Prosperity Is Not the Only Blessing

🌅Good morning!

Friday's word is… 📖

Philippians 1:29
…
“For the sake of Christ,
you have been granted not only to believe in him,
but also to suffer for him.”
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
In some churches,
there is a teaching called
“prosperity theology”❗️
…
It is said that if you believe in Jesus Christ,
you will also be financially blessed…
But if your finances are not blessed… 🤔
some people say
something must be wrong with your faith.
…
Of course, the Bible also speaks
about God's blessings…

Matthew 16:24.

“…take up your cross and follow me.”
…As written there,
the “cross ✝️” represents suffering❗️
…
Reading from the Old Testament to the New Testament,
we see that believers have faced persecution.
Jesus Christ himself was persecuted, as were his disciples, most of whom suffered martyrdom… 😥
…
From the moment you begin thinking,
“Maybe I should believe in Jesus” 🤔
your spiritual battle begins.
…
Suffering for the Lord is transformed into grace that reveals his glory.
…
If someone calls themselves a Christian
but lives a life without any trials or suffering,
that person is a fake❗️
…
When I became a Christian, relatives cut ties with me… 😱
Friends also left me… 😥
…
But God gave me even more wonderful friends,
and people who became
closer to me than my own relatives.
Prosperity is not the only blessing.
What became of King Solomon, who enjoyed such great splendor❗️
…
I am convinced that
when we trust God all the way,
he will reveal his glory.

Shalom 😃

This English page translates the Japanese Morning Word provided by At Home Church Okinawa. Scripture quotations are English renderings of the Japanese source, not a separately verified Bible edition.