Knowing Christ and knowing the Father

[~candice~]

I've been reading more into the mystery, and also, what we can glean about Christ from the Old Testament. We, holding the New Testament in it's current form, and with the benefit of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26), have Christ explicitly revealed to us. We have the benefit of the gospels, direct accounts of Jesus life here on earth. We have the benefit of millenia of years of Christians seeking out the Old Testament, lining up details about Jesus' life with

prophesies in the Old Testament.

But I don't think it was like this for the early church (and before Christ). They didn't have the New Testament in it's current form, although they would have slowly received and circulated the letters and epistles. The mystery was revealed to Paul, and this was his ministry (Eph 3). We see Apollos teaching the baptism of John (Acts 19) having not received the teaching of Paul. We know that the understanding of the Messiah was not yet understood, see the debate at the time (which still, continues to this day) about Maschiach ben Yosef and Maschiach ben David being two separate Messiah's.

Knowing Christ, having that intimacy with Him, would have been more difficult back then. A big part of spiritual maturity was coming to a fullness of understanding and knowledge about Christ. The scriptures that the Bereans were searching out (Acts 17:11) would have been the OT, where again, Christ is not as directly revealed. The NT reveals what the OT has concealed.

1Jn 2:12-14 CJB

12 You children, I am writing you because your sins have been forgiven for his sake.

13 You fathers, I am writing you because you have known him who has existed from the beginning. You young people, I am writing you because you have overcome the Evil One.

14 You children, I have written you because you have known the Father. You fathers, I have written you because you have known him who has existed from the beginning. You young people, I have written you because you are strong

[nebula]

Great topic, andy!

Last night I was at 24-hour worship service. During a time of free worship, I starting saying, "God is good! God is good!"

But then I was thinking of how I was trying to discipline myself out of saying, "God," because the word has come to mean so many things that are not YHWH (if you know what I mean?).

So then I said, "The LORD is good! The LORD is good!"

And I suddenly found myself saying, "The Father is good! The Father is good!"

And saying that struck me.

The Father is good....

It reminded me of a song by a Christian singer named Al Denson back in the 80's-90's . . . "Peace be still, the Father loves you."

Think of that! When you hear, "God loves you," how does that make you feel? Then when you hear, "The Father loves you," how does that make you feel?

Do you feel the difference?

Then I was thinking . . . didn't Jesus say He came to reveal the Father to us? And isn't it through Jesus that we can come to the Father?

Then I was thinking, but are we actually approaching the Father, or are we stopping at Jesus? Are we pressing on deeper to really know the Father?

I felt like painting my thoughts (they had available canvases and paints for artists to express their worship).

Click here to see

Well, it looks more like a poster than a painting (this is why I posted my question about whether there are symbols to represent the Father in another thread.)

(And I can't say I'm mush of an artist - the background was supposed to be clouds! Oh well, I hope it blesses someone.)

So, yeah, I'm glad you posted this topic, andy!

P.S. I posted a couple other paintings others had done on my Facebook page.)

[~candice~]

Woot I'm glad I made sense to someone . I love knowing the FATHER... it's a personal relationship, we are His Child. It evokes more feelings of relationship than the name 'God' does.

And I've also been thinking a lot more lately about the label 'God', because when I say 'God' to my non believing friends, they assign their own meaning to it. But when I say 'Jesus' the meaning is obvious and they can't assign their own meaning to it. So I've been convicted lately, a personal thing, to speak more about Jesus than God. So I kinda understand your worship experience.

Then I was thinking, but are we actually approaching the Father, or are we stopping at Jesus? Are we pressing on deeper to really know the Father?

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[~candice~]

I like the painting too and the clouds look cool .

[enoob57]

He is unique (first and last unto all creation yet unbounded by that creation), unlike all else except imaged in the bounds of The Son in the creation of man and cannot be considered but by unbounded thought. If we define- we have placed bounds and have fallen short of truth. Father has pleased Him in definition and Son has pleased Him in action and Spirit His uniqueness returned with eternity enabled to worship and adore Him in the eternal keeping of unbounded truth. This is not lofty but my understanding of what the Word teaches us of God with eternity in view.

Rev 21:22-22:17

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

The River of Life

22 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

The Time Is Near

6 Then he said to me, "These words are faithful and true." And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.

7 "Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."

8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

9 Then he said to me, "See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God." 10 And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still."

Jesus Testifies to the Churches

12 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

NKJV

I rejoice now in this coming event where we will be Holy and acceptable in our new bodies together with words of praise and adoration to the Father unto the glory of The Son powered forever by The Holy Spirit within all of us The Family of God! Love Steven

[John3;16]

[Openly Curious]

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: vs.2) By whom also we have "ACCESS" by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have "ACCESS" by one Spirit "unto" the Father.

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, Brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.

Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a Son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.