John Hagee - To God Be The Glory
Jeremiah writes, "Thus saith the Lord", read with me, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories, glorify in this: that he understands and knows me". Our theme today is "To God Be the Glory". This is a praise celebration of what God has done through this congregation and through others that had one ambition, and that was to be pleasing in the sight of the Lord. Can we pray.
Father, thank you for your goodness. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for your guidance in 60 years of ministry. Now be with this congregation today. And let the anointing of the Holy Spirit inspire us all for the vision of the future and the passing of the torch to the next generation. In Jesus' name, we pray. And all of God's children said, amen.
You may be seated. Sixty years ago today, I walked to the pulpit with this Bible in my hands to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ for the very first time in Houston, Texas. This Bible is falling apart. If I didn't squeeze it, the pages would fall out. I preached out this sacred book for several years. This book and I have been through great trials. We have fought great battles. This book, I did not read: it read me. The reason I believe it came apart is that, in my early ministry, pulpits were made of wood. And they were generally about this wide and about this tall, a monument to some frustrated architect. So you had to get out from behind the pulpit. And I preached with my Bible in my hand. And it survived about six or seven years. But I kept it and have it as a keepsake and will pass it to Matthew today.
But I say this: that those who have a Bible that is falling apart, have a life that is not falling apart. The first sermon I ever preached was "A Place Called Calvary," because I believed then and I believe now that the centerpiece of the gospel is the cross of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ is the only thing that cleanses us from all sin. Paul writes, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin". Paul said, "I am determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified". Any gospel that does not present the cross of Christ is a counterfeit gospel and it will produce a counterfeit Christianity. Let us, as Americans, come back to the reading of the word, to the honoring of the word, to the obeying of the word: that we may have the blessings of God our father. Give him praise in this house.
This 60th anniversary is a praise celebration for what the Lord has done through this congregation and other congregations before us. To God be the glory. To God be all honor and highest praise. For it is his kingdom, it is his power, and it is his glory. "Let the saints of God be joyful in glory," writes king David. He said, "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, with a two-edged toward in their hands. Praise the Lord for his mighty acts. Praise him for his excellent greatness. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord". Cornerstone Church, let us give the Lord a thunderous praise for 60 years of miracle and majesty, of anointing and power in this place. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! We praise you Lord! Glory, honor, power to the lamb that sits upon the throne! Jesus is his name! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Glory! Yes!
The prophet Isaiah writes, "The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of God endures forever". And may the Word of God always be the centerpiece of the pulpit of Cornerstone Church. I have gotten older, speaking of the grass withering and the flower fading. My hair was jet black when we started, and it is now snow white. Thank God it's still there. I've gone from being a father to being a grandfather of 13 of the most brilliant, beautiful children on the planet. I have, by the grace of God, survived a four-way by-pass, open-heart surgery. I have miraculously recovered from Myasthenia Gravis when my doctor looked me in the face and said, "There's one chance in 10,000 you will ever be able to talk again". And I looked her in the face and said, "In faith, I will be able to talk again. I will be able to preach again. I will be able to play my saxophone again".
And it has happened because the God that we serve is still the great physician! And it's not over till he says it's over! I've had several knee surgeries. I've worn out two sets of teeth. I'm now on my third. My back goes out more often than I do. But I'm still on the track running full force, fighting the good fight, and will until I cross the finish line to gain the crown that fadeth not away! Give the Lord praise in the house!
Let's take an overview of what the Lord has done through this congregation and others over the decades. We have built four churches with educational facilities among other things. The first church on Nacogdoches road from 1966 to 1972: the second church in Windcrest from 1972 to 1975: the third church in castle hills from '75 to '87. It was here that our television ministry was born. And that ministry today covers planet earth. Everywhere you can receive an electronic signal, people are hearing the message of Jesus Christ from this platform. Thank God. Glory to his name.
The fourth church was Cornerstone Church from 1987 where we presently are. We have now been here for 31 years this year. When we were building this church, it was the largest building project in Bexar County. The press called it "Vatican II". True. From friends and foes alike, we heard encouraging words like, "They'll never get that built. They will never fill that building if they do get it built. It's too far out: no one will ever live out there". I wish I'd have kept those letters. We, this church, the pastor of this church, came under a blistering media attack. On dedication day, October 4, 1987, the headlines of the newspaper told the story, "Six thousand attend church dedication". Today, by the grace of God, we are 22,000 plus members strong and growing. Look what the Lord has done! Give him praise in this house!
It is here that we build for the glory of God with your help and the help of people around the nation, educational buildings to train up a child in the way he should go. We have built the ark. It is so called because the interior of the building looks like the ark. We have animated animals that talk to the children. Twenty-eight thousand people came through that building the day we opened it for the public to see. We have the Bythel Hagee Life Center. We have the prayer chapel that seats 400. We built a praise center that the youth use for their church and for the Spanish church that meets on Sunday at 2 o'clock. We have the Sonterra office building and banquet center. We built a hundred million dollar Cornerstone Christian School that will accommodate 3,000 students with the absolute highest quality of Christian education academically in the arts and sciences and athletically.
I absolutely make no apology for every sacrifice we make to save our children from the sewer pipe of liberal arts education. The Tarpley Retreat Center is in Bandera, 210 acres of dorms, of cafeteria, a worship center, a beautiful river runs through it. Our children go there for summer camps, for winter camps, marriage camps we have for all of our churches. Cornerstone Church Central is downtown. It's an outreach to the inner city of San Antonio. The night to honor Israel was born in 1981, which gave birth to Christians United for Israel in February of 2006, when I called 400 of America's leading evangelicals to come to this property to form a national organization that would be defenders of Israel.
Little did we know on that historic day in February 2006, that God would help us to produce the largest pro-Israel organization in the world, which has today over four million active members from coast to coast in the United States of America. Listen. Nothing like this has ever been done in the history of Christianity. For a Christian group to become an advocate of the Jewish people that could have the power to affect public policy in Washington, D.C., that's never happened before. And God let it happen here. And now we have the Sanctuary of Hope located on 85 beautiful acres that will soon be a home for orphans to run, to play, to be love and educated, a place where children can receive a life sentence and not a death sentence that's planned for at planned parenthood. It will accommodate 48 expectant mothers and dozens of orphans in six separate homes on the property that have yet to be built.
This project is half completed. And the God who has prospered us in the past will help us complete the rest of it until it is totally finished with absolute excellence. Look what the Lord is going to do at the Sanctuary of Hope! Look what the Lord has done. To God be the glory, the honor, and highest praise, and glory to his name. Now, let's take a walk down memory lane and remember what happened at the four churches in more detail, just a few highlights. The first church, we were able to get only $65,000 in bonds from a security company in Houston, Texas. And we got that only because I knew Joe Lee Todd, who was the vice president. We went to Reagan High School in Houston together. No bank would touch us. We had no financial history. We didn't have a church member that could sign a note, a group of church members that could sign a note.
One banker looked at me and said, "You are a poster child for failure: you've never pastored before". All of that was true. I told him, "Persistence overcomes resistance. We're going to get it done". We sold the bonds and we bought the property, but that's all we had. So we worshiped at a rented store front for four months on loop 410. And then at Trinity university chapel for six months. Every Sunday, we took an offering. And with that offering, we went down to the Guido lumber company and we bought everything that we could, that money could buy.
I organized work crews and we worked every night, Monday night, Tuesday night. Wednesday night was Bible study night. We worked Thursday night and Friday night from 6:00 till 9:00 until we finished that church. Our first service on that property, we had only a roof over our head. Naked studs were on the side, a concrete slap with an organ and a piano. It was winter, and it was so cold on that particular Sunday that when we sang, smoke came out of their mouths like they were smoking cigars. It was just unbelievable what our people went through. I think of the Bible verse, "Faith without works is dead". Brother, they had faith to show up in weather like that. It took us a year to finish that building, but it was beautiful when we were done. On dedication day, the church was packed to the back doors. Heaven came down and glory filled the house. To God be the glory for helping us climb that first mountain. And thank you for being there.
Let's talk about two events that happened in that first church. They all happen in the first week. In December 1971, a demonized monster walked into that church with a loaded gun. He walked down the outside aisle. And about half way down, he roared like a lion. He walked to the pulpit platform about ten-feet away. He pointed that gun at me. I could see the copper jackets in the cylinders of the revolver. He said, "I've come to kill you to prove that Satan has more power than God". I held up this Bible. And I said, "This book says, 'no weapon formed against me shall prosper'". He shouted, "I have a gun". I said, "I have the Word of God". He shouted, "Beg for your life because I'm going to kill you on the count of three". He lied: on the count of two, he started shooting. This is what it sounded like on that exciting Bible study Wednesday night. Play the tape. This is my teaching. Satan tried to imitate the work of God. That's true. That is true. But Satan has always tried to imitate the Word of God as the angel of light. All right.
Now, let me go right on to say that there are two faces. He's coming down the aisle. He's showing the gun. Everybody sees it. There are people crawling under the benches. There are people crawling out the aisle. He gets to the front and we're having that conversation. That was an exciting Bible study. The point of it is this: if God hadn't have saved my life that day, I wouldn't be here this day. To God be the glory.
The second occurrence of that week was when a, "Miss Smith", I'm going to use that name. That's not her name. When miss Smith called me at the church and said she would like for me to come pray for her. I'd like to describe my office for you. My desk was a 4x8 sheet of plywood. That's something we had left over on the roof. I was the pastor, the youth leader, the choir director, the soloist, the janitor, and the yard man. And believe it or not, they didn't pay me a salary: just catches catch can that first year or so. That piece of plywood was stacked on cylinder blocks. My posturepedic tin chair looked like it came off of Noah's ark. I answered the phone on my desk, and this was the phone call that was going to crush my theology and change my life. Because I had gone to a seminary that taught that demons did not function in America: that they were in countries of paganism, poverty and superstition.
And so this phone call comes, and the ladies says, "Is this pastor Hagee"? And I said, "Yes, it is". I said, "What can I do to help you"? And she said, "I believe I have a demon". And I said, "Why did you use that word"? She said, "Well, that's what I believe". I said, "Are you a member of my church"? She said, "No". And I said, "Thank you God". So that was the last thing I wanted to hear. I said, "So why did you call me"? She said, "You have a sign in your front yard that says, 'for prayer, call'. And I've called that number, and you answered the phone". I said, "Okay". I said, "Tell me what your problem is". And she was very rational, very articulate. I said, "Okay. So I will come to pray for you".
I pulled up in my four-door Toyota limousine in front of her million dollar house. You can forget the poverty and superstition element in demonology I was taught. I knocked on the door and miss Smith welcomed me in graciously and with absolute dignity. The inside of her house was regal. We walked into the den. It had white leather couches, sitting on white alpaca rugs. She told me she was a graduate of two universities. So you can throw out ignorance in the demonology course I was taught. I've never been one for a lot of chitchat, so I got right down to the subject.
I said, "Miss Smith, why do you think you have a demon"? She said very articulately, "My husband works in New York five days out of the week, and I play tarot cards quite a lot". She said, "However, this past Wednesday night after playing tarot cards for several hours, something walked into this house. It walked down the hall and it entered me". I said, "It what"? She said, "It entered me. And it's there now. Can you help me"? The hair on the back of my head was standing up. I thought, "Where would you like this new 5'8 hole in the side of your house, because I'm ready to go there"? I thought, "Jesus, this would be a great time for the rapture". I don't have a clue, because they did not teach that in the seminary I went to.
So in sheer desperation, I turned to the Bible story in this book of the demoniac of Gederah. I said, "Mrs. Smith, I'm going to read what Jesus did for a man that has your situation just like yours". I began to read the Bible story of the demoniac of Gederah. And miss Smith began to contort, physically contort. I continued reading and dared to look up again. And Mrs. Smith's face would now look like a cat. She grabbed both of her ankles and pumped them into the air, and her head was between her knees. She was hissing at me like a snake. And she looked at me and said in a deep, masculine voice, "I hate you John Hagee". I thought, "You know it generally takes a while, but I'm going to make an exception for you".
I knew that I had a theology that was not prepared for reality. So I began to simply do what I felt the Word of God is built on. I said, "In the authority of Jesus' name, by the shed blood of the cross, I command this demon spirit to come out of this woman". I went back to the cross. I went back to the blood. I went back to the Bible. She was screaming so loud: it was hard to think. I can't continued to repeat the statement. And with each recitation of the statement, her reactions became weaker with every command that that demon come out of her. After about 15 minutes, she fell off the couch like she was dead. I didn't move. I mean I just didn't know what was going to happen next. Suddenly she looked up at me and said, "What am I doing on the floor"? I said, "I believe, Mrs. Smith, you've just been delivered from a demon spirit and have been set free by the authority of Jesus Christ".
That next Sunday, Mrs. Smith and her family came to church, and they gave their hearts to Christ, and served there for years until they were transferred out of the city. Note again, this experience with Mrs. Smith and the shooter happened in one week. It was one of the most exciting weeks I have ever had. From this, I wrote my first book that was a national best seller, "Invasion of demons". Little did I know that years later, right now, America's youth would be plunging into a revival of the occult and Satanism. America must have a revolution or we are going to lose our next generation to the occult. Ladies and gentlemen, parents, all, watch what your children are watching on television, because much of it is demonized from its roots. Just because Disney sends it doesn't mean it's pure. You must guard your children's life with watching what they watch!
The second church in Windcrest, our attendance exploded from 300 to 150 in about nine months. We were having double services to accommodate the crowds. I felt like a guest speaker every Sunday when I got up, because I hardly knew the people. So I solved the problem from the life of Moses in Exodus 18:21. When Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, came to him and said, "What you're doing is too great for you. You've got almost two million people here". I'm quoting Jethro. "Select from the people able men who fear God, men of truth, men who hate covetousness, and place such men over the people to be rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens".
I had it immediately, the plurality of leadership. There were no books out on that. It was a strange animal, but I did that based on the Word of God. I selected ten men and they're wives and taught them how to conduct a home ministry. I taught them basic Bible doctrines, how to make a hospital visit, how to listen to people's problems with a loving heart without trying to be Sigmund Freud, and how to baptize someone in water without drowning the person. I assigned ten people to each couple. It was an instant success. My pastor friends told me, "You have just destroyed your church. You've just started ten new churches and you don't know it". I said, "Look: I can't get around to everyone's need. There are 1500 people here now. I don't even know their names. And if they can't get instant help from somebody, they're going to go where they can. Churches are built on relationships".
And instantly that concept grew. The people in my church that didn't get a part of those first ten, said, "Give us that program also". So from 10 to 20, to 30 we went. And we called it home ministry. Over the time, it became government of 12 and has been a source of endless blessing to our church and to this day. But the night of nights at Windcrest was the night that Derek Prince came with his Bible seminar. I promoted this event so aggressively: The New York times showed up with two reporters and a camera. The final night, the church was packed. People were in the lobbies and standing out in the yards listening over loud speakers.
Brother Prince was one of the great Bible scholars of our generation. No one on earth gave me more spiritual leadership than Derek Prince in my adult life in ministry. Brother Prince was teaching in this seminar about how Jesus dealt with demons. Brother Prince, with his calm, scholarly, tranquil, British delivery, because he was an Oxford professor, delivered and taught the Word of God for two nights. And he would teach for two hours. And it seemed like two minutes, because what he was saying was so revolutionary, it was so fresh, it was so alive. On the third night, he asked anyone not covered by the blood of Jesus, he didn't talk like I'm talking. This is way too enthusiastic for him. He would just, placid is the only way to explain it. He asked anyone not covered by the blood of Jesus to leave the building, because demon spirits would most assuredly enter you. Believe me: more than a few jumped up and left immediately.
The hymn singing was over. The dog fight was getting ready to start. Then he said, "If you have a child under 13, please leave". Others left. Calmly, he started praying about Satan trying to take over the church in America with witchcraft with these three words, "Manipulation, intimidation, and domination". And like someone threw on a switch, ten women leaped to their feet, screaming their heads off like a fire truck going to a five-alarm fire. It was so dramatic: 10 or 12 people, who claimed to be spirit filled, jumped up and ran out of the building. At that same moment, a young Hispanic man in his mid-20's came charging down the aisle, swinging his arms like this. He went to the communion table in front of the pulpit, and knocked the communion table off in the floor, and ran up on the platform. Three ushers jumped on top of them, and we had the wide world of wrestling going here.
We had the track meet going out the back door with 10 or 12 people going. We had these ten women, who were screaming their heads off. I'm standing over there laughing till I'm crying. This is the most exciting church service I've ever been in my life. Bring it on, Jesus! Derek never flinched, very calmly still praying. I mean, you had to be there just to believe it. He just, these people, we've got four grown men over here flipping each other over. It was wild. Calmly praying, casting out. And then, bang! Like someone hit a light switch again, those ten women shut up. I knew God was in the house. It got quiet. Heaven came down in that place. There was a spirit of joy that swept over that congregation that you could literally feel. People stood up and worshiped the Lord for over an hour, as they experienced the joy of victory of the Kingdom of God over the kingdom of darkness. To God be the glory! Give him praise in the house!
The third church, the church of castle hills, 1975 to 1987. We worshiped in a small, a-frame building for a few months. And can you believe it: we started another building program, because the church filled up quite quickly? We started the building program with only half the bonds sold. And I don't recommend that as an economic principle. On Friday morning, our church had only $1,000 in the bank and needed $50,000 by 3:00 P.M. to meet the construction payroll. Ray Schaefer to the rescue. Ray was the president, who's a member of our church. He was the president of the local teamster's union. He was a sweet guy, but he also had a friend by the name of Jimmy Hoffa. They were very good friends. Ray was a home ministry leader by the way. He had a strong home ministry.
I called him on the phone, and I said, "Brother Ray, I have a problem. Can you help me"? He said, "What's your problem". I said, "I have a thousand dollars in the bank and I need $50,000 by 3 o'clock. I have five, $10,000 bonds, that's first lean bonds with a good interest rate: can you sell them for me"? He said, "Do you have a desk and a phone"? "I do". Twenty minutes later, he pops through the door, sits down at the desk, dials the phone, says, "Ned, this is Ray. I have an investment opportunity for your union. It's a $10,000 church bond. It pays so and so and so and so. And I know you'd love to have it". And two hours later, I had 50,000 bucks in my hand. I put it in the bank. I walked out there at 3 o'clock and gave them that $50,000 check like I had the wealth of Rockefeller. Brother, did they know how thin the ice was, they would have all passed out. Thank you, God, for saving us and helping us that day! We finish that had building on time, on budget, and never a day late or a dollar short. To God be the glory. Hallelujah to the lamb.
The dedication Sunday, the building was full. People were in the front yard. We started double services on Sunday morning. Within weeks, the building was full a second time. We started a Saturday night service. It was here that we dedicated Tina, Matthew, and Sandy to the Lord. When I dedicated Matthew, as soon as my prayer ended, there was a lady in our congregation, who truly had a gift of prophecy. And she stood up and said, "This child is going to preach the gospel to the nations of the world," and sat down. I couldn't imagine how that was going to happen, because we hadn't yet reached our city. But I began to think about the ministry of television. If we were going to reach the world, television was the only way. So I asked the church board, "What about television? Can we get into that"? They said, "Absolutely not. We've built this new church. We have all the debt our church can handle". They said, "If you want to do it, you're free to do it on your own". And I said, "Okay".
Diana and I had a little piece of property out in Polk. We sold it. We bought three RCA cameras. We built a little studio on the back property. And I won't tell you the story, but God miraculously made it possible that we had a channel on the cable system that came to San Antonio. We gave time away to every preacher in town that would preach the gospel. And then Paul crouch called and said, "I want you on TBN". I said, "I'd love to have you on what we're doing". We worked out a deal together. And until 1990, God taught us the media business, because we weren't dumb and stupid: we were worse than that. And God brought us grade by grade, by grade until in 1992, when that cable was sold, we started paying for our time. But we had an established group of people that were watching. Think about the difference now.
When I was on TBN on the television, there were on 21 options, period. Now there are 600. And because of that root structure, when Matt gets up to preach, we have a following that has come from 40 years of television ministry, because of your sacrifice, and your sacrifice, and your sacrifice. God bless you for all you've done. The night to honor Israel was born in September 1981. But it was here that God made it possible for Christians united for Israel to be born. And so we did, and it grew, and it produced something that God is now using to bless Israel and the Jewish people in a very dramatic way. To God be the glory.
The fourth and final church, Cornerstone Church. We came here with 3,000 members. And now we are 22,000 plus, because the Lord is with us. It is his glory. It is his kingdom. We are his servants and this is his church. Our television ministry went global in '92 and reaches the nations of the world. You really don't know how that works until you get in on a jet and go on the other side of the world. And when you get out in the airport, people start walking up to you from the nations of the world, and say, "I see you on television".
When I went to Nigeria and preached, 1.5 million people showed up the first night, literal people. The preaching field was a mile from right to left. From the platform to the back was a mile a three quarters. It was simply beyond anything we could possibly imagine. In our 30 plus years here, by God's grace and his glory, we have been able to build 12 major projects and are now completing the Sanctuary of Hope. But what has been the greatest of all accomplishments for the glory of God has been the harvest of souls that were lost and without Christ, who walked the aisles of this church and the other three churches, and gave their hearts to Jesus Christ. The chains of sin have been broken. They have been saved, saved, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ! Give the Lord praise in the house of God!
There are thousands that have lifted their hands and received the infilling of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There are thousands who have dramatically been healed from sickness and disease. When the doctor looked at you and said, "It's over," God stepped in and said, "It's not over! I'm still the great physician! There's still a future for you"! Give the Lord praise in this house.
There are those who have been delivered from the powers of the prince of darkness, drugs and alcohol, to name a few: those whose shattered marriages have been miraculously restored, the thousands of children that have been dedicated to Christ on this platform and three others, the broken hearts and shattered dreams that have been restored to dream the impossible dream. Only God can do that. To God be the glory. To God be the glory! To God be the glory!
To the thousands, who are watching on the other side, keep the gates of heaven open: we're going to be together soon. We're going to have a cornerstone party with mariachis and tamales just inside the Eastern gate. In closing, today we pass the torch of truth to the next generation. There is no success without a successor. Say that with me. There is no success without a successor. And the Bible establishes that fact. Abraham had Isaac and Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons after which the 12 tribes of Israel were named out of which came Jesus Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah. David had Solomon. Elijah had Elisha. Jesus had 12 disciples. Saint Paul had Timothy and Titus. Pastor John Hagee has pastor Matthew Hagee. Thank you.
On this historic day, I am appointing pastor Matthew Hagee as the lead pastor of Cornerstone Church. What does that mean? That means that Matt is the decision maker. That means if you like what's going on at Cornerstone Church, you call pastor Matt. And if you don't like what's going on at Cornerstone Church, by all means, you call pastor Matt. Now hear this: I am not retiring. I don't believe in retiring. I will always be the founding pastor and the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church. I am going to stop working 60 hours a week and try 40 hours a week for a while. I will be on this platform as long as I am alive and well, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations of the world. I will be the decision maker for Christians united for Israel as long as I am physically able. And when I am not, Diana and Sandy Parker will continue the command of that ministry.
Matt and I will continue to preach three consecutive Sunday rotations going into the future just as we have in the past nine months. The next generation needs a leader. And Matthew Hagee is that leader. Matt, will you and Kendal and Diana please join me here? Pull this over here. I have told you often of the rich history of our family in the ministry. The genealogy of the Hagee family begins at the German swiss border in the 1400's. Our first family of Hagees came to Florida as Moravians. Moravians were strict fundamentalists. They came on September 30, 1732 in pursuit of religious freedom. And each generation passed the torch to the next. In the interest of time, I'll only go back 200 years.
Notice that most of these names are Bible names. Beginning in the 1800, David Matthew Hagee, 1800 to 1850. He passed the torch of gospel truth to John Daniel Hagee, 1822-1864: who passed it to James Gideon Hagee, 1852 to 1899: who passed it to my grandfather, John Christopher Hagee, 1884-1952: who passed it to my father and to your grandfather, William B. Hagee, 1912-1987: who passed it to John Hagee, 1940. And on March 4, 2018, after 60 years of service is passing it to Matthew Charles Hagee, 1978 until the rapture of the church and Jesus Christ comes in the clouds of heaven.
Our most gracious Heavenly Father, Creator of heaven and earth, to the God who calls the stars by name, who holds the seven seas in the palms of his hand: to the God that has promised to be our defender, our provider and our protector, we now come to this holy consecration at the Cornerstone Church on this day that has been set aside to appoint Matthew Hagee and Kendal Hagee as spiritual leaders in this church. Father God, as you have been with me, so be with my son. As you have protected me from death itself, so protect my son. As you have healed me, when my life should have and could have ended, I ask you to be the great physician of Matthew, of Kendal, and all of their children. As you have prospered everything that we have put our hands to, so may you prosper him and all he puts his hands to. As I have preached the Word of God only and faithfully, so shall he preach the Word of God only and faithfully. As the cross has been central, so shall it be central. As the winning of the lost be the message, so shall that message remain. Let us walk together in the covenant of the faith: that we may be victorious in all things, and that the God of heaven may be pleased with what we do, because we are his servants, and he is the king of glory. In the authority of Jesus' name, before a righteous and holy God, we make this covenant this day, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen.
I love you both. I love you so much. Lift your hands for the blessing.
And now may the Lord bless you and may the Lord keep you. And may the Lord make his face to shine upon you. And may the Lord be gracious unto you and give you his peace. May you walk from this assembly, knowing that under the canopy of heaven, the authority of God controls all things. And the torch of truth has been passed to the next generation because it is their time to stand up and step up to the plate to be the defenders of the righteousness. Let them not be entangled with the affairs of this life, nor be seduced by the message that's being presented in this nation that's less than righteousness. Let them be as bold as a lion. Let them be servants to the king of glory until the trump of God shall sound and all of us from every generation, from every church body, can celebrate together around the throne of God in a joyous event that shall never end. Now may you be blessed, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, knowing that in the Kingdom of God, it is an eternal kingdom that will rule the earth some day, because we are under the authority of the Creator of heaven and earth. In Jesus' name, we pray. And all of God's children said, amen.