Life Giving Spirit

 

    You are dead to your sins until you meet Jesus, believe, and start living a new life.  It is the Holy Spirit that makes your new life possible.  When you live without Jesus your mind is on worldly things.  You can't change on your own.  You need the Holy Spirit living in your heart and talking to your mind to be a different person.

    When you are a person of the world you are an enemy of God.  When you live by the Spirit your mindset changes from death focused to what brings forth life and peace.  Life is unpredictable, hard, and lonely at times.  When you have the Holy Spirit you never face anything alone.  He counsels you.  He comforts you.  He knows your mind and heart, so He knows how to reach you if you will let Him.  

    If you are Christian, then world will overwhelm and break you in suffering until you reject your sinful nature and face God.  Christians were never meant to fit into Satan's environment.  You belong to God.  If you follow Satan, then life may coast.  Why would Satan get in your way?  He already has you.  He wants to stop Christians.  Endure this world because you will find your reward in Heaven.  You will get to spend eternity worshipping God as the first fruits.

    First fruits is your faith in action.  In gardening it is the first and the best.  In the church it means you are living out your spiritual gifts to serve Jesus.  In eternity it means you get the full reward from God.  You sacrifice your sinful nature to experience life with the the Holy Spirit who promises to give you a future close to God.

    The Holy Spirit is your spokes person.  When life is too much and you can't even find the words to pray, He reads your heart and speaks to God on your behalf.  He is there with you in it and He loves you enough to go to God to ask to make things better.  No matter how bad things get they won't stay that way forever if you belong to God.  Do not live like you are still in bondage to sin.  Live free to do good in the world.

Leviticus 23:9-14, Job 33:1-7, & Romans 8

Holy Spirit Seal

 

    When you put your faith in Jesus the Holy Spirit comes to live within you.  His presence is the seal of salvation.  It is not something you deserve.  It is done because you chose to believe and God keeps His Word.  You have the seal that can't be broken because God loves you.  It is a guarantee that when you die your soul will live eternally in Heaven with the Trinity.  Nothing can ever take that away from you.

    The seal of the Holy Spirit means you get to live freely for and with God now.  He is God's signature on your heart from now to eternity.  Things will change and be better once eternity begins, but you can live with peace and freedom now.  

    When you are sealed by the Holy Spirit, then there should be a difference in you.  People should be able to see that you belong to God even if they don't understand what the change is about.  This is not a signet ring, tattoo, or regular seal of authority or importance.  The seal of the Holy Spirit is God imbedding Himself as a part of your soul.  It is the missing piece of your soul that makes you complete and sustains you.  

    No matter what people do, you do, or anything that happens when you have the seal of the Holy Spirit you belong to God.  He protects His own.  That doesn't mean that life wont happen.  It does not mean that people will not make life difficult.  It does not mean that you will not die one day.  It means that you have protect of God.  He will allow things to happen to serve a purpose, but it doesn't change the fact that your eternity is guaranteed. The truth always comes out eventually.

    The Holy Spirit seal is irrevocable.  Once you are adopted into God's family, you can never be kicked out or removed.  You can live life with humble assurance because you are loved, favored, protected, and secure.  You never have to doubt your relationship with God even if you don't hear or feel Him close to you all the time.  Know that He is still there watching and protecting you.  You can ask Him all your heart questions and not worry about annoying Him or being rejected.  He loves it when you come to Him.

    The seal of the Holy Spirit enables you to walk in authority to do God's work.  You are not walking into anything alone.  When you seek to obey doors of opportunity open up.  The Holy Spirit will give your stillness, peace, quiet, and rest when you need it.  He will also be with you when you need to move, act, or respond instantly.  All you have to do is believe, repent, and trust in God to have salvation (the Holy Spirit's seal).  It can never be taken away or revoked.

Esther 8:1-8, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:3-8, 4:20-30, 2 Peter 1:10-11

Holy Spirit Guidance

 

    The Holy Spirit is your reminder what what is holy,.  He speaks truth into your life.  He is your counselor and teacher.  He doesn't use a voice, but He whispers to your conscience and subconscious.  He brings truth out of the scripture you are reading.  He clarifies your prayers to God while giving you wise counsel.

    Jesus had to return to Heaven for the Holy Spirit to come live within the followers of Jesus.  I do not know why they could not co-exist on earth together other than it was not a part of God's plan and because Jesus declared it himself.  That is why it is called faith.  You trust God even when you don't have all the answers.  

    Everything the Holy Spirit tells you is the truth.  He gently guides you to find certain truths for yourself, but is with you every step of the way.  It is a faith journey that you never will travel alone.  He convicts individuals of their sin, directs toward righteousness, and provides judgment now to avoid it for eternity.

    Being convicted of sin is a gift.  It means you can repent and change things for eternity now.  He removes the confusion that the world provides.  He reminds you that you can't be righteous on your own.  You need God like it or not.  He provides clarity on what judgment applies to and how to avoid condemnation.  The closer you get to God the less you hear Satan's lying whispers.

    The Holy Spirit will never lead you astray.  He speak on behalf of Jesus and God.  He is what unites you God while you are still alive through righteousness.  Don't get lost in things of this world:  selfish desires, money, experiences over relationships, entertainment over service, other people over God, or sinful desires.  God never said go follow your heart or that love is always comfortable.  Your heart will lie to you if you allow it to become worldly.

    The Holy Spirit guides you to obedience to God, humble heart, and ways to glorify God.  He helps you to become more like Jesus everyday.  He helps you face life without giving into fear and anxiety.  It doesn't happen in one day.  It takes work and willingness to change.  He will guide the transformation of your heart to live more like Jesus than who you were before.  

Isaiah 64:1-7 & John 14:23-26, 15:18-27, 16:5-15

Theology of the Holy Spirit

 

    The Holy Spirit is the part of the Trinity that seems to hold the most mystery or misconception for people.  However, he is the most intimate part of God that is with all true Christians.  The Holy Spirit is what Jesus promised to come after he left.  He lives within everyone who believes and walks in faith with Jesus.  

    The Holy Spirit is the counselor, comforter, advocate, and guide in this world for all true Christians.  He affirms that God's Word is true.  He teaches and transforms the heart to be more like Jesus.  He empowers you to do God's will and follow the path God designed for your life.  

    The Holy Spirit provides you with supernatural gifts to benefit the church (God's people).  They also help you in ministry to show people who Jesus is.  He gives out blessings from God.  Like God and Jesus, he never changes.  His character is true and steadfast.  He will never leave you once he lives within you.  

    The Holy Spirit shows you true love.  He gives the mundane meaning.  He is intimately involved in your life.  He gives your life awareness to the truth, answers questions when you read the Bible, rids your doubts, and helps you triumph over your sinful nature.  He is your biggest advocate in life and before God.  

Genesis 1:1-2, Matthew 28:16-20, John 14:15-21, Acts 1:4-5, 2:1-13, & Romans 8:1-17

Early Church Theology

 

    When the first true church began to form they became enemies of the existing holy church.  The Pharisees and the spiritual leaders considered following Jesus as heresy.  It was heresy to declare that Jesus was God and man, he was more than human, or that he was two entities in one working together for mankind and God.

    The first church literally put their lives on the line to follow Jesus.  Of his 12 apostles, Judas killed himself and 10 others were martyred.  That only enhances the truth.  Judas knew the truth and could not live with his betrayal and the others were willing to die horrific deaths to tell the world about Jesus.  No one would not be willing to do that if they were not convicted of the truth to their very core.

    The first church fought the way Jesus fought: prayer and not backing down.  They grew in numbers and made decrees to keep the faith going as a religion.  Many people then and today misunderstand and misinterpret Scriptures, so the Christian Creed is to keep God's Word intact and holy.  

    In Nicaea in 325 AD the Roman emperor Constantine placed his focus on Jesus.  He didn't fully understand, but he studied and created the Nicene Creed that was amended in 381 by the Council of Constantinople.  It declares who Jesus is and the only way to achieve salvation.  The Council of Chalcedon created their own creed in 451 under Marcian who was over the Christian church.  This councils purpose was to confirm who Jesus is: human and divine.  This creed vows to acknowledge and teach about Jesus and the Trinity.

    Some important facts that can get misconstrued easily is the resurrection.  Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, but he also raised himself.  Lazarus could not raise himself from the dead.  That power lies with Jesus alone.  Jesus' resurrection unites the church in faith.  He makes his followers righteous, and adopted into God's family making them heirs to Heaven.

    Jesus never broke God's laws.  The religious people believe he broke laws of heresy.  People have a limited view point and without the guidance of the Holy Spirit they are likely to get it wrong in one way or another.  That is why Bible study is personal and serious business.  Jesus is sinless and living in Heaven with God preparing a place for all who follow him.

John 14:1-4, Acts 1:7-11, Romans 6:5-11, 8:31-34, 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, 15:20-23, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, 13:5-6, Galatians 2:17-21, Ephesians 2:4-7, Colossians 2:11-12, Hebrews 4:14-16, & 1 Peter 2:22-25

Jesus the Leader

 

    Jesus is the ultimate leaders.  He speaks for God like a prophet, teaches God's Word like a priest, and is the king of the world.  His leadership style is as the faithful witness, God's firstborn, and ruler of all nations.  One role would be a lot responsibility for a leader, but he runs all three roles flawlessly.  He is the perfect leader that you strive to be like.

    Jesus fulfilled prophecy and foretells what still is to come.  He performed miracles to glorify God while helping people.  Jesus' word is the final word.  It is supreme because he is God in the flesh.  He is the mediator for humans and God because he is the holy of holies.  He is the ultimate sacrifice for all people.  

    Jesus is the ultimate authority in this world.  He holds power and authority over every nation, culture, and individual.  He sits at God's right hand.  He led through sacrifice and example.  He humbled himself to live a simple existence instead of a lavish one.  

    Jesus made himself relatable to everyone instead of a select few.  When you follow Jesus you become the best leader you can be because you lead with Jesus.  He was always transparent, honest, and spoke with authority.  Lead like him in obedience to his commands, then your leadership will carry impact in the world.

Matthew 17:22-23, 28:16-20, Mark 1:21-34, Luke 1:30-33, 7:11-17, John 13:36-38, Hebrews 1:1-8, 7:18-28, 9:11-15, & Revelations 1:4-6

Jesus the Savior

 

    Jesus is the savior of the world.  He is the savior for every person that has or will ever live.  The cost of sin has always been blood.  He bled and died for you.  He paid the price, so that you would not have to.  He is the perfect sacrifice.  It can't ever be tainted.  You do not have to sacrifice animals or be circumcised anymore to be righteous.  All you have to do is believe and follow Jesus.

    The law of God was given to reveal sin.  It shows everyone how much each person needs God to be holy.  Obedience is expected and required, but since Jesus it should come from a place of love instead of fear alone.  Jesus atoned for your sins, so that you would not have to face eternal death.  His atonement makes you holy and gives your forgiveness.

    Jesus is the savior of the world.  His sacrifice opened the door to Heaven, so that you have access to God.  You no longer have to go through another person to find atonement, forgiveness, or any type of communication with God.  You can pray directly to God yourself.

    Jesus' death and resurrection replaced the Passover.  He freed you from any type of spiritual bondage or slavery.  All you have to do is believe and start following him.  He was the last sacrificial lamb.  He is the lamb that lives peacefully with the lion (God) in Heaven.  He protects you from the full wrath of God.  

    Sin brings God's wrath.  Everyone has sinned.  That means no matter how righteous you may find yourself, you have sinned.  God's idea of a good person does not match up with how people consider themselves or others as good people.  If you do not turn to Jesus, the truth, then your sin will separate you from God for eternity.  

    Jesus did not suffer in the manner that he did because it didn't affect him.  He felt everything.  He did it because he loves you and will always be obedient to God.  He endured and died a criminal's death to take your place so that you have the opportunity to spend eternity with God.  He absorbed all of God's wrath from your sins.  He paid the blood payment to make you pure and righteous before God.  His sacrifice defeated evil and eternal death.  Without Jesus, death has no meaning.

Leviticus 16:3-10, 15-22, Mark 14:12, 15:42-47, Romans 3:9-26, 5:6-11, 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Ephesians 1:3-8, Hebrews 10:1-10, 1 Peter 1:17-20, & 1 John 1:5-7

Jesus of Heaven

 

    Since God created humans He has wanted a relationship with each and every person.  God the father, son, and Holy Spirit were all there at creation and each had their part that carried out until the world ends.  The relationship with humans was always designed to be intimately close.  It was only when sin entered the world was the close relationship severed and has become work to have and maintain.

    Jesus was always in Heaven with God except for the short time that he became human and lived a human life.  God has always been with His people one way or another, but when Jesus lived as a human it changed everything for the better.  Jesus was God who became flesh to be conceived by the Holy Spirit in a virgin.  Sounds impossible, but it is true.

    Jesus' human life was low.  He was not born royal.  He had a very humble life of a servant not a king.  It was not a mistake.  God designed it that way intentionally to show His people how we need to live now.  When you join Jesus in Heaven, your true home, then you will receive your holy reward.  If you live your life faithfully following Jesus, then you know you can expect your place in Heaven with him.

    Jesus' home was always with God in Heaven, but He came to live as a human in loving obedience to God and for all humans.  It was not a mistake.  It was an event in the making since the fall of man.  He showed you how to repent, follow, and live your life with God.  He showed you how to hope for your eternity.  He taught you how to be obedient as an act of love.  His life is the example that you should follow.  

    After salvation, baptism is the first act of obedience before you start living your life with God.  If you can't obey there, then God can never trust you to obey in anything else.  Baptism is the physical anointing of the life you accepts in salvation.  It is a symbol of your empowerment to follow Jesus no matter what.  Jesus' baptism was the mark of the beginning of his public ministry.  He was no longer going to be subtle and hide what he could do.

    Jesus lived a fully human life, but he always understood the purpose.  He lived for you, me, and everyone else.  He always knew he would go home to join his father in heaven again.  He never questioned his purpose.  He embraced a fully human life to go through pain, hunger, thirst, sadness, being misunderstood, happiness, temptation, and everything else.  The only difference between human Jesus and you is that Jesus never sinned.  He sacrificed everything, so that you have a doorway to God.  

Genesis 1:1-2, 3:8, Matthew 4:1-11, 11:28-30, Mark 1:9-11, 2:13-17, 3:20-21, 6:1-3, Luke 2, John 1:14, 2:1-3, 4:4-8, Philippians 1:20-24, & Hebrews 2:16-18

Jesus the Messiah

 

    The world waited for Jesus for such a long time.  When he finally arrived almost no one seemed to notice.  Some people felt threatened, some found hope, some didn't acknowledge him, and some overlooked him.  It is not different today.  We have proof that Jesus is the promised Messiah, but most people still see him as a threat, ignore him, a prophet, or teacher.  So very few of us see Jesus for who he is and follow him.

    The Messiah is your deliverer from being forced to die to your sins.  He is the only hope to have your oppression removed.  He is the promise of hope fulfilled in a new covenant.  The new covenant offers salvation to anyone who believes and follows Jesus.  Salvation is easy.  It only requires faith.  Following Jesus can be hard because you may have to sacrifice everything you have including your life for God's purpose.  You do it because you love God who loved you enough to send Jesus.

    Jesus proved he is the Messiah by fulfilling more than 300 prophecies written about him.  He is the truth.  His love the real love that everyone needs.  He is the inspiration on how to live life.  There is no way Jesus could fulfill all those prophecies unless he is the real Messiah.  Some of the prophecies included time, locations, lineage, and death.  

    Jesus is a good teacher, but he is also the Messiah.  He was not a prophet because he fulfills prophecies.  There are more prophecies to come, but when he returns it is not to save the world.  Next time it will be to judge the world.  Your time is now.  You have not been promised a tomorrow.  What you do today matters.  Are you living out your faith or living for yourself?  Do you live the truth or do you adjust the truth to fit into your world?

    Jesus came as your deliverer.  He lived, died, resurrected, and ascended fully human and fully God.  He did this for you, me, and everyone else throughout all of time.  His deliverance can't be taken away if you accept it and live it.  It is spiritual freedom that liberates you from the chains of sin and mere survival.  Jesus gives your life purpose.  

Genesis 3:14-19, Isaiah 7:13-16, 9:6-7, 53:1-6, 61:1-3, Micah 5:2-6, & Luke 2:25-35

Theology of Jesus

 

    Jesus is fully God, but also fully Human.  He made all he is and put it in a human body to live like everyone else.  He sacrificed everything to become the doorway between humans and God.  He did it to be obedient and teach us how to love like God.

    We already established that God can't lie.  Since sin entered the world God had said that Jesus would come.  He laid it out over centuries for His people.  People misunderstood and misperceived over the decades, but Jesus came as promised.  He lived his life and sacrificed himself as predicted.  Then He rose again to change everything forever.  He went back home to be with God in all his glory, but not without promising that He will return again. 

    When Jesus left the world he didn't leave us alone.  The Holy Spirit came and lived in everyone who believes and follows Jesus.  He is the stamp of adoption into the holy family and proof that it is not a mythical story.  This is how you know it is all true.

    Jesus was born like all other babies, but his conception was different.  He was a healthy child growing up and gaining strength over the years like all children.  His life was very human, but also separate because of him being God.  He showed the world that it doesn't have to sin.  He showed the world how to live a different way.  He revealed everyone's need for God through his life as a human.

    Jesus never questioned who he was as a human.  He knew his purpose.  He knew he was holy.  That doesn't mean that he was never lonely or didn't feel like every other human feels.  He was secure in who he is and didn't allow feelings to dictate his purpose on earth.  He didn't seek attention.  He came to serve and teach people how to be humble servants to each other and God.  He loves all people to the point that he sacrificed himself to bear everyone's sins that are willing to follow him through faith.

    Living life following Jesus in faith does not mean that you have to be a martyr.  It doesn't mean that you have to suffer physically.  It does mean that you are willing to follow him no matter what.  As you mature and grow in faith it starts to make more sense.  You discover joy even when being persecuted.  You honor Jesus with your life because you love him and understand that nothing can ever separate you from him.  True Christians know that following Jesus leads to security that the world cannot provide.

John 1:1-18, 10:25-30, Romans 8:38-39, Philippians 2:1-11, Colossians 1:15-20, 3:1-4, & 1 Timothy 2:1-7

Understanding the Trinity

 

        The Trinity is a church word to describe God.  He is one God, but in three distinct part.  They work together in perfect harmony.  Together they are one, but they each have their own distinct roles in every aspect of the universe, time, and everything else.  There is no true comparison because the creation cannot be compared to the creator.

    To simplify the trinity God is given different distinctive names: God the father, God the son aka Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit.  It makes it easier to wrap your mind around it, but if you go back to the beginning God didn't have a name.  He had descriptions.  His first name was Yahweh to mean "I am".  We gave God names to make it easier for out brains to connect with Him.

    The trinity is not three separate people.  It is only one God with three distinct parts.  No mythological God can be put in God's place.  You can't just declare that your god is God.  You have to meet God and understand the difference between Him and unreal gods.  You have to have a reality check to see that you are not your own god.  God can't be changed, molded, manipulated, or created.  He is who He is and nothing comes close to comparing to Him.

    People will never perfectly be able to describe God.  You are His creation talking to His other creations about Him.  Your soul knows Him.  You soul knows the truth.  You have to allow your soul to understand in faith.  Trust that God will reveal Himself.  He can speak for Himself, but He chooses to work through people. 

    God reveals Himself in His Word and through supernatural means.  His character, ways, wise counsel, and the Holy Spirit are ways that He gets through to people.  God is good.  He cannot sin.  God is holy and holy cannot be evil.  He created Satan and all other angels.  He gave them free will too.  

    Satan chose to rebel.  Satan then was cast out of Heaven to roam the world.  He introduced evil and wickedness to the world.  People do not have to listen and follow, but every single person chooses to at one time or another.  That is not God's fault.  You cannot blame God for your shortcomings and consequences.  He is the source of all truth and who He is should not be altered to suite anyone.

Isaiah 45:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Titus 1:1-3, & James 1:12-15, 2:19-20

God the Father Part 2

 

    Jesus used parables to help people understand who is God, his father.  The most famous parable may be the lost son.  It tells how God's people reject and hurt Him, but when they return he treats them like nothing happened.  No matter what you do, God the father will not reject your repentance and forget all your past sins on this side of life.

    God loves all people and will pursue.  He makes it personal and will meet you where you are.  He makes the biggest effort.  All you have to do is accept, repent, and follow Jesus.  He is not reckless.  His love is pure.  It doesn't come with strings or a hidden agenda.  It is honest, forthright, and has healthy boundaries.  If there is disconnect between you and God's love, then it comes from you not Him.  

    The son in the lost son parable put his family's future in jeopardy with his selfish nature.  It was insulting to demand his inheritance before his father died, but his father gave him what he wanted.  The son was basically saying his father was already dead to him and he wanted nothing to do with the family anymore.  

    The older brother had every right to feel insulted because the younger son was being insulted.  However, the father's love does not hold grudges.  He doesn't allow pride to keep him from embracing his son back when the son returns.  If it was a true story, then the father would have endured shame and grief.  His neighbors would have held it against him like he was a bad father, but the father did not allow shame to stop him from loving his son.

    Culturally the son would never have been allowed to return home.  The village or community would have made it clear that he was cut off and dead to all of them.  It takes love that gives you strength to break the culture to do what is right and different.  Jesus changed everything with this parable.  God displays true love, grace, and forgiveness that reject shame.  

    God even tried to reconcile the two brothers, but they had their own relationship that had to be worked out and it never tells us if they did.  The brothers represent faith that saves and religion.  They rarely mix well.  God is more interested in faith that turns you into a child that will follow over looking righteous for the world.  However, God loves everyone and gives the world all the opportunities to turn to Him.

    Fundamentally this is who God is.  He is perfect.  He is good.  He is the father that wants the best for His children, but in the right way.  He does not allow His children to run amuck.  He disciplines us and shows us the righteous way to live.  He gentle takes care of you even if it may feel harsh at the time.  

    God is not hatefully wrathful.  His anger is stemmed from righteous love.  He fights for you.  He is not demanding or He would never have given you free will.  He is not a dictator demanding His way.  You have options, but you also have consequences.  God is not absent, abusive, or indifferent.  He does not fail His people.  He is faultless, but endures all the blame people place on Him.  He is not demeaning, imprudent, or opulent.  He loves you enough to always be there to listen to everything and gives you good things freely.

Luke 15

Promise Keeper

 

    God is the promise keeper.  He makes His promises based on who He is in the form of covenants.  A covenant is more than keeping your word.  It is more than just a promise.  It is binding and everlasting.  It is not something that God takes lightly and neither should you.

    God is good at keeping His promises.  He has never broken one and never will.  He is faithful even when you are not.  When you chose things over Him, He still chooses you.  You see the majority of covenants made in the Old Testament, but you see how it mostly comes together in the New Testament.  The New Testament still holds a few promises for your future.

    In God's covenants He is the strength behind the promise.  The people mostly get to receive the good and have the easier portion of the agreement.  For an example the covenant of salvation.  Jesus had to come into this world as a human to die the final and truest sacrificial death.  He rose again defeating death and becoming the door for people to have access to God.  All you have to do is believe and follow Jesus.  Most covenants had to be made in blood for people to realize how important they are.

    God is the promise keeper because He is the initiator, sustainer, and fulfiller.  He does not lie, so you know He will do what He says He will do.  The whole purpose of a covenant or promise is for God to be able to be closer to His people.  His promises offer consequences to choices and redemption.

    Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises throughout history.  If you know Jesus and follow him, then you live under the new covenant that was formed when he raised from the dead.  You understand what sacrifice is and why it is necessary.  You also know the freedom that comes with following Jesus.  

    Jesus shows you how to live the law and the Holy Spirit empowers you to live your freedom with Jesus.  Together they help remove the chaos to live with wisdom.  If you choose the salvation covenant, then you know that one day you will go home to live eternity with God because He promised it.

Genesis 3:14-19, 9:8-11, 17:1-14. Exodus 19:3-6, Numbers 25:12-14, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Jeremiah 31:31-34, 2 Corinthians 1:17-20, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, & Hebrews 4:14-16

The Creator

 

    God does not have a beginning or an end, but He is the beginning and end of our World.  He is the creator of all that we know.  You had a beginning and you have an end as a living human being, but your soul is eternal.  It will reside with God in Heaven or Hell with Satan.  

    God is the source of all power that exist.  What power He has given He can take away.  He is infinite in who He is and what He can do.  He is the source of all that is good, pure, holy, and faithful.  Anything that doesn't fit into those categories do not come from Him.  The power that He has allowed in the evil one will be removed one day.  That means if you chose not to follow Jesus, then you are following the one that will lose everything in the end.

    God is all-powerful and all knowing.  He is transcendent in His infinite love.  That is why He creates.  He loves you and He loves all living things.  He is the original artist.  It is His art that inspires all artist to create.  His creation inspires science.  His designated roles in life inspire law and order.  People are inspired because we are His most loved and cherished creations.

    God's power is displayed in creation, His reign, order, Jesus, and sovereignty.  His creation tells you that He is powerful, true, and still working.  What we can see and beyond tells you He is faithful and will not forget about you.  He can handle everything including what you need in life.  Look around you and you can see His fingerprint on life.  

    God never needed you or anyone else.  He chose to create you.  He chose to love you.  He did not make you and left you to fend for yourself.  He never left you.  He created you giving you purpose and passion that should inspire you to draw near to Him, but He also gave you free will.  If you chose to turn your back on Him He will not force the relationship.  However, He will enforce the consequences of your choices.  You know what they are, so you can't blame Him for how things turn out.

    God's love for you leads back to His glory.  He gives you purpose, so your life has meaning and can be expressed in worship, love, and joy in Him.  He provided variety in skin color, languages, cultures, laughter, climate, seasons, emotional depth, intellect, and so many other ways.  It all brought Him pleasure.  It is your choice to continue bringing Him pleasure or cut yourself off from Him.  He created you personally and it is your personal choice.

Genesis 1, Psalm 19:1-4, 90:1-9, Isaiah 43:5-7, John 1:1-5, Acts 17:24-29, Hebrew 11:1-3, & Revelations 4:9-11

Who is God?

 

    God is above all things.  He is the creator of all life.  He is Holy, righteous, pure, good, and perfect.  His holiness is an accumulation of his perfection and supremacy.  He does not lie.  He is consistent.  His love is the purest form of love.  God's nature is essentially holy.  It is revealed in how He is separate and different from the world.  He is opposite of everything Satan corrupted.

    God's holiness is revealed in how His glory fills the world.  You see it in His grandness, grace, and personalized calling.  God is all powerful, but He pursues a personal relationship with you.  He inspires awe and worship.  He upholds His promises to those that follow Jesus in obedience and faith.  

    God fights for and with His people.  He punishes evil, but not in the same way people do. He will never do anything outside of His nature.  The more you become like Him the holier your nature will become.  You have to step into holiness to understand.  His holiness comes with direct, so that you can be holy too.

    You can't surprise God.  He knows everything about everything.  This should give you comfort because it means He knows what will happen with what you are struggling with today.  Nothing is too big for Him.  Trust Him enough to follow Him faithfully.  Faith without love is dead.  Love without obedience or submission is not love.  Obedience and submission reveal trust.

Leviticus 11:41-45, Isaiah 1:1, 6:1-4, 55:6-9, Romans 3:21-26, 1 Peter 1:13-16, & Revelations 4

Theology of God

 

    One of the hardest concept for people is that God was never created.  He has always been.  Another is that God is three parts, but only one God.  The churchy word for this is triune.  This is where He is a complete mystery.  People have a start and a finish.  We are only one person, but complex all the same.  We are not able to really comprehend something without a beginning or end or even more complex than what you are.

    The Trinity is God in three separate identities: the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit.  Who He is vast and complex, but He makes Himself known to people.  He seeks a real relationship with you.  He simplifies it to the point of making it personal.  The trinity is the foundation of faith and truth.

    God is real which automatically separates Him from the world religions.  It does set the people of faith apart from the world by uniting us through creation, salvation, and sanctification.  God is supreme in His unity and uniqueness from all the false gods.  

    God holds power over life.  He is the only one that knows the day and hour of your death.  He is sovereign over all living things including the galaxy and far beyond.  He has all that power, but He is still faithful to you as an individual.  You may not even be able to get a conversation with your pastor or boss because of the number of people in the church or company, but God makes time for you whenever you want it.

    God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.  Those are just big educational words for God being all knowing, all powerful, and present everywhere.  The trinity together make the perfect union.  In marriage, friendship, or business you can use them as the example of how to make it work.  Separately they each have their own roles, but together they work perfectly in action and focus without hierarchy or a power struggle.

    God is true and pure love.  His love comes with direction, discipline, and consistency.  True love does not let you walk into danger without trying to stop you.  True love has consequences if you ignore caution.  True love stays with you even when you don't deserve it, but it also enforces boundaries.  If you chose to follow Jesus in faith, then you are sealed as part of God's family with the Holy Spirit living in you to provide unconditional love and direction until you go home.

    God is a mystery, but He is not nearly as mysterious as some people make Him out to be.  He has laid it all out for you in the Bible.  He wants you to know Him because He already knows and loves you.  He is not to be ignored.  If you ignore Him now, then you will lose out on the comfort in eternal life with Him.  The choice to accept or reject God is always yours.

Genesis 1:1-2, Deuteronomy 6:4-19, Matthew 3:16-17, John 1:1-5, 2 Corinthians 13:11-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, & 1 Peter 1:1-2

Bible's Reliability

 

    You can rely on the validity of the Bible.  It began hundreds of years before the written word, but the people were careful to not change it.  That is part of the reason why there is not a lot of detail in Genesis.  By Exodus there was the written word.  

    The Bible is the first book, but it was kept in manuscripts in the beginning.  There are more identical copies of the Bible's manuscripts than any other book in history.  There are more than 5,700 manuscripts of the new testament in Greek alone.  That means with all the languages there are about 25,000 manuscripts of the new testament in the ancient languages.    

    There are many translations of the Bible, but throughout history it was God's people who copied it word by word, line by line to make sure it was not altered.  Today, some dialects have strayed from the exact truth, but NASB has stayed very close grammatically to the Hebrew and Greek.  To copy the thought process into English the NLT is one of the best translated Bibles to understand the meaning and concepts of the ancient languages.  Bible Gateway and YouVersion are good apps of the Bible to use.  

    The chapters and verses were added to make it easier to find context.  It began to be used in 1557 when the English Bible was being printed.  None of this takes or adds to God's truth.  It is about making your personal Bible Study easier.  

Psalm 12, 19:7-11, Isaiah 40:6-8, John 17:13-19, 2 Timothy 3:14-17, & 2 Peter 1:19-21

Reading Scripture

 

        Reading Scripture does not come naturally.  You can go to church your whole life and not really understand how to read the Bible.  There are many ways and no set correct way other than to do so often.  The more you invest into reading and praying scripture the more you get out of it.  It is not a book to be read once from beginning to end.  You jump around and you reread.  It will have different impact over time.

    Reading the context is important.  You need to understand what is going on to see that it still applies today even though a few things will be different.  Try to keep the big picture in mind while personalizing it for your life at the same time.  

    Creation was when God spoke and life began.  He took nothing or the void and spoke existence to create life.  It was good.  It was holy.  It was perfection that lead to the simplest form of peace.  When humans allowed sin into the world perfection was tainted.  The consequences were eventual and possible eternal death.  It also meant that everyone has to deal with the consequences of their inherited sinful nature.

    Redemption was paid by Jesus to put to death sin.  If you have faith, then the bondage of sin no longer has possession of you.  You have soul freedom to be able to spend eternity with God.  Jesus provides restoration of the soul.  

    When you read the Bible you need to study the scriptures through observation, interpretation, and application.  Ask yourself what the scripture is actually saying.  Then what does this text mean.  Lastly ask yourself how you can apply it to your life today.  It will build holy habits over time if you focus on today.  

    Memorization is a wonderful way of meditating on scripture.  I will admit that I am horrible remembering the exact verse or book.  I typically don't get it verbatim either, but I know enough where I can use scripture in context in a conversation without preaching.  I also focus more on the context than one verse that can be manipulated according to some people's perspective.

    You find the way to memorize verses, sections, or even books of the Bible.  Use the method that works for you to memorize: write, say it, repeat it over and over, find ways to use it on a daily basis until you don't have to look it up, journal, sing it, or use a prayer partner to go back and forth repeating it (holding each other accountable).  You can't go wrong if you try.

Joshua 1:6-9, Psalm 5:1-3, Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 4:1-11, & 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Living Theology

 

    God knows your heart.  You can deceive yourself and others, but you can never deceive God.  That is why you need to ask yourself: Is what I say I believe reflected in how I live my life?  Be honest with yourself and take inventory on what you can make changes in.  It is important to live out what you believe.

    Living out your theology is being obedient out of love instead of duty.  It is living with integrity to honor God in the seen and unseen moments of life.  It is being a doer of the Word instead of just listening and absorbing.  It is applying what you learn and turning it into applicable life wisdom.  It can be hard to live in this world and not become like this world.  You have to be persistent to keep your focus and attention on God.

    Obedience is living a humble life to be able to listen and obey God's commands in all situations.  Obedience is living out your salvation with joy.  You accept the sacrifices that it may require in this life to keep an submissive and teachable heart.  God changes the heart and its desires.  Some things that may have seemed like they would be sacrifices are no longer sacrifices.  Once you understand that everything is God's and you are only taking care of it for now, the easier it is to keep things in perspective.

    God's Word is meant to be studied.  Do not cheat yourself and only read it on the surface level.  Really dig in.  Figure out a Bible study that would work best for you in this season of your life.  The point is be able to remember what God is speaking to you all day and maybe for many days.  This is how you live out your theology.  

    Dreams, wealth, and good health are not promised.  Peace, joy, and salvation for eternity with God are promised.  Do not get the promises confused with desires or what you want the truth to be.  God's Word is a blessing to have in life, so take full advantage of it.  Appearances mean nothing if your heart does not really belong to God.  

    Living out your Theology is having a strong and steady prayer life that accompanies the time you are investing in studying God's Word.  You can't lie to yourself if you are baring everything to God.  You will not do it perfectly, but you will be transparent.  Praying scripture helps your heart become closer to God and keep your steps steadfast.  God is not hiding.  He is giving you all the wisdom, direction, and guidance that you want to have.

John 14:15-21 & James 1:19-27

Worthy Theology

 

    Theology gives you your since of worth.  When you know your worth to God you can find happiness and see how you are blessed.  As you go through your journey with God pray for blessings and to be able to see the blessings that He is giving you.  To be blessed you have to turn away from your sins toward God.  You can't expect to be blessed by merely existing.  That is a blessing of it's own, but to really be blessed in life you have to choose God over your own selfish desires.

    You know your worth when you are able to delight in God's instruction over your life.  You have a hunger or need to know God better.  You spend time in His Word, so your spirit is nourished and strengthened.  You find fulfillment in following Jesus instead of doing things your own way.  You learn how to trust God and the path He made for your life.  

    Worth is discovered in the wisdom of glorifying God.  All things that are loving and good come from Him.  It help you trust that He is watching over you because he protects what He makes righteous.  This should be encouraging and convicting.  The more of you that you pour into God the more your soul is nourished and you find approval from God.

    You can't just read God's Word.  You need to pray over it, think about it, and meditate what the Holy Spirit speaks to your soul.  It has a lasting affect when you start memorizing scripture because you will have it at hand when you need it.  His word will live in your heart and mind.  In time it will produce fruit.  You don't have to try or force it.  It will happen in God's timing because you trust Him.  It also help protect you from Satan's attacks.  

    The more you learn your worth in God's Word the more you become equipped to defend it.  It takes spiritual discipline, but knowing God's love is enough motivation.  You are commanded to obey God, but it is not hard work.  If you love God, then you obey because it is a privilege not a chore.  You find delight in obedience and submission because you don't have to work so hard.  You get love displayed in protection, guidance to safety, and wisdom.

    Worth that comes from God is displayed in delight in God's Word, joy in all seasons, ability to forgive, humility to serve, and spiritual flourishing.  He gave you rules and regulations to benefit you not limit your life.  When He rebukes, instructs, and educates it is because He loves you and finds you worthy.  When you fight Him for rule over your heart and life you are rebelling against what He is trying to give you.  It is your choice to accept or reject what God offers.  You can have spiritual freedom or you can be enslaved to your sin.

Exodus 20:1-17, Psalm 1, Matthew 4:1-11, 5:17-20, & Romans 3:21-26, 8:26-30