© 2022 Philip M Spence
In the New Testament, the word ‘Blessed’ means to be extremely fortunate, well off, and happy. Dynamic Kingdom Living begins with the right foundation, followed by the right thinking or mindset, and leads to becoming a happy people. We, the people of the Kingdom of God, are the genuinely blessed people of this planet.
Does blessing equate to money and wealth?
Yes, blessing includes money and wealth, but financial blessing is only a small part of being blessed. Our Father in Heaven has bestowed so much upon us that we miss out on if our perspective of blessing is limited to having more money and becoming wealthy. So then, the blessing of God is not something we pursue. It is the expression of the love and favour of our Heavenly Father in every area of life.
Does blessing equate to feeling good?
While the evidences of being blessed can make us feel good, feelings have nothing to do with whether or not we are blessed. So many believers end up thinking they are out of the will of God because of the state of their emotions, or their psychological wellbeing.
So many believers have the mindset that somehow everything will be wonderful if God is blessing them, and that they need to beg God for favour if everything seems to be going pear shaped. Fortunately, as we saw in the previous chapter, the reality in the Kingdom is very different from these wrong perspectives.
Does blessing equate to everything going well?
The facts we see, or are dealing with in our lives, do not determine whether or not we are blessed. The truth is that we are blessed because we are sons of God. We are blessed because we are Kingdom insiders. Choosing to believe these truths over the facts causes us to walk by faith, and not by what we see or experience.
Outsiders may at times think that insiders are not doing very well at all, but we don’t believe what they say, or their perspective. Kingdom insiders know that seasons come and go, but our God never changes.
In this chapter I will present a perspective of the Beatitudes that may be different from how we have seen them before. If blessing means happiness, then what makes Kingdom people the happiest people on earth?
Blessed to be an Insider
If, as we have discussed, being blessed means to be happy, the first of the Beatitudes could be expressed as: ‘Happy are those who know the Kingdom of Heaven is now theirs’ (Matthew 5:3, Luke 6:20).
Happiness in the Kingdom begins with the revelation that we have been delivered from the previous regime we were under, and are now in the Kingdom of a loving, merciful, gracious Father in Heaven (Colossians 1:13-14).
During one of Jesus’ discourses about His Kingdom, He told His disciples that He was bestowing His Kingdom on them, just as His Father had bestowed it upon Him. Jesus was appointing them to a royal position, role, and commission, to continue and complete the work the Father had sent Him to accomplish (Luke 22:28-29). Kingdom insiders are happy people because they have a lifelong and eternal purpose in the Kingdom.
Blessed to have Intimacy with God
The second of the Beatitudes could be expressed as: ‘Happy are those who have been called near to God’ (Matthew 5:4). Intimacy and companionship are very comforting attributes of a relationship. How much more when that relationship is with the Creator who is everlasting and all compassionate.
No religion has a god who calls its people near so that they enjoy the benefits of intimate relationship. Some religions have gods that are demanding and threatening and must be appeased. We do not have a religion; we are a Kingdom of people who have been adopted by the only One True God to become His sons (Galatians 4:4-7).
We have the privilege of being grafted in so that His life flows through us (John 15:1-8, Romans 11:16-24). And, we call our God ‘Father’. This is Dynamic Kingdom Living.
Blessed to have an Inheritance
The third of the Beatitudes could be expressed this way: ‘Happy are those who receive what has been apportioned to them by the Creator God’ (Matthew 5:5). Kingdom insiders are happy people because they are assured of their father’s blessings in the form of the abundant family inheritance, while we live on this earth.
An inheritance is a portion or designated part of the family wealth. As Kingdom insiders we are privileged to have an allotment bestowed upon us because of our position as sons of God. This revelation is a source of contentment and joy for those who were once alienated from their Father but have now been welcomed as sons who are destined to rule with their King, and on His behalf.
Blessed to be able to Indulge
The next Beatitude could be stated, ‘Happy are those who understand the abundant supply that is available to them’ (Matthew 5:6). This abundant supply ensures that we are always full, satisfied, and never lacking. This is Dynamic Kingdom Living.
The apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Ephesus, telling them that He often prayed for them, asking God to reveal to them the limitless supply that is available to the sons of God (Ephesians 1:17-19). He told them that this supply is accessed by faith.
Part of our inheritance is the privilege of being able to taste everything God has on offer, and find out how good He is, and how wonderful His blessings are toward us (Psalm 34:8). We can partake in His gifts from Heaven, His word that is both written and revealed, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and the authority and power from another world (Hebrews 6:4).
We become partakers of everything that He has made available in His Kingdom. We are blessed to be able to indulge in His presence in worship and prayer. We have the privilege of indulging in His word with revelation from the Holy Spirit.
We are also those who can indulge in His strength and power by speaking in tongues often (Acts 1:8, Jude 20). And we can indulge in supernatural peace, undeserving love and grace, and His abundant goodness. There is no end to the benefits that are ours because of whose we are (Psalm 103:1-5).
Blessed to be an Investor
The fifth Beatitude can be expressed in this way: ‘Happy are those who invest and see ongoing returns on their investments (Matthew 5:7). Those who give will receive, and those who have freely received will also generously give to others. The Kingdom of Heaven here on earth functions most effectively when we sow what we have into the lives of others.
Receivers have the joy of reinvesting what has been bestowed on them. We are blessed to have received an abundant supply as Kingdom insiders, so we have an abundance to invest in others for the sake of the King. It is a great privilege to be able to be a blessing to others.
There is a huge difference between investing and spending. Spending gives instant gratification and short-term pleasure. Wise investment brings joy and satisfaction over time as we see the returns on our investment. The greatest joy, in the Kingdom of God, is seeing outsiders become insiders, lives being transformed and built up, and people finding and fulfilling their destinies, all because we have invested in them.
Blessed to have Insight
This next Beatitude could be read as, ‘Happy are those who have insight, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding’ (Matthew 5:8). Kingdom insiders are blessed to not be ignorant. We are not the blind leading the blind. Also, we don’t live and function in this Kingdom with our own understanding or wisdom. We are those who are led by the Spirit and enjoy the privilege of being sons of God.
Kingdom insiders are blessed because they have a heart that has been freed from pollutants so they can receive insight from the Holy Spirit. We have the written and revealed word of God that lights our way forward. We have revelation of who God is, wisdom about what His purpose is in our lives and throughout His Kingdom, insight into the vast reserves of His supply, and understanding of the authority and power He gives us to fulfil His purpose (Ephesians 1:17-19). This is Dynamic Kingdom Living.
Blessed to know our Identity
The seventh Beatitude could be expressed as, ‘Happy are those who know their position, rights, and privileges as sons of God’ (Matthew 5:9). Orphans often feel displaced rather than grounded. They struggle with their identity because it comes from a father they don’t know, and a history with which they are not connected.
However, sons know that their identity comes from their father, and they enjoy a peace that can only come by being secure in their identity. Sons are happy because of whose sons they are.
In a household it is more blessed to be a son than to be a servant or a slave, no matter how benevolent the master may be. Sons are secure because they know who they are, where they belong, have intimacy with their father, know they share in the inheritance, and have insider information and privileges in the family.
Blessed to be Immoveable
The final Beatitude could be written to say, ‘Happy are those who are firmly fixed in place and cannot be shaken’ (Matthew 5:10-12). There is so much about being a Kingdom insider that grounds us and causes us to be strong and immoveable.
Knowing your identity is a key to being immoveable. Knowing that you have an inheritance because of the family you are a part of is a key to being immoveable. Knowing you’re an insider, and that you have intimacy with the Father, is a key to being immoveable.
Kingdom insiders do not approach things with fear, because they are filled with faith. They don’t suffer with uncertainty, because they have confidence in their Father, and their identity as His sons. They don’t take a backward step under pressure, because they are filled with courage and boldness.
The Kingdom of God is unshakable and immoveable, and the insiders of the Kingdom are destined to be like the King and His Kingdom. What can be shaken, and is from time to time, is not of the Kingdom. We are not tossed this way or that if we fully embrace the fullness of the Kingdom of God. Insiders are satisfied, contented, and stable, enjoying the benefits of being in an unshakable Kingdom (Hebrews 12:25-28, Ephesians 4:11-16).
People who are insecure, rocked by every unexpected occurrence and challenge, and nervous about who they are and what might happen next, are the unhappiest people I have met. The happiest people are those who are rock solid no matter what wind is blowing.
The above is an excerpt from the book Dynamic Kingdom Living. To download your copy, go to Amazon.com or click the button below:
Blessings,
Phil Spence