BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

How do we do that? We strengthen ourselves in the Lord by spending time with Him in the Word and in prayer, resist the devil, and refuse to yield to the influences of this fallen natural world. We crucify our flesh and live on the outside like who we really are on the inside by obeying scriptures like these: • “Put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and…put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). • “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset” (Hebrews 12:1). • “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 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. If 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” (2 Timothy 2:19-21). Look again at that last passage. Who does it say decides whether you’re going to be a golden vessel or a mud pot in God’s household? You do! You’re the one who makes the choice to depart from iniquity. You’re the one who decides to control your flesh. You’re the one who purges worldliness out of your life so that you’re fit for the Master’s use. No one else can do that for you. Your spouse can’t do it. Your pastor can’t do it. Even God can’t do it for you. Taking dominion over your body is your responsibility, and as a holy child born of the Holy All-Powerful God, you CAN do it! When the devil and the world try to push into your life, you can slam the door on them. You can reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin and alive to God. You can present your body to Him to be used as an instrument of righteousness and say to the devil, your flesh, and anyone else who needs to hear it, “Sin shall not have dominion over me!” (See Romans 6:6-14.) Get Rid of Those Pesky Weights You don’t have to stop there either. You can go on, as Hebrews 12:1 said, and lay aside every weight. What exactly is a weight? It’s anything that holds you down spiritually. It’s anything that pulls you into the realm of the flesh to the point where it hinders your walk in the spirit. * * * * * article concludes on p. 30 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Victorious Living by Kenneth Copeland Rain Is on the Way “And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments...to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.” Deuteronomy 11:13-14 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * God Himself says He is coming to us as rain (Hosea 6:3). Not just as rain, but specifically as the former and the latter rain. What is the former and latter rain? In natural terms, the Israelites knew the former rain as the fall rain that prepared the soil for planting, and the latter rain as the spring rain that watered the soil to bring forth a good harvest. In spiritual terms, the former and latter rains represent the move of God’s Spirit under the Old and New Covenants. The Bible calls the former, Old Covenant rain of the Spirit, a “moderate” rain. Under that covenant, people would go hundreds of years without hearing the voice of God in the earth and without seeing someone anointed of the Holy Ghost. If there was anyone in the land who was anointed with the Spirit of the living God, it would be some prayer warriors somewhere who didn’t draw much attention to themselves so people didn’t see them. Eventually, however, a little rain would fall. Then, a prophet of God, a great priest or king would be raised up in the land. The Spirit of God would be upon that person and the Anointing and miracles of God would flow through them. If you could get under the ministry of such a person, you could be healed, have your needs met supernaturally and hear the voice of God. To understand how powerful even that “moderate” rain was, you have to realize that even Jesus’ ministry was under the Old Covenant. He was the Lamb of God sacrificed under the old Abrahamic covenant. So, as powerful as the ministry of Jesus was, it did not show the fullness of the rain of the Holy Spirit. He said it didn’t! Just before He went to the Cross, He told His disciples, “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” (John 14:12). How could Jesus say such an astounding thing? He knew the latter rain was on the way! V BVOV : 29

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