BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

the potential for us to operate in it is there. But most Christians haven't done much with that potential. They're more like spiritual passengers than pilots because they don't understand the principles by which the glory works. They don't know what to do with it, what feeds it or what hinders it. The good news, however, is that the knowledge is available. God has already given it to us. We just have to press into the excellence of it by making a quality decision to step up into a higher place in our walk with God. Golden Vessel or Mud Pot? "Well, Brother Copeland, I believe how high I go spiritually is up to God. Like the Bible says, '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.' So if God decides to make me a little mud pot, that's what I'll be." God isn't the One who makes the decision. You are. The verse that follows the one you just quoted makes that clear. It says, "If a man therefore purge himself…he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctifi ed, and meet [or profi table] for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (2 Timothy 2:20-21). Every child of God is a golden vessel—if they just knew it. The choice as to whether we live like one, however, is up to us. We can either slop along as little mud pots, or we can cleanse ourselves of dishonorable attitudes and actions and serve God with glory and excellence. Part of serving Him with excellence is doing what He tells us to do, exactly how and when He tells us to do it. It's obeying His written WORD and the promptings of His Spirit, even about issues that to us might seem small. There's no such thing as a lightweight command from God! Whatever He tells us to do, there's a reason for it, and it's big. Let me give you an example from my own life. In the early days of this ministry, The LORD told me to begin exercising. Kenneth, start walking and don't quit, He said. I didn't want to hear that. I'd hated exercising ever since I played football in high school. Plus, I didn't see the value of it. So even though I'd understood God's instructions perfectly, I'd walk for a few days, then just slow down and soon forget about it. Knowing I had to lose weight to fulfi ll my ministry calling, rather than exercise I used di erent dieting programs to get rid of the 30 or 40 extra pounds I was carrying. I hoped that would be good enough. But eating healthier didn't help get my body fat percentage down to where it should be. Most of the time, it stayed around 30%-35%. Then about three years ago, The LORD was speaking to me again about excellence and, while pointing out some areas where I'd gotten sloppy, He brought up exercise again. What are you going to do about that? He asked. "I wasn't planning on doing anything about it," I replied. Well, you're going to have to, He said. So, at 80 years old, I fi nally got with the program. I made a quality decision: I would start exercising, not quit, and get my body fat down to 18% (3% above the optimum), which had always been my dream. Why did I set my sights so high? Because my physical body is part of the excellence of God. It a ects how much of the glory I can walk in. I know now that if I'd just done what He told me to fi ve decades ago, I would have dodged a lot of the back pain I've dealt with over the years. The LORD had already sent me one of the fi nest trainers in the country. Everything I needed was already in place, and the trainer had been doing his part; I just had to start doing mine. I did…and once I released the excellence of the glory of God in that area of my life, what had seemed impossible for 20 years suddenly began to happen. My body fat began to drop, and within two and a half months it was at 15%. Now, at almost 88, I'm carrying out a brand- new mandate from God. Instead of winding down, I'm pressing with renewed energy toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of the Anointing and glory of God. I'm telling you, God is ready for that glory to come into full manifestation in us and through us. He's ready for it to fl ow through the Church until it covers the earth like the waters cover the sea. He's just waiting for you and me to get our acts together. Let's do it. Let's tighten up the ship, move in obedience to Him, and go back to our fi rst love. Let's live as the people of excellence we were born again to be! B V O V : 9 We're currently hiring for a variety of roles. Visit kcm.org /careers Come Change the World with Us!

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