Psalm 50:5 - “Gather my saints together unto me, those who made a covenant with me through Sacrifice.”
This was the prophetic scripture the Lord gave to us when we built our first Victory Church in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. We all made major financial and material sacrifices to build and establish this first great Victory Church on 43 Acres of prime land. Sacrifice always releases the miracle-working power of God. Forty-one years later we look back and see what the Lord has done. The hearts of multiplied thousands of people have been knit with this work and what has come out from it. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:21) What is built on sacrifice, the devil cannot destroy, and woe be to anyone who tries to destroy it! The covenant we all made with the Lord through sacrifice is eternal and is still in effect. God is a Covenant-Making, Covenant-Keeping, Covenant-Enforcing God!
Covenant Versus Contract
Contracts are enforced by courts, but covenant is enforced by character. One requires giving your name, the other giving your life. Marriage is a covenant, whereas a business deal would be a contract. We are in a Covenant-Relationship with God and with each other as Christians. All of our Victory Churches are in Covenant-Relationship with one another. God takes it very seriously when you break His covenants. Character weaknesses cause some people to break covenant over and over again, with devastating consequences for all involved. God always works on our character before fully releasing our calling.
Much of the breakdown in family and church today, can be traced to the failure to give honor where honor is due. “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” (Eph 6:1-2)
Mike Murdock says, “I have always been able to trace someones success, back to the place where they honored someone they should honor. And I have always been able to trace someone’s failure, back to the place where they dishonored someone they should honor.” I can say amen to this! God said, “Those who honor Me I will honor and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” (1 Sam 2:30)
In the Last Days “many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matt 24:10-12)
Notice where this downward progression begins - offense. Unresolved offenses create major relational problems that undermine families, churches, businesses, cities, and nations. Remember: covenant is not covenant until it is tested. Tests both develop and reveal one’s character! How you deal with offense is one of the ways that covenant is tested. We must be careful to follow the process Jesus laid out in Matthew 18:15-17.
In 2001 my wife and I went to California to expand the Victory Church Family. In our first five years we built a large and powerful church. During that time, I was training a young man to take over this Church. He was tall, handsome, and very gifted, but he began to think more highly of himself than he ought. I confronted him about some of the areas he needed to change, but instead of taking counsel, he took offense. As a leader you must bring correction to those who you are responsible for, whether they are wise or unwise. If you don’t, they will lead others astray. He turned against me and left the church. Others that I had placed under his care left with him.
Prov 9:8 "Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man and he will love you."
A few years later this young man made a post on Facebook, which one of my associate pastors saw. The post said, ‘Nobody has ever treated me as good as Pastors George and Hazel. They treated me like a prince, and I betrayed them. I was a Judas, an Absalom, a Korah, and a Jezebel. Lord, please forgive me.’ My associate asked him to come and tell us these things and he did. He came to my office and asked for forgiveness from Hazel and I and our staff. Then we all broke down and wept! I thank God, this young man had enough courage and fear of God to come to us and make things right. We prayed for him and released him with our blessing to go on, grow on, and fulfill his God given destiny.
Yours for Strength of Character and God-Fearing Covenant-Keeping Relationships
Dr. George Hill
President & Founder
Victory Churches International
