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Introduction
What is a blessing? I think sometimes we get blessings mixed up with other things, like presents. You can
go to a store and buy a present, but you can't go to a store and buy a blessing from God. God gives you a
talent when you are born. Sometimes you are born with an innate ability for athleticism or for music. But a
blessing is even more than that. A blessing comes from the sovereign God who gives undeservedly to whom
He wants, whenever He wants, however He wants.
How to Be Blessed is a biblical guide to being blessed according to God's Word. It is based on the biblical
truth that God promised to bless His obedient children. The operative word here is "obedient." God loves us
unconditionally, but most of His biblical blessing promises come with a condition. There is some fine print in
God's contracts. In secular contracts, often the fine print is deceptively positioned and hidden.
Unlike secular contracts, God does not hide the fine print, we just choose to ignore it. We want the blessing
without the conditions. We want the crown without the cross. We want the joy of the resurrection without the
suffering of the crucifixion. We want Easter Sunday without Good Friday.
How to Be Blessed guides you in the path to be blessed by the way of the cross. How to Be Blessed is not
based on what has been labeled "prosperity Gospel." However, there is a fine line of demarcation between
prosperity gospel and the promise of God that He wants His children to prosper. The fine line is generally
found in the fine print of obedience, dependence on Him, and temporary circumstances or conditions. God
has not cursed people who are poor in material wealth. As a matter of truth, biblically speaking, God has
always found special favor with the oppressed, the least and the unlikely. From this truth, we get a biblical,
theological foundation for a liberation gospel.
Liberation gospel and prosperity gospel are only in conflict when either or both are given to extremes. We
must remember, the result of liberation is freedom. Freedom for what? Freedom to be all that God would have
us to be. Freedom to prosper spiritually and materially. Resurrections do follow crucifixions. Joy does come
in the morning. There is a crown after the cross. There is a bright side somewhere, and there is a blessing on
the other side of through. How to Be Blessed is a guide to help believers receive the blessings on the other
side of through without ignoring the "through." In other words, without ignoring the way of the cross.
Testimony
I consider myself to be a blessed man. How am I blessed? I am both spiritually and financially blessed. I
am also blessed to love others: those whom God has given me, those who are believers and those who are not.
I am also blessed by the rain that falls in my life. Lastly, I am blessed to be loosed to serve God. I am indeed a
blessed man.
Freely Shared
Spiritually Blessed
I define "spiritually blessed" as being set free from the bondage of anger, hate, lust, fear, drugs, pride and
materialism. God set me free from the penalty of sin when, in Christ, He died on the cross and by the power
of the resurrection He delivered me from all of the above. Therefore, I consider myself spiritually wealthy—
in Christ. By His grace I have grown up in Christ to the point where I realize that spiritual blessings are
superior to material blessings because spiritual blessings are everlasting, whereas material blessings are at
best temporary. In addition, only those who are in Christ possess spiritual blessings.
In another book that I was blessed to write entitled Growing Up to the Head: Ten Growth Essentials to
Becoming a Better Christian, I expound and list what I call a seven-fold doxology of spiritual blessings found
in Ephesians 1:3—14[2]. They are as follows:
Spiritual Blessing One: The joy of being chosen (v. 4)
Spiritual Blessing Two: The joy of adoption (v. 5-6)
Spiritual Blessing Three: The joy of redemption (v. 7)
Spiritual Blessing Four: The joy of wisdom (v. 8)
Spiritual Blessing Five: The joy of knowing (v. 9)
Spiritual Blessing Six: The joy of inheritance (v. 11)
Spiritual Blessing Seven: The joy of being sealed (v. 13-14)
All these spiritual blessings are given only to those who are in Christ. Nonbelievers are not blessed with
these spiritual blessings. Therefore, as a believer, in Christ, I am especially blessed.