JESUS IS YOUR QUALIFICATION FOR GOD’S BLESSINGS

God loves to bless you. He has even declared that “blessings shall come upon you and overtake you.” This means that you can’t run fast enough to escape them! When you turn one corner, there is a blessing waiting for you. When you turn another corner, you run smack into another blessing!

Now, you may think that you don’t qualify for God’s blessings because of the preceding verse which says that these blessings will come to pass only if you diligently obey God’s voice and keep all of His commandments. You know that no matter how hard you try, you just cannot keep all of God’s commandments. In fact, the Bible says that if you fail to keep just one commandment, you fail to keep all (see James 2:10).

My friend, I have good news for you: Jesus is the one who qualifies us for every single blessing because He has kept all of God’s commandments. When He died for us on the cross, He not only fulfilled all of God’s commandments, He also redeemed us from the curse of the law (see Galatians 3:13). Note that He did not redeem us from the blessings of the law, so the blessings are still ours today!

As you read the list of blessings in Deuteronomy 28, starting with “Blessed shall you be in the city…in the country…the fruit of your body…your basket…when you come in…when you go out…” (Deuteronomy 28:3–13), I believe that Jesus is saying to you, “Like the blessings? Then take them by faith!”

You may say, “But I don’t deserve them.” Yes, you don’t deserve them, but you still get them because of Jesus. That is God’s grace! The law says, “You must deserve the blessings.” But the law is no longer here. Grace is here. So take the blessings by grace through faith. Believe God for the blessings.

Today, it is no longer a question of how much or how well you have kept God’s commandments. It is a question of how much you can believe God for His blessings. All the promises of God in Christ are “Yes,” and because you are in Christ, you can say “Amen!” to His blessings (see 2 Corinthians 1:20)!  (Article & Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).

GOD IS A GOOD FATHER

What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Matthew 7:9–11

How do we know that God is a good God and a good Father?

Jesus dealt with this question simply by asking another question: “If earthly fathers, imperfect as they are, know how to give good gifts to their children, don’t you think that your loving Father who is in heaven will be even better?”

My friend, if your child asks you for bread, would you give him a stone? Certainly not. You would give him the best bread you can find. How much more then, will your heavenly Father give good things to you when you ask Him!

Beloved, know in your heart that God is a good Father to you. So if you need something today, just ask Him for it. And as you ask Him, believe that you have received it from Him, and you will have it (see Mark 11:24)!  (Article & Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).

THE SPIRIT’S REST AND REFRESHING

To counter stress, many people resort to tobacco, alcohol or tranquilizers. These things, besides having harmful side effects, are costly and often lead to addictions.

God has something better for us. It is powerful, costs us nothing and has no harmful side effects. He calls it “the rest” and “the refreshing.” What is He referring to? Speaking in tongues—“For with stammering lips and another tongue…”

One of our church members was on medication for nine long years for a host of problems: severe depression, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, chronic sinusitis, gastritis and panic attacks. Every day, he had to take up to 30 tablets to keep these conditions under control.

He suffered from such bad sinusitis that he had to visit the hospital regularly to drain the mucus. He could not sleep much—at most three hours—even with sleeping pills. And because of his panic attacks, he could not go to work and seldom left his house. His wife had to look after him and their three kids. The side effects of the long-term medication also caused his physique to balloon.

One day, he felt God prompting him to pray in tongues as often as he could. He obeyed. The moment he started to pray in tongues, even though it was just a few syllables, he felt a rest, a peace. This encouraged him to pray in tongues more. And the more he prayed in tongues, the more rest and peace he felt.

His sinuses began to clear up and he was healed of gastritis. Slowly, the fears and panic attacks left him too. He also started to have quality sleep without the sleeping pills! The Lord even taught him how he was to eat—two meals a day, but to eat whatever he wanted. Today, he is back to his normal weight!

Through praying in tongues regularly, God delivered this man from a host of long-term illnesses. My friend, this is the rest and the refreshing which God has promised us. So start praying in tongues regularly, and let His rest and peace saturate your entire being!  (Article & Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).

GOD IS A GOOD FATHER

And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt which you knew will He put upon you.  Deuteronomy 7:15 AMPC

Stop believing the LIE that God gives you sicknesses, diseases, and accidents to punish you or teach you a lesson. These things are from the devil, and because of Jesus’ finished work, we have been redeemed from every evil work and curse. We can receive protection from every evil occurrence, sickness, and disease. And by the stripes on Jesus’ back, we are healed!

Don’t fight for the right to be sick and defeated when God is full of grace and mercy, and wants you to be healthy, blessed, and protected from all evil occurrences! Start to expect good gifts from the Lord. Reject anything that even remotely suggests God is angry with you, and disciplines you with sicknesses and accidents. He is a good God and a good father!  (Article & Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).