BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

If it could, Luke 4:18 would read differently. Jesus would have said there, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to raise money for the poor.” But that’s not what He said. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor....” What is the gospel to the poor? It’s the good news that we don’t have to be poor anymore because Jesus set us free. He bore the curse of poverty for us so THE BLESSING of Abraham could be ours through Him. I’ll never forget how thrilled I was when I first heard this. I thought it was so wonderful that everyone would be as excited about it as I was. But once I started preaching it, I found that wasn’t the case. One missionary in an impoverished country where I went to minister actually ordered me not to even mention that part of the gospel. “Don’t preach to these people about prospering,” she said. “Don’t tell them about sowing and reaping. They’re too poor to be giving anything to anyone.” It apparently didn’t occur to her that some 2,000 years earlier people said the same thing about the believers in Macedonia. According to the Bible, those believers were in “deep poverty.” They weren’t just on food stamps. They were poor in a way that most of us can’t even imagine. Yet, when they heard that Paul was receiving an offering to help Christians in another city, they begged him to let them give. Why did they have to beg? Because the same warped idea prevailed back then that prevails today. People thought poor folks shouldn’t be expected to give in an offering because giving would leave them more poverty-stricken than ever. That’s the kind of thinking that keeps poor people poor! But the Macedonians refused to buy in to it. They wanted to give and they would not be denied. As a result, Paul wrote this about them in 2 Corinthians 8:2-5: “In a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” Look again at that last sentence. It says the Macedonian believers had such a desire to be a blessing to others that they gave whatever they could—including their own selves! They said, “Here I am! Just tell me what I can do to help. Show me what I can do to be of service. I may not have much money but I’ll give my time. I’ll give my strength. Just let me give!” *******ADVERTISEMENT******** Kenneth Copeland’s Personal Notes Edition New Testament Nearly 50 years in the making. It’s an exact copy! • Archival-quality • Complete New Testament, King James Version • Jesus’ words in red • Brother Copeland’s original study notes and highlights Order today! Kenneth Copeland’s Personal Notes Edition New Testament $39.95* #B131101 Order online & save 10% kcm.org/mag 1-800-600-7395 (U.S. only) +1-817-852-6000 *Plus shipping. Offer and price valid until Feb. 28, 2014 ****************** 6 : BVOV : FEB '14

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