"Incarnate" restored the real "beginning"

  It was not until I encountered the word "incarnate," regarding Jesus, that I realized the Baby Jesus emphasis this time of year crowds out for the children the fact He was already God before the beginning, when He was incarnate, "born" in a manger. 

I remembered then, as a youngster, adults who often said that Jesus was not always a Baby, reflecting this view that Jesus did not begin as a Baby. 

I wonder how many young people endure this same mistaken impression, as I did when growing up looking for Santa Claus, only to discover he did not exist. Another case of the story is not true, only the meaning is true. It was all for the sake of the children. When I found this out, I felt that I had grown up and adopted the same adult pretensions.

Working out salvation

 Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps alight.

Unknown secrets and known secrets

Getting to Know Oneself

 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Luke 12:2

What would be covered up that one would not put under a candle? Why would anyone hide anything, for what purpose could that be?

In the Old Testament, God forgave David when he sinned grievously, because David was honest with God. Looks like I will be pondering this verse a lot longer.

Speaking into existence

 "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

This was said by God, told to Isaiah the prophet. God placed it there in Isaiah's heart. The tree is known by is fruit. And it was said by Jesus. And it was said to us. What we say we will get, or perhaps got already. 

Jesus said we would be accountable 

for every idle word we speak.

Indeed, we are accountable for every word. We speak the Word in faith. We project what is in our hearts. From out of the heart the mouth speaks. We are getting what we say. We may speak about another person but we are revealing more about ourselves than many are aware. We are speaking into existence the same way God speaks into Existence. The spirit, like the tree, is known by its fruit.

It is said we gain faith by reading the Word. When we speak, we speak into existence, for ourselves, even while it may be about someone else. This is my view. I gained it by reading. Some by  listening. Some by watching. Some by example. Some by epiphany, 

No future in the flesh

 Jesus talking in John 21:22

It is the Spirit which gives life. The flesh will not help you. The things which I have told you are spiritual and are life. But some of you will not believe me. - For Jesus knew from the beginning which of his followers did not trust him and who was the man who would betray him. Then he added, "This is why I said to you, 'No one can come to me unless my Father puts it into his heart to come.'"

 "I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:12-14 

Nothing can be covered

Everything shall be known 

For nothing is hidden that shall not become evident, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. Luke 8:16

worshipping our benefactor

 When Jesus tells us what God wants us to do, whatever it is, I want to do it because whatever God wants us to do is always for our own benefit. My reason is that if one values their own personal existence, as I do, then I listen up because I believe God Himself is the fountainhead of existence. Always, I want to be where Jesus is.

strong minds and weak minds

 

Knowledge of the known is not all

Listening to Jesus 

Jesus is talking in Manna. He "walks and talks with me" in a beautiful place that He has brought me. Faith is built by reading and speaking while belief is easy and instant, like a mustard seed. 

It helps not to be too rich. Rich, for example, as a well to do man who already thinks he has afforded his own heaven. But also there is the educated man who is burdened by too much seen-knowledge of unsophisticated education that falls behind the unseen truths because he cannot keep up with the growing knowledge of his expanding ignorance.

All his worldly knowledge creates so much doubt it magnifies belief only as far as the believable . I suspect that even the knowledge taught in a seminary has educated professors out of a belief in God. Does meaning actualize belief? 

John 17:1

High Priestly prayer

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said

high priestly prayer
John 17

 "Father, the hour has come, Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him."

My mother used to read this entire chapter every morning on rising. I recall her reading it, sometimes out loud. I was a caregiver and an atheist at the time.

Early draft of Jonah and Jesus

Definition of our terms

These are the most critical issues in this central false question did Jonah's whale swallow whole the entirety of Christianity? 

This question should be answered because many Christians attending church every Sunday do not believe the Jonah story which is an Old Testament forerunner of Jesus Christ and the crucifixion itself. If a person cannot believe the Jonah story then what about the Jesus story?

Interruption, since all essays here are under constant editing, and because this is a large topic I am going to publish  all early drafts, including typos, to keep things moving. This may be my last hurrah. One never knows when the blow may fall. Everything at all times is subject to change, just like all the other "completed" entries throughout all these blogs.

Jesus Commandment

When we talk to each other we are supposed to talk as if we are talking to Jesus Himself. This is one of His commandments for those that love Him.

Chapter & Verse later....I'll have to look it up, attached to one of the parables.

Luke 16: Parable of the Unjust Steward

 8And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light

KJV: "in their generation" softens the blow? 

Further Elaboration Expected

 Something Significant

Jesus was, from everything I can tell, the first in all history to teach that each person had an unborn spirit within. This spirit had to be born, as it were like his body, from within. While the spirit of everyone in the flesh is unseen, the fruit of their spirit can be seen. This is how they are known. 

New Thread

While there are many spirits, clean and unclean, there is only one spirit known as the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God. 

No one taught this before Jesus' three year ministry and no one has made it a theme of their ministry since. Thus the phrase born again.

Are you drawn to God?

Ever sit down to negotiate with God?

Only God does the drawing. When Jesus said  those who come to God can only come because God draws them, many fell away from His ministry. The instant I experienced that I felt suddenly it was too bad, that Jesus sort of lost followers, but Jesus was resolute. Later it looked like it was a fact to Him and that was all there was to it. So when God, the Holy Spirit of Existence, attracts anyone according to the words of Jesus, then I find myself parking it off to the side for further understanding, rather than me sitting across the table questioning things.  

Dawn comes over
"Marble Head"

As for myself, after reacting the way I did about churchgoer harangues, in their torment talk, me blaming God Himself for it all, I have to say He put up with a truck load of nonsense from me. Guess you have to say I was much later incredibly embarrassed, with me accepting the misplaced authority fallacy. I should have known but my spirits were lifted when I read about God forgiving David because David was honest with God. I might have been stupid but I was definitely honestly stupid.