Effectual Prayers

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Are You Blocking Your Blessing?



 You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials  so that the genuineness of your faith more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter. 1:6-7

Have you ever noticed that many so called Christian have the ability to point at your failure toward God, at the very time when you need them to lift you up? This is especially true when you are struggling through something in your walk with God. Rather than exhort you and strengthen you to continue in your walk with God they. Accuse you for failing in your walk with God, because you are struggling. It is as if they believe that because you are going through some problem in life you are in more sin then they are! They sit up on their high horse and look down on you because of your problems.

This is a natural reaction of those that truly do not know God. Their lack of knowledge perceives God to be a respecter of men, in that men could earn God’s blessings (Acts 10:34) they justify themselves by their own deeds  Yet the Bible tell us that all God’s blessing are a gift, and gifts are not earned but bestowed on us by the giver. This error of thinking perverts the gospel and the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Let us consider Job, the Bible tells us that Job had three friends who could not understand why Job was going through such unspeakable tribulations. But rather than comfort him, they accused him of sinning and being the origin of his own afflictions.  

  • The first Eilphaz;  asked him “Who that was innocent ever perished” Or where were the upright ever cut off? As I have seen those the plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same(Job 4:7:8)  
  • Secondly, Bildad tells Job “…God will not reject a blameless person, nor take the hand of evildoers(Job 8:20)  
  • Then Zophar instructs him how to cleanse himself from the wickedness of his life. (Job 11:14-17)
But in all this Job maintains his innocence toward sin. Yet his friends don’t believe him.
In August of 2005 I lost my job of 11 years, I went from making around 80 thousand dollars a year to making lest then 12 thousand dollars a year. And up to this point I have not been able to hold down any stable job, jumping from one temporary position to another, struggling, to make ends meet.

While in my Lodebar I would looked for comfort in the presence of my church family. However the only thing I got was blame for my afflictions. Those that God had provided to lift me up spiritually, were only dragging me down.  The church that I was attending had developed the doctrine whereby they believed that my lack of blessing (as they seen them) was the results of sin in my life.  I was told the reason I did not get a better job was because I was not living my life for God. That if I had been living my life for God then I would have no want. This doctrine which teaches calamity only happens to evil people, and that Christians should live a life without suffering and trials and temptations is a direct result of the bad teaching of the Prosperity Gospel. If we are to believe this gospel than every suffering Christians in foreign countries are the origin of their own suffering, every Christian that has ever been killed because of his faith in Christ, The Christian girl that died in the Columbine slaughter, Christian all over the world that are being raped, murdered, robbed, contracting disease, and cancer are all the result of their bad relationship with God. Because Christians don’t suffer? (Selah)

Oh let us be cautious of anyone that says we should be living our best life now!
Fox news reports that every 5 minutes a Christian dies for his faith, that's over 105,000 Christians every year. And if we applied this flawed doctrine about earning God’s blessing than we would see how foolish these suffering Christians around the world are. Some dying, some being beaten and tortured, women being raped needlessly, when according to this doctrine all they need to do to end their affliction is practice Creflo Dollar’s[1] Dollar’s 4 steps to unblocking God’s blessing. or Rick Warrens  four laws of God's blessing, or send a seed offering to some other pastor on TBN.
But the Bible does not teach this “Blocking Your Blessing” doctrine, in fact this is a figment of man’s imagination. In reality, sometimes, bad things just happens to people, both Christians and non-Christians alike. And most of the time it’s not the result of some hidden sin, or evil within that person.

  • When Jesus was asked if the sin of some that suffered was the result of their sin, Jesus turned the conversation from the issue of sin to the issue of salvation through faith and repentance. (Luke 13:2-5
  • The book of James say “WHEN” we fall into temptation” not “IF” (James 1:2) . 
  • Jesus warns us that in this world WE WILL have suffering, (John 16:33
  • The Bible tells us that God makes it rain on both the good and the evil. (Matthew 5:45). 
  • King David was blessed beyond what many of us will ever hope for he went from a shepherd boy to king of a nation, yet he did wrong many times in the sight of God. Did he or was he able to block God’s blessing?  I don't think so.
  • Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife,  but inspite of his deception left Egypt rich. (Genesis 12:18-13:2)  And the proclamation from God that He (God) would bless them that blessed Abraham and curse them that cursed Abraham. (Genesis 12:3)
So the question is not if we go through things, but when we go through things? Don’t believe anyone that tells you, that you have some hidden sin in you, because life has dealt you a bad hand.Sometimes when we are living our lives for Christ the best we know how, trouble still falls on us, and this is perfectly inline with scripture.


Maybe we can’t understand it while we are going through suffering, but our suffering is all part of God’s perfect plan. Hebrews. 2:10 tells us that we are made perfect through our suffering.

1 Pet. 1:6-7 You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials  so that the genuineness of your faith (is made) more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 We rejoice because of the marriage we have with Christ, and Christ tells us to be courageous because he has already conquer the world, and we have confidence that we will also conquer our trials. (John 16:33). Jesus never tells us even once to pray to be delivered out of the trials but that we should be strengthened through them for our own benefit.
So the next time someone tells you that you are blocking your blessing, Tell them the Bible does not teach a “Blocking of Blessing” doctrine but teaches that we will get through our sufferings by the faith and confidence we have in Jesus Christ. And that the life that we are now living is but a precursor to the goodness that is to come. (Romans 8:18). And for those that tell you, you should be living your best life now.

Remind them "If we are living our best life now, your going to hell!

TCharves FireSpeaks
Soli Deo Gloria