Gtcotr/ss110809
It is my hope that after hearing today’s message you will never under estimate the power of a blessing.
In Genesis 12, when God chose Abraham to be His covenant partner, this is what God said to him:
Genesis 12
2 “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
God not only intended to bless Abraham but He also intended that Abraham be a blessing to others.
Before Abraham died he blessed his son Isaac and gave him all he had.
When Isaac was old, his son Jacob stood before him and received a blessing. Both heaven and earth honored that blessing for the rest of Jacob’s life and even until this present time.
Jacob followed the example by calling his 12 sons to his bedside before he died and there he spoke a blessing over each one of them, passing the covenant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob on through Joseph.
From Melchizedek, who blessed Abram in Genesis 14, to Simeon and Anna’s blessings of Jesus in Luke the second chapter, stories from the Bible show example after example of men and women of faith who spoke blessings over people’s lives. These Bible stories help us to understand the pattern of, and the importance of, the blessings we speak, not only over people, but also over other things as well. Such as the passage referred to in:
James 4
1 ¶ Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;
5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
There is power in what we believe and the words we speak in faith, even over the food we eat. We have the power to bless, to curse, or to let nature run its course … this is why God tells us:
Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Remember what God said to Abraham? Not only will I bless you and make you a blessing but:
Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
The words people say have the power to bless and the power to curse. Without God’s intervention, there is no telling what curses might come your way because of what others have said about you, your life, your family and your future.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me, Says the LORD.
But what about those words or judgment or condemnation or cursing which others speak against us which we do not hear? That is where we trust God to intervene on our behalf, even without us knowing about it.
Is it also possible that God sometimes intervenes on behalf of others because we have spoken ill over things pertaining to them and their future? – Words we speak which do not agree with the will of God or what God desires to happen to them. Hmmm … that puts it in a little different perspective huh? Let’s develop this thought for a moment.
James 3 NKJV
8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
This should not happen … but you, I, and James, the pastor of the first church in Jerusalem, all know it happens anyway. Believe me when I encourage you from the Word of God to watch what you say. Because what you say makes a difference.
Proverbs 18:21 ¶ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
If words work for salvation, words will work for everything.
Remember, there are three things we can do with what we believe:
1. Bless
2. Curse
3. Let Nature Take Its Course
We are admonished by the Lord to not curse others, even those who persecute us. But what about just being quiet and letting nature take its course? After all, we know the word says people will reap what they sow … won’t that just fix them and serve them right?
With Jesus as both our Lord and our Example, we should look to Him and do our best to follow what He did.
Remember those who nailed Jesus to the cross? Well, did Jesus bless them, curse them, or just let nature and the law of life take its course? What do you think? Let’s see …
Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
Jesus blessed them! The Apostle Paul also encourages us in:
Romans 12 NKJV
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
Ok, so God will get them through the law of life if we just keep silent so we can just let nature take its course … nope … not the Word. The Holy Spirit is not through with this thought … next scripture please …
20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
We are called to be active, not passive. God is not interested in people getting what they deserve, He wants them to get more of Him!
Coals of fire are not meant here as a curse, but rather a blessing. This picture is two-fold. It is the picture of lending fire and warmth to a neighbor in need who then carries it back home, across the desert, on top of his head, being warmed from it and in turn, thankful for it.
It is also the picture of the purification process in which the fire separates the dross from the silver so that the dross rises and is removed while the precious metals of kindness, goodness, and truth flow down, purifying the mind of your enemy in this case and making him think sensibly so to convict his soul and change his life. In both pictures we see the next scripture in that passage confirmed.
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
If we should neither curse our enemy nor allow the law of life to take its natural course when we are persecuted, how much more should we be conscious to bless those we love and cherish who have disappointed us?
We must take the time to bless our family, our friends, our community, our workplace, our schools, our food, and our lives with faith filled words. Words do make a difference and blessings do come true.
You can overcome evil with good … it is the way of our Lord! – People blessing people.
God told Aaron the High Priest to stand and bless His children. Let’s read that blessing from:
Numbers 6
23 This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
24 The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.
So I say to you today: Be blessed today and be careful to speak a blessing on others you meet this coming week, especially your family, your friends, and your food!
