NT apostle, minister anointed by God to deal with scripture and church doctrine based on scripture.
NT prophet, minister anointed by God to bring correction to church, to correct both ministers and individuals.
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Many church groups and church people try to worship God "in the flesh", setting up photographs which are supposed to represent Jesus or even statues of a man hanging on a cross to represent Jesus.
This is worshiping in the flesh.
Jesus told us God was looking for men who would worship in the spirit … and truth.
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship HIM...
God is a Spirit: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth.
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Spirit is that which is not seen.
Flesh is that which we can see with our natural eyes.
When a person dies, the "spirit" goes out of his flesh. The remaining dead body is not that person but is flesh. (like a skin which once enclosed the spirit of man)
When you comb your hair and some of the hair comes out in the comb, you do not say that is you. It is just your hair, fleshly part of yourself.
That which is "you" is the spirit inside you which cannot be seen with the natural eye.
A photograph is not "you". It is simply an image of your flesh.
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A statue or picture which is supposed to represent something religious is "a graven image".
To HIS people, God says this about graven images:
Exodus 20:2-5 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:
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I visited a small Assembly of God church in Texas.
Hanging on the wall of their church building was a photograph of a long haired man wearing a long robe. (Many consider this to be Jesus or representative of Jesus.)
I recommended to pastor that this photo be removed.
We are to worship the spirit of God, not that which we can see with the natural eye.
We do not worship the tree created by God … nor do we worship the mountains created by God.
When I think of God, I think of the Spirit.
We worship God by obeying the WORD spoken to us by the Holy Spirit of God and we share that Word which is given us for that Word is Jesus.
Leviticus 26:1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.
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The Spirit of God dwells in us who believe in God. We are sealed to God after we believe what God says. Ephesians 1
We do not conjure religious things by looking at that which we can see with the natural eye. That is flesh trying to worship, not spirit.
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A woman invited me to come to her house to see a "memorial" she had set up to Jesus on her bookcase.
This would have to be fleshly if you can see it, for spirit cannot be seen. (Of course, I did not go.)
The WORD we hear from God is spirit.
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Deuteronomy 7:5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
We destroy their altars when we speak the Word given us by God concerning the matter at hand.
We destroy their altars when we speak the Word given us by God concerning the matter at hand.
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We do not worship the created but the Creator.
And it is the Holy Spirit of God that reminds us of things of God and knows God.
I Corinthians 2 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
I Corinthians 2 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
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We, who worship God, worship HIM each time we obey the Word of God.
We grow in the image of God and Jesus each time we do what God says to do.
We grow in the image of God and Jesus each time we do what God says to do.
It is all a part of The Word, which is Jesus. Jesus, in the beginning, was The Word and dwelt with God as The Word.
John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by HIM (by The Word); and without HIM was not any thing made that was made.
In HIM (The Word) was life; and the life was the light of men.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by HIM (by The Word); and without HIM was not any thing made that was made.
In HIM (The Word) was life; and the life was the light of men.
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Genesis 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
… And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
(God created the light by The Word which God spoke. That Word is Jesus.)
The same is true for us today. God chooses to speak The Word to us and we are recreated over and over by that Word as we live our lives on this earth.
Or as we read Bible, by God's Spirit, we have concepts brought to our minds.
Or as we read Bible, by God's Spirit, we have concepts brought to our minds.
The Word spoken by God changes us into the image of God. That Word, brought to our mind by God, shows us what to do as we face various problems of this present life. That Word spoken by God is Jesus, The Word.
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