Have you ever stopped to consider brethren which of our doctrines would seem the strangest, to people in the world?

Now you might consider first off, the Sabbath Day. That truly sets us apart from mainline Christianity, but then again when you consider it there are obviously other groups in this world that keep the Sabbath. Seventh Day Adventist, Seventh Day Baptist, and of course, the Jews. So the Sabbath doesn’t really single us out where that is concerned.

Another one, would be the fact that we don’t believe we’re going to heaven. Obviously, that would be strange to many people too, because they’ve been brought up with Protestantism and Catholicism, thinking that is the ultimate reward they are to look forward to.

Another doctrine we have, we don’t teach that the soul is immortal. And again, that would seem strange to many people. But once more brethren, as with the Sabbath, there are other groups that teach the same thing. The Jehovah Witnesses do not believe in the immortality of the soul either.

There are two (2) doctrines that really single us out from all other churches of the world brethren, and both of them have to do with God Himself. The first is that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament. And the second is that man is to become God. Those two doctrines single us out, more than any others brethren, in being different from all the other religions of this world. That Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament, and that we, man, are one day going to become God also.

What I’m going to do in this sermon today brethren is deal with the first of those doctrines. And later, at another point, deal with the second, perhaps in the coming year. But one of the foundational principals of being a Christian is to be as Jesus Christ was.. and yet millions of Christians in this world have a totally wrong concept of the kind of person Christ was. They call Him Lord, they profess to follow Him, but they have a completely wrong image of the kind of person He was, and what He came to accomplish.

Let’s turn over to Luke chapter 6 brethren, to a complaint that Jesus Christ had concerning those who followed Him. Luke chapter 6, and beginning in verse 46. Were going to see brethren that if we want to be as Jesus Christ was and is, we have to understand that He is the God of the Old Testament. It is one of the foundational principals, one of the keys, to truly understanding the nature and the true character of God Himself.

In Luke chapter 6, and verse 46, Jesus said, to those who followed Him:

(Luke 6:46) "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?

Now He said it two thousand years ago brethren, but it’s as much as applicable today, to the Christians who claim to follow Him, as those who were walking with Him at this point in time.

(Luke 6:47-48) "Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: {48} "He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. - [And we’re going to see later on brethren that the rock to which He is referring is Himself] - And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.

And you should understand brethren in just a few years time, the flood is going to arise, and the stream will beat vehemently upon the house that you have built. And if it’s built upon a Rock, you will survive the coming tribulation.

(Luke 6:49) "But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."

The Rock as we’re going to see represents Jesus Christ. The sand represents the coming tribulation, from the standpoint of those who have not built their house upon the true God of the bible, the real Jesus Christ. Most Christians today are like the people described in verse 46, they’ll use Christ’s name, they’ll claim to be Christians, but they will not do the things that He says to do. They are taught, and teach themselves, that Jesus Christ came to do away with God’s Law, because in their minds God’s law is too harsh to keep.

Therefore they teach, Jesus Christ showed us an example of love, and so long as you love people in your hearts nothing else is required of you.

There was a time, not so long ago, when two baptized members of the Church of God left the Church. And when the minister call them up, to ask them about it, they said, "We don’t need to come to the Church of God anymore, we have found Jesus." And millions of Christians in this world believe that they have found Jesus. And therefore you don’t have to come to a Church that requires obedience to the Ten Commandments, because if you found Jesus, this world’s Jesus, then He kept those Ten Commandments for you, in your stead, and your not obligated to keep them, just have love in your heart and your going to make it. You see what those former baptized members wanted brethren was the easy way, they didn’t really want to strive hard for the Kingdom of God. And with the easy way they were therefore willing to accept this world’s concept of Jesus Christ, and those former members have now built there house upon sand, and when the winds of the tribulation come, that house will fall, and they will have to suffer the tribulation.

Why this wrong concept brethren, concerning Jesus Christ? One of the major reasons, for Christians in this world - why they have this wrong concept, is they do not realize that Christ is the God of the Old Testament. In fact long ago this is one reason that Christians began to reject the Old Testament. They think of the Old Testament God as a totally different person from the Jesus Christ of the New Testament. They think of God as harsh and cruel and vengeful, whereas of course they think of Christ as soft, mild, sweet mannered, and therefore a lot more acceptable, because Jesus Christ isn’t going to tell you how to run your life... Well of course those Christians are wrong on both concepts, on both counts. God is not harsh and cruel, and Jesus Christ is not soft and effeminate.

What has happen, in effect brethren, is that Christianity has taken to itself half a God... They have rejected the Old Testament, and will deal only in terms of the New Testament. That’s why many of them - when their carrying around their bible - are only carrying around half a bible, it’s a New Testament Bible, because to them that’s only what applies to today. The Old Testament, not just the Ten Commandments, the Old Testament is done away. And with only half a bible they end up in consequence with only half a God... and they have even perverted that half, that they have, because they have produced for themselves and image of an effeminate, insipid Christ. They think of a weak Christ, because they don’t understand that He was the All Powerful God of the Old Testament. A God, who is coming back to this earth to rule again with a rod of iron.

Now the Jews of course, they are the opposite. They think only of the Old Testament and reject the New (Testament), because they reject Jesus Christ. They often think of a God of rigor, and vengeance; and they’re looking for the day when God will avenge them, of their enemies. When they, His special nation in quote, will become top dog sort of speak in the world, and all nations will have to pay honor and tribute to the Jews. But they also, brethren, have only half a God. Because once again, they also have only half a bible. They reject the New Testament and accept only the Old (Testament). And once again the half a God they have, they like the Christians, have perverted that half.

Notice Luke chapter 9, and verse 51. Even the disciples brought up in Judaism had a wrong concept of God... and Jesus had to educate them to His true nature. Luke chapter 9, and beginning in verse 51:

(Luke 9:51-53) Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, {52} and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. {53} But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.

And of course the Samaritans, those gentiles in that area, were very much against the Jews in Jerusalem.

(Luke 9:54) And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"

Notice their concept of God. It was a one-sided concept. There were only thinking in terms of the actions of the God of the Old Testament, which they like the other Jews had misinterpreted. And Jesus had to teach them the real kind of God that He is:

(Luke 9:55) But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.

That’s Satan’s mentality...!

(Luke 9:56) "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village.

Now of course they were called the Son’s of Thunder, because they had this attitude of wanting to command fire to come down of heaven and zap their enemies; instant vengeance. And it is true brethren that God says, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." But whenever God does it, His whole motivation is out of love, not to get back at somebody. And they were kind of humiliated by what had taken place here and they wanted to get back at these people.

And so brethren the Jews do not understand the humanity of God, because they reject Jesus Christ. And Christians don’t understand the strength and the power of God because they reject the Old Testament. And all this, because neither side understands this one doctrine that we’re dealing with today.

THAT THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, IS THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

So we’re going to study today brethren this particular doctrine. And to see how we can prove conclusively, something that is now accepted either by mainstream Christianity or by the Jews. Now for myself, when I first came into contact with the Church, this was my problem doctrine. Most of the others, as I studied, I could accept without to much problem. I did have a little bit of a difficulty with the Adam and Eve story. When I first read something in the Plain Truth and they talked about Adam and Eve as though it really happened, that blew me a way a little bit. Wasn’t that myth and a fairy tale? Well of course there’s a chapter, I believe its in Matthew, where Jesus Christ Himself testifies to the existence of Adam and Eve. And I came to see that without to much problem after a while. But, when they told me that Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament, that was too hard for me to accept. What little I knew of the bible, Jesus Christ, the way I’d been taught Jesus Christ in the Church of England, could NO WAY be the same person as that God of the Old Testament! Two totally different personalities. Well, it took a while of study, but then it finally came clear. Jesus Christ, brethren, set us an example that we should walk in His steps. But if we want a complete Jesus Christ to follow after we can not do without both halves of the story. You can not truly follow Jesus Christ and become like Him in character, unless you take ALL of the bible. Because without ALL of the bible you can not understand the totality of His character. Jesus Christ reveals two sides of Himself in the bible. His omnipotency in the Old Testament, and His humanity in the New. We are to follow His example to be as He is. And therefore we need a complete Jesus Christ, not a half of one. And we need to understand that we are to become as He is now brethren, which means that we also one day will rule with him, and when we do, we will rule with a rod of iron. But when we rule with that rod of iron, it will be tempered with love and compassion for the people in our care.

So lets start to examine the scriptures brethren of this doctrine, one of the two that relate to God, as I said in the introduction, that sets us aside from the rest of the religions of this world. Because as far as I know, only the Church of God understands these two doctrines relating to God Himself in their entirety.

Let’s turn over to Genesis chapter one, Genesis chapter one, and verse 26. Now the day may come for some of you in the Church that your relatives may become interested, and they may ask of you, relating to certain of the doctrines of the Church, as Peter says, be ready always to give an answer of those that ask of you the hope that lies within you. For Protestants to believe that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament, that’s a tremendous stumbling block. So you need to know, not just for yourself brethren, for the fact that one day you may be asked, and if as a Christian you can’t give anything to help, then obviously they’re not going to have much faith in your belief in the doctrine. Verse 26 of Genesis one:

(Gen 1:26-27) Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." {27} So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Now in verse 26, as most of you should understand, we’re dealing with the name for God "Elohim." We don’t use the term uniplural anymore brethren because grammatically there is no such forum in the Hebrew. Uniplural is a good word in our language but, it’s not a grammatical form in the Hebrew language. Therefore, what we have here with the word "Elohim" is a plural form with a singular usage. A plural form with a singular usage. The God Family said – when you use the word "Elohim", you are either talking about the Kingdom of God – which is many Gods, or the Family of God – which will become many Gods, but at present is two – or you are talking about the persons in the God head. And when the "Elohim" said, "Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness, then obviously it is not "One God", one single being that is doing the talking, it is "Elohim", a plural used in the singular, but with a plural meaning. So what we have in effect (brethren) here, as we’re going to see, are two God Beings. Now verse 27, God made man in His image, because both these Gods had the same image. Remember that the woman later on was made in the image of the man, but the man was made in the image of God. But notice that when God created human beings, He created two (2) of them, a pair, because God, "Elohim" at this point, is a pair. Even in the animal kingdom you find this duality throughout it brethren, male and female. Not that God Himself is male and female, those Jesus Christ and God the Father do have two different personalities. There exactly the same in character, and they look very similar because man, the male, is made in the image of them. The woman as I said being make in the image of the man. But never the less, when God said, "Let Us make man in our image", He created two human beings – even the number of that which He created, paralleled the God Head. And one in submission to the other, the female to the male, just as Jesus Christ is in submission to the Father.

Now, as you understand, people in this world do not realize that there were two God involved in Genesis chapter 1. They believe that there is only one God in the Old Testament, and later on, in the process of time, that one God created for Himself a Son, Jesus Christ, in the New Testament. The Jehovah Witnesses for instance brethren – though they do not believe that Jesus Christ immediately their in the New Testament like some religions, the Jehovah Witnesses believe rather that Jesus Christ was actually an angel, originally, in fact Michael, the arch angel, is their teaching. Now five times in the bible the name Michael appears, and no where does it say that Michael became Jesus Christ. It is just their speculation, and with their speculation they have created a doctrine for themselves. But having understood here brethren, that there are two Gods involved, two God beings in verse 26, we need to ask the question, which one (of the Gods) did the work of creation? Which one of the two talked directly to these two human beings in the Old Testament?

Lets turn now to John chapter 1 and beginning in verse one. John chapter one, and beginning in verse one. This of course is the ultimate beginning, Genesis 1 is "a" beginning. This is "the" original beginning (In John chapter one) that predates the beginning of Genesis.

"In the beginning was the Word" [the Logos, the spokesman, the one who we’re going to see did the work of creating, because He commanded and it came to pass]. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was" [a God also, the same, the Word, a God, was in the beginning with God]. So you have two divine beings. And verse three, it was the Word, the Logos, who created everything:

(John 1:3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Therefore, the "Elohim", the God being let Us make man in our image, but which one of the two actually did the work of creation? It was not God the Father, because overall, in this sense, God the Father is not the God of the Old Testament. The God who make man, and dwelt with man, is the Logos, the Word, the Spokesman - literally "the one who speaks". Verse 14, of John chapter one:

(John 1:14) And the Word [who existed from "the" beginning, before angles were ever made - so He was not an angel - 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. So these two God beings changed their relationship brethren in the new testament. From God and the Logos, it became the Father and the Son, once Jesus Christ (the Word) was born of Mary.

Matthew, chapter one, and verse 22 and 23. Matthew one and verse 22:

(Mat 1:22-23) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, {23} Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

God came down from heaven, was changed into flesh, as we saw in Matthew one, and the very name that was given to Him taught that very principal - but it is overlooked, but it is overlooked by so many Christians.

Colossians chapter one and beginning in verse fifteen. It says of Jesus Christ:

(Col 1:15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.

And in consequence Jehovah's Witnesses say that He was a created being because they say, look, He was the "First Born" of every creature. But once again brethren, look to the context, let the bible interpret itself. Verse 18:

(Col 1:18) And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Jesus Christ existed long before He came to this earth and was born of Mary and then died on the stake and then was resurrected. He is first born ONLY in the sense that He is first born from the dead. None of us have experienced the resurrection yet to eternal life. Jesus Christ has, and when He did He was the first born from the dead to eternal life - because many others are going to follow. But now verse 16:

(Col 1:16-17) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: {17} And he is before all things, [Before anything was ever created, Jesus Christ WAS] and by him all things consist.

So when we read of the God who did the work of creation brethren, we are reading of Jesus Christ, because He IS the God of the old testament. But what we are SHOWN by Genesis 1 when it says "the Elohim said let Us" - even though Jesus Christ did the work, it was a harmonious thing between Him and the Father. They did the planning together and then the Father gave the instructions to Jesus Christ to go ahead and do the actual work of the forming and the creating of this universe, this earth, the angles, and of course, man himself.

Notice now Hebrews, chapter one and beginning in verse one. As I said earlier brethren, Christians today believe that the God of the old testament is totally different from the Jesus Christ of the New. They think the God of the old testament is the Father God. And that Jesus Christ was created at the time of Mary - as a human being - and that He was different from the God of the old testament, because they seem to think that the "Personality" of Jesus Christ in the new testament is totally different from that of the God of the Old.

(Heb 1:1-3) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

[in the Greek - actually means the Universe]

{3} Who [Jesus Christ] being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, [Jesus Christ was exactly like God the Father - except, they have a different personality and a different responsibility. Jesus Christ is under the authority of the Father, but when it comes to character and power, they are exactly the same. The express image of his person, the brightness of His glory] and upholding all things by the word of his power (Jesus Christ's power), when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

So again brethren, we see that it was Jesus Christ who did the work of creation, not God the Father. There is of course the Trinity doctrine, where they believe they've got three (3) Gods in one, one in three. A mystery that they can't understand and they're never going to because there's no such thing. The word Trinity as you understand does not appear anywhere in the bible.

But they believe, that the Old Testament, that was the work of God the Father, and the New Testament - that was the work of God the Son. They do not understand that Jesus Christ was the same God there in the Old Testament.

Now if you take a look at your notes at this point brethren, at least at the scriptures that you've written down so far in the proving of this doctrine, you should be able to find a common denominator. Since we've been dealing with Genesis there is a common denominator with the scriptures that I've given to you. They are all chapter one. Genesis 1, John 1, Matthew 1, Colossians 1, Hebrews 1. You see brethren, in the past year you should have learned something about me... I'm simple minded (laughter). And when I have to put together a doctrine or I have to teach something, because I generally don't understand it all that well myself, I have to simplify it down to the easiest way I can put it together for my simple brain. So if you have to deal with this to somebody who's close to you at some point in the future, or they ask of you, this is one easy way to begin the subject. Now you will obviously need to cross-reference to go off into other scriptures as we're going to at this point. But I've given you five (5) chapter one's that teach us that Jesus Christ is God, and is the God of the old testament. And He most certainly is not an angel, as the Jehovah Witnesses claim.

Now at this point we're going to branch out into Hebrews chapter 7 and beginning in verse 1.

(Heb 7:1-3) For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; {2} To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; [notice he pays his tithes to this priest, this high priest in Salem], first being by interpretation King of righteousness, [now no human king on this earth has ever rightly held that title, ONLY God could be called "King of Righteousness"], and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; {3} Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

One day the Logos would become the Son of God when He was born of Mary. That is why it can say that He was made like unto the Son of God. But the Logos not only had a human priesthood, in this age of man sort of speak, when Jesus Christ came and worked with man 2,000 years ago. He also had a priesthood in the old testament, when He manifested Himself in physical form, He wasn't born of the flesh then as a baby as He was to be later on as Jesus Christ, but nevertheless, He manifested Himself in physical form to certain individuals back in the Old Testament. In other words brethren, what so many Christians in this world once again do not realize, is that Jesus Christ had two (2) physical priesthood's - one in the New Testament and one in the old. Remember, when Jesus Christ returns to this earth He's going to be King of this earth, and be ruling from Jerusalem. And where was He stationed when He was Melchizedek - in the Old Testament? King of Salem, JeruSALEM, brethren.

Now when you come to verse three (3), it should be obvious to us when it says He is without father (this Melchizedek), without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; that we're talking about a being who is eternal. Yet, there are people who can read this scripture and get something entirely different out of it brethren.

I had a visit one time in Montreal, with a young girl, a student at one of the universities there, who was a Jehovah Witness. And so she questioned me on this doctrine, because as I said they believe that Christ was originally Michael the Archangel. So I went through the scriptures with her and I can to this one here in verse three (3). Jehovah Witnesses have a completely different explanation. When it says (verse 3) that this individual was without father and without mother without decent, all it means is… they lost his genealogy. And because his genealogy is no longer available they have to say, "We have no record of his father, his mother, He's without decent. But that's really stretching when He also has neither beginning of days or end of life, isn't it brethren? But people with come up with what explanations they want, rather than accept that the Jesus Christ of the New Testament is the God of the Old Testament. Because they want their sweet, wimpish, Jesus, who they don't think would swat a fly; and in consequence would never correct them and tell them how to live their lives. That's the kind of God they want, and so they'll take half (1/2) a bible to get it.

John chapter 5, and beginning in verse 36. "But I have a greater witness of John: [Jesus says] for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. {37} And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

Now Jesus Christ is taking about God the Father, whom Christians believe, is the God of the Old Testament, that it was God the Father back then. Yet, Jesus said to the Pharisee's - of the God they knew in the Old Testament - "You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen His shape." Yet people did see the God of the Old Testament! So who did they see…? By the word of Jesus Christ, it wasn't the Father God, it was another God they saw.

Now some may look at this scripture and say, well He's only talking to the Pharisee's, (and) only the Pharisee's that lived at that time had not seen the Father. Yet, lets return in that case to John chapter one and verse 18. And here Jesus is not talking about the Pharisee's or just "to" the Pharisee's. He says in John one and verse 18: "No man hath seen God at any time…" No man, who has ever lived, has ever seen God. So which God did they see in the Old Testament? Which God did they talk too? Who was Melchizedek? It had to be, brethren, Jesus Christ.

Adam saw God. Abraham saw God. Moses saw God. And if they want to say, well it means they didn't see the Glory of God, then of course in Exodus 33 you've got that request of Moses, to the God of the Old Testament, "Let me see your Glory." And Jesus Christ let him see the back part, but He did appear to Him, in Glory.

1Corinthians chapter 10 and beginning in verse one. To prove very clearly brethren that the Jesus Christ of the New Testament is the God of ancient Israel in the Old Testament. 1Corinthians ten and beginning in verse one:

(1 Cor 10:1-4) Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; {2} And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; {3} And did all eat the same spiritual meat; {4} And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock [capital "R"] was Christ. The "Rock" of the Old Testament was Jesus Christ, not the Father.

Lets turn over to Deuteronomy 32 and beginning in verse one.

(Deu 32:1-4) Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. {2} My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: {3} Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. {4} He is the Rock, and his work is perfect…

The God that is spoken of by Moses in Deuteronomy - the God of the Old Testament - is also called the "Rock." And Paul said that the "Rock" that dealt with Israel WAS Jesus Christ. The word "Lord", when it is capitalized, as it is in verse three, is the word Yhvh. It means the "Eternal", the ever living one. The one without Father, without Mother, without decent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life. The self-existent One. The ever-living One. Christ was not a created being, He was not an angel.

There's something else that He is, besides the Rock of the Old Testament. And remember what I read to you at the beginning of this sermon brethren, in Luke chapter 6, when Jesus Christ said that we were to build our house upon a "Rock"… Petra. Remember He said, "I will build My Church, upon the rock [Petra]." Peter was the little stone, the Petros, but Jesus Christ was the Rock. So no matter where we go for the place of safety, like I said in that sermon brethren, we're still going to be founded upon the Rock, Petra, Jesus Christ… our Spiritual Rock. But another name that's given to Him, and it ties in with what we just spoke of with His name, Yhvh - the Eternal, the ever-living One.

Exodus chapter 3 and beginning in verse thirteen. Moses not only asked to see the Glory of the God of the Old Testament. Before that, he wanted a name for this God. Exodus 3 and verse 13: (Exo 3:13-14) And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? [by way of reply?] {14} And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: [the Eternal, ever-living One, the One who is always in the present tense. Without beginning of days, without end of life, never growing old. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. I AM THAT I AM.] and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

This then was the name that the God of the Old Testament chose for Himself. Understanding that, lets turn to John chapter 8 and beginning in verse 56. Jesus, speaking to the Jews said: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it [in mental concept, in vision sort of speak. Not a literal vision necessarily, but envisioned it, in his mind], and was glad. Now, to the Jews, Jesus Christ had just be born 30 odd years before. So they said to Him, look, your not even 50 years old, and are you trying to tell us that YOU have seen Abraham? Christ said to them, in effect, "Not only have I seen him, but I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM. (Jn 8:57-58).

Now Jesus Christ was perfect in every way brethren, He never sinned. And Jesus Christ was brought up on excellent grammar. Yet it says here, before Abraham was, I AM. Now that's bad grammar. Before Abraham was, I was. Do you understand now why the Jews did what they did in the next verse brethren? Then they took up stones to cast at Him.(Jn 8:59) They wanted to kill Him, for His bad grammar… That's right brethren, because when He said, "I Am", He was committing blasphemy in their eyes because He was taking to Himself the Name of the God of the Old Testament.!

Chapter 18 and verse 4. The night of His betrayal. John 18:4-5) "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? {5} They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. [ But that's not what He said. That's what christians believe He said. That's what the King James translators believe He said. And the reason they believe He said it is because they don't understand that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament - the I AM who spoke to Moses. Therefore, they ADDED the word "he", but its in italics, its not in the original]. Verse 6, (John 18:6) As soon then as he had said unto them, I am (he) [not I am he, as it is written in your bible - and as chrisitans in this world would like to translate it. As soon as He said to them simply, I AM, and again took to Himself the name of the God of the Old Testament - do you understand NOW why they reacted the way they did?], they went backward, and fell to the ground. If this really was the I AM of the Old Testament they could just about get themselves zapped, in a few moments! He had the power to do it, if He really was who He claimed He was. You bet they were scared. But He made no move to harm them… and therefore their courage picked up again, and they went ahead and arrested Him. In fact, Jesus reiterated it three times for emphasis. Verse 8 (John 18:8) Jesus answered, I have told you that I AM: [not I AM HE, I AM. Because He was brethren, truly, the I AM of the bible. But to the Jews - in John chapter 8 - to claim such a thing was blasphemous. This doctrine that I am teaching you today brethren is horrendous to the Jews. And over the centuries they have come to absolutely hate the name of Jesus Christ, because of the persecution many of them have suffered for it. And not only is this doctrine horrendous to the Jews, its nonsensical… to christians today. Because in their minds they cannot equate their sweet Jesus of the New Testament with the hard God of the Old Testament. And yet, as we understand brethren, the God of the Old Testament is not hard, and the Christ of the New Testament is not sweet.

Note: Audio tape turns over at this point. A few words were missed.

Side 2

… does so because Satan has deceived the rest of the world to this particular truth. He's not deceived everybody to the Sabbath. Like I said earlier brethren, the Seventh Day Adventist keep the Sabbath, the Jews keep the Sabbath. He's not deceived everybody to the immortality of the soul doctrine, or to going to heaven. There are others that believe differently. But where it comes to God Himself, and those two factors that we dealt with in the introduction - that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament, and that man is to become God - those two doctrines are two that he has totally tried to hide from mankind. And only the True Church understands them in their full implication.

First John chapter four, and beginning in verse one. (1 John 4:1-3) "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. [So John tells us here, here's a method that you can determine whether a teacher is a true minister of God or not.] {2} Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: {3} And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

Now when you look at that superficially brethren its not telling us much. But when you begin to understand the things that we've been dealing with today, it has far more meaning. In fact, there are three applications of verse two:

(1.) "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." This world teaches that when Jesus Christ came in the flesh, He didn't really come in the flesh. Not with the sinful nature that we have. Yet it says of Jesus Christ in Romans 8 and verse three, "He took upon Himself sinful flesh." Yet, Jesus Christ was without sin. He was perfect, tempted in all point, yet without sin. But it does say He came in sinful flesh. In other words, He had that downward pull of human nature. He was subject to Satan's wavelength, but He always pushed out that wavelength and refused to yield to it, and yielded instead to Almighty God. But they want to teach that Jesus Christ is not as we are brethren. That He was some super creature that couldn't sin. And in consequence, He kept the law in our stead, so that we don't have to keep it today… So a part of this is the fact that the false religions are teaching that the Ten Commandments are done away.

(2.) A second application. It can be translated, "Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh. In other words, He's continuing to do it. How brethren? By coming into our flesh and living His life over again… But "if" He is coming into our flesh and living His life over in us again, He is striving in us to live a life of perfect obedience to those Ten Commandments. And once again, they say you don't have to do that. The Ten Commandments are done away, just have love in your heart and your going to heaven. Well, maybe if that’s all they have in their heart that’s where they'll end up… dust in outer space. I don't know. Obviously not, we understand what's really going to happen.

(3.) But there's a third application brethren. "Every spirit the confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." The True Jesus Christ. Those that teach that the God of the Old Testament became flesh in the New Testament. And once again, the other religions don't teach that. They don't teach that the God of the Old Testament became Jesus Christ. Because they believe the God of the Old Testament is God the Father. And the reason brethren that Satan has deliberately deceived man to this truth, is to take away from how fantastic the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was for us. They don't understand that the God of the Universe died on the stake…

Philippians chapter two, and verse five.

(Phil 2:5-8) "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [Or, in the pannin translation, "Jesus, who existing in God's form - because He was a God - counted not that being on an equality with God, something to be grasped at, but emptied Himself.] verse 7: {7} But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: {8} And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, [ The God of the universe ], and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

This God of the Old Testament, that they teach is harsh, and cruel, and vindictive, and vengeful, is a God of such compassion that He was willing to put Himself through such terrible suffering - that we can have eternal life…

Lets turn over now to 1Tim 3:16. And remember as we're taught here in Philippians 2, He was both God and Man. The God of the Old Testament, the Jesus Christ of the New. First Timothy chapter three and verse sixteen. What we've been dealing with today brethren, is a mystery to the rest of the world. A truth that Satan has deliberately hid from them, because he so hates what the God of the Old Testament did for us, that he doesn't want man recognizing the true God, Jesus Christ, in the Old Testament. He will give us a curtain measure of truth, but in consequence, leave us with half a God either way. The Old Testament God without the New Testament, or a New Testament Christ without the Old. Half a God, and even at half, as I said, both sides are perverted. The Jews have a perverted concept of their God, and christians have a perverted concept of their Christ. What we are given by the bible is a total God, to emulate and to be like.

First Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16. "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:" [ If you want to be Godly, you have to emulate the total character of God. And the total character of God can not be found without both halves of the bible…]. It is a mystery to this world, brethren. God was manifest in the flesh, the God of the Old Testament, to teach us the other side of His nature. Not just His omnipotency, but His humanity as well. This is the REAL God brethren. And when we're dealing with the mystery of Godliness, we're dealing with the mystery of what God is really like, and we're also dealing with the mystery of what man is to become. Because man is to become that self-same God in character, but he can not become God, unless he understands what God Himself is like… and he needs the total bible to do it.

In conclusion, Job chapter 42. There are people in this world who have not built their house upon the Rock of the Old Testament, the Petra, Jesus Christ of the New. And because they have built their house instead upon the sand of the doctrines of modern day christianty, their house is going to cave in when the tribulation comes. There was a righteous man of God here brethren, who went through a tremendous tribulation himself. He was not Laodicean, and he certainly wasn't Protestant, but never the less, the tribulation that Job went through "is a type" of the tribulation that Israel is going to go through. As Paul said, I bear them witness, I bear them record, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. They claim to be Christian, they claim to be a God fearing people, but they don't base their lives upon the knowledge and the truth of theWord of God, the Logos, the bible.

But after Job's tribulation, notice what he said.

(Job 42:1-5) Then Job answered the LORD, and said, {2} I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. {3} Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; [ as millions of christians think they understand what God is really like, and don't.] things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. {4} Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. {5} I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee."

Those words will be echoed brethren, at the end of the tribulation by the survivors of Israel. Israel has heard of God, by the hearing of the ear… but they have never seen the complete and total God that the bible reveals. One day, they also will say to God, "We heard of You, but the hearing of the ear, but now, finally, our eyes see You. And this mystery of Godliness that we've been dealing with today brethren, what God is really like, both in character and in responsibility, both in the fact that He's God of the Old Testament as well as the New, that truth will one day be available to them, and they will truly rejoice in it, as they begin their trek into that Wonderful World Tomorrow.