Jesus full of grace and truth

 There is an underlying meaning to the word grace coming from the Hebrew of the OT verses concerning grace, also there in English meanings of the word. Meanings of words are not a recommended study because they are never as certain as faith from God. But this sense of grace is compelling because it is certainly found in Jesus. It is grace seen in behaviour of graceful creatures such as gazelles or young maidens. It is that elusive deftness of movement, excellence of liveliness in how the body movements almost effortlessly flow and the joy it is to see it. Jesus could and still can do things in a way that extends sheer joy and hope to those who see it, full of a promise of all that life can be and all that He makes life to be if we receive that grace. Jesus is full of grace and truth. Expressing to all around the abundance of life that is in Him given Him to forever have in Himself by God. 

The Holy Spirit

 On one hand the Holy Spirit, as an influencer on the inner being, creates a holier state within, making it clean, making the inner mind disciplined according to heavenly principles such as honesty and humility. It keeps this state maintained. This gives joy in the resulting salvation from destructive thinking and behaviour. On the other hand this same Holy Spirit can at times (perhaps rare occasions, as in Samuel’s time when it says the word of God was rare) manifest openly in various ways which build up the household of God, believers together, and create new believers, creating faith. All of this is given by God in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.

As we think, so we are

 As we think in our minds, so are we. We might claim to be interested in facts and led by facts, yet our inner thoughts, even barely conscious ones we hardly notice ourselves thinking, guide our beliefs and influence us more than we admit to ourselves. We need a lot of discipline to stop ourselves believing things are fact which are only suppositions or inadvertent conclusions. We become the sum of all such thoughts. Having a safety system of objective truth to counter all of this is crucial to survival. We need to be careful what is leading our inner minds. Call it ‘spirit’ maybe. Something in addition to random or inadvertent thought processes is essential. Hopefully a truthful spirit. Now you know where this is leading. The Middle East Messiah offered this two thousand years ago and that offer is backed up by resurrection. Gotta take notice really. You owe it to yourself.

Prophesyings

Random inner voices are not what true prophesying is about. Rather the truth in Jesus comes first. Honesty is a crucial part of that. Christ died for you. But only in order that you become honest and kind and put aside lies (that Christ’s heavenly home abhors) and speak truthfully and write online truthfully and put aside angrily hating and such things too. The Holy Spirit teaches this in power. Then you might find God does speak to you and through you as you walk in Jesus’ truth so God can become your Father. God shows Himself and Jesus shows Himself to those who lovingly obey their commands. Then you can have real faith based on God’s loving power. God is love. No lie comes from the truth of God. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. Learn according to this and then you can learn to filter out random thoughts and focus on truth and then in the midst of a heart stayed on truth you can discern the still, quiet, authoritative voice of the Lord if He does meet you in that way. Do not prophesy lies. Do not say God speaks to you if He doesn’t. Learn the ways of God and serve Him. Obey His commands in honesty and truth. If He tasks you then with spiritual gifts all well and good so the body of Christ, the Temple, is built up. But in love. The goal is love.

LORD JESUS’ BRIDE

 It is a great mystery and wonder how because of the greatness of Jesus and His Father’s plan and power, a huge multitude can all collectively comprise the bride of Jesus. Like a knitted garment woven from many small strands of wool all joined together. Each has a portion of the overall grace of Jesus. Each builds others around them into this one entity. All supported and supporting each other. All infused with spirit and exuding spirit, the Holy Spirit, side by side with Jesus the chief master of fountains of spirit, by the Holy Spirit without limit. All in fellowship with Jesus which only God can grant, in sufferings overflowing from Jesus’ sufferings. All hopeful of resurrection, like Jesus’ resurrection. It is an intense spirit mystery. 

Resurrections

The most striking feature I have come across about Jesus Christ is resurrection. In Larnaca in Cyprus I came across what to many living there must seem normal religious life in the form of their landmark church building the building of the Church of Saint Lazarus where there is housed the remains of the tomb believed to have belonged to Lazarus, a bishop of ancient Cyprus who is believed to be the man who was raised from the dead by Jesus. Just before this Lazarus left Judea to flee to Cyprus there was another resurrection too, that of Jesus Himself. The story is recorded that Lazarus fled persecution death threats in Judea and arrived in Cyprus where he lived another few decades and became a bishop. So the tomb, even though the body was reportedly moved to Marseille centuries later, is a second tomb of Lazarus whose first tomb is mentioned in scripture. He was twice buried after Jesus raised him from the dead but still kept him mortal. When Jesus Himself died and rose it was an end to Jesus’ mortality beginning His immorality. Not so Lazarus, not that first resurrection he underwent but another awaits him. So this remarkable evidence, traditionally established by the Orthodox Church, left to us as reminders of Jesus, shows us Jesus the resurrection and the resurrector. The hope of the nations. Thanks be to God.

I AM

Scripture was not written in English. But we read English translations. In the Semitic and Greek of the writers of scripture the essence of holy words, be it those of God or of the Son of God, saying “I am” have subtly different meanings to the English translations. Lost in translation, it is a serious problem. In the Book of Isaiah God is on record having spoken through Isaiah the prophet to tell us “I am” in words of Semitic language which have subtlety of meaning conveying extreme longevity, more lifetime longevity than any other. In the Book of Revelation both Jesus, God’s Son and also the Father, God Almighty, are on record having spoken through the prophet and apostle John, to tell us “I am” in words of Ancient Greek language which have that same meaning of great longevity. Translated into English there is loss of certainty of such meaning. In English I can say “Hey, don’t push in! I am next in this queue!” and it lacks any longevity of being next in the queue since if that fellow succeeds in pushing in front of me I will not be next at all. I can use that same “I am” to say “I am the boss in this office” but my retirement might be next week. I can say “I am your father” and it will be true long after I said it. In rare situations my “I am” might convey greatly long lasting “I am”, such as in answer to a question “Who is the longest reigning champion of the famous book club darts team?” Well that isn’t true, but it could be. I might in some fantasy universe be able to proudly reply “I am!”. Yet the words, if the language is English, only convey longevity in particular contexts. In scriptures the announcement of God and also of Christ His Son saying “I am” is sometimes meant to be unambiguous in its proclamation of unequaled longevity. In Isaiah 41:4,

 “Who has performed and done this,

    calling the generations from the beginning?

I, the Lord, the first,

    and with the last; I am he.” 

In Revelation, the “I am” is also several times accompanied by that same phrase “the first and the last”. In the Gospel of John chapter 8, Jesus says it in answer to ridicule by Jewish religious sectarians who expressed incredulity that Jesus could be any older than fifty when Jesus implied to having seen Abraham who lived thousands of years earlier. Jesus said “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am”. It had such weight, implying again unsurpassed longevity of Jesus in some mysterious sense, that they picked up stones to try to stone Him, though He simply walked away.

When indoctrination doesn’t work

 Indoctrination does not seem to work on adolescents. They reach the age where they are self-aware and need to know for themselves. They then need to find their knowledge by learning, not by trusting in the knowledge of their parents and indoctrinators. It is a scary time for them because they are aware they might never find the knowledge they need but there is no alternative except to either remain ignorant or find the true facts or be conned into believing lies. Just think how many adolescents are in that situation. Into this situation comes someone they need more than anyone. Someone who is the same yesterday and today and forever. Unless they can believe in this Jesus they will never learn the truth and they will die in their sins. Many would read something like this and agree with it, all of it except the Jesus bit. So people are stuck: stuck but along with billions of others too. So society ends up riddled with alcoholics, druggies, drug cartels, big pharma cartels, liars and haters.

Names of God

 Book of Enoch chapter 10

1. Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him: 2. '〈Go to Noah〉 and tell him in my name "Hide thyself!" and reveal to him the end that is approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it. 3. And now instruct him that he may escape and his seed may be preserved for all the generations of the world.'

Names of God, such as this one made known to Noah, have varied over time, as the Book of Enoch and later scriptures tell us. Here God is made known by the terrifying name “Hide Yourself!” Later to Abraham the name became “Almighty” and the Semitic language of the wording El Shaddai is similar to the the terrifying looking beasts the Semitic peoples called a Sheddu, like a huge bull with human head and lion’s legs and wings. Like an extremely strong Cherub. The name is each time an outstanding characteristic of God on which His activities of that time would cause all to focus, the Flood especially showing His utterly terrifying sovereignty as most high judge, so “Hide!”. Be afraid. Be very afraid. That kind of name. Later to Moses the name changes and the Creator aspect of God comes to the fore as Yahweh, Becomer, Maker, who becomes known as such when He brings forth Israel as a Son for Himself out of Egypt. This change is further developed as in our times we especially know God as the Father who brought forth Jesus His Son, bringing Him forth from the tomb and from death into immortal life. 

Praying during lockdown

 There is something rather noble about being taught to frequently pray to God. The habit of praying has payoffs for those who are open to what God can do. Yet there are times in our lives when circumstances tend to provide solitude. Circumstances such as lockdowns. What a great opportunity for someone who has learned a habit of daily prayer. What an opportunity for some in such solitude to seek more diligently a better learning through prayer of the ways of God. Come let us seek the Lord God and He will teach us His ways. Look out world! A people might arise from this lockdown time who have learned the ways and counsels of the Almighty. 

Why obey the commands of Christ?

 Why obey the commands of Christ? Firstly, our stubborn disobedience adds to Christ’s sufferings but Jesus Christ is used to it, having already suffered on the cross for us. Secondly, more positively, look at where the command leads us, to becoming a better person and taking us one more step towards being worthy of the resurrection, so we live forever.

Lest we die in our sins

 When Jesus was a child and lived with brothers and parents the brothers later were recorded by John as not believing Jesus was particularly all that special. He must have lived such a very, very human life growing up with them that they could regard Jesus as a human and nothing else. After the resurrection that must have changed a bit. Yes, a human, definitely, no question, but now the kind of being other humans if worthy of it can become by Jesus’ God’s power, immortal resurrected human, a son of God, a god. Still the same as other believers and human like me and you - just exactly like me and you. Yet never again to die, being risen and made immortal by God’s power. Yet there is a mysterious aspect to Jesus in His extremely long ancient past. He alludes to it in John 8. Same yesterday and today and forever, where yesterday goes back aeons, and forever goes on forever. Still utterly human, but extremely long-lived and much of that life prior to becoming flesh. A mystery. Yet a mystery we essentially need to believe lest we die in our sins.

See Nature, See Jesus

 See Nature, that in being tied to Jesus’ name of being the same yesterday (even in Enoch’s time) and today and forever, Nature likewise is made constant in its behaviours. Stars keeping passage through space. Trees keeping on dropping leaves in Autumn and budding forth in Spring. 

Rest on this. Follow this. Become this. 

We have sinned. We are not living up to it. Yet Jesus promises freedom from sin if we believe He is the same yesterday and today and forever and if we hold to His teachings. 

And God bless you in 2021 and forever. 

Book of Enoch 

Chapter 3

“Observe and see how (in the winter) all the trees seem as though they had withered and shed all their leaves, except fourteen trees, which do not lose their foliage but retain the old foliage from two to three years till the new comes.”

Chapter 4

“And again, observe ye the days of summer how the sun is above the earth over against it. And you seek shade and shelter by reason of the heat of the sun, and the earth also burns with growing heat, and so you cannot tread on the earth, or on a rock by reason of its heat.”

Chapter 5

“Observe ⌈⌈ye⌉⌉ how the trees cover themselves with green leaves and bear fruit: wherefore give ye heed ⌈and know⌉ with regard to all ⌈His works⌉, and recognize how He that liveth for ever hath made them so. And ⌈all⌉ His works go on ⌈thus⌉ from year to year for ever, and all the tasks ⌈which⌉ they accomplish for Him, and ⌈their tasks⌉ change not, but according as ⌈⌈God⌉⌉ hath ordained so is it done. And behold how the sea and the rivers in like manner accomplish and ⌈change not⌉ their tasks ⌈from His commandments⌉.

But ye--ye have not been steadfast, nor done the commandments of the Lord,

But ye have turned away and spoken proud and hard words

With your impure mouths against His greatness.

Oh, ye hard-hearted, ye shall find no peace.”

... 

DO YOU REJECT THE PREEXISTENCE OF CHRIST?

 DO YOU REJECT THE PREEXISTENCE OF CHRIST?

The (Socinian) answer given by some to Jesus’ claim in John 8 of existing before even the ancient first ever Hebrew Abraham was born is that Jesus meant not that He existed back in the Bronze Age, thousands of years before His birth but rather, these, typically Unitarians or Socinians say, Jesus was prophesied about way back then. This falls apart if you look at the context. 

John 8:54-59 ‘Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

“You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.’

How does seeing Abraham get explained by Jesus being prophesied about before Abraham was born? How does being not yet fifty years old have anything to do with being prophesied about before Abraham was born? Jesus clearly, we should all see from the context, is addressing His having seen Abraham because He existed before Abraham was born, having immense personal experience because of this preexistence.

The most unambiguous scripture in support of this is in the Book of Enoch, a scripture book highly quoted by Jesus and endorsed by Him, much loved in Jesus’ time by those who were neither Pharisees nor Sadducees. In many passages in the Book of Enoch the author describes the Son of Man seen in heaven in Enoch’s time and this is clearly the preexistent Jesus. Some would dispute this by again saying it is prophecy foretelling Jesus Christ (those who do not outright reject the Book of Enoch). Yet in one passage in the Book of Enoch the author describes being taken into heaven “to that Son of Man”, clearly implying the Son of Man being there actually in heaven at the time. 

Book of Enoch 

[chapter 70]

And it came to pass after this that his name during his lifetime was raised aloft to that Son of Man and to the Lord of Spirits from amongst those who dwell on the earth. And he was raised aloft on the chariots of the spirit and his name vanished among them. And from that day I was no longer numbered amongst them: and he set me between the two winds, between the North and the West, where the angels took the cords to measure for me the place for the elect and righteous. And there I saw the first fathers and the righteous who from the beginning dwell in that place.

[Chapter 71]

And it came to pass after this that my spirit was translated

And it ascended into the heavens:

And I saw the holy sons of God.

They were stepping on flames of fire:

Their garments were white [and their raiment],

And their faces shone like snow.

By not saying “before Abraham was born, I WAS” but rather “before Abraham was born I AM” Jesus indicates He is the same today as in ancient times and so into the future too. So Peter could later write “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

The sons of God are gods

 The sons of God are gods. They are not God. The Holy Spirit teaches us to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. He does not teach us to believe that Jesus is God. 

The generation that knew not Joseph

 “And there arose up another king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.” Exodus 1:8

The Sovereign Lord God does not only reveal Himself kind and saving, but also strong and judging. A generation which knows both sides is superseded by a new generation which knows neither in order for God to once more show His power and kindness. To believing chosen ones He shows salvation and kindness while to hardened unbelievers He shows power and judgment. It happens simultaneously at times and surely such times are coming again with this new generation rising under human gods who know neither God nor His human friends who follow Jesus. The shutting of churches might seem warranted and might actually be warranted in pandemic times (although as centres of education that seems ironic when universities are open and spreading the disease) but it is symptomatic of a rising new generation of leaders who are ignorant of the Almighty Father who dwells among His people, even though they have sinned, and gives His people the Holy Spirit in the name of His Son. Ignorant now. Not ignorant for long, if history indeed repeats itself.

How sudden will Jesus Christ’s return be?

 How sudden will Jesus Christ’s return be? “As the lightning strikes in the East and flashes to the West, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” “In the twinkling of an eye.” But like pregnancy there will be “birth pangs”. Pregnancy and birth are not sudden but are phased in. You get more and more sure the birth is near. Then when it comes to the actual birth you might find it sudden on some occasions. When it comes to the coming of the Son of Man it will be very sudden but will come at the culmination of several occasions when it will be as if He is just about to come but doesn’t. The birth pangs. You will find many have experiences of Him which mirror His final full coming. In these experiences they will perceive Him coming in the clouds of heaven but it will not His final complete coming, just a foretaste. “Men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven.” These foretastes lead up to the full coming which will spread like lightning from one end of the earth to the earth such that all see it almost simultaneously. That will be very, very sudden. And the dead will rise, many of them, to become judges throughout the earth, and many living will join them after being made immortal suddenly. Nobody knows exactly when this will happen, not even Jesus, the Son of Man Himself. The birth pangs will make clear it is on its way though, like in the final stages of pregnancy which can be mistaken as the birth itself, except by those who know better and know it is not necessarily imminent, just approaching. 

The Aeons

 Great mystery: the name of who Jesus is, His reputation, the work of God He fulfils, it all radiates out from Him, and by it God creates all the aeons of time, past, present and future.

“I am”

 All of time, past present future, radiates out from Jesus. “I am.”

Nature and us

 The Holy Spirit teaches that Nature is like it is because God brought into being His Son and raised Him from the dead. But we sin.

Glory

 By sinning we have so fallen short of being worthy to be called Children of God but by faith which God fosters within us, He is Father.

So poor a body we are for Christ but so great a Head He is for us.

Break free

 Break free. Get your authority from Lord Jesus the Christ’s teachings and name and break free.

The Noah Flood

 People having misgivings about the records of the earliest events that shaped human civilisation does not mean the events didn’t happen. Looking just at archeology of it and extant texts from before and after the time (texts written after but indicating earlier documents existed of which they were copies) you see Utnapishtim (Noah) surviving a catastrophic flood ingrained into folklore and historic narratives. You see him living in a city Sharappak and possibly resetting there again long afterwards and the city being rebuilt preserving a flood layer dating it all to the third millennium BC. Something happened and the people involved are perpetuated in history. 

Micah”s Advent Prophecy

 "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity."

So said the prophet Micah.

This Jesus, Son of Man, who came, His coming in flesh was in the times of most ancient aeons past going to become a manifestation in recorded history just two thousand years ago. For those aeons past it would appear the existence was spiritual, not flesh, but was always going to one day become flesh. 

When an angel is manifest, that angel is in some ways just like a human. Yet before and after such manifestations it still exists but in a spiritual existence. It’s identity is preserved yet its physical features are not actually physical in our sense of hard matter until its time of manifestation. Those times seem possibly to be interspersed with spiritual existence. Maybe so too with the Son of Man. Existing spiritually with actual real identity but no flesh of natural elements like we have until formed in the virgin womb and later born a mortal human. Yet existing long before all this in a spiritual existence, even such that spiritual perception of prophets and angels could see Him, the firstborn over all creation through whom the Father made all things. Now, both killed and resurrected, He is immortal and thrice a Son of God, firstborn over the acts and outcomes of creation, only begotten son of God and now firstborn of God from the dead, alive forever: This Son of Man up to whom Enoch was taken to be like an angel five thousand years ago, as the Book of Enoch records for us.

Where Christianity and Islam seem to agree

Christianity and Islam seem to agree that the Lord, Jesus Christ, Isa al Masih, will judge the living and the dead and if your sins characterise you in certain ways, you will not end well. 

Liars, murderers: The same end for each (and these probably overlap in some people) if you die in your sins. But Jesus came so you do not have to.

Model or Truth

 Tragically the majority settle for knowledge of a philosophical model over knowledge of the truth and die in their sins.

Theological philosophical models

Many when trying to understand God subscribe to an existing philosophical model of God, perhaps already picked out by their peers or church denomination. These models were formed over centuries since Roman Christians and others started to develop them on Hellenist philosophical lines in the third century, two hundred years after Christianity took shape. They called these models “orthodoxies”. The first two were Arianism and Trinitarianism as distinct from the more variant Gnosticism. Later Manichaeism, Muslim theology, Unitarianism and Binitarianism were added. Most recently Pentecostals added Oneness. They make approximations of understandings of scriptures and of philosophical theological theories about God and the Holy Spirit and Jesus. They also tend to distort scriptures to make them fit the model. Now a model is fine. We naturally create them. If say we make a phone-call to a loved one we know well, we might make a model in our minds of their likely situation. We picture how they might be. Maybe they are working and the kinds of things they might be doing could make it awkward to answer the phone. However, then when they do answer, and we get a real picture of their situation we quickly put that model picture on hold and replace it with reality. So too with our knowledge of God. Once we get the reality we can replace our model with that. We need to accept that the model might be replaced with reality once the connections are made with God. We need not cling to it. But danger comes when our social contacts and circles depend on maintaining that model. To get a grip on reality when it comes, if the social contacts tie us too tightly to the shared, agreed model we might do well to loosen those ties so we are not hindered when reality comes and God shines it into our minds. Love God enough to do this. Love God the most. Love Jesus the more than other loves. Truth sets free from sin and we need that truth more than the model and the ties that come with it.

The One with whom we can identify

 God made the firstborn son of His over all creation into a fully natural human being to help us understand and be truly represented before God. Yet now this firstborn over all creation is firstborn from the dead too and immortal like an angel, so humanness itself is taken to the next level like it can be with us too. We can identify with Jesus’ mortal time of being like we are now. We can hope that when we, if worthy of it, become resurrected immortals we will still have Jesus who is already like that for us. But before Jesus was born of a virgin He was not like us. He was very much like an angel but always destined to be like us and have an entry into this world by birth like we do. He ever was and still is the Son of Man. That is just the way it is. You are not expected to identify with that angelic state but Enoch could and Elijah could because they became angelic like this Son of Man before His advent. You and I can identify with the mortal state He took when God the Father, His Father, sent Him.

My first experience of the Holy Spirit and subsequent encounters

 My first experience of the Holy Spirit was not long after I was baptised in my teens. My believer church friend and I were playing chess. I never experienced the Holy Spirit before. We were playing chess and discussing Einstein and Creation and the speed of light, like most wannabe intellectual teens about to start more heavy duty academic courses. (My friend later married a daughter of a world-top scientist and became a respected radiographer. I didn’t do anything like that but, well, I hoped.) We did that chess thing where to decide who plays white and gets to go first, one of you juggles a black and a white pawn behind your back then holds them out in closed fists, one pawn in each hand. The other then chooses a hand and you play the colour you chose. My friend did the hand juggling while I got to choose a fist held out. Our minds were full of quantum theory and Einstein. Suddenly a kind of voice said inside my head “Choose the fist that looks the whitest”. One hand looked a bit whiter than the other in my perception. So I chose it. The pawn was the white pawn. For some reason we did it again but I said nothing about the voice. Another hand looked whitest. I chose white again. We did it thirty two times. Each time I chose white. We got scared and stopped. It is a lesson to me in how God can bypass the uncertainties of quantum physics and create the outcome He wants, whatever it is He wants it to be. The Holy Spirit searches the deep things of God the Father and makes them known to us. 

Years later I was at university in London and my friend was at a different university in London. We went to the same church but it was so big we only realised that when we met up a year or so ago. When at that church a great preacher was leading it. Dr R T Kendall. He would preach an hour or more and it was never enough for me. I shut my eyes and soaked it in. Pure scripture exposition, a verse or less at a time, going through a single book over many, many weeks. Three services each Sunday. One Sunday I burnt my finger so badly on the toaster at breakfast that I got a blister over a centimetre (third of an inch) wide. It was agony. I went to church and he preached on the verse “If you have faith and do not doubt you can say to this mountain move and it will move”. I could not concentrate even with my eyes shut. The pain was excruciating. Then suddenly as he read the verse an inner certainty arose inside me that this blister was a mountain God wanted moved so I could listen. In my mind I shouted at that pain “Go!” Immediately it disappeared and I struggled against doubts trying to rise up in my mind (memories of how folk would say it is all in my head and the pain will come back) and I was able to resist because of the certainty that had welled up inside me. Half an hour he preached and my eyes were shut and no pain came back. When he finished I opened my eyes, and yes the blister had disappeared and never came back. I went to meet RT afterwards and told him about it. He said “that is what we can expect when we faithfully preach the word”. Years later I wrote and reminded him. He still had that belief. 

Just a few years ago I was debating with online social media associates and sometimes I would go and lie on my bed, letting it sink in what we debated and meditating a bit to get consolation and reflect. One time as I did so I reflected on things that went badly for aggressive unbelieving attackers or even for respected friends at work or in my general life who actually started to become a serious, even life endangering threat to me. They would end up suddenly in a bad way and be removed from harms way. A couple even died. It suddenly struck me how it had been happening in the background. In my childhood I got persecuted at school for believing in Jesus but I had had dreams in which Jesus stood there and fended the attackers off and these so greatly encouraged me. Now looking back it seemed an angel had been physically fending off attacks and keeping me safe. It suddenly dawned on me it might be an angel doing it. Then the verse popped into my head “the Angel of the Lord encamps around them that fear Him”. I could not remember where it was, a psalm I thought. Suddenly a voice spoke inside my head as clear as a bell “DANIEL 3”. I knew it was the Holy Spirit (or an angel, I later thought). I just got up and looked up Daniel 3 in a Bible I never used but which I had in the next room. Nothing about an angel or the like but I kept reading, then at the very end of the chapter it had “Angel” capitalised and a margin reference. I looked up the reference and it was that very verse “the Angel of the Lord encamps around them that fear Him”. The chapter in Daniel was about lives of believers being spared from certain death by what looked like an Angel of the Lord and even their persecutor had to admit this proved God is real. 

In my childhood I must have read about God appearing in a dream to Solomon because over and over I prayed Him to appear to me like that. I so wanted to see Jesus too but I read He told Thomas “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” so I didn’t want to forfeit such a blessing. I heard from Pentecostal grandparents about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and they took my sister to church and she came back telling me about speaking in tongues. Never did anything like that happen in churches I attended. I was distraught that I was ever missing out. I prayed more so in my late teens at university and a believer got visions and I never did, and another told me I was missing out. I then did get a vision in our university Christian student meetings of glory of God and this believer saw my face all lit up and was delighted for me. But it did not assure me I had received the Holy Spirit. I had nobody to assure me. In my twenties and early thirties it got too much so I started earnestly praying for all this and especially to be certain I had received the Holy Spirit. One day I really prayed so earnestly and suddenly a vision happened like seeing a TV program in front of my eyes of a bucket of builder’s sand tipped out before me and words like subtitles across that ‘screen’: BUILD THE TEMPLE. I love it. Never had it happened to me before. But still I wasn’t sure. So I beseeched God, if it is the Holy Spirit doing this please confirm it threefold. I was taken by a friend to a Saturday church miles away and in it anybody was allowed to stand and speak if God gave them something. Three girls from ‘Sunday School’ stood at the front and sang the song they had written: it went “Build build build the temple. Build build build the temple“! A man stood and played a redemption hymnal hymn on a guitar and sang it then spoke about David being told by God that his Son Solomon could build the Temple and the man spoke about a David being awestruck at the privilege. Then an elderly man spoke about building the temple too. I had my threefold confirmation. 

After that command BUILD THE TEMPLE I tried to do the only method of building the temple of believers I knew about: preaching. I became a lay preacher with the Methodists and also tried to find churches where anyone was allowed to preach and I really wanted to prophesy but did not know what that entailed. I got conviction that I did not know enough to preach well. I remembered a verse where Paul criticised wannabe teachers of the law, saying they did not know what they were talking about. I told God it was me too who did not know really anything much about God nor even have full assurance He existed, since most days since childhood I woke up in the morning and before getting up I had to persuade myself God exists. It was not good enough for a preacher. If God wanted me preaching I beseeched Him to give me knowledge of Himself, Father and Son and Holy Spirit (that was my Trinitarian church thinking). Knowing how Jesus said such privilege of seeing God and Himself and having the Holy Spirit first and was only really promised for those who obeyed Jesus, I went on a personal audit to check that every command of Jesus I could understand well enough, I was indeed obeying. Then I asked God to show me Father and Son and Holy Spirit. One night a little later in a dream the Father did come and stand in my dream in front of me. He was like an imposing male elderly great figure standing very upright dressed in a long gown and He said sternly “I am God” and the vision showed me the thing God wanted me to do the next day at work and what the cue would be. It happened as was told me and resulted in someone’s day being saved (a gifted poet getting married that coming week). Months later in a ferocious storm that is in Wikipedia, there was a voice again but this time different like a voice nobody could refuse. “PUT DOWN YOUR UMBRELLA” and as I put it down the torrential rain stopped dead so not a drop hit me. “It is the Lord!” I exclaimed to myself. As usual I went home and that night asked for proof. A dressing gown I never used at all was on a nail in the wall. By morning let it come off that nail if indeed it was Jesus who had spoken to me and stopped the storm. In the middle of the night I suddenly felt someone reaching so deep into my mind it was to a part of my consciousness I never knew existed, turning a key of my will like total master and compelling me to wake up. I jumped out of bed and in the dark reached for the dressing gown and as I took it down I remembered the sign request and was stunned that Jesus had done that. Months later again I was taken by my lay preaching supervisor to a different church where he assured me I would witness real speaking in tongues. A weight kept me inwardly in a kind of straight jacket. A hand was upon me of the Holy Spirit. In the service a man spoke a message in tongues at a microphone and the interpretation was given me as I heard each sentence. “Consider the trees, they bring forth buds and leaves. They do so by the power of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” It said more too, about planets I think. The speaker himself then said those very words. Months later I got my first (only so far) prophetic word. Israel has sinned, the eagle over the house of Israel is the sign. And the church I said it to, they had one of the first police helicopters fly over them and their locals were in the news about it. Mass surveillance started from that time onwards to this day. 

It is not always pleasant what the Holy Spirit can do. I stayed with a friend and went with him to a church in another town where mostly the pastor had worked among the mentally disabled and there were maybe fifty who attended and they were all full of the Holy Spirit somehow unhindered by their disabilities. The meeting started with singing and there was no gradual warming up of the energy of the spirit of the singing. Then went instantly into joyous powerful praise to God and never got tired or deflated. Red hot Spirit-filled praise to God in their joy in Jesus. I was suddenly overcome with utter conviction. I felt nothing but conviction of my own sinfulness. There was no consolation except I could only try to utter with my proud-hearted mouth “Lord Jesus!”. That is the Holy Spirit too.

Unitarians

Unitarians are greatly affected by teachers of the Sozzini family of Italians in the sixteenth century who questioned and contradicted the belief that Jesus existed before coming in the flesh. Some now believe Jesus did not exist at all before coming in the flesh but that prophecies about Jesus did exist before that time. Others believe the existence of Jesus before becoming flesh was in the form of the word of God, the Logos. Personally I find it strange that there is reluctance to accept that the word of God about Jesus which eventually became flesh did not before that time have any material nature. The scriptures speak of this Logos in anthropomorphic terms, saying that all things were made through this Logos. This ascribes to the Logos a state of existence. What kind of existence do the Socinian (followers of Sozzini teachings) ascribe to the prophecies and the plan for Jesus to come? Is it too mysterious to accept that the word was so glorious that something real, somebody real, came into existence when God first, before creating anything else, uttered His powerful will that there would be the Son of God. Light existed when God said “let there be light”. Why not His Son? Yet scriptures such as the Book of Enoch expressly say that the Son of Man did indeed exist with God even before the rest of the Bible was written. So to my mind this mystery is being revealed and has been from the dawn of history. Christ truly came into the world from heaven, from God. 

Muslims and the Gospels

 Muslims think the death of Jesus Christ on a cross never happened and the gospels accounts of it were fabricated. That would be weird indeed: To fabricate a death that looked like failure. And if they fabricated their eyewitness accounts, why did they not go to more trouble to make the details agree? Anyone attending jury service knows that eyewitness accounts which completely agree are to be regarded suspiciously. Eyewitness accounts never agree on details. That is human nature. But lies are usually, a frequent court attender I know tells me, obviously lies because liars tell blatant lies which undermine their credibility. The accounts of the death on a cross of Jesus have differences which show authenticity. Like whether Jesus drank the vinegar. Immaterial but authentic. And the differences show real events were witnessed by multiple people. So a sensible person examining these accounts is likely to be convinced that Jesus the Messiah did die on that cross. This adds weight to the testimonies that afterwards Jesus was seen alive again. Billions draw hope from this. The idea that the whole thing was fabricated is bad enough, but to say it was Jews who fabricated it, not disciples, is weirder still. Why would Jews who wanted Jesus dead write the gospels?

Alive today and alive forever

 It is crucial whether Jesus is alive still today having risen from the dead. It puts preexistence into the background because it is clear that a risen Jesus alive today is not gonna die tomorrow and let us all down. Yes a preexistent Jesus made before anything else was made by the Father is immense in authority but some cannot accept it. However, two thousand years alive! Might as well be ten thousand years. It means He truly IS. Not just was. Not just is. Not just will be tomorrow. He IS. Just like the Father IS. And it means Jesus is the Son of God forever. Not sinless today, fallen tomorrow. Not like an AA member happy to be drink free for a month of year. This is eternal. Eternally a son. Like He says “a slave has no permanent place in the household but a son abides in it forever”. Dependable to save us, eternally. So do you believe all this is true, that Jesus IS? Believe!

Becoming a son/daughter of God

 BECOMING A SON/DAUGHTER OF GOD

There is more to it than abstaining from obvious sins like lying, though that is a major part of it. It takes power: Power given by Jesus to those who believe the message of the apostles about Him and believe their records of His words. Hold to these teachings. Especially seek those who proclaim them to you faithfully. If you love Jesus you will not discard the lessons you learn from Him but you will let them build up and create a picture of truth within you, believing that God sent Him, and God calls Him His beloved Son.

Christ’s Advent

 Phrases like “firstborn over all creation”, “only begotten son”, “through Him all things were made”, these aren’t inventions or mistranslations. Whole gospel chapters are devoted to proving the Christ came into the world as the Son of God by virgin birth. This is not superimposed. This is what those believed who Jesus chose to push out His message and truth and grace. Doubt this and you doubt Jesus. But hey, even one of the inner circle doubted physical resurrection until Jesus gave first hand evidence he could not refute and Jesus told him “Stop doubting and believe”. This Jesus also told off those who doubted the apostles’ testimony of His resurrection. But blessed those who had not seen and yet believed. Having not seen but received clear evidence proved absolutely by the Holy Spirit, I too can testify that JESUS IS. And is the same as what the gospels say of Him. Alive from the dead. Firstborn from the dead. 

The Big Picture of Jesus

 Believing in Jesus’ veracity and a bit of confidence in scripture faithfulness (albeit wary of textual variations) leads to awareness of truths, but love of Jesus leads to keeping those things over time, not forgetting or ignoring what we learn from Him and those He has sent. Then they all build into a big picture. And God gives works of power to give us something solid for our faith.

Learning truth

 Truth is not just about scriptures, is about God too, since there are so many word variations in scriptures, and God chose to have His Son and the Holy Spirit be the way He reveals truth via those to whom Jesus shows Himself and then sends. You can’t truthfully test what is said about Jesus without having first that faith which is Fathered by God, who never lies.

My belief in Jesus

 Jesus is, I believe, the Son of Man. Man as distinct from spirit that is the Father. Human of human birth as distinct from angel who merely looks like a man (angels are often described as men or young men in scripture). Yet born of a virgin on whom the Spirit of God descended. So only begotten Son of God, unique in this regard, THE only begotten Son of God. Also preexisting and firstborn over all creation, existing with God, generated by God, before anything else was made. First of all the angelic sons of God the Father. Also firstborn from the dead, made a living immortal being after having died. First of all those who will later be so resurrected. So set aside by God for this purpose and sent into the world to reveal the truth. 

How to deal with truth and lies about Jesus today

Believing in Jesus is not believing in lies since liars are everywhere and you need to start with one person who can believed and nobody meets that criterion like Jesus does. Yet you need to believe in Jesus enough to believe the veracity of anyone sent by Jesus. That includes those who Jesus kept closest during the years of ministry and then sent out to testify to everyone. This also includes some Jesus sends today to whom enough of Jesus is made known that they too can testify.

Learning by miracles

 Look at the gospel of John and all the miracles there. They each convey truths about Jesus. They are God’s testimony about His Son. That can be true in lives of those who experience His works today. The lesson is taught through the works. The works God does through Jesus and apostles and miracle workers today are teaching people. What are they learning? The same kinds of things as the gospel testimony recorded. But learning by power of God is better than meanings of words and arguments about words can teach anyone. The truthfulness of God and what God teaches is conveyed by the faith these miracles produce. It is the same today as it was in those gospel times. These lessons lead into all truth. 

The Lord on King David’s throne

 The Lord on King David’s throne

Israel knows it’s king of ancient times left that throne to a future descendant who would live forever, dying but rising from the dead, because David himself foretold it in a psalm. So there is no reason to doubt that Jesus is that descendant and is alive from the dead and has been given that throne by God. It means not only is Jesus the Christ but He is the One who David acknowledged as his Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ alive from the dead, living forever and forever to reign on David’s throne. Israel has sinned. Repent and baptised in the name of Jesus to keep His teachings. Behold your Lord and King.

Modern apostleship

 We can share in maintaining the faith of Jesus Christ in these times continuing it from the first century. Faith given us can be like faith given then coming from Jesus and the Father directly as well as from the Holy Spirit and miracles.

The only resurrected immortal

 The only immortal to die and rise again is Jesus. He had to be born a mortal to do it. All within recorded history, at a time when accurate historic records were being kept. 

Christmas Truth

 The Christmas truth is that not just Jesus’ death is a sacrifice but the very human lifeform taken by the divine being, the god, the heavenly entity from before the beginning of time, the Son of Man who is first Son of God to ever exist, Jesus when that first Noel advent this person became a human flesh crying baby is itself a sacrifice of great immortal majesty to take humble mortal flesh humanity then die on that cross for sins of you and me, that son of God sacrifice led to a new kind of son of God status as first ever human to rise immortal from the dead to live forever.

The John 9 Experience

 The John 9 experience: Even after a miraculous experience of Jesus, a result of which saw the healed man punished for having believed Jesus is the Christ, the man still experienced Jesus telling him more. Jesus told him that He is the Son of Man, the Son of God made flesh: Begotten, but begotten of God. Jesus was later challenged about telling him this (John 10) but He stood firmly by His statement.

More than Christ

 Many acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. Muslims do so by calling Him Isa al Masih. Western world by calling Him Jesus Christ. But for those who have experienced His power miraculously, He challenges to believe He is more. He confesses to us that He is the Son of Man, He is the Son of God. The Father says so too.

Not just Christ but Son of Man too

It was illegal at one point for Jews to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ and so He challenged a believing Jew to confess Him as the Son of Man. If that meant the same as Christ then Jesus would have been encouraging the man to break the law. Obviously the way John records it, that wasn’t the case. Jesus was avoiding the tricky question of being the Christ and focusing on the equally important matter of Him being the Son of Man and being believed to be such, and being believed in as such. John 9. So the fact that Jesus is the Son of Man is not quite the same as Him being the Christ. I believe it is about His preexistence. As seen by Daniel, Enoch, Esdras. The man had already been punished for confessing Jesus as the Christ, so this was different. More than Christ, Son of Man. 

Offer and counteroffer

 Someone candidly and intelligently wrote to me:

“I can make others more like me by being a living example. I can raise my children to live by those values. When I die, in all likelihood my atoms will continue on as part of of the cosmos from whence they came. I can’t guarantee anything to anyone, nor can you. The issue with Christians such as yourself is that you constantly put the responsibility for yourself on others. Everyone has to take personal responsibility for themselves and their actions. I’m by no means rich and have tasted destitution in my life. You also know nothing of the suffering I’ve endured in my life and are in no place to be speaking about me “succumbing”. Big words from a man who can’t live without an imaginary big brother protecting him.”

— an atheist in LinkedIn (discussion on Atheist Republic 21 Nov 2020, quoted anonymously with permission) 

My answer:

“Well Jesus does provide a constant ongoing provision for others to have ongoing righteousness because He does not die and He is proven long term.”

Jesus is. That you gotta believe - if you don’t want to die in sin, He said. He existed before Abraham was born (c1800 BC) and lives forevermore having been raised from the dead. So no issue about death. That is one better than your offer. Then He knows God and what counts as righteousness to God. And He is appointed the judge so He knows the basis on which each of us will be judged as to whether we really have been living right. That is another better point of offer. There is a lot more in John 8. It is where that famous phrase comes from “the truth will set you free”. If you do wrong you are a slave to wrongdoing. I know that from experience. Truth that sets free is truth given by Jesus. The Holy Spirit makes it real. So not just a good example. A good example won’t liberate an alcoholic. Truth from Jesus liberates from wrongdoings. That is another better offer. It goes on. You have to hold to His teachings to get this once you believe.That’s the deal. 

I know folk find it hard to believe this Jesus, brought into flesh life by virgin birth having previously lived aeons with the Father in heaven, rose from the dead and will live forever and can deal with sinners’ sins but I pray He’ll back it up with signs from heaven.

Duranki a state of worship

 This is a mystery, and the words for saying it are elusive, but Enoch’s name might be about the Holy Spirit. It seems likely that Enoch is historically the person whose name in extant texts is Enmenduranki. Predecessor of Ubaratutu (Methuselah) and Utnapishtim (Noah) kings and leaders of the ancient Sumerians before the Flood. Enmenduranki is Sumerian meaning ‘The lord who is a bridge to the heavenly state of the sons of God’. This heavenly state of the sons of God, Duranki, or as Jesus puts it ‘the kingdom of God’, indicates that heavenliness is a state of being. Jesus indicated that this state of being is like a place and is the Spirit. A woman of Samaria, John’s gospel tells us, the place outside the main religious site of Israel, away from Jerusalem the holy city of God, asked Jesus about the site of worship and the stigma of worshiping away from it and being labelled not truly Jewish. Jesus replied “The Time is coming and has now come when all true worshippers will worship God in spirit and in truth for these are the kind of worshippers that God requires”. So the place of worship is not of so much importance with God as the state of the person worshipping which is acceptable to God if it is in spirit and truth. This hints at the Holy Spirit producing a truthful state of being in a person, the state of spirit and truth, by which their worship becomes acceptable to God, more so than if they worshipped in the place of Jerusalem. Enoch’s name Enmenduranki is a hint at this. A prophecy of it perhaps. 

Jesus according to the scriptures

 What a curious person Jesus is. Disagreement over what kind of person Jesus is pervades the history books and ripples through social media today. Yet I hope it can be cleared up what scriptures say about this Son of Man and everyone who knows scripture could at least agree on this. Jesus in scripture goes back to prophecies of times long before the birth people celebrate at Christmas. Yet some scriptures less well known exist which even describe this Son of Man as existing many centuries before this extraordinary man was born. The scriptures written later by the apostles Jesus sent show that these first believers regarded Jesus as firstborn over all creation who was with God the Father before God made the world. Firstborn means no other sons of God, beings brought into existence by God, existed when this firstborn existed but God placed the firstborn over everything He subsequently made through His Son. Then scriptures tell of this Son becoming a human in Roman times and being born of a virgin, so becoming begotten by God the Father. Lastly the scriptures tell how this Jesus died by crucifixion as a sacrifice for your sins and mine and God the Father raised Jesus from the dead to be immortal forever, firstborn from the dead, later to be joined by others so raised, all to be sons of God by resurrection. Amen.

The First and the Last

 A god is a son of God and a son of God is one whose very existence was because of God. So firstborn as a son of God means being the only one of your kind until others are brought into existence by God in that same way. As firstborn over all creation there were no other sons of God for a while when Jesus was brought into existence by God before the world began. As one born of a virgin there was only Jesus brought into existence by God this way as an only begotten son of God. As firstborn from the dead there are no other resurrected immortal humans for a while when Jesus is the only one brought again into living existence from the dead until others too are so raised.  So Jesus became a god three times - a firstborn son of God three times: First by spirit by which He came into existence before Creation; Second by water from the virgin’s womb; Third by blood being raised immortal from the dead. So as firstborn over creation He is alpha and as firstborn from the dead alive forever He is omega. First and last.

Three times a god the Son of God

 Jesus became a god three times - a firstborn son of God three times: First by spirit by which He came into existence before Creation; Second by water from the virgin’s womb; Third by blood being raised immortal from the dead.

Where Trinitarians go wrong

 The proof texts used by Trinitarians I believe have an alternative as true meaning, Thomas saying “my lord and my god” seeing Jesus resurrected, John writing “the word was with God and the word was [a] god” and writing “only begotten son” which might be “only begotten god”. The true alternative is as follows.  A god is a son of God and a son of God is one whose very existence was because of God. So firstborn as a son of God means being the only one of your kind until others are brought into existence by God in that same way. As firstborn over all creation there were no other sons of God for a while when Jesus was brought into existence by God before the world began. As one born of a virgin there was only Jesus brought into existence by God this way as an only begotten son of God. As firstborn from the dead there are no other resurrected immortal humans for a while when Jesus is the only one brought again into living existence from the dead until others too are so raised.

Firstborn son of God

  A god is a son of God and a son of God is one whose very existence was because of God. So firstborn as a son of God means being the only one of your kind until others are brought into existence by God in that same way. As firstborn over all creation there were no other sons of God for a while when Jesus was brought into existence by God before the world began. As one born of a virgin there was only Jesus brought into existence by God this way as an only begotten son of God. As firstborn from the dead there are no other resurrected immortal humans for a while when Jesus is the only one brought again into living existence from the dead until others too are so raised.  

Jesus the same yesterday and today and forever

 Jesus the same yesterday and today and forever is what He’s always been but wasn’t always flesh, so what He was at first was pretty much the same as flesh then was made flesh. He could put a hand on a prophet’s shoulder and strengthen him centuries before becoming flesh. After resurrection He could do the same and does so still today. Always the same.

Is Jesus worshipped rightly?

 I bow and prostrate myself before Lord Jesus and my God the Father. Lord Jesus is a man. God the Father is a spirit. If Lord Jesus puts His hand on my shoulder I have comforting peace and draw strength. If God the Father put His hand on even an entire mountain it would burn up. 

Sons of God

There is a lot of doctrine of Christ Himself which is deep and mysterious about Sons of god. He and the rabbis and normal Jews of that time regarded heavenly beings as sons of God. Pretty much it meant gods. Anyone resurrected to live with immortality, taught Christ, becomes a son of God. And by sons of God that meant a kind of god. So this means He knew that included Himself. Yet He also knew He was already a kind of son of God or He would never have preached what He preached. So divinity in Christ and His contemporaries’ understanding was not unique to God but others could have it too and Christ very much had it. Still the confusion comes with those not well versed in such things who jump to dodgy conclusions. There was no doubting that the Father is alone the One True God, Most High, Lord of Hosts. It isn’t completely clear cut that claiming sonship of this Father is not in some way exalting oneself to near equality with Him. There was at that time some feeling of this, as the Jews showed in their response to Jesus claiming to be a Son of God. They did accuse Him of blasphemy. But then they too sometimes jumped to dodgy conclusions, as seen in how Jesus corrected them. Trying to trivialise it all into a few Greek philosophy tenets is not sensible though and not spiritual. As Paul warned in 1 Corinthians. Spiritual truths should be taught in spiritual sayings, as Jesus did whose words are spirit and truth. Worldly wisdom makes a hash of it and does not save. The true preaching saves. Just by being a righteous leader ruling with full authority of God, Jesus was a son of God, as the psalm says “you are all sons of God” speaking about such people. So in this sense the Messiah is by definition a son of God. Yet Jesus preached about being much more than just that, about being trusted by God with full knowledge of all God’s workings and dealings and teachings, being in unity with God, as a firstborn son, having had time when He alone was a son of God, THE son of God. He preached as did His apostles that He was THE Son in a way no other son could be. As such God sent Him into the world. His entry into our world was divine, through a virgin birth as the apostles taught and recorded in their gospels and epistles. In prophetic scriptures it tells us He existed from ancient times before becoming flesh. Jesus tells this too. As did John the Baptist. Always even back before God made the world the Son was there with God having great glory He has again now. The sonship He has as resurrected immortal is akin to what He had before the earth was made. Firstborn over all creation.  A god is a son of God and a son of God is one whose very existence was because of God. So firstborn as a son of God means being the only one of your kind until others are brought into existence by God in that same way. As firstborn over all creation there were no other sons of God for a while when Jesus was brought into existence by God before the world began. As one born of a virgin there was only Jesus brought into existence by God this way as an only begotten son of God. As firstborn from the dead there are no other resurrected immortal humans for a while when Jesus is the only one brought again into living existence from the dead until others too are so raised.  

Smart

 “Smart” That’s where the public gets persuaded to fork out private and public money for smart devices, smart cities, smart meters which are merely bugging devices they instal to let people spy on them. Real smart. They cannot easily bug your home so they persuade you to bug yourself by making you think you are smart to do so.

The party

 Some join the party. Others beg to be excused. This party is when you think about the crucifixion of Christ and realise your sins are the reason for it and you join in with confessing them. Then you look at others doing it and realise you have joined something big.

The cross

 The cross: a puzzling divine solution to our human problem. Remarkable how it gets us aware of our sins and inspired to confess them though.

Lord of David

 If Christ was not alive in heaven before God sent Him in flesh, that would make Him only the son of David but Christ is lord of David.

Wings

 We say “Oh for the wings of a dove. Then I’d fly away and be at rest.” But Christ says “Oh that you would let me cover you with my wings. Then you would be at rest.”

Truth thrown to the ground

 Nov 7th 2020. Never seen the BBC so blatantly issue fake news before. Unprecedented. They make it headline news that Biden won but then the news turns out to be simply their projections of results. This is just how Trump is saying it is: The media is dishonestly siding with Biden by publishing projections as if they are the actual results. I don’t have a side to support except truth and this clearly isn’t truth. Unprecedented times.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/election-us-2020-54801409

Shunning

 Jeremiah 48 has a Christian counterpart in 1  Corinthians 5. In Christianity, real Christianity, there is shunning as some call it and excommunication as others know it. It can result in actual death. It is better in the long term after death than to allow major sins such as paedophillia and parenticide to go unpunished because unpunished sin means a worse afterlife and worse fate at the final judgement. Yet today there are many who deny this aspect of faith, who are arrogant and proud and sit on their hands when tough love is required. 

Flawed Christianity

 There is a modern proud version of Christianity which makes up its own right and wrong then brushes under the carpet scripture verses which its proud modern right and wrong judges as wrong. So Christianity is flawed and proud and arrogant. Yes God says so too. But that does not mean God is wrong. Let God be true and every man a liar.

Book of Enoch references to Jesus

 Jude (brother of Jesus) and Peter (inner circle of Jesus) would hardly have used the Book of Enoch for reference if Jesus had not believed it to be scripture. The gospels tell how Jesus opened the scriptures to them, especially scriptures concerning Himself, so the closest disciples knew which books Jesus regarded as important scriptures. The fact Peter and Jude drew attention to the Book of Enoch reflects the importance Jesus placed on it and sanction He gave it.

The Scriptures of the Book of Enoch

 Matthew (chapter 22), Mark (chapter 12), Luke (chapter 20). These Gospels tell how Jesus rebuked some Sadducees for being ignorant of certain scriptures and the power of God. In doing so Jesus showed them what knowledge they lacked and showed what knowledge is gained from knowing  scriptures they didn’t know. Clearly Jesus was including knowledge about angels only found in the Book of Enoch when He did this. Given that despite many teachings to the contrary given by leaders through history, it means books such as the Book of Enoch, which testifies about the Son of Man, have Jesus’ approval and so what the Book of Enoch says about the Son of Man, clearly pointing to Jesus, must be taken seriously if we take Jesus Himself seriously. How do I know the sections of the Book of Enoch concerning the Son of Man are genuine? When I received the Holy Spirit I was given words of mystery about Nature which aren’t in the Bible but are in the Book of Enoch more ancient than the Bible. The words are not a verbatim quote of the Book of Enoch. They are words given in both tongues and interpretation of tongues, a mechanism typical of Holy Spirit imparted expression of mysteries. Given in a Pentecostal church service in 1995. There were: Consider the trees, they put forth buds and leaves; they do so by the authority of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those were the precise words given. The first part of a two-part message in a heavenly tongue, then interpreted by the speaker but also the same interpretation as I too received as I heard the heavenly language spoken. How does this prove to me the Son of Man passages in the Book of Enoch? The teaching given in those heavenly words is not found in scriptures except the Book of Enoch in the passage about the Oath and its control over all of Nature and the name of the Son of Man being given to angels to enunciate in that Oath to guard against influences of fallen angels. This is one of the passages in the sections of the Book of Enoch concerning the Son of Man. So this shows me that the Holy Spirit today is teaching what was long ago taught in these Son of Man passages, validating them with heavenly authority. It is like a seal of authority. That seal is only now being revealed in our churches. It is time to take these passages seriously, under leadership of the Holy Spirit who brings glory to Jesus’ name. 

My thoughts on the Multiverse Theory

 There are a set of divine rules which govern the universe or multiverse. The same rules but various possible outcomes, hence multiverse in which all possible outcomes in some sense happen. Yet all outcomes happen according to same set of divine rules. The government is absolute in its authority but variously applies to each situation allowing some degrees of freedom. A pair of atoms might bond or might not, either way being in accordance with the rules of quantum chemistry, yet in a multiverse, if it exists (as well it might and some evidence suggests it does) both the bond and the absence of the bond exist. Yet the rules transcend all multiverse possible states. God ordains the whole set of possible outcomes be subjected to the rules, the “oath” as Enochian theology calls it. 

This is essentially an intersection between the Multiverse Theory and the Enochian/Heraclitus/ Pythagoras/John the Baptist/Philo Logos Theory. The latter combines the Logos and the Oath. These are related but not equivalent in the teachings of Enoch. The name of the Son of Man was mingled with the Oath by archangels to strengthen the Oath against fallen angels. Pythagoras, Heraclitus and the Stoics recognised a Logos or divine ledger or set of universal yet anthropomorphically comprehensible Mathematical  rules governing the universe. John and other apostles of Christ Jesus identified it with Christ, the Son of God’s authoritative word of power, from the beginning and forever. 

Repent and believe

 “Repent and believe” is what Jesus preached.

My late father, a pastor, used to tell me it is one thing to have great exegesis skills, the real challenge is in how to apply the word. The message given to the people at that time meant something particular to them. Generalising it to include ourselves then applying it in preaching is the great challenge. If you have been doubting Christ even though His word is being presented accurately and clearly to you, “repent and believe” is obviously applicable. When it gets tricky is when people have been mentally assenting for years to the preaching they hear. Repenting is less obvious. Believing is less obvious. Yet we each should test ourselves inwardly as to whether we are truly accepting the word planted in us which can save us. God sees our hearts. If God sees our real faith then God will grant our hearts the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

At some point

 At some point you have to quit lying and other sinning or you just die a sinner, condemned. Christ died for you.

What makes Jesus special?

 If Jesus is known for teachings, why are rabbis who taught the same not well known? What makes Jesus special is authority.

The Absurdity of Atheism

 It is actually difficult to dislike Ungod since nobody is certain what Ungod is like. This also makes it difficult to put much thought into Ungodism. Or Aungodism. I tend to think in theory I must be an aungodist because I believe Ungod does not exist. But I have no idea what being an aungodist is like since if Ungod certainly does not exist there is nothing tangible to go on. 

I tend to think it is more sensible to identify as an Aungodist rather than an Aungod2ist. There would obviously be infinite non-existent gods (including Ungod2 and Ungod3) I could identify as not believing in but I would tend towards some kind of generalisation, requiring a generic Ungod. But if I identify with not believing in Ungod then it could be construed as very specific to Ungod, not to Ungod2 or Ungod3. Perhaps I should identify as an A<ungodx>ist. I guess for that term to get traction we need to simplify it to Aungodxist. Not easy to say. Auntheistxist is no better. Perhaps I best forget this Aungodism thing as a non-starter. It works better with a real god to not believe in just to get a bit of traction and give it some meaning.

The evidence is there to find

 Look into the physical evidence of cuneiform tablets about crosses and sacrifices made to make way for a vision of prophecy, an oracle. That is the very meaning of the ancient symbol of a cross used since 3500 BC up until less ancient times. There are physical tablets which when deciphered provide evidence of this. That cross and blood of Christ made way for the Holy Spirit and prophesy which followed. God who provided this is seen in it. It is evidence of God. You merely need to understand and know. You can find it in secular sources on the internet.

Which god is God?

Which god is God? People such as the Ancient Greeks used to sacrifice on altars which had images carved into them of the gods to whom the sacrifice was dedicated. If people sacrifice on an altar with an angel carved into it, that sacrifice was being made to that angel to appease that angel. Now a sacrifice made on an altar of uncut, natural stone, to whom is that sacrifice made? That is God.

A dangerous myth

 The idea that you can just ignore God and live your life just as well is a bit of a dangerous myth. Without a deep-down level in your psyche where fear of God is allowed to influence you, you become somebody difficult to correct since correction requires motivation coming from that level of your psyche. When someone cannot be corrected they are very dangerous when given responsibility over others.

First step to freedom

 Believing Jesus is the one whose goings forth have been from most ancient times and even from before earthly times “from everlasting” as Micah prophesied, this is the first step towards freedom from sin. 

(Micah 5:2, John 8 )

Seven doctrines given me by God

 Seven doctrines given me by God:

God only supports our humble truth

Having believed Christ died for me and been given the Holy Spirit I must build the Temple

God the Father alone is God

Jesus, having showed Himself to me alive, has the faith which He commands us to have and He is Lord and Master, teaching what He always taught, and He is God’s Son.

The Holy Spirit tells how Nature is all day by day subject to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ as is the eternal nature of Nature

Israel has sinned (mass surveillance is a sign of this)

Persecutions will come because of this fear of God and devotion to Him but God sends angels as guards just as He did with Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego in the fiery furnace

Relationship #1

 We can be one with Jesus as Jesus is one with the Father. That is the mystery relationship and there is no beating it. Realising it has happened is #1.

The primary truth

 The thing is, the truth is, into which the Holy Spirit leads those who follow, this Jesus was there at the beginning, primary in the creating of the universe because the Father chose Him to be so, such that the universe as it formed obeyed His name’s authority and power right from the very start of matter and energy coming into existence, as creations took shape, the name of Jesus formed the processes the creations of God obey. There was the Son in full glory. There was the name of the Son with full authority which He has. This is who they crucified! Israel has sinned. Love Him now, do not hate Him like they did. Love the Father who sent Him. God gives no photo to put in a frame of Jesus but the words the Holy Spirit speaks of Him and these words we should put up in full view and teach to our children that we and they never forget His glory.

Your primary influence

 When we grow up we learn ways which come from the one who influences people to lie and angrily hate without just cause. We get trapped into that kind of behaviour. Everyone tends to. That is why it is essential to be born again so we instead have our behaviour taken over and influenced by God who never lies. That takes the work of the Holy Spirit and it comes about because Christ was crucified and God raised Him again to live forever. 

Majestic presence

 When Jesus sends a person they acquire some of the characteristics of Jesus in that they bear His good news and this means a kind of glory accompanies them which also accompanies Jesus. Lord Jesus has a tremendous presence. He fills the immediate surroundings with Himself. I think this is part of the meaning of the word for Lord in Greek, Kurios. I think a person sent by Jesus carries some of this characteristic. It is His majesty.

Living stones of the holy Temple

 In my visits to churches I have come across many spiritually gifted, prophetic believers who are truly genuine. Yes, there are many, many fakes, trying to gain trust of believers to be able to use that trust to do more hurtful damage in hope of discouraging believers into falling away. Yet there are clearly real prophets of all ages participating in local church groups where participation is allowed and encouraged. I hope these all grow closer together as the Temple and build each other up in the most holy faith, faith that Jesus shares.

The Temple of God

 The Temple of God: those who follow the Holy Spirit leading into all truth.

Before Abraham was born

 The Son of God is a truly amazing person who tells truthfully how things were before creation but our feeble minds think He means other things. He tells it because He was involved in it. He speaks of what He knows. He testifies to what He sees. Yet few accept it and realise what He is saying because it is too much to believe that He was there before Abraham was born.

Religious folk who despise prophesyings

 Religious people who despise visions and prophesyings, forget that most religion and scripture came about that way, by spiritual perception of things invisible to the masses, shepherds seeing a host of angels, Joseph and Mary seeing archangels, John the Baptist being told to watch out for a spirit dove, Moses seeing a bush burning but not burning up, John seeing a long, long vision of the last days, Paul seeing a light and hearing a voice unpercieved by his companions, Jesus seeing Satan fall from heaven, Isaiah seeing the robe of the Lord fill the temple, Abraham seeing a pitcher of fire pass between carcass halves, Ezekiel seeing lightning flash between angelic beings, many seeing a walking executed man rise steadily into the sky and Stephen while being stoned (not the drug induced stoned, the execution kind) seeing/perceiving Christ at the right hand of God in glory.

Father and Spirit

 God the Father is not the Holy Spirit nor vice versa. I know that first hand from Him. I guess God has to show this to others first hand for them to believe it but I must give the testimony of truth God has given me directly on this, even if nobody believes me.

Persuasion

 Wouldn’t it make an interesting election if every voter before being allowed to vote, had to first give the police a formal witness statement regarding whatever persuaded them to choose their preferred election candidate. Then there would be true evidence of what persuades voters. It would be like faith and belief if their persuasion was full persuasion. It might be that these statements could then be used to persuade others. Here is a parallel to what has happened in Christianity.

Son of God

 If Jesus had said He is God the Jews might have tolerated it because it would be a blatant lie and so obviously a lie, given what they knew about the Father, the LORD, so then they would treat Him nicely like they usual did with false teachers. Trouble for them was “Son of God” was believable because the Christ was expected. So the possibility of Him being believed by many in the crowds threatened them. It was as close to saying He is equal with God as He could say truthfully without the silliness of falsely trying to claim God’s individual identity.

Angel

 Angel: is probably the same as a god or divine being: not necessarily God, so a divine being other than the Father. The ‘el’ on the end of ancient names, which is a star symbol in ancient cuneiform as used by Daniel who told us much about angels, signifies dignitary, noble, ‘star’ or ‘aristocrat’, but also divine being, god, angel. Sons of God is the term in Genesis and Job. Daniel saw several who he described as like a man, but seen in a heavenly context, sometimes a vision. One of these was described in Revelation in exact same terms as in Daniel. That one is identified in Revelation as Jesus. So John is telling us it is the person seen by Daniel. Similar to a human before incarnation but also similar to an angel.

Important

 There is the importance of the truth that Jesus is. The importance of what Jesus is. A being from the mouth of God yet with individual life and existence even before all creation was created. Then there is the importance of what Jesus has. The Holy Spirit anointing without limit since God chose Jesus to be the One to save you (and I) from sin. Then there is the importance of what Jesus teaches and the knowledge of truth He gives. This is now imparted by the Holy Spirit too. Then there is the importance of what Jesus did and does. He died on a cross for you (and me). He rose from the dead. He lives forever. He mediates for you (and me) with God. He judges. He leads. The Holy Spirit leads too in the Lord Jesus Christ’s name. 

Awry

 Believing Jesus is. That is the first step. Adhering to what He said and the Holy Spirit teaches. That is second step. Then truth sets free. The church went awry when it started putting the cart before the horse and expecting knowledge of truth without first these two steps.

The One

 You need to believe Jesus is ‘the one’ if you are to become a true follower of Jesus. God can say ‘I am God’ and not be arrogant or lying. Jesus can say ‘I am the one’ without being arrogant or lying. Believing this is first step towards freedom from slavery to sin.

How best to learn about God

 Why do some many versions of doctrines about God exist? It all comes down to how a person learns. Some learn only from studying scriptures. That is not the best way. The best way to learn truth is to believe Jesus is the Son of Man, Messiah, the one, then follow Him by holding to His teachings then learn truth from Him by agency of the Holy Spirit. 

How many Gods?

 For some people their God died on a cross having become human. My God sent His Son to do it. My God is not a man nor a son of man. Some end up sacrificing to the Son instead of to God, thinking it is the Son who is the one God. Even Jesus, the Son, called His Heavenly Father “My God and your God”. 

Jesus’ trail of breadcrumbs

 Jesus is alive and can teach us to have a mature view of things but we must follow. He leaves breadcrumbs. Not literally of course. He leaves trail like the breadcrumb trail left in the fairy tale. We need to recognise the trail and follow it into truth. The writings of Revelation are a part of that trail. Hints at better knowledge than we learn at school. Read the writings Jesus left us after His ascent to the Father. Take it to heart. Ponder it on your bed. Tell these things to your children. Discuss them in your circle. The Holy Spirit can add more if we show we are following that trail. Faithful in little, faithful in much.

Faith

 FAITH: rooted from the ancient Greek word for persuasion. Being persuaded and persuading. Our ideal faith is persuasion from God Himself.

The Methuselah texts

 The Book of Enoch says a lot about Biblical Methuselah (the man who lived such a long life) and has several sections authored by him, but few realise there are some secular texts in existence other than the Book of Enoch, very ancient texts, perhaps the oldest texts in the world, which mention someone likely to be Methuselah. These texts are copies of one document called the Instructions of Sharappak. One text is kept in a museum in Chicago, the other in a museum near Oxford in England. They document the wise sayings of the father of Noah written for Noah. They mention the grandfather of Noah, calling him Ubara-Tutu, but this is probably Methuselah from the Book of Enoch and the Book of Genesis. The texts clearly hold him in high regard. Another set of texts supports the identity of Ubara-Tutu, and records that he was king in his time, successor to Enmenduranki, probably the contemporary name of Enoch.

Meaningful events

 All the things we do where God is intrinsically involved become a meaningful message, not mere random events. They spell out the nature of Jesus. With me, storm calming by faith depicts how Jesus is the giver of peace to the mighty.

When the 2800 years are over

 Just a few decades short of the 2800 years after the Assyrian conquest of Samaria and captivity of Israel around 730/740 BC foretold by Enoch in the Book of Enoch, what comes next? What follows that soon to finish time of God’s anger? What happens when the anger is fully actioned, anger first kindled when God was rejected and ignored by the northern people of Israel; anger burning ever since? Enoch foretold a series of judgments follow. There are two or three times of judgment involving lakes of fire. The Lord Jesus told of the master of disloyal servants returning from a journey to find there are some servants deserving judgment. He told of sorting sheep from goats. Enoch foretold blind sheep being cast into a lake of fire after overly violent angels are judged similarly. This is not the very final judgment but a precursor to it. The final judgement will come more than a thousand years later. “Even so, Come Lord Jesus”.

God’s ongoing anger

 GOD’S ONGOING ANGER

The Book of Enoch shows us our times and the anger of God still ongoing for the decades in which we live. God’s anger was kindled, Enoch foresaw, in the times of what we now know as Isaiah’s and Hezekiah’s times in Jerusalem (Isaiah chapter 9), when God was rejected and ignored by the northern people of Israel. He showed anger by allowing Assyria to invade but that anger continued, Enoch foretells for us, until our time and the next few decades. Almost 2800 years on from the time that anger was first kindled and its time is just decades from ending (2800 years after the Assyrian conquest of Samaria and captivity of Israel around 730/740 BC).