Kenneth Copeland - The Mercy of The LORD
— Hello, everybody. I'm Kenneth Copeland. This is the Believer's Voice of Victory broadcast. And would you, once again, welcome this beautiful couple here. Haven't they just done a wonderful job? They've done a wonderful job of living. They've done a wonderful job in their ministry, Praise God Ministries. They've had more than one. And founded this great church up in the mountains of Colorado. I have been there, and it is fabulous up there. It is just glorious. Father, we thank You for Your goodness. You are good to all, the 145th Psalm says. And we praise You, and we worship You today. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Amen.
— Thank You, Lord.
— Now, then Jeremy, you were talking about, before we came in today, about Sarah giving her testimony, and it was concerning a victory campaign, right?
— Yeah. Sarah and I have such a story, and we've been able to minister it all over the world. And people ask us, how did you meet? What's your story? And I'm telling you, people ask everywhere. I've sat in barber chairs, and they've asked. And we've stood in grocery lines, and they've asked. And I say the same thing every time. I say, I will tell you the story, but it will make you believe in God. And we have ministered that, not too long after we were married, we were in, actually just a month after we were married, we were in Africa ministering together. A couple years later, we were an Australia ministering together. And I remember preaching to a room full of college aged students, and we did didn't really have, I remember going into that meeting and thinking, Lord, I'm not quite sure what to preach, what to say. And so we just said, well, let's just tell our story. And the Lord has used it in such a way to, I know for people who desire to be married and are looking for the one, not just the next one, but the one, the Lord's used it to minister to people. And I know what the Lord did in me to get us together. And I know what the Lord did in her to get us together. And like I said, it's marvelous. It's miraculous. But even when you back up several years before that, I was living here in Texas and serving mom and dad and Mimi and Pawpaw and their staff. Sarah was living in Arkansas with her family where she was born and raised. But what were you in college? And you guys decided to go to a Branson Victory Campaign to a Kenneth and Gloria Copeland meeting. We were talking about this the other day. And when Sarah started telling me the story, actually it was right around Victorython time. And that's what brought this up. And she started telling this story about something the Lord did specifically in her at that Victory Campaign all those years ago. Man, it hit me hard, and I thought it was such a good example. And of course, Friday on the Believer's Voice of Victory is offering day. And I believe this ties into the assignment on this day on the broadcast. And if you're good with it, I'd love for you just to tell that story and minister it as the Lord leads you.
— Yeah. Well, I was probably my last year in college, and I remember driving to class. And first of all, I was a English major, creative writing major. And I just didn't want to read half the stuff that we had to read in there. It was junk, secular junk. So I'd hide my Brother Hagin books down under the desk, and I'd read my... I guess the Lord was preparing me. I knew I had to graduate, but I wanted to be in ministry. And so I'd just hide my Brother Hagin books, read those in class. But I remember driving around in between classes, and I always had my Gloria Copeland teaching in my CD player, and then teaching on the 91st Psalm. I listened to it over and over. I mean, I remember just sitting in the parking lot and just experiencing God, listening to Gloria. Isn't that awesome? But we got to the end of the year, and I was seeking the Lord about what he wanted me to do next, and had it in my heart to go up and visit Faith Life church in Branson. And you just happened to be doing a Victory Campaign that weekend.
— Keith and Phyllis Moore's church.
— Yeah. And so we went to the Victory Campaign, and I remember really experiencing the Lord. One particular night, you were teaching on the love of God. And I just remember, the Lord gave me a melody out of that message. And I remember just songs come... It just was something special that night. And pretty soon the Lord dealt with us to move up to be a part of that church and to go attend that church. And that's where, when I moved up there, I started to experience, learn some things that I had never just grasped on faith. But that night I remember having the opportunity to sow, and for the first time, I can't explain it other than it was the first time I believe I sowed from the deepest part of my heart. I sowed two things. I sowed in faith, and I sowed in love. And I remember it was into KCM. It was into this work, specifically. I don't know how to explain it other than my heart was so full that it was beyond just me giving to get. It was beyond me just sowing because I knew it was the right thing to do. I was for the first time sowing in faith and sowing in love. And I started to experience the harvest on that. Pretty soon after, the Lord dealt with us to move there to be a part of that church. And when I got there, I started to learn about faith and reap the wisdom of God on faith like I had never learned and known before. I grew up in a faith church. But when I got under that, I began to reap faith. And it wasn't long after that, before I was introduced to this guy, and I reaped love like I had never known love.
— Praise God, Sarah.
— And you don't think about those things. Of course, the Bible talks about how everything produces after its own kind, and of course, I have reaped on that financial seed that I sowed more than I could, exceeding, abundantly above. But I have also so grown in faith and in love because that seed was sown in faith and love. And Galatians tells us, don't be deceived, that God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap. And God is just so good like that.
— Yes, he is.
— ...that he would not only multiply that seed that was sown financially and give me the harvest on that. But he would also give me such an amazing harvest of faith, growing in faith and growing in love. And when I met Jeremy, I don't know that I've ever been loved by anyone. I don't even know why I'm crying. Sorry. I don't even know if I've ever experienced the love of God. I remember the thing I would say after I met him was that he loves me the way my father loves me. And that was a harvest on that seed. So thank you for giving me an opportunity to sow in the KCM. And just the atmosphere that was in that room that night. And I give all the glory to God for it, but the atmosphere enabled my heart to be so expanded that there was... Giving doesn't mean anything unless it comes from the heart.
— That's right.
— God loves a cheerful giver. And so that night, there was something that happened in me. And I know that the place from where which that seed came from was so wide open that that harvest could come back to me.
— Praise God.
— And I'm just thankful. It's awesome that the Lord can do that.
— That is so good. What a blessing that is. If you come to that place when all of these things are settled, and you know in your heart that God is a good God. Now that same scripture in Galatians has been used to preach sin. It's true.
— Whatever you sow...
— You're going to reap.
— Yeah.
— And the wages of sin, you're going to reap death. But there are certain churches and so forth that major in that all the time and never mention the good harvest, the good things that you sow. For in Ephesians, if we'd like to turn there just for a moment, the way the Apostle Paul said this by the Spirit of God in the sixth chapter of Ephesians, the eighth verse, seventh verse says, with goodwill, doing services unto the Lord and not to men, knowing, say knowing... Knowing this, that whatsoever good thing any man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he's bond or free. Good things. Sowing good things. Sowing giving, sowing smiles, sowing laughter. Even when you don't feel like it. But forgiving all the time. And you've heard me say this before, but, and I don't know, I have kind of a strange way of renewing my mind of things, but just... And two, back in the early days of this ministry, there was a lot of persecution about it, particularly when you get over to the money side of it. That was what Oral Roberts got so much grief over. Not because he preached healing and miracles, because he preached abundant life. That God was a good God, and that was his theme song. God is a good God. What do you mean, he's a good God? And people got mad at him preaching he's good. But when he started talking about finances and abundant life, well, then you put those two together, and you make a lot of religious people mad. Anyway. And there was a lot of people that were really, said a lot of bad things about us. But I just decided just forgive all the time.
— Yeah.
— Just forgive, and go into a restaurant. I did this for a long time and still do. Lord, before I go in there, I'm going to forgive everybody in the place. And I'm asking you to forgive everyone in the place. I don't care what they've done. I'm asking you to forgive them. And if there's anyone in there that you need for me to pay for the meal, I'll do it. If there's anyone in there you want me to preach to, I'll do it. And this has turned into one miracle right after another. But that's part of the love walk. Forgiveness is all part of the love walk because he's a good and forgiving God. That's a wonderful testimony. I want to make a confession. I heard Pawpaw talk about that years ago, starting to just forgive everybody. And he said just what he did, before I walked into a restaurant, I forgive the waitress, and I forgive everybody in there. And I would sit there and listen, like what does that really mean? I mean, they didn't do anything. I mean, here we are living in a time right now, and I know you've noticed this, and I have too. There is such an agitating spirit in this world right now.
— Oh, animosity running in the street.
— People are so on edge. Have you seen it? And it is all connected to what's been going on in the world the last couple years. It's just got people right on edge to the point where they're looking for a fight. You just look at me funny, you just say one wrong word to me, and I will throw down right now. You better walk into a place with forgiveness already flowing, mercy already flowing. And one of the big reasons is because Jesus, and he made this statement, and it's one of those we read it, but I don't know that we really read it. He said, if you don't forgive, neither will my Father. Like man, Jesus, that's serious stuff. But I believe what he's saying is the only thing that can stop grace from flowing to you is when you stop grace from flowing through you. That's the only thing that'll shut the door to that. So having mercy flowing through you all the time, and the reason this is such a big thing to me is because before I met her, man, I'd been through some stuff and been through some relationship stuff and things I call relationship hell. And I just, I came out on the other side like, Lord, that was not fun. And I said this to the Lord one time. I said, if you ever see fit to bring somebody into my life, somebody good, somebody who loves you and would love me, I know it will be nothing short of your mercy. And Wednesday night, March 7th, 2007 in Branson, Missouri, this girl came walking in to where I was sitting. And that part's a long story too. But I had gone to meet her, and we'd never met. We'd never spoken. We'd never had anything. I'd just seen a picture of her. And I couldn't get her off my mind. And I knew she was in Branson, and I knew Mimi and Pawpaw were going to go do a meeting in Branson. So I came to Pawpaw and said, I just feel really led. It's strong in my heart.
— Well, you were really led. Yes, praise God.
— I want to go to that meeting. Can I get a ride with you? Yeah, come on. So we went, and Wednesday night, March 7th, 2007, she came walking into the restaurant. And you can believe this, or you cannot, but I'll tell you what happened? The Lord spoke on the inside and said, I want you to meet my mercy.
— Glory to God, Jeremy.
— And over 14 years later, I still can't talk about it without it coming all over me. It was so real to me that night. I want you to meet my mercy. And every day...
— It's precious.
— Every night I go to bed next to mercy. Every day, the mercy of the Lord...
— Golly gee.
— ...is new every morning. And it's been so real to us.
— Thank you.
— Such a part of our story. Only to find out her half of the story, and it's an amazing thing too...
— Well, it's always that way.
— Yeah. I mean, the Lord had brought her to Texas months before I ever saw that picture of her. And he put it so strong in her heart that she needed to go to the Southwest Believer's Convention. The only thing was she had no vacation time. She had just used it all to go with Billye Brim on a trip to Israel where she was on the Sea of Galilee, and somebody took a picture. And that picture I saw...
— He showed me that picture. He said, look at this. I said, uh-huh. There it was. There she is. He said, look at her.
— That picture was sitting on Rachel's desk, my cousin, Rachel, Kellie's daughter. I saw it, and Rachel was in the picture and this other girl. And this other girl. And I said, who is that? And why don't I know her? And sure enough, the Lord just worked in me. And I just fell in love with this girl in the picture who I'd never talked to, nothing. Only to find out, like I said, months before the Lord had told her, go to Southwest. Lord, I don't have any vacation time. Quit your job.
— Yes.
— So she quit her job to go to Southwest Believer's Convention. Sat there all week and thought, well, this was good. Not quite sure why I quit my job, but it was good. And the family she was with had a teenage daughter who said, hey, will you take me to the youth service? And you can tell the rest of it. I don't want to butcher it.
— Go ahead. You're doing great.
— She said, will you take me to the youth service? And Sarah's like, I don't want to go to youth. She was in her twenties. And the girl was like, please, please, please. Okay. So she took her to the youth service, and it just happened to be the morning I was preaching. And her side of the story was, and this is again, months before I saw the picture. She sat there, and we were ministering to a young girl that day in a wheelchair. And the presence of the Lord was so strong. And Sarah said, she sat there going, that's my husband. That guy's my husband. And then she thought later, no, that's just, that's my flesh, and all that. Only to find out, the Lord's working on me. He's working on her. And he gets us together, and that's when he said to me, I want you to meet my mercy.
— Now let me tell you something. The mercy of God is so rich and pure. And there are those of you out there right now that you just don't know what in the world you're going to do. It's your whole life is a mess, but you listen to me. His mercy endures forever.
— Thank You, Lord.
— Forever, forever. And your loving heavenly Father, if you don't know him as Lord, do it right now. Just say, Jesus, come into my heart. I receive you as my Lord and my Savior today. And I know you have a plan for me. I know you have someone for me. I know you have a fix for this. Now don't just jump up and go hunting a wife and all that. No, no, he has the plan. His plan is blessed. Don't try to make a plan and then get him to bless it. But if you find his plan, it's already blessed because we already read it. I have good thoughts for you. I have a good plan for you. It's a wonderful plan. It's full of love plan.
— Mercy plan.
— The first thing for you to do is go to the 13th chapter of John, that happened in what's called the last supper. The 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th chapters of John are all that precious moment where they were receiving communion together. And they sang hymns together because Jesus was leaving that room and going to the cross. He went to the whipping post first, and by those stripes, we were healed.
— Thank You, Lord.
— Amen.
— Such mercy.
— It's just mercy and goodness and kindness. And then check it out for yourself. Jesus himself went into hell and suffered as no man ever suffered before or ever will.
— And if we ever get a revelation of how much we've been loved, loving is easy. But that's what he said, love each other as I have love. That's the revelation. That's what it's got to come out of right there. You can wake up every day and go, okay, walk in love, walk in love, walk in love, walk in love. Be good, be kind, be merciful. You're about to be the biggest jerk you've ever been because you're looking to yourself as your source. But if you'll meditate in, I am loved. I'm loved by my Father. He's been good. He's been kind. He's been merciful to my junk, my stuff, over and over, and I can be merciful to others. Amen.
— Let me read this from the 17th chapter of John. Jesus began to pray. And as he prayed in verse 20, neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. That means he's praying for all of us. He's praying for everybody that they all may be one, as though Father art in me and I in thee, that they may also be one in us that the world may believe that you sent me, and the glory which you gave me, I've given them that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know that you have sent me and has loved them as you have loved me. The first time I ever read that, I was a student there at Oral Roberts University. And I had agreed, I just learned about the prayer of agreement. And I thought, I'm going to agree with this. And when he said that, you mean, God loves me as much as he loved Jesus? I didn't know I was a new creature. I said, oh, but I'm going to say this. And my body was trembling. God loves me as much as he does Jesus. Say it, God loves me as much as he does Jesus.
— He is love. He sent Jesus because he loves us. Amen. Love did that. Just began to walk around the room. God loves Kenneth. God loves Kenneth. God loves Sarah. God loves Jeremy. Put your name in there. Just walk around the room and walk around and say it, and say it with all your heart, all your mind, all your strength. You say it, and you say it, and you say it, and you say, and you say it until it rises up on the inside of you. And you begin to dance and sing and say, God loves me. He loves me. He loves me right now. He loves me all the time. He loves me whether I deserve it or not. He is love, and he is good. And I'm his, and he's mine. And we're out of time. But not out of... just in here, we're out time. Come on. We'll be back in a few moments. Give the Lord a praise.