More from April 7, 2005

Continuing in what I have posted from my trip so far read this first and then this...Now you should be caught up to speed.

As I have said before this post is very similar to what I have written in my personal (therefore maybe not and actual account of what was said, so if you are that interested, visit desiringGOD.org to order conference Cds) journal...so welcome to my stream of consciousness...

Tonight's session was taught by John Piper. (side note: I have a special respect for Piper, and something in me stirs each time I hear his voice. It all started at One Day 2000, organized by Passion 268. Piper was speaking to a LARGE group of college students and the first 5 minutes he was speaking he stated a few things I will never forget. "I am here at One Day in a sense as a father. I am 54 years old. I have four sons and one daughter: Karsten is 27, Benjamin is 24, Abraham is 20, Barnabas is 17. Talitha is four. Few things, if any, fill me with more longing these months and years than the longing that my grown sons not waste their lives on fatal success. So I look out on you as sons and daughters and I plead with you as a father - perhaps the father you never had. Or the father who never had a vision for you like I have for you, and God has for you. Or the father who HAS a vision for you, but its all about money and status. I look out on you as sons and daughters and I plead with you: Want your lives to count for something great analytic for eternity. Want this. Don't coast through life without a passion." These few sentences changed my life. This was the first time I "saw" what a godly dad wants for his children and how a godly dad would respond to his children and desire from their lives. This was the the day that I was able to see God the Father in a new light. This simple set of sentences allowed me to truly see the fatherly love from God that I had been missing. On May 19, 2000 I was given a great gift and with it came a LOVE FOR GOD MY FATHER and a respect for Piper)

Piper's love for God and his passion for His word was so evident tonight through his teaching that I don't think I will forget much of what he said. His topic was "Why theology and doctrine matter." Going into this I was thinking that it wasn't going to impact much at all except for the fact that I respected the teacher. So I waited with an eager mind. What I didn't realize at the time was that these 2 hours were going to be some of the most amazing life-chaning and heart healing hours I have yet to experience.

John Piper explained that theology is statements about God and doctrine is teaching about those statements. No news here, seemed simple enough. His points were simple 1. There is a body of theology and doctrine that should be passed on to children. (Romans 6:17, Acts 20:27, and 2 Timothy 1:13-14.) This was a good start for what was to come.

Piper's point #2 was "It matters to teach theology and doctrine... he brought this thought full circle by asking a series of questions. This is when I started to really think. I felt like nothing else mattered and I need to listen to every breath that I heard, these next 30 minutes or so flew by as I listened and wrote. I am amazed at some things I heard. God used them to teach, to correct and to heal.

• Do you want your children (either biological or in your classes) to come to a deep, unshakeable faith in God that eventually leads to salvation? The Word of God rightly does so... (Romans 10:17, 1 Timothy 4:16, Act 20:26-27, and 2 Thessolonians 2:10 (wondering about this verse? truth=God's Word). I have been a christian for about 8 years now and this is the first time I have come to a knowledge of these verses. Yes, I had read them before now, but this was the first time I "got it" and understood the seriousness of them. I am so excited to be learning why I the things I have felt and thought about God's word for so long were such a big deal to me. It was as if I have part of a puzzle and as God used Piper to teach, I was being handed the missing pieces of my puzzle. My favorite points here are:right teaching of the Gospel puts the Holy Spirit right where he loves to be most-Right behind the preaching of the gospel (John 16:13-15) and right understanding of the gospel saves!

• Do you want you kids to be sanctified in the TRUTH (John 17:17)? Again a resounding YES from my heart! Again for this to be possible we are going to have to teach the whole Counsel of God, not bits and pieces we see fit like a Noah story here and a story about Daniel there. We are going to have to teach the Word of God to our children in a God-centered manner. The truth children will learn from the whole counsel will set them free (John 8:31-32). What a wonderful thought! Children who are taught about God are not bound to legalism as the world believes, but they are set free! I want children in my life now and in the future to have this freedom as they grow so that they don't waste the years as I have done. I want to protect my children and the children in my life from habitual sin caused by a hard heart towards God. I desire nothing more than for them to experience a life of godliness! (2 Peter 1:3-4)

• Do you want kids to abound in live and not just avoid bad behavior? WOW, this hit me like a lead balloon! I am amazed that I have taken this attitude so often when teaching children and disciplining. How many times do we as adults use this as a guilt tactic to get children to be good. What a wrong attitude I have had, I have asked for forgiveness and a repentant heart in this area. I want children to do what is right because they have a heart tuned into God and not the world as I have stated above. I want to be able to live so that my actions glorify God and not the world and I desire that for children as well. God let me be the example you want me to be as I am around children, help me to remember this idea each time I am round them. (Philippians 1:9)

• Do you want children to be happy in God now and forever? YES! Children must know the truth in order to guarantee their happiness now and forever. (John 15:10-11)All of us want nothing more from children than that they are happy. I am not yet a mother, I pray that someday I am, but I know that my mother wants nothing more for me... This is a big deal. Just thinking about this brings tears to my eyes. I have missed this on so many occasions. Why Have I chosen to please people over God? Why have I tried temporal things in place of the eternal when a child happiness now and FOREVER is at stake?

Piper went on and on...in a good way about all of these things.
Some of the last words Piper Spoke tonight were "Jesus is saying to you 'Ask me to do the things I said I can do' Can you ask Him?" Piper also said that God is willing to do the things he said he can do. As I started to cry I realized how wounded my heart truly has been in these past months. I have been on a wild ride through the worst seasons of my life. I have lost hope over and over again. I have lost relationships, status, my pride, my security, my friends, and my baby brother. David died just a few weeks ago and that changed my world. My life will never be the same and these events have changed my view of God instead of my view of God changing my events. I have not believed that God was capable of restoring my heart and forgiving my mistakes and my sins. Just 5 days ago I knew that God had forgotten me, but now I know that I had to go through every single moment of this past year to get me here tonight. Tonight I am asking Jesus to do the things He said He can do.

So the live changing affects from Today are many...

• I have a new understanding for the importance of the Whole Counsel of God


• I understand the seriousness of the Whole Counsel of God


• I am excited to know where to find all of the scripture I knew existed, but could never find just because I only knew of it in theory. Now I KNOW it.


• I have left with the rest of the pieces to my puzzle of what I have always thought and felt about God and all of His Word.


• God's Word is more important to me now.


• I have been wounded by the Word.


• I have been healed by the Word.


• I have accepted my wounds of men as that and have allowed God to use Truth to heal. I understand that I am not responsible for what was done to me and what happened to me as a result of other people's actions.


• I realize the importance of God-cenetered lessons for children AND ADULTS!.


• I feel released of so much pain from the past year of my life. I feel as if Jesus has just been sitting here, arms open, waiting for me to ask Him to do the things He said He could do.


• I am sad for moments past that I missed the call of God to live according to the Whole Counsel. I am sad for situations that were/are out of my control that cold have been used as opportunities for God's Word.


• I am so happy to know that God Word matters in my life.


• I am sad to know that on many occasions I chose to obey men instead of Christ.


• I am happy and excited to see the change in my heart from 5 days ago!


• I am on fire with the knowledge of Why Theology and Doctrine Matter, it comes down to this...Right understanding of the Whole Counsel of God leads to salvation!