What do you think about when you hear the word blessing?
Honor? Wealth? Insight? Health? Relationships? Justice? Mercy? Grace? Life?
We have an easy time thinking of blessings in terms of what we get. There is never an upper limit on what we’d like to receive.
However, we tend to struggle with thinking of blessing in terms of what we give. We instantly think of the upper limit here.
We’ll help when it is suitable for our schedules, plans, finances, etc. However, we get offended when others treat us this way when we need help.
“If Abba would just release ________________ into my life then I could help others”
Is there any evidence of that in your life right now?
I’m not talking about the easy things you give. I’m talking about those areas where you want more.
What you want more of is likely what you should give more of.
Not for the PURPOSE of receiving, however. But to be set free of needing to receive it.
If we claim to be a willing vessel, then blessing should flow THROUGH us -- not just land upon us. We are not a lake. We are a stream.
The same expectation we have of Abba is the same others should receive from us.
The biggest example is children. These literally pass through you.
“Family planning” is an engineered tool to PREVENT life from coming forth. It is so you can become a lake: We need more money, We need more time, We need more energy
When our blessings are threatened, we stop the flow instantly
When we feel our honor is being taken away, we refuse to give honor
When we feel our wealth is being taken away, we refuse to give wealth
When we feel our insight is being taken away, we refuse to give insight
When we feel our health is being taken away, we refuse to give health
When we feel our relationships are being taken away, we refuse to give to the relationship
When we feel our justice is being taken away, we refuse to give justice
When we feel our mercy is being taken away, we refuse to give mercy
When we feel our grace is being taken away, we refuse to give grace
When we feel our life is being taken away, we refuse to give life
If you want to know how selfish you really are, watch what happens when YOUR blessings are challenged.
Slaves are obsessed with ownership. Slaves are selfish.
Servants are obsessed with stewardship. Servants are selfless.
Slaves own, Sons possess
Think of the rich young ruler:
Matthew 19:16 A man approached Yeshua and said, “Rabbi, what good thing should I do in order to have eternal life?” He said to him, 17 “Why are you asking me about good? There is One who is good! But if you want to obtain eternal life, observe the mitzvot.” 18 The man asked him, “Which ones?” and Yeshua said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony 19 honor father and mother and love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; where do I still fall short?” 21 Yeshua said to him, “If you are serious about reaching the goal, go and sell your possessions, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!” 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was wealthy.
Ownership was his obsession. He was a slave to his wealth.
The path to Mt Gerizim is up Mt Ebal. First, remove the sin you have before trying to obtain a blessing.
Matthew 25:23 His master said to him, ‘Excellent! you are a good and trustworthy servant. You have been faithful with a small amount, so I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and join in your master’s happiness!’
This is most certainly the greatest day in the life of those that love Abba. It's also the absolute worst day in the life of those that hate Him.
The ultimate blessing, and the ultimate curse all wrapped into one. It all depends on your heart as to which one you receive.
Deut 28 “If you listen closely to what YHVH your God says, observing and obeying all his mitzvot which I am giving you today, YHVH your God will raise you high above all the nations on earth; 2 and all the following blessings will be yours in abundance — if you will do what YHVH your God says:
3 “A blessing on you in the city, and a blessing on you in the countryside.
4 “A blessing on the fruit of your body, the fruit of your land and the fruit of your livestock — the young of your cattle and flocks.
5 “A blessing on your grain-basket and kneading-bowl.
6 “A blessing on you when you go out, and a blessing on you when you come in.
7 “YHVH will cause your enemies attacking you to be defeated before you; they will advance on you one way and flee before you seven ways.
8 “YHVH will order a blessing to be with you in your barns and in everything you undertake; he will bless you in the land YHVH your God is giving you.
9 “YHVH will establish you as a people separated out for himself, as he has sworn to you — if you will observe the mitzvot of YHVH your God and follow his ways. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that YHVH’s name, his presence, is with you; so that they will be afraid of you.
11 “YHVH will give you great abundance of good things — of the fruit of your body, the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your land in the land YHVH swore to your ancestors to give you. 12 YHVH will open for you his good treasure, the sky, to give your land its rain at the right seasons and to bless everything you undertake. You will lend to many nations and not borrow; 13 YHVH will make you the head and not the tail; and you will be only above, never below — if you will listen to, observe and obey the mitzvot of YHVH your God 14 and not turn away from any of the words I am ordering you today, neither to the right nor to the left, to follow after other gods and serve them."
Introduce others to Yahweh and teach them His ways:
Matthew 5:17 “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
You have been given talents and the question is: what will you do with them?
Hide them from others until the return of the King?
Invest in a few people until the return of the King?
Or invest it ALL in others until the return of the King?
Think of the day when you will stand in the valley between Mt Gerizim and Mt Ebal. Will your Master say, ‘Excellent! You are a good and trustworthy servant. You have been faithful with a small amount, so I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and join in your master’s happiness!’
Or will you hear, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! As for this worthless servant, throw him out in the dark, where people will wail and grind their teeth!
1 Peter 3
8 Finally, all of you, be one in mind and feeling; love as brothers; and be compassionate and humble-minded, 9 not repaying evil with evil or insult with insult, but, on the contrary, with blessing. For it is to this that you have been called, so that you may receive a blessing. 10 For
“Whoever wants to love life and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit,
11 turn from evil and do good,
seek peace and chase after it.
12 For YHVH keeps his eyes on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayers;
but the face of YHVH is against
those who do evil things.”
13 For who will hurt you if you become zealots for what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for being righteous, you are blessed! Moreover, don’t fear what they fear or be disturbed, 15 but treat the Messiah as holy, as Lord in your hearts; while remaining always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you — yet with humility and fear, 16 keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are spoken against, those who abuse the good behavior flowing from your union with the Messiah may be put to shame. 17 For if God has in fact willed that you should suffer, it is better that you suffer for doing what is good than for doing what is evil.