Teaching Articles
A Better Way To Pray
Decades ago, I was participating in an all-night prayer meeting bombarding the gates of heaven. I remember beating the wall and yelling, “God, if You loved the people in Arlington, Texas, half as much as I do, we’d have revival!” Immediately, my lightning-fast mind realized that something was seriously wrong with my theology. What was I thinking? Did I really believe I loved these people more than God did? No, not exactly. Like many Christians, I believed God was angry with the human condition, and it was up to me to turn Him from wrath and judgment. I was interceding, or so I thought, pleading with God on the behalf of others. What could possibly be wrong with that? As I learned later, a lot. The things the Lord has revealed to me about prayer since then have totally changed my life, and I’m now seeing miraculous results. If you aren’t getting the results you know the Lord wants you to have, maybe it’s time to consider a better way to pray. I’m not saying that anyone who doesn’t pray as I do is “of the devil.” I wasn’t “of the devil” in the way I used to pray. I loved God […]
A Call To Prayer
I think all Christians would agree that we should be praying for our nation during this critical time in our history. Judicial activists are no longer interpreting the law but attempting to legislate from the bench. By using these activist judges in our courts, the ungodly are systematically attempting to remove all reference to and influence of God in our society. It’s even become politically correct to discriminate against Christians. Christianity is also the only religious influence that can be prohibited by law. We need the intervention of God to turn this situation around. Prayer is a powerful weapon. But, there is a right and a wrong way to pray. Just like any powerful weapon, without the proper instruction, it may be useless or someone could get hurt. Wrong prayer is not only ineffective, it can also release the power of the devil. I’ve experienced this firsthand. In the beginning of my walk with the Lord, I listened to a teaching which used an example of a teenager who felt very ineffective in witnessing for the Lord. This young man prayed and asked the Lord to do whatever it would take to use him as an effective witness in […]
A Place Called There
The Bible says, “Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17). Yet he was mightily used of God. This reference is talking about the time Elijah became so despondent that he asked God to kill him (1 Kin. 19:4). Elijah wasn’t perfect, yet he called fire down from heaven three times; he was the first person to raise someone from the dead; he caused the greatest revival in history up to that point; his word started and ended a three-year drought; he multiplied food miraculously; and he is one of only two men who never died – he was caught up alive into heaven. There is a lot we can learn from a man like this, both positive and negative. The Bible gives little background on Elijah. It wasn’t his pedigree or education that brought him into a position of influence and power. Elijah was nobody until he received a word from God. It was the revelation God gave him that put him into a position of leadership. Likewise, anyone who is born again, or baptized in the Holy Spirit, or has a good relationship with the Lord, has a revelation from God too. Just […]
Acts 29
Acts 29 says, “And he saw a man from Karamoja saying, ‘Come over and help us.’ Immediately we endeavored to go into Karamoja, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the Gospel unto them.” For those of you who don’t know, there are only twenty-eight chapters in the book of Acts. So, the previous paragraph is not in your Bible. But Acts 28 is not the end of the book of Acts. It is still being written today through us. And I believe I have a Karamoja call just as surely as Paul had a Macedonia call in Acts 16:9-10. Let me explain. I started supporting a missionary in Uganda in the early 1990s. This led to our students taking missions trips to Uganda, and eventually, a number of them moved there. One of our graduates, Leland Shores, took our Discipleship Evangelism course and started discipling 800 pastors, who in turn discipled around 150,000 people in their churches. The second wave of this Discipleship Evangelism course had 2,000 pastors, with around 500,000 in their churches being discipled. And the third, fourth, fifth, etc., generations of discipleship are continuing today. In 2004, I started broadcasting on Lighthouse Television […]
An Excellent Spirit
The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego has always been one of my favorites. As a child, I loved the story’s sense of adventure. As a teen, I was moved by the three Hebrew children’s determination and conviction. But as an adult, it’s the hidden part of their story that speaks to me. In Andrew’s new teaching, An Excellent Spirit, he talks about this hidden part of their story: Everybody would like to have the benefits that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had. [But] it says right here (Daniel 6:3) that the reason he was promoted was because he had an excellent spirit…. Everybody would like [promotion] , but not everybody does the things that produce an excellent spirit…. God is not the one who determines whether you have an excellent spirit! I’ve seen the truth of that statement in my own life. When I turned sixteen, I prayed for a job. And when God gave me the opportunity to work somewhere besides fast food, I jumped on it. I started working for minimum wage, wrapping Christmas presents in a ritzy gift shop downtown. Sooner than anticipated, the holiday rush was over, and my hours dwindled. With no other skills […]
Anger Management
Have you ever been mad at God? Certainly, everyone has had anger rise up against a person. And there are a lot of people who are angry with themselves. Anger is a problem all of us have to deal with. Many people come from backgrounds where strife was just normal. Our culture is so full of envy and strife that it’s become part of life. We don’t realize how deadly it is. But realize it or not, strife will kill you. Listen to what James had to say about envy and strife: “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:16) Think about what this verse is saying for a moment. Envy and strife bring EVERY evil work. That is quite a revelation! You could be giving tithes and offerings and trusting God in the area of your finances, but if you’re living in strife, you are opening the door to poverty. You could be trying to take care of your body and meditating on healing scriptures, yet envy and strife will negate all of that and bring sickness and disease. No one who is trusting God for victory in any area of their life […]
As I Have Loved You
Imagine the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. He has communion with His disciples and washes their feet. He reveals that Judas is the one who will betray Him. He tells the disciples that He is leaving and they can’t come. Then, He speaks these words: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35) By virtue of the fact that this would be, in part, His final words to the disciples, they had to be very important. And notice that what He said to them was in the form of a command, not a suggestion. I am sure that everyone reading this letter has read or heard this passage many times. But in reality, most do not think that this is something they can actually do. It’s a goal that they may strive to reach with gritted teeth, but usually with little success. It begs the question – would Jesus give His disciples a command He knew they couldn’t keep? The answer is obviously no, so why […]
AWM World Outreach
This last July, we celebrated our 27th anniversary of the incorporation of Andrew Wommack Ministries with a special television broadcast. In that program, we reported on many of our outreaches around the world. Even some of my staff had no idea we built houses and churches in Nicaragua, or had given away goats and chickens to the poor in Uganda, just to mention a few. If you missed that broadcast, please request your free copy in either VHS or DVD. I think it’s important for you to know what the Lord is doing through this ministry because of your faithful support. For instance, on August 5 we introduced the new website, www.awmi.net, on television. As a result, we received 7,760 visits from 60 countries in just one day. Many of these people have never responded before, demonstrating again the power of television worldwide. In addition to broadcasting the Gospel Truth on national networks and individual stations in America, we are also seen around the world. Our broadcast on the God Channel, airing twice daily, reaches all of Europe, the Middle East, parts of Africa, India, and Australia. DayStar and the Church Channel networks also cover Europe, Africa, and Australia and […]
Believer’s Authority
Is there someone in your life who just rubs you the wrong way? If there is, it may surprise you to learn that it’s not really that person who is creating the rub. There is someone else at work – your real Enemy – and he may be using them in an attempt to gain an inroad to your life. There is a spiritual war going on, and as a believer, you must be aware of it. Many Christians have adopted a humanistic view of things. They do not realize the spiritual implication behind what is going on in their lives. What I mean by humanistic is that they only look at things on a surface level. They think most everything they encounter on a daily basis is either physical or natural. The truth is, there is a battle raging every single day in the spiritual realm. That battle is for your heart and the hearts of every other person on earth. God is trying to influence people and draw them toward righteousness and toward Himself, to live consistent with Him so that His blessings can manifest in their lives. Satan, on the other hand, is waging all-out war trying to steal the […]
Blessings and Miracles
It’s true that we serve a God of miracles. But brace yourself, because what I am going to say about that will come as a total shock to some of you. The Lord’s preference is not to meet your needs through a miracle. Now before you think I’ve lost all my faith, hear me out. I define a miracle as the suspension or superseding of natural laws, and personally, I’ve received many. There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord performs miracles and uses them like a bell to draw people unto Himself. But let me ask you, would you rather receive a miracle of healing or live with the blessing of good health? Would you rather have the Lord perform a miracle to pull you out of bankruptcy or be so blessed financially that He wouldn’t have to? I think the logical answer to both of those questions is obvious. It’s always better to avoid problems, which is the result of living in blessing, than it is to be delivered out of them, which requires a miracle. There are three important reasons for receiving from God through blessings rather than miracles. First, blessings prevent crises, while miracles deliver from […]
CBC In The Barn and Around The World
I wish you could have been with us on our first day of classes in The Barn in Woodland Park. It was awesome! The auditorium was filled with hundreds of people who are in the process of becoming disciples. Those in attendance were representing so many of you. Some of you are just now learning that God isn’t mad at you. Some of you are learning that you are who God says you are. Some of you are learning that God wants you well and that the war is over. Some of you shared a portion of what God has blessed you with to help pay for this building. All of these things are happening because of what Christ did over 2,000 years ago. Now God has provided a new home for even more disciples to be made. The faces in the crowd were students who have come to sit under the Word of God for two or three years to grow in their relationship with the Lord and to prepare themselves for whatever He has for them to do. My Television Department put together a week’s worth of programs that will be airing in the month of February. These programs will […]
Changed Lives in Africa – 2009
I have been blessed of the Lord to pray for thousands of people and see awesome miracles. It thrills me to see a person instantly healed or set free. But do you know what thrills me even more? Having the people I minister to do the same miracles. Hallelujah! That’s my greatest joy. Hopefully, the day of the one-man show is coming to an end. The only way we are truly going to change our world is to get every believer flowing in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord called us to make disciples, not just converts (Matt. 28:19-20). The ministry gifts are to perfect the saints so THEY can do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-13). From the very start of my ministry, the Lord directed me to take the things I’ve learned and train up faithful men and women who would be able to minister to others (2 Tim. 2:1-2). That’s why I’ve had a teaching ministry. As I’ve gotten older, the urgency is even greater. My time is limited. Anyone who isn’t training up others is ultimately a failure. I’m glad to report to you that we are seeing more people get hold of the truths […]
Christian Citizens and Disciples
I believe this year’s elections are the most important in my lifetime. Much is hanging in the balance, and this November could either be the turning point or the point of no return for our nation. I urge you to get out and vote, and become a part of the answer instead of a part of the problem. I also urge you to read this letter in its entirety. I believe it will give you a new perspective on the importance of your role as a Christian citizen and disciple of the Lord. John Adams, the second president of the United States, wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other…. Free government rests upon public and private morality. ”It is not our government that has failed; it’s the church that has failed to be the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13). Read what Dr. Jedediah Morse said in 1799: “In proportion as the genuine effects of Christianity are diminished in any nation, either through unbelief, or the corruption of its doctrines, or the neglect of it institutions; in the same proportion will the people of that […]
Christian First Aid Kit
When you’re facing a crisis, remember what Jesus said to His disciples the night before His crucifixion: “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1). Imagine what it would have been like to be one of Jesus’ disciples at the end. They watched as He was arrested, beaten, and crucified. All of their hopes and dreams were rooted in Him, and then He was dead and seemingly defeated. The confusion, hurt, and pain from that alone were probably unbearable, but then came the thoughts: We have made such sacrifices, leaving family and businesses, risking it all on the belief that Jesus was the Messiah. Might it all have been in vain? How long before they come to get us? That is real stress and pressure. I believe the disciples were facing a crisis that none of us will ever endure, yet what did Jesus say? “Let not your heart be troubled.” That statement is the first step in Christian first aid. When a crisis comes – and it will – reach for the first-aid kit, and let not your heart be troubled. I personally believe that people’s first reactions to a crisis will dictate whether or not they overcome. Most people let […]
Christian Philosophy
Every person views their life through a filter. For example, optimists see opportunity in every situation they face, while pessimists can only see defeat and failure. Both could be facing the same circumstances, but their filter determines how they respond. That filter could also be called their philosophy. A philosophy is simply a way of thinking. And whether you know it or not, the direction that your life is going has been influenced and controlled by your personal philosophy or your dominant way of thinking. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” If that is true – and it is – then it makes sense to be sure that you are viewing your life through the right filter. Colossians 2:8 says, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” In this scripture, Paul was giving the believers in Colosse a warning. The word “beware” is being used in the sense of a sentry on guard duty. It’s a military term talking about being on guard, being on the lookout. And the word “spoil” is not talking […]
Christians and Politics
The word myth is defined by Webster’s Dictionary this way: “A real or fictional story that appeals to the consciousness of a people by embodying its cultural ideals or by giving expression to commonly felt emotions.” That definition expresses exactly what has happened to the American church in regards to politics. An emotional, heartfelt desire to see our Christian ideals represented in government has led to the creation of a myth. That myth says this: Christians will lose their religious freedoms unless they become actively involved in the political system. But is that true? In the 1970s and 80s, this philosophy caused the largest grassroots movement of evangelical Christians into the political process that we have ever seen. That movement helped elect a conservative president to the White House twenty of the last twenty-eight years, and it subsequently changed the makeup of the Supreme Court. While these are good results, it is easy to see that politics have not solved our real problems. At best, many social ills were stayed off a little longer. Abortion still claims the lives of millions of innocent children every year, and the moral fabric of America appears to be unravelling at an alarming rate. […]
Dealing With Temptation
Everyone faces temptation. But the truth is, very few people deal with it effectively. That shouldn’t be the case, and it doesn’t have to be the case for believers. There are some very simple and effective ways of dealing with temptation that you should know, and if you’ll put them into practice, I guarantee, you’ll come out the winner. It has been said, “Fail to plan and you’re planning to fail.” That statement could not be truer when it’s applied to temptation. I don’t know anyone who gets up in the morning and prays to fail when faced with temptation, but I know many people who get up each morning and fail to plan for what the Bible says we will all certainly face. So, first and most important, you must be prepared. That’s so simple, you have to have someone’s help to misunderstand. But, we must have had a lot of help because very few people have taken the time or made the effort to prepare. Second Chronicles 12:14 says it this way, “And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.” This was speaking of Rehoboam, the king of Judah and the son […]
Decisions Determine Destiny
I’m sure you’ve heard the statement “Life is a series of choices.” To some, that’s too simple, but it really is true. Your decisions determine your destiny. Jamie and I recently took a vacation. We didn’t get in the car and just go in any direction; we had a goal, and every turn we took was calculated to help us reach our destination. We checked the map often and made a few adjustments when we missed a turn. We didn’t do it perfectly, but we got to where we wanted to go, because of decisions. Likewise, you make decisions every day that move you closer to your God-ordained destiny – or away from it. There is no such thing as just sitting still or putting God’s plan for your life on hold. That’s a deception. God’s will for you is intertwined with His will for others, and that is a constantly moving and changing dynamic. It’s like catching a flight. You can miss it. It’s true that the Lord can get you to your destiny another way. He’s certainly smarter than a GPS device that “recalculates” when you miss a turn. There is always a later flight with God. But […]
Discipleship Evangelism
Most Christians believe that the primary purpose of salvation is to avoid hell. That may have been what you were taught, but it’s not what the Bible teaches. In fact, that kind of thinking serves to inoculate people from the truth of the Gospel concerning salvation. If we simply ceased to exist at death and if there was no hell, I still believe that Jesus would have come to earth and died for us. Why? Because salvation is about having a relationship with God. God’s main reason for sending Jesus was to restore fellowship. It just so happens that as we restore our relationship with God through salvation, one of the perks – one of the great benefits – is that we miss hell and gain heaven. Nowhere in the Scripture did Jesus tell us to go and make converts. Let’s look at what is commonly referred to as the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:18-20. It says this: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the […]
Discover The Keys To Staying Full of God
Do you ever feel like you and God have drifted apart and that the love and joy you once experienced with Him has faded? If you do, you’re not alone. Most Christians feel like the experiences they have with God diminish over time and that they need another touch. But that is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible says God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). If that is true – and it is – who moved? As born-again believers, we are all capable of living in the fullness of God every day of our lives. God is continually pouring out His love, joy, peace, revelation knowledge, and every other blessing. But we can get to a point where we’re not receiving and “feel” like He has drifted away. Romans 1:21 says, “When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” This scripture contains four separate elements, or keys, that can lead us into and keep us operating in the fullness of God. Expressed positively, they are glorify God, be thankful, recognize the power of imagination, and have a good heart. We have the power to control […]
Don’t Limit God
God is HUGE! All of the universe can’t contain Him (1 Kin. 8:27). He is infinite, while everything He created is finite. “Finite” is defined as “limited” ( American Heritage Dictionary). We are limited. How can finite (limited) man adequately represent an infinite (limitless) God? This question presents a dilemma that has caused most people to not even try. But I am finding great satisfaction and immense joy in trying to take all the limits off God. The Lord spoke to me on January 31, 2002, and told me I was limiting what He wanted to do through me by my small thinking (Ps. 78:41). I began the process of changing the way I saw myself and what God could do through me, and it has been an awesome ride. Nearly thirteen years later, our television ministry is twenty times larger. Charis Bible College is now reaching sixty times as many people, and we have just completed the first phase of our new Charis campus in Woodland Park, Colorado. But, as many of you know through my recent letters, the Lord told me again this year that I’m still thinking too small. Although I have seen huge increases in every […]
Don’t Settle for Less, Receive God’s Best
A few months ago, I dreamed all night long of preaching a message entitled How to Receive God’s Best. I’ve spent weeks meditating on this and feel like the Lord gave this to me to share with you. Before I can share the heart of what the Lord spoke to me, I need to point out two very important things in that title: You have to learn how to RECEIVE God’s BEST. The Lord really impressed on me that the main reason we aren’t receiving His best is because we are willing to settle for less. Very few are committed to God’s best. We have been influenced more by the world than by God’s Word and “dumbed down” to accept far less than what God has provided. As long as you can live with less than God’s best, you will. That is a powerful truth. You have to get sick and tired of being sick and tired before you will aggressively pursue God’s best. You have to have a holy dissatisfaction with mediocrity before you can experience all that God has for you. It doesn’t happen accidentally or automatically. If you don’t pursue it, you won’t get it. Everything in […]
Effects of Praise
Living a life of praise is not only the most enjoyable way to live, but it’s also one of the most powerful ways to change your life. Praise isn’t like the caboose that just follows what happens, but it’s more like the engine of a train that makes things happen. Your faith isn’t complete without praise. Colossians 2:7 says that you abound in faith with thanksgiving. Praise affects you, it affects the devil, and it affects God. It touches everything and every part of your life. Likewise, a lack of praise affects you in a negative way, turns the devil loose in your life, and doesn’t bless God. You have to get this area of your life right. Nearly everyone agrees that praise is good, but very few feel any responsibility to praise God when they don’t feel like it. I don’t know anyone who wakes up in the morning and plans on being depressed. They would like to be happy and praise God, but they don’t feel they have any control over this. They think that praise is just a response to what happens and that if everything goes right, they will automatically do it. That is definitely not […]
Effortless Change
Kneeling beside my bed one day in 1968, I began to pray, “Lord, what do I have to do to get from where I am to where You want me to be?” I opened my eyes, and as I saw my Bible laying on the bed in front of me, I heard the Lord say, “Just put My Word in your heart, and it will do the rest.” Although the Lord spoke that to me in prayer, it was important for me to see it in the Word. He revealed and confirmed it to me through a parable in Mark 4:26-29. It says, And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; [27] And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. [28] For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. [29] But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. In this parable, Jesus compared the Word of God to a seed (Mark 4:14). Today, […]
Eternal Life
I once had an employee ask me what my most important teaching was. I didn’t know how to answer. I think they’re all important. Everything the Lord has shown me works together with other truths to make a whole. I said I couldn’t single out just one. This man had been miraculously saved from a cocaine addiction, and he was listening to my teachings day and night. He wanted to get to the bottom of everything, or to the core of Christianity. So, he finally asked, “If you only had one opportunity to minister to a person, what would you teach?” I still had to think for a moment, but quickly came up with an answer. I would share the meaning of true eternal life. That may not sound very profound or even foundational, but that’s because most people don’t know what the Bible means when it talks about eternal life. Someone might say, “Eternal life is living forever.” But that’s not it. No one ceases to exist when they die. Everyone lives forever in either heaven or hell. “Well then, eternal life must be living forever in heaven instead of hell.” That’s not it either. John 3:36 says, “He […]
Financial Stewardship
In the article, “I Earned It, It’s Mine! Right?”, I wrote about the spiritual side of financial stewardship. Jesus taught more about this subject than any other, so stewardship of money is very important to God. The Bible says in Luke 16:10-11 that if we are to be trusted with true riches of the kingdom, we must first be faithful in that which is least: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” The first big step toward financial blessing is to recognize that God is your source. As long as you think it’s your ability and your talent that causes you to prosper, you will probably have difficulty being faithful in that which is least. In this article, I want to address the practical side of stewardship. In the same way that faith is dead without works (James 2:20), believing for prosperity without practical knowledge about handling money won’t work either. To help with this, I have asked a member […]
Galatians-Ephesians-Phillippians-Colossians
The driving force behind all that I’ve done and taught is an absolute assurance that God loves me. He didn’t just love me before I committed some of my stupid acts, or He won’t just love me in the future when I get my act together. He loves me right now, independent of any worth of my own. It’s an unconditional love, not based on my performance. Therefore, I am assured it will continue. God’s love for us is based on Him being love (1 John 4:8), not on our being lovable. That’s wonderful news that most Christians and people in the world have not heard. Most people think that they have to do something to earn God’s favor; therefore, not many people have much hope of ever measuring up. The Gospel, as it is being presented today, actually drives people away from the Lord. Instead of telling people what the Lord has done for them, people preach about what we must do for the Lord. Many people are told that God’s acceptance and favor are conditional, based on them measuring up to His standard. This is not the truth. God’s true nature and love have not been accurately portrayed. […]
Getting Along With People
Did you know that the greatest commandments of all are not part of the Ten Commandments? In fact, all of the commandments and laws are an outgrowth of just two. Jesus said this in answer to the lawyer’s question in Matthew 22:36-40. “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Many of us are praying for healing, deliverance, and prosperity. We want joy, peace, and happiness in our homes. We want better relationships with family and friends, especially during the Christmas season. However, the answer to seeing these needs and desires met is all wrapped up in receiving God’s love and then walking in that love toward others. In September I wrote to you about God’s love toward you in the article, “Look Who Jesus Loves.” Once you understand just how much He loves you, it’s not hard to love Him with […]
God and Country
Just as surely as the Lord told the pastor of the church at Ephesus that he had left his first love (Rev. 2:4), America has left its first love; i.e., God. The United States was founded by people who loved God. In 1620, the Pilgrims landed near what is today Plymouth, Massachusetts, erected a cross, and prayed for the Lord’s guidance and protection. From the very beginning, this nation was dedicated to God. Regardless of what revisionists to our history try to say, that’s the truth. How did the Lord tell the pastor in Ephesus to remedy his situation Revelation 2:5a says, Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works. To remember, repent, and return is what it means to do the first works. This is how the Lord told the pastor at Ephesus to get back what he had lost. This will also work for us as individuals, and it will work on the national level too. We need to remember how this nation started, repent for the way that it is, and return to the standards and principles that made it great. That’s why I’m doing two weeks of interviews on my […]
God Wants You to Succeed
God designed you for success. He made you to be a winner. This is true for every person, regardless of what has happened in the past. God has never destined anybody to live a mediocre life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. This verse says that God knows His thoughts toward you, and His desire is to give you an expected end. That end is promised in the Word of God. You can walk in victory like Moses. He was 120 years old, and his eyesight wasn’t dim nor his natural force abated (Deut. 34:7). He actually climbed a mountain the day he went home to be with the Lord. These things are in the Word, and God is no respecter of persons. What we have today is superior to what Moses had in the Old Testament. We can be guaranteed success. Now, I’m not saying success can always be achieved without a fight or without effort, but we were destined for great things. God created every one of us to be something special, but I also […]
God Wants You Well
A head-on collision, the jaws of life, a helicopter flight to the hospital, and thirty-one days in the ICU. The injuries were so extensive that Ken should have died. But his wife, Virginia, believed God, and a healing journey began. Had Carol sunk into an earthly pit so deep and dark that even Jesus’ arms could not rescue her? At 290 pounds with a history of drugs, multiple abortions, and abuse, if Jesus couldn’t – or wouldn’t – save her, she knew she would die. After years of severe headaches, twelve-year-old Scott was healed and then diagnosed with a rare disease. He had Barrett’s oesophagus, a life-threatening condition unheard of in children. The story of a little girl’s miracle opened the door to his healing. Merci’s multiple sclerosis progressively worsened. Unable to work, drive, or even walk, she had come to the end. “What am I doing wrong, Lord? Why am I not healed?” The answer would change her life. The ultrasound showed fluid on the brain, flattened facial features, calcium deposits in the heart, and more – all symptoms of Down’s syndrome. The doctor recommended abortion, but the parents believed God! These five stories have been documented and recorded […]
God’s Kind of Love
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). Most of us think that we really understand the love of God, but our experience proves otherwise. We feel lonely, depressed, discouraged, and defeated. Every one of these negative emotions would be turned to positive by a proper revelation of God’s love for us. As for loving others, most of us would admit there are some people who are very difficult to love. Since we do not fully understand God’s love for us, we fail in loving others. We can’t give away what we don’t have. If we receive a full revelation of God’s love for us, it becomes easy to love others with the love that we have received. When we struggle to believe that God’s promises to us will come to pass, that’s unbelief; but the root of that unbelief is a lack of love. Galatians 5:6 says faith works by love. That means love is the driving force behind our faith. Remove or diminish love, and faith ceases to be […]
God’s Kind of Marriage
There are very few things in our world today that were ever a part of God’s perfect plan for mankind. The elaborate government systems, with all their checks and balances and laws, would not be necessary if it were not for the corruption that sin produced. The monetary system, with all the buying and selling, would not be necessary in a sinless world that did unto others as they would have others do unto them. And many other things that we consider institutions in our society were never intended by God, but simply are ways of trying to cope with and control the perversion that entered the world through sin. But one thing that God established while man was still in a sinless condition and said that it was not good for man to do without was marriage. Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet [or sufficient] for him.” A perfect man who had none of the pressures or problems that we know of today still was not complete without a mate. And it was not Adam who approached God about the situation and asked for a […]
God’s Word the Seed of His Blessing
A true revelation of God’s Word is the single most important element of a victorious Christian life. The Word of God often refers to itself as a seed. There are a total of forty-four verses in the New Testament where the Greek word “sperma” was translated “seed.” This is the same word from which we derive our English word “sperm.” To conceive and give birth to the miracles you need, you must first plant God’s Word like a seed in your heart. Conception cannot take place without first planting the seed. There has only been one virgin birth, and the birth of you’re miracle won’t be the second. I constantly meet Christians who pray and believe for God’s intervention in their lives, but remain frustrated with the results. It’s because they are missing the seeds of conception; they just don’t know God’s Word. In Mark 4, the Lord taught three parables which illustrate that the Word is to the kingdom of God what a natural seed is to a harvest. The first of these parables, the story of the sower, is the key to unlocking all the Word of God (Mark 4:13). If we don’t understand these truths, Jesus said we won’t understand any […]
God’s Man, Plan, and Timing
Many years ago, the Lord dealt with me strongly using the life of Moses about His timing for His will. We can’t speed up His timing, but we can slow it down. When Moses killed the Egyptian who was oppressing one of his Jewish brethren, he was trying to fulfill God’s call on his life. I know that this is not the way the movie The Ten Commandments portrayed it, but that’s the way the Bible portrays it. Acts 7:25 reveals that Moses supposed that the Jews would recognize him as God’s deliverer, but they didn’t. Moses knew he was a Jew, and he was aware of God’s call on his life to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, but it’s not enough to know what God wants you to do. You have to know God’s plan and timing for accomplishing His will. Moses missed it on both of these counts. In Genesis 15:13, the Lord told Abram that his descendants would be in a strange land as servants for 400 years. Then Exodus 12:40-41 says, “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to […]
Gospel of Peace
Most Christians today have not been able to take full advantage of their redemption because of a lack of understanding God’s grace. They believe God has the power to meet their needs, but they doubt God’s willingness to use that power on their behalf because they know they aren’t what they should be. In other words, they feel that their sin stops God’s grace. But that’s not what God’s Word teaches. Under the New Covenant that Jesus put into effect, right standing with God comes as a free gift to everyone who will believe (Rom. 4:3-5, 5:18). Yet the faith to believe is tied to the knowledge we have (2 Pet. 1:3-4). If we think our performance is a qualification for God’s blessing, then we’ll never walk in God’s best – not because we doubt God’s ability but because we are all too aware of our inability. But this is where the good news of the gospel comes in. God doesn’t need our ability, just our positive response to His ability. Hebrews 10:1-2 says that because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we should have no more consciousness of sin. What a statement! God isn’t holding our sins against us. Our […]
Grace the Power of The Gospel
The Gospel is the most basic, foundational message of the New Testament, yet it’s the most misunderstood. Today’s religious system is not preaching the same Gospel that Paul did. They mix it with the Law, and that isn’t the Gospel at all. The book of Romans was written to explain the Gospel so that anybody could understand it. Paul, the writer, made it so simple that you’d have to have somebody help you to misunderstand it. And, unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of help! Paul started off with this statement in Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. That is a radical statement. This word “gospel” in the original Greek is a word that was seldom used at the time this was written. Nobody talked this way, because the word literally means nearly-too-good-to-be-true news. It referred to news that was so awesome, nothing really justified using it. Nothing was nearly too good to be true. But Paul said he was not ashamed of the Gospel. Why? “For it is the power of […]
Hardness of Heart
I used to think people with hard hearts were God-haters or, at the least, people in rebellion to Him. That’s what I used to think until the day the Lord told me I had a hard heart. While on a flight to a meeting, I was reading about the story of Jesus walking to His disciples on the water, recorded in Mark 6:45-52. They were in a terrible storm. After nine hours they were still only halfway across the Sea of Galilee, normally a two-hour trip. They were in trouble and fighting for their lives. Yet here came Jesus walking on top of the very thing that was trying to kill them. He was totally in control. This impacted me so much that I put my Bible down and just stared out the window. A solid layer of clouds was beneath the plane. In my imagination, I thought about what it would be like to see Jesus walking on the clouds. That’s not any more impossible than Jesus walking on the water! I was just awestruck as I considered this. I continued reading in Mark 6:51 and saw that the disciples had a similar reaction. The latter part of that […]
Harnessing Your Emotions
The Bible teaches us that our thoughts are the determining factor which controls our actions. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Notice that carnal mindedness doesn’t just tend toward death – it is death! No one can consistently perform differently than the way they think; therefore, we cannot change our actions without changing our thinking. It’s not just what we think about that needs changing, but we must change our thinking process. Our emotions are linked directly to how we think. All people have a perception, or image, on the inside of them of what they are like. This image is not necessarily based on facts but on feelings. One negative experience can distort a person’s perception of themselves for a lifetime. For instance, some people who are beautiful may think of themselves as ugly or undesirable because of unkind words spoken to them as a child. Some who achieve great success still see themselves as failures, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. To a degree, psychology has correctly diagnosed this problem. Psychologists use terminology […]
Hebrews Highlights
Over the last forty years of teaching the Bible, I have learned some interesting things about how Christians determine what they believe. Unfortunately, one of the things I’ve learned is that many Christians never let the Bible get in the way of what they believe. A recent Barna Survey reveals that for the first time, most Americans now depend upon their own logic, tradition, or experience to formulate beliefs. Few actually take the Word of God as the basis of their beliefs. The result is what Jesus spoke about in Mark 7:13: “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition.” Most Christians today aren’t aware that their “old-time religion” is polluted with many traditions that void the power of God’s Word. While there are plenty of “man-made” traditions that are harmful, it comes as a complete shock to most believers that there are traditions instituted by God that can make His Word of no effect. After you pick yourself up off the floor from that statement, let me explain. The Old Testament way of relating to God is not the same as the New Testament way of having a relationship with God. The Old Testament was legalistic […]
Hell, a Reality or a Metaphor
The word Gospel means good news, and it’s not good news to tell people that they are going to hell. However, there is a hell for those who don’t accept God’s offer of grace, and I believe it’s important for people to understand this. I’ve been appalled at the doctrine of “ultimate reconciliation,” or “universalism,” that has crept into the body of Christ today. This doctrine teaches that God will ultimately reconcile everyone to Himself, even the devil and those in hell. Some variations of this say that hell is only a state of mind and not a real place or that those in hell will only suffer punishment for a limited time. Nothing could be further from the truth. As I prayed about this, the Lord reminded me that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). Then He asked me, “When is the last time you taught from Scripture about hell?” I realized I had never taught a whole message on hell. I certainly believe it exists and have mentioned it, but I have never taught on hell. I’m always emphasizing the unconditional love and grace of God. I make no apologies for that. That’s what changed my life. I’m […]
Her Name is Grace
Her name is Grace, but she didn’t understand what “grace” meant. In fact, those who attended her church called her “the Judge.” She drove the people from her church when they sinned, often telling them God would strike them dead. Her congregation, intimidated and fearful, had dwindled to less than fifty. This was a woman who loved God, but was steeped in the religion of performance and legalism. She had been fasting, eating only two meals a week, for a year. It was her attempt to earn the favor and power of God. She had no idea it was already hers. Sometimes she would see miracles of healing but believed it was due to her “earning God’s favor.” Then in 2007, she began attending the Discipleship Evangelism (DE) course being taught by Leland Shores. Leland, a 2005 graduate of Charis Bible College, moved to Kampala, Uganda, in 2007. The Lord called him to take what he had learned and teach it to the people of Uganda. He understood that to reach the nation, he would have to commit his life to these people and focus on teaching the Word to the local pastors. It was in these weekly meetings that […]
Holy Spirit
There are few things more controversial in the body of Christ than the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the accompanying gifts. The word Gospel means good news, and it’s not good news to tell people that they are going to hell. However, there is a hell for those who don’t accept God’s offer of grace, and I believe it’s important for people to understand this. Much of modern-day Christianity sees the born-again experience as all there is to salvation. Many Christians oppose the belief that there is a separate experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit, and they especially oppose the validity of the gifts of the Holy Spirit for today’s believers. That type of belief puts them in conflict with the book of Acts and the very teaching of Jesus. Those who experience the power of the Holy Spirit today are labeled as fanatics or heretics. But what does the Bible have to say? What did Jesus say about this? On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, He made one of the most astounding statements of His whole ministry. John 16:7 records these words: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for […]
How to be Happy
Everyone longs for happiness, but few possess it. The pursuit of it is universal and timeless. Generations ago, the writers of the United States Declaration of Independence recognized that longing. In it they wrote that every man is endued by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, one of which is the pursuit of happiness. For most people, however, happiness is elusive. To make it even more elusive, many Christians have been told that holiness and happiness just don’t go together. That’s because in the church, there has been an emphasis placed on Jesus as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” However, that is not the whole story. The same Bible that says Jesus suffered also says He was anointed with the oil of gladness above everyone else and that the joy of the Lord is our strength. “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Heb. 1:9). “Then he said unto them, Go […]
How to Become a Water Walker
It is true that some storms are of our own making. Jonah proved that (Jonah 1-3). Jonah ran from God, encountered a storm while on a ship, was thrown overboard, and wound up in the belly of a fish. But these disciples were smack dab in the centre of God’s will when this storm hit in Matthew 14. I’m saying all this to point out that you can’t look at circumstances to tell you whether you are in God’s will. You need a word from God. You need an inner witness from the Holy Ghost that what you’re doing is what God told you to do. If you don’t have that, it will hinder you from seeing His power manifest in your life. When problems come, you’ll feel condemned and think, I brought this on myself; I deserve it. You need to know, first of all, that you are doing what God told you to do. Most of these disciples were fishermen on that very lake. I personally believe that the reason Jesus had to constrain them to get into the boat was because they knew that the conditions were ripe for a storm, and they didn’t want to be out on […]
How to Deal with Grief
The dictionary defines “grief” as, “deep sadness, as over a loss; sorrow” (NAHD). This is not limited to, but certainly includes, the loss of a loved one. It includes the sense of loss that many feel for those who died in the terrorist attacks. People grieve over the loss of relationships, careers, youth, innocence, and many other things. Those who have lived any length of time are well acquainted with grief and know that it is an inescapable part of life. We cannot avoid all grief, but we can avoid all the destruction that grief can cause. One of the first things I always minister to those experiencing grief is that their situation isn’t unique. I think this is very important. One of the devil’s most deceptive ploys is to make you think that no one else knows what you are going through. There have even been songs written about, “Nobody knows the trouble I feel, nobody knows my sorrow.” That just isn’t true. The Scripture says very plainly, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man” (1 Cor. 10:13). Any situation you find yourself in is not only experienced by others, but it is […]
How to Find God’s Will
Recently one of my employees told me about a man she met at a business near our office. When the man found out that this employee worked for me, he said that about thirty years ago, he had given one of my tapes to his niece who was living a very ungodly lifestyle. After she listened to the tape, she turned her life over to the Lord and eventually became a missionary, totally dedicated to God’s will for her life. Praise God for this testimony! But what if I hadn’t been walking in God’s will and preaching the Gospel? One possibility is that her life may never have changed. Of course, God could have used someone else to reach her, but who knows how long that would have taken or how far from God she may have strayed in the meantime? This story illustrates how important it is for each one of us to be doing what God has called us to do. Are you fulfilling your call? Do you even know what God has ordained for your life? If not, you’re certainly not alone. I recently ministered at a Gospel Truth Seminar in Orlando, Florida, on the subject of […]
How to Find, Follow, and Fulfil God’s Will
This month on television, I begin a new series called How to Find, Follow, and Fulfill God’s Will. I’m also releasing a new book and set of study guides for this teaching that I’m really excited about because this is what changed my life. I was a fairly typical kid until my senior year of high school. As I neared graduation, I realized I was going to have to make decisions about my future that would determine the rest of my life. One thing I believed very strongly was that God had a plan for my life. I didn’t have a clue what that plan was, but I was determined to find out! I started seeking the Lord. I asked the leaders of my church, but they couldn’t offer any clear direction. So, I started reading the Bible as I never had before. It was normal for me to study the Word from nine at night till one or two in the morning throughout my senior year of high school. I didn’t get any specific guidance; I just knew my answer had to be in the Bible somewhere, so I was devouring it. I graduated from high school and began […]
How to Follow God’s Will
Finding God’s will for your life is essential, but it’s just the beginning. Once you start moving in God’s direction, you have a big target painted on your back. Satan will do everything he can to stop you. If you don’t bump into the devil, it’s because you both are headed in the same direction. You’re going to have all kinds of problems trying to follow God’s will. You can definitely learn from hard knocks. I certainly have. But I don’t recommend it. There is a better way. You can learn from somebody else’s hard knocks. This is exactly what the Scripture has to say: Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. [7] Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. [8] Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. [9] Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. [10] Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and […]
How to Fulfill God’s Will
It is more tragic when a person knows God’s will but doesn’t fulfil it than if they never knew His will to begin with (2 Pet. 2:21). I believe this happens more often than most people realize. When we get to heaven and look back on our lives, I don’t think many of us will say, “I trusted God too much.” But many of us will say, “I played it too safe. I spent my time being occupied with too many things and not going for what God said.” So, I think how to fulfil God’s will may be the most important part of this teaching, How to Find, Follow, and Fulfill God’s Will. It is super important that you learn how to finish your race properly. Let’s turn over to Hebrews 12:1. It says, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. It says you have to run with patience the race that is set before you, and the way you do that is by […]
How to Hear God’s Voice
One of the greatest benefits of our salvation has to be that of hearing God speak to us personally. There can be no intimate relationship with our heavenly Father without it. But, as easy as it is for us to speak to Him, the average Christian has a hard time hearing His voice. This is not the way the Lord intended it to be. Learning to clearly distinguish God’s voice is invaluable. Instead of going through life blindly, we can have the wisdom of God guide and protect us. There isn’t a single person receiving this letter who couldn’t have their life radically transformed by hearing the voice of the Lord better. The worst marital problem is one word from the Lord away from a total turnaround. If you have sickness or disease, one living word from the Lord will instantly heal you. If you are in financial crisis, the Lord knows exactly how to turn your situation around. It’s just a matter of hearing His voice. The Lord constantly speaks to us and gives us His direction. It’s never the Lord who is not speaking, but it’s us who are not hearing. Jesus made some radical statements about hearing […]
How to Overcome Doubt
No one is immune to doubt. It can and does happen to us all. You’ve just got to know how to handle it when it comes. Even the greatest men and women of God recorded in the Bible had to deal with doubt. Jesus said of John the Baptist, “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11). That means John was greater in the sight of Jesus than Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, or any Old Testament character you can name. Yet John doubted the most important thing of all by questioning whether Jesus was really the Christ. John the Baptist had been cast into prison for criticizing Herod about marrying his brother’s wife, an incestuous relationship. He had been there sometime between six months and two years and became so discouraged that he asked two of his disciples to go to Jesus and ask Him if He really was the Christ. It’s easy to read that and not think much about it, but the truth is, it was nothing but unbelief on the part of John the Baptist. Think about who John was. He […]
How to Prepare Your Heart
“And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD” (2 Chr. 12:14) Relatively few people are determined to do evil. They don’t wake up in the morning seeking ways to transgress. Rather, they fall into sin because they have not prepared their hearts to seek the Lord. This passage in 2 Chronicles 12:14 is speaking of Rehoboam, the king of Israel, who was the grandson of David. He inherited the throne when he was 41 years old, at the death of his father Solomon. In the beginning of his reign, his heart was sensitive to the Lord. He turned back from battle simply because of a prophet who spoke to him in the name of the Lord (2 Chr. 11:1-4). However, his seeking the Lord only lasted for three of the 17 years of his reign (2 Chr. 11:17). Sound familiar? It certainly does to me. During the time I have been in the ministry, I have known thousands of people who genuinely loved the Lord at one time and were excited about the things of God, yet they grew cold and, in many cases, completely abandoned the Lord and the things that were once […]
How to Receive a Miracle
A miracle – the supernatural intervention of God. All of us have needed a miracle in the past, need one now, or will need of one in the future. The problem is that most Christians don’t know how to receive a miracle from God. The best advice is don’t wait until a storm hits to learn how to believe God for a miracle. During a storm, emotions will cancel out your faith. It’s good to clarify the difference between a blessing and a miracle. A miracle is a supernatural intervention of God in a crisis situation. A blessing is still God’s power, but it flows through natural channels. Blessings are better than miracles. If you live your life from one miracle to the next, you will live from crisis to crisis. It’s better to be blessed with good health than to always need divine healing. God’s will is for us to walk in blessing. We all need a miracle at some time to simply jump-start our faith. If it weren’t for miracles, we wouldn’t grow to the point where we could walk in the blessings of God. Most Christians believe that God does miracles, but simply believing God is able […]
Is Jesus Enough?
Would God send His only Son to bear our sin, becoming sin itself, and then judge Him without mercy for that sin if His sacrifice wasn’t enough? No! Yet, many Christians act as though it wasn’t enough and continue to believe God is withholding His blessing because of their sin. It’s time to learn the truth. Over the years I have ministered to thousands of people directly who just won’t let the Bible get in the way of their theology. Religious traditions and widely-accepted teaching have become the basis of their beliefs, rather than the Bible. The results are obvious: Their relationship with Christ is profiting them little or at the very least less than God intended. These are people who have accepted Jesus as their Savior. Yet, they can’t get healed, they’re unhappy, depressed, fearful, and full of unbelief. That shouldn’t be! As you read, I encourage you to allow the Bible, God’s Word, to get right in the middle of your theology. Let me start by making this radical statement. If you’re conscious of sin, then you truly don’t understand the grace of your salvation through Jesus. It sounds radical, but it’s true. That is totally different than the way most people […]
It begins with a sure foundation
A true revelation of God’s Word is the single most important element of a victorious Christian life. The Word of God often refers to itself as a seed. There are a total of forty-four verses in the New Testament where the Greek word sperma was translated “seed.” This is the same word from which we derive our English word “sperm.” To conceive and give birth, whether it’s for a miracle you need in your body or for the vision God has given you, you must first plant God’s Word like a seed in your heart. Conception, which eventually produces the fruit, cannot take place without first planting a seed. I constantly meet Christians who pray and believe for God’s intervention in their lives, but remain frustrated with their results. Why? Because they have never conceived their miracles by planting the seed of God’s Word in their hearts. That’s like a woman who prays to get pregnant and then is confused when it doesn’t come to pass even though she has never had a relationship with a man. The seed has to be planted for conception to take place. In Mark 4, the Lord taught three parables that illustrate that the […]
It Finally Happened
On February 7, 2011, our U.S. viewing audience nearly tripled with the start of our daily broadcast on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) at 6:30 a.m. EST. I’ve been believing for this for a long time. In just the eleven years and one month since our first television broadcast was aired on January 3, 2000, we have covered and are well on our way to saturating the U.S. with the Gospel Truth. I believe everyone deserves to hear the true Gospel. Thank You, Jesus, and thank you to all our partners whom the Lord has used to accomplish this. Just as the conservative talk shows have provided an alternative to liberal media, I believe the Lord has raised up our Gospel Truth broadcasts as an alternative to mainstream religion. In January of 2011, we received 29,000 calls in our Phone Center. With the addition of our daily TBN broadcasts, I expect to be receiving over 50,000 calls, or more, per month before the year is out. This means we will need more staff and that a lot more free materials will be going out. With the cost of the airtime, we estimate an additional $400,000 per month will be necessary to […]
Killing Sacred Cows
The Word of God is awesome! It has all the power we will ever need for every situation in our lives (Heb. 4:12). All we have to do is mix it with faith and, praise God, a miracle (Heb. 4:2)! I know many of you are thinking, It isn’t that easy. I believe the Word and I’m doing everything I know to do, yet things still haven’t worked out. I have experienced that too – personally and with many people I’ve ministered to. So, what’s the problem? Actually, there are many problems, but I think most of them can be summed up by what Jesus said in Mark 7:13: “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition.” What a startling statement! Wrong teaching – specifically religious doctrines – makes God’s Word of no effect. The most significant revelations I’ve received from the Lord all have to do with renewing my mind from old ways of thinking that I learned in church. As I was freed from the traditions, the simplicity of God’s Word set me free. At a recent Gospel Truth Seminar, the Lord led me to counter a number of traditions that void God’s Word. It […]
Knowing God
If I were to ask a group of people what’s the greatest thing in life, I would probably get as many answers as there were people. Certainly many things contribute to a full and happy life, but I hope all believers would agree that knowing God is absolutely the greatest and most important of all. Without that, everything else loses meaning. The Apostle Paul put it this way in Philippians 3:8: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Think of this: Paul wasn’t a loser. He hadn’t hit rock bottom with nowhere else to go. He wasn’t turning from a life of failure and counting that as “dung.” He was one of the most educated and accomplished men of his day. He was the elite of the religious class. People knew him and they wanted to be like him. Paul wasn’t writing just about the time before he was born again. He had been a Christian for decades at the time he wrote this. He had […]
Lessons From David
Whatever problem you’re facing today – whether in your finances, in your health, in your marriage, or wherever – your problem is not bigger than what David faced. He had to deal with a real, live giant. And the qualities God instilled in David that enabled him to succeed will work for you too. You’ve probably heard the story of David defeating Goliath, but have you applied these same principles to your giant? One of the foundational truths that enabled David to face this giant was that he viewed the whole situation through God’s covenant: What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 1 Samuel 17:26 David’s reference to Goliath being uncircumcised was pointing out that Goliath didn’t have any covenant rights like he did. In fact, every Israelite soldier was one of God’s covenant people, but they didn’t act like it. Likewise, all true believers have covenant rights to health, prosperity, joy, peace, etc., but not all look at their circumstances through the covenant. These Israelite soldiers were looking at Goliath and not […]
Lessons From Elijah
The Bible says, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17). Yet he was mightily used of God. This reference is talking about the time Elijah became so despondent that he asked God to kill him (1 Kin. 19:4). Elijah wasn’t perfect, yet he called fire down from heaven three times; he was the first person to raise someone from the dead; he caused the greatest revival in history up to that point; his word started and ended a three-year drought; he multiplied food miraculously; and he is one of only two men who never died – he was caught up alive into heaven. There is a lot we can learn from a man like this, both positive and negative. The Bible gives little background on Elijah. It wasn’t his pedigree or education that brought him into a position of influence and power. Elijah was nobody until he received a word from God. It was the revelation God gave him that put him into a position of leadership. Likewise, anyone who is born again, or baptized in the Holy Spirit, or has a good relationship with the Lord, has a revelation from God too. Just […]
Lessons From Joseph
How many of life’s lessons have you learned through the “school of hard knocks”? I’ve certainly learned a few that way. They make great testimonies – if you survive them, but I don’t recommend it. There’s a better way! God’s Word is full of the good and bad experiences of men and women of old, placed there as examples for you and me. I decided a long time ago that a study of those examples is a much better way and a lot less painful way to learn. Through the study of their lives, I know I have gained the wisdom and understanding to make decisions that have allowed me to avoid many of the hard knocks that come through trial and error. First Corinthians 10:11 says, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [examples]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” One of my favourite characters is Joseph. Next to Jesus, Joseph may be the greatest example of godly character and integrity in the Bible. Joseph’s story began with a dream at the age of seventeen. He knew the dreams he was having were from the Lord and […]
Lessons From the Christmas Story
Christmas is an awesome time of the year. I didn’t always think that way. Even before I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I got discontented with all the commercialism associated with Christmas. I remember as a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old teenager, I convinced my family to take all the money we would have spent on gifts for each other and to give that money to the missions program at church. That allowed our Christmas celebration to centre on what was really important. Then, when I had my miraculous encounter with the Lord on March 23, 1968, I fell in love with Him a thousand times more than I had ever experienced His love at Christmas. It was like every day was Christmas, many times over. Therefore, Christmas became just another day to me. As I began to seek the Lord, I became aware of all the pagan practices incorporated into the Christmas season, and I became disillusioned with the whole thing. For the first sixteen years of my married life, we didn’t have a Christmas tree or decorate for Christmas. We would have a birthday cake for Jesus and give gifts to our boys, but we made it clear […]
Lisa Paxton’s Testimony
At our Helpline, prayer ministers often pray with callers for healing. As a result, we receive good reports of God’s faithfulness. We want to build your faith by sharing testimonies of God’s healing power. In January, a woman called to request prayer for her son who had been shot in the head. She later called back to report that her son is back home and doing great with no side effects. Recently, a man called to praise God for his healing. He had previously prayed with a Helpline minister about a tumor. The tumor immediately began shrinking and was almost gone after two weeks. A woman called to agree in prayer for a baby born with viral pneumonia. The baby was on 100 percent oxygen and was not eating. She reported back that the baby was healed, eating on his own, and going home soon. The doctors and nurses all said it was a miracle. One caller reported, “A prayer minister prayed with me in February for healing of two herniated disks. The prayer minister told me how to pray and believe. Two nights ago at church, I received my healing. I am completely healed. I took off running at […]
Living in the Balance of Grace and Faith
At our Gospel Truth Seminars, I always take time before meetings to talk with friends and partners. One of the most common questions I’m asked is “What do I need to do to receive the blessings of God?” It is usually followed by this explanation: “I have been praying, reading my Bible, going to church, and paying my tithes, yet I don’t seem to be able to get my prayers answered.” In that question and explanation lies the root of the problem: They have fallen into the trap of linking God’s response to their performance. They have not properly understood the balance of grace and faith and their relationship to each other. By definition, the word grace means unmerited, unearned, undeserved favour. Therefore, the good news is, grace has nothing to do with you. Grace existed before you ever came to be. Another way of saying it is, grace is God’s part. Faith is defined as being a positive response to what God has already provided by grace. In other words, faith is your positive response to God’s grace, or faith only appropriates what God has already provided for you. Therefore, faith is your part. Grace and faith work together, […]
Look Who Jesus Loves
If you have listened to any of my teachings, you’ve heard me speak about the love of God. That’s what changed my life. The titles, subjects, and Scripture references of my albums are all different, but I’m always teaching about some aspect of God’s unconditional love. I believe a true, experiential understanding of God’s love will drastically change anyone’s life. That’s the point that the Apostle Paul was making in Ephesians 3:19. It says, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Knowing God’s love experientially surpasses mere head knowledge, and it always results in us being filled with all the fullness of God. I could say it this way: If you aren’t experiencing all the fullness of God, then you aren’t experiencing God’s love. Many people would argue with that. They would say that they know God loves them but that they are just under their circumstances at the moment. My answer would be, “What are you doing under there!” The Bible says we are to be above only and not beneath (Deut. 28:13). When we are enjoying God’s love, everything else pales in comparison. No problem can […]
New You and the Holy Spirit
One of the leading evangelists of our day has been quoted as saying that he believes only fifteen percent of professing Christians are truly born again. That’s a startling statement! I’m not sure that’s accurate, but I certainly believe that many, if not a majority, of those who call themselves Christians are not truly saved. If you have listened to any of my teachings, you’ve heard me speak about the love of God. That’s what changed my life. The titles, subjects, and Scripture references of my albums are all different, but I’m always teaching about some aspect of God’s unconditional love. You can tell that by the values they hold and the lives they live. This means that millions of people who profess to be saved aren’t. The following certainly confirms it. BARNA RESEARCH SURVEY The results of a recent survey indicated that most protestant Christians don’t understand – or believe – their own theology about salvation. The Barna Research Group asked 6,242 adults nationwide, “Can a good person earn their way to heaven?” The percentage of those responding “yes” were as follows: Assembly of God 22% Baptist 38% Presbyterian 52% Lutheran 54% Episcopalian 58% Methodist 59% Roman Catholic 82% […]
Nikis Miracle
I don’t know anyone who wants to be sick. Everyone wants to be healthy. That’s evident in the huge amount of money that flows into hospitals, doctors’ offices, and pharmacies. People will do just about anything to retain or regain their health. That is a universal desire; you could easily say it’s one of the most compelling desires of everyone who has ever lived. That’s because mankind was created by God to live forever. There is a God-given aversion in every one of us to sickness, disease, and death. God didn’t create us to be anything less than perfectly healthy. Sickness came upon us as a result of our rejection of God and His ways. Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 say, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Death, including sickness, was our choice, not God’s. If total health is God’s original plan for man, and one of the most universal needs of man is total health, doesn’t it make sense that the Lord would address this need? Why is it that so many Christians are opposed to divine healing? Why do others who believe in healing fail to […]
Observing All Things
How much does the Bible get in the way of what you believe? If you’re like most Christians, you believe in Jesus, but you’ve compartmentalised your faith so that your Bible beliefs have only a little influence over other areas of your life. For many, the Bible doesn’t influence what they believe one iota! As long as they claim to believe on Jesus, they think they can believe whatever they want about issues in life and society. That is absolutely wrong! All that this means is they have not been taught to observe all things Jesus commanded: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20a] teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19-20a, New King James Version You see, a disciple is a person who observes all things Jesus commanded. By and large, the church has not been making disciples. Their goal has basically been “Let’s just get people born again and make sure they’re headed to heaven. Everything else will work out.” This has caused problems. Because the church isn’t teaching people to observe all […]
Our Authority God’s Power
There are a number of keys to seeing the miraculous power of God manifest on a consistent basis. One of the least understood, and therefore seldom practiced, is the fact that healing is under the authority of the believer. God has already provided His healing power and placed it on the inside of every born-again believer. It is up to us to release it. Understanding and using our authority is the key to seeing miracles happen. Look at how Peter and John ministered healing to the lame man in Acts 3:1-8: “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I […]
Paul’s Secret to Happiness
Are you truly happy? Selah (pause and think on that for a moment). That’s a huge question. For most Christians, if they’re honest, they’d have to admit that their happiness is very conditional. It’s sad, but it’s true. Circumstances control most people’s happiness. But that’s the problem: True joy and happiness don’t come from circumstances. The Apostle Paul gave us a great example of this. He had a vision from God that he was supposed to go minister to the people in Macedonia. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. [10] And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. Acts 16:9-10 Even though Paul and his companion Silas had a divine mandate from God to go and minister there, everything didn’t go perfectly. Within just a few days, they were beaten and thrown in the worst part of the prison with their feet and hands in stocks (Acts 16:16-24). But look at Paul and Silas’s response to this: And at […]
Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Cor. 12:7-10) This thorn in the flesh that Paul mentioned has been used and misused by Christians to justify submitting to nearly any problem that comes along. Satan has twisted this passage of Scripture to deceive many, many people into believing that God would not heal Paul, so how can they expect to be healed? Let us examine this closely and find out exactly what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. First of all, this “thorn” came because of the abundance of revelations […]
Positive Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Most people have been led to believe that self-doubt, self-condemnation, feelings of unworthiness, and conviction for individual sins are the work of the Holy Spirit. But it’s just not true! Those of you who are familiar with this ministry know that I spend a great deal of time teaching on the unconditional love and grace of God. That is what changed my life. But I can tell by the questions and comments I get that many people still don’t get it. Because of that, years ago I asked the Lord to give me a way of expressing His grace that people can’t miss. That is when He gave me one of the most important revelations I have ever had about the positive ministry of the Holy Spirit. Not everyone likes this, but they understand what I’m saying. The devil’s favourite tool, religion, has done a great job of convincing the body of Christ that the Holy Spirit is the source of negative feelings. He has believers convinced it’s the Holy Spirit showing them they are unworthy and have to “clean up their acts” if they ever want to receive from the Lord. The truth is, it’s your heart or, more […]
Power of a Testimony
Saint Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel to everyone and use words if necessary.” What a profound statement! I believe he was saying that a living example of the Gospel is more effective than words. Some people may argue with you about doctrine or the interpretation of Scripture, but unless they believe you’re a liar, they can’t argue with your testimony. In John 10:37-38, Jesus said, “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.” And in Mark 16:17-18, we read what Jesus spoke to His disciples after commanding them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Then, in verse 20, Mark went on to say, “And they went forth, and preached every where, the […]
Power of Faith Filled Words
If we want to start seeing the power of God manifest in our lives, we will have to start paying attention to what we say. Words have power – more than any of us realize, but we often speak them as though they are meaningless. Because of that, most believers at one time or another have been hung by their tongue. Matthew 12:36-37 says, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” “Every idle word” simply means nonproductive. These are words that you speak but don’t believe. For example, you might say, “I’m dying to see my grandchildren.” You really don’t mean you’re dying, but you say it anyway to emphasize the importance of the relationship. Every time you say things that you don’t really mean, it begins to numb your heart. Unconsciously, each idle word is making it just a little bit harder to believe what you say will actually come to pass when you mean it and it really counts. Jesus certainly understood the power of words, […]
Power of Hope
Most people give more importance to love and faith than they do to hope, but that’s not what Scripture says. Look at 1 Corinthians 13:13: And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Since love is the greatest of the three and hope is just before love, that means hope is the second greatest, even above faith. Hope is more powerful than they realize. Something the Lord shared with me that really made this truth come alive is that hope is a positive imagination. Romans 8:24-25 says, For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? [25] But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Here, Paul was saying that hope is for something that isn’t seen, something that isn’t present. Once it becomes present, there’s no longer any reason to hope for it. So, hope means you’re looking at something that you can’t see. You might be thinking, Well, if you can’t see it, how are you looking at it? You can see things with your heart, […]
Praise and Thanksgiving or Fear and Worry… You Choose
I’ve been waiting two years to write this letter. It was two years ago, October of 2005, that I was holding a series of meetings in Scotland. The avian flu virus (bird flu) hit with all its force. The authorities were killing birds by the thousands in the U.K. It dominated the news. I watched the BBC interview of a leading medical “expert” in Britain who was hitting the public panic button. When asked about the possibility of this disease mutating from birds to humans, he stated emphatically that it wasn’t a matter of IF, but WHEN. Then he said, and I quote, “It might be one or two years at the most, but one-third of the world’s population will die by this avian flu pandemic.” Two years were up last month, and to date, worldwide there have only been a dozen or two human deaths attributed to this avian, or bird, flu. While it is sad that there has been any loss of life from this disease, it certainly hasn’t been one-third of the world’s population. This stands as yet another classic example of how we are systematically misled, or out and out lied to, on a daily basis by the […]
Psychology vs Christianity
Psychology has its roots in ancient philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato. None of these men were worshipers of the true and living God. At best, they believed in a god that was not involved in the affairs of men, and at worse they worshiped multiple pagan gods. Modern psychology was brought to the forefront by Sigmund Freud in the late nineteenth century. Freud certainly wasn’t a godly man. He was obsessed with sex and linked every problem of man to the sexual drive. This man had serious problems, even his most devoted followers admitted that. Here is the point: If the root is bad, then the tree has to be bad. Jesus said this very plainly in Matthew 7:17-18: “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” The root of psychology is bad, and therefore, the fruit cannot be good. I’m amazed at the acceptance of psychology in our society and especially in the church. Many churches and ministries have resident psychiatrists on staff. This isn’t the approach Jesus took. He met the […]
Recession, no thanks I’m not Participating
Our media buyer called me recently with an emphatic question: “Andrew, what in the world are you doing over there at AWM?” He then proceeded to tell me that most of the ministries he works with and others that he knows about are drastically cutting back or, at best, struggling just to meet their obligations. “Yet you guys are expanding and growing by leaps and bounds. What’s the deal?” he asked. I could have answered that question in a number of ways. For example, God has given us the right message at the right time in history. That’s true. I believe the time has come when the world is longing for the message of God’s grace and unconditional love, and He has prepared us to deliver that message. Or perhaps I could have answered that it’s our Television Department. We have some of the best and most creative people in America working in Television. Surely that could be the reason for our success. Maybe it’s marketing, the way we present the ministry to the public, or our customer care and prayer ministry provided through the Phone Center. Or maybe it’s just the result of good money management. Business experts might tell us […]
Redemption
I’m going to begin this by dropping a bomb: Sin is no longer an issue with God; we are redeemed! With that statement, you are either rejoicing, shocked, or confused. That is one radical statement, but one I believe I can back up by the Word of God. The message most people hear says that sin breaks your relationship or fellowship with God. The strictest message says that you lose your salvation (“backslide”) every time you sin, until it’s confessed. Others believe your eternal salvation is still secure, but you lose fellowship, can’t get your prayers answered, or can’t be used of God if you sin. That’s not good news, since all of us sin (Rom. 3:23 and 1 John 1:8). Christians usually cope by trying to keep every sin confessed. Let me just put this bluntly: That’s impossible! The Bible says that whatever is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). Do we always walk in faith? James 4:17 reveals that sin isn’t only doing things that are wrong, but it’s not doing what we know is right. Would any claim they are loving God and others as they know they should? By these definitions, we all sin through […]
Relationship with God
Genesis 3 relates one of the most amazing stories in the Bible. Eve was convinced by a talking snake that she didn’t have everything she needed to make her happy. How could this happen? It’s understandable how people today are discontent and looking for something, but Adam and Eve were perfect. They were living in a perfect world with no problems. How could they fall for such a line? One of the factors was that they didn’t really know God. You may think, “What, they walked and talked with God every day in the cool of the evening. Certainly they knew God!” But they didn’t really know the nature and character of our loving Father, or they would never have believed the lie that God was keeping something good from them. Before Satan could tempt Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, he had to make her believe that the Lord didn’t have her best interests in mind. God had never given Adam and Eve any reason to doubt His love and care for them, but how did they know there wasn’t something better out there? Since they didn’t know what bad was, they had no way to compare how good […]
Revelation Knowledge
One of the most needed things among the body of Christ today is revelation knowledge of the Word of God. To understand what revelation knowledge is and how to get it functional in your life, you have to know at least some of the basics about your spirit, soul, and body. Your spirit is the part of you that was changed at salvation. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Your body and soul didn’t become totally new. They can be changed and renewed as you grow in the Lord, but that is a continuing process. The only part of you that is completely changed at salvation is your inner man or spirit. This born-again spirit is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him (Col. 3:10). First Corinthians 2:16 says “But we have the mind of Christ,” and 1 John 2:20 says “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” These scriptures show us that our spirit man is complete in Jesus (Col. 2:10). We know all things. But even […]
Sharper than a Two-Edged Sword
The doctors sent her home to die, BUT GOD! Many of you may remember the testimony of Hannah Terradez. She is the little girl who was healed in Walsall, England, in 2006. She was three years old at the time but only the size of a nine-month-old baby. She had a problem that kept her from eating solid food of any kind. It was actually poisoning her body. A tube was then inserted into her stomach, but that failed as well. (Watch the video of her miraculous story at www.awmi.net/extra/healing.) But God had a plan. What seemed almost insignificant at the time turned out to be the beginning of a miracle. Hannah’s parents had rented a car to take her to the hospital. The car was only equipped with a cassette player, so when they stopped by Hannah’s grandmother’s house to drop off the other kids, they asked if she had any teaching cassettes they could listen to. She found one of my cassette tapes in the back of a drawer, where it had been for fifteen years. Hannah’s grandfather hadn’t listened to it, because he couldn’t handle my Texan accent. Ashley and Carlie Terradez, desperate to learn something that […]
Source of all Grief
God created us to live our lives focused on Him. His purpose from the very beginning was that we should be “God-conscious,” not “self-conscious.” Until Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they were so unconscious of self that they did not even consider their own nakedness. But after their disobedience, they became fully aware of themselves and wanted to hide from God. Their focus had shifted from God to self. Self-consciousness is just another way of saying self-centeredness, and self-centeredness really is the root of all grief. People grieve or are unhappy for a lot of reasons. But, if they analyze it, they would find that it is always the result of self being deprived of wants. So, the answer to dealing with grief can be found in dealing with self. For example, financial problems often come when we try to live above our means, attempting to fulfill self-centered desires. It’s not that I am against prosperity – I’m not. But it’s important to have the right perspective. If you’re miserable or unhappy over the fact that you don’t have a bigger home, a newer car, or a wide-screen television, something […]
Sovereignty of God
My heart was really stirred this last month. I attended a meeting where an old friend of mine was ministering. He had been through some terrible things that nearly destroyed his faith. He became bitter and angry at God for the things that had happened. When I heard him, he had humbled himself and was again loving the Lord and excited about the future. Praise the Lord! However, in the process, he had come to believe that it was the Lord that caused all his problems. He had resigned himself to the “sovereignty of God.” I believe this is the worst doctrine in the church today. I know that this is a shocking statement and is near blasphemy to some people, but the way sovereignty” is taught today is a real faith killer. The belief that God controls everything that happens to us is one of the devil’s biggest inroads into our lives. If this belief is true, then our actions are irrelevant, and our efforts are meaningless. What will be will be. If we believe that God wills everything, good or bad, to happen to us, it gives us some temporary relief from confusion and condemnation, but in the […]
Sowers and Eaters
Once during ministry in Decatur, Texas, at River of Life Church where my good friends, Greg and Janice Mohr, pastor, something happened that I need to share. We had great meetings with many healings, salvations, and baptisms in the Holy Spirit. On the final night of the three-service meeting, Pastor Greg really encouraged the people to give sacrificially toward our new building. First of all, I’m amazed that a pastor would be encouraging his people to give big to a traveling minister. Most pastors would see this as money leaving their churches. But Pastor Greg is a man of integrity, and he knows giving is the key to receiving. Praise God for men and women of God who have pure hearts. He was urging this crowd of 300+ people to give $100,000 toward our new building. He turned to 2 Corinthians 9:10 and emphasized that God provides seed to sowers. He knew people might not have that kind of money right then but said if they would make a commitment to become sowers, God would give them the finances to sow. To lead the way, Greg and Janice made a $1,000 commitment of their own finances toward the building. They […]
Spirit, Soul and Body
Knowledge is powerful! I just returned from an overseas flight where Jamie and I were upgraded to business class. The seats made out into a flat bed. It was wonderful. It really reduces jet lag. As I was drifting off to sleep, I thought about John Wesley who traversed the Atlantic in the hold of a ship. It took him a couple of months one way, and the conditions were terrible. My flight from London to Denver took nine hours, and I had luxuries he couldn’t have imagined. All of this is possible because of knowledge. Man hasn’t created anything new; he’s just discovered the laws that the Lord established from the beginning. “Bird brains” have been flying from the start. The same is true with communications, electricity, computing, and a host of other modern breakthroughs. Man is just discovering the laws God created. Although mankind has made huge discoveries that have totally changed the way we live, it seems like we know less about ourselves than previous generations. While our ancestors didn’t have all the modern conveniences, they had a peace and strength that eludes most today. As our knowledge of our natural world has increased, our knowledge of […]
Spiritual Authority
Please take a minute to read this letter I recently received from a 19-year-old girl. Dear Mr. Wommack, I realise that you must receive frequent letters regarding your ministry. But even with that knowledge, I feel compelled to write. I’ve just finished listening to your audio series entitled “Spiritual Authority,” and it has changed my life. When I was in junior high, I became involved in Wicca, or Paganism. For two-and-a-half years I toyed with the powers of Satan, calling on numerous demons to do my bidding. Not only was I demon possessed, but I was heavily into drugs and alcohol. A few months before I became a Christian, I began to realize that I was no longer in control. In fact, I was the one being controlled. My free will was so entangled with Satan’s deception that I lost the ability to think for myself. On August 29, 1996, I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. At the moment I confessed my sin and gave my life to God, He delivered me from the demons, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and sexual relationships I was involved in. I thought I was rid of Satan’s power for good. It wasn’t long […]
Staying Full of God
Do you ever feel like you and God have drifted apart and that the love and joy you once experienced with Him has faded? If you do, you’re not alone. Most Christians feel like the experiences they have with God diminish over time and that they need another touch. But that is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible says God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). If that is true – and it is – who moved? As born-again believers, we are all capable of living in the fullness of God every day of our lives. God is continually pouring out His love, joy, peace, revelation knowledge, and every other blessing. But we can get to a point where we’re not receiving and “feel” like He has drifted away. Romans 1:21 says, “When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” This scripture contains four separate elements, or keys, that can lead us into and keep us operating in the fullness of God. Expressed positively, they are glorify God, be thankful, recognize the power of imagination, and have a good […]
Staying Positive in a Negative World
If you haven’t noticed that we live in a negative world, you just haven’t been paying attention. These negative influences have been especially evident during the last few months of the presidential campaign. Each party has spent millions painting a picture of the worst possible scenarios for Americans if their opponent is elected. Not nearly as much has been spent expressing hope. Add in things like sickness, the loss of a job, or marriage problems, and you can see where, over time, the pressures of the world, if allowed, can steal the love and joy from your life. In Matthew 24:12, Jesus said this: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” He said this would be a characteristic of the end times. Jesus was saying that the negative things going on around us – not necessarily in us – would cause the love of many to grow cold. The word “waxed” used in that scripture is really significant. It goes back to the way candles are made. A wick is dipped into hot wax and then taken out and allowed to cool for a few seconds, leaving a thin layer of wax. The process is repeated hundreds of times until […]
The Power of Partnership
Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men,” but it’s not talking about skills, talents, abilities, or even anointing. I used to think it was, as a matter of fact; I used that verse in that exact way until I began to study it in greater detail. In this article, I’ll be teaching what it really means and how that understanding can change your life. In my two-teaching album The Power of Partnership, I taught about the many rewards you receive when partnering with a ministry that is reaching out with the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news. I used the example of King David who set a precedent that gave the people who guarded the spoils an equal share with those who actually did the fighting. We learned that Philippians 4:19, which says, “But my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,” was written to people who were partnering with Paul in the Gospel and gave to his ministry on a regular basis. Paul confirmed that in 1 Corinthians 16:2, where he wrote, “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay […]
The Reality of Faith
Many people think faith is acting like something is so when it really isn’t so, and if we do that long enough, then it will become so. But that’s not it at all. Faith is real. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is substance. This is saying that faith is real. It is the evidence of things not seen. Notice it didn’t say “things that don’t exist.” They do exist. They just aren’t seen. Even in the natural world, we’ve come to realize that there are things that do exist that we can’t see. We can’t see television signals, but they do exist. In fact, wherever you are right now, there are television signals right there with you. If you say “No there aren’t” just because you can’t see or hear them, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. It just means you aren’t very smart. They do exist, they are just unseen. They are unseen realities. A television set can make unseen signals visible. When we see the images is not when they became real. They were already there. A television set doesn’t generate images. The set […]
The Sky is Not Falling
“Recession Starts Taking Toll: Will it lead to another crash?” “Worries are building that today’s sagging economy may be on the brink of collapse.” Running Short of Cash: “The United States and its allies scramble to head off a global financial disaster…Finance ministers from the United States, Britain, France, Japan and West Germany met last week near Frankfurt to find a way to avert a global economic collapse.” Newsweek As you all know, these sentiments have been expressed many times over by the media in the last few months. Many are even comparing our current financial situation to the Great Depression. It may surprise you, however, to learn that the two quotes above were from November of 1974 and December of 1982 respectively. They were made by the fear mongers in the 70s and 80s who were predicting financial collapse. It did not come to pass then, and this current financial situation is also not the beginning of the end. Let me quote a few statistics that you probably won’t hear from our media. Unemployment rose to 24.75% in 1933. In time, that improved, but even during Ronald Reagan’s first term in the latter part of 1982, the unemployment rate rose to […]
The True Nature of God
Recently the Lord woke me up at 3:30 a.m. with the words, “I have raised you up to change people’s opinion of Me. That will change their lives, and then they will change the world.” Wow! That pretty much sums it up. If people knew how good God is, they would love Him and live for Him. That, in turn, would solve all the problems of the world. But God has been so slandered that most people don’t know Him as the good God He really is. Why is that? One of the biggest problems is religion’s misuse of the Law. This has done tremendous damage to God’s image. The Law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). The Law wasn’t inaccurate but incomplete. And if it is not properly applied, it gives a wrong representation of God. Jesus was the perfect representation of God (Heb. 1:3). He said if we have seen Him, then we have seen the Father (John 14:9). He did exactly what He saw His Father do (John 5:19). Jesus showed us that God is love (1 John 4:8). Yet He was constantly accused of breaking the Law. Of course, […]
Walking By Faith
One year at our annual Charis Bible College Expand Your Vision Weekend, as I was worshiping the Lord, I just knew in my heart that the Lord had entered the room. I didn’t feel it, I just knew it. I knew He had walked into the auditorium through the left front doors and right up in front of the stage. He stood there next to me for a moment, then He turned and started down the middle aisle and toward the back of the room. I know the Lord promised He would always be with us and, in fact, lives within us. But there was a tangible manifestation of His presence. Very simply put, I believe what we call the anointing is just a manifestation of what is already true in the spirit realm. The Lord is always with us, but His presence isn’t always tangibly manifest. This time it was. The presence of the Lord was so real, I opened my eyes to look and see if I could see Him. Within moments, people began to drop to their knees and worship the Lord in the same sequence that I had sensed Him walking through the room. People were rejoicing and […]
War is Over
Do you remember September 11, 2001? Of course you do. If you’ve lived very long, you can recall many terrible things that have happened in this world, including tsunamis and hurricanes of biblical proportions. And certainly every one of you have your own individual tragedy that you deal with or have dealt with. There is a lot of hurt and pain in this life. People are reeling from the blows they’ve received and are trying to make sense of why all of this happens. Sadly, many Christian leaders haven’t been much help. As a whole, they’ve said these things are the judgment of God upon our sins. Even a very well-known televangelist was quoted recently telling people that because they voted “intelligent design” people off their city council, God’s judgment was going to strike their city and that when it happens, they shouldn’t cry out to God, because they deserve what they will get. This rationale for why bad things happen grieves me, and I believe it grieves the Lord too. It’s totally missing the point of why Jesus came. Jesus forever changed the way God relates to mankind. Sure, there are scriptural examples of God’s catastrophic judgment on sin. But […]
What is a Christian?
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:18-20) Ever since the fall of Adam, man has been trying to find a way back to God. There is a longing within every person to be back in the image that God created them in. There is a knowledge that there must be something more. The religions of the world are a testimony to this scripture, from the first chapter of Romans, that God has revealed Himself to His creation. But man has devised nearly as many different ways to approach back unto God as there have been people. The difference between religion and Christianity is, basically, that religion is man’s attempt to reach God, and Jesus is God reaching out to man. All the religions of the world fall short of […]
What Pleases God?
During a Sunday morning service in St. Joseph, Missouri, a few years back, I asked the congregation how many of them really want to please God more than anything else. Every hand went up. Then I asked them, “How many of you think God is really pleased with you?” Out of at least 400 people, one 11-year-old boy and one 10-year-old girl raised their hands. That was all. Very few believers actually believe that they are pleasing to God. Most feel some degree of forgiveness and maybe acceptance, but to think that the Lord is actually pleased with us is another matter. A person can choose to love you because of his or her own goodness, but to be pleased with you, they actually have to like your performance. Right? With God, no one could ever be pleasing to Him based on performance. His standard is perfection, and no goodness on our part can ever compensate for our sins. We may please man with our actions, but “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). It takes the precious blood of Jesus to do that. The way we receive the forgiveness that’s available through Jesus’ […]
What to do When Prayers Seem Unanswered
All of us have had experiences when it didn’t look like our prayers were answered. But is that really what happened? The Bible says in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Is that true? Well, many people say it couldn’t mean what it appears to say, because they can cite experiences where they asked for something and didn’t receive. But you’ve got to make the decision stated in Romans 3:4, to “Let God be true, but every man [or in this case, every circumstance] a liar.” God’s Word is true, not our experiences. This is one of the reasons so much doctrinal division has come about. The Word is clear in its doctrine, but when someone tries the Word and doesn’t see the promised results, rather than admit that they could have failed, they say something like, “That must have passed away with the apostles” or “It must not have been God’s will,” etc. God is not the one who failed to answer, but rather we are the ones who have failed to receive. What actually happens when we ask in prayer is that […]
Where Did I Come From?
In one of my meetings the Lord led me to answer life’s three biggest questions. They are: where did I come from, who am I, and where am I going. I have found that most people have never answered these questions satisfactorily. In this article I will not attempt to answer all three, but I will begin with “where did I come from?” Although the most important question to your spiritual and emotional well-being is “who am I,” it’s one that cannot be answered until you are sure of your origin. The way you answer that question dictates how you determine who you are. I’ve asked many people, “Where did you come from,” but I remember one man, in particular, who just started giving me his genealogy. That was not the right answer. It was true that he descended from his grandparents and parents biologically, but that was not his true origin. He didn’t know that we are literally an extension of God, created by Him. From the book of Genesis we know that God created the heavens and the earth and everything that came out of them, including us. In Psalm 139:15-16, David was speaking to the Lord and […]
Who Made Satan?
Most Christians believe the answer to that question is obvious: “God created Satan.” But that is not really true. God created Lucifer. That may seem like a small distinction at first glance, but once you understand who really made Satan, it will change your perspective of him forever. You will never again doubt your authority over the devil. You will realize that he is an inferior being, unable to do anything without the cooperation of a human being. And any fear you have of him will disappear as you realize he is nothing but a big zero with the rim knocked off. I believe that God created everything, including Lucifer. He created Lucifer as a powerful anointed angel. However, Lucifer wasn’t satisfied with that, and he didn’t remain the anointed cherub that God created him to be. Ezekiel 28:13-14 describe him as he originally was in the Garden of Eden: “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee […]
Who You Are In The Spirit
If I were to ask you “Do you know who you are?” your immediate answer would be, “Of course I do.” But can you imagine what it would be like if suddenly you lost all memory of your name, where you lived, who was your husband or wife, your children, where you worked, etc? It would be terrifying. There is an enormous security in knowing who you are. That is the reason people are so reluctant to change. They are secure in what they know and very fearful about what they do not know. Well, it is also a necessity that you know who you have become in your spirit. You are a new creature in your spirit (2 Cor. 5:17), and you have to reeducate your mind to think that way before the perfect will of God will be made manifest in your flesh (Rom. 12:1-2). We are more than conquerors through Christ, but we won’t benefit from that truth until we convince ourselves of it, no more than a millionaire would benefit from their bank account if they didn’t know it was there. This is the condition that the body of Christ has been in. We have simply […]
Whose Righteousness?
The word “righteousness” has become a religious cliche that has lost its meaning to many people. Even Christians are confused about what righteousness is and how to receive it. This has left our society without a clear understanding of what it takes to have a relationship with God. This is reflected in our nation’s moral collapse. It’s imperative that we get back to the basics of righteousness. “Righteousness” and its counterpart, “righteous,” appear 540 times in 520 verses of the Bible. In contrast, “faith,” “faithfulness,” and “faithful” are only used 348 times in 328 verses. This means that there are 1.5 times as many scriptures about righteousness as there are about faith. Righteousness is important. A layman’s definition of righteousness is simply, “right standing with God.” Righteousness is the condition of being in right relationship with the Lord. This can only happen through TOTAL faith and dependence upon Christ. There is no other way, and there is nothing we can add to our faith to obtain right relationship with the Lord (Rom. 11:6). One of the things that blinds people to a true understanding of righteousness is confusion about how we become right in the sight of God. It is […]
Why, When, and Where to Give
The Word of God has more to say about finances than it does about heaven and hell. Jesus said trusting Him with our money was the least use of our faith (Luke 16:9-11). If we can’t do that which is least, then we can’t do the greater things. This is very important. Before I get into teaching on finances, let me say that this week, I watched a fundraiser held by a Christian network, and I was appalled. I saw manipulation that makes con men look honest, and it was all done in the name of the Lord with tears and lots of hype. It really grieved me, as I know it would many of you. But do you know what upset me the most? It wasn’t the minister misrepresenting the Lord. That always has and always will happen. What’s the chaff to the wheat (Jer. 23:28)? We keep our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:1-2). What really upset me was that these tactics work.The body of Christ responds to this type of appeal with big bucks, and that’s why ministers do this: It works. There are organizations receiving hundreds of millions of dollars per year through gimmicks, lies, and manipulation. That says volumes about […]
Word became Flesh
When God speaks, His words are binding – they’re like an unbreakable contract. He always says exactly what He means, He never lies, and He never says, “Whoops, I’ve changed My mind.” Hebrews 1:3 says, “Upholding all things by the word of his power,” and Psalm 89:34 says, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” This entire universe is being held together by the power of God’s words. It was His word that created the earth and every living thing on it, and by His words, He created Adam and Eve. He didn’t make them or any part of this world with His hands; He spoke it all into existence. Then, after creating all of this, He said, And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Gen. 1:28) He gave absolute dominion to Adam and Eve. When He said “I give you authority and dominion,” He took His power – His right […]
You’ve Already Got It
What do you need the Lord to do for you? Do you need the Lord to heal you? How about prosperity? Could you use more money? The truth is, you don’t need the Lord to do anything for you. He’s already done His part. You’ve already got it, whatever “it” is. This may sound crazy to some of you. You might be thinking, But I’ve got a doctor’s report to prove I don’t have healing or You haven’t seen my bank account. But regardless of what the natural facts are, the truth is that God has already given you whatever you need. Second Peter 1:3 says, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. The only thing we are lacking is knowledge. Most Christians believe that God can do anything, but many of them don’t believe He has done very much. They live in a constant state of trying to get God to do something. They are begging God to move through revival, healing, prosperity, etc. They run from meeting to meeting, trying to get something from God. […]