You won't offend me and my preference is and appreciated, if you think something or feel something, just come out and say.
I would like to think you understand, I feel I'm on "that" Rock, foundation, with a firm grip?
JW, wash your mouth out - haha - One thing I will say about them, and I can only speak about the ones I have had dealings with and Mr G is an example - they appear mild mannered, calm, cool, don't lose it when challenging them etc.
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Branch at present - God & His Son Jesus and wotsup haha, you know the True Vine from the True Seed our Almighty God and Father.
Years ago in trinity land we used to go to the Church of Christ, however that blew in half when they introduced tongues etc and this was only after the head pastor went on a trip over seas and came back?
Then we moved over to the Baptist.
I can't really say why or for sure know why, I have not really been a strong church goer,,, just something not right?
But I am also someone that doesn't want to be in the lime light so to speak and not really a people person.
You lot on here probably know me more than most haha.
I can't really blame others for it, but being on here has brought out a not so good side to me at times ha.
Whether it was already there or learned behavior?? Ha, you know the saying, you are who you hang about with?
(That will stir the pot, but boy was I shocked when I first come on here).
Anyway, after finding the findings I have, centered around The Word and John (numerous branches) if I go to the Baptist Church now (where my wife goes), when I hear this throwing around God and Jesus as being one in the same, and in fact mixing them up, I'm sorry but it doesn't sit well, hence I don't go.
If they only knew what they were actually saying at times, it is in fact an impossibility for what they say to even make sense at times.
And even before going away from trinity, after the service I would ask my wife, mother in-law and whoever else was around, did you get this or that from the message and the general response and most times was - what are you talking about, they didn't hear that or this. It was like my gosh, were you all asleep as it was as clear as = ODD?
So I think at times, if you can't picture the scene and it goes on for years, God is chipping away at your head, chip, chip, chip,,,, and it could be 30 yrs and the Penny drops and a book opens and there in lays numerous answers to many, many life events, the good, the bad and the ugly. And you see there was a precise plan for much, they were not chance happenings.
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You know the expression, God at times can work in mysterious ways, you have placed this verse here and you know the purpose and message to come form it, "might" actually be for you?
unless you are born again.....born of the Spirit....You cannot enter the Kingdom of God..."
Lets get or put the whole message, Spirit of truth with this verse.
I take it you realize being born of the Spirit is the same meaning as being born OF the word of Almighty God, the Father, because "His" word is Spirit?
1 Peter 1:23 - Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Luke 8:11 - Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
James 1:17-18 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Of his own will begat he (God) us with "the word of truth", that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
(Father of lights - The true light ref in John 1:9)
John 14:10 - Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
John 12:49-50 - For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak..
John 6:63 - It is the spirit that quickeneth (make alive); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 3:34 - For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: = forGod giveth not the Spirit by measureunto him.
And because of "this" and at his Baptism - John 5:26 - For as the Father hath life in himself (As in John 1:4); so hath he "given" to the Son to have life in himself;
So clearly from these verses, some clear messages are shown;
1. The Father and God are one in the same, as in singular, God's word and The Fathers words are from one source.
2. As The God and Fathers words are from the One source and "they"are Spirit, that means the Spirit is the God and Fathers as well, one source, which is within and we know - There is BUT ONE Spirit, the Holy Spirit. So Jesus had the words of eternal life because he received the Spirit/Word without measure from the Father John 1:1.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. ONE Spirit. So your spirit is behind, responsible for your thoughts which then becomes your expressed word.
3. NOTE: John 3:34 - Jesus was given The Spirit, the Holy Spirit which is the God & Father for the purpose of Speaking the Word of God. So as the word is Spirit, that means he received God's word without measure as well, Spirit/Word the same thing.
So in a nut shell, to be born of the Spirit is to be born of the word of God = One in the Same!
Now that we have established some Key points here, lets visit the following because the first 13 verses of John are reference to Almighty God & Father;
He came to his own, most didn't receive him (God), flood, you name it;
John 1:12-13 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
OK then, are you seeing something here, believed on His Name -??? Didn't the above say you were born again by the Spirit and word of God which are one in the same and now we have, believing on his name makes you born of God?
(Calm down ha, Jesus is Not in the picture yet, God is just showing us the trouble he was having getting his words of eternal life into peoples thick heads prior to Jesus bringing them ha).
So what it's showing here is effectively and several passages do, The Word is interchanged with God's Name, meaning one in the same. 1. Name, 2. Spirit & 3. Word are Almighty God and Father.
1 John 1:7-8 Greek - For three there are bearing testimony (record?) in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit and "these", one are. And they are the ONE (singular) and Only Almighty God and Father as the above has Shown.
8.The Spirit, and the water, and the blood also these three in one are.
Now how the numerous Bibles could make such a mockery of the Greek is beyond me?
It appears the key reason IS, because people just can't grasp the Fact that God is the Word and The Holy Spirit, hence impossible for people to understand this verse and hence the bickering over it for many years.
