Theology is our thinking!! Not the Lord's!!

[Bob Estey]

Are you back to wrangling about words???

So you are saying that "Theology" is your seeking God not your understanding of God, but that is not what it is generally understood to be the meaning of the word, and is certainly not the definition I provided to kick of this thread!!

I picked this up off the internet, the first thing I found on it:

NOUN
the study of the nature of God and religious belief:
"a theology degree"
religious beliefs and theory when systematically developed:

Now theology is certainly requiring a study but is results in religious beliefs and theory. Yet a relationship with God requires seeking Him and listening to Him. So being a disciple of God is not a 'study of the nature of God', or your "Theology" if you want to wrangle about words and change the definition provided for in the OP, it is learning directly from the Lord. Both result in religious belief and theory. So either way your Theology, or leaning on your Theology is wrong!! But result in you thinking you can study about God and know Him!! That is wrong!! He is a person who you talking with and get to know Him!!

That does not mean He won't ask you to study, like a Teacher in a classroom, but it does mean that understanding Him does not come from a book but through His explaining things (Him and other things also) to you!!

And you are just wrangling about words - which we are told not to, right?? I mean you have actually heard Him personally talk to you about this and cover the whys and why nots of this, right? If not you at least read about this in the Bible, did you not? So maybe you need to seek Him so you will get an understanding why not?

2 Tim 2:14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.

So I am "reminding" you and in the presence of God, to not wrangel about the words!!! It is the meaning and understanding that is important and understanding come from His mouth, right?

Prov 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Indeed. it is for this reason (that understanding comes from His mouth) that the OP was written!!!

Look - you sometime write something that sound good, like writing about prayer is a conversation with God, but our you indeed having those conversations, back and forth with Him?? Frankly, I don't see it in most of what you write. But by saying "I don't see it" it does not mean that you don't ever converse with Him. Maybe you are just writing about things you haven't talked over with Him yet? I mean we all know in part. But to help you let me give you a few things He actually talked to me about this hearing and getting understanding from Him! Maybe they can be of some use to you, if you actually decide to read them, and take them to Him?

He told me:

UNDERSTANDING IS UNDERSTANDING I AM UNDERSTANDING! UNDERSTAND?

and: A MAN THAT LISTENS TO GOD IS AS RARE AS DIAMONDS IN THE ROCK.

and: WE DON’T USE THE LORD TO PREACH THE SCRIPTURES; WE USE THE SCRIPTURES TO PREACH THE LORD!!

and THE BEST LISTENERS MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS.

and: WE DON’T HAVE UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE WE DON’T READ THE BIBLE WITH UNDERSTANDING, BUT OUR UNDERSTANDING…. UNDERSTAND???

and: SO, ARE YOU TRYING TO DO GOOD, OR ARE YOU TRYING TO BE GREAT?
WHAT DO YOU HEAR BEFORE YOU SPEAK?

and: AS INSTRUCTIONS ARE GIVEN TO A SERVANT, AND WISDOM AND PARABLES TO A SON, AND AS JOKES ARE GIVEN TO A FRIEND, SO I LOVE YOU IS SAID TO A BRIDE.

and: WHEN WE TALK TO GOD, GOD TALKS TO US……. WHEN WE LISTEN TO GOD, GOD LISTENS TO US!

and: THE BEST LISTENERS MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS.

and: THESE BITS OF WISDOM ARE LIKE DROPS OF WATER. I WILL SURELY GIVE YOU A POND FULL.

So again, my message is the He is the Word of God what we preach, and He has given me a pond full of these bits of wisdom. I have lots more of them from Him, and we talk often (everyday call Today). So that is what I tell people to do, but most won't have it!!

Never-the-less, He told me that there was a specific person posting on this thread that this thread was for. Of course, He cares about all posting here, but there was a person, which He did not tell me, that He felt this thread would actually turn them to Him and get them listening to Him. Is it you - I don't know because He didn't tell me that, but it is someone, and it could be anyone. You at least once wrote that prayer is a conversation with Him, and I wrote back explaining that if you really understand that you would understand all that I am trying to get through.

So if you understood that, do you not also have a pond full of these little bits of wisdom? King Solomon did, so we should also, right? If not, seek Him and listen to Him in prayer that is indeed a conversation with Him. That is how I got all of them, and more, like:

AS INSTRUCTIONS ARE GIVEN TO A SERVANT, AND WISDOM AND PARABLES TO A SON, AND AS JOKES ARE GIVEN TO A FRIEND, SO I LOVE YOU IS SAID TO A BRIDE.

So if you get instructions, you are a servant of His, If those bits of wisdom and parables, you are also like a son of His, and if you get Jokes from Him, they you are like a friend of His, and there is nothing better to me than to just hear Him say to me, "Karl, I love you." He says it sooo often, and it always gets me. So I got a joke from Him for you:

There are 3 chickens in the barnyard; a big fat chicken, a medium sized chicken, and a little bitty baby chicken. Which one does the fox go for?


The one farthest from the Dog, of course!


It doesn't matter if you are big fat Christian, or a medium sized Christian, or a little bitty baby Christian, that old fox is always going for the Christian farthest from God!

No, I'm just saying that to me, "theology" is our attempt to understand God's will.

 

[St. SteVen]

I believe you'll find repentance is peace (Matthew 4:17).

So how does the Lord talk us into repenting?

Good to read you writing about a relationship with God instead of a relationship with religion.
Warms my heart.

Repentance, means to turn away. Not to be confused with confession. As often happens.
But certainly related aspects.

"So how does the Lord talk us into repenting?" - Bob
I suppose it may differ for different individuals, or differing situations.
Conviction comes to mind. The conscience we have discussed in the past.

We may see that something is wrong. Perhaps we do something wrong, and have regrets afterward?
Or we feel a nudge when we see how we hurt someone. Someone may do something to us and we are offended,
and God reveals that we do the same to others.

Is that how you see it?
How does the Lord talk you into repenting?

 

[Bob Estey]

Good to read you writing about a relationship with God instead of a relationship with religion.
Warms my heart.

Repentance, means to turn away. Not to be confused with confession. As often happens.
But certainly related aspects.

"So how does the Lord talk us into repenting?" - Bob
I suppose it may differ for different individuals, or differing situations.
Conviction comes to mind. The conscience we have discussed in the past.

We may see that something is wrong. Perhaps we do something wrong, and have regrets afterward?
Or we feel a nudge when we see how we hurt someone. Someone may do something to us and we are offended,
and God reveals that we do the same to others.

Is that how you see it?
How does the Lord talk you into repenting?

I am pleased that your heart is warmed.

 

[St. SteVen]

I believe you'll find repentance is peace (Matthew 4:17).

Sorry. I didn't really address this part of your post.

Yes, turning away from God, is to not be at peace with Him.
Repentance, that is, turning back to God, restores peace.
So, yes, I agree.

But does your response really address the issues I have with the narrow way? (as salvation)

 

[St. SteVen]

I am pleased that your heart is warmed.

Thanks.
How does the Lord talk you into repenting?

 

[Karl Peters]

Heard a comedian say that our wives want to hear us say we love them all the time.
Seems that can't remember us saying that when we were wed.
I only told my wife once that I love shrimp. She never forgot.
What's up with that?


Lily Tomlin said, "When we talk to God, we are praying. When God talks to us, we are schizophrenic." - LOL

Very interesting comments = both of which tells us something about how we are verses how the Lord is.

Relationships take some time to develop. That also includes are relationship with the Lord. The first words I heard Him speak to me were, "Read Your Bible", and I didn't hear another word from Him that I know of until after I finished reading the Bible, and even then I wasn't sure, until the day I figured out that He was always there to be heard from. It did say that in the Bible, but there was a day I figured it out while driving to work one day. I started asking Him what lane of the freeway to be in, and as I asked Him over and over it became clear that He was there and answering me each time I asked. Then I started asking Him other things regularly, and He kept giving me instructions that I could pick up inside me. And the more I talked to Him the more I developed a relationship with Him.

One day I told Him that "My friends call me Karl." and since them He has being calling me by my name. And we talk back and forth more and more. Then one while driving my a church not far from my house He suddenly told me, "Karl, I love you, and those words from Him instantly brought tears to my eyes, making it hard to see the upcoming stop sign.

Then He started telling me those words more and more. He seems to choose His timing carefully, but there are days when He has told me those words so often that I wonder why. I mean there are days when He has told me "I love you" several dozen times. Yet there are days when I don't hear them. Though most days I will hear Him tell me "Karl, I love you" a time or two.

Because of Him telling me "I love you", I tell my wife "I love you" everyday. Sometimes I tell her a lot and sometimes perhaps I get busy and forget to tell her. Though most days I at least tell her that a time or two, just like the Lord tells me. I put His practices into effect in my life! And it makes my marriage and relationship with my wife really good! Which is just another reason to advice people to actually seek Him and get to know Him!

And I loved the comment about Lily Tomlin - we can see that idea posted over and over even on this Christian forum. Even on this thread. So often people believe that they can talk to God but fail to understand that He will talk to us. Indeed that concept Lily Tomlin put forward that "When we talk to God, we are praying. When God talks to us, we are schizophrenic.", is all too often the basic concept you find being preached at most Chrisian churches, but they don't understand that about themselves.

We see that when we put out "prayer books", and make traditions of talking to God but not listen for God! Even at my church, which is not the very one that I was driving by when the Lord told me He loved me for the first time, has several times ask people to write down there prayer and request to God and then they posted them, so that the church could check back some months later to see if God answered them. It turns out that God is faithful to answer them in some way, but is it not by speaking to you? Won't He just tell you things with His words?

Jer 3:33 ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'

So we say that He will answer you but not by actually speaking to you, which is not what is written in the Bible!!

And this is why I so often tell people (Christians) about Him talking to me and the first thing they think is that I am hearing from demons. Well, evil spirits are there but they themselves don't know who is talking to them or they would not have the Lily Tomlin attitude, which is also seen in the Jews when Jesus was on earth! So Jesus had to correct them.

John 8:48,49 The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

So St. SteVen, you brought up two very important points which needs to be brought up and expanded on in our churches!

And they also go very well with the OP. Our theology is far too often not conncect with saying "I love you" or hearing "I love you from our Lord". Our Theology (our study and understanding of God) presents Him as an impersonal Lord who is far off in heaven so that He listens to us but does not speak to us in words. But that is not the Word of God we are to be preaching!!

Rom 10: 6-8 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”
But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

The prayer books, our traditions, even our having people write down what they ask of God and check on it later all present Him as if He is dead or far off in heaven so that He will not answer us in words found in our heart Today!! Therefore our Theology is wrong if we don't actually seek Him and what He has to say to us "Today"!

 

[St. SteVen]

So St. SteVen, you brought up two very important points which needs to be brought up and expanded on in our churches!

Indeed.
Great post, thanks.
Thanks also for not being offended by the Lily Tomlin quote.
It is funny, but some may find it offensive.

You have a unique relationship with God to hear from him so much.
My wife hears from him more than I do. But my mind is constantly reminded
of scriptures that match what is happening right in front of me.
So, in that sense I hear all the time.

I heard from God at the beginning of our personal relationship. (8 yrs old)
And hear an audible voice from time to time. Usually, "Go talk to that person."
In reference to a complete stranger. My question about what I should
say to them is always met with silence. - LOL
I obey, and then it becomes clear.