Pastor Bob’s Blog

Every time Creflo Dollar ministers at the SWBC, the crowd is large, and the anointing is strong.  Tuesday night was no exception.

He opened by giving us a Word he’d received from the Lord.  I’m not sure I got it all verbatim, but here’s what I wrote in my notebook:

An avalanche of manifestation will be released on those who will stay in faith.  It will bury your circumstances.

Now, don’t let that slide.  Take it by faith.  Say this:  “I will stay in faith, and an avalanche of manifestation will be released on me.  That avalanche will bury my current circumstances!”

Pastor Creflo exhorted us to be faithful to sow even while the world is experiencing recession.  Don’t stop tithing and sowing.  Absolutely not!  Double up on your giving.  This is the time when believers need to sow financial seed, praise, and confess the Word like never before.  Dr. Dollar took us to Ecclesiastes 11:4.  If we’re looking around at the circumstances in the world (wind and clouds), we won’t sow, and we won’t reap a harvest.

Next he directed us to Habakkuk 2:3-5 in the Amplified Bible and taught us that we need to be FAITHFUL to live by faith.  He gave us keys to real Bible faith:

1. Real Bible faith is faith in the love of God.  Your and my “goody-goody” list of things we’ve done don’t qualify us for anything.  “We’re one Jesus away from hell.”  It’s God’s love we have to believe before we can believe anything else, and it’s only God’s love that allows us to be saved, blessed, etc.  It’s also love that impelled God to save, heal, bless, and prosper us.
2. Get the scripture that covers your situation.
3. Meditate on/ponder/mutter your scripture until you can see yourself in it.
4. Fight the good fight of faith - open your mouth and out of it will come what you’ve meditated.

He also told us we need to be faithful with the little so God can trust us with the great, to be faithful with money, and to be faithful with what belongs to another.

Those of you who were at ALC when Marty Copeland ministered will remember her armor bearer, Camille.  Cherie and I had a lot of fun with her (and Marty) during their visit.  Both of them enjoyed Perk’s, and we sent them each a gift card they can use when they come back to minister again.  (As I mentioned in an earlier post, Camille blessed us with a Jamba Juice gift card, which we’ve thoroughly enjoyed - and exhausted - this week).

Today we had lunch with Camille at Mi Cocina, a Mexican restaurant in downtown Fort Worth.  She’s doing really well.  In her regular job at Kenneth Copeland Ministries, she edits KCM’s Victory magazine and the text on kcm.org.  Needless to say, I hope she doesn’t read this, or if she does, that she doesn’t have her red editing pencil in hand.  :-)  The next time you read Victory, and appreciate the excellence it exhibits, thank Camille and say a quick prayer for her and her family.  She’s becoming a cherished friend and is a dear sister in the Lord.

First, when Brother Copeland takes up the offering, he might preach for thirty minutes.  Today he preached during the offering about the theme the Lord gave him for this year’s offerings.  He said he’d never heard of a theme for an offering, but in obedience, each offering has this theme:  Heavenly seed brings heavenly harvest.  As we sow our seed, we’re expecting a heavenly harvest!

Brother Copeland taught from John 20:21 that we are sent, just as the Father sent Jesus.  Acts 3:25-26 tells us Jesus was sent to bless.  His conclusion?  We’re sent to bless, too.  Galatians 3:13-14, 28-29 tells us that we’re blessed as the seed of Abraham.  Like Jesus, we’re blessed to be blessed.

Brother Copeland told us that when Jesus blessed in Luke 24:50, and because He only said what He heard His Father said, then when He blessed, He must have told them:  “Be fruitful and multiply.”

He read from Ephesians 1:16-23.  When he was studying that passage, the Lord told him He needs us.  Yes, we need Him.  But because we’re His hands, and we carry the blessing, He needs us to administer the blessing in the earth today.  Hallelujah!!

On Tuesday, Sister Gloria taught about Mark 4 and the four kinds of hearts.  She particularly exhorted us to forgive, and not to become offended.  If our hearts are anything but good ground for the Word of God seed, we’re not going to be able to receive fully from the Lord.

The SWBC is held at the Fort Worth Convention Center.  Depending on whether you ask me or Anna Claire, it either looks like a huge shellfish or an alien spacecraft.  Inside, it’s built to be an exhibition and sports center.  In past years, the circus has come to town after the SWBC.  Skating exhibitions are held here, too.

During the week of the SWBC, though, it’s a big church.  When the doors open in the morning (8:00), people scramble for seats on the floor.  We like to sit up in the seats on the side, though.  The book tables for KCM, Jerry Savelle, Jesse Duplantis, Creflo Dollar, Len Mink, and others are in the exhibition hall, which is behind the platform.

What you see here are the platform from the front, the platform from the side with Len Mink (the worship leader) reading announcements, and Len Mink on the jumbo screen.  Hey, it’s not the Sistine Chapel, but it’s an anointed church for a week!

Brother Jerry taught today about the nature of God.  The nature of God is not miraculous, he said.  The nature of God is abundance.  Miracles only occur when there is lack.  It’s better to live in the Blessing than the miraculous.  It’s better to live in divine health than to need healing.

God doesn’t just want to supply our needs.  Brother Jerry taught from several scriptures, but particularly settled on 1 Timothy 6:17, that God gives us richly all things to enjoy.  Before he got saved, Brother Jerry enjoyed fast cars and motorcycles.  When he entered the ministry, he gave them up so he could concentrate on God.  The Lord gave them back to him for his enjoyment.  God gets joy when we have joy.  He just wants us to keep Him as our number one focus, and to give him all the glory for the things He gives us to enjoy.

As Brother Jerry phrased it, “Wherever God goes, He leaves a trail of abundance.”

He finished with Psalm 35:27:

Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

We all shouted for joy!!

Monday night, Brother Copeland introduced Phil Driscoll.  Brother Driscoll had a vibrant career as a secular musician, both as a singer and trumpeter.  Then he got saved.  Since then he has ministered in sound.

A year or so ago, he was convicted of tax evasion; Brother Copeland told us it was widely accepted that the conviction was wrongful.  Brother Driscoll was incarcerated in a federal penetentiary in Atlanta.  When he was released, Brother Copeland was there to pick him up.

Brother Driscoll ministered on the shofar, with his trumpets, and singing.  Brother Copeland joined in.  The sweetness of Jesus and the comfort of the Holy Spirit ministered to us.  The whole time was extraordinarily moving.

Brother Jerry laid the foundation for what he’ll be teaching this week:  The Truth About Prosperity.  He said many don’t prosper because of a lack of knowledge.  (Hosea 4:6).  He talked extensively about Truth (Psalm 25:4-5; John 8:31-32; John 17:17; John 16:13; James 1:24; Galatians 5:1, 7).

He made a very good point.  In Matthew 22:34-40 and Luke 10, Jesus explained the most important commandments.  He fleshed out the second commandment, love your neighbor as yourself, with the story of the Good Samaritan, who could not have loved the beaten man without money.

Sister Gloria Copeland taught today about three words the Lord told her to remember when preparing to receive the end of her faith:

1. Implement (to carry into effect, accomplish, keep doing)
2. Engaged (as the military engages the enemy or a pilot engages autopilot)
3. Press (as the woman with the issue of blood did).  She said her “press” was to get out of debt 40+ years ago, and to stay out of debt.

She also reminded us of Psalm 84:11 - no good thing will be withheld from those who walk uprightly.  Holy living is important if we want to receive “good” from the Lord.  As an interesting point, she quoted Rabbi Lapin, who said there are no Hebrew words for “retirement” or “coincidence.”

My family and I are leaving for Fort Worth shortly.  We’ll be attending Kenneth Copeland Ministries’ Southwest Believers’ Convention.  This is our sixth year, I think, and it’s a blessing to soak up the word so intensely and fellowship with other believers.

I plan to blog each day from the convention.  Pray for time and strength (this is a pretty intense convention).  I’d like for give you the opportunity to follow along.