If I were to ask you what God thinks of you, what kind of answer would you give? Most believers would probably say that “Oh, He loves me!” and that is certainly a true statement, but it has become almost cliché in our current culture to say “God loves you” or that “Jesus loves me”. We say the words, but do we really understand what they mean? The world today has a distorted, corrupted idea of what love is, and that is purely from a human standpoint, much more so then is the love of God misunderstood.
In this study today, we will look deeply into how the scriptures show the love of God in all of its glory. So that you can truly know the way that God thinks of you with love, and have a real revelation of what that means. The love of God will no longer be an empty statement without meaning.
Do you know that God loves you? Most believers would answer “yes” without thinking. However, I want to go deeper than that. Do you know that you are the beloved of God? Do you know that God loves you more than any other thing or person in existence? Even choosing to sacrifice His dearly beloved Son so that you would be spared? Most believers have a superficial awareness of the love of God for them, but have never really explored the depth of His love.
This is what we will be doing today. Digging deeper into the love of God which is poured out upon us. The matchless love which in Christ Jesus we have full access to today. By seeing the love which God has for you, it will make it easier to experience intimacy with Him, and help us to frame the right mindset for our relationship with God.
How would you define success? Is it the amount of money you have? The number of people who like or love you? Is it the height that you can climb in your job? Is it the titles or degrees that you have behind your name? The world often judges success by these standards, but is that what success truly is? Many of these things are the results, the fruits of success, but they themselves are not success itself from a Biblical standpoint.
The difference is this, if we are judging our success purely by our worldly status, then we can be deceived and misled. If we are judging our success purely by what we have, or what we have achieved, then it will not always portray an accurate picture according to the truth of God. It may seem as though we have nothing at the moment. However the reality is that you actually have everything. This is what we will be looking at today in scripture.
If you have been a believer for some time, you have probably heard about the wonderful promises of God… and even if you have not believed for very long (or at all) you probably still know that such promises exist at-least – or have some level of awareness of them. It's impossible to keep a secret on such an amazing truth as the promises of God. Promises of blessing of every kind. Starting first and foremost with salvation, and touch absolutely every area of life from health, wholeness, healing, provision, wisdom, peace and every thing named or unnamed… regardless of what it is, there is a promise from God about it.
However simply knowing that such promises exist, does very little good if we do not believe that they are for us, or know how to receive them. You may be surprised to learn that there is a growing number of believers who think that the promises either aren't for them, or that it's wrong to receive them. You see, the enemy knows that the promises of God are too big to keep secret, so instead he just keeps people in confusion about them. So that's why in this study today, we will be taking a look at how Jesus is our legal right to the promises of God, and how we can receive them without any doubt.
How would you evaluate the current state of your life? It may seem pretty good right now, or it may seem like a total mess, or anywhere in between. Often times what we tend to do is take stock of our life and then use what we perceive as good or bad circumstances as a barometer for the love of God towards us. When things are good, we feel as though God is happy with us and loves us and we are on cloud nine; but when things are not going our way, we feel as though God is angry with us or that we have some kind of test to pass or a lesson to learn.
The truth though is that today God is not angry or wroth with you anymore. He exhausted all of His righteous and holy wrath on the body of Jesus Christ in your place. He suffered and died as you so that today you can receive all fullness of blessing and life as Him.
In the world today, things are very high-strung. People are very busy going from this thing to that thing. Always in a hurry, and always desperately seeking, but never finding true peace; true inner rest and tranquility. Now the world has many different avenues by which people try to find peace. There are many rituals and tools, and things that people pursue to chase after this inward rest.
The Bible though has another method, one which is opposite to our natural human thinking. We tend to have this idea that in order to really rest that we must shut-off our mind, empty ourselves and relax.. usually in front of the television or with music. But are those activities truly “restful”? What we will be exploring today in scripture is true Biblical rest; what it is, and how to receive it.
It's safe to say that most believers want to bless God. We sing songs about “blessing His name.”, speaking well of Him (which is technically all that blessing means). But there is a commonly held idea that in order to truly bless God, we must give to Him; an idea that has led many into bondage by trying desperately to give to God something of worth and value in order to somehow demonstrate gratitude.
However is this idea of “giving back to God” really the best way to demonstrate gratitude or bless Him? Is this really what the Bible says? Today we will be answering these questions from scripture to see what really gladdens the heart of God.
Imagine for a moment if you will, that God appeared to you in a dream and asked you what He was to give you. What it is that you would ask for? Perhaps more money? Healing? Maybe to find true love? Would you ask to see more of Jesus? Now I am not asking the question in order to bring a sense of guilt on you, so please don't feel that way. However what we will be reading in scripture today will actually shift your mentality, to see that actually all of the other blessings will come as you see and receive more of Jesus into your life, because He is actually the source of every blessing.
As we study this today, it is my sincere hope for you that this will change your outlook, and even your thinking as you study the Bible in your personal time. That Bible reading will not be a chore, or a tool for behavior modification. But that it will become a joy and a treasure, as you grow closer to the LORD, and live a life of divine blessing through Him.
When looking at men whom God has blessed throughout the Bible, Solomon can't be ignored. He was the most-blessed figure in the Old Testament – so much so that God said that there was never anyone blessed like Solomon before, nor will there be after him for all of his days. (1st Chronicles 2:12, 1st Kings 3:13)
Often times, we look at Solomon and wonder why God doesn't bless us in the same manner. After all, we are kings and priests in Christ. (1st Peter 2:9) However this question is based on a faulty premise: that God has indeed not blessed us to an equal and even greater measure than He has blessed Solomon. That's why in this study today, we will be looking at the blessings God gave Solomon, and also how today in Christ Jesus, we have such a greater measure, that if Solomon was here, he would be asking us for a loan!
Many times when believers talk about health, they do it from the perspective of the world. As if sickness and disease is just a normal part of life. From a very early age, we are conditioned by the world to accept illness as a natural condition – as just part of being human, and so we receive it without a second-thought. Likewise when believers talk about prosperity, many times it is with derision “we don't want that prosperity gospel!”. As a result, many people spend their lives battling sickness and in poverty But is this what the Bible says should be? Is this what the life of a believer redeemed by Christ Jesus should be like?
Today in this study, we will be answering these questions from scripture as we examine what the Bible has to say regarding health and prosperity, in the light of the finished work of Jesus Christ. And as we see the truth of Jesus regarding these things, we will be able to receive more of Him.