What comes to mind when you hear the word "blessing"? God's definition of blessing and how he delivers it to his people is quite likely very different from what you may expect. We all desire to be blessed, but the path to receiving the Lord's blessing is not always pleasureable - and sin is its greatest obstacle. But God uses the consequence of sin, the trials and the storms in our lives to bring us to our knees in brokenness and repentance. That's when we seek him with genuine, surrendered hearts and that's what He loves. As we draw near to him, we find mercy, grace and his presence and therein is the blessing - God himself.
The bible warns against false prophets who may appear outwardly harmless or even righteous, but their true nature is deceptive. Jesus uses the metaphor...
The greatest gift we can receive is the gift of salvation. At the moment of conversion, we are justified—saved from the penalty of sin,...