Your Costly Blood Covenant: Discover the RICHES of Your Relationship with God

By Joel Cupps

Countless Christians have endured strong doses of religious tradition disguised as Christianity. They attend church on Sundays and read their Bibles daily, but they still sense a spiritual void. Nothing seems to fill it, and ultimately they wonder, "Is there anything else? Does a relationship with God offer me more than attending ser

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Dec 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647733254

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Your Costly Blood Covenant

Discover the Riches of Your Relationship with God

Joel Cupps

Trilogy Christian Publishers

A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive

Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2018 by Joel Cupps

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

For information, address Trilogy Christian Publishing

Rights Department, 2442 Michelle Drive, Tustin, Ca 92780.

First Trilogy Christian Publishing hardcover edition May 2018

Trilogy Christian Publishing/ TBN and colophon are trademarks of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Trilogy Christian Publishing.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Photography by: Matt Buckner, Above All Video and Photography, Elkview, WV

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-64773-324-7

ISBN 978-1-64773-325-4 (ebook)

Dedication

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I would like to dedicate this book to my irreplaceable parents, Stephen and Sue Cupps. You are the ones who raised me up in the love of the Lord and surrounded me with endless support and encouragement. Through the many highs and lows, you have always stood with me and cheered me on; without it, I could never have continued to push forward and run my race in faith. I love you!

And to my sister and brothers—Laura, Mason, and Matt—each of you has shown me love in your unique way. We all share an intimate part in one of the greatest blessings that anyone can have in life—a family in which love abounds and everyone is dedicated to one another, never allowing anything to spoil the bond we all hold dear in our hearts. I love you all!

Acknowledgements

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There are numerous people who, over the course of many years, have been a profound source of inspiration and encouragement and were instrumental in my spiritual development. They not only planted the truth into my heart, but they consistently provided love and motivation, clear examples of anointed ministers in the kingdom of God. I recognize the tremendous influence that Pastors Darrell Huffman, James Wright, and Rick Carey demonstrated before me on a regular basis, whether in my earliest years as a boy, as an older teenager growing in faith, or as a passionate minister venturing out to do the will of God for my life. And many thanks to all those at Trilogy Publishing, who endorsed this book and then faithfully worked with me until its completion. God bless you all!

Preface

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Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose. He himself shall dwell at ease, and his offspring shall inherit the land. The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show him His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.

Psalm 25:12–14 amp

This book explores a subject of God’s Word that has captured my heart and mind for many, many years. The blood covenant is the cornerstone for everything in the Bible. Every promise of God—deliverance, healing, prosperity, faith, love, and all others—could never be understood or exercised outside the revelation of our inclusion in an unbreakable blood covenant between God and our Lord Jesus. We could never recognize the glorious extent of our salvation, exercise our faith, see our needs met, be delivered from bondage, or come into closer fellowship with God. Only through Christ shedding His spotless blood could the door for eternal unity with the Father be opened.

I was drawn to the blood covenant at a very early age. By the time I was eleven years old, I was continually listening to messages on the blood covenant, finding as many books as I could about it, and studying all its aspects in the Word. The reality of God wanting such an intimate bond with man intrigued me, and I wanted to know all the details.

But most of all, it was the sacred attitude of the blood covenant that fascinated me. The more I studied the blood covenant, whether bit by bit in my early years or in larger measure as a young adult, the holy fear of the Lord grew inside my heart; I found myself wanting to be quiet before the Lord much more than talking. I would meditate on how God so greatly longed to redeem man and restore His relationship with him that He sent the sinless Son of God as the ultimate sacrifice for completely sinful people.

A deep hunger for more knowledge and revelation of the covenant continued to grow in my spirit. It kept building in me throughout college. Once I came to my senior year, part of my graduation requirements was a written paper on the topic of my choice—and needless to say, my topic was never a question. I dove far deeper into studying the blood covenant, and the more I found out, the more I wanted to study. And the more I studied, the more I realized how much more there was to learn.

The blood covenant and all its revelation must not remain such a sorely neglected subject in the Body of Christ. Everything from simple ignorance of the subject to twisted religious doctrines has not only distorted what God’s Word is, but also how it affects our lives. Extreme perversions of covenant truths have constantly spread throughout the Body of Christ year after year. We have accepted lie after lie rather than walking in the light. Such lies that cripple our faith to receive are ones like healing has passed away, yet our covenant relationship has assured us that through the stripes of Jesus we have been healed (1 Pet. 2:24); we are told by many that speaking in tongues has its origins in the devil, yet we are assured by our Lord that this glorious gift is not only a clear indicator of those who have been born again, but also that the regular exercise of this spiritual gift builds us up in our faith (Mark 16:17-18, Jude 1:20); and the enemy attacks the prosperity and abundance of our new lives in Christ by promoting the lie that poverty equals humility, even though we are assured with irrefutable covenant promises that the Lord delights in the prosperity of His servants, He desires above all else that we prosper and be full of health (Psalms 35:27, 3 John 2). These falsehoods have constantly spread throughout the Body of Christ and have prevented numerous believers from enjoying important parts of their divine inheritance. Consequently, their minds and hearts have been blinded to God’s promises, causing them to constantly question His unfailing commitment to perform His Word.

Living a covenant lifestyle is a critical truth we must grasp. So few believers have firmly grasped its revelation, and even for those who have, it often fades into the background of their walk with God. Some rise in the morning and instead of thanking the Lord for His goodness, mercy, and continual blessing throughout the day, fearful thoughts go off in their minds louder than the alarm clock that wakes them up. Images constantly arise, ones of fear rather than faith, failure rather than success, and defeat rather than victory. The devil tries his best to cloud the minds of all believers about the Lord’s dedication toward them. He attacks again and again, knowing that a well-established covenant mindset enables us to stand on the promises of God with unyielding faith, which turns his lies and deception into nothing.

Through the renewal of our hearts and minds to a blood covenant relationship with God, supernatural spiritual growth is at our fingertips. Whether we are ministers, seasoned believers, or those just coming into the kingdom of God after salvation, we all have more to learn about the blood covenant. For ministers, it further equips us as we step up into the pulpit on Sunday mornings or sit down with a person to counsel them. As mature believers, it further roots our faith in the covenant so we can believe God and receive His best. And for those just entering the kingdom of God, it introduces them to the God whose love and unyielding commitment is completely opposite of this world’s love, one that focuses on selfishness rather than joyful sacrifice.

The gospel will shine its brightest in the world when all believers, from youngest to oldest, possess a clear understanding of the blood covenant. This requires diligent study of the old and new covenants, individuals who cut covenant with God, scriptures that provide rich revelations of covenant relationship, and the many areas where our new blood covenant is far superior to the first covenant. Every one of these areas expands our growth in the blood covenant, but if we casually disregard them and move on, many revelations of the blood covenant will remain unknown to us. Doing this greatly delights the enemy because it cripples our capacity for living the abundant life Jesus purchased for us.

But if we will grasp the covenant truths in this book and begin feeding them into our spirits, glorious change will occur. Our relationship with the Father will steadily rise to levels of intimacy and blessing that we could not have imagined before.

The blood covenant is your unbreakable, eternal bond with God. Salvation without true revelation of covenant relationship creates the same problems as a man or woman who gets married but has no understanding of marriage—he or she cannot accurately define the relationship. Both have recited vows and now live with their spouses, but neither he nor she possesses any insight into what their new life involves. The man does not know what his wife needs from him, nor does the woman know what her husband needs from her. Continual frustration and division between them becomes the status quo, producing an environment where love and intimacy haven been replaced by anger and separation. And ultimately the relationship cannot thrive unless they come to know the true essence of their intimate connection to one another.

However, when we dive into the blood covenant and receive revelation of our relationship with God, our lives change forever. We no longer see ourselves as old sinners saved by grace but as new creations in Christ whose sin-filled past has been completely erased by the blood of Jesus. The revelation of our right standing with God creates a boldness to confidently come into His presence, whether we worship and praise Him or seek His help in times of distress. The blessing of Abraham freely operates in us, and our faith brings manifestation to the promises of God. The Holy Spirit becomes a real and divine Person to us who leads and anoints us for doing the works of God. And we start seeing Jesus as our compassionate High Priest, who faithfully intercedes in our behalf, having already walked every step we take in life.

God is ready to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or think, and understanding our covenant with Him is the key that opens the door. The most sacred and fruitful bond we could ever have is ours to enjoy daily, and the more we hunger for greater revelation of it, our covenant relationship with God will result in days of heaven on earth.

Introduction

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Blood covenant relationship is a subject of immense depth, and its practice has occupied the minds and hearts of all generations past. The blood covenant has its origins in none other than Yahweh, and its practice stretches all throughout the world. Covenant relationship carries with it an attitude of great reverence and respect, viewed as the most intimate relationship possible between human beings. Great men and tribes throughout history have come together and cut the covenant with one another, establishing an oath that cannot be disannulled. It is a solemn, binding contract established by the shedding of every member’s blood, an outward display of an inward commitment to forever uphold and honor the vows proclaimed to one another.

Throughout history and in most of the world today, particularly in the eastern world, the blood covenant is seen as something so sacred and precious that countless men have lived and died for it. True covenant partners would never intentionally violate the agreements of their covenant, making their words of no effect.

This is the type of relationship that all Christians possess with their heavenly Father. He is forever faithful to each one of His children. In this eternal blood covenant ratified by the blood of Jesus, He honors every promise and faithfully performs them, at all times and in all situations, for every child of God.

Our blood covenant has never truly had its depths searched out. Christians occasionally hear the word covenant mentioned in sermons or songs and perhaps use the word in conversation with other believers, but many rarely manage to possess more than a hazy understanding of it. Believers will open the Bible, and some read chapter after chapter, but never recognize that what they hold in their hands is the most infallible collection of covenant promises; it cannot be understood through the lens of man-made tradition and doctrines, but only through the revelation of a covenant God who sacrificed His own Son for our redemption.

If understanding God’s Word as He intended is truly our priority, our goal must extend far beyond casually reading the Word without any meditation. We must train ourselves to see every verse as an irreversible promise made by God. The devil’s lies that have been accepted from generations of believers cripple our faith and prohibit the light of the gospel from dispelling darkness. But as covenant revelation permeates our hearts and minds, these lies are replaced with the light of God’s Word.

Covenant truth strengthens our faith and changes our lives. We comprehend the unchanging nature of the Lord and learn to expect His best in the midst of any situation. A mind filled with the light of the blood covenant multiplies our boldness to stand by faith. We freely receive all parts of our divine inheritance from God, and when tests and trials occur, we speak by faith and confidently declare the truth in Numbers 23:19 (nkjv):

God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

In the pages that follow, several critical questions will be answered that will open our hearts and minds to the blood covenant:

What is a blood covenant?

What is its purpose, and why is the topic of covenant relationship often neglected by the Body of Christ?

What defined the covenant between God and Israel in the Old Testament?

How is the blood covenant of the New Testament better than the Old Testament?

Gaining the answers to these questions will cause new light to fill our hearts. It is a sacred subject that must daily, not rarely, occupy our hearts and minds. And having these answers will empower every believer to live in spiritual freedom and grow in their understanding of the glorious nature of covenant relationship.

A Covenent Consciousness

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The battle between David and Goliath is one of the most cherished stories in the Bible. It’s so well known that unbelievers who never attend church services can clearly give its details. Those three words are heard and consistently spoken—everywhere from Sunday church services to the world of sports. If someone faces great odds against them, it’s described as David versus Goliath. When a small, unknown sports team faces a well-equipped and highly talented one, television announcers say, David is going up against Goliath tonight! We have heard the story told since our childhood and will continue to hear it, both from the pulpit and all throughout the world.

First Samuel 17 presents the story that has inspired the faith of countless people. David arrives at the battlefront, sent by his father to deliver food for his brothers and then to return with news of their well-being. He greets them and soon witnesses the massive giant who has stood before Israel’s armies for forty days, boldly taunting them as he longs for a soldier brave enough to fight him. Goliath’s defiance and pride rise to new heights with each passing day. Ultimately, he promises that every Philistine soldier, including himself, will become Israel’s servants if anyone can defeat him, but if he prevails, Israel must become their servants. And with such a vast consequence at stake, King Saul and all of Israel’s soldiers are paralyzed with fear.

Throughout years of sermons, we are always told of David’s strong faith—his bold declaration that this giant is no different from the lion and bear he killed while watching his sheep. David displays this confidence when he runs to King Saul, telling him not to worry because he will go fight Goliath. This young shepherd is certain that the proud Philistine soldier who constantly mocks the God of Abraham will surely die.

But for as long as we have heard this story of mighty faith preached, from our earliest years in Sunday school until today, some questions still go overlooked and need to be answered:

What was the source of David’s mighty faith?

What sparked the boldness in this shepherd boy to be braver than any experienced soldier in Israel’s army, and even King Saul?

How could David’s faith see no difference between battling Goliath and both the lion and bear?

Finally, what drove David to tell Goliath that he would be defeated and then run toward the giant?

If we focus in and look closer at the story than we normally do, the answer is seen in 1 Samuel 17:26, when David asks the soldiers around him one simple question: Who is this uncircumcised Philistine? The moment this question was spoken, we have an open view into David’s heart and mind, and we discover the key for his mighty faith—a covenant consciousness!

Circumcision was the sign of Israel’s covenant relationship with Jehovah. David stood in unshakable faith and defeated Goliath because he possessed a sharp understanding that he had a blood covenant with God and Goliath didn’t! Once he laid his eyes on the strong, experienced Philistine, his first response was not about his height, strength, or ability, but that Goliath had no blood covenant!

This consciousness was deeply rooted in David’s heart. It was the lens he looked through when he first saw Goliath. His covenant consciousness set him apart from the lowest soldier in the army all the way up to King Saul. But without this consciousness, David would have approached the battlefield and acted as fearfully as the rest of the soldiers. Goliath’s size and skill would have struck fear in his head. Instead of courageously defeating the giant, he would have become as timid as everyone else, wondering if anyone in the army would dare to fight. And ultimately, this amazing story of faith might have had a different hero.

This consciousness was the key to his victory over