by Pastor Mark Ostrom
The Holy Spirit has recently been directing my attention toward God’s desire to prosper us.
We (as a church) have been examining God’s blessings. That they are wholistic.
3 John 1:2
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
NKJV
The Holy Spirit though the Apostle John penned this blessing for ALL believers, for ALL times, that we may prosper in ALL things.
This blessing is for our whole spirit, soul, and body.
Over the last few weeks, the Holy Spirit has been elaborating on this “prosperity” and “blessing” in verses like…
Acts 3:26
26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
NKJV
Christ has blessed us by “turning us away from our sins” and enabling us to receive “the blessings” that flow from walking in line with Christ’s love command. (Ezekiel 26:25-30, Galatians 5:14)
This morning, I was meditating on Ephesians 1:3.
Ephesians 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
NKJV
The Amplified Bible expands this scripture beautifully.
Ephesians 1:3
May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm!
Amplified
The ideas that follow are what came to me as I considered…
The Father’s goodness and blessing are given to us “in Christ” and administered to us by the Holy Spirit.
The blessings belong to God “the Father” and are accessed through Jesus, “the Son” much like a “door” or “gate” to a “store house“, “pasture“, or “garden” and conveyed spiritually through or by “the Holy Spirit“. (John 10:7-10, Psalm 23)
In one sense the Holy Spirit is the “power” in a conveyer belt (Jesus) that grants “access” to the “store house” (God the Father as the originator of all things) and brings “the blessing” to you. Or like a thick cloud of darkness that showers “rain” or “blessings” on you from on high.
At the same time, we are able to “approach“, “enter” or “access” the “store house“, through “the door” by “the Spirit“.
So, in one instance (passively) the blessings are “poured” or “rained” on us. In the other sense, (we actively) by faith, “access” the blessings freely through “boldness” and with or by the Holy Spirits help. (Acts 3:19, Romans 5:2, Romans 8:26, Hebrews 4:16)
One is passive, one is active.
One “waits” for God’s abundant blessing; the other “boldly” and “passionately enters” into the presence of the Father with humbly, sincerity, and “obtains” what it graciously requests. (1 John 5:14-15)
Is your “faith” only receiving the blessings that come from being “passively hopeful” and waiting for the next “rain” cloud to shower you?
Or are you running out into the “pasture” that is receiving the “abundance of rain” that is being poured out on it, from heaven?
The Father has an “abundance of blessing” (good things) stored up for each of us “in Christ” Jesus!
Lets access His abundance of grace with the help of “the bold” Spirit of faith He has given to each of us!