Pathway of Hope

Obsessed With Being Blessed

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Lisa Wellington (Host), Abraham Jules

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Series Code: POH

Program Code: POH000001S


00:02 Where can you find hope for the hopeless?
00:07 Opportunity for transformation?
00:11 Peace amid life's storms?
00:15 Only in God's free gift of eternal life.
00:20 From New York, join us on the Pathway of Hope.
00:30 How often do we take our blessings for granted?
00:34 We sometimes don't know the value
00:36 of what we have until it is gone from us.
00:40 Then and only then do we realize
00:43 how blessed we are.
00:45 It was Steve Shepherd who said,
00:49 if our power is shut off, as it was in recent times
00:53 in this beautiful city of New York,
00:55 suddenly we are thankful for electricity.
01:00 If we lose a friend, or loved ones
01:02 to the enemy of death,
01:04 suddenly we discover how much he or she meant to us.
01:09 If our water becomes too polluted to drink,
01:12 then suddenly we appreciate having good water.
01:16 Someone once said that you can consider yourself blessed
01:20 if you have health and wealth.
01:23 Speaking of wealth, I could do with some of that right now.
01:29 The Bible records numerous accounts of people
01:32 who have had great blessings.
01:35 When I think of the blessing of health,
01:38 we think of the woman with the issue of blood
01:41 who touched Jesus by the hem of His garments
01:44 and received the blessing of healing.
01:48 When I think of the blessing of wealth,
01:51 I think of Job's riches
01:52 being multiplied after he lost it all.
01:56 And finally, when I think of the blessing of life,
02:01 I think of Lazarus,
02:03 who had the joy and privilege of being resurrected to life
02:07 by the giver of life, Jesus Christ.
02:11 Join us now as Dr. Abraham Jules highlights
02:15 how you can get your blessings and keep them.
02:25 Ride on, King Jesus
02:30 No man can a-hinder me
02:34 Ride on, King Jesus, ride on
02:39 No man can a-hinder thee
02:42 No man can a-hinder thee
02:48 Ride on, King Jesus
02:52 No man can a-hinder thee
02:57 Ride on, King Jesus, ride on
03:01 No man can a-hinder thee
03:05 No man can a-hinder thee
03:09 In that great getting up morning
03:13 Fare thee well, fare thee well
03:18 In that great getting up morning
03:22 Fare thee well, fare thee well
03:27 When the roll is called up yonder
03:31 Fare thee well, fare thee well
03:35 When the roll is called up yonder
03:40 Fare thee well, fare thee well
03:44 When the last trumpet has sounded
03:48 Fare thee well, fare thee well
03:53 When the last trumpet has sounded
03:57 Fare thee well, fare thee well
04:01 There's a better day a-coming
04:06 Fare thee well, fare thee well
04:10 There's a better day a-coming
04:14 Fare thee well, fare thee well
04:19 In that great getting up morning
04:23 Fare thee well, fare thee well
04:27 In that great getting up morning
04:31 Fare thee well, fare thee well
04:36 In that great getting up morning
04:40 Fare thee well, fare thee well
04:44 In that great getting up morning
04:48 Fare thee well, fare thee well
04:54 No man can a-hinder thee
04:57 No man can a-hinder thee
05:02 No man can a-hinder thee
05:06 No man can a-hinder thee
05:12 Ride on, King Jesus
05:16 No man can a-hinder...
05:24 Thee
05:27 Ride on, King Jesus, ride on
05:31 No man can a-hinder thee
05:34 No man can a-hinder thee
05:40 Ride on, King Jesus
05:44 No man can a-hinder...
05:53 Thee
05:55 Ride on, King Jesus, ride on
05:59 No man can a-hinder thee
06:03 No man can a-hinder thee
06:07 No man can a-hinder thee
06:11 No man can a-hinder thee
06:16 No man can a-hinder thee
06:20 No man can a-hinder...
06:29 Thee
06:40 God's word has been given to us as a guide.
06:45 Certainly is a means of comfort
06:47 over the years, but more importantly,
06:50 God intends for each of us to be blessed.
06:52 I found a word in the Book of Haggai, the 1 chapter.
06:59 And I'll read and you're hearing
07:01 verses 2 through 7.
07:04 These verses form the foundation of everything
07:07 we shall say this evening.
07:09 And the Haggai says,
07:11 "Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts saying,
07:16 'The people say the time has not come,
07:20 the time that the Lord's house should be built.'
07:24 Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet saying,
07:28 'Is it time for you, O ye,
07:32 to dwell in your ceiled houses,
07:35 and this house lie waste?'
07:38 Now, therefore, thus sayeth the Lord of hosts.
07:42 Consider your ways.
07:44 You have sown much, and bring in little.
07:48 You eat, but you have not enough,
07:51 you drink, but you are not filled with drink.
07:55 You clothe you, but there is none warm.
07:59 And he that earneth wages earneth wages
08:03 to put it into a bag with holes.
08:07 Thus sayeth the Lord of hosts.
08:10 Consider your ways."
08:13 I want to bring to you a message tonight,
08:16 obsessed with being blessed.
08:21 I invite you to bow your heads with me.
08:22 Loving Lord, we know
08:25 that it is Your intent to bless Your people.
08:29 We know that Your desire for us is good and good only.
08:34 We pray as this word is brought forth
08:37 that the conditions up on which our blessings
08:39 shall be received and retained
08:41 will be understood by your people.
08:44 Thank you for this word and thank you
08:46 for Your love and mercy toward us.
08:49 In the name of Jesus we pray
08:50 with joy abundant and thanksgiving.
08:53 Amen, amen.
08:56 As Christians we have a marvelous calling
09:02 and we're called to an inheritance
09:04 that is not only for time but for eternity.
09:10 God is in the blessing business and He wants more
09:16 than anything else for His children
09:18 to be in right relationship with Him
09:22 so that the blessing blockers will not be able
09:25 to retard their growth
09:27 and ultimately deter their destiny.
09:32 Now the Book of Haggai gives us
09:34 a vivid portrayal of the man or woman
09:38 who receives the blessing and favor of God
09:42 and in turn gets hold of the secret
09:45 to keeping the blessings flowing into their lives.
09:50 So in utter simplicity, Haggai now outlines
09:54 how God's children can live and walk
09:57 under God's continual blessing and favor.
10:01 Yet, Haggai also shows the causes and reasons
10:05 why God's people, why God's people lose God's blessing
10:12 and how they can find their way back
10:14 in covenant relationship with Him.
10:17 How precious the promise that God blesses
10:21 those who walk in faithfulness.
10:24 He shows favor to those who favor Him.
10:28 Isn't it a wonderful experience
10:30 to be in the presence of someone
10:32 who has the exuberance of Christ above them?
10:35 I love to be in the company of blessed people.
10:39 You can sense a subtle peace about them,
10:43 a steadiness in them, a Spirit filled attitude.
10:46 They are simply blessed.
10:50 You know, no nation
10:52 was ever so blessed as the nation of Israel.
10:55 God told them, "I picked you out
10:57 of all the peoples of the nations.
10:59 I carried you in My own arms, I found you,
11:04 I bathed you and I clothed you, but then you turned sour on Me.
11:09 You turned on Me committing spiritual adultery."
11:13 Do you know, ladies and gentlemen,
11:14 that nations and families and individuals
11:17 sometimes lose the blessings of God
11:21 and Haggai gives three reasons
11:23 why they forfeit the favor of God.
11:27 Number one, God's interest is replaced with self interest.
11:34 Haggai 1:2 says,
11:35 "This people say, the time has not come,
11:38 the time that the Lord's house should be built."
11:42 The Israelites gave up building the Lord's house
11:45 in order to build their own homes.
11:48 Now this scene takes place 68 years
11:51 after Solomon's Temple was destroyed.
11:54 A remnant had returned to Jerusalem
11:57 out of Babylonian captivity,
11:59 specifically to rebuild God's house.
12:03 And indeed they laid the foundation of the temple
12:05 with zeal and excitement.
12:08 But then they began running into some hard places,
12:12 difficult times, discouragements.
12:15 Do you know, friend of mine,
12:16 what happens in our lives is this,
12:18 whenever we face difficulties and discouragements,
12:21 it's a way of Satan getting a hold
12:24 of our lives and turning us back.
12:28 The devil will use your circumstances
12:31 to control you, if you allow him.
12:34 Slowly, the Bible says,
12:35 they lost interest in the work of God
12:38 and they said, this just isn't the time.
12:41 We are having too many problems.
12:44 I want to suggest you, ladies and gentlemen,
12:47 that's what the devil does.
12:49 We're going through tough economic times in this country
12:53 and, may I say, around the world.
12:55 And there are folk who are determined
12:57 to remain faithful to God
12:59 in their giving in these difficult times.
13:03 What the devil does, he says, well,
13:04 you got to hold on to what you have.
13:06 Forget God's church, forget God's house.
13:09 May I remind you, ladies and gentlemen,
13:10 we live by faith and we ought to be faithful stewards of God.
13:15 Can you say amen, somebody?
13:16 And you can't beat God giving, no matter how hard you try.
13:26 Problem with the Israelites
13:28 in this text was their self-interest
13:33 had possessed their every thought.
13:36 Now today many of us come to God's house
13:39 and we just sit by, too busy in our careers
13:43 and too busy with our families, too busy with our own interest.
13:48 Some say someday I'll have time when my mortgage is paid,
13:53 then I'll be able to put the Lord's interest first.
13:56 As soon as I've paid my bills
13:57 and put aside a little nest egg,
14:00 then I'll give more time to spiritual matters.
14:03 Jesus in the Book of Revelation says,
14:05 we are lukewarm, giving less
14:08 and less of our time and our resources
14:11 to the cause of the Kingdom of God.
14:14 Perhaps at one time in your life,
14:17 you are filled with zeal.
14:21 For the things of God,
14:22 you were filled with the Spirit.
14:24 Christ was your all, your everything.
14:29 But now you've got a problem,
14:31 you've become wrapped up in making money,
14:34 trying to improve your lifestyle.
14:36 And suddenly your interests
14:38 have overwhelmed the interest of God.
14:41 It begins very subtly, friends.
14:44 You have pushed His priorities for you on the back burner.
14:49 What are the consequences
14:51 for replacing God's interest with self interest?
14:54 God says you're gonna pay a high price.
14:58 Haggai 1:6 says, "You have sown much, and bring in little.
15:03 You eat, but you have not enough,
15:06 you drink, but you are not filled with drink,
15:09 you clothe yourself, but nobody is warm,
15:13 but he that earneth wages earneth wages
15:15 to put them in a bag with holes."
15:17 If God is out of your line-up and your priorities,
15:21 whatever you do will fall flat.
15:26 You will fail.
15:30 Listen to the counsel of our Savior in Matthew 6:33.
15:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
15:37 and all these things shall be added onto you."
15:43 But Haggai gives us a second reason,
15:45 why people lose God's blessing and God's favor.
15:49 That is, they refuse to give up comparing and contrasting.
15:55 First reason why they lose God's blessing is,
15:57 God's interest is replaced by self-interest.
16:00 The second reason is they refuse
16:02 to give up comparing and contrasting.
16:05 Verses 12 to 14,
16:07 the people did fear before the Lord
16:10 and they came and they'd work
16:11 in the house of the Lord of host, their God.
16:14 Finally the people were convicted
16:16 of their self-interest and returned
16:18 to working on the temple.
16:20 As they stood before the foundation of the temple,
16:23 the walls started going up, but something was wrong.
16:28 Many of the older people began weeping. Why?
16:31 Because they had seen
16:33 the splendor of Solomon's Temple,
16:36 68 years earlier and this new one did not measure up.
16:43 Comparison seemed as nothing.
16:47 They began to talk about past glory,
16:49 saying this temple has no ark in it.
16:52 There is no mercy seat, no cherubim.
16:55 There is no consuming fire on the altar.
16:58 No Shekinah glory coming down on the house.
17:01 After all our hard work,
17:03 all our sacrifice and obedience,
17:05 all our putting God's interests first,
17:07 we don't measure up.
17:12 A lot of people are giving up
17:13 because they don't think they will ever measure up.
17:18 Like the Israelites they have gone back to God
17:20 putting Him first, seeking His will, building His house,
17:24 but when they look at their lives they say,
17:25 I have so little to show for my struggles.
17:28 I have so little of God's holiness,
17:30 so little of the glory in my life
17:32 compared to other Christians, I'll never measure up.
17:37 I'll never have victory.
17:40 Ladies and gentlemen, I'm convinced
17:42 this is why so many Christians give up the fight.
17:45 They compare themselves to other believers
17:47 and they become discouraged
17:49 because they feel hopelessly inferior.
17:52 Haggai showed Israel,
17:53 they were focused on the wrong object.
17:56 They had lost sight of the fact
17:58 that God's glory hadn't been drained or depleted.
18:02 What God has done in the past, He can do it again.
18:09 God sent this word to them,
18:12 chapter 2 verses 4 and 5, He says,
18:14 "I am with you, said the Lord of hosts,
18:17 be strong, all ye people of the land,
18:21 and work, for I am with you,
18:24 My spirit remaineth among you, fear ye not."
18:29 "The glory of this latter house
18:31 shall be greater than of the former,
18:33 saith the Lord of hosts."
18:34 God was saying to them,
18:36 "You may have thought the glory
18:37 of the first house was something.
18:40 But it was nothing compared to the glory that's ahead.
18:44 You'll have My peace upon you,
18:46 My glory will flood your soul.
18:50 Just stay in the precious fear of the Lord.
18:52 Keep going, keep doing the work of the Lord.
18:55 No matter how you feel, be strong for I am with you."
19:01 God's interest...
19:05 is replaced with self interest that will destroy you.
19:09 Comparing and contrasting
19:12 will rob you off the blessings of God.
19:15 And the third reason we lose God's blessing and favor is,
19:18 number three, the touch of death.
19:21 Jewish law had said, "He that toucheth the dead body
19:24 of any man shall be unclean seven days.
19:28 Whosoever toucheth the dead body
19:30 of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself,
19:33 defileth the temple of the Lord."
19:35 Numbers 19:11, 13.
19:37 Now listen to Haggai's word to Israel.
19:41 Haggai 2:13, 14, he says, "Then said Haggai,
19:46 if one that is unclean by a dead body
19:49 touched any of these, shall it not be unclean?
19:56 And the priests answered and said it shall be unclean.
20:00 Then answered Haggai, and said, so is this people,
20:04 and so is every work of their hands,
20:09 and that which they offer is unclean."
20:12 Now Haggai was saying,
20:14 "If at any point death touches you or you touch death,
20:18 you have become defiled.
20:21 You're unclean, you have defiled the whole body,
20:24 the temple of God."
20:25 Now God had imposed these strict laws
20:28 for health purposes, to protect the people
20:31 against the spread of contagious diseases.
20:35 Yet to the Jewish mind,
20:36 death was always a type of corruption and sin.
20:40 Even the New Testament ties death to sin.
20:44 Ephesians 2:1 says, "And you hath He quickened,
20:48 who were dead in trespass and sins."
20:51 According to Ezra and Nehemiah,
20:54 the death touching Israel was sensuality
20:57 and mixture with the world.
21:00 Israelite men had lusted
21:02 after heathen Canaanite women and married them.
21:06 They had children who didn't even speak the Jewish language.
21:09 There was an unholy mix and may I suggest to you today,
21:13 ladies and gentlemen,
21:14 that God is still holding His people
21:17 to high and holy and pure standard.
21:25 When you're thinking about marrying,
21:26 you ought to think about marrying someone
21:27 who loves the Lord.
21:30 I know everybody is interested in Mr. Cute and Miss Pretty.
21:36 But God is interested not only in the external beauty
21:39 but what's on the inside.
21:43 Beloved, if at any point in your life
21:45 you have a touch of the world, a tinge of compromise,
21:49 a desire that is pulling at you,
21:51 that is a touch of death
21:52 and it will cost you the blessing
21:54 and the favor of God.
21:56 Haggai posed another question to the people
21:58 in chapter 2 and verse 12.
22:00 He says, "If one bear holy flesh
22:02 in the skirt of his garment,
22:04 and with his skirt to touch bread,
22:06 or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?
22:10 And the priests answered and said, it shall be unclean."
22:14 Now Haggai pictures a priest carrying home
22:18 a cut of sanctified meat from the altar of sacrifice.
22:22 The prophet asks, "Does that holy meat
22:24 transfer holiness to the garment?"
22:27 Now here is Haggai's point.
22:30 Being around holy things
22:32 does not transfer holiness to you.
22:37 These Israelites thought the land itself was holy,
22:40 so living on the land made them holy.
22:43 Likewise today, many Christians convince themselves
22:46 that they are right with God as long as they come to church.
22:54 They have confused church membership
22:57 with being a part of the kingdom.
23:00 They think that through the sanctifying praise
23:02 and prayers of God's people,
23:06 somehow the holiness of God will be transferred to them.
23:10 Yet singing in the choir, doing good works,
23:14 sitting at the Lord's table, none of these spiritual things
23:17 in themselves can make you righteous.
23:20 You can sit in a Holy Ghost filled meeting
23:22 and soak in all of the blessings of God,
23:25 but it would not make you holy if death is touching you.
23:32 On the other hand, death
23:35 and corruption of sin are transferable.
23:38 Sin is a communicable disease.
23:42 It spreads to everything it touches.
23:45 If sin is touching you at some point,
23:47 it begins to spread through your whole body.
23:50 And if there is something of the world in your heart,
23:53 if the touch of death is not purified,
23:55 you are in God's disfavor and all you do
23:59 is unclean in His sight.
24:01 But thank God tonight, ladies and gentlemen,
24:04 this is the bad news how you can lose your blessing.
24:08 But thank God tonight that He has made provision
24:12 for the cleansing of every touch of sin.
24:15 Are you battling a secret sin?
24:18 Has that sin hindered the flow of God's blessing to you?
24:22 Do you feel empty, dry and lonely?
24:25 Listen to God's word to you tonight.
24:27 "My little children, these things
24:30 write I unto you, that you may not sin.
24:34 And if any man sin,
24:35 we have an advocate with the Father,
24:37 Jesus Christ the righteous,
24:39 and He is the propitiation for our sins."
24:43 "If we confess our sins," He says,
24:46 "He is faithful and just to forgive us
24:48 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
24:51 If you want to be clean, run to Jesus. Amen.
24:57 Become faithful once more, putting God's interests first
25:02 and seeking Him with all your heart.
25:06 Start work again on the temple of the Holy Ghost.
25:09 The Lord has promised you,
25:10 He says, "Mark it down on your calendar."
25:13 God says, "From this day,
25:15 I'm gonna favor you and I'm gonna bless you."
25:20 Somebody wants me to pray for them tonight.
25:22 Somebody even out looking at this broadcast,
25:27 you want for God's blessings to rest upon you,
25:30 you want to be in favor with God,
25:32 you want Him to bless your life with abundance.
25:36 You want peace, joy and happiness.
25:39 You want contentment in our Savior.
25:42 At this time I want to pray for you.
25:44 You can bow your heads wherever you are
25:46 as we lift you up before God Almighty.
25:49 Loving Lord and our Savior, we know above everything else
25:53 that you want to bless Your people.
25:56 Somebody has had the touch of death in his life.
26:00 We have compromised,
26:01 we have allowed the blessing blockers
26:04 to get in our way, but tonight,
26:06 we want to give You free reign in our lives.
26:09 Forgive us of our sins,
26:12 give us the empowerment of Your Holy Spirit.
26:15 Move upon our hearts and help us
26:17 to start putting your interest above our own interests.
26:21 Help us to stop comparing and contrasting
26:26 and help us, oh, God, to keep our lives pure and clean.
26:30 Forgive us where we've done wrong
26:32 and give us overcoming power
26:34 and becoming power to be more like You.
26:38 Thank you for the word of God tonight
26:40 and we pray that Your word
26:41 will never return unto You void,
26:43 but someone who needs that word tonight
26:45 will respond in the affirmative to Your call,
26:49 calling us out of the world of darkness and sin.
26:52 Thank you, oh, God. Again in the name of Jesus,
26:55 our Lord and our Savior.
26:56 Let everyone say,amen.
26:58 Amen. Amen.
27:01 Thanks for watching Pathway of Hope.
27:04 If you would like to be prayed for
27:07 or would like to learn more about God's word,
27:10 please call 1-877-520-HOPE
27:16 or 1-877-520-4673.
27:23 You may also watch more of our programs
27:26 online at www.pathwayofhope.tv.
27:34 If you would like to make a tax-deductible love gift,
27:37 please send your gifts to Pathway of Hope
27:41 at P.O. Box 280704,
27:46 Queens Village, New York, 11428.
27:51 Thanks for watching Pathway of Hope
27:53 and may God's blessings be yours today.


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Revised 2024-02-06