God has a purpose for each and every one of His children. He expects each of us to have a vision for our lives and to strive to fulfill that vision with everything that is within us.
So, what's the secret to fulfilling our vision? Obviously, prayer and seeking God's wisdom. But there's another secret to achieving the God-inspired plans for our lives that most of the Body of Christ has overlooked, and this is what I want to talk about.
One of the quickest ways to fulfill your vision is to help your "fathers in the faith" to fulfill their vision. "What?" you may be asking.
It's true. The quickest way for you to achieve your goals in life is to help your instructors, your teachers in the faith, those who have made the greatest impact in your life, to achieve their goals.
I'm sure there are certain men and women who have made a powerful impact in your walk with God. It might be the one who encourages you when you're down.
Every time you put his or her tape on, your faith gets energized and you're now ready to march after Satan and get back everything he has stolen from you.
It could be the minister who taught your family how to get out of debt. It could be the minister who encouraged you to get over your past and not feel ashamed and rejected anymore. A father in the faith is one who has instructed you, taught you, and helped you in your walk of faith and continually imparts into your life.
I've had many people impact my life and impart into me, but the three men who have been most influential in my life and ministry are: 1) Oral Roberts 2) Kenneth Copeland and 3) Kenneth Hagin. All three of these men have made tremendous impartation into my life.
They are my mentors. They receive me and accept me as their equal, but to me they will always be my fathers in the faith. I listen to their tapes. I read their books. I read their magazines. I learn from them, and I honor and esteem them highly.
Now with all the instruction these men have imparted into my life, it would be a violation of spiritual law if I didn't support them. I'm going to share something with you that I believe is very vital to the Body of Christ all over the world. I refer to it as the LAW OF RECIPROCITY.
Now you may be saying, "What in the world did he just say?" This is a spiritual law that we see in the Word of God, and it's something that, by and large, the Body of Christ has very little knowledge of.
Webster's dictionary simply says to reciprocate means to give or to return in kind. For instance, if someone said, "Brother Jerry, I would like to buy your lunch today." So I go to lunch with him and he buys my lunch.
And when I see him again, I say, "Remember when you bought me lunch the other day? Well, I'd like to take you to lunch today." That is reciprocation. What am I doing? I am giving or returning in kind.
I believe it's something that each and every one of us should have a revelation of. It's something that should be operative in our lives. If you're not doing it, then you're not enjoying the fullness of God.
If you don't understand this law and you're not applying this law in your Christian life, then you will be limited as to how much of God's blessings you will enjoy.
If someone blesses your life, ministers to you frequently, invests into the growth of your spiritual life, then it's only right that you, in turn, sow back into his or her life as well.
The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:11, "For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift...." Every true minister of God has the ability to impart a gift. I'm talking about someone who is anointed of God, called of God and walking in that anointing, then there will be something in their life that is transmittable. It can be imparted into others.
There's one word that comes to my mind when I think of Kenneth Hagin's ministry and that's the word "faith." And because of my association with Brother Hagin's ministry, through his teachings, his books, his meetings, I believe that the same faith that is in his ministry has come into my ministry. A spiritual gift was imparted.
When I think of Oral Roberts, I think of healing and miracles. And because of my association, that same anointing came into my ministry.
When I think of Kenneth Copeland, I think of prosperity. His ministry has done more for the Body of Christ perhaps than any other ministry in the world in teaching the Body of Christ how to prosper. And because of his teachings and my association with his ministry, prosperity has come into my ministry.
So notice the three primary things that have been imparted into my ministry as a result of my support of their ministries: Faith, healing and prosperity.
It would be a violation of spiritual law after all the faith that's come into my ministry, all the healing that has come into my ministry, and all the prosperity that has come into my ministry, for me to fail to support these ministries. Not only would it be a violation of spiritual law, but I would also cut myself off from those anointings.
I encourage you right now to seriously pray about who your "fathers in the faith" are. Who has made the greatest impact in your life? If you aren't supporting the ministries of your fathers in the faith, I strongly urge you to start now. Don't ever forget your fathers. Helping your fathers fulfill their vision will enable you to fulfill yours.
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