Kenneth Copeland - Recurrent Faith Training
Hello everybody. I'm Kenneth Copeland. This is the Believer's Voice of Victory Broadcast. Let's have a word of prayer and we get right into today's Bible lesson.
Father, thank You. We praise You and we worship You, and we bless You. We receive revelation from Heaven today on this broadcast concerning the fundamentals of faith. And we thank You Lord Jesus for Your teaching on it when You were here on the earth. And we look to You in Your teaching and we consider it perfect. Hallelujah. Thank You again. And we pray it in Your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Let's go back to the fundamentals of those of you just now tuning in where you got all these airplanes on here for. Well, they were talking about the fundamentals of faith. These two airplanes are drastically different, but they're fundamentally the same because the same basic laws of physics. This one is far more advanced. This was a World War II trainer when it was first built. This is the Citation X. Now, when it was first introduced to the civilian market, it was the fastest general aviation jet on the planet. At that time, to get anything faster than this, you had to join the Air Force. But then all the other manufacturers caught up.
But I learned how to fly this airplane and I flew it for 15 years and then it got so old, the insurance company wouldn't insure me in it anymore. Well, they would, but I'd have to sit over here in the ride seat, never ever touch the controls and I'd still, you have to understand the ministry owns these airplanes. I don't own in any of this. I used to own one like this, but not like this. But anyway, I would've had still had to go back to recurrent training. That's very, very important to what we're talking about today because you have to train and train and train and train and train and train. When it comes to faith, you have to train and train and train and train and train and train and train and train and train and train and train. Cause faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Amen.
Now we're talking about the fundamentals of faith. Number one, believe it in your heart, then say it with your mouth. We'll find that in Mark 11:22-25. Romans 10:10, II Corinthians 4:13, Luke 6:43-45, and there're just all kinds of scriptures on that. Number two, faith will not work in an unforgiving heart. We'll also find that in Mark 11: 22, 23, 24, and 25. Number three, Abraham's blessing cannot be received with Thomas' faith. Now, we studied that one because Jesus called what Thomas did, I'll not believe it unless I see it and touch it. He said, "Stop being faithless". So what do we do? I'm not moved by what I see. I'm not moved by what I feel. Feelings get people in a emotion and get emotion. Understand this, the soul and the spirit are not the same thing. I used to think that that was it, but that's not true. And we'll get to that. But the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, it's called Thessaloniki today, and my great grandson was born there in Thessaloniki. And so my great grandson is a little Thessalonian. Amen.
So anyway, but the important thing here is the apostle Paul said that I pray God sanctify you wholly, W-H-O-L-L-Y. Your spirit, your soul, and your body. It's also in the book of Hebrews where he separates, he separates the soul and the joints and the marrow of the heart. So those two witnesses. But now in the book of Romans, let's go there again in the third chapter "To declare, I say at this time his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him, which believes in Jesus". Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Now I'm going to give you another scripture right now. Galatians 5;6, Spirit of God speaking through the same man the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, but then he wrote in Galatians 5:6, Faith works by love. But now we learn from the Apostle John that God is love. And we learn in the book of Hebrews that God created all things by faith. Well, yes he did. And in the book of Genesis, in the beginning, God, Oh, we can't grasp.
That's one of the first things I'm going to ask when I get to Heaven. What does that mean? Would you explain that to me, sir? You can't. You can't because we have finite minds. He has always been. But now from now on, we'll always be because we know him. But now, notice that, in the beginning, God, what happened? The Spirit of God was moving upon the face of the deep, on the face of the waters. Nothing was happening until God said, "Light be", light was. Or the King James says, Let there be light. Well, amen. So now all that's fundamental. God is love. He has faith. And faith works by love. Why? It was his faith in this to the start with.
Mark 11:23. Let's go there again because we'll touch on this entire or not. Well, it's all right here. In the morning as they pass by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold the fig tree, which you cursed is withered away. That fig tree is pass tense as far as Jesus is concerned. Here's the way he answered. Have faith in God. Well what about inflation? Have faith in God. What about my children? Have faith in God. Well, well, I don't care what it is. Have faith in God. Have faith in God. My cross reference in this King James Bible, there's a little number two there. Have the faith of God. Well, yes. For verily I say unto you, whosoever... this is a whosoever thing. Not whosoever is or whatsoever they are. But whosoever. Tall people, short people. Amen. All colors of people. Thank You Jesus.
And I want to dig into this. This has nothing to do with anything. And I've had people say, "Well...", and I understand these things, but in a lot of cases, there's a lot of churches, I'm not welcome in. They might smile, but don't bring that saying stuff around here. I don't think it makes any difference what you say. But I'm going to tell you something from what Jesus said right here. Whatever you say is your faith. Well, I'll tell you. I don't believe it. You just told me. And I'm going to show you something with that. Have faith and have the faith of God for verily. He acts for truly, I tell you, whosoever shall say unto this mountain 'Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, shall not doubt in his heart, shall not doubt in his inner man, in the spirit person, that's who we really are.
This body and these bones, that doesn't define us. It's who we are on the inside. The spirit person. I won't take time to turn there, but the Bible said to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Hallelujah. To be absent from the body, the apostle Paul called it his departure. I really like that. He didn't say anything about dying. He's talking about departing. He had more revelation than that. He understood a lot of things. So at any rate, the rules and regulations of faith are right here. "He shall have whatsoever he says. Therefore, I say unto you, what things soever you desire", listen now, "when you pray, when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them".
Notice them is in italics. Look at this. Believe that you receive and you shall have. Believe that you receive, have faith in God. Believe. Have faith. It's the same thing. When you pray, believe. Right then. And if you're struggling with it, go back to the book. If you're struggling trying to figure out... My first day in ground school and one of the airplanes that I was moving up to a bigger airplane and had to have a type rating in it, and the big old fat AFM, Aircraft manufacturers manual and the organization is called Flight Safety and to train pilots. He stood up there and he said, "Now before we begin, what we teach here at Flight Safety, if it doesn't match this, then it is not right. I thought, I wish preachers had that much sense. This is the AFM, this is the manufacturer's manual right here. I'm telling you, he manufactured this universe. He created it". Thank You Jesus.
So now listen to this. So this is all inclusive. "Therefore", he put it into motion, "I say unto you, what things soever you desire, when you pray, believe you receive them, you shall have them. And when you stand praying, forgive and well", that's one of the fundamentals. It will not work in an unforgiving heart. Jesus put it right there with faith. When you stand praying, forgive. Forgive, if you have all against any, that your Father also, which is in Heaven, may forgive you your trespasses. That's in the Lord's prayer. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us. Then there's the golden rule. What is it? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Some people say do it unto others before they have a chance to do it unto you. I'm going to tell you, that's a spiritual law. What you do unto others is what they'll do unto you. If you're grumpy all the time, then people around you are grumpy. Amen.
These things are spiritual laws and the general public doesn't know anything about spirits. They think they're ghosts. And have the idea, well, the spirit and the soul. I guess the same thing. And you go, you hear on the radio and you call in and you say, I'd like to change my flight pattern. They say how many souls on board? Why don't you say people and how will this flight terminate? Well, I hope... I never could understand some things. We drive on the parkway and park in a driveway. I don't know. I tell you what I mean. Oh well anyway, but here it is. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father, which is in Heaven, forgive you your trespasses. He can't. This is responsive. It isn't... Well now, thank you Laura. Let's turn to First John. This wasn't in place when Jesus preached that. The only thing that was in place then was the baptism of John, of the Jews where you confessed your sins. But now, here in first John chapter one, verse five. This then is the message which we have heard of him and declaring unto you that God is light.
Oh, we learned something here. He's the one that said light be. Well, he is light. In him is no darkness at all. And in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And the truth is not in us. Now we're going to have to do this by faith. If we confess our sins, now this is an exceeding great and precious blood back promise. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just or righteous. Same word in agreement. ...To forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When? When we confess them, not when we feel better about it. I know this for a fact. I experienced this in a very difficult meeting. And the whole thing was really hard to just... And it was back many years ago. And anyway, I really got put out big time with part of the leadership of the church. And then I, oh man. And now I didn't cuss okay, but I wanted to, but I didn't.
Anyway. And it was between services and afternoon services. And I just said, "Lord, I'm not going over there tonight and preach". I'm talking out loud to him. And he said, "Why not"? I said, "You know why not". Why? I said, "I'm not going over there and just hold up my finger and thus sayeth the Lord". Not after what I did and thought. Inside I heard him say, "Didn't you confess that to me"? I said, "Yes I did". Now listen. He said, "Kenneth, when you confess that is not when I found out about it". What a revelation. I was not informing him of anything. But he said, When you confessed it, is when you got rid of it. I said, "Yes sir". I'm forgiven. And I'm cleansed of it. It's gone. I didn't feel like it, but now I believed it. I believed it. Amen. Got up and went over there and I had a better, stronger message than I would've had the other way. Cause I had a fresh revelation from God. Hallelujah. But now that's vital to be done by faith.
All right, now come back over here. Now notice they came again to Jerusalem and as he was walking in the temple, they came unto a chief priests, I mean, remind you of what we learned last week, talking about the names. He was walking in the temple. We started out last week in Acts three, Peter and John at the beautiful gate of the temple and at the time of prayer. And that crippled man looking on them, expected to receive something from them, they went there. There it is. Acts three, one. I noted it right there. Well you know good and well, Jesus didn't pass that man, but wonder why he didn't raise him up. Can you answer that? Thank you. Go to the head of the class. He said, I only say 14th chapter of John, the words I speak unto you. They are not mine. The Father within me, He does the works. So there's both. The Lord didn't direct him to do it. So now then, faith will not work in an unforgiving heart.
Now turn to the 21st chapter of the book of Matthew, because you have people argue about the fact, I've heard it. Well now those are spiritual mountains. Yes. Yes they are. You're right. But it's not going to come just that way. It's just like it says. And out of the mouth of two witnesses, Matthew 21:21, 19th verse, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever. Presently, the fig tree withered away". 21. Jesus answered and said unto them, "Verily, I say unto you, if you have faith and doubt not, you shall not only do this, which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed and cast into the sea, it shall be done. And all things whatsoever, you will ask in prayer, believe and you shall receive". And we're out of time. Glory to God. Whatever you ask in prayer, believe and you... Yeah. Amen. Glory to God. Hallelujah. We'll be back in just a moment.