This morning we received our partner letter from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland in the mail. I HAD to post it because I absolutely loved it plus it is the very core of this blog. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This is what it is all about. Go and enjoy your reading ==>>
Dear Partner,
Today, I want us to look into the God-given right to choose our own destiny. God will not impose or in any way force Himself on anyone. The devil does. God does not. That is what is unique about man. God has given every man a free will to choose. Let’s look first at Deuteronomy 30:19-20:
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Notice how many times you (thou) is mentioned in that scripture: 10 times, plus once it is the understood subject. God made His choice and acted on it. He set before YOU life and death. Blessing and cursing. Now! YOU choose.
In preparing a message along these lines, I heard the Lord say, “Every choice one makes falls under either THE BLESSING or the curse. There is no in between and every choice has a consequence. To choose God’s WORD as first place or highest authority is to choose life. His WORD is life to those who find it – or to those who choose it. To agree with feelings when they “feel” bad is to choose the curse as final authority. The results are always the same. The consequences of choosing The WORD are so “that both thou and thy seed may live.” To choose The WORD of God is to choose God and He is your life.
Now, think it through. I choose The WORD and consider not my own body (feelings, circumstances, bad news, etc.).
Faith, then, cometh by hearing and hearing by The WORD of God. Faith is the first reaction or consequence of choosing The WORD. Faith-filled words and love-filled faith remove the curse, and healing is the result. On the other hand, to side with or choose the feeling, pain, circumstance, etc. as “the truth” is to produce and enforce fear, which makes one subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:14-15). Can you see the dividing line here? The WORD, life, healing and deliverance are all under THE BLESSING.
Sickness, doubt, fear, lack and pain are all under the curse. Now in the light of that, let’s see what Jesus said in John 10:10:
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come
that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
The thief (the devil) comes to steal – that’s under the curse. To kill is under the curse. To destroy, that’s also under the curse. He never, according to Jesus, comes for any other reason. He can’t. He’s cursed. On the other hand. Jesus has come as High Priest of THE BLESSING so that we might have life and have it MORE abundantly. So, choose Jesus! He is our life and the length of our days!
Every choice in our life, every day, comes under THE BLESSING or the curse.
Now, look at Galatians 3:9 and 13-14:
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:
for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ;
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Jesus bore the curse. He defeated it. He took its power away so when we choose Him as Lord and Savior, the curse cannot overpower us. On the contrary. He has given us not only the right to choose, but the power to enforce our choice. His authority, His name, His full armor, the power of His Spirit, THE BLESSING of Abraham – are ours!
To choose Jesus is the choose life. He became poor – part of the curse – so we could become rich, part of THE BLESSING. He bore our sins – the curse – so we could become rich, part of the THE BLESSING. He bore our sins – the curse so we could be made righteousness of God. He went to hell – the curse – so we could come boldly to the throne of GRACE – THE BLESSING.
The “great exchange” was the Cross. Jesus did not go to the cross so He could become a king. He went to the Cross so we could become kings. That’s the gospel.
Look at Galatians 3:8:
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Look at every choice of life. Where does it fall? Under THE BLESSING or under the curse? Do I choose to hear what the world’s system says, or what The WORD says; what the banker says, or what Philippians 4:19 says; what the doctor says, or what 1 Peter 2:24 says? Do I follow Jesus and life, or what religion and tradition say?
As for me and my house, we will follow Jesus. He is our life and the length of our days. We choose faith. We choose heaven. Our future is bright! Hope is strong. Faith is strong, giving Glory to God. Love is strong, and LOVE NEVER FAILS!
We, our house, have chosen to tithe. We have chosen to give. We have chosen to preach The WORD in season and out. We are not just believers, we are disciples. Our business is not the first place. The government is not our supply. Our own self-interest and pursuits are not our reason for living. We seek first the kingdom of God. We build the kingdom. We live the kingdom. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will (plan, program, WORD, BLESSING) be done in earth as it is in heaven.” Therefore, things are no problem. They are added to us. Supply is no problem. He gives us all things richly to enjoy. We, therefore, hold forth The WORD of Life in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Jesus’ plans, pursuits and purpose are our plans, pursuits and purpose. His ways are our ways. He is our Source – our only Source. In Him, who loved us and gave His life for us, we have our lives and through Him we live.
Gloria and I love you and pray for you every day.
Love, Ken
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