March 2026 BVOV Magazine by Kenneth Copeland Ministries Canada

Out of Darkness, Into the Light

Growing up in India as a Hindu, Deepa Sukumar worshipped many gods. When darkness threatened to overtake her, none of them helped.

“God declared all the promises contained in His WORD long before sin ever existed, long before satan tempted Adam, long before the universe was even created.”

Kenneth Copeland : page 6

Gloria and I consider partnership a very sacred thing and are convinced that the principles of partnership are key to victory in these last days.

Partnership can change your life!

kcmcanada.ca/partner

1-877-480-3388

6 a.m.-4 p.m. PT, M-F

Get your free magazine kcmcanada.ca

edition es.kcm.org/LVVC

From The Editor

TODAY IS YOUR DAY!

Ever wake up on the proverbial “wrong side of the bed”?

In other words, your attitude is bad even before your feet hit the floor. You lay there thinking, Here I go again. Another day of the same old, same old. A bunch of things to do, and not enough time or strength to get it all done!

I know I’ve had mornings like that—plenty of them, actually! But I also know not long after entertaining those negative thoughts, I’ve found myself shamefully before the Lord, confessing my wrong feelings and asking His forgiveness.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 118:24, “This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” (New Living Translation).

Rejoice and be glad—even when my day is likely to be filled with hardship and disappointment?

It may sound difficult, but that’s what the Lord desires from each of us. Regardless of what our day may bring, He wants to see us always receive it with a merry heart, rejoicing in the truth that He loves and cares for us— that in every circumstance He will give us the grace and strength to make it through.

He says the same thing to us that He told the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (NLT).

The truth is, we all have those days when we feel we just can’t make it. But we don’t have to let our feelings ruin the day, or our

Christian testimony. Not when we can call on the Lord for help. He’s there to provide the strength and ability we need to move forward.

Now when I find myself on the brink of throwing what amounts to a tremendous “pity party” because I don’t feel I can make it, or that no one loves me, I remind myself of something I once heard Gloria Copeland say: “Don’t let the devil steal from you! Don’t let him talk you into dying young and telling you that nobody loves you…. Get over it! Go love someone if you want to be loved. Give and it’ll be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over.”

That’s good advice for all of us.

Quit crying and whining and just get over it. God made today just for you. Embrace it. Rejoice in it, and in Him!

Go love someone! And watch that love come right back to you.

Ronald C. Jordan Managing Editor

1967 Historic Moment:

Jesus Is Lord!

If you’ve been connected with Kenneth Copeland Ministries for any length of time, then you likely recognize that slogan as a major part of every Believer’s Voice of Victory television broadcast, every BVOV magazine and every KCM meeting that has taken place around the world.

It’s been that way now for nearly 60 years, as Kenneth and Gloria Copeland have declared, “Jesus Is Lord!” over the world and its nations time and again. They have confessed it over families and individuals. They have boldly declared it over national elections and government leaders on every level. They have used their faith year after year to profess Jesus is Lord over every kind of sickness, disease, famine and global calamity.

It began in 1967 when, as Brother Copeland was reading his Bible in his bedroom, 1 Corinthians 12:3 exploded with meaning in his heart: “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” At that moment, Brother Copeland decided he was going to declare those words all the time, and over every situation.

The rest of that afternoon he walked around declaring the lordship of Jesus: “Jesus is LORD. Jesus is LORD over my body. Jesus is LORD over my mind. Jesus is LORD over my spirit. Jesus is LORD over this bedroom. Jesus is LORD over my clothes. Jesus is LORD over my car. Jesus is LORD over this ministry. Jesus is LORD over anything that has to do with me, because I make Jesus The LORD over my life.”

He wrote “Jesus Is LORD!” every time he had a pen in his hand, and ended his letters with the same confession. He even had a plaque made for the front door of his home, announcing to every person who stepped onto the porch, “Jesus Is LORD!”

“Jesus Is Lord!” not only became the theme for his ministry, it was the theme for his life.

The Bible says every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11). The day is coming when everyone, Christian or not, will bow and confess, “Jesus is Lord.” He is the undisputed Savior of the universe.

Every person on earth can be saved by believing and making that declaration now! We hope each of you has had your own personal moment when you came to the same conclusion Brother Copeland did nearly 60 years ago.

The entire staff of KCM joins Kenneth and Gloria in declaring: “God loves you, we love you, and JESUS IS LORD!”

Before the Foundation of the World: Part 2

Nowhere But Up

Have you ever expected anything less than excellence from God?

Have you ever gone to God with a problem, for instance, and expected Him to be anything less than right—100% of the time?

Of course not. God is God. You can always count on His being right. The Bible is full of His unwavering excellence revealed to mankind down through the ages.

What’s more, when Jesus stepped out of heaven and into this natural realm, He was no less excellent than His Father. The New Testament recounts how His life and ministry on this earth was one of excellence.

So where does that leave you and me?

We are, after all, the children of God, too. We are sons and daughters of the Most High God— the Most Excellent God.

Shouldn’t there be some mark of excellence in our lives, as well?

Excellence Takes Heart

Throughout the Scriptures there are many accounts of God-fearing men and women who demonstrated excellence in their lives. One of those was Daniel.

In Daniel 6:1-3, we are reminded of the favor Daniel received during his lifetime from the different kings of Babylon, and why:

It pleased [King] Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should

be over the whole kingdom; and over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes.…

Here was Daniel, an exiled Hebrew slave, basically running the entire Babylonian empire. In fact, Darius actually trusted Daniel more than he did all the other people who had political authority in the land.

What made Daniel so special?

Verse 3 goes on to tell us that it was “because an excellent spirit was in him.”

Daniel had a spirit of excellence.

In studying the life of Daniel and others like him, it’s obvious that a spirit of excellence does not come easily, and that it does not come by being lazy. Walking in a spirit of excellence— walking in excellence of thought, excellence of action, excellence of speech—only comes with diligence.

The Apostle Paul gave us a good idea of what it takes to lay hold of the spirit of excellence when he said: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in [the Anointing of] Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

Excellence in spirit requires pressing toward the mark, pressing toward the finish line for the prize of the high calling—which is simply another

way of saying, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,” and as you do, things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).

To be excellent in something, or to excel, means “to go to the highest place.” To excel can also be defined as “to prosper.”

So when we talk about a spirit of excellence, we’re talking about prospering in the things of God, desiring and walking in the highest place, the highest realm of God’s power, His WORD, His goodness, His grace, His mercy.

Psalm 66:12 speaks of a wealthy place in God, a place of abundance in Him. It is a place of divine favor (such as Daniel knew), divine health, divine protection. It includes a wealth of goods, properties, assets, influence and so on.

Jesus referred to this wealthy place when He said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Later, the Apostle Paul expanded the revelation of this life of abundance when he wrote:

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in [the Anointed] Jesus [and by His Anointing], [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live] (Ephesians 2:10, Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).

Notice that Paul said we are to live a good life—a life “prearranged and made ready for us.”

When were all those arrangements made?

Before the foundation of the world.

God promised eternal life before the foundation of the world (Titus 1:1-2). He ordained Jesus before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:19-20). The Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:7-8). We were even chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-5).

God declared all the promises contained in His WORD long before sin ever existed, long before satan tempted Adam, long before the universe was even created. Then, He sealed those promises so we couldn’t lose them.

In short, God finished all His works before the

foundation of the world (Hebrews 4:1-3). What’s more, everything God did, He did to get us to our wealthy place in Him.

To reach that place of abundance, however, we must have a spirit of excellence.

Excellence Takes Passion

For the Apostle Paul, excellence in life and ministry was far more than a desire. It was the air that he breathed. It was what drove his entire existence 24 hours a day.

In Philippians 3:13-14, he wrote, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling....”

If you drop the italicized words this and I do, which were inserted by the Bible translators, the thrust of what Paul said becomes even more powerful.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but one thing, forgetting those things which are behind....”

Those “things” that Paul chose to forget were his worldly credentials.

After all, if there ever were a man who had all the advantages to set him solidly on a path to what the world would define as a life of abundance, it was Saul...the Paul who had not yet been born again.

He had been born into the right family. He had been given the finest education. He had become a Pharisee, and was a Roman citizen. His entire life had been carefully planned and plotted to lead him down the road to a prosperous life (verses 4-6). The only difference, however, was that he was well on his way to a wealthy place in the world, not in God.

But then Saul encountered Jesus—and after that happened, the born-again Paul wrote this: “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for [the Anointed One and His Anointing]. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of [the Anointed] Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung...” (verses 7-8).

As far as Paul was concerned, all his fleshly efforts and achievements of the past were a waste

in comparison to the high calling he was after in God. Consequently, he did what we must all do if we want to live a life of excellence. He chose to pursue a spirit of excellence. He decided to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling, while forgetting all that lay behind.

So excellence in life begins with a decision. It was Paul who also wrote, “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour” (2 Timothy 2:20). His point was that there are vessels of gold and vessels of mud, vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. We have the right to choose which we want to be.

Yes, God loves the little mud pots in life. But every time it rains, He has to put them back together. On the other hand, a golden pot will not fall apart in the rain. Nor can the rain even tarnish it.

Excellence Takes Work

Once we’ve made the decision to become a vessel of honor—a vessel of excellence—we must take the next step, which is found in verse 21: “If

“Even before the foundation of the universe, God made every man and woman... wealthy beyond their wildest dreams and imaginations.”

“My responsibility where my Partners are concerned is to pray for them...to support them.... I’ve committed my life to seek God and receive revelation from God that I can preach and teach to my Partners.”

a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

Notice that Paul didn’t tell Timothy, “If you cry long enough, God will purge you.” No, he said, “Purge yourself.”

To reach our wealthy place, or high calling, in God and walk in all the good works He ordained for us before the foundation of the world, there is some purging we will have to do.

Taking this principle a step further and applying it to his own ministry, Paul wrote: “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness [manipulating people to do what we want them to do], nor handling the word of God deceitfully...” (2 Corinthians 4:1-2).

The bottom line is, the only way to walk in excellence in any area of life is for us to be brutally honest with God, brutally honest with ourselves, and then brutally honest with others.

Now, I’m sure you can imagine that our flesh won’t like this part of the process. But that’s the only thing that makes purging ourselves difficult, because it’s not difficult to do when we follow The WORD of God and do it in the power of the Holy Spirit. Actually, it’s when we try to purge ourselves by the strength of our flesh and work it out with our minds that it doesn’t work, and it seems like a tough road to take.

We are reminded, however, that God’s WORD is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). We don’t have to stumble around in the dark when God has given us His WORD. All we have to do is turn it on.

The Apostle Peter said it like this: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). Revelation from God and revelation from His WORD comes up like a little light in a very dark place.

Have you ever stayed in a hotel, and when you got out of the bed in the middle of the night, you nearly hurt yourself stumbling around in the dark? Well, in an unfamiliar room like that, it’s smart to give your eyes a couple minutes to adjust to the dark, then look for that little sliver of light that shines in underneath the hallway door, or around the curtains on an outside window. Once you locate even the tiniest bit of light, you can orientate yourself to the room, making it easier—and safer—to find a light switch.

In the same way, no matter how dark or unfamiliar a situation may seem to you, God’s WORD is at hand. It’s always available. It will talk to you and guide you—but only if you let it.

Excellence Takes Commitment

The decision to become a vessel of honor and live a life of excellence and abundance in God is a decision to live by The WORD of God. In other words, we have to commit to putting God’s WORD first place in our lives. Whatever The WORD says, we will do, even when it means making adjustments in our words, our actions or our thinking.

If we want to be like Daniel, and other men and women of excellence, we must allow ourselves to be taught, trained and corrected by God. We must walk in the Love of God. We must walk in the Faith of God. We must be vessels of honor unto God, prepared and able to be used by Him.

Once we make the decision to live in excellence, to purge ourselves of our old fleshly ways, and to live by The WORD of God, we open the door to the road of our wealthy place.

Paul described the end result of this life of excellence, when he wrote: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus [the Anointed One, and in the face of His Anointing]” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

When did God shine in our hearts to give us that light of the knowledge of His glory? Again, it was before the foundation of the world.

The glory of God is the Anointing of God. And it was this same glory that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 6:4).

So having been given the light of the knowledge of God’s glory—that is, His Anointing—we now have a working knowledge of it being available to us. That means, we have a working knowledge of His WORD. We have a working knowledge of His Love. We have a working knowledge of His Faith. We have a working knowledge of His honor. We have direct access to the knowledge of how the entire kingdom of God works.

Paul went on to say in 2 Corinthians 4, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (verse 7).

The treasure that you and I have is this knowledge of the glory of God. And, yes, we have it in earthen vessels. But, even though we may have started out as a bunch of mud pots, God is treating us as vessels of honor. He is treating us as vessels of His glory. As far as He is concerned, we are of the purest gold.

Why?

Because we’re allowing His WORD to strip away all the old flesh, all the old soulish parts of us—all the old waste.

Meanwhile, God sees us as He did before the foundation of the world. He sees us as vessels of honor on the pathway to our wealthy place in Him.

Even before the foundation of the universe, God made every man and woman who would ever be born into this earth wealthy beyond their wildest dreams and imaginations. He did that by creating a place of abundance—a place of Love, a place of Faith, a place of honor, a place of His WORD.

My friend, God is calling us to that place in Him, today. He is calling us up into His excellence.

God designed just for you—before sin, before sickness, before debt and lack ever came into this world. He created the plan so you can live in the vast resources of that place, drawing daily on the abundance of His provision.

Discover that the path to this wealthy place in God is not a mystery beyond your reach.

Wealthy Place In God

by Melanie Hemry

Out of Darkness, Into the Light

Deepa Dorisamy pushed her medical books aside.

Growing up in India as a Hindu, she worshipped many gods. When darkness threatened to overtake her, none of them helped. What helped was focusing her mind on academics. Until now.

Everything in her life was based on her performance. She had to do well in school. She had to be a good daughter. What if, like many of the patients she treated in medical school, she reached a place where she could no longer perform? Who would love her then?

“I grew up in a close, conservative family. In India at the time, the very best academics were found in Catholic schools. My parents sacrificed a lot to send me there. The nuns were excellent teachers in all subjects, and insisted, while in school, we only speak English.

“Although they never tried to convert us, during assemblies I sang ‘Jesus Loves Me.’ But I shook my head so no one would think I believed in Him. When Catholic students took catechism classes, we Hindu students took a class on moral science. I was always very hardhearted about Jesus. The way I saw it, we had our gods and they had Jesus. I didn’t believe He was divine. I thought, He couldn’t even save Himself.”

God Answers

One night in December 1997, her internship year, Deepa was tired, weary after long hours. But she was also exhausted from trying to fight back the darkness that threatened to consume her.

Alone in the call room at the hospital, Deepa spoke out loud.

“If there’s a force in heaven, do something with my life. Otherwise, in five days, I’m ending it.”

She shared, “Suicide was a major problem in India. For example, in 2016, Indian women accounted for over 36% of female suicide deaths globally, despite representing less than 18% of the world’s female population.

“It was just a way of life. My father’s sister died by suicide in her 20s.”

When one of her good friends from medical school converted from Hinduism to Christianity, they remained friends, Deepa recalls, because “she knew better than to talk to me about Jesus.”

However, over time that changed.

“For several years, when darkness overtook me, I would go to her,” says Deepa. “At first, she just held my hand and looked at me with such love and peace streaming out of her eyes. Then she started reading from the Bible. Those words always gave me hope and peace.

“But this visit was different; the morning after my sleepless night, she saw me and said that my face looked like death. She led me to a little room with a Bible. Opening it, she read from Hebrews 13. She read verses 1, 2, 3 and 4, and was reading verse 5 when she said these words: ‘I will never leave you. I will never forsake you.’

“It’s hard to describe what happened. It felt like those words lifted out of the book and landed in my heart. At that moment, the spirit of hopelessness and suicide left. Nobody explained the gospel to me. Nobody told me I was a sinner. Nobody told me to pray. It’s a good thing, because I wouldn’t have listened.

“That time is frozen in my memory. The room. The Bible. The yellow sari I wore. I didn’t say anything to her. I just stood up and walked out. As I did, three things were impressed on me.

“First, I knew beyond a doubt that Jesus was divine. I didn’t hear but felt these words: Deepa, you’ve always looked to people for help. From now on, I’ll take care of you. I’ll take care of you like a queen. Then Jesus impressed on me to stand up straight with no shame.”

The Way and the Truth

Deepa knew that converting to Christianity would devastate her family. She loved them and didn’t want to dishonor them. So, she added Jesus to the other gods and continued going to the Hindu temple.

Over the next two years, not once did she feel judged by God. She never felt condemned. What she felt was overwhelming compassion. He understood the love of family.

One day, He spoke to her while she was at the temple.

Deepa, what are you doing here? You don’t belong here.

Not long after that, back at her home, Deepa read her Bible and then knelt to pray.

“Lord, You’re the Way, the Truth and the Life. From now on, You are my only Lord and Savior.”

March 11, 2000, was Deepa’s birthday. Birthdays are important to Hindus. The priests perform specific rituals on those days. At home with her family, her mother and distant aunt were already in the car. “Let’s go,” her father said, “I’ll take you to the temple.”

Two things rose up in Deepa: a love of Jesus and a new, raw courage.

“Dad,” she said, “I’m a Christian. I can’t go.”

Although her family was shocked, she knew that there was nothing better than having Jesus in her life.

As for My House

In India, a woman had no choice about whom she married. Even if a Hindu girl accepted Jesus, her parents would arrange her marriage to a Hindu man.

A group of Christian women met at the hospital once a week for a prayer meeting. One week, a young woman described being born again and marrying a Christian.

“I was just a baby Christian,” Deepa recalls, “but out of the blue I said, ‘As for my house, we will serve the Lord.’ I didn’t even know where that verse was in the Bible, but I kept saying it.

“There was a doctor in the hospital named Sukumar who was very interested in me. He was from a very staunch Hindu background. He wore a chain around his neck with many idols. I never wanted to marry outside my faith.

“When I told him I’d decided to move to the U.S. for my residency in pediatrics, he decided to do the same thing. I arrived in the U.S. in August 2001, one month before 9/11.

“In February 2004, Sukumar was working as a research intern at Vanderbilt. On Valentine’s Day, he gave me a portrait of Jesus.

“I gave him a Bible. Inside I’d written: To my future husband, who is a believer in Jesus Christ. He was furious.”

The next month during spring break, Sukumar talked to his friend who was a Christian. “Why don’t you read the Bible?” his friend asked. “After all, it’s the most read book in the world.”

A Date With Destiny

Intrigued, Sukumar read the Old Testament in two days. “It was like watching a movie!” he said. “So full of drama!”

Then he read the New Testament. He kept thinking, Why do they crucify the man again and again? Four times in four books. When he read the book of John, he wept. He’d been raised in a loving family, but he’d never felt love like this.

One thing that impressed Sukumar about the Bible was that God had blessed everything, including time. In Hinduism, there were good times and bad times. If he was scheduled to take a test and it was a bad time, his mother kept him home, and she sent him late for the exam.

When Hindus married, they had to get up very early in the morning on their wedding day, according to the time predicted by the astrologers. As he read the Bible, Sukumar grasped that the blessings of God included time,

“It’s so refreshing for somebody to teach the Word of God that gives so much hope. That’s what the Word of God does; it gives hope.”

—Deepa

and all time is blessed.

The next day, he went to the temple. Only now, he felt…uncomfortable. All the idols looked like rocks. Back at his apartment, he picked up the Bible and read, “I stand at the door and knock….”

Sukumar gave his life to Christ.

“We married in February of 2005,” Deepa says. “Ours was the first Christian wedding either of us had ever attended. When an Indian woman marries, she takes her husband’s first name as her last name. My name became Deepa Sukumar.

“As I thought back over my childhood, I realized that I’d always had a spirit of fear. I worried all the time. Yet my life was simple and good. There was nothing to worry about. In India, you can go to medical school straight out of high school. However, looking back I realized that the oppression became much worse when I started medical school.

Spiritual Covering

“I believe the answer is that while I attended Catholic schools, the nuns prayed for us. They provided a spiritual covering to drive back the darkness. When I started medical school, I no longer had that covering.

“Sukumar told me that when his mother went into labor with him, there was a flood while they were on the way to the hospital. They had to change routes and stopped at a Catholic hospital instead. For the first 24 hours of his life, the nuns prayed over him. We both

believe that their prayers were instrumental in Sukumar accepting Christ.

“We lived in New York City until we finished our residencies. I earned mine in pediatrics. Sukumar became a pediatric cardiologist.”

In 2014, while listening to an online message by Bishop David Oyedepo, Deepa and Sukumar heard about Kenneth and Gloria for the first time.

“Bishop Oyedepo was talking about Kenneth and Gloria and their ministry, and I thought, Let me start listening to them,” Deepa said. “We started listening to their teachings, reading their books, and watching the broadcast; and we’ve been hooked ever since. I just love listening to the broadcast.

“I love how they teach and how they stay with the Word of God,” says Deepa. “It’s so refreshing for somebody to teach the Word of God that gives so much hope. That’s what the Word of God does; it gives hope. I listen to their teachings and it’s like receiving meat, not just milk. It’s the Word of God that brought me and Sukumar out. No preaching, just the Word of God.

“That’s a big part of the reason we love KCM so much. They focus on teaching the Bible. It was the Bible that brought both Sukumar and me out of darkness and into the light. We’ve been Partners for 10 years. We love and appreciate the spiritual covering KCM provides. I, along with Sukumar and our 16-year-old daughter, Sarah, listen to all their messages.

“We have such a good heavenly Father that He counts the number of hairs on our heads. Most people have between 90,000 and 150,000 hairs. He loves us so much that He counts them.

“We draw our worth from Him. Letting that love shine through like Rohini did for me, is being the hands and feet of Jesus. It’s been 25 years since I stepped out of Hinduism. Like everyone, I’ve had difficult times. But thoughts of suicide have never returned. God has been such a faithful Father to both of us.”

Strife Will Keep You Carnal

It’s bad enough that strife opens the door of our lives to confusion and every evil work (James 3:14-16). That alone should make us resist it with all our might. But that’s not all the Bible has to say about it.

“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”

1 Corinthians 3:3

by Gloria Copeland

In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul gave us even more information about the damaging effects of strife. He wrote:

by Gloria Copeland

In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul gave us even more information about the damaging effects of strife. He wrote:

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

Carnal Christians are miserable people. They’re born again and they know enough about God not to enjoy sin, but they aren’t committed enough to stay out of sin.

If you don’t want to find yourself trapped in that condition (and I know you don’t) then stay out of strife, because strife will keep you carnal! It will inhibit your ability to digest the meat of the Word, and without that meat you won’t be able to grow into a strong, victorious Christian. If you fuss and bicker with others, your spiritual growth will be stunted. You’ll remain in a perpetual state of spiritual infancy and the devil will run over you regularly!

So grow up. Don’t stay a baby. Get out of strife and into the Word. Soon you’ll be the overcomer the Word says you are!

Highlight of the Year

Thank you, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, for the birthday calls. I look forward to them every year. They truly mean so much to me because I am not able to go out to church right now, and hearing from someone makes me feel remembered and cared for. When the call came, I was so happy and a little emotional. It really was one of the highlights of my year, and it reminds me that I am still connected and loved by your ministry.

Testimonies of Real-Life

VICTORY

Fresh & Flourishing

Our Faithful Father

I want to thank you for the prayer line. I am a widow and when my husband went to heaven, I called the prayer line for prayer for so many things: finances, health, even loneliness. I also called for healing for my son’s eyes; he works on computers. After prayer, he called and told me a miracle happened

On November 23, 2025 my pregnant wife Sonya woke up bleeding heavily. Our son Teddy, due in February, was in grave danger. We rushed to the hospital. As the bleeding continued, Teddy’s heart rate plummeted. Sonya was taken for emergency surgery while I waited outside with our two young boys, ages two and five. It was Sunday, so we went straight to my church.

as a nurse and prays over him during every check.

for him; his eyes are healed. Thank You, Lord Jesus!

I have been a Partner since 1992, and I am very thankful for the prayer partners and for VICTORY Channel. Blessings to you all!

S.T. | Texas

He Gives You the Desires of the Heart

All is Well

I called to share that my friend’s surgery went very well. The doctor had said the one stent he put in 15 years ago was clogged and did not give much hope. He even said my friend would not pull through. However, when they went in to do the surgery, everything was good! He is now at home, and all is well. Praise the Lord and thank you for your prayers.

Abundantly Blessed I decided to send an offering to KCM, and I believe that my business is profiting as a result, and also because of connecting with KCM. My business is up 123% this year. I give glory to God!

I have always desired to live in a bungalow for a long time. Recently, the Lord spoke to my heart and told me to sell my three-story home. I stepped out in faith, listed the house, and it sold in just three days. This was such a confirmation that God was leading me. The quick sale opened the door for me to start looking for the bungalow I had been dreaming of. After searching, I found the perfect one that my heart desired. I am so thankful to God for guiding me every step of the way and making this possible!

Restored and Renewed

I walked into the tail end of the fiercest and most Spiritfilled half hour of corporate prayer I have ever heard, prayers lifted up for my family. Peace flooded me. God had heard. Before worship ended, the call came: Teddy was delivered alive and Sonya was stable. It was baby dedication Sunday.

In October 2015, I read through the BVOV magazine. There was an article that featured Dr. Don Colbert. After I finished reading it, I was stirred to take action. I began exercising self-control and removed gluten, sugar and dairy from my diet. At the time, I weighed 250

Sonya fought her way out of the ICU in just two days. Teddy, born three months early, was transferred to the top NICU in the region where a sister from my church works

Here is what the Lord has done for our three-month preemie so far. He is fully gut-fed with no IV nutrition. He has had no jaundice and no need for phototherapy lights. He has never needed a ventilator or oxygen, only a light CPAP to save calories for growth. His head ultrasound and abdominal X-ray are clear. He is active and alert with big blue eyes, a strong cry, and powerful kicks.

The doctors say he will likely come home around his original due date in mid-February. We say watch God move faster. We are believing Teddy will be home by Christmas. The odds are low, but our God is mighty. Every day we declare Psalm 92 over him: “Planted in the house of the Lord… fresh and flourishing.” Thank you for standing with us in prayer for our miracle boy.

T.C. | Idaho

pounds. A year later, I was healed from morbid obesity, high blood pressure, chronic pain, fatigue and sleep apnea. I now weigh 138 pounds and have been keeping my weight at this level for six years.

From Waiting to Expecting

Jesus the Healer

I received prayer from KCM before going to see the doctor about a lump that had been found in my body. Later, the doctor examined me, and they couldn’t find any lumps at all! I know the hand of God was on me. I am so grateful for His faithfulness and for the prayers lifted up on my behalf. All praise to Jesus, my Healer!

P.B. | British Colombia

A.F. | Alberta

O.J. | British Columbia

Thank You, Lord! E.H. | Ontario

He Still Answers Prayer!

About a year ago, I submitted a prayer request to KCM for my husband and me as we believed God for a family. After several miscarriages and a long season of waiting, we are overjoyed to share that I am almost six weeks pregnant. We are deeply thankful to God for answering our prayers through a natural conception and grateful to KCM for standing with us and providing scriptures to pray and meditate on. Throughout the waiting, we continued to speak faith over our future. Now that we are expecting, we ask for your continued prayers that this pregnancy will progress as God intended, that our baby and I will be healthy, and that there will be no complications.

N.D. | Ontario

I had asked for prayer for my husband who was having a cardiac stent placed last fall. On that day, the cardiologist performing the procedure dissected his artery which caused him to have a heart attack. He had to be transported 40 miles away to have emergency cardiac bypass surgery.

C.L. | British Columbia New Creation in Christ I am currently incarcerated in a detention centre, and sometimes I feels the very life being drained out of me. However, through the resources sent to me by Kenneth Copeland Ministries, I found God and gave my life to Him. I am now a new Christian. Thank you KCM!

‘Live Fear Free’ Recognizing that my thoughts were too often focused on negative and discouraging things, I purchased Minister Copeland’s book Live Fear Free. Previously, I watched programs and accessed other resources on the topic, but they were not as practical as Live Fear Free. It contains the formula needed to successfully conquer thoughts that keep us from focusing on what really matters…our relationship with our Lord and Savior. Such as, meditating on the appropriate scriptures and also practicing application of His Word.

A.A. | Texas

I praise God that my husband did well and recovered nicely. It was through many prayers from you all and so many others that Jesus was there with him all the way. I just give Him all the glory and honor and praise! Thank you, KCM! H.D. | Oklahoma

A.J. | Ontario Prayer Works I called the prayer team to pray about my upcoming blood tests. We prayed together and believed for excellent results. I am so thankful to share that the results came back exactly as we haved prayed. This was such an encouragement to me and a reminder of God’s faithfulness. I truly appreciate your prayer support and give all glory to God for this outcome.

L.E. | Ontario

B.S. | Manitoba

THE BIBLE MARCH

Num.7:79-89, 8: 1-26 John 1

If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, simply pray the following prayer in faith, and Jesus will be your Lord!

Num. 33

John 16

Deut. 26-27

Acts 11

Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” and “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9). You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live in me (John 3:5-6, 15-16; Romans 8:9-11) and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Spirit and give me the ability to speak with other tongues (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4).

I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus is Lord. And I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. Thank You for coming into my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen.

is Our Priority. If you have just prayed this prayer, please let us know of your decision.

Call or go to kcmcanada.ca/salvation. We have a Free Gift to help you begin your new life in Jesus!

Dealing With Temptation

by Andrew Wommack

“They’re all designed to entice us and cause us to doubt that God will meet our needs.”

Everyone faces temptation. But the truth is, very few people deal with it effectively. That shouldn’t be the case, and it doesn’t have to be the case for believers.

There are some very simple and effective ways of dealing with temptation that you should know, and if you’ll put them into practice, I guarantee, you’ll come out the winner.

It has been said: “Fail to plan and you’re planning to fail.” That statement could not be truer when it’s applied to temptation. I don’t know anyone who gets up in the morning and prays to fail when faced with temptation, but I know many people who get up each morning and fail to plan for what the Bible says we will all certainly face. So, first and most importantly, you must be prepared. That’s so simple, you have to have someone’s help to misunderstand it. But, we must have had a lot of help because very few people have taken the time or made the effort to prepare.

Second Chronicles 12:14 says it this way: “And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.”

This was speaking of Rehoboam, the king of Judah and the son of Solomon. He started off as a good king who was seeking the Lord. But just like many people today, he wasn’t prepared for what would inevitably come

his way. When Satan throws temptation your way, if you’re not already prepared, it’s too late. You’ll probably lose the fight.

Jesus Demonstrated What To Do

Jesus prepared Himself. He spent 30 years getting ready for His encounter with the devil, and He started preparing early. At the age of 12, He was asking questions of the doctors of the Law and astounding them with His answers. He had obviously spent many hours reading and studying the Scriptures. I’m sure that study continued all His life, but even Jesus needed more.

Before He was tempted by Satan face-toface, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism by John in the Jordan River. Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, full of the power of the Holy Spirit.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity for overcoming temptation. There are many Christians who received the Holy Spirit years ago and

haven’t been full of the Holy Spirit a day since. It’s not about what happened to us long ago; we have to stay full of the Holy Spirit. One way of doing that is to speak in tongues on a regular basis.

Jude 20-21 says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Praying in tongues builds us up on our most holy faith. How many times have you needed your most holy faith to take you through a certain trial, and yet you hadn’t used this gift of the Holy Spirit? Verse 21 also says we keep ourselves in the love of God when we speak in tongues. Have you ever asked the Lord to pour out His love on you? I

the wilderness. One of the most amazing aspects of those temptations was that Satan began two of the three temptations with the words, “If thou be the Son of God.” Many people have missed this point. The real temptation was Satan’s attempt to get Jesus to doubt who He was. That’s the same way he attacked Adam and Eve. The serpent told Eve that if she would eat the forbidden fruit, she would be like God (Genesis 3:5). The truth was that she was already like God, but she didn’t know it.

“All temptation is linked to what you think on. Control your thoughts and you will control temptation.”

imagine you have, but this doesn’t say to pray that way; it says we are to keep ourselves in the love of God. We do that by speaking in tongues. We don’t ask God for that which He’s already given, we simply stir up the love that has already been commended toward us by speaking in tongues. This is a powerful gift.

Isaiah 28:11-12 says, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”

Do you ever need rest or refreshing? I guarantee that you do, and this verse says speaking in tongues is the way to get it. We have a tremendously powerful gift available to us through the Holy Spirit, but few people take advantage of it. Instead, we ask God to do what He told us to do. We need to use this gift of speaking in tongues to stir ourselves up, or we risk sinking to the bottom.

Know Your Identity

You must also know who you are. Matthew 4 and Luke 4 record the temptations of Jesus in

The first Adam sinned because he didn’t know who he really was. The second Adam, Jesus, didn’t sin, because He did know who He was. Knowing your true identity in Christ is one of the greatest defenses you can possibly have against temptation.

Jesus had just heard His Father speak to Him in an audible voice saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). There was also a visible sign from God when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the shape of a dove. Jesus had to anchor His faith in who His Father said He was. But immediately, Satan came to Him saying, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (Matthew 4:3).

The real temptation was never about turning stones into bread. It was Satan’s attempt to manipulate Jesus into doubting His Father’s word and doing something to prove who He was. Satan was trying to find and exploit any insecurity in Jesus.

When you were a kid, I’m sure someone at some time dared you to do something stupid. The real issue wasn’t whether you could do it, but whether you were “afraid” to do it. And, sad to say, many of us took the dare and did something that hurt us or shamed us just to prove that we weren’t. All we really succeeded in proving was that we feared their disapproval so much that we weren’t willing to do what was right. The truly fearless response would have been to walk away, secure in who we

were, earning their respect through character rather than performance.

Satan was daring Jesus: “If You’re really the Son of God, if what You heard from the Father in an audible voice is really true, then prove it, and turn this stone into bread.” Turning a stone into bread would not have been sin. It would have been sin if Jesus had doubted the words of His heavenly Father—declaring who He was by placing more faith in what a miracle could say about Him. You must know who you are if you want to overcome temptation. No matter what form Satan’s temptations may take, they are all directed at causing us to doubt who we are.

Resist Being Selfish

It’s also important to understand that all temptation is rooted in selfishness. In fact, our selfishness is really Satan’s beachhead. Jesus stripped him of his power 2,000 years ago, so the only thing he can really do is deceive us through our own selfish desires. The Bible tells us exactly what they are in 1 John 2:16. It says, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” And in James 1:14 we read, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

Satan is not limitless; deception is his only weapon. All he can do is try to deceive us into thinking that God really can’t or won’t fulfill our lives. Every single temptation of the enemy is packaged in the form of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. But they’re all designed to entice us and cause us to doubt that God will meet our needs. Selfishness is always the favorite playground of the devil, and when selfishness rules in our lives, we open the door to his deceptive schemes.

You can’t be tempted unless you have first had a thought. All temptation is linked to what you think on. Control your thoughts and you will control temptation. This is a simple but profound truth. It’s the reason most people fall into temptation. Think on the wrong things long

enough, and sooner or later you will fall into sin when tempted.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Temptation will come, but it’s hard for the devil to deceive you when your mind is stayed on those things. Satan can only work with what you give him, so don’t give him any space in your mind. You’ll be able to avoid many of the temptations you face if you put this into practice.

God’s Word is powerful—use it. Jesus countered every temptation of the devil with the Word. Think about it: Jesus was the Word, and everything He said would have been Scripture and more than sufficient to rebuke the devil. Yet He would say, “It is written,” then He quoted God’s Word. If it was important for Jesus to quote the Word, it’s even more important for us to do the same. We must know God’s Word to effectively overcome temptation.

Don’t wait till you’re in the middle of a huge temptation to start thinking about how to deal with it. It will be too late. Take the time now to prepare yourself for those temptations that will inevitably come your way.

Andrew Wommack, author and Bible teacher, has faithfully served in ministry since answering God’s call in 1968. Through his daily Gospel Truth broadcasts, he shares the message of Jesus Christ around the world. In 1994, he founded Charis Bible College in Woodland Park, Colo, which has grown to over 59 campuses globally. Today, he continues to fulfill his mission to take the gospel as far and as deep as possible through the 24/7 faith-filled programming of the Gospel Truth Network.

by Kenneth Copeland

Watch Him Move!

Your confession is what you say— not just with your lips, but with your actions. Jesus is the High Priest of your confession. That means He has the authority to bring to pass anything you confess by Faith that’s in line with His WORD. That’s what He was sent by God to do.

“Let the weak say, I am strong.”

Joel 3:10

The Apostle and High Priest of our confession literally means the One God sent to watch over our words and actions of Faith and see to it that they come to pass.

That means when you’re broke and you confess by Faith, “My God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19), Jesus has the authority to deliver to you the necessary finances. Or, when you are sick and you confess by Faith, “I’m healed by the stripes of Jesus,” you put yourself in a position to receive that healing from Him.

Some people say, “Oh, I couldn’t confess I was healed when I was actually sick. That would be lying!”

Really? Then the prophet Joel told people to lie because he said, “Let the weak say, I am strong.”

Joel wasn’t telling people to lie. He was delivering a spiritual principle. He was telling God’s people they should say what God says about them, instead of what their circumstances say about them.

The reason that seems strange to most people is they’re so selfish. They see everything from their own viewpoint. But when you confess The WORD instead of your circumstances, you’re laying down your own viewpoint and speaking from God’s viewpoint instead. When you understand that, it won’t seem strange.

So speak God’s words over your circumstances today. Speak His words in Faith... and watch Him move!

Are You Ready?

I pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit I can burn just two words into your consciousness in this article. The words are: Be ready.

Be ready for the return of the Lord. Be ready for the catching away of the Church. Be ready for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb because its appointed time is very near.

Some time back, the Spirit of the Lord spoke to Ken and said, I am coming sooner than you think.

“But, LORD,” Ken exclaimed, “I think You are coming soon!”

Well, I am coming sooner than you think! He answered.

There are many people on the earth today who don’t believe that. Just as the Scripture prophesies, they scoff: “walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

But those people are mistaken. Jesus is coming back. There’s a day and an hour appointed for His return. We know that’s true because Jesus spoke of it saying, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). At that appointed time, He will catch away those of us who are prepared for His coming and take us to heaven with Him to celebrate for seven years. Then He’ll bring us back with Him when He comes to reign over the earth.

My, what a day that will be!

It’s coming. There’s no doubt about that. The only question is: Will you be ready?

A Divine Appointment

You’d better be because when the appointed day arrives, He’ll come—regardless. You see, God has set specific dates for some things. He has appointed times that can never be altered. When the Scripture says, “It shall come to pass,” it means that event is eternally fixed. To our limited, human minds such a thing seems almost impossible, but in Isaiah 46, the Lord tells us: “I am God, and there is none like me,

declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (verses 9-10).

From the beginning, God has declared the end. He has already established how and when certain events will take place.

There was an appointed time, for example, for the children of Israel to come out of Egypt. God set that appointed date in Genesis 15:13 when He said to Abram, “Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.”

Sure enough, after the Israelites went to dwell in Egypt, they began to be afflicted. We can gather from the scripture that they dwelt there 30 years before the affliction began because Exodus 12: 40-41 says: “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.”

Just think, 400 years to the day after Egypt began to afflict Israel, God brought the Israelites out just as He promised. He wasn’t even one day late!

What’s more, He saw to it that the Israelites were blessed, equipped and ready to go on that day. He didn’t just haphazardly rush in and move them from one place to another. Psalm 105:37 says, “He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.”

But if you read Exodus 12, you see that those Israelites had obeyed the instructions of the Lord. They had prepared themselves. They had eaten the Passover supper the night of their departure with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, and their staffs in their hands. They ate it in haste because they were ready to go.

That wasn’t the last time God instructed them to be ready, either. He told them to be ready whenever He was about to manifest Himself to them. In fact, if you’ll study it through the Bible, you’ll see that’s how God operates. In Exodus 19:10-11, for instance, the Lord said unto Moses: “Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day: for the third

day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.”

Then again in Exodus 34:1-2, the Lord said to Moses:

Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

Just as surely as God set those appointments to meet with Moses and the children of Israel, He has set an appointment with us. As Acts 17:31 says, “he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

The end of things as we know it in the earth is drawing near. God has notified us both through His written Word and by His Spirit within us that Jesus is coming back for us. The question is: Will we be ready?

You’re Not Home Yet

If you’re not ready, the thought of the Lord’s return may not excite you like it does me. It may even fill you with dread and anxiety. If so, you need to make some changes. First, you need to get born again by making Jesus the Lord of your life. Then you need to focus your attention and your affection on the things of God instead of the things of this world (see Colossians 3:2).

After all, this world is not our home. It’s not our final destination. We’re just sojourning here, looking forward to the time when we’re in the glory and at home with the Lord. We need to constantly remember that so we don’t get entangled in this world’s affairs. We need to constantly look toward heaven so when the time comes to depart, we’ll be ready.

Jesus told a parable illustrating that point in Luke 14. There, He said:

A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began

“WE’RE JUST sojourning HERE.... WE NEED TO CONSTANTLY REMEMBER THAT SO WE DON’T GET entangled IN THIS WORLD’S AFFAIRS.”

to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.... and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper (verses 16-24).

Why didn’t those who were invited to The Lord’s Supper go when they were called? They had become too involved in the business of daily life. They had allowed those things to become too important to them. They weren’t ready!

Be Light on Your Feet

Listen, it’s just about suppertime in the kingdom of God! Jesus is preparing a banquet for us in heaven and it’s almost complete. So

get ready. Don’t be so caught up in the world’s activities that you can’t hear what He is telling you to do.

Great things will happen between now and the catching away of the Church. The greatest harvest of souls this earth has ever seen will be gathered into the kingdom of God. You don’t want to be out on the fringes of that move. You don’t want to be off somewhere wasting time when the glory of God is being outpoured. You want to be right in the middle of it.

Now is the time to consecrate and dedicate every fiber of your being, every moment of your life, and everything you do unto the Lord’s service. You don’t want anything to hold you back in this thrilling hour. You don’t want anything to keep you from walking in the spirit and experiencing the glory God is about to manifest in the earth.

So prepare yourself! Consecrate yourself to God and keep yourself full of the Word and the Holy Spirit so that when you hear the blast of the trumpet announcing Jesus’ return, you’ll be so light on your feet that you’ll just lift right out of here!

Jesus taught about that kind of readiness in Matthew 25, saying:

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh (verses 1-13).

There’s one point this parable makes very clear: When it comes to being ready and dedicating yourself to the Lord, you’re the one who has to do it. The pastor can’t do it for you. Your husband or wife can’t do it for you. You must go and buy oil for yourself. You must see to it that you’re ready for God. You must make sure there’s nothing in your life that would cause you to shrink back from His presence.

It’s our responsibility to be prepared. God has given us everything we need. He has put His own Spirit within us. He has given us His written Word. He has given us teachers, preachers, pastors, evangelists, apostles and prophets to help us learn how to live by faith, how to live separated from the world, how to walk in the spirit, and how to operate in the power of God. But we must decide to make those things the priority in our lives.

Don’t Be Caught by Surprise

One way to keep it a priority is by cultivating the expectancy of Jesus’ soon return. The Bible says, “Every man that hath this hope in

him purifieth himself, even as he [Jesus] is pure” (1 John 3:3).

Do you want to be ready? Then spend time studying and meditating the scriptures about Jesus coming. Build your hope to the point where you wake up every morning looking expectantly for Him.

Live every day watching for His return. Don’t let it catch you by surprise. It’s not supposed to, you know. Even though God hasn’t disclosed to us the exact day or the hour, according to the Bible, if we’re alert we will know the season of Jesus’ return. In fact, Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24 that His coming would be like the flood in Noah’s day (verses 32-33, 36-39). Think about that for a moment. That flood took the world by surprise, didn’t it? They were just going about their natural business, not expecting anything unusual, when suddenly they were swept away. They were completely in the dark about what was happening.

But Noah wasn’t caught by surprise. He’d been working on the ark for years. He’d been expecting that flood. He didn’t know the day or the hour, but he knew it was coming and he was ready. When it started to rain, Noah wasn’t in the dark, he was in the ark!

That’s how we’re supposed to be concerning Jesus’ return. We’re to be aware of the season (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6). If you’re watching and walking in tune with the Spirit, you won’t be in the dark. You won’t be caught unaware at the time of Jesus’ coming. You’ll know in your spirit He is at the door.

Personally, I believe that on the day He comes, I’ll wake up with the Anointing of God flowing through me so strongly, I’ll know something is about to happen. Spiritually speaking, my hair will be standing straight up. And when I hear that trumpet sound, when I hear that joyful shout, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!” I’ve already made up my mind, I’ll be ready. Will you?

Hey, Superkid!

Bursting With Joy!

Spring is here, and everywhere you look things are bursting with life. Flowers are in bloom, birds are singing, and the world feels bright and new.

Did you know Jesus wants your life to burst with something even better: JOY? Galatians 5:22–23, The Passion Translation, says: “But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows…. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.”

Did you notice the word expressions? An expression is something that comes out of you and shows what’s inside. These fruit are how God’s love looks as He flows through your life. Joy is one of those expressions. Like the other fruit of the spirit, it’s not something you have to work hard to make happen. It’s what grows when you’re infused with Jesus and yielded to His Spirit. The best part is that joy isn’t just coming out of you; it’s limitless! It never runs out because it comes from Him.

Joy That Goes Deeper

Joy isn’t the same as happiness. Happiness depends on what’s happening—like getting a new toy or winning a game. But joy is deeper. Joy comes from the life of Jesus inside you— loving you through anything that comes your way. Joy flows like a fountain, powerful and limitless, even when life feels hard. Joy is powered by Jesus, not by friends, popularity, money or success.

John the Baptist understood this.

In John 3:29, people tried to make him jealous because Jesus was baptizing more people than him. But John said something amazing: “The friend who

attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.”

John wasn’t upset. He was overflowing with joy just hearing Jesus’ words. Instead of being jealous, he kept his eyes on Jesus. Remember, John is the one who told people over and over: “Behold (LOOK!), the Lamb of God.” John knew if he focused on, listened to and yielded to Jesus, joy would overflow. This is exactly how we yield to Jesus. That’s the secret. Even when life feels pressured or sad, His Spirit lifts your heart, gives you courage, and fills you with answers.

Picture a balloon filled with air. When Jesus fills you with His joy, you rise above hard stuff like a balloon that floats higher. You don’t sink under sadness or fear. You soar because you are infused with His limitless joy!

Superkid, spend time with Jesus. Talk to Him, and especially LISTEN to Him! His WORDS release joy! Read His Word. Sing to Him. The more you behold Jesus, seeing how good and kind and powerful He is, the more His joy fills your heart. And when His joy fills you, it spills out in your words, your smile and your attitude.

Jesus said in John 15:11: “My purpose for telling you these things is so that the joy that I experience will fill your hearts with overflowing gladness!”. Did you catch that? His joy in YOU. You don’t have to fake or force it. It’s not about pretending to be happy, or smiling when you don’t feel like it. Joy is a fruit of the spirit—the evidence that Jesus is living big inside you.

Think about it: Does a tree struggle to make fruit? No, it just stays connected to its roots and the fruit shows up. That’s how joy works in your life. You don’t have to try harder. You just stay connected to Jesus. His life in you produces joy that lasts, even when things aren’t perfect.

Say this out loud: “Jesus, thank You for filling me with Your joy! Help me stay close to You so Your joy shines through me every day.”

Superkid, you were made to live full of joy! So go ahead; let Him BURST out of you with joy, and let the world see how awesome our Jesus is!

Be a JOYBURST today!

Commander Kellie

Kellie Copeland is responsible for Covenant Partner Relations at Kenneth Copeland Ministries and is the developer of the Superkid Academy curriculum. Through her ministry and as “Commander Kellie,” she fulfills the mission of drawing people of all ages into a personal, growing and powerful relationship with Jesus Christ.

Commander Kellie’s Corner