BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

You’re transformed just by beholding Him. When you behold Him, believe Him, believe His love for you, and believe that He wants to see you successful, then you are in a position to receive. All your willpower, discipline and self-effort cannot do what the presence of God can do in an instant. That’s where real success lies. Mercy and Favor When Almighty God is with you, you’ll find grace-based success. Then good things happen in you, around you and through you. Once again, let’s look at the life of Joseph: “But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Genesis 39:21). Joseph had been betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery and relocated to Egypt against his will. He had every reason not to succeed, but he held fast to the presence of God. As a result, the Lord showed Joseph two things: mercy and favor. It’s the same for every believer. When the presence of the Lord is operating in your life, you’re going to see mercy and favor. It’s also where you’re going to find success. For Joseph, mercy and favor were exhibited through the keeper of the prison. “And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper” (verses 22-23). That success came because of the Lord. Practicing His Presence If grace-based success is found in the Lord’s presence, then how do we practice His presence? It starts with appreciating Him. That’s easy to do when we consider all He has done for us. Galatians 3:13-14 says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” That word redeemed means “delivered.” Jesus set us free by becoming a ransom for us and redeeming us from the curse that was pronounced on anyone who could not keep the Law. He became the peace offering to pay the price for sin. Through Him, mankind was offered redemption, deliverance and the blessing of Abraham. The Law was performance based (Deuteronomy 28). It said, if you do this, then God will do that. If you don’t do this, however, then you will be cursed. Then Jesus became the sin offering so that we wouldn’t be cursed for being unable to keep the Law. God wants us to walk in the blessing of Abraham. That’s why He allowed His Son to be the sin offering. Understand, the blessing is not the house, the car or $100,000 in your bank account. Those are the results of the blessing, but the essence of the blessing—the very core of the blessing—is an anointing and empowerment that’s made available to those who receive it by faith. When you see the leaves blowing down the street, that’s not the wind. That’s the result of the wind. It’s the same with the blessing. The blessing, by its very nature, is an empowerment to have natural success. It’s the blessing of Abraham on you that causes things to happen in this natural realm. Look at Galatians 3:16, 29: “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.… And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” The blessing is available to those who are in Christ. At one time, the Abrahamic covenant was the covenant of promise for those in Abraham’s lineage. Through Jesus Christ, that blessing was extended to the Gentiles. Now that we are in Christ, we have access to the blessing and are joint heirs to the promise. What promise did God make to Abraham? What do we have a right to inherit as joint heirs? Romans 4:13, "New Living Translation," says, “Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.” The phrase heir of the world means “an heir to all the world’s goods, endowments, riches, advantages and pleasures.” You’re an heir to all the world’s riches, advantages and pleasures. That’s good news! That’s grace-based success. 14 : BVOV

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