You are surely blessed
This sermon is about the realization that as a child of God, you are blessed and do not know it or act it or even confess it. The Lord casts the shadow of things before they come into play. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are blessed. Imagine the word of God as reported by Balaam the prophet, Num. 22:12, “and God said unto Balaam, thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.” Israel is the shadow people of God.
The father of the Israelites was and is Abraham of God. In Gen. 12:1-3, ” Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house unto a land I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shall be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed.”
This was the word of God to Abraham and it was passed onto Isaac, Jacob and in Jesus Christ all nations of the earth including Jews and gentiles were blessed. This fulfilled the promise God gave to Abraham as a shadow, and was fulfilled at the Cross of Christ; and the full manifestation will be at the translation of the believers, amen. Then it will no more be a shadow but the real thing. The Israel of God made of all nationalities, Jews and gentiles is the real Israel by faith of Abraham through the Cross of Jesus Christ. They are blessed and you cannot curse them. The fullness of our time has not come, so beware how you deal with the Israelites of today. They are still the people of God; blindness has come upon them that we Gentiles might see and accept the cross of Jesus Christ. If you bless them you are blessed, if you curse them you are cursed.
When God blesses:
When God speaks, it stands. He told Abraham that he was blessed with his seed. After Abraham was gone God continued to remind them that the blessing he pronounced on Abraham and his seed by faith stands. When Israel was going into the Promise Land, they had lots of problems, they sinned, and their confidence was shaken a lot of times; wars all around, no certain dwelling place for over forty years. They journeyed to the Promise Land but many did not receive it or go into it. They were going to Canaan and the surrounding lands. It will be fulfilled during the millennium. But it is still a shadow of the country we and every true worshipper of the Lord have been expecting: a city where the builder and maker is God. Balak wanted Balaam to curse the children of Israel who were on their way to the Promise Land. God reminded Balaam his promise to Abraham and his seed by faith.
God backs his word:
The children of Israel were afflicted several times because of their own deeds. Sometimes they met nations that hated them, afraid of them, weakened by hearing of the mighty acts of God among the Israelites. Some of the kings and nations formed leagues like today, to destroy the people of God in every age. The children of Israel were a difficult people to rule or lead, despite the signs and wonders they saw in Egypt. Imagine all the plagues in Egypt, and the final one of the first born of man and beast dying. Give it some thought and you will surely conclude that God took them out of Egypt with a powerful hand; so powerful will it be at the translation of the church. God did more wonders outside Egypt, he divided the Red sea that the children of Israel might pass on dry land and did the same for them in crossing river Jordan. He fed them with angels’ food for forty years, there were no feeble ones, shoes did not wear out; he gave them water out of the rock that followed them and that rock was Christ. He healed those bitten by the fiery serpent because of sin; by them looking up to the image of the serpent Moses made and put on a pole as instructed by the Lord. The Lord stood by his people and his word.
Sin among the people:
The children of Israel sinned in so many ways like it happens today. Despite the signs, miracles and wonders the Lord showed, they so frequently turned to idols and other gods, that can neither hear, speak, see, nor deliver. They soon forget God and his faithfulness. Despite the sin, fall and short coming of the children of Israel, God stood by his word; but still punished for sin. God still operates the same way today, “if we confess our sins God is faithful and righteous to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God still forgives confessed and forsaken sins.
God changeth not:
The same word of God to Balaam about his people, the children of Israel, is more so today by the Cross of Christ, to the believers. Remember all the evil that the children of Israel did against God, like many of us today do, even after accepting Christ; the Lord does not deny his word but punishes for sin also. He is a God of love but also a God of judgment. In Num. 23: 19-23, God has a different testimony about Israel, “God is not man that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless; and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.”
What about you:
Balaam we often remember taught Balak how to lead Israel into idols and turning them away from God. But also God came to Balaam and spoke to him and gave him messages. Balaam angered the Lord in his dealing with Balak, Balaam knew how to sacrifice to the Lord, heard from the Lord but was mixed up with people that were not the people of God. Balaam was one of the fortunate people who had the chance to both talk and hear from God but had this testimony in Jude verse 11 which reads “woe unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.”
Now let us look at the word of the Lord to Balaam; about his people and that also applies to true believers in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to the world, taught, made promises, healed, delivered, saved, died, rose, ascended into heaven and gave gifts to men. He said he who believes in him (repent of your sins and be converted) shall be saved and he who does not believe is condemned already. God had a different testimony about the children of Israel despite their sins and short comings; he did not deny them. Also, those who accepted Christ are in the same shoes with the children of Israel in God’s eyes.
God spoke, testified and it was final:
They are blessed and those who God has blessed no man or power can curse them; despite the sins and faults of Israel and those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, he said and, “hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob or in true believers of today.” When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord, when he sees you; you are covered by the blood of Christ and does not see your sin. That is why it is important to always stay away from sin and confess your sin as soon as realized. The Lord said neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel or true believers. The Lord only sees the blood over you and not perverseness; as long as you do not dwell in sin that grace may abound; Paul said, God forbid.
No enchantment against Jacob:
The Lord said there is no enchantment against Jacob; which means with the blood of Jesus Christ covering your life, like God said of Jacob: no kind of weapon or enchantment can be used with success against you, no matter what; except you take yourself outside the cover of the Blood of Christ through sin. Also he said there is no divination against Israel. All kinds of divinations are in the air today; the most unfortunate case is that divination is common in so called churches today.
No divination against Israel:
Divination has a religious under tone and coating to it, that many unsuspecting believers are trapped. Many Christians and church goers and religious people, love to be told their future, visions, dreams, spiritually solve their problems. Some churches where these kinds of result exist have large memberships, great followership and often control. The control can be either way. Those of wealth, use it to exert control of these supposed men or women of God. Some of the seer, prophet or diviners use their spiritual revelation to exert control also. Some of the situations involve money, alcohol, sex and deceit.
Let me make it clear, where there is the devil, there is God, and where there is deceit there is truth. There are true men and women of God, true believers in Jesus Christ covered by the blood. There are gifted children of God who hear from the Lord. But the most important factor is whatever any person says to you or acts towards you, must march the word of God. The word of God is the key. You must know the Word of God; and the only way of knowing the Word of God is to study it daily, prayerfully. If you hear a prophecy, vision, dream etc check it with the word and see if it marches and gives you peace, (Study 2nd Peter 1:2-4). Remember, if you truly have Jesus Christ you are blessed, and there is no enchantment or divination that can stand against you. Every true believer must remember that they are blessed in Christ Jesus.
035 – You are surely blessed