Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The Lesser Person Who is Blessed by the Greater One





The Blessing

By William M. Self, Sr.




Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness

He left everything in pursuit of God

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you

Seek God for eternal blessing and they will rain down for your earthly needs


 
The Lesser Person Who is Blessed by the Greater One

Melchizedek according to Hebrews 7:3
 had no beginning and no end.

He was the priest of the Most High God.

One who interceded on behalf of people,
connecting people with God.

Melchizedek’s name means King of Righteousness.

Then he is also King of Salem meaning government of peace.

This is the one who blessed Abraham.

The Scriptures tells us why Abraham received the blessing…

 "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."  

Abraham left his family, culture everything to find the blessing of God.

It is Jesus Christ who has been made to be our
High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

In Galatians 3, we are told… 

“So those who have faith are blessed along
with Abraham, the man of faith.”

You and I can receive the same blessing Abraham received…

 “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham
might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by
faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

What is the blessing?

By faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

You and I, like Abraham, are called to pursue
greater blessings than earthly possessions.

Greater faith than to believe our mortgage will be paid.

The blessing of receiving the Spirit of God is a spiritual blessing.

First the promise of eternal life.

The spiritual blessings are described in Matthew 6…

      "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
 where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do 
not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 NIV

The “Greater” Jesus Christ blesses the “lessor”.

When the lessor puts faith in God…

 God empowers us to live in a way
that stores up treasures in heaven.

It is from those treasures He opens the windows of
heaven so we can get a taste now of the blessings to come.

Abraham got it right.

He lived for the spiritual blessing first
and he was rewarded in earth.

Abraham’s blessing are still raining from heaven… 

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all
these things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33

 

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 7:1-8 AMP
1 FOR THIS Melchizedek, king of Salem [and] priest of the Most High God,
met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
2 And Abraham gave to him a tenth portion of all [the spoil].
He is primarily, as his name when translated indicates, king of righteousness,
and then he is also king of Salem, which means king of peace.
3 Without [record of] father or mother or ancestral line,
neither with beginning of days nor ending of life, but, resembling the Son of God,
he continues to be a priest without interruption and without successor.
4 Now observe and consider how great [a personage] this was to whom even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth [the topmost or the pick of the heap] of the spoils.
5 And it is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to take tithes from the people — which means, from their brethren —
 though these have descended from Abraham.
6 But this person who has not their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham [himself] a
nd blessed him who possessed the promises [of God].
7 Yet it is beyond all contradiction that it is the lesser person who is blessed by the greater one.
8 Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; while there [in the case of Melchizedek], they are received
by one of whom it is testified that he lives [perpetually].


Galatians 3:1-14 NIV
3 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing — if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
6 Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."   7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."   9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."   11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."   12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them."   13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."   14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,
so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

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