THE BLESSINGS OF GOD

A study of the fact of God's blessings is a wonderful study. God is the greatest giver of all. James 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. The Father exemplified the greatest possible giving when he gave his only begotten Son for sinful man. There are numerous Hebrew and Greek words translated bless, blessed, and blessings. Viewed collectively they mean "to declare happy, to speak well of, very happy." Again, I stress that God is the source of all true blessings.

I. Those that God blesses. In a general sense, God blesses all men in that He has provided for all Acts 17:28 For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' Matthew 5:45 That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

However, in actuality God only blesses certain ones in the sense of his salvation and providence. Consider those whom God has said he blesses (also consider the opposite application).

II. Those that trust in God. "Blessed is the man that trusts in Him," declared the Psalmist in chapter 34 v: [8] Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalms 34:7,9,10 [7] The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. [9] Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. [10] The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

To trust in God means we believe him and rely on him. The trust taught is child like, as a child trusts in his parents for provision and guidance Matthew 18:3-4 [3] "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. John 6:47-48 (NKJV) 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life.

III. Those who consider the poor. Again, God plainly speaks through his word: "Blessed is he that considers the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble" (Ps. 41: 1). The biblical principle is, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20: 35). Giving is the key to receiving. 2 Corinthians 9:9-11 [9] As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever." [10] Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, [11] while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

IV. Those who hear instruction. Wisdom says, "Hear instruction, and be wise and refuse it not" (Prov. 8: 33). "Blessed is the man that hears me," God's word continues, "watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors" (vs. 34). God also said, "Whoso loves instruction loves knowledge: but he that hates reproof is brutish (Prov. 12: 1).

V. Those who keep God's ways. God's word unequivocally says, "Now therefore hearken unto me, O you children: for blessed are they that keep my ways" (Prov. 8: 32). Jesus said, "If you know these things, blessed are you if ye do them" (Jn. 13: 17, ). Matthew 7:26 [27] But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." Matthew 7:24-25 [24] "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: [25] and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Talking about keeping God’s ways, His righteousness, merits, and atonement, while the person is not conformed to His word and spirit, is only living in self-deception. Let it be observed, that it is not the man who hears or believes these sayings of Christ, whose building shall stand, when the earth and its works are burnt up; but the man who DOES them.

VI. Those who endure. "Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him," declared the Spirit in James (Jas. 1: 12). Peter taught that if one turns back to the world, it would have been better for him to have never known the way of righteousness 2 Peter 2:20-21 [20] For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. [21] For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. There is a strong warning here. If someone once knows Christ and has returned to the world, his fate is going to be worse than if he had never begun with Christ. Why? Because he has known the truth and he has chosen to deliberately reject it. And even more, he is living against it. He has corrupted the truth of Christ and is leading others into destruction, dooming their very souls. We must endure to the end to be blessed of God.

VII God's blessings are in Christ. The casual student of the scriptures should be familiar with the expression "in Christ." It is in Christ that the Father spiritually blesses man today. Hear the apostle Paul: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1: 3). Appreciate the fact that "all spiritual blessings" are in Christ.

CONCLUSION: Please note that all these blessings are “in Christ”. You must know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior to receive these blessings from God. He can not bless as long as we deny His Son that He sent into this world to forgive us our sins. If you have never confessed your sins to Jesus Christ and asked Him to forgive you, do it now. Say Jesus the bible says that all of us have sinned and I ask You to forgive me my sins against God. I am sorry for my sins and I receive You right now into my life as my Savior and Lord. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now you can experience the blessings of God in your life.

Life Is Valuable

LIFE IS VALUABLE BECAUSE GOD CREATED US

PS. 139:1-6, 13-16
INTRO: We live in a world that has a growing disregard for human life. But God values human life very much because He gave His Son Jesus Christ to save all mankind. He cares even to the numbering of hairs on our head. (Luke 12:7) The thought that God knows everything there is to know may at first make us uncomfortable. But it should also show us of His concern for us. In verse 17 David said “How precious are Your thoughts toward me, how great is the sum of them.”

Psalms 139:1-6 (NKJV)
¹ For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O Lord, You have searched me and known me. ² You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. ³ You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. ⁴ For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. ⁵ You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.  ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.
I. GOD VALUES HUMAN LIFE                                                                                                                                          

VS: 1 Because He cares, God knows everything about us.
VS: 2 - When I sit and rise- all of the days activity God perceives our heart and thoughts.
God knows what I am thinking every minute of every day. That thought wil help us watch what we think.

VS: 3 – From the time we get up till we go to sleep. In all our daily activities, God is familiar with every thing we do. Nothing can be hidden from Him. He understands the real reason why we do what we do.

Vs.: 4- God knows what we are going to say before we ever say it. May we use our words wisely. 

Vs.: 5- Wherever we are, we are under the eye and hand of God. He goes before us and behind us. We are completely surrounded by God's every caring Spirit.                                                                        

Vs: 6- We cannot understand how God can know so much about us. It is beyond our comprehension

II. WE ARE VALUABLE EVEN BEFORE WE ARE BORN (verses 13-16.)
Psalms 139:13-16 (NKJV)
¹³ For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. ¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
When we were created, God was there forming us. The Lord created him in his mother’s womb. Then David stressed certain features of God’s superintendence over him. In the womb his inward parts were formed. He was woven together (lit., “embroidered”; cf. “knit,” v. 13, suggesting his veins and arteries). Job 10:11, New Living Translation ¹¹ You clothed me with skin and flesh, and you knit my bones and sinews together. ¹² You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care.

This fact prompted the psalmist to break forth in praise over the thought of how marvelously he had been made. Even David’s elementary knowledge of the marvels of the human body led him to be in awe and wonder. The words fearfully and wonderfully are mindful of God’s marvelous knowledge. (Psalm. 139:14).

When he was being formed in the womb he was as remote to the human eye as the lower part of the earth. But God saw every detail. David’s frame (v: 15) means his skeleton and his substance –(unformed body) is his embryo. Moreover, God prerecorded all the days of the psalmist before he was even born. God marvelously planned out his life.

ILL> God is Pro-choice and Pro-life
These verses prove that God is pro-choice. Each unmarried woman has a choice to make as to what she shall do with her body. However, once a woman decides to get married and have sex with her husband and conception takes place, then the choice concerning the life of that baby is not longer hers. This is where God becomes pro-life. He begins to weave and knit that baby's body.
In the O.T. if a woman was physically harmed and she lost her baby, the one that caused the harm was to pay life for life. The same holds true in our society today. If a woman is harmed and loses the baby prematurely, the man can be sent to prison for manslaughter. However, a woman has the law to back her up if she decides to abort the baby. Does this seem contradictory to you? Abortion has become a way of life and is accepted by many people. However, I believe that the passages we read make it clear that we should value life from the moment of conception. We live in a world that has a growing disregard for human life.
ILL> The penalty for killing an unborn eagle in this country is a fine of up to $5000 and up to five years in prison. But, the killing of an unborn baby is not considered a crime, as long as the mother approves.
ILL> AMERICAN WAR CASUALTIES
REVOLUTIONARY WAR 25,324
CIVIL WAR 498,332
WORLD WAR II 407,316
KOREAN WAR 54,246
VIETNAM WAR 56,655
GULF WAR 293
WAR ON THE UNBORN 31,000,000 since abortion was legalize in 1973. (6 times the number of casualties in all the wars combined)
God is with us from the start; He is there forming us and watching us grow.
For those that have experienced an abortion there is forgiveness if there is true repentance. God values everyone and wants to heal their lives as well.
You are of tremendous value to God. So much so, that He sent His son into the world to die on the cross and pay the penalty for your sins and my sins. John 10:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”                                                                       

INVITATION:

His desire for your life is that you give your life to Him, make Him the Lord and Savior of your life, so that your sins might be forgiven and that you will share in the eternal life that He has prepared for His people. If you would like to give your life to Jesus Christ, ask Him to forgive you and save you from an eternity in Hell, invite Jesus into your life to take charge of you and help you live for Him. Then go to a Jesus preaching church and be baptized. Don't be ashamed of Jesus and He won't be ashamed of you, but will declare you before the Father God and His angels. Do it right now!