A fixed frame of reference; A habitual mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations.

The blessing of God can change your life. No matter whom you are or what your abilities and circumstances are, if you tap into the blessing of God; you will be thrust forward into a life of increase, multiplication, and destiny.The blessing of God is one of the most important biblical principles. The word “bless” or “blessing” is used 474 times in the Bible. God wants us to understand and walk in blessing, not just for our own sake, but so we can demonstrate His kingdom by blessing others.

God described blessing as the release of fruitfulness and multiplication. This gives us a significant insight into the nature of blessing.

Blessing is the anointing of God to release increase, prosperity, and the multiplication of all that is good and pleasant in life.  He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.The LORD will remove from you all sickness;

Deut 7: 13 - 15

Deut 28: 3 – 12The Lord will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated…the Lord will send a blessing on everything you put your hand to…the Lord will grant you abundant prosperity..the Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.Proverbs 10:22The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

These verses show that God’s blessing is a comprehensive blessing. This includes fullness of protection, provision, perfect health, and success in everything we put our hands to.God wants us to know the fullness of blessing in every area of life.  By now Avraham was old, advanced in years; and ADONAI had blessed Avraham in everything. Genesis 24:1 He was blessed in every area of life. That same measure of blessing is God’s desire for us.

 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus Galatians 3: 13-14God wants your blessing to be as full and comprehensive as Abraham’s.

God wants every believer to experience a blessed life. He wants you to rise to the top. He wants you always to be at the right place at the right time so you don’t miss any windows of opportunity. Divine appointments and supernatural connections are open doors to your future.

A blessed lifestyle is promised to EVERY believer who meets God and walks humbly and obediently in His ways.

The Importance of Blessing:When Believers fail to tap into God’s blessing, His work on the earth is hindered. When they fail to prosper, the Church lacks the resources to carry out its mission. Being bound in infirmity makes them too weak to carry out their commission. The power of God’s blessing is purposed to rescue you from all lack and infirmity and propel you forward into your destiny. Sickness and poverty are not attractive to the world. The poverty mentality that has afflicted the church has

Actually caused the world to despise the gospel. But when the world sees God’s blessing – when they witness Believers experiencing a greater measure of prosperity and health than the world system can provide – the result will be that the world will fear God.

The Conditions of Blessing:An “IF” and a “THEN” is attached to every promise or blessing mentioned in Scripture. If we do what He says, then we will receive what He promised. Blessing comes to those who ALIGN themselves with God’s purposes and timing.

When we align our lives with the revelation of God, blessings begin to flow. God has given us instructions for walking in blessing. If you are not walking in blessing, read God’s instructions and meditate on them daily until your life comes into agreement with Him.

Blessings are not a result of saying the right prayer or going to the right church. They come from daily aligning our lives with God.Elements of a Jewish Lifestyle:At the age of 3 – The children start studying Hebrew.At age 6 – A diligent study of Scripture begins.At age 13 – They were expected to have memorized large portions of Scripture and be able to discuss them with understanding.

The result of this historical devotion to the Word is that many of God’s principles of blessing have become an accepted part of Jewish life. Even unbelieving Jews often do the things that release blessing.

While reading the Bible is always important, there are levels of blessing we cannot enter until we go beyond just “reading words.” To enter God’s blessing, we must meditate on the Word and gain an understanding of God’s will and God’s ways. Then we must allow our understanding of the Word to change us.God wants you to enter into a new level of favor, so you can experience the power of His blessing in your life.

God’s

God’s blessings comes to us when we are linked into His cycles of life. A cycle is something that rotates or moves in sequence, sometimes repetitively, and leads us to a destination.

God’s Three Cycles of Blessing:The cycles were designed to break the power of the enemy and draw His people closer to God with an ever-increasing revelation of His blessing.1. He instituted a weekly Shabbat cycle at the creation of the world. His design was that man was to work diligently for 6 days and take the 7th day as a Sabbath day of rest. Shabbat was to be a special day, set apart to rest, to enjoy God’s goodness and blessing while meditating on the glories

Of the heavens and earth. He promised great blessing to those who keep His Shabbat as a holy day just as the Lord rested on the first day after creation.

2. God designated a monthly “firstfruits” cycle marked by a celebration the Jews called ROSH CHODESH.

3. He ordained a yearly cycle of life, marked by a series of “feasts” or “appointed times.”

These were designed to take us through key steps to deepen our walk with the Lord and release the power of God by experiencing the blessing of the feasts. SHABBAT:

God knew we were going to be engaged in battles against powers and principalities. Warfare can be intense. We must always be alert, diligent, and press on through to victory. God want us to know He has provision for rest – called Shabbat.He has designated times for you, individually and as a family, to rest and be restored. These are times set aside for you to savor His goodness and gain the strength to press on through the obstacles to pursue your destiny.

God wants you to take time to stop and remember that He is good. Rest is part of God’s will for us. His plan was that we would take time to rest. Rest is a blessing of God. It is vain for you to rise early,To retire late,To eat the bread of anxious labors—For He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep. Psalm 127:2

If we constantly push ourselves beyond God’s boundaries for our life, we will miss a blessing.

The Blessings of Rest: Rest brings physical refreshment.It brings physical healing and restoration.It brings revelation from God, often times in dreams.It brings mental creativity. There is a kind of thinking your mind does in sleep that can’t be done while you are awake.

Rest is to be an oasis on our journey. If you take time to rest, you will be happier, stronger, more prosperous, and live longer.

Where to Find Rest:Rest originated as a gift from God, but we have a choice whether to receive this gift. The Bible describes 2 kinds of rest: Sabbath rest and Dominion rest.

Sabbath Rest:A time of rest that is a regularly repeated time when you cease from normal work and experience physical, mental, and emotional respite. During this time, pressures and responsibilities are to be lifted so that you are free to simply enjoy God’s goodness. God designed us to have a weekly rest. The weekly Sabbath/Shabat is so IMPORTANT to God that He included the weekly Sabbath in the 10 Commandments.

Have you ever considered that failing to keep the Shabbat is as much a violation of God’s will as killing, stealing, or committing adultery?

Don’t be judgmental in your observance of Shabbat or regarding how others carry out their observance.

The goal of the New Testament teaching is to restore Shabbat to its original covenantal purpose: To be a blessing from God.If we continually miss our Shabbats, we are missing a blessing. We lose our joy. We lose creativity. We lose strength.The essence of Shabbat is: If God created the universe in 6 days; He is strong enough to handle our responsibilities for one day while we rest and enjoy His blessing.

Why do we Celebrate Shabbat:1. God commanded it.2. Shabbat is an act of worship, a way of

acknowledging His greatness as Creator.3. Shabbat is a picture of salvation.4. Shabbat is a time to rest from our works and

receive His blessings as a gift.5. Shabbat is a picture of Heaven, anticipating

the day when we will rest from our works and enjoy Him forever.

6. Shabbat is designed to restore us and give us strength for the battles ahead.

Shabbat is in the heart of God’s covenant plan. As we enter in by faith and experience a day of material and spiritual delight, the desires of our hearts are purified, and we can savor being in His presence. Shabbat is a time to “be still and know” in order to triumph over our enemies. This day provides a time to let a new dimension of faith rise in our midst so we can praise God in every circumstance.C.Pierce

Shabbat is a time consecrated to enjoy and celebrate what is beautiful and good – time to light candles, sing songs, worship, tell stories, bless our families, give thanks, share meals, sleep, walk, and make love. It is a time to be nourished and refreshed as we let our work, our chores and our important projects lie fallow, trusting that there are larger forces at work taking care of the world when we are at rest.

Plan a day to enjoy God and the blessings He has given you. Ask the Lord what to do on Shabbat. He wants us to continually experience and walk in Shabbat rest.

Start with the women and girls in the house lighting Shabbat candles before sundown. Every Friday night two angels visit our home for Shabbat so we start the dinner by welcoming them with the song of Shalom Aleichem. With the lighting of the candles, a woman ushers in the holy Shabbat. No "weekday" activities are to be done from that point on, as she has now entered a world of tranquility.

SHABBAT DINNER/LUNCH

•Say the blessing:ברוך אתה אדנ-י א-להינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של שבת קדשTransliteration: Baruch a-ta A-do-nay Elo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam a-sher ki-di-sha-nu bi-mitz-vo-tav vi-tzi-va-noo li-had-leek ner shel Sha-bat ko-desh.Translation: Blessed are you, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the Holy Shabbat.

Before both the Friday evening meal and lunchtime on Saturday, there is an opportunity to affirm the holiness of Shabbat through the Kiddush. This blessing combines the regular acknowledgment of God's role in feeding people with a longer blessing on remembering creation.The Friday evening Kiddush has three parts: a reading of Genesis 1:31-2:3, a short blessing over the wine itself and a longer sanctification of Shabbat. Here is the translation of the entire blessing, with a transliteration of the short blessing over the wine itself.

And it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day. The heavens and the earth, and all they contain, were completed. By the seventh day, God had finished the work which God had been doing, and rested from all work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, for on it God rested from all the works of creation.

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei pe-ri ha-gafen.Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has made us holy with Your commandments. Lovingly You have favored us with the gift of Your holy Shabbat as our inheritance, a reminder of creation, first among the sacred days, recalling our liberation from Egypt. You have chosen us and given us a holy purpose from among all the peoples, In loving favor, You have given us Your holy Shabbat as a heritage. Blessed are You, God, who makes Shabbat holy

After the Kiddush, the next blessing is over the bread. It's often called Ha-Motzi, which means "who brings forth" because it's a blessing on God bringing forth bread from the earth.Some perform a ritual hand-washing before the blessing over bread.For the ritual washing the blessing is:Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kideshanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzeevanu al nitilat yadaim.Blessed are You Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments and commanded us concerning the waving of hands.

Some do this ritual washing with a cup. They fill the cup with water and pour the water over the hands, then wave the hands and dry them on a towel while reciting the blessing.For the bread, the blessing is:Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, ha-motzi lekhem min ha-aretzBlessed are You, Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.After you've made the blessing you can slice or tear the bread into pieces, salt it and distribute it.

DOMINION REST:The rest that comes when you have taken dominion of your appointed inheritance.Shabbat rest is a time of rest. Dominion rest is a place of rest.It is the enjoyment of your personal promised land – your inheritance, (which may include an actual physical location or your place of ministry). DOMINION REST IS YOUR CALL, YOUR DESTINY IN THE EARTH. A purpose to accomplish in the earth realm.

When you take dominion of your inheritance so the enemy can no longer steal it away, you have entered Dominion Rest.The exact nature of your dominion depends on your own individual call from God. Whatever your call and destiny is, God’s Dominion Rest for you comes when you have fulfilled your destiny, or when the enemies are defeated and you dwell securely in the land God has given you. When you have taken dominion over the things God has promised you, there is a time of Dominion Rest.

Biblical Examples of Dominion Rest: The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. Josh 21:44 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence. 1 Kings 5:4

“Is not the LORD your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people. 1Chro 22:18

Entering Dominion Rest:To enter Dominion Rest, you must war and labor, and at times, struggle. Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], Hebrews 4:11You only experience Dominion Rest when your enemies have been defeated. Be aware that the enemy always tries to occupy your inheritance – just like the Canaanites occupied the Promised Land.

But when you drive the enemy from your inheritance, you enter Dominion Rest.For forty years I was grieved with that generation,And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,And they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath,‘They shall not enter My rest. Psalm 95:10-11Possessing your inheritance always requires a battle. You have to fight to take it. If you refuse to take dominion of your inheritance, you forfeit the right to possess it.

How Do We Lose Dominion Rest?

1. Through unbelief.2. By refusing to war for your promise

as in Psalm 95.3. Through disobedience and idolatry as

happened to Israel.4. When you are under a curse. Deut

28:65 And among those nations you shall find no rest, nor shall the sole of your foot have a resting place; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and anguish of soul.

 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.  And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.  Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.Gen 1:27-31 and Gen 2: 1-3 In the original Hebrew text, there is no division between them, pointing out that the place of Dominion Rest and the time of Shabbat Rest were meant to go together.

 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. Gen 2:15The word “put” man in the garden literally means “rested.” The Hebrew word “nooak” is used, which means “to dwell in safety and peace.”The garden was man’s place of Dominion Rest. He was to cultivate this land for increase. There was work to do in the garden even before the land was cursed by the Lord. Work was not the result of the fall. Labor and productivity were part of God’s plan for man to fulfill his destiny.Even Adam and Eve had to “work” to enter “rest.”

From the garden they were to increase and take dominion and enlarge their place of rest until it encompassed the whole earth. They were also to “keep” the garden; to guard and protect it. After all, the

Enemy was already at work there. Part of taking dominion and securing their inheritance for the next generation involved man’s responsibility and effort to drive the enemy out.

Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.  For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.  For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,“AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,”although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. Hebrews 4: 1-3 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.  Heb 4:9

Hebrews 4 is the New testament counterpart to Genesis 1 and 2. Verses 1- 3 rest is “katapausis” meaning a dwelling place or an abode. This is Dominion Rest.Verse 9 the word sabbistosmos is the Sabbath Rest. We need both kinds of rest. We enter Dominion Rest through our work. We enter Sabbath Rest through His work.

We obtain our Dominion rest when we have secured the inheritance God has called us to take. You will not gain your inheritance without war and diligence. You must take dominion to enter your rest.As you are fighting to possess your inheritance, you must also honor the Shabbat and enter His rest each week. If you do not stop and observe a Shabbat Rest as you battle for your Dominion Rest, you will not have the strength to win the war. The two must go together.

This rhythm and interplay of Sabbath Rest and Dominion Rest propels us into God’s cycle of blessing, which releases blessing for us and for those coming after us. God’s plan of blessing is always generational. As one generation secures the inheritance God gives to them, the next generation can enlarge their inheritance even more.

As we link our Shabbat Rest with Dominion Rest, the joy of the Lord will be our strength as we obtain the victory of walking in the fullness of our destiny. Understanding the times and cycles of God are powerful keys to living continually in God’s blessing.