BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

That was over 40 years ago. And guess what? KCM is The Revival Capital of the World®. It’s coming to pass; I see it so clearly. More and more, people are being touched by the Spirit of God at The Revival Capital of the World. They’re taking the blessing they experience and bringing it back home. Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and their entire ministry have held fast to the Word of Faith for over 50 years. They’ve been criticized, maligned and lied about, but they’ve held to the assignment and the vision God gave Kenneth all those years ago. They stuck with it, and now they’re on the cusp of seeing that assignment and vision fulfilled. Theirs is an example for us all…an example of vision. Vision Carries Power When you buy a toy at a department store, if batteries are required, somewhere printed on the box will be the words, “Batteries included,” or “Batteries not included.” If batteries are included, then the manufacturer has provided the power to operate that toy. Well, I’ve got good news for you: A vision from God comes with batteries included. It comes with its own God-ordained power to bring it to pass. We see this outlined in Habakkuk 2:1-3: "I will stand upon my watch [or your sphere of influence], and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, WRITE THE VISION, AND MAKE IT PLAIN UPON TABLES, THAT HE MAY RUN THAT READETH IT. FOR THE VISION IS YET FOR AN APPOINTED TIME, BUT AT THE END IT SHALL SPEAK, AND NOT LIE: THOUGH IT TARRY, WAIT FOR IT; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" (explanation and EMPHASIS added). Read those [capped] verses again. The truth in them is still as real today as it was in Habakkuk’s day. A vision from God is alive. It’s a spiritual, living thing that contains its own power. If you’ve received a vision from the Lord, now is not the time to give up. Don’t become weary in well-doing. Don’t let the devil lie to you and tell you your vision isn’t important. Don’t let age or passing years, or even partial success, convince you that you can sit back and coast through the rest of your life. If the Lord has given you a vision, you’re called to see it fulfilled to completion. Vision Is Redemptive How do you know if the vision you’ve received is from God? The easiest way is to ask yourself this simple question: Is it a redemptive revelation? In other words, is it others-focused or me-focused? A vision from the Lord will always be others-focused. We can see an example of this in Acts 26, when the Apostle Paul stood in front of King Agrippa and shared how Jesus had appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Jesus told Paul: "But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me" (verses 16-18). The vision God gave Paul was to become a light and a witness. Even today, God raises up men and women with vision to impact others. It’s clear when a vision is present because of its redemptive effects on people. Vision vs. Ambition Vision changes people, and we need leaders who understand that. Being called a leader is not necessarily a compliment if you’re not a visionary leader. Vision never leaves things the way they are. Instead, it moves you to change things for the better. About 35 years ago, I had a young pastor stop by my office. He had recently taken over a church in the city. He told me he was going to build the biggest church in Little Rock. He was a wonderful teacher, and I had the privilege of hearing him teach on the radio. A couple years later he came back to see me and said, “I’m leaving this church. I’m going across the river to start another church.” 10 : BVOV

• Cover