Heavenly Places

Herb Blum spoke at Covenant Connection on Sunday, August 23, 2026."Heavenly Places" You can subscribe / follow the podcast for the sermons: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d4d96426-8560-4524-b21b-ac5f62d8db06/ovenant-connection Herb Blum’s Sermon: “Heavenly Places and the Ascension Dimension”The central message of Herb Blum’s sermon was that many Christians understand Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, but overlook what he described as the final completion of salvation: Christ’s ascension and seating at the right hand of the Father. According to the teaching, believers are not only saved through the resurrection but are also spiritually seated with Christ in heavenly places (referencing Ephesians 2:6).### Key Themes#### 1. Salvation Includes Ascension and Position Blum argued that while the resurrection changed a believer’s spiritual condition, the ascension changed their spiritual position. Christians should see themselves as operating from a heavenly position of authority rather than viewing themselves as powerless people merely living on earth.#### 2. Believers Have Authority in the Spiritual Realm A major emphasis was that Christ defeated Satan and reclaimed authority that was originally given to humanity. The church's role, according to the sermon, is not simply to observe spiritual battles but to exercise the authority Christ provided. He described believers as being called to “displace” evil influences through faith, prayer, and obedience to God.#### 3. The Holy Spirit as Heaven’s Down Payment The sermon portrayed the Holy Spirit as a foretaste or down payment of believers’ future inheritance in heaven. Blum taught that the Spirit provides guidance, power, healing, gifts, and the ability to bring aspects of God’s kingdom into earthly circumstances today.#### 4. Christians Must Act on What They Believe Throughout the message, he repeatedly emphasized that believers should not merely acknowledge biblical truths intellectually. Instead, they should actively use their authority, speak God’s promises, resist fear, and trust the Holy Spirit’s leading. He contrasted passive observation with active faith.#### 5. Identity Matters A recurring idea was that Christians are God’s property, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and should live with confidence in that identity. The sermon stressed that understanding one's identity in Christ affects thoughts, behavior, and spiritual effectiveness.### Practical Applications Presented• Begin each day seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance. • Replace fearful or negative thinking with Scripture. • Actively resist spiritual opposition rather than accepting it. • Live from a position of victory rather than striving to achieve victory. • Believe that God can work through ordinary believers to influence families, communities, and nations.### Closing MessageBlum concluded that Christians should recognize themselves as already seated with Christ in heavenly places, walking in the authority and resources God has provided. He encouraged listeners to rely on the Holy Spirit, speak and act according to God’s Word, and live confidently in what he described as the finished work of Christ.