BLESSED

 

Blessed Greatly

So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. "The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. "And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has.   "Now my master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell;  'but you shall go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.'  "And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.'   "But he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house. Genesis 24:34-40

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

There is no great virtue in being poor, sick, needy, afflicted or defeated except if we draw near to God and seek Him to change all things for us as He has done for many others including Abraham! God is not sick, poor, afflicted and needy and neither should any of His children be. It’s the devil "who is the thief who has come to steal, and to kill, and to destroy just like he did in the life of Job. Jesus Christ has come that men may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly just like He reversed and restored all things for Job. The bible records for our profit and instruction:

And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.  Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.  Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.  He also had seven sons and three daughters. Job 42:10-13

Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord-that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. James 5:11

It’s to be noted that no matter what Job went through he held on to his faith in God that God would deliver him and heal him! And he was not put to shame. It’s also to be noted that God’s power is greater than the devil and He has to power not only to heal and deliver but to restore. Yes it’s important what believe what God can or cannot do because we receive everything good or bad “according to our faith!” Jesus Christ Himself told us the importance of holding onto the word and promises of God about anything:

"Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.  "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  "yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Matthew 13:18-22

Yes there arethose who when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word give up the word unlike Job who stated

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;  And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,  That in my flesh I shall see God,  Whom I shall see for myself,  And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!  If you should say, 'How shall we persecute him?'-  Since the root of the matter is found in me, Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;  For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,  That you may know there is a judgment." Job 19:25-26

Job didn’t give into fear but knew that his Redeemer lives and he wasn’t disappointed. The LORD redeemed and restored Job back to perfect health and great wealth and gave him double what he had lost! And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and He can do anything but fail His trusting ones! God’s word is unchanging:

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.  By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.  And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:  who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Hebrews 11:29-34

     Under an inferior old covenant or Old Testament Elisha had no problem using His anointing and faith in God to get miracles be it parting the river Jordan, healing the salted water or getting his adversaries destroyed.  The bible records for our profit and instruction of the miracles Elijah and Elisha did:

Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.  And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."

So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."

Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.   And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.  He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.

Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.  Then they said to him, "Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley." And he said, "You shall not send anyone."  But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, "Send them!" Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him.  And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to them, "Did I not say to you, 'Do not go'?"

Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren." And he said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him.  Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the LORD: 'I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.' "   So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.  Then he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria. 2 Kings 2:8-25

Elijah and Elisha had no problems using their anointing and faith to have their needs met, including parting the river Jordan so that they can walk to the other side without getting wet? Elisha healed the water so shall be no more death or barrenness. Just like Jesus cursed a fig tree and commanded it to die, Elisha pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD on the forty two youths who mocked him for being bald. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled them.

The Word of God is full of examples of God’s people who used their faith to subdue kingdoms, work righteousness, obtain promises, stop the mouths of lions,  quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword, out of weakness be made strong, become valiant in battle, turn to flight the armies of the aliens. Jesus who used His faith to bring heaven on earth taught His disciples that "According to your faith let it be to you." (Mark 9:29). God’s word is unchanging:

"Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? Matthew 26:53

And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. Mark 1:3

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14

Jesus didn’t have a problem with angels ministering to Him in His hour of need. The only reason He didn’t pray to the Father to provide Him with more than twelve legions of angels was because the will of the Father was to be fulfilled in this particular circumstance. Otherwise He would have asked for the angels who are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation. Many of God’s people are not blessed and are defeated in different situations is because they have not availed of the angels that are available to help them in their hour of need like Abraham did when he needed a wife for Isaac.

 God sent His angel with Abraham’s servant to prosper his ways to find a wife for Isaac and angels are available today to help each child of God including defeating their enemies. The bible records of what angels can do:

And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses-all dead. 2 Kings 19:35

An angel of the Lord saved King Hezekiah who had cried to the Lord about his enemies and said:

… "O LORD God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. "Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.  "Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, "and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands-wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.   "Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone." 2 Chronicles 19:15-19

Now God, who is no respecter of persons and shows partiality to no one, will do for His trusting ones even this day whatever is required to save, heal, deliver, bless and prosper them if they will use their faith, call upon the Lord and put no restrictions upon Him. He will do for them what He did for Peter who was thrown into prison by King Herod:

Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life." Acts 5:17-20

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.  And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.

Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands.

Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me."  So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 0 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people." Acts 12:5-11

Twice Peter was put into prison by King Herod and twice the angel of the Lord delivered him miraculously out of prison. God who is the God of the supernatural has no problems using His angels to bring miracles and victories to His trusting ones. He will do whatever is required to help and heal them because they are His servants. It’s was ironic but God who used an angel to deliver Peter from Herod also used an angel to kill Herod. God’s word is unchanging:

Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. Acts 12:23

Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,  so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Acts 19:11-12

who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. 1 Peter 3:22

WALTER KAMBULOW
EXTRACT FROM Called To Inherit A Blessing
http://walthope.tripod.com/called.htm