Recently I've been praying to have a fresh revelation of the Father's love. I expected to have an encounter, something from heaven to open my eyes and to soften my heart. I thought it would happen in a time of worship, personal prayer, reading or waiting.
Seeing and experiencing His love for others, I've seen His heart in a new way.
I believe I'm blessed in order to be a blessing to the people in my sphere of influence. I believe you are also.
Bottom line: as recipients of the Good News of salvation we are blessed in order to be a blessing. It is a biblical principle He established from the very beginning.
Check out the passages below.
God Blessed Adam and Eve…
The purpose: That they might be fruitful and increase
God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth. (Gen 1:22 NIV)
God Blessed Noah and his sons
The purpose: That they might be fruitful and increase in the earth.
Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. (Gen 9:1NIV)
God Blessed Abram
The purpose: That all peoples on the earth might be blessed.
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;I will make your name great,and you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you,and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen 12:1-3NIV)
God Once Again Blessed Abram changing his name to Abraham
The purpose: All nations on earth will be blessed.
Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. (Gen 18:17-18 NIV)
God Again Blessed Abraham
The purpose: All nations on earth will be blessed.
I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. (Gen 22:16-18 NIV)
God Blessed Issac Reminding Him Of His Inherited Blessing
The purpose: All nations on earth will be blessed.
The LORD appeared to Isaac and said…Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws. (Gen 26:2; 3-5NIV)
God Blessed Jacob Reminding Him Of His Inherited Blessing
The purpose: All nations on earth will be blessed.
He (Jacob) had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. (Gen 28:12-15NIV)
Peter Speaking To The Jews Reminded Them Of Their Blessing… If they turned to Jesus.
You men of Jerusalem you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, `Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways." (Acts 3:25-26 NIV)
Paul Reminds The Church That We Who Believe Are The Children Of Abram.
Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Gal 3:7-9 NIV)
We are blessed in order to be a blessing to others. Peter says it this way…
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God… You are the church and Why do you exist? … that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Why should you do it? Because... Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV)
We Are Blessed To Be A Blessing
Even when life is tough and as we receive the comfort we need from our God we need to see ourselves as a blessing. We need to understand that even in the midst of difficulty He desires that we share with others what we have received from Him.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.(2 Cor 1:3-4 NIV)Like Paul, we need to remember the words of Jesus…`It is more blessed to give than to receive.' (Acts 20:35NIV)
Why do we work and gather money and goods?
Simple, we are blessed to be a blessing.
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. (Eph 4:28 NIV)
True prosperity is having enough to share with others and to further the Kingdom. Prosperity is other centered. It is outward focused. It is not me, mine and mine. But focused out to give, to bless and to share those within our sphere of influence.
When leaders who live with the above principles echoing in their hearts, they draw many people near. The people they attract will most probably be the needy, the hurting, the abused, the weary and the tried. As their mission to love their city to Christ increases. others who desire to embark on such a mission will also begin to arrive. Joining together to focus out they discover an amazing thing, their own personal needs have been met.
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