an elementary question, I'm sure

[freeman455]

Was Jesus meant to be worshiped, praised and prayed to? The commandments say you shall have no other gods before me. Isn't praying to Jesus praying to another god? Just something I've been thinking about for awhile that's been bothering me. Jesus was sent to pave the way. There is no doubt that He is the Messiah. But isn't it God we should praise, pray and worship?

Christians know the story about Jesus Christ and His birth, which can be read in Matthew Ch 1& 2: and also in Mark, Luke and John. We read all about Him in the New Testament and how He is the only way to receive Eternal Life. We read about His marvelous works and the miracles He performed when He was alive and on this Earth. We read about the hideous torture and Him being put to death by those who did not know who He really was. But, do we, as true Christians really know who Jesus Christ really was? Who was this man and where did He come from?

It is very hard for us to comprehend some of life

[Openly Curious]

One thing that I do know is that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches. [1 Corinthians 14:33]

So if God is not the author of confusion then we know it is the devil because God is a God of order.

I do not think you should entertain these thoughts you have brought forth as I have taken your thoughts while reading through this thread from the beginning. It does seem to me (although I could be wrong) that you are trying more to convince others of your view point instead of learning.

[2 Corinthians 10:3-5]

[Philippians 2:6-11]--Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: vs 7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: vs 8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. vs 9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: vs 10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth; vs 11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus was God in the flesh

[Hebrews 4:15]--For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirimities; (Christ is our high priest and can feel the same feelings that we are tempted with and that we suffer with in the flesh) but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (The word tell us that Christ in every way was tempted just like we are in other words Christ was tempted in the flesh but Christ was without sin overcoming the temptations that were brought to him yet without sin all the way to the cross.)

God came down in the form of his dear and only begotten son Jesus Christ in the flesh in order that God could feel what we feel and struggle with in the flesh. So that we could experience the divine nature of God in the Spirit that we could know him being reconciled back unto him as we were set free from the lusts of our flesh and now can identify with the Lord in his divine nature.

[2 Peter 1:3-11]--focus on vs 4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

As far as praying to Jesus, praying to God or whatever order you think you should pray. There are alot of references on this subject in any good concordance where you can be taught from the word. There are many references in the book of Acts in how the apostles prayed in Jesus name

oc

[~Shalhevet~]

I do not think you should entertain these thoughts you have brought forth as I have taken your thoughts while reading through this thread from the beginning. It does seem to me (although I could be wrong) that you are trying more to convince others of your view point instead of learning.

Are you referring to me? If yes, I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. Thank you for the scriptures.

[HAZARD]

Was Jesus meant to be worshiped, praised and prayed to? The commandments say you shall have no other gods before me. Isn't praying to Jesus praying to another god? Just something I've been thinking about for awhile that's been bothering me. Jesus was sent to pave the way. There is no doubt that He is the Messiah. But isn't it God we should praise, pray and worship?

Scriptures give a full account of who Jesus Christ is from the "Beginning."

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Jesus Christ existed in His Spirit body throughout all eternity past, untill He divested Himself of His Spirit body and became a man. As God He has always existed. But, as a man, in taking human form, flesh and blood, He had a beginning.

Scripture, show that Jesus Christ was one of the three divine persons of the Deity and that as God he had no beginning.

Mic. 5:2 states He existed from all eternity.

John states of Him as existing in the very beginning with the Father (John 1;1-5).

Jesus Himself said He was before Abraham, and before the World was created (John 8:58; 17:5, 24).

Paul states Christ as existing before all things and as the creator and upholder of all things (Col. 1:15-18; Heb. 1:1-3, 8; 2:10). God the Father created all things by Jesus (Eph. 3:9).

Divine names are ascribed to Him.

These divine names and titles proves that He is by nature divine and a member of the Godhead.

He is called God and Immanuel in (Matt. 1:23; John 1:1; 20:28 and Acts 20:28).

Christ the Lord (Luke 2:26); The Son of God (Matt. 4:3; 14:33; Luke 22:70; John 1:34; Rom. 1:4). He is called "MY SON" by the Father in (Matt. 3:17); The only begotten Son (John 1:18; 3:16-18; 1 John 4:9).

He is called the First and the Last. Alpha and Omega, The beginning and Ending (Rev. 22:12, 13, 16). The Lord (Acts9:17); The Son of the Highest (Luke 1:32; Mark 14:61).

The Holy Child Jesus (Acts 4:30); King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:16); Lord and Savious (2 Peter 3:2); and The Word Of God (Rev. 19:13), and many more such titles show He is a member of the Divine Godhead.

In Phil. 2:5-11 Paul speaks of Christ being in God's form and that He laid aside this form and limited His attributes and powers as God to become a man. These powers were given back to Him when He was exalted to the highest place with God, (Coll. 3:1; Mark 16:19), after His lowest humiliation and limitation before God-even to do nothing, say nothing, be nothing and depend entirely upon God the Father for needed grace for body, soul, and spirit, and make a sucess of the work the Father sent Him into the world to do (Phil 2:9-11; Eph. 1:21-23; Col. 1:15-24; 1 Pet. 3:22). We know He did not keep His powers and position whilst a man, else He could not have been exalted back to it.

If He had not laid aside all His Glory and power He could not have had it restored to Him as stated in John 17:5. If He had retained all His riches while on Earth He could not have become poor for our sakes as taught in 2 Cor. 8:9. If He had kept His divine form He could not have taken on human form as taught by Phil. 2:5-11.

His incarnation proves He was limited as a man and grew to manhood as we all do, and He developed normally as any other human child. All the traditional theories of Him making toy birds and animals of mud and breathing life into them so they became real creatures and ran and flew away, and the many other miraculous powers He allegedly had from birth are mere theories and traditions made up by suspicious pagans to make Him equal with their pagan gods. He was a normal man as we are, and He did no miraculous works untill He was anointed fully by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16-17; John 2:11).

After Jesus was annointed by the Holy Spirit to the full, He then posessed all the gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit to the full, and He demonstrated what being like God among men really is like and He encouraged one and all who aspire to this exalted position, of sons of God with Power (John 3:34; Acts 10:38).

He laid aside His natural and divine attributes, and their use, and became a perfect example of yieldedness to God and His Spirit to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil (Heb. 10:5-9; Acts 10:38).

Regarding His Humanity. Human names were ascribed to Him. Rabboni (John 20:16), Jesus (Matt. 1:21), Son of Abraham and David (Matt. 1:1), Seed and Offspring of David(Rom. 1:3; Rev. 5:5; 22:16). The second man and the Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45-47). The King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2).

He was called a "BABE," a "CHILD," and a "MAN" (Luke 2:16; Isa. 9:6; Acts 17:31; 1 Tim. 2L4-5; Rom. 5:12-21; John 8:40; Acts 2:22; 1 Cor. 15:21, 45-47).

It was prophecied that He would be born of a human mother (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7; 11:1; 53:1-12; Ps. 22).

And He had flesh and blood like all other men (John 1:14; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 4:1-6; Luke 24:39; John 19:34).

Jesus Christ, in His glorified flesh and bone body, now sits beside the Father in Heaven (Luke 24:39; John 20:27; Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69), for the Father, who is and did remain a Spirit being, is Spirit and has a Spirit body, and must be worshiped in Spirit and truth (John 4:24).