Pastor Bob’s Blog

We know the Word says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for as it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus . . .”  (Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV).

Most Christians will accept that Christ redeemed us from sin.  They know that “He (the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV).  Jesus took our sin and gave us his righteousness.  Sweet deal.

Many, but not most, Christians will accept that Christ redeemed us from sickness and disease. “Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.”  (Isaiah 53:4-5 NRSV).  He took our sickness and gave us His divine health and healing.  Another sweet deal.

But very few Christians will accept that Christ redeemed us from lack.  But how can they deny this passage:  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”  (2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV).  Jesus took our poverty and gave us His wealth.  Yet another sweet deal.

So why do Christians think we should be poor?  He can give us righteousness but He can’t give us wealth?  He can carry our infirmities but not our lack?

Don’t accept the lie that’s been sold to the church for centuries.  He wants us to prosper, spirit, soul, and body – and financially.  Unless we prosper financially, we can’t help the poor.  Unless we have wealth, we can’t finance the gospel.  Unless we’re well provided for, Jesus doesn’t look that attractive to the world.

So take it the same way you were born again – by faith!  God wants you to prosper!  Find out how to live in the Kingdom of God, and be blessed – to be a blessing!

For the past couple of months, the Lord has directed me to preach the Kingdom of God.  It’s an extraordinary honor to preach it, because that’s what Jesus preached – it’s the purpose for which He was sent.  (Luke 4:43 NKJV).  In fact, even after His resurrection, for forty days Jesus continued to teach His disciples concerning the Kingdom of God.  (Acts 1:1-3 NKJV).

For the past couple of Sundays I’ve taught about the financial system of the Kingdom of God.  It’s a system totally unlike the kingdom of the world’s system. The structure of the Kingdom’s financial system would perplex the Federal Reserve, the stock markets, and the brokerage houses.  It would confound the financial analysts, economists, and business school professors.

Why?  Because the central theme of the Kingdom’s financial structure is a paradox:  Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.  (Luke 6:38 NKJV).

The kingdom of the world says “grab, grab, grab. . . hoard, hoard, hoard.”  But in the Kingdom of God, as you give, give, give, “stuff” comes back to you – for your needs, and to start the cycle of giving and receiving all over again.

And we determine the level of our blessing by the level of our giving!

Now that’s a paradox!  A Kingdom Paradox!