Are You Blessed?

God wants to bless you, but maybe you feel you are not blessed.  Why do you think you are not blessed?  It is because you are too lazy to read His Word?  It is because you are disobedient to His ways?  Do you actually pray to God and then listen for His answers?  Are you afraid to submit to authority?  Do you feel self-sufficient, smug, and self-righteous?  Maybe you have no faith.  Maybe you think you know best showing you are too proud.  Maybe you never do the things you say you are going to do.  You don’t keep your promises.  You don’t have love and compassion for the less fortunate.  You have no joy and sometimes life is just a burden.  You seem to always be depressed.  Things never seem to go your way and you’re always in a bad mood.  Is life all about self and your own feelings?

Do you want to be blessed?  God wants everybody to be blessed no matter their race, color, nationality.  It doesn’t matter your gender, how money you have or how much education you have.  It is not God’s will that you not be blessed.  Being blessed is a choice.  God gave us a blueprint for a blessed life.  God gives us steps to enjoy the blessings of life in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.

Be humble.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matt. 5:3.  To be poor in spirit is not find pleasure in yourself and your life.   It is to be humble.  You don’t ignore God.  You realize that you have nothing that can contribute to receiving the kingdom of heaven.  There is no arrogance in you.  You admit your limitations and let Him manage your life.  When you are humble you can begin seeing the blessings in your life.

Be sorry for your bad actions and be willing to change.  “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” – Matt. 5:4.  Regret your past sins.  Forgive others as God has forgiven you.  Live a guilt free life and know that God is real and keeps His promises.

Endure problems with patience.  “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matt. 5:5.  Being meek doesn’t mean to be weak, but to be strong yet gentle.  It’s being able to handle conflicts and insults.  Don’t be aggressive.  Yield control to God.

Seek what is right.  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” – Matt. 5:6.  You need to make right choices, which will make life easier.  Righteousness is the food and drink of your spiritual health.  It’s a life free from guilt and shame and sin.  It is to have a passion or desire to know God, what He wants, and to live up to His will.

Show mercy.  “Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy.” – Matt. 5:7.  The more mercy you give to others, the more you will receive.  You show kindness to others and show mercy to them above your own rights.

Be pure through faith.  “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God.” – Matt. 5:8.  Cleanse your mind and clean up your act.  Free yourself from impure thinking.  Seek God and He will help you remove desires of impure thoughts and actions.  From a pure heart comes only good things like acts of love, mercy, righteousness, justice and decisions that please God.

Be a peacemaker.  “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called the sons of God.” – Matt. 5:9.  God is the God of peace.  His whole plan of redemption is to provide peace for those who are alienated from Him.  He wants us to promote peace.  Love unconditionally turning the other cheek and forgiving each other.  Be kind to your enemies.  Stop any revenge and hostility.  Making peace brings God’s peace and harmony to your life.

Accept persecution.  “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matt. 5:10.  Jesus tells us if we are His followers to expect persecution.  Your belief in Christ threatens those who don’t believe or understand.  Don’t worry if you are persecuted, because you will be blessed with the benefits of the kingdom of heaven.

Accept persecution meant for Him.  “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” – Matt. 5:11.  We are to rejoice and be glad, because your reward is waiting for you in heaven.  Rejoice in and through your troubles and weaknesses.  He will make you strong.

Living up to these Beatitudes is not always easy and we will never achieve them to perfection.  But we are to strive for these standards, if we want to be truly be blessed in this life.

Some other Scriptures on blessings: 

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” – Luke 11:28

“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” – Ps.32:1; Rom. 4:7.

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial.” – James 1:12.

A blessing is anything God gives that makes us fully satisfied in Him.  It’s anything that draws us close to Him.  It’s anything that helps us hold on tightly to the eternal and not the temporary.  It is often found through struggles, trials, and disappointments.  God’s greatest blessing always rests in God Himself.

We all want blessings in life and it can only be found in God.  Being blessed is a choice.  We can’t find it in wealth, fame, or power.  Do you want to be blessed?  Then spend time reading the Word and ask God you give you insight into these Beatitudes.  Pray that God will give you a desire for Him.  Ask Him to show you how to be satisfied.

Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.

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Where to find it in the Bible

I have been asked several times where to find different things in the Bible.  I compiled this list (although it is not complete) that might helpful.

Abortion

Ps. 139:13-16 – “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Jer. 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Acts 17:26 – “From one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”

Armor of God

Eph. 6:11-18

Assurance of Salvation

John 5:24; 6:37; 10:27-30; 20-31, Rom. 8:16, 31, 35-39; Heb. 13:5; 1 John 5:11-12

Battle of Armageddon

Rev. 14:14-20; 16:16

Beatitudes

Matt. 5:3-12; Luke 6:20-26

Bible Author

2 Tim. 3:14-16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Peter 1:20-21 – “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation.  For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Creation

Gen. 1-2 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth….”

Col. 1:16 – “For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him.”

Dinosaurs

Job 40:15-24 – behemoth (dinosaurs), 41 leviathan (dinosaurs)

Divorce and Remarriage

Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Malachi 2:15-16, Matt. 5:31-32, Luke 16:18

Faith

Rom. 4:3; 10:17, Eph. 2:8-9, Heb. 11, Heb 11:1 – “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”, 6; 12:2, James 1:3-6, 1 Peter 1:7

Fall of Man

Gen. 3

Fruit of the Spirit

Gal. 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Golden Rule

Matt. 7:12; Luke 6:31 – “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Hell or Lake of Fire

Daniel 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2Thessalonians 1:7-7; Luke 16:24; Matthew 3:12; 5:22; 7:13; 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 25:46; 18:8-9; Mark 9:48; Luke 3:7, 17; 16:28; Romans 5:9; Revelation 14:11; 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8, 14

Homosexuality

Gen. 19:1-13; Lev. 18:22-30; 20:13; Romans 1:18-32 – “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.  Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.  Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.  Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion…….” (v24-27). “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”(v32). Notice it says those who approve of those who practice such things also deserve death.

1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-11

Idolatry

Idolatry is anything you put before God.

Col. 3:5 – “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”

Jesus is the only way

Acts 4:12; John 3:17; 18:24; 10:14-16; 14:6 – “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.’”; Rom. 10:9; Eph. 2:5

Jesus’ appearance after resurrection

Matt. 28; Luke 24; John 20-21; Mark 16; Acts; 1 Cor. 15

Lord’s Prayer

Matt. 6:9-15; Luke 11:1-13

Lord’s Supper

Matt. 26:26-29; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26

Lose Salvation?

John 10::29; Rom 8:38-39; Heb 6:4-8; Eph 1:4; 1 John 5:13 – that you know you have eternal life

Love

John 3:16; 15:9-14; Rom. 5:8; 8:35-39; 1 Cor. 13 (known as the love chapter); 1 John 3:1

Man’s purpose on earth

God created us for His pleasure and our purpose is to glorify Him and have joy in Him and Him in us.  He loves us and He wants us to love Him back.

1 John 4:7-21

Marriage / Premarital Sex

Ex. 20:14; Lev. 20:10; Deu. 22:13-30; Job 31:1, 9-12; Prov. 5:1-23; 6:20-35; 7:1-27; Matt. 5:27-30; Eph 5:5-5; Heb. 13:4 – keep it pure, 1 Cor. 6:8; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Rev. 21:8

Plan of Salvation

Isaiah 55:7; John 1:12; 3:3; 5:24; Rom. 10:9-10, 13; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; 1 John 5:11-13; Revelation 3:20

Prayer

Ecc. 5:2; Jer. 29:13; Matt. 6:7; Luke 18:1; Rom. 8:26-27; Mark 11:24; James 5:16

Predestination/Chosen/Election

Romans 8:29-30; Eph. 1:3-6, 11; Acts 4:27-28; Matthew 22:1-14; 24:22, 24, 32; John 15:16;

Rev. 17:14

Rapture

1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1 Thess. 4:13-18

Return of Christ

Luke 21:34-36; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:8-14; 1 John 3:2-3

Satan’s fall

Isaiah 14:12-15

Saved by grace

Grace is unmerited favor.

Ephesians 2:4-5, 8 – “For it is by grace you have been saved.”

Second Death

Revelation 21:8 – “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death.”

Sovereignty of God

Psalm 103:19; Daniel 4:34-35; Isaiah 40:23; 46:8-11; Romans 10:36

God is:

Omniscient – all knowing, total knowledge

Omnipotent – all powerful

Omnipresence – everywhere present

Immutable – unchangeable

Infinitely holy and righteous

Spiritual Gifts

Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-14; 40, Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Peter 4:10

Tattoos

Leviticus 19:28 – “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.  I am the Lord.”

Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13 - God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but when tempted He will provide a way out for you.

Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-26

Testing

Exodus 20:20; Judges 2:21; 1 Peter 1:7

Tribulation Period

Daniel 9:24-27; Revelation 11:2-3; 13:5 – The tribulation period will be 42 months.

Troubles/Suffering

2 Corinthians 4:17 – We should be happy, our troubles are achieving our eternal Glory

2 Corinthians 1:8-11, 12:7-10 – So we will rely on God

1 Thessalonians 3:3 – Trials are God’s plan

James 1:2-4 – So we will be mature

5 reasons God allows suffering –

1.      A Common thing – Job 5:7

2.     Corrective – Ps 119:67

3.     To glorify Christ – John 9:13

4.     Cosmic – Job 1-2

5.     Constructive – Rom 5:3-4

Why did Jesus do miracles?

John 2:11, 11:40 – To reveal His glory

Will Christians be judged?

Romans 8:1 – “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Witchcraft

Exodus 22:18; Deu. 18:10; Micah 5:12; Malachi 3:5; Gal. 5:20; Rev. 21:8; 22:5

Worry

Matthew. 6:25; Psalm 34:10; Phil. 4:19 – God will provide