Podcasts about logos word

In the message titled Rhema and Logos from the series Remain in the Rhema, Pr Kenneth Chin delves into the profound difference and significance of the Rhema and Logos Word of God. He explains how Logos represents the written Word of God that provides us with foundational truths, while Rhema is the revealed and spoken Word that comes alive in specific moments of our lives. Pr Kenneth shares how understanding and remaining in the Rhema equips believers to navigate life with divine direction, clarity, and power.

What does it mean that John's gospel calls Jesus the Logos (Word)? If Jesus is God's divine reasoning—the why behind all of creation—then the Incarnation means a lot more than we've ever imagined.

The depth of meaning behind the term "logos" used to describe Jesus is vast. Philosophers used this term to describe a host of ideas from "order" to "divine force." The Hebrews had a similar concept in their literature to describe "wisdom" and the creative activity of their God. In Jesus, these two ideas come together and uplifts both our senses and our soul.

https://youtu.be/WbUwTXJf-Vw?si=vBWLkW7ijYjhBexo Search Engine - 1 (06/09/2024) Anonymous Text Line   Why does God hate divorce? (Malachi 2:16)  And why does God divorce Israel? (Jeremiah 3:8-10) Double standard?    Malachi 2:16 (NKJV) “For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.” Jeremiah 3:8-10 (NIV) 8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the Lord.   Allow vs Endorse   In Deuteronomy 24 3-4, why can't a person who has been divorced twice remarry their first spouse? 2   Deut 24:1-4 (NIV) If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, 2 and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, 3 and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, 4 then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.   Greek question? What is the difference in Rhema (Word) and Logos (Word)? 3   John 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word(Logos), and the Word(Logos) was with God, and the Word(Logos) was God.   Ephesians 6:17 (NIV) Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word(Rhema) of God.   Should Christians be pacifists or is it OK to fight in wars? “Thou shall not kill.” 4     I heard someone mention righteous anger. Can you explain? 5   Ephesians 4:26 (NIV) “In your anger do not sin” Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry     Why aren't dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures not mentioned in the Bible. What about Neanderthals, other types of hominids. Homo erectis. Homo floresiensis. Homo naledi. They all existed within the time, or just before the time of humans. 6 Prehistoric animals Job 40:15-18 (NIV) “Look at Behemoth,     which I made along with you     and which feeds on grass like an ox. 16 What strength it has in its loins,     what power in the muscles of its belly! 17 Its tail sways like a cedar;     the sinews of its thighs are close-knit. 18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,     its limbs like rods of iron.   5 OT VERSES ABOUT “LEVIATHAN”   One of the days of creation - or before the days of creation. The flood?   Evidence that man and dinosaurs lived in the same era - Glen Rose - Dinosaur Valley.   Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, Homo sapien… different skull shapes.   Growing evidence that Neanderthals were not dumb. https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2022/07/02/neanderthals-where-do-they-fit-bibles-history/   Possibilities… Common Descent - Evolution from a common genus Creation and adaptation of humanity An abnormality Another creature altogether Differences… but created by one God. Malachi 2:10 (KJV) “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?”   Can you explain Mark 9:24? - The man believed yet had unbelief. 7   Mark 9:24 (NIV) Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”   Both belief and unbelief… 23 “‘If you can'?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”   Mark 9:24 (CEV) At once the boy's father shouted,

GOSPELS 12 JESUS WALKS ON THE SEA  John 6 Matthew 14 Mark 6 When we come to the end of the story of the feeding of the five thousand which was included in all the four Gospels, we see that the crowd wanted to make Jesus their king… ‘Jesus saw that they were ready to take him by force and make him their king, so he went higher into the mountains alone to pray'( John 6:15). And in the Gospels of John and Matthew and Mark Jesus tells his disciple to row back to another part of the seacoast of Galilee. The story goes on to tell us of the disciples rowing against the wind in a storm-tossed sea while Jesus is praying up on a mountain and Mark includes that Jesus was watching them as they rowed, He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. (Mark 6:48) The story then tells of Jesus walking upon the sea to join them in their boat for the rest of the journey, and each Gospel talks of their fear of the storm and their even greater fear when Jesus appears walking on the water towards them like a ghost or some apparition.  Some details are included in one Gospel and left out in another but that does not mean the details are ‘either/or' because the details are ‘both/and'.  Matthew's Gospel includes the miraculous story of Peter asking Jesus if he could walk on the sea to meet him. (Matthew 14:27).  And John's Gospel talks about the miraculous incident of how the boat instantly arrives at their destination in Capernaum the moment that the disciples welcome Jesus on board their boat. According to Luke the feeding of the five thousand was at Bethsaida on the northeastern side of the Lake of Galilee (Luke 9:10) and they were told to row to Capernaum on the northwestern side of the lake (John 6:16), and they would have been about halfway to Capernaum, when Jesus came to them walking on the sea. The story about Peter walking on water is in Matthew and I'm reading from Ch. 14 Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him, they were terrified “It's a ghost!” they said, crying out in terror. But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Have courage, it's me. Don't be afraid.” Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come ahead.” Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “such little faith, why did you doubt?” The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. This story has a particular message about faith for us - and the personal message of faith for Peter was prophetic of so much of Peter's impetuous boasts of how great his faith was, only to find it sinking and having Jesus lift him into faith again.  Jesus had told Peter at the Last Supper before his trial that Peter would deny him three times but that he would be praying for his faith to not fail. Peter boasted that he would die before he would ever forsake Jesus, and very soon afterwards when Jesus was arrested to be put on trial, Peter denied Jesus three times telling people he didn't even know him. Peter's boast of faith and denial was another trial of Peter's sinking and being helped up again into faith.  But Peter received a new kind of faith after Pentecost when he became free from being under the law as a Jew and now knew that salvation was only through faith in Christ. However, when he was told by God to preach the Gospel to a Gentile Centurion named Cornelius, Peter's faith sank again as he wasn't convinced that Gentiles could be saved. But Peter obediently preached to Cornelius and his family, after letting Cornelius know that it wasn't lawful for him as a Jew to even come into his house. God helped Peter's faith up again and Cornelius and his family all received Jesus and were baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. Fourteen years later Paul had to rebuke Peter openly before all the apostles in Jerusalem for separating himself from the Gentile Christians in Antioch and refusing to eat with them, and this became another lesson of sinking faith for Peter who eventually did become a champion of faith like Paul.  This is also a message for our faith, which may fail and sink, and we learn that only Jesus can complete our faith with his faith. The Bible says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebews12) and in being the finisher of our faith he completes the faith that we offer to him in our prayers of trust and obedience to him. We believe as best we can, and Jesus takes our faith and completes it and presents that faith to the Father who fulfills our surrendered prayer with his good will and Divine purpose for us.  We now look at the miraculous incident in John's Gospel of how the boat instantly arrives at their destination in Capernaum when Jesus gets in the boat; ‘when suddenly they saw Jesus walking toward the boat they were terrified, but he called out to them and told them not to be afraid. When they were willing to let him in, they suddenly arrived at their destination in an instant! (John 6:20) The weary disciples welcoming Jesus into their boat allowed Jesus to miraculously complete their journey. God does this for us personally in our own journeys of faith with him, especially when we have been faithfully and obediently doing the rowing which means doing what we have heard him say to us and then he comes into our boat and complete that journey.  And there is also a picture here of his church family - all of us rowing in the boat together in toiling for two thousand years and the Church getting as far as it has in that time. But there is a greater destination that Father God has for his beloved family and there will be a time when Jesus will come to us in the boat in the midst of the storm and the darkness and he will bring us into the promise that he has for his people, his destination for his Church, which is.   ‘till we all come into the unity of the faith, unto a perfect (complete) man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13).                                                                               What this means is that all God's people will have the one faith, not the same dogmatic doctrine but the same Jesus on display (or being glorified) in our lives, not as a powerful organisation of this world but as a reflection of the likeness of God – a people of togetherness with God and one another in love and truth and agreement with his will on earth, as it is in Heaven. Only Jesus and the lifegiving Logos Word of his power can complete this measure of faith for each single one of us and also corporately for all of us together as the Body of Christ, to come into that promise. His boat - his Church family, will become an Ark of refuge in the midst of the storms and trouble that surrounds us in these times, as when Noah's family was made safe from the flood and the darkness - and the storm ceased, and the flood subsided.  (Luke 17:23 – As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man). We are living in times when the darkness could not get much darker and the storm does not get much fiercer, but Jesus has been watching us rowing from his mountain top Heavenly place of prayer as our intercessor and planning to come into our boat and take us to our destination (Romans 9:28). Things are happening in history that Jesus prophesied about that could signal a beginning of the times of great trial upon the earth before he returns. When the disciples asked Jesus what things will happen at the times of the end, he replied that concerning his people Israel, they would be hated by all nations for his name's sake (Matthew 24:9). The times of fulfillment of that statement and of other things that he mentioned in that chapter are beyond our power to understand, let alone predict.  Only the Father has these times in his hands and knows how his Kingdom in Heaven and on earth will come together through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  But when the Father sees the suffering of his children on the earth, his love and compassion for the people will draw people to his Son and they will come running, coming from places that we would not have considered or imagined, and they will want to know about God. They may look like they couldn't fit in, with strange ways and beliefs that don't belong. But God will say they do belong and that he will change their beliefs and their ways. And Isaiah prophesies this along with his other prophesies for Israel that are also for the Church and our personal lives. ‘Peoples unknown to you will come running to you, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel have caused you to put God on display in your lives (made you glorious).” Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will mercifully forgive'. (Isaiah 55:5-7)  

GOSPELS 10 YOUR KINGDOM COME In Gospels 10 we are staying in Matthew Chapter six where Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's prayer, and the parallel verses are also in Luke Chapter eleven. But even before he taught the disciples about prayer Jesus had referred to his Father four times as ‘Your Father' in that section of Scripture, teaching what many called his ‘hard sayings', the revolutionary teachings that puzzled those who heard them because they seemed impossible to carry out. He spoke about being perfect as ‘your Father' is perfect and loving your enemies as ‘Your Father' does, sending his rain on the just and the unjust. But these puzzling revolutionary statements of Jesus were not said simply for the sake of being a revolutionary. A definite theme of the nature of ‘Our Father' was emerging that Jesus was declaring. After Jesus taught them The Lord's prayer, the ‘Our Father', it starts becoming very clear that the mission of Jesus was to bring about The Way for us all to live together with himself and Our Father and the Holy Spirit in the same way that he was living with his Father and the Holy Spirit at that time. He was talking about the Kingdom of God within him. The crowds would not stop following Jesus so he would go into a solitary place where he could be still and reflect on what his Father was saying to him, but the crowds would find him and beg him not to leave them, so he said to them, I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other places too, for that is why I was sent. (Luke 4:42).  Jesus kept talking about a Kingdom, and people wanted to know what this Kingdom was, especially the religious leaders and the Pharisees – Where was it? – When would it come? – What did it look like? His own disciples also had a secret ambition of them being given a position of honour and glory in that Kingdom someday very soon. No one understood. Jesus' answer to them all was that His Kingdom was not in a geographical place, and you couldn't plan its arrival with a calendar or describe its outward appearance as a visible organization. He said it was not an external system but an internal reality. We read in Luke; ‘When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!' or ‘There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is within (entos – amongst, in the midst of) you. (Luke 17:20 NKJ, ESV.). Jesus was the only human embodiment of that kingdom amongst them or in the midst of them - The Kingdom was within him but not yet within them. But Jesus is prophesying that this Kingdom would be within them and within us after he had sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  The Kingdom of God is the Father and Son agreement that determined the design and purpose for all of creation in the beginning through the Logos Word of Jesus, with the Holy Spirit being the creative power of that creation.           The promise of the Father was that we would embody that ‘Our Father and Jesus' life deep inside each one of us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus shared more fully on that in John and in Acts.  Before Jesus ascended into Heaven his disciples asked him one last time if now was when Jesus would establish a material Kingdom to rule over the earth. Jesus realised they still did not understand so he told them that the Father would do all that in his own good time, and he went on to say ‘wait until you receive the promise of the Father, for you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be the living proof (witness) of who I am, in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth' (Acts 1:8). He also said to them Because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (John 14: 17. I).  He is telling them and us that we would embody the Kingdom of God the way that he had done. While Jesus lived amongst us his Father and Son relationship was the Kingdom of God in the earth expressing what the Father declared in heaven. We now continue in Matthew chapter six, where a few verses earlier Jesus had just taught his disciples to pray to Our Father, honouring him, and asking him to provide for us our basic human needs and forgiving us for letting him down and guarding us from evil.  He now presents us with the extravagant response of a loving devoted Father who desires to bless us and keep us abundantly more than what we would ever have thought to ask from him. He says to his disciples, “So my counsel is: Don't worry about things—food, drink, and clothes. For you already have life and a body—and they are far more important than what to eat and wear. Look at the birds! They don't worry about what to eat—they don't need to sow or reap or store up food—for your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Will all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies of the field! They don't worry about theirs. Yet King Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you, O men of little faith? “So don't worry at all about having enough food and clothing. Why be like the world which doesn't know God? For they take pride in all these things and are fearful and anxious about them. But your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you, so seek first the kingdom of God and live in surrendered togetherness with him, and all these things shall be added to you - give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to. And don't be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time. (Matthew 6:25-34) Our Father is entreating us here to trust him beyond what we ever thought we could. The lilies of the field that do not toil are showing us that it is only the creative work of God upon them that brings forth their glory and beauty. They are not an example to us of living a toil free life, but an illustration of everything being how God created it to be. We are to be who we were created to be and do the good things he has planned for us to do, even in the midst of toil and challenge and loss. And God acts supernaturally upon our faithful being and doing and blesses that. He also gives us the spectacular playground of his creation for us to leisurely enjoy, as Adam did in the garden with God. But all of this being and doing takes place within a disordered world of chaos and malevolence – a world where people who do not know God live in fear and anxiety and uncertainty about anything and everything.   Jesus died and rose again to freely give this Kingdom of God to you which is the Father and Son relationship that resides uniquely within each one of us forming and shaping God's individual design and purpose for each of our lives. We become a locus and a showpiece of where the Kingdom expression of God comes on earth as it is in heaven. The Father's idea, the Jesus logos word and the activity of the Holy Spirit meets your Yes and we do his good thing as well as we can (Ephesians 2:10). This good thing can be small and ordinary or a significant life changing thing – but it still expresses the Kingdom of God Jesus set the example for us, to draw aside from time to time from the busyness of life just to enjoy the ‘be still and know that I am God' times of rest and refreshing for our souls. These setting aside times help us deepen our trust as we wait for God to show us that he is acting in our lives supernaturally for our good, and our trusting expectation of his goodness draws his peace and tranquillity into our hearts. We rest in the assurance of the work of his Kingdom within us that works unceasingly, waiting to be captured by our faith at any given moment in time, where we swap anxiety and frustration for hope and expectation. Your Kingdom come your will be done. Amen.    

GOSPELS 7 IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD  We started the Gospel series where all four Gospels gave of the account of the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, being baptised by John the Baptist. Some of John the Baptist's disciples began to follow Jesus, and after his forty days of temptation in the wilderness he regathered some of these disciples by the sea of Galilee and they followed him into greater Galilee where he chose the twelve Apostles and performed many miracles and healings before returning to his hometown in Nazareth.  But we now need to go back to the first section of Chapter one of John's Gospel and fill a gap which contains something that is unique to John's Gospel. It is the magnificent account of the creation of all things in the Universe through Jesus the Word – Logos – of God. Jesus as the Logos is the eternal creative articulation of the will of the Father, and the Holy Spirit is the eternal supernatural activity that acts upon that creative Word of Jesus in every situation. That is what happens for us as we receive the word of faith that comes into our lives when Jesus speaks to us concerning the will of the Father - and we see the powerful work of the holy Spirit bringing into being the fulfillment of that Word for our life and our situation. That is our prayer life. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (Logos – the creative life and design and purpose  giving utterance of Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. He (Jesus) was in the beginning with God. 3. Everything was made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. Artificial Intelligence, without any sketch or drawing plan but simply by writing a descriptive string of imaginative mere human words into a computer program can generate a video animation of weird hybrid creatures that move, like a rabbit with the scaly tailed end of an echidna, and fish that walk and talk – and it looks real. It is an illusion that is hailed as a creative wonder. But God through the one creative Logos Word of Jesus has created orchids that look like laughing monkeys, flowers that look and move like dancing fairies, and insects whose magnified faces contain an exact image of a rabbit's head, and the African Grey Parrot can have a vocabulary of 2000 words. There are many millions of these works of art in God's creation gallery from microscopic ballerina marine creatures at the bottom of the ocean to trillions of galaxies in the Universe. So people can say words and make things appear real and alive but they cannot create life. Illusion is not life, and it is not truth – more about that later. Vs4. In Him (Jesus) was life and that life was the light (phos) of Mankind.  The word used for life in that verse is zoe, which means the fulness of essential and spiritual life - as opposed to bios – which speaks of lower life forms. Jesus possesses the zoe life in its fullest and most divine sense and Jesus became the source and embodiment of eternal life for humanity. Jesus is also the illumination of the truth and the revelation of that life. He is the way, the truth and the life. He show us the way to understand and live in God's will, and through his light and truth humanity can experience lifegiving salvation of the soul.  Vs5. And that light shines into the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it (katalambano – hold it down, supress it, enclose it) That verse tells us that the illumination of that truth about knowing God and knowing his will is able to bring that revelation into the darkness and obscurity and delusion of the world, and the darkness of the world cannot overcome or overwhelm it. If darkness tries to enclose or surround light it is overpowered by light. And in the same way, if we are full of the light and truth of Jesus in our minds and hearts of faith, the delusional and manipulative words of darkness that try to penetrate the light of our truth will dissipate and come to nothing. They are unable to move us from our conviction of the truth that the Holy Spirit reveals to us about Jesus and the Father. The Apostle Paul said ‘For God, who Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Jesus Christ. (2Corinthians 4:6)                                                                                                                                                                                        John goes on to write in the next verse (vs 6) that John the Baptist said he himself was not the light but he was sent to bear witness to that light which was Jesus, so that everyone (pas) - all of humanity - might believe through Jesus. John says (vs 9) ‘that Light was the true Light which gives light (the revelation of God's zoe life) to every man that comes into the world' (every human being that arrives on the planet).  John then writes (vs 10) that Jesus who made the world came into the world, to his own, but the world did not know him or receive him. John writes that Jesus would give power and freedom and liberty to those who did receive him and they would grow into mature sons and daughters of God the Father. He said that those people who received him and believed in him would be born from above from God, not just from human reproduction.  Being born of God is one thing but growing up is another thing, growing in the power of The Spirit into grown up sons and daughters on a journey of volunteering to do what pleases the Father. John writes (vs 14) that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, (flesh =sarx – humanity that can choose to go it alone) and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten (monogenes – the One begotten Son) of the Father, full of grace and truth.  Jesus was the only human being who became ‘flesh' (‘humanity that can choose to go it alone)' that was born directly from the Spirit seed of the Father (monogenes – the One begotten Son) – born from above and into the earth through his earthly mother Mary. We are not born from above directly as Jesus the only begotten Son was from the Father. We were born from above through the spiritual seed of Jesus himself, the Logos, ‘truly God and truly Man'. Jesus was always truly God and became truly human – we were always truly human and became partakers of the Divine nature (2Peter 1:4). The bible says that we have been born again (anagenna??- born anew from above), not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God (Logos – Jesus) which lives and abides forever (1Peter 1:23).  Jesus prophesied and explained this new birth to a man called Nicodemus, whom Jesus referred to as the Teacher of the Jews and who confessed that Jesus could not have done the things that he did unless he was the Christ, and Jesus answered him and said "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again (gennao anothen – born from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3) This final verse (vs 14) that we have been discussing, about Jesus the Logos becoming flesh and dwelling among us caused a split between Christianity and both the religious Jews and the educated Greeks when the Apostle John wrote it. Religious Jews believed that the Word of God always was and still is the Torah of the words of the Law through Moses, and it was blasphemy to say the word had become a Person, so they rejected John's Word Logos for that reason. It's all about words. The Greeks believed that Logos was a word that described the philosophical concept of the designing and sustaining and ordering principle of the Universe – it could not possibly be a Person! so they rejected John's Word Logos for that reason.  But Christians believe that Logos is a Person, Jesus, the Logos, who is the articulation of the Father's will in all situations. The Bible says that Jesus the Logos upholds all thing in the Universe by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3) – that is what is real and what is real will last. The world imposes a superficial reality on many aspects of social and moral and scientific truth by taking words and giving them new meanings that suit its own ideologies. That turns non truth into truth and non-virtue into virtue and even non science into science, and that is an exercise of darkness trying to overcome light. But when darkness tries to enclose light, the darkness has to finally break up and disappear. And when Logos light and truth penetrate darkness the darkness also finally breaks up and disappears. God has created humanity in his own image and does not want humanity to live in bondage to darkness. God looked upon a world in bondage to darkness in the days of Noah, and he looked upon Abraham and Lot in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, and he looked upon the earth in the days of Pharaoh and Moses where his people had been enslaved in bondage to darkness and he brought deliverance through people of faith who heard his word of salvation.  As we allow the incorruptible seed of the Logos of Jesus to grow within us we can confidently pray and believe John's word which says ‘that Light was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world' and ‘that light shines into the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it' That was promised in the beginning, and I believe that promise is ready to start finding its fulfillment once more. Let us nurture that Logos seed of life and light and truth, and let us water it by our faith and love and let us bear witness to it by our lives, and let us offer it to those in our world. We can know and believe that what is real and lasting will overcome what is ready to pass away.    

Do we have hope that Jesus can make all things new? John, the disciple of Jesus, tells us that Jesus is the Logos (Word). He was the one through whom all creation was formed, he is the logic at the center of the universe- and He is God. He has all power to give us hope. He has all power to speak into the darkness of our life- 'let there be light'.

Pastor Cho in his book

The Gospel of John opens with a different Christmas story than the other gospels.  It begins “in the beginning,” with John talking about a Greek philosophical concept called the Logos (Word).  John claimed that the principle that organized and created everything became flesh and dwelt among us in Jesus Christ.  This scandal of Christmas is that all the treasures of wisdom are found in Jesus.  Where are we finding our wisdom?

Tips for Talking to Trinitarians about John 1 (Part 2) The Word was God: what God? In the previous podcast, Part 1, we asked what “beginning” is directly being referred to in John 1:1, “in the beginning”. If this beginning refers to the new beginning that God is bringing about through life and ministry of the man Jesus of Nazareth, then Trinitarian or “deity of Christ” speculation about a second god-figure is misplaced and wrong. In this podcast we examine closer John 1:1 “and the Word was with God and the Word was God”. The focus of “and the Word was God” is, which God, or who? Trinitarians and “deity of Christ” believers insist that it was “God the Son”, or “God the Word” in Jesus. But this claim explicitly contradicts Jesus and the author of the Gospel of John who declare it was the Father in Jesus. If “God” in the phrase “the Word was God” is the Father, Trinitarianism and “deity of Christ” speculation is dead. Time stamps: 00:18 Additional follow-up comments about “in the beginning” en arche in Greek. 02:21 Introduction to the current podcast 03:28 All “deity of Christ” interpretations of Scripture passages attempt to eliminate the human person, Jesus the Christ from Nazareth. 05:02 The Word was With God. Parallels to Moses. Contrast with John the Baptist. The Logos (Word) is differentiated from God (not just “the Father”) two times in the first two verses of John's Gospel. 07:21 The Word was God. Is this an ontological statement about the deity of a second God figure? Trinitarians change the meaning of “God” in John 1:1, even though the first occurence is separated from the second occurrence only by the word “and” kai. For Trinitarians, “God” in John 1:1c can not be the Father. 11:12 God is the Father in the Gospel of John, and in John 1;1c 12:19 Who is God in the Gospel of John? The Father. The Gospel says that it is the Father in Jesus, John 10_38, 14_9-10 (14_9-20). 16:31 The Word was God the Father, in action - God the Father at work. 17:26 Using the Bible, the Word of God, as in illustration of “the Word was God”. 18:21 The “Logos was God” means “God the Father in action”. The Father's presence, power, manifestation, and the Father being represented (agency). 24:34 The tendency of Gentiles to understand “was God” as relating to essence or being. 25:35 The Word is not the source of creation or redemptive regeneration. The Father is the source of His word. The Word is the channel or instrument. 26:08 Confirmation in passages like 2 Cor. 5_18-19 that God the Father was at work in Christ. 26:56 Reasons why the human person Jesus is called the Word. 30:15 The Logos (Jesus the Christ) is compared to Moses in John's prologue. Neither Moses nor Jesus were the original source of what they brought, but were channels. The Torah came through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus the Christ. But Jesus was not the original source of grace and truth. 31:31 Summary and Conclusion

Prophecy USA Host Rick Pearson speaks live at Bradenton Christian Retreat (Part 2) and shares how his 1986 Rhema word from God matches with the hidden secrets in scripture (logos) unveiling the amazing revelation of America's Role in Bible Prophecy.

Prophecy USA Host Rick Pearson speaks live at Bradenton Christian Retreat (Part 2) and shares how his 1986 Rhema word from God matches with the hidden secrets in scripture (logos) unveiling the amazing revelation of America's Role in Bible Prophecy.

As we continue our study of spiritual warfare and the armor of God, Marian teaches what the Sword of the Spirit is and how it is a powerful weapon to refute Satan's lies and resist his schemes. In this study, we look at the difference between a Logos Word and a Rhema Word of God and discover how Rhema Words hold supernatural power for our victory. Finally, in this episode, we learn how Jesus used the Sword of the Spirit when He faced the Enemy in the wilderness. For more information on living the redeemed life, visit www.thisredeemedlife.org To order a resource mentioned on the show, visit https://store.thisredeemedlife.org

Jesus is the Logos Word!!!

Pastor Todd teaches us how to differentiate our own thoughts from God speaking to us. He explains from Hebrews 4:12, What is the difference between the Logos Word of God and the Rhema Word of God? Rhema is God's currently speaking Word from His mouth today. If God is currently speaking to us, can we hear Him and know that it is not our own thoughts? Revive Church : http://www.reviveusnow.com Check out Pastor Todd's latest book, "Flip the Script: A Fresh Look Scripture". https://www.amazon.com/Flip-Script-Fresh-Look-Scripture/dp/B09LGQ87GK

Message from 05/12/2021 by Chris ZeelieChris shares some truths from the word about God's perfect love and plan for us. In the New Testament, the phrase "Word (Logos) of God," found in John 1:1 and elsewhere, shows God's desire and ability to "speak" to the human. The Christian expression of this communication is evidenced in the Christ, who is the "Word become flesh." In these three biblical words, Christianity points to the possibility of union between the human and the divine, or the personal and the absolute. God's logos, which the Christ represents, acts as a bridge between the human's inner spiritual needs and the answer proclaimed by the Christian message.

John 1:1-4,14; Psalm 33 -- Listen to the Word of the Lord, written in Scripture, living in Jesus! The post Logos (Word) appeared first on Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church.

THE HIDDEN SEED OF LOGOS  1Peter 1:23 since you have been born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible seed, through the living and abiding (logos) of God;  Our New Creation lives are the expression of the logos seed of life implanted within us through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the logos Word of God. God is always ‘bringing us into being’ of that New Creation life and our faith causes us to always be ‘coming into being’ of that life. We attend to that hidden seed of spiritual life within. LOGOS THE BIG IDEA The Logos was the Word that spoke creation into being, and that designed and ordered everything in the Universe. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him.  As a Pharisee, Paul used to have what he thought was the best and biggest idea for his life living under God’s Law, but then he was walloped by the greatest idea that had ever existed – the Logos, in the form of Jesus, The Word. Before Paul received a revelation from Jesus on the road to Damascus he was an enemy of Christianity. He had a very stable and strongly approved religion where everybody in his entire personal world validated him. When he was converted he was perceived as an enemy of Judaism by those of the Jewish religion even though they were not seen as enemies by him, and his whole personal world turned upside down. Paul met the logos, Jesus, born from above, who joined God to humanity for all time.  John 1:1 And the Word became flesh and lived amongst us. Jesus Christ, the Logos now sustains and upholds all of creation with that Word of power. (Hebrews 1:3). It is hard to grasp the wonder of this magnificent creative power that is able to order and reorder our whole life as we consciously cooperate with God in that process of transformation. Jesus the Logos Word unfolds to us who God is through the Holy Spirit, and as we get to know who God is, he gets to show us who we are. THE HISTORY OF THE WORD LOGOS The Word Logos had been around in Greek culture and philosophy for hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Logos was the one overarching thought in ancient Greek philosophy that expressed the wonder and design of an ordered Universe. When John wrote that Jesus was the Logos that created the world as God and that he became a human being that had come to live among us, it gave to everyone who read those words with a responsive faith, a profound understanding of who Jesus really was, as God joining himself to his own creation in us. It was the Greek belief that Logos is some form of intentional idea or principle that can be seen everywhere; it makes up the earth, trees and even us as humans, and logos does not just give everything form; it also gives it order. In the Greek mind, this meant that logos determines who is who and who is placed where, because logos contains the master plan for all things, and constitutes the ideal way to order them.  So as Logos had become the big Idea for the Greek culture and indeed for much of the then known world, we now see that God had prepared that then known world with this word logos to describe the person of Jesus – In the beginning was the Logos…and the Logos was God…and the Logos became a human being.  Logos was the big idea and design plan of God’s own purpose and intention for humanity. When Paul was spoken to by the Logos, Jesus, that totally re-ordered his belief system and his personal world and his whole life. He began to live each day alongside Jesus as his disciple consciously allowing the Holy Spirit to bring the DNA of the implanted logos seed into the unfolding of his life’s destiny and purpose. THE MORAL CONSCIENCE AND THE LOGOS The apostle Peter’s tradition gave him a moral conscience of what was right and wrong according to the Jewish religion. Peter had already lived alongside Jesus, the Logos, the Word made flesh, for over three years as his disciple, and he knew him and loved him as a friend, but it took Peter a long time to let go of his former belief system of living under the Law of Judaism that he grew up with.  His Jewish tradition gave him a moral conscience of the letter of the Law, but it was no longer fully aligned with what the Holy Spirit was saying according to the Logos, or Word of truth in the spirit.  New Testament Scriptures point out the difference between two different types of conscience (Hebrews 9:14, 10:22,6:22). These Scriptures show us that there is the natural moral conscience and there is the Spiritual conscience which is aligned with the mind and heart of Jesus the Logos.  Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from bondage to the morality of human tradition (dead works) into life-giving service the living God. All of humanity has been given a natural conscience by God, to discern the difference between right and wrong. Adam and Eve had that conscience before they disobeyed God because they were told that it was wrong to eat of the tree of knowledge. That is why they felt guilt and shame and covered their shame with fig leaves and hid from God. Humanity has been doing that ever since, hiding from God and covering their shame.  Our personal moral conscience about what is right and wrong has been formed broadly by our culture or religion and it guides our values and our decisions. This means that our natural or personal conscience can only inform us of the right and wrong of our culture or tradition, and in many areas we can be calling right wrong and calling wrong right. God once showed Peter a vision of all kinds of animals that were forbidden for Jews to eat and he then told Peter to eat those animals as food.  Peter refused to eat what he believed to be unclean food, alright maybe for gentiles but not fit for Jews, and so Peter told God that he was wrong! He said ‘Not so Lord’.  It is actually a contradiction to say ‘not so’ and ‘Lord’ in the same statement. God then had to say to Peter ‘do not call unclean what I have cleansed’. God was telling Peter that he was inviting all of humanity, and their food, into the Kingdom of God alongside his people Israel as his children and as brothers and sisters to his Son Jesus. A natural conscience of human tradition is called in the Bible an evil or a harmful (poneros) conscience (Hebrews 10:22).  Peter was judging all of humanity outside of Judaism as being unclean and not worthy or eat with or to even enter into their house. That judgment was now a morally harmful and unloving act in the eyes of God, who then told Peter to go into the house of a gentile (Cornelius) and preach the Gospel of Jesus to him.  Peter had to have his harmful conscience gradually transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit who brings our conscience into line with God’s heart of Logos truth and love.  Jesus had told his disciples that when he went to be with his Father he would send the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin. That means all of humanity after Jesus has the Holy Spirit actively working upon them in their spirit, where the conscience resides, bringing an awareness of the love and forgiveness of God for their sins and turning their hearts (repentance) toward God and away from darkness (like a plant turns towards the sunshine). When we respond to this movement of the Spirit and acknowledge what Jesus has done for us we then actively receive the Holy Spirit so that it is now an abiding of our spirit with the Holy Spirit in a pathway forward of our transformation from a natural life to a spiritual life in Christ. Paul was literally exploded out of his natural and religious moral conscience under the Law. He had been a hostile enemy of Jesus until he met him on the road to Damascus.  Paul had been hunting down Jewish Christians and putting them in jail and sentencing them to death. He had actually just been part of the stoning to death of the martyr Stephen before he set off on the road to Damascus. The last thing that Stephen said to the Jewish elders and Pharisees before he died was ‘You are always resisting the Holy Spirit as your fathers did, you obstinate and hard hearted murderers of those who were sent to proclaim the coming of the Messiah’ (Acts 7:51). Those words were still ringing in Paul’s ears when he was confronted by Jesus on that road that day, and when he was spoken to by Jesus Logos on that road, he had already been getting pricked in his conscience and angrily kicking against those promptings of Holy Spirit Jesus knew what was happening in Paul’s conscience and he said to him ‘It is hard for you to kick against the pricks’ (Acts 9:5). Paul then asked Jesus ‘What must I do Lord?’ Paul’s conscience was then brought into line with Logos truth and he began to live not as a hostile enemy but as a close friend of Jesus.  All of humanity have a corruptible human seed of life from the DNA of our parents, and since Jesus we now have the incorruptible seed of life from the spiritual DNA of God implanted by Jesus, the Logos, through the Holy Spirit.  We are encouraged to humbly reach in our hearts and minds and embrace the Logos.  James 1.21 Receive with meekness the implanted (emphytos) Logos that is able to save (restore and reorder) your soul.  ONLY BY FAITH IS THAT IMPLANTED SEED GERMINTATED INTO GROWTH AND FRUIT BEARING Satan has planted into the minds all of humanity the seed of the Lie that we are all alienated from the life of God in Adam.  God has planted the seed of oneness with himself into the life of all humanity in Jesus. (Romans 5:18)  We have both those seeds within us, the natural from Adam and the spiritual from Jesus. We choose which one to cultivate and live from. The natural seed tends towards disorder and the alienation in our minds from the life of God and the spiritual seed (Logos) tends towards order and oneness with God and the renewing of our minds. A seed brings something into being. which one will we invest in? The natural seed is about self and what things I want for myself. The Logos seed is about working together with God to release to others the goodness of God that we have received. The Jesus Word of Logos is our blueprint that will live in us and bring understanding, truth and wisdom into any and every situation we face. As we still our hearts and minds and give attention to that one big Idea of the life giving and life changing seed of life within us Holy Spirit will inspire in us acts of virtue and courage, feelings of joy and peace, and God’s love deep within our hearts. It is an odd wonder that the Christmas event of the birth of Jesus, the ‘Word made flesh’ is celebrated around the world every year – even by people who do not understand or believe in the cosmic truth it contains. That is just one more welcome for Jesus to be  believed in by ALL of humanity because it is for ALL humanity, but our lives of love and grace to others is the greatest welcome for so many who are desperately waiting for something better to happen in their lives. So let us gratefully receive that seed of life and invest in that seed and cultivate it so that it grows and bears the fruit of the blessing of God’s love and care that will go out and be that blessing for all those in our world in Jesus name Amen.  

Bible Study with Jairus – Leviticus 9   The Threefold Office of Christ in Leviticus 9   My heart was stirred and inspired by Leviticus 9, which begins in verse 1 with the powerful statement that, “On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the Elders of Israel” (English Standard Version). The subsequent parts of Chapter 9 detail Moses' induction of Aaron into the Priesthood and his instructions about the offerings and sacrifices to God, and it ends with the appearance of the Glory of God, which consumes the burnt offering. What stands out in this chapter is how the three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, – which, up until this point, had all been held by Moses, – are divided and appointed to separate people. In Leviticus 9 we see those assignments broken down by Moses in the office of Prophet, Aaron as Priest, and the Elders of Israel as King, all of which work together to demonstrate God's authority and usher His people into His Glory.     Each part of the Threefold Office serves a distinct function in the Old Testament, long before the birth of Christ, just as it did during Jesus' earthly ministry, when He ultimately fulfilled these roles. The separation of these offices and their duties is similar to the United States Government's separation of powers into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Moses represents the Prophets that receive God's Law, which can be likened to Congress' legislative responsibilities in establishing laws and the Constitution. Aaron represents the Priests, whose mandate is to interpret, explain, and apply God's Law in the country, comparable to the judicial role the Supreme Court plays. Finally, the Elders of Israel represent the Kings that execute the Law, similar to the executive function undertaken by the President and the Cabinet.       The Threefold Office Exemplified in Moses   Every Christian should recognize the threefold responsibilities they possess. Like Moses, we ought to draw close to God daily to know His Law and Statutes. Even though we may not experience God's Law in the same way, we should remember Moses' role as a Prophet, who was in direct contact with and received messages from God – with the charge to relay them to others. Although God appointed Aaron as Priest, whose role was to minister to the Lord, especially in the Holy of Holies, Moses also performed these roles, as seen in Numbers 7:89: “And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.” Moses performed the functions of a Priest before Aaron did, and was the one who taught his brother how to be a Priest. The way Moses represented the office of a King can be seen in a couple of ways that are worth noting: first, in how he administered judgement on cases before eventually following his father-in-law's suggestion to appoint officials who were God-fearing and trustworthy men to serve as judges for the people; and second in his role as an Elder, such as when he led the Israelites out of Egypt. The office of King was later transferred to the Elders of Israel when Moses cried out to God that the burden upon him was too heavy and, “the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders” (Numbers 11:25a).     Moses possessed within him the three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. He was like a single fruitful seed that grew into a large tree with multiple widespread branches. The roots, branches, and leaves, though they developed from the same seed, performed different functions, just as Moses' roles as Prophet, Priest, and King, while stemming from the same individual, served different purposes for God's plans to yield His Fruit. And just as the responsibility to bear fruit is not put solely on one branch, but is divided between all the branches of the tree, so God allowed Moses to share these responsibilities with others, such as sharing the Priesthood role with Aaron, the Prophet role with the rest of Israel (Numbers 11:29), and the Kingship role with the Elders.   The Threefold Office Since the Time of Moses   After Moses' death, the threefold offices became increasingly subdivided and specialized, hence only a select few could undertake such responsibilities. For example, only Aaron's descendants could perform the role of the Priesthood. However, a radical shift took place in the New Testament, when everyone could now participate in the roles of Prophets (1 Corinthians 14:31), Priests (1 Peter 2:9) and Kings (our identity as children of the King of Kings), just as Moses did. As Christians charged with these duties, how do we effectively employ the three offices to glorify God in His fullness?   Christians are called to prophesy, to recognize and speak God's words into whatever situations people are in. In the role of a Priest, Christians are to draw close to God, pray for others, and offer sacrifices to Him. While bringing the reality of God to others, it is also important to bring others into His presence and help them draw closer to Him as well. Christians are called to Kingship, to display God's authority and power, wherever they go.   Returning to our earlier analogy of the small seed that grew into the fruitful tree, in its initial stages, all branches stemmed from the main trunk. However, as the tree grew, these branches continued to split and spread out, and grow further and further away from the trunk. Similarly, the Prophet, Priest, and King roles first branched out from Moses to the people nearest him, such as Aaron (who was both Priest and Prophet according to Exodus 4:16) and Miriam (a Prophetess according to Exodus 15:20). God spoke to them both through dreams and visions, though He only spoke to Moses directly (Exodus 33:11).   By the time of the Prophet Elijah, the roles of Priests, Prophets, and Kings had become more distinctive and clearly defined, like branches growing increasingly distant from the main trunk, and each other, as a tree grows. As seen again and again throughout the Bible, the Prophets advised Kings against sin, and evil Kings often attempted to get rid of Prophets. Kings who went against the authority of the Priests were also severely punished by God, clearly seen in the case of King Uzziah, who was a good king who grew prideful and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense, despite knowing this could only done by Priests, and was then struck with leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:19). However, in the case of King David, he also served in the roles of Prophet and Priest.   Distinctions and Similarities in the Roles of Priests and Prophets   Leviticus 8 informs us that Moses followed God's instructions to prepare Aaron and His sons to be consecrated and ordained for their duties as Priests. This was immediately followed at the beginning of Chapter 9 by Aaron presenting the sin offering, burnt offering and peace offering to the Lord on the eighth day, affirming the close relations between Priesthood, Prophecy, and Kingship.   Priesthood leads over the office of the Prophet. Why do we say that? Priests serve and draw close to God, while presenting offerings and sacrifices on behalf of man to Him, allowing God to pardon the sin of man and allowing man to draw close to God. This is the essence of the Law of the Old Testament, which was given through Moses (John 1:17). God first told Moses the Law, but when the Israelites sinned against God by worshipping the golden calf, it was Moses who pleaded with God to not destroy the Israelites by reminding God that He brought them out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand. Moses also asked God, “why should the Egyptians say, ‘with evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth?'” (Exodus 32:12). The Lord then relented from the disaster he had spoken of bringing on the Israelites. This is the role of the Priest, to plead on behalf of the people. Indeed, Prophets also play similar roles, as in the example of Prophet Abraham pleading on behalf of Lot. However, the role of Priests is still higher than that of Prophets, as seen by Prophet Abraham offering sacrifices to Priest Melchizedek. In Leviticus 9, Moses, serving as both a Prophet and Priest, is clearly in a position of leadership over Aaron as both a Priest and a Prophet.   There are many overlapping functions of Priests and Prophets, such as knowing God, drawing close to God and man, and using knowledge of God and the Law to serve people by helping them get to know Him more intimately. Jesus serves as another example of a Priest being more important than a Prophet. Jesus is both the high priest (1 Timothy 2:5) and a prophet. Without prophecy, we would not know God and His Law, but without a Priest, the Great High Priest of Jesus mediating between God and man, we would never be able to bridge the gulf created by sin, making Priesthood responsibilities of top priority for believers.   Our charge as Priests is to serve as a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). As such, the job of a Priest is to draw man close to God through offering and sacrifice and to serve as a mediator between God and man. In the Old Testament, the daily blood sacrifice only temporarily covered sins, but did not take them away completely. However, Jesus provided the sacrifice required “once for all” when He died on the Cross for our sins (Hebrew 7:27). While Christians are neither Christ nor the Old Testament Priests, we are still duty-bound to intercede on behalf of others who have sinned, praying for them to receive salvation bought through the Blood of Christ.     Priests Atone for their Own Sin First   Leviticus 9 records the details of the instructions Moses gave Aaron to follow in offering sacrifices when he inducted him into the Priesthood, which sheds light on how we can better serve as Priests to God and our fellow man, and cross-apply these learnings into our roles as Prophets and Kings as well.   The first thing that Moses told Aaron to do was to take for himself “a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the Lord” (Leviticus 9:2), which is the first responsibility of a Priest: to use a blemish-free animal to atone for his own sin. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the perfect, blemish-less Sacrificial Lamb that atones for the sins of Christians.   Next, Moses instructs Aaron to say to the people of Israel, “take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the Lord is going to appear to you” (Leviticus 9:3-4).   The Lord's Glory was to appear to the Israelites. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is called “the radiance of the Glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). For the Glory of God to emanate from man, man needs to be free of sin, as there is no room for sin in a perfect God. In the Old Testament, sin was atoned for through sacrifices, and in the New Testament, Jesus' blood atones for believers' sins. On the one hand, God offered a single sacrifice for all sins for all time through the death of Christ, but on the other hand, our flesh and soul continue to be sinful, which requires daily confession, repentance, and cleansing of sin. This necessitates that we delve deeper to better understand the different aspects of sin atonement through the different sacrifices.    Leviticus 9:8-14 details how Aaron presents sacrifice for himself, including: 1) killing the calf of the sin offering, 2) pouring the blood at the base of the altar, 3) burning the fat, kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering on the altar, 4) burning the flesh and skin outside the camp, 5) killing the male lamb for the burnt offering for the Priests, 6) spilling blood against the sides of the altar, 7) piece by piece burning the burnt offering on the altar, and finally, 8) washing the entrails and legs and placing these parts on top of the burnt offering at the altar. These are the details of the sacrifices made by Aaron himself, which are important, as they reflect the many different parts within man's fleshly body and soul that need to be cleansed of sins. While believers have received Christ in our hearts, our hearts are not entirely Holy because there are many parts that have not yet been yielded to Christ. For example, our thoughts, emotions, and self-will are three significant parts of our lives that need to be surrendered to Christ to experience His Grace and forgiveness. Emotional aspects such as unforgiveness, not loving our neighbors as ourselves, hatred, and envy also need to be transformed by the grace of God.   Dissecting Ourselves First in Order to Minister to Others   The issues of the body, soul, and spirit are often intertwined, which further highlights our need for Christ to be our Great High Priest. In Hebrews 4:12 it says, “for the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The author of the book of Hebrews is using the analogy of the knife the Priest utilizes to dissect the sacrificial animal to describe the Word of God that pierces and examines our innermost being. This dissecting is meant to help us better understand ourselves and better appreciate the saving grace of God. For example, when we first believed in Christ, there were some things that we repented of, but as time goes on, we may be suddenly reminded of an old offence we committed against someone. This could be the prompting of the Holy Spirit that reminds us to deepen our repentance in a particular area.   To offer a sacrifice, a Priest needs to understand how to use the knife to dissect the sacrificial animal for the offerings. Before they can treat patients, a doctor must first dissect a cadaver in order to understand the interconnected parts and functions of the body. Similarly, to fulfill the role of a Priest according to the New Testament, we need to be able to dissect ourselves thoroughly, experience the full grace of God, and be transformed from the inside out, in order to be in a healthy position to help others do the same.      This is also why Aaron had to first offer sacrifices for himself before he could do so on behalf of the Israelites. Now, we look at how Aaron presented these sacrifices. Once Aaron experienced the dissecting of the sacrifices that he had offered, he was then in a better position to dissect the sacrifices for the other Israelites. In the New Testament, the Priest's role is likened to that of a doctor's, recognizing our own sinful nature and need for a savior, and then helping others to see the same within themselves and turn to God. A person who has not undergone the process of dissecting oneself spiritually would not be able to help other Christians on the same journey. Remember, grace is from God, but different people experience the same grace to different degrees.   Leviticus 9:15-21 details the offering of sacrifices done by Aaron on behalf of the Israelites. The details include: 1) killing and offering the calf and lamb for the sin offering, 2) scattering the blood on the altar, 3) cutting the parts to be burnt at the altar, 4) killing and presenting the goat as a sin offering, 5) presenting the grain offering, 6) killing and presenting the ox and ram as a peace offering, 7) throwing the blood against the side of the altar, 8) removing the fatty tail, the fat which covers the entrails, the kidneys, and the long lobe of liver, and then putting them on the breast and burning the fat pieces on the altar, and lastly, 9) using the breast and right thigh as a wave offering.       When reading God's word, we need to avoid getting lost in the details of scripture, but instead identify the key learning points from these details. The different parts of the animals presented as sacrifices represent the different problems that people bring to God. If anyone seeks help from us (in our roles as Priests), they may not feel able to fully share their issues. Therefore, we should be able to see beyond their words and understand the situation at a deeper level through the power of the Holy Spirit, which requires the development of yet another area that Christians have access to – the gift of prophecy.   Understanding the Gift of Prophecy   If God's desire is to cut to the heart of our innermost thoughts and being, this spiritual dissection is achieved not merely through the dismembering and offering of sacrifices, but also through the work of prophecy. God uses His Words, spoken through His Prophets, to divide the issues of men like a knife divides the parts of the sacrifice; not only through His written (Logos) Word, but also through Living (Rhema) Words that release the knife or sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).   God's Law and Word were first shared through Moses, and many more of the Old Testament books were written by the Prophets. Even Prophets who did not pen any Books of the Bible still received Rhema Words. If someone claims to be a Prophet but does not possess Rhema, nor have a deep or even supernatural understanding of their own self and others, it is unlikely that they are truly a Prophet. They need to understand the internal workings and even hidden thoughts of people, to allow them to be vulnerable and wholeheartedly entrust their worries to God. Prophets need to know the Logos Word of God, but also possess the Living Word of God.   I had the opportunity to participate in Global Awakening's Prophetic Certification Course. Randy Clark, the founder, shared his testimony during one session. At first, Randy did not believe nor accept that the modern Church could still have Prophets. However, things changed when he was praying for a sister in Christ at a Toronto Blessing gathering. His prayer had little impact. One of his fellow travelling companions, a Prophet named Larry Randolph, then offered to pray for the woman. While praying, he prophesied something that the sister had kept secret, causing her to finally open up emotionally and receive the prayer, which went on to have a profound effect on her life. This incident impacted Randy tremendously, and it became the driving force behind his ministry to promote prophecy.       In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses told the Israelites that the Lord would raise up for them a Prophet like himself from amongst them. Most of the time, it is interpreted that Moses here refers to Jesus Christ, and that He is also a Prophet. However, Moses also said that all the Lord's people can be Prophets (Numbers 11:29). In Acts, Peter quoted the words of Joel's prophecy that, “‘in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). While this shows the presence of Prophets in the New Testament, many traditional Churches are still unable to accept this. Of course, not everyone is called to be a Prophet (1 Corinthians 12:29), but all Christians have the ability to prophesy by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:31).     Even though Aaron was a Priest, he was also a Prophet, likened to the Prophet of Moses. In the words of God, Moses was like Aaron's God, and Aaron was like Moses' Prophet. The role of the Prophet links closely to the role of Kingship. For example, King Saul and King David were both appointed by the Prophet Samuel. The functions of Prophets and Priests overlap in many areas and are often interlinked. When both offices are fully developed, a Christian is better able to lead a spirit-filled life and glorify God in all aspects. He or she can be a co-king with Christ and subdue the earth.     Leviticus 9:22-24 writes that after Aaron completed the offering ritual, he lifted his hands towards the people and blessed them. The glory of God then appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and pieces of fat on the altar. When the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. This image is glorious. As the Church and Christians use their Prophetic, Priesthood, and Kingship giftings, one day the Glory of God will descend and be seen throughout the Church.

We continue our series "Elementals," looking at the Greek concept of the "Logos," a single, unifying principle that binds all reality into a cohesive, knowable whole. We consider the difficulties we have discerning truth in our time, and whether the Bible provides a reliable testimony of truth. For more information, visit canopychicago.org

Today’s message is a continuation of our last post entitled, “When God whispers in your ear.” The Holy Spirit of God can speak through the Logos Word found in the Bible and the Rhema Word when the Lord speaks to your mind when you need direction or facing a decision.  

Welcome to another Episode of "BMS" Bible Made Simple.  Your Host for this Podcast is, Pastor Dr. Yvonne Scott Miller.  Pastor Yvonne is a Licensed and Ordained Minister of the Gospel and founder of One Lord Teaching Ministry.  She is also a 27 year Private Practice Gynecologist in Metro-Atlanta Georgia.  The primary Scripture for development today is Hebrews 12: 5-8.  She explores the question " How Would you Describe Father God."  At the latter half of the podcast, Pastor Yvonne delivers a "Rhema Word" to the Post COVID-19 Church from the "Logos Word" of Revelation 2: 1-5. Please listen, re-listen and share. One Lord Teaching Ministry is a 501(c)3, Incorporated in the State of Georgia.  The Ministry Worships under the Banner of One Lord House of Worship.  Please visit www.onelordteaching.org to learn more about this Ministry.  Also visit "The Gift" page to find her FREE publication, "No More Religion. The Second Malachi."  Simply "Click" on the purple line that reads "Download No More Religion Now", and the entire publication pops up for your reading and FREE Printing.  Prayerfully consider supporting the Vision of One Lord Teaching Ministry by becoming a Supporter Today.  Until we meet again, "Be Safe", "Be Blessed" and "Be a Blessing."    www.onelordteaching.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dr-yvonne-scott-miller/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dr-yvonne-scott-miller/support

Guest preacher Jacob Cohen shares about the traditional Jewish teachings about the Logos (Word of God) and how that relates to what John says in John Chapter 1.

Jesus is the Logos Word!

The Names and Titles of Jesus – Jesus The Light of the World - Episode 95 This series of the names and titles of Jesus will give us a more in-depth understanding of Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the fourth in the series. The following is an outline. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it. 6There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light so that through him all might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. Jesus THE LOGOS HE IS THE REASON WHY FOR EVERYTHING Colossians 1:16 For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. Jesus The Word = Logos Light - Life - Truth Jesus the Light of the World 1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. Psalm 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 1 Timothy 6:16 He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen Nothing is a coincidence with God – everything he's created can all be traced back to Jesus the 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome Throughout the Old Testament, we have this promise of a great light that comes into the world and would push back the darkness of the world. Prophecies Isaiah chapter 9 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (v. 2). In Isaiah 49 God says in relation to Messiah, the Servant of the Lord, He said: “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (v. 6). Isaiah 60: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord [Jehovah] will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you (vv. 1–2). The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Σκηνόω Dwelt =(tabernacled) Jesus the light of the World John 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side [Jesus, the Logos/Word of God], he has made him known. 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," [that God who spoke in Genesis 1] has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God [how?] in the face of Jesus Christ [the Logos, the Word]. After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” 12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, [d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing … His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. Philippians 2 15so that you will [i]prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you [j]appear as [k]lights in the world, THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE LIGHT ARE THE GLORY OF GOD John chapter 1: 6-13 Jesus the light of the world and the glory of God God is zealous for his glory The heavens declare the glory of God The sun is our light by day that warms, lightens and gives us life The moon gives us a testimony of the light of the sun with its reflection That brings me to John's statement about John the Baptizer not being the light but a reflection of the glory of the true light Jesus Christ John the Baptist Matthew 11:11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist;… John the Baptist The light and Glory John contrasted to Jesus Jesus was in the beginning with God – John was sent from God Jesus was God – John was a man Jesus was the light – John was a reflection of the light Jesus was the fulfillment of the law and prophets –John terminated the prophets and law God has called us not just to survive in this world, but to be light that pushes back the darkness Jesus is the Light of the world He’s the “Star come out of Jacob” that we read about in Numbers 24:17 He’s the sun of righteousness risen with healing in His wings in Malachi 4:2 He’s the One that John saw in Revelation 1:16 whose face was like the sun shining in full strength. He’s the bright morning star we read about in Revelation 22:16. The Lamb, the Light of the world One day He will return. There will be one final great sunrise. And then there will be no more sunrises. We read in Revelation 21 about the new Jerusalem. This city “has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb [the Lamb, the Light of the world] and [the] gates [of that city] will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there” (vv. 21–23). As I studied this lesson on Jesus is light and in that light His life studied light itself the sun for instance gives us son gives us life and it is pure energy of God never does anything by coincidence the word is not even in the Hebrew language and so the sun is shoo-in that gives us life is also unapproachable if we got close to it we would be destroyed and so it is with God Timothy said he lives in unapproachable light no man can approach God and live Facts about Light The human eye sees specific areas of the spectrum, but other animals and insects can actually see parts of the spectrum that we can’t. Light travels in a vacuum at 300,000 km per second (186,000 miles per second). Space does not have any light. We can see things in space due to light bouncing off of the objects in space. Light is used by plants to convert the light into energy as their ‘food’. The process is called ‘photosynthesis’ and converts carbon dioxide through the energy of the light. 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The Names and Titles of Jesus – Jesus The Word/Logos This series of the names and titles of Jesus will give us a more in-depth understanding of Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the second in the series. The following is an outline. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it. 6There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. Exodus 33 :20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.“ 1 Timothy 6:16 He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. 18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. Jesus the Word Pre-existent Co-existent Self-existent John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 1Co 1:24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God Col 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation Heb 1:6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God's angels worship him. 22“The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works,[c][d] before his deeds of old; 23I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be. 24When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water; 25before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, 26before he made the world or its fields or any of the dust of the earth. 27I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, 28when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, 29when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. 30 Then I was constantly[e] at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. 32“Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. 33Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. 34Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. 35For those who find me find life and receive favor from the LORD. 36But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.” Predetermined Counsel of God. Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, 1Pe 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake 7No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began The Wisdom of God 7No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. The Word = Logos is the name of Jesus Reason Why John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. The Jews understood that the Logos, the Word of God, was God revealing Himself, God creating, God acting, God alive in His creation Targum Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible. (Yahweh) Aramaic term that means “the word.” It’s the word memra. Greek Septuagint memra “the word.” translation logos in Greek for example, in Genesis 15: “After this, the word [logos] of the Lord came to Abram in a vision.” Psalm 33, verse 6: “By the word [by the logos] of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” -The apostle John is the only New Testament author to call Jesus “the Word.” He does so in the Gospel of John, and in his first Epistle of John, and also, as we’ll see, in the book of Revelation. -When he talks about the “Word,” that’s the Greek word logos. So when you see the “Word,” that’s the logos. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John said 4 things about the Word Logos His Eternity 2. His Personality 3. His Deity 4. His Humanity John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 2 Problems Too high a view of John 2. Too low a view of Jesus More divine than human? More human than divine? Partly human, partly divine? Fully human, fully divine! The Incarnation of the Word of Life 1 John 1 (NIV) 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. THE WORD I AM  (Yahweh) = LORD = “the word.” It’s the word memra= logos in Greek Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John infused this word with a richer, fuller meaning-- not an impersonal force but a person, God made flesh. Jesus was God’s mirror, God’s way of making Himself known to His creation. The definition of a word John 1:18,No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side [Jesus, the Logos/Word of God], he has made him known. 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," [that God who spoke in Genesis 1] has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God [how?] in the face of Jesus Christ [the Logos, the Word]. Believe Credence - believing that the facts accepting the truth. 2. Confidence – believing in (trust and obey) 3. Continuance – go on believing (faith& faithfulness) John 20:31 Greek (present continual tense) Is this belief saving Faith Credence- believing that the facts accepting the truth John 8:24Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that [a]I am He, you will die in your sins.” Gospel Incarnation 2. Cross 3. Resurrection 4. Ascension 5. Second Coming Believe Credence - believing that the facts accepting the truth. 2. Confidence – believing in (trust and obey) 3. Continuance – go on believing (faith& faithfulness) John 20:31 Greek (present continual tense) Believe Heb 11:6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek (present continual tense) Him. John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe[a] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (present continual tense) THE WORD (logos) of God Revelation 19:12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word Logos of God.. TRUTH IS NOT A PROPITIATION IT IS A PERSON THE WORD THE LOGOS OF GOD Subscribe to the podcast: {Apple Podcasts}{Stitcher}{Google Play}{IHeartRadio}{YouTube}{Spotify}

In part one of this series, Lead Pastor Todd Jones talks about how the Logos Word became flesh and why that is so important to the Christmas story.

John 1:1-18 1.God comes at us in ways we recognize, v. 1 Four things about the people John is writing to... 1) Greeks believed that the universe was governed by this “order of nature” they called the Logos/Word. 2) A well lived live was defined as a life that conformed to this rational and moral order. 3) Life was about contemplating this order and trying to discern what it was all about. Lots of thinking, talking and discussion. 4) One of the reasons they put so much energy into contemplating this Logos is b/c they also thought of God as detached from the world regarding it’s struggles and fears so figuring this all out was up to them. The progression of the incarnation… * The Word existed… * The Word was with God… *The Word was God. 2. God is most recognizable in Jesus, v. 2 “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” -John 5:18 3. All of humanity is morally responsible to God, v. 3 4. God came to be received, v. 4-13 5. It is the nature of God to reveal Himself, v. 14-18

Our quote for today is from C.S. Lewis. He said, "Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither." In this podcast, we are making our way through Garry R. Morgan's book, "Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day." Garry Morgan is a Professor of Intercultural Studies at Northwestern College. He served with World Venture for 20 years in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania.  Our topic for today is, "Christianity: What Sets It Apart?"  “Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a relationship!” We often hear this when someone’s trying to set Christianity apart from “religion.” Is it accurate? Is this the characteristic that makes Christianity unique? And if not, what does?  Based on our description of religion, Christianity clearly fits the definition. It is an organized system of belief and practice that answers ultimate questions and guides daily life. But why have we come to think of religion as a negative term in the first place?  Due to historical abuses, we tend to view it as something artificial or without true meaning. However, the New Testament uses the term in James 1:27 with the adjectives pure and undefiled. Religion can become tradition without meaning, yet that isn’t the fault of religion itself— responsibility would belong with those who wrongly practice a given faith.  So believers could say that Christianity is the religious expression of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our faith uses the Bible to answer ultimate questions about God and life. Because the Christian’s relationship with God through Christ is lived out with other followers of Jesus (what the New Testament calls “the body of Christ”), we worship and engage in other activities as a unified group, and this also is what characterizes religion.  Also, regarding the “religion vs. relationship” debate, we should keep in mind that other religious systems claim a relationship with the god or gods they revere and worship. The Qur’an says, “God is nearer [to a man] than [his] jugular vein”. The Bha-ga-vad Gita describes an incarnation of the god Krishna who helps a warrior king make significant life decisions. Many animists maintain relationships with ancestral spirits.  If relationship itself is not what makes Christianity unique, what does? Starting with stating the obvious, Jesus of Nazareth is the most compelling religious figure of all time. Historians, scholars, and even leaders of other religions widely acknowledge and admire (although sometimes distort) the unique quality of his life and teachings.  For the Christian, however, it is not Jesus’ teachings or even his earthly life that are most important. We look to Jesus not just as a gifted teacher and moral example but as our Savior. His death and resurrection are the watershed events that stand at the center of our faith. By them, Jesus established the truth of his claim to be God’s unique Son— fully human and fully divine— and provided the means of salvation for humankind, separated from God by sin.  Another way to describe the faith’s uniqueness is with the word grace. Grace means giving someone something they don’t deserve. Because the God of the Bible is a God of grace, he takes the first step to repair our relationship with him after disobedience (sin). Because of grace, God provides the way of salvation in Jesus, who takes our punishment for wrongdoing. Because of grace, God can be both just (punishing sin) and forgiving (removing sin). All other religious systems believe the main responsibility for solving life’s problems rests upon people. Christianity reveals and demonstrates that we cannot set things right by our own efforts, which makes grace all the more astounding and precious.  Historically, the Christian church is widely regarded to have begun on the day of Pentecost (described in Acts 2). It spread widely and grew quickly over the next several centuries. Early on, even as seen within the pages of the New Testament, it began developing religious forms. Initially, these were heavily influenced by Judaism. The first Christians worshiped in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and used the Hebrew Scriptures we now call the Old Testament.  But as non-Jews accepted the Christian message (the gospel) and became followers of Jesus, the church began adopting Hellenistic (Greek) forms, especially in how the message of Jesus was explained to others. John’s gospel, for example, describes Jesus as the Logos (Word), a term with significant meaning to those influenced by Greek philosophy. Indeed, Christianity can flourish in any culture. The New Testament focuses more on principles for living and the type of people we’re supposed to be (i.e., character qualities) than on specific behaviors, so its practices and forms tend to take on the local flavor of surrounding cultures. For example, the apostle Paul commands husbands to love their wives; the specific ways Christians obey this order look different from culture to culture.  This flexibility, coupled with extensive geographic expansion, political issues (especially after Christianity received favored status from the Roman Empire in the late fourth century), and theological differences of opinion, eventually led to divisions. The Western church, centered in Rome, became what is now the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern church, based in Constantinople, became the (Eastern) Orthodox Church with its regional fellowships (Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc.).  Later, near the end of the fifteenth century, various reformers protested against abuses within the Catholic Church. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others, largely after being excommunicated, organized new expressions of the Christian faith that came to be known as Protestant churches. While there are smaller branches on the Christian church tree, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant form the largest or primary three.  From AD 500, and for more than a millennium, the Christian message was largely spread by groups of Catholic monks, reaching eastward as far as Japan and west to the New World. By the eighteenth century, Protestants began what came to be called the modern missionary movement, taking the gospel to every part of the world. Today, Christianity truly is a global faith. While there are still areas and people groups that have not heard the name of Jesus Christ, he has followers in virtually every country. Now, for An Extra Minute Christians of all walks comprise about a third of the world’s population (about 2.1 billion in 2010). Approximately 1.1 billion belong to the Roman Catholic Church, about 600 million to Protestant churches, and about 270 million are Eastern Orthodox, with the balance in independent groups. In 1900, about 68 percent of the world’s Christians lived on the European continent, with about 14 percent in North America. By 2050, Africa is likely to have about 29 percent of the world’s Christians, followed by Asia with 20 percent. Church historians refer to this trend as Christianity’s “global center” shifting from north to south.

How is the church different today than the first century?, Essenes, Dead Sea Scrolls, Apostles = Ambassadors, "Swear not!", Health Care, Public Schools, Good ideas? Or contradiction of Christ?, Home Churches, Our message - The Gospel of the Kingdom, Christ and socialism, Do you love Christ? Or the IDEA of loving Christ?, Altars in the Church, Giving and sacrifice, Minister defined, His Church Credit Union, Elders from the families, The Congregation, Letters of Creedence, "Logos" = Word - but what does it mean?, Minister defind more, Excluded vs Exempted, "feed my sheep", Constantine and the Church, All gifts freely given, What the church is NOT, The rest of the plan - Guidelines 13-20.