Proof texts

Fifty years is the approximate time it took me to understand the true meaning of gospel texts used as proof texts by Trinitarians and Biblical Unitarians. Then again fifty years is with the Father's and Jesus' and the Holy Spirit's help. Without that help a lifetime might not have been enough. No wonder the Nicean Creed took so much too and fro debate.

In particular there is this saying of Jesus Christ: "Before Abraham was born, I am"? Do you really understand this? Think of all that was known among angels inspired by God even before it was prophesied to humans, before humans knew it well. Now, people not understanding and believing this, that is the reason for dying in sins. Just saying “I understand” but not actually believing and understanding means still ending up dying in damning sins. It is the meaning Jesus conveyed in his words “I am” which is so vital to believe and understand. Among the angels, before Lord Jesus came in the flesh, even back thousands of years previously, the knowledge they received from God and the archangels about the coming Son of Man, the Christ, this was core to all their angelic activity of governing Nature. It was by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, known among them, proclaimed among them, even thousands of years before Jesus came. In this sense Jesus truly came from heaven having truly been there in heaven because heaven abounded with revealed knowledge about him and he would be. In this sense Jesus could say “I am” in the sense of his spanning millennia even before he came. He in this same sense will go on forever because God keeps him alive, raising him from the dead, because it is so important to this eternal name that he live forever. It keeps evil at bay from heaven’s perspective in how angels of heaven deal with Nature and with Earth. Now this name is made known to humans too, having been proclaimed early on by prophets before Jesus came and now by the eternal gospel since he came. It is for our salvation from our sins and from death that it is made known to us. This Jesus’ existence, existence of his name as Christ, stretches across the millennia before and after he came in the flesh. Believing in him in this sense, this profound existence, is first step to being freed from our sins, not dying in them. Then we must also hold to his teachings to make us his true disciples. Then we know the truth and the truth sets us free. 

This is not a movie production

 Trinity theology is like theology for a movie with a low budget, because it only needs three actors. Reality is different. There are angels, humans, elders in heaven, God and the spirit of things God has determined and purposed. It is a little bit more complex than the movie producers would like it to be. It is real.

The mystery

 Angels are tasked with governing Nature, and since well before 3000 BC, some among them possessed knowledge of God's words regarding the coming of Christ — his identity, name, and reputation. This privileged information went on to influence and support Nature throughout the millennia, as angels used this identity, name, and reputation of the Christ to undergird their governing of all things. Those top angels closest to God shared some of this somewhat secret knowledge, enabling other angels to maintain order in governing Nature. Prophets were later inspired by the spirit of the truth about the Christ, and wrote down prophecies. When came the time the Christ was born, angels filled the sky with praise. Today, angels continue to minister and console us, assisting in spreading the truths of Lord Jesus the Christ as we convert souls from children of Satan to children of God.

Whom angels knew, worded as a spiritual song by ChatGPT 3.5

Angels, guardians of Nature's grace,

In ancient times, God's words embraced.

Christ's coming foretold, a sacred lore,

A powerful name, known forevermore.

Top angels, close to the Father's side,

Shared secrets about the Christ, our guide.

Prophets echoed truths in mystic rhymes,

As the Spirit whispered through the sands of time.

Born of a virgin, by the Spirit's embrace,

Christ arrived, filling celestial space.

Angels sang in praise, a heavenly birth,

A tale echoing across the realms of Earth.

Today, angels console in our trials,

Spreading truths, overcoming denials.

Snatching souls from darkness, setting them free,

Children of God through Christ, eternally.

— worded as a song by ChatGPT 3.5

The power of the knowledge about the Christ known among angels since ancient times

 It is among the tasks of angels to govern Nature. Since the angels even before 3000 BC had some among them who knew words spoken by God about the Christ coming and what the Christ would be and his name and reputation, they incorporated this knowledge into their governing of Nature. Now all of Nature is affected and undergirded by this powerful name and reputation known to these privileged angels for all these thousands of years since then. Those closest to God the Father were most privy to the secret knowledge the Father had shared by His word about this Son, this Christ. They shared their knowledge just enough to enable other angels to overcome obstacles to order in how Nature was governed. Of course, the news reached humans too. Some prophets knew very early on. Later prophets knew too, as the spirit of the truth of this Christ reached their privileged spirits and minds and they wrote prophecies down. By the time Christ did come in the flesh, born of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit overshadowing her months earlier, there were many angels able to fill the sky with praise about the coming of yhe Christ. There was one of the top angels privileged with the task of telling Mary and Joseph and others months earlier that this Christ was coming to them and would be born of Mary. Even today the angels minister and console us in our struggles to spread these truths, to snatch some from Satan, taking children from him and converting them to children of God. We can share with them our confidence in this Christ, Lord Jesus. 

A Christmas Carol Gospel Song worded by ChatGPT 3.5

 In realms unseen by mortal eyes, where angels gather 'neath the skies,

Long before the prophets' song, they heard the words, both sweet and strong.

God spoke to them of a destined grace, a Savior born for the human race,

Before the time of Noah's ark, they knew of Light, a holy spark.

(Chorus)

Angels singing of a promise grand,

Before the dawn of time, they'd understand,

The Christ, foretold in words divine,

He'd come to earth, God's love to shine.

No prophets spoke, no seers saw, what angels knew in awe and awe,

The promise kept within their hearts, a sacred secret, not to depart.

Before the ages, before the morn, of human birth, the Christ was sworn,

Discussing Him in heavenly rhyme, before 3000 BC, through time.

(Chorus)

Angels singing of a promise grand,

Before the dawn of time, they'd understand,

The Christ, foretold in words divine,

He'd come to earth, God's love to shine.

Just as the angels knew of old, the words from God in tales untold,

The Christ, a truth they held so dear, whispers carried through the cosmic sphere.

Before the patriarchs took their stand, before the rivers shaped the land,

In celestial circles, they would proclaim, the Christ, the Word, the holy name.

“Before Abraham was born,” said He, the Christ, the One from eternity,

In angelic hymns, the story told, of how the Savior's love unfolds.

They spoke of grace, they spoke of light, their voices echoing in the night,

The angels knew, in sacred trust, the Christ, our Lord, they did discuss.

(Chorus)

Angels singing of a promise grand,

Before the dawn of time, they'd understand,

The Christ, foretold in words divine,

He'd come to earth, God's love to shine.

So let us join the heavenly song, with angels, ancient and strong,

For in our hearts, the truth resides, of Christ, the One who still abides.

Before the prophets, before the seers, the angels knew, erased our fears,

A Christmas carol, a gospel song, in praise of Christ, forever strong.

— ChatGPT 3.5

Known among the angels of Heaven

 Angels knew words spoken by God long before humans so they knew very early of the Christ coming. They knew before any prophets knew. They knew there would be a Christ. The words God spoke to them in some ways revealed it to them. Some knew it better than others. This is even before the time of Noah or his predecessors. Just like we can discuss the Christ today, so they could discuss him even before 3000 BC. We cannot say the same about other people. “Before Abraham was born, I am” said Jesus.

Distinct individuals the Father and Jesus Christ the Son

 Some think that Jesus is God in another form to God the Father but the same being. We know this is false, partly from what the Father has said, “I am God”, and also from the miracles and the fact Jesus firmly claimed that the miracles were the Father’s way of testifying as a distinct testimony to the testimony of Jesus. That can only be true if Jesus and God the Father are distinct individuals.

The Predetermined Christ

 God formed in His mind the Christ who came in the flesh, predetermining him from the beginning. If someone believes that God predetermined that the Christ would come in the flesh (hence Jesus Christ known today), then it must be that God determined what this Christ would be, in name, reputation, character, deeds, obedience to the Father, knowledge of the Father, virgin birth, crucifixion death for sins, resurrection, rule as sinless human judge over all, mediator with God the Father, Son of God the Father, Lord over the believers who are the household of God, Lord in his name’s mighty influence over Nature, eternal life liver, eternal life giver. All this was what God knew. God the Father determined it from the beginning. God determined all that this Christ would be. God decided it in His own thinking and therefore this spiritually all existed in His mind and had spiritual existence in Heaven from before Abraham was born, before 2000 BC. God predetermined it first of all. It was implicit in all His words. It was what He was aiming for in all His creating. 

“ISRAEL HAS SINNED” and this is the sign

 

God knows those He knows

 It is gospel good news that some individuals are known by God. He draws attention to them at times. They might not be those we expect. It might not be the holy man of God everyone is queuing up to hear, but the quiet poet who is seldom seen openly, but who God knows to be a person of a loving heart. God saves the day for those known to Him. As Jesus Christ was growing up it was not even clear to his closest family that there was much special about him, but God knew him and he knew God. Later it all came to light but still many thought Jesus to be no big deal and they voted for his crucifixion. Even after God raised him back to life, on the third day, there were those who conspired to cover it up and many thought he was still dead, as many still think today. God knows those he knows. 

Portal to heaven’s throne

The gospel is heavenly good news sent by God the Father that Jesus, is His Son, and is the Christ He sent to open up a mediatorial way to God the Father Himself. Like a portal into the Highest One of heaven. To the actual throne of glory. The future reign of Jesus, the Christ, coming soon, will establish this connection more than ever, but to be worthy of ruling with him in that reign we must be worthy to be made immortal by him, which if we die before he returns, means worthy to be raised from the dead by him. For that we must have the spirit of his teachings and the Holy Spirit sent by God staying in fellowship with us, with each one of us and collectively with us. God the Father will give the Holy Spirit along with miracles to those who believe in His Son, who hold to his teachings and trust in his name of powerful authority. We call it all the kingdom of God and it is close to you right now. Reach out and enter by believing in the message and holding to it permanently. God does not have temporary children. 

The implicit Christ

 We need to consider the extent to which God always had it in mind, in His plans and thinking, to send a Christ, and the extent to which this underpinned all He said in the distant past. It is implicit in His laws and commands given to Moses,  that a human judge would be provided who had no sin who would judge the deeds of all. It is explicit in His word to Moses and the assurances Moses passed on to the ancient Israelites,  assurances of God sending ”a prophet like myself”, as Moses put it. It was explicit, yet we should also consider the extent to which this is implicit in all of the words God gave in ancient times, that a human would one day come into the world who would be human yet sinless enough to judge all humans at the end of the generations of humans. It is even reflected in other religions with roots in those early times when God spoke to the Israelites. (Look at Zoroastrianism, for example, plus Far Eastern and Turkic traditional religions like the Tengri religion.) How, after all, could God command righteousness if no human would ever exist as perfect model of it? That would be like creating a fantasy to follow, unless God foresaw a perfect obe coming who obey it all. God is surely no fantasist and no hypocrite, so it is implicit that a Christ will be sent one day. So this is why, when Jesus did come, sent by God, he was called the Christ. It already was “a thing”. He had this mantle waiting for him. As Christ, he already existed, so to speak. His first disciples could recognise him as this Christ even without any human telling them, except that John the Baptist alluded to it. God could inspire those chosen for it that the sacrifices all looked forward in anticipation of a perfect sacrifice. They were leading up to a culmination. Something that would perfect them. They were a stopgap until the perfect would come. Human priests were imperfect. God would provide perfection eventually. It was implicit in what God said, if you had inspiration to see it. The Son of Man would come, The Christ. Now he has come and the world all knows the word Christ and who it points to most of all. We even call our years BC and AD. Even Jewish sects like Hassidism and the like who reject Jesus as Christ, still look for a future Christ.  They must get this belief from something. It must be a concept existing before Jesus came, in old testament scriptures and in the moral compass of Abrahamic faith. It is there in the word of God. Jesus is this One who was to come. As he himself said, “Before Abraham was born, I am.”

More than words

 Really the gospel is only partly a message. Just part of it is worded verbally. Much more of it is conveyed actively by the invisible force of purity of heaven. The problem of our humanity is the side effects of words. They cause backlash, pushback, an instinctive rebellion. We cannot really take words and rely on our own mind to respond appropriately. This is why we get schooling and training in normal aspects of life. Why do soldiers need discipline and punishment and shouts from a sergeant? Do only really bad soldiers need it? If you are going to enter such training, can you rely on yourself to sail through obediently without any action necessary by others to put you right? When we hear the gospel, and the commands of God through Jesus Christ, can we rely on our inner state of character to respond appropriately? God invested His Son’s body and blood on a cross to put us right and make us worthy. Will He trust it all to our mental responses to process His gospel in a way that saves us? I tell you He will back up His investment if we let Him and try to correct us if we won’t. He does so with spirit power from heaven, by powerful spiritual intervention. Just reach out in the belief that He who invested in your salvation with Christ dying for you personally, trust that He will also give you heavenly power by the Spirit of purity to carry it through. This power can finish the job and make the difference, so you actually do what is right, not merely hear it explained as a code of words. Power, love and sound thinking comes from heaven to accompany the gospel message. This is the main part of the gospel .

Make it count

If we believe the message recorded in the bible gospels of the gospel testimony of Jesus Christ we will want to live our lives in this world in a way that maximises our prospects in the next world, the place of our spirits after we die. Looking out for the poor is vital in this. So too is refraining from excess luxury, and not spending too much on ourselves, leaving something for the poor and needy. Maybe our government enforces this in some way to some extent by making us pay towards some kind of welfare fund which is used for benefits of those in need or difficulty or severe illness. How does it all get tallied up when we die. I have no idea, nor do scriptures in the bible say. Ancient Egyptians recorded their belief that some kind of angelic reckoning happens after we die to determine where we go, weighing the deeds. How did they know it? Perhaps from Enoch and Noah. Perhaps less reliably. Perhaps from shamanic visions. The Book of Enoch adds detail to what Jesus is recorded to have said about it. Then the gospel leads us to also seek to be worthy to be raised by Jesus in the resurrection, when he returns, or to be made immortal if we have not died by then. This is about being willing to suffer death for his testimony, and being faithful in keeping his testimony in the gospels and from the Holy Spirit, believing in him. This life and how we spend it is great in its impact on what happens later, after death or after he comes, which ever is first. God sent Jesus to die for you and raised him back to life when he did so. That is what God is investing in your prospects. Yours. Mine. Everyone’s prospects. Make it count. God is seeking those who will be worthy to reign and to judge alongside his son after the resurrection, and then continue in fellowship with God and His Son forever afterwards. Like angels, yet distinctly human too like His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

To be worthy

 It is a major part of the Gospel that we should, through hearing it preached, and holding to it, seek always and permanently to be worthy of the resurrection, worthy to be raised from the dead by Jesus Christ when he returns, or, if we have not died by then, be worthy to made immortal by him. For this we really need to have the Holy Spirit to powerfully help us. 

The unspiritual side to Jesus’ gospel

 Jesus preached a gospel about the non-spiritual as well as the spiritual. Although he encouraged a mindset prioritising attainment of treasures in heaven, he also requires his subjects and servants to make profit out of worldly things on his behalf. He taught he will return and expect to see those he entrusted with worldly investment to turn it into worldly profit by trading up. Take what you can do, see what you can profit from it, then see if next time you can improve on that return, and improve again, and again, until you have plenty more than he gave you. Then there will be something to show for his investment when he returns. If you can do this with worldly wealtg entrusted to you, and you actually do this, faithfully doing better and better at it, so as to show a worldly return, you might then be entrusted with spiritual things and rewarded with worldly rule. Surprising he has this practical worldly gospel, besides the spiritual? Well this is his teaching. If you ignore such teachings because they are about worldly things, it will be charged against you as hypocrisy, where there is worldly benefit to be made but you lift not a finger to help. The worldly benefits can become a harvest for Lord Jesus to reap to share with the poor and needy. Then your worldly profitability can be counted as heavenly treasure too. He too will be turning worldly into heavenly as he does this. He practices what he preaches. So give it a try. What you can make in profit from your best efforts, try doing it next time with ten fold improvement, and again after that, and after that, for his sake. Be a profitable servant. Do not brush off such merit as worldly. It is the merit he looks for first from his servant. He can always switch it up for spiritual merit once you prove worthy. Eventually it can be shared with the poor so they benefit from this worldly wealth generation, and then you will be rich in heavenly treasure. Just don’t make a song and dance about that aspect, since you lose it if you turn it into social credit. Take care not to choose social credit over treasure in heaven.

Persuaded of Christ’s teachings such that they sit well with you?

Are you sufficiently persuaded about the teachings of Christ and the spirit of Jesus Christ's teachings, as well as the spirit sent in his name, that his teachings and the spirit of his teachings sit well with you? This is the position to attain, in order to be at peace with God. Achieving this state requires a significant investment of time, patience, and discussions. However, it proves to be a worthwhile endeavor, and the powerful spirit of God can help the process, especially for those favored by God when the gospel is faithfully preached, perhaps even supported by miracles and manifestations of the power of God. While waiting for opportunities to obey these teachings according to God's will, being certain enough to maintain a position of willingness and acceptance establishes a state of justification and peace with God.

Light before the darkness takes over

 We see Russophobia consuming the world. Soon Antisemitism will accompany it. Prophecy hinted at it happening right now as an Apocalyptic countdown to Armageddon begins. Before this darkness takes over, we need to put the truth out there. Genocide is murder. God does not want random human-dictated genocides nor does God commend murder. Murderers have no eternal life in them. Yes God once commanded genocides of people who had grown to the limit of evil behaviour. But today so many people all do evil such that God sent Jesus to command restraint from judgment if we are guilty of the very things we want to judge. Now God commands that we bear in mind that Jesus will soon bring righteous judgment and much can wait till then. In the meantime beware lest zeal to judge others incurs murderous charges on you too. So let truth have preeminence before darkness blocks it out. 

Do not be confused

 The Trinity doctrine is sometimes merely a factious slant on truth, but it can be used by state religion as a siege works device against the true gospel. It encourages people to say that Jesus is God, confusing those who have only just learned the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. It is potentially confusing. This potential is sufficient when your goal is to control the religious and prevent individual following of truth, forcing people to belong to state religion. Be assured: The Father alone says ”I am God”. Jesus does not say that. No lie. The Father acknowledges Jesus as His Son and loves him. Jesus acknowledges the Father as God and as his Father in Heaven, and uses faith in his Father to ask his Father to do works of power on our behalf, giving us life. Jesus is human like us. Even raised from the dead and alive forever, he is human like us. He is no demigod, half-human, half-God or fully human fully God. Being Son of God he us still human like us. If he were God we would not be able to approach him on a basis that he knows our weakness as one who has been weak. Mixing words to say he is God but emptied of God status to be human, this only confuses. He is human. He is the Son of Man even when he returns in power. We can trust him to truly represent us and teach us as a true human like us. We are not God. He is not God. So he can mediate with God for us. Like Moses did for the Israelites long ago.

The Fathers three levels of fatherhood

 The really good part of the gospel good news is the new level of fatherhood being undertaken by the Father, by God. The first to receive this is Jesus, the Lord. Then there will be a huge rollout by the Father and the Son. Millions will receive it. Ten thousand times ten thousand will receive it. This is not the same as unique fatherhood given only to Jesus, by Holy Spirit overshadowing of his mother, virgin maiden, hence virgin birth, which only Jesus Christ has received. Only begotten Son of God. Not this fatherhood, it is more again. Jesus living sinlessly, filled with God-given principles and faithful to them, that is another level of fatherhood God gave Jesus and gives to those who believe and hold to Jesus’ principles expressed in his teachings. That is another level of fatherhood but God has one more greater still which so far only Jesus has received. God raised Jesus to eternal immortality after Jesus obediently died on the cross. This was in the same vein as Jesus raising Lazarus, but Lazarus went on to die again, long ago. No Jesus never dies again, kept in eternal immortality by the power of God. This is fatherhood by God given at a new level to Jesus. Soon, perhaps only decades from now, at a time only the Father knows exactly, Jesus will raise millions, hundreds of millions. It is imbuing these with Fatherhood level three. Good news for those who follow Jesus today. For those who will be found worthy. Who hold to his teachings and do God’s will to the end. Come Lord Jesus. 

Jesus’ law is underpromoted

 Keeping laws of Moses is strongly promoted by Jewish groups. Yet the keeping of Jesus’ laws is underrated. I hear many on the social media promoting keeping Moses. Feasts. Feasts. Oh and … did I already say feasts. I guess feast sound like fun. Not often, maybe never, do I see posts about kindly giving money to the poor and helping them with court cases, like unions do with their worker members. Not often do people post about laying hands on the sick and these then recovering. Not often about how to believe and not doubt when commanding Nature. Do people actually obey Jesus these days. I do sometimes see posts about forgiving. Not enough though. Never do I see genuine speaking in tongues on YouTube and facebook. Jesus commanded it be proclaimed from rooftops, so to speak. I remember books coming out in the time of Jesus People, but not much since where actual obedience to laws or commands of Jesus is encouraged and explained. 

The Christ who was to come

 “The Christ … who was to come …” Jesus affirmed these words. Yes, he is the Christ. AND he is the Christ who WAS to come, to come into the world. That crucial concept WAS TO COME. Before he actually came, he was to come. There was, in  other words, a time before he came, when he WAS (note this is a kind of existence) to come. That note: there was the time when he had not yet come. But at that time, the Christ WAS to come. It might seem a fine point to make, but do not miss it, because it is a vital part of what Peter and Martha expressed about their belief about the Christ, and their persuasion that Jesus was this Christ. The Christ had a kind of existence of sorts, even before coming, where there was the existence of a reality that the Christ was coming. To a person living years beford the birth of Jesus Christ, they would gave known a time when the Christ existed as a person of prmoise who was going to come. At that point no human Christ Jesus was conceived by the overshaddowing of a virgin maiden by the Holy Spirit, yet this Christ was there as something foretold, something in people minds planted there as a seed of thought by God through prophecy, a promise, the word given by God Himself that a Christ was going to come. This is not a complete lack of existence. Before Abraham was born, even. Even then. Even before laws were given, before Moses, long before John the Baptist, or even the foretelling of John the Baptist coming. Even then. 

Blessed fellowship

 Those who say proudly ”Jesus is God”, let me ask, do you feel fellowship with God, saying this? Does it keep you in fellowship with the Father who says ”I am God”?  Does it keep you in fellowship with the Son who prays to the Father ”that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent”? If you want this fellowship, to walk in this blessed knowledge, you must keep to what Jesus himself teaches and the Father teaches through him. 

The gospel family of God

 The good news is that there is a circle, we never know everyone who is in it, of those who have more than mere words. They have power. They have love. They have soundness of mind. They have a kind of righteousness many will ignore and not recognise, but to God it is real. God and His Son are but two of this circle. There are many, many people in it stretching back through history and forward beyond today. It is a growing family. The family which God owns as His own. Those to whom He gives of His Spirit. Each one in it will ever have fellowship with God and His Son as long as each one keeps the teachings of the Son, the Lord, Jesus Christ. Here there is love and power and soundness of mind. Here there is the righteousness of God. Here is what the Lord Jesus Christ bought with His own holy blood and body on that cross. Here is what he has given him by God who raised him from the dead to be forever the head of this body, in whom it is all built in love into a living temple as each one does their work. until the day he returns to raise all these to be immortal and live with God and himself forever in fellowship. This is the good news, the holy gospel of God.

The one who was to come into the world

 Preexistence. Look at a firework, a sophisticated one. See the complex explosion of multiple colours in the air in a complex and glorious pattern. Yet this firework needed to first exist inside its tube and as a predetermined design in the thinking and expertise of the manufacturer. It preexisted. The manufacturer’s name was at stake in ensuring the assembly of the chemicals in the tube would result in the beautiful display and the exact timing would be right of the fuse and the order of explosions. The firework before being lit had to be what it had to be. When Christ was foretold by the Father it was all already determined how his name as Christ would excel all others given among men. Made known to angels and prophets, that name, reputation, existence of hunan excellence and salvation had power which affected Nature. He was always the one who would come into the world. When Jesus was conceived within the virgin maiden uniquely from the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit and then born a human, thus called the Son of God, it was a promised coming of the word of God. This God the Father sent him into the world, to save his people from their sins. The word became flesh and dwelt among men. The glory of the Father was made known in him, the beloved only begotten Son.

Freedom from a dire end

 There is going to be a lake of fire and not everyone will escape it, as it will surely swallow even some who think themselves saved. So who will go into it? Liars. They go in. All kinds. Murderers. They go in. That obviously includes those contributing to genocide. Idolaters. In. But idolatry might mean those paid to be religious, if it is correct that this is the original meaning of the word used. Now it gets awkward. Pharmacists. It is a Greek word Pharmakoi meaning druggies and the makers and the purveyors of drugs, medicines, poisons of various kinds (historically including those used for abortions), combined with an element of swearing and invocation of spirits as with shamans, witchdoctors, etc, but the latter is not always obviously part of it. Unbelievers. Gigolos. Cowards or those living in dread. These go in. Worried? We need to be worried about the possibility of dying in the state of being someone like those in the above list. We need to be worried about facing the consequences. To be saved, we must believe in who Jesus really is, and hold to his teachings, and be set free from all such sinful ways. Dying in those ways means sharing in this second death too. God the Father says so. Jesus the Son, the Christ who was to come, says so. The Holy Spirit says amen. Rather than be worried, we need to see Jesus as the one sent by God to help. It is Jesus who is worried for us. He can set us free from being enslaved by these kinds of behaviour and he can save us from dying in these ways. Only if we believe he is the one, the Son, sent by God as the Christ, sent to save us from all of this. Then only if we hold to his teachings. Then we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. 

How to be sure

It is very difficult indeed to know for sure what the people who wrote the scriptures believed about Jesus Christ. Nuances of words unknown to us. Historic background unknown to us. Idioms unknown to us. Awareness of scriptures unknown to us. We might think we know what Peter believed about Jesus but are we sure? There is a way to know. We must know Jesus personally by following his teachings, believe he really is the one to follow. He makes himself known and we can put our faith in him in our lives right now. Even without perfect knowledge of scriptures, we can grasp enough of his teachings in practical things just enough to confidently put them into practice in our lives. We can be kind to the poor. We can work hard to have something to share with them. We can look out for anyone else who might be following Jesus and see them as brother or sister and be honest with them in that light. If we do, he promises to make himself known and he promises that the Father too will make Himself known. Then we can believe in Jesus as the one provided by the Father to be the human we need who is there with the Father who knows the Father truly and can be the mediator we need. 

Revelation gospel

 The gospel message in Revelation is in some ways unique among gospel themes in writings called scripture today. In it, Jesus continues the message he started in lessons recorded in the gospel scriptures which were those he started before his crucifixion and continued after his resurrection but before ascending to the Father. In Acts it is the Holy Spirit revelations which guided apostles Peter, Paul and others. In Revelation it is again directly Jesus himself, now ascended, who gives the gospel extended message given to him by the Father. Here are new themes, in some ways rejected by many churches since then, but taken more seriously following events of modern times such as the reestablishment of Israel, land and people, and the possibility of a new temple in Jerusalem and of world destruction catastrophes along the apocalyptic lines included in Revelation. So if we take the book more seriously and as actually predicting real future events leading up to and following on from the arrival of Jesus Christ on earth, we ought to take seriously the gospel it also preaches. We might baulk at some of it. There is going to be a lake of fire and not everyone will escape it, as it will surely swallow even some who think themselves saved. Liars. They go in. All kinds. Murderers. They go in. That obviously includes those contributing to genocide. Idolaters. In. But idolatry might mean those paid to be religious, if it is correct that this is the original meaning of the word used. Now it gets awkward. Pharmacists. It is a Greek word Pharmakoi meaning druggies, makers and purveyors of drugs, medicines, poisons of various kinds (historically including those used for abortions), combined with an element of swearing and invocation of spirits as with shamans, witchdoctors, etc, but the latter is not always obviously part of it. Unbelievers. Gigolos. Cowards or those living in dread. Have I missed any? We can take it at face value. This is what Jesus says and what the Father also says. They each say it in Revelation final chapters. The same list. It is a matter of dying in the state of being someone like this, then facing these consequences. To be saved, we must believe in who Jesus really is, and hold to his teachings, and be set free from all such sinful ways. Dying in those ways means sharing in this second death too. God the Father says so. Jesus the Son, the Christ who was to come, says so. The Holy Spirit says amen.

Armageddon

 As we entered twenty twenty-four, we saw Ukraine being pulled into extended fighting and leaders of West and Russia being pulled in too, with economic and human losses continuing. We also saw Israel fighting Gaza city inhabitants resulting in growing anger against Israel. Is this going to continue into Armageddon over the coming decades? The prophecies of Armageddon, include a gathering of many nations against the land and inhabitants called today Israel. The Ukraine phenomenon has similarities to the hook in the nose concept of the prophecy, with a tax lord, ‘Ros’ (compare the Kievan Rus of the Middle Ages), pulling nations into seeing the land and people of Israel at peace and invading it. The growing sentiments against Israel and the growing warlike stance of Kievan Rus successors in Kiev, might well develop over two more decades into an Armageddon scenario. It implies the Israel situation will develop into one of peace over the coming decades, before it all turns nasty. But Armageddon is a war won by God, turning into salvation for the land and people of Israel and the destruction of the invading armies. Israel has brought the hatred on itself but God will have mercy and will save. Then, a little later, the Christ will return, the Lord, Jesus.

The Kingdom of God

 “Thy kingdom come.” Look how Jesus said that the kingdom of God comes within a person and how he told Nicodemus you cannot see the kingdom of God unless you are born of spirit. If we want the kingdom to come, it is a matter of something happening inside each of us, something started by the will of God, something started by the work of Spirit, the spirit of the words of Jesus, the Holy Spirit bringing from what belongs to Jesus - power, love, sound-mindedness - and making it known to us. It starts with spiritual rebirth. It starts with resurrection of Jesus giving us new improved prospects, brought about by God Himself. Then it develops into the kingdom of God within. It is worth everything we have to find it and to receive it within us, individually and corporately, collectively, uniting us who have it within. But to others it is invisible, so they might not even believe it exists. Jesus Christ died for you. God raised him from the dead for you. God wants you to have His kingdom within you and did all this. How much more will He do, having done all this, including giving you the Holy Spirit when. believing, you ask.

Being ruled by Jesus Christ

 True the full rule of Jesus Christ is still to come. But think what a man can do when in immediate presence of the Father and think what a man can do when Holy Spirit facilitates his reach to servants high and low in every part of the world, and think what a man can do when millions of angelic spirits wait on his commands. No wonder we already see him in the clouds of heaven presiding over all the judgments of God and especially taking top place in affairs of all believers. Yet true of course that the time is near when everyone will start to experience what it is to be brought under his rule, like it or not. And be ruled and judged by the many resurrected.

Explaining who Jesus is

 Imagining a great world leader, let’s say with a name like John Omni, and someone claiming to be truly close to this leader, having a social media channel, and calling their channel Son of Omni, with a view to educating people about John Omni as someone so close that they call themselves Son of Omni. Some might believe this channel is truly someone close to this world leader with direct personal knowledge. Maybe John Omni the leader might actually endorse this channel, shouting it out, and reveal that this actually is his son and the ideal person to speak for him. This is similar to how it has been with Jesus Christ, who always referred to himself as the Son, implying Son of God, Son of the God known to his hearers as Yahweh. He referred to this God as the Father, his Father but also father to his followers.  God even spoke from the sky by means of an angelic voice to say Jesus is indeed His Son. Note, it does not at all mean what some say, that Jesus IS God. He is next to God, so close to God the Father that he can speak very knowledgeably and authoritatively about God and represent us to God. This representing of us to God the Father is completed, supported totally adequately, by having done God’s will to sacrifice his body and blood on a cross to disperse away from us God’s wrath caused by our sins. To prove this is satisfactory to God, God raised him from the dead, making it certain and complete that Jesus is now both Lord and Christ over us all. 

Jesus wept

 Before raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus wept. God the Father sent us a real human who cries weakly so that we can rest assured that God the Father can hear us weak humans just like He heard Jesus His Son. When a human is heard by God even the dead might rise. Our weakness is merely the canvas on which God paints His glory.

Baptism

Baptism holds profound significance within a community of believers, as it represents a conscious commitment to follow Jesus. A church, comprised of individuals who willingly undergo baptism, becomes a valuable asset in earnestly seeking to align with God's will and adhere to His commands. The essence lies in the collective dedication of each believer who, of their own accord, commits to this spiritual journey. It is not a mere ritual performed on their behalf, but a personal commitment undertaken by each individual.

However, the efficacy of this shared commitment hinges on the unwavering unity and truthfulness among the believers. Doubt and a lack of transparency can jeopardize the collective pursuit of God's will, as God, who sees the heart, may not recognize them as genuine followers of Jesus. The withholding of the Holy Spirit becomes a possibility when true belief is lacking, emphasizing the need to genuinely believe in the truly human nature of Jesus and that he truly is the Son of God.

Baptism, in itself, proves ineffectual without this foundational belief. The true disciple is born not only from the act of baptism but from a prior, sincere persuasion of the truly human nature of Jesus as the Son of God: To hold steadfast to Jesus' teachings requires an authentic belief in his identity as the Son of God in human nature. Only through this genuine commitment can believers collectively receive the Holy Spirit, thereby enabling them to speak truthfully to each other in the actual truth of being as one unified body in Christ. Let us live this way in truth.

Sent by the Father

 Each miracle worked by Jesus is direct communication of the Father with mankind. Take the healing of the man born blind, sent by Jesus to wash in a pool. Not just any pool. Its name Siloam means ‘sent‘. By sending him to this specific pool, Jesus set up the conditions for the Father to testify that He sent Jesus. If the Father healed this man, it was confirmation to us all that He sent Jesus. 

A name is a kind of existence

Existence includes things like “name”. It is not a Western concept but an ancient one. Similar western concepts are things like brand, logo, flag, reputation, spirit. The “name” (brand, logo, flag, reputation, spirit) of Christ, of the Lord Jesus Christ, existed before Abraham was born. When Jesus said “I” he included his name (his reputation, flag, spirit, brand, logo). “Before Abraham was born, I am”. His name transcends his physical human body, since before ancient times. By its power even the trees put forth buds and leaves. Life is from his name.