with a message of blessing. Is there anybody
here that wants to be blessed? I thought you'd
be a little bit more excited about that. Maybe
we've just got it so good that we don't need
the blessings of the Lord. Okay, yeah, sure,
I'll take a blessing. I'll take a blessing. Is
there anybody here that wants to be blessed today?
Well, I'm going to unlock and reveal the secret
to being blessed. And so if you want to be blessed,
you may be seated. The reason why I say that
it's a secret is because not many in our world
today seem to realize what it is. They don't
seem to realize the secret to unlocking the blessings
of God. There are a few that acknowledge this
perplexing proclamation. I kind of feel like
one of those old -time televangelists right now.
Anybody want a blessing? Hey, anybody need a
miracle? But you know, there are blessings and
miracles available for us that we don't tap into
and we don't experience them because somehow
there seems to be confusion on how to accept
and receive and get to that place where we can
really. experience everything that God has for
us. And so I want to unlock the secret to God's
blessing today. Throughout Scripture, God has
always used a priest to pronounce blessing upon
his people. In the Old Testament, Aaron, Moses,
his brother, was the first priest ordained by
God. And in Numbers chapter 6, Verses 22 through
27, God specifically instructed Aaron on how
to bless the people. In Numbers 6, 22 through
27, it says, And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto Aaron and unto his son, saying, On
this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel,
saying unto them, The Lord bless thee and keep
thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee
and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his
countenance upon thee and give thee peace. And
they shall put my name upon the children of Israel.
And I will bless them. This blessing included
three distinct promises. The first is the promise
of protection. He said the Lord bless thee and
keep thee. God promised to guard his people.
The second. is favor. The Lord make his face
shine upon thee. God promises divine approval
and grace. And then the third is peace. The Lord
lift his countenance upon thee and give thee.
It's the kind of peace that only God can give.
The kind of peace that you can only experience
in his presence. It's the kind of peace that
you can only be afforded in the supernatural
from the one true living God. And this blessing
that he spoke over the people, it also put God's
name upon them. It was... denoting them as his
chosen people, his pride and joy, his children.
But the Old Testament priesthood was, it was
just a shadow of what was to come. Hebrews chapter
four, verses 14 through 16 says, seeing then
that we have a great high priest, we have a great
high priest that passed into the heavens, Jesus,
the son of God, Let us hold fast our profession.
We have not a high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities, but was
in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin. So let us therefore come boldly. Unto the
throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and
find grace and help of times of need. I've come
to tell you today that we have a high priest
and his name is Jesus. The high priest didn't
get... Put somewhere on the back burner in the
Old Testament. But we have a high priest today.
Jesus is our high priest. Just like Aaron, Jesus
stood before the people and he pronounced blessing.
Aaron was only pronouncing the blessing upon
the people of Israel. But Jesus. was telling
everyone and anyone who wanted to be blessed
how to be blessed. I've come to tell you today,
if you want to be blessed, you can be blessed.
If you want to leave this place different, you
can leave this place different. If you want to
leave this place with victory, you can have victory
today. If you want to leave this place and know
I am blessed, then you can be blessed today.
Because we have a high priest and he has told
us and shown us how to be blessed. If you believe
it, why don't you put your hands together and
I'll get a drink of water. Jesus was letting
every single person know that if they wanted
the blessing of the high priest, that it was
available. It didn't matter what their lineage
was. It didn't matter who their family was or
who their father was, what their name was. It
didn't matter where they came from. It didn't
matter if they were Jew or Gentile. Jesus, our
high priest, stood up and said that if you want
the blessing of the high priest, then this is
how you receive it. Are you ready? Are you excited?
Do you want to be blessed? I'm about to tell
you how to be blessed today. Jesus said in Matthew
chapter 5. Oh, some of you are like scratching
your head now. Do you want to be blessed? Do
you want to leave changed? I'm about to tell
you how to be blessed. I'm about to change somebody's
life today. Matthew chapter 5. This is how our
high priest says. You're going to be blessed.
He said, blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You want to
be comforted today? Anybody need comfort? Are
you excited? Blessed are they that mourn, for
they shall be comforted. I'm unlocking the secret
of blessing today. Blessed are. Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called the children
of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted
for righteousness sake. For theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. You can't help but notice the pattern.
Aaron said, the Lord bless thee. And Jesus said
repeatedly, blessed are, blessed are, blessed
are, blessed are. The high priest of the new
covenant stood before the people and pronounced
the blessings of the kingdom. what many expected.
They weren't about riches. They weren't about
status. They weren't about comfort. But they
were blessings for the humble. They were blessings
for the broken. They were blessings for those
that hungered after righteousness. They were
blessings for the merciful and for the pure.
The blessings of the kingdom of God are spiritual
blessings. And Jesus said, I'll bless you with
the kingdom of heaven. In fact, he said it two
times there in Matthew 5. He said, I'll bless
you and you shall inherit the earth. Man, we
get excited when we think about it. The kingdom
of heaven. I'm going to inherit the earth. He
said, I'll bless you and you'll be filled and
you'll obtain mercy and you shall see God and
you shall be called the children of God. Does
anybody want to be blessed today? Does anybody
want to inherit the earth? Does anybody want
to see God? Does anybody need mercy? Has anybody
come to this place empty and you're hoping to
leave filled? I don't know about you, but I sure
love the kingdom of heaven. I sure love a little
piece of the kingdom of heaven right about now.
I would love to inherit the earth. Boy, there'd
be a strut in my step, Brother Ray. I'd just
inherit. Could you imagine? That rich uncle that
you never even knew existed that would call you
up and just lift you, the entire earth. It's
all my, man, it sounds good to me. I want to
be blessed. I want to be blessed. I feel like
my son, a year or two ago, it was after Faith
Promise, my daughter made a commitment and somebody
somehow found out about it and they sponsored
her to pay that commitment. My son got in the
car and he was kind of in a bad mood for a little
bit. We could hear him back there as she was
sharing her testimony. He said, huh, I sure wish
I'd be blessed. You know, I came today, I thought,
man, today feels like a good day to be blessed.
I sure wish I'd be blessed. God, you know, here
I am, Lord. I sure wish I'd be blessed, Brother
Mark. I could use a little bit of the kingdom
of heaven right about now. You know, I wouldn't
mind inheriting a little bit of the earth right
about now. You know, I could use a little bit
of comfort. Jesus, bless my life unto you. Fill
me to overflowing. That sounds pretty good. Does
anybody want to be blessed to overflowing today?
You need to be filled. Maybe you come today and
say, God, I need to obtain mercy. God, you know
my situation and I'm praying that you'd be merciful
toward me. God, show me mercy. God, my greatest
desire is to see you, to experience you. Think
about what a great blessing it would be to be
called the children of God. But the lost revelation
is this. If you want to be called the sons of
God, if you want to receive your inheritance
and you want to be comforted and you want to
be filled and you want to obtain mercy and see
him, then you've got to be broken and you've
got to be humble and hungry for righteousness
and we've got to be merciful and we've got to
be pure. If we're not careful, we'll preach about
the promises. And we'll preach about our inheritance,
but we'll skip over that lost revelation that
if we want to be blessed and we've got to be
broken, and we've got to be humble, and we've
got to be pure, we've got to hunger after righteousness.
I've come to the realization that what has turned
our world backwards is that we have denounced
and we despise the blessing of the high priest.
I believe that the Lord is showing us that we've
strayed so far from the blessing of the high
priest that it has literally caused a cultural
reversal. It's just after he reveals the mystery
of being blessed, we call them the Beatitudes.
He goes on to teach in this very same chapter,
right after he says, if you want to be blessed,
this is how you be blessed. Be merciful, be pure,
hunger after righteousness. He goes on to teach
in verse 38. He said, you've heard that it was
said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I tell you not to resist an evil person.
But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn
the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue
you and take away your tunic, let him have your
cloak also. Getting tight in here now. We're
fidgeting a little bit now. Whoever compels you
to go a mile, go with him too. Give to him who
asks you and from him who wants to borrow from
you and do not turn away. You've heard that it
was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate
your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies.
Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who
hate you and pray for those who spitefully use
you and persecute you. Don't raise your hands,
but does anybody want to be blessed today? He
says, do this that you may be the sons of your
father in heaven. For he makes his sunrise on
the evil and on the good and sends rain on the
just and the unjust. For if you love those who
love you, what reward do you have? He said, do
not even the tax collectors do the same? And
if you greet your brethren only, what do you
more than others? Do not even the sinners, those
who don't obey me, those who don't follow me,
those tax collectors, don't they do that very
same thing? Therefore, you shall be perfect just
as your Father in heaven is perfect. It's the
total opposite of our modern day cultural mindset.
I know it because society is filled with people
saying, I gave and I gave, but nobody gives to
me. I walked a mile and nobody thanked me. I
serve and I serve and I serve, but nobody serves
me. The reason why this world is so offended
is because we detest the blessing of the high
priest. Our world loathes the thought of humility
and sacrifice. Our world hates righteousness
and purity. This world berates brokenness and
it shudders at the thought of preferring others
over ourselves. I can't help but realize that
the further and further away from the blessings
of the high priest that we get, the more that
you hear about people being hurt and the more
that you hear about people being offended. Think
about it. If brokenness and humility and righteousness
and purity and peace and spiritual fulfillment
and a closeness to God. If that brings us blessings,
then withdrawing from those things would have
an adverse reaction. If we're drawing from humility
and withdrawing from being a peacemaker and withdrawing
from righteousness and purity and humility, it
brings offense. It brings hurt, it brings about
being wounded and disgruntled and resentful.
There is a direct correlation between the diminishing
of the blessings of the high priest and the rise
of offense and frustration. That's why this world
is in the condition that it's in. It's why we
suffer the frustrations that we're suffering
and experiencing. The frustrations that we're
experiencing is because we are getting away from
the blessing of the high priest. We're getting
away from humility. We're moving away from brokenness.
We don't want to preach righteousness and purity.
We don't want to preach about sacrifice. And
the church doesn't want to hear about being peacemakers.
When all of these things diminish, then offense
and frustration and hurt arises. There's a direct
correlation. Many times in the church, when we
don't want to hear about these things, we want
the pastor to preach about being blessed and
what can I get, but we don't want to hear about
what I have to do to get it. Honestly, I want
to hear about how I can be elevated. I want to
hear about all the things that God can give,
but I don't want to hear about what I have to
do to be able to accept those things. Jesus made
it clear. He pronounced blessing over us. He
said if you want to experience it, you've got
to be broken. You've got to have a spirit of
humility. You've got to be a peacemaker. You've
got to search and hunger for righteousness. But
we don't want to hear that stuff. Don't preach
that to me. I just want to hear about the kingdom
of heaven and inheriting the earth and peace
and fulfillment and contentment. You know, when
you look up hurt and offended in the dictionary,
in the thesaurus, you'll find that they can be
used interchangeably. And there's this new term,
church hurt, that everybody's throwing around.
I know we're not supposed to talk about it, but
when I had this revelation, when God began to
show this to me, I understood why there were
so many people who are offended in the world
today. So many people who are offended by the
church today. I know I'm treading on thin ice
with some of you and it's kind of a hot topic.
You're not supposed to talk about the whole CH
topic. I should do like my brother does. He would
say like, I'm thinking of a word that rhymes
with fro nut. You know, I kind of, I disguise
it a little bit so I don't get canceled, Brother
Mark. Media team, when we put this sermon on
the archive, you just get that bleep button and
you just beep every time. Just kind of filter
it out. Or he'd say, I'm not going to tell you
who it is, but his name is kind of like crying
Beretia. Maybe I'll clean it up a little bit
so I don't offend too many people. I would do
that, but you know, Brother Mike McBride, Brother
Caleb Craven, they ruin it for me because I can't
do that with their names. You'll get it in a
second. You'll think about it. You know, when
we don't want to hear about sacrifice, when we
don't want to... Here preaching about humility.
When we don't want to receive the preaching and
the word about brokenness. There's a reason why
before I preach, I pray God help us to receive
your word. Because sometimes it cuts. Sometimes
it hurts. Sometimes it's sharp and it pierces
to the inside of our soul. It says that it's
a discerner. Of our thoughts and the intents
of our heart. It knows where we're at. The Bible
knows our motives. And it knows why we are living.
Why we're living. Why we're doing what we're
doing. And so you can put on a mask. But the
word of God knows. And it'll dig it out. And
so that's why we pray. God when I hear your word.
Help me to accept it. Help me to receive it.
It can get frustrating at times. You see people
in need and you offer them what they need. I
grew up in New York City. It was very frustrating
to see all of the homeless and the hurting. And
they'd say, you know, I'm hungry. And you'd say,
you know, well, come on, I'll buy you a meal.
And they'd say, well, no, just give me some money.
Bro. Like my mom used to say, well, then you're
not really hungry. I'm hungry. Have an apple.
I don't want it. Well, then you're not hungry.
You know, the word of God offers us what we need.
We say, no, I don't. Let's just go back. Let's
rewind. Choir, come back. Musicians, come back.
Let's sing that last song again. Then I'll come
back up and I'll just talk about the blessings.
I don't want to hear about. brokenness and humility
and peacemakers and all that stuff. But it's
the revelation to unlocking the blessings of
God. In numbers, the blessings came when the
priest spoke his prayer over the people. In the
New Testament, the Bible or the blessings come
when the people come into the presence of the
Lord and walk according to his will. Hebrews
4, 16 says, let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need. If we
truly want to be blessed, then we have to seek
after the Lord and come into his presence. We've
got to come into his presence so that he can
shape us, he can speak to us, he can move upon
us, he can reveal his word to us. And get us
ready so that we can receive his blessing. And
so that we can understand and be willing to live
like we need to live to be able to receive what
he has to give. And because Jesus is our high
priest, we can boldly come before him. We can
receive mercy and we can receive the grace that
we so desperately need. Remember what God said
in Numbers 6, 27. He said that they shall put
my name upon the children of Israel. Today that
blessing reaches its fulfillment in the name
of Jesus Christ. Acts 4 and 12 says neither is
there salvation in any other for there is none
other name unto heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved. When a believer repents and
is baptized in Jesus' name and receives the Holy
Ghost, the name of the high priest is placed
upon them. And this is the greatest blessing
of all. This is the greatest blessing that we
could ever receive. Because in that name, we
find victory. In that name, we find peace. I
wish somebody would help me today. In the name
of Jesus, we can find everything that we need.
There is victory and there is joy. When I come
into his presence as his child, I can find everything
that I need. You musicians would please come.
You would stand together. Aaron lifted his voice,
and he declared, The Lord bless thee and keep
thee. But one day Jesus, the true high priest,
stood on a mountain and said, Blessed are the
poor in spirit. Blessed are the pure in heart.
Blessed are the peacemakers. The blessing of
the high priest didn't end in the Old Testament.
But it reached its fulfillment in Christ. And
today our high priest is still blessing his people.
You can leave this place blessed. You can come
and receive the blessing of Jesus Christ. All
the blessings that the Spirit of the Lord and
His Word affords to us, you can receive it today.
Whatever that you're in need of, you can receive
it today. Whatever that you have been waiting
for, you can receive it today. Whatever you've
been praying for, you can receive it today. Because
God blesses the humble. And God blesses the repentant.
God blesses those that are hungry for righteousness.
God blesses those who seek him with a pure heart.
I wonder if maybe the reason why, Brother Ray,
that I haven't been receiving what I've been
needing and what I've been so desperately waiting
for is maybe I'm approaching my high priest without
the brokenness that he's looking for. Maybe I'm
coming to God when I pray and I'm not coming
in humility. So maybe that's why I haven't been
receiving the blessings that I've been waiting
for. and those things that I've been needing.
Maybe when I come to God and I'm praying about
this frustration that I feel and this hurt that
I'm experiencing, maybe it's because I'm coming
to him looking for the blessing, but I'm not
hungry for righteousness. God is saying, but
I'll bless those that are meek. I'll bless those
that have a... A humble heart. I bless those
that are searching and hungering for righteousness
in their life and in their lifestyle. I bless
those that are repentant. Those that want to
walk for me. Those that want to turn from their
wicked ways. Those are those that I will bless.
The high priest is still speaking blessings.
If you're broken in spirit, He said, I'll bless
you. If you're mourning, he said, I'll comfort
you. If you're hungry for righteousness, he says,
you shall be filled. The blessing of the high
priest is not limited to Israel anymore, but
it's available to whosoever will. As they begin
to sing, they begin to play. If you want a blessing,
from God on your life, then come to this altar
with humility. Come and humble yourself before
the Lord. Come to this altar with repentance.
Say, God, change me. God, deliver me from my
wicked ways. so that I can receive what you have
for me. Come with a hunger for righteousness.
God, show me your word. Reveal your word to me
so that I can walk according to your precepts
and according to your commandments. God, begin
to reveal to me those areas in my life that need
to change so that I can be blessed by you. And
the high priest, Jesus Christ, will place his
name upon you. He'll place his grace upon you.
And his spirit will be upon your life. And that
greatest blessing that you will ever receive
is to receive his spirit. The Holy Ghost is here
for the humble.