Title: Three Great Blessings / 3 John 2-4
Contents
The eventful year of 2003 has already passed and the new year of 2004 has arrived.
At this time, we all gather here to thank God for the grace that the Lord has given us over the past year and for another year.
I pray in the name of the Lord that God will be pleased with this worship service and that God's great grace and peace will overflow upon you, your family, business, and workplace during this time.
Now we are standing at the starting line of the year 2001. You will have to start with the heart of a racer. When we look back on the past, we have neither gained nor fully accomplished. There is nothing but failure and disappointment, our shortcomings and shame. Therefore, clinging to the past can lead to frustration or loss of motivation. And when we look around us, we are just upset and pathetic. However, looking ahead, there is no hope at all. The same is true for politics, economics, and various fields.
That is why the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I say I have already obtained it, nor that it has been perfected, but I am pursuing that for which I was captured by Christ Jesus. That is, forgetting what is behind and grasping what is ahead, I press toward the goal for the reward of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Like runners, we must always recognize our shortcomings, do our best and do our best, forget about failures, successes, painful or pleasant events, and run toward the goal in front of us. We must look to Jesus Christ and run. We must look to and follow the reward that God has called from above in Christ Jesus.
So, I hope this year will be a new year that gives glory to God in order to show progress in faith before God and bear more beautiful fruits than in the past.
In particular, I pray that you will receive all three blessings from God this year.
1. It is a blessing for the soul to prosper.
What does it mean that the soul is well here? It means that a person is born again by the Holy Spirit, becomes a child of God, and his heart is strengthened in God's grace and love.
In other words, those who receive God's grace and live a life full of joy and thanksgiving are those who believe in God and listen to His word and obey Him. This is the image of a saint with a prosperous soul.
However, many people in the world have different notions of blessing. But luck is strictly one thing.
Psalm 16:2 says, “I said to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord, and I have no good besides you.’” That's right. I have no blessings other than you. This is because the source of all blessings is God. Therefore, a life apart from God cannot be a blessing even if you have everything in the world.
If a child loses his parents, what good is everything he has? Life without God is like this.
So the real blessing is when we abide in God. So, what is life in God? It should be the first to leave. Just as Abraham first left the land, his relatives, and his father's house, we must turn away from sin, injustice, and lawlessness.
Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. It is like a tree planted in the city that yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, so that all its events will prosper.”
And then, you must follow the Lord and lead a life that follows His Word. That's why Jesus Himself said in Luke 11:28, "Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it." This is living with God and abiding in Christ.
In Psalm 78:28, David said, “It is a blessing for me to draw near to God; I will make the Lord GOD my refuge, and I will proclaim all your deeds.” It is true blessing to draw near to God and not to draw near to the world and sin. It is said that God will bestow spiritual blessings on such people.
Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
In a word, our souls will prosper when we thoroughly and properly lead our religious life. This is the beginning and foundation of ten thousand blessings.
If the foundation is good, it is reliable and safe even when stacked high. However, if the foundation is not strong, the more things are built up, the greater the risk and the more miserable the collapse. Therefore, the greatest blessing is the happiness of the soul.
This year, I pray in the name of the Lord that all the members of our church will receive all the blessings that their souls prosper first.
2. It is a blessing that everything goes well.
When a person becomes a saint with a prosperous soul, our God becomes a very great reward to him. When Abraham had his faith acknowledged before God, he received these blessings and promises in Genesis 15:1-5. It says, “After this the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I am your shield and your exceedingly great reward.... See if there is, and he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
We must keep in mind the phrase “after this”. God will bless you in all things after your soul prospers. Otherwise, you shouldn't even think about being blessed at all.
If our souls are well, the highways of Zion will be opened wide (Psalm 84:5).
Genesis 49:25 says, “It is from the God of your father, who will help you, and from the Almighty, he will bless you.
will be a blessing and a blessing to the womb.” He gives you spiritual blessings in heaven and rich and abundant blessings on earth.
In 1 Chronicles 4:10, “Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “I pray that you will bless me and increase my borders, and help me with your hand, that I may be out of trouble and be free from sorrow.” He allowed it.” When we live the right life of faith, God hears our prayers. Is that all?
You broaden your horizons. God helps. He protects us in the midst of tribulation and takes away our worries and pains.
1 Chronicles 13:14 says, “The ark of God stayed with his household in the house of Obed-edom for three months, and the Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he had.”
In this way, he gives blessings to those who love God and honor the Word, that is, to those who have a good soul, but he gives blessings to all that he has.
I bless you in the name of the Lord that you may receive abundant blessings in all things this year.
3. It is a blessing of strength.
When our spirit is strong, our body is also strong. Therefore, true blessing must be strong both in spirit and body. If the mind is sick with sin but the body is healthy, it is not a real blessing. Whatever the spirit, as long as the body is strong, it is only an animal like a pig. Therefore, we must first be spiritually strong. Even if our bodies are a little unhealthy, it is not a big problem.
Rather, like the apostle Paul, although there are benefits of humility and godliness, it is never a loss. Rather, spiritually, you will experience spiritual grace that others do not know.
In 2 Corinthians 12:7 it says, “Because the revelations were exceedingly great, so that I would not sleep too much, a thorn was given in my flesh, an angel of Satan, so that I might not be oversleeping.”
Psalm 119:71 says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.”
The saints who have a good spirit like this are said to be useful even in hardships. As long as the saints become spiritually right, all things will be blessed and all things will be beneficial. However, if you are not spiritually correct, all things are unhappy.
Dear saints,
I pray in the name of the Lord that we may receive all the three great blessings that our souls will prosper in God's grace, prosper in all things, and become strong in the new year of this year.
And I pray in the name of the Lord, who is the source of blessing, that God's abundant grace and blessings overflow upon our church, home, and industry.