#traininghearts

What does the Bible primarily teach?

“The Bible primarily teaches what man must believe about God and what God requires of man.”

2 Tim. 3:15, “and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Jn. 5:39, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.”

The thesis of the Bible is: “God will provide salvation for His people through His Son.” (Training hearts, Teaching Minds, Starr Meade) People think that the Bible is just a bunch of ‘do’s’ and ‘dont’s,” and because they have a wrong attitude toward the Bible it is difficult for them to read the Word. We are all living in a time where we can the summary of everything in the world through google and this has developed a ‘shallowness’ in understanding. We think that getting the summary of [insert book here] that we are able to get the full knowledge of that book, but when we do we miss on the nuances of what the author intends to communicate. The truth about the Bible is that the gospel, the good news of Jesus coming to save the world, is actually not a nuance but a blaring truth from the first pages of Scripture. Some might not see what is going on right now in our culture, the United States, but a lot of Christians are beginning to stand for the truth in the Bible. When you start with the truth of God, it leads to conviction, action, and change. Christians have been lost and found by God, and our duty is that the ones who are hiding be found by the truth of God.

What is the Bible really about? Do you know the Bible or have you been getting ‘second-hand’ information? The Bible gives more than it takes away.

Prayer: “Find me O Lord!”

Running the Race,

What does the Bible primarily teach?

“The Bible primarily teaches what man must believe about God and what God requires of man.”

Job 11:7, “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty.”

Rom. 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

Many people want to come to a knowledge of God through other means. Some people, even Christians, totally rely on the sermons that they hear on Sundays for the spiritual nourishment, Christian praise songs, or just having banked on the experience of God. This is not to say that these elements cannot help one foster his growth in the Lord, but we must be clear that if the Word, the revealed Word in the Holy Bible, is not a a foundational piece to your Christian walk you may be walking in darkness. I bring this up because Jesus makes it clear in John 14:5-7:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart form me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Jesus is not a genie in a bottle that you rub and gives you three wishes that, generally speaking, only benefits you, but he is saying that if you are obedient to Him and his words you can ask for whatever you desire because it will ultimately be under His leading. Christianity is not meant to be lived out in the caves by yourself while you continue to say, “I have my God and I don’t need anyone else to tell me what to do.” No, if you are a Christian you are called to live life with other people, even in their mess, and continue to abide by the Word that has been revealed to you. We receive the Word to receive light so that we continue to walk in the Lord, and apart from Him, you only get surface level revelation.

Some of us have been in a church for so long that the word gospel means nothing to you, and this is because you have put a limit on God. Because of the limit that you put on God you are only able to see the world through that small keyhole that is your own lofty thinking. God gives you the key to know the whole truth and he freely gives it to all people. He has no limitation because He is limitless.

What authority from God directs us how to glorify and enjoy Him?

The only authority for glorifying and enjoying Him is the Bible, which is the word of God and is made up of the Old and New Testaments

Acts: 17:10-11, “The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

1 Thessalonians 2:13, “And also we thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in your believers.

If we have a high view of God and His Word that was given to us, we will not just let anyone speak whatever he wants from the pulpit. If someone is saying that God is “saying” to them [insert crazy idea] then we have to run back to the Scripture to see if what that person is saying is in accordance to the Word. Don’t simply believe what a person says because he says that it is from God, but you test it out and see if what he says is what God has already stated in the good book. Be a Christian that is discerning the truths of God that is not blown by every wind of philosophy and thinking that is in the world. Do not let the world influence your thinking, but let the Word renew your mind so that you may have life. 

Have you had the greatest Bible Study ever in your life? When you hear your pastor preach from the Bible do you simply just rely on your emotion to find the truth, or do you genuinely seek to find God? Remember that we can only “find” God through Jesus Christ our LORD! Pray and ask God for new eyes to read the Word.

Pray: “God, I want to have the greatest Bible Study ever so that I may continue to know your truth and find life in it.”

PS: Remember, we will continue this on Monday. Have a Blessed Sabbath day!!

Running the Race,

What authority from God directs us how to glorify him and enjoy him?

“The only authority for glorifying and enjoying Him is the Bible, which is the word of God and is made up of the Old and New Testaments.”

Gal. 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

Deut. 4:2, “You shall not add to the word that I commanded you, not take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.”

Jer. 23:31-32, “Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the LORD. Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.”

Today let’s talk about discernment and how that will help someone glorify and enjoy God to the fullest.The Bible is always right, there are no ifs, ands or buts. People who disagree with what the Bible says have issues in their hearts. We live in a day where there are “churches” that claim to be Christian but they are so far away from the Word that one would think it’s just a people gathering to hear a motivational speech. The gospel motivates people, but the purpose of it is not to make you feel good, rather it is to guide you in glorifying God and enjoying Him for what He has done. There are two aspects to the gospel, a negative and a positive. The negative aspect of the gospel:

You have been saved from:

Wrath (Rom. 5:9)

Hostility toward God (Rom. 5:10)

Alienation from Him (Eph. 2:12)

Sin (Matt. 1:21)

Being lost (Lk. 19:10)

Futility (1 Pet. 1:18)

A yoke of slavery (Gal. 5:1)

Demon possession (Lk. 8:36)

Sickness (Lk. 8:48)

Danger (Matt. 8:25-26)

Corrupt generation (Acts 2:40)

The positive aspect of the gospel are all the opposite of the aforementioned items and also that you have been given an immense blessings from God, eternal life. When someone, more specifically people of the Church, speaks of God’s Word and they put their own interpretation on it, disregarding the context and history, to make it fit into their own thinking because either the Word is too hard or they disagree with it, the LORD is against these people. These “teachers/prophets” may be able to get away with what they are doing right now, but when they stand before the judgment seat of God they will have to give an account. All of this may be harsh words to hear, but it is because when we have a high view of Scripture we also have a high view of the God who is at the centerpiece of the story from the beginning to the end. (yea the Bible is not actually about is, it is for us) Unfortunately, a lot of people in these days have a very low view of Scripture and, in return, have a low view of God that is completely perverse. Christians are called not to be haughty, but we are also called to live with confidence and assurance of the God who keeps good on His promises. As Christians we do not have to boast in ourselves, but we boast in Christ, His gospel, and our redemption because we are bringing the knowledge of Christ to this world, and we can do this only by the authority of Scripture.

What kind of view do you have a Scripture? High? Low? Also, does this affect your view of God? Is it high? Is it low? If you have a low view of Scripture I want to invite you to pray and ask God to renew your mind to have a high view of His Word, because in it you will find life.

What authority from God directs us how to glorify and enjoy him?

“The only authority for glorifying and enjoying Him is the Bible, which is the word of God and is made up of the Old and New Testaments.”

Pss: 119:97-105, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. You commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are me meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Whenever I read the Bible it, “got me feelin’ some type of way.” It has me feeling that ‘wise’ type of way. Since the God of the universe has revealed his great plan for us through His Word and he shows us the deeper things this means that we have infinite more wisdom than anyone who does not have this knowledge of God. 

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” (Pss. 14:1)

A lot of Christians these days take the illumination that God has given them lightly, and this is why we swerve from our faith because we forget the great miracle that has occurred in our hearts. God’s gift to us is that He has given us his word so that we would not have to guess who he is, rather, he has revealed Himself to us and how we can live wisely and what is good and evil. When a person values the Word of God as the absolute authority in his life, he has greater wisdom than any philosopher in the world. Living by the Word of God allows you to see life in 4K resolution because he brings things to light so that you may walk. One thing we must remember is that his Word is a lamp to my feet, which means God’s Word is sufficient enough for us to continue to walk. He will continue to show you enough of what you need to know to continue to walking, and when God is taking care of you for what you need, you have no need for anything else.

We forget to truly value the word of God in our lives. A lot of us continue to live a life of sin, and we can go back to the root issue of your heart to see that the Word is not hidden in your heart. When you hide God’s Word in your heart you will not sin against Him. How is God’s Word valued in your heart?

Prayer: “Lord I want to have a thankful heart for the Word that you have given to me. Would you continue to reveal you Word to me in life so that I may know how to walk on the path that you have set for me. Amen.”

Running the Race,

September 30, 2015

What authority from God directs us how to glorify and enjoy Him?

Answer: “The only authority for glorifying and enjoying Him is the Bible, which is the word of God and is made up of the Old and New Testaments.”

Deut.4:5-8, “See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for what will be your wisdom and you understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nations is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today.”

Deut. 29:29, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed to belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of his law.”

If you have a Bible Study teacher, a pastor, or a parent who has taught you the Word of the Lord, go get on your knees and give thanks to the LORD now! Of course, I am not being completely serious, but for those people in your life who teach you the Bible are actually teaching you the secret things of God. Today I want to briefly talk about two things that may help us in making the Word authority in our lives. First, God demonstrates common grace because that is His nature. One common grace that is evident in some parts of the world today is when people take the time to teach the bible as a historical book. A lot of times Christians, and non-believers, make the Bible too spiritual, but we must keep in mind that it was a historical document that was written for a group of people as they were journeying through a desert, “and it’s also eye-witness account of events that happened during the lifetime of other eye-witnesses.” (listen to this) Through this discipline people can be taught the statutes of the LORD and it might lead to this next thing: prevenient grace.

The teaching that I want to try to persuade you is biblical and, therefore, true and precious is that the new birth is the result of the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit preceding and enabling our first act of saving faith. We do not cause our new birth by an act of faith. Just the reverse: the cry of faith is the first sound that a newborn babe in Christ makes. Regeneration, as we sometimes call it, is all of God. We do not get God to do it by trusting Christ; we trust Christ because he has done it to us already. The theological catch phrases which are sometimes used to designate this beautiful doctrine are "prevenient grace" (grace which precedes and enables our faith) or "irresistible grace" (grace which overcomes the resistance of man's perverted will by transforming his nature) or "effectual calling" (a divine call which not only offers but effects transformation). (John Piper, That which is born of the Spirt is Spirit.)

This grace is one where our eyes are open, specifically, to the Holy Word of God and take it for what it is, “the Word of God.” When you have people in your life who teach you the Bible, as the Word of God, they are teaching you the secret things that belong to the LORD. This secret thing is not some hidden cryptic message that is hidden in the numbers of the Bible, but this mystery is the good news of His Son Jesus Christ! If you are reading this now and you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the secret that was kept hidden for ages, has been revealed to you! This means that you know the secret things of God, and that is amazing! There is also good news for those who will read this and want to know the hidden mystery, “God is going to reveal Himself to you!” When the Word of God is the authority in our life, we are people who know the heart of God, the deepest thing of God, which was his plan to redeem His people.

Some of us who have been in church for a long time have forgotten the ‘mysteriousness’ of the ‘mystery’ of the gospel, and because of this we don’t have much life when it comes to reading the Bible. We see the Bible just as a book of rules and not a book of God’s redemption. How does the Bible speak to you? Does it bring life or does it bring loss?

September 29, 2015

What authority from God directs how to glorify and enjoy Him?

Answer: “The only authority for glorifying and enjoying Him is the Bible, which is the word of God and is made up of the Old and New Testaments.”

2 Pet. 1:20-21, “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

“When I no longer need the Bible, I have no need for the authority of the Bible.” (Dr. Bryan Widbin, Professor of OT @Alliance Theological Seminary)

A lot of us have been told to read the bible, do devotional or memorize Scripture from our parents, our Bible study teachers or your pastors (me). The reason any good spiritual leader would tell you to read the Bible is because they know that from it comes life. Yesterday we said that the Bible was inspired and breathed out by God. It is by God speaking that brings anything to life, and when we abide by those words then we will continue to have and live a life full of purpose, which is to glorify Him and enjoy Him. Many people have issues with the Bible because they believe that it is not true or they just think that it is a bunch of stories full of good moral teaching, and when we believe this we are completely missing the mark for the reason God gave us His word. When the people of the Bible wrote the Bible, they were not thinking that it was going to be bound up and later used as the single authority to reveal God, but these people were being obedient to God, were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these things, and then thousands of years later when people looked into the Scriptures they saw that many things said from the past came true. This is why no prophecy of Scripture came from just a man’s thinking, but it was by God as he carried people along to write. When the Bible is our authority in our life, then we know what kind of story the Author is writing.

Ultimately, believing in the Bible is not forced doctrine, but it is truth that has been revealed to us so that we may live a purposeful life. Many people are confused in their life because the Bible is not their authority or they try to make the Bible fit into their own interpretation. When we submit to the authority of the Bible and be obedient we will find life. Is the Bible your authority?

Prayer: “Lord help me to overcome my selfishness and think that I can know everything that there is in this universe. I want wisdom that does not come from the world but from the Word. Open the eyes of my heart Lord.”

Running the Race,

September 28, 2015

What authority from God directs us how to glorify him and enjoy him?

Answer: “The only authority for glorifying and enjoying Him is the Bible, which is the word of God and is made up of the Old and New Testaments.”

2 Tim. 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete and equipped for every good work.”

It is a beautiful and glorious Monday as we get back into this spiritual grind! Last week we spent time meditating on the purpose of man, (check here), and this week we are going to find out from where we are directed. (Before you go on check this real quick)

For man to properly understand the purpose and the direction of how to glorify God we must be taught by God, and he has gives this to us by way of the Word. A lot of people today think that the bible is just a book of rules of what we are to do and not do, but it is magnificently different:

"The bible is not a set of rules, it’s a beautiful, redeeming story.” (Timothy Keller, Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC)

The Word is breathed out by God, or God spoke and it came into existence. Therefore, for those who continue to live by the authority of the Bible will also have ‘existence’ or purpose. For man to live according to its purpose, glorify and enjoy Him, it can be found within the pages of the Bible. We can trust the Bible because it is from God and it reveals the purpose of God, and it is never wrong, you can bet your life on it. 

When we take the time from our busy lives to sit down and read through God’s Word it is so that we get to know more about God and so that we may continue to give Him the glory and enjoy him. The Bible is from God and so we can trust it. Do you trust the Bible to show you how to give glory to God and enjoy Him?

Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Running the Race,