Kenneth Copeland

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:13

Today people everywhere are gathering together to celebrate the first bright moments of the new year.

Yet, for thousands of others, this day will be the toughest 24 hours of their lives. For those people, New Year's Day will serve only as a dim reminder of loneliness and loss. It will simply mark the beginning of another year of failure.

What about you? What's this year really going to be like for you?

You may appear to be happy enough. You may be passing out seasonal smiles and holiday greetings just like everyone else. But inside, you may hurt. You may be disappointed. You may even feel like you can't go on.

If so, I want you to know something. All of that can change in an instant. You can start your life over today and make this New Year's Day the most joyful day of your life!

How many times have you said to yourself, "If I could just start over, I'd do it all differently"? That doesn't have to be simply an idle wish. Jesus Christ has actually made it possible. That's His Christmas present to you. He paid the price for all your sins. He paid the penalty for all your mistakes.

That's the reason He came to earth. That's the reason He was born—so you could start over!

You may look at your life and say, "But I've made some terrible mistakes. I've done some despicable things." That doesn't matter. Jesus paid the price for them all!

How can you make a new start? Romans 10:9 says that "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." It's as easy as saying, "Jesus, I'm turning my life over to You. From this day forward I'm Yours."

What better time to turn your life around than on this first day of the new year. Right now, wherever you are, just give your life to Jesus. Then jump up and down and holler, "Praise God, I'm starting all over!" And find out what it really means to have a happy new year!

Scripture Reading:
Romans 10:1-13

Kenneth Copeland

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.
Psalm 113:3

Praise God. Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him at noon. Praise Him at night. If you've never praised God in your life, then get started right now. Praise Him for freedom. Praise Him for healing and Calvary. Praise Him for the Name of Jesus.

You ought to be shouting your way to work and shouting your way back home! If there's anything the devil can't stand, it's praise.

If you've taken territory from the devil and he's coming against you to get it back, this is not the time to sit down and whine about how things aren't working out. It's not time to decide that God has taken His hand off your life.

It is time to get into the Word and get yourself re-anchored in God's promises. It is time to keep those promises constantly before your eyes and in your heart. It is time to pray the prayer of faith and take your stand on the basis of His provision. It is time to continue to do the things you know to do.

When Satan starts shaking your mountain, don't retreat and run for cover. Speak to the mountain with the authority you wield in the Name of Jesus Christ. Then, when you're done with that, start to praise and shout the victory.

You don't have to be afraid of Satan. He'll be afraid of you!

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 50

Gloria Copeland

And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Genesis 6:7-8

One of the dirtiest, most damaging lies that the devil ever told you was when he said, "You aren't important." Don't you ever believe that.

You are important! Every born-again member in the Church of Jesus Christ has a part to play in God's plan. God has something for you to do that no one else can do just like you can. If you don't take your place and do your part, things won't be quite right.

I can just hear you thinking, Oh, Gloria, I'm just one person. What could I possibly do that could be so significant?

Look in Genesis 6, and you'll see the answer to that question. There you'll see that the people on the earth had gotten so wicked that God had regretted that He'd made them. He was ready to wipe the whole population out—but He didn't. Why? Because of one man: Noah! One obedient man saved the human race.

Think about that. What if Noah had said, "Well, this is just too much pressure for me. I can't live upright before God in the middle of this ungodly generation. I mean, everyone around me is living the other way. Every man around me imagines only evil in his heart. I can't make any difference in this dark world anyway. I'm just one man."

Praise God, Noah didn't say that. He didn't picture himself as an insignificant man whose life didn't matter. According to Hebrews, he saw himself as a man to whom God had spoken and by faith he obeyed God. And because of that he ended up being the only thing that stood between mankind and total destruction.

Next time you're tempted to shrug off the instructions of God and be disobedient, next time you catch yourself thinking, It doesn't matter what I do—remember Noah. Consider the fact that, whether you understand it or not, God is counting on you to carry out your part of His plan. Live like you're someone important in the kingdom of God. And sooner or later you'll realize, you are.

Scripture Reading:
Genesis 6

Gloria Copeland

I have told you these things so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer....I have overcome the world.
John 16:33, The Amplified Bible

Jesus said as long as you live in the world, you're going to have trouble. (I can vouch for that!) But you're not just in the world. You're in Jesus in the world, and that makes all the difference. You're in Him and He's overcome every kind of trouble there is.

As God's child, you're not the defeated trying to get victory. You're the overcomer, and Satan's trying to rob you of the victory that already belongs to you.

When you made Jesus the Lord of your life, you were born into victory... because the Victor came to live in you. Think about it. The victorious Jesus. The Anointed One. The glorified and resurrected Lord. The Ruler of the Universe.

Cheer up, my friend. Have "perfect peace and confidence." That's Jesus who lives in you!

Scripture Reading:
John 16:15-33

Kenneth Copeland

...I beseech thee, show me thy glory.
Exodus 33:18

What would you say is the single, most outstanding thing about God? What's His most important characteristic? Some people would say it's His power. Others, His holiness. But God Himself would give a different answer.

You can find that answer in Exodus 33. There Moses is asking God to show him His glory.

Now the word glory could literally be translated "heavy weight." It refers to the heaviest, biggest, grandest thing about someone. It's the sum total of their worth.

So what Moses was actually saying was, "Lord, I want to see the weightiest thing about You. I want to know Your grandest attributes." What did God say to him in response?

Chapter 34:6-7 tells us, "The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin."

Just think about that! When Moses asked God to show him the most important thing about Himself, God showed him His mercy.

That means if you and I are to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1) we must major in mercy too. Mercy, goodness, forgiveness and compassion must mark our behavior above all else.

Major on mercy and others will see the glory of God in you.

Scripture Reading:
Exodus 33:7-23, 34:5-10