We can live our lives in love, peace, joy,
prosperity, health and victory. We can also
bring those kingdom blessings to others who
are still under the dominion of darkness.

“If Christians can do that,” you may ask,
“why don’t they?”

Mostly it’s because they haven’t been very
aware of the kingdom of God. They have been
so absorbed in the kingdom of this world—
the world that they can see and touch—
they haven’t given much thought to God’s
kingdom. They’re so caught up in the busyness
of this natural world and its demands, so
familiar with its way of operating, that they’re
practically strangers to the operations of the
kingdom of God.

But we can change that, in the Name of
Jesus! We can obey the instruction of the
Apostle Paul who wrote: “Aim at and seek the
[rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where
Christ [the Anointed One] is, seated at the
right hand of God. And set your minds and
keep them set on what is above (the higher
things), not on the things that are on the
earth” (Colossians 3:1-2, The Amplified Bible).

By studying and meditating on what the
Word has to say about the kingdom of God,
we can become more and more kingdom-of-
God minded. There is so much information in
the Word about the kingdom of God, I could
talk about it for hours—and I have. Brother
Jesse Duplantis says Ken and I are the only
preachers he knows who can preach on the
same sermon for a year. But we can’t help it!
That’s how long it takes us to get through!

I challenge you to take up this
study on your own from here. Get out your
concordance and look up all the references
to the kingdom of God or the kingdom of
heaven. I believe the New Testament uses
them interchangeably. Let the reality of that
kingdom get down in your heart so that you
are aware of it every day.

Gloria Copeland

Where do you live?

I realize that’s a simple question, but I want
you to stop and think about your answer for a
moment. Your immediate response might be
to name a country or a city. You probably think
of the spot on this earth where you wake up
each morning and go to bed each night—the
place where you keep your natural belongings.

But if you’re a believer, you need to think
more deeply than that.

You need to become aware of the fact that
although you are in this world, you do not
belong to this natural world’s order. You are a
citizen of heaven. You are, even here and now,
privileged to live in that kingdom.

That statement would startle many Christians.
Religion has taught them that they won’t
reach God’s kingdom until they die and go to
heaven. But the Bible says we’ve already made
the transfer. It says, “[The Father] has delivered
and drawn us to Himself out of the control and
the dominion of darkness and has transferred
us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”
(Colossians 1:13, The Amplified Bible).

Because God dwells in us and among us,
His kingdom is present with us right now.
Jesus said it this way: “The kingdom of God
does not come with signs to be observed or
with visible display. Nor will people say, Look!
Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold,
the kingdom of God is within you [in your
hearts] and among you [surrounding you]”
(Luke 17:20-21, The Amplified Bible).

Certainly we will go on to the place
called heaven when our bodies die or when
Jesus catches us away. And that’s great,
because heaven is a wonderful place! It’s the
headquarters of this great kingdom. But,
thank God, since we’re already citizens of
the kingdom now, we can enjoy many of the
benefits of heaven right here on earth.

Gloria Copeland

John 15:7
KJV—If ye abide in me, and my words
abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it
shall be done unto you.

Amp—If you live in Me—abide vitally
united to Me—and My words remain in
you and continue to live in your hearts,
ask whatever you will and it shall be done
for you.

Moffatt—If you remain in me and my words
remain in you, then ask whatever you like
and you shall have it.

NEB—If you dwell in me, and my words
dwell in you, ask what you will, and you
shall have it.

1 John 5:14-15
KJV—And this is the confidence that
we have in him, that, if we ask any thing
according to his will, he heareth us: And if
we know that he hear us, whatsoever we
ask, we know that we have the petitions
that we desired of him.

Amp—And this is the confidence—the
assurance, the [privilege of] boldness—
which we have in Him: [we are sure] that
if we ask anything (make any request)
according to His will (in agreement with His
own plan) He listens to and hears us. And if
(since) we [positively] know that He listens to
us in whatever we ask, we also know [with
settled and absolute knowledge] that we
have [granted us as our present possessions]
the requests made of Him.

Moffatt—Now the confidence we have in
him is this, that he listens to us whenever we
ask anything in accordance with his will; and
if we know that he listens to whatever we
ask, we know that we obtain the requests
we have made to him.

NE B—We can approach God with confidence
for this reason: if we make requests
which accord with his will he listens to
us; and if we know that our requests are
heard, we know also that the things we ask
for are ours.

Gloria Copeland

Matthew 18:18-19
KJV—Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever
ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say
unto you, That if two of you shall agree on
earth as touching any thing that they shall
ask, it shall be done for them of my Father
which is in heaven.

Amp—Truly, I tell you, whatever you forbid
and declare to be improper and unlawful
on earth must be what is already forbidden
in heaven, and whatever you permit and
declare proper and lawful on earth must
be already permitted in heaven. Again I tell
you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize
together, together make a symphony)
about—anything and everything—whatever
they shall ask, it will come to pass and be
done for them by My Father in heaven.

Moffatt—I tell you truly, Whatever you prohibit
on earth will be prohibited in heaven,
and whatever you permit on earth will be
permitted in heaven. I tell you another thing:
if two of you agree on earth about anything
you pray for, it will be done for you by my
Father in heaven.

NEB—’I tell you this: whatever you forbid
on earth shall be forbidden in heaven,
and whatever you allow on earth shall be
allowed in heaven. ‘Again I tell you this:
if two of you agree on earth about any
request you have to make, that request will
be granted by my heavenly Father.’

Matthew 21:21
KJV—Jesus answered and said unto them,
Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and
doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is
done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and
be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Amp—And Jesus answered them, Truly, I
say to you, if you have faith—a firm relying
trust—and do not doubt, you will not only
do what has been done to the fig tree, but
even if you say to this mountain, Be taken
up and cast into the sea, it will be done.

Moffatt—Jesus answered, “I tell you truly, if
you have faith, if you have no doubt, you
will not only do what has been done to
the fig tree, but even if you say to this hill,
‘Take and throw yourself into the sea,’ it will
be done.”

NEB—Jesus answered them, ‘I tell you this:
if only you have faith and have no doubts,
you will do what has been done to the figtree;
and more than that, you need only say
to this mountain, “Be lifted from your place
and hurled into the sea”, and what you say
will be done.’

Gloria Copeland

Mark 11:22-24
Once you have planted God’s healing Word in
your heart, you can pray with confidence, knowing you
will receive your healing. Yet, to get results, you must
believe you receive when you pray. That is when God’s
healing power is released in your body.

KJV—And Jesus answering saith unto
them, Have faith in God. For verily I say
unto you, That whosoever shall say unto
this mountain, Be thou removed, and be
thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt
in his heart, but shall believe that those
things which he saith shall come to pass; he
shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore
I say unto you, What things soever ye desire,
when ye pray, believe that ye receive
them, and ye shall have them.

Amp—And Jesus replying said to them,
Have faith in God (constantly). Truly, I tell
you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted
up and thrown into the sea! and does not
doubt at all in his heart, but believes that
what he says will take place, it will be done
for him. For this reason I am telling you,
whatever you ask for in prayer, believe—
trust and be confident—that it is granted to
you, and you will [get it].

Moffatt—Jesus answered them, “Have faith
in God! I tell you truly, whoever says to this
hill, ‘Take and throw yourself into the sea,’
and has not a doubt in his mind but believes
that what he says will happen, he will have
it done. So I tell you, whatever you pray for
and ask, believe you have got it, and you
shall have it.”

NEB—Jesus answered them, ‘Have faith in
God. I tell you this: if anyone says to this
mountain, “Be lifted from your place and
hurled into the sea”, and has no inward
doubts, but believes that what he says is
happening, it will be done for him. I tell you,
then, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe
that you have received it and it will be yours.’

Mark 6:5-6
KJV—And he could there do no mighty
work, save that he laid his hands upon a
few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled
because of their unbelief.

Amp—And He was not able to do even one
work of power there, except that He laid His
hands on a few sickly people [and] cured
them. And He marveled because of their
unbelief—their lack of faith in Him.

Moffatt—There he could not do any miracle,
beyond laying his hands on a few sick
people and curing them. He was astonished
at their lack of faith.

NEB—He could work no miracle there,
except that he put his hands on a few sick
people and healed them; and he was taken
aback by their want of faith.

Gloria Copeland