Blessings Rather Than Stature


It's happening everywhere today, and it's obvious that Satan is using it to deceive, if possible, even the elect. More and more born again Christians are blinded by the world and prefer blessings rather than stature in Christ. Now, don't get me wrong. Blessings are good, and we need lots of them. But when used as a coverup for a rotten character and spiritual life, it's become a deception tool of the devil.

Worse, when blessings are thought to be the reason for a close relationship with God, not God himself and having a stature in him.

I see it everywhere. Christians who have rotten lives get more blessed materially and physically, and they count that as favor from God because He is pleased with them. Ever seen this? Let's make up a scenario--a lady believer for instance. Let's say she's kinda like this: despite repeated warnings from God, she still opts to marry a non-believer. Isn't that what mostly happens in church? That's clear disobedience. But inspite of that, she refuses to repent and becomes arrogant and throws her weight around church, controlling it and the pastor and everything she can get her hands on--because she married a rich non-believer. 

Money makes things happen in church.

You see, I'm now trying to compile rotten behaviors I often see around some churches. Using them, let's create a church character prototype. A church Frankenstein that men's churches have produced. Let's proceed.

Because she's been "active" in church and supports it financially, she receives citations and recognition, and she feels that all that is also God's favor on her life. She has money and popularity and people around her who flatter her (because they get something in return) love her so much. Besides, she gets to travel abroad lots of times. So who's to say that she's not blessed by God and doesn't have his favor?

So, with all such blessings, she counts herself blessed; God is pleased with her despite her character flaws and corruption (rewarding and promoting people who flatter you and hating those who don't encourages corruption) and arrogance and non submission to her pastor. If God wasn't pleased with her, why does she still have lots of money and possessions and positions and get to travel abroad in style? Many church people are like Esau and Adam, preferring blessings rather than stature in the Spirit realms. They measure everything with money and possessions.

She feels she doesn't need to seriously repent of them because God understands her weaknesses, that she's just human. So all she does is regret them, especially during altar calls when she really plays the role of a repentant well. And anyway, her activeness, dedication, loyalty, and financial contributions to her local church far outweigh her rotten character and spiritual life. Even if her children also end up with rotten characters and spiritual lives and marriages (two are men trapped in women's bodies, one is separated from his wife, though still active in church, and another is married to a chain smoker), she still counts herself blessed because of material blessings.

By the way, her husband is crazy about another woman but still attends church--he's even a board member.

She is just an example of what goes on in church today on a large scale. Church people think it's okay as long as they're still rewarded materially. If they are in sin and yet still enjoy good health and finances, they think it's okay with God--He understands. No physical and material punishment means favor with God.

Few Believers Understand Spiritual Stature

The 7 sons of Sceva the priest in the Book of Acts looked like they had societal power, influence, position, and probably money (priests usually were moneyed), so they must have thought they had favor with God, too. What they didn't understand (and didn't have) was genuine spiritual stature in Christ. When they tried to drive out a demon, they learned the hard and painful way that without spiritual stature you have nothing, particularly in the Spirit realms, and especially God's favor.

God's genuine favor cannot be measured by how much money you have or how big your house or church is or how many cars you have. Most people prominent in Scriptures were low profile and not rich ye had towering spiritual stature in God. The prophet Balaam was God's prophet (though a gentile) yet he was fond of material status show-offs. Just like a lot of pastors today who have big ministries and show off their jeweled rings and costly watches and posh houses and vehicles.

Even King Hezekiah fell for that worldly show-off spirit when he bragged about every treasure he had and those in the temple, too. God hates that demon of pride that controls men of God who give in to it. My Jesus was similarly tempted but he merely shooed off Satan. "World kingdoms can be yours!" the devil bragged off, insinuating that Jesus could do the same after bowing to his wants. Jesus found worldly kingdoms too cheap compared to spiritual stature--something few believers really understand today. They prefer blessings rather than stature.

To men with God's wisdom, stature in God is the only priority. Life's real meaning is it. I cannot imagine life without it. All worldly treasures and possessions and fame are ugly, useless, and cheap compared with stature in Christ. I don't care about positions or recognition or titles or degrees or worldly rewards. Many church people invest in them and die for them. I see it happen with my own two eyes. They think what the world and their worldly churches and denominations give them is power.

If you prefer blessing rather than stature, the world will applaud and respect you. If your prefer stature in Christ alone, the world will crucify you. But you have genuine authority in both the spiritual and material realms. Invest on that. Pursue that. That's being God's flesh on earth.

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