I recently received a monthly partner letter from Kenneth Copeland Ministries which really spoke to me about a great subject called, THE BLESSING. So, I am going to “borrow” from his message for my message. He starts by asking this question and I will also ask it of you and me, and it is this: How many times over the years have you asked yourself, why doesn’t Jesus just heal me instead of my having to go through all this sowing, confessing and standing on the Word? Why doesn’t He just do it, unilaterally?
The reason is that all that sowing and confessing and standing on the Word has to do with the law of faith. Let’s examine what James 1:6-8 has to say about it(6)But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.(7) For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.(8) A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Faith to the seed of the Word makes things in the kingdom of God grow just like water makes seeds grow in the natural. Just as natural seeds don’t grow without water, neither do spiritual seeds grow without the “water” of faith applied to the Word of God. Even things that are the will of God for your life won’t come to pass without faith being released. Having said all that, let me ask you:
Do you have faith in the name of Jesus? I’m sure you would answer, Yes.
Do you have faith in the Word of God? Again, you would say, Yes
Now, do you have faith in the BLESSING? You would probably ask, what blessing? To answer that question, let’s go to Genesis 12:1-3(1) Now the Lord said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.(2) And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.(3) And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all the families of the Earth be blessed.
Now go to Genesis 13:1-2(1) And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.(2) And Abram was very rich with cattle, in silver, and in gold.
You can see here that financial blessing was on Abram already (later God called him Abraham, meaning father of many nations).
Gen. 17:3-7 (3)And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him saying,(4)As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.(5)Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.(6)And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.(7)And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
The blessing was on Abraham by covenant of blood now; a covenant that God will never break. The same BLESSING continues on from Abraham to his son of promise, Isaac, and to Isaac's son, Jacob, and to Jacob's son, Joseph.
In Genisis chapter 37 it tells the story of Joseph's dream and his brothers rejection of Joseph and his dream. However, Joseph knew he was blessed as a boy although he didn’t use very good judgment when he told his brothers about it. His dream offended them when it revealed that their wheat shocks would bow down to his (meaning they would serve him) and they sold him into slavery to a caravan heading for Egypt. It’s interesting to note that Joseph’s brothers, being the seed of Abraham, were also in the BLESSING but they had no faith in it. Therefore it did not manifest in them. That is one of the main points of this message. IF YOU HAVE NO FAITH IN THE BLESSING IT WILL NOT MANIFEST IN YOUR LIFE. James 1:6, Let him ask in FAITH, nothing wavering. We really need to believe and be convinced, as Joseph did and most Jews today do, that we are in the BLESSING of Abraham.
Because of the blessing, Joseph had favor all the way from Potiphar’s house in Gen. 39:2, to the prison in Gen. 39:20-23, to his becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt in Gen. 41. Joseph was so blessed because he was taught to believe that Abraham’s blessing was his. We need to be taught that Abraham’s blessing is our blessing as well.
Abraham’s blessing passed on to Job and David and Solomon and to Jesus and that’s where we come in. Let’s go to Galatians 3:16: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. All the blessings Abraham are just for this purpose--to get the BLESSING to you and me. Good place to shout AMEN!
Let’s look at Galatians 3:13, 29 (13)Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.(29) And if ye be Christ’s, then are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
That means we are joint heirs with Jesus. However, we need to believe in the blessing and confess it in order for it to take place in our lives, and not be double-minded or else we will receive nothing. Faith in the BLESSING must be developed by hearing the Word of God about the BLESSING and sowing it into our hearts and releasing it by confessing it with our mouth.
When someone asks, “How are you?” We should say, “I’m BLESSED”. We could start right now by making this confession:
