Through the years, as Ken and I have traveled across the country, we’ve often heard, “Churches are failing. Believers are failing. People who know God’s Word are failing. What’s wrong?”

The answer is simple: God’s people are not walking in obedience. They’re not obeying His Word. They’re not walking in faith and many are ignorant of what His Word says about them. Others are trying to hang on to the world’s way with one hand and the things of God with the other. It’s easy to “talk the talk,” but it takes dedication to “walk the walk.”

God’s deepest desire has always been to fellowship with His children, but He is hindered so often because of our disobedience, just as He was in the Garden of Eden because of Adam’s disobedience.

As the Body of Christ, we have come to a place where we must determine to fellowship with God and obey Him all the time. The laws of the Spirit apply to every aspect of our existence—and when we refuse to be obedient, we shut the door to His blessings in that area. For example, although Jesus already paid the price for our salvation, we couldn’t be born again until we made ourselves obedient to the gospel. We must get serious about our walk with Him and allow God to occupy the number one place in our lives.

You may say, “How can I live for God? There is so much pressure on me. Everyone around me is living the other way. What can I do that’s important to God? I’m just one person.”

Satan knows his days are numbered, so he is doing everything he can to destroy the Church of Jesus Christ. You may only be one person, but every member of the Church of Jesus Christ has a part to play. There are no insignificant members in His Body. The Lord has a work for you to do, a special part for you to play, a place that only you can fill.

If you desire to be part of that glorious Church when Jesus returns, put yourself in agreement with God and obey His Word. Commit to walking with Him.
“How can I do that?” you ask. Well, you can’t, outside the realm of obedience. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” You have to be in agreement with God if you want to walk with Him. Learn to agree with His Word. Learn to make His thoughts your thoughts, His ways your ways.

The first step is to find out what God has to say about obedience. The importance of walking in obedience to God is emphasized throughout Scripture. So come before the Word of God as a little child, as though you have never read or heard it before.

Gloria Copeland

Here’s the question: Do you and I want to be a part of that Church badly enough to run the race? Do we want it enough to pray and spend time in the Word instead of doing other things we could be doing—even good things?

I am one of those who love His appearing. I am believing for the Church to rise up and press in the spirit to get the things done that we need to do.

God is on a timetable. He’s never late. And the Church is going to be ready. We’re going to do what we’re called to do.

Individuals may fall out of the race. You and I could fall out if we don’t do the right things, if we don’t do the things we know to do. But the Church is going to finish the race, and it’s going to be on time. I want to be in that group and bring God glory.

The choice is yours. No one else can make it for you. Only you can determine in your heart, “My purpose is that I may know Him and I’m going to press and stretch and run the race He’s called me to run.”

You may think, Well, what can I do? What God’s called me to do couldn’t be that important. It won’t matter to people whether I do it or not. Nobody’s life depends on it.

That’s not true. You can reach people no one else can reach. Noah was just one man. While his neighbors laughed, Noah kept building the ark. Despite the fact that no one had ever seen rain, Noah just kept obeying God.

His name is listed with the great men of faith in Hebrews 11. In fact, every person in Hebrews 11 who obtained a good report did it by faith.

The same chapter says God framed the worlds by faith. You’ll have to walk by faith if you’re going to finish. You’ll have to get your heart and your mouth in line with God’s Word if you’re going to finish what
you’re called to do.

Gloria Copeland

No wonder the Apostle John warns us so strongly against it, saying:

This is the message…which you have heard from the first, that we should love one another, [And] not be like Cain who [took his nature and got his motivation] from the evil one and slew his brother…He who does not love abides—remains, is held and kept continually—in [spiritual] death. Any one who…hates his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding (persevering) within him (1 John 3:11-12, 14-15, AMP).

Clearly, envy is serious business. We need to rid ourselves of it completely and start loving each other. We need to stop striving with each other and “lay [our] lives down for [those who are our] brothers [in Him]” (verse 16).

That’s what real love is, you know—laying down your life for someone else. And in a very real sense, you are laying down your life when you refuse to envy, because envy tries to get you to fight for your own rights. It pushes you to look out for your own welfare and to be hostile because someone else is more successful in life than you are.

Ironically, however, what envy actually does is stop your success. It keeps you from rising to the level of those you are envying. Why? Because, as I said before, it stops your faith. It takes you outside the realm of love, and 1 Corinthians 13:8 says love never fails. Therefore, envy becomes a trap that secures your failure!

The truth is, all strife works that way—whether it’s caused by envy or by something else. All strife is sin!

That means even when you are on the “right” side of an argument, if you’re in strife, you’re wrong. When you’re offended and angry with your husband or wife, your children or anyone else, you’re wrong. You’ve opened the door to the devil and you’d better do something quickly.

What should you do?

Shut the door! Stubbornly resist those fleshly pressures and temptations of the devil. Treat strife just as you’d treat a rattlesnake or any other deadly invader. Refuse to let it in!

If you’re a preacher of the gospel, for instance, and there’s a new pastor in town who is getting more results than you are, don’t be naive enough to fall into the trap that envy is setting. Trick the devil! Turn the tables on him! Start praising God for the success of the new pastor. Do what you can to help him.

In other words, start walking in love and laying down selfishness. If you’ll do that, you’ll keep the door open for the blessings of God.

Gloria Copeland

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” — Romans 13:12-14

Envy: A feeling of discontent and ill will because of another’s advantages, possessions or success.

It’s an experience we’ve all had at one time or another. It is so common, in fact, most people think it is no big deal. They see it as just a harmless, human emotion. But they are gravely mistaken.

As innocent as it may sometimes seem, envy is actually the devil’s own poison, designed to turn love into hate and immobilize the force of faith in your life. If you want to see how deadly envy can be, just take a look through the Scriptures. Find out where it comes from and—more alarming than that—where it is headed. Once you do, you’ll want to rid yourself of it once and for all.

“Well, Gloria, that shouldn’t be too difficult for me,” you may say. “I don’t really think I’m envious of anyone.”

That may be true. But let me encourage you to search your heart carefully just to be sure, because many times we aren’t even conscious of envy. We may feel it stirring within us, but we fail to identify it because we assume such feelings are “only natural.”

Gloria Copeland

Listen, it’s just about supper time in the kingdom of God! Jesus is preparing a banquet for us in heaven and it’s almost complete. So get ready. Don’t be so caught up in the world’s activities that you can’t hear what He is telling you to do.

Great things will happen between now and the catching away of the Church. The greatest harvest of souls this earth has ever seen will be gathered into the kingdom of God. You don’t want to be out on the fringes of that move. You don’t want to be off somewhere wasting time when the glory of God is being outpoured. You want to be right in the middle of it.

Now is the time to consecrate and dedicate every fiber of your being, every moment of your life and everything you do to the Lord’s service. You don’t want anything to hold you back in this thrilling hour. You don’t want anything to keep you from walking in the spirit and experiencing the glory God is about to manifest in the earth.

So prepare yourself! Consecrate yourself to God and keep yourself full of the Word and the Holy Spirit so that when you hear the blast of the trumpet announcing Jesus’ return, you’ll be so light on your feet that you’ll just lift right out of here!

Jesus taught about that kind of readiness in Matthew 25, saying:

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh (verses 1-13).

There’s one point this parable makes very clear: When it comes to being ready and dedicating yourself to the Lord, you’re the one who has to do it. The pastor can’t do it for you. Your husband or wife can’t do it for you. You must go and buy oil for yourself. You must see to it that you’re ready for God. You must make sure there’s nothing in your life that would cause you to shrink back from His presence.

It’s our responsibility to be prepared. God has given us everything we need. He has put His own Spirit within us. He has given us His written Word. He has given us teachers, preachers, pastors, evangelists, apostles and prophets to help us learn how to live by faith, how to live separated from the world, how to walk in the spirit, and how to operate in the power of God. But we must decide to make those things the priority in our lives.

Gloria Copeland

The compassion and mercy of Jesus operated as a force
against illness and disease. A good illustration of this is
in Mark 1:40-42 when a leper came to Jesus and asked
to be made clean. Verse 41 says, “And Jesus, moved with
compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and
saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.” As soon as Jesus had
spoken, the leprosy immediately departed from him, and
he was cleansed.

The Bible does not say, “immediately he was healed.”
It said that immediately leprosy itself departed, indicating
that the spirit life behind the disease left. When
that happened, the man’s body regained its health. The
force that drove the leprosy out was the compassion of
God released in the words that Jesus spoke and through
His hands.

The mercy of God governed Jesus in every situation.
After He healed the leper, Jesus instructed him not to say
anything about his healing but to show himself to the
priest. However, Mark 1:45 through Mark 2:1 says: “But
he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze
abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more
openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places:
and they came to him from every quarter. And again he
entered into Capernaum….”

The leper went out and stirred up the countryside to
the point where Jesus had to retreat to Capernaum. He
called attention to his healing until there were so many
people that Jesus could not even minister to all of them.
Jesus went to Capernaum. The crowds flooded Him there
as they had in the desert. It says in Mark 2:1-4:

And again he entered into Capernaum after some
days; and it was noised that he was in the house.
And straightway many were gathered together,
insomuch that there was no room to receive them,
no, not so much as about the door: and he preached
the word unto them. And they come unto him,
bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne
of four. And when they could not come nigh unto
him for the press, they uncovered the roof where
he was: and when they had broken it up, they let
down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Your sins are
forgiven you.” What a statement of mercy! He paid no
attention to them taking apart the roof. Through mercy,
He saw their faith. Through mercy and forgiveness, He
ministered healing and deliverance.

Gloria Copeland

Don’t ever come against somebody’s faith, even if you
do not think they are strong enough. Get in there and help
them. That is what Jesus did. He was governed by mercy
and compassion instead of by legalism, rules and fear. If
He had been afraid Peter was going to drown, He would
have started sinking Himself.

Peter walked on the water based on the Word of Jesus,
“Come.” As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he made it.
But when he started looking at the wind, he became afraid
and began to sink.

As he started to sink, Peter cried, “Lord, save me.” The
Bible says:

Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and
caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little
faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they
were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then
they that were in the ship came and worshipped
him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
And when they were gone over, they came into
the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that
place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all
that country round about, and brought unto him
all that were diseased; and besought him that they
might only touch the hem of his garment: and
as many as touched were made perfectly whole
(Matthew 14:31-36).

All this took place because Jesus was moved with
compassion out in the desert. In the life of Jesus, compassion
took a higher priority than anything else. It caused Him to
continually reach out to others and respond to their need.
Matthew 20:30-34 is a good example of this:

And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way
side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried
out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of
David. And the multitude rebuked them, because
they should hold their peace: but they cried the
more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of
David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and
said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They
say unto him, Lord that our eyes may be opened. So
Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their
eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight,
and they followed him.

Jesus had compassion on them, not just for them. The
two blind men had caught sight of the fact that mercy
would do the job. They cried, “Have mercy,” and Jesus was
moved with compassion. The power of His mercy was
released and brought them their eyesight.

Gloria Copeland

The nature of compassion is to give you a part of what
it possesses. This is how it works. For example, in spite
of His personal circumstances, Jesus prayed and
ministered to the people all day long and then provided
for their physical nourishment.

After all this had taken place, it says in Matthew 14:22
that “Straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into
a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he
sent the multitudes away.” Jesus had a reason in His heart
for telling them to go. I am satisfied that the Spirit of God
directed Him, in the middle of ministering to the people,
to go to the other side of the lake where more ministry
awaited Him, more sick, desperate people needing help.
Compassion was still directing Him.

He sent the disciples to the other side of the lake and
spent the evening in prayer. Matthew 14:23-28 picks up
the story: “And when he had sent the multitudes away,
he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the
evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was
now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the
wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night
Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.”

His compassion for them brought about this miracle.
The Spirit of compassion, the Holy Spirit, revealed they
were in trouble. He then enabled Jesus to walk on the water
to get to them: “And when the disciples saw him walking
on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and
they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto
them saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And
Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me
come unto thee on the water.”

Because Peter cornered Jesus by saying, “If it be You,”
Jesus could not answer Peter any other way but to say,
“Come.” Jesus knew Peter did not have the level of faith to
walk on that water, but He didn’t rebuke him for stepping
out on what little faith he had.

Gloria Copeland

You must supply the sounds as the Holy
Spirit supplies the words. These words will be
unknown to you. The Scripture teaches us that
in the spirit we speak mysteries unto God:
“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no
man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit
he speaketh mysteries…. He that speaketh
in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but
he that prophesieth edifieth the church”
(1 Corinthians 14:2, 4). You are not speaking
to man but to God.

One translation says we speak divine
secrets. You can pray beyond your natural
knowledge when you pray in other tongues.

So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our
aid and bears us up in our weakness;
for we do not know what prayer to
offer nor how to offer it worthily as
we ought, but the Spirit Himself
goes to meet our supplication and
pleads in our behalf with unspeakable
yearnings and groanings too deep for
utterance. And He Who searches
the hearts of men knows what is in
the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what
His intent is], because the Spirit
intercedes and pleads [before God] in
behalf of the saints according to and
in harmony with God’s will (Romans
8:26-27, The Amplified Bible).

The Holy Spirit comes to our aid to help
us in prayer when we don’t know how to pray
as we ought. He gives us utterance in other
tongues, praying the perfect will of God. We
need this help. So much of the time we know
so little. We may only see a symptom of a
much deeper problem. But the Holy Spirit
goes right to the root of the problem and
prays the perfect will of God for us.

Look at Jude 20, The Amplified Bible: “But
you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded]
on your most holy faith [make progress, rise
like an edifice higher and higher], praying in
the Holy Spirit.” Praying in tongues edifies
you. This means “to build up or charge,” as we
charge a battery.

Gloria Copeland

Amp—Because of faith also Sarah herself
received physical power to conceive a child,
even when she was long past the age for
it, because she considered [God] Who had
given her the promise, reliable and trustworthy
and true to His word.

Moffatt—It was by faith that even Sara got
strength to conceive, bearing a son when
she was past the age for it—because she
considered that she could rely on Him who
gave the promise.

NEB—By faith even Sarah herself received
strength to conceive, though she was past
the age, because she judged that he who
had promised would keep faith.

2 Corinthians 12:9
KJV—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.

Amp—But He said to me, My grace—My
favor and loving-kindness and mercy—are
enough for you, [that is, sufficient against
any danger and to enable you to bear the
trouble manfully]; for My strength and power
are made perfect—fulfilled and completed
and show themselves most effective—
in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more
gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities,
that the strength and power of Christ,
the Messiah, may rest—yes, may pitch a tent
[over] and dwell—upon me!

Moffatt—But he told me, “It is enough for
you to have my grace: it is in weakness that
my power is fully felt.” So I am proud to
boast of all my weakness, and thus to have
the power of Christ resting on my life.

NEB—But his answer was: ‘My grace is all
you need; power comes to its full strength
in weakness.’ I shall therefore prefer to find
my joy and pride in the very things that are
my weakness; and then the power of Christ
will come and rest upon me.

Gloria Copeland