What are you seeking? What messages are you listening to? I watched a noted preacher last week tell a gathering of 17,000 people that it was "their year for supernatural blessing" and he proceeded to make those blessings be about material possessions. Apart from the absurd notion that all 17,000 people would be supernaturally blessed that year (no one was going to have a valley experience?); Christians are being mis-taught that the blessings they seek are on this earth. Their wants are being purposefully blurred into their needs. What does God promise us?
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
Now, you and God may have different opinions of what your needs are! Faith however, is knowing that He has it right. He will meet all of your needs beloved. His riches are not in this world. His riches are not in fancy cars and big homes. His riches are found in Christ Jesus. The Apostles were largely fishermen and from all accounts not too good at it. The Apostle Paul was a tentmaker. It is true that some did prosper but even in their prosperity, it was often where they lost sight of what they should have been valuing. The man Saul, who would be the first King of Israel, started out correctly giving all glory due to God. Once he became the ruler however, the Bible shows how he stared to believe his own press clippings and soon he put himself ahead of God; leading to the downfall of his kingdom. David was a humble man after the very heart of God. It was not until he had successfully ascended to the throne that he coveted what was not his, which led to adultery and murder. Solomon was considered the wisest ruler of them all. He accumulated vast wealth of this world but his eye for foreign women would lead him away from God in his closing days on this earth. Jesus also warned us about this:
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? - Mark 8: 36
And that is often the trade-off beloved. Pursuing the wealth of this world can ultimately pull you away from God. The rich young ruler walked away sad when Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give the money to the poor. Christ saw into his heart and saw that his wealth was more important to him than God. And so it can go today in modern Christianity. We listen to snake-oil salesmen touting Jesus Christ as the next great Ponzi scheme. With an economy in shambles and greed rampant throughout the corridors of business and government, it is easy to become distracted by the temporal benefits of a horizontal perspective.
And please, do not take this to mean that God wants everyone poor. That is equally unscriptural. It is just that our riches are found in Christ Jesus, not in two new cars in the driveway. It is a mindset. It is where our hearts are. For what we value is where our hearts shall be (Matthew 6:21). When we wake up healthy; that is a blessing. When our kids come home with a good report; that is a blessing. When we have a job in a tumultuous economy; that is a blessing. When we have a good church, healthy prayer life, and are growing in our walk with the Lord, we are blessed. These are the blessings we should be counting. Seek Him first and all the other stuff will be added unto us.
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke about who was "blessed." The list included the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted for righteousness. What do they all have in common? They are all broken before God. They all come to God not for any material or self-serving motives. What is equally interesting is what Jesus promised would be the blessing returned unto them. Those blessings include; the kingdom of heaven, to be comforted, to inherit the earth, to be filled, to be shown mercy, to see God, and to be called the sons of God. No cars and houses. No bank accounts and investment portfolios.
In these the last days we need to be on guard to the false teachings of hollow and deceptive theologies. We need to realize that we are blessed according to what we do have, not what we do not have. We need to have a vertical perspective, keeping our eyes fixed on the author and finisher of our faith, Christ Jesus. It is in Him we are blessed. It is through Him we can be a blessing to others. Value the eternal beloved.
