by Kenneth Copeland

Everywhere you turn these days, there is fear in the world. The Bible tells us that men’s hearts will fall them for fear of what’s coming on the earth—it seems we’re right in the middle of those times.

But as a believer, you don’t have to live in fear. You have the power over it through your heavenly Father. When you know and believe in your heart that God loves you—you won’t be afraid of anything.

As 1 John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror!” (The Amplified Bible).

Develop faith in God’s love for you and develop a fear-free life!

Following the Spirit of God is the only way the Church will ever do the job God has called us to do. We cannot do it in our soulish realm. We cannot operate in the supernatural and have our souls (minds, wills, emotions) in command of our lives. We must walk in the Spirit. To walk in the supernatural, we must be willing to go beyond what we can see with our natural eyes and walk after God by faith. We must learn to look through the eye of faith.

I made this commitment: “God, I will do anything You want me to do. Teach me and lead me.”

At this time Ken did not have a daytime service, and by direction of the Lord, I started teaching on Friday mornings. (I was already teaching healing on Saturdays.) I prayed: “Father, we are just giving You this time. We are turning it over to the Holy Spirit. Whatever You want us to do, tell us.”

I told the people to prepare themselves to set aside these days for the Holy Spirit to do whatever He wanted. Those services lasted sometimes for three or four hours. I just endeavored to teach the Word and to follow the Holy Spirit and minister to the people.

I said, “God, I will do anything You tell me to do. I don’t care what I look like to people.” If there was anyone who had cared what they looked like to people, it had been me. (Sister Etter calls this a man-fearing spirit.) I wanted to be dignified and nice. I never wanted to look foolish to anyone. On top of that I was timid, but I reached a place where it was more important what God thought about me than what people thought.

In those services God began to show me things to do and I would do them. Sometimes they would be little things, but I did my best to not hold back. It does not always have to be some big thing. God just needs to know that we will obey Him in little things before He can take us on to bigger things. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much…” (Luke 16:10).

I so wanted to be led by the Holy Spirit. Here is an example of how a simple act of obedience brought me strength to be able to fulfill an assignment.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

If Jesus and His Word abide in us and we maintain a living communion with Him by the Spirit of God, we’ll be able to walk in continual obedience. When we do that, we put ourselves in position to ask whatever we will and it will be done (John 15:7).

Remember this: Abiding is obeying.

For yourselves, let the teaching which you have heard from the beginning abide within you. If that teaching does abide within you, you also will abide in the Son. And in the Father (1 John 2:24, Weymouth).

The man who obeys His commands abides in God and God in him; and through His spirit which He has given us we can know that He abides in us (1 John 3:24, Weymouth).

God gives us His Word. He gives us His direction. When He tells you to do something, it may seem unimportant to you. You might think it is insignificant, but your future may depend on it. God does not explain Himself. He expects you to walk by faith. He expects you to be mature. He expects you to grow up into Him so you will simply do what you are told, knowing that He is smarter than you. Then He sees whether or not we will do it. If we will not, He knows we are not ready to move on with Him.

If you have had problems in your life and you feel that God is not paying attention to you, think back to the moment you disobeyed Him last, then obey His instructions. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8). He may be waiting for you to set things straight and begin again with Him.

Unless we rise up and begin to obey the anointing—the unction—in our spirits by the Holy Spirit, God will be unable to take us any further along than we are right now. Like Israel, we will stay in the wilderness until God finds another generation that’s obedient. And if they accept Him at His Word and follow His Spirit, then He will take them further than He was able to take us.

We should not want to stay where we are, though it may be such a wonderful place. We must continue on so we can grow in God.

You have to start where you are right now. Obey everything that God tells you today, and then again tomorrow, and the next day. Learn to walk with God one day at a time. He will give you the grace daily for what you’re to do that day. Then you will be able to look back and see a life that has pleased God. In our everyday walk we must be obedient—in the seemingly little things, as well as in the big things.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

That’s right. These are not just good ideas I’m giving you. They are principles from the Word of God that Gloria and I have lived by for more than 30 years now. They are principles that have literally changed our lives.

They’ll change your life, too. In fact, I believe any husband and wife who will live the life of love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 can have a wonderful life together. Even if they start off at zero with no love between them at all, they can end up with a successful marriage because love never fails!

“But, Kenneth, if love never fails, why do so many Christian marriages—marriages that were once based on the love of God—end up on the rocks?” you ask.

It happens because strife and envy are allowed to cut that love short. As a result, those Christian lives and marriages are drained of God’s power. They become carnal, and there is confusion and every evil work.

First Corinthians 3:3 puts it this way: “For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy…among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves…like mere (unchanged) men?” (AMP).

The moment we let envy and strife in the door, we begin to live like people out there in the world. We become like the natural, unsaved men in this scripture—fearful, powerless and defeated—instead of like supernatural, born-again, Spirit-filled people of God.

I agree with Paul. The hour is too late for us to live like that. The coming of Jesus is near at hand. And when He comes, we don’t want Him to find us spiritually sick and weak, living lives that have been poisoned by envy and strife.

We want Him to find us standing tall in the spirit—full of love, faith and power—walking in the victory Jesus bought for us.

We want Him to find us living in the light!

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

That’s important because in this dangerous day, we need God’s blessings more than ever. We need His power. We need to be walking in our full inheritance as believers because this age is about to be brought to a close. As the Apostle Paul says:

The night is far gone [and] the day is almost here. Let us then drop (fling away) the works and deeds of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. Let us live and conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly as in the [open light of] day; not in reveling (carousing) and drunkenness, not in immorality and debauchery…not in quarreling and jealousy. But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh (Romans 13:12-14, AMP).

The hour is late! It’s time for us to wake up. It’s time we quit allowing the devil to darken our homes, our businesses, our churches and our individual lives with strife and envy. It’s time we quit letting him pull the plug on our faith power. It’s time we started living in the light.

You may be thinking, That’s easier said than done!

I know. But you can do it.

How? Learn to watch over yourself. Pay attention to your state of mind. When you find yourself depressed or downcast, don’t just ignore those feelings. Think back. Ask yourself, “What started this downturn?”

You may realize that a particular situation sparked feelings of aggravation, jealousy or strife within you. If so, look at that situation through the eyes of God and then talk to it (see Mark 11:23).

Say, “That situation has no power over me. I refuse to allow it to bring envy and strife into my life. I yield to the forces of love and joy within me. And, Lord, I praise You for Brother Smith’s new car. I thank You that Sister Jones has those nice clothes!”

Then just start praising the Lord. Sing a song. Put on a tape that will lift you up, and force yourself to sing along. Before long, the love of God will be bubbling up out of your heart again and you’ll be singing in genuine joy.

I know you will, because I’ve done it!

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Notice I said it made a move on you, not in you. That’s an important distinction.

You see, if you’re a born-again believer, envy is not a part of your spiritual nature. It’s something the devil tries to pressure you into receiving. He dangles it in front of you like bait on a hook, hoping you’ll take a bite.

Why? Because he wants to defeat you! He wants to keep you sick, broke, sad and perpetually trapped beneath your circumstances. And to do that, he must somehow stop you from living by faith.

Since he can’t very well just come barreling in the front door and steal the faith right out of your heart, he slips in the back way. He uses envy and strife to interrupt the flow of love in your life.

The minute love is disrupted, your faith stops working too, because faith works by love (Galatians 5:6).

Many Christians don’t understand that principle, so they struggle along, quarreling and fussing with one another—and all the while wonder why their faith isn’t producing results. They don’t realize that if you want to walk in the power and blessing of God, you cannot allow envy or strife into your life. Period.

James 3:16 shows us why that’s true. It says, “Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” In other words, envy and strife give the devil an open door into your life.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Other translations say, “Where there is no vision, the people go wild,” or “go out of their minds.”

Also, when you read the word “law,” the word “commandment” or the word “precept” in Scripture, it is referring to the Word of God. So without changing its meaning, turn this verse around and it can very easily be translated to read, “Where there is vision, the people prosper, and he that keeps the Word of God will walk in joy.”

The one thing God has given us to help maintain an enthusiasm of faith is to be able to look toward the future and see the vision.

And everyone must have a vision. The vision you need is found in the Word of God because the Word lays out our potential for us: What God’s Word says we can do, we can do. What it says we can have, we can have. What it says we can be, we can be.

Our potential is built in the Word of God. And that’s where you begin with your vision. If you don’t yet have a vision, you start where God has told you who you are in Him.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” — Mark 9:23

Are you making plans for the holidays or a vacation? Perhaps you’ll be traveling somewhere—to your hometown to visit a friend or to the mountains or the beach. Maybe you will spend quiet time at home, or friends or family will be coming to your house.

Whatever your plans are, start to see that event before you now. Are you getting excited about it? Do you have the vision of it happening? Can you picture it in your heart?

When my family and I make plans for vacations or holidays, there are numerous arrangements to make, such as ordering airline tickets or making hotel reservations. Sometimes the preparations seem endless.

But as the fulfillment of that vision draws closer, a new excitement builds within me. I can see the winter snow coming down back home on Cape Cod at Christmas. I look forward to being with my parents or seeing mysister again. I have a vision for spending time with my children or sharing special time with my wife, Terri.

As I’ve thought about this, it has occurred to me that if we can catch a vision for the events in our lives, how much more should we have a vision for heaven and the things of God?

How much more should we long to see our churches filled so that we are continually building larger auditoriums with bigger altars and more seating.

We should be a people of vision.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Jesus did what He said He would do: He preached the gospel, healed the sick, brought sight to the blind and delivered the captives. He taught in the synagogues of Galilee and the people were amazed. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power” (Luke 4:32). Every word going forth from His mouth brought deliverance and healing.

Jesus never turned away from healing anyone who came to Him in faith. He never said, “I can’t heal you. God wants you to stay sick a little longer.” He always responded to the faith of the people.

Acts 10:38 says: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

God wants His people healed and whole. He demonstrated this through Jesus. You can see His will toward healing expressed very simply in Luke 5:12-13: “And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.”

When the leper asked, “Will you make me clean?” Jesus answered immediately, “I will: be thou clean.”

The leper knew Jesus could heal him. The only question in his mind was whether or not Jesus would. This is the key point in receiving healing—the determining factor in acting by faith or unbelief. You know God can heal. The problem comes in knowing for certain that God will heal and that He will heal you! Until you realize in your own heart that God wants to heal you, you will never receive from Him. You can watch other people receive healing and still never receive it yourself.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).

Hebrews 10:35-36
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Hebrews 11:11
Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 5:14-16
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

1 Peter 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

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

1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

3 John 2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland