Give Them Something to Talk About
by Jeremy Pearsons
This ministry was built on the message of faith. Kenneth and Gloria Copeland (or Pawpaw and Mimi, as I affectionately call them) have been preaching about faith for more than 45 years. And if they preach it for another 45 years, it would never be enough.
You can never hear too much about faith: faith in God, in Jesus, in His Word, in what He has said and done, in who He said He is. You can’t get enough of it because it deeply affects every part of your life.
And if you live your faith, people around you will probably be talking about it.
Have You Heard About…
Even back in the Apostle Paul’s day, we see evidence of a person’s faith preceding them. Just before Paul prayed for some of the churches, he said that his prayers were a direct result of what he heard about them.
In Ephesians 1:15-16, Paul said, “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.”
In Colossians 1:3-4, he said, “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints.”
In Philemon 4-5, he said, “I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints.”
In these three instances, Paul was saying, “The Spirit of God is moving, and I am brought to my knees, inspired to pray for you.” When you read the prayers that follow each of those statements, you’ll find them filled with intensity and fervor.
But where did that intensity come from? Paul’s inspired prayers were a direct result of what he heard about those people. Would he have heard about anything if there was nothing to talk about? Of course not.
22 : BVOV : DEC '13
