I have concluded men might better hear God if we were`nt so persuaded that having our noses stuck perpetually in His book, seeking to hone our theological skills, is what causes us to grow up in Christ.
(Pro 30:5) Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Man calls it theological skills, God calls His Word pure and Jesus calls it our bread of life:
(Luk 4:4) And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
(Joh 6:48) I am that bread of life.
(Joh 6:49) Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
(Joh 6:50) This is the
bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
What is Jesus telling us in above verses. (See Luke 4:4 for answer)
(Joh 6:51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
(Joh 6:52) The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
(Joh 6:53) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
(Joh 6:54) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
(Joh 6:55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
We can experience and know God through others, or we can experience God through His son first hand and be a partaker.
Reading things of others, can be of great help to us, but should only be there as a guideline.
Experiencing knowing God first hand through His son, will be far beneficial to us all.
Being rooted in the Vine is the only thing that produces growth. Now prayer as a conversation in a relationship is a wonderful thing for growth, as is opening the Scripture, and having the One you are in relationship with, show you the intent of His heart...but without relationship what have you got but empty ritual and a head full of knowledge?
Yes, what you have shared above is very important, but so is knowledge. We all need it, and it's available.
(Hos 4:6) My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
We are not going to know or understand:-
- God's plan for mankind
His plan for Israel
His kindness
His Love
His wrath
His grace
And, much more, if we don't gain knowledge through reading His Word.
Do the followers of Christ not pause to realize that for hundreds of years His followers had no Script to go by -that even Christs chosen disciples had no Script in hand other than the Old Testament Scripture, so in essence they HAD to be led of the Spirit in this strange new world of the New Covenant, or they would`nt have got very far without being lost and confused as to what their mission was.
Act 17:11
(11) These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
2Ki 22:8 The chief priest Hilkiah told the scribe Shaphan, "I have found the Book of Moses' Teachings in the LORD'S temple." Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who then read it.
2Ki 22:9 The scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported, "We have taken the money donated in the temple and have given it to the workmen who are in charge of the LORD'S temple."
2Ki 22:10 Then the scribe Shaphan told the king, "The priest Hilkiah has given me a book." And Shaphan read it to the king.
2Ki 22:11 When the king heard what the book of the Teachings said, he tore his clothes in distress.
2Ki 22:12 Then the king gave an order to the priest Hilkiah, to Ahikam (son of Shaphan), Achbor (son of Micaiah), the scribe Shaphan, and the royal official Asaiah. He said,
2Ki 22:13 "On behalf of the people, all of Judah, and me, ask the LORD about the words in this book that has been found. The LORD'S fierce anger is directed towards us because our ancestors did not obey the things in this book or do everything written in it."
Dan 9:2 In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from the Scriptures the number of years that Jerusalem would remain in ruins. The LORD had told the prophet Jeremiah that Jerusalem would remain in ruins for 70 years.
Luk 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Luk 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
If you have eSword, please do a few seaches on these words "tablets, scrolls and scriptures'' As it was available, but not in book form, like it is today.
This is beauty of God's written word to us, because His Word is truth and we can now go back and check.
Act 17:11
(11) These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
The script is wonderful ...but the life source is not in the book...rather the life source HAS to be within US. Dont substitute the Script for the Spirit is all i`m saying!
I can't believe what you are saying here!
How are we going to know God, if we don't read the only book, which He has ever written to us.
Jos 1:8
(8) This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
This is why, there's is so much confusion, so many regligions, so many denominations, so much divisions, so much lack of love, so much hate, so much anger and list go on!
People would rather listen to man and his interpretation of it, than to read His book, and let it become flesh in them.
This book was written by God, not man. The creator of Heaven and Earth, wrote the Bible to us.
(Eph 6:17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
We learn it, we digest it and we eat it and then we manifest it.
Rev 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev 20:4
(4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
1Jo 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 
