THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE BLESSING OF THE LORD !

THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE BLESSING OF THE LORD ! According to those verses, Abraham Heard the Gospel the first time when God declared to him THE BLESSING in (Genesis 12). But he didn't get the full impact of it until Melchizedek ministered it to him. That's when he realized that through THE BLESSING, God was giving him possession, not just of the land of Canaan, but of the whole world. Many precious people, or thinking That the Gospel was only preached when Jesus, the Lord and Savior came preaching THE KINGDOM OF GOD ! (Luke 4:40 through 44). What is the gospel ? It is good news concerning the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul says it is the power of God unto salvation ! As non-Hebrew speaking Christian, most of us have never realized that's what Melchizedek said. We thought he was referring to God as possessor of heaven and earth. Perhaps we were taught that. But, he wasn't. He was talking about God's covenant man. He was referring to "Abram are the Most High God" as possessor. If you have a hard time believing that, don't take my word for it. Read (Romans 4). It calls Abraham "the heir of the world." Doesn't the word heir mean a person who possesses something ? That's what it means in Texas. That's what it means wherever you live. And that's what it meant to Abraham. Can you imagine how that news must have hit his ears ? Who, me ? Possessor of heaven and earth ? How is that possible ? He couldn't wrap his mind around it all at once. He had to walk it out with God one step at a time. But he believed God. He believed it because the prince who declared those words over him was ministering the bread and the wine, which represented the body and blood of a covenant sacrifice. Those things symbolized the most serious, unbreakable commitment in existence. What's more, Melchizedek wasn't just any priest. He was the representative of God on the earth at the time. As readers of the New Testament, we recognize him as an Old Testament type of Christ who opened up the priestly anointing that belongs to Jesus. According to the book of Hebrews: This Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and BLESSED him; to whom also Abraham gave TENTH part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; with our father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abidedeth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, on to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the TENTH of the spoils (Hebrews 7:1-4). I've heard it preached that Melchizedek actually was Jesus, that he didn't have a mother or father, that he wasn't born and didn't die. But that's not true. The author of Hebrews was simply saying that Melchizedek didn't come from the tribe of Levi like the other priests in Israel. He has no natural pedigree. There's no official record of the beginning or end of his priesthood because he was handpicked by God Himself. It sounds mysterious, but Jewish history stars the ministry for us. He was Noah's son Shem. Even more important than who he was historically, however, is what he did. What makes Melchizedek and Old testament That type of Jesus is the fact that he was anointed, both to declare THE BLESSING and to receive the TITHE: And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren though they come out of the loins of Abraham: but he who descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and BLESSED him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth (Hebrews 7:5-8).