Is playing the lottery a form of gambling?

Before we talk about the lottery, let’s clarify something about gambling. Specifically, that gambling is crosswise to God’s nature and the laws of prosperity. 

In a gambling situation someone has to lose. In fact, in most cases, gambling depends on the majority of people losing and only a few being winners. It perpetrates the false idea that others have to lose, or be in lack, for someone to win and have abundance. 

This is totally opposite of God’s plan. In God’s principle of sowing and reaping, everybody wins! God’s desire is that everyone be a winner. Not only is it God’s desire for everyone to be a winner, but He has also provided the plan for it. Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” 

God truly wants to bless everyone, but it has to be done through the Word of God and spiritual law. He created this planet with more than enough for everyone to live prosperously. Even though man has managed to disrupt God’s plan through sin and greed, everyone who is willing to follow God’s principles can reverse it in his own life.

Brother Copeland does not feel the lottery is true gambling. Instead, he has stated that it’s simply another way of paying taxes to the government. So if people want to spend their money to support the government, they can.

That is not to say Brother Copeland endorses playing the lottery. It is not something God initiated as part of good government, nor is it part of His plan for personal prosperity. It’s a worldly attempt to get wealth, and isn’t the best way to spend one’s money.

There’s nothing left to chance by doing it God’s way as revealed in His Word through sowing and reaping. Only with God’s plan is there a way for everyone to win every time!

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You Hold the Keys Kenneth Copeland

I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them.... they are fallen under my feet.

Psalm 18:37-38

If you've been standing around wringing your hands and worrying about what the devil is doing, it's time you made a switch. It's time you put that devil under your feet!

Jesus has already given you all the power and authority you need to do it. He's given you the keys of the kingdom. He's promised you that whatever you declare locked on earth is locked in heaven and whatever you declare unlocked on earth is unlocked in the heavenlies (Matthew 16:19). That means you can speak the Word and bind wicked spirits. You can speak the Word and loose the angelic forces of God to work in your behalf.

What's more, you've been given the power of attorney that enables you to use the mighty Name of Jesus. A Name that's above every other name. A Name which will cause every knee to bow—in heaven, in earth, and under the earth (Philippians 2:9-10)!

So, don't waste time worrying about the devil. Take authority over him. Bind the evil spirits that try to destroy your home, your church and your nation. Loose God's Word in the earth and enforce it with the Name of Jesus.

You hold the keys. Learn to use them and before long the devil will be wringing his hands worrying about you!

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 16:13-27

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Knowledge

"My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge" (Prov. 2:1,5-6). 

Real faith accompanies knowledge of the Word of God. It takes no effort whatsoever on the part of the intellect or the will of man to obtain faith. Faith accompanies knowledge. As soon as the light of knowledge comes, faith is there. As the Psalmist of old said, "The entrance of thy words giveth light" (Ps. 119:130). 

People often pray for faith. But what they actually need is knowledge of God's Word! When the knowledge of God's Word comes, faith will automatically be there. You could pray forever to have faith, but if you don't get any knowledge of God's Word, you will never get faith. 

Feed on God's Word. Meditate on God's Word. And remember, "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). 

Confession: I will receive God's Word. I will hide it within me. And I will find the knowledge of God, because out of the mouth of the Lord comes knowledge. I will receive knowledge of God's Word. And faith will accompany it. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. 

Source: Faith Food Devotions by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications

Where Does Sickness Come From? January 25, 2017

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
(James 1:17)

Sickness comes from Satan. It doesn't come from God. Sometimes, if you find out where something comes from, you won't be so quick to accept it or acknowledge it. Not only that, but I remember that my mother taught me as a little boy that it was wrong to have something that belonged to someone else. 

I remember once when I was eight years old, and wanted to go up the street to play with my cousin. It was just a couple of blocks, and my cousin lived next door to a man who had some prize peach trees in his backyard. People would come from several counties to see his peach trees. 

Well, my cousin and I climbed up a ladder to get on top of a tool shed, which was built right up against his fence. Some of the limbs on one of the peach trees were hanging over the fence. They weren't touching the shed, but when we got up on the shed, the peaches were right there. 

Now I didn't dare pick a peach because Momma told me to leave these peach trees alone. But my cousin picked one. He ate half of it and then offered the other half to me. I thought, I didn't get it; my cousin did. Maybe it would be all right to eat it. I shouldn't have done it, but I reasoned it all out and decided to eat half the peach even though it didn't belong to me. 

Confession

Sickness doesn't come from God. Sickness and disease belong to the devil. Therefore, I do not accept sickness and disease in my body.

Source: Health Food Devotions by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications

Demand

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:12-14). 

The verses in today's text have nothing whatsoever to do with prayer. In yesterday's devotion, we saw how Jesus said to use His Name in prayer to the Father. But here we see a different use of Jesus' Name. Here, the Greek word translated "ask" can also mean "demand." 

An example of this use of the Name is seen at the gate called Beautiful. Peter said to a lame man sitting at the gate, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6). 

Jesus said, "Whatsoever you demand in My name, I will do it." Let that soak in a little. When we use the Name of Jesus, it is as though Jesus were here Himself. All the power and authority invested in Jesus, is in His Name! 

You're not demanding anything of the Father. (After all, it wasn't God who had bound that lame man; it was the devil who had him bound.) No, you're demanding that the devil give way to the Name of Jesus! 

Confession: The Name of Jesus belongs to me. Whatever I demand in the Name of Jesus according to God's Word, He will do it! 

Source: Faith Food Devotions by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications

According to Your Faith

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
(Matt. 9:29)

Sixteen years later, the woman who had polio and was paralyzed wrote me a letter, which read, "Brother Hagin, I just wanted you to know that I'm out of my wheelchair." 

It took her many years to get out. No, it didn't take God that long; it took her that long. She couldn't believe that God wanted to heal her and that she could be healed as quickly as her daughter had been healed. 

She continued to say, "A woman came to my house because I couldn't do any housework. I couldn't even use my hand to put a tape in the tape player, so she helped me. Every day, this woman came to my house, put a tape in the player, and I kept listening to tapes from your services. 

"Over the course of several years, I received my healing. I'm out of my wheelchair, and I'm doing all my housework. It's so wonderful to get up in the morning and fix my husband's breakfast before he leaves for work." 

Now why did she receive her healing gradually? Because she took hold of the truth gradually. Was that the highest will of God? No, it wasn't God's best, but it sure did beat spending the rest of her life in a wheelchair. 

She could have been healed like her daughter was in that first meeting. But she just couldn't believe that she could receive healing that easily. 

Confession

I believe I receive healing from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. It is easy to receive healing.

Source: Health Food Devotions by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications

What to Pray Over Your Tithe

“Father, I thank You and praise You for translating me from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom that You have prepared for me. Thank You that it is a kingdom of mercy, a kingdom of joy, a kingdom of peace and a kingdom of abundance.

“I bring my tithe now to You, Lord Jesus. It is the firstfruits of what You have given me, and I plant it in Your kingdom as a seed of blessing, expecting the rich blessings of heaven to be multiplied to me in return.

“I thank You, Lord, that You’ve rebuked Satan for my sake, and I stand in agreement with Your Word that he’ll not destroy my land. He’ll not destroy my blessings, and he’ll not destroy my crop in the field. I am a citizen of Your kingdom. I have the rights and privileges of a citizen of that kingdom, and I stand upon them. Thank You, Jesus, that heaven’s unlimited resources are mine in Your Name! Amen.”

Scripture References: Deuteronomy 28; Colossians 1:13; Luke 6:38

- See more at: http://www.kcm.org/real-help/finances/pray/what-pray-over-your-tithe#sthash.4uhhkNiH.dpuf