I love social media. I feel so blessed to have been born in this age (as opposed to the age where “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” was literal). It gives Christians an opportunity to continue a heritage begun by the apostles. The Gospels. The Good News of how Matthew, Mark, Luke and John met Jesus, their long awaited Messiah.
We have the opportunity in our daily life to share our “gospel” The story of how we met Jesus and the miracles He performs in our lives. How He raised dead situations to life for his Glory.
Until May, I had never flown. I have more confidence in gravity than large flying metal bullets. But duty called. And I would rather crash than let fear keep me from doing something. That’s my personality. I lived. It wasn’t bad. To New Jersey and back with a lovely stop in New York.
Why do I see God in this situation? One..I never thought I would fly. Two…tickets are expensive. Three…Where would I go?
So I have a work related trip that forces me to face my fear. And I get to go to New York and walk down Broadway. That is one of my greatest dreams. One that I never believed would come true. Now I get to fly, with a ticket I purchased at an awesome price, to see my new grandson in Washington State. Before my work trip, I would have probably taken a bus from Louisiana to Washington. This is one of a million challenges that God has prepared me for ahead of time.
Another example. I have been intrigued by the Jewish roots of Christianity for years. Then Mrs. Pam Smith teaches a class on the Seven Feasts of Israel. Now I’m going to see my daughter-in-law who is a Messianic Jew give birth to my new grandson in Washington State. Amazing.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10.
There’s no need to fear the future. Our mighty loving God is already there. He is preparing good works for us.
Be Blessed
FREE AND REDEEMED 
The Word of God ahving become flesh is that what God spoke about became a reality and was born some 2000 years ago.
Christ was not literally the Word. He was the word “made flesh.” (vs. 14). The Greek word “logos” translated “Word” expresses the divine intention, mind, or purpose. Young defines “logos” as “a word, speech, matter, reason.” In the A.V. “logos” is translated by more than 20 different English words and is used for utterances of men (e.g., #Joh 17:20) as well as those of God (#Joh 5:38).
Angels, prophets and Christ have been vehicles by which God has expressed his logos. Christ is the complete manifestation of the logos — “in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (#Co 2:9). It was the “logos” which was in the beginning with God, not Christ. When the “word was made flesh” (#Joh 1:14) then, and then only, Christ became the “Word.” Christ is called the Word [(#Re 19:13) cf. (#1Jo 1:1; Lu 1:2) since his doctrine and words came from his Father (#Joh 7:16; 17:14). He was the logos lived out in speech and action, not merely written on scrolls.
Jesus is worthy of divine honour because he is the “word made flesh.” (#Joh 1:14). In his person the wisdom, grace and truth of the divine purpose were embodied. (See #Joh 1:14; Co 2:3). In honouring the Lord’s anointed, men were, in effect, honouring God. But this did not make Christ “Very God.”
Christ was the result of the word made flesh, not the originator of the divine plan. As he himself said, “I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.” (#Joh 8:42).
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Jesus represents the Most High. God Himself cannot be seen by man, because according to God when man would see god he cannot live any longer. Many saw Jesus but did not fall death.
In Jesus we should recognise his heavenly Father and get to ‘see’ Who God is the same as people should come to recognise who Jesus is and who God is by seeing and hearing us. Our example should proof we are children of God. In our behaviour people have to come and ‘see’ God.
Jesus employed the language of “God manifestation” characteristic of the Old Testament. Accredited representatives exercising divine power and authority bore the divine name. (See #Ex 23:20,21) .-”I send an Angel . . . my name is in him.”) Jesus was the supreme manifestation – ”God was manifest in the flesh.” (#1Ti 3:16). Although not “Very God” he was justified in saying “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” since the Father had delegated this authoritv and power to him. (See #Jo. 5:19,22,23,30).
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Please also do see the difference between Christendom and Christianity.
As you say Christianity is and should not be a “new religion” but the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan to bring all of the human race into relationship with Him, but in Christendom we have people who have gone astray from Jesus Christ’s teaching and took on the trinitarian human dogma and created many churches full of human doctrines.
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You say “that all Christians accept Jesus as God” but sorry than you are not informed very well or do not have enough historical nor knowledge background on the many Christians in the world. Perhaps in your region, where you are living there are not many non-trinitarian Christians, though it would surprise us that there would not be for example Jehovah witnesses, just to call the most well known group.
Also the majority of Jews do believe in a monotheist God, the God of Abraham, who was not and is not Jesus (ask any rabbi of real truthful Jewish communities).
We do kwow there are also trinitarian Messianic Jews or Messianic Groups who adhere the trinitarian faith.
We agree with the fact that we are adopted children and “We have become related by the blood of Christ” and as we said previously Jesus and his first disciples, the apostles were Jews not believing that Jesus would be the God, but believing the same thing as Jesus that Jesus could not do anything without his heavenly Father, the only One God, who is greater than Jesus and any other man.
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I had not realized that there were those who consider themselves “Christians” without believing in the deity of Jesus. I am vaguely familiar with LDS, Christian Science and Jehovah’s Witness, but considered them “other” and not truly Christian. I am not a theologian by any means and there are many books and websites that would defend the Triune God far better than I ever could. Some of my Biblical references would include John 1:1-4, Genesis 1:26 and John 10:30.
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(#Jo 1:1-3) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
Notice there is talked about ‘the word’ in first instance which is not a person as such.
Look also at the original which is translated literally:
“In the beginning the Word having been and the Word having been unto God and God having been the Word he having been, in the beginning, unto God all through his hand became: and without him not even one being whatever became.
“In the beginning the Word having been and the Word having been unto God and God having been the Word he having been, in the beginning, unto God all through his hand became: and without him not even one being whatever became. ” or more simple: “In a beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the God, and a god was the Word.” (Emphatic Diaglott – interlineary side)
“In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” (NWT)
1. Christ was not literally the Word. He was the word “made flesh”. (#Jo 1:14). The Greek word “logos” translated “Word” expresses the divine intention, mind, or purpose.1 Young defines “logos” as “a word, speech, matter, reason.”2 In the a.v. “logos” is translated by more than 20 different English words and is used for utterances of men (e.g., #Jo 17:20) as well as those of God (#Jo 5:38).
2. “In the beginning was the Word … all things were made by him.”3 “logos” does not in itself denote personality. It is personified by the masculine gender in the a.v., The Diaglott avoids confusion by translating the pronouns in the neuter-“through it every thing was done.”4 An Old Testament parallel to the personification of logos is the personification of wisdom: “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.” (#Pr 8:22, 23). In this passage, wisdom is personified as a woman. (#Pr 8:1, 2).
3. “All things were made by him”-John is apparently alluding to the creation recorded in Genesis. God spoke, and it was done (e.g. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” (#Ge 1:3). Notice another allusion- #Jo 1:7, 8). But this creation was not accompanied by Christ, but by the “logos” of God. This is indicated by several passages:
a. “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” “For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” (#Ps 33:6, 9). See also #Ps 107:20; 147:15, 18, 19; Isa. 55:11).
b. ” … by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water … But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (#2Pe 3:5, 7).
c. See also (#Heb 11:3) cf. (#Jer 10:12, 13).5
4.Angels, prophets and Christ have been vehicles by which God has expressed his logos. Christ is the complete manifestation of the logos-“in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (#Col 2:9). It was the “logos” which was in the beginning with God, not Christ. When the “word was made flesh” (#Jo 1:14) then, and then only, Christ became the “Word”. Christ is called the Word (#Re 19:13) cf. (#1Jo 1:1; Lu 1:2) since his doctrine and words came from his Father (#Jo 7:16; 17:14). He was the logos lived out in speech and action, not merely written on scrolls.
+ Notes:
1 This can be supported by evaluating all references to “logos” in the New Testament and the Septuagint.
2 Robert Young, Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible, (London: Lutterworth Press, 1965). a.v. Authorized King James Version of the Bible e.g. For example
3 It is sometimes argued that the “beginning” referred to in John 1:1 is the beginning of Christ’s ministry. 1 John 1:1 is offered in support of this interpretation. It should be noted, however, that John’s allusions in John 1 are drawn from Genesis 1 as point 3 outlines, thereby implying that the beginning refers to the same narrative and not to the ministry of Christ.
4 Benjamin Wilson, The Emphatic Diaglott, (Brooklyn: International Bible Students Ass., Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1942).
5 It is also noteworthy that although the writer to the Hebrews speaks in exalted terms of Christ (e.g. “express image of his {God’s } person”-#Heb 1:3), “logos” is used of God’s message, and not of Christ himself. See (#Heb 2:2; 4:2,12; 7:28; 12:19) and (#Heb 13:7, 22).
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I should have further reference down to v. 14 YLT
14 And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.
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“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26 ASV)
This verse nowhere says Jesus is God. It clearly indicates that the God of gods Who is the Most Highest and speaks in the Majestic plural as a High Person (though He is really a Spirit) created man in His own image, though that does not mean that man is God as well.
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In other verses, doesn’t God refer to Himself in the singular as well?
Matthew 17:5 (KJV)
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
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Yes He does.
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“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30 ASV)
Like children and the father and mother should be one in a family or the entrepreneurs in a concern should be one Jesus and his heavenly Father are one does this verse says. It does not say they are one and the same person, but says that they are one in spirit and have unity with eachother like we also should have unity with Christ. Though being one with Jesus does not make us to be Jesus nor to be God.
1. Jesus said, “I and my Father are one’ but the Jews misunderstood him, thinking he was claiming to be equal with God. (#Jo 10:33). Trinitarians make the same mistake. The oneness referred to, is not a declaration by Christ that he is ”Very God,” but rather unity of purpose. Consider the evidence:
a. Jesus subsequently prayed for his disciples, “that they may be one, as we are.” (#Jo 17:11,21). These words require that the unity referred to, be also extended to the disciples. Obviously the unity is not that of the powers of the Godhead but unity resulting from sanctification through the word of God. (#Jo 17:14,17,18).
b. See also (#Jo 17:22,23): “ … that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one … ” Likewise, these words require a relationship between the disciples and Christ which exists between the Son and his Father — a unity, or perfection with the divine purpose.
2. Elsewhere in John’s gospel, Jesus clearly affirms that he is not co-equal with the Father: “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.” (#Jo 5:19); “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (#Jo 5:30); “My Father is greater than I.” (#Jo 14:28).
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I can agree that being one could refer to being one in purpose, calling and direction. But it clearly states that if you have seen Jesus, you have seen God.
John 14:8-9 YLT
8Philip saith to him, `Sir, shew to us the Father, and it is enough for us;’
9Jesus saith to him, `So long time am I with you, and thou hast not known me, Philip? he who hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how dost thou say, Shew to us the Father?
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You write your “daughter-in-law who is a Messianic Jew ” but like it is not clear if you worship only One True God, the God of Abraham, it is not clear if she belongs to a non-trinitarian Messianic society or to a trinitarian Messianic group, which takes Jesus also for their god.
Real Jews, real Christians and real Muslims only should have one Most High God, Allah, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, the God of Abraham and the God of Israel, which is not a threeheaded god or tri-union god.
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I believe that all Christians accept Jesus as God. All of my posts will be based on a belief in a triune God. God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are equally God. All my posts will be based on the belief that salvation is through Jesus alone.
My daughter-in-law attends a Messianic Synagogue. The following will be my understanding of what that means. I believe that Christianity is not a “new religion” but the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan to bring all of the human race into relationship with Him. Those first “Christians”, the writers of the Gospels and the Letters, were all Jewish. The birth of Jesus the Christ was the fulfillment to the long awaited Messiah. The Lord’s supper that Jesus celebrated in the upper room was Passover. The Bible refers to the Gentiles as having been “grafted” into an already existing olive tree. We are children on Abraham through faith. We are not God’s foster children–brought in to be like his children but not quite. We are adopted. We have the same rights as God’s Hebrew children. We have become related by the blood of Christ.
In all things, please feel free to comment your thoughts on this topic. I am willing and eager for us to delve into the riches of God’s word together.
Be Blessed.
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