Hello everyone. I am glad you’re here watching this narrative multimedia Bible study. Before my husband gets started, because you know he likes to get all theological with his exegesis of every scripture. I just wanted to give a summation of what my husband is going to be long winded talking about, and that is simply, being a Christian is not some promissory note of blessings, or about do’s and don’ts, or receiving some type of promotion or qualifying for some kind of reward before God; but it’s really a love story. It is about how to go about life with a relationship with God. That’s why Jesus calls us His Bride. It is a union of love between us, Him and the Father.
God is our Father, a parent, and much like us as parents with our children we love them unconditionally. Though, our kids don’t always do right, but as parents we still love them and will go out of our way to support, assist, protect and do for them. We’ll God is a Parent, and as a parent, He loves us, and much like us, He desires for us to love Him back.
Now, for those of you who may be thinking, “if Christianity is not about rules, do’s and don’ts, then why did Jesus give us commandments?” And, that is a good question. Though, we may say Christianity is not about do’s or don’ts, the fact remains, Jesus instructs His followers to do many things and not to do other things. So, it is obvious that Jesus instructs us how to go about life - and not a typical life either. Most people don’t bless those who curse them or if someone takes your coat, you give them your shirt too. If they slap you on one cheek, turn to them also the other cheek. Jesus is not saying that we are to let people do whatever they want to us. Rather, it is saying that we are not to get revenge. We are not appointed to punish the people who wrong us. We are to love them and let God do with them what He will. Understand!
Jesus’ commands of do’s and don’ts are meant to shape the heart and mind in a way, that it becomes a way of life that doing these things becomes natural, a way of living by faith. This kind of faith is not mental assessment of some universal religious practice. But, as my husband usually says, that’s another study. The point is, we fulfill the commandments with love. Because truth is, it is simply impossible to check off these and the other New Testament commands in the way one checks off items from a to-do list.
So, we have to come to understand, that the true story of the Gospel, it’s a love story. Of God loving us, and we loving Him back. Now, my husband is going to get theological about what I just said; and honestly, we really all do need to hear it and understand it. But, simply put, it is about love, God’s love for us and our love back unto Lord. So, without further ado, Let’s proceed!
Thank you wife. I’m going to try not to be too long winded. But, let me just say this, we share these narrative multimedia Bible studies, because we love the Lord and we love you, and if we can bring understanding of God’s Word to help just one person, it’s all worth the hours we put into these videos, and the cost to do them.
I do get theological with these bible studies, giving an exegesis of the scriptures, even providing a transliteration of the original text, so that, we can get further understanding of their meaning, so we can apply them to our lives.
But, have you ever considered how wonderful the Holy bible is? That the God who created all things cared enough about His creation to give us His revealed will in His written Word, so we could come to know Him?
The Scriptures records God’s thoughts, words, desires, and purpose of will to and for man. As I tell people, the Bible is but a collection of testimonies, of God’s interaction with man and man’s interaction with God, given by way of recorded testimonies of men and women of God, showing God’s interventions in human history. Amazing!
The Scriptures were compiled from the Holy Spirit inspired writings of more than three dozen people, recorded over thousands of years, with each book of the Bible reflecting its human author’s personality, background and vocabulary; yet, every word written was inspired by God Himself, as He spoke and lead each author (2 Pet 1:20-21). What’s more amazing, is that, though the Holy Bible was written and compiled over thousands of years, Scripture is a cohesive compilation: It’s message is consistent in truth, purpose and prophecy of God’s revealed will to man.
Without God’s Word, we would know very little about our Creator, and nothing about His Plan of redemption. So, we should never take the Bible for granted. Each time we open it up, our hearts and minds should be submissive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, prayerfully considering the truth contained in our Bibles, knowing we are hearing God’s voice speaking directly to us.
Now, as my wife said, the Gospel is a love story, not about just trying to obey laws, or feeling specially chosen by God, or promissory note of blessing from above. No, it’s about a love story. How, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Amen!
But, do you really know how much God actually loves you? Do you truly understand the love God has for you? Do you truly know that God loves you because you are truly His child, first of Adam and now of Jesus, both to physical life, and if born again, spiritual life?
No matter what your heritage or ethnic background, the end of and the beginning of each family tree is God. We are God’s children born from the first earthly father and mother Adam and Eve, who were hand crafted children of God – Luke 3:23-38:
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josek, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon,
the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,
the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob,
the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan,
the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,
the son of Kenan, 38 the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
We are ALL the children of God through “physical, natural and blood” heritage, and God loves all His children, and because He does,
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
“The world” – meaning ALL his children. But, like many families, there are children, who for some reason or another don’t, won’t be part of, share in, or choose to be part of the family. Some, even distance themselves from the family. So, it is with God’s “physical or natural children.
So, God planned a family reunion and sent invitations to all. Inviting them back into the family, (See the Parable of the Wedding Banquet Matt. 22:1-14 / Parable of the Great Banquet Luke 14:15-24). But this time, He would give those of His children that want to be in the family a New birth into the family – a Spirit birth! John 1:12: Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Now the word right or the KJV says power, is the word ????s?a, a?, ? exousia (ex-oo-see'-ah); which means a power or privilege to act as a child of God. So, what God does is grant those who accept His invitation, is to impart a blessing to them, and that blessing is, to become again, His child born of His Spirit – John 1:13: “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
This is what was meant by Jesus when He told Nicodemus, John 3:3: “Except a man be born again” – (again is the Greek Word ????e? ano¯then – anew or if your notice the word is related to the English word “another”). We are given “another, “a new” birth, this one of Spirit – As Jesus further told Nicodemus, John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. I don’t know if you ever noticed, that the first word Spirit (Pnuema) is capitalized signifying the agent of the spirit birth – “the Spirit of God or Holy Spirit” which gives us spirit birth. (“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam(Jesus) was made a quickening spirit.” 1 Cor. 15:45). Meaning, God gave us life and then life – first physical/natural life, and now spiritual for those of us who accepted His invitation. We are the Children of God both to the physical and now to the spiritual.
I now have a spiritual heritage:
I am now both a Child of God by physical, natural and blood decent, and of the spirit, called by His name.
And, God especially loves His children called by His name,
Isa. 49:13-16:
13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. 14 But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
People tattoo the names of their kids, and faces of their kids on their body as a symbol of their love. God loves us so much, He has engraved us upon the palms of His hand. Don’t ever forget that!
Isa. 54:10
10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
God tells us that the mountains and hills may be shaken and removed before His love for us will go anywhere.
Now, it’s one thing to read in a book, a letter or a note, someone loves me. It’s altogether different to experience they love me.
Many of us read the Holy Bible of God’s love for His Children, but how many of us, let the experience of God’s love into our hearts? It’s one thing to say it, another to believe it, it’s altogether different to personally live, I say live, knowing God loves me!
One of the biggest clouds the devil has over the mind of people when reading the Bible, is to have them read it as a historical book rather than the living voice of God. In so reading it this way, it’s never truly real in their heart. The mind comprehends, but the heart is detached. Although you may believe it, and know what it says, you have to experience it to truly understand it. That’s why David said, the Lord is “my”, not our, yours or us, but “my”, me personally, mine, intimately, my shepherd.
Many believe God loves them, but many don’t know God’s love personally.
Many of us are mostly taught that God is a Holy God, a Righteousness, a God of Justice and Judgment, not a God of Love. Sure, we’re told that God is love, but most of us only see God as to be feared; and never, tap into the true love of God.
It is critical, it’s vital to our relationship with God, to know that God loves me, not just in our heads, but in our everyday life experience. Just like any husband, wife, brother, sister, son or daughter, they want to feel loved, not just told their loved. We need to experience God’s love emotionally and physically, not just in mental assent. I want to know the security of God’s Love.
To personally know that God engraved “my name”, not our names, but mine, in the palm of His hand because He loves me absolutely transforms my relationship towards Him.
For many, not having that heart felt assurance that God truly loves them hinders their true relationship with God. Each of us needs to fully grasp and understand just how much God loves us. How He is intimately concerned about every single detail of our lives.
Reading that God loves us in His Word and understanding that He died for our sins, can still be merely intellectual pursuits. But receiving His Spirit and experiencing His Life in and through us, is something we can never deny as being ultimate, personal Love; and without, having this experiential love of God in us, we can’t grow in our relationship with Him.
So, it doesn't matter how long you have been a Christian, how many people you have led to the Lord, how many Scriptures you have memorized, or how many Bible studies you have taught. If you don't know that God loves you personally, you're not going to be able to grow in your relationship with Him.
We all must seek to know as it says in Ephesians 3:17-19: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; And to [intimately] know the Love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."
As Christians we know we have eternal life, but very few of us live truly experiencing the love of God in our lives. I myself, will live being thoroughly convinced God loves “me”; and as for me, I personally believe and life to what is written in Rom. 8:35-39:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I’m stop right here, so as, to not be long winded, because there is so much more I could say. But, it’s what my wife said at the beginning, Christianity is more than a relationship, it’s a love story of me with God and God with me. And, it is our sincere desire and prayers, that it is also a love story for you as well. May God bless and keep you my friends. In Jesus name Amen!
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