"Your words were found, and I ate them, And your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts." Jeremiah 15:16
While attending the New Attitude conference in Louisville, KY, 2008, there are many provocations and convictions to mention and aspire to. Although the general preaching theme was on the Scriptures, the reading of it, studying, using for Spiritual Warfare, understanding Adoption and so forth, there are other things to mention.
For me, the lack of knowledge of Scripture in a God Glorifying way became more and more apparent after hearing pastors like Josh Harris, Mark Dever, Al Mohler(in Q&A session), John Piper and C.J. Mahaney. I have a lack of discipline in being a consistent student of God's Word. Although I "read" my bible about everyday, many times I do not read to know God more or to find something new that I haven't read before, but rather to fulfill a duty, a calling, if I am a Christian. There are many Scriptures that I have memorized to defend the Christian faith Apologetically and to convict of sin. But many times, it is a script. Sometimes there is no life in the way I quote Scripture because I have said them before and again and again. Sometimes, the Bible is only a book.
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." John 1:1-3
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16,17
The Bible is clearly not only a book. It exactly reflects this world and worldview. It explains the literal creation of life, the fall of you and me in our first parents and portrays the Absolute Sovereignty, Glory and Perfection of God in Jesus Christ. When a Scripture is repeated, God speaks. In the Old Testament, God spoke. In the New Testament, God spoke. By His Spirit today, He speaks....through His Word, to His people.
The Bible is living and active. It is called, "The Word." Jesus is also called, "The Word." If you are one of His followers and have been born-again by the Spirit effectually calling you to repentance, then you learn about your God that saved you, through His Word. It is in the reading of The Bible that we realize how utterly puny, rebellious and God-hating we are by nature. The longer we go without reading and meditating upon the eternal truths, the bigger, more confident we feel in ourselves, our sinful nature, this earth. For by nature, we are children of wrath that reflect God's righteous judgement of sin. But, only by the Grace and Mercy of God in Christ Jesus, we are adopted as sons (Galatians 4:5).
As a Christian, may you literally Treasure the Word of God. Consider yourself blessed if you own one. Many countries in this sin-saturated world will persecute, arrest and even kill people with the Word of God(i.e. Asia,Africa, South America). People don't hate the Bible because it is just a book, they hate it because it is THE WORD OF GOD that explains the condition of man, the deepest intents of the soul and that it commands all men to repent of sin and believe the Gospel, or perish. The Word of God contains undisputable revelation and propositions.
Although Jesus is the Word, His Word contain His words in the Gospels, speaking more about hell than any other doctrine in the bible. If we aren't treasuring the Word in our Bibles, thanking God we are able to speak and read it in freedom, then we are simply treasuring something else. If you treasure your Bible, then it is likely that you treasure Christ. But if you do not treasure your Bible, then it is impossible to treasure Christ, for you know about Him by reading about Him. Read your Bibles. Treasure them to Treasure Christ, for they contain the words of eternal life, for the Glory of God.
"Then Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away?' But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6:67,68
While attending the New Attitude conference in Louisville, KY, 2008, there are many provocations and convictions to mention and aspire to. Although the general preaching theme was on the Scriptures, the reading of it, studying, using for Spiritual Warfare, understanding Adoption and so forth, there are other things to mention.
For me, the lack of knowledge of Scripture in a God Glorifying way became more and more apparent after hearing pastors like Josh Harris, Mark Dever, Al Mohler(in Q&A session), John Piper and C.J. Mahaney. I have a lack of discipline in being a consistent student of God's Word. Although I "read" my bible about everyday, many times I do not read to know God more or to find something new that I haven't read before, but rather to fulfill a duty, a calling, if I am a Christian. There are many Scriptures that I have memorized to defend the Christian faith Apologetically and to convict of sin. But many times, it is a script. Sometimes there is no life in the way I quote Scripture because I have said them before and again and again. Sometimes, the Bible is only a book.
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." John 1:1-3
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16,17
The Bible is clearly not only a book. It exactly reflects this world and worldview. It explains the literal creation of life, the fall of you and me in our first parents and portrays the Absolute Sovereignty, Glory and Perfection of God in Jesus Christ. When a Scripture is repeated, God speaks. In the Old Testament, God spoke. In the New Testament, God spoke. By His Spirit today, He speaks....through His Word, to His people.
The Bible is living and active. It is called, "The Word." Jesus is also called, "The Word." If you are one of His followers and have been born-again by the Spirit effectually calling you to repentance, then you learn about your God that saved you, through His Word. It is in the reading of The Bible that we realize how utterly puny, rebellious and God-hating we are by nature. The longer we go without reading and meditating upon the eternal truths, the bigger, more confident we feel in ourselves, our sinful nature, this earth. For by nature, we are children of wrath that reflect God's righteous judgement of sin. But, only by the Grace and Mercy of God in Christ Jesus, we are adopted as sons (Galatians 4:5).
As a Christian, may you literally Treasure the Word of God. Consider yourself blessed if you own one. Many countries in this sin-saturated world will persecute, arrest and even kill people with the Word of God(i.e. Asia,Africa, South America). People don't hate the Bible because it is just a book, they hate it because it is THE WORD OF GOD that explains the condition of man, the deepest intents of the soul and that it commands all men to repent of sin and believe the Gospel, or perish. The Word of God contains undisputable revelation and propositions.
Although Jesus is the Word, His Word contain His words in the Gospels, speaking more about hell than any other doctrine in the bible. If we aren't treasuring the Word in our Bibles, thanking God we are able to speak and read it in freedom, then we are simply treasuring something else. If you treasure your Bible, then it is likely that you treasure Christ. But if you do not treasure your Bible, then it is impossible to treasure Christ, for you know about Him by reading about Him. Read your Bibles. Treasure them to Treasure Christ, for they contain the words of eternal life, for the Glory of God.
"Then Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also want to go away?' But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6:67,68
4 comments:
AJ, Thanks for sharing what God did in you heart at NA! God is Faithful! What you stated below was definitely something that stood out to me as well.
"I have a lack of discipline in being a consistent student of God's Word. Although I "read" my bible about everyday, many times I do not read to know God more or to find something new that I haven't read before, but rather to fulfill a duty, a calling, if I am a Christian."
Thanks for posting Candace! It is difficult at times to manage the reading of the Word along with "everything else." Nevertheless, as Christians, our responsibility to this world and to Our Father Himself, is to be a student of The Word, to grow in knowledge, faith, and truth to the Glory of God. Also, it must be a conviction, provoked by the Holy Spirit to desire "to fight the fight of faith" with God's Word. Thus, we become more like Christ.
Hey you didn't mention that you had a AWESOME place to stay while in Louisville! Where did you stay? With who?
I stayed with my best friends in the whole world, Josh and Joanna Tillman w/there lil baby Hannah, off Chevy Chase ave! I ate all of their food and played Wii until the "wee" hours of the morning, haha.
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