We must sustain the revival God has given us
God has visited us with revival this week. What is left is for us to sustain the revival that God has given us by prayer, study of the word, and righteous living.
Theme for November: Blessed to be a blessing
In the month of November, we want to do two things. First, we are talking on the blessings of God and we will pray towards the December 7 elections. As we talk on the blessings of God, it will take us to November 29 when we will take our mega offering in appreciation of what God has done and to continue financing our projects.
Our theme for November is “Blessed to be a blessing.” Our theme scripture is Genesis 12.1-3. Today, I want to give an introduction to this scripture and, as we go on in the month, we will delve deeper into it.
The scripture has to do with Abraham’s encounter with God and his call. God wanted a nation through whom he would reach out to the whole world. Through his will and purpose, he called Abraham and set him apart for this purpose. Hence, there are two important issues I want us to note for our study this month. The first is the command to get out while the second is the promise that God gave to Abraham.
1. The command to get out
It was not a simple thing for Abraham to leave his father’s house and go to a country he did not know. God was yet to show him the land so he had to confront the challenge of leaving a familiar place to an unknown place.
2. The promise God gave to Abraham
God said he would bless him and make his name great so that he would be a blessing. One of the implications of this is that God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others. When God blesses you, he doesn’t do it so you will be selfish and proud. Rather, he wants you to be a blessing unto his church and other people. In other words, one the reasons God blesses us is for us to be a blessing unto others. So, if God has blessed you with a ministry, it is not just for you but for you to be a blessing to others. If it is a gift, knowledge, or money, it is all to be a blessing to others.
The child of God is already blessed
If you study the scriptures, especially the New Testament, it shows clearly that the child of God is already blessed. God has already blessed us. Ephesians 1.3 says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” (ESV)
The father of our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed us already with every spiritual blessing. I want this to sink into your spirit that as you walk in the streets of Accra you are a blessed child. These blessings he has given us are in Christ Jesus. Outside of him, we cannot get these blessings. Because we are united with Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing. Romans 6.5 says we are united with Christ. There is no separation between us and him. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing because we are united with Christ. We carry something the world doesn’t have.
God’s desire to bless is expressed in the priestly blessing
It is the pleasure of God to continue blessing us on a daily basis. It is his delight to release blessings on his children on a daily basis. So, in the book of Numbers, he specifically instructed the priests to pronounce blessings on the people (Numbers 6.23-27). And today, I stand behind the altar of God to pronounce the blessings of God unto you that the Lord bless you and keep you. May his countenance shine upon you. May he be gracious to you. May he lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. May you see the grace of God following you. May you be a carrier of the peace of God. It is his pleasure to bless his church. I declare blessings upon the church in the name of Jesus. You are blessed and cannot be cursed. Any curse without a foundation cannot stand. Your head shall be blessed. Your hands shall be blessed. Your feet shall be blessed. So, wherever you go will be blessed.
To be blessed is to be filled with benefits
For me, one of the components of the blessings of God is to be filled with benefits. To say that “God has blessed me” is to say that he has given you some benefits. Our salvation is priceless. It is a package which comes with other benefits. I declare that these shall be your portion. David understood this and said in Psalm 103.2 that “Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits.” He then went further to give some details of the benefits: forgiveness of iniquities, healing of diseases, redemption of his life from the pit, the crowning of his head with steadfast love and mercy. Today I stand here on the authority of the word of God to declare these words of God unto you. May the Lord bless you with forgiveness of sins. If anybody is sick here, may the Lord bless you with healing. Whatever sickness is troubling you, receive the blessings of healing. Sometimes in life you get to a point which feels like the end of the road but the Bible says he redeems your soul from the pit. If you have got to a point where you are about to fall into a pit, may your soul be redeemed from the pit and from death for the blood of Jesus is a covering upon the church, the servants of God, and the child of God. May the Lord crown you with tender mercies and love in Jesus’ name. That crown will be your glory. May your glory be restored today in Jesus’ name. He also fills our life with good things. May the Lord fill your life with good things. Some of you may have been disappointed in the year but I declare that good things are coming your way.
The Bible says in Numbers 6.27 NLT that whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in God’s name, God himself will bless them. Whenever blessings are pronounced on you form this altar it is the Lord who will bless. It is God who holds the power to bless. Thank God that this power is not with man but with him alone. Also, it is this blessing that makes one rich. Never forget that the reason God is blessing you is for you to be a blessing to others.
Main references
Genesis 12.1-3, Ephesians 1.3, Romans 6.5, Numbers 6.23-27, Psalm 103