Some doctrines separate God and Jesus, claiming both as having a human body or something in the likeness of that body, taking into consideration the Words of creation, “let us make man in our image.”(Genesis 1:26) When confronted by a person, (who was confused) that used to believe this doctrine, he asked me, “Why did God commit incest when it is strictly prohibited in His Law?” I asked the man what he was talking about, and he answered with the following. The Bible says that God impregnated Mary, and Mary was one of His children.” I answered, “God is Spirit, referring to John 4:24 where it says; “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
As the conversation continued, with Jesus being the “first born” we finally started talking about the place that Jesus had in the plan from the beginning, (John 1:1-14) and then He asked another question; “are you saying that Jesus is God then?” I answered, “The Spirit of Jesus’ Father was inside of Him.” (Keeping in mind 1 Corinthians 15:28 knowing that if I mentioned that it would just add to his confusion, so I side stepped this one. [SUP]28 [/SUP]And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.)
And then he asked, “When Jesus prayed, was He praying to Himself?” I said “no.” and the conversation stopped when I added; “We don’t pray to ourselves when we posses the Spirit of God such as Christ did.” I failed to answer his questions so he could understand. We still pray for him, but I think because of the deception he grew up with, this doctrine has become a great barrier.
Hopefully, the following will answer some question about the truth of God, and understand, by faith, how magnificent our Father is. Remember, human logic without the Spirit, is to be carnally minded.
Mark 1:1-2 (KJV)
[SUP]1[/SUP] The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
[SUP]2[/SUP] As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before *thee.
Malachi 3:1 (KJV)
[SUP]1[/SUP] Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before *me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mark 1:2*thee-Malachi 3:1*me: Have you noticed a subtle difference?
Mark 1:2 (CJB) It is written in the prophet **Yesha`yahu, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare the way before you."
Malachi 3:1 (CJB) "Look! I am sending my messenger to clear the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Yes, the messenger of the covenant, in whom you take such delight - look! Here he comes," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot.
Malachi 3:1 (from the Hebrew)
Behold, I send my messenger. He will clear the way before you, and suddenly the Lord comes to his temple whom you are looking for.
So to put this all together, we are looking at four personages; God, Jesus, John, and God’s children.
After researching, Mark indicates “before thy face” as the one that is the Messiah, so *thee, is Jesus Christ.
Malachi, on the other hand, indicates, by the phrase, “whom you seek” that God’s people are look forward to the coming of Messiah.
In both scriptures we read that God is going to send John to prepare the way for the Messiah, who is *thee and *me in both passages.
In Mark (CJB) we read “I am”=God, “my messenger”=John, “me”=Christ Jesus, and “I am” is also Christ Jesus.
**Isaiah 40:3-4 (KJV)
[SUP]3[/SUP] The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
[SUP]4[/SUP] Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Proven scriptures as follows:
John 14:6 (KJV)
[SUP]6 [/SUP]Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Exodus 3:14 (KJV)
[SUP]14 [/SUP]And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
John 14:8-9 (KJV)
[SUP]8 [/SUP]Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
We must all understand that everything we read in God’s Word was the plan, and will of God, from before the beginning of time, and finalized before time with Christ. This includes everything that we read in His Word. We are to search His Word with the same gravity as anything else we read in His Word. Remember, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
post # 153