Today while pondering on the Word of God. I was reading in Psalm 107. A few things stood out to me. I am going off of a similar format that I learned at New Attitude.





-What this passage teaches me about God-

• He is good

-His love is everlasting

• He redeems


• Deliver's people in need if they cry out.


• God satisfies my sould, my longing soul. He will fill my hungry soul with good things.


• Displays wonderous works to men.


• Makes 'storms' be se still.

-Bring Christians to their desired place

-What this passage teaches me about myself-

• I need to give thanks to God


• Cry out to the Lord in troubled times

-Cry out all the time

• Thank God for His love


• Humble myself before Him


• Sin may bring affliction (Vs. 17)


• Share God's marvelous deeds with other with 'joy'


• Extol Him


• If wise, I may see God.

I hope this was an encouragment to you. I just finished When I Don't Desire God: How to fight for joy, by John Piper. It was an excellent book. One part that I really enjoyed was that we need to be constantly in the word and memorizing God's Word. How can we fight for joy if we don't memorize God's word? We can't! It's like a spec ops going on a secret mission without his gun. We would not be prepared for battle. We have to battle our way through times of dry spells. Keep consistent in the Word!

In Prayers,

-AgapeTheologian

WORSHIP


God has taught me so much on worship over this past trip! The sound was different than I was used to. It was a lot heavier, but at the same time, not distracting. Pastor Timothy Durey said that he never thought he could worship to a guitar solo.

I used to never raise my hands, but God has taught me that when raising my hands is me giving so much more worship than just singing the words. I feel the Spirit coming upon me and feel new life in me. It's a great feeling!

That is just the basics. I've got to help get ready to leave this amazing conference!!!!!!!!


-AgapeTheologian

DISCERN YOUR HEART

Mark Dever and Al Mohler did a great job the previous sessons, but I am going to skip until last night when C.J. Mahanney spoke. He did an excellent job. I am going to try to summarize what he spoke about.

C.J. started off in Exodus 20 and reading where God tells Israel not to have any idols before Him or make anything of some sort. God couldn't of been any clearing. Idolatry is the most discussed sin in God's word, and it's the most condemning sin.

• Prior to conversion, Idolatry was our offense to God. (Rom. 1)
• There's been a lot a bad trades in sports, but God made the worse trade of all.
• Why would God trade His son for us?

-Idolatry is most popular talked about n the Bible, but is the most over looked!

• We desperately need theologically discernment to be able to discern idolatry.

"Evil in our desires usually don't live in what we want, but that we want it TOO much."
John Calvin

"Human heart is a function of idols...from Mother's wound, expert in investing idols"
John Calvin

Some idol may be completely oblivious to me, but obvious to others.

1.Growth in godliness
-Purify heart
-Discerning, detecting sin.
-By grace destroy idols, by discern it.
2.Grow in great fullness to God
-Reminds us our need of forgiveness and our need of a savior
Luke 7:47

WE AFFENDED GOD, THE ONE WHO SAID, "YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GOD'S BEFORE ME"


-AgapeTheologian

Me getting my books signed my Joshua Harris! He is the coolest!


Joshua Harris-First night at Na


Eric Simmons introduced before Josh came up and spoke.

Eric concluded:

1. Question your answers
-Humble yourself before God
2.Think of yourself first
-When discerning
3.Pray
-Always. That God will open my eyes to Truth

Joshua Harris:

• Rediscovery these truths with humility
• We want the Truth that has always been and have it change us.
• We need to humbly proclaiming this truth
• We need not to be people who are right, but people who are rescued.
• Discernment=testing what's good and evil ad acting on what we see and distinguish of what God values.
• WE NEED DISCERNENT
• We need to work at it
• We need to study the Bible
• Mature believers practice power of discernment.

Rom 12:1-2

• Truth of Gospel
• Gospel living
• Discern will of God
• Give God everything I am
• Give Him my LIVING BODY
• Lay myself on the altar as a living sacrifice

There were so much more things that he said. These are just the highlights. I want t leave you with one more thing.

"-We must have a strong doctrinal content.
-Display it.
-If theology doesn't shape your life, then you don't understand it."-Joshua Harris


Love you all!


Thanks for your prayers,


-AgapeTheologian

New Attitude #1

Devotions:

I read through Philippians 1-2. Here are a few things that stuck out to me.

3-11:

-All of out prayers should be prayed with joy. This doesn't necessarily mean you can't mourn, but mourn with joy because of our savior.
-God is the one who has begun the salvation process, He is the One who has begun the salvation process, He is the only One who can ad will finish it.
-To be able to approve what is excellent, pure, blameless...I need more knowledge and discernment.



12-30:

-I want to be with Christ, but Christ wants me here on this earth which is more necessary on my account. I will remain in progress and joy in my faith.

Chapter 2:

1-11:

-Do nothing out of RIVALRY, Christians should have he same mind. Rivalry doesn't equal love.
-Christ became so humble by becoming and man and by obeying His Father; Then he was hghly exalted.

12-18:

-God is the One who works in me for me Salvation and good works through us. (Almost repeat from Chapter 1)
-Everything I do, do it all without complaining, grumbling, and questioning. Then, I maybe blameless and innocent children of God. This doesn't mean I will be perfect, but I will further my sanctification. and get closer to glorification.
-I need to be 'blameless' in the perverse generation to shine for Christ. Then, it won't be in vain and Christ will be proud of me.


These are just a few things that I did for me devotions yesterday. I urge you all to check out, www.therebelution.com. They are the official live bloggers! I'll try to update on how it went yesterday ad my time seeing Joshua Harris speak, etc...


Keep Praying,


-AgapeTheologian

Inerrancy of Scripture & Clarity of Scripture



Inerrancy can not be found in the Bible today. If anyone says one specific topic in the Bible is inerrant, then the whole Bible has to be inerrant. If one part of God's word doesn't speak truth, then we, Christians, are serving a false God. A lying God. Which we all know that can't be so. So, the Bible is full of truth.

Clarity:


"Deu 6:6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
Deu 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. "

We need to be teaching our children God's word. God's word should be on the tip of our tongues and in all our conversations.



"Psa 19:7 the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;"

God's word is understandable. Many have claimed that only theologians can fully understand God's word. All christians should disagree. The Bible is very clear and every part of it should be, and is, very understandable.

Even unbelievers will find it clear if they are truly seeking out salvation; if they are not, God's word will be like a cloud.

"The clarity of Scripture means that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God's help and being willing to follow it."-Wayne Grudem

After Grudem's quote, he himself even has said that we should realize that even godly men will mis-understand scripture.


In Prayers,


-AgapeTheologian

Canon and Authority of Scripture




Canon

The Canon consist of 66 books that today we call The Bible. Why were these books part of the canon and others were not?

The church prayed about the books that should be included in the Canon. There were some controversies over specific books. The church had to read all sorts of books and made sure they went together doctrinally. That is a very brief summary of how The Bible came into being.
One book that had major controversy is the book of Ester. The biggest issue that church leaders had was that it didn’t mention God once in the book.

The Jews always considered this book to be inspired, and later on, the church leaders came to an agreement that the book of Ester was indeed inspired.

"The book of Esther was questioned because of the noticeable absence of any significant mention of God in the book. He is clearly behind the scenes, but there is very little direct reference to Him.
That said, the book was considered part of the cannon because of its God-centered message and its value in showing the providence of God, the faith and courage of Esther, and the protection of God's people through human events.
For more on this discussion, you might want to read John MacArthur's introduction in the Mac Study Bible…"-Pastor Mark Vroegop, senior pastor at www.calvaryb.org

The Romans Catholics still today believe that the Apocrypha is inspired, but protestants believe differently since the Bible would not be consistent.

We need to realize that a all loving God, who saved us from our sins won’t mess up with a Bible that is not fully from Him.

2.Authority of Scripture

When we read the Bible, we are reading God’s words. They are His words in human form. To say they are not fully His because he is infinite and we are finite, is to say that the Bible is not completely true. Which, we know is false.

If anyone disbelieves any part of scripture is to disbelieve God. If anyone disobeys any part of scripture, you are disobeying God.

Scripture is our highest authority. We know that God can not lie, is He did, then the Bible should be tossed. But since God can not lie, we know the Bible is our highest authority.
The Bible should be where we go to find all our answers in life.


I know this was brief, but I hope it was worth reading.

In Prayers,


-AgapeTheologian

WORD OF GOD




The Word of God. The Word of God doesn’t always mean the Bible as some like to think. It can even mean, Jesus Christ.(Revelation 19:13; John 1:1, 14; 1 John 1:1) Just because the Bible says, "Word of God", we can’t often think of it as Scripture, but think of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

God’s Word is seen through Scripture as speaking through human lips. God raised up prophets and spoke divine inspiration through them.

God says to Moses, "
Deu 18:18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
Deu 18:19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
Deu 18:20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.'"(ESV, Emphasis Added)

God made similar statements through out the Bible. It is obvious that if anyone who claimed to be a prophet from God, yet in reality is not was severely punished.

God’s Word in written form. The Bible is God’s personal address. Mosses was one case where he wrote down God’s Word; The Ten Commandments.

"Deu 31:9 Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
Deu 31:10 And Moses commanded them, "At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths,
Deu 31:11 when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
Deu 31:12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law,
Deu 31:13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.""

It also tells us in the book of Joshua that Joshua wrote the words of God in the book of the law. (Joshua 24:26)

"Once again it must be noted that these words are still considered to be God’s own words, even though they are written down mostly by human being and always in human language. Still, they are absolutely authoritative and absolutely true: to disobey them or disbelieve them is a serious sin and brings judgment from God. (1 Cor. 14:37; Jer. 36:29-31)"-Wayne Grudem

Final Thoughts:

If God were to speak to you in person or through a prophet, would you more likely to listen to Him? It’s kind of funny at times when we receive an email, a note from someone we really care about, we will read it over and over. But do we do that with God’s word? NO! We do not. Christians don’t always take good care of their copy of the Bible nor do they want to read this ultimate love letter. Some even treat it as something they have to read. The Bible is God’s love letter to us, we should care about Him just as He does us.

The Bible is our high authority from God, we need to follow it and pray for a desire to become thirsty from it…


In Prayers,

-AgapeTheologian