I will foil the plans of the nations and thwart the purposes of the peoples; but My plans will stand firm forever, and the purposes of My heart will be fulfilled through all generations. I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you …
God is not a slot machine, nor are His blessings just about money The subject of blessing and prosperity has become very controversial among those in the church. We want to be blessed and live the abundant life Christ died to give us, yet we don’t want to approach God as if He is a …
God is not a slot machine, nor are His blessings just about money.
The subject of blessing and prosperity has become very controversial among those in the church. We want to be blessed and live the abundant life Christ died to give us, yet we don’t want to approach God as if He is a lottery or a slot machine—if you put in the right amount of prayer, praise, worship, faith and good works, out comes your blessing. But for some, that is all they see God as, and they get beside themselves when He doesn’t come through the way they wanted Him to.
Blessing and prosperity are more than money. According to Strong’s Complete Concordance of the Bible, one Hebrew word for prosperity is shalom. We often associate the word shalom with peace, but the peace that Christ went to war for on the cross is a complete, whole kind of peace. Also according to Strong’s, shalom is “completeness, soundness, welfare and peace.” It represents completeness in number and safety and soundness in your physical body. Shalom also covers relationships with God and with people.
Seeking blessing from God goes far beyond money. We need His favor—which is anything but chump change. The subject of blessing and prosperity has become very controversial among those in the church. We want to be blessed and live the abundant life Christ died to give us, yet we don’t want to approach God as …
Jesus preached the
gospel of the kingdom of God. Everywhere He went He preached the same message,
“Repent for the kingdom of God,” or “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (see
Matt. 4:17, Mark 1:15). All throughout the gospels, we find that Jesus’
emphasis was on the kingdom.
The primary reason
Jesus came was to inaugurate the kingdom of God. Often, we hear that the reason
Jesus came was to die on the cross. Jesus did come to die on the cross, but
that death on the cross was for the purpose of establishing the kingdom of God.
There were
multitudes of people when Jesus preached the message of the kingdom. Some
missed it—others did not.
