The message: “God makes a covenant of blessing” with His people: this means that He gives the guarantee that He will accomplish his plan of blessing for them; and at the same time, that He maintains His blessing for all the generations to come, according to the word He gave to Abraham, saying, “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you” Gen.17:7. Since the covenant implies joint commitment and bond and even union of life between those who agree with each other, so God gave to His people that which is most precious to Him: His Deity through His spirit and His word, saying, “As for me, this is my covenant with them’, says the Lord, „My Spirit who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of theirs descendants from this time on and for ever,‟ says the Lord” Is.59:21. In order to consolidate His covenant to bring about blessing, He establishes and sanctifies His dwelling-place among His chosen nation, saying, “I will make a covenant of peace with them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them for ever. My dwelling-place will be with them; I will be their God and they will be my people” Ezek.37:26-27. For there where God dewlls, there also He bestows His blessing, even eternal happiness. In this respect, the Psalmist sang, “Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple” Ps.65:4. In truth, this joint commitment guarantees blessing, which Jesus confirmed in these terms, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and ti will be given you” Jn.15:7.
Monday 30th: God makes a covenant with those who obey Him.
« You will be a blessing » Gen.12:2b.
Reading 1: Isa.65:8-16. Reading 2: Gen.12:1-3. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Gen.12:2.
Introduction: Men accepting God makes God accept them as His people, so that He makes a covenant with them, saying,
« I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians » Ex.6:7. Because He is a jealous God, He requires total obedience from of His people. Jesus said, in this respect, « And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life » Mt.19:29.
Tuesday 31th: God fulfills His promises of blessing.
« The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made » Jer.33:14a.
Reading 1: Lio.1:30-38. Reading 2: Jer.33:14-17. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Jer.33:14.
Introduction: The greatest promise that God has ever given is His gift of His only Son, even Jesus Christ, « So that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life » Jn.3:16b. Jesus the Shoot of David is a great King and Savior, who brings eternal blessing to all those who believe in Him. He says, « I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty » Jn.6:35.
Wednesday 01st: God fulfills His promises to those who trust Him.
“Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would” Mt.8:13a.
Reading 1: Gen.18:6-15. Reading 2: Mt.8:1-13. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Mt.8:13.
Introduction: God’s faithfulness lies in that He fulfills His promises to those who believe in Him and trust His words (Lk.1:37). For His word is received by faith, that is, by trust and obedience. This is how He is given the glory and how He accomplishes His promises. Jesus said to the cannanite women, « Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly » Mt.15:28.
Thursday 02nd: Blessing is received by those who keep the covenant.
« Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Lk.1:45.
Reading 1: Deut.28:1-12. Reading 2: Lk.1:34-45. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Lk.1:45.
Introduction: Keeping the covenant is so important to God that He bestows His blessing on those who trust Him. So He justifies them and sets them apart. This is what He declares, « And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not, » likewise, « But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays » Mal.3:18;4:2.
Friday 03rd: Jesus Christ, the Garant of blessing for all men.
« From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace » Jn1:16.
Reading 1: Isa.9:5-6. Reading 2: Jn.1:14-18. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Jn.1:16.
Introduction: The psalmist prophesied about the Messiah, « You bestow on him blessings forever » Ps.21:6a. In the same vein, Isaiah foretold about Jesus, « The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Isa. 61:1,2)” Lk.4:18-19. It is certainly true that « He has done everything well » Mar.7:37.
Saturday 04th: Eternal blessing is the inheritance of the faithful descendants.
« Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life » Ps.23:6.
Reading 1: Gen.17:15-19. Reading 2: Ps.23:1-6. Preaching 1 (free choice). Preaching 2: Ps.23:6.
Introduction: God’s purpose from the beginning is to bestow His blessing on the posterity of His servants. Indeed, Abraham was faithful to God, it was credited to him as a righteousness and as blessing for his descendants. In this regard, He said, « I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you » Gen.17:7. The descendants who keep the covenant: it is the pledge of eternal blessing!
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