The term “Apocrypha” is used to designate a collection of ancient Jewish writings which were written between 250 B.C. and the early Christian centuries. The Apocryphal books have come to be regarded as inspired scripture in the theology of the Roman Catholic Church, but the historic Protestant and Jewish viewpoint ascribes no real inspiration to them.
Melchizedek is one of the most interesting and mysterious figures in the Scriptures (Genesis 14:18; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6, 10, 6:20, 7:1-28). Most scholars view him as a type and shadow of Jesus Christ. Some believe he is Jesus Himself, before He became a man. And others point to the possibility that Melchizedek was Noah’s youngest son, Shem.
Brother Copeland does not believe Melchizedek was actually Jesus, even though his priesthood is a type and shadow of the eternal priesthood of Jesus; he believes that Melchizedek was Shem.
Certainly the wording of certain scriptures, especially in the King James Version, has caused some to wonder if God is the One who inflicts sickness on us. For example, Deuteronomy 28:61 has been translated, “Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.”
The foundation for our belief in divine healing begins with the study of salvation. Our salvation through Jesus is sufficient to redeem us from both the nature and curse of sin (Romans 5:12; Galatians 3:13-14; Deuteronomy 28:15-68).
After teaching Healing School for over 40 years, Gloria knows a thing or two about receiving from the Lord!
Here are the scriptures used by Gloria Copeland when she needed healing in her body. As she often says, “Anytime you want to receive healing, you just take it. All you have to do is stand your ground.”
How do you stand your ground? With the Word of God!
Gloria believes in taking healing scriptures like medicine. The Word says it is medicine to our flesh, after all (Proverbs 4:20-22)! As she likes to say, “You can’t overdose on the Word of God.”
When you’re married, you have the honor of knowing your spouse more intimately than anyone else. This means you know all their good habits and character traits, as well as the not-so-good habits and traits. You also know more about your spouse’s hopes, desires and dreams than most. For all these reasons and more, you have a unique prayer perspective that allows you to effectively stand in the gap for your spouse in prayer.
Kellie Copeland Swisher, aka Commander Kellie, reflects on Superkid Academy and the effect it has had on children around the world.
To help you with your study, download any of the materials by clicking on the Lesson Downloads tab. You can pause the video at any time.
1 John 5:14-15 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (NIV).
The key to knowing that God is hearing your prayers is to pray according to His will.
How do you ensure you’re praying God’s will? You pray His Word!
Every believer has been given faith. And that’s just part of the story. Jesus said for each believer, that measure is more than enough to move mountains (Mark 11:23)!
There’s a lot of faith at our disposal the moment we are born again. So how do we develop ourselves to increasingly access faith for the challenges of everyday living? The Bible answers that question clearly: “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ” (Romans 10:17). So to start the process, find out what God has said. Open your Bible and discover what belongs to you.
There is no perfect Bible translation, since man is involved in the translation from the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts. So, no matter which translation you use, you must personally be satisfied with it.
Start by finding a translation of the Bible you can understand. Kenneth and Gloria own many Bible translations and tools for study and reference purposes. Some of Kenneth and Gloria’s regularly used translations include the King James Version, The Amplified Bible and the New Living Translation.
While the decision about how often to read your Bible lies with you, there are some important factors for you to consider.
Wondering how to calculate your tithe? It’s easy! The tithe is the first 10% of your gross income—before any expenses or obligations, including taxes.
How do we know? Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase” (NKJV). The dictionary defines first fruits as “the first agricultural produce of a season, especially when given as an offering to God.” (See also Genesis 28:22; Leviticus 27:32; Hebrews 7:2, 4.)
Absolutely! Just as it is the key to personal financial success, so it is also critical for blessings in your business. When you honor God for the increase He provides for your business, it opens the door for Him to bless your business even more! But keep in mind that business tithing looks a bit different than personal tithing.
Praise God. Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him at noon. Praise Him at night. If you've never praised God in your life, then get started right now. Praise Him for freedom. Praise Him for healing and Calvary. Praise Him for the Name of Jesus.
You ought to be shouting your way to work and shouting your way back home! If there's anything the devil can't stand, it's praise.
Be not conformed to this world. If you live like the world, you'll be overcome by the world. It's as simple as that. So don't let the world squeeze you into its own mold.
Instead "...be transformed" by the entire renewal of your mind. Overcome the world by having your mind transformed to think like God thinks. In other words, when you see something in the Word, say, "I agree with that. From now on I'm acting on that instead of what I used to think."
Good success is a way of life that comes from being established in the Word of God. It comes from spending so much of your time and your thought life on the Word that it becomes what you and I could call "second nature." It comes from hearing and obeying the Word so consistently that it begins to guide your actions even when you're not consciously thinking about it.
Living in a home filled with the love and the peace of God Himself is almost like living in heaven right here on earth. We all know that's true. And we long to live in such a home. Yet, time and time again, we shortchange our families. We spend our kindest words and our most winning smiles on those beyond our front door.
Have you ever wondered why?
I admit, it's tough to be enthusiastic about going through tests and trials. But can you get excited about being totally supplied in every way, in want of nothing? Well, according to the Word of God, if you'll use your trials to develop patience, you're going to be in precisely that position!
You see, patience doesn't mean what you thought it meant. It does not mean settling sweetly for second best. It does not mean standing meekly by while the devil romps all over you.
If I could give you a gift this Christmas, the Word is what I'd give you. I'd rather give it to you than a check for a million dollars. Because you can run through a million dollars real quick, but the truth of God's Word never quits—and it will get you out of situations a million dollars can't get you out of.
Ken and I are just ordinary people. But when we latched on to God's Word, we latched on to something out of the ordinary, something that changed our lives. Every area of our lives.