THE SECOND BLESSING WEEK 15, 2010

Ah my brother, how are you? “Fine sir. But do you remember me?” Were you not the one who followed me and asked me to bless you? “Yes sir, you do remember!” Good, have you got the second blessing? “It was the first apostolic blessing you asked before: first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities Acts 3:26 (EMTV). I have confessed my sins…” Yes, but there is the second blessing. When Jacob was wrestling he said to the Angel “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”Gen 32:26(KJV). “What’s so special about it?” You don’t know? Had he not been blessed before? In 20 years he had 2 wives, 2 concubines, 11 sons and a daughter. In 6 years the wealth of Laban had been transferred to him despite Laban’s deceit, and Laban’s sons were now envious of him (Gen 30, 31), why is he asking for a blessing? “I don’t know sir, I wonder what blessing again he wanted.”
Eh, bro did you read it well? Jacob didn’t say “bless me again”, or “bless me some more”. “I don’t understand, is that important?”
Did you notice that in spite of his material blessings he was a deceiver? He deceived Esau, deceived their father Isaac, and deceived Laban too. “Is that so?” Yes, and his sexual life was not what he wanted: he had yearned for only one woman, Rachel, but now had four. He needed a different type of blessing not more of the same. Bro are you like that? Materially blessed but a deceiver with a messed up sexual life?
“Sir, your words make me afraid.” I hope you know Jacob was also afraid, afraid of armed robbers coming and taking away life and material blessings. I am afraid---afraid that he is coming to attack us and destroy us all, even the women and children Gen 32:11(GNB). Today people live in fear of kidnappers and robbers. Jacob’s fear led him to seek a different blessing. Where do your fears drive you? “Did God tell you about me? It was Jacob we were analyzing man of God”. Oh ho! You run; Jacob was running away too: ran from Esau, ran from Laban…
“Please sir, what was the new blessing?” And he said “Thy name shall be no more called Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince thou hast power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” Gen 32:28(KJV) The blessing after the Angel met him was to change him from a deceiver to a prince of God. After that day Jacob never deceived anyone again. Seek to be changed, transformed into His image, or your nature might cost you what blessings you now have.
“Thank you so much sir, can you now bless me?” Are you slow to learn? Who blessed Jacob the first time? “It was his father sir.” Such a blessing you seek comes from a personal encounter with God not the laying on of any man’s hands. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for that food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you Jn 6:27(MKJV) .