.
This Christmas, let’s wholeheartedly celebrate the greatest gift ever given, and let’s be purposeful to share the love of Jesus with everyone we meet!
Dare to Shine His Light on Christmas!
Let’s remember to be a blessing at every opportunity so that we can show others the love of Jesus:
- Commit to honor the true meaning of Christmas by keeping Jesus the center of your life every day.
- Sow seeds of kindness and love by giving someone a compliment or writing someone an encouraging text.
- Make plans and budget to give to an individual or family in need this Christmas, by either providing money, food or gifts.