“that i may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all … · 2011. 2. 3. · jodi...

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Thy wondrous works.”

(Psalm 26:7)

I’ve Fallen in Love With the WorldFEB 13 - FEB 26

The How To’s of Believing the Unbelievable and Getting It

Jan 30 - FEB 12

WaTcH oUr BroadcasT THIs monTH

our TV outreach is growing and the number of stations we’re on is increasing! Please visit jdm.org for our complete updated listing.

2 • VOTC • February 2011

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ALSO...

• MEETING SCHEDULE 10• PRODUCT SPECIALS 16• COVENANT PRAISE 18

CAN YOUHEAR ME NOW?

Corey Naquin 20

gOd’s Will is HiddEN fOR YOU,

NOt fROM YOUCathy Duplantis

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MEAN giRls NEEd lOvE, tOOJodi Duplantis

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visiONARY lEAdERsHiP:

iNCREAsE tHE kiNgdOM,

lOvE AlWAYs!Jesse Duplantis

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gOd REsPONds tO WORds Of fAitH

PARt 2Jesse Duplantis

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Vol. 33 No. 2 FEBRUARY 2011Graphic Design & ProductionJorge Gomez JrVictor GonzalezJosue Gomez

Editorial Staff Jodi DuplantisMichael Wright IICorey NaquinChristine BartleyMary HoltenJo Ann Freeney Dondra DeSalvo

PublisherJesse Duplantis

Editor Cathy Duplantis

Voice of the Covenant is published monthly by Jesse Duplantis Ministries, a non-profit corporation, PO Box 1089, Destrehan, LA 70047.Phone: 985.764.2000 Fax: 985.764.0044 E-mail: [email protected]. Voice of the Covenant has no subscription or newsstand price in the United States and is supported through contributions from readers worldwide. All donations to this ministry are tax-deductible.Visit our website at www.jdm.org ©2011 Jesse Duplantis Ministries, all rights reserved.May not be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher.

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Dear Friends, Welcome to this month’s issue of Voice of the Covenant! Here we are, already in February, and moving forward with great expectation and great faith to reach people and change lives with the love of Christ. Our determination and passion to “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15), has reached a new intensity and we won’t stop until every soul has heard the Good News! Voice of the Covenant magazine has been successfully bringing the Gospel to people for over 30 years. It has taken great faith and love to grow this anointed magazine outreach from only 200 households in our first mailing in 1981 to the now 380,000 going into 160 nations every month. Praise God! This ministry tool is effectively reaching and transforming lives all over the world. And as this outreach grows, so does God’s family! We pray this issue will encourage your walk with Christ and that you will share it with someone you love. Together, we can love more people than we could on our own. Remember, God so loved the world, that He gave up His only Son so we could live with Him forever (John 3:16). Let’s join hands and love the world for God—we can get this world saved!

We love you, – Jesse and Cathy

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the greatest Friend you’ll ever have. As you say these words, if you’ll believe them with your heart, you will be born again (Romans 10:9-10).

Jesus, come into my life. Forgive me of all my sins. I ask You to cleanse my heart, and make me a new person in You right now. I believe that You are the Son of God and that You died on the cross for me.

Jesus, I want to thank You for loving me enough to die for me. I accept all that Your shed blood bought for me on the cross, and I receive You as my Savior and Lord. In Your name I pray. Amen.

If you just prayed this prayer, congratulations! You are a “new creature” in Christ and, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “…old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” All of Heaven is celebrating! You have a brand new life with Jesus and a bright future filled with faith and hope.

It is important that you let someone know of your decision to follow Christ and we would love to hear from you! You can use the top portion of the envelope/order form in the center of this magazine to do so. We would also like to send you a free copy of our booklet, Understanding Salvation, to help you begin your new life with Jesus Christ. Just let us know if you would like the English or Spanish version. Remember, Christ is thinking about you and He only wants the best for your life. God bless you! – Jesse Duplantis

saLVaTIonprayEr


David had a woman on his mind when he threw down the cheese and started mouthing off at a giant.

“What’ll I get if I kill ‘em?” he asked his brothers. Like a typical teenager, David was interested in making a little something on the side.

“The king’s daughter, you fool. Now give us the cheese and bread Dad sent you here with and get out of here. You just came to see the battle.”

Now, you don’t tell a seventeen-year-old boy with his hormones

kicked up real high that he is going to get a woman if he slays a giant and not expect him to rise to the occasion.

“You mean to tell me that I’m gonna get a woman? Me?”

“The king’s daughter, yeah. But you? No. Stop gawking and go home.”

David started daydreaming…A woman? Man, I’d kick a giant’s tail for one of those—and the king’s girl at that? Take a look at that! Whew!

David was the youngest of the family—the red-haired teenage musician who stayed on the

backside of the mountain tending sheep and playing his own psalmic version of “Stairway to Heaven” while his big, bad brothers talked of slaying giants, marrying the king’s daughter, and wearing a crown. Sure, Samuel had anointed him with enough oil to grease an engine, but his father and brothers couldn’t have cared less. They were happy to keep him on the mountain working with the sheep where they didn’t have to hear his baaaallads.

But that day, David wasn’t on a mission to simply bring food to his

by JesseDuplantis

Part 2

God Responds ToWords of

Faith

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brothers; he was on a mission from God, and he had no idea that Israel’s adversity was about to crown him king.

“Come over here and whip me if you can, you bunch of wimps!” the Philistine giant roared. David watched as the giant wagged his big, microwave-sized head at the Israelites. About a hundred and twenty-five pounds of metal gleamed in the sun as the giant waved his arms around and cussed everything from God to the ground.

David was appalled at his brother’s lack of enthusiasm. “Are you going to sit there and let him pop off like that?” he asked his brothers, “Are you gonna let that uncircumcised Philistine defile the armies of God and cuss us like that?”

He could see it in their eyes, “He’s a giant, David! Now get out of here so we can figure out what we’re going to do.”

But David wouldn’t leave. He couldn’t believe that his brothers didn’t have the guts to walk out there and kick the tar out of Goliath. He started scanning the ground for a decent rock.

“You blankety-blank, no-good, trashy bunch of Israelites!” he heard the giant go on, “I defy your blankety-blank God and you! I curse your blankety-blank, too!”

He looked at his brothers and the nearby soldiers and could read their mind. Uh, that’s okay. Just curse all you want there, Goliath! they thought as they stared at Goliath’s big microwave of a head and thought of living another day. “Uh, you want to try fighting him next, Ralph?” somebody in the tent said. But nobody moved. Fear had them by the jugular and they were practically soiling their robes trying to figure out what to do.

“Ahhh! You bunch of losers. You call yourself God’s blankety-blank people, but you’re nothing but a bunch of puny wimps. Come on over here if you’re man enough and I’ll knock the blank out of you in a blankety-blank-blank second!”

David couldn’t take it another minute. “I’ll fight this idiot today!” he hollered.

His brothers shouted back, “Shut up! Go back to your stinking sheep and stop fooling around.”

“No! I’ll put him down! I don’t see you guys walking out there. Why not give me a shot?” David said as he thought, Yeah, this giant cannot win against my God. And I get the king’s daughter if I kill him…and it’s legal! Dad can’t take her away either because it’s the king’s rule!

Now, his motive was wrong on one hand—the boy wanted a woman and was willing to die at the chance of getting one. He was probably already contemplating lyrics for his next song, “Ohhhh, my love, my darling, I’ve hungered for your touch...” and imagining her response, “Sing to me David. Sing to me David. You want to kiss me? Yeah, you want to kiss me. Come over here, David!”

But God noticed the anointing that was on David and said, “Here is somebody that will stand in the gap. Here is somebody that is not trembling back in the tent. Here is somebody that is aggravated that someone is cussing Me!”

All of a sudden, the anointing of God that was poured on David by Samuel rose up. Courage swelled in him and although he couldn’t fit the armor, he didn’t care. He was willing to go out as he was because he knew without a shadow of doubt that God was on his side. From his spirit came courage so fierce that it bypassed his mind, and David shouted out to the giant, “You come against me with a spear, but I come against you in the name of the Lord God Jehovah!”

To the others, it was a threat, but to David it was a promise. He grabbed a rock from the dirt, put it in his slingshot, and started swirling it in the air. David had been rocking on the mountain for years, now he was about to rock out a giant in front of all his big, ugly buddies. Goliath saw the red hair and recognized the stature. A lousy teenager, he thought and laughed and shouted at the soldiers, “Is this whatcha’ got, boys? You wanna throw rocks?” He shook his head, looked at David and spat, “I’m going to pick the flesh off of your bones, boy, and feed you to the birds!”

“Bring it on, big man. I am going to feed your carcass to the birds. I am going to cut your microwave-sized head off and play ball. You understand me? I want to let you know what’s about to go down, you uncovenanted, uncircumcised, God-cussing fool!”

Now, I’ll be over to you in just a minute, little lady, he thought as he considered the king’s daughter, Yep, just hang on, baby. I’m coming to getcha’!

David began to run. Whirling his sling in the air, he ran towards the giant with all his might—the sling whirling harder and harder in circles.

Foom! David released the rock. The Holy Spirit guided it as it flew through the air.

Pow! It knocked the giant right between the eyes and he began to drop.

Thump! Goliath’s big head hit the ground. All


the oxygen was sucked out of the air that day as the crowd gasped at the sight of the giant on the ground. David didn’t wait. He kept running until he got to Goliath’s body and climbed on his chest like it was a stage, hollering, “I said he would go down, and he is down. Nobody can come against my God and win!”

Suddenly, David reached down for Goliath’s heavy sword, pulled his giant head up at the perfect angle, and started sawing away. Then, David grabbed the head by the hair, lifted it up for all to see and said, “Now this is how you get ahead in life, right here!”

This story is a paraphrase of what actually happened to David the day that he stopped being just a sheep-watching musician and started being Israel’s king, as told in 1 Samuel 17:1-58. Although Samuel anointed David as king before the big event, it was really Goliath who made him the king in the eyes of the people. His triumph showed all of Israel the power of God’s anointing, and what could be done if you are willing to trust God and stand up for righteousness.

You see, it doesn’t matter how small or insignificant you think you are. If you are a believer, then you are a threat to the devil and all his works. Your adversity has the potential to crown you king, if you let it. But you’ve got be bold enough to speak up and not take the devil’s attacks lying down. Don’t be like David’s brothers who were sitting back in fear and complaining about their circumstances rather than getting up and putting up a fight. David’s fight began with an inner indignation that a giant would have the gall to mock God’s children. Your fight will begin the same way when you become indignant at the devil’s attempts to steal, kill, and destroy your life.

When the devil attacks you and tries to make a mockery of your God, it’s in your best interest to stand up and say, “Oh no you will not! You are coming against a child of God, devil, and I’m not standing for this.”

Samuel anointed David; Jesus anointed you. David had a rock; you have The Rock, Jesus Christ—and your very salvation has given you the authority to put the devil in his place. When you allow God’s Words to come sailing out of your mouth, you’re going to see that giant in your life fall to the ground.

Any Speaking Spirit Can Do It! Anybody can believe and confess Jesus as Lord

and be saved. Anybody can speak the Word in faith and see results. In the beginning, God formed Adam

from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils. One translation says he became a speaking spirit. A friend of mine spoke this and it went off in my heart. I believe that God didn’t create Adam to be silent—He gave him life so that he might speak. He gave him authority so that he might crush the works of the devil.

His first job was to name the animals. What was God saying by asking him to do that? I believe He was saying, “Speak spirit! Call it and it shall be done.” He wanted man to take part in creation and to use words just like He had.

Instead of “Let there be light,” man was saying, “Let it be a chicken! Let there be cows! Let there be elephants, lizards, and lions!” Naming the animals wasn’t a job for an idiot. Do you know how many species God created? More than we probably know of today. But Adam saw and named every single one. That job was a big responsibility given to a very valuable creation—the speaking spirit.

Soon, the Scripture records how God said it was not good for man to be alone and created a female. The fact that God chose the rib shows He meant for women to be working side-by-side with man. What I want you to notice is that God called both of them Adam. Why? Because the female “Adam” was also created in God’s image. She had the breath of life within her and she was a speaking spirit, too!

When God called the woman Adam, He was proving her spiritual equality. I believe He was saying exactly what He said to Adam: “Speak spirit! What you will say will come to pass. The creative force that made My male live, breathe, and speak with authority is the very same creative force dwelling in you.”

Now, I’ve met many women in my years of ministry that were treated like second class citizens in the church. That never should be because although the fall of man happened and the curse came into the earth, Jesus redeemed us from the curse and has made women and men equal in God’s sight.

I believe that God didn’t create Adam to be silent—He gave

him life so that he might speak. He gave him authority

so that he might crush the works of the devil.

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“…There is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). It is Christ that unites us. Some people don’t believe that a woman should be able to preach, but I do. Eve was just a name that Adam used. God called her Adam. So what am I going to do? Say that God can’t talk through the female Adam? No way! Women are powerful creatures made in God’s image and created to speak His Word with authority. They can feed us physically, so why can’t they feed us spiritually?

Order in the Church...at Corinth!

Paul’s book of Corinthians was a letter to a church that was out of line on many issues. Paul didn’t hate women; he was just trying to bring some social order to the family and the church. There were many cultural differences, too.

Christianity was brand new and they were working out the kinks on order in the church services. Although the women were allowed in the service, they were separated by sex. These gatherings would have seemed very informal compared to traditional Jewish services. Some theologians say that if a wife had something to say to her husband during the service, she might just shout out across the church. Think if a woman in your church would see her husband across the sanctuary and stand up and go, “Psst! Hey, Harry! Ask Ralph where he got that coat.”

If that were going on, the preacher would have to set down some rules, right? Paul even had to tell them not to speak with other tongues in the middle of the service, too. They’d just interrupt the message to pray in tongues. He had to say, “Look, you can’t do that. Unless it’s a word from God and there is an interpreter, keep silent.” Was he saying we should never pray in tongues in church? No! He was simply giving direction to keep order.

When he taught women to “be silent” in church, it was a direct order to the Corinthian church because of their disorderly conduct. The church service wasn’t a question and answer session, so he didn’t want them to shout out. That would be applied if there were a problem with order in the church today. But it doesn’t mean women shouldn’t ever speak in the church.

Some men are afraid that a woman will “usurp” authority over them if they speak or preach better than they do. They use Paul’s teachings out of context

to fit their own egotistical views. But the original Greek for the word “aner” that Paul used works for man or husband. The Greek word “gune” can be translated either woman or wife. Not every man was a husband, and not every woman was a wife. So you’ve got to look at the situation around the Scripture to determine what the Bible is saying.

There were women in the Bible who were called prophetesses and the Apostles recognized certain women by name that were in ministry. If you research, you’ll find God often led women to say and do His will…out loud and in front of everybody.

So I say, “Girls, preach the Gospel! Sing the Gospel! Witness! Disciple! Do what God has called you to do!” If some fool says, “I don’t want you usurping authority over men,” tell him, “I’m not usurping anything. I’m a speaking spirit and made in His image. God has called me to His service and I cannot disobey, so take it up with Him!”

Mary Spoke and Jesus CameIt took a woman to get Jesus here. His mother,

Mary, was just a teenager when an angel of God showed up to tell her that she was going to have a baby. But even though she was young, God cared about what she had to say.

In Luke 1:30-34, you find that Mary found favor with God. But when the angel told her that she’d conceive and bare a son, Mary put the breaks on. She was a girl with common sense and even though she was looking at an angel, she thought, Whoa! Wait a minute. That can’t happen. I haven’t been messing around. Then the angel said, ‘The Holy Ghost is going to come upon you and you are going to conceive and

Women are powerful creatures made in God’s

image and created to speak His Word with authority.

They can feed us physically, so why can’t they feed us

spiritually?


bare a child. You’re going to call Him Emanuel, which means God with us’ (paraphrase of Luke 1:35).

What did Mary do at this point? She considered what the angel said and “spiritualized” her common sense by agreeing with the angel and speaking.

“…Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). Jesus couldn’t have been born unless Mary spoke

a word of agreement. Even though it was God’s will for her life, Mary had to say it was OK or it wouldn’t have happened. What was God doing? Waiting for her words!

She agreed and, nine months later, Jesus was born in a manger. Was He poor? No! They had money for the Inn, but there was no room for them. The place was jammed full. Still, Jesus had three rich guys looking for Him and it wasn’t long before gold, frankincense, and myrrh were placed at His tiny feet. And it all started because of words.

Spiritualized Common SenseThe devil doesn’t agree with God’s Word, so he

just has common sense. But those who agree with God’s Word and use it in their lives have what I like to call “spiritualized” common sense. Jesus displayed this when the devil came to tempt Him. The devil didn’t recognize Jesus as Messiah and asked him, ‘If you’re really the Son of God, do something. Turn this bread to stone. Jump off the side of the mountain and see if the angels catch you—do something so we’ll know it’s You’ (paraphrase of Matthew 4:3, 6).

Notice that the devil asked Jesus to do something he could see. Why? Because he’s not a faith devil; he is a flesh devil. He’d been trying to kill the Messiah for years and was wondering, Is this Him? We messed up on the last ones. Let’s make sure. But what did Jesus say

in response to the temptations? ‘Get out of here, you low-class, fallen, angelic fool. I rebuke you! The Word says not to tempt God.’ Temptation after temptation came, but Jesus didn’t cave in.

Jesus had spiritualized common sense and He wasn’t about to perform magic tricks for the devil to prove His divinity. Instead, He chose to simply speak the Word. Why? Because He knew in the midst of great temptation, only the Word would keep Him stable and secure. So He used it consistently.

Your Words Must Be ConsistentDaniel was an Old Testament man who spoke the

Word, too. He had a vision and consistently sought God about it. God heard his words and sent an angel who said this: “…Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words” (Daniel 10:12).

Do you know how old Daniel was when he had the vision? Ninety-two years old! You see, God doesn’t care if you’re twelve or one hundred and twelve—He’ll come for your words because you are an important speaking spirit and He is moved by your faith.

Even though he didn’t see immediate results, Daniel “chastened” himself and continued to pray. When the angel came, he let Daniel know that he’d been held back for a reason. There was a battle going on in the spirit. The angel said, ‘Man! Daniel, you are greatly loved by God. I had to beat off a couple devils to get here and tell you so, but, nevertheless, here I am. You’re gonna get what you need, boy! You’re like a pit bull on a bone when it comes to what you say, and that’s why I’m here.’

Why didn’t the angels just give up in the heat of the battle? Because Daniel didn’t give up. The angels continued to fight because Daniel continued to speak. When you are habitual, uniform, and consistent in speaking the Word, it will be an everlasting reminder to the angels to keep on coming.

Sound Words Produce Spiritual Stability

God doesn’t send angels for stupid words or words of doubt and fear. He comes for sound words of faith. That’s why the Bible tells us to, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13). In

You see, God doesn’t care if you’re twelve or one hundred and twelve—He’ll come for your words because you are an important speaking spirit

and He is moved by your faith.

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other words, be passionate about holding onto those Words—they’re going to keep you secure.

I’m a secure man. My wife, Cathy, has been trying to get me to change my hairstyle for over 30 years. I said, “Cathy, I am going to tell you something and this is the last time I am going to tell you this. I am like God; I change not.” It’s a joke, but she gets the point. I don’t care if my hairstyle is out of style. Who dictates that stuff anyway? I don’t live my life for other people. And besides, that’s just too much work. The world and its ideas can cause instability in your life. They flip-flop over what they think and believe from one day to the next, but God’s Word never changes. So I stick with the Word because it changes not. I like what I like, and that’s it.

Now, you can quote the Word all day long, but it’s what is in you that will get the angels moving. Some people just speak the Word, but they don’t believe the Word. Believing and speaking work together. “How do I get my mind and spirit to line up, Brother Jesse?” Hear the Word. Read it. Listen to it. Get it in your ears regularly so you can think right regularly. That’s how you “spiritualize” your common sense.

Faith is a choice. You can say, “This may not make sense to the natural mind, but it makes perfect sense in the spiritual realm. I’m going to believe God because His ways are higher and better. Angels will come when I speak His Word.”

When doubt rises up, doubt it! Your mind may say, “That’s not going to happen.” Don’t listen to your mind. Speak spirit! Let your spirit override your mind, and use your mouth to confirm it. Say, “I doubt that doubt! The Word says....” Then, quote the Scripture you’re standing on to yourself. Encourage your own mind with the truth of God’s Word. It’ll stabilize you and stop doubt and confusion in its tracks.

Reject Adulterations of the WordPeople are always asking me theological questions

about this or that. They get off on tangents and forget the main message of the Word. They start adulterating the message by mixing in their own negative ideas about this or that. Then they get all confused and ask me about it. My response is to go back to the Word and put the “spiritualized” back into your common sense. What does God say? What is the message behind the Word?

When you’ve got the soundness of God’s Word in you, you can reject those adulterations of the Word that

come across your path. You can recognize the heart of the message and not be tossed to and fro by those false systems of religion that bring confusion. The pure and unadulterated Word brings peace and clarity.

Does God love you? Yes! Does He want the best for you? Yes! Is the devil fighting you? Yes! Did Jesus die to give you authority over ALL the devil’s works? Yes! Is His Word enough to make the devil flee? Yes! Are you going to pick up your Sword and use it? Yes! It’s the Word you say that will put angels to work. It’s your consistency that will keep them coming when they are fighting spiritual battles.

There is no need to give up on your faith in the heat of adversity. God is on your side. Sure, wrong situations happen in life, but it’s the rightness of God’s Word that will bring about justice. So a clear knowledge of right is essential, and you get that through reading the Word and focusing on God’s ways of doing things. It’s only by knowing what is right that you can recognize and expose what is wrong.

Satan is a liar. He’s a mocker. He’ll try and make you feel small and insignificant. But, remember, you can be like David—you can watch that mocking giant fall. You can be like Daniel—you can stare death in the eye and say, “I don’t care what you do or say, I’m following my God.”

You can hear God’s voice and be like Mary and say, “I don’t understand, but I agree. Let it be done according to Thy Word.”

Thank God for Jesus. He’s your Savior and it’s through His blood and the word of your testimony that you will overcome (Revelation 12:11). So, whatever you’re believing God for today, speak the Word. Be consistent. Be passionate. Remember that angels are on their way. They’re busting through the devil’s blockades, but they’re coming nevertheless. So hold on and continue to speak, spirit. Angels are coming for your words! a

It’s the Word you say that will put angels to work. It’s your consistency that will

keep them coming when they are fighting spiritual battles.


Bakersfield, CA February 1 (7:00pm)Oasis Christian CenterDouble Tree Hotel3100 Camino Del Rio Ct 661.322.4152

Ontario, CAFebruary 2 (7:00pm)Echos of Faith World Outreach Ministries11255 Central Ave • 909.627.0927www.go2eof.com

W. Monroe, LAFebruary 4(See ad next page)

Willis, TXFebruary 8 (7:00pm)Family Faith Church Winter Conference 2011202 S Thomason St • 936.291.9458www.familyfaith.ws

Clermont, FLFebruary 9 (7:00pm)Celebration of Praise Church of God3700 S US Hwy 27 • 352.394.2855www.celebrationofpraise.net

Stafford, TXFebruary 13 (10:30am)Family Worship Center910 Brand Ln • 281.499.0551www.thefwc.org

Shreveport, LAFebruary 20 (10:30am)Celebration ChurchLSUS University Center TheatreOne University Place • 318.828.1348www.celebrationpeople.org

Jacksonville, FLFebruary 23 (7:00pm)Faith Christian Center8985 Lone Star Rd • 904.725.3636www.fccjax.com

Kahului, Maui, HIFebruary 27 (6:00pm)King’s Cathedral777 Mokulele Hwy • 808.871.7311www.kingscathedral.com

Hilo, HIMarch 1 (6:30pm)Glad Tidings Assembly of God113 Kuawa • 808.961.0616www.gladtidingshilo.com

Honolulu, HIMarch 6 (9:00am, 11:00am & 6:00pm)Word of Life Christian Center544 Queen St • 808.528.4044www.wordoflifehawaii.com

N. Miami Beach, FLMarch 18(See ad next page)

Alexandria, LAMarch 20 (10:00am)Christian Worship Center6101 Masonic Dr • 318.448.4500www.christianworshipcenter.com

Decatur, GAMarch 22 (7:00pm)TBN Praise the Lord Taping1550 Agape Way • 404.288.1156www.tbn.org

Washington, MOMarch 23 (7:00pm)Living Bread Church6906 W Hwy 100 • 636.239.5944www.livingbread.us

Grand Junction, COMarch 27 (7:00pm)Faith Heights Church600 28 ¼ Rd • 970.245.3755www.faithheights.com

Amarillo, TXMarch 29 (7:00pm)Arena of Life Cowboy Church 2011 Spring Camp Meeting8827 S Washington St • 806.622.8000www.amarillocowboychurch.org

scheduleJesse’s Preaching

Scheduling changes do occur. Please visit us online at

www.jdm.org or call 985-764-2000 before traveling to any meeting.

jdm.org • 11

2011 special Friday events with jesse and cathy duplantis

February 4 W. monroe, La The Assembly 715 Cypress St10:00am Cathy and Jesse7:00pm Jesse Duplantis

march 18 n. miami Beach, FL Words of Life Fellowship Church20051 NE 16 Ave10:30am Cathy and Jesse7:30pm Jesse Duplantis

June 17 Little rock, ar Agape Church701 Napa Valley Dr10:00am Cathy and Jesse7:00pm Jesse Duplantis

august 19 nashville, Tn Faith Is The Victory Church 3344 Walton Ln10:00am Cathy and Jesse7:00pm Jesse Duplantis

For updated information regarding these events, go to jdm.org or call 985-764-2000

come Meet jesse and cathy in personproduct signing Following each service

I n T E r n a T I o n a L m E E T I n G s

mark yoUr caLEndar For

may 11 Galway, IrelandAbundant LifeChristian Centre

may 12 Ballymena, N. IrelandLiving Rivers Church

may 13 Bath, EnglandMore details to come

may 14 Bristol, EnglandMore details to come

may 15 London, EnglandMore details to come


God’s Will is HiddenForYou,Not FromYou By cathy duplantis

Traveling in a different city is a great learning experience. Road construction, detours, one-way streets, no left turn and no U-turn signs make it impossible to reach your destination without stopping for directions. It is wonderful when someone is able to direct you to the precise place that you need to be. Suddenly, what seemed impossible only moments before is no longer a problem. Confidence and expectation fill your heart when you know you are on the right highway moving toward your destination.

Your Christian walk is a lot like that highway. There is no reason for you to go around in circles and never reach your destination. Jesus said, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” ( John 16:7, NASB). No matter what you are facing, regardless of the impossibility of it, you can know the will of God for your life and see it come to pass. When you don’t know which way to turn, or if you lose your way, just stop and ask God for directions. When

you daily spend time in His presence, He is able to reveal His path for your life. The Holy Spirit wants to direct each step that you take and be your personal guide. In John 16:13-14 (AMP), Jesus gave us this powerful promise: “But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to

you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. “He will honor and glorify Me because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.” The Holy Spirit working and moving in your life gives you the advantage in every situation. You don’t have to roam around in the dark not knowing God’s will for your life. You have a direct link to the throne of God and can receive clear direction. The will of God is not hidden from you, it is hidden for you. You can reach your destiny! Do Not Look At Circumstances! This principle was made clear to me twenty-one years ago while searching for our very first office building that JDM purchased. The year was 1990, and Jesse had asked me to find a building to relocate our ministry headquarters to. We’d outgrown the small offices that we were renting (less than 2,000 square feet) and knew that it was time to purchase our own building. We had sown many seeds into building funds of churches around the nation and we were looking for our harvest. So I began scouting out the land and was determined to come back with a good report. Every few days, Jesse would ask me if I had found any buildings for him to look at. I didn’t want to tell him that the more I searched, the more impossible the situation looked. Either the price was ridiculously high or it was in the middle of a junk heap. Although there seemed to be nothing available, I knew that the Lord wanted us to stop renting and purchase a larger building to handle the growth that He would be sending to the ministry. I was determined not to look at the circumstances and continued to trust the Holy Spirit. One day, while praying for the building that didn’t seem to

exist in the natural, the Holy Spirit said, “Cathy, I have not hidden a building from you, I have hidden it for you!” From that day, I had such a wonderful peace about the whole project. Although I could not see it in the physical, I thanked the Lord for our building that He had hidden for us. I’ll never forget the look on Jesse’s face when I drove him to the building that God had hidden for us. It was a fabulous antebellum style two-story building with 11,000 square feet of office space. When I told Jesse, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could buy this property for $250,000.00?” Jesse thought that the bottom floor alone was worth more than that amount. But he said, “If that is what God is telling you, go for it!” I found out that the building and property were originally valued at one million dollars, and began negotiations to buy our first ministry headquarters. Every step of the way, we relied upon the Holy Spirit to guide every word we said and prayed for favor with the owners of the

building and the real estate people. Miraculously, they accepted our offer of only $250,000.00, the exact figure God told us to pay. When you have the Holy Spirit working on your behalf, you always have the advantage. After all, it was not hidden from us, it was hidden for us. Glory! God gave us many miracles in every phase of that project, but I must tell you at least one in particular. After the act of sale,

we found out that the owners had overlooked a previous purchase offer of $475,000.00 from a group of doctors that were renting space in the building. When we introduced ourselves as the new owners and told the doctors they had to move out, they were shocked. Of course, they wanted to know how much more we had offered the bank than they did. When we told them we bought it for $250,000.00, it blew them away. They couldn’t believe that the previous owners did not contact them before selling the property to JDM. But I knew that God had hidden it for us from them and others that would try to buy it. A miracle was in motion and God had worked out every little detail. It is great when you have the advantage and know someone in HIGH PLACES!

Refuse To Back Down Well, it wasn’t long before that 11,000 square foot building could no longer handle all of the increase that God had ahead for JDM. Again,

He had hidden the perfect property to build our current International Headquarters, with over 137,000 square feet of space on nine acres of property in the New Orleans area. The project was completed in October of 2000, and although that debt-free construction was the biggest faith project we had ever tackled, it turned out to be the easiest. Many people told us it was impossible to begin a construction

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No matter what you are facing, regardless of the impossibility of it, you can know the will of God for your life and see it come to pass.

project (which was expected to cost seven million dollars) without borrowing money, but our God specializes in doing the impossible! We faced many challenges during that four year building project, but the Holy Spirit was faithful to give us the advantage every step of the way! Now it is valued at almost three times the original construction cost. It is an excellent testimony of the power of God to bring His will to pass “in earth, as it is in Heaven!”

Realize today that whenever things look impossible, God is in a position to move in the realm of the miraculous. All He needs is someone that will believe His Word and refuse to back down. It doesn’t matter if you are at the edge of the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho, or in a hospital bed. Your miracle is not hidden from you, it is hidden for you. I Corinthians 2:10-13 says, “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” God’s Word is full of wonderful treasures for those that will dare to seek them out. If you need a physical

healing, financial miracle, restoration of your marriage, deliverance, or any good thing, God has a promise for you in His Word. His blessings are not hidden from you, they are hidden for you in His Word. Make a commitment to study those things that have been freely given to you by God and expect His will to come to pass. Even if we are weak and don’t know what to do, we can rely upon the Holy Spirit to help us effectively pray according to God’s will.

Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. “And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

The Right Way While in the presence of the Lord one day, He showed me a vision that made me to understand the importance of taking the right step. Instantly I saw two things: A revolving door and an escalator. I knew that it was up to me to choose one or the other. If I took a step through the revolving door, I would continually go around in circles and never get anywhere. But one easy step onto the escalator would carry me into the presence of God and renew my strength. God showed me that when I neglect time with Him, I get stuck in that revolving door and

stay frustrated. But when I spend time praising Him, suddenly I am climbing high above the distractions and demands of this life and walking with the Most High. Things look a whole lot different when you stand in God’s presence. In a moment He can unravel the most complicated situations and fill you with an unexplainable peace. He can make a way where there is no way! Isaiah 35:8 (AMP) says, “And a highway shall be there, and a way; and it shall be called the Holy Way. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for the redeemed....” We don’t have to walk the same road as the world and live in the potholes of life. Jesus redeemed us on the cross of Calvary and set a glorious highway before us. It is not cluttered with detours and it is never closed for construction. Jesus paved it with His precious blood and has reserved it for all that will come unto Him. You don’t have to be in the dark about God’s will for your life! Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote,“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord…Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:8-10, 17). And then in Colossians 1:9, Paul let the church know that he was praying for them exactly that way: “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be f illed with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” God’s will is not hidden from you, it is hidden for you! You are created to walk in health. You are destined to prosper. You are anointed to win and impossible to curse! Step into God’s presence today and get ready for the ride of your life! a


You are created to walk in health. You are destined to prosper. You are the light of the world and can prove the will of God throughout the earth.

jdm.org • 15Order today! Log on to jdmstore.org or use the order form in this magazine.

THE Way LoVE BEHaVEs (cd) Cathy Duplantis reveals the way love should behave and how the God-kind of love will always lead us to victory. “God’s love command is ground zero for Christianity. If we don’t get this right, we don’t get anything right.” – Cathy CCD1-31 $5 USD was $7

HoW To BEHaVE In a caVE (Book) It’s possible that fear, failure, disappointment, or disobedience has backed you into a “cave” in your own life. You could have battle fatigue. You may have gotten weary in well doing and fainted along the way. But, when you learn how to behave in a cave, you won’t be in that low place for very long.BC-01 $6 USD was $8

danGEroUs dIscIpLEs (dVd) Today, you may not look dangerous or feel dangerous, but dwelling on the inside of you is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. You are clothed with the armor of God and extremely hazardous to the plans of the devil. It’s time you knew it!CDVD-03 $15 USD was $20

THE HEaLInG Word (Book & cd) In the days that Jesus walked the earth, crowds of desperate people sought Him out because they had heard the word about His power to heal the sick and deliver the oppressed. Throughout all of the land, families carried their loved ones on stretchers to get what they wanted from Jesus and they were not disappointed.BC-32 English $10 USD was $12BC-32S Español $10 USD was $12

Be Equipped

with these great Resources by

Cathy Duplantis


L O V E & FA I T H P R O D U C T S

LoVE: WHaT Is IT Good For? aBsoLUTELy EVEryTHInG! (4 dVd sET) Is your marriage not where you’d like it to be? How about your relationship with Christ? Do you find that your faith just isn’t working as well as you’d like? Jesse Duplantis will inspire you to lean on the Word that says “faith worketh by love” and to, as he puts it, “check your dipstick” because you just may be “two quarts low” on love!JDVD-149 $29 USD was $39

GIVInG God somETHInG To rEmEmBEr (dVd) What do you think God is saying to Gabriel about you in Heaven? Guess what? You have the ability to write the script! Take hold of your authority as a believer and start writing your autobiography today! Your Creator is waiting in great anticipation to read it and remember it! Start giving God something good to remember, today!JDVD-164 $15 USD was $20

noT LETTInG THE WorLd ForGET THE Words oF God (dVd) God has already provided an answer for every situation in life! And He has empowered us with a message for the world that must not be forgotten! In this compelling DVD by Jesse Duplantis, you will be stirred up to boldly declare God’s powerful promises that He has given to the world.JDVD-173 $15 USD was $20

THE VaLUE oF a FrIEnd (dVd) If you would like to be a called a “friend of God” like Abraham, or if you would simply like to be a better friend to those you love, this message just may inspire you to value one of the most sacred of all relationships––friendship!JDVD-154 $15 USD was $20

“...The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6 NIV).

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L O V E & FA I T H P R O D U C T S

Order your copy today! Log on to jdmstore.org or use the order form in this magazine.

WHaT’s THE HoLd Up? HIndrancEs To prayEr (dVd) There are barriers to answered prayer and the Bible reveals them. Jesse Duplantis explores some of the common hindrances to answered prayer and offers heart-centered solutions in this powerful message that will have you praying with greater confidence and seeing results!JDVD-159 $15 USD was $20

noTHInG Is ImpossIBLE For yoU, noTHInG Is ImpossIBLE To yoU (cd) New insight into the lives of familiar Bible characters such as David, Judas, and the Rich Young Ruler is revealed in this message about God’s job, your job, love, fear, and weakness. Learn how to take charge of your life and accomplish the impossible.JCD1-03 $5 USD was $7

THE UnToLd LoVE oF THE namELEss (dVd) Jesus Christ wasn’t alone in His ministry. He not only had His twelve disciples backing Him, but also “…many others, which ministered unto Him of their substance” (Luke 8:13). This powerful and moving teaching by Jesse Duplantis reveals the role of those who don’t get the praise, but definitely deserve the glory! Discover your place in Christ’s ministry!JDVD-162 $15 USD was $20

LIVInG oUT THE WILL oF God on EarTH (4 dVd sET) In this powerful four part series on DVD, Jesse Duplantis shares a compelling revelation from the throne regarding your position in two places–Heaven and Earth! Each session in the series is filled with pearls of wisdom that will catapult you to a higher level in Christ.JDVD-161 $29 USD was $39

“...The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6 NIV).


COVENANTPraise“This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.” (Psalm 118:23)

Papua New guinea Thank you very much for the Voice of the Covenant magazine. I also want to thank you for the Word Seed CD that I received. I have stood on the Word for a few years now and have been encouraged by the teachings of Jesse Duplantis Ministries. I am grateful to Jesse and Cathy for their obedience and heart towards God. I look forward to the monthly magazines. I am proud to be a part of God’s plan by supporting Jesse Duplantis Ministries. Once again, I want to thank you personally for the awesome job you are doing in sharing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ with the world. I believe you are a great blessing to all of us.

Ohio I found a lump in my breast. I called your office on my way to a biopsy and asked you to be in agreement with me that I would be OK. That lump was OK, but there was another area on the other side that was suspicious. I was referred to a surgeon for more test and the results showed no cancer! God is a good and faithful God.

Australia What a privilege to be connected with Jesse Duplantis Ministries through Partnership. We are so blessed in all your encouragement through your CDs, DVDs, magazine, and books. We recently watched the BVOV broadcast with Brother Jesse and John Copeland which has, and still is, changing our lives as we put into action all the teaching points given on the broadcast.

You are indeed a huge blessing to the Body of Christ. Blessings abundant, from two grateful and very appreciative Partners.

Australia I recently asked you to pray for my children, who were struggling with issues in their lives. My son, who has loved Jesse Duplantis Ministries since he was a boy, recommitted his life to the Lord. He and God got together, sorted it out, and I am so blessed. Thank you for your support and encouragement. One child at peace and one to go. My faith is so encouraged by God’s ‘suddenly’ and how He turns things around so quickly. I am expecting another victory soon.

georgia Thank you for your ministry and faithfulness to God. Your monthly Partner letters and weekly TV Broadcasts are so uplifting, plus, your monthly Partner CDs are awesome. They get me to work and back every week. I look forward to a new one each month and share them with my family and friends.

south Carolina I am always so richly blessed by your monthly CDs. I thank God for you and Cathy and your ministry. It is so wonderful to sow into Jesse Duplantis Ministries. I have down-graded from cable and satellite TV, so I don’t get your programs anymore, so again, the CDs are a great blessing!

Keep sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. I’ve never believed God could be in a box. Thanks for letting Christ live as He desires through you and away from all the limits and doctrines of men.

indiana Praise God for your ministry. I enjoy and receive so much from your TV programs, magazine, and CDs. Thank you all for your faithfulness and love for the Lord.

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England Thank you so very much for how you remind us that God has a sense of humor. You always bring much needed joy into my life when I watch your extremely blessed God TV program. You are such a blessing.

Montana I am a Spirit-filled Christian man that is currently incarcerated in prison. I am writing you to thank you for being a great servant of the Lord Jesus. I want to thank you for the great ministry that you have. Only Heaven will reveal how many hearts Jesse Duplantis Ministries has pointed toward Heaven, and how many homes have been revolutionized through your ministry, to open doors that were once considered closed to the miracle working power of the Gospel. At the prison, I enjoy watching you preach on TV, and reading your books and magazine. What a blessing. I hope some day that I will be able to meet you in person and to be able to hear you preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you again, faithful servant of God.

texas Let me say “Thank You” from myself and my husband. I was overwhelmed to tears that Jesse Duplantis Ministries would send us a letter and scriptures to believe for a child! I felt God tell me ‘That is why I bless Jesse! Because his heart is for people and to sincerely stand beside each person and petition God on their behalf.’ We are so blessed by you and your ministry. I am looking forward to delivering the news of a baby soon!

Australia Thank you for your CDs, Partner letters, and magazines. I appreciate them so much. I was really blessed to hear Brother Jesse teaching on BVOV. I pulled out all of my old Partner letters and carefully studied them again. I was really encouraged by the teachings.

texas I just want to say “Thank You” for your anointed teachings. They make me grow stronger every day! Thanks to the entire staff for EVERYTHING you do for Jesus.You’re an eternal blessing to us!

As you can see from these praise reports, we are using every available tool to reach people and change lives with the wonderful Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are thankful to God for our precious Covenant Partners from all over the world who faithfully sow seeds into this ministry (for 33 years now) so others may hear the Good News about God’s great love for our world.

– Jesse & Cathy

BY COREY NAqUIN


Can You HearMe Now?A number of months ago, my wife, Angela, and I were in a home improvement store looking for some items we needed for a bathroom that we were in the middle of renovating. We were looking at toilets, of all things, and we were in the process of narrowing our decision down to the one that we wanted to buy.

Now let me interject that at the time of this incident, we had been married for over fourteen years. We know each other pretty well. We know each other’s tendencies. So I know that my wife has a tendency to randomly bring me into the middle of a conversation that she is having in her own head. Sometimes I can figure out what she’s talking about, and sometimes not. I also know that there are times that she can’t think of the word that she really wants to say. Sometimes I can figure out what she wants to say, and sometimes I can’t.

Back to the home improvement store…once we decided on which toilet we wanted to purchase, Angela said, “Do you want me to go and get an orange flat thingy?” Now, keep in mind that we had been looking at other things as well, and this bathroom renovation had taken longer than expected and cost more than we intended on paying. We were both sort of on edge about the whole thing and ready for the renovation to be done. So, I say, “Flat thingy? I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re going to have to help me out here.”

Without saying anything, she just walked away and came back a few minutes later with an “orange flat thingy,” or as everyone else calls it, “a shopping cart.” Granted, it was flat, and we definitely needed it to carry the items that we were buying, but I really didn’t understand what she was talking about. We had a communication failure that night.

We laughed about it after it happened, and it really wasn’t a big deal. However, communication

failures about things both large and small are the sparks that can start a huge fire in marriages. And not the good kind of fires, but the ones that rage out of control and lead couples to the brink of divorce.

Although there have been thousands upon thousands of books written about communication and practically everyone knows that solid communication is the key to having a successful marriage, it still remains one of the biggest problems in marriages around the globe. I want to take the rest of this article to address a few ways that you can improve communication in your marriage. These are keys that Angela and I have lived by in our fifteen plus years of marriage. I pray that they would help you as well.

Guard Your HeartMatthew 12:34-35 says, “…For out of the

abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”

In life, there are many things that will come to distract you, confuse you, and draw the focus away from the things that really matter. You have to guard your heart against those things. Remember that when you say “yes” to something you are saying “no” to something else. It’s important to know what things are most important and always say “yes” to them first.

Guarding your heart from distraction and confusion will help you achieve the next key to improving communication in your marriage as well.

Build Trust A number of years ago, I was asked to be the

chaplain for a football team. Now, I’m a football

Sunday Mornings 10:00AM LiVe WeBcasTWednesdays 7:00PM

JDM International Headquarters1973 Ormond Boulevard

Destrehan, Louisiana(6 miles West of the New Orleans International Airport)

Pastor Corey & Angela Naquin jdm.org • 21

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

guy and I think that I have a better-than-average knowledge of the game. In particular, I know quite a bit about the quarterback position. I played quarterback in junior high school, high school, and college.

When I first started out as chaplain, I noticed that the guys on the team didn’t really know me, and didn’t really pay much attention to what I had to say. I knew exactly what needed to happen. I needed them to see me throw a football, so I asked the coach if I could throw to the wide receivers during warm-ups at one of the games.

I don’t like to brag, but I put on a pretty good show. In fact, players at other stations stopped warming up and just watched what I was doing. After that warm-up, the head coach asked me to coach quarterbacks for the rest of the year. More importantly, I never had any trouble getting the boys to listen to me the rest of the year, and in the years that followed.

The things that I had to say before that warm-up and after it didn’t change at all. The difference was that now I had their respect and attention. I improved communication by building trust.

Marriage is no different. You have something to say to your spouse, but maybe the trust isn’t there. You build trust with consistent action. Sometimes building trust starts with saying, “I’m sorry.” But it doesn’t end there. It must be followed with consistent action. There is no way around it.

Be Quick to Listen James 1:19 says, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Good listening is the anecdote for anger. Most of the time when an argument or a miscommunication

happens in a marriage, it happens when someone cares more about saying something rather than listening to what is being said.

Proverbs 10:19 says, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”

When you give energy to listening, you are being wise. Not only that, but you are loving and honoring your spouse by listening well. Chances are that you vowed to love and honor them on your wedding day. One way that you can do that is by being “swift to hear.”

Speak Words of LifeProverbs 15:4 says, “A wholesome tongue is a tree

of life….” And Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

You have the opportunity to speak words that bring life. Your spouse is your number one audience where this is concerned. God has given you a spouse so that you can encourage and spur them on to their God-given assignment in life. You are their built-in cheerleader, their number one encourager, and their biggest fan.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” according to Proverbs 18:21. So choose life every chance you get.

If you want to turn things around in your marriage, or just make things better, these four steps are a great place to start. Put these simple keys into practice, and I truly believe that this year can be your best year of marriage yet! a

All scripture references in the preceding article are from the New King James Version (NKJV)

unless otherwise noted.


by Jodi duplantis“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of god…give to him who asks you and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away”(Matthew 5:9 & 42).

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enny swung hard on the swing, dipping her head back to feel the cold wind slicing through her hair. Winter was full of chilly days and even though Jenny’s nose felt like a big cube of ice, she still wanted to stay outside and go higher on the swing. Jenny was mad. Her best friend had totally hurt her

feelings, but instead of being sad and crying about it, all she could do was grit her teeth and think about it…and swing. She wished she’d had said something good!

Kelly had been her best friend for a few years now, but she could be kind of mean sometimes. Jenny didn’t know why and she ignored it most of the time, but this afternoon, Jenny had enough. All Jenny had been doing was hanging out in the hall during break chatting with a new girl at school, Kate, when Kelly showed up. She took one look at Kate and then started talking with an attitude.

What Happened Was this!“Hey, Jen, what’s going on?” Kelly said as she looked

Jenny up and down. Her eyes landed square on Jenny’s brand new silver shoes. “Oh, Jenny, I love them! Oooh, do you think I could borrow those? I’m going to my aunt’s wedding on Saturday and they’d be just perfect.”

Jenny cringed. Anytime Kelly borrowed something, it always came back messed up, stretched out, or dirty. She was messy by nature and Jenny was super-neat. Jenny loved Kelly a lot, but she’d just gotten the shoes and she really liked them…she didn’t really want to let her borrow them. Kelly felt Jenny hesitate.

“What? You don’t want to let me wear them?” Kelly asked.

“It’s just that they’re SO new,” Jenny said, “Do you promise to be really gentle on them?”

“What are you talking about? I’m always gentle!” Kelly said and looked at Kate like Jenny was crazy. Jenny didn’t want to argue and suddenly her mind drifted to what her mom had read to her just that morning. You see, that morning as Jenny slurped her blueberry oatmeal, Jenny’s mom read bits and pieces from Matthew chapter five. Now, as Jenny stood looking at Kelly, two of the verses popped right into her head.

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called the sons of God…Give to himwho asks you and from him who wants toborrow from you do not turn away. Matthew 5:9-42

Jenny could hardly believe she remembered them and thought, It must be God reminding me. She was right.

Jenny still didn’t want to give in, but as she stood there looking at Kelly, she could almost feel the words peacemaker, give, and do not turn away dancing in her head.

She knew what she had to do.“No problem, Kelly, I’ll bring them to you tomorrow,”

Jenny said without smiling. Kelly seemed to jump at the chance to add on a little more.

“Great! Can I borrow your hoop earrings, too?” Kelly asked brightly.

Jenny swallowed and said, “Sure, I’ll bring them tomorrow, too.” Just then, the bell rang and Kelly sped off to her next class.

Monday Morning BluesWouldn’t you know it? On Monday, Kelly showed

up with one scuffed up pair of silver shoes and a pair of earrings missing a back. She’d waited until the very end of the day to give them back. Jenny was talking to her new friend again, Kate, when Kelly returned what she’d borrowed.

“Yeah, I lost one of the backs, Jenny, sorry,” Kelly said as she handed Jenny the earrings and shoes. She didn’t say anything about the scuffs, and didn’t even seem to notice.

Jenny breathed deep and said, “That’s OK.” Jenny smiled even though she was disappointed. What Kelly said next was just too much for Jenny to take.

“You know, Jenny, those shoes are kind of cheap,” Kelly said, looking at Kate, “I probably shouldn’t have even worn them. They didn’t even look that good on.” Jenny couldn’t believe her ears. Her heart sunk.

“Well, I like them, I don’t care how much stuff costs,” Jenny said, looking down at the shoes.

“Yeah, cute is cute no matter the price,” Kelly said, “but those are just plain bad. They’re kind of ugly on.” Jenny felt heat rising in her face. Kate didn’t say anything and Jenny was embarrassed.

“Nobody made you wear them,” Jenny said tightly as she squeezed the shoes.

“Oooooh, OK, sorry!” Kelly said sarcastically and looked over at Kate. She made a face that made it look like Jenny was over-reacting. Kate didn’t say anything, so Kelly went even further.

“What’s with that outfit, Jenny? It looks like you got into a fight with a rainbow on the way to school,” she said with a laugh. Jenny looked down at herself. She was wearing a bright orange and yellow polka dot sweater and a lime green plaid skirt.

“Jenny, your taste is just kind of crazy sometimes!” Kelly laughed and tried to get Kate to join in. “What do you think, Kate? Is Jenny going for a world record for the loudest colors ever or what?”

“No, I like how you look, Jenny,” Kate said sweetly. Jenny was totally and completely humiliated. She

suddenly felt super-ugly and wanted to cry. Instead, she just rolled her eyes, tucked the shoes into her bag, and started to walk away. She didn’t know what to say and just

J


wanted to run.“I’m just joking,” Kelly said with a smile, grabbing her

arm playfully and acting like Jenny was acting ridiculous.“Yeah, well, it’s not a good joke unless we’re both

laughing,” Jenny said. Just then, the bell rang. It was time for the last class of the day.

the REAl ReasonAs Jenny swung on the swing, all she could do was

think about what a mean girl Kelly was and how she should have said something mean right back to her. In her mind, she rehearsed what happened over and over, each time saying something meaner and meaner back to Kelly.

“Oh yeah, well, I can change my clothes, but you’ll still be loud and ridiculous forever, Kelly!” she said to the wind as she swung higher.

“Really, Kelly? Well, in the words of Forrest Gump, ‘stupid is as stupid does’ and that means YOU, Kelly!!!”

“Oh, you say you don’t like this polka dotted sweater? Huh, Kelly? Well, I don’t like your polka dotted FACE!!! I could play dot-to-dot for a year on that freckle-fest!!!”

Jenny didn’t exactly come up with the best come-backs when it came to her friends…even the mean ones.

It took about thirty whole minutes for Jenny to run out of comebacks. By then, she’d sharpened her tongue like a blade and was ready to spit one out at the nearest person. Good thing she was alone. As Jenny started slowing down her swinging, she felt a tap in her heart. Just a little thumping…and it wasn’t her heart.

“You f inished, Jenny?” She heard deep inside. The swing came to a stop. Jenny knew it was God tapping at her heart. He had been listening to her the whole time. Jenny dropped her head into her hands and teared up.

“God, she is SUCH a mean girl! I hate her! I didn’t do ANYTHING and she just attacked me and for no reason and…,” Jenny couldn’t even finish telling God how she felt when a flood of tears just came flooding out of her already angry eyes.

“I know,” God whispered to her heart, “I know.” Jenny let go of the anger and felt weak.

“Help me, God,” she asked aloud and suddenly, in just a few moments, Jenny felt calmness in her heart.

“I love you, Jenny. I know how you feel…let Me help you to see Kelly through My eyes,” Jenny heard deep in her heart. Jenny relaxed her head deep into her hands and closed her eyes tightly and she started to be still before God. Suddenly, she started seeing the situation with different eyes. It was like she was standing on the outside watching and, all of a sudden, she saw what had REALLY happened all along…Kelly was hurt. Kelly was jealous. Kelly didn’t know what to do. She looked at Jenny and Kate and felt like she was being ditched, pushed aside, and unimportant…Kelly was getting back at Jenny for something that wasn’t even happening. It was the only way she knew how to feel strong.

Jenny’s heart leapt and suddenly she felt clean…and all the comebacks that she’d thought up melted away.

“You see, Jenny, it’s not always the way you think it is. The ones that hurt you…the ones that betray you…the ones that despitefully use you, they have reasons that you might not ever know. That’s why I want you to pray for them, to love them, and to even bless them. Even mean girls need love, too.”

the Healing Power of love Jenny went home and looked at herself in the mirror.

Her sweater was instantly beautiful. Her silver shoes were the coolest things ever. She smiled, said a quiet thanks to God for being there for her, and picked up the phone. She had to let Kelly know how much she appreciated her as a friend.

Two hours later, she hadn’t said a word about the shoes or the earrings and didn’t even care. She was laughing with Kelly and telling stories, just as if nothing had ever happened. She loved her best friend so much and was so glad that she hadn’t given up on her.

Right before Jenny hung up, Kelly paused for a moment and went silent. Then, quietly, Kelly made a confession.

“I did eighteen cartwheels in a row. It was a dare with my cousins and well, I scuffed up your new shoes and I’m really, really sorry about it. I didn’t mean to do it…and, you know, I lost that earring back because I was acting all crazy…and I didn’t mean any of the mean stuff I said today either. Jenny, I don’t know why I said that stuff.”

I know why, Jenny thought to herself. Instead of getting into it, she just went right to point, “I love you, Kelly, and I’m glad you’re my best friend—nobody can take your place, you know.”

“That’s RIGHT!” Kelly said with a laugh, “I love you, too, Jen. I’m so sorry.” Jenny could feel the change in Kelly’s heart. That night before she fell asleep, Jenny said a word of thanks to God for opening her eyes and softening her heart.

Mean girls need love, too, she remembered and fell asleep feeling so, so good. a

“That’s why I want you to pray for them, to love them, and to even bless them. Even mean girls need love, too.”

jdm.org • 25

games

start

finishDogCatFerretHermit Crab

Guinea PigGoldfishSnakeParrot

GeckoMouseTurtleHorse

HamsterRabbitCanaryFrog


p a r T n E r s H I p

jdm.org • 27

p a r T n E r s H I p

is one soul worth more than the whole world to you? It is to Jesus—it is to us too! For 33 years, we have faithfully obeyed His command to “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).We have invested heavily into souls by continually spreading the Good News through evangelistic meetings (since 1978), this monthly periodical, Voice of the Covenant (since 1981), television broadcasts (since 1986), ministry products (since 1979), and internet outreach (since 1997). As a result, millions are hearing the truth about how our “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” ( John 3:16). None of this would be possible without the generous financial support of our faithful Covenant Partners. Because of their commitment to love and invest in souls, we are able to use every available tool to reach people and change lives with the wonderful Gospel of Jesus Christ. Who are Covenant Partners? They are individuals, families, businesses, and churches from all over the world that are called by

God to regularly pray and sow financial seeds into the good soil of JDM. They are the bloodline in our mission to rescue lost souls from the hand of the enemy. Each Covenant Partner is part of our family and part of God’s great commission to love His world. If you share our passion for souls and would like to become a JDM Covenant Partner, we want you to know that you are an answer to our prayers! God has instructed us to believe Him for 1 Million Partners so that we can reach 1 Billion Souls. You are a vital part of this plan! Romans 10:14-15 says “…and how shall they hear without a preacher. And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” (NKJV). By sowing your financial seeds into the good soil of JDM, you are investing into the souls of people you may never meet in this life. Think of it: We can work together and love the world for God! Together, we can reach 1 Billion souls for Jesus Christ! You can become a JDM Covenant Partner today by using the envelope/order form in the center of this magazine, by logging onto www.jdm.org, or by calling JDM at the office nearest you.

JdM international Headquarters

USA 985-764-2000

JdM United kingdomWithin Uk: 01225471111

Outside Uk: 44 1225 47111

JdM AustraliaWithin AUs: 07 5476 8311

Outside AUs: 61 7 5476 8311

lOvE tHE WORld WitH Us—

JdM PARtNERsHiP


• More Personal Ministry• More Personal Prayer• More Discounts at Meetings• More Preferred Seating• Special Partner Web Message

• More Online Discounts• More Teaching • More Multi-Media • Most Importantly, More Heavenly Rewards

Other benefits include more exclusive web access! Every Partner receives a Covenant Partner Card and a personal Partner Number which gives them discounts and access to the exclusive “Partners Only” area of our website at www.jdm.org. Through this exclusive site, Partners are blessed with…

Each month, our Covenant Partners receive a special Partner Letter straight from the desk of Jesse Duplantis. It is ministry by mail and it’s filled with exactly what God is putting on Jesse’s heart for that month. Along with this letter, we offer Partners an exclusive monthly Message on CD as a gift for their faithful support of our evangelistic work.

Partnership Has its Benefits!

Become a Covenant Partner today! Use the form in this magazine, call 985.764.2000, or log on to jdm.org.

jdm.org • 29

Order your copy today! Log on to jdmstore.org or use

the order form in this magazine.

Jdvd-193 $20 usd

i’ve fallen in love With the WorldThe most important gift you receive as a believer in Christ is everlasting life. God fell in love with you and that is what motivated Him to give up everything He valued most, His only Son, so that you could live with Him forever. As a partaker of His great love, Jesus has commissioned you to share His love with everyone you can. In this compelling DVD, Jesse Duplantis brings you a contagious message full of joy and passion that will ignite the fire of God’s love in you to a new intensity.

Experience a deeper revelation of God’s great love for you and be the light Christ has called you to be. Remember, God so loved the world (so loved you) that He gave up Jesus. God wants you to fall in love the world, too—share Christ with someone today!

New DVD! by Jesse Duplantis

Have you fallen in love lately?


by Jesse duplantis

v i s i O N A R Y l E A d E R s H i P :

some of the greatest revivals in history were stopped because people started judging other people. The Spirit stopped flowing, money dried up, and God’s work was stopped in its tracks. I’ve seen people lose everything they’ve had and completely walk away from God, when all they really had to do was shut their mouths and focus on love.

How many times does the Word remind us to love? Scriptures like, “Bless them that curse you” and “Pray for them which despitefully use you” are reminders to us to love instead of judge.

I know it is not easy, but if God said we should do it, then we can do it. He would not tell us to do something that we were incapable of doing…we can stop judging and start loving.

don’t judge others because you will open yourself up to major “leaks” in your life. let god, Who is the Higher Power, handle that.

The best way to fail is to fall into the trap of judging others, or to let yourself focus on the negative things someone has either said about you or about something you’ve done. It’s called distraction! It’ll pull you right off course every time. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Never let a satanic distraction become a satanic attraction. To achieve total success in life, your energy must not stagnate in the area of distractions. It must go in the right direction.

Judging others is a waste of spiritual energy.

increase the kingdom,love Always!

jdm.org • 31

In Matthew 7:1-2, Jesus said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

If there is one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s this: Obey what God says! One of the greatest statements I’ve ever heard came from the mouth of Dr. Billy Graham, and it was on this exact subject. Dr. Graham said…

“it is the father’s job to judge.it is the Holy spirit’s job to convict.And it is our job to love.”

Now that’s powerful! That’s wisdom! We should never try to do God’s job. Neither should we try to do the Holy Spirit’s job. We have the job of a lifetime and that job is to love.

If you start judging others, you can take it to the bank that “cracks” in your life will manifest. God’s work in your life will slow to a crawl. Your prayers will go unanswered. And Satan will have an open door to come in swiftly and cause you great pain. I call those major leaks in your life. It’s what getting into a judgmental mindset can do.

speak the truth in loveSpeaking the truth in love about something

is not judging. The Bible instructs us to speak the truth and it tells us that the truth will set us free. So, speaking the truth is not being critical; it’s simply being truthful! But the motive must be in love, not in judgment.

I once heard someone say that if you speak the truth, you can walk away and forget everything you’ve said because the truth can stand alone through anything. It is simple and pure. Truth always prevails.

Jesus said, “…I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” ( John 14:6). If you really want to be a success in life, don’t focus on what they say, focus on what God says.

One Expensive “leak” Many times I’ve been asked about how other

ministries do their business. People want me to gossip and pass judgment, and to let them in on what they think I may know about this ministry or that

ministry. I’ve often said, “I don’t know about their business, I’m about my Father’s business.” I learned that from Jesus!

You see, the goal that God has given me is too big for me to waste my time and effort on putting my nose into someone else’s business! I don’t want to put my focus in the wrong place. I consider that a “leak” that is just too expensive.

My goal is to reach people and change lives, one soul at a time—that is the destiny and destination of this ministry. It was Jesus’ goal and it’s mine, too. Now you understand why I don’t get caught up in judging others. It would just cause me to spring a leak that would let the devil come in and stop the work of this ministry.

Paid for in BloodWhen people say bad things about my ministry

and me, I say to myself, “Jesse, it’s your job to love. It’s your job to increase the kingdom of God. It’s your job to produce a hundredfold for your Partners and promote God’s will here on earth as it is in Heaven.”

I can’t afford leaks in this ministry or in my life. Leaks are too expensive. They are paid for by the blood of others. So, I refuse to hurt people. I’m here to love and help people. That’s why my joy stays full.

I’ll be honest with you, it hurts me when people say nasty things about me. I’m still human, but I go beyond it. I remind myself that the cause of the ministry is too great to judge or lash out at others. Your trust is too important to let myself spring a leak and hinder your blessing. My job is to love…it’s what God has called me to do.

So, if people say bad things about you and you want to retaliate, remind yourself that it’s not your job to judge, but to love. When you feel like condemning someone else, even if they deserve it, don’t do it. Judging others will just open the door to the devil and you don’t want that! Let God, Who is the Higher Power, be the One to handle it.

Satan is looking for a way into your life—don’t allow it! Shut the door on him once and for all. Obey God and refuse to judge others. Determine today to love others no matter what…your destiny is too important not to! a

NON PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLIBERTY, MO

PERMIT NO 254

Jesse Duplantis MinistriesPO Box 1089Destrehan, LA 70047

Voice of the Covenant FEBRUARY 2011

or Current Resident

J o i n J E S S E t h i S m o n t h i n

Thursday, april 7 at 7pmFriday, april 8 at 10am & 7pm

JDm international headquarters1973 ormond Blvd

Destrehan, LA 70047(6 miles West of the new orleans international Airport)

Admission is free • No childcare providedRegistration suggested:

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VIsIonaryLEadErsHIp

conFErEncE

2011ComE ExpEriEnCE thE

The true measure of a visionary is not how many visions they have,

but how many visions become reality.

ARe you MoviNG? If so, we need to hear from you today!Please note that JDM does not automatically receive address changes filed with the Royal Mail. Therefore, if you move or need to correct your mailing address for any other reason, you will need to notify JDM directly so that you don’t miss any issues of Voice of the Covenant. Please phone, e-mail, fax, or mail your correction using the envelope/order form inside this magazine.

Thank you for your cooperation!jdm.org

Thursday, april 7 at 7pmFriday, april 8 at 10am & 7pm

JDm international headquarters1973 ormond Blvd

Destrehan, LA 70047(6 miles West of the new orleans international Airport)

Admission is free • No childcare providedRegistration suggested:

www.jdm.org

VIsIonaryLEadErsHIp

conFErEncE

2011ComE ExpEriEnCE thE

The true measure of a visionary is not how many visions they have,

but how many visions become reality.

ARe you MoviNG? If so, we need to hear from you today!Please note that JDM does not automatically receive address changes filed with the Postal Service. Therefore, if you move or need to correct your mailing address for any other reason, you will need to notify JDM directly so that you don’t miss any issues of Voice of the Covenant. Please phone, e-mail, fax, or mail your correction using the envelope/order form inside this magazine.

Thank you for your cooperation!jdm.org

“that i may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all … · 2011. 2. 3. · jodi...

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