I occasionally watch a little television. Several times of late my eyes have been attacked by a religious advertisement that perfectly characterizes the modern, Laodicean era church described in Revelation 3:14-20. The item being offered to viewers is a book and c.d. set that proclaims to church people that they are Born to be Blessed. This supposedly Bible-based compilation of ear-scratching, eye-soothing “truths” will only set the blessing-seeker back $140.00. But, the ad continues, one can give an even bigger ‘love offering” if one so wishes. This addendum stealthily reminds the blessing-hungry church public that the greater the love offering–the greater the blessing. This type of information comes at the t.v. viewer, radio listener, internet user and mail reader in a continuous, “You want it you got it because God wants you to have it” flow. But are the “ministers of righteousness” who hawk these religious “revelations” leaving out the most important aspect of God’s will for man? Let us depart from the standard church method of answering spiritual questions. Let us allow Him to do so.

It is true that the Lord makes numerous promises in His Holy Bible. It is also true that there are prerequisites that accompany those promises. Contrary to popular opinion, the blessings are secondary to His main theme which is obedience to His Word. Scriptural sources relative to this “cause and effect” truth are stated throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Let us examine a few of them.

The first episode relative to man receiving blessings from God is found in the Garden of Eden. Here God, Who later came to earth as Jesus of Nazareth, makes clear to Adam and Eve that if they obey Him, which included partaking of the Tree of (eternal) Life, they will live in paradise forever. However, He adds, if they sin they will die.

Having been told that a flood would soon cover the earth, the Lord gave Noah a set of instructions which, if followed exactly, would result in his and his family being allowed to live. Noah, a “preacher of righteousness,” obeyed and survived the eradication of mankind from the earth. Let it be known that if he had failed to obey instructions we would not be here.

The same can be said about such luminaries as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Much later the Word (the Spokesman for the God family) voluntarily came to earth to offer eternal life to sinning man. Let it be known that if He had failed, God would have spent eternity alone. Though Jesus succeeded, God’s kingdom will not be crowded (Mat. 7:13,14).

I recently completed a series in which I proved Scripturally that the blessings God has promised His obedient saints people include throne and earth rulership-sharing with Jesus which will conclude in joint-pastorship of the entire universe.

On a more immediate basis, the Lord tells us in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 that He has many blessings awaiting His people in this present life. But Truth-seekers will notice that throughout both Old and New Testament writings there is an unchanging prerequisite that must be met before the promised blessings can be received. This caveat involves the number one reason for man’s existence on the earth–OBEDIENCE. Time and again the Lord commands obedience toward His Holy Bible. The blessings that will accompany obedience are irrelevant when compared to the importance of keeping His Law (commandments) which, more than anything else, proves ones love for Him (Jn. 14:15,23). According to the Apostle Paul, the keeping of the commandments is the ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (1 Cor. 7:19). Commandment-keeping produces blessings, if we can take God at His Word. Which invariably causes a question to arise: “Why are God-haters so wonderfully blessed?” Next time. L.J.