GlobalChristians

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

POSSESSING THE PROMISES

 

Claiming The Abrahamic Covenant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©   Harvestime International Network

http:/www.harvestime.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

                                                                                                                               Page

 

Introduction                                                                                                                3         

 

Chapter One:               You Are An Heir                                                                    4

 

Chapter Two:              The Cutting Of Covenant                                                       8

 

Chapter Three: Possessing The Promises: Part One                                         15

 

Chapter Four:              Possessing The Promises: Part Two                                        22

 

Chapter Five:              Don’t Be Shut Out                                                                 28

 

Chapter Six:                Blessed To Be A Blessing                                                      31

 

Appendix:                   Personalized Declarations Of The Abrahamic Covenant       33

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

 

            “Get up.  Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s house,” God commanded Abraham. 

 

            An aging man, walking alone beneath the stars--God speaks to him again and says,  “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if you are able to number them.  I will make you a great nation, a blessing, the father of many.”  Over the years, additional revelations from God and more powerful promises.

 

            A great story–but much more than a story.  More than a historical record of the birth of the nation of Israel.  More than the story of one man. It is the story of a divine covenant–the supernatural promises of God–intended to pass from generation to generation, down through the centuries.

 

            What is the true message conveyed through the story of Abraham and the promises God gave him?  What is the significance?  How do these promises impact believers today?   Do they affect your destiny, and if so how? 

 

            How is your life intricately entwined with the story of this aging patriarch?

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter One

YOU ARE AN HEIR

 

            You are about to discover a spiritual truth so tremendous that, when you grasp it, your entire life will change. You are an heir!

 

            You may not have a rich relative or a financial endowment that has been passed down to you, but you are a spiritual heir of an inheritance that is far greater.  It is an inheritance so great that it encompasses every area of your life.  It has the capacity to heal every sickness and painful experience you have passed through, supply every need, and equip you for victorious living and effective service in God’s Kingdom. This spiritual inheritance is called “the Abrahamic covenant.”

           

            The story of Abraham, after whom this covenant is named, begins with his departure from Ur of the Chaldeans in ancient southern Babylonia.   Abram-- as he was then called--and his family moved north along the trade routes of the ancient world and settled in the prosperous trade center of Haran, several hundred miles to the northwest.

 

            At age 75, while living in Haran, Abraham received a call from God to go to an  unknown land that the Lord would show him:

 

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 shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3)

 

            God promised Abraham that He would make him and his descendants a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3). The promise must have seemed unbelievable to Abraham because his wife, Sarah, was elderly and childless (Genesis 11:30-31; 17:15), but Abraham obeyed God and began the long journey into the unknown.

 

            Abraham traveled south along the trade routes from Haran, through Shechem and Bethel, to the land of Canaan. This was a populated area, inhabited by the war-like Canaanites, so Abraham's belief that God would ultimately give this land to him and his descendants was a tremendous act of faith:

 

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10)

 

 

The Abrahamic Covenant

 

            As part of Abraham’s call and in response to his obedience, God made specific promises to which He committed Himself. This contractual agreement has been called the "Abrahamic covenant." The Bible records several occasions on which God appeared to Abraham to make, confirm, or amend the promises.

 

            The provisions of these agreements, which ultimately would result in blessing all the families of the earth, were not only extended to Abraham, but to his seed after him–Isaac, Jacob, and the nation of Israel.   Abraham would be the spiritual father of  Israel and many other nations:

 

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.  (Genesis 17:5)

 

            Though childless at the time, with a barren wife beyond child-bearing years, Abraham believed these promises from God and acted upon them:

 

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.  (Romans 4:3)

 

            The Abrahamic covenant will take you beyond a blessing into the realm of power that makes the impossible possible.  Just as God promised, Abraham was blessed with a son, Isaac, through whom the nation of Israel was birthed:

 

Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.  

            (Hebrews 11:11-12)

 

            Genesis 21-35 records the story of Isaac, and as you read through it you will see the tremendous blessings of God upon his life.  The provisions of this covenant then passed on to Isaac’s son, Jacob.  Despite a rough start, Jacob’s life was eventually supernaturally changed and with it came a name change to “Israel.”  Jacob was mightily blessed of God through the provisions of the Abrahamic covenant,  he passed these promises on to his children, and the nation of Israel was birthed.

 

The Blessing Extends To You

 

            The tremendous blessings of Abraham extend even further than the nation of Israel, however.  The Apostle Paul declared:

 

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.  (Romans 8:16-17)

 

            Romans 4:16 declares that Abraham was the “father of us all.”   As you study these blessings of the Abrahamic covenant, it is important for you to realize that as a child of God, as  Abraham’s spiritual seed and a joint heir with Christ, you are an heir to these covenant promises! 

            The Apostle Paul declared, “And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3;29.).  This means that as true believers, we are Abraham’s spiritual seed and the promises that God made to Abraham extend down through the centuries to us today: 

 

That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.  (Romans 9:8)

 

            As you will see as we explore this powerful covenant, God reveals in it His plans, purposes, and the blessings He desires to pour out upon us. Everything we need spiritually, physically, mentally, and financially is provided in the Abrahamic covenant.  Yet, there are few believers today who comprehend this and are claiming their covenant rights.  If we are to receive all that God has provided for us in this powerful covenant, then we must learn its terms, its provisions, and how to take possession of these tremendous blessings.

 

            That is the purpose of this study: Not only to identify the covenant promises of Abraham, but to show you how to claim them as your rightful inheritance.  Stop for a moment and pray, right now, for God to open your spirit to receive this powerful revelation.

 

An Unlimited Blessing

 

            This blessing is so great that it extends to areas where man would say you are crazy to even have hope.  Abraham “...against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be” (Romans 4:18).  The Abrahamic covenant will enable you to believe in hope when there is no hope in the natural:

 

            -The blessing of Abraham goes where the doctor has said, “No hope.”

            -It goes where the banker has said, “No hope.”

            -It goes where the attorney has said, “No hope.”

            -It goes where the marriage counselor has said, “No hope.”

            -It goes where those around you have declared, “No hope.”

 

            Claiming your rights under the Abrahamic covenant will renew your hope!

 

            When Abraham first received this powerful covenant, it was so great that he fell on his face before God (Genesis 17:17).  But the Bible declares that Abraham  “... staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform” (Romans 4:20-21).

 

            These promises are so great that they could cause you to stagger or fall on your face spiritually.  Like Abraham, however, you must be strong in faith.  You must be fully persuaded that the provisions of this covenant are for you and that God is able to bring them to pass in your life.

 

            The Abrahamic covenant will enable you–by faith--to start declaring those things that are not, as though they are.  Abraham called “those things which be not as though they were” (Romans 4:17).  This covenant will enable you to speak powerful, prophetic words.  Regardless of how circumstances appear in the natural, you will be able to speak healing, salvation, and deliverance and see miracles manifested in your life.

 

            Like Abraham, to whom God revealed His plans for Sodom, you will receive prophetic revelations and be empowered to intercede in the Spirit.  Through your prayers, men and women–like Lot and his family--will be delivered from God’s wrath.

 

            Are you ready to receive this tremendous spiritual inheritance? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Two

THE CUTTING OF COVENANT

 

            The blessings of Abraham–your blessings–are based upon a covenant relationship with God.  Before we explore these powerful provisions, it is important for you to understand what a covenant is and the terms upon which your inheritance is based.

 

            A covenant is an agreement between two people that involves promises on the part of each to the other. The Hebrew word for covenant is b'rith, which means cutting.  Biblically, this refers to a custom in  Old Testament times where two people making a covenant passed through the bodies of slain animals after making their agreement.

 

            There are actually six elements to a covenant:

 

            Content:                      What are the promises being made?

            Cause:                        For what purpose are these promises made?

            Commitment:              There must be a commitment to the covenant from both the giver

                                                and the recipient.       

            Confirmation:              Both parties confirm their acceptance of the covenant.

            Conflicts:                    Conflicts will arise as the covenant is enacted and fulfilled.

            Continuum:                 The covenant is eternal, perpetual to all generations.

           

            We will observe each of these elements in the Abrahamic covenant.  We will learn the content of the covenant, the cause for which it was given, the commitment of God to the covenant and the confirmation of its truths as it is fulfilled.  We will witness that despite  conflicts, such as Abraham’s advanced age, the covenant is fulfilled and its promises passed on to future generations.

 

            The Old Testament contains many examples of people who related to each other through covenants. David and Jonathan entered into a covenant because of their love for each other, an agreement which bound each of them to certain responsibilities (1 Samuel 18:3).   Other examples of covenants between men are both Abraham and Isaac with Abimelech (Genesis 20 and 26).  Each covenant contained these six elements.

 

Cutting Covenant

 

            When one “cut covenant” in Old Testament times, it involved a statement of the terms of the agreement; an oath from each party; a curse upon each if one should break the agreement; and the sealing of the covenant by a blood sacrifice. Violation of such a covenant was considered a heinous act.

 

             The truly remarkable thing is that God--who is holy, omniscient, and omnipotent-- consented to enter into covenant with sinful man.  In the Old Testament, God made a covenant with Abraham and his seed, stated the terms, swore by Himself, and sealed the agreement with the blood of sacrificial animals.   In the New Testament, this covenant was reconfirmed  through the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ.

           

            The Greek word for “covenant” used in the New Testament, means “a contract or a will.”  Simply stated, our covenant with God, based upon the Abrahamic promises, is the title deed to our inheritance.  It is a legal, spiritually binding agreement between God and man.

 

            When God called Abraham to leave his home and go to the promised land, He declared that He would make Abraham a great nation with many descendants.  In Genesis 15 Abraham questioned this promise because of his advanced age and the Lord reaffirmed it. Abraham's response is a model of believing faith: "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). 

 

            Genesis 15 describes the ceremony commonly used in the ancient world to formalize a covenant.  The custom was that  both parties making the covenant would walk together between the pieces of slain animals (e.g., Jeremiah 34:18-19). This meant that the terms of the covenant would be mandatory on both parties. If one party became guilty of violating any  term of the covenant, it would free the other party from the necessity of fulfilling his own promises. 

 

            But the ceremony which occurred in Genesis 15 between God and Abraham confirming the covenant was different in one very important aspect:

 

 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram...and it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram.  (Genesis 15:12, 17-18)

           

            Abraham and God did not walk together between the slain animals, as was the custom. God put Abraham in a deep sleep and only God--in the form of a smoking oven and a flaming torch--walked between the pieces of the animals.  This meant that the fulfillment of the covenant was based solely upon God's grace, regardless of failures by Abraham or his descendants.

 

            Abraham could not be responsible for the covenant, but could only be a recipient of the covenant.  He might fail, but the covenant would remain intact.   God would never fail, for He  promised, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips” (Psalms 89:34).

 

You Are A Recipient

 

            You are a recipient of this powerful covenant with all of its promised benefits.  It is passed on to you as the spiritual seed of Abraham.  No matter how often you fail, no matter how weak you think you are spiritually, the covenant is not dependent upon you.  You are only a recipient.  The fulfillment is based solely upon God’s grace.

 

            You are a spiritual heir of every blessing of the Abrahamic covenant.  The words “bless” and “blessing” are used repeatedly in these promises.  The root word is barak and means to confer abundant and effective life and to endue with power for success, prosperity, and longevity. 

 

            The blessings God conferred upon Abraham which are passed on to us as his spiritual seed, endue us with power for an abundant, effective life.  They assure power for success, prosperity, fruitfulness, healing, blessing, and longevity:

 

The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds", meaning many people, but "and to your seed", meaning one person, who is Christ.  (Galatians 3:16 NIV)

 

            The blessings of Abraham were given from God through Christ to us.  If you are a born-again believer, then these blessings are yours. This is what makes an understanding of the covenant vital today. Many believers are living far below their spiritual heritage because they do not understand that this covenant extends to them.  They do not understand its provisions or how to receive the benefits.  This lack of knowledge results in many living defeated and desperate lives.  God’s Word declares, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...” (Hosea 4:6).

 

            The provisions of this covenant are yours, passed on to you from God through Jesus Christ.  The covenant is confirmed in your life the same way it was in the life of Abraham.  Jesus Christ walked alone to Calvary and through His blood sacrifice paid the price for your salvation and the spiritual benefits of this covenant:

 

 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.  (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

 

            The fulfillment of this covenant is not dependent upon you.  It is only dependent upon your obedience in accepting and acting upon the terms of the covenant.  You must believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as your Savior in order to become the seed of Abraham:

 

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (Romans 10:8-10)

 

            The promises of the Abrahamic covenant are attained by grace, through faith, just as your salvation is secured:

 

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

 

The Covenant Is Based On Relationship

           

            You cannot enter into this covenant without a personal relationship with God.  It is not what you know about this covenant–its terms and provisions--but Who you know that will make these blessings a reality in your life.

 

            God’s covenant with Abraham was based on relationship.  Abraham was called “the friend of God”:

 

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.  (James 2:23)

 

            How do you become a friend of God?  You accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and develop personal relationship with Him through prayer, praise and worship,  the Word of God, living by His precepts, and doing His will.

 

            After God gave the powerful promises of this covenant to Abraham, He commanded that the agreement be confirmed by the shedding of blood.  Abraham was commanded to circumcise himself and all the males in his household.  This was a sign of the covenant relationship between God and the nation of Israel:

 

This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.  (Genesis 17:10-14)

 

 

            During the long Journey through the wilderness, the Israelites did not practice circumcision, but it was resumed again before Israel entered the Promised Land

 

            At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised           the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. And this is the cause why Joshua did      circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of   war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.  Now all the people      that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by             the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised. For the children   of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war,           which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord:       unto whom the Lord sware that he would not shew them the land, which the Lord sware          unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. And       their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were        uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.  And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the      camp, till they were whole. And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away             the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto           this day.   (Joshua 5:2-9)

 

            Israel could not successfully confront the enemy and receive the benefits of the Abrahamic covenant without the mark of God upon their lives.

 

                                                            Spiritual Circumcision

 

Circumcision–the cutting of the flesh--was a sign of the Abrahamic covenant between

God and His people. But  what does circumcision represent to the believer today? As a  people called and ordained by God, desiring to walk in the provisions of the Abrahamic covenant, we must bear the marks of change upon our lives.  As New Testament believers, we no longer circumcise the flesh, but we are circumcised in heart:

 

In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a [spiritual] circumcision [performed by] Christ by stripping off the body of the flesh (the whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts).[Thus you were circumcised when] you were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead. And you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature), [God] brought to life together with [Christ], having [freely] forgiven us all our transgressions, Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.  (Colossians 2:11-12, AMP)

 

            Our circumcision is spiritual, of the heart instead of the flesh. But if you have been circumcised in heart there will be external signs, just as the men of Israel had visible evidence in their flesh. You will act, talk, and live differently.  Your life–your flesh--will bear the marks of change which are the signs of your covenant relationship with God:

 

For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward of the flesh: But he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.   (Romans 2:28-29 )

           

            This circumcision of the heart is two-fold:

 

            - God has a part in it: “And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart...”           (Deuteronomy 30:6).

 

            -You have a part in it: “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart...” (Jeremiah 4:4).

 

            You cannot do your part until He does His part.  That would simply be a futile attempt at self-improvement.

 

            The Apostle Paul declared:

 

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.  (Philippians 3:3)

 

            Our spiritual circumcision enables us to enter in--by the Spirit, not the flesh--to the covenant blessings of Abraham.  The Bible teaches that man is body, soul, and spirit.   When you accept Christ as Savior, the change is a spiritual one–you experience a spiritual rebirth (John 3:5-8). It is your spirit that is born again.

 

            After your new spiritual birth, your soul–which is your mind, will, and emotions–must be supernaturally changed as you live out this new life.  For years, your soul has  ruled your spirit and your flesh.  Whatever you desired, you did–whether it be drugs, alcohol,  pornography, immorality, etc.   You did not exercise control over emotions such as anger, unforgiveness, and

bitterness.  You went where you wanted to go and did what you wanted to do.

 

             Repetition of sinful behavior leads to more of the same, until certain actions are so entrenched in our lives that we cannot stop.  We become enslaved to habitual sin and spiritual strongholds are erected.  This is what the Apostle Paul struggled with after his conversion and described in Romans 7:15-21.

 

You cannot change your soulish nature on your own.   Self-effort will not rid you of

habitual sin–Paul found that out.  Addictions cannot be broken through self-effort.  You must let God supernaturally  change your soulish realm–your mind, will, and emotions.  For years, your sinful soulish nature has controlled your body and your spirit.  Now you must learn to let your redeemed spirit control your body and soul. 

 

            The covenant promises made to Abraham are not for everyone.  They are only for those who have entered into the blood covenant with Jesus Christ by accepting His sacrifice for their sin.  It is for those who have circumcised the flesh and bear the marks of change upon their lives.  It is for those who obey God’s directive to step out by faith and claim the promises.

 

            Do not be afraid of the "knife" of God's Word as it marks your life.  The reproach of Egypt (sin) must be rolled away.  You must put off the filth of the flesh.  As you camp in the very shadow of your enemy–as Israel did--you must realize that you cannot possess these promises in the power of the flesh.  You must disable your flesh and trust solely in the power of Almighty God.  The promises of this covenant will be possessed only by weakness of the flesh and in the power of the Spirit. 

 

            Now that we have established the spiritual foundations of this tremendous revelation–how it was given and how to receive it--we will explore the provisions of this agreement between God and His people. 

 

            The Abrahamic covenant is comprised of amazing,  powerful promises that will change your life forever!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Three

POSSESSING THE PROMISES

PART ONE

 

             In this chapter and Chapter Four we will identify each biblical reference to the Abrahamic covenant, list the provisions, and explain what they mean to believers today.

           

            The Abrahamic covenant is an unconditional covenant.  This means that God's promises are without qualification.   Fulfillment is dependent upon God and not man.   While enjoyment of the blessings of the covenant may be conditioned upon obedience, the fulfillment of the promises is not.   For example, ownership of the land God promised Abraham was unconditional.  The enjoyment of the land, however,  was conditional upon obedience to enter in and possess it.

 

            When God confirmed this covenant, He said, “I swear”.  This is strong language.  God swore by Himself that the promises He made to Abraham and his seed would be fulfilled.   Nothing will stop God from fulfilling this covenant in your life:

 

For when God made [His] promise to Abraham, He swore by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, Saying, Blessing I certainly will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you. And so it was that he [Abraham], having waited long and endured patiently, realized and obtained [in the birth of Isaac as a pledge of what was to come] what God had promised him. Men indeed swear by a greater [than themselves], and with them in all disputes the oath taken for confirmation is final [ending strife]. Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath. This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us].

[Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it--a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil.  (Hebrews 6:13-19, AMP)

 

            God swore by Himself, so that we could function from a position of knowing, convinced and beyond doubt.  God has promised, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips” (Psalm 89:34).

 

            As you study these powerful provisions, remember what you learned in  previous chapters: Every promise is yours to claim.  You are a spiritual heir of these powerful proclamations.

 

 

Genesis 12:1-3,7:

 

1 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 shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.

 

            In this passage, God promised Abraham that he would give him a land, make him a great nation, make his name great, bless him, and make him a blessing to others. God also promised to bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him.

 

            How does this apply to your life? God has a spiritual “land”–a divine destiny for you. He has a specific plan for your life, an expected end:

 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.   (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

             God wants to bless you so that through you, the nations (families) of the earth will be blessed.  You are blessed in order to be a blessing.

 

            God has promised to bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.  When people rise up against you, you won’t need to defend yourself.  God will deal with your enemies because you are walking in the provisions of this covenant.  You won’t have to fight.  You won’t have to struggle.   

 

Genesis 13:15-17:

 

            15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

 

            In this passage, God promised Abraham that the land–his inheritance from God–would be his forever and that he would pass this blessing on to his seed.  While this has a specific application to the nation of Israel, it also applies to believers today.  The inheritance God has given you is eternal, without end.  No exclusions.  No disclaimers.  You can receive this blessing and pass it on to your children and your spiritual seed.

 

            God also promised Abraham that his seed would be as the dust of the earth.  Even if you are barren and without natural children, God wants to birth from you a spiritual seed that will reproduce throughout the nations.  God declares over you:

 

Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

            (Isaiah 54:1-3)

 

            When you embrace the provisions of this covenant, you will need to enlarge your borders.  You must put aside small thinking, because the blessing God is about to pour out on you will not fit within the parameters of your natural reasoning.  It will not be poured into the old vessels of tradition.  It will not be limited.  You will break forth on the right hand and the left.  You will inherit the Gentiles (the nations).  You will march into the desolation of sinful cities, violent slums, dangerous prisons, and drug houses to deliver people from the very gates of Hell.

 

            God commanded Abraham to walk through the land and declared that He would give it to him.  Applied to us spiritually, this means we can walk through “the land” of our households and claim our children for God.  We can walk through the desolation of our cities and nations, knowing God has given this spiritual territory into our hands.

 

            Rise up today in the spirit world.  Walk through “the land” of your household, your ministry, your community, and your nation.  As an heir of the Abrahamic covenant, God has declared: “I will give it unto you!”

 

Genesis 15:1-21:

 

15:1 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.

2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

5 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 unto him, So shall thy seed be.

            6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

            8 And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

            11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

            15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

            19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

            20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

            21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

 

            In this passage, God declared to Abraham “I am thy shield.”  This is one of the most powerful declarations of the covenant:  God is our shield!  

 

            -This shield is our salvation: “Thou hast also given me the shield of thy       salvation...”(Psalm 18:35).

 

            -This shield lifts us up from despondency and discouragement:  “But thou, O Lord, art a             shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head” (Psalms 3:3).

 

            -This shield compasses us with favor: “For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with          favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield” (Psalms 5:12).

 

            -This shield is our strength and joy: “The Lord is my strength and my shield ; my heart      trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song         will I praise him” (Psalms 28:7).

 

            -This shield is our help in every situation: “Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help    and our shield” (Psalm 33:20).

 

 

-This shield provides grace, glory, and all good things: “For the Lord God is a sun and shield : the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).

 

-This shield of truth is our protection: “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;  Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee” (Psalm 91:4-7).

 

-This shield of faith enables us to stop the enemy in his tracks: “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Ephesians 6:16).

 

            This one promise, “I am thy shield,” encompasses every need in your life. It lifts you from the despondency of painful experiences  This shield protects you from evil and enables you to stop the enemy in his tracks.  It provides salvation, faith,  strength, and joy.  You don’t have to struggle for these things–they are yours because God is your shield.

 

            God also told Abraham, “I am thy exceedingly great reward.”  This promise includes both spiritual and material blessings.  Abraham was not only blessed spiritually by his relationship with God and through his ministry to the nations, he was also blessed materially.  He possessed great wealth, as did his immediate heirs Isaac and Jacob.

 

            God blessed Abraham materially because He knew that he would honor God with the tithe (Genesis 14:18-20).  God knew that Abraham would use his wealth wisely for the extension of God’s purposes.

 

            God wants to bless you with both spiritual and material rewards.  God is the one who gives you the power to get wealth, declaring:

 

...thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.   (Deuteronomy 8:18)

 

           The power to get wealth is part of the Abrahamic covenant.  God gives you the power to

get what you need for yourself, your family, and your ministry.  Cast aside  “welfare mentality”,  rebuke all negative thinking regarding your finances, and make this declaration of covenant today:  “He gives ME the power to get wealth so that He can establish with ME the covenant He made with Abraham!”

 

            But remember: God blessed Abraham because He knew Abraham would use his resources wisely to extend God’s purposes.  If you will put  the Kingdom of God first in your finances, you will be blessed:

 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  (Matthew 6:33)

 

            The financial blessings of the Abrahamic covenant are released when you give of your resources to God:   

 

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.  (Malachi 3:8-12)

 

            Do you want to be under the curse or the blessing?  This passage is very clear as to how to enter into this portion of the Abrahamic covenant.

                                                           

            There is a negative aspect to the covenant revealed in this passage.  God delivered the prophetic word that Abraham’s seed would be in bondage (Genesis 15:13-14), but promised that He would bring them out with great substance.  God reconfirmed that Abraham’s seed would inherit the promised land–their destiny.  God set Abraham’s boundaries, and all the wars of history in and about Israel have not changed these parameters. It is theirs. Forever!        

 

            God has brought you out of sin, shame, and bondage to bring you into your God-ordained destiny.  All the battles you face will not change the promises God has made.  Your promised land–your divine destiny–is yours.  Forever!  All you must do is claim it!

           

            Have you experienced bondage?  The bondage of sin, the bondage of abuse, the bondage of addiction?  God’s Word to you today is that it is time to come out.  You will not only come out, you will come out with great substance.  God will use the difficulties, the pain, the abuse, and the rejection you have experienced to touch the lives of multitudes.  Every difficulty in your life has simply set you on course to your destiny.

 

            In this passage, God also promised Abraham, “...thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age” (Genesis 15:15).   He promised Abraham long life, followed by eternal life with his ancestors who had passed on.

 

            Now God is not promising that we all will live as long as Abraham, but He is declaring that we will live to a “good old age.”   You may ask, “But what about those who die young?”  When we live under the Abraham covenant,  we will live long enough to fulfill our God-given destiny. For some, that will be sooner than others.

 

            For example, the five missionaries martyred by the Auca Indians in Ecuador years ago were young in terms of chronological age, but these men lived long enough to fulfill their destinies.  Even today, their legacy lives on through books and films like “Through Gates Of Splendor” and “The End Of The Spear.”  The story of their sacrifice has resulted in multitudes responding to the call of God to the mission field over the years.

 

            In this provision, God also guarantees eternal life, that in the end, “we will be gathered to our fathers”–those saints of God who have preceded us in death:

 

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

            (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

 

            God declared again in Genesis 15 that from Abraham’s own body would come an heir and that his descendants would multiply as the stars of heaven.  We will learn more about this in the next chapter.

 

            What tremendous promises...and we are not even half way through!  I encourage you to believe the Word of the Lord that is coming to you through the pages of this book.  Accept these covenant promises!  Begin right now–today–to take possession of every word of this divine revelation.

 

            We have even more powerful promises to claim...Are you ready to continue on?    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Four

POSSESSING THE PROMISES

PART TWO

 

 

            We are only about half way through identifying the blessings of Abraham.  Are you ready to receive the remainder of this revelation?  Let’s resume our spiritual adventure as we continue to embrace the provisions of our divine inheritance.

 

Genesis 17:1-22:

 

17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

            2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

            3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

            4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

 

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

            18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

            22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

 

            In this revelation, God promised Abraham that his seed would be multiplied, that he would be exceedingly fruitful, and that he would be a father of nations.  God changed his name from Abram to Abraham, meaning “father of a great multitude”.  God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah meaning “princess of a multitude.”  Often, in Bible times, names were changed to reflect a changed nature.  This was true in Old Testament times when God changed Jacob’s name to Israel and in New Testament times when Saul’s name was changed to Paul.

 

            How do these name-change promises apply to you spiritually?  God wants to take your old sin nature, your past and your failures,  and make everything new:

 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

            The new name that God wants to give you will attract the Gentiles (the nations) because they will see the difference in your life:

 

And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.  (Isaiah 62:2)

 

             What is the new name by which we will be called?  It is God’s name:

 

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.  (Revelation 3:12)

 

            God’s name rests upon you.  You are called a Christian: “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).  You are no longer the servant of sin.  You have a new name.  You bear the name of Jesus Christ upon your life.  Walk worthy of that name!  Paul admonishes us to “...walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12).

 

            Much of this passage regarding the covenant deals with Ishmael and Isaac.  While this has immediate and future fulfillment in Israel and other nations, there are also spiritual applications.

 

            For example, God promised Abraham that Sarah, who was beyond child-bearing years, would bear a son.  This was an unnatural, outrageous promise.   The blessing of Abraham includes outrageous promises.  We need to believe God for the impossible, for the outrageous!

 

            God told Abraham that from his own loins would come a son with whom the covenant would be established.  While God would bless Ishmael and make a great nation of him, it was Isaac and his seed who would receive the covenant promises.  How does this part of the covenant apply to us spiritually?  Let’s trace the story...

 

            Initially after receiving the promise of a son, Abraham tried to bring forth this covenant blessing through self-effort by the birth of Ishmael who was born of a servant girl named Hagaar.  Abraham knew God wanted to make him the father of a great nation and it seemed impossible that an heir could come through his elderly and barren wife, Sarah.

 

            So he took matters into his own hands and Ishmael was born.  But whose power was behind Ishmael, that of Abraham or that of God?  Was the attempted fulfillment of the promised blessing man-made or God-made?  Was it birthed of the flesh or the Spirit?  Ishmael represents your attempts to achieve God’s blessings.  You can bring an Ishmael on the scene anytime through your own efforts.

 

             Who is the source of your blessings?  Who is the source of your spiritual vision?  Who is the source of your ministry?  Is it useless striving of the flesh to attain, or is it birthed by the Spirit of God?

 

            When asked, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?", Jesus responded, "This is the work of God", indicating that He, Himself, was the source (John 6:28-29).  God did not want Ishmael–representing the efforts of the flesh--to be the source of the blessing.  God Himself was the source.

 

            God is the source of these tremendous blessings we are studying.  You cannot bring them forth in your life through self-effort. Remember what we learned about the cutting of this covenant?  God passed through the sacrifice alone.  The fulfillment of these promises is not based on your self-effort.  You are simply a recipient.

 

            It is time for “Isaac” to be birthed in your spirit and in order for this to happen, “Ishmael”–the flesh–must be cast out.  God told Abraham that Isaac, the son of the Spirit, could not abide in the same house with Ishmael, the son of the flesh.

 

            God  is saying to you as He did to Abraham when Ishmael was cast out: "Grieve not for Ishmael [self-effort], for in Isaac shall your seed be called."  The blessing comes by the Spirit, not by the flesh. Put aside all self-effort, your plans, your ambitions, and your preconceived ideas.

 

            Paul compared the Old Covenant to Ishmael, because it was dependent upon the flesh.  He compared the New Covenant to Isaac because it is based upon faith and the quickening power of the Holy Spirit:

 

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants...Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise...So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.  (Galatians 4, portions of verses 22-24,28,31)

 

            God told Abraham that his promised seed would come through Isaac.  We are children of promise because we are of the spiritual seed of Isaac, birthed by the Spirit and not by the flesh.

 

            In Genesis 17, God also gave Abraham the title deed to the land of Israel forever

(Genesis 17:8).  While there is evident prophetic meaning in this promise to Israel, there is also a spiritual application to us.  In Genesis 13:17, God commanded Abraham to “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.” 

 

            How does this apply to believers today?  God is saying to us, “Don’t limit me!  Get up, walk through your spiritual inheritance–the length and breadth of it.  I have given it to you!”

 

            One of the most powerful declarations in this passage is that this covenant was established between God, Abraham, and his seed as an everlasting covenant:

 

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

            (Genesis 17:7)

 

            God declared that He would “...be a God unto thee, and unto thy seed after thee.”  Is He your God?  Do you accept this part of the verse?  Then you can also accept the remainder of the passage which declares that the blessings of Abraham are  passed on to future generations. That includes you!  You are the seed of Abraham. 

 

            This is an “everlasting covenant”.  It didn’t cease with the death of Abraham. It didn’t cease with the death of Isaac.  It was not voided when Jacob passed on.   In fact, it was reconfirmed to us through the blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary.  It is an eternal covenant!

 

Genesis 22:16-18:

 

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

 

            In this passage, God confirmed again to Abraham--and He declares to us today–His desire to bless us.  We will experience supernatural multiplication of our spiritual seed and our seed will possess the gates of the enemy and bless the nations of the earth.

 

            In Harvestime International Network we are passing on the spiritual mantle of the anointing to thousands of men and women around the world who will forsake all for the sake of God’s call.  We are experiencing supernatural multiplication of our spiritual seed.  The men and women we are raising up are not weak, anemic believers.  They are not people who must be nursed along and coddled spiritually.  They are spiritual warriors who are possessing the gates of the enemy in this world and blessing the nations.  They are walking in the promises of the Abrahamic covenant.

 

            This is what God wants to do through you, your life, and your ministry.  Fathers and mothers, claim this for your children.  Pastors, claim this for your church members.  Ministers, claim this for your followers.  Teachers, declare this over your students: Your seed will multiply, possess the gates of the enemy, and bless the nations of the earth.

 

            In this passage, God sealed all of the provisions of this divine covenant.  He guaranteed these promises with His own oath, saying,  "By Myself have I sworn..." (Genesis 22:16).

           

            In referring to God’s covenant promises, the Apostle Paul declared:

 

For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.

            (Hebrews 6:16-19)

 

            There are two undeniable proofs that guarantee the fulfillment of every promise God has made:

 

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast... (Hebrews 6:13-16)

 

            First, God swears by Himself.  There is no one greater than God, and God swore by Himself that this covenant would be fulfilled.  He put everything He is on the line--His holiness, righteousness, power, integrity, mercy, etc.  He swore by all that He is and declared, “By Myself I have sworn!” (Genesis 22:16).  The promises of this covenant are secure and sealed because they are made on the basis of God Himself.

 

            Second, He seals these promises with an oath.  You can trust God’s promises because they are sealed by His sacred oath.  He swears by it, and He does not lie.  It is impossible for God to lie:

 

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?  (Numbers 23:19)

 

            God also declared:

 

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void , but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

 

            God provided these two immutable proofs to end all doubt, fear, and uncertainty. 

They provide a sure and stedfast anchor for your soul, no matter what your circumstances, problems, or challenges.  The synonyms for the word “immutable” are “abiding, changeless, consistent, constant, enduring, ceaseless, continual, endless, permanent, stable, unchanging, unalterable, and eternal.”  Is that secure enough for you?

 

            Make this declaration right now: “God has sworn by Himself and sealed His Word with an oath.  His promises to me will be fulfilled.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Five

DON’T BE SHUT OUT

 

 

            Outrageous! Impossible!  Amazing! These are the only terms that describe the covenant promises of Abraham that we have examined–and they are all yours through Jesus Christ!  But remember–just like an heir in the natural world must lay claim to their inheritance--these tremendous promises are only yours if you take possession of them.

 

            This chapter examines two powerful spiritual forces that will attempt to shut you out of the promises of God: Unbelief and fear.

 

Unbelief Will Shut You Out

 

            At Kadesh-Barnea God directed Israel to advance and take possession of the land that was promised through the Abrahamic covenant.  When they heard the negative report of ten of the twelve spies, however, their hearts were filled with unbelief:

 

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. (Numbers 13:30-33)

 

            Israel refused to believe Caleb and Joshua.  They listened to the negative reports of the other spies which shattered their faith.  They did not believe they could conquer the land.  They refused to believe the promises of God.  Hebrews 3:19 declares that “...they could not enter in because of unbelief.”     

           

            Why are the promises of the Abrahamic covenant not being manifested in the lives of many believers?  Because of unbelief.  They don’t believe these promises are for them.  We have studied the tremendous promises given to Abraham and learned how they are passed down to us, but if we do not believe and act upon this revelation, we will fail to receive it.  Just as unbelief shut an entire generation out of the promised land, it will keep you from taking possession of these promises.  Unbelief shuts off the supernatural life flow of God. 

 

            One of the saddest examples of people shut off from experiencing the mighty manifestation of God’s promises is found in the Gospel of Mark.  Jesus did mighty miracles throughout Galilee.  He healed the sick and raised the dead.  He opened blind eyes and cast out

demons. Yet, when Jesus came to Nazareth, He could do no mighty works: 

 

And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief... (Mark 6:5-6)

 

            Jesus was not limited because His power was limited.  His power had not changed.  The only thing that prevented these people from receiving the blessings of God was unbelief.  Instead of being shut out of these promises by unbelief, you must shut unbelief out.  Don’t allow unbelief to enter your mind.  Whatever God says, believe it!

 

            Make this declaration: “I won’t let unbelief limit God’s work in my life or hinder me from receiving these promises.  I won’t be shut out!”

 

Fear Will Shut You Out

 

            The other powerful spiritual force that will shut you out of God’s promises is fear.  Israel did not enter into the promised land because of fear.  When Israel heard the negative report of the spies, they developed “Grasshopper mentality” which kept them out of the promised land.  They saw the enemy as a giant and themselves as grasshoppers and they were afraid to enter in to claim their rightful possessions  (Numbers 13:33).

 

             One of the first things God said to Abraham when sharing the provisions of  this covenant with him was “Fear not.”  (Genesis 15:1). God knew that these promises were so great that Abraham might fear at their very magnitude.

 

            Fear is a demon spirit that Satan uses to torment, control, dominate, oppress, and bind Christians.  Paul told Timothy, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”  (2 Timothy 1:7).

 

            The Psalmist David declared:

 

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear:  though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.  (Psalm 27:3-4)

 

            David was determined that fear would not keep him from the presence of God and from claiming all God had for him.

 

            Make this declaration: “I reject the spirit of fear.  God has not given it to me, so I know where it came from!   I will not be shut out of the promises of God because of fear!”

 

 

 

 

 

It Is Time To Come Out Of The Wilderness

 

            Through fear and unbelief, Israel initially failed to take possession of their inheritance.  They forfeited their covenant promises and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

 

            Likewise, for years the church has been wandering in a spiritual wilderness. Like Israel, because of fear and unbelief, they have failed to take possession of their rightful inheritance.  This is exactly where many believers are today.  They have entered into the blood-covenant relationship with God, as Israel did during the Passover in Egypt, but they have not gone on to take possession of their inheritance.

 

            Many believers have not realized that these covenant promises belong to them.  Not knowing what is legally theirs, they have forfeited their covenant rights and privileges simply because they did not claim them.

 

            What about you?  Like the children of Israel, have you wandered in a spiritual wilderness and failed to take possession of your inheritance?

 

            No more! Through the pages of this study you are learning what is rightfully yours.  It is time to come out of the wilderness and claim your rightful inheritance.

 

            You do not have to struggle to receive these promises.  You do not have to wrestle to receive them. Jacob was an heir to the covenant promises of Abraham, but he did not realize the truth of his position in God, so he struggled for years.  He did not enjoy the provisions that had already been given to him, but manipulated and deceived others to obtain what he wanted.

 

            Faith is a fact, but faith is also an act.  What Jacob needed to do–and what we as believers need to do–is realize who we are in God and act upon that knowledge.  We are heirs of the promises!

 

            When Jacob finally came to the realization of who he was in God and the promises he had inherited, not only was his life changed, his name was changed.  If you would know yourself as you are known by God, you would realize that not only has He created and redeemed you, He has endowed you with all the tremendous promises of the Abrahamic covenant.

 

            Stop struggling!  Stop running, hiding, and operating in fear as Jacob did.  Stop wandering in a spiritual wilderness and begin to function under the mantle of these tremendous promises.  As Jacob, you are already an heir of the covenant promises of God.  Start acting like it.  Start living like it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Six

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

 

 

            We have been on a powerful spiritual journey in this study.  We have learned how God made an eternal, unchanging covenant with Abraham which extends down through the centuries  to us today. We have explored its many provisions and learned how we can enter into it. 

 

            One question remains: Why did God give us these tremendous blessings?

 

            One reason, of course, is that God gave these promises to us because He loves us.  He gave us these blessings just as any good earthly father who passes on an inheritance to his sons and daughters. 

 

            Jesus declared, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

God wants you to have a rich, abundant life.  Every good thing you have comes from Him:

 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  (James 1:17)

 

            But there is a purpose much larger than simply enjoying these blessings.  The divine purpose is clear: God blessed Abraham so that through him, the nations of the world would be blessed.

 

            God extended the provisions of this powerful covenant down through the centuries to you and I so that we would be empowered to fulfill the great commission:

 

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

            (Matthew 28:19-20)

 

            Why, through these promises, does God pledge supernatural success?  Why does He promise all good things,?  Why does He declare He will be our shield and  bring wealth into our hands?  Why does God want to bless us so much? 

 

            The reason is that there is a supernatural spiritual harvest waiting to be reaped,  unlike anything we have ever witnessed.  The Abrahamic blessing is a “no lack” blessing promised by God who declared that we would have sufficiency in all things:

 

 

 

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.  (2 Corinthians 9:8)

 

            “All sufficiency”–everything we need to get the job done.  And this divine sufficiency is ours through the promises of Abraham.

 

            God wants to pour His blessings through you to the world.  Paul told the Corinthians:

 

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;  who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

            (2 Corinthians 3:5-6 ASV)

 

            God has blessed you with the provisions of the Abrahamic covenant so that you will be able to share with others as a minister of the new covenant.  You will not minister in legalism and the letter of the law, but you will minister in the life of the Spirit because you are under the anointing of this powerful covenant.

           

            To reap this mighty spiritual harvest around the world and reach the nations with the good news of the Gospel, we must have the power of these covenant promises behind us.  God is opening new, strategic doors to the Gospel.  In order to respond, walk through these doors, and reap this great spiritual harvest, we must function under the power and provisions of the Abrahamic covenant.

 

            He has blessed you so that you can be a blessing...

 

            ...To your family.

            ...To your friends.

            ...To your community.

            ...To the nations of the world.

 

            Believe and receive God’s covenant promises.  Make a demand on what is legally due to you and claim it. As you appropriate these covenant promises, not only will all of your needs be met, you will go forward in a mighty demonstration of the miracle-working power of God to accomplish the work He has given you to accomplish in this end-time harvest.

 

            No matter what your past has been like or how troubled the future may seem in the natural, this is a new day for you spiritually.  This is a day of the covenant promises of God being fulfilled in your life. 

 

            As Abraham, by faith, step out today and embrace your divine destiny.  Do what God said and “Ask of me , and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” (Psalm 2:8).

 

APPENDIX

PERSONALIZED DECLARATIONS OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

 

            Use the following personalized declarations to claim the tremendous promises that are yours through the Abrahamic covenant.

 

Genesis 12:1-3,7:

1          I will show thee a land and give it to thee (vv.1,7).

            Make this declaration:  God will reveal my spiritual destiny.

2.        I will make of thee a great nation (v.2).

            Make this declaration: God will make my spiritual descendants great.

3.        I will bless thee (v.2).

            Make this declaration: God will bless me.

4.        I will make thy name great (v.2).

            Make this declaration: He will make my name great–of good reputation.

5.        Thou shalt be a blessing (v.2).

            Make this declaration: He will make me a blessing.              

6.        I will bless them that bless thee (v.3).

            Make this declaration: He will bless those that bless me.

7.        I will curse them that curse thee (v.3).

            Make this declaration: He will curse those who curse me.

8.        In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (v.3).

            Make this declaration: The families (nations) of the earth will be blessed through me.

 

Genesis 13:15-17:

9.        All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it forever (v.15).

            Make this declaration: All God reveals to me is mine.

10.      I will also give the land to thy seed forever (v.15).

            Make this declaration: These blessings will extend to my spiritual seed.

11.      I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth (v.16).

Make this declaration: My spiritual seed will be as the dust of the earth.

12.      Walk through the land, for I will give it unto thee (v.17).

            Make this declaration: Wherever God leads me, that spiritual territory is mine.

 

Genesis 15:1-21:

13.      I am thy shield (v.1).

            Make this declaration: God is my shield.

14.      I am thy exceedingly great reward (v.1).

            Make this declaration: God is my exceeding great reward.

15.      He that shall come forth out of thine own loins shall be thine heir (v.4).

            Make this declaration: I will bring forth spiritual heirs.

 

16.       Abraham would believe the Lord and it would be counted to him for righteousness (v.6).

Make this declaration: I believe the Lord and it is counted to me for righteousness.

17.       Thy seed shall be as the stars of heaven (v.5).

            Make this declaration: My spiritual seed shall be as the stars of heaven.

18.       I am the Lord who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees to give thee this land to inherit it (v.7).

Make this declaration: God brought me out of the past to bring me into my spiritual inheritance.

19.       Thy seed shall be in bondage (slavery in Egypt) for 400 years (v.13).

            Make this declaration: God brought me out of the bondage of slavery to sin.

20.       That nation whom they shall serve (Egypt) will I judge (v.14).

            Make this declaration: God will judge those who enslaved me.

21.      Afterward, I will bring them out (of Egypt) with great substance (v.14).

Make this declaration: I will be brought out of every bondage with great spiritual and material substance.

22.      Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace (v.15).

            Make this declaration: I will join my Godly ancestors in eternity.

23.      Thou shalt be buried in a good old age (v.15).

            Make this declaration: I will live to accomplish my destiny.

24.      In the fourth generation, thy seed shall come here again (v.16).

Make this declaration: My seed will be preserved and return to their spiritual roots.

25.      Unto thy seed have I given this land (v.18).

            Make this declaration: My seed will inherit their rightful possessions.

26.      I will set the River of Egypt and the great Euphrates River as the boundaries of the promised land (v.18).

Make this declaration: God has established my spiritual boundaries, and nothing can change them.

 

Genesis 17:1-22:

27.      I will make my covenant between me and thee (Abraham) (v.2).

            Make this declaration: This is a supernatural covenant established between God and

            me.

28.      I will multiply thee exceedingly (v.2).

            Make this declaration: God will multiply me exceedingly.

29.      My covenant is with thee (v.4)

            Make this declaration: God’s covenant is with me.

30.       Thou shalt be a father of many nations (v.4).

            Make this declaration: I will be the spiritual parent of nations.

31.      Thy name shall be called Abraham rather than Abram (v.5).

            Make this declaration: God will change my spiritual identity to reflect His purposes.

32.      I will make thee exceedingly fruitful (v.6).

            Make this declaration: I will be exceedingly fruitful in every area of life.

33.      I will make nations of thee (v.6).

            Make this declaration: I will multiply spiritually and affect the destiny of entire nations.

34.      Kings shall come out of thee (v.6).

            Make this declaration: I will raise up spiritually great men and women.

35.      The covenant is everlasting (v.7).

            Make this declaration: This covenant is everlasting.

36.      I will be a God unto thee (v.7).

            Make this declaration: God will be God to me.

37.      I will be a God unto thy seed after thee (v.7).

            Make this declaration: He will be God to my spiritual and material seed.

38.      I will give all the land of Canaan to you and to your seed as an everlasting possession (v.8).

Make this declaration: God will give me my rightful inheritance as an everlasting possession.

39.      And I will be thy seed's God (v.8).

            Make this declaration: He will be my seed’s God.

40.      Circumcision sealed the covenant (vv.9-14).

            Make this declaration: This covenant has been sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

41.      Sarai's name shall be changed to Sarah (v. 15).

Make this declaration: Like Sarah, my spiritual identity will be changed and I will become fruitful.

42.      I will bless Sarah (v.16).

            Make this declaration: God will bless me.

43.      I will give thee a son of Sarah (v.16).

            Make this declaration: He will raise up spiritual sons and daughters to me.

44.      Sarah will be a mother of nations (v.16).

            Make this declaration: I will be the spiritual mentor of nations.

45.      Kings of people shall be of Sarah (v.16).

            Make this declaration: I will bring forth strong spiritual leaders.

46.      Sarah's son shall be named Isaac (v 19).

Make this declaration: My children will be birthed by the Spirit (like Isaac), not of the flesh (like Ishmael).

47.      I will establish my covenant with Isaac for an everlasting covenant (v.19).

            Make this declaration: This covenant is established with me forever.

48.      I will establish my covenant with Isaac's seed after him for an everlasting

             covenant (v.19).

            Make this declaration: This covenant is established with my seed forever.

49.      I will make Ishmael fruitful (v.20).

            Make this declaration: God will make all related to me spiritually fruitful.

50.      I will multiply Ishmael exceedingly (v.20).

            Make this declaration: God will multiply all related to me spiritually.

51.      Twelve princes shall Ishmael beget (v.20).

            Make this declaration: I will bring forth spiritual heirs.

52.      I will make Ishmael a great nation (v.20).

            Make this declaration: My seed will be a great spiritual nation.

 

53.       My covenant will I establish with Isaac, but I have blessed Ishmael also (v.20-21).

Make this declaration: God will bless all of my efforts (Ishmael), but His divine covenant  comes supernaturally through His Spirit (Isaac).

 

Genesis 22:16-18 :

54.       The covenant is guaranteed by God’s oath (v.16).

            Make this declaration: God has guaranteed these blessings are mine with His own oath.

55.      In blessing I will bless thee (v.17).

            Make this declaration: God will bless me as I bless others.

56.      In multiplying, I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore (v.17).

            Make this declaration: God will multiply my spiritual seed as the stars and sand.

57.      Thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemies (v.17).

            Make this declaration: My spiritual seed will possess the gate of the enemy.

58.       In thy seed shall all families of the earth be blessed (v.18).

            Make this declaration: My spiritual seed will bless all families (the nations) of the earth.