🙂Happy end of year 2022 and excellent year 2023! Magandang umaga the one who says Hallelujah! Goedemorgen the one who says Ephrata! Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house. (Proverbs 24:27) May you know the difference between credibility, fame and popularity. When the chief priests heard of JESUS' resurrection, they gave money to the soldiers to say that his body had been stolen by his disciples (Matthew 28:11-15). JESUS could have appeared before Pontius Pilate, the chief priests or the Sanhedrin. But he did not. Do as JESUS did, give the best of your time to those who are important: those whom GOD gives, those whom he brings and those to whom he sends you.
GOD exists by himself, outside of time and space. GOD is eternal and he is called the ETERNAL
JESUS CHRIST is the SON, the SON is GOD as only GOD is eternal.
He was already GOD before receiving the name Jesus because GOD is eternal. The body was formed for the SON, the SON was not created for the body. The expression "angel of the LORD" is not a name but a description of a function.
Thomas said to him, “My LORD and my GOD!” Then JESUS told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
(John 20:28-29, NIV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD.
(John 1:1, NIV)
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty GOD, Everlasting FATHER, Prince of Peace.
(Isaiah 9:6, NKJV)
I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.
(Isaiah 42:8, NIV)
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” 5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by.
(Zechariah 3:1-5, NIV)
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised CHRIST from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And GOD placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
(Ephesians 1: 18-23, NIV)
15 The Son is the image of the invisible GOD, the firstborn over all creation.16 For in him all things were created : things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.19 For GOD was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
(Colossians 1:15: 20, NIV)
1. GOD exists by himself, outside of time and space. GOD is eternal and he is called the ETERNAL
GOD is not a creation, he is the creator. GOD is eternal. He exists by himself, outside of time and space. He is the creator of time and space. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. There is no day from which he exists or from which he is GOD. He has always existed, he has always been GOD and he will always be GOD. Our faith does not define his existence but the type of relationship we have with him.
He is Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Transcendent, Immutable. He knows all that has been, all that is, will be, could be and could have been. His knowledge is perfect, complete and limitless (Psalms 139:3-4; Proverbs 15:3; Job 34:21; Hebrews 4:16; Psalms 139:12). He is everywhere at the same time (Isaiah 46:9, Psalms 139:7-8). Nothing is impossible for him. (Genesis 17:1; Luke 1:37; Matthew 19:26, Numbers 23:19). He exists by Himself. Before we are, He was and after us, He will be forever (James 1:17, 1Timothy 6:16).
He has no beginning and no end. He has always existed and He will always exist. Therefore, He can call the end of a thing from its beginning. He Himself says, " I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the LORD GOD, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8). He is the creator of the universe and all that exists. Unlike us humans, GOD can create out of nothing, I would even say out of a vacuum. Creation is the fruit of His Word (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16-17). " For He spoke, and all things were born; He commanded, and all things were there." (Psalms 33:9, LSG, French Jewish Bible).
To know that GOD exists or to recognize his existence does not mean to believe in him. But only the one who recognizes his existence can believe in GOD. What we think does not define who GOD is. GOD is not GOD because we believe he is GOD : he is GOD. He is GOD by his nature, his essence, and his attributes. He is GOD, but he is the GOD only of those who worship him. A mother is a mother but she is the mother of her children (natural, adopted, spiritual). I am Cameroonian. It doesn't matter if someone thinks I am Japanese, I am not less Cameroonian (truth is not an opinion).
My paternal grandfather had thirty-three children (today thirty). The eldest is a girl, the second a boy (my father). He wanted his children to have unique names and as much as possible, not to have homonyms between them. Thus, he gave names that were not common at the time. My uncles, aunts and cousins keep this habit. In our family, the names are African, French, American, English, Arab, German, Egyptian, Spanish, Israeli and Russian. If you look at the names alone, you would think that the family is very mixed, but that is not the case.
My mother is the third of nine children (now eight). My maternal grandparents are multilingual. My maternal grandmother can write in two languages and speak five. When she married my grandfather, although she could not read or write, she already spoke two languages. She learned to read and write because she wanted to be able to read the Bible. My paternal grandmother also learned to read by reading the Bible.
In the early years, they often moved because of my grandfather's assignments. His work was their main source of income, but my grandmother had three sources of income: farming, selling cloth and making clothes. In addition to their nine children, my maternal grandparents practically raised their younger brothers and sisters. They are both the eldest in their family. My grandmother was the oldest of nine siblings. She used to travel to different countries in Africa to buy fabrics. So speaking several languages was very helpful 🙂 Especially when she was negotiating prices. She passed on her interest in languages to us. Sometimes when I address her in one language, she answers with a smile in another. Then, she asks me to translate what she just said. In my family, being bilingual is a minimum.
My parents always wanted their children to be able to express themselves in two languages. Unfortunately, this was at the expense of the ethnic languages (local African languages). When my younger sister and I were teenagers, one of our father's punishments was to choose between reading the encyclopedia and watching the news in a language other than French. My younger sister choose to read and I chose to watch the news. And that's without counting the pan-African magazine Jeune Afrique that we read every week. Today I read more often than her, I have twice as many books as her in my personal library. I even wrote two novels in fifth grade (read by half the class but never published). I can speak without an accent, but her vocabulary is far more extensive than mine. At first glance, listening to us, you might think I have mastered the language. But give us a paper and a pen. You will soon notice that I make mistakes and that my vocabulary is common, not to say poor. => The Truth is not the impression that one has of me, it is what I am.
🙂 => GOD is not defined by his appearance but by his attributes => Our opinions, impressions, experiences and beliefs do not define who GOD is => GOD is GOD himself, he has his attributes, his nature and his will.
2. JESUS CHRIST is the SON, the SON is GOD as only GOD is eternal.
JESUS CHRIST is fully GOD and fully man. It is not possible to be half GOD. Either one is fully GOD or one is not. GOD's attributes are indivisible and inseparable. GOD is Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Transcendent, Immutable. Either one is omniscient or one is not. Either we are omni (all) or we are not.
GOD is Love, Truth and Holiness (1 John 4:16; John 3:21, Malachi 2:6, Psalms 119:60, John 17:17, Hebrews 4:12, Psalms 89:14, Psalms 85:10, 1 Samuel 2:2, 1 Peter 1:16). The nature of GOD is whole and not partial. The elements of his nature (Love, Truth, Holiness) are distinct and inseparable. GOD is perfect because he is Love, Truth and Holiness. Love is the reason for the existence of Truth. Truth is the proof of Love. Holiness is the proof of Truth. Truth is what GOD is (John 14:6), before it is what GOD says. Therefore, whatever GOD says is Truth and whatever the devil says is a lie (John 8:44).
When we say that the FATHER is Love, the SON is Truth and the HOLY SPIRIT is Holiness. We are not saying that Love is exclusively in the FATHER, Truth exclusively in the SON and Holiness exclusively in the HOLY GHOST => We are saying that Love is revealed by the FATHER, Truth by the SON and Holiness by the HOLY GHOST. There is nothing in the FATHER that is not in the SON. And there is nothing in the SON that is not in the HOLY SPIRIT.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD. (John 1:1, NIV)
The SON is the Word of GOD the FATHER made flesh (John 1:14, Revelation 19:13).
He and the FATHER are one (John 10:30) and no one comes to the FATHER without passing through him (John 14:6). Before Abraham was, the SON is (John 8:58, Colossians 1:17). GOD is spirit (John 4:24) Therefore, the SON is spirit like the FATHER.
The FATHER glorifies the SON and the SON glorifies the FATHER (John 17:1). Thus the will of the FATHER is in the SON.
The SON does only what he sees the FATHER do (John 5:19-20).
The SON speaks according to what the FATHER taught him (John 16:17, John 8:28). If the FATHER teaches, then the Truth is in the FATHER.
.The HOLY SPIRIT is the spirit of Truth who leads into all Truth (John 16:13-14). How can he be the spirit of Truth if the Truth is not in him? How can he teach us all the truth if it is not him?
"He will reveal my glory because he will take from what is mine and announce it to you. All that the FATHER has is also mine; therefore I said that he will take of what is mine and declare it to you." (John 16: 14-15, Second 21) How can he take from the SON if he is not of the same nature as the SON?
=> The HOLY SPIRIT intercedes for the saints in agreement with the FATHER (Romans 8:27). This is only possible because the HOLY SPIRIT knows the will of the FATHER. Only GOD can know the entire will of GOD as GOD is infinite. We human beings know in part (1 Corinthians 13:9).
=> The HOLY SPIRIT is sent by the FATHER and the SON to bear witness to JESUS (John 14:26, John 15:26). Only GOD can send GOD.
=> The SON is called the Word of GOD (Revelation 19:13). He is the one in whom all the will of GOD the FATHER is found. The FATHER being one with the SON (John 10:30), the SON is therefore spirit just like the FATHER and the HOLY SPIRIT. Perfect unity is only possible between elements of the same nature. If the FATHER is GOD, the SON is also GOD. Only GOD can contain all the will of GOD as GOD is infinite.
=> « You shall not be able to see my face, for man cannot see me and live.» (Exodus 33:20). Only GOD can see GOD and live.
=> GOD the only begotten Son => " No one has ever seen GOD; GOD the only begotten Son, who is in the intimacy of the FATHER, is the one who has made him known. " (John 1:18). GOD can be intimate with all but only GOD can be in the intimacy of GOD because only GOD knows all the thoughts of GOD. =>> " your thoughts are not my thoughts and my ways are not your ways, declares the LORD. Heaven is far higher than the earth. Likewise, my ways are far above your ways, and my thoughts far above your thoughts. "(Isaiah 55:8-9)
=> A body was formed to the Word, the SON, so He could sit among men and be the way by which they receive Salvation. JESUS is the name that was given to Him. ⇒ The SON existed long before the body was formed. The SON is therefore spirit in a body. JESUS is not the name given to the body but the name given to the SON.
=> "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD." (John 1:1) "And the Word became man..." (John 1:14) The HOLY SPIRIT formed a body to the Word (the SON) so that it could sit among Men. Only GOD can contain GOD because only GOD is Omni. Only GOD can form a body for GOD because only GOD is infinite, outside of space and time. No creation can contain GOD. I take this opportunity to remind you that GOD hates idolatry (read the article) and that he does not share his glory with anyone (Isaiah 42:8).
=> "For GOD so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16, Louis-Segond) Does a cocoa tree produce coconuts or pineapples? Does an avocado tree produce oranges? It says his only son, not one of his sons. The only son can only be of the same nature as the FATHER. The FATHER is GOD, so the SON is also GOD.
=> The SON says that the FATHER is higher than all (John 10:29-30). Nothing is higher than GOD.
=> "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the gouvernment shall rest upon his shoulder: he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty GOD, Everlasting FATHER, Prince of Peace. "(Isaiah 9:6). The SON is called mighty GOD because he is GOD. The SON is called the everlasting FATHER because he is ONE with the FATHER.
=> The FATHER gave the SON the name above all names (Philippians 2:9-11, Ephesians 1:20-22, Revelation 19:16) Jesus is a name, just like Yohan, Joseph, Christelle, William, Fatima, etc. The name Jesus was a very popular name in Israel. JESUS was not the only one with this name. That is why people called him " Jesus of Nazareth". It is not the name Jesus that is exalted above all names, but the authority of the SON whose name is JESUS that is exalted above all authority. => Only GOD can have a name above all names because nothing is superior to GOD. Only GOD is ALMIGHTY.
=> " 5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of GOD worship him. 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8 But unto the SON he saith, Thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." (Hebrews 1:8 KJV) Only GOD is eternal.
=> " For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20, Segond 21) Only GOD is omnipresent.
=> " Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER and of the SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. " (Matthew 28:20) JESUS is everywhere until the end of the world. Only GOD is omnipresent.
Thomas said to him, “My LORD and my GOD!” Then JESUS told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
(John 20:28-29, NIV)
=> JESUS did not contradict Thomas.
" 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised CHRIST from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And GOD placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. " (Ephesians 1: 18-23, NIV)
=> Only GOD is infinite. Only GOD has all dominion, all authority, all power, all dignity in all centuries because only GOD has all glory and only is Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Transcendent, Immutable.
(Colossians 1:15: 20, NIV) : 15 The Son is the image of the invisible GOD, the firstborn over all creation.16 For in him all things were created : things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.19 For GOD was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. "
=> We are images, but only GOD is the perfect image. Only GOD exists by himself outside of time and space. Only GOD exists before all things. Only GOD is the creator of all things. Only GOD can contain all the fullness of GOD, because only GOD is infinite. No creation can contain the creator of the universe 🙂 When we ask for CHRIST to be fully formed in us, we are asking for his full manifestation in the measure on the potential he has deposited in us.
3. He was already GOD before receiving the name Jesus because GOD is eternal. The body was formed for the SON, the SON was not created for the body. The expression "angel of the LORD" is not a name but a description of a function.
JESUS has several names mentioned in the Bible. In particular :
Jesus, which means "Yahweh saves" or "Yahweh is salvation". Translated from Hebrew and Aramaic, this name is Yeshua (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31)
Emmanuel which means "GOD with us" or "GOD is with us". (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14)
The Word made flesh (John 1:1-2; John 1:14).
The Word of GOD (Revelation 19:13). Here the word translated as Word is the Greek word Logos (Strong's #3056). There are several words translated as Word in the Bible (Logos, Dabar, Emeth, Rhema, Aletheia). That is why we also call him the Logos of GOD.
King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19: 16)
=> GOD exists by himself outside of time and space => GOD is the creator of time and space. He is the master of time and circumstances. => GOD alone is Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Transcendent, Immutable => GOD outside of time and in all times. => Only GOD is eternal and he is called the LORD, the ETERNAL.
We know that => In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD. => The SON is the Word of GOD. => The Son exists from the beginning. In the beginning he already existed. => The SON is the expression of the glory of the FATHER and the expression of his person. He sustains all things by his word (Hebrews 1:3) => The SON is GOD (John 20:28-29) => GOD is eternal. The SON is eternal like the FATHER => The SON has all dominion, authority, power and sovereignty over all that exists. The SON is therefore superior to the angels. (Colossians 1:15-20, Ephesians 1:18-22, Hebrews 1:3-4).
We also know that => Angels are messengers of GOD, sent by GOD, spirits in the service of GOD, sent to bring help to those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14) => The SON is a servant of the FATHER. (John 6:38, Acts 4:27) => The SON can therefore be called an angel of his FATHER. => GOD being called the LORD, the SON can therefore be called the angel of the LORD. In most english Bible translations write " The angel of the LORD " but in french translations it is written " The angel of the ETERNAL".
=> Finally we know that only the Son can take away sin from men because only the SON overcame sin, only the SON gave his life for men, only the SON is worthy to open the book of seals (Revelation 5:1:14, John 10:18, John 3:16, Ephesians 1:2).
🙂 Let us read => 1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” 5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by.(Zechariah 3:1-5, NIV)
🙂 => The SON is the LORD called the angel of the LORD (or angel of the ETERNAL) who took away Joshua's guilt => The SON is unique : JESUS is his name. More exactly it is one of his names.
** Magandang umaga = Bonjour ( beau matin) en tagalog (Philippines)
** Goedemorgen = Bonjour en néerlandais
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