SERVICES: SATURDAY 6PM | SUNDAY 9AM & 10:45AM. 

We Livestream at www.FaithFellowshipWeb.com/livestream, through the FFC App, and YouTube.

The Full Measure of Blessing

Words of Faith Final

The Full Measure of Blessing
Words of Faith 12-13-2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipw
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><<><   

Romans 15
    [25] Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. [26] For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. [27] They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. [28] So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. [29] I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

   Would you like to receive the full measure of the blessing of Christ? The interesting thing is that it is nothing that you can earn or deserve. Now giving and receiving-- sowing and reaping-- are important, to be sure! But we find an interesting lesson here in God's generosity!

   Paul had the joy of being a conduit of blessing. He was currently bringing a special offering from the people of Macedonia and Achaia (Greece) to the church at Jerusalem. The church at Jerusalem was almost 100% Jewish in origin. In contrast, the church in Macedonia and Achaia was mixed with a large number of Gentiles.
    The church in Jerusalem had been through a severe famine, and they also had many elderly widows. The reason for this was that many Jewish men moved to Jerusalem when they were old so that they could die and be buried there on the Mount of Olives, where Messiah would return. They often left destitute widows, and the church responded. Jerusalem was a center for Apostolic leadership as well as compassionate ministry, but they needed help.
    Paul declares that it is a good thing for Gentiles to help Jews, and they were eager to do so. Why? Because they would receive back? No. It was simply because Gentile believers had already shared in the Jew's spiritual blessing. As a branch grafted in, the Gentiles inherited a marvelous spiritual heritage that allowed them to find salvation in the Jewish Messiah. For this reason, they "owed" it to Jews to share material blessings. God made this promise to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3)."
   Now Paul speaks of the way that God continues to bless. "After I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ."
   Paul committed to come and minister in the full measure of the blessing of Christ not in Achaia and Macedonia where the offering originated, but in Rome and even in Spain where the Gospel has not yet been heard. That is the way grace works. Grace comes even to places that have not sown seed. Grace comes to places that are starving and needy. Blessing comes to those who bless, but also to those who need blessing.

   Lord, open my heart and my hands to bless Your people. Open my heart and my hands to bless those who have not yet heard. In Jesus' name.  

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SUBSCRIPTIONS - To receive the Words of Faith devotion five days a week, send an e-mail message addressed to join-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. To stop receiving Words of Faith, send an e-mail message addressed to unsubscribe-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. The daily devotion and archive are posted at http://www.faithfellowshipweb.com/cgi-bin/devotions/displayMonths.cgi
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -      
The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2021 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.