A name is an identity of something, somebody or, some place. The moment somebody mentions a name, whether a cow, a place or someone, the picture of that thing comes in mind immediately. But here, we have to agree on this one thing; if a name of something you don’t know is mentioned, the picture doesn’t come in your mind. All you will do is to start imagining, and trying to place a picture of your imagination about it. This is to say; even if you know all names, but have no knowledge of the things they identify, yes, have not seen them, there is no way you will claim knowledge of the same even though you can mention the names. For instance; if I tell you about the city of Dar-es-alaam in Tanzania, and you have never been there, or even seen it, could be in a television, though the name will be right in your mind, there is no way you will be able to tell someone how Dare salaam looks like. All you will do is to try and compare with another town you know, and this in an effort to deduce a picture in your mind. With this name-knowledge, one can’t claim to know something, and any effort to explain it will only result to a lie. A human mind gains knowledge through the five senses; i.e, seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, and tasting. Every time some name is mentioned, one can only understand if he/she has seen, heard, felt, smelt, or tasted whatever is mentioned. This is because, through these senses, the thing mentioned has been printed in the mind, and all there is, is to recall and the picture is right with you. This is what it means to know something.
GOD IS SPIRIT
Now, based on this understanding, do we know God? Have we ever seen, heard, felt, smelt, or tasted Him? Our Lord, who is also our teacher, and the only one who can enable us to know God is hereby warning us, saying, “ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly, they are ravenous wolves”. For, “ many are coming in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’, and are leading many astray-Mat.7:15;24:5”. This, I am reminding you brethren because, as I write this message, these false prophets, who are Satan’s agents are all over, around and among us; and are claiming to have been sent by Christ. They are teaching their own thoughts, hidden in scriptures, and clothed with the name of Jesus (sheep’s skin), and by this, they are misleading the mis-informed. These days, we hear so many stories about God, and how human beings can rightly relate with Him, especially when it comes to worshiping. There are some who teach that, unless you mention God in His Hebrew name, you can’t know Him, and so your worship of Him is in vain. Are they right? As we have seen, a name is an identification of something. But for that name to make a meaning, the thing must be in one’s mind. And for that thing to be in one’s mind, it must have been registered there through the five senses. So now, are these people having God printed in their minds, or they only have the name in their mouths? Can they rightly tell us about the name of God through the true knowledge of Him? The basis of their belief is a prophetic verse which says, “for the law shall come from Zion, and the word of God from Jerusalem-Isa.2:3”. Based on this verse, they claim that all messages and information about God must come from Jerusalem- Israel in the middle East. For this reason, then the name of God must be as mentioned in Hebrew language, i.e , Yahweh. Now, if you are one who reads the bible without imagining anything out or into it, you will agree with me that they are very ignorant about the prophetic times. For surely, this verse refers to the future, during the millennium when Christ and the Church will be ruling the Earth. Right now, we are worshipping God in spirit and truth, and truly, the law is coming from Zion, and the word from Jerusalem. But now, which Zion? Which Jerusalem? The ones right here on Earth in the middle East? Our only teacher, who is also our only priest and the head of the Church is at the right hand of God the father, in the heavenly Jerusalem, “But you have come to mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem- Heb.12:22”. See also Gal.4:26. So, the basis of their belief is wrong; and can they then teach the truth if the base is wrong? God forbid. They are like that person who has never seen something, but has heard the name, let’s say of a cow; meaning, the picture of the cow is not printed in his mind. So, when he tries to explain what a cow is, all he will do is to imagine, and so, whatever he will say will be a lie. Can we prove this?
GOD IS INVISIBLE
As we have seen, the mind of man cannot understand something it has not seen, heard, felt, smelt or tasted. Secondly, let’s understand that, the purpose of a language is purely communication, whether, Hebrew, English—–name any language you know of. Apart from being used for the sole purpose of communicating some information to someone in a way one can understand, a language has no other use. So, you who claim to know God simply by mentioning His name in Hebrew, do you really know Him? God can’t be seen with these physical eyes; He can’t be heard with these physical ears, neither can He be understood with this physical mind, for, being a spirit, He is something, “the carnal mind does not understand;…. For He is folly to such a mind, and it can’t understand Him, because He can only be understood through the spiritual sense- 1 Cor.2:14”. And again, “ He is, what eye has never seen, nor ear hear, nor the mind comprehended……1 Cor.2:9”. See also-John.3:13; 1:18; 5:38. Now, if we mention His Hebrew name, like Elohim, or Yahweh, can this open our mind to have His picture, and therefore be in a position to tell others who He truly is? If we read some place in scripture, we will realize that the spirit has a fruit(singular). But when God begins to give the details of this fruit, it becomes plural, for He tells us, “ But the fruit of the spirit is( one? No), love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control-Gal.5:22”. Yes, that one fruit is in many aspects, though it is the same one thing. In this same manner, God’s name is actually what He is. Yahweh, or Elohim are just but two aspects of His name. In Hebrew language, the name “Yahweh” simply means, “The ever-living one(eternal)”. The name “ Elohim” simply means, “the God-family”. Brethren, if you are able to limit eternity, I mean, make it definitive, then you can also limit God’s name. But can we? By no means. For surely, God who is spirit, is also eternal, love, perfect, true, light, righteous, merciful, gracious, glorious— Yes, just like the fruit of the spirit, God’s name is many things, is His life, and every aspect of this name has an Hebrew name. So now, you who want to call Him Yahweh, you are right. But do you know this Yahweh? How can we truly know and be sure we know Yahweh (God), to a level of being able to have His picture in our minds? Friends, it can’t be by mere mentioning of His name. So, when we mention God, what are we talking about? What picture do we have in our minds which we associate with that name? Let’s listen to our only teacher, and as He explains, let everyone of us examine the knowledge one has about this God, and see whether we learned from Christ, or we merely followed imaginations of men.
GOD IS CREATOR
I ask again: This God who is spirit(invisible), how can we see Him so that His picture can be in our minds, and we be in a position to be sure we know Him? It is He who created us with these limited minds which can only understand and know things through the five physical senses. How then does He expect us to know Him? The truth is, God is not yet through with creating us(request for our message, “what is man” for details please); for when He will complete us, “….we will be like Him-1 John.3:2”. It is when the son of man will come to usher-in the kingdom for which we were crated that He will first finalize our creation, for, “….He will change our vile bodies that they may resemble His glorious body-Phil.3:20”. In this physical body and the mind we have now, there is no way one can see or know God except by an added sixth sense which right now does not belong with us, for our Lord says, “No one knows the father (God), except the son, and no one knows the son(Christ) except the father, and him unto whom the son chooses to reveal Himself to- Luke.10:22”. How then will He reveal Himself to us, and so make us able to see and know Him in the same way we see and know a cow? This is where the issue of faith comes in, bearing in mind that, “ faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen-Heb.11:1”. Why are these things hoped for and not seen? This is because, whatever God had in mind when he began to create us is not as yet achieved. Or, haven’t you read that, even though, “ we are sons of God now, it does not yet appear, what we shall be, but we know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him- 1 John.3:2?” We are living this physical life, in which, God is creating us spiritually by first developing His mind and character in our hearts( our message, “the everlasting foundation” has details). This is why we are still hoping because we have not yet achieved what we were promised, that is, “….eternal life and immortality”(our message, “seek for Honor” has details). So for now, even though we don’t see physically, and neither understand with this minds, we believe all that He tells us in His word. How will we be able to believe when the minds can’t see? For us to be able to understand and so believe, God puts in us, the sixth sense( His spirit), through which, “….He has revealed to us…….. that we may understand…… 1 Cor.2:10-12”. Even then, how, and where do we see God through this spirit? Yes, you who have received this spirit; if someone asks you where God is, and how you can see Him; if one asks you how God looks like, what answer will you give? Will you tell someone that God is Yahweh and that be enough? Yes, where did we see that Yahweh, and so are sure we know Him, for after seeing, His picture must be in our minds? Brethren, you who are of the heavenly calling, who eagerly await for the coming kingdom, believe in God, and you will be confirmed; believe also in His prophets, and you will be established. So, going by the word of our God, what answer will we give our questioners? God precisely tell us that He is the creator, for, “He created the Heavens, the Earth, the seas and all their contents-Neh.9:6”;Gen.1:1. Giving further confirmation of His creatorship, He says, “ My hands laid the foundation of the Earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens;–Isa.48:13”. It is through this creation that we can see and therefore know God for, “…..His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, has been clearly seen in the things He created- Rom.1:20”. I know at this point, many minds are getting confused, trying to understand how we can see God through His creation. But why get confused? Don’t you see and believe Him when He says, “The heavens are telling the glory of God……..their voice goes out through all the Earth- Psalm.19:14”. What we are saying here is, unless somebody refuses, and so doesn’t believe, there is no time our minds should think or see anything else except God; for, beginning with us and everything that we see, are God’s hand work. So, even though He is spirit and cant be seen with naked eyes, His hand work is very visible. Failure to see God is to deny that He created all things. The biggest proof that God is the creator is we human beings, for He says, “ God created man in His own image- Gen.1:27”. Do you doubt that you exist? Yes, am asking you do you believe you are there? If yes, how can you say you don’t see God? Our Lord asked Phillip; “.. you are telling me to show you the father”; “have I been with you all this time and yet you don’t know me?………if you see me you have seen my father-John.14:9-10”. What does Christ mean here? Can there be an image of something that doesn’t exist? An image must always be a portrayal of a real thing. So, human beings are the very proof of God’s existence, for He created them in His image( form). Since Christ came to reveal the father, He had to tell Phillip that the father looks like Him. Now, if we claim to know God, is this the one we have in mind? When you mention God, or Yahweh, is this the one you are seeing? How can we be sure He is the one we have in mind?
GOD IS TRUTH
Christ never told Phillip that He is like God, pointing to the physical appearance alone, but more than that, he said that God lives the same life that Christ lived, for He says, “ the son does nothing except what He sees the father do; for as the father does, so does the son- John.5:19”. And again, “.. the words which I speak are not mine but His(God’s) who sent me..”. No one has ever seen God at any time. It is Christ who came from there, who revealed Him to us. Through His revelation, Christ tells us that, “…the word of God is spirit, and life-John.6:63”. So, when we live according to the word of God who is spirit, we are living His spiritual life, and by it, we are developing His spiritual mind and character. So friends, it is by the spirit of God in our minds, leading us in the written word of God, which gives detailed explanation of all His creation, that we are able to see and know God every time we see anything (His creation). Our finite minds with their five senses can’t see and know God. This is why many who don’t have the sixth sense tries in vain to figure out how and who God may be. Some have even wondered why He doesn’t show Himself to people, and yet He created them. Until we are fully created, we will only relate with God through accepting His word. This is why it is impossible to please Him without faith-Heb.11:6. So, to know God and His name is to live like Him, for He says, “ He who keeps His commandment abides in Him and He in him; and by this we know……1 John.3:24”. So, the only proof that we are not mentioning the name of God in vain is if we first speak His words, and secondly live by them. Anything said or done outside that word shows how one doesn’t know God (see our message, “the spiritual protection” for details). All what we have explained in this message is the name of God. God is His word, for, “….His word is truth-John.17:17”. The gospel which our Lord Jesus Christ preached, and which we His servants continue to preach is about the life which God created man to live by, which is His word, for, “…this word is the gospel that was preached to you- 1 Pet.1:25”. God is love and He created human beings to live that live of His. Love is not just that good feeling treating of somebody. True love is living, “according to God’s commandments-2 John.1:6”. Why is keeping God’s commandments being called love? Because it is these commandments which explains this life of God which is called love. Every time you do according to these commandments, you are acting love, for, “….love is living the commandments- Rom.13:10”. To this point, I believe all of us have had enough information about God and His name and are now able to know whether you truly know Him, or, like we have seen, you are just talking of a name you merely heard being talked about, without knowing what it identifies. Watch on those who, “profess to know God by their mouths while denying Him by their deeds-Tit.1:16”. Yes, remember Christ’s warning about a people who carry His name, claiming to be His servants, but instead of teaching those who come to them His ways, they hide in His name to deceive; “…a people of this world who don’t have God’s spirit-Jude.1:19”, which alone can enable somebody to see and know God. Therefore, in conclusion, know and understand that God’s name is very broad for it is His life, i.e, spirit, love true, perfect right good, on and on and on. Just in the same way His creation can’t be fully understood by these short-sited minds of us, so is His name. Who is given to understand what am talking about here? It is only those who tremble at God’s word. It is those who know His greatness and the truthfulness of His word, so much such that, they don’t dare to add nor subtract from it. It is in this word of His that we see and know God, and also see and know everything that He created.
He who has ears, let him hear what Christ is telling His Church. This is coming to you from Christ through His servants,
THE ENDTIME CHURCH OF GOD,