I want to begin with a little story that was shared by missionary, Reinhard Bonnke....
A man had a 2-story house. He heard a knocking, opened the door, and found Jesus there, so he invited Him to live in the house and gave Him room in the top floor. The man was sleeping and heard a pounding on the door, opened the door a *.......crack and the devil barged in. He had a terrible fight, trying to resist the devil and his temptations, yelling out for help all the time. Eventually, he managed to throw the devil out. In the morning, he said, "Why didn't you help me last night, Jesus? Jesus answered, "You've got this whole big house to yourself, and I've only got one room." The Man said "Well then, You can have the whole top floor, and I'll keep the bottom floor." The man was sleeping and heard a pounding on the door, opened the door a crack and the devil barged in again. He had another terrible fight, eventually, he managed to throw the devil out. In the morning, he said, "Why didn't you help me last night?" Jesus said "The problem is, I have the top floor, but you still have the bottom floor all to yourself." The Man said, "Ah, I see what you mean. From now on, the whole house is yours." That night, the man was asleep, and there was a pounding at the door again. This time Jesus went to the door, opened it wide, and stood in the doorway. The devil looked at Him, bowed very low and said, "I'm sorry, but I think I knocked on the wrong door."
My title today comes from 1 John 3:8 “He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
We all can see around us plenty of evidence that the Devil has been knocking on a lot of doors. But God goes further than answering the door, He came to destroy the works of the devil... look at....
Deuteronomy 12:2 “You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree”. Not only is God saying to destroy the works of the devil. He’s saying to destroy all evidence that he ever was there! Destroy the evidence, so there is nothing he could point to and use to pull anyone back into it...
Deuteronomy 12:3 “You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place”.
Now, please know that I’m not advocating that we get violent, and start tearing down strip joints, marijuana houses, gang headquarters, and other places of satanic activity, but there is something we can do....
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds of the enemy.
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Why would God give us a full suit of spiritual armor and a sword and shield, if we weren’t to do in our day what God commanded His people to do in their day?..... eliminate every trace and all evidence of Satan’s workings.
A little elderly Christian lady was asked, “Does the devil ever trouble you about your past sins?” She answered, “Yes, I’m sure I’m no different than anyone else.” When the inquirer asked what she did about it, she replied, “Oh, I just tell him to go east.” “What do you do if he comes back?” “Well then I tell him to go west.” “And when he comes back from the west, what do you do then?” She said, “I just keep him going from the east to the west. Because Psalm 103:12 says “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
So my question is, why would God tell us to do something that we would not be able to do! Do you understand that God gives us the same armor that He uses to defeat the devil? Didn’t He say in the Word, Put on the whole armor of God.... not just any armor, but the armor of God!
In the book of Isaiah 59:17, we are told, “He put on righteousness as His breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head”
Deuteronomy 33:29 “Blessed are you, O Israel, Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, Who is the shield of your help, And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places.”
Psalm 45:3 Gird Your sword on Your thigh O God, O Mighty One, In Your splendor and Your majesty!
Deuteronomy 32:41 If I sharpen My flashing sword, And My hand takes hold on justice, I will render vengeance on My adversaries, And I will repay those who hate Me.
So God allows us to fight with the same weapons which He fights with. Have you thought about exactly what Gideon was saying when He was speaking courage into his small army of 300 who were facing an enemy of more than 135,000? Look at it...
Judges 7:20 And the three companies (of 100 each) blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon”.
Gideon is making sure that everyone knows that the sword which will win the battle is the sword of the Lord. Gideon and his troops are the power on earth that by faith and obedience releases the powers of heaven into the earth. God is the conqueror and they are more than conquerors because they get to enjoy the blessings of the victory which God accomplished.
If Gideon were in the new testament, He would be saying “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”
Notice that Gideon and his army are only taking back what the enemy had taken from them. When God gives you something, and the enemy steals it, it doesn’t mean that it is no longer yours! It’s still yours, even if it’s in the enemies hands...
I want us to make 7 declarations about taking back what the Devil has stolen...We declare in the Name of Jesus…
1. The favor of God in my life restores everything the enemy has stolen from me according to Exodus 3:21 “I will grant you such favor in the sight of the enemy that when you leave, you will go forth in abundance. 2. I am expecting great victories in the face of great impossibilities according to Joshua 11:20 “For it was [the purpose] of the LORD to harden their hearts, to fight against us, so that they would be no more as the Lord commanded.” 3. I have found the thief, and he must restore to me seven times what he has stolen, Proverbs 6:31 “When the thief is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house”. 4. I am pursuing total restoration of my money, time, opportunities, health and relationships, and I will, without fail, recover all 1 Samuel 30:6 “David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 18 and David recovered everything that had been taken... 19 Nothing was missing and David brought everything back”. 5. I am the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. I expect blessings to chase me down and overtake me. Every tongue that rises against me shall fail. No weapon formed against me, my finances, my health, my family or my ministry will ever prosper. Deuteronomy 28:13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the Words of the Lord your God that He gives you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom”. 6. God is turning my situation around right now. As I obey Him and praise Him with a grateful heart, my faith and trust in Him is opening the door for a total and complete restoration of everything that has been stolen. Romans 8:28 “And I know that in all things God is working for my good because i love him, and I am called according to His purpose in all things”. 7. I am more than a conqueror! I am not only recovering everything that has been stolen from me, but I am going to a new level beyond what was stolenin Jesus’ Name . Romans 8:37 “For in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I know, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor any power, can separate us from the love of God.”
I got excited when I began to see that God not only allows us to overcome the enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy, but He destroys all the evidence that Satan would try to use against us. I hope this gets you as excited as it made me!
This is the scripture in Matthew, which finds Jesus in the garden praying. You recall, that He had told the 12 to watch and pray, and when He checked on them, they were fast asleep. He told them “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”.... that was an exhortation for all of us....Then we see Jesus praying with such fervor that His sweat became drops of blood, and in His humanity, He cried out, “ If it be possible, let this cup of suffering pass from me, but nevertheless, not my will but thine be done”..... Certainly a prayer we should all pray daily....
We pick this up in Matthew 26: 47 While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the man, arrest Him.” 49 Going straight to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50 “Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you came for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him. 51 Seeing this, Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.”
Why did Jesus heal the high priest’s servant’s ear? Because what Peter did in cutting off the ear, could have caused him to be executed, and ended his life and ministry. So Jesus had to get rid of the evidence that could have been used to convict Peter, and allow the enemy to end his ministry. If the high priest were to go before Pilate and accuse Peter, he would have no proof at all! Not even a scar remained on the servant’s ear. That is so powerful, because that’s what Jesus did for each one of us!
I’m reminded of my son Chris’s tonsils which were constantly infected and swollen. I had a visiting minister, who I had known for many years, in our service. He had finished speaking and then asked Winnie if she had a son that was present. She went out and got Chris from the boys group, (it was Wednesday night) He came in and the minister prayed for Him. He made a huge GULP, and said that he had swallowed his tonsils. We checked with a flashlight, and sure enough they were gone. Years later in his forties, he went to a doctor for a throat problem, and the doctor asked who did his tonsils, because he had never seen an extraction with absolutely no scar.... Hallelujah!
When I received Jesus, He took all the evidence that Satan could use to convict me, torment me, and destroy me, and eliminated it with His blood.
So, when Satan and his demons come around looking for something to use to lay sickness, accusations, and destruction on you, He can’t find any evidence to use, if you have repented and put it under the blood.
Colossians 2:10 “And you are made complete in Christ, who is the head of all principality and power. 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which could be used to accuse us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross. 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it”.
He put everything that could be used against us, out of the reach of Satan, and posted a “No trespassing” around it..... So when Satan comes around with anything of your past to try and accuse you... Tell him to get lost, because there is no evidence that He can use to prove any of it! Jesus took our place, He took my injustice, He took my guilty plea and paid the price so I could go free... He hung on the cross in my place, He died so I could live, then He rose from the grave triumphing over death, so that I can triumph over the grave, The tomb is empty, which means the grave can not hold us!
We have the righteousness of Christ, the life that we now live we live by the faith of Christ, we overcome because He overcame. We don’t just live a physical life, but we now live a spiritual life that is eternal, for we live by His eternal spirit in us!
The apostle Paul, in the scriptures, states that salvation is by faith alone. But the apostle James states that faith without works is of no value..... And yet there is no contradiction in the two... because when the Apostle Paul speaks about justification by faith alone, He’s speaking of salvation. When the apostle James speaks of justification by our works, he is speaking of justifying our faith to our fellow man….he is talking about making our faith visible to other people so they may see and believe. Sowhat both are saying is correct.
It was the apostle Matthew who said “men do not light a candle, and put it under a basket, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house”. The Christian author, Winkie Pratney once said, “If you were accused of being a Christian, and they brought you to trial, would there be enough evidence to convict you”. Good works won’t save anyone, but works are the evidence of our faith in Christ.
Paul and James use Abraham as a reference....Abraham is already justified by believing and trusting God, but when he waswilling to sacrifice his only son Isaac, he put works with his faith, and demonstrated his faith to his fellow man by his obedience to God.
Just as the cross has a vertical and horizontal expression, in like manner, our salvation has a vertical expression to God, and a horizontal expression which can be seen by our fellow man. God knows our hearts, but people around us need evidence of our faith by our works.
Someone once said that faith is like calories, you can’t see them, but you can sure see their results when they’re in you!”
My wife knows that I love her, but if she doesn’t regularly see evidence of my love by my actions, she will wonder if I’ve fallen out of love with her..... So, speaking of showing your faith by your works, There was a young man who was an engineer ..... he was sent to Ireland by his company to work in a new electronics plant. It was a two-year assignment that he had accepted because it would enable him to earn enough money, to marry his long-time girlfriend. She had a job near her home in Tennessee, and their plan was to save enough money and put a down payment on a house when he returned, and have the wedding. They corresponded often, but as the lonely weeks went by, she began expressing doubts in her letters as to whether he was being true to her or not. She expressed concern that he was a single man exposed to lots of young attractive Irish ladies. The young engineer wrote back, declaring that he was paying absolutely no attention to the local girls. "I admit," he wrote, "that sometimes I’m tempted. But I fight it..... I’m keeping myself for you." In the next mail, the engineer received a package. It contained a note from his girl and.... a harmonica......."I’m sending this to you, so you can learn to play it and have something to take your mind off those girls." The engineer wrote back, "Thanks so much, my darling, for the harmonica. I’m practicing on it every night and thinking of you." At the end of his two-year stint, the engineer was transferred back to his company headquarters. His fiancé had her whole family with her as he stepped off the plane, but as he rushed forward to embrace her, she held up a restraining hand and said sternly, "Just hold on there a minute, Billy Bob. Before any serious kissin’ and huggin’ gets started here, play me a song on the harmonica I sent you!"
Jesus doesn’t have a branch of Christianity called the “Secret Service”.. We are all part of God’s light brigade!
Because Jesus took your place, God sees you as His child, you are part of His family, and you have His life residing in you and guiding you.
You are a new creation, You are made complete in Him, You are God’s masterpiece (you’re one of a kind), You are made righteous, You are dearly loved by God, You are forgiven of all your sins, You are redeemed and freefrom the curse of the law, You are blessed, You are chosen, You are called, You are more than a conqueror, You are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, You are being changed into His image, You are healed by Hisfinished work, You are free from condemnation, You are a citizen of heaven, You are free from the law of sin and death, You are reconciled to God, You are joint-heirs with Christ, You are the recipient of grace, You are dead to sin, it has no authority over you, You are one with Christ, You are strong in the Lord, You are victorious, You are never, ever alone, You are sealed by the Spirit, You are God’s possession!.... I hope I didn’t wear you out, but that’s only part of the list!!
I would like to ask in closing, that we pray the prayer of Paul which he sent to the church of Ephesus.....
Ephesians 3:14 “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passes all knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that is now workingin us. 21 Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen”.
What a prayer.... but before we go our separate ways....
This prayer is for those who have received Christ as savior and lord. Have you received Him? You can take your rightful place among all those we have been talking about today, by simply praying in your heart with me, “Lord Jesus, thank you for bearing my sins on the cross, and for taking my judgment, so I can receive Your forgiveness and eternal life. Thank you for making me your child, and placing your spirit within me. I make you my savior and Lord, Thank you in Jesus Name!
We have seen many healed, and set free, so if you need special prayer, please reach over to someone near you we will come into agreement with you, and believe with you for what Jesus has promised is yours.....
So often, the inner longings we have and the restlessness we feel, spring out of a deep sense within ourselves that we were meant for more, that we are capable of more, gand that we don’t have to sell ourselves short or come short of our greater purpose that was planned for us by the Father….The restlessness may be telling us something, and if we listen, we will see that it’s time to grow, time to go higher, time to operate in a new realm of blessing, where we have not occupied before...
As kids, we used to play a game called “What if”. It was like spin the bottle. We would sit in a circle with our cousins, and each one of us would take a turn, and when the bottle pointed at one of the cards in the circle, everyone would shout, “What If”, then, we would read the “What if” card, which would ask questions like...”What if you became a millionaire, what is the first thing you would buy?.... Or what if you were married, how many kids would you have? or what if you graduate from college, what degree would you have, what will you do for a living, and where would you choose to live?.....What car will be your first car? Etc. So let’s play “What if”... What if, we saw God’s purpose and destiny within us, as much bigger and more powerful than the fear, the intimidation, the insecurity and poor self image we have?
What if we knew it was impossible to fail? What if God’s blessings on our lives were more powerful than the enemy’s attempts to cheat us out of it?
What if the things God has promised in scripture really do come true, and we can live in that kind of blessing!?
Usually life will divide you up and spread you out, so that you are pulled like taffy, by the many things that are all running in a hundred directions. And they all want to keep you from your central purpose....
*........But what if there were deeper and stronger values thatwould allow you to grab on to these threads, running everywhere, and weave them together to one point in a single direction, to bring you to that amazing place you always knew was there for us, that place you were always meant to be at. The place you were designed for.... Don’t judge your purpose by where you are now and by what’s happening now. You’re still becoming and you’re still transforming… All the possibilities are still in front of you...Keep believing, keep hoping... When you give up, and quit, there will always be a part of you that never quite feels satisfied and fulfilled. You’ve had a glimpse of a better life. You’ll keep asking yourself questions such as “What if I had stuck it out?” That’s called the “fragmented syndrome” and each time you quit, you become more fragmented... each time you quit, fragmentation takes place...till you don’t know who you really are any more....Satan’s strategy is to divide and conquer...Pieces of yourself have been left here and there, till you are no longer able to live 100% in the moment you’re in....
The good news is that God can put us together again. ISAIAH 42:3 “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not put out. In faithfulness He will complete it.” If you’re breathing, that’s the God life in you, and you can still make it!7
God has a dream, custom made for you. That dream comes to bring you to your destiny and provide a path so that you can find a way to achieve your new reality…. What if the things you enjoy doing, are inside of you in order to put you on an unavoidable path to the gifts, the resources, the people, and the new beginning that areyours and yours alone…. What if the things that are constantly racing in and out of your life are not random at all, but intentional and part of a higher plan…
John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
What if, There is nothing in our lives that is by accident…
What if, You have been through the experiences you’ve been through, as part of His master plan . You don’t live where you live and work where you work, and shop where you shop, and know who you know… by accident!!
Down deep inside, if we will take the time to process it, we willsee that we are part of something far greater, bigger and more encompassing than ourselves and much bigger than whateverplace we find ourselves, at this point in our journey…
May you each receive the blessing of your greater purpose....
I heard Charles Swindoll say “We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it”. And so it is with everyone... we are in charge of our own what ifs”.
Karate and Judo are marshal arts, which utilize the principal of using the force that was intended to be against you, and redirecting it for your own purposes. It redirects the energy for your benefit!
Joseph said, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good”!
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
THE FIERY TRIALS OF LIFE ARE BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE… THE FIRE BECOMES AN OPPORTUNITY TO BURN OUT ALL THE UNNECESSARY STUFF, CLEAN OUT THE CLUTTER, AND REVEAL DOORS YOU WEREN’T READY TO GO THROUGH BEFORE… AND FORCES YOU TO BUILD SOMETHING NEW.....
Proverbs 17:3 The firing pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD tries the hearts.
Not only is high temperature necessary to strengthen metal but it is necessary to increase its value. But to hay, wood and stubble, the fire comes to consume it.
If we build with valuable materials, that value will only increase. But if we build with inferior materials, they will be consumed by the same fire which increases the value of the other....
A certain man had planned well, and built his life with value and biblical principles. He had become a millionaire, but His brotherhad lost everything, so he decided that he would help his brotherto help himself. So he hired him to build him a 15 room mansion, complete with horse stables, pools and a golf course. The man went to work and after a while, he realized that his brother was not inspecting his work, so he started cutting quality, using cheaper and cheaper materials, but charging full price. He used cheap lumber, cheap wiring, cheap installations, cheap unskilled labor, and after some time had passed, which was way too long, he notified his brother that it was time to turnover the keys to his new home. It looked good on the surface, but it was not built to last. They gathered for the joyful event, and when the time came for the owner to turn the key and walk into his new home, he turned to the builder and said, “This is not my home you were building, but this is my gift to you. You were building your own home.
We can’t take shortcuts on the home we are building, because we will have to live in it when it is all done.
1 Corinthians 3:10 “According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a master builder I laid the foundation, and others will build upon it. But let each one be careful how and what he builds”.
We must always remember that we are blessed to be a blessing.... May each of you receive the blessing of being a good builder....
And sometimes, that may not look like winning, but I’ll tell you what it does look like... It looks like finishing well. IN MEXICO CITY IN THE 1968 OLYMPICS THERE WAS A TANZANIAN LONG DISTANCE MARATHON RUNNER NAMED JOHN STEPHEN AKHWARI. John never won a gold, silver or bronze metal and he was not used to the high altitude and he started cramping. 18 of 75 starters quit in the first half of the race. AND NOT MANY COULD TELL YOU WHO WON THE MARATHON THAT DAY…
But I can tell you this..... The high altitude cramps never stopped John, he kept on running. There was an accident as several runners collided and fell. John was knocked down. He had a serious gash to his knee, his hip was badly bruised and John hurt his shoulder against the blacktop.
Others limped off the course, but John continued to run. He allowed some first aid and then continued running (limping) the rest of the way. When John entered the stadium the crowd was gone. He finished last, several hours after the applause for the winners, the crowd had left. JOHN STEPHEN AKHWARI become the hero of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics not because he won, but because he never quit. John was asked WHY? WHY DIDN’T YOU QUIT? He replied: I DID NOT COME TO THIS RACE TO JUST REPRESENT TANZANIA. My country sent me thousands of miles to finish the race that I started. John inspired thousands that day, and defined what a hero looked like. JOHN was called a winner, not because he finished first, but it was how he ran the race, and he finished the race he started.
Never give up on yourself or another person. Never let your past determine your future. You might feel TRAPPED because of what happened in the past, but maybe God has raised you up for such a time as this. You are not trapped in that mess. Your mess is a great opportunity to help others with what you learned there, You might be the only one standing between another person and hell. This problem, those trials, that fear, the hurt, the bitterness, the suffering, the pain, is needing a hero, who may not be the fastest runner, or the most talented, but this is an opportunity for the finishers....
Do I have some finishers in the house....
2 Timothy 2:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily hinders, and let us run with endurance the race set before us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart and fail to finish”.
May each of you receive the blessing of the finisher!
We are living in the realm of Divine Possibilities and I would like for us to consider a very important area for those that follow Jesus. It seems we hear so much today about generational curses and I would not discount that reality. But what about the fact that we are also living in the time of generational blessings....
Since we’ve been dealing with the “What if’s” of life.... What if we, yes you and me, were to set in motion generational blessings upon those who will be coming after us, to get them started right?
God had all His founding fathers set this in motion... Abraham, Isaac, Jacob....all blessed their family members and it effected their future generations for a long time to come.
Winnie and I spoke blessings over all our children.... and Ibrought the blessing I spoke over our grandson Pepper when he entered the ministry.... This is the “Pepper blessing”.... (has a ring to it doesn’t it)
“It is with steadfastness that I pray God’s richest blessing upon you, that you would have freedom of the Spirit, and that your message and your presentation, would come forth with power, so that the Lord would be magnified and glorified. To the end, that God’s will should be accomplished and that the hearers would have clarity in their purpose and their deportment. My prayer is that the safety and protection, physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally, which comes through personal obedience, would shield you from the accuser of the brethren, and his weapons of discouragement, fear, intimidation and disorientation. May it also be as Paul requested in 2 Thessalonians 3:2, “pray…that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men.” I Pray especially for God to protect all those who are dearest to you – your sweet family, your ministry team, and those you turn to for counsel and encouragement. I pray that you would use your influence well, as you affect the lives of others by the calling that is upon you, as you fulfill God’s mandate anywhere and everywhere that may be. I pray for each divine appointment and connection which is ordained in your journey, and for insight and perspective to discern the timing and importance of each. May your words have clarity and impact, seasoned with grace and levity. Let humility be woven into it all and mercy where mercy is appropriate and needed. May the abundant supply of the Spirit, be the resource within you, as you confront the dilemmas which surely will come and which will defy solution… The answer is within you, for He is the way, the truth and the life…. Philippians 1:19, “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” It is my prayer that you would always know and be confident that in every situation you face, “All things are working together for good, as you put the Lord first”… I pray that you would always be a person of vision, because there are so many things that would seek to mire you down, and be as quicksand which would pull you into it’s vortex. Please know that in those times, there are many who are holding up your hands and releasing you to run with the message and see the vision fulfilled…. When all is said and done, May your life, your calling and your family be blessed”…. In Jesus Name.
I have read this, to encourage each of you to write a blessing for you family, and mail it or give it to each family member!
Satan wants to set in motion generational curses, but let’s take proactive measures and block it with blessings....
Find time to sit down and write it out, and then declare it!
Release God’s Divine possibilities that bring freedom, releaseand restoration.
A famous painter in Paris saw a beggar on the corner below his window, dressed in rags, who was there every morning. He decided to paint him. Some time later, when the painting was finished, he went down and brought the beggar up to view the painting. When he lifted the cover from the painting, the beggar was shocked, for he was looking at himself dressed in a fine tuxedo, with a monocle, a gold watch chain hanging from his vest pocket, an ivory cane with gold handle, and expensive leather shoes... When he was able to speak, He said, “If that’s who you see me to be, then that’s who I will be”! There are people waiting for someone to see what they can be, if given hope, support, belief in their potential, and encouragement....
I checked the definition of “Blessing” The blessing is to invoke Divine Care. To hallow or consecrate by declaration. To confer happiness and prosperity upon someone. To protect and preserve. To endow with and confer favor upon.
Numbers 23:20 “I have received a command to bless what He has blessed, and I cannot change it”.
OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD RELEASES THE BLESSING.
Genesis 22:17 “In blessing I will bless them and in multiplying I will multiply your offsprings as the stars of heaven 18 And in your offsprings shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed My voice”.
ISAAC PASSED ON, HIS FATHER ABRAHAM’S BLESSING.And this is a wonderful example for the father’s blessing......
Genesis 27:22 And his father Isaac said unto him, Jacob, Come near now, and kiss me my son. 27 And he came near, and kissed him, and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed: 28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. 29 Let the people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curses thee, and blessed be he that blesses thee.
THE BLESSING WILL SUSTAIN US THROUGH HARD TIMES!
Joseph was hated, thrown in the pit, sold to slavery, thrown in jail... But the blessing was still there upon him...
Genesis 39:2 And the blessing of the Lord was WITH JOSEPH, and he was a prosperous man...
Genesis 39:3 And his Master saw that the Lord was blessing him...
Genesis 39:5 --- that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house, and over all that he had, for Joseph’s sake; and the blessings of the Lord was upon all ...
Genesis 39: 21 And the Lord was WITH JOSEPH and showed him mercy .
Genesis 39: 23 --- because the blessing of the Lord was WITH HIM, and that which he did, the Lord blessed it to prosper...
DIVINE MIRACLES AND POSSIBILITIES ARE IN THE BLESSING.
Deuteronomy 28: 2 And all these blessings shall run after you, and come upon you, and overtake you, in the way you go, if you hearken unto the voice of the Lord your God.
LET’S BREAK DOWN The Blessing of Deuteronomy....
1. God will Bless your city, and bless your field.
2. God will Bless the fruit of your body, and increase your substance.
3. God will Bless your income and your storehouse
4. God will Bless you coming in, and bless you when you go out.
5. God will Bless you when your enemies arise, they will flee 7 ways
6. God will Bless all that you put your hand forth to do,
How many could handle some of that!!!
YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OUTBLESS GOD.
Malachi 3:9 “If you withhold your tithe, then you have robbed me.10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be enough in My house, and prove Me now with the tithe, saith the Lord of host, IF I WILL NOT OPEN YOU THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN, AND POUR YOU OUT A BLESSING, that there shall not be room enough to receive it”.
How many notice that the act of tithing is an act of releasing blessing beyond what you can contain.... It releases overflow blessings....for you and your household.
So we see again that when we live our lives to bless those around us, we step over into a supernatural dimension and we launch into the realm of Divine Possibilities where God’s blessings flow and overwhelm every obstacle, every barrier, every impossibility we can imagine.
Revelation 7:12 Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, And honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
There is no end of the possibilities for those who understand thepower of blessing the Lord, You can’t bless God without getting blessed. Remember that one of the definitions for blessing, is “To hallow or consecrate by declaration”.
It is from this position of all that we have received, that lead me to write down “Who I am” because of God’s blessing. The Joy of the Lord is my decision, The love of God is my reason
Redemption is my new attitude, Peace is my habitation
Hope is my new direction, Patience is the path that I choose
Faith is my declaration, God’s Word is my new reality
Jesus is my abundant life, Victory is my present position. (Hallelujah)!
I was going to do this last week, but I ran out of time.....I want everyone to speak a closing blessing today over someone, so find someone to speak a blessing over now.....Let’s speak the blessingtogether...
”The blessing of the Lord be upon you, may good news be yours. God is with you, and His reward is with Him. May He lead you in the paths of understanding, wisdom, knowledge and enlightenment. May your strength be renewed, and your health be established. May you soar in your purpose and walk in His image. May God’s name be on your children. May you always walk in Divine Possibilities. May the God that gives the increase prosper you with what He can trust you with. May you always see that there is a miracle in every problem. May you never be limited by failure and disappointment and negative words. May your enemies never steal your joy and happiness.May your dreams be launched in the power of the Omnipotent.And may you recognize that by the blessing, you are walking on Holy Ground. May great expectations of the blessing of revival refresh you daily. May all things come together for your good, and may you receive all things that God has planned for you to enjoy. The Lord blessyou and keep you, the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord place His grace and mercy on you and give you peace. In Jesus Name, Amen”
In Jesus mighty name, Let the blessing fall and let the blessing flow thru us and into generations to come, that our children and our children’s children, may bless and be blessed, Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord!
God did not create us to have a religious experience, but to rule with Him for all eternity, out of relationship with Him....Religion came as a result of sin.. If you search In Genesis 1 & 2 you will find no religion in those chapters. And yet God still says “This is very Good.”
Religion was created in Genesis chapter 4, where the first religious activity that is recorded, resulted in the building of an altar, by Cain and Able. (By the way, that’s where the first murder also occurred) There is no record of Adam and Eve singing in the garden, praying in the garden, or fasting in the garden... there was no Apostle, Bishop, prophet, evangelist, or pastor, and yet God still said “This is very Good”!
You see, Religion was not God’s first and best plan, but it was a contingency plan to.get us back to Genesis 1 & 2, where they walked and talked with God on a face to face basis, like I’m talking to you now. So Genesis 1 & 2 are God’s perfect will forman. Chapter 3 is when they exerted their will over the will of God, and gave Satan the authority that God had given to them. Satan was not a snake until after he tempted Adam and Eve, then he was cursed to crawl on the ground. Until this moment, he was gorgeous. Which of you women would be attracted by a snake!!? So then, chapter 5 up to Revelation 21, the end of the book, is God’s program to get us back to a face to facerelationship with Him, once again, forever. It has always been about that.... Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, and after our likeness...” Image means moral and spiritual nature, and the Characteristics of God.....God had to use Himself as the material to form His moral and spiritual nature and characteristics in them..... Just dirt, and gases, and other molecules wouldn’t accomplish thatobjective.....
When God made mankind in His likeness, that didn’t mean to look like God, but to function like God....So to understand how we as human beings are supposed to function, we have to study, and really get to know GOD! He put a piece of Himself in the Humans He created. Each of us has a spark of Divinity that must be awakened. God’s DNA stands for “God’s Divine Nature and Atributes”...
Now if something does not function, the way it was designed by it’s maker to function, then we say it “malfunctions” or it is “dysfunctional”.....
So, we understand that one of the ways that God functions is by FAITH. So if you are not functioning by faith, you are malfunctioning or dysfunctional.... When a car, or a toaster, or a refrigerator, or a person, is malfunctioning, it will eventually self destruct.... When any person begins to go against their purpose, they begin to self destruct.... That’s why the world, when left to it’s own devices, always spirals down ward.... Things don’t get newer after you buy them, they rust, and creak and groan, and begin to fall apart.... Without a “God purpose”, we do the same.... So we just said, that God operates by faith.... now listen to this...
Galatians 5:6 “If you are a follower of Christ Jesus, it makes no difference whether you are religious or not (or do religious things). All that matters is that your faith operates by love”.“God faith” functions on the platform of love....
So this tells us that we can’t function in bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, resentment, jealousy, covetousness and malice and not be dysfunctional, because these are all the opposite of faith that operates by love. Will Rogers said “Everyone is my friend until they show me that they’re not!”
So, say with me, “I forgive everyone right now, so I won’t be dysfunctional anymore. Even dead people....I forgive them all!!! They may be dead, but the hurt and the bitterness, is still alive.... Forgive all those dead folks too!! So God Faith operates by love.....
Notice another way God’s faith works.... It works by speaking! Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, and the proof of things not seen”.
In Genesis 1 everything was created by God speaking His faith.... In verse 3 “And God said”.... In verse 6 “And God said”.... In verse 9 “And God said”....Verse 11, verse 14, verse 20, verse 21, verse 26, and it was all about God speaking His faith by His words and when there was nothing, it became the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.....God said, and spoken out into the nothingness and formed what was by faith words!
Jesus said in speaking to all who would believe on Him... Mark 11:22 “Have the faith of God”. Then in Galatians 2:20 Paul said, “The life I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God”....,
Then God, speaking the substance of His faith, said “ Let us make man in our image” ... Let us make a faith speaking human that operates by Love, like Us....God took a selfie, and it was intended to be us!
That means that what you have become now, good or bad, you ordered it and it became the substance of either your function or your disfunction!!!!
Listen to how this God faith operates.... Isaiah 58:8 “Let the sick say, I am healed”.....Joel 3:10 “Let the weak say I am strong”...You see it here, that God’s faith was a speaking faith... Let me hear you say it with me.... “I am strong, I am healed, I am whole.... now by that 3rd part, I hope you started feeling it!!!!
That’s God’s faith, that’s not disfunction, that’s God’s likeness and His image coming forth in His kids!! The power here is not just in the speaker, but in the God who comes into agreement with us when we say what He says! We come into agreement with what God says and righteousness happens, justice happens, happiness, peace, joy, harmony, and heaven come to earth, happens.
1 Corinthians 2:9 “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him”—verse 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” So you can see that the God faith operates on the platform of love....
God is not walking around worried for a minute! “Oh my, what am I going to do now” Where am I going to get the money. What will ever become of me now? ... Can you see God wringing His hands, and pulling His hair out! No.... Because He doesn’t allow any disfunction in Himself...And we don’t have to either!
Look at this...Oh, I like this.....Job was afflicted from head to toe, with boils, and he’s sitting in an ash heap, scraping his boils and his friends are accusing him of doing something to deserve this, and he’s losing everything, his family, his crops, his herds, his home and his servants, all the while he’s giving glory to God. If anyone had a reason to lapse into unbelief, and get depressed it was this man..... Job 1:22 “ In all these things Job endured, he sinned not by his lips, nor spoke he any contrary thing against God” ........ Job spoke His faith, in love..... and He got 100 times more than he lost, more family, more friends, more of everything. But God allowed him to keep his nagging wife to keep him humble.....
Luke 22:25 & 26 “Most kings in this world exercise lordship over the people. But not so with you. Rather, let the great among you become as the lowest, and the leader as one who serves.”Certainly no image says it better, than the image of Jesus washing His disciples feet. Doing the task assigned to lowly servants. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this is it! Jesus operated in the God faith which functioned on a platform of love.
John Kenneth Galbraith was an economist who served under Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson. He had experienced a very difficult day, and he asked Emily, the family's housekeeper to hold all telephone calls while he took a nap. Shortly after telling her this, the phone rang. President Johnson was calling from the White House. "Get me Ken, this is President Johnson, he told her." "I’m sorry, Mr. President, but He is sleeping, and he said not to disturb him." "Well, wake him up. I want to talk to him." "That won’t be possible, Mr. President. You see, I work for him, not for you”. When Galbraith called the President back, the president could scarcely contain his pleasure. Johnson said "Tell that woman I want her here in the White House."
Because she put the one she served first even above the President.... Jesus talked about that.....Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.” How’s your addition coming along, maybe if you keep at ityou’ll start multiplying!!
God told His kids, “Be fruitful, multiply, have dominion”.... Fruit is what comes from what’s inside of you”. If you are operating in His likeness, then you’ll have something in you that will come out of you as fruit. You will never see an apple, or peach or mango tree, straining to pop out fruit....It’s the natural process of receiving the right nourishment, sunshine and rain... and it fulfills it’s purpose. I thank God for every Mango tree, fulfillingit’s purpose....Hallelujah! Then God said “Have dominion”..... This is just the opposite of barely making it, just getting by, never having enough, living from hand to mouth....
Dominion”.....involves the law of attraction.....Just like a magnet attracts metal, Things are drawn to you....instead of you chasing after things... you go out for one thing and you come back with 10. The law of Divine attraction is found in Romans 8:28 “ Hemakes all things work together for those who are called according to His purpose”....
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace (what we could never earn or deserve) abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”.
That happens when we are functioning in His purpose....
God said “Have dominion”.....that means to manage, to govern, to master, and to have authority over.... Many folks have a lot of things, but their things own them... Their things own them instead of them owning their things....
Are you leading things or are things leading you.... We have too many families where the kids are leading the parents.... and the family is dysfunctional because they’re not seeking first the kingdom, so everything else is out of order...
Watch this.....notice what’s attached to verse 8...... 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”. (As it is written, He has dispersed abroad; he has remembered the poor: his righteousness (doing the right things) remains for ever. 10 Now he that ministered seed to the sower, ministers bread for your food, and multiplies your seed sown, and increases the fruits of your righteousness (doing the right thing).” 11 And you are being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causes through us much thanksgiving to God”.
Do you see it, smack dab, in the middle of this process of provision, is the seed. You may not have what you need, but you have the seed for it.... It says “He gives bread for food and seed to sow”.. There’s seed in everything in your possession. If you don’t sow it, you’ll miss your harvest. What you sow now will be the abundance you receive later.... But right now you have it, because you have been given it in seed form..... How you sow the seed, will determine what you receive later....
There was a lady and two kids in the check out line. One was a big kid, one was a toddler. The bigger one had a pack of glow sticks and the baby was screaming for them so the Mom took some and gave him one; which stopped his crying. He started waving it, with a big smile, but then the bigger boy took it from him and the baby started screaming again. Just as the Mom was about to fuss at the older child, he bent the glow stick and handed it back to the baby. As they were finishing at the check out, the baby noticed that the stick was now glowing and his brother said "I had to break it so you could get the full enjoyment from it." Sometimes God has to let us feel the effects of our seeds of disobedience to show us His greater purpose that He created us for. We had to go through that breaking process, so we could get dissatisfied enough to then fulfill our greater purpose." That little baby was happy just swinging that "unbroken" glow stick around in the air because he didn't understand what it was created to do which was "glow" and create greater pleasure. There are some people who will be content just "being whatever”.... but we have been chosen by God for Him to shine His light through us. And if we have to at times deal with and face our dysfunctional selves, it is because He wants us to be AGLOW WITH THE KIND OF FAITH THAT WORKS BY LOVE, AND HAS LEARNED TO GOVERN AND MANAGE THE SEEDS WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN. And when it all begins to come together, then we will be able to see the reason for which we were created.. so when you see us glowing with purpose, with faith, and with love, just know that we have rediscovered our purpose, and His likeness and image are shining through us once more.....Don’t settle for whatever comes along. Select don’t settle!
OK, so God said “Have dominion”.....and this means to manage, to govern, to master, and to have authority over....and God was directing that statement at managing, governing, mastering, and having authority over the earth not each other
But what happens is the dysfunction gets in there, and we malfunction, by thinking our dominion is over one another... So, the leader, in our world view of things, is the person who dominates other people. Leaders think that they must control others, but according to God, people are off limits.... The modern world loves things and uses people, instead of loving people and using things...That’s why we don’t follow our heart, we lead our heart. God never intended for any person to dominate anyone else who was made in the image of God....There are a group of Muslim zealots, Taliban, Hamas, Hezbollah, and others... thatbelieve that women are inferior to men, and they feel that their sole purpose on earth, is to dominate other people who are not Muslim.....
Now understand that if God created you, then you have it in you,to manage, govern, master, and have authority... You just need His help in getting it out....
A bird doesn’t have to go to school to learn how to fly, flight is inside of it... A fish doesn’t have to go to class, even though they swim in schools, to learn how to swim, swimming is already inside of it... Fish were not created to be put in a bowl to be looked at.... Birds were not created to be put in a little cage for someone’s enjoyment... But people get trapped in cages of their own making and they never tap into the potential God put within them....
There are many kinds of cages.... I know many who are doves that are married to eagles, and eagles that are married to doves, and they never get along.... they fight and go at each other all the time. I’m not saying that it can’t work, but you’ve got to make it work, and understand each others strengths and weaknesses.... But no woman was made to be dominated by a man... and the other way around as well....COME ON! That gets back to using people and loving things....Amen! So don’t let marriage be a cage to your purpose....or anything else for that matter....
So, just as an oak seed doesn’t have to struggle to be a tree, the acorn has a tree in it! It just needs to find the soil, water, and light, and that tree is going to come out and grow. God put leadership in every one of us, but if we are malfunctioning, it can’t come out until we discover the truth about ourselves, andwe refuse to go back into that cage or that limiting environmentever again! Tell someone, I’m coming out! Do it again!......I’M COMING OUT!!
Because Adam and Eve let Satan in the garden, everything around them began to push them out of their rightful place, the place of leadership and image....Culture, race, position, social status, the work place, education, appearance, and so many other things, were working against them... BUT THEY ALWAYS HAD THE SEEDS OF GREATNESS WITHIN THEM... Jesus came, to restore mankind back into the likeness, and image which God intended all along. To restore what was within each of us, and redeem it and let it out...and set it free.
There is only one voice you need to believe, and that’s the one who made you... You can do what He says you can do....
Philippians 4:13 “You can do all things through Christ who gives youstrength”.
Romans 8:37 “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
One more.... John 14:20 “in that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I in you. 21 He that has my instructions, and follows them, he it is that truly loves me, and he that loves me, is loved of My Father, and I will show myself unto him.....22 and Judas said unto him, (not Judas Iscariot), Lord, how is it that You will show Yourself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 And Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves me, he will follow My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and live Our life through him”.
Wow, what could be possible in your life, if you lived, and believed, and loved, as though God was living through you!!! LISTEN, HE IS... There is greatness on the inside of every one of us.....It’s waiting to get out.....Stop praying for something you already have... The seeds of your future are in you now... WOW!Anything less is a lie....
Men and women were designed for greatness, to manage, to govern, to master, and to have authority over....the earth. The big problem we have is self doubt.... We doubt that we truly are who God said we already are. Satan played on that when He told them “God didn’t really mean what He said”.... So, their self doubt agreed with that and they lost their dominion, their likeness and their image... But faith that works by love, can get it back, by the indwelling of the one who made us in the first place, and knows what our capacity is....
Psychologist call it Identity crises. Another word for self doubt...doubt of our own ability, our own purpose, our own giftedness, so we look to be like some other person.... but they’re already taken! Get your own seat at the table.... It’s waiting for you, it was designed for you, not as a copy of someone else!
Look at this.....John 1:14 “And the Word of God became flesh and took up residence among us. And we observed His glory(His image), the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”.
Jesus came to show us the image of the Father, so we could once again know what that looked like. He was the proto type, the original, the pattern which the Father designed us to be like....
That’s what it means in Romans 8:29 “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren”. THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY... When Jesus sent out the 70, they came back rejoicing that demons and sickness and disease were subject to them, and Jesus said, Don’t rejoice that these things are subject to you, but rejoice that you have reconnected to your God given image.... Jesus was saying “This should be natural” Didn’t He say in Luke 10:9 "heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God has come you" In other words, you’re seeing what kingdom people, redeemed in God’s image, can do.....He’s saying, “This is how they operate”....
We are attracted to what we see in Jesus Christ, because it looks like what we were designed to be.... conformed to His image.....Loving, compassionate, full of faith, and dominion. Take a moment and standwith me right now.....lift your hand and see the mountains that stand in front of you, that represent all that is trying to keep you from the image God created you to be....self doubt, intimidation, fear of failure, unbelief, poor self esteem, fear of authority, fear of the future.... Come on, that’s all Satan’s strategy to keep you from stepping into your purpose, and your destiny... .Jesus told you to speak to the mountain and command it to move and be cast into the sea.... Now tell it to go....(say it, “GO”....) It’s not going to stop your God given image any longer. You are not subject to it, it is subject to you.... Now say it every morning.....say it until you get your dominion back, your finances back, your family or relationship back on track, your purpose back, and your image back....Hallelujah!
I want everyone to speak the closing blessing over someone, so find someone to speak the blessing to now.....
Here’s a blessing that you can speak over your family and friends.....I put this together as a result of my Sunday message, titled “In His Likeness” “The blessing of the Lord be upon you, may good news be yours. God is with you, and His reward is with Him. May He lead you in the paths of understanding, wisdom, knowledge and enlightenment. May your strength be renewed, and your health be established. May you soar in your purpose and walk in His image. May all things come together for your good, and may you receive all things that God has planned for you to enjoy. The Lord blessyou and keep you, the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord place His grace and mercy on you and give you peace. In Jesus Name”, Amen
I remember as a child growing up, I was always hearing my family pleading the blood. Pleading the blood over their health, their family, their finances, the attacks of the enemy, and on and on...... I have told you that Winnie puts a red cloth over our file box with all out financial records in it...The song about the plagues passing over the Jews in Gothan, but landing on all the Egyptians... says “when I see the blood, when I see the blood, when I see the blood I will pass, I will pass over you”
The blood represents life, hope, strength, power, brotherhood, renewal, new life, redemption, covenant, birthright, energy, balance, health, reconciliation, and atonement.
Blood sacrifices have been practiced in cultures and civilizations throughout history. Native Americans, the Incas and Aztec rituals involved blood sacrifices. North of the Rio Grande, many of the Natives practiced blood sacrifices. African religions and Egyptian religions employed blood sacrifices to appease their deities and obtain fruitful harvests. In Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the Greeks, the Romans, the Hindus, the Babylonians, the Canaanites, the Philistines and the Jews all practiced blood sacrifice. The First ever recorded blood sacrifice occurred around the time we refer to as the time of the beginning. The first man and the first woman, found themselves naked, because they were suddenly given something we know as a conscience, and that came as a result of sin, which was the result of eating from the forbidden tree. It probably wasn’t an apple, but then, who’s worried about facts..... It simply says “the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden”.... (I think it was a mango, because that certainly is my weakness)!!! But, this new thing, that came because of sin.....their Conscience..... let them know they were naked, and being naked was never a problem before.... Adam and Eve had no guilt before. They hadn’t sinned against God before, so there was no reason for any shame. Now that they had violated His word, they realized they had violated the trust between themselves and God.. Now that they had sinned, they were keenly aware, in their guilt and shame, that they were exposed and needed a covering. Here is where the big cover up began....Believe me, when the light breaks through, the battle gets intense! The light will bring conscience.... Genesis 3:7 “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves”. Here you have it folks, The big cover up! They tried to cover up their guilt and shame with the product of their own efforts. This was the first recorded attempt at salvation by works— They sought to be free from guilt by covering up their nakedness through their own efforts... And mankind has been trying to cover their own nakedness every since. Through religion.... (I’m talking about using religion as a cover up, instead of turning to the one that religion should be all about)..... Using good works, acts of charity, self justification, and even resorting to chemicals, and cults, and the occult, to silence the voice inside which shouts the need for a covering..... It becomes evident that their own efforts to cover ourselves can’t redeem or save them from their guilt and shame. Adam and Eve were under the penalty promised in Genesis 2:16–17, “But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”...... and they had died without realizing it—they were no longer able to enjoy the relationship with God, which they had up till that time.....that relationship had died, they were separated from Him and the relationship was severed. What’s more, now their bodies would also die because they had let death enter the planet....death was already at work and all the future generations would come under it....
God said in Genesis 3:19 “By the sweat of your brow, you will eat your food, until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” They were intended for glory and now they would just return to dust....
God did something that would continue for thousands of years.... He sacrificed animals, in order to cover these two disobedient people that He had made. The garments of skin that God Himself made for Adam and Eve and placed upon them to cover their shame required the shedding of blood and it prophesied of a greater and more permanent salvation covering that would come in the person of Jesus Christ. No matter who they are, or what they have become... everyone, everywhere is looking for and know, they need a covering. They have resorted to many things in order to cover themselves. But there is only one covering.....
One night in a church service a young woman felt her nakedness, as her sin weighed on her conscience. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman whose name was Francis, had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on, she .became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching the young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor's son, because of her zeal for God. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable to work with the children, or to be the wife of a pastor's son. The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. And she began to cry, then the pastor's son stood to speak. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife, yet to be. As he stood, his statement was this: "My fiancée's past is not what is on trial here. What you are really questioning, is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away her sin. Today you are not accusing her, you are accusing the blood of Jesus and you have put it on trial. So, the real question is, does it blot out oursins or not? We are supposed to be a church who believes that the blood has never lost it’s power!” The whole church was stunned by the truth, and began to repent, as they realized that they had been slandering and diluting the power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God, He has clothed us with righteousness, holiness, anointing, spiritual armor, and put His Spirit within us! Demons can see you coming from a distance. When you show up in their territory, there is going to be trouble with a capital T!! I’m thinking as I share this, of the night in Pottstown Pa. when several of us went out witnessing on a Christmas eve. 6 lanes of traffic on main street, sidewalks packed with joyful, excited, folks. Music blasting, and snow falling... Christmas was in the air. I was 18 and I was leading a woman in the sinners prayer, underneath a street light when this loud screaming voice trumpeted out.....GET AWAY, STAY AWAY FROM ME... DON’T COME NEAR ME, STAY AWAY FROM ME.... Over and over.... I realized that he had recognized my covering!! He knew me in the spirit, His demons recognized my Jesus! I followed as he continued to yell out across 6 lanes of traffic. At the end of the block, he turned, I crossed the street, and followed. The next block, he stopped, just staring at me.... I was praying in the spirit, and binding his demons.... I walked right up to him and said, “Hi, I’m Chuck Elliott, what’s your name? He said Bobbie, as he looked like he was going to run any second.. I said Bobbie, I’m writing your name in my bible, and I’ll pray for you every night. God loves you, and Jesus died for your sins, so you could be His child. Just call on Him and He will make you His child. With that, he ran off into the darkness... I’m believing Bobbie found Jesus because he knew that he felt and saw and heard something that night. But I’ll never forget how Bobbie taught me to be sure that I stay under the Lord’s covering...And I knew that the demons were very aware of my covering. My trust is that Bobbie became very aware that he needed a covering that night...
When you have the covering on, you act different, you talk different, and you see differently....You’re blood stained....and blood restrained!
Animal blood from millennia of sacrifices could only go so far, God Himself, knew that the final sacrifice would require that He would have to offer His own blood to finish what was started in the Garden...
God Almighty took our place in the cruel blood letting of the pretrial beating, and the crucifixion,
and it has a name.....”Propitiation”....it means to take the place of another. In this case it would be to take the judgment of another....
In the Old Testament, during the feast of atonement two rams would be brought before the priest, lots would be cast to see which ram would be sacrificed. Then the priests hands, with blood still on them, from sacrificing the other ram would be placed on the head of the ram that was spared, and it would be released to go free into the wilderness...
You and I represent the blood stained ram that was released to go free.... Free Indeed, Free Indeed!....The blood has never lost it’s power!
When Jesus became the sacrifice, He set us free, and like the ram which the priest laid his bloody hands on, we are free when the blood is applied.....He chose to share the blood of freedom, even with His enemies, those who opposed him, and those who even crucified Him.....and of course the thief on the cross beside him.
Now, we are called upon to share the blood....The priest handled the blood, and we are the priesthood of believers, who receive the blood of Jesus and share it’s power, it’s freedom, it’s cleansing, and it’s authority with our world.
Hebrews 10:19 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.”
But all that needed to be done, could not be accomplished completely on this earth. Just as the High priest sprinkled the blood of Jesus on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies... Jesus sprinkled His blood on the Heavenly mercy seat, where nothing of this world could touch or effect it.
The completion of the blood sacrifice could not be finished in this world, but had to be consummated in the heavenly realms.
The blood is our password into the heavenly Holy of Holies!! We are given entrance through our eternal sacrifice....
By this we stand separate from the world and it’ssystem... by this we see and hear, and act, and feel and are motivated by the power that is in the blood. The blood has never lost it’s power!
This week I saw a news report about two injured and dying Hamas terrorist who were brought to a Jewish hospital in Israelwhere Jews and Palestinians work side by side. Both terroristwere badly injured, but one was bleeding to death. The medical teams rushed to the aid of the two men and the doctors concluded that the one insurgent would not survive unless they could find 30 pints of blood. A call went out throughout the facility for volunteer donors with the same blood type, and dozen’s of Jews and Palestinians lined up to give blood and the terrorist’s life was saved.
As I watched that report this week I could not help but think of what Jesus has done for us? Without a covering we were enemies of God yet there was only one blood that could save us and change us from enemies to children of God. Through God’s love Jesus gave every drop of his blood, to save us. The very ones whose sins placed Him on the cross, and took His life....
Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing, that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen”.
“Hear it again....Through His blood we are equipped with every good thing that we might do His will”.....
I want us all to notice how Jesus poured out His blood.... Jesus said that no man took His life, but He willingly laid it down. So I submit, that He was in control of how He poured out His blood....It was no accident!
The first blood that Jesus shed was in the garden when He prayed so intensely that His sweat turned to drops of blood....
We can claim this provision of the blood..... This means our work, our struggles, all the stress, the attacks of the enemy through exhaustion, things that try to overwhelm us, the things that stretch us and wear us out... and the various burdens we carry..... For God has promised....“The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” ... It’s all covered by the blood....
The second blood that Jesus shed was when they beat him with clubs, with their fists, and a cat of nine tails, that ripped the flesh from His bones, and laid open His back, chest, legs and thighs....Scripture says He was so disfigured, He was unrecognizable... This blood was for every time we’ve been abused, assaulted, persecuted, slandered, accused, brought low, treated unjustly, ganged up on, and torn down.... God has promised..”You yourselves have seen what I have done, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself”.. The blood has never lost it’s power....
The third blood that Jesus shed was when they pressed the crown of thorns into His brow, His temples, and around His head..... That blood was to cover our battles with depression, fear and terror, loss of memory, battles of the mind, intimidation, when we don’t understand, and when we feel like just giving up because we see no reason to carry on... God has promised “They that wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles”.......The blood has never lost it’spower.....
The fourth blood that Jesus shed was when they drove the nails into His feet.... that blood was to cover our walk when we’re walking and our run when we are running, it covers the times we stumble and we fail, and the times we lose our motivation and stop moving forward, it covers the times when we get knocked down and don’t feel like we can get up again... But God has promised...”we shall run and not be weary, we shall walk and not faint”! The Blood has never lost it’spower!
The fifth blood that Jesus poured out was when they drove the nails into His hands....
That blood was to cover all that our hands are stretched forth to do in spite of our limitations, when our hands are too weak to do even one more thing, when our hands are lifted in praise even though our heart is breaking....when we’re helping those who don’t want to be helped....when the enemy seems to triumph no matter how we try..... God has promised...”Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, and that which is lame shall not be turned away; but rather it shall be healed”. The blood has never lost it’s power!
The sixth blood that Jesus shed was when they pierced His side with the spear.... That blood came directly from His heart.... for every heart that is broken, for every dream that has been cut short, for every time it was like a dagger being thrust in your heart, for love that was untrustworthy, unfaithful, and hurt you deeply, for times of betrayal, disloyalty, abandonment, and rejection....God has promised to be “a friend who sticks closer than a brother. For greater love has no man than to lay down His life for a friend.” The blood has never lost it’s power!
We can only come to God on His terms, and His term is through the blood of Jesus.
Adam and Eve tried to produce their own covering, but it was not acceptable. What is acceptable, is what only God can provide!
Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all”.
I would suggest a little experiment for those who are always trying to come up with another way and avoidthe blood. Just stand in front of a wall, and convince yourself that it’s just mind over matter. Convince yourself that you can walk through the wall and then just walk forwards, towards the wall with your eyes firmly shut. You will find out, after a few bumps and bruises that itjust doesn’t work. Doing it your own way is frustrating, disappointing, useless, and a big waste of time. Many have tried to get through the wall of death, and avoid the blood of Jesus. But they find it is a grave mistake....
On the other hand you could just walk over to the door, and walk right through the wall. Millions have foundthis is a lot more effective!
John 14:14 “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know. 5 Thomas said unto him, Lord, we don’t know where you are going so how can we know the way? 6 Jesus said unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man can come unto the Father, but by Me.”
I would like to have the singers come as we prepare to close....
Maybe you’ve been trying it your way... try the door, instead of the wall... The door is wide open today, all you need to do is enter in.....
We can rejoice today, that the blood has never lost it’spower
We can give Him praise, that the blood has never lost it’spower
We can give thanks, that the blood has never lost it’spower.
Song.... “It reaches to the highest mountain, and it flows thru the lowest valley. Oh the blood that gives me strength from day to day. It shall never lose It’s power....
