BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Part 1: Keeping the Commands The first, and perhaps most obvious part of this three-part power package is the Name of Jesus. He said, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (verse 14). But I don't want to begin there. The reason is simple. Most believers try to use that part without the other two, and they fall flat on their spiritual faces. So, let's look first at verse 15: “If ye love me, keep my commandments." Most of us know that scripture well. But few realize it is one of the precious keys without which we can never unlock the power of God. You see, when Jesus said, “Keep my commandments," He wasn't just encouraging His disciples to be good. He was letting them know if they wanted the power to receive whatever they asked for in prayer, if they wanted the power to work wonders as He did, they were going to have to meet some conditions. They were going to have to do the things He had commanded them to do. In other words, Jesus was saying to them, “Boys, there's power in My Name. And if you'll keep My commandments, that Name will get you anything you ask for. But if you don't keep My commandments, My Name won't work for you." The same thing is true for us today. If we will keep the commandments of Jesus, His Name will release tremendous, miracle-working power when we say it. If we don't, it won't. It's that simple. As Jesus continued to speak to His disciples that day, He drove that point home again and again. In John 15:7, He said: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." In verse 10, He told them, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." And in verse 14, He said, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." To get a better grasp of what Jesus is talking about in all these verses, go back and take another look at verse 7. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you...." That word abide is so important. When Jesus told us to obey His commandments and keep His WORD, He wasn't just telling us to follow a bunch of religious rules and regulations. He was telling us to allow His WORD—which is a living thing—to make its home within us. He was telling us to spend time with it, to meditate on it, to fill our minds and our mouths with it, and to let it guide our every action. The Apostle Paul put it this way in Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...." Most believers don't have any idea what that means. And that's one of the reasons they're so short on power. One man who did know what it meant, however, was Brother Oral Roberts. And he once said something to me about it that I'll never forget. He said that when The WORD is really abiding in you, when it's alive and producing like it should, you can hear it. And he was right! When you begin to spend quality time in The WORD of God, you'll begin to hear it down inside you. You know what it's like when you get a song on your mind and you just keep hearing it over and over inside you? You may be busy doing something else and still that song will just play on. Well, when you start letting The WORD abide in you, you're probably going to hear it in much that same way. And, believe me, that's a tremendous thing! Many times, I've been in desperate situations, wondering what I was going to do, when suddenly I'd hear a scripture down on the inside of me. I'd hear verses from some Bible tape I'd been listening to. And suddenly, I'd know exactly what the answer to my situation was. I'd be delivered by The WORD of God that was dwelling in me. “Oh, but Brother Copeland," you might say, “how on earth am I ever going to be able to remember all those verses? How am I going to be able to think of them when I need them?" Jesus Himself answered that question. He said: “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26). So, invite the Holy Spirit to go to work on your behalf. Just keep telling Him, “Whatever You bring to my remembrance from The WORD is exactly what I'm going to act on. I'm going to be obedient to every command of Jesus that You bring to mind." Sounds simple, doesn't it? It is, but it's not necessarily easy. Let me show you what I mean. 24 : BVOV

• Cover