Submissions by Joe Sizemore, a Brother in Christ.
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(Mal 3:16 KJV)  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

Subjects:

Who Created God?

The Greatest Christmas Gift

The Tree of Life

Who is this man Called Jesus?

Who is the leader of your Church?

Trinity orGod?

No Matter Where I go!

Death!

Is Baptism Required?

"The Pure In Heart"
 
 

Who Created God? 

 My friend Chrissy asked me to comment on a question she received from an atheist friend of hers.  Perhaps someone has asked you this same question; "You can say that God created us and the Earth, but then who created God, how did God come about?" 

Chrissy, the following are my own views, but each of us must come to our own conclusions. Your friend has asked a question which he knows no man can answer to his satisfaction, but we can provide an understanding that allows us to accept the reality that God almighty has always existed, without a beginning and without an end. 

How does one begin to explain with human words, that which is not human.  The Father knew from the very beginning that we humans could not understand or even be able to behold Him, so He simple said, “I AM THAT I AM”  (Exodus 3:14).  For the one who has learned to love the Lord, it is enough.  However, the evil one comes into our lives to challenge our faith with mankind’s insignificant knowledge, so we blindly try to look further for human words to explain what is not human, and is far beyond man’s simple ability to understand. 

It is like looking at a fish in the dark ocean, how do we humans tell the fish about a thing called fire?  The fish has never seen fire, and has no way even to comprehend such a thing, but his inability to understand does not mean there is not a thing called fire above and below the fish’s dark waterier home.  What could be more different than fire and water, what could be more different than God, and human understanding? 

Chrissy, when I am asked such questions as “who created God”, I tell them I will answer them if they can tell me where the universe ends, and if there is an end, then what is it contained in, and who, or what, is holding the container?  Very quickly we begin to see how limited mankind’s knowledge really is.  All of our human knowledge is based on our surroundings, just as it is with the fish in the ocean.  We look at the universe and think this is all there is, while also wondering where did it start and where does it end.  You see, we humans can’t conceive of something that is so different from us, something that never had a beginning and will never have an ending.  We can somewhat understand our universe because it does have a beginning and it does have an end.  However, our so called “massive endless Universe” will seem so insignificant when the Lord returns to the garden for His children, as we see Him roll the entire universe back like a simple paper scroll.  If you can envision our Master’s return in such wonderful glory and might, then tell me who created such an awesome power.  When we see what our words do not have the power to describe, then we will know that God was always here, He is the creation Himself.  It is only mankind, and his earth, which is temporary and in question. 

How do I know God is the beginning?  Because my own life began with Him, and He tells me He was always here, long before my time ever began.  His “word” is enough for those who truly seek His knowledge and understanding.  One day we will all understand, and rejoice in His great wisdom.  You and I both know that we will see that day, and my greatest prayer is that your friend will learn enough to see our Lord too.  It is our faith, like a scientific instrument, which measures and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was never a thing called time that God did not already fill. 

It is our faith that tells us we can believe the scriptures when they say; “ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” (Revelation 22:13-14).  Also, “The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18).  Mankind’s science cannot measure what cannot be seen, our scientific knowledge is too limited to understand. 

Chrissy, I hope my simple words have helped you to answer your friend’s question.  If not, please let me know and we will dig a little deeper.  Remember, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”.  Just as there is no end to the Father’s heaven that surrounds us, there is no beginning to the Father who created us.  God bless you Chrissy, in the name of our eternal Father, and may He fill you life with His understanding called faith. 

Your brother in Christ, 
Joe sizemore 
January 4, 2000 
 

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Our purpose here on earth is to love God with all our heart, all else in this world will disappear, and then we will know why loving God was our most important purpose. 

Welcome to my home at http://www.geocities.com/athens/9522/
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(TOP^)
 
 

The Greatest Christmas Gift 

Listen little children, can you hear, 
the night of nights, is finally here 

The earth trembles, with hope and delight, 
fore Jesus Christ, will be born here tonight 

There is His tiny manger, in the stable at Bethlehem, 
even the angels in heaven, now stand there waiting for Him 

All of the crawling creatures, and the birds in the air, 
know that God Almighty, will soon be there 

A Son is now born, this is the awaited time and day, 
Jesus Christ has come, our souls will now be saved 

Sing loud old world, let your voices ring, 
fore Jesus Christ has come from glory, and He is now our King 

But some people have since forgotten, the reason for Christmas day, 
they have let Christ fall out, somewhere along the way 

The great deceiver has blinded them, with his silver and gold, 
they have forgotten God’s love, is worth much more than all of those 

It is not what we may buy others, or what we may tell, 
that will lead us up to heaven, and keep us from that dreadful hell 

It is the love that Christ, has shown to us all, 
when He willingly left heaven, and was born in that lowly little stall 

Lord we will not forget, what you have done for us on that first Christmas day, 
You opened up the gates to heaven, and You’ve now shown us the way 

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Jesus Christ is born 
on that beautiful and unforgetful, early Christmas morn 

Lord Jesus we have a present for You, on this Christmas day, 
we give our lives to You forever, it is with You we want to stay 

We lay our hearts before Your throne, our greatest Christmas gift, 
we give it to the worthy child, who took away our sins and guilt 

We love You Lord Jesus, and it is with you we will always stay, 
we will never forget that Christmas, is really Your Birthday 

joe sizemore,  December, 1997 

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****** End of Message ****** 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Our purpose here on earth is to love God with all our heart, all else in this world will disappear, and then we will know why
loving God was our most important purpose. 

Welcome to my home at http:http://www.geocities.com/athens/9522/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 (TOP^)
 
 

The Tree of Life
My good friend Alex asked me the following question, and I thought others might also wonder about the same issue. 

“I am curious as to your position on the creation of a new single celled life form in America. On News 24, I heard that a professor had succeeded in taking 300 individual genes from other species and reprogrammed them to create the first ever man-made (And  NOVEL) life-form.” 

Dear Alex,  Peace be with you friend, it is good to hear from you again.  I don’t recall having heard about the particular research you mentioned, however, it does not surprise me at all, as it is just a simple matter of knowledge. There are animals, which can already grow new limbs and tails, but we humans haven’t even learned how to accomplish that simple task yet. However you look at it, it is truly just a matter of knowledge, and putting that knowledge to work.  Cancer is a decease that destroys the cells in the body, and could be easily prevented if we only knew how.  Again it is just a matter of having the right knowledge.  One of the characteristics of knowledge is that it always seeks what it does not yet understand.  Many seek a God whom they do not yet fully understand, but as they search their knowledge verifies the reality of an almighty creator.  In understanding a simple life source we begin to see the wondrous handy work of the great Master who created us all. 

Alex, I believe the human is nothing more than a simple beast or animal with God given knowledge, which has raised us above the other creatures on the earth.  If our knowledge is allowed to grow, I’m sure we too could create another animal one day, perhaps even another human.  It is truly just a matter of time and a matter of having the knowledge to do so.  Given unrestrained knowledge, I believe we could eventually go beyond the creation of simple humans, and even create an everlasting spirit or soul.  I’m sure this would require us to go beyond your “300 individual genes”. 

However, God told us in the very beginning that He would prevent that from happening as He warned us when Adam first eat of the tree of knowledge.  You see, God already knew where our self-acclaimed knowledge would eventually lead us, and our evil flaws cannot be tolerated beyond the bound of this earth.  The lustful evil nature within our hearts must be removed if we are to be allowed to continue in the heavenly kingdom.  Our human knowledge must see the truth, reject the lustful nature of human animal, and fill ourselves with the loving nature of the Father, which has overcome all evil. 

To help us to better understand, we need to remember that God created many trees to sustain mankind in the Garden of Eden, among them were the tree of knowledge, and the tree of Life. 

(Genesis 2:9)  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 

We hear much about the tree of knowledge, but we often overlook the passages in the Bible where God puts limitations on our ever learning how to achieve eternal life. The tree of life has been put beyond the hands of mankind as can be seen in the following scriptures. 

(Genesis 3:22-24)  (22) And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:  (23) Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  (24) So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 

That flaming sword will prevent the human from learning how to achieve eternal life by our own means.  Mankind’s inability to completely reject evil, and seek only goodness is the flaw that cannot be tolerated in the eternal kingdom of the Father.  So left to our own devises, no human would ever pass through the flaming gate to eternal life.  But the Father had mercy on us, and gave us a way to overcome our own evil, if we have the knowledge, love, and understanding to accept it.  The Father sent us His only begotten Son, Jesus, to show us how we must live, and what we must do to in order to be acceptable in the Father’s kingdom.  The Father has promised us that if we will except the gift of His only begotten Son, then He will send us a new spirit which will fill our souls and turn us into a new creature, one truly worthy to pass through the flaming gate. 

So you see Alex, we not only could create a totally new life source, it is required that we do so if we are ever to enter the eternal gates of heaven.  Alex, what we cannot yet accomplish, the spirit of the Father can come into our lives and change this sinful beast, into a wonderful loving creature of the Father.  The Father was our way into this life, and He alone is the only way out.  Human knowledge will fail us, but the wisdom of our creator will never fail us, we need only to have the wisdom to ask for His help. 

Alex, can you understand why I love Jesus so much, He is my hope, He is my Savior, He is the love of my life.   How foolish would I be to reject the one who came to save me.  No, it took this old fool too long to learn the truth, and I will never go back to the darkness and doubts of mortal men ever again.  I have a savior burning brightly within me, and I received Him by just simple asking Him to come into my heart, change me, and save me from myself.  He is not fooled by human words, He only answers to the pure in heart.  The Bible says it much better than I can,  (Matthew 5:8) Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

So Alex, we should not be surprise that man tries to mimic his Father, and given enough time, and the love of Christ within us, we too can do miracles.   But never forget that man’s pitiful knowledge is foolishness with the Father.  When I think about the great power of the Father, I look up into the heavens and am reminded that when Jesus returns, the sun, the stars, and the entire universe will be just rolled away like a scroll.  Just think of all of the power in the sun and all the stars in the universe, yet the Lord will just push them aside like a simple scroll of paper, and the whole world will see Him coming in a great flaming cloud. 

Alex, as you can see I am not at all surprise that man is beginning to understand his simple beginnings.  I wrote an article on this very subject some time back called "Mada & Namow, Man's Creation!", I hope you will go back an reread it, I think it will make a lot more sense to you now.  If you are interested, you can find it at -
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9522/Mada.html

I hope I have answered your concerns, but if not, please let me know and we will try again. Alex, it is our love for Jesus, which saves our souls, but do we have the knowledge to understand such a simple plan?  Seek Jesus with a pure heart, and He will find you.   Peace be with you friend which can only come from knowing the Father who created us all. 

One final note Alex, who created the “300 individual genes” you referred to in your question?  No matter how far back we search, we still end up at the feet of Christ. 

joe sizemore 
December 15, 1999 

If you would like to pass this document on to others, the Link-Address is -
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9522/TreeOfLife.html

-- 
****** End of Message ****** 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Our purpose here on earth is to love God with all our heart, all else in this world will disappear, and then we will know why
loving God was our most important purpose. 

Welcome to my home at http:http://www.geocities.com/athens/9522/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
(TOP^)
 

Who is this man Called Jesus?
Who is this man called Jesus, Who lives within our hearts,
He lifts our souls to heaven, and from Him we will not depart

Who is this man called Jesus, He came down to this lowly place,
to tell the world He loved us, and snatched us from hell by His grace

Who is this man called Jesus, His name shakes both heaven and earth,
Satan stands there trembling, his judgment soon to be heard

Who is this man called Jesus, who says Father these children are mine,
I bring them to You freely, fore they are of Our kind

Who is this man called Jesus, who stands before His Father’s throne,
we hear the Father tell Him, my Son here is where You belong

Who is this man called Jesus, who washed our tears away,
His love and grace are ever before us, as He continues to light our way

Who is this man called Jesus, What more is there we can say,
almighty God in heaven, thank You for sending Him our way.

I love You Lord.

If you would like to read an article, which I believe proves Jesus is
who He says He is, then click on the following Link Address;

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9522/WhoIsThisJesus2.html

joe sizemore
--
****** End of Message ******
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our purpose here on earth is to love God with all our heart, all else in
this world will disappear, and then we will know why loving God was our
most important purpose.

Welcome to my home at http://www.geocities.com/athens/9522/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(TOP^)
 


 

Who is the leader of your Church?

A good Christian friend of mine, whose name I have changed, made the following statement, and I was wondering if you think the same way. "But every church needs leaders since not every person is in the same position or has the same understanding."

joe wrote ======== >
Bill, words have different meanings depending on the context in which they are used.  The word church has different meanings as well.  (1) First, there is the Church of the Heart, and it is the only place where we can have a personal relationship with Christ.  It is the only church, were all of the failures are our own.  In no other place can we repent
for our sins, in no other place can we make Jesus the true Lord of our souls, and in no other place is the door to heaven always open.  Once the Church of the Heart has been established, there is no question who leads it, it is Christ Jesus alone.  (2) The second church is called the Body of Christ Church.  This church cannot exist without the first Churches of the Heart , as the first churches are the stones upon which the Body of Christ Church is built, and the mortar is made up of truly born-again Christian souls.  This church has no buildings either, it needs no organization, but is cemented together with a single unbreakable love for Jesus Christ, nothing else matters except the love and devotion to their Master, Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Father.  Men cannot see the Body of Christ Church, but the Master of the church is never out of the sight of any of its members.  There are no denominations in the Body of Christ Church, there are no divisions, and we all come equally humble and unworthy before the Master of the Church. Without the Master, there is no light, no power, no love, and no life in the Body of Christ Church.  The (3) third church is made of brick and clay, and it is a place where the Hearts churches come together to sing and share the love of Jesus with those who live in our neighborhoods. It is the place where we learn to be Christ-like, in going out among the lost to share the loving light and saving grace of Jesus, just as He did for us. But because the brick and clay churches are lead by men, they often fails us and go astray because its human leaders seek to sit at the head of the table in the chair reserved for Christ alone.  Without Christ alone being the head of the clay churches, they struggle in the darkness, and bear false fruit.  But when the Body of Christ enters into such buildings of clay, there is a light that shines from them like a beacon cutting through the darkest night.  It is not a human leader who bears this light, it comes from the loving light of Christ shinning brightly through the Hearts Churches of its members.  It is not a light made by man, and it does not come from their works of clay, but it comes blazing through the born-again vessels of the Father.  The greater the love, the greater the light.  Great beautiful structures, and great multitudes of people do not bring one ray of light to the clay church, only Christ living in the hearts of its members can fill its halls with the love of the church's true Master. 

So who should be the human leader of such works of clay, that is left to the members of such organizations, to choose their own song leaders, as the light of the Father leads them.  But we must remember that the light will also draw strangers, and not all strangers will open the door to their hearts church to let the light of the Father enter, and the human beast is left to roams the halls of the structures of clay.  However, if we are to save the lost, then we must go to where they are, and speak with words they can understand.  We chose one to speak for the group, who can best convey our love for Christ, one who the lost will listen to.  We lift these voices of the clay churches up to our Father, that He might give all of our light to the one who speaks on our behalf, and we rejoice in seeing the Father use our spokesperson with great power and love.

 So, are these spokespersons the leaders in our churches of clay, or are they our servants?  They for sure are not the Master, because that job still belongs to our Lord Jesus, the ONLY Christ!  We should never get a
servant confused with the Master. 
Your brother in Christ, the Master of our hearts! 
joe sizemore

--
****** End of Message ******
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our purpose here on earth is to love God with all our heart, all else in
this world will disappear, and then we will know why loving God was our
most important purpose.

Welcome to my home at http://www.geocities.com/athens/9522/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(TOP^)
 
 
 
 

Trinity orGod?

Have you ever asked a child to explain the Trinity? If they seem to have a problem, then ask them to explain God to you. You might get some of the same interesting answers if you ask many of our adult Christians today. Why is it so difficult for some Christians to explain their personal relationship with their heavenly Father? Is that the way God would want it to be, or have we humans in all of our great wisdom made God so complex that even the small children must struggle to understand their heavenly Father? Could it be that we have borrowed our faith form our church rituals, rather than a personal relationship with the Father? It is for sure that if we do not truly know our heavenly Father personally, then He will not know us on that last day. 

Matthew 7:22-23
(22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

So how do you see the Father? The Trinity basically tells us that there is only one God, but He has three faces; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Jewish view of God is that there is only one face, one Father, and they call Him Jehovah. Since the Jews and Christians have the same God, why the different views? I asked myself, does the Trinity truly reflect my own understanding of God, does the Jewish definition of a single God Head better fit my relationship with the Father, or is just loving the Father with all my heart enough? These are questions Christians and non-Christians have debated since our Lord Jesus first walked among us in the flesh. 

It was easy for me as a child, because I could understand a Father’s love for His Son, and who else could better carry the Father’s message to us, than His very own Son? So for me, it was my love for the Father that first brought me to the feet of Christ, and precise definition was not required. As our love for Christ grows however, it becomes more important that we can explain our relationship with the Father to others, and this is usually the time we start getting into great debates with fellow Christians as to how we should see God. 

The words which follow come from my own personal faith as it relates to the Trinity, and each of us must decide for ourselves how we relate to the Father. We cannot borrow someone else’s faith, because our faith is the eyes through which we see the Father. If we don’t really know what we believe, perhaps we wear a borrowed mask of Christian faith, and Christ is not the true Lord of our hearts. Even though the Father told us many times that we humans cannot even conceive the reality of the Father, we blindly go right on trying to put Him in our little box of knowledge. 

In order to describe our relationship with the Father, our first problem is to understand the shortfalls in our human language, or the written word. I could hear the most eloquent words in the world, but if the heart can’t accept them, then they are just noise soon lost in the wind. The written scriptures have little power over the heart of the non-believer, as the meanings of words are changed to justify their own actions. As we have seen recently with our own President Clinton, words can be changed to mean almost anything, and justice is no longer found in the words of our human laws. It is only in the heart that the truth is always exposed, but only the Father and ourselves hear the words of our hearts. It is only when we try to translate the words of the heart into human sounds, that we start running into problems. My words can say I love you, but they are not enough, it is the heart that must love. 

Isaiah 29:13 
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: 

When we begin to dig deeper into the scriptures, or words of the Bible, we run into a multitude of issues like the interpretation of the Trinity. Our atheist brothers and sisters favorite game is to play with the various differences, or usages of a written word, just like our legal system prides itself in doing today. It was in trying to deal with this problem that I was struck with the beauty of the name that the Father gave to Himself, “I AM”. He sure knew the evil nature of mankind, and left little to misunderstand. 

(Exodus 3:14 
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.) 

When I was a child, I was disappointed that God used such simple words to describe Himself. It seemed He should have a marvelous name that describes His great power, love, and intelligence. But for today critics, “I AM”, is very hard to mess with, yet it says everything we need to know about the almighty loving Father who created the universe, and all therein. Now that I am a man, that simple name is the anchor for my faith, and now I understand the Father’s great wisdom so there would be no need for inadequate human words. 

But as we know, the Father’s description is still not enough for sinful men, so we continues to try to place God in an earthly definition. It is like trying to place the ocean into a single drop of water. I share my thought on this subject only in the hopes that I can place a little light in the darkness that Satan uses to distract and destroy the body of Christ. We are so quick to look at our differences, and overlook our common love for Christ. We are not separated in the heart, as our critics boast so loudly when looking at our many Christian denominations. They cannot see the common love for Christ in our hearts, which bind us into one body. We may use different languages and words to describe our love for the Father, but words are not important, it is our common love which justifies us before the Father. 

When we try to defend the Trinity view of the Father, it becomes a little difficult since the word “trinity“ cannot be found in the Bible, and first came into use in the church during Emperor Constantine’s rule around 325 AD. Now there are hundreds of verses which support the Trinity concept, but I believe the most compelling is called the Great Commission; 

Matthew 28:16-20
(16) Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. (17) And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. (18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

If the Trinity view seems somewhat confusing, we should not get too upset with ourselves, because there were still  oubters among Jesus’ own disciples as we can see in verse 17 above, “but some doubted.” Now why would they have doubted? First we need to realize that we are now reading these scriptures through the eyes of a Trinitarian, or one who has been taught the Trinity from our birth. In other words, we may not be able to understand their concerns, and perhaps we read things into the words which are not there. We need to remember that they were Jews, and believed in all that Mosses and Christ had taught them during their walk here on earth. Also remember that their faith, as well as ours own, was built on there being only one Father, as is documented in Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. We must also remember that Jesus told us He did not come to change the law, but to fulfill the law. 

Matthew 5:17 
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 

Now this is where our individual faith comes in, and each of us must decide for ourselves. Is there just one Father as the Bible tells us over and over again, or is there one Father with three faces, as the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20 seems to be teaching us? In the face of such complexity, I personally go back and take the simplest meaning of words, and I lean heavily on the Holy Spirit to guild me through as I do for any situation that might stands between me and my Father. 

I know I am a child of the Father, and as such have little knowledge. I also know my Father loves me , and He speaks to me in words which I can understand, so I can also explain them to my child. As I consider the question of the Trinity, I remember what God called Himself, “I AM THAT I AM”. First, He did not say “we are who we are”, He made a point of saying “I (singular) AM THAT I AM”. If God is only one, then who is Jesus as He relates to God. I immediately think of my favorite verses in the Bible where Jesus tells us plainly who He is, and why He is here. In fact, it was these same verses which explained the Father’s love for me so I could understand it before I was five years old. It was these same verses which brought me to the feet of Christ, and gave me a love for Him that will never end. If a child can understand, then why ask for more? 

John 3:16-21
(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (21) But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 

You see, Jesus is the perfect “light” which the Father has sent to us as a token of His love for us. Jesus is the only “light”  which leads us out of the darkness. If we reject the light which was sent to us by the Father, then we reject the Father as well. But what makes Jesus different from Abraham, Mosses, and other prophets? Note the words “only begotten Son” in verses 16 and 18. Why didn’t God just say, “my only Son”? You see, all of the rest of us where made from the dust of the earth, and God gave us the breath life; 

Genesis 2:7 
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 

But Jesus is different, and He is a reflection of God Himself. Many often questioned the Virgin Birth, saying with a smile in their hearts that any rational person would know that it is impossible for this to have happened within the human animal. But only now in the last couple of years have we learned ourselves how to clone another human from a single cell, and what seemed impossible yesterday has suddenly become a fact today. A female could reproduce herself, or any other human from only a single cell of herself or the other person. If the woman should clone herself, then who is the father of the child? To answer that question, we would still have to take the same long journey back to Adam. So with our present scientific understanding, we can now comprehend God placing a “cell or DNA” of Himself into the body of Mary, and He alone is the Father of Jesus. Mary’s flesh feed and nourished the material body of Christ as would the mother of any clone, but the original “cell” belonged the Father. I would suggest that the clone is not the original, but a true and separate reflection of the original. He is the perfect likeness of His Father, as the Father is telling us that Jesus is His only begotten Son, the only one in all the universe and beyond. 

Now if Jesus were standing before us at this very minute, I believe He would repeat the following to us; 

John 14:1-6
(1) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (4) And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. (5) Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? (6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

Jesus is the Father’s greatest gift to mankind, and if we are so callus as to reject the Father’s most precious gift, then we  will not be allowed to enter into His Son’s house on that last day. Now listen closely as Jesus speaks of His own reflection of the Father, and the reason that He is the ‘only begotten Son” of the Father. 

John 14:7-11
(7) If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. (8) Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. (9) Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? (10) Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (11) Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 

If we had stopped at verse 9, we would have to believe that Jesus is saying He is the Father, but as we read on He explains that the spirit of the Father is within Him, and He is one with the spirit of the Father, “I am in the Father, and the Father in me”. He did not say, I “am” the Father, He said I am “in” the Father, and they are two separate things joined in spirit and understanding. Jesus is the very likeness of the Father, and in seeing Him, we humans are able to understand what true love is, and what the Father is really like. Jesus cared not for Himself, but gave all He had for us, and the Father did the same thing in giving even more, His only begotten Son, so that we might be able to follow His light out of the darkness. 

Now in the following verse we can see that Jesus is referring to a spiritual relationship, otherwise, we would have to say we are also god’s, and I know that is not true in my own case. However, I do know that the Father rules my heart, and I am one in my love for the Father and His loving Son, Jesus. 

John 14:20
At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 

When we accept Jesus for who He is, “the only begotten Son of the Father”, then the Father will send us the same Holy Spirit to abide within us, as was in Jesus himself. 

John 14:12-16
(12) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (13) And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. (15) If ye love me, keep my commandments. (16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 

As we can see, the Father has given Jesus all power, and we now belong to Him. We will live with Jesus in the heavenly kingdom which He has prepared for us. It is more than enough for this simple Christian. There are many roads which take us to the Father, but they all must pass through “the only begotten gate” whose name is Jesus. Does Jesus have all power over the heavens and the earth? Yes He does! Is He as powerful as the Father? No He is not, as He tells us with His own words;

John 14:28
Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

As a member of the body of Christ, we are one in our love for the great “I AM” . 

So should we worship Jesus? Yes we should, He is the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. Then what about the Holy Spirit? When we open our hearts to Christ, the Father fills our souls with the same loving Spirit as fills our Lord Jesus, and in that Spirit, we become one with Jesus, as Jesus is one with the Father. It is the Holy Spirit which breaths new life into our soul, and we are no longer the same person, but we are born again into the loving spirit of our one and only Father. The spirit flows from the Father to Jesus, to us, and back again. Even though we are individuals, we are all one in our love for the Father who created all things. 

So, for me there is but one Father who sent us His most loving gift so that we might find our way out of the darkness and into His light. We have one Master, or Christ, whose name is Jesus, and He is the perfect reflection of the Fathers loving light, and I want to be like Him, I want to be Christ-like, I want to be called a Christian. 

Matthew 23:9-10
(9) And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. (10) Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 

So I see only one Father, one Master or Christ, and one love which binds the body of Christ into a single entity which  glorifies the Father. It is because we love and accept the one Christ, that the Father sends us His Holy Spirit which fills our souls with the same loving light which Christ received from the Father. We are new creatures which have become filled with the light and love of the Father and the Son. The earth is no longer our home, but we stay here only to bring the light of the Father to others as Christ brought it to us. So I tell the little children that they have one heavenly Father who created all things, He send His Son Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to show the world just how much He loves us. 

After having said all of that, I know there are those who believe in the Trinity who are true children of the Father, and His only begotten Son. I know there are others who believe as I do who are also true believers of the Father, and His only begotten Son. So where does that leave us? It is not the words we read that make us believe, it is the words we hear in our hearts. It tell us that we sinful humans can’t begin to understand the true nature and love for our heavenly Father, and I am also reminded that it was Christ who choose us before we chose Him. 

John 10:27-29
(27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 

So we are not to worry, as long as we belong to Christ, and His light shines brightly within our hearts. 

Thank you Lord for loving this sinful soul anyway. 

joe sizemore 
May 15, 1999 

****** End of Message ******
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our purpose here on earth is to love God with all our heart, all else in
this world will disappear, and then we will know why loving God was our
most important purpose.

Welcome to my home at http://www.geocities.com/athens/9522/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(TOP^)
 
 

No Matter Where I go!

No matter how far away I go, 
my Lord is always there, 
no matter what the world may do to me, 
my Lord will always care 

In the darkest corner of the earth, 
God’s light cannot be hid, 
He stands beside me through the night, 
and I know that I am His 

What can this world do to me, 
why do I no longer care, 
it is because my Lord stands beside me, 
all my sorrows and griefs to bear 

Be glad my brothers and sisters, 
can’t you feel it in the air, 
He stands before us waiting, 
give Him your every care 

Lord God in heaven how I thank thee, 
for loving this simple little man, 
it is amazing that the King in all His glory, 
would come down to hold this sinners hand 

I have seen so many wonders, 
and the beauty in this earthly land, 
but nothing can compare, 
with seeing Jesus hold your hand 

When Christ lifts us up to glory, 
we are no longer a part of this earthly land, 
Oh come with me sinner, come with me now, 
come take hold of the Masters hand. 

joe sizemore 
 

-- 
****** End of Message ****** 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Our purpose here on earth is to love God with all our heart, all else in this world will disappear, and then we will know why
loving God was our most important purpose. 

Welcome to my home at http://www.geocities.com/athens/9522/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

(TOP^)

Death?

Death you are a strange, and mysterious thing,
you come in the winter, you come in the spring.

Each new child, you windup like a clock,
then you wait patiently, for the time to stop.

We dread the sound, of silence to come,
when the chimes on our clock, are no more to be rung.

The real sadness is, that so many cannot see,
there is one winding the clock, for you and for me.

The Master creator, counts the hours on the clock,
he knows when the time comes, on our doors to knock.

But it is through deaths door, we sinners have not yet seen,
which leads to paradise, and all that is clean.

The clock rings out in heaven, for all to hear,
saying this is a child of the Father, come draw him near.

That which we once feared, we now embrace,
for it is time to see, our Father’s loving face.

If it weren’t for death, where would we be,
remaining here on earth, and missing eternity.

Thank you Father, for Your great and glorious plan,
to remove this sinful little man, from this lowly earthly land.

So death where is thy victory, where is thy sting,
you only opened the door to heaven, where the bells and angels sing.

joe sizemore
 
 

--
****** End of Message ******
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our purpose here on earth is to love God with all our heart, all else in
this world will disappear, and then we will know why loving God was our
most important purpose.

Welcome to my home at http://www.geocities.com/athens/9522/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(TOP^)
 

Is Baptism Required?

A good Christian friend asked me the following questions, and perhaps
you have asked the same questions.  I have changed my friend’s name to
Terry.

“To be born again do you need to be baptized?  What about
children/babies being baptized?  Is baptism necessary to be raptured?
Why did Christ ask John to baptize Him?  What is the fate of the
stillborn or aborted babies?”

Dear Terry,
Although your words may be a little different, you seem to be asking the
same basic question, as did Nicodemus in the following scriptures.

John 3:4-7
(4) Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can
he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (5) Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  (6) That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit.  (7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born
again.

I personally believe that these verses are among the most important
words we humans will ever read, and they must be a burning fire in our
hearts, otherwise we follow the folly of fools.  If we do not understand
the importance of what the Lord is saying, then we stand as did
Nicodemus, lost and without knowledge.  We must also understand that
Nicodemus was a learned Pharisees, a ruler of the Jews, and he had
studied the scriptures most of his life.  Yet Nicodemus could not
understand what Jesus was trying to tell him, because he had not
experienced it himself.  But once we have experienced it, we know
forever it’s wonderful glory.

In your note you asked, “To be born again, do you need to be baptized?”
I believe the words in John 3:4-7 tells us there is no other way.  In
fact being born again is the baptism to which Jesus is referring.  Many
of us, like Nicodemus, do not understand the baptism to which Jesus
speaks.  When I think back upon all of the questions I use to have about
the water baptism, I thank the Father for giving us the two thieves on
the cross with Christ that day, as they show us how we are to be
baptized.  One of the thieves on the cross mocked Jesus saying  “If thou
be Christ, save thyself and us”, but what he was really seeking was his
own preservation, and all of his actions were directed at saving his own
skin.  He indeed was a hypocrite, and he did not truly believe Jesus was
the Christ, nor was eternal life a reality to his lost soul, his present
life was all that was important.  But the other thief answering rebuking
the first saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same
condemnation, we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our
deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”  This thief knew without a
doubt that Jesus was the Christ, and he said from the depths of his
soul, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”  Jesus
answered immediately,  “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be
with me in paradise.”  In that moment Christ’s words were the water,
which baptized and cleansed that retched sinner’s soul forever.  It is
the true belief within our souls, which opens the floodgates holding
back the loving baptismal waters of Christ, which wash our sins away
forever.

This sinful man on the cross with Jesus that day was not baptized with
the water we drink to prevent the human body from thirsting to death,
but he was baptized with the water called Christ.  When Jesus told
Nicodemus “ Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God”, He was telling Nicodemus that we must
accept the Father’s great sacrifice of His only begotten Son Jesus, if
our sins are to be washed away, and if we are to be filled with the Holy
Spirit.   Once we see Jesus, for who He really is, and we truly accept
Him as our only salvation, just as the worthless thief did on the cross,
then in that very moment the Father will fill our souls with His Holy
Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit to fill our soul, and to walk with us
daily, we would surely thirst to death.  Without the Holy Spirit, our
hearts are filled with doubt and darkness which cannot otherwise be
driven away.  The thief knew that Jesus was the Christ, and without Him,
there was much more at stake that day than human flesh, it was his soul
that needed saving, not his human body.  When we know without a doubt
that Jesus is the Christ, then Jesus will wash our sins away as well, in
the baptismal waters of His love.

Another scripture, which I think, may help us to understand the water
Jesus was referring to in His conversation with Nicodemus is;

John 4:11-14
(11) The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and
the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?  (12)
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and
drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?  (13) Jesus
answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall
thirst again: (14) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give
him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in
him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

We may have been baptized in the water of Jacob’s well, but it has no
lasting effect on our salvation, only that which can wash the heart
clean has everlasting power.  Our established religions have placed a
great deal on the power of baptism by water, as John the Baptist,
baptized Jesus in the river Jordan.  But I believe Jesus did this to
show the world that He did not come to change the law, but to fulfill
the law, as the Spirit of the Father ascended upon Him that very same
day saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”   Even
John said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that
cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:
he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire”.  We follow
Christ’s example today in being baptized with the water of Jacob’s well
of repentance, to show the non-believers that we too have changed, that
we too are born again through the sacrifice and love of Christ, but are
we, or did we just get wet?  If our hearts have not truly changed, then
nothing has changed.  Is baptism something to cleanse the human body, or
is it something to cleanse the human soul?  The thief on the cross with
Christ that day was not worried about the cleanliness of his human body,
it was his eternal soul that was dirty and in danger.  If it requires
water from this earth to wash away our sins, then the repentance of that
thief on the cross was too late.  But this was not the case, as Christ
opened the gate to heaven for that lowly thief that day, and Christ
alone will open that same gate to all who seek Him with a pure and
loving heart.  Nothing else is required.

Without baptism of the soul we will in no way enter into the kingdom of
Heaven.  Jesus said, “Yea must be born again”, and if these words still
seem unrealistic to us as they did to Nicodemus, then we need to fall on
our knees as an unworthy thief, and ask Jesus to remember us there in
His Father’s kingdom.   As for small children being baptized, being born
again of the spirit is not something someone else can do for us, we must
choose ourselves who we will serve.  However, Jesus said, “suffer not
the little children to come unto me”.  We call God our Father, because
that is exactly who He is.  He alone has created us, He lone knows our
every thought, and He has already proven how much He loves us by risking
the soul of His only begotten Son so that we might have eternal life.
This same Father would not reject a small and innocent child, He knows
the heart of a child which has not had time to be contaminated with the
lust and lies of this world.   The greatest evil is to have heard, and
yet knowingly reject the Father’s offer of salvation.  A small child
cannot understand what is at stake, and will not suffer for the mistakes
of others.

We must realize that the spiritual baptism is the only door way that
leads to our Fathers house, but we each must open that door ourselves,
we each must die to our old lives, and become a new creature, one
transformed to live in heaven forever.  When we say Father, to whom are
we speaking?  The answer to this question, will tell us if we have been
born again, or not, and there are no “I’m not sure” in the lives of the
born-again.

I hope my words have helped, but they are only words of a worthless
sinner, and each of us must accept or reject them as the Lord leads us.
After all, this baptism is a personal thing, not a ritual or show.

“Nicodemus, who say you that I am?”

Your Brother I Christ
joe sizemore
February 24, 2000
 
 

--
****** End of Message ******
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our purpose here on earth is to love God with all our heart, all else in
this world will disappear, and then we will know why loving God was our
most important purpose.

Welcome to my home at http://www.geocities.com/athens/9522/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(TOP^)
 

"The Pure In Heart"

Brothers and sisters in Christ, terrible sinners, let me tell you about
the love of Jesus Christ. As many of you may know, on my Home Page, I
have written about the visions, which God has shared with me. I have
done so because I want to share with you the wonderful love my Lord has
shown to me, and I promised God I would tell everyone who would listen.

There is still one vision that I have not yet shared with you, because I
didn’t fully understand its purpose myself until today. I had thought it
was a vision meant just for me, but I now see that it’s love goes far
beyond myself. It was so simple, yet my mine searched for a greater and
deeper meaning. I guess we all do that at times, even though the love of
God is so beautifully simple, we humans want to make it complex.

It happened back in 1996, when Christ suddenly appeared before me. He
was standing on a hill side, just outside Jerusalem. His skin and robe
seem to be made of the same material, and both where a strange and
beautiful color of white. He was much larger than the hill side on which
He was standing, and He towered above me like a wonderful giant. He
looked down at me with the gentlest smile I had ever seen. I was all
alone there, and I remember thinking, what does he want with me, why is
He smiling so gently at a retched sinner like myself? Doesn’t He know
who I am? He never said a word to me, He just stood there in all His
glory, with that wonderful smile which filled my soul. I knew at that
moment that He truly loved me. Then as quickly as He came, He was gone.

I kept asking myself, why would my Lord show Himself to such a filthy
sinner, as I knew myself to be. I prayed, Lord You know how I have
failed You over and over again during my life, why do You love me so? I
have since continued on with my life’s journey, and I have truly
committed my life to Christ. I have learned that I don’t have to do
great things to purchase the love of Jesus, He loved me just as He found
me,,,, but why?

Jesus has shown me many wonderful things since that time, and I’ve tried
to share them with whoever would listen.  But in my heart I would keep
saying, Lord, why me when there are so many wonderful Christians out
there who have dedicated their entire lives to you, why would you show
yourself to such an unworthy servant?

Today, I got the answer to my question. “Blessed are the pure in heart:
for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). A pure heart is one that can
truly see it’s many failures, does not lie about its sinful nature, is
not boastful, and truly wants to repent.  It is a heart that is ashamed
of its many failures, and wants to turn all the bad things into
something of value, something good.  It was a pure and loving heart,
which allowed me to see my Lord that day. I knew that I was a worthless
and unworthy sinner, and the loving grace of Jesus was my only hope.
That is the reason why Jesus loves us so much, just the way we are, just
the way He found us, and just the way He knows we will become. He knows
we no longer want to walk in the darkness of the evil path, He knows
that we truly love Him, and we would willingly give up all we love on
this earth, just to stand in the farthest corner of His wonderful
kingdom, and to be near His throne of grace. The love of a pure heart
cannot be broken by this world, nor can this world understand the love
that God has for those with a pure and loving heart. It is our greatest
gift to our Lord, and it is required, if we are to see him.

Sinner, God loves us just the way we are, don’t let the great deceiver
steal your joy by telling you that God could never love a sinner like
you. I am here today to tell you, God’s love has no limitations, it has
no end, if He can love me, then how much more does He love you.

Don’t let your sinful past steal your wonderful loving future. The
“King” loves us even with our evil past, He loves those who do not lie,
or try to justify themselves to Him in their own hearts. He knows when
we have made the decision to change our hearts, and to love Him more
than all the riches and desires of this world.

Sinful brothers and sisters, I am not the only one who has seen the
smile of our loving Lord. Jesus lives in ever pure heart, so look into
your own, and see who lives there. Cast out the evil one who lies to you
about the need for human desires and self pride, be truthful to yourself
first, and then decide who you want to become. We are truly judged by
the works of our hearts, not by our good deed to mankind. Jesus must be
the Lord of the inner person. If an apple is rotten within, it is cast
aside, no matter how beautiful and perfect it may look on the out side.
It is the poison within the cup that destroys the body, not the
beautiful cup it is served in.

I pray that you will hear the Father’s loving call to you, He is there
in your heart waiting for you to look into His face, at His most
wonderful smile, and His most wonderful loving grace. It is your heart
that He seeks to posses, not your worldly treasures and accomplishments.

All glory to the purest heart this world has ever known, the one who is
called, Christ Jesus, our Lord, our Master, and our loving King. Just
reach out, and He will change your heart forever, just reach out with a
pure heart, and He will take your hand, and bring you home.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God”
(Matthew 5:8)

Your brother in Jesus, the ONLY Christ!

joe sizemore
 

--
****** End of Message ******
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our purpose here on earth is to love God with all our heart, all else in
this world will disappear, and then we will know why loving God was our
most important purpose.

Welcome to my home at http://www.geocities.com/athens/9522/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(TOP^)

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