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Posts Tagged ‘heaven’

Gloria Copeland — Making Withdrawals From Your Heavenly Account

12 May

Kenneth And Gloria Copeland

Once you realize that you have these deposits in your heavenly
account, you need to learn how to make withdrawals.
Colossians 1:4-6 says, “Since we heard of your faith in Christ
Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope
which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the
word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in
all the world; and bringeth forth fruit.
” Everything laid up for
you in heaven is represented by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When you put the Word of God to work, it produces faith.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Faith
puts spiritual law into operation, and the results are manifest
here on the earth. When it is laid up in heaven, a carbon copy
will take place in the earth if you will stand and act on the
Word. This is how you were saved. Salvation is not waiting for
you in heaven. It was provided for you and laid up in heaven;
but when you believed the Word about salvation and acted
on it, it was manifest here on earth in your life. This same
principle is true in the area of finances. When a man makes
deposits with God, he has a right to call upon these deposits
and make withdrawals.

We have discussed God’s teaching about tithing—how it is
set up and how it operates. You need to learn how to receive
from your tithing. When I first attended Oral Roberts
University, I heard Brother Roberts speak on seed faith, and I
began to realize what the Word said about giving. My husband and
I decided to act on this by joining in a financial partnership
with Brother Roberts, a real step of faith on our part since we
had no steady income. It was during this time that we learned
how to stand on the Word in the area of giving. For almost a
year we gave $10 into this partnership each month; and every
single month someone unexpectedly handed us $20. Later, we
learned how to believe God more specifically, but right then we
were learning the basic principles.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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Kenneth Copeland — Ready To Sow Part 1

17 Feb

Kenneth And Gloria Copeland

While I was in prayer one afternoon during a meeting in
Dayton, Ohio, the Lord drew me to this portion of scripture
about laying up treasures in heaven where neither moth nor
rust corrupts. As I read this, the Lord said, “This rust and corruption
is inflation and depression.” If you will let heaven be
your financial reservoir—your bank and depository where you
place your trust—regardless of what happens to the world’s system,
you will always have more than enough! Then the Lord
said, “I did not say this treasure could not be used until you get
to heaven.” First Timothy 6:19 says to lay up for yourselves a
good foundation for the time to come when you will need it. A
heavenly bank is not subject to theft and ruin; it will always be
there when you need it.

Up to this time I was under the impression that when I
gave, I could expect the entire amount plus the hundredfold
return on it immediately, but there were times when it didn’t
work like that. I was confused, so I asked the Lord about it. My
needs were always abundantly met,
but I didn’t fully understand
what was happening. The Lord explained it this way:

“There was no use in My transferring money which you
had laid up in heaven to an earthly bank when you didn’t need
all of it at the time. When money is on earth, it is vulnerable to
Satan and to the world’s system of finance. If I gave you $1,000
today, in nine months’ time, it probably wouldn’t be worth
more than $750. You need to learn to exercise your faith in the
fact that you have this money on deposit, and when you need
it, all you have to do is call for it. Make your deposits with Me
according to the rate of exchange which My Word guarantees
and operate under My system of finance instead of the world’s
system. We can make it work at the current rate of exchange at
that time. It won’t matter if it takes a billion dollars to buy a
loaf of bread—I [God] can afford it!” If God can afford it, so
can I. He’s my Father!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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Gloria Copeland — Your Heavenly Account Part 2

10 Feb

Kenneth And Gloria Copeland

First Timothy 6:17-19 illustrates this same point. “Charge
them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor
trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly
all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good
works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in
store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come,
that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded,
nor trust in uncertain riches.” Paul was referring to those
who are rich here on earth—that they should not trust in their
riches. This is the reason Jesus said it was hard for a rich man
to enter the kingdom of God. When a rich man trusts in his
money, his heart will be in his riches. Satan then will be able to
deceive him; the deceitfulness of riches will choke the Word of
God and cause it to become unfruitful in him (see Mark 4:19).

“Nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth
us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in
good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up
in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come,
that they may lay hold on eternal life.” You don’t lay hold on eternal
life after you get to heaven. You lay hold on it by faith while you
are here on earth, taking a firm stand and standing fast in the
liberty into which you are called. The 23rd Psalm speaks of God
preparing a feast before us, and we have thought of this as a
heavenly feast. However, it says He is preparing a table before us
in the presence of our enemies. Our enemies are not in heaven.
They are here on earth! When the Lord showed me this, He said,
“The only problem I have is getting My kids to come to the
table!” Paul tells us to “lay up in store” for ourselves in our
heavenly bank account by being “ready to distribute” and “willing
to communicate.” Then when we need it, we have it on
deposit in heaven! ALL the money, gold, etc., is already in the
earth. By giving, heaven declares certain portions as mine. No
force on earth then is able to keep it from coming to me when I
call for it! Heaven’s record says so, and earth dares not refuse.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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Gloria Copeland — Your Heavenly Account Part 1

03 Feb

Kenneth And Gloria Copeland

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where
moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break
through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where
your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light
of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single,
thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be
evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore
the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is
that darkness! (Matthew 6:19-23).

You need to have a single eye, to become single-minded,
concerning the Word of God. You must accept God’s Word as
final authority. What it says, it means. When the Word says you
are healed, you are healed! It doesn’t matter what your body
says about it. If you will believe this and operate accordingly,
then the covenant you have with God—His Word—will become
the absolute truth in your situation, and your physical body
will come into agreement with the Word.

I first began to learn this in the area of finance and prosperity
when I went back to college. The idea of going back to
school really scared me! I was 30 years old with a wife, two
small children, and no idea how I would support them. There
were people who told me I was making a mistake, that my family
would go hungry, but I had accepted the call to the ministry
and was looking to the Lord to meet my needs. Many people
thought I was nuts! According to the world’s system, a man has
to be in sheer poverty while he is in college, but the Word
doesn’t say that. It doesn’t say, “God will meet your needs
according to His riches in glory just as soon as you get out of
college.” At that time I knew very little about operating by
faith, but I was doggedly determined to go through with it. God
took care of us. I never asked anybody for a quarter. We began
to learn how to operate by faith.

In Matthew 6:20, Jesus teaches us to “…lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”
This is what
the Word says. However, with our religious heads we have read
it this way: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth…but
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt…and where thou canst not touch it until
thou gettest to heaven.”
We have added our own little idea, but
this is not what Jesus meant. He was saying, “If you will let
heaven be your treasury and your supply, then regardless of
what happens on earth, you will have a bank that is not subject
to theft or ruin.” What you have laid up then will be ready
when it is needed. Jesus was not referring to when we get to
heaven. He was teaching about God providing for us now. If you
will notice, He finished His sermon in Matthew 6 by saying that
your heavenly Father knows you need these things, but seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these
other things will be added to you.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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