What Kenneth Copeland Learned From Oral Roberts and Kenneth Hagin

For many believers, learning to recognize the voice of God can feel mysterious or even intimidating. But for longtime minister Kenneth Copeland, it began with something surprisingly simple: practice.

During a recent podcast conversation, Copeland responded to a question about discerning God’s voice from ordinary thoughts. He explained that learning to hear from the Lord required training himself to listen to what was happening in his spirit rather than simply reacting to thoughts in his mind.

Copeland described intentionally pausing and listening for the inward witness of the Holy Spirit, even in everyday decisions. Over time, he said, that sensitivity grew stronger and eventually became part of a prophetic ministry that he did not initially understand.

“I didn’t realize it at the time. It was the ministry of the prophet that was developing on the inside of me,” Copeland said.

That calling became clear in 1977 when the late Kenneth E. Hagin publicly prophesied over him. According to Copeland, Hagin told him, “Whether you want to or not, you’re going to walk in the office of the prophet, the seer.”

The conversation also included powerful testimonies of healing from Copeland’s ministry travels.

One story took place in Jamaica, where he encountered a woman who had become mentally tormented after being told that God no longer loved her because she had cut her hair. As he ministered to her, Copeland said he commanded the demonic oppression to leave and reminded her of God’s love.

“The Lord sent me to tell you how much He loves you,” Copeland recalled telling the woman. He said her eyes immediately cleared, and her life was restored.

Another testimony involved a young girl who appeared to have died from a severe heart condition. Copeland remembered hearing frantic cries that the child was dead. After rushing to the scene, he prayed repeatedly in Jesus’ name.

Finally, he said, the girl responded.

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“I said, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk,'” Copeland recalled. Moments later, the girl spoke and eventually recovered, later becoming a schoolteacher.

Copeland also reflected on lessons he learned from Oral Roberts, one of the most influential figures in his spiritual development.

According to Copeland, Roberts gave him three principles for success in ministry and life: “Find out the will of God. Confer no longer with flesh and blood. Get your job done at all cost.”

Even after decades in ministry, Copeland says his daily routine remains centered on Scripture, prayer and faith in God’s promises. Each morning, he meditates on healing passages such as Isaiah 53 and Matthew 8, reminding himself of Christ’s finished work.

Copeland concluded the episode by leading listeners in a prayer of salvation and encouraging believers to receive the fullness of God’s Spirit.

For those seeking to hear God’s voice more clearly, this message was straightforward: learn to listen, stay grounded in Scripture and trust the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.




Kenneth Copeland Responds to Critics, Inside Edition Backlash and Private Jet Controversy

For decades, Kenneth Copeland has remained one of the most controversial and talked-about figures in charismatic Christianity. From criticism over private jets to accusations tied to prosperity preaching, the longtime minister recently addressed many of the claims directly during an episode of his podcast with his granddaughter, Courtney.

Speaking candidly about online criticism and the infamous Inside Edition interview that went viral years ago, Copeland said he has learned not to allow public opinion to dictate his focus.

“I don’t listen to the praise. I don’t listen to the hate. I just keep my head down and do my job,” Copeland said.

One accusation Copeland addressed involved a story critics allegedly used to claim he backed out of donating an airplane to a ministry in Africa. According to Copeland, the aircraft had severe corrosion issues that could not be safely repaired overseas.

“Well, certainly I reneged on it,” Copeland said. “[I’m] Not going to send something unsafe to somebody in Africa someplace.”

Copeland also revisited the viral Inside Edition interview in which he was questioned about flying private jets, and comments critics claimed implied that commercial airlines were “full of demons.”

“That is a lie and you know it,” Copeland said. “I didn’t say that because we’ve ridden on the airlines.”

Courtney defended her grandfather’s demanding ministry schedule and global travel obligations, noting that Kenneth Copeland Ministries now operates on five continents worldwide.

“In order to do what God’s called you to do, it was the only way that makes sense,” she said.

Copeland explained that aviation has been part of his life long before ministry. “We started out with a 1959 Cessna Skyline,” he said, adding that flying originally helped pay his tuition while working as a copilot.

The minister also pushed back against claims about his wealth after Courtney mentioned recurring online accusations that he is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

“If you took all the property, everything on it wouldn’t even get close,” he said while discussing how internet rumors escalated over the years.

Much of the conversation ultimately turned toward faith, prosperity and what Copeland believes many Christians misunderstand about God’s nature. He argued that too many churches emphasize suffering and curses rather than biblical blessings.

“So many preachers have preached on the curse instead of the blessing,” Copeland said. “God is a good God. God is a good God.”

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He pointed to teachings from mentors like Kenneth E. Hagin and Oral Roberts that emphasized faith, healing and God’s goodness.

“Faith works, beloved,” Copeland said. “It is impossible to please Him without faith.”

The interview closed not with controversy, but with Copeland’s repeated reminder that, despite criticism, misunderstandings and decades of public scrutiny, his message has remained unchanged: “God is a good God.”

Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.




Why Do Powerful Ministers Fall? Benny Hinn Shares Oral Roberts’ Shocking Explanation

In an interview with Daystar, Pastor Benny Hinn shared a deeply personal encounter with the late Oral Roberts that reshaped his understanding of the anointing—and why highly anointed leaders sometimes fall into scandal or moral failure.

Hinn recalled asking Roberts a difficult question that had troubled him for years: “How can God use somebody… so powerful? And then that man [goes] and sleeps with a woman right after?”

Roberts’ answer stunned him: “The anointing, Benny.”

Confused, Hinn pressed him again: “Say it again.” Roberts simply repeated: “The anointing.”

From there, Roberts began unpacking a distinction many in the Church have never truly been taught—the difference between the anointing on a person and the anointing within a person.

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According to Hinn’s retelling, Roberts explained that the anointing that comes on a minister for service affects the body, emotions and gifting, but “doesn’t affect their spirit at all.” He noted that when someone ministers under this empowering anointing, they often become “intense,” “emotional,” and deeply discerning.

Hinn described the revelation like a puzzle suddenly coming together.

“There’s a difference between the one inside of you… and the one on you. The one on you has nothing to do with the one inside of you, and the one on you is carried by the one inside of you.”

Roberts went further, explaining that the anointing within—the indwelling presence of the Spirit—is tied to a believer’s personal walk and hunger for God. The anointing on a person, however, is tied to the hunger and needs of the people they minister to.

This helps explain why, as Roberts noted, “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” In other words, gifting doesn’t automatically equal maturity.

But he didn’t stop there. Roberts addressed the role of human weakness, telling Hinn that every believer has “at least one weakness,” and most have more. This weakness, he said, remains shriveled in the presence of God. “When we spend time with the Lord, the weakness we’ve all been born with has nowhere to go.”

However, if a minister neglects the presence of God, the empowering anointing doesn’t suppress that weakness. It actually stirs it. Roberts warned:

“If the presence of God is absent… that weakness is loose, and the anointing stirs it.”

That, he explained, is why historically “the greatest men have fallen after the greatest moments” of ministry.

For Hinn, the revelation was both transformative and sobering. It paints a picture many in the church have long sensed but struggled to articulate: anointing doesn’t replace holiness, gifting doesn’t automatically heal character, and power doesn’t guarantee purity.

This should be a wake-up call for all of us. God has uniquely gifted each and everyone of us to do His good works. However, gifting alone does not equal fruit. It takes time for the fruit of the Spirit to grow. It takes prayer, time spent in Scripture and communion with the Lord for the anointing within a person to match the anointing on a person. May we never treat the Christian walk as something only based on performance instead of a relationship to be had with Jesus, where we grow in godliness and holy submission to the Holy Spirit.

Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.




Jim Bakker’s Son Recounts Emotional Conversation with Jimmy Swaggart

Jay Bakker, the son of televangelist Jim Bakker, recently recounted an emotional and heartfelt story of when Jimmy Swaggart reached out his hand to his family in a time when no one else in the body of Christ would.

“Wanted to share something with you,” Bakker says in a video posted to social media. “Growing up, my parents had a very complicated relationship with him. [Swaggart] was not a fan of my parents, and they were both part of a very large denomination, the Assemblies of God. When my parents had their falling, he called my dad a ‘cancer in the body of Christ,'” Bakker recounts.

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However, Bakker notes that as a teenager, things shifted dramatically.



“When I was about 16-years-old, I was trying to help my dad get his sentence reduced from 45 years to anything shorter than 45 years. And I was asking pastors all over the country, I was calling them to ask to help my dad write letters and get their congregations to write letters to shorten his sentence.

“And what I found out was a lot of these preachers didn’t care about my parents, nor wanted to talk to me,” he continues. “I remember calling Paul and Jan [Crouch] wouldn’t take my phone call. Oral Roberts wouldn’t, Pat Robertson wouldn’t take phone calls, all these people wouldn’t talk to me. These people who were considered my parents’ equals and friends at the time.”

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Feeling hopeless, Bakker says Swaggart unexpectedly did what no one else dared to do.

“I remember calling Jimmy Swaggart and it was just like a hail Mary. And all of a sudden, I’m on the phone with Jimmy Swaggart, it was so bizarre. And I told him what we needed, and he goes, ‘Well son, I’ve done all my I can hear you’re desperate. You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to film something right now asking folks to help your dad and write letters. I’ll put the address on I’m going to put it at the end of all my sermons for the next month.'”



Bakker says that for a 16-year-old who had lost hope in religion, this was a phenomenal win. Noting that Swaggart had gone through his own trials, this was a moment of truly shared grace.

“I know most of you might just think, ‘Oh, there’s two televangelists helping each other.’ Maybe you want to dance on his grave, but I’m tired of dancing on people’s graves. I’m especially tired of seeing Christians dance on each other’s graves. Doesn’t seem very becoming. Doesn’t seem very Christ-like.”

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In a world where grace is often preached but rarely practiced, Jay Bakker’s story is a piercing reminder of what it truly means to embody the heart of Christ. Jimmy Swaggart’s unexpected act of compassion—reaching out to a broken family when others turned their backs—was more than a gesture; it was a redemptive moment that transcended rivalry and reputation. It showed that even in the ashes of public failure, the Gospel’s call to mercy still speaks. And perhaps in that moment, the body of Christ looked a little more like Jesus.

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.




Forgotten Oral Roberts Prophecy Is Coming to Life

Is a prophecy from Oral Roberts coming to life right now as we speak?

In a powerful prophetic moment, Sid Roth sat down with evangelist Mario Murillo to unpack an astonishing word that not only confirmed a vision from the late Oral Roberts but also pointed to a supernatural move of God already in motion.

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Roth shared a clip from Oral Roberts, in which the pioneering healing evangelist declared that God would intervene in the affairs of mankind through angelic visitations, supernatural deliverance and mass miracles that would transform the established church, the medical field and entire cultures.



“Man will not destroy himself in this generation,” Roberts had prophesied. Instead, he foresaw God stepping in—visiting mankind, raising up deliverance ministries, igniting mass healing events and empowering a final revival led by the anointed people of God.

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Murillo, visibly moved, affirmed that this very word had been downloaded into his spirit as well. “This is what the Lord showed me,” he said, connecting the dots between Oral’s vision and what he now sees happening on the frontlines of ministry. Murillo recounted his own experiences preaching in spiritual battlegrounds like Berkeley and Santa Barbara—places marked by atheism, poverty and occult influence. Yet, he says, these are the very places where the fire of revival is now breaking out.

Roth emphasized the urgency of recognizing Israel’s prophetic role, expressing frustration at churches that suppress the gospel’s call to Jewish people. “To the Jew first” is often left out, he noted, even though it remains central to God’s plan. Murillo agreed, stating: “The gospel is for all people. And the supernatural will confirm it.”

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Now, as a fresh wave of revival surges through America, Murillo believes that mass miracles will increase—even as demonic activity rises in parallel. It will be a time of supernatural confrontation, he warns, but also of supernatural victory.

Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.




Your Season of Life-Shifting Moments and Words

There are many ways God leads us by His Holy Spirit, and one is through the gift of prophecy, in which the Spirit shows us something that will happen or gives us direction or a warning. Prophecy is among the most-misunderstood spiritual gifts but one of the most worthwhile. In the Old Testament the prophet represented God to the people and spoke on His behalf.. And they’d better not get it wrong because the penalty was death. False prophecy was and still is judged harshly by the Lord. In the New Testament, only the 12 apostles carried the same authority as the Old Testament prophets to speak the words of God.

Over the years, I’ve reported on many prophetic people and those who claim to be prophets. One of my significant honors in life was knowing Oral Roberts. As I was growing up, our family saw his ministry on television and always spoke of him in almost reverential tones. When we named the great evangelists of the day, they were Oral Roberts and Billy Graham, always in that order.

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I was invited to a leaders meeting in 1981 at Oral Roberts University when Oral Roberts was still president of that institution. He hosted a banquet on the top floor of what was then called the City of Faith. After the meal we stood beside our seats for a time of worship. Roberts moved around the room, laying hands on and praying for everyone as we worshipped.

I was nervous as he approached me, wondering what he might say. He laid hands on me and whispered in my ear, “Never doubt the gift that’s within you.”

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That word has come to mind many times over the years, and I believe it was a prophetic word—as short as it was—to me. I was still in my 20s. Charisma magazine was beginning to be known nationally, but I was operating out of my league, as we were gaining a national audience and covering the Christian community.

I came from a family that believed small was better than big and preferred status quo over risk-taking As a result, an inbred uncertainty shrouded almost every decision I made.

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Life-Shifting Words and Moments in Due Season

There are many ways God leads us by His Holy Spirit, and one is through the gift of prophecy, where the Spirit shows us something that will happen or gives us direction or a warning. Prophecy is among the most misunderstood spiritual gifts but one of the most worthwhile. In the Old Testament the prophet represented God and spoke for God to the people. And they’d better not get it wrong because the penalty was death. False prophecy was and is judged harshly by the Lord. In the New Testament, only the 12 apostles carried the same authority as the Old Testament prophets to speak the very words of God.

Over the years, I’ve reported on many prophetic people and those who claim to be prophets. One of the significant honors of my life was knowing Oral Roberts. In my home growing up, we saw his ministry on television and always spoke of him in almost reverential tones. When we named the great evangelists of the day, they were Oral Roberts and Billy Graham, and always in that order.

I was invited to a leaders meeting at Oral Roberts University in 1981 when Oral Roberts was still president of ORU. He hosted a banquet on the top floor of what was then called the City of Faith. After the meal we stood next to our seats for a time of worship. President Roberts moved around the room, laying hands on and praying for everyone as we worshipped.

I was nervous as he approached me, wondering what he’d say. He laid hands on me and whispered in my ear, “Never doubt the gift that’s within you.”

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That word has come to mind many times over the years, and I believe it was a prophetic word—as short as it was—to me. I was still in my 20s. Charisma magazine was beginning to be known nationally, but I was operating beyond my league, as we were gaining a national audience and covering the Christian community.

I came from a family that believed small was better than big and preferred the status quo over taking a risk. As a result, an inbred uncertainty hounded almost every decision I made.

Jamie Buckingham, who was Roberts’ good friend, is the one who introduced me to this great man of God. But he also had a prophetic word for me when I first got to know him in 1977. Someone had asked him to pitch a project to me—one many young journalists would have jumped at. But I knew it wasn’t God’s will for my life, so I said thanks, but no thanks.

Buckingham said he had hoped I’d say no, and then asked how he could get involved with my fledgling magazine. I needed a mentor at that point in my life, and Buckingham was that and more—he was a friend, a spiritual leader and a confidant, and his wit and wisdom were guiding lights to me. I recently found a copy of his book “Look Out, World—I’m Me!” and enjoyed rereading many of his insights.

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Buckingham was one of the most spiritual men I knew, yet he was down-to-earth. He had keen insight, saw through the hype of many ministries and loved to poke a pin into the prideful balloons of buffoons that make a laughingstock of all those who call themselves Pentecostal. He was also the most open person I knew. He lived a life that was vulnerable and transparent. He was a great man in my eyes, even though I saw his weaknesses as well as his strengths. But when I met him, I didn’t think too much of myself. If anything, I was timid and overwhelmed by the challenges of starting Charisma. I didn’t need a pin in my balloon—I needed an encouraging word.

And here’s where he gave what sounds like secular advice, but I believe it was a word prompted by the Holy Spirit. He asked me one day over lunch what I would do if I knew I could not fail. The key was “knew you could not fail.” I never allowed myself to dream in those terms, and his word that day changed the course of my life.

In his book “Where Eagles Soar,” Buckingham wrote: “Most of us dream dreams, however then put them aside as impossible. Yet God never puts a desire in our heart or beckons us to walk on water unless He intends for us to step out on faith and at least make the attempt. Whether we achieve or not is almost immaterial; the passing of the test lies in whether we try, in whether we’re willing to be obedient to the inner call to greatness—the onward call to spiritual adventure.”

Unfortunately, most Christians never learn this. Or after one attempt, they give up. They never learn that there is a price to be paid. I’m grateful for people like Buckingham, whom God put in my life to give me a prophetic “word spoken in due season.”

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Stephen Strang has seen major changes in the church, the culture and technology since he founded Charisma magazine in 1975. In addition to being CEO of Charisma Media, he hosts a “Strang Report” podcast live on YouTube and Rumble at 4 p.m. EST every Tuesday and Thursday.  His important recent book, “Spirit-Led Living in an Upside-World,” is available wherever fine Christian books are sold. You can get a copy signed by the author online at .




CHARISMA CLASSIC: Someone Else’s Servant (September 1985)

When missionaries visit the States and see our opulence, they draw a natural contrast it to the poverty they’ve just left.

But poverty and riches are relative. I have two cars. I live in a two-story brick house. Within reason, I can buy anything I want. I’ve never known hunger. What should I do if confronted by the Third-World poverty?

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Here’s what I have done. I loan my cars to missionaries home on furlough—and I buy the gas and pay the repair bills. I fill my house with people in need of ministry. I give a large portion of my income to support those in ministry and to feed the poor. Ten years ago, my wife, Jackie, and I moved out of a small subdivision to our present house on 20 acres in a semi-rural setting. By today’s standards we got it at a steal. But for five years we both lived with deep-seated guilt because we had such a nice place. That has passed. We now see our purchase as a wise move. I no longer believe God condemns prosperity. Indeed, I think He desires it for us—as long as we use what we have for His glory.

On the other hand, I too am appalled by what is happening in some sectors of Western Christendom. Extravagance grieves me. Yet extravagance is relative to culture. Not long ago, I helped deliver an evaporative cooler to a Christian Native American living in a dirt-floored hut in the Mexican desert, which provided him—and the 10 people in his tiny house—a degree of comfort. But in the eyes of his neighbors, it was sheer extravagance.

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I admire the way Sen. John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV approached his job as a volunteer in the antipoverty program in Emmons, West Virginia (population 200), as a Peace Corps worker. “I come from a world that may be different, but you’ll find me serious and caring and wanting to help,’” he told them. Those grateful people later elected him governor—then U.S. senator. It seems that put riches in the right perspective.

What has God told me to do? He’s said to withhold judgment from His servants—to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving—even if I do not understand.

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CHARISMA CLASSICS: Another Man’s Servant (September 1985)

When missionaries visit the States and see our opulence, they can’t help but contrast it to the poverty they’ve just left.

But poverty, and riches, are relative. I have two cars. I live in a two-story brick house. I can buy anything I want, within reason. I’ve never known hunger. What should I do if confronted by the poverty of the Third World?

I’ll tell you what I have done. I loan my cars to missionaries when they are home on furlough—and I buy the gas and pay the repair bills. My house stays filled with people in need of ministry. I give a large percentage of my income to support those in ministry and to feed the poor. Ten years ago, my wife, Jackie, and I moved out of a small subdivision to our present house on 20 acres in a semi-rural setting. By today’s standards we got it at a steal. But for five years both of us lived with a deep-seated guilt because we had such a nice place. That has passed. I simply see my purchase as a wise move. I no longer believe God condemns prosperity. Indeed, I think He desires it for us—as long as we use what we have for His glory.

On the other hand, I too am appalled by what is going on in some sectors of Western Christendom. Extravagance grieves me. Yet, extravagance is relative to culture. Recently I helped deliver an evaporative cooler to a Christian Native American living in a dirt-floored two-room hut in the Mexican desert, which provided him—and the 10 people in his tiny house—a degree of comfort. But in the eyes of his neighbors, it was sheer extravagance.

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I admire the way Sen. John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV approached his job as a volunteer in the antipoverty program with the kind folks of Emmons, West Virginia (population 200), as a Peace Corps worker. “I come from a world that may be different, but you’ll find me serious and caring and wanting to help,’” he told them. Those grateful people later elected him governor—then U.S. senator. That, it seems, put riches in the right perspective.

What has God told me to do? He’s told me to withhold judgment from His servants—to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving—even if I do not understand.

For instance, God did not tell me to build a splendid university as He told Oral Roberts. But I’m glad Roberts obeyed, and I’ve sent him four of my five children to educate.

I’ve looked but I cannot find a single biblical injunction to tear down what others are doing in the name of Jesus. My call? To use the things I control to God’s glory—and allow my brothers to answer to God for the things they control.

Once I spent a week in a Catholic monastery with about 50 of the nation’s charismatic leaders. We were miles apart in doctrine. Some were classic Pentecostals. Some were liberals. Several were Catholic priests. We spend all week listening to each other.

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At night, when we finished with the day’s activities, we went down to the kitchen for snacks. Some drank beer, some lemonade. One afternoon I listened to a devoted Catholic scholar tell how Mary encouraged him to love and worship Jesus. The week did not change my doctrine, but it softened my spirit.

I wish some of my friends who are so critical of Catholics would take a week each year, as I do, getting to know these folks and listening to their hearts. Perhaps they would come away as I do, realizing God is bigger than our interpretation of the Bible and that all men who are committed to the lordship of Jesus Christ are brothers.

As I examine my past critical attitude of the lifestyles and doctrines of others, I realize most of it has come from secondhand knowledge. Recently I sat in a ministry’s conference in Tulsa and heard Kenneth Copeland preach. I’d never cared for Copeland’s approach, but, again, I’d never heard him in person. That night I left the room a mellowed man.

Who is right? One who drives a luxury automobile and whose ostentation seems second only to the Taj Mahal? Or my missionary friend who drives a battered car over rocky Argentine roads and wears threadbare clothes? Who is right?

I suspect, when earth’s last picture is painted, that the bright lights here at home will blend right into the dusty colors painted by my missionary friends, and somehow the picture will come out looking just the way God intended.

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Jamie Buckingham wrote 153 columns for Charisma over 13 years, first known as “Dry Bones” but later as its most-recognized “Last Word.” His singular voice was animated by a heart for Jesus baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit in 1967 at a Full Gospel Businessmen’s convention. Buckingham provided a steadying force during the scandals of the 1980s, penning the seminal article on the PTL scandal, “God Is Shaking His Church” in May 1986.




Viral ORU Commencement Ceremony Captivates 8 Million Viewers

A recent Instagram reel from Oral Roberts University featuring its 2024 Commencement ceremony has garnered over 8 million views in less than a week.

The video, which showcases the graduating class united in singing “Goodness of God” by CeCe Winans, presents a striking contrast to the turmoil, protests and canceled graduations occurring at numerous colleges across the United States. This moment serves as a poignant reminder that unity is still present in some corners of America.

“This video and the global response to it are testaments to the Spirit-empowered culture at our University,” said ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson. “Our graduates receive an education that is both academically excellent and spiritually enriching. The fact that our Commencement worship resonated with millions shows that faith is important to the world. People want to experience God’s love, and they are seeking peace in the midst of drama and trauma. To God be the glory!”

This year’s graduating class was the largest in ORU’s history, with 925 degree candidates. ORU senior Alexis Franklin, who filmed the viral moment, reflected on its significance.

“That song represents so many stories at ORU,” Franklin said. “The lyrics encompass all the emotions of someone who has finished their degree. The Class of 2024 made it to the finish line, and this moment was like capturing everybody’s ‘thank you’ to God.”

ORU’s campus fosters a culture of unity through faith, prayer and worship, which are integral parts of student life. Worship plays a critical role in bringing the community together, both in and out of the classroom.

Kimmie Simon, the Director of ORU’s Worship Center, emphasized the unifying power of worship: “Even though we come from different walks of life, different seasons and different places, we can worship the same God in spirit and truth. Worship is a powerful change agent that brings us closer to Jesus and closer as members of the Body of Christ. Worship is not only a part of who we are at ORU; it’s who we are as believers.”

Over the past academic year, ORU has seen over 6,500 students enrolled and welcomed its largest freshman class to date. For the 15th consecutive year, the university has experienced enrollment growth, attracting students from all 50 states and 152 nations who seek both academic and spiritual growth.

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 15 years of continued enrollment growth. The Wall Street Journal ranked ORU as the #8 university in the nation for student experience and included it among America’s Best Colleges for 2024.

Charisma Staff