Kenneth Copeland - What Is Great Faith?
This is Healing School. So now let's go back to the 90th Psalm. "A prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever you had formed the earth in the world, even from everlasting to everlasting. You turn man to destruction and say, 'Return ye children to men.' For a thousand years in thy site are all but as yesterday, when it's past and as a watch in the night. You carry them away as with a flood".
This doesn't sound good. Moses is interceding for a disobedient people in the wilderness. He's crying out to God, they're dying. "You carry them away as with a flood; they are as sheep in the morning, they're like grass, which grows up. In the morning it flourishes and grows up; in the evening it is cut down and withered. For we are consumed by thine anger, and thy wrath we are troubled. You have set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of your countenance. For all our days are passed away in your wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore, yet it is their strength and labor and sorrow; for it soon cutaway, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power and your anger"?
He was crying out to God, "These people are dying," at 60, 70 years old. Some of them even 80, but they're dying. They ought not be dying that young. These are the first people of God's that died that young. These are the first ones. God had already said, "You ought to live 120 years". And Moses ancestors lived a whole lot longer than that. Abraham lived to be 175 after Sarah died. Hey, read the rest of it. After Sarah died, Abraham remarried and had six more, and he was through at 90. Talk to him about 70 or 80, he had been dead before he had any children. Amen. Long satisfied life, even in the old age.
If you don't want to stay here to 120, that's your business. I heard the Lord ask me to do that. And I said, "Well, of course". And he dealt with me on the scripture. "Why"? "Well, because of the anointing". And I said, "Well, okay. But what"? And so He just started taking me up year after year after year, "Were you as anointed at 30 as you were when you were 40"? "No, I was anointed, but not as much because I was 40 when I was separated to the office of the prophet". "Now, were you as anointed at 40 as you were when you're 50"? And just kept on up through the years. The Lord said to me, "Kenneth, I have anointings from 80 to 90". And he said, "Of course I have those in the earth. I have anointings from 90 to a 100. I don't have many of those". I'm talking about now a long life to preach the Word of Faith. Now there have been people that lived a long time. Christian people, they gave God the credit for it. But I'm talking about teaching and preaching the Word of Faith for that many years. Praise God. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Praise you, Lord Jesus.
Now, let's turn to Matthew 22. Jesus is teaching. Verse 37, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind". I pray that every night before I go to sleep. Every night, "I love the Lord my God with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind and all of my strength". And strength there is referring to your wealth, to your strength. The strength of your voice, your testimony, your witness, all of my strength. Glory to God. And now look what else he said. "This is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets". I do that every night before I go to sleep. "While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, 'What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?' They say unto Him, 'The son of David.'"
This is a huge clue. Who is the anointed one? Now, if we would put that in Hebrew he would have said, "Who is the Messiah? The son of David"? They answered him and said, "The son of David". Well, of course. Now let's go to Mark 10:46. We're laying ground now for our own faith and for our own prayers. Mark 10:46, "They came to Jericho; and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, Bartimaeus"... I don't call him blind Bartimaeus anymore. He's not blind anymore. He became a disciple of Jesus. "And one day blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out loud, and say, 'Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.'" He was speaking. If he was speaking in Hebrew, he would have said, "Jesus Messiah, have hesed on me". That's covenant talk. Hesed, the great compassion of God and covenant, the big blessing, the lesser. "Do hesed for me. Do hesed for me, Messiah". Lord, I love it. Glory to God. "And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. They called the blind man, saying unto him, 'Oh, be of good comfort.'"
A while ago they were telling him to shut up. Be of good comfort. He's calling you. Oh, he was a legal beggar. He had been examined by the priests that he was actually blind and he wore a garment indicating that he was legally blind and you could give into his life and work. "Casting away his garment". Corresponding action, before it ever happened. "Casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Bartimaeus, what can I do for you?' The blind man said unto him, 'Lord, that I might receive my sight.'" He had to say it. He had to say it.
We were in a big meeting in Detroit. And Bob Lewis came to me and he said, "Kenneth, we're not going to have... There's no way we can pray for all these people in this meeting. I'm going to set you up a prayer line". I said, "Okay, good". And walked... One of the first ones in the prayer line, she had a malignant growth. This thing looked like an eggplant, purple with red kind of veins coming out of her hairline down across her eyes. No way she could have seen anything.
Now I had learned from my mentor, Oral Roberts, use that name. So I walked up there just a step or two. I said, "In the name of Jesus," and that thing disappeared. It just kind of sucked the wind out of the room. Now my mother was standing behind me. She and my dad were in that meeting. And she was standing behind me and she was laying hands on me as I was praying for the people. And she said, "Where'd that go"? I said, "I don't know". She was standing there like this. Now, I didn't ask her what she came for. I just attacked that thing. She went like this and there was a big gorder on her neck. I saw that gorder. And she said, "No, I'm saving this for Brother Roberts". I told him about that. And he looked at me. I could see this gust and the compassion on his face. And he said, "Well, the Lord really looks out after me, doesn't he"? Saved it for him. Well, we never did know from then whether she was in the prayer line or not. But that's the reason Jesus asked him, "What would you have me do for you"? He needed to say it.
Now, what did Jesus say? "The blind man said, 'Lord, that I might receive my sight.' Jesus said unto him, 'You go your way. Your faith has made you whole.' And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus on the way". That's how easy it is to receive healing. That's how easy. Praise God. 1 Thessalonians 5:22. Now we know that the Syrophoenician woman, she said those same words. "Son of David, have mercy on me". Well, he didn't answer her. He didn't say anything to her. And his people came around and said, "Get her out of here. She's driving us crazy". But Jesus didn't say anything to her. Now, Bartimaeus was a Jew. He had every authority to say that. This woman was not, she was Syrophoenician. Now Jesus called her a dog. Well, the Syrophoenicians lived like dogs. They had no allegiance to any god, and sex was just something to play with. Now, she said those words, "Son of David, have mercy on me," but Jesus didn't answer that.
Now, personally, I believe she heard somebody with that. And she heard about him some way or other because she was there. But now Brother Keith Moore was saying that if she was saying that just to copy, but we really don't know one way or the other. But how did she get his attention? Well, the first thing she did, she fell on her face and worshiped him. She called him Lord. And the rest of the conversation took place with her on her face, looking up like this. And he said, "It is not right to give the children's bread to the dogs". You know what she said? "You're right. You're right". That's what did it. She said she worshiped him and she said, "You're right". That's what Jesus was trying to get out of her in the first place. What did he say, "Woman, for that saying, go on home. Your daughter's well". No time nor distance. Just go on home, she's well. Great faith.
What is great faith? Lord, you're right. Call me a dog. I must be a dog for some reason or other. I don't care if I am, the dogs get the crumbs. And I'm not leaving here until she's healed. You understand that? And if you're tired of me now, you wait until... Because I'm not leaving here without it. I am not leaving here until that girl is well. I'm here. You're right. Can't you just see Jesus said, "Nah, go on home". Great faith. Great faith. It just, Lord, you're right. Whatever you say is right. I've been living like a dog, but you're right. I'll change. But I'm not leaving here without it. He didn't intend for her to leave there without it, but she had no covenant. Glory to God. Are you with me?
Now, we're going to stay well here in 1 Thessalonians, the fifth chapter. You'll find 1 Thessalonians chapter five on the bottom of your Partner Letter. Starting with the 22nd verse. These great instruction from the great apostle, and we'll just go down through them. I'll start it at 14 first. "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil under any man". All of this has to do with your health. "But ever follow that which is good". Why? Because God is so good. His Word is good. Jesus is good. "Both among yourselves and to all men rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you". It's not the will of God that it happened to you, but it's the will of God you give thanks. My feet, your feet, your teeth, your gums, your ears. Stomach ulcers are being healed all over this place, all over online. Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God.
I just heard the word Bangladesh in my spirit. Bangladesh, people in Bangladesh are getting healed right now watching this. That's one of the nations, glory to God. People in Thailand, people in Singapore are getting healed right now. Glory to God. Hallelujah. People are being healed in Germany. People are being healed in Switzerland. People are being healed. Glory to God. People are being healed. The spirit of God is rising up. The spirit of God is moving. "In everything give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the spirit". What does that mean? Walk in love. Don't be saying things that are not faith words and love words. Don't do that. "Despise not prophesies. Prove all things. Hold fast to that which is good".
Prove all things. How do you do that? With the Word. Prove it. Prove it. Prove it with the Word. If the Word says it, it is. When you understand and you know what God is speaking to you in his Word, then it's settled. "Abstain from all appearance of evil". Abstain from that. Abstain from it. I mean, you be very cautious and very active in this. You abstain from that. You get out of there. That'll keep you well. Why? Because if you don't, it'll get on your mind and you start thinking about that, and now you're not thinking about healing. You thinking about something else and you're on your way to trouble. All appearance. That's the way you stay well. That's the way you stay well. Do that.
Now listen, "And the very God of Shalom, the peace, nothing missing, nothing broken, sanctify you wholly". All one piece. "And I pray God your whole spirit, your whole soul and body be preserved blameless until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you and also will do it". He will do it. I said, he will do it. Well, I'm telling you, Jesus is healing this morning. He is the healer by his spirit and his spirit is healing. He's been healing all morning. Check yourself out, glory to God, you are already healed. Your throat is healed. Your nose is healed. Your eyes are healed. Your ears are healed. Your stomach is healed. Your knees are healed. Your elbows are healed. Your feet are healed. Glory to God.