Position ourselves for Blessings
Pastor Stan Roberts
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
Ephesians 1:3 NLT – “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.”
Zech 13:6-9 KJV – 6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. 7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. 8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.”
Smite – Hebrew meaning… to strike lightly or severely, literally or figuratively. To beat, give stripes, cast forth, give wounds, kill, punish, slaughter.
Matthew 26:31-32 AMPC – 31 Then Jesus said to them, You will all be offended and stumble and fall away because of Me this night [distrusting and deserting Me], for it is written, I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. [Zech 13:7.] 32 But after I am raised up [to life again], I will go ahead of you to Galilee.
Mark 14:27-31 NIV – “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 29 Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” 30 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today — yes, tonight — before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.” 31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.” NIV
LEADERSHIP can’t be ATTACKED without the BODY being AFFECTED!
They DIDN’T SEE CLEARLY.
James 4:1-11 KJV – 1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
TPT – 1 What is the cause of your conflicts and quarrels with each other? Doesn’t the battle begin inside of you as you fight to have your own way and fulfill your own desires?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
TPT – 8 Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and destroy. Who are you to judge another?
Drawing close to God is ABOUT HEART and ACTIONS.
Psalms 47:1-7 KJV – “To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Ko’-rah. O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. 2 For the LORD most high is terrible (awsome); he is a great King over all the earth. 3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. 4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. 5 God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.”
V. 1… A COMMANDMENT to Praise God.
V. 7… Praising the Lord with Understanding.
Colossians 3:16 KJV – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
Worship God because of WHO He is NOT for WHAT He has done.
The natural progression is to Praise God for WHAT He has DONE and as we grow to KNOW Him more we can and will praise Him for WHO He IS.
FOUR areas Affected when we PRAISE GOD:
1. GOD is moved and blessed by praise.
2. US. Our system was designed to respond when we praise.
3. OTHERS. In the flesh we can offend people. But, when we praise from the heart we will not run the lost off.
4. Satan and his ungodly designs. Our offensive weapon.
Psalms 149:1-4 KJV – “Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. 2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. 3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. 4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.”
Psalms 35:27 KJV – “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”
If you praise him in PRIVATE then you will praise him in PUBLIC.
Psalms 134:1-3 KJV – 1 Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. 3 The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.” KJV
People HESITATE to PRAISE because they DON’T KNOW the IMPACT or BENEFIT.