by Creflo A. Dollar | Oct 28, 2025 | Articles, Victory, Your Destiny
The Garden of Eden is God’s blueprint and purpose and intent of how things should have been in life! The Bible is not necessarily a history book, it has history in it but I need you to see it like this – the Bible is God’s plan of redemption, it is how He plans on redeeming what was lost.
We need to gain a clear understanding of what was lost, we need to gain a clear understating of what needs to be redeemed! When Jesus on the cross said it is finished He was not talking about the whole plan of redemption. He was referring to the Abrahamic convent.
See’ our bodies still have to be redeemed, lot’s of things have been redeemed but we still need to take care of that as well, so we need to understand the plan so we can understand where we are in these last days and what’s going about to take place in your life.
Now the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden and the tree of life in the garden both of them were in the garden with several other trees. But it specifically talks about these two trees. Genesis 2:10-15, And a river went out of Eden to water the garden and from hence there it parted and became four heads. The first Pishon; it is the one which skits the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good.
In Genesis God makes things with His words.
Voluptuous Living
The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush (Ethiopia). The name of the third river is Hiddekel (Tigris) which goes toward the east of Assyria. And the forth Euphrates. And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden, now Eden means voluptuous living and also means never-ending supply!
So God put him in a place that would supply voluptuous living and a place that had never-ending supply. He put him there to dress it and to keep it or to guard it. Obviously there was warning given that there is a devil loose, he deceived a third of the angels in heaven, and God kicked him out of Heaven and he is somewhere around you all.
Something like this God said to Adam, I’m starting you off son in this area here, the garden is the glory and you’re the glory, you’re the manifestation of My word, you’re equipped and your blessed. You have the ability and enablement to guard this garden, to keep out all intruders and open a can of whoop if you got too, you have that ability! Praise the Lord!
Then the Lord God command the man, saying, “Of every tree, of every tree, of every tree is that what you have in your Bible? Of every tree of the garden thou mayest eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil shall not eat of it, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Genesis 2:16,17.
So how many trees were they forbidden to eat from? One. What was the name of that tree? The tree of knowledge of good and evil. Ok, here is what I can’t figure out, you can eat of every tree in the garden would that also include the tree of life? Yes.
Had he of eaten of the tree of life then we would not be going through of this stuff were going through right now. He would have been the same forever had he of eaten of the tree of life! We would be all sitting here butt naked if he had eaten the tree of life. There wouldn’t of been no selfish awareness or nothing.
Follow me here now I’m going somewhere, God said now if you disobey Me and eat of the tree I tell you not too eat of, for in Deuteronomy it says it is a blessing if you obey and a curse if you disobey. So God said if you do this, the day you do this you will surely die.
Now Adam didn’t drop dead that day, Adam lived for over nine-hundred years, he lived to nine hundred thirty years. Man’s body was created to live forever to regenerate itself and keep on going, we were never created to die. In fact the reason it took Adam and all those guys lived so long they had to learn how to die. Their body was ready to live forever.
Can you imagine living nine-hundred years? That’s a long time! The church would just get tired of you, laughter.. That what I’m telling my church right now’ I’m believing God for long life, strong life a 120 years! I tell them, I’m outliving all of ya.
Now watch this, He made him to live forever and remember what He told them, I’m creating you guys two to have dominion to have authority, I want you to fill the earth, and watch this next verse, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it for in that day you shall surely die.
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help that’s suitable and proper for him, a suitable help, I said a suitable help, so God knew what a suitable help was and made him a suitable help called a woman.
And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird fo the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living… O’ O” now Adam is calling it! O check it out lady’s and gentleman God has just now turned it all over. He said I gave you a garden, you are the glory and now here’s your job.
God’s Job For Man, The Glorious Plan
God saying something like this: Your job is to be god on this earth like I am God in Heaven, you are My reflection. I’m going to start you off with a garden right here, I’m going to start ya off, I’m going to show you how to do it, use your words like I used My words. Your job is to take your words your authority, your dominion, your seed and do what I did too create this earth.
Your job is to spread this garden until it covers this entire planet, your job is to reproduce what I created, to reproduce your glory – you and Eve get together and have some more glory. We are going to start a franchise! A glory franchise!
And as we produce more glory we are going to expand Eden for voluptuous living were going to expand it until it covers all the earth. And nobody is going to ever die, and somebody says, won’t we have an overpopulation problem?
Listen to me ladies and gentleman’ Our God is just not the God of the earth! He is the God of the universe! Please understand that if Adam accomplished what he was supposed to accomplish and fill the earth.
God’s plan was now that you filled this earth, I got another planet and do the same thing there, when you have filled that one’ I got another one and do the same thing there and fill that one.
God wanted a whole universe – a franchise of Garden of Eden’s filled with the glory’ with voluptuous living all over the universe! Hallelujah! Glory to God!
So Adam gets started and there’s a devil still lose, so the devil says I got ‘a stop this. What is this man that God is so mindful of him, anybody seen this before? That He visits him and that He made him in his image and reflection what is this man? That God gave dominion and authority to.
And said I want to be like God and I will exalt my throne above the throne of God and I will be like the most-high God (Isaiah 14:13). And I got to figure out how to do this. Check it out now’ the ranking order is this: God, man, angels.
I know Psalms 8 says that he made man a little lower than angels. That is a miss translation. He made him a little lower than Elohim. Made him a little lower than God. God, man, angels. So God made man to resemble Him and be like Him. Which mean’s that man has creative ability like God! Angels do not!
Satan is not to be feared! He was created to work for you! He is in the class of angels, he is an archangel, he wants to be a god. He wants to be a god like God’s children. God made Adam to be like Him. God made Adam to be god over this earth like He is God over Heaven. God made it that way.
God gave man dominion to be god, God gave him the authority to be god and God said I give you everything to run it just like I would run it. And Satan said I want to be like a man because a man is just like God. Then someone would say are you trying to say you are God. No’ I’m not saying your God, you’re never going to be God but you are born of God’s stock!
That’s your pedigree, you were made like God, you’re in the image like God, you’re in the likeness like God, you speak words like God, you create like God! No you’re never will be big G. But you are without a doubt little g’s.
I said, You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High.
(Psalms 82:6)
Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ?
Glory to God!
(Psalms John 10:34)
Copyright © Creflo Dollar Ministries/World Changers Church International
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
by Lynne Hammond | Jul 28, 2025 | Articles, Christian Living
Do you want God’s best in your life?
If you’re a born again believer, I don’t even have to wait for you to answer that question. I know what you would say. I’m certain that your heart’s desire is for God’s perfect will and plan to be carried out, not only in your own life but in the lives of your family and friends as well.
You want to stand with them before Jesus on that great day and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servants.”
That’s my desire too. I can hardly bear the thought of failing to finish the course God has planned for me. My heart breaks when I think of myself or someone I love completing this life only to hear Jesus say, “You missed it, child. You never did what I called you to do. You never fulfilled My plan.” I don’t know one sincere Christian who would ever want that to happen.
Sometimes we have to face up to facts. And the fact is, despite our good intentions, many of us are settling for far less than God’s perfect plan. We don’t mean to, of course. It’s just that we’re so busy with earthly affairs, that we don’t give it much thought. We simply live from day to day, allowing our lives to be filled with the mediocre instead of the marvelous things of God.
I had to come to terms with that fact in my own life not long ago when I was reviewing the goals I’d set for the year. As I looked at the page on which I’d written them, one goal stood out from all the others. It was the goal of seeing myself grow spiritually.
I had wanted to achieve it so badly that I’d put stars and exclamation points around it, marking it as my number one priority. Yet when the year was through, I had to acknowledge that I hadn’t done it. In fact, instead of moving forward spiritually, I had actually slipped back.
You see, following the will of God is like riding a bike. There’s no sitting still. You’re either peddling onward or you’re getting off. And I realized that somewhere along the way, I had gotten off the track of God’s will that year.
When I talked to the Lord about the situation, He revealed to me through the thirtieth chapter of Isaiah where I had gone wrong.
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: in returning to Me, and resting in Me, you shall be saved; in quietness and in trusting confidence shall be your strength. But you would not. And you said, No! We will speed our own course on horses! Therefore you will speed in flight from your enemies! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds doing our own way! And therefore the Lord earnestly waits, expecting, looking and longing to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who earnestly wait for Him.
(vv. 15-16, 18 AMP)
The moment I read that scripture, I knew exactly what to do. Number one: I had to stop relying on my own human resources and rest in God in quietness and trusting confidence, letting Him be my strength for a change. Number two: I would have to set aside some of my own plans and activities and give Him more of my time.
It Just Takes Time
Do you know the Lord can change any situation in your life if you’ll just give Him your time? He can change you; He can change your finances; He can restore your health; He can change your relatives; He can do anything if you’ll give Him enough of your time! I desperately wanted God to change me. So I committed to spend my mornings with Him throughout the rest of the year. Little did I realize what amazing things He was going to do.
One morning not long after I made that commitment, I came to the church very early to pray. As I began to walk the floor in the silence of the dimly lit sanctuary, I began to call out to the Lord for changes – not just in my own life, but in the lives of every member of the Body of Christ.
As I prayed the words, “change, change!” suddenly my spirit was lifted up. I saw a vision of angels holding the sides of a scroll upon which was written the great plan of God for this time in which we live. I could see from their countenance the angels were burdened about something. And as they unrolled the scroll, they began to cry out in agony of heart, “Contend! Contend! Contend!”
The words rang out with such fervency, they wrenched my heart, and brought me to my knees. Soon more angels came from other places, joining the first angels in their cry. Their tears spilled onto the scroll, shining and sparkling upon it like little white lights.
As I watched the angels weep, I realized they were crying out for me to contend for the plan of God, not just in my own life but for the whole Body of Christ. I realized we all must contend for it. But we hadn’t been! We had been sitting back in complacency. Instead of striving for God’s best, we had relaxed and settled for far less.
As the vision continued, the scroll was laid flat and people began to gather around it. They knelt down and prayed over it, weeping for this plan to come forth. As they did, the plan began to lift up from the scroll. It began to come alive! When the vision ended that morning, the word “contend” was burning in my heart.
We Need God’s Best
It has been burning there ever since. It’s caused me to examine my life to see where I’ve fallen short of the glory of God. Do you know it’s not easy to hold onto what is best? It’s easier just to be like everybody else. But that’s not what God is calling us to do in this hour.
Do we truly want God’s best? If we do, then we must contend for it. We must set aside some of the distractions and busyness of this life and give God time. We must meditate the Word until we begin to glimpse the magnificence of God’s purposes and plans. Then we must take hold of them with passion and pray…pray…pray! Even when our flesh cries out and says, “I’m tired…I’m hungry…This hurts…. Let it go!” We must keep holding on and saying, “No, I will not quit until I receive the blessing!”
Granted, it is not an easy, painless task. But if we will dare to take it on, we will surely see the glory and power of God. We will experience His best here on earth and afterwards hear the sweetest phrase Heaven can afford: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Copyright © Mac Hammond Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
by John C. Maxwell | Jul 21, 2025 | Articles, Business
I see leaders across this country that have benefited from maximizing their own leadership skills, but are failing to pass those skills along to their staff and other emerging leaders. I hear the excuses. “I can’t find the time,” or “I’m still evaluating their potential.”
If we could just get honest with ourselves, we might see that our reluctance is often based in fear. We never vocalize it, but internally, we are afraid that if we invest in developing other leaders, bad things might happen. We won’t admit our fear that if we mentor someone:
- I won’t be indispensable any more.
- My authority might be challenged some day.
- Others might prefer the emerging leader over me.
- Their influence could surpass my own.
- They might receive credit due to me.
Simply writing these fears down helps us see they are all rooted in our own insecurity. As long as we allow these petty anxieties to shackle us, we’ll never achieve the greatest satisfaction of a leader – the legacy of multiple leaders achieving far more than we ever dreamed of accomplishing ourselves. Here are some things to consider that can help you crush those insecurities.
Remember that someone invested in you.
The recent movie “Pay it Forward” told the story of a boy who believed he could change the world if he could perform three big acts of kindness for others; they would, in turn, perform three big acts of kindness for others. While the story came from Hollywood, the principle comes from life. All of us who lead are the beneficiaries of someone else’s investment in us. If you don’t “pay it forward,” the greatest loss will be yours.
Decide to trust and be willing to be burned.
If you mentor enough emerging leaders, you will probably be disappointed, hurt, even betrayed by some along the way. Do it anyway. It’s a small price to pay in exchange for the privilege of watching others you’ve invested in overcome challenges and literally change the world.
Deal with past disappointments in your life.
In the last edition of “Leadership Wired,” I talked about eliminating emotional clutter from your life. This is a good example of what I mean. Until you forgive those who have disappointed you and move on from your past, you’ll be ineffective at shaping the future through others.
Become more convinced of the future.
Some leaders live as though they expect to be around forever. My heart attack a few years ago reminded me that we’re all just a heartbeat away from vacating our office. Who is coming along ready to take your place? If you won’t mentor someone to take your organization into the future, you can bet that your adversaries will.
Be willing to experience something greater.
Leading people is gratifying. But watching the leaders that you have developed lead, is even more gratifying. Face your insecurities and your irrational fears today, so that tomorrow you can begin planting for a harvest that will yield for generations to come.
This article is used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell’s free
monthly e-newsletter: Leadership Wired available at www.INJOY.com.
by CFAITH Staff | Jul 16, 2025 | Articles, Partner Letter
Some people may be intimidated by all that is happening across the world right now, especially the conflict that has taken place between Israel and Iran. Whatever your feelings about this situation, know that you don’t have to be concerned about what has happened or what will happen in the future. In fact, you can study the Bible and find that today’s current events are often fulfilled prophecies.
Are We Witnessing the Fulfillment of Ancient Prophecies?
Take, for example, the invasion of Israel by Hamas. That was foretold thousands of years earlier, even down to the year and the exact date! Jonathan Cahn spoke about this truth at Living Word and shared some amazing correlations between current events and Bible prophecy.
You can hear Jonathan Cahn’s full message by listening to the message, or dive even deeper by reading his latest book The Dragon’s Prophecy by Jonathan Cahn.
THE DRAGON’S PROPHECY will reveal…
The Long-Hidden Secret of the Last Days
The Dark Resurrection
The Colors of the Apocalypse
The Return of the Sea Peoples
The Day of the Dragon
The Black Sabbath
The Inverted Angel
The Revenge of the Three Thousand
The 18,263rd Day
The Secret on the Mount
The Invaders
The Beast
And much, much more!
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Accelerate is a Bible Training College that will equip you for life and mobilize you for ministry. With a focus on the Word and the Spirit, Accelerate will provide a solid foundation for Christian living. With additional tracks on missions and church planting, ABTC will train you for ministry. Whether you feel a call to ministry or are hungry for more of God and His Word, ABTC is for you.
Exciting News From Mac Hammond Ministries
God is moving powerfully at Mac Hammond Ministries; they are on a mission to plant 50 global churches in the first five years and have already planted 20 churches so far! Here’s an update video on all the churches planted and those in the works. Mission Update | Global Church Plants.
cfaith staff
by Kenneth Copeland | Jul 1, 2025 | Articles, Independence Day
In many respects, July Fourth may have appeared to be like any other day in that summer of 1776.
But on this morning, when the first glimpse of light broke across the surface of the waters that had carried them to this new land, one imagines that the handful who were in the midst of making history had long since given up any attempt to rest.
This was not like any other day.
This was Independence Day. The responsibility for giving voice to the principles upon which a new union would be formed weighed heavily in the hearts of the fathers of this land.
These Were Men of Faith
Their words and writings reveal that what was to take place this early morning of July Fourth was the manifestation of a long season of prayer, for these were men of faith.
The words of George Washington, historically named the “Father of Our Country,” offered up a prayer for God’s blessing on the new nation:
“We make our earnest prayer that Thou will keep the United States in Thy holy protection and that Thou will be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to [humble] ourselves with that….”
John Quincy Adams later said of this new society, America: “Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is fundamentally linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation?
“Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?”
According to Adams, Christmas and the Fourth of July were fundamentally connected. On July Fourth, the founders simply took the precepts of Christ, which came into the world through His birth (Christmas), and incorporated those principles into civil government.
James Madison said that this new nation had staked its future on the capacity of each citizen to sustain himself according to God’s Ten Commandments. Patrick Henry spoke of the foundation of this new government this way:
“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians. Not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
A holy faith burned in the spirits and guided the actions of all those who set in motion the establishment of these United States of America. Their own words bear testimony to this truth.
And it is no accident that in the few words chosen to declare independence on that summer morning, the Name of an Almighty God appears as testimony to the faith of our fathers:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. —The Declaration of Independence
Copyright © Kenneth Copeland Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
