Genesis 1:29-31 (NKJV) And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you, it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth days.
Many people view God as the judge but never understood Him as a loving Heavenly Father. He is a loving Father who gives good and perfect gifts to us, but at the same time, He is a holy, just, and righteous God. However, many wrongly perceive God as a killjoy who likes to restrict our lifestyles. The truth is God doesn’t mind us enjoying ourselves on earth. In fact, He wants His children to do well and be blessed on earth.
Everything that God has created—herbs, trees, fruits, beasts of the earth, and every good thing that is created—was given to mankind, because He is a generous God who has blessed mankind with superabundance. Did you notice there was never a lack in the Garden of Eden?
Ecclesiastes 5:19 (NKJV) As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him the power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labour—this is the gift of God.
We are created to work and God wants us to enjoy the fruit of our labour. In fact, He is the one who gives us riches and wealth. Therefore, Christians shouldn’t feel guilty about being rich and successful because He is the source of all our blessings, but we must not neglect God when everything is going well for us.
Psalm 35:27 (AMP) Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favour my vindication and want what is right for me; Let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, who delights and takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
If we are happy to see our children being amply supplied, how much more does the God of creation delight and take pleasure when we prosper? However, God wants us to rely on Him, trust and have faith in Him. He also desires us to have holistic prosperity where we are blessed in our spirits, souls, and bodies and not just materially.
We should praise, worship, and give thanks to God when He causes us to prosper. Just like our earthly parents who rejoice over our success and accomplishments, our Heavenly Father is delighted and glad that we are prospering as we serve Him in the marketplace. Promotion comes from the Lord. Therefore, enjoy the blessings of God which include good clothes, cars, houses, and holidays without feeling guilty because our God is a generous God.
Sermon Series: Freely Received and Freely Give
上帝是慷慨的上帝
创世纪1:29-31 神说、看哪、我将遍地上一切结种子的菜蔬、和一切树上所结有核的果子、全赐给你们作食物。至于地上的走兽、和空中的飞鸟、并各样爬在地上有生命的物、我将青草赐给他们作食物．事就这样成了。神看着一切所造的都甚好．有晚上、有早晨、是第六日。
很多人将上帝视为审判者，却从未将祂看作慈爱的天父。祂是一位慈爱的父亲，赐给我们美好和完美的礼物，但与此同时，祂也是圣洁、公义和公正的上帝。然而，很多人错误地认为上帝是一个喜欢限制我们生活方式的扫兴者。事实上，上帝并不介意我们在地上享受自己的生活。事实上，祂希望祂的子民在地上过得好，蒙福。
上帝所创造的一切——草木、树木、水果、地上的走兽和一切美好的事物——都是赐给人类的，因为祂是一位慷慨的上帝，赐福给人类超乎富裕的地步。你有没有注意到伊甸园从未缺乏什么？
传道书5:19 神赐人资财丰富、使他能以吃用、能取自己的分、在他劳碌中喜乐．这乃是 神的恩赐。
我们被创造来工作，上帝希望我们享受劳动的果实。事实上，祂是那赐给我们财富和富裕的源头。因此，基督徒不应该因为富有和成功而感到内疚，因为祂是我们一切福分的源头，但我们在一切顺利的时候不可忽视上帝。
诗篇35:27愿那喜悦我冤屈得伸的、〔冤屈得伸原文作公义〕欢呼快乐．愿他们常说、当尊耶和华为大．耶和华喜悦他的仆人平安。
如果我们看到自己的孩子得到丰富供应而感到高兴，当我们繁荣昌盛时，那创造之神更是喜悦和快乐。然而，上帝希望我们依靠祂，信任祂，对祂有信心。祂也渴望我们在灵魂、心灵和身体上都得到全面的繁荣，而不仅仅是物质上的。
当上帝使我们繁荣时，我们应该赞美、敬拜并感谢祂。就像地上的父母为我们的成功和成就感到欢喜一样，我们的天父也为我们在事业中的服侍得到繁荣兴旺而高兴欢喜。提升来自于主。因此，我们应该享受上帝的祝福，包括好衣服、汽车、房子和假期，而不感到内疚，因为我们的上帝是一位慷慨的上帝。
讲章系列：白白地得来，白白地舍去
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