Blessed To Be A Blessing
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!
