Active faith - Generational blessings | Raphael Fernandes

GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS

A source of faith are the promises in the future, but we should never ignore the works of God done in the past. He is faithful to accomplish all His promises in the future, and the place to recognize His faithfulness is in the past miracles. That was the source of blessings that Jacob released upon his grandchildren.

Jacob was very old at the moment he would bless his family. He was close to his departure, so he calls his sons for a final blessing. It comes the moment to bless his second to last son, Joseph, who Jacob had thought was dead for years. The Bible tells us that the other sons had told Jacob that Joseph had been attacked by a wild animal and was dead (Genesis 37). After about 13 years later, Jacob learned that Joseph was still alive and in a position of great honor in Egypt. Joseph brought his father and his family to Egypt, gave them a place to live and took care of them. Now Jacob is 148 years old and was about to die of old age. When Joseph came to receive his father's blessing, he brings his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim.

When Jacob saw the two boys, he asked who they were. Imagine the joy Jacob felt. He never thought he would see Joseph again, and now he was able to bless even his grandchildren.

"The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." (Genesis 48:15-16)

COUNT THE BLESSINGS OF THE PAST

Can you see the favor of God lining up things for you since your grandparents? Jacob, a man of faith, realized that since his grandfather Abraham, God was working to bless him, and that blessing should not be stopped in him. The Lord wants to bless us enough that we will become a blessing to all those around us. Our children and our children's children will be blessed.

But maybe you gave up on your dreams, like Jacob before finding Joseph. So many years passed that you have quit believing there is any blessing to come. You began to accept that you will never find the right person to marry or never have your own business. It

may be that you have reached your limits, you have gone as far as you could, but God will open doors before you that you never imagined could be opened. God has prepared things for you that you cannot understand today, keep believing.

You may have not the best training, nor are you next in line, but somehow you will be chosen to be promoted.

God has favor you didn't expect. You will experience things you don't deserve. That is God's grace in your life. With that faith, Jacob passed the state of defeat to the position of blessing his next generations.

Jacob's act of blessing his offspring was out of a heart of faith, he knew how abundantly blessed he was. Do you have eyes to see all the blessings that are being passed on to you since your grandparents?

"By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff."(Hebrews 11:21)

THE EARLY BLESSINGS

With God's blessing upon our lives, we can desire something, and God will do something even greater. He is an expert in exceeding our expectations.

In the story, Jacob called the family and surprisingly says to Joseph and all other sons that Ephraim and Manasseh would be considered his own sons (Genesis 48:5). Now the grandchildren would receive the same inheritance as the children. That was very odd at that time. No grandchildren could receive a blessing that was meant for the children. They had to way their time for the blessing. But the Lord is speeding things in your life as He did to Ephraim and Manasseh. In Christ Jesus, God decided to bless you not with some of the blessings, but with all spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven (Ephesians 1:3)!

Those boys received an inheritance they did not deserve at that time. The blessing had nothing to do with their deserving, it was God's undeserved favor. Some things would take years to happen in other people's lives, a debt that has to be paid, an addiction that has to be broken, a place in the business to be achieved. But God will do for you what he did for those two boys, He will launch you years ahead, God will shorten the years for you. You will see things happening faster than you imagine. Believe it, the miracle will come quickly because you have honored God. You decided, "as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD", so things will speed up in your life. What could take a lifetime will happen in a fraction of time. The blessing will come before you know it.

One thing that frequently happens is jealousy against you when the favor of God touches your life. We don't know for sure, but maybe the other Jacob's sons got resentful because their nephews were now counted as heirs of Jacob's blessings. God might test some people because of the blessings that overflow in your life. You don't have to explain why you are blessed, and others around you don't. It might seem unfair for some people, and that might cause strife against you. The truth is that the favor is not fair because it is always undeserved. They will say it is just luck, but we know it is the favor of God. You don't have to convince people to like you. Some people simply do not accept your success. If they leave you, it's because they are not part of your destiny. Don't waste your time with people who don't celebrate the victories of the Lord in your life. Do not apologize for the favor received. You did not choose, but you were chosen by God. And, please, don't be that person that stumble because of the blessings upon other brothers.

YOU CAN START A NEW GENERATIONAL BLESSING LINE

I know I asked you to consider your past, but only the things that point to God's grace. Some brothers look back and find no reason why the Lord would bless them now. It doesn't matter, now you are

in Christ Jesus, and His blessings are passed on to you. That blessing does not depend on anything of your past. The two boys were born in Egypt. The mother of these boys was Egyptian, and probably she did not serve or knew the Lord. Most certainly, they were idolaters. Even if Joseph taught them about the Lord, surely they had to submit to some sort of pagan rituals like other Egyptians.

You may think that you are disqualified for God's blessings because you came from a family that didn't worship Him. But the blessing upon you shows God's grace even more. You may have many reasons why you think you don't deserve the blessings, however,

"Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 1:5 MSG)

So, despite your past, or mistakes and whatever your family did, the Lord adopted you. You don't need to fear any hereditary curse because God chooses you to start a blessed generation, a hereditary blessing. You are the one who will affect your offspring because of the blessing that overflows over you.

THE UNEXPECTED BLESSING

As part of the ancient tradition, the eldest son would receive a double portion, and that son has to be on the right hand of the blesser. Joseph placed his firstborn, Manasseh, on the right of Jacob and Ephraim on his left. However, Jacob crossed his arms and placed his right hand on the second son, Ephraim, and his left hand on Manasseh. Joseph saw this and said, "No, my father, Manasseh is my firstborn." But Jacob answered, "I know what I am doing. Manasseh will be great, but Ephraim will be greater."

This story shows that God does not always bless the way we expect. Ephraim was not next in line, he was not qualified and did not deserve it, but God ignored all tradition and did something unexpected. God can take those behind in line, those who do not have the position, those who feel left out and put them in front. God likes to choose people who others think are not qualified or deserving.

You may have made mistakes or not be so talented, but God loves to show His grace to this kind of person.

God is about to cross His arms and put you in a position you couldn't obtain, a position for which you were not qualified, and for which you were not next in line.

You are about to enter an unexpected favor, unexpected promotion and unexpected advances!

David's brothers were older, stronger and more talented, but God crossed His arms and favored the least. Gideon said that his tribe was the smallest in Israel, his family the smallest of his tribe, and the smallest in his father's house. But the Lord said to him: "go in your strength!" What was a weakness to Gideon was actually a strength, because God crossed His arms.

He will show you an unexpected and undeserved favor. You were not qualified for it. You were not next in line, but God will show you favor by crossing His arms.

Pray now.

"Lord, you have been so good to me. I can see your mighty hand working from generation to generation. Your favor and grace are always reaching me. Thank you. I pray today I can see your blessings during this whole day. That your blessings may be multiplied and overflow over my family, in Jesus' name."