Post by Jo Smith on Nov 24, 2008 21:39:22 GMT -5
~~ In The Beginning ~~
In the beginning - of what? Of God? No, could not be. Why?
Hebrews 7: 1. For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
2. To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
3. Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. (Son of God; not Son of Man)
Now here we have established that those of the God Kingdom or the Father kingdom had no beginning of days, nor end of life. This is ETERNAL.
So God had no beginning. So when Jesus said I am the beginning - what did he mean? He could not have meant as so many assume, that this places Jesus back there at the beginning of the God world; for that world had no beginning. It is Eternal.
In the beginning was the Word - now what? Does this mean that the word or Jesus the man was at the starting up of God? Nope, could not mean that, for God had no starting up.
Jesus said I am the beginning and the ending. So now what? Does God have an ending? Nope. .... Without beginning or ending of days. Without Father or mother or descent.
So does Jesus have a Father and a mother and children. Sure he does (we are his children). God was his Father and Mary was his mother. So by this, we know his beginning. But does he have and end? Yes.
Luke 22: 37. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, and he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
Now this is Jesus’ own words - the things concerning me have an END. So then the fact that Jesus had a beginning and an ending proves he was not eternal; he was not God, for God has no beginning or ending or Father or Mother. But Jesus had all of these.
John 18: 37. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Now just read that verse; there are two things in this one verse PROVING that Jesus was NOT GOD. He (Jesus) said “I was born”. Now we have already proven by the Word that God had no Mother; so God was never BORN.
And Jesus said “to this END was I born”. So this is again stating that the man Jesus had an end. He is saying I was born to come to this END, His crucifixion, and his death.
DEATH? Now that raises another question - is God a MORTAL being? Can God die? Let’s all seek Scriptural answers. Mortal means able to die - so is God mortal? Corruptible means able to see corruption- is God corruptible?
We have already established in Heb. that the God kingdom is eternal, meaning they cannot ever die. So that alone answers this question. No! God is certainly NOT MORTAL. If God could die, all would cease to exist.
God is LIFE. So God cannot die nor can He corrupt. He is not corruptible.
Heb. 7: 14. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
15. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16. Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.
Now we know that when Jesus was born of Mary, the Word declares that he was MADE UNDER THE LAW.
This man who was made under the law died and went into hell fire; thus destroying that first man Adam. He left that image of sinful man there and came out of that grave a new Creation of God - a Man in the likeness and glory of the ETERNAL GOD.
So then he was made not after the law but after the power of an endless life. So Now that Christ has an endless life- he now has eternal life- which he also promised us who obey him unto the END of our lives.
But see that his first, human life ended? Sure it did. He died. He was resurrected into the God life of and endless life. This is where the Word was given the glory he had in the beginning. But it does not mean the beginning of God; for God had no beginning.
Romans 9: 5. Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Now this established that Christ came of the flesh, human flesh of the fathers. This proves He was a human being, living fully in human flesh.
1Cor 1: 29. That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Now this includes Jesus’ human flesh. And there is a Scripture in Psm. which shows Jesus saying to God that before Him, he was as a beast. So Jesus saw himself as a beast = human being.
11Cor 5: 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Now this shows that after the resurrection, we do not know Christ after the flesh any longer. It also shows that in Christ everything is a new creature.
Romans 1: 22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
See this shows that fools changed the glory of the UNCORRUPTIBLE GOD into an image made like to corruptible man.
Now I know you will not want to see this - but it is here anyway-----this clearly states that God is uncorruptible, meaning he was able to corrupt-- meaning He is not of the dust, or human kind. It also shows that they changed this glory into an image like to CORRUPTIBLE MAN. Now what it this? It is people saying that the corruptible man, Jesus is and was God.
And from there, men took it a step further and decided that other men are also God. See where this leads? This is the sin of Adam, wanting to be like God.
1 John 1:1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
Now this Scripture gets us to where we really need to be - seeing what the BEGINNING was speaking of. It said THAT WHICH WAS FROM THE BEGINNING, WE HAVE HEARD, AND SEEN WITH OUR EYES, OUR HANDS HAVE HANDLED THIS WHICH WAS FROM THE BEGINNING,
What? They heard, saw with their own eyes and handled that which was from the beginning? But Jesus said himself, “no man hath seen God at anytime or heard his voice or seen his shape.”
So how did these disciples do that thing? What did they see and handle? .... Of the Word...of the word of life...For the life was manifested, and they saw it and bore witness to what? That ETERNAL LIFE WHICH WAS WITH THE FATHER WAS MANIFESTED UNTO THEM.
So this proves that it was the Word.... The Word of eternal life, which was eternal with the Father. This is what was with the Father in the beginning = the Word.
The Word was seeking to have back the glory He had before the World was- not the human man Jesus. The Word was speaking in and through Jesus. Jesus died and had an end. The Word cannot die and is ETERNAL LIFE.
We have that Word in us right now. It is eternal life. The Word was God. Jesus was a man. God is not a man. The Word came and was inside the man Jesus. God was in Christ. Christ was in God, that is how he was in Heaven. He was in the Spirit. The Spirit is Heaven. Now we sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
11John 7. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
This shows that it is an antichrist who denies that Jesus came in flesh. Flesh is not God. God is a Spirit. So it is antichrist to say Jesus was God. You call God a lie for you believe not the record that God gave of his Son. God did not give a record of God; he did not say this is God; he said this is my Son.
Col. 1: 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Now this says that Jesus is the beginning---- so In the BEGINNING (in Jesus) was the Word. This shows that Jesus himself is the beginning; so the Word was in Jesus, for Jesus is the beginning. The beginning of what? The firstborn from the dead = the resurrection; = a new creation, the Creation of God--Gen. 1.
I conclude this message with this: ---Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Now don’t you see that Col. 1:18 said Jesus was the FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD -- AND THAT REV. 1: 5 SAYS THAT HE WAS THE FIRST BEGOTTEN OF THE DEAD?
So this is the first one of the new creation of making a man in God’s likeness and him image. Jesus is now the image of the invisible God. It started at his resurrection just as Paul declared in Romans 1:1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2. (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,)
3. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
See? Son of David after the flesh = his earthly, human life. Then the Son of God after the resurrection when He was given all power in Heaven and Earth and set at God’s right hand.
By: Jo Smith-- March 3, 2003
In the beginning - of what? Of God? No, could not be. Why?
Hebrews 7: 1. For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
2. To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
3. Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. (Son of God; not Son of Man)
Now here we have established that those of the God Kingdom or the Father kingdom had no beginning of days, nor end of life. This is ETERNAL.
So God had no beginning. So when Jesus said I am the beginning - what did he mean? He could not have meant as so many assume, that this places Jesus back there at the beginning of the God world; for that world had no beginning. It is Eternal.
In the beginning was the Word - now what? Does this mean that the word or Jesus the man was at the starting up of God? Nope, could not mean that, for God had no starting up.
Jesus said I am the beginning and the ending. So now what? Does God have an ending? Nope. .... Without beginning or ending of days. Without Father or mother or descent.
So does Jesus have a Father and a mother and children. Sure he does (we are his children). God was his Father and Mary was his mother. So by this, we know his beginning. But does he have and end? Yes.
Luke 22: 37. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, and he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
Now this is Jesus’ own words - the things concerning me have an END. So then the fact that Jesus had a beginning and an ending proves he was not eternal; he was not God, for God has no beginning or ending or Father or Mother. But Jesus had all of these.
John 18: 37. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Now just read that verse; there are two things in this one verse PROVING that Jesus was NOT GOD. He (Jesus) said “I was born”. Now we have already proven by the Word that God had no Mother; so God was never BORN.
And Jesus said “to this END was I born”. So this is again stating that the man Jesus had an end. He is saying I was born to come to this END, His crucifixion, and his death.
DEATH? Now that raises another question - is God a MORTAL being? Can God die? Let’s all seek Scriptural answers. Mortal means able to die - so is God mortal? Corruptible means able to see corruption- is God corruptible?
We have already established in Heb. that the God kingdom is eternal, meaning they cannot ever die. So that alone answers this question. No! God is certainly NOT MORTAL. If God could die, all would cease to exist.
God is LIFE. So God cannot die nor can He corrupt. He is not corruptible.
Heb. 7: 14. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
15. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16. Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.
Now we know that when Jesus was born of Mary, the Word declares that he was MADE UNDER THE LAW.
This man who was made under the law died and went into hell fire; thus destroying that first man Adam. He left that image of sinful man there and came out of that grave a new Creation of God - a Man in the likeness and glory of the ETERNAL GOD.
So then he was made not after the law but after the power of an endless life. So Now that Christ has an endless life- he now has eternal life- which he also promised us who obey him unto the END of our lives.
But see that his first, human life ended? Sure it did. He died. He was resurrected into the God life of and endless life. This is where the Word was given the glory he had in the beginning. But it does not mean the beginning of God; for God had no beginning.
Romans 9: 5. Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Now this established that Christ came of the flesh, human flesh of the fathers. This proves He was a human being, living fully in human flesh.
1Cor 1: 29. That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Now this includes Jesus’ human flesh. And there is a Scripture in Psm. which shows Jesus saying to God that before Him, he was as a beast. So Jesus saw himself as a beast = human being.
11Cor 5: 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Now this shows that after the resurrection, we do not know Christ after the flesh any longer. It also shows that in Christ everything is a new creature.
Romans 1: 22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
See this shows that fools changed the glory of the UNCORRUPTIBLE GOD into an image made like to corruptible man.
Now I know you will not want to see this - but it is here anyway-----this clearly states that God is uncorruptible, meaning he was able to corrupt-- meaning He is not of the dust, or human kind. It also shows that they changed this glory into an image like to CORRUPTIBLE MAN. Now what it this? It is people saying that the corruptible man, Jesus is and was God.
And from there, men took it a step further and decided that other men are also God. See where this leads? This is the sin of Adam, wanting to be like God.
1 John 1:1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
Now this Scripture gets us to where we really need to be - seeing what the BEGINNING was speaking of. It said THAT WHICH WAS FROM THE BEGINNING, WE HAVE HEARD, AND SEEN WITH OUR EYES, OUR HANDS HAVE HANDLED THIS WHICH WAS FROM THE BEGINNING,
What? They heard, saw with their own eyes and handled that which was from the beginning? But Jesus said himself, “no man hath seen God at anytime or heard his voice or seen his shape.”
So how did these disciples do that thing? What did they see and handle? .... Of the Word...of the word of life...For the life was manifested, and they saw it and bore witness to what? That ETERNAL LIFE WHICH WAS WITH THE FATHER WAS MANIFESTED UNTO THEM.
So this proves that it was the Word.... The Word of eternal life, which was eternal with the Father. This is what was with the Father in the beginning = the Word.
The Word was seeking to have back the glory He had before the World was- not the human man Jesus. The Word was speaking in and through Jesus. Jesus died and had an end. The Word cannot die and is ETERNAL LIFE.
We have that Word in us right now. It is eternal life. The Word was God. Jesus was a man. God is not a man. The Word came and was inside the man Jesus. God was in Christ. Christ was in God, that is how he was in Heaven. He was in the Spirit. The Spirit is Heaven. Now we sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
11John 7. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
This shows that it is an antichrist who denies that Jesus came in flesh. Flesh is not God. God is a Spirit. So it is antichrist to say Jesus was God. You call God a lie for you believe not the record that God gave of his Son. God did not give a record of God; he did not say this is God; he said this is my Son.
Col. 1: 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Now this says that Jesus is the beginning---- so In the BEGINNING (in Jesus) was the Word. This shows that Jesus himself is the beginning; so the Word was in Jesus, for Jesus is the beginning. The beginning of what? The firstborn from the dead = the resurrection; = a new creation, the Creation of God--Gen. 1.
I conclude this message with this: ---Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Now don’t you see that Col. 1:18 said Jesus was the FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD -- AND THAT REV. 1: 5 SAYS THAT HE WAS THE FIRST BEGOTTEN OF THE DEAD?
So this is the first one of the new creation of making a man in God’s likeness and him image. Jesus is now the image of the invisible God. It started at his resurrection just as Paul declared in Romans 1:1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2. (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,)
3. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
See? Son of David after the flesh = his earthly, human life. Then the Son of God after the resurrection when He was given all power in Heaven and Earth and set at God’s right hand.
By: Jo Smith-- March 3, 2003