Unity In Love

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Unity In Love. complete audio book

Table of contents.
1. Agape Or Unconditional Love.    Video
2. The Mystery Of God-liness.
3. Love And Eternal Life Are Conditional.
4. Love And Unconditional Authority.
5. Seeing The Godhead In Nature.
6. Agape Love And Restoration.
7. Agape Love & The Prodigal Son.

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Self Published

3-13-2021
by Herman Parks.

Acknowledgements.

The relationship between me and my wife was the primary inspiration for writing this book. First I must confess that I am not the perfect example. I have not arrived. I choose to believe, I want to believe, and therefore I do believe that I have left. I was reading a book called the 5 love languages. The book was written by a pastor who was a marriage counselor. The book started off with a scripture about Agappe love. Then it immediately began talking about the emotion of love and keeping the other person's love tank full by learning their love language. Then in about the last chapter it began talking about what I have chosen to write about, what I have come to believe agape love is. Whether or not agappe love will resolve my own marital problems who is to say. For we talk about those things that are not as though they were, and cause them to come into being. Yet, there is always free will or emotions that take the lead and gets in the way. Some say that if you are prepared to wait forever, then you won't be waiting very long. Yet, it may very well be that if your faith is at a place where it is prepared to wait forever then you may have what you say. We look to the hills to see where does our help come from. My help cometh from the lord.

Preaface.

Please bear with me, because this testimony, which is a Rama word from the Lord, is a further inspiration for writing this book. This may take about 6 or seven minutes. Praise God.

The bible says that we overcome the devil by the blood of the lamb, and the words of our testimony. Now, the words of our testimony could be the drug problems that we have overcome, the sickness from which we recovered, the prison from which we escaped, the mental issues over which we have triumphed, or this one I really like, the rama word which we have come to understand. Praise your name Lord.

The word goes on to say that a certain man, it does not tell you what his name was. Nevertheless, the word says that a certain man addressed Jesus as good master. Jesus asked him the question, why do you call me good. Do not you know that there is only one good, and that one is God. So, why do you call me good, emphasis mine, unless you believe that I am God. A rama word that the Lord has given me, his servant, from this passage is, to stop living in contradiction. Although that is not the only moral of the story, yet it is a good moral.

So, this certain man pondered the question. After much deliberation, he dropped the good, and out of respect he simply called him master. He never did call him God as far as we know. So again, the first step to wisdom is to stopped living in contradiction, just as humility is an initial step to exaltation. Therefore, I wrote a book, to recognize my own contradictions. For God said, if you abide in me, then I will abide in you. Nevertheless, you have to work at it. Thus, this book is a major step in the healing of my own mind. It is a major step in my overcoming the devil by the words of my testimony.

Often times because we do not know the difference between begotton and created we are not living in contradiction. Yet, when we know better then we have to do better. Some people honestly believe the begotton and created are synonms. Therefore, there are no differences between them. Yet, all synonyms sepa-rate at some point. Here is where beget and create sepa-rate.

One thing begets a thing that is the same kind of thing as itself. God said that everything in nature reproduces after its own kind. Now, what of creating?

A begotten thing is necessarily the same kind of thing as the thing that begot it. Yet, a created thing is more than likely, a different kind of thing than the thing that created it.

Because Jesus is God's only begotton son, Jesus is necessarily the same kind of thing that God himself is, and he is the only one that is that kind of a thing. Praise your name Lord. His only begotten son. Not everybody believes that Jesus is God's only, empasis on the word only, begotton, emphasis on the word begotton, son. Therefore, they may not be in contradiction. Yet, for those who do, this word is for you. Stop living in contradiction, if you are. Now, we are all adopted, emphasis on the word adopted, sons and daughters of God. Yet, Jesus is his only begotton son.

The bible says, Hear oh Isreal the Lord our God is one God. He is a unique kind of a thing. There was no other God, or species, like him created before him, alongside him, or after him. That covers the entire spectrum of existence.

Yet, what he begot was the same kind of thing that he himself was, worthy of worship.

As Thomas said in John 20:28, my Lord and my God. Here Jesus was clearly Thomas's Lord and his God, and not just a god. If anybody called any angel his God, the angel had a responsibility to rebuke him. Not only did Jesus not rebuke Thomas but he complemented him, saying: Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed, (that I am your God): blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed, (that I am their God). Praise your name Lord.

Now that you know, the difference betweem begotton and created, stop living in contradiction, if you were. So let it be. This ends my testimony.

Now, this is the first chapter of the book that God gave me, Unity in love. This 1 hour or less sermon is divided into three parts. What is love according to the bible. God is love, and finally, the mystery of godlyness, as revealed by Paul, in 21st century language.

For, the bible says, in Matthew 11 11 that, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet, even the least of us in the kingdom of heaven, have the potential to be greater than John the Baptist, because we have the Holy Spirit dwellig in us all the time, and the Holy Spirit teaches us things that we otherwise could not have known. To that end I give God the glory for the words that he has placed in me, his servent. Praise your name Lord. So let it be.

1. Agape Or Unconditional Love.

If we can agree that the word love permeates human society, both historically and in the present, we must also agree that it is a very confusing word. We use it in a thousand ways. We say, I love pizza, and in the next breath, I love my mother. We speak of loving activities: swimming, chess, hunting. We love objects: food, cars, houses. We love animals: dogs, cats, even pet rats. We love nature: trees, grass, flowers, and weather. We love people: mother, father, son, daughter, parents, wives, husbands, friends. We even fall in love with love.

If all that is not confusing enough, we also use the word love to explain behavior. I did it because I love her. That explanation is given for all kinds of actions. A man is involved in an adulterous relationship, and he calls it love. The preacher, on the other hand, calls it sin. The wife of an alcoholic picks up the pieces after her husband's latest episode. She calls it love, but the psychologist calls it codependency. The parent indulges all the child's wishes, calling it love. The family therapist would call it irresponsible parenting. What is loving behavior?

My purpose is not to eliminate all confusion surrounding the word love, but to focus on that kind of love that the bible speaks about. My purpose is not to talk about how we can keep our love tank full, though that too has its place in our lives. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

According to the bible, agape love is not an emotion. It is an action, in the sense that it is a duty, obligation, or responsibility, an act of patriotism towards your God or towards your fellow man. Acts of compassion, empathty, altruism towards your fellow man. I know that this looses some of the luster of emotionalism associated with love. It changes the luster, to your reasonable service to your fellow man. Yet, that is what the word agape means. means. Praise your name Lord.

Agape love is a behavior. We don't agape because. We agape dispite. Agape and philia are not only different they are almost contradictory. To love unconditionally is almost in contradiction with how you love your best buddy. You do not love your best bud unconditionally. Your behavior towards your best bud is significantly different from your behavior towards your God. Love ye one another as I have loved you.You love your best bud upon condition.

When we lack words in a language, that express a reality, often times it is harder to see the reality. Even sometimes, when we lack the words, we are unable to see the reality. Because the english language lacks the word agape, sometimes it is harder to see the concept. Although the language can express the idea with a combination of words, it is easier and less confusing to communicate the idea through a single word like agape and philio.

We need to learn how to hear these words in first century ears, the language of the speaker. Word meanings change over time and between cultures. The meanings where differen to the Hebrew. The translation from Greek is not always the same as english. The word meanings, are often different in a very different time and culture. Yet, you will find both jewels of understanding and bags of gold, in appreciating God's meanings.

Much of what you believe is shaped by what you heard growing up in church. The people who find the true meaning hardest are the ones who already have been given a bad understanding.

In Greek, unlike in English, there are at least five different words for love. The love one feels for friends is philía. The love one feels for one’s family is storge. The love one might feel for one’s wife is erros. A fourth kind of love, philautia, is the love one feels for oneself. And a fifth kind of love, agape which refers to a transcendent kind of love, a higher form of love commonly conceived as the love of God for man, and that of man for God. What kind of love are Jesus and Peter discussing in John 21:15 to 17?

Here begineth the reading of God's holy word. John 21:15 to 17.

-So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, love-est thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
-He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, love-est thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
-He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, love-est thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Here endeth the reading of God's holy word.

First thing we can do is let loose of the idea that this is linked to the three times Peter denied the Lord. If red quickly it may sound like that. The novice thinks oh 3 and 3, it is about Peter's forgiveness. The problem is this is not a repeat of three times. It is very different. Each question is different. We have a leadership theme, and a love sacrifice theme that evolves with each different question.

Speaking to agape love. This is not a repetition of "do you love me". The words are different. I will not go into it here much.

Yet, Philio is deep friendship for a person, comrade in arms, loyalty, trust. This is what Peter replies with. This is how Peter feels about Jesus, the man he has followed for 3 years.

Agape is what CS Lewis calls unconditional love. It is self-less love, extended beyond your best bud, but to mankind. It is not upon condition of how the other person treats you. Praise your name Lord. It is God's love. This is what Jesus is asking. Do you have God's love for others because of me? It is a behavior, a duty, an obligation, and a responsibility, reguardless of how you feel. Feelings change, depending on circumstances. Yet, agape love is eternal.

So this passage is telling Peter that he will be the leader, and he will die because of his love for Christ and the flock. To really understand the richness of the shepherd, the flock, and agape love, going forward. Jesus will be the Shepherd. That is God's personal role. Praise your name Lord.

Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd and calls His mission establishing the Kingdom. When He says He has come for the lost sheep, He is declaring equality to God. Now, He will soon leave to reign at the right hand of the Father. He places Peter as head of His flock, the Church. On this rock I will build my church. On this principle, I will build my church.

On the principle of duty, obligation and responsibility I will build my church. On the principle of love, regardless of how you feel. On the principle of patriotism towards your God or towards your fellow man. Peter being the head of the church is the leadership theme. Peter sacrificing his life, is the love sacrifice theme. Praise your name Lord.

Let us examine the three questions.

Matthew 5:46

Unconditional love is the test. If you love me feed my sheep, regardless of how you feel. For, we tend to become what we pretend to be. Feelings change like the wind, but agape love is eternal. Nevertheless, we have to work at it.

You know I was a soldier. Nevertheless, I had a formidable Christian upbringing. Yet, as a soldier I was not very patriotic. I was not the kind of soldier who was willing to die for his country. Quite the contrary, I was probably more like the kind of soldier who had dreams of grander, torn between being a green beret and the spook who sat by the door. This compelled me to link something that John F. Kennedy said, and the definition of agape love. What Kennedy said was, "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. I did not have a phileo love for my country. Quite the contrary, when I began to understand that the primary reason why I was inducted into the Army Security Agency, was because I scored really high on the induction examination, and the military was undergoing a racial discrimination suit. I became angry. They told me that I was in the top 10 percent of the nation intellectually. Nevertheless, the only available place for me was Morse code. Yet, I had graduated from an electrical high school, and I had several years of work experience in that area. On an evan playing field I would persuied that line of study.

Despite my anger, somewhere along the line I began to understand what agape love realy was. As Jesus said, we should love our enemies. We should love our country, even if it was our country that performed experiments on us to test the effects of syphilis on us as a people. That we should have the capacity to forgive, even in the mist of a pandemic virus. That we should have a sense of duty, obligation, and responsibility to even our slave master. I began to have a new understanding about the non-violence that Martin Luther King preached about. Neither one had anything to do with how you felt. Actually, your feelings and your behavior were in contradiction to one another. The true test of your ability to have agape love, is your experience with someone that hates you. Agape love can be paralleled with patriotism. Not patriotism towards your country, but patriotism towards your God. Then extending that love towards your fellow man.

Again, as Matthew 5:46 says: For if ye love them which love you, what reward have yee? Do not even the publicans do the same?

As I talked to one fellow, he wanted to compare the love that you have for your car and agape love. He wanted to say that agape love is a deeper level of love. I brought to his attention that according to the bible, it is not possible for you to love your car or any inanimate object. Yet, if you wanted to compare agape love to phileo love, there still is no basis of comparison. Agape says that even if the other person's level is zero, that should not affect your level. As Jesus said, and here is a new commandment. Love yee one another as I have loved you. How did Jesus love us. He loved us, despite the fact that we had no love for him. We did not even know him. Or you could say that we hated him. Nevertheless, he loved us.

For Peter this was a training exercise. How to feel God's love for your fellow man. Jesus was about to leave Peter as the head of the church. On this rock I will build my church. The church is built on the principle of behaving in such a way as to reflect duty, obligation, and responsibility, regardless of how you feel. Love yee one another as I have loved you. The focus is not on feelings, though that too is important. The focus is on patriotism towards your God and your fellow man, reguardless of how you feal.

As Mark 12:29-30 says, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Actually, the first commandment in sequential order was given to Adam. It was do not eat. Yet, the first commandment meaning the most important commandment at a particular time, according to Mark 12:29 was, that we should love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. That love according to 1 John 5:20, was associated with the knowledge of who God was and who his son Jesus Christ was.

2. The Mystery Of God-liness.

John 4 8 says that God is love. This chapter is about Jesus is God. A natural extension of this same issue is, "The Holy Spirit Is God. This chapter involves a Rama word from the Lord. My definition of a Rama word from the Lord is in part ain't nobody saying this but me and the bible. In relationship to this rana word, you do not have to agree with me. Yet, let it be known, I am not going to agree with you, because then we would both just be wrong. God bless!

Paul said in Romans 1:20 that if you do not have a basic understanding of the God-head, that is the nature of God him-self, that you were without excuse, although it was actually a mystery.

Romans 1:20 says: For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Then 1 Timothy 3:16 went on to say that the necessary knowledge of the Mystery Of God-liness was that:
And without controversy great is the mystery of god-liness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

The bible does not say that these things happened to a certain god. No! It says that these things happened to God himself, the definite article of the sentence. Speaking of the definite article, John 1:1 and 14 says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (see Chapter 5. in this book, Seeing the Godhead in nature). In this sentence structure, the Word, is the definite article. Or God himself is the definite article in the phrase ‘the Word was with God’. It is important at this point to understand that the Greek language has a definite article, (...the...), but does not have an indefinite article, (...A...). Because the first use of the word ‘God’ in the structure the Word was with God, clearly refers to the Only True God, the Eternal Pre-existent Creator, more than likely, or necessarily so, John would have used a different Greek construction than he did, if he had meant for this next phrase, ‘and the Word was God’, to refer to a ‘lesser’ god. In addition the word was with God, necessit for the sake of clarity, and the word was God. Normally, you cannot be the same thing that you are with.

Greek does not operate in the same way as English does, in regard to the use of the words, ...the..., and, ...A... Furthermore, even though the Greek language does not have an ‘indefinite article’ like we think of in English, there is a way in Greek for the writer to indicate the indefinite idea and thus avoid confusion. This is done in Greek by using the Greek indefinite pronoun, ‘tis’, as an adjective. This would have made it clear that the Word was ‘a certain god’, but not the one he was just referring to. For examples of this, see the verses Mark 14 51, Luke 8:27, Luke 1:5, and Luke 11:1 (among many other examples). So, it seems that by the Greek grammatical structure in this statement, John is indicating that the Word (Jesus Christ in John 1:14) is the same essence and nature as God the Father.

This same essence and nature is further demonstrated in the usage of the word another. In Greek there is two uses of the word another. One is another of the same kind. Anotther usage is another of a different kind. This usage can be found in John 14:16.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

The Greek word “ALLOS,” which was translated “another” in this verse, is in contrast with the Greek word “HETEROS,” which means “another of a different sort”, (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). “Allos expresses a numerical difference and denotes another of the same sort. Christ promised to send ‘another Comforter’ (...another like Himself...)”. The Holy Spirit is another Comforter just like Jesus. The Holy Spirit is not another of a different kind making it a force. In John 16:7, Jesus said it was actually to our advantage to have the ministry of the Holy Spirit rather than His personal presence.

Why do we blame the comentator for not explaining the difference between another of the sane kind, and another of a different kind? Then we condemm the same comentator for adding or subtracting from the scripture.

This same essence and nature is further demonstrated in the usage of the word begotton verses the word created. The Bible tells us in John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Then the bible goes on to say in Acts 13:33: God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm 7:1, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

So, what is the difference between begotten and created? Some say that they are synonyms. Therefore, there are no differences. Yet, all synonyms sepa-rate at some point. Here is where beget and create sepa-rate.

Human men beget baby humans, swallows beget baby swallows in eggs, and cats beget kittens. One thing begets a thing that is the same kind of thing as itself. God said that everything in nature reproduces after its own kind. They are equal things. Though a baby is smaller than a man, it is no less human than the man. The same is with cats and swallows and all other living things.

Now, what of creating? God created laws of nature. A swallow creates a nest of mud. Has the swallow made something that is the same kind of thing as itself? No! A cat makes something in the litter box. I don’t need to be more descriptive than that, do I? It is definitely not another cat! Would you ever say that a nest, or litter box leaving, is equal to the creature that made it? How about a man? What does he make or create?

CS Lewis writes, “A man makes a statue. If he is a clever enough carver, he may make a statue which is very like a man indeed. But, of course, it is not a real man; it only looks like one. It cannot breathe or think. It is not alive.” Lewis then continues to clarify the differences between begetting and creating:

“Now that is the first thing to get clear. What God begets is God; just as what man begets is man. What God creates is not God; just as what man creates is not man. Although man has tried his hand at cloneing. Yet, he has yet to succeed. When man succeeds at cloning then maybe we can begin a conversation on that level. Until then it is just conspiracy theory. That is why men are not Sons of God in the sense that Christ is. They may be like God in certain ways, but they are not things of the same kind. They are more like statues or pictures of God.”

It is easy to see how this misunderstanding can come about, when we don’t understand the difference between begetting and creating. If we assume they are the same thing, or use the words interchangeably, we miss the important difference that a begotten thing is necessarily the same kind of thing as the thing that begot it, and a created thing is possibly a different kind of thing than the thing that created it. However, we can also deduce, even without the understanding of the two words we are discussing, that what God created was not another God. Hear oh Isreal the Lord our God is one God. He is a unique kind of a thing. There was no other essence like him created before him, alongside him, or after him. Yet, what he begot was the same kind of thing that he himself was. Having the same divine nature that he himself has. Having the same attributes of being eternal, from everlasting and to everlasting, self-sufficient, omnipresent, the same essence, nature, and etcetera as he himself.

This same essence and nature is further demonstrated in the definition of the word is, in the statement that Jesus is God. The word is, in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is literally defined as from different individuals of the same species.

The critic asserts that it is not possible for two different things to in fact be the same thing. Clearly the word is, says that the criteria is that they simply need to be of the same species. The word species is defined as a group of organisms framed by the resources they depend on. God is self-sufficient and does not have to depend on anyone or anything, and Jesus is the same kind of thing, the same species, the same essence as God himself is. He is God's only begotton son. For many years, I have intuitively known, and verbally articulated, that God and Jesus were the same essence. Now, here the dictionary clearly defined them as the same species, which is a synonym of essence. Thus, this understanding of how Jesus is God, is a rahma word from the Lord. Aint nobody saying this but me and the bible, as far as I know.

Accordingly, the bible says that "Hear old Israel, the Lord our God is one God. There was no other God created before him, after him, nor beside him. There is no other species, or essence, like him in all the universe. In that sense angels are not Gods. Satan is not a God. Kings are not Gods, and statues are not Gods. Gods are a unique kind of a thing, for example, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost. Again, we are not sons of God in the same way that Jesus is the son of God. Yet, we can be adopted sons of God. We can be adopted gods. For, John 17:22 says "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them", and 1 John 3:2 says, "we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is". Furthermore, Psalms 82:1 and 6 say: God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods, and Didnot I tell you that you are gods. Finally, In John 10:34 Jesus said the same thing: Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? Thus, making us adopted or anointed gods, not begotton Gods.

This same essence and nature is further demonstrated in Colossians 2:9 when Paul wrote:
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of they Godhead bodily.

Then it was further demonstrated in Colossians 1:16-20, when Paul wrote:
_For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
_And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
_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.
_For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;
_And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Without controversy, Colossians 2:9 and Colossians 1:19 both state clearly that all the fullness of the Godhead, or the nature of God himself, dwells in the body of Jesus Christ as a man.

Then Colossians 1:16-18 goes on to say, that all things that were created, were created by him and for him. It makes it clear that there was nothing that was created, that was not created by him. Yet, some people feel a need to add to the scripture and say, all other things. Those same people accuse others of making subtle changes to the scripture, while they excuse themselves from making phenomenal changes, to force the scripture to say what they want it to say. The scripture does not say all other things that were created. It says that all things that were created, were created by him. If he did not create it, then it was not created. Yet, it may have been begotten. Who is to say? Likewise, those same people manipulate John 1:1 to say, the word was a god, instead of the word was God. God help us to rightly define the word of truth. So let it be.

This same essence and nature is further demonstrated in the book of Psalms. Psalm 90:2 says that God was from everlasting, to everlasting.

Also, the eternity in both the past and the future, of the Messiah who would be born as a man was declared by the Hebrew prophets. For instance, Looking from eternity past Micah 5:2 stated that Messiah's "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Looking to eternity future, Isaiah 9:6-7 called Jesus the "everlasting Father" and declared that "of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end" because he will reign on the throne of David "with justice from henceforth even forever."

Here we can see that if we start with the presupposition that God exists, and the presupposition that Jesus is God's only begotten son, then the two century old mystery of the trinity, which says that Jesus is God, is simply deductive reasoning. This is primarily because according to the dictionary, "..IS.." can mean a different person of the same species, as mentioned herein. Praise God for the clarity of his word revealed by his servant.

Now in relationship to the Holy Spirit being God. Matthew 1:18 says:
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Here we can see that the Holy Ghost was the father of Jesus. What? Jesus as a man was begotton by the Holy Ghost? We have already explained that the begotton is the same kind of thing as his parent. They are necessarily of the same species. Everything in nature reproduces after its own kind.

Yahwah begot 1 and only 1 son Jesus, making him a member of the same species as he himself was. I know that we, Christians, do not like to talk about Gods as the mame of a species. Yet, it is what it is. After all the Greek and Roman gods, if they even existed, which I personally do not think that they ever existed, Yet they were defined as a species. Nevertheless, they were defined as a species who all had an attribute of immortality. Even though we Christians, are persuaded that they did not exist, we clearly understand that all members of the same species have certain attributes in common, even in biblical times. Likewise, all angels have an attribute of immortality in common.

Some if not all angels or spirits have the ability to change themselves into men, and impregnate women. This is evidenced by the angels who left their first domain. That is a characteristic of the species called angels.

Likewise, all men which are a different species than anamals have certain atributes in common.

All other so called gods, are not begotton Gods at all. At best they are adopted gods or anointed as gods, just as we are adopted sons of God. We are not begotton sons of God.

Thus, just as Jesus was God's only begotton son, as described in John 3:16, and Hebrews 1:5, here in Matthew 1:18 it is clear that the Holy Spirit begot Jesus. Let us look at three other scriptures and contrast them with Matthew 1:18.

John 3 16 says:
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.

Hebrews 1:5 says.
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?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 goes on to say:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

When reading and interpreting scripture, the issue is not either or. We don't say over here it says, blah blah blah, but over there is says something different. No! The issue is what do they have in common. How are both true?

Furthermore, and equally important, let's look at Acts 5:3-4.
-But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
-Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

This is one of the clearest scriptural references about the Holy Ghost being God. In Acts 5:3, Peter said that Ananias had lied unto the Holy Ghost; then in verse 4, the bible said Ananias had not lied unto men but unto God, thereby using the names God and Holy Ghost interchangeably. Wow! My my my. All scripture is profitable for doctrine.

Jesus was begotten by God the father, and Jesus was begotten by the Holy Spirit. Now, let us add one more scripture to this mystery.

Finally, Isaiah 9:6 goes on to say.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Wow! These names are attributes of Jesus. For, such is the function of names. Some attributes of Jesus are Wonderful, Counselor, The Prince of Peace. These are very descriptive names. Praise God! Yet, let us pay particular attention to the last two descriptive names. The mighty God. Are there several mighty Gods roaming around in the universe, such as the Greek and Roman gods, and Jesus? For, Exodus 23:13 says: And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

Finally, the last description, The everlasting Father. That sounds similar to, Emmanuel, God with us. Wow! The son is the everlasting Father! My my my! This adds a new understanding to Jesus is God. All three are of the same species. Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God is one God. He is one species. There was no other God, or species like him created before him, after him, nor alongside him. God is the name of the species. Therefore, God is a reference to the uniqueness of the species. Weather, all the members of the species can at some point merge into on being, who is to say? The Buddhist say that they can, and will. I say I do not know. It is not for me to say. What happens when we see Jesus as he is, face to face. All I know is what the bible says. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

3. Love And Eternal Life Are Conditional.

Now I need to take a turn here and link agape love to eternal life.

How many of us know that eternal life is coupled with conditional authority. It is upon condition that we keep God's commandments.

Adam and Eve were both in the garden with Satan. It is more likely than not, or beyound a reasonable doubt that, Satan fell in the garden with Adam. That was when iniquity was found in Satan. Satan's job was to minister to Adam. While performing his regular duties, Satan realized that Adam had a form of authority that he himself did not have. That was unconditional authority. It was the same authority that men associated with the tower of babel had. On the other hand Satan's authority was conditional. His authority was upon condition that he was obedient to God's word. When Satan fel, he lost his authority. Yet, with Adam's authority, Satan could come against God and still maintain some of his authority. That is when his plan to acquire Adam's authority took root. That is when iniquity was found in Satan.

Angels authority, like eternal life is conditional authority. How do we know that eternal life is conditional authority?

Let me give you an alternative and probably a better point of view of the tree of eternal life. Some believe that when we eat from the tree of eternal life we automatically live forever, even if we discontinue eating. They believe thins because of their interpretation of Genesius 3:22, which reads:

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Some people believe that because Adam nor Eve lived forever, that Adam never put forth his hand and ate from the tree of eternal life. That is not rightly discerning the word of God. Now is the key word, weather or not they ate before they sinned. The point is that God does not have now, nor has he ever had a way for man to live forever in sin. Yet, because as far as we know, man has always had free will. Are we to believe that there was a time, when Adam could have put forth his hand and eaten, and then afterwards sinned, and still lived forever. Of course not. That is why death was introduced, so that man would not stay sick and live forever. The primary function of the tree was for the healing of the nations as said in Revelation 1:2.

We know that the tree was in the middle or mist of the garden. Adam and Eve probably past that tree more than any other tree in the garden. There was no prohibition against eating from the tree of eternal life. There is not a good reason to believe that Adam nor Eve had not already eaten from that tree before their fall. Nevertheless, when they did eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the bible says that, God shut off their access to the tree of eternal life, so that they could not continue to eat from the tree of eternal life. That is when they stopped eating from the tree of eternal life, or the body of Jesus, then they began to die, and it took a thousand years for death to fully manifest. Thus the tree of eternal life would be more like a fountain of youth, which would cause them to sore like an eagle. For the bible says.

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

What Revelation says is that, an attribute of the tree is that it is for the healing of the nations. What I see in the text is that when they ate from the tree of, "The Knowldge of Good And Evil", that they instantaneously died spiritually. Nevertheless, they began to die physically, because they were denied access to their healing. That physical death took 1,000 years to fully manifest.

Revelation goes on to say.
. Here beginneth the reading of Gods holy word.
Revelation 21:1-5.
-And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
-And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
-And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
-And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
-And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Revelation 22:1-3 and Revelation:13-14.
-And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
*In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
-And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.
.
-I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
*Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
. Here Endeth the reading of Gods holy word.

In the future, New Jerusalem will descend from heaven to earth. The tree of life will be located in the mist of the garden on earth and God will be on earth with men (Revelation 21:1-3). God may very well move back and forth between heaven and earth as he did in the earlier days of Adam, or Jesus may be the one dwelling with men, or God and Jesus may literally merge into one being in the sense that when you see Jesus as he is, you will not be able to turn to the left and say hi Jesus, and then turn to the right and say hi God. Who is to say?

Nevertheless, the tree of life will yield its fruit monthly to all the nations on the earth. Its leaves will be for the healing of the people of the nations on the earth (Revelation 22:1-3). Here we get a picture of people continuously coming into the city of New Jerusalem and eating from the tree of life to be healed. This is parallel to people continuously eating the bread of the communion to be healed. You don't just eat once and are healed forever, but you eat continuously and are continuously rejuvenated, because the tree of life is for the healing of the nations. That will be its purpose in the end and that was its function in the beginning. When they stopped eating, they stopped getting healed. When they were cut off from the tree, it took 1,000 years for death to fully take effect and for them to learn how to die. Furthermore, Jesus is like a Tree of Life in the sense that in Him we have life and that life lasts forever. Jesus is like a Tree of Life in the sense that those who believe in Him have eternal life through Him. Jesus is life. Nevertheless, you must continuously eat from Jesus.

Furthermore, the bible says that we already have eternal life. We have to work at it.

1 John 5:13 says:
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life (now), and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John 17:3 says:
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

So, if eternal life is upon condition, how do we get to live forever unconditionally?

4. Love And Unconditional Authority.

1 Corinthians 15:53-55 says.
-For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
-So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
-O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Immortality is a physical phenomenon. Immortality is unconditional. Thus just like love is eternal, immortality is eternal. Now, what I am about to say is what I believe. You may not agree with me. Nevertheless, I am not going to agree with you, because then we would both just be wrong. I believe that the way that we get from mortal to immortality, or from a spiritual being to an immortal being, or get to unconditional authority as a human being, or get to permanent, agape love, which is eternal, is that we would have to volunteer to surrender our free will.

How many of us know that angels like men have free will. Nevertheless, the angels that left their first domain, sinned. Yet, angels are spirits and cannot die. Can you imagine what the universe would be like if immortal men could not die. The very reason why death was introduced is so that men could not live forever in sin. Thus it would stand to reason that a condition for obtaining immortality would be to voluntarily surrender your free will. Now, God is not going to take your free will from you by force and make you a puppet. Nevertheless, he might require that you voluntarily surrender it in order to acquire immortality. That is to prevent you from changing your mind after 10,000, years. I would gladly make Jesus my Lord and not be able to go back. After all, Lot's wife turned to salt, because she looked back with yearning. Now, you may not have to surrender your free will in order to dwell with God, yet you may have to surender it in order to obtain immortality. You may be able to retain eternal live and retain your free will, without immortality. Yet, why would you want to hold on to free will after experiencing the consequences of free will.

Men were created to dwell on earth as physical beings, not in heaven or hell as spiritual beings. God promised the Jews the land that they were standing on forever. To promise a spiritual being land, would be more like a joke than a promise. Therefore, heaven functions more like a holding place rather than a final destination. After all, when Jesus returns, we will rule with him, as priests and kings over natural men, for 1,000, years. Why would we be immortal physical beings for 1,000, years, and then change into spiritual beings.

Furthermore, Jesus sits in heaven right now as a physical being.

We know this because, John 1:1 says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Then in Revelation:19:13, John saw Jesus in heaven. John recognized him, and John said that his name was the Word of God.

Furthermore, 1 John 3:2 says: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Revelation 1:7 says.
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so! Amen.

In short Jesus is now a physical, and immortal entity. We shall be like him dwelling on this physical earth.

5. Seeing the Godhead in nature.

Getting back to love. The bible says that when we look at nature, and are unable to see God in nature we are without excuse.

Romans 1:20-21 says.
-For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
-Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

The text goes on to talk about the sin of homosexuality and other un-righteousness. My objective is not to talk about the love one might feel for one’s wife which is erros, because the text goes on to talk about homosexuality, which is quite similar to other heterosexual sins. Rather I want to talk about how the failure to see God in nature is being without excuse, or the failure to understand the Godhead is on some level inexcusable. The Godhead is the nature of God. So not being able to see God in nature is without excuse.

Now, this might be getting a little deep, rather quickly, so I am going to start off with a short story and a poem.

When going through school many of my peers, when they saw subjects like physics or calculus comming at them they ran the other way quickly. In contrast I ran chasing behind it yet not calculus. Thus subjects like electricity and people like Einstein intrigued me. This is a poem about Einstein's theory of relativity and nature.

You know I knew a fellow whom I would get high with named Alex. Unlike most of my peers, instead of talking about basketball or football analogies, Alex would talk about triganomic analogies. I did not follow most of his analogies, but Alex had some good weed. Different people make their point in different ways. Likewise, you may, or may not, be fascinated by my moral of the story, yet my poem may catch your attention. So, here is my poem.

Sometimes, we lead ministering with a song. We may be known as a singing pastor. For example. ... We are tossed and driven, on the restless seas of time. ... That is not what I am going to do today. What I am going to do today is lead with a poem. Then I will proceed with clarity of thought and precision of expression. That he might be glorified. That we might be edified, and that an alarm would be sounded.

As a child in grade school, I would sometimes be given an assignment like, what did you do for your summer vacation. I would choose to take a unique approach. I would write a poem to express my thoughts. Now, that I am a grown up man, my childhood behaviors I better understand. To that poetic end, this is the start of the message that I want to send.

In the darkness of the night,
There was no moon, yet God was shining bright.
Time itself did not exist,
Our perception of it was only a mist.

The time to go from A to B,
Was nothing short of instantaneously.
It was God who created everything,
Before that, eternity did ring.

Eternity is not a very long time,
Rather it is the absence, of the thing called time.
E equals M C squared, proves that this is true,
The big bang revealed this to me and you.

Without matter, time does not exist,
Because C is, time in our mist.
The time for matter to get from here to there,
Of that Einstein made us aware.

There was an influx of matter into this universe,
That was a blessing, not a curse.
First and second was not a concept,
Until time, in it crept.

Whatever happens, in the absence of time,
All of it happens at once, on the line of time.
Thus instantly Jesus came along,
And when he came, he came strong.

In a time before time, that is when,
Thus first and second, amounted to nothin.
Out of the bowels of God, is from where,
Begotten not created, is what makes it clear.

To beget is a law of nature you see,
Create is, out of the mind of God Adam did flee.
Everything in nature reproduces after its kind,
Men don't reproduce a dog, that is fine.

Jesus was God's only begotten son,
Not adopted, though that too is fun.
Everything in nature reproduces after its kind,
You too should know that, Unless you are blind.

If you do not know that, you are without excuse,
To the kingdom of heaven, you are of no use.
There is but one God, The first commandment tells us so,
There was none created after him, this every man should know.

Out of the bowels of God, Jesus did come,
He was hidden there, For him that was fun.
With him creation he did bring,
Thus the universe began to sing.

Now ending my poem and speaking clearly.

Every since the beginning of time until the days of John the baptist, that there was not one greater than John the baptist. Nevertheless, those in the kingdom of heven is greater than John the baptist, and everyone that came before him, or at least have the ability to be greater than John the baptist and everyone that came before him. The reason why is because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us all the time. The Holy spirit teaches us things that we otherwise could not have known. His method of teaching us is a rama word from the Lord. This message introduces a rama word from the Lord which was given to me, his servent. You be the judge. So let it be.

The disciples were frustrated with Jesus, because he spoke in parables. Yet, there came a time when Jesus said, now I speak to you plainly. Likewise, I have spoken to you in poetry. Yet, now I speak to you plainly.

God said, shall I reveal my secrets to Abraham. I respond to that by saying, here am I oh Lord. God said that, he was looking for a man who would stand in the gap. I respond to that by saying, teach me oh Lord. A fair definition of, a rama word from the Lord is, when ain’t nobody saying this but me. If in fact aint nobody saying this but you, then more likely than not, or beyound a reasonable doubt, the reason why ain’t nobody saying it but you, is because it is not true. If in fact aint nobody saying this but you, and it is true, then the question becomes this. Where did you get it from? The answer is, I got it from God, a rama word from the Lord.

Again it is important that we understand the relationship between nature and the Godhead or how God works through nature.

When we hear what is said to be a rama word from the Lord, we must approach it according to, 1 John 4:1-2:
-Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
-Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confess-eth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
-And every spirit that confess-eth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Likewise, 2 Timothy 2:15 says:
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Now, this is rightly dividing the word of truth. Since the beginning of time until now every man born of a woman was born of the flesh. Therefore, simply confessing that Jesus Christ was literally born of the flesh does not imply that, that man is of God. Even Hitler believes that Jesus was born of the flesh, unless he believes that Jesus Christ was only a myth.

Clarity is given to what this statement means by the following scriptures:
John 1:1-2, and John 1:6 says.
-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.
-And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Revelation 19:13 says.
-And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Revelation 19:13 says that John saw Jesus in heaven. John recognized him and said that his name was The Word of God. Then that person that John saw was in John 1. That person was with God. That person was God, and that person became flesh. This makes meaning of what would otherwise be reduced to meaninglessness. Every spirit that confess-eth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God, otherwise he is the spirit of the antichrist, or a man cannot confess that Jesus is Lord unless he be led by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:4). This is rightly discerning the word of God. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the letter of the law, that we miss the spirit of the law. Thus we do not rightly divide the word of truth. This is probably why Jesus spoke in parables, so that we would think that we have an excuse for believing in absurdities rather than believing in the truth. That is to say that we might think that the criteria for being of God is simply that we born of the flesh.

Furthermore, Proverbs 27:17 says:
Iron sharpen-eth iron; so a man shapen-eth the countenance of his friend.

1 Corinthians 12:10 says:
and to another the distinguishing of spirits

John 4:19 says:
The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

Keeping all these things in mind, we should be confident that we have the spirit of discernment, and not be overwhelmed with doubt.

The heart of this message is, the unity of God who is love.
John 17;21-22 says.
-That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe, that thou hast sent me.
-And the glory, which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one.

The world will know, that we are of God, as 1 John 1:2 says; Every spirit that confess-eth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:, they will know this by the oneness we manifest to them. No wonder, we have not made a bigger impact on the world. This goes far beyond, what many promote, as unity today. This is God’s standard of unity.

This oneness among the believers, is what Jesus said, would cause the world to know, that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the greatest, evangelism tool that the church has. Yet, we pour millions of dollars, and much effort, into other evangelistic efforts, while being at each other’s throats. When the church is one, the world will be won.

The text goes on to say, And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. This is important. Hear this!

The Greek word, rendered glory in this verse, is ‘D O X A’. Glory is used, to express what God essentially is and does, in whatever way he reveals himself. Therefore, Jesus is giving us, the same glory that his father gave him. This means he has given us, that divine nature, and the power that comes with it. This is, in order to enable us, as His followers, to walk in this unity. This is the same glory that Moses beseeched that God would show him. Here God is openly revealing his glory to us. For, the bible says that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which yee see, and have not seen them. And the glory which thou gave-est me, I have given them. There are reasons, but no excuses, for the division in the body of Christ.

We often talk about unity, from the perspective of, I pray that they might be one with each other. Now, I would like to take a turn, and talk about as you and I are one. How is Jesus and God one? Jesus and God are one in essence. We are invited into that essence, oneness, or unity relationship, between God and Jesus. This necessitates the need to talk about, the difference between, an essence, a person, and a substance.

Having said all that, here begin-eth the rama word that God gave to me. You judge. Sometimes, we say that God exist outside of time. Yes! Yet, God revealed to me that eternity is the absence of time. In eternity time did not exist. Where there is no matter, there is no time. The bible says that God created all things. Einstein said, E equals E M C squared. Thus God created time by creating matter. Before that, time did not exist, because matter did not exist. Speed, can only exist, if matter exists. Speed, is the speed of matter within the confines of a universe. Speed is the speed of light. The big bang theory says, that there was an infusion of matter, into this universe. The black hole, represents, a different universe, with different laws of physics. Maybe laws of quantum physics, which is theoretical at best.

This tells us that, in a universe without matter or time, the concept of first and second is meaningless. Thus, whether or not Jesus was God's first creation is meaningless, because everything happens at one time. Thus, there is no concept of sequential order.

Furthermore, Jesus was not created. He was begotten. He was God's only begotten Son. That is, he came out of God's loins. Although, beget and create, are synonyms on some level, this breaks down at some point. You create inanimate objects. Yet, you do not beget inanimate objects, you create inanimate objects. Nature begets, using the laws that God put in effect in eternity. The bible says, in John 1:18, that Jesus was hidden in God. Jesus was begotten by nature, in the same way that Cain and Able, were begotten of Adam and Eve. God does not create anything anymore. He has put laws of nature into effect. Laws of Nature reproduce what God has already created. Again, Jesus was not created. He was begotten, before time itself existed. Micah 5:2 says that, Jesus was from everlasting. That is, Jesus existed, before time itself existed. Thus, he always was. He came out of the loins of God instantly. There was no time when God existed, and Jesus did not exist.

Likewise, the laws of nature, that God put in effect in eternity say, that everything in nature reproduces after its own kind. Genesis 1 11 tells us, that God said, everything whose seed is in itself, brings forth fruit after its own kind. Matthew 7:18 goes on to say, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Neither can a corrupt tree, bring forth good fruit. Finally, James 3:12 goes on to say, the fig tree cannot bear olive berries. Thus, we can conclude that, from the beginning of time until now, everything in nature reproduces after its own kind. Thus, a man cannot have a son, who is litterally a dog.

Likewise, God is a kind of thing. God himself would reproduce after his own kind. So, the question is does God reproduce. If so, we would have to conclude that, the kind of thing that God would reproduce, would be the same kind of thing that God himself is.

The bible says, that God had a son. All of us are sons and daughters of God. Yet, we and angels are addopted sons of God. On the other hand, Jesus is God's only begotten son. Begotten, implies reproduction. Jesus came out of God's Loins instantaneously before time was. Jesus was God's son by nature, not by adoption.

Hebrews 1:5 asks the question. 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?

This, is a rhetorical question. The obvious answer is, God did not say this to any of the angels. Jesus, was the only one he said it to. Then, the bible goes on to say, that no other creations were in fact gods.

Deuteronomy 6:4, and Mark 12:29 says, that the cornerstone of all truth is the first commandment which is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. Deuteronomy 4:5 states that there is non else beside this one God. Deuteronomy 32 39 tells us, that there is no God with him. Isaiah 43:10 says, that before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. James 2:19 says, there is only one God. Finally, 1 Corinthians 8:4-7 says, we know that there is none other God but one. Why doesn't every man know this.

The bible has an abundant number of scriptures, that speak of Jehovah, or Yahweh as God. All others, who are not a part of, nor associated with, the one true God, are not gods at all. They are false gods. Which is by definition not a god at all. They are a joke of a god. Satan, Farrow, nor Totem poles are gods. They are false gods, or they are gods of this world. This is the heart of polytheism. God hates polytheism.

Finally, Isaiah 44:24 says, God created the universe by himself, with no help from anyone else. Then Genesis 1:26 says, let us make man.

How can these things be? How can God say that He created the universe by himself, and then turn around and say, let us, make man? That is the very essence of this revealing, of God's time, eternity and its relationship to the Godhead, or its relationship to the nature of Jesus. For, the bible says, in Matthew 11:11 that, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet, even the least of us in the kingdom of heaven, have the potential to be greater than John the Baptist. To that end I give God the glory for the words that he has placed in me, his servent.

This leads me to unity among the saints.

Frequently, we talk about unity among the saints from the perspective that they might be one with each other. Now, I would like to take a turn, and talk about, as you and I are one. This is my heart. How is Jesus and God one? Jesus and God are one in essence. We are invited, into that essence, oneness, or unity relationship, between God and Jesus. This necessitates, the need to talk about, the difference between, an essence, a person, and a substance.

The essence is, what "makes something what it is". This implies that the something is something unique. For example, a dog, a radio, a planet, a number, and etc.. Yet, unlike essence, substance is not necessarily about kinds of things. Since what is durable, separable, and identifiable may be an individual. Where as such, what it is is irrelevant. Thus, Aristotle distinguished "primary substances," for example individuals, from "secondary substances," for example a kind. A kind of thing is then to be associated with an essence. An essence can always specify more than one individual.

Here we see that, an essence, is a kind of thing, such as a man or a God, are kinds of things. On the other hand, a substance is not necessarily about kinds of things. Rather a substance has more to do with an individual, or a sub-category of the kind of thing. Such as a poodle is a sub-category of a dog, or a person is a sub-category of a man. Just as all dogs are of the same essence, all men are of the same essence.

All sub-categories of poodles are not the same. Some are Standard Poodles, Miniature Poodles, and even Toy Poodles. Likewise, all sub-categories of persons are not the same. Some are refered to as individuals. Which happens to be a singular noun of a person. While, others are referred to, in law, as the 1st person and the 2nd person. Which happens to be a plural noun of a person. Now a sub-category of a person, the 1st person, is an individual, or a substance.

Now here is the heart of the issue. One God in three persons. A man is an essence. A man begets a man. A God is an essence. Gods beget Gods. Gods are a kind of a thing.

Nature reveals this to us in Romans 1:20. It says.
"For the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the thinngs that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse?.

If Jesus is God's son, and he is. Therefore, nature reveals that the essence of the father is always in the son. Because the essence of God is, that he is infinite. Then it is unthinkable that God could have a son, that has a different essence than his own. It is unthinkable that, an infinite God could have a son, with a finite essence. That is like saying that a man could have a son, who has a literal essence of a dog. That is the heart of calling Jesus God's son. If a person cannot look at nature, and see that this is true, then you are without excuse. If you believe that, an infinite God, could have a finite son, then you are without excuse.

1st Timothy, chapter 3, verse 15 says: that the Godhead is a mystery by design. It reads:
-Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and then received up into glory.

Who was? God was! Hear Oh Israel the Lord our God is one God. There was no God created before him, along side him, nor after him. Yet, we say that there are many gods in heaven and in earth. God said that on the day that you eat you will surely die. Yet, Satan said you will not die. The explicit takes precedence over the implicit.

We are invited into that oneness, or unity relationship, between God and Jesus. The bible has an abundant number of scriptures that speak of Jehovah or Yahweh as God. All others who are not a part of, nor associated with the one true God, are not gods at all.

On the other hand, righteous men are in association with the one and true God. Thus making them gods, according to Jesus and God. For Jesus said in John 10:34, "Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Yee are gods?"

Furthermore, God himself declaired that those who were in association with him were in fact gods. Psalms 82:6 says, "I have said, Yee are gods; and all of you are children of the most High". But yee shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Question. How do gods die like men?

The form of authority that gods have is conditional authority. Angels' authority is upon condition that they obey God's will. Satan was an angel. With all the authority and godliness of angels. His job was to minister to Adam. While ministering to Adam, Satan realized that Adam had a form of authority that he himself as an angel did not have. That was unconditional authority. Unconditional authority was authority that was not contingent upon doing God's will. That was the type of authority that men associated with the tower of babel had. Men could come against God and still maintain some semblance to their authority. That is when iniquity was found in Satan. Satan devised a plan to get Adam to give him his authority, so that he could come against God, and not loose all of his authority. The bible went on to say in Psalms 8:5, that men were created a little lower then Elohim. Then in 1 Corinthians 6:3 it says that men would judge the angels.

We are invited into that oneness or Unity relationship between God and Jesus. For the bible goes on to say in Romans 3 22, that the righteousness of God comes by the faith of Jesus Christ. Not by our faith, but by his faith. For our faith was as dirty rags. So Jesus gave, or made available to, every man the measure of his faith. Everything that Jesus did he did using his faith. Therefore, if we have his faith, then surely we can do the things that he did. We had, the imputation of sin. We have, the imputation of righteousness. Now, here in Romans 3 22, we have the imputation of faith, his faith. The idea was always there in the scripture, but we were not always aware of it. We resisted it. Even now we still resist the fact that we have unlimited access to Jesus's faith. When we truly are awakened by this realization, and stop saying that Jesus had the full anointing of the Holy Spirit, because Jesus was God. Yet, we are not God, therefore we only have a partial access to his faith. We can only do some of the things that Jesus did.

No! Jesus had the full anointing of the Holy Spirit, as a man. Jesus was fully God and fully man. As he is so are we in this world.

Our understanding that we have unlimited access to the faith of Jesus Christ, will be the next great awakening. It is our ability to do the things that Jesus did that makes us gods now, not necessarily in the world to come as the Mormon, the new age, and others preach.

An awakening such that men, when speaking of us would say as they said of Jesus, "what manner of man is this, even the winds respond to his will, because our will would be aligned with God?s will. An awakening such that the devil himself will say Jesus I know, and Paul, I know, and now, each of you he knows. An awakening such that we can with confidence say we are gods, for as he is so are we in this world.

An awakening so that we can with confidence say that the things that Jesus did we can do also. An awakening so that we can with confidence say what Jesus said, "Is it not written in your law, I said, Yee are gods?" An awakening so that we can say with confidence that we understand the meaning of the scripture which sayeth, God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods and God himself have said, Yee are gods; But yee shall die like men.

An awakening such that we might understand, the difference between the unconditional authority which Adam had, and Satan stole from him; and the conditional authority which angels and gods have, which is contingent upon us being obedient to God's word. Thus, God said although yee are Gods, you will die like men.

An awakening such that we can without shame, talk about those things that are not, as though they were. Devar! And expect that they will come to pass, before we get to heaven, at an age of 120 years. An awakening such that we can begin to comprehend, that with God there is no difference between a day and a thousand years. An awakening such that we are not the victims of impatience. An awakening that would cause us to realize that, the thing that could take a thousand years to come to pass, may very well happen overnight. Thus, we can look forward to, eternity invading time, where we don't have to wait a thousand years to enter into that Shekinah Glory, so that your will is done on earth, in our lives, as it is done in heaven. We are invited into that oneness or Unity relationship between God and Jesus now. In Jesus name I declare these and all things. Amen.

The sum of the matter is, faith is the hope of things to come. So what do you want to be true. Here we have established that according to the bible and according to nature that Jesus and God are one in essence and in person. For a better understanding of the Holy Spirit, see my teaching on Understanding The Godhead.

6. Agape love and restoration.

There is a relationship between agapa love, the love of God for man, to Godly restoration.There is a type of restoration that comes from God that is unlike wordly restoration. What is the difference?

Joel 2:20-27.
-Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
-Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
-Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
-And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
-And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
-And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
-And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

This is an en-time prophecy about The Day Of The Lord, when Jesus returns at Armageddon to bring justice to the world and defeat evil once and for all. Thus freeing our world from corruption and bringing about the good and perfect world that God had planned for us from the start.

We generally think of restoration as restoring to the original state. The definition is true where the un-saved world is concerned. Worldly restoration is about restoring to the original state. Yet, this is incomplete when we refer to Godly restoration. There is a difference between Godly restoration and worldly restoration. Worldly restoration is simply bringing things back to its original state. Godly restoration is bringing things into a state which is better than the original. God is not concerned with simply bringing you back to the original state or condition of a thing. God wants to bring you to a state where it is even better then the original state. He is the much more God. You are getting ready to go to a state which is much better then it was before. You are getting ready to go to a state of immortality. Again the bible says that this mortal will become immortal.

Let me give you an examrple. In Job chapter 42 verse 10 and 12, in verse 10 it says:

Job 42:10-12.
-And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Then in verse 12 it says:
-So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning:

You do not see God restoring Job to the original state. God is restoring him past the original state, giving him something much better than it was before. In Job 42:10, I want you to also notice. The bible says the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. Restoration begins with forgiveness. Do not allow forgiveness to be a blessing blocker. Do not allow forgiveness to stop the blessings in your life. Do not allow forgiveness to be a wall to stop what God want to bring into your life. Do not say well there has got to be a penalty. Un-forgiveness and strife can hinder restoration. Nobody wants to talk about why you are in strife. Nobody wants to sit around and justify strife. Strife will hinder this restoration that God wants to do. God wants to take you much further along the road than you have ever gone before. God wants to do more than what you originally delt with. God says that he wants to take you further than you originally were. Yet, he says that you have to deal with that unforgiveness. You have to deal with that strife. Do not let it be a blessing blocker in your life. In Job 42:12, notice that Job received more than he had in the beginning. That is Godly restoration. Job received more than he had in the beginning. God is getting ready to do some phenomenal things in your life. Do you think that God is going to let the devil get away with all the things that he has done in your life. He had the headlines for almost a lifetime. Most people, including you, may not know that God was doing some things in the mist of it. God is going to do some things that most people, including you, won't be able to figure out. God is going to get ready to do some phenominal things in this earth. Furthermore, he is going to do it through people. He is going to do it through you. You would think comming out of this that things are not ever going to get better. There are going to be people that are going to say, what do I have to do to be saved? Because the glory of God is going to be so strong in your life and the things that you are doing, because of this Godly restoration. Yet, to get there you have to let go of the strife.

Now, look at proverbs chapter 6. The bible says that men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry. Yet, if the thief be found the thief shall restore seven fold. He shall give all the substance of his house. Now, here is something that you have to understand. Satan is a thief. Satan has come to steal, kill, and destroy. Yet, it is important you recognize the theif. You have to recognize that it was the devil that did this. When you recognize that it was the devil that did that. You can make him restore seven fold.

Whatever it was in the beginning multiplied by seven. Because we know who the thief was. Yet, we say that the thief was the perpertrator, the brother, the sister, the spouse. Therefore, repentance does not apply. There has got to to be a penalty. Otherwise, the victimization will simply continue. The focus is on justice as the route to rehabilitation. No! The focus should be on repentence as the solution to your healing. In the meantime it may be necessary to seperate yourself, from the perpertrator to stop the victimization.

Let me show you again Job. In Job 42:6 and in Job 42:11 b Job says:
-Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

At first Job thought that it was God that was responsible for all of this. Yet, thank God that he changed his mind. He changed his mind. He repented. Satan does not repent. I pray that many of you will change your mind and repent and say: Wait a minute. I have sinned against God and man. Yet you have to know what came from God and what came from the devil. You have to have a discerning spirit. You cannot just say I am hurt, therefore. The thief came to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus said I came that you might have life, and have it more abuntly. The true test of love is you love despite. Again, as Matthew 5:46 says: For if ye love them which love you, what reward have yee? Do not even the publicans do the same? Now, God can take a mess and use it to make a masterpiece. God can mature people in the middle of a mess. Yet, you have to know what came from God and what came from the devil. You have to have a discerning spirit. That is on you. The thief came to steal, kill, and to destroy. Jesus said that I came that you might have life and have it how? More abundantly.

Then let us look at Job 42:11. It says:

-Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

They said the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. You see, they too thought, look at what the Lord did. A lot of you think that evil is from God. That God took my mother. That God took my sister. That God took my friend. That God took my job. Or quite the contrary, the devil made me do it. God did not take your mother, nor quite frequently the devil did not make you do it. God loves you. The devil hates you, and you have free will. Quite frequently we give the devil too much credit. You have free will.

So repent. Change your mind. There is a devil loose. He wants to destroy your life. When you recognize that it is the devil, repent of saying it was God. When you recognize that it was you, repent of saying it was the devil. Take responsibility. Recognize that it was you, and repent. God can bring about that great restoration. When you recognize that it was the devil, and you catch the theif, he has to restore sevenfold.

Now watch this, Exodus 22:1.
-If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

Look at the attitude here is never give me what it was originaly. No! The attitude here is more, not what it was originally. Now, this is going to cost the devil.

On the other hand mercy seems to apply to those in a jamb of some kind, such as we would be with our load of sins, if Christ had not had mercy on us.

7. Agape love & The Prodigal Son.

I would like to take a moment to speak on the inspiration for this part of the message. My wife drug me into a book store. Generally I decide what books I want and I order them on line. While I was waiting for her to do her book shopping I found myself listening to a conversation between the salesman and a customer who wanted a book, for the parable of the Prodigal Son, for a speech that she was about to deliver. The salesman's response convicted me. His response was, when a writer writes a book, he means what he says. He puts a lot of work into how he expresses his thoughts. When we take his text, and say this is what his text means to me, and then go on to explain what the text means to us, we do a disservice to the writer. Particularly, when we do this without giving due consideration to what the writer said, the text meant to him. In this case the writer is Jesus. After reading the book, the salesman's meaning, leaped off the pages. Make no mistake, I am not saying that this is what Jesus's text meant to the author of the book. After all what makes the author an authority. After reading the book I know that this is what Jesus's text meant to Jesus. A quote from Jesus is "He who receives him that I sent, receives me". Jesus sent the author, Timothy Keller, at least relative to his knowledge on this parable. Knowledge discovered is far more powerful then knowledge given. Keller was not a lazy reader. He had to prayerfully work to get the understanding from the parable that he received.

This message will be taken from Luke 15, which is commonly referred to as, the Parable Of The Prodical Son. I have divided this parable up into five sessions of a two part series. Now, I will address sessions one through three. I hope to shine some light on what the author, Jesus, ment by this parable. Particularly, what contributions the elder son brings to the story, which is almost always left out of interpretations of the parable.

The title of this session one of this parable is:
The People Around Jesus.

- My text is taken from Luke 15:1-10. First I will introduce the text.
Luke 15 begins with the religious leaders noticing something, that Jesus seems to attract and befriend "tax collectors and sinners," moral outcasts of respectable society. We reed in verse 2 that they "mutter" to one another about this. We can almost imagine them saying: "He welcomes sinners! This kind of person never comes to our meetings. This must be because he is telling them what they want to hear. He is not calling them to repent or change."

In response, Jesus tells them three parables. By listening carefully to all three parables, and especially to the last one, traditionally called The Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus challenges his listeners' fundamental assumptions about God, sin, and salvation. He gives them an entirely new way of thinking about God, themselves, and the whole world. Now we will look at the first two of these parables. Let us notice three sets of characters:

1) the unwilling listeners, 2) the lost things, and 3) the joyful seekers.

-The First Set Of Characters, Of This Session "People Around Jesus", Is:... The unwilling listeners.
Let us turn to Luke 15:1-3.

-Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word.
-Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
-And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
-And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
-Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word.

There are two groups of people around Jesus, tax collectors and sinners are one group, and Pharisees and the teachers of the law are the other group.

The religious group is especially offended that Jesus eats with sinners. Table fellowship was considered a sign of acceptance and friendship. How, they thought, can he be so open to them? Doesn't he realize that they are the "bad people", who are the real trouble with the world? (And, therefore, that we are the "good guys"?)

Jesus does not give a direct answer. Instead, he responds with three stories or parables. It is important to realize that these parables were not spoken in a vacuum. The purpose of all three parables was to challenge the Pharisees' point of view.

When we get to the final parable, we will realize that both groups of people, "sinners" and "religious people", are actually in the parable. That is why the last story, the story of the prodigal son, is Jesus's final answer. But that is to come later. For now, let's notice how he begins to challenge the Pharisees' attitude, and categories of thought, in the first two stories.

--The Second Set Of Characters, Of This Session, "People Around Jesus", Is:... The lost things.
Let us look at Luke 15:4-5, and Luke 15:8.

-Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word.
-What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
-And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
-Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
-Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word.

First, Jesus confronts their categories about sin.

In the parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd goes out to find the sheep. A sheep is a stupid animal that is completely helpless when lost. In the second parable the lost object is a coin, even more incapable of finding its way home.

The three lost "objects", the sheep, the coin, and (in verses 11 to 32) the son, all represent people who are spiritually lost, far from God. This is Jesus characterizing the people, the Pharisees view as "sinners." They are lost, yet they are lost in quite different ways. The sheep is lost through foolishness, the coin through thoughtlessness, and the son through willfulness.

Taken together, this is a multi-dimensional view of sin.

Here is an example. Mr. Smith has a problem with abusive anger, he often flies off the handle and is verbally abusive and sometimes physically so. Why?

Is his problem genetic? Is it a matter of brain chemistry? Is it just part of his inborn nature, as in the example of the sheep?

Or is his problem the result of a bad environment? Perhaps the result of poor parenting and family life? Was he, like the coin, mismanaged by his "supervisors"?

Or does his problem stem from selfishness and pride, as with the prodigal son? The answer is that usually, in varying degrees, it is all of the above.

Sin is deeply complex. It is inborn in you, it is magnified by sinful treatment, and it is deepened and shaped by your own choices. Jesus's view, of sin is more comprehensive and multi-dimensional than that of many psychologists, sociologists, and many religious leaders. It is certainly more comprehensive than the view held by the Pharisees listening to him.

--The Third Set Of Characters, Of This Session "People Around Jesus", Is:... The joyful seekers.
Let us look at Luke 15:6-7, and Luke 15:9-10.

-Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word.
-And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
-I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
-And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
-Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
-Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word.

Here, Jesus confronts their categories about salvation.

Most people think of religion as "humanity's search for God." We like to think of ourselves as spiritual seekers, as honest inquirers. We look at the religions of the world and, while giving somewhat different directions about how to do so, they all seem to agree that if we sincerely search for God we will find him. Millions of people the world over believe that by believing and obeying God's law in the Bible, they can find God.

The problem is that anyone who feels they have searched for and found God will naturally disdain those who seem to be making no effort at all. They will look at "sinners" and say, "I found God! If you try, you can. I did."

But the Biblical gospel turns this idea on its head. The shepherd, whom Jesus obviously identifies with, must go out to seek and to save that which is lost. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19-10).

Likewise the coin cannot search and find its owner, the owner finds the coin.

And here is the first great blow to the world's categories. Every other religion says that we can search for and find God if we try hard enough. Only Christianity says, no, God had to come down into the world to seek and save us. Salvation must be by his grace, not our achievement.

The end of each parable challenges not just the categories of the Pharisees, but their heart and attitude. A theme through all three parables is, the joy of finding the lost. God does not look at spiritually lost people the way the Pharisees do. Because the Pharisees do not see themselves as lost sinners saved by grace. They disdain "sinners". They feel superior to them. But heaven rejoices when "sinners" are reached and found.

Jesus is the Great Shepherd, even more joyful than the shepherd of the parable. Jesus knew that he would have to die to bring the lost home, but "for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame" (Hebrews. 12-2). In conclusion of session one, and in other words, the joy he had in doing his Father's will, and the joy he had in finding us, was so great that he was willing to endure the cross.

This is Session 2.

The title of this session two of this parable is:
Give Me My Share.

My text is taken from Luke 15:12, and Luke 15:20-24. First I will introduce the text.
The third of Jesus' three parables is the longest and most famous. It is a story about a family, a father, an older son, and a younger son. The story begins when the younger son comes to the father and says, "Give me my share of the estate." In ancient times, when the father died, the oldest son always got "a double portion" of what any other child got. If there are two sons, the older would get two-thirds of the estate and so the younger would get one-third. So the story opens with the younger son asking for his one-third share of the inheritance.

Let us look at:
1) the meaning of the request, 2) the response to that request, and 3) what difference it makes for us.

--The First Issue In This Session "Give Me My Share", Is:...The meaning of the request.
Let us look at Luke 15:11-12.

-Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word.
-And he said, A certain man had two sons:
-And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
-Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word.

The younger son's request was stunning, because the inheritance, of course, was not divided up and distributed to the children until the father died.

As Kenneth Bailey writes: "In Middle Eastern culture, to ask for the inheritance while the Father is alive, is to wish him dead."

The request would therefore have been a disgrace to the family name, because of the younger son's extraordinary disrespect for his father. It would have also been a blow to the economic standing of the family, since the father would have to sell part of his estate in order to give him his share.

In short, this request ripped the family apart. It was a relational and economic act of violence against the family's integrity.

Why would the younger son make such a request?

Here is a theory of why we do what we do, and especially why we sin. Here is an observation: "A man has murdered another man, what was his motive? Either he desired his wife or his property or else he would steal to support himself; or else he was afraid of losing something to him; or else, having been injured, he was burning to be revenged."

Even a murderer murders because he loves something. He loves romance, or wealth or his reputation or something else too much, or more than God, and that is why he murders. Our hearts are distorted by "disordered loves." We love, rest our hearts in, and look to things to give us the joy and meaning that only the Lord can give.

The younger son may have lived with his father and may even have obeyed his father, but he did not love his father. The thing he loved, ultimately, was his father's things, not his father. His heart was set on the wealth and on the comfort, freedom and status that wealth brings.

His father was just a means to an end. Now, however, his patience was over. He knew that the request would be like a knife in his father's heart, but he obviously did not care.

Here is a great irony, which we will return to later.

The two sons look very different, on the surface. One runs off and lives a dessolute life, one stays home and obeys and serves his father.

Yet at the end, the older son is furious with the father, and humiliates him, by refusing to go into the great feast. This is the older son's way of saying that he will not live in the same family with the younger son. So again the family's integrity, and the father's heart are under assault, this time by the elder brother.

Why? The elder brother objects to the expense of what the father is doing, as we will see. He shows that he has been obeying the father to get his things, and not because he loves him, since he is willing to put him to shame. Both the older and younger sons love the father's things, but not the father.

--The Second Issue In This Session "Give Me My Share", Is:... The response to the request.
Let us look at Luke 15:20-24.

-Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word.
-And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
-And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
-And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
-But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
-And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
-For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
- Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word.

The younger son's request to the father would have shocked Jesus' listeners, but the father's response is even more remarkable. This was a patriarchal society, in which you were required to show respect and reverence toward those older or above you. This kind of contempt and insolence would have ordinarily met with outrage. The listeners would expect the father to explode in wrath, to drive the son out with blows.

Instead, we read the simple words, "so he divided his property between them." We need to put ourselves into the historical context. In those days, most of a family's wealth was in their land and property. Indeed, their family land was part of their very identity. It is likely that the father had to sell some of his land in order to become "liquid" and give his younger son his share.

This is reflected in the unusual Greek word for living used in verse 12 translated as "property." It is the word "bios" which means "life." It says, literally, he divided his "life" between them. Why use that word? Probably it was a way to convey what it felt like for the father to lose his land, his family's good name and status, and the presence of one of his two sons. The father is being asked to tear his very life apart, and he does.

The older son and anyone else in the community would have thought that the father was being foolish to give in to the younger son's request. But looking back, we know better. If the father had become embittered, and had perhaps beaten the young man or done something else severe to him, no restoration would have ever happened. The father's heart would have been too hardened to ever receive him back, and the son may never have expected or wanted the father to do so.

By bearing the agony and pain of the son's sin himself, instead of taking revenge, instead of paying the son back by inflicting pain on him, the father kept the door open in the relationship. The father was willing to suffer for the sin of the child, so that some day reconciliation would be possible.

--The Third Issue In This Session "Give Me My Share", Is:... What difference it makes for us.

First, it means that whether we are ir-religious, free-wheeling, "younger brother" types or moral, religious "elder brother" types, we have a problem with, what is sometimes called, "idols of the heart.

For example, imagine a wife who has a husband who spends hours with another woman talking about all his and her problems, and he goes traveling with this other woman, and talks and thinks about her incessantly. So the wife confronts her husband and he says, "What's the problem? I married you, didn't I.

I pay the mortgage, don't I? I do all my duties, don't I? If someone asks, I say you are my wife. Why are you so upset?" The wife will say (rightly) that someone else has captured his heart and imagination.

---
Many of us are like the elder brother. We may obey all the rules, but our real heart and passion is something else, our career, or making money, or our children, or peer acceptance. If any thing has a controlling position in our heart, if any thing is more important to our happiness than God, then that thing is a "god" to us, an "idol of the heart."

Recognize these things for what they are. Do you see them in your own heart and life? Once we see these things for what they are, what can be done about them?

Second, it means that our Lord has done for us what the father in the parable did for his son.

When God came into this world, we would have expected him to come in wrath, to appear and drive us out with blows. But he did not. He didn't come with a sword in his hand, but with nails in his hands. He didn't come to bring judgment, but to bear our judgment.

Jesus went to the cross in weakness, and there, voluntarily, his life was literally torn apart. And for his only property left, his garment, they cast lots. But he did it so that, when we repent, like the younger son, forgiveness and reconciliation is now available.

And how does this help us with our "disordered loves"? Objectively, it means there is real, true forgiveness for them. Our guilt is dealt with by Jesus' blood. Subjectively, when we see the absolute beauty of what Jesus has done for us, it captures our hearts. Money can not die for us, popularity can not die for us. There is nothing more beautiful in all of reality than the picture of a perfectly happy Being, leaving all the bliss of heaven, and sacrificing everything for the sake of rebellious, undeserving, ungrateful people. The more you look at Jesus doing that, the more you will love him above anyone or anything else. He will capture your heart so that nothing matters more than he does. In conclusion of session two, when you see what he has done for you, it makes the worst times bearable and the best times leavable.

Session 3.
The title of this session three of this parable is:
The Elder Brother

My text is taken from Luke 15:25-32. Let me introduce the text.
Now this is the part that I want to lift up. Most people who read and study The Parable of the Prodigal Son concentrate completely on the character of the younger son, his repentance, and the father's forgiveness. And yet look at the text. It doesn't end with the return of the prodigal. Almost half of the story is about the older son. The story is about two sons, who are both alienated from the father, who are both assaulting the unity of the family. Jesus wants us to compare and contrast them. The younger son is "lost", that is easy to see. We see him shaming his father, ruining his family, sleeping with prostitutes, and we say, "yes, there's someone who is spiritually lost." But Jesus' point is that the older son is lost too. Let us learn from the text:

1) a startling new understanding of lostness.
2) what the signs of it are (so we can recognize it in ourselves), and.
3) what we can do about this condition.

The First Issue In This Session "The Elder Brother" Is:... A startling new understanding of lostness.
Let us look at Luke 15:25-28. Emphasis on verse 28.

-Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word.
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.
And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.
-Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word.

The elder brother would have known that the day of the prodigal's return was the greatest day in his father's life.

The father has "killed the fattened calf", a very expensive luxury in a culture, where even having meat at meals was considered a delicacy.

The older son realized his father was ecstatic with joy. Yet, he refused to go into the biggest feast his father has ever put on. This was a remarkable, deliberate act of disrespect. It was his way of saying, "I will not be part of this family nor respect your headship of it."

And the father had to "go out" to plead with him. Just as he went out to bring his alienated younger son into the family, now he had to do the same for the older brother.

Do you realize what Jesus is saying to his listeners, and to us? The older son is lost.

The father represents God himself, and the meal is the feast of salvation. In the end, then, the younger son, the immoral man, comes in and is saved, but the older son, the good son, refuses to go in and is lost.

The Pharisees who were listening to this parable knew what that meant. It was a complete reversal of everything they believed. You can almost hear them gasp as the story ends.

And what is it that is keeping the elder brother out? It is because: "All these years I have been slaveing for you and never disobeyed." (verse 29). The good son is not lost in spite of his good behavior, but because of his good behavior. So it is not his sin keeping him out, but his self-righteousness.

Why is the older son lost?

The younger brother wanted the father's wealth, but not the father. So how did he get what he wanted? He left home. He broke the moral rules.

But it becomes evident by the end, that the elder brother also wanted selfish control of the father's wealth. He was very unhappy with the father's use of the possessions, the robe, the ring, the calf. But while the younger brother got control by taking his stuff and running away, we see that the elder brother got control by staying home and being very good. He felt that now he has the right to tell the father what to do with his possessions because he had obeyed him perfectly.

So there are two ways to be your own Savior and Lord.

One is by breaking all the laws and being bad. The other, is by keeping all the laws and being good.

If I can be so good that God has to answer my prayer, give me a good life, and take me to heaven, then in all I do, I may be looking to Jesus to be my helper and my rewarder, but he isn't my Savior. I am then my own Savior.

The difference between a religious person and a true Christian is that the religious person obeys God to get control over God, and things from God, but the Christian obeys just to get God, just to love and please and draw closer to him.

--The Second Issue In This Session "The Elder Brother" Is:... What the signs of this lostness are.
Let us look at Luke 15:29-30.

-Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word.
-And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
-But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
-Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word.

Some people are complete elder brothers. They go to church and obey the Bible, but out of expectation, that then God owes them. They have never understood the Biblical gospel at all. But many Christians, who know the gospel, are nonetheless elder-brotherish. Despite the fact that they know the gospel of salvation by grace with their heads, their hearts go back to an elder-brotherish "default mode" of self-salvation. Here is what the elder-brotherish attitude looks like. It is:

A deep anger ("And he was angry, and would not go in"). Elder brothers believe that God owes them a comfortable and good life if they try hard and live up to standards, and they have! So they say: "my life ought to be going really well!" and when it does not they get angry. But they are forgetting Jesus. He lived a better life than any of us, but suffered terribly.

A joyless and mechanical obedience ("I have been slaveing for you"). Elder brothers obey God as a means to an end, as a way to get the things they really love. Of course, obedience to God is sometimes extremely hard. But elder brothers find obedience virtually always a joyless, mechanical, slavish thing as a result.

A coldness to younger brother-types ("this son of yours"). The older son will not even "own" his brother. Elder brothers are too disdainful of others unlike themselves to be effective in evangelism. Elder brothers, who pride themselves on their doctrinal and moral purity, unavoidably feel superior to those who do not have these things.

A lack of assurance of the father's love ("you never threw me a party). As long as you are trying to earn your salvation by controlling God through your goodness, you will never be sure you have been good enough. What are the signs of this? Every time something goes wrong in your life you wonder if it is a punishment. Another sign is ir-resolvable guilt. You can not be sure you have repented deeply enough, so you beat yourself up over what you did. Lastly, there is a lack of any sense of intimacy with God in your prayer life. You may pray a lot of prayers asking for things, but not sense his love.

An unforgiving, judgmental spirit . The elder brother does not want the father to forgive the younger brother. It is impossible to forgive someone if you feel "I would never do anything that bad!" You have to be something of an elder brother to refuse to forgive.

--The Third Issue In This Session "The Elder Brother" Is:... What we can do about this spiritual condition.
Let us look at Luke 15:31-32.

-Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word.
-And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
-It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
- Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word.

First, we have to see the uniqueness of the gospel.

Jesus ends the parable with the lostness of the older brother in order to get across the point that it is a more dangerous spiritual condition. The younger brother knew he was alienated from the father, but the elder brother did not.

If you tell moral, religious people who are trying to be good, trying to obey the Bible so God will bless them, that they are alienated from God, they will just be offended. If you know you are sick you may go to a doctor; if you do not know you are sick you will not, you will just die.

Moralistic religion works on the principle, "I obey, therefore God accepts me." The gospel works on the principle, "I am accepted by God through Jesus Christ, therefore I obey."

These are two radically different, even opposite, dynamics. Yet, both sets of people sit in church together, both pray, both obey the Ten Commandments, but for radically different reasons. And because they do these things for radically different reasons, they produce radically different results, different kinds of character. One produces anger, joyless compliance, superiority, insecurity, and a condemning spirit. The other slowly but inevitably produces contentment, joy, humility, poise, and a forgiving spirit.

John 14:15 says "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Is this saying, if you keep my commandments that will cause you to love me? No! This was not the case with the elder brother? The elder brother did not love his father, although he kept his father's commandments (All these years I have been slaveing for you and never disobeyed). The elder brother loved the father's things.
On the other hand is John 14:15 saying if you love me, it will cause you to keep my commandments. Yes! Which comes first, the chicken or the egg. Which comes first loving me, or keeping my commandments? This parable is saying that loving me comes first.
The way that many Christians have interpreted this verse is an example of spiritual dyslexia, (that is a disorder, that can cause a seeming reversal of words when reading). Jesus did not say that keeping his commandments would cause us to love him, but rather loving Him would cause us to keep His commandments. The elder son kept the father's commandments.

If you call younger brothers to receive Christ and live for him without making this distinction clear, they will automatically think you are inviting them to become elder brothers.

Second, we have to see the vulnerability of Jesus.

Remember, again, whom Jesus is speaking to. Jesus is speaking to his mortal enemies, the men he knows will kill him. On the one hand, this is an astonishingly bold challenge to them. He is talking to those who want to kill him and telling them that they are lost, that they misunderstand God's salvation and purpose in the world.

But at the same time, he is also being so loving and tender. When the father comes out to the older brother, that is Jesus pleading with his enemies. He is urging them to see their fatal error. Jesus does not scream at his enemies, or smite them, but lovingly urges them to repent and come into his love.

And so we have a foreshadowing of that great moment on the cross when he says, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing". This love toward his enemies made him vulnerable and cost him his life. On the cross, instead of blasting his enemies, he lovingly took the penalty of their sins on himself. While we were his enemies, Christ died for us.

Knowing what he did for us must drain us of our self-righteousness and our insecurity. We were so sinful he had to die for us. But we were so loved that he was glad to die for us. That takes away both the pride and the fear that makes us elder brothers. In conclusion, if you love me keep my commandments. If you love me then you will keep my commandments, reguardless of how you feel. Our disordered love tells us that keeping God's commandments would cause us to love him. Yet, loving God will cause us to keep His commandments.

Agape love is an action, in the sense that it is a duty, obligation, or a responsibility. Agape love is a behavior, regardless of how you feel. We don't agape because. We agape despite.