He Really Does Care for You

Kenneth Copeland

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7)
Do you know what it's like to face a problem so big it seems downright irresponsible not to worry about it? There may not be a thing you can do about it, but you feel like you need to at least be concerned. After all, somebody needs to! And no one else seems to be volunteering for the job.

I remember one time in particular I felt exactly that way. I was holding a series of meetings in Ruston, Louisiana. I had just discovered our budget was $800 short--and in those days, $800 might as well have been 9 million! The devil was attacking my mind, telling me that no one cared about me or my ministry, telling me that I was facing this problem alone.

But instead of giving in to those thoughts, I got my Bible and turned to every scripture in the Word of God that guaranteed me my needs were met. Then I rolled the care of those expenses over on God. I promised God that with the Holy Spirit as my Helper, I would not touch that problem with my thought life again.

That wasn't an easy promise to keep. I wanted to worry so badly! I went into the courtyard of the Motel where I was staying and walked around the swimming pool. Every time I thought about the problem, I would say out loud, "No, I have rolled the care of that over on the Lord. I will not think about it. The budget is met."

After a while, a man drove up in the driveway and began to honk his horn. I tried to ignore him because I don't like to be interrupted when I'm praying, but he stuck his head out of the window and shouted, "Come here!" He said it with such authority that I obeyed.

He said to me, "Brother Copeland, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm committed to another obligation and will be late for the meeting tonight. I was afraid I would miss the offering." Then he handed me a check. When I went back to my room and looked at that check, I found it was for $500. Coupled with the offering in the service that night, it totaled the exact amount I needed to meet that budget.

Would you like to have people chasing you down to meet your needs? Then next time you're facing a problem, give it to God. Let Him be the one who's concerned about it. He's volunteered for the job and you can trust Him to do it well. After all, He really does care for you.

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Scripture Study: Psalm 37:1-11

Experiencing God in Your Business

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

The CEO walked into the president's office after reviewing his new marketing plan for the next year. It was a well-prepared, thoughtful plan.

"This will not do!" exclaimed the CEO. "This plan describes how you will achieve these objectives through your own planning. I am certain you can achieve these objectives through normal business operations; however, you have allowed no room for faith in your plan. Now you must determine what God wants us to trust Him to accomplish through this business. You must go beyond what you can naturally achieve."

What was this CEO saying? If you and I want to experience God in business at the practical level, we must be willing to trust Him for more than what our natural abilities can accomplish. God likes to show Himself in the midst of unlikely circumstances. This is the place that God receives the glory. God always forced Israel to trust Him for the supernatural. This is how glory was brought to the Father. It is no different in our lives.

The world is looking for real faith. Perhaps you are the instrument that He wants to use to demonstrate real faith to the unbelieving business world. It will require courage, faith, and action; also, it will require risk. You may risk finances, reputation, and being misunderstood. This was the risk of all leaders in the Bible. It was a risk worth taking. Are you willing to see God move in your business life? Ask Him what this might mean for you.

Second Chances

Jonah 4:2 - ..."I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger aand abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."

Have you ever gone through a time of disobedience with God? Jonah was a prophet of God who decided he didn't want to prophesy for the Lord. God wanted him to deliver a message to Nineveh to warn them against impending destruction if they didn't turn from their ways. Jonah had developed a hardened heart toward the people of Nineveh. He didn't really care if they repented or not; so rather than travel to Nineveh and deliver the message, he hopped a boat in the opposite direction. You probably know the rest of the story. He was eaten by a fish and spent a few days thinking about his decision.

There is a place where we all will obey. What circumstances must take place for us to become obedient? For some of us, it requires a good shakeup. For Jonah, it required a big shakeup because he was God's man to save 120,000 people. He was chosen by God to be used by God, and God didn't give up on him.

God understands our disobedient heart. He sees what we really are, yet He gives second chances. God gave Jonah a second chance. He gave the people of Nineveh a second chance. It is a lesson of love from a heavenly Father who specializes in second chances. Have you blown it? Have you disappointed someone close to you? God is the God of second chances. All we have to do is acknowledge our waywardness. He will restore. He will give grace. Ask Him.

Philippians 4:4-9

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Psalm 34:19

¹⁹ A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all

Joel 3:10

¹⁰...let the weak say, I am strong.

Romans 4:17

¹⁷...calls things that are not as though they were.

Acts 27:22

²²And now I exhort you to be of good cheer

Be of Good Cheer

Kenneth Copeland

"And now I exhort you to be of good cheer." (Acts 27:22)

What do you do when you're in a really perilous situation?

If you're like I used to be, you cry out to God in desperation. One afternoon when I was squalling to God about something, He interrupted me and said, "Kenneth, did you know I don't hear the cry of My children when they cry out in desperation?"

"What?" I said. "I thought you did."

He said, "No, I hear the desperation cry of a sinner because that's all he can cry about. But once you get born again, son, you ought to be crying out of faith. I hear the faith cry."

What is a faith cry? It's calling things that be not as though they were (Rom. 4:17). It's what the Bible means when it says, "Let the weak say, I am strong" (Joel 3:10).

The Apostle Paul knew how to use the faith cry. That's why in Acts 27 he exhorted the men on that battered, sinking ship to "be of good cheer." He was telling them to start acting by faith. Can't you imagine what those sailors thought when he said that? "Listen to that stupid preacher. We're sinking and he says be of good cheer. We've thrown everything we have overboard and he says be of good cheer."

You may feel just like those sailors did, right now. You may feel like your ship's going down. You may feel like crying out in desperation. But don't do it. Instead, do what Paul said and be of good cheer!

Cry out to God in faith and say, "Lord, I'm not going to panic. I'm not going to despair. I'm going to be of good cheer because Your Word says You'll deliver me from this situation" (Ps. 34:19).

Then start being cheerful. It may take more determination than anything you've ever done before, but God will give you the strength to do it. He'll give you the power to be cheerful in the middle of the most ungodly darkness the devil can bring up.

Instead of crying out in desperation, take a faith stand. Sing and rejoice and praise God for your deliverance. Be of good cheer and you can be sure God will bring you through the storm just fine!

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Scripture Study: Philippians 4:4-9

Beware of the Thief

Luke 12:39 - But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

What are the times when you and I are most vulnerable to being caught off guard by the enemy of our souls? One of those times is just after you've had a great victory. Consider Jesus when He was baptized and was about to begin His public ministry. He was taken away into the desert to be tempted by satan.

Leisure time is another place in which satan seeks to take us off our normal routine of personal quiet times. In the normal routine of life, our senses are tuned to the need to draw upon God's Spirit to see us through the activities of each day. However, when we get away from our routine and go on vacation, we can often drop these routines. We wrongfully think that we do not need to spend time with the Lord during leisure times. This is a grave mistake. The vacation becomes a test of character. During vacations we turn freely to what we love most. It reveals to us what is at the core of our existence.

A teacher in a large school reportedly said, "The greatest difficulty we encounter is the summer vacation. Just when we have brought a student to a certain discipline and place in their study habits, we lose him; when he comes back we have to begin all over again." It is the same in our spiritual lives. It only takes a small crack in the door of our heart to lose our spiritual focus.

This summer, be on guard when times of retreat are made available to you. Use these times for spiritual refreshment, not just physical refreshment, and you will keep the thief from entering your house.

How To Handle Guilt, Anger And Fear

Joyce Meyer

Part I
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Part II
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Part III
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Part IV

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Expectations

Philippians 1:20 - I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Have you ever had expectations that did not get fulfilled? Perhaps a coworker let you down. Perhaps you were trusting God for something in your life that never materialized. Perhaps you became devastated by an unmet expectation that you felt you were entitled to. Expectations can be a difficult trap for each of us if we are not fully committed to God's purposes in our lives.

Paul wrote this verse from prison to the people of Philippi. He had an expectation that his life would bring glory to God, whether through his continued ministry or his death. His joy in living was not based on his expectations getting fulfilled, but on remaining true to the purpose for which God made him.

When we react to circumstances with bitterness and resentment as a result of unmet expectations, we are saying that we know better than God, and that God has made a mistake in not meeting our expectations. The process of resolving unmet expectations may require full disclosure to the individual who was the source of the unmet expectation, and of how the unmet expectation made you feel. This is not to make the person feel obligated to meet the expectation, but simply to share your feelings about it. If God was the source, then it is important to share this with the Lord. However, once we have done this we must let go of the situation and allow God to work in our hearts the grace that is needed to walk in freedom from the pain of the unmet expectation. If we do not do this, we will allow the seed of bitterness and resentment to enter in. This seed of bitterness will create leanness in our soul and eventually will spread to others.

Ask yourself today if you have any unmet expectations. How have you responded to them? Have you processed this with the Lord and others who may be involved? These are the steps to freedom from unmet expectations.

Life bit

from FreshOutlook magazine

We stumble over pebbles…

not mountains.
Song of Solomon 2:15

Think on These...

from FreshOutlook magazine

Character is not made in a crisis, it is only exhibited.

The fingers of your thoughts are molding
your face ceaselessly.

Take heed of little sins.

A fault, once denied, is twice committed.

Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable,
and receives the impossible.

Knowing Our Limits

Proverbs 28:19 - He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

Webster's defines entrepreneur: "one who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk in a business venture." [Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth ed. (Springfield, Massachusetts, 1993), "entrepreneur."] Entrepreneurs can smell an opportunity a mile away. However, what is often their greatest asset can become their greatest downfall. The road is littered with entrepreneurs who have been successful in one venture only to fail in countless others. Is this the natural way for an entrepreneur, or is there a better way?

King David was an entrepreneur. He grew up as a shepherd boy and later became Israel's greatest warrior. He responded to opportunities, like the time when no one would fight Goliath. He saw this as an opportunity. He ultimately became king of Israel and faced many opportunities placed before him. David learned an important lesson somewhere along the way that each of us as businesspeople should learn.

As an entrepreneur the greatest danger is engaging ourselves in activities in which God never intended us to be involved. This is poor stewardship of what God has entrusted to us. When the Philistines attacked David, he always inquired of God as to if and when he was to counterattack. When he was attacked a second time on one occasion, David inquired of God as to whether he was to attack yet. This time God said yes, but with a condition, "Wait until you hear the sound of marching in the balsam trees" (see 2 Sam. 5:24). This story tells us that David had learned an important lesson about staying vertical in his relationship with God at all times. David had learned the important principle of staying focused on what God wanted for him, not what seemed logical. He was an opportunist, but only through the filter of the Holy Spirit in his life.

How do you approach opportunities? Do you consider the merits of the opportunity only? Or do you inquire of God as to whether He desires you to pursue? It may be a wonderful opportunity, but it may not be God's will for you to be involved. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you as you seek to use the skills He has given you.

Proverbs 28:19

"He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty."

2 Samuel 5:24

"When you hear the sound of shuffling in the trees, get ready to move out. It's a signal that God is going ahead of you to..."

No Offense

Kenneth Copeland

"He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him."
(1 John 2:10)

Whenever you find yourself stumbling into failure or sin, check your love life. Sit down with the Lord and ask Him to show you if you're in strife with anyone or if you've taken offense. If you have, the devil can come in and trip you up.

As a preacher, I've seen that happen countless times. I'll be preaching about something and some believer will get upset with me about it. He'll decide I'm wrong and go off in a huff--and first thing you know, he's in trouble.

Mark 4:17 tells us the devil uses those kinds of offenses to steal the Word from our hearts. He causes us to get crosswise with each other. Then he's able to pull the plug right out of us and drain the Word like water from a bucket.

Don't ever let that happen to you. If you hear a preacher or another believer saying something that rubs you the wrong way and you catch yourself getting offended say, "Oh no you don't. You're not stealing the Word out of me, you lying devil." Then get right down on your knees and repent before God.

Search the Word and listen to the Spirit within you and find out what you should do. If you still feel what that person said to you was wrong, pray for him.

Remember, taking offense never comes from God. He says we're to be rooted and grounded in love. So reject those feelings of offense. Give yourself to that person in love and in prayer. You'll be able to walk right on through that situation without ever stumbling at all.

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Scripture Study: 1 John 2:1-11

Proverbs 13

¹ A wise son heeds his father's instruction,
but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

² From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things,
but the unfaithful have a craving for violence.

³ He who guards his lips guards his life,
but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

⁴ The sluggard craves and gets nothing,
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

⁵ The righteous hate what is false,
but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.

⁶ Righteousness guards the man of integrity,
but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

⁷ One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

⁸ A man's riches may ransom his life,
but a poor man hears no threat.

⁹ The light of the righteous shines brightly,
but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

¹⁰ Pride only breeds quarrels,
but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

¹¹ Dishonest money dwindles away,
but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

¹³ He who scorns instruction will pay for it,
but he who respects a command is rewarded.

¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
turning a man from the snares of death.

¹⁵ Good understanding wins favor,
but the way of the unfaithful is hard. ^[a]

¹⁶ Every prudent man acts out of knowledge,
but a fool exposes his folly.

¹⁷ A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.

¹⁸ He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame,
but whoever heeds correction is honored.

¹⁹ A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
but fools detest turning from evil.

²⁰ He who walks with the wise grows wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm.

²¹ Misfortune pursues the sinner,
but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.

²² A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children,
but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.

²³ A poor man's field may produce abundant food,
but injustice sweeps it away.

²⁴ He who spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

²⁵ The righteous eat to their hearts' content,
but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry

1 Corinthians 13:5

⁵ [Love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.