Title: Three Kinds of Blessings
Contents
three kinds of
<3 John 1:2>
When greeting the new year, most people say, “Happy New Year.” However, when people in the world say “Happy!” like this, they don’t even know who the blessing comes from, they just say, “Happy.” But what we need to know is that the source of blessing is God.
Anyway, when the Apostle John blessed Gaius the Elder, God blessed Gaius with three kinds of blessings. The first is a blessing saying, “Good luck to your soul! The second is a blessing saying “Everything goes well!” and the third is “Be strong!” I also want to bless you according to the blessing of the apostle John.
[1] May you receive the blessing of the soul.
Among the blessings that people should receive, the most important and fundamental thing is that the soul prospers. What does it mean to say 'the soul is prosperous'? It means a good relationship with God.
(1) We are saved through the forgiveness of sins through faith.
The first is the blessing of salvation. No matter how successful a person is and earns a lot of money, it is of no use if he does not receive salvation from God. If you become the president of a large group in the world, what will you do? If he is not saved, he is a poor man. Even though he lived as a homeless person, those who believe in Jesus and are saved and go to heaven are more blessed. In Luke 16:19-31, the beggar Jesus was talking about was Lazarus who was homeless. And the richest man was the president of a large group. But look at those souls after death. The president of the large group is suffering from the fires of hell, but Lazarus, homeless, is living a very happy life.
We need to know that things go well in the world we will live in for a while, of course, this is also a good thing, but first of all, our sins are forgiven and we are saved through faith. Therefore, I hope that we today have the sure faith that leads to salvation. If we thank God with our conscience and all our hearts and believe in the love of the cross of the Lord, we will receive the blessing of salvation today.
(2) Living a life filled with the Holy Spirit.
It is clear that salvation is the most important and most basic blessing for the well-being of the soul. However, salvation of souls comes from death, but the blessing of being filled with the Holy Spirit is a blessing that can be enjoyed every day while living in this world.
The filling of the Holy Spirit refers to the state of being very close with the Holy Spirit, which is given to the saved believers. Therefore, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, your soul will recognize that God is with you. Above all else, the peace of the kingdom of heaven rests deep in our hearts. It gives you some kind of peace. Therefore, when we praise, pray, and worship, we can feel the peace and joy of our souls more deeply.
But how can we enjoy the filling of the Holy Spirit? That is, who will God fill with the Holy Spirit? It is enjoyed when you obey the commandments written in the Bible more thoroughly. When we worship with holy water on Sunday, when we worship in spirit and in truth, when we sing praises, when we pray, when we give offerings, when we obey and honor our parents... When we do not hate our neighbors, when we forgive and love others, when we give up evil and do good. When we work hard, the Holy Spirit fills our hearts. Because God is pleased with those who obey His Word.
Conversely, if you disobey the Word, it is difficult to feel the thrill of worship, God's love and peace. Therefore, if you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, even if you believe in Jesus, there is not much fun in believing. The religious life is somehow boring and difficult. Even the answers to prayers cannot be properly tasted. I don't know if God loves me or not. We must strive to worship and pray before God, and to do good deeds to our neighbors. Only then can God be pleased and fill us with the Holy Spirit, pouring joy, peace, and love into us.
(3) It is essential to be used for the kingdom of God.
The highest level of well-being of the soul is to be usefully used in the kingdom of God. As we know, how blessed are the people of faith in the Bible, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Judah, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Daniel, Peter, Paul, John, etc.?
What should I do to receive these blessings?
First, you must be a faithful person.
What is Loyalty? It's about fulfilling the mission God has given me. God uses faithful people. Example: Moses, the representative of the Old Testament, was a faithful man in the house of God. And Jesus was also faithful. Therefore, Hebrews 3:1-2 says, “Therefore, holy brethren, together with you in the heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our faith. He was faithful to him who appointed him, as Moses did in all the house of God.”
The people who are usefully used in the world, in the country, and in the company are the loyal ones. Those who are loyal to the country and loyal to their superiors are used by high-ranking people. Having skill is important, but loyalty is even more important. An unloyal person never knows when he will betray. But a loyal person is one who does his best even when it is against him. Moses and Jesus did. It was because of his loyalty to sacrifice that he fulfilled his mission well. So is our Hana Vision Church. The church exists because there are unchanging and loyal hearts toward Hana Vision Church. If you change your mind over the little things, who will stay?
[2] May you be blessed in all things.
Prosperity in all things literally means the blessing of prospering in your work.
(1) It is to live a life in which good works are achieved.
‘Blessings that prosper in all things’ does not mean that there is no suffering and only peace. It does not mean that there are no failures and only successes. It does not mean that there is no sadness, only joy.
In the world, we are inevitably faced with hardships, sad times, and sometimes failures. Just because everything goes as smoothly as I hoped doesn't mean it's going to go well. God rules our lives after we are born again. How will you handle it?
In order to move forward with a more mature faith, He makes you go through various circumstances. In particular, He provides for the soul to prosper. Therefore, if we do not go on the path that is prosperous for our soul, God is blocking our path. Sometimes, when we sin against God, He also punishes us. Therefore, for us Christians, discipline is also a blessing from God. Therefore, Hebrews 12:8 says, “All discipline is acceptable, but if you do not have it, you are an illegitimate child and not a son.” Also, in Hebrews 12:11, “Any discipline at the time does not seem pleasant but sad, but those who have been trained by it later. It bears the fruit of righteousness and peace.”
The important thing is to go on a path that is good for the soul. There are more blessings than discipline for those who are going on the path of prosperous souls. However, we must remember that the saints who go down the path without souls face more suffering and discipline than blessings. Therefore, above all, I hope that you will live a life of faith, loyalty, and obedience to the Word so that your soul may prosper.
(2) To live as a person who is precious to God and man.
Joseph is an example. Although Joseph faced difficulties, God gave him grace in all things. So he was sold as a slave, but he was sold to the house of Pharaoh's chief of guard. And he was faithful as a servant in Potiphar's house, and his work was successful. So, shortly thereafter, he was trusted by his master and became a servant of the household secretary. After some time, he went to prison for an unfair job, but even here, he was trusted by the guard and was blessed with freedom.
A person's happiness is, first, that they form a good relationship with God, and the second is that they build a good relationship with their neighbors. Therefore, those who are accepted by God will be blessed. Such people often receive answers to their prayers. As we live in this world, we encounter various crises of life. But with God's help, we can easily get out of that crisis. I hope that you will be accepted by God. Therefore, always rejoice, give thanks, and bless you to live.
And we are blessed when we receive recognition not only in our relationship with God, but also in our human relationships. So, like Joseph, you should be recognized. It is a blessing to be recognized by your neighbors at home and at school.
In order to receive such blessings in all things, you must become a person who serves God well and strives to live while helping others. Then you will be blessed with respect and love from God and people.
[3] I bless you with the blessing of becoming strong.
As long as you live in the world, you live centered on your body. In the world, the soul cannot act independently of the body. Therefore, while we live in the world, we must be healthy in order to do good things for the Lord and for our neighbors in this world. When you are sick or weak, you can only act for yourself and do nothing for others. Therefore, we Christians need to take good care of our bodies.
Therefore, for the sake of godliness, you may harden your body for a while, but you should not overwork your body. Early Christianity Among the Christians in Egypt in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, there were many Christians who had abstinence as their ideal. Being a virgin, or virgin, celibate, going out into the wilderness like a Buddhist monk and nurturing, this later led to monasticism. Even today, some Christians practice excessive abstinence. Of course, seeking too much comfort is a problem, but excessive abstinence is also a problem. Of course, Jesus fasted for 40 days prior to his ministry. However, he did not shy away from eating and drinking during his ministry. So some Pharisees slandered me, saying, “Look! A glutton and wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19).
Of course, health is not the end in itself. In other words, health itself is not the goal, but it is about managing your health well in order to be more faithful for the kingdom of God. This is because when health deteriorates, prayer and service of love become difficult. Therefore, in the coming year, I pray in the name of the Lord that I will become a member of the saints who are valued by God and people, who work hard for the kingdom of God with good health by controlling eating, playing and resting, and taking good care of their health this year. do. End.