Kenneth Copeland - A Covenant of Thanksgiving
— The giving of thanks is part of our worship and our faith mentor, the founder of Rhema Bible Training Center, which now is Rhema, a Bible college... Call it the Praise Cure. And you praise and worship until the devil or sickness and disease just cannot stay in your body. I've heard him say it. He said, "You worship until the glory falls". And he said, "When the glory falls is when all the miracles happen". Now, that's what I saw twice in Bogota, Colombia. Now, let's go back to first Thessalonians. Only this time we'll go to the fourth chapter. Look at the fourth verse. "Every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor". What is your vessel? Your body. Anyway... "Let no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified for God has not called us under uncleanness, but unto holiness". Oh... There's that Holy Word again. You know what produces holiness? The fruit of the Spirit. There's nine fruits of the Spirit. And there's nine gifts of the Spirit, which are the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, word of faith, or the working of miracles and so forth. But without the fruit of the Spirit, you're not going to work in the issue of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit produces holiness, but you have to walk in it and believe it. And be happy about it whether you like it or not, because it's in the book. And Jesus bled and died so that these things are active forever. So verse nine, "Touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another", isn't that wonderful. "And indeed you do it toward all the brethren in Macedonia," 11th verse "Study"... oh-hoh, "Study to be quiet and do your own business and to work with your own hands". Stay out of other people's business "that you may walk honestly..." Now, look, "Brethren, I would not have you to be ignorant". One translation said, I would not have you to be uninformed "concerning them which are asleep". The Classic Amplified said asleep in death "that you sorrow not". Well, I picked that up from the Lord and I stopped using the word sorrow. If you're sorry about something, say you apologize. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Are you sorry?
— Yeah. I'm so sorry. Well, you sorry thing. But the word there is the Greek, lapeo, grieve not. "Even as others, which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort..." Now the cross reference says, not only comfort, exhort one another with these words. In other words, talk about this all the time. This is not a one time thing, and we're not talking about the return of Jesus enough.
— That's true.
— And the Lord reprimand... My mother used to say it all the time. Jesus is coming this year and the next year, I'd say, "Mother, he didn't come last year". She'd say, "Yeah, but he's coming this year". She instilled that in me. Well, I use it. I'm thinking about one particular story. I walked in there and I said, "Good morning, ladies. We are one day closer to the resurrection".
— Uh? There's one woman said, "I'm more interested in about what you said about that. So I'm getting the stuff I'm buying in the basket here". She said, "I'm Catholic, but my daughter is going to Baylor". And she has accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. But as Catholics, we never read our Bibles any. And so we just got to talking about that. And then I didn't care anymore. I knew why I was in the store then. And it's happened over and over and over and over and over.
— You know who is preaching it every weekend? Rabbis in Israel, they're preaching it all the time now. I get reports, Rabbi, friends of mine, they're preaching the Messiah is coming. They're not saying Jesus is returning, but they got their faith out there that the Messiah is coming.
— I just got a text from Billye Brim and what's Heathen wife's name?
— Julie.
— Julie. Yeah, she's there. Se has seen the red heifer, but not allowed to touch them. Now, just for your information, my granddaughter... my granddaughter's husband has a red heifer. I said, "I think you ought to register that heifer and just let Israel know you have one". You know how rare those things are. He has one on our property.
— I was over by there the other day, and I looked and I said to him, called him by name. I said, "Look at all these red cattle you're getting". I mean, there's more than one now. This is a bull, not a heifer. But look at all of these you're getting, because he didn't have that before. Now, I don't want that... you know, but what I'm trying to say is we're partners with Israel.
— Yes. And all of our children and all of our grandchildren. we all know that we have received the circumcision of the heart. And so I am so totally convinced that the devil can see that mark on my spirit.
— His law on your heart. Not laws, law which is the law of love.
— Yes. Changed me forever. Praise God.
— Amen.
— So there you have that. Go ahead.
— So we're celebrating today in the United States. This is Thanksgiving Day. It's not to have turkey and to watch ballgames. I mean, even though people do that, we got to go back to the secret, this covenant law first reference in America, what this day is about.
— Say that again, the law of first reference...
— Law first reference. Any time you see a new word in the Bible, first time it's used, first time of anything, the law first reference, it follows it.
— The first covenant.
— Yea.
— It follows it. That's what the Lord has called me to get over to this nation, that the first act of Congress was to enter into covenant on the 17th chapter of the book of Genesis. -That's right. George Washington.
— George Washington said the United States will be one of the many nations that came out of Abraham.
— I believe that.
— And Abraham Lincoln's mother named him Abraham after Abraham in the Bible.
— Well, what if I told you this? We know about the Pilgrims. We talked about the Pilgrims. What if I tell you, you just mentioned it with George Washington. What if I told you there were three covenants made...
— ...before him...
— Yeah, two before him. He did the third one. So you just mentioned Abraham. I like to say Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Father, son, Holy Spirit, because of the same covenant of Abraham was repeated with Isaac and with Jacob. That very first covenant, a lot of people don't know about it. They know about the Mayflower. Matter of fact, I have it written down right here. Here's a copy of the Mayflower Covenant,
— November 21st, 1620
— November 21st, 1620. They drew up a document while they were still on the ship, Brother Copeland, they hadn't gotten off the land yet. Let me read to you what it says: "In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland king, defender of the faith, having undertaken," listen here it is... "having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, doe by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politick," They did that before they ever landed on the shore. They were on the boats. It's called the Mayflower Compact. One of our first...
— There were three boats and they gathered on the Mayflower.
— Yes, they did.
— And they had this magnificent prayer meeting. and drew up this document.
— Now, the back story to that is they get there, they're starving that first year. Don't know what to do. And an Indian years ago was taken captive and taken into slavery against his will, ends up in England, ends up working for a minister, becomes born again, learns to speak English, learns the ways of the British...
— ...and they put him in a cage and took him around to show him off as a savage, like an animal. He was just an animal from the New World.
— He gets freed and he comes back to America to find all of his tribe gone. Everybody's gone. There was a really bad warrior type tribe there where the pilgrims landed. Everybody's gone. And all of a sudden these Englishmen show up and this savage walks up, knocks on the door and speaks perfect King's English to them. God didn't orchestrate that guy to get treated the way he did. But he took it. And worked it for his good. And he taught them. Squanto is his name.
— Other hostiles had come up there and they were ready to go to war. He stood up in the middle, spoke to them in their language, spoke to them in English. He organized peace, they got together. Now you go ahead and finish.
— They got together. And what we now know is our first Thanksgiving, he taught them how to survive in this country. Here's my point. Before they prayed this, God had already been moving on their behalf. You see that same thing. You'll see that same thing when Eliezer goes to get a bride for Isaac. He makes this deal. Lord, here's what I want to happen. He basically put a fleece out next week and she comes out before everybody else does. So the angel had to work on her to get out there on time.
— Same way he had to work on Gideon...
— ...always working on these people. But now what if I told you? What if I told you there was a covenant? We know that. Thanksgiving, right? The Pilgrims. It's not what you see in the cartoons. What if I told you there was one before that there was a covenant before that in Virginia in 1607. And a Gene Bailey brought me this. Thank God for Gene Bailey Revival Radio and FlashPoint. And he introduced me to Reverend Robert Hunt.
— Yes, sir. Chaplain Hunt.
— He planted a cross in the ground in Virginia in 1607. Now, I'll read you this prayer and then have you set up the back story. Here's what he said. "We do hereby dedicate this land. We talked about a land covenant", "and ourselves to reach the people within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to raise up Godly generations after us". That's us. "And with these generations, take the Kingdom of God to all the Earth". There's the assignment for America, "May this covenant of dedication remain to all generations, as long as this Earth remains and made this land along with England, be the evangelist to the world, may all who see this cross remember what we've done here. And may those that come here to inhabit join us in this covenant and in this most noble work that the Holy Scriptures might be fulfilled".
— He pastored a church in England and they came to him with this expedition to the New World, and they said, "Would you be the chaplain of the crew"? And so he took it up with his wife and it finally came down to this. We'll probably never see each other again. He said, "Well, I know it, but I have to do this. The Lord has let me know. I have to do it". And they just told one another goodbye and we'll see one another in heaven. And he had a wife and children. There was all kinds of bickering going on between the crew members and he was trying to keep it straight because a long voyage in that thing. They got there and came ashore and he reprimanded them. He said, "You are not in any case, to be in any condition, to pray and dedicate anything". So they took the timber out of the ship and made that cross. They all repented and got down on their knees and repented before God. And if I remember right, something like three days before he would even pray that dedicated prayer, it was right there at Virginia Beach and on the 400th anniversary of it. Well, of course, you know what Pat Robertson did, because they lived there on Virginia Beach. I was privileged and honored on the 400th anniversary of that to go there. And that's when they showed the film that they made of it. And they built a cross, took it out there on that beach and dedicated it and did with their words the same thing. I preached there that day. And I went to Chronicle 7:14. Second Chronicle 7:14. The healing of the land. Now that cross, if you watch the 700 Club, there'll be certain scenes, there'll be a cross and a garden. That is that cross. And they sunk it in the sand out there that day, right in that same spot. So what I'm saying, centuries have gone by, but the Spirit of God has begun moving, bringing all this back to our minds and our thinking. And it's up to us to get it out there on social media and every other way we can.
— God hasn't forgotten these words, they're still before him. And there was a third one when we became our own nation. We separated from England and the first president of the United States is George Washington.
— And fought a war over it.
— Fought a war over, George Washington.
— He was the general and he was well known for his straightforwardness and whatever he said, you can just take it to the bank. And the British sent their what would be called now sniper. They were called sharpshooters back there then to kill him. He had him point-blank more than once. And he said, I will not attempt to kill this godly man any more. Now, if you want it done... I'm paraphrasing. If you want it done, you should get somebody else. I'm not doing it. And he got back with holes in his jacket and he's uninjured. That's the man God picked to be our first president. And he pressed. He pressed it hard. All men are created equal. And he said this will change slavery and that all men are created equal. Amen.
— And on that day that he was sworn in as president in New York City, he put his hand on the Bible and he turned it to Genesis 17, where God made a covenant with Abraham.
— The day was April the 30th, 1789. This was a day of making a covenant with Almighty God for the United States of America. A proclamation was made for the sacred gathering at Federal Hall. Come and see your President. Take his oath and pray that God will accept this land as he is. At 9 a.m., the bells rang out through the city. George Washington made his official oath of office in New York City. He laid his hand on the Bible, not just merely upon the Bible. He specifically opened it up and laid his hand upon the covenant of God made with Abraham in the 17 chapter of Genesis, then lifting his other arm upward door to heaven, Washington made a vow to lead our nation and honor the God of Israel and his covenant. I think it notable that the only other president to do this was Ronald Reagan.
— That's right.
— After Washington invoked his oath and covenant unto the Lord and sealed it with "So help me God", he bowed his knee to the ground in reverence and kissed the Bible. Afterward, Washington called the senators and newly elected officials to join him as they walked arm in arm down the streets of New York to St Paul's Chapel. There they bowed together, prayed and dedicated this land, our beloved America to God. The day that George Washington was inaugurated was the day the covenant was invoked and America belonged to God Almighty.
— Yes, sir.
— That Chapel St Paul's Chapel in New York City is where this took place. And it survived 911 and was untouched. That's holy ground. And on 911, they took people in there and ministered to them for the dying in that little chapel. There's a plaque right out there in front that this happened.
— Brother Copeland, there are days, as I presented the news that it becomes overwhelming to my mind, to my mind that I have literally on the set of Victory News, opened the Bible to Chapter 17 and said, "Nope", done my hand just like this. "No, we have covenant". "I will make my covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly". America has been multiplied exceedingly. "I'll make nations and kings out of thee". We've seen that. "You'll be the father of many nations". And three times in that chapter it says "everlasting covenant". We're not going under.
— No, we're not.
— I tell you, I've got my faith out for whoever wins this election. I'm asking you take your Bible, go to Genesis 17 and go back to that church in New York and repeat these words.
— Yes, sir.
— And repeat this covenant for us. I'm a citizen of this nation. I'm asking you for us. Do this because God's never forgotten it and we can't forget it. This is why I'm thankful today on Thanksgiving for these three covenants that were made before I ever was here.
— I pray for my partners every meal.
— Yes, sir.
— I pray for the nation every meal. And I remind my Father of his covenant with Abraham. Abraham who became Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, who became Israel and George Washington and the first elected officials of Congress. Now this nation belongs to you, so fix it. I remind you of that covenant. He doesn't forget, but he has to be reminded by people. He is a Spirit and he has to be reminded by people on the earth because that's the way he established this place.
— Peter wrote in the Second Peter chapter one, verse 12: "Wherefore I will not be negligent to always put your remembrance of these things, though you know them be established in this present truth". And I say all the time, I want to teach my children teach everybody, listen to me. Be established in the church that America was founded on... Did we make mistakes? Yes. We had to fight a war to clean it up, slavery. But this is why I said everlasting more than once.
— Yes, he did.
— The word of God, an everlasting covenant. I'm thankful.
— Father, we thank You, with all of our hearts, we thank You in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. We have time, Carol? We're out of time again for the day. But we'll be back tomorrow.