Abraham's Journey To Fatherhood

And I'm here to tell you tonight that the enemy is a master of reminding you of your limitations. Because if your limitations exist in your mind, that is the only place they can stop you.

By the grace of God.

Oh, yeah.

I want to to you tonight on Release the Curse so you can receive the blessing. You know, I love the Kingdom Empowerment Conference. So many Christians don't have any idea what the kingdom is all about. And it's hard for us in America to understand the idea of a kingdom because we don't live in a kingdom. We live in a democratic republic for the time being. Okay, but that's another story. I was in London five years ago and I was preaching at a church and the pastor said to me they were meeting in a kind of an old rundown building. He said, we used to have a much nicer church building, but the queen took it.

I thought, man, what does that mean? I said, the queen took it? How can the queen take it? He said, well, because she's the corporate queen and it was hers already. And he was way okay with that. And I'm so confused. He said, you know why the queen's picture's on all our money, don't you? I said, no, why? He said, because it's her money.

But a king in a kingdom owns everything. The word kingdom comes from two words. It comes from king and dominion.

And the word king, I mean the word dominion means to rule over. And so the kingdom of God is.

The place God rules over.

God is a spirit. They that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Therefore, if the kingdom of God is going to come into our lives, it's not going to come into our lives in physical places. It will manifest in physical places, but it will come in, in spiritual, invisible places. The Word says In Romans, chapter 14, verse 17, it says, the kingdom of God is not meat and drink. That means it's not physical.

See, we're looking for this physical kingdom, but it's spiritual.

It says, but it's righteousness.

That's when God rules over your example.

It's peace.

That's when God rules over your experience.

And it's joy in the Holy Ghost.

That's when God rules over your expression. So when God is in control of your life in the means of example, experience and expression, his kingdom has come into your life. That's why when we pray, we're supposed to say, thy kingdom come because he's supposed to rule over us. The first part of our praying is supposed to be for him.

And then the Last part supposed to be for us.

So. I love the idea of the Kingdom Empowerment Conference. I had nothing to do with my message, but. But I just had to get it out. Amen.

We're going to look at just a couple of verses tonight to start off.

Genesis, chapter 12, verses 1 through 3. Do y' all stand or do y' all stand? Y' all might as well go ahead on stand up, because y' all gonna be sitting down for a while. Praise the Lord. I know the kids have to go to school tomorrow, so we're gonna get y' all out of here. Oh, that's right. It's summer.

Okay. Amen. All right. Genesis, chapter 12, verse number one through three. And it says now, the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation.

And I will bless thee, and I will make thy name great. And thou shalt be a blessing.

I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee. And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. And I'll just read the first three words of the next verse.

So, Abraham, Abram, departed.

Father, thank you for your word. I pray that it would find a.

Deep root in the soil of our.

Heart and that it might bring forth fruit to your honor and glory. Guide us, Lord, and lead us through your word in such a way that our eyes would be open, our spirit would be revived, and that our actions would be changed. And we thank you in advance for what you will do in Jesus name. Amen.

It says now, the Lord said unto.

Abram, we can't even start this story.

Without getting past the name of Abram.

Abram was like you, and Abram was like me.

And the Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews, chapter 7, verse 9, that not only was Abram like us.

We were in him.

We were in our father's loins. I don't have time to go into that right now. But what Abraham experienced in this story, we experienced.

And we're experiencing it now. And it says, and the Lord said to Abram, and as soon as it says that, Abram's heart sank. I believe that Abram did not.

Like his name.

I'm convinced of it.

See, we name people in America names that we like. Well, I like the name Michael. I think I'll name him Michael. I like the name James. I think I'll name him James. I like the name James, John I think I'll name him John. But in the Bible, when they name.

Somebody, they would name them after one of two things.

One characteristics they already had or two characteristics they'd hoped they would develop.

Now, Abram's name means high father or exalted father.

But there was a problem. Abram didn't have any kids.

But not only did he not have.

Children, he could not have children.

So every time somebody called his name, it reminded him of who he was. Not every time somebody said Abram, it just reminded me. He felt like a fake. He felt like a fraud.

He felt like a failure. His name was Abram.

High father with no children.

I can really relate to Abraham Abram.

When Abram, Abraham, whatever his name was at the time, I could relate to it because when I was growing up, I hated my name. I used to tell my mom, when.

I get 18, I'm changing my name.

I know some of y' all look at me. What's wrong with my. I'm gonna tell you in a minute.

I've got six brothers.

They all have normal names. Can I get a witness? You got a Jeff. Pretty normal. Under me there's a Mike. Under him there's a Rob, and then there's a Duane, and then there's a Derek, and then there's a Mark. And when they came to me, all they could think of was Myron.

Oh, Lord, help me.

Part of the. Now, I was an introvert. I know that's hard for you to.

Believe, but I was a big time introvert. I was an introvert because I had polio as an infant and I walked with a limp and I walk with a brace. And kids made fun of me. So I had that going.

And then I had this name that.

Wasn'T a normal name. And I didn't exactly know how to say it.

I know that sounds crazy, but I.

Did not know how to pronounce my own name. My parents are from Florida. They're from Tampa, Florida, and down they called. My name is Myron M Y R O N, but they called me Myron. I'd go to school and my teachers would call me Myron. My cousins up in coal mine country in Mount Union, Pennsylvania, they'd call me Myron.

And I'd go to Florida and all.

My cousin down there called me Myron.

I was so confused. What is my name?

I can remember when I was in the sixth grade, I was 12 years old, my dad introduced me to a friend of his. He said, son, this is my friend Mary.

Mary has a normal name.

And then, with all the pride that a father could muster, he said, mary, this is my son. Son, tell Mary your name.

I looked at my dad, thought to.

Myself, you told me Mary's name.

That's why I didn't say it.

But I thought it. Couldn't you just tell her my name?

And I looked at Mary.

I don't know this woman. I'm an introvert. I don't want to talk to her.

I look at my dad one more.

Time, I say.

And I broke down.

Started crying because I hated my name. Not for the same reasons Abraham hated his name. Or Abram hated his name. But I hated my name. I can feel this man's pain. Abram, I don't have any kids. Abraham, I don't have any kids. Abram, I don't have any kids.

There goes Abram, the high father with no kids.

And every time somebody called his name.

He was reminded who he was not.

And I'm here to tell you tonight that the enemy is a master of reminding you of your limitations. Because if your limitations exist in your mind. That is the only place they can stop you.

By the grace of God.

I told you. My introductions take 20 minutes.

Praise the Lord.

And the Lord said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country. From thy kindred, from thy father's house.

Unto a land I will show thee.

Now, here's what he said.

In order for you to receive what I've got for you, you've got to release what you have. You got to release the past so you can hold on to the future. You got to release who you've been so you can become who I want you to be. You got to stop doing what you were doing so you can start doing what I want you to do. You got to stop being where you've been so you can go where I.

Want you to go.

He says, you got to release it.

Some people in this room right now are holding on to a name. Somebody called you when you were in elementary school.

Can I get a witness up in here?

Some of y' all are holding onto. Got it locked up in a suitcase, what your guidance counselor told you you'd never be.

Can I get a witness up in here?

But God said, you gotta let it go.

Gotta release the curse.

So you can receive the blessing.

He said, now, here's what I want you to do, Abram. I want you to leave your father's house.

I want you to get out of your country. I want you to leave your kindred. I want you to leave everything that.

You know, And I'm going to take.

You someplace you don't know.

Can you imagine Abram going home that night?

Sarai, we moving, baby. And if you don't think this is tough, you try it tonight when you get home.

Where we going, Abram? Well, you know, the Lord said he'd tell me when we get there.

God said, I want you to leave what you know, and I'm going to take you somewhere. And I'm not going to show you.

Where it is you till you get there.

Do you trust God enough to let go of all that you know, so you can hold on to some stuff you haven't experienced yet?

See, in Christianity, we're holding on to some old traditional doctrines that ain't even in the Bible.

Can I get a witness?

Holding on to some traditions. Holding on to some things Mama told me. Holding on to some things Daddy told me. Holding on to some things Grandmamma and them told me. And can't even receive the blessing of God because we're holding on to the.

Traditions of the past.

God can't even take you into the.

Promised land because you're willing to let go.

You're unwilling to let go.

Well.

He said, release it. What are you holding on to? I'm just not that smart. How long are you going to hold on to that?

I don't have a degree.

How long are you going to hold on to that?

I don't have enough time.

How long you gonna hold on to that? I don't make enough money. How long you gonna hold on to that?

I'm just not. I'm not good at blah, blah, blah like other folks.

How long you gonna hold on to that?

Let it go.

Do you realize every single person in this room could find some reason not to walk into the blessings of God.

Because of something that happened in the past?

And here's what God said.

He said.

I'm going to take you to a place that I'll show you. Here's what he said. I'll make of thee a great nation.

He said, here's what I'm going to do. If you will release the curse.

And receive the blessing, here's what I'm going to do for you. I'm going to make you something you can't make yourself.

That's what he said.

I'll make you a great nation. Do not think for a second that.

Abraham didn't already want to have children. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you. He's 75 years old.

See, some of us holding onto the Age excuse.

I'm too old.

Some of them holding on to the age of I'm too young.

God said, I'll make you something. You can't make yourself the place of your greatest weakness. Hear me now.

The place of your greatest weakness is the place where God has the opportunity.

To be strongest in your life.

The Apostle Paul.

You know, it's interesting to me. It's interesting to me how we come up with these doctrines. I say, we Christianity. You know, I'm always amazed at faith healers that want to heal me.

While they're wearing glasses.

I'm amazed you ain't even got 20. 20.

That's easy.

I'm just saying. I'm just saying. Okay, I'm gonna get back on track. I'm gonna get back on track. Y' all need to stop getting me sidetracked now.

Physician, heal thyself up in here. Okay, so.

The Apostle Paul, who wrote 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament, here's what we call that more than half.

The Bible, says this man who went all over Europe and Asia preaching the gospel.

It says he begged God three times.

Lord, please take away my thorn in the flesh. And here's what God said. No.

He said, my grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in your weakness. Paul said, I will rather therefore glory in my infirmity, because when I'm weak, then am I strong. Why that? No flesh should glory in God's presence. God doesn't want to use you where you're good. He wants to use you where you're not good. He doesn't want to use you where you're an expert. He wants to use you where you haven't even started learning yet. He doesn't want to use you in the area of your giftedness. He wants to use you in the area of your weakness. God wants to take something that can do nothing and make it do everything.

Can I get a witness up in here?

God said, I'll make you something you can't make yourself you. Hey, Abram, get out of town and I'm gonna make you a great nation. Abram probably said, well, could you just.

Give me a child first Child doctor.

And I'm gonna make you a nation.

God said, I'm gonna. Hey, hey, hey.

God said, I will make you.

So I don't. So what?

You can't.

So what? You don't know how. So what?

You're not smart enough, not strong enough, not good enough. Can't sing good enough. What?

We could all come up with a Whole big old long list.

But there's not one of those things on that list than when we put God's name in front of our name. That matters.

We've got to release the curse so we can receive the blessing. And then he said.

I will bless thee. Here's what he said. I'll bless you in ways you can't bless yourself. Now, I don't know about you. Yeah, I do. I know about you. I'm gonna tell you something about all of us. We look out for us.

Hey, hey, you know what? If I go to the furniture store to buy a chair, I don't say, well, what's the hardest, most uncomfortable chair you got up in this. I don't do that. You know, I say, I want the most comfortable.

Smooth, soft, luxurious, voluptuous chair you got up in this place. When I sit in it, I want it to swallow me whole, and I want to be happy about it. Can I get a witness up in here?

We look out for us when we go to a restaurant.

We get what we want, but we look out for us. God said, I'm going. Told Abram, I'm going to bless you in ways you can't bless yourself. Okay, I'm keep it moving. I'm keep it moving. I'm going to keep it moving because I want to show you all some stuff here.

Here we go.

He said, I'm going to bless you in ways you can't bless yourself. And then he said, I'm going to make your name.

He said, I'm going to make your name great. He said, I'm going to take that thing that is your source of shame. And he said, I'm going to make it your source of glory. I'm going to take that thing that is your source of embarrassment, and I'm going to make it a badge and put it on your chest. I'm going to take that thing that is your source of shame, and I'm going to make it a trophy and put it in your trophy case.

He said, I'll make your name great. That name that you're ashamed of. I'm going to make it great.

And he said, and thou shalt be a blessing. Here's what he said. He said, I'm not just going to bless you so you can be blessed.

God doesn't want to just bless us so we can be blessed. How you doing? I'm blessed. Okay, that's nice, but that's not enough. That's good for the middle game, but that's not good for the end game. Amen. He said, thou shalt be a blessing. The reason God wants to bless us is so we can be a blessing. God wants to give me enough joy in my heart so I don't have just enough to be joyful.

I got enough to spread some joyfulness up in here.

God doesn't want to give me just.

Enough peace so I can be peaceful. He wants to give me enough peace so I can spread some peace.

God doesn't just want to give me enough love so I can feel loved. God wants to give me enough love so I can make other folk feel loved.

Okay, let me touch on one that's a little harder in the church. Now I'm going to go there because, you know, I got to go there too.

God wants to give me enough money.

So that I don't just have enough money for me, so I got enough money to bless other folk.

People walk around. How much money you want? I just want to make it enough to be comfortable.

I just want to make enough to be comfortable. Well, that's a pretty selfish goal.

When you only make enough to be comfortable.

You have to do like the priest and the Levite. You can't do like that certain Samaritan. You can't put somebody up in an inn. You can't take care of their need.

Your name's not good enough to say.

Hey, if he needs anything else, you just take care of him. When I come back, I got you.

Because as soon as we get enough to be comfortable, we go home, we sit down, we watch the game. Hey, I'm gonna tell you the game. The game's called the game of life and you in it.

You know.

These preachers that.

Sell blessings to people. I'm a preacher. I'm a preacher. I don't have any blessings for sale. I just want to tell you, if you give me a thousand dollars, God might bless you and he might not.

I'm just keeping it real. You know what I'm saying?

That's the truth. I see these guys saying, you sow a thousand dollar seed, God's gonna give you a hundredfold increase.

Maybe, maybe not.

I'm just keeping it real.

I went to a church with my cousin in Minnesota one time. I was so mad. Oh my goodness. I'm a very nice guy.

Very peace loving. But man, did I want to punch that preacher so bad. He took up six offerings for himself and one for himself. He's a visiting preacher. Took up six offerings for himself. I don't think I've ever been so mad in church, in my life.

But I'm going to tell you something. Because there are snakes and charlatans in the church. That is not a good enough reason for me to scare God's people away from the blessing that he has for them. So here's what I'll tell you. Now this. I'll tell you. If you will learn a new skill, God will bless you. If you will implement that new skill. God will bless you.

If you read a book and learn.

How to do something you didn't know.

How to do yesterday.

God will bless that.

If you.

I gotta say it. I gotta say it. If you'll start a business. I don't care what kind of business it is selling pencils, it doesn't matter.

You are giving God something to bless other than Potiphar's house.

I knew I was going to get quiet. But see.

I read the Bible and study the Bible a lot more. It gets me in trouble sometimes.

Hallelujah.

New Testament. New Testament, verse 1st Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 11, 12. And that you study. By the way, the word study there means to be diligent. And that you study to be quiet. And to do your own business. By the way, that word, do your own business. Here's what it means. Have your own business.

To do your own business. Working with your hands as we commanded you.

Why do you want us to do that, Apostle Paul?

That you may walk honestly toward them that are without. That means paying your bills on time.

And here's what it says after that.

And have lack of no thing. I didn't write it. It was in my Bible when I got up this morning.

See, but here's what happened. We're so busy holding on to the fact that the. That there's men out there that are conning the church. That we won't teach them what the Bible says about money. So the only place they have to.

Learn from is these charlatans and snakes.

The Jewish people are less than 1% of the U.S. population. Less than 1%. They control 40% of the world's wealth because they teach their children from the time they come in this world and can understand words that you have a moral obligation to start and run a profitable business. And Jewish parents hand down that business to their children. And they hand it down to their grandchildren. And they hand it down to their grandchildren. That's why Abram Isaac was already blessed when he got here. Because a good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children. But in the church, you know what we do when we Die. Here's what we do. We leave our families trying to figure out how to pay for the funeral.

Christian talking about, I don't want my wife walking around with all this money and then she gonna get married again.

Okay, let's think about the other side of that coin.

So you want her to starve and the children to starve because you're not here anymore?

I'm just saying we've got to think.

Differently and look inside the word of God and see what it says. I've got a responsibility to take care of my children and to take care of my grandchildren, even though I don't have any yet. And to take care of my grandchild. Children's children, children's children, grandchildren. At least take care of my children and my grandchildren. I don't even have any grandchildren yet.

See, that's.

You know, that's. I don't know. What's he saying? He's saying what he's saying up in here.

You know what?

I went to a church one time. I was preaching as a traveling evangelist. I was broke. I was poor. That was back in the days when I didn't understand some stuff about business. I was poor. I was preaching at a church on a Wednesday night. They made an announcement that a family in the church's house burned down. There were only about 40 people there, so there weren't a ton of people there. They took up an offering for this family. I thought to myself, well, my house didn't burn down. You know, I got a house so I can give them some money. So I put a hundred dollar bill in the plate. And I'm not bragging. I'm just telling you how the story unfolded. Put a hundred dollar bill in the plate. And I was not by any means a man of means, you know what I mean? Okay, so.

And I asked the finance person at the end of the service, how much did we take up for the family whose house burned down? And they said, $136.

I'm just saying God wants to bless you now.

Okay, it got quiet. It's going to get more quieter.

Okay, let's go over to chapter 13. Genesis, chapter 13.

We got to go fast. We got to go really, really fast. I'm not even going to be able to read all the verses to you, but I'm going to read. I'm going to. Going to show you some of them. Okay. Genesis, chapter 13, verse 1. And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and lot with him into the South. And Abram was very. What's the word? Rich in cattle, in silver and in gold. Now, let me ask you a question.

I'm not saying God wants everybody to be rich. That's not what I'm saying. But here's what I am saying.

God doesn't want his children to be poor trying to figure out where their next meal is coming from. I'm not going to take it back. I ain't going back in the doorway. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. But Jesus said, the poor you will have with you always. He did say that. But see, the thing we need to understand about poverty is this. Poverty is dynamic. It is not static. And here's what I mean by that. The people who are poor now don't have to be poor five years from now.

I used to be poor.

I remember when my wife was eight months pregnant with our first child. We were so poor, our lights and water were both disconnected at the same time. I know what it's like to be poor. But that was then. That didn't mean.

Well, I'm poor.

I'm just supposed to stay here for the rest of my life because Jesus said, I'm going to be with you always? No, I ain't the one.

Just keeping it real. Okay. By the way, let me ask you this question because I want us to think. I want to.

I mean, yeah, I want to preach.

And I want to get you excited about the Word of God, because it is.

But I want us to think about.

The word of God so we can.

Go home, meditate on it, chew on a little bit, and see if God has an area in my life he.

Wants me to change.

If.

Wealth and prosperity in the biblical sense, if they are not good, why did God make them as the.

Reward for wisdom? I'm just asking, why would he say, when you become wise, you will get durable riches and righteousness? Go read Proverbs, chapter 8. Why does Proverbs 10:4 say the blessing of the Lord? It maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Well, if it's bad, God said he's gonna bless Abraham if it's bad.

Why?

Why would he bless him with something that's bad? I'm just trying to figure out why God's blessing Abraham with all this bad stuff.

Amen.

The other thing I want to know is, if being poor is so great and such a wonderful goal to have as a Christian, why does God make it the consequence for laziness? Why does he make it the consequence for drunkenness? Why does he make it the consequence for gluttony? Why does he make it the consequence for foolishness? The glutton and the drunkard shall lie down together. And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

A little sleep, a little slumber, a.

Little folding of the hands of sleep. So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth. And I want, as an armed man. In other words, laziness will rob you.

Like an armed bandit.

By the way, sometimes.

Ooh, should I go there, Lord.

Trying to be nice.

Sometimes we are physically diligent so we don't have to be mentally. We're physically diligent so we can stay mentally lazy. Sometimes we work hard doing what we know how to do, so we don't have to learn how to do what we don't know how to do.

God said, well, here's what you got to do. You got to let go so you can take hold. You got to release the past so.

You can latch on to the future.

I got to go faster.

Okay, here we go. Here we go. So that's chapter. That's chapter 13. I'm not even going to do chapter 14. I'm just going to tell you what happened. Remember what he said? He said, I'm going to bless them that bless thee. I'm going to curse him that curse thee. Y' all remember that? Abram was minding his own business in chapter 13. At the end of chapter 13, Lot's herdman, Abram's herdman, they got in a battle over the land. So Abram said to Lot, he said, look, you look around. Whatever you see, you take that. I'll take what you leave. Lot looked, saw the well water plain towards Sodom. He went to Sodom. Even though there were wicked men there, he went to Sodom. Here's what happened. Five kings came and conquered Sodom. And Gomorrah took Lot and Lot's family with him. And here's what the Bible says. One man escaped and went and told Abram.

Abram said, what? They got my nephew? No, they. No, no, not my nephew.

And it says he armed 300 servants that were born in his house. And he went out. This is a regular preferred person like us, took 300 servants that were born in his house, and he went out and fought against five kings and won.

See God.

Here's what God's doing. He's showing him that what I told you.

I'm going to bring it to pass. That's chapter 14. I'm going fast. Y'. All. Y' all Listen faster. Listen faster. Y' all need to listen back. Okay, here we go.

Chapter 15. Chapter 15.

God seals it with a covenant.

Y' all ain't with me up in here now. Here's what happened, Abram. By this time, by chapter 15, ten years had gone by. Chapter 12 to chapter 15. Ten years gone by. Abram still the high father with no kids.

You know what happens when God tells you he's going to do something for you and 10 years go by and it don't happen. Y' all know what happened, don't you? You say, well, I don't know if the Lord really meant what he said. Amen. I want you to see what happens after these things. The word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, fear not, Abram. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward.

He said, I'm your protection and I'm your provision. I'm your protection. I'm your prosperity.

Y' all hang in there with me now. And Abram said what we would have.

Said.

Lord, Lord God.

What wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless and the steward of my house is.

This Eliezer of Damascus.

God said, I'm your exceeding great reward. Abram was so focused on his lack, so focused on his limitations, so focused on what he could not do, so focused on what he could not have, it was hard for him to even hear what God was saying to him.

He said, lord, what are you going to give me? Sin. And I. My name's Abram. I still ain't got no kid.

Ten years ago, you told me you go, give me a son. And I still don't got no son.

Now watch what happened.

Man, I wish I could go. I'm going to finish this, and then we're going to wrap it up, because I'm just. Here we go.

And Abram said, lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless and the steward of my house is Zelieazer of Damascus. And Abram said, behold, to me, thou hast given no seed. And lo, one born in mine house is mine heir. And behold, the word of the Lord.

Came unto him, saying, this shall not be thine heir. The way it looks is not the way it is. How it feels is not how it is.

But he that shall come forth out.

Of thine own bow shall be thine.

Heir out of thine own.

He could have said, out of thine own old bowels. See, old is a limitation to you. Old don't mean nothing to me. I've been here forever and I'm going.

To be here forever.

I'm not worried about how old you are. Who do you think made you old?

Abram.

And he brought him forth abroad and said, look now toward heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said, so shall thy seed be.

Abram's like, can you imagine the confusion?

He's 85, got no kids. What is he talking about? My wife's 75. I'm 85. He talking about what?

And he believed in the Lord and was counted to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I am.

The Lord that brought thee out of.

The Ur of the Chaldees to give thee the land to inherit it. And he said, lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

He's like, lord, I believe you. But, Lord, you know, help my unbelief.

He said, lord, just give me something so I can know.

And here's what he said. And he said unto him, take an heifer of three years old, a she goat of three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle dove, a young pigeon. And he took unto them all these and divided them in the midst and laid each piece one against another. But the birds he divided not. And when the fowls came down the carcass upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. And when the sun went down and it was dark, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto him, abram, know of assurity. Thy seed shall not be a stranger in the land that is thy seed shall be a stranger in the land that is not theirs. And they shall serve them. And they shall afflict them 400 years.

And also, that nation whom they serve will I judge.

And afterwards they shall come out with great substance. Now, by the way Abram's sleeping, God's talking to him. See, here's what you need to understand. Even if you don't hear God talking.

To you, what he says is going to happen, is going to happen. Sleep or awake, paying attention or not, if God starts talking to you, it shall come, come to pass.

Okay, okay. I'm getting there. I'm getting there.

Y' all keep a brother here all night. What's up? Okay, okay.

Okay. And. And then it says in verse 17, it came to pass when the sun went down. It was dark. Behold, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces in the same day. The Lord made a. What's the word? Covenant with Abram, saying unto thy Seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt even to the great river of the river Euphrates. Now he made a covenant. Now, the word covenant means what? It means to cut. The word covenant means to cut. By the way, it's the same word. Y' all mark this down. It's the same word as the word decision. The word decision means to cut off from incision, cut into suicide. Means you cut off your own life. Suicide, you cut, sue you off, your life. Incision, you cut in. Decision, you cut off. Are y' all with me? Same word, decision. Covenant, same concept. Okay, Pastor Steele, can you come help me? If Pastor Steele and I were going to become covenant brothers, if we're going to become covenant brothers, here's what happens. Pastor Steele would bring an animal, and I would bring an animal. Now, God's in heaven, he ain't bringing any animals. So he told Abram, he said, abram, you bring all the animals. But two people enter into covenant. They bring an animal. Okay, you got your animal. And Pastor Steele would kill his animal. Kill your animal and then cut it up over there behind you. Turn around and cut it up right there. Okay? And I'm cutting up my animal. And they cut it in pieces. Drain all the blood out, cut it in pieces, Put one pile against another. That's what it says, Bless. But the birds, he divided not. Then Pastor Steele would face the carcass of that animal. I would face the carcass of this animal. When we got ready to enter into covenant, he would walk in a circle around that animal. Not yet. Not yet. In a circle around that animal. And he'd be taken in the brutality of that death. I would be doing the same thing. So go ahead, Pastor Steele, start walking. He walks in a circle around that covenant. We come back in the middle, face to face. When we come back in the middle, face to face, he would take his knife in his left hand, his left hand, and cut his right hand. And I would do the same thing. And we put our hands together and bind it with a rope. And our blood would become one blood. He'd become his blood, become my blood, my blood become his blood. We'd exchange covenant vows, and we'd exchange covenant names. Covenant name. My name would become Myron Tommy Golden. His name would become Tommy Myron Steele. Sorry about that. Okay. It's the best I could do, brother, is what I had. Okay?

So.

His name would become Tommy Myersteel. Now, we would exchange covenant vows. And here's the covenant vow. I'm going to give everything I have all of my might, all of my power, all of my wealth, every drop of blood that flows through my body up to my last breath to protect you and yours. And if I don't keep this covenant with you, may what happened to that animal happen to me.

There's a saying in the east that blood is thicker than milk. Talking about mother's milk. When two people enter into a covenant relationship, they are closer together than blood kin. That's what it means. That's why in the Old Testament, if somebody committed adultery, they would have to be taken outside the camp and stoned because they made a covenant. Marriage is not a contract. It is a covenant. The difference is, a contract is an agreement between two individuals based upon a mutual distrust. But a covenant is an agreement between two individuals based upon a mutual love and trust. Are y' all with me? I know. I'm. I know I'm saying a lot. So. So. So. So he. We would enter into covenant. We would enter the covenant together. Now, who was entering into covenant in. In Genesis, chapter 15. I'm. I promise y', all, I'm gonna end with this story. I got so much more I want to cover, but I. There's not time, so I'm gonna end with this. But I'm gonna ask y' all a question. Who was entering into covenant with whom in Genesis chapter 15? God. With who?

Abram.

Now, that is a problem. And it's a problem because if God and Abram would have entered into that covenant, Abram would have been face to face with God. No man has seen God in any time and live. Abram would have had to die. There goes the promise. Okay, that's one problem. Problem. The other problem is God would keep the covenant. But God knew Abram couldn't keep the covenant. So God put Abram to sleep. Pastor Steele, can you go over there and fake sleep? Okay. Okay. So he's asleep. Abram's over there asleep. Now, here's what it says. And it came to pass when the sun was down, went down. Verse number 17. And it came to pass that when the sun went down and it was dark. Behold a smoking furnace. That is a picture of God the Father. We know that because the Bible says when he came down and he spoke to the children of Israel on Mount Sinai, the smoke ascended like the smoke. Smoke of a what? Great furnace? The Bible tells us in Hebrews, it says that our God is a consuming fire. So it came to pass when some went down. It was dark. Behold, a smoking furnace. That's God the Father. And a burning lamp. That's God the Son. Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus said, I am the light of the world. And I am the light of the world. And I don't remember the rest of the verse. That's not coming to me right now. But it doesn't matter. That's a picture of Jesus. So here's what we have. We have God the Father, Abram sleeping. Brother Gary, come help me, please. So God the Father puts Abram to sleep. And God the Son comes and takes Abram's place. After Abram cuts up all the animals, God the Son faces those animals. I'll let you be God the Father. You be God the Father. Okay, now you be God the Son. That's fine. And God the Father. And God the Father is taking it in. God the Son is taking it in. They both walk around. Go ahead. Walk around the carcass of the animal. And then we come back in the middle, face to face. And God the Father says, if I don't keep my covenant with Abram, may what happened to that animal happen to me. And God the Son said, get this now. If Abram doesn't keep the covenant, may what happen to that animal happen to me.

Now, I want you to get this. That's why it says in Isaiah that.

His visage was so marred more than.

Any man, and his form more than.

The sons of men. Jesus had to die a brutal death. He had to die, thereby crucifixion. He had to die by plucking out a beard. He had to die a bloody death. Why? Because he entered a covenant for Abram.

He took Abram's place. But he didn't just take Abraham's place. He took your place. And he took my place. The Bible says, for God the Father hath made him, Jesus the Son, to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made. The righteousness of God in him. Or ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. That ye, through his poverty, might be rich. Hey. Jesus took our name.

What was our name? Our name was sin.

We took his name.

What's his name?

They were called Christians first in Antioch.

And he entered into a covenant in Abram's place and said, if Abram doesn't keep the covenant, may what happened to that animal happen to me. Thank you, Brother Gary. Pastor Steele, thank you.

I'm going to tell you something now.

The blessing of Abraham.

Is all encompassing.

It's spiritual.

It'S financial.

It's family.

It's defense. It's all encompassing. I've got to just read. Can I read two verses to y'? All? Can I. Can I read two verses? I'm winding it down. I promise I'm winding down. I know y' all need to go get some rest. Some of y' all traveled a long way. I feel you.

I'm gonna tell you one of them. Hebrews, chapter seven, verse nine. Hebrews, chapter seven, verse nine. It talks about the fact Levi received, he receives tithes, but he also gave tithes unto Melchizedek when he was in his father's loins. Are y' all with me? So if Levi was in Abram's loins long before Levi was born, and he gave tithes when Abraham gave tithes, that means when God blessed Abram, God already blessed Levi. And God said, if this blessing that I've promised you in Genesis, chapter 12, verse 1 and 2 and 3, if I don't keep it, may what happen to that animal happen to me. But not only If I don't keep with you, Abram, if I don't keep with Isaac, if I don't keep it with Jacob, if I don't keep it with all Jacob's children, if I don't keep it with Levi. Now, here's the crux of the message right here, and I'm just going to show it to you. It's Galatians, chapter three. Look at Galatians, chapter three. And we're going to go to the house.

And verse six. And it says, even as Abraham. And we didn't even get time to talk about how God changed his name to Abraham. By the way, the name Abraham means father of many nations. Okay? God changed his name. Chapter 17. Anyway, he lost faith. He gained faith. He lost faith. He had that same kind of vacillating relationship that we have with God. Can I get a witness?

I believe.

I don't know. I believe. I ain't sure. Okay. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye, therefore, that they which are of what. What's the next word? Faith. The same are the what children of Abraham?

How many are in here of faith? Let me hear you say yes.

Okay.

So you, according to the Scriptures, are the children of Abraham the. So when God entered that covenant with Abram and swore by his own name that if he didn't keep his part of the bargain, may what happened to that animal happen to him. Who did that include?

Let me hear y' all say.

That includes me.

Look what it says in the last verse. And I could read more. Look what it says in the last verse. And I'm going to show you a beautiful, beautiful picture. It says in verse 29, and if ye be Christ, then are ye Abraham's seed. And what's the next word? And heirs of what? Of all of it, according to the promise. Now, Abram lost faith. Sarai lost faith. Sarah sent Abram in to have a child by Hagar. He had a child by Hagar. That child's name was Ishmael. He was the child of the flesh. He was not the child of the promise. Abraham wanted God to bless Ishmael. Forget about Isaac.

God said, I'm not Abra. Ishmael ain't the one.

Isaac is the one.

Ishmael is the seed of the flesh. I, Isaac is the seed of the promise.

Okay.

Now here's what's beautiful.

Ishmael, who was a seed of the flesh even though he wasn't a Jew, he is a picture of the Hebrews, of the Jewish people in the Bible. It's a picture. Ishmael is a picture of the Jews because he was the seed of the flesh. Now, in our modern day New Testament era, the Hebrews are the children of the flesh, the children of Abraham by the flesh. Isaac was the seed of the promise. But in the New Testament age, the Hebrews are the children of the flesh and the Christians are the seed of the promise. So the blessing that God promised Abram in Genesis chapter 12, confirmed again. Genesis chapter 17, did the covenant, Genesis chapter 15.

That blessing belongs to you. But if you're stuck in your mind thinking that God wants me to be beat down, busted, half, disgusted, broke on Tuesday, can't be trusted.

Then you're not letting go. You're not releasing the curse.

So you can receive the bless.