CONDITIONED BLESSINGS

So many things in life require a condition to be met before we can have the actual result or reality. Or, there is often a cause and effect… to have this, you must do that. It seems to have always been this way because it is both natural and spiritual order.

For example, the prophet Zechariah wrote, “For there shall be a sowing of peace, the vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall give their dew.” These are the blessings of the Lord…but they are conditioned blessings. He continued by saying, “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and sound; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this, declares the Lord.” There is a certain Kingdom lifestyle (“these are things that you shall do”) for the expectation of a certain level of blessing from the Lord.

To not speak the truth, to give false judgments, to plot evil with our neighbors and to love lying and deception… the Lord hates all of this. That is a clear and concise statement with clear and concise conditions.

“Do you not say, there are yet four months, and then comes the harvest? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.  Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” Jesus