Kenneth Copeland - The WORD of God Brings Prosperity
My father in the faith Oral Roberts... He and Mrs. Evelyn were itinerant preachers, which meant they had no home. They just went from one meeting to the next to the next to the next. And he had taken the pastor of a church there in Oklahoma. She said "Oral"... they didn't have a parsonage. And the deacon board said, no, we don't have money enough for that. So they were living in the home of a deacon. So it went to a Wednesday night service and he had just been paid. He had his $50. That is his whole paycheck. Well, that evening service, he said, "We are going to have a parsonage at this church and I'm starting the offering with $50".
And he just put it check out. And the piano player jumped up, grabbed the hat and started this offering. But then he said, "Now I'm going to have to tell Evelyn". So he said it was in January. And he said, "If you think it's cold outside, you should have been inside". She said, "Oral, you didn't put all of our money in there". He said, "Well, you said you're going to go home, take the kids and go home if we didn't have a parsonage". "You didn't do that. That's all the money we have". "Yeah, I did". He said, "It's about 4:00 in the morning. So he got up and answered the door. It was the wealthiest farmer in the county". He said, "Oral, I'm ashamed that I didn't put anything in that offering tonight, but I'm a farmer. I know if I want a harvest, I have to plant a seed. And I had this buried in a can out in my backyard. And it was 4 crisp, new $100 bills". He said, "I had never seen $100 bill, and neither did Evelyn". He said, "I just took that those for $100 bills went in there and kind of fanned her in the face with it".
And he said she and I... That's where seed time and harvest came in his ministry long before the miracle ministry actually happened. Praise God, and I like what Jerry Savelle said, "A seed will meet any need". Now last night we talked about what Jesus said in the 10th chapter of Mark concerning the hundredfold. Now let's go to the fourth chapter of Mark. Mark 4. Thank You Jesus. Well, somebody say amen, thank You, Lord, Wasn't it not a good time last night? Fourth chapter of Mark and he again... He began again to teach by the seaside, and he taught them many things by parables and unto them his doctrine.
Now then, the 14th verse. This is the subject of his teaching: the sower sowed the Word... the Word. In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. This is called the Word of God. It is his bond. It is always truth. It pulls no punches. Amen. And it does not contain the truth. It is the truth. It is the truth. So the sower soweth the Word. "And these are they by the way side, where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the Word that was sown in their hearts". Now, John, 10:10, "the Master said the thief cometh but for to steal". Well, of course he's a thief. He doesn't own anything. He doesn't even have the Adam's treason power anymore. Jesus striped him, brought him to naught, nothing. Zero. Glory to God. Hallelujah.
But he said, "I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly". The Amplified said, "until it runs over, more than you can see any way to use". Glory to God, hallelujah "And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward", now listen to this, "When affliction or persecution ariseth", to teach you something. "No, no, no, no, no. for the Word's sake," What's happening here? Someone heard the Word. Someone heard a healing word. Someone heard a word concerning prosperity. Someone heard God's Word on it. And the devil said, "No, no, no, no, no, no. Listen. Do you know what they've been saying about you? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Listen to me. You know that doesn't work the last time you tried it. Your rent is due. You know that tithing doesn't work. Did you ever wonder why Brother Copeland wears blue clothes all the time"?
Anything to get your mind off of the Word. Anything to distract I don't wear them all the time. Just most of the time, I pray over my clothes before I preach in any service and any meeting. And I really had planned something else. But I went into my closet and I'm standing there, and I said, Lord... No. This? No. You're sure? Now this is what... No, no, he said yes. Yes, yes. So here I am. Amen. How many partners in here? Praise God. You like my new suit? You should. You paid for it. Oh, hallelujah. Glory to God. I love the Word and I love people. Now, I want you to watch this. "Persecution, affliction or persecution arises for the Word's sake, and immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the Word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches".
What does that mean? Well, I know, if I could just get enough money everything would work. But why is it you don't have enough now? "Well, you know, they just hadn't been doing me right". "Who"? "Well, I don't really want to talk about it". When you stand praying, forgive, your faith isn't working. Amen. So here we are. "The cares and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts or pressure of other things entering in..." You don't have to let it entering in "choke the Word and it becomes untruthful". It's the Word that bears the fruit. Amen. "And these are they which are sown on good ground;" So maybe... Maybe you need to do a soil sample. Check out your heart. That's the ground. Check it out. Just put that on the side. Say, "Lord, something is not right here. And just stay there". Like my father in the faith said. "There's a key issue in there some place", and so just be quiet.
What did Jesus say? If you have a problem with someone else, put your offering aside. Fix that and then come back. So here we are. "And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the Word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some an hundred". So there's a second time, he's talked about 100. Well, I'd rather have the 30 than to have nothing. I start with ten and build it. Build a confession around it. Take that and make little cards out of it. I suggest you put it on the refrigerator. Particularly if you spend a lot of time there. John and Kellie came in. They were just small. And Kellie was the spokesman here. She said, Daddy, we want a boat. I said, "That's good, but you're the one who brought it up, so you're going to have to believe for it". "Okay, we can do it". So I said, "Come on, let's build a petition here according to First John 5".
So they did it, and Kellie wrote it out. And John scribbled something on the bottom of it, and they just taped it to the refrigerator. That's what made me think about it. Ten days later... Very close friend of mine that... and I enjoy fishing, particularly bass fishing. And he had the coolest bass boat. Mm hmm. And he'd done all kinds of things to it. And ten days, he called me. He said, "Brother Kenneth, I'm going to ask you to forgive me". I said, "What for, Monty"? He said, "The Lord told me to give you my bass boat. And I just... I got it about ten days ago. But I apologize for not doing it". I said, "Monty, that's great". Two days later, another friend called and he said, "Kenneth, I ask you to forgive me, please". I said, "Why, Loyd"? He said, "A couple of weeks ago the Lord spoke to me and told me to give you my little cabin cruiser". Well, I appreciate that. Glory to God. Thank you.
"Loyd, what is it"? "Well", he said, "it's not a big one, but he does have a pair of hundred horse mercury engines behind it. And you can spend some time overnight" and so forth? I thought, two boats. The Lord said, "Go look at the petition". And Kellie wrote on there, "The perfect boat". I said, "Kellie, in your opinion, what is the perfect boat"? She said, "Well, Daddy, we know how you like to fish, so we wanted you to have something you could fish in. But at the same time, we would like to have something we could get you out in the lake where nobody can could call". It took two boats to make that petition. The important thing was she wrote the vision, and they would come by there every time and they would hit that... Now, here was their confession. They'd say, "Thank you, Jesus for the perfect boat. Thank you, Jesus, for the perfect boat".
And it took too. It took two. But look what they did. They didn't just leave it there. Hallelujah. "And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you:" Here again, this comes back to the way you measure it. Take heed. What does that mean? Pay attention, particularly to yourself in the way you're measuring this.
"Well, I don't know Brother Copeland, I mean, a hundredfold is an awfully lot. And I don't have much to give". You're the one that measured it. But start somewhere. The money... let's say in American currency. We talk about $100 bill. Let's just take that $100 bill. That is the husk of the seed. You may be sowing for something in the family. You may be sowing for something you need financially. You may be sowing but what's on your heart? What comes up inside you, I love Ephesians 6:8. What ever good thing a man does the same shall he receive of the Lord. Hallelujah. Situations that demand supernatural conclusions must have a Word-based upon which they stand. You don't just grab something out of the air. An exceeding precious promise.
Why are they precious? Because Jesus shed his blood to ratify it. You go to the book and you find the Scripture that covers your situation. If it's a family healing and you're sowing for that, then you settle it not only with the Lord, but you settle it with the devil and the cares of this world... You go to First Peter, chapter five, "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and cast all of your care over on him, for he cares for you". Amen. The thing that's worrying you, the thing that's bothering you. Cast that care, get rid of it. Amen. So here, now we're finishing this. "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how". He doesn't need to know. "For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come".
That's thanksgiving and praise. I mean you begin to praise God like it happened yesterday. You begin to shout and praise glory to God. I am... Somebody said, "You just keep doing that. You're going to be financially independent". No, I'm always financially dependent. I am financially dependent on Jesus and he's financially independent. He is my source. He has many channels, but he's my source because he is the Word. Amen. So... "Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:" Listen. "When it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. And with many such parables spake he the Word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples".
Then he said, "Let us pass over unto the other side. And it came a great storm of wind and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow:" He said, "Let's go to the other side". He extended this all thing and said, "'Let's go to the other side'. He was asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, 'Master, carest thou not that we perish?'" Here you have it. Don't you care? "He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, 'Peace, be still.' And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, 'Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?'" He extended the whole thing, knowing Peter like you know Peter, he should have stood up and said, "No, we're going to the other side. The Master said so, he's asleep. I'm not going to bother him. Peace be still". Later he did walk on the water, so don't criticize him till after you walk on the water. Amen.