Kenneth Copeland - The Force of Prayer
Hello, everybody. I'm Kenneth Copeland, Thursday's edition of the Believer's Voice of Victory broadcast. Are you getting anything out of this where you can see it? If you can see it in linear, in the way that it happened, and watch it, a wonderful study is to go back and see Jesus in every book of the Bible. And when Oral Roberts preached the fourth man, I'll tell you, I laughed, I cried. The great creator in the book of Genesis, the deliverer in the book of Exodus, just right on down there. Oh, it's just marvelous. So, and we're studying, we're continuing to study the force of prayer and the different kinds of prayer and the different ways to pray different things so that everything is decent and in order.
And when you understand which way the prayers work, and some of them overlap one another, we know the different ways to receive healing are all connected to prayer. And so, and I'm getting over into next week. Just a little hint there. No, that's what we're going to study. So, anyway, let's go to the book of Acts. Now, Jesus kept saying, well, we'll read here what He said in the first chapter. "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to preach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen". So now, where does that settle? We have to go back and see what each one of them, Matthew, Mark, John, and what Luke recorded. So there has to be a synopsis of that that we bring them together.
Now, "To whom he showed himself after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God". So there was some things going on there for six weeks during that time that He was revealing Himself to different ones. There were 501 places and so forth. "Commanded them, they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me". Now, that takes us back to when He was promising these things, because now we're in that day. "For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. And you shall receive power, dunamis".
The woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of the garment. Jesus perceiving that virtue... Well, if you have the Blue Letter Bible, just look it up. It's dunamis, power, dynamin. And as you heard, we get our word dynamite from it. That's where it came from. "When they were therefore come together and ask of him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel? He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in his power. But you shall receive power. After that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you'll be my witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And when he had spoken those things, they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus," this same Jesus, this same Jesus.
Now we know why. "The works that I do shall you do also. For the Father that dwells within me, he does the works". "This same Jesus, which is taken up for you in heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet," was from Jerusalem, less than half a mile. "And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James". Or Jude. Now, we have the book of Jude right after the book of James. Are the dots being connected? All right. And, "These all continued with one accord in prayer".
Now, notice, we've got that's big. "They continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, The number of names were about a hundred and twenty. Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spoke before the concerning Judas, which was a guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us and obtained part," or his portion, "of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity. Falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it is known unto all dwellers in Jerusalem, insomuch as that field is now called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection".
Now, there are those that say, well, the apostle Paul really should have been the one. They didn't, shouldn't have drawn straws. He didn't qualify. It says, from the beginning, from the baptism of John. He persecuted the church. So, and he said, like one born out of time, but he wasn't there at the baptism of John. He was not there around that Jordan when John baptized him and said, Behold the Lamb of God. And the voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved son. Hear ye him". "And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance".
Now, think about this. Because of Jesus and His death, burial, and resurrection, then what we lost at the tower of confusion and the Babylonian system of confusion, we got it back. We got it back. Hallelujah. For in the Spirit, I can speak to my people, saith the Lord. I can bring to pass in your lives what I could not do when it was only the prophet and the king and the priest. For now that you know me as your Lord and Savior, I have made you as a king and a priest. So I am still just for the king and the priest and the prophet. But now you are not just followers of me, saith the Lord. Because of my blood and my resurrection, you are now sons of God, not just servants of God. And the worship is on a different level. Hallelujah. Thank You, Jesus.
"This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we are all witnesses, being by the right hand of God exalted, having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, shed forth this which you now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith unto the Lord, Sit on my right hand, Until I make your foes your footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know surely that God hath made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ". Here's the man that cowered down and denied Him three times. Boy, here's Mr. Boldness himself. I mean, it happened and he got up. Peter's standing up with the 11.
So now, chapter 3, "Now, Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, meaning the ninth hour, 3 o'clock in the afternoon. 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 Asconoms 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 from them". Now, Mark 11, "And Jesus entered into Jerusalem and into the temple. And when he had looked around upon all things, and now the evening tide was come," he went... He walked right by that man. Well, no wonder he was expecting to receive something. He looked up there and said, "Hey, here's my boys".
But now, oh man, that's Mark 11:11 through 27. "Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. He took him by the right hand and lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. They knew that it was he was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder and amazement". That miracle did not cause faith. It was a sign and a wonder. That's what Jesus said. These signs will follow the believer. Well, a sign happened, but it didn't bring faith. But they did bring wonder, "Greatly wondering. Peter saw it. He answered unto the people, You men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Why look you so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we have made this man to walk"?
Yeah, but Brother Copeland, they were apostles. He just dealt with that. What did it? "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied him in the presence of Pilate, and when he determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy One and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you, and killed the prince of life, whom God hath raised up from the dead. Whereof we are witnesses, and his name, through faith in his name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yea, the faith of him which by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Now, brethren, I want that through ignorance you did it," I know that, "as also your rulers. But those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ, the Messiah, should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, and the names of times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers of prophets, Shall the Lord raise up for your brethren like unto me. Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he's hearing say".
It's faith in the name. Faith in the name of Jesus. It was his name. Faith in that name. "Whom the heavens must receive in the times of restitution of all things". Praise God. Thank You, Jesus. Now we've established the fact that his name and faith in this name. He said, "The things that I do shall you do also. And greater works than these shall you do". When Jesus was here on this earth, he didn't preach the new birth. It was not available. Every time you or I lead someone to Christ, that's a greater work. To do the works of Jesus. I'm doing the works of Jesus right now. Only I'm not preaching around the shores of Galilee. Thank God for Clyde Thomas McGee, the man that... the scientist working for a huge company. The Lord showed him how to synchronize that first satellite with the earth. And because of what the Lord showed him through the Holy Spirit, then you and I are preaching and teaching a lot of people.
And it just goes and goes. And this is the works of Jesus. But let's pin it down. Ephesians chapter three. Let's begin reading with the... well, it's the first verse. "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you, have that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words. Hereby when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit". Ha-ha-ha. Glory to God. Amen. "That the Gentiles should be followers and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel whereof I was made a minister according to the gift of grace which God has given me an effectual working of his power. Unto me who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, or their part of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hidden in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ".
Oh, we are finding out some things. "To make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world been hidden in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent", now, this is the intention, "that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God". Now that Jesus raised from the dead, we have his name, and in the book we have his wisdom. And we learn from the book of Proverbs that wisdom is the principal thing. And all of it's by faith. That's the only way you can receive it.
So, "According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness", well, okay, I'm bold, "and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that you faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom..." Are you getting this? "...of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named", whew. So this is your name. I'm Kenneth Mac Copeland Jesus, or Christ, Christ within me, my hope of glory. I'll come on down. We only have 30 seconds. I'll pick up the rest of it tomorrow, "now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all we ask or think according to the dunamis, which works in us". There you have it. Praise God. Greater. Greater. According to the power that's at work within us. Thank You, Jesus. And we'll be back in just a moment.