Paradise Cafe Discussions - A Place For Bible Research And Christian Encouragement

So you just talk to Jesus? Stephen wasn't just talking to Jesus, since Jesus was in Heaven and Stephen was on the Earth to get that message from the Physical world to Heaven it would travel via pray.

Just as Jesus taught His disciples in John 14.

You see the conversation is about His departure back to Heaven V1-6 and that He is the ONLY way for man to follow Him to where He is going ( to be with His Father ) .

V7 He says to Thomas and I'm paraphrasing, If you really grasped who I am you would know that from now on you not only know Him ( because I told you so ) In Fact not just know Him but actually have seen Him.

V8 Phillip pipes in and says common just show us the Father that'll be good enough for us.

V9 So Jesus says common Phil have you been with me this long and you say show me the Father. Just remember what I did and said to your ancestors and now in my flesh I AM repeating these things before your eyes.

As Their provider I gave them bread to eat from Heaven and quail to eat and you have seen me as the same miraculous provider of Bread and meat.

I have healed your ancestors of Leprousy ( a symbol of Sin )
and I have done the same in front of your eyes.

I gave your ancestors water from a Rock to keep them physically alive
That Rock was me (1 Corinth 10:4) yet I said to your ancestors

Is 44:8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it?You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’”

I told a woman who each day went to a well to solve her physical thirst that I would give her water for her dry spiritual life and she would thirst no more ( and revealed to her that I was the Messiah or Saviour )

yet I said to your ancestors Is 43:10 “ And My servant whom I have chosen,That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior.

( there was no god formed before or after me therefore Jesus cannot be " a god " but THE GOD all others called God in the bible are not "God" by nature ex: Satan a fallen angel, Mose a man etc. )

I told your ancestors that I was the King of Israel

6 “ Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:

Yet that is what Nathanielcalled me in John 1:49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

They mocked me as I died calling me the King of Israel

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

“He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.

They even wanted to make me King but instead crucified me.

‘ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!” 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 “ Fear not, daughter of Zion;Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

I am the creator and I did it all by myself in fact I was all alone in creation Is 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “ I am the LORD, who makes all things,Who stretches out the heavens all alone,Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;

God thought it, said it, and the spirit performed it.

Yet John says of me 1 In the beginning was the Word (pre-incarnate Christ ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

God is the giver of Life and So am I the source of Life.

[/b] 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 5:26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,

I said this in Duet 32:39 ‘Now see that I, even I, am He,And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.

And I did it in front of your eyes in John 9 I healed a man born blind from birth, ( yes I wound and I heal )

in John 10 I told those who knew of me through their ancestors as the Shepherd of David and Israel That I AM that Good Shepherd in fact I remind them of Duet 32:39 by saying that no one can snatch my sheep out of My hand or my Fathers hand. In fact I told them that I and my Father are one to which they considered it blasphemy and picked up stones to stone me ( I didn't dispute their claim of blasphemy )

John 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ( Duet 32:39 )

29" My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
30" I and the Father are one."

Then in John 11, I finished the last part ( I kill and I make alive )32:39



John 11:4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for (G)the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

6So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. ( I Kill or let him die, I am in charge of his mortal life, it's in my hands)

14So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,

15and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him."

25Jesus said to her, " I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

39Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days."

40Jesus said to her, " Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

43When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." ( by His word lazarus is given Life yes in Him was LIFE He is the source of LIFE )

44The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."


And when He came to Thomas that great doulbter Thomas said TO HIM " The Lord of me and the God of me " and I say Amen Thomas Amen

BB:happyheart::heartbeat::happyheart

I can be traveling down a road and sincerley believe it will take me where I want to go, but if on my way down that road a bunch of people yell, turn around, turn around ( they know ahead the road drops off into the ocean ) I better listen and turn around. My sincerity is no good at all I need to turn around or at the end of that road it will lead to my destruction.

God doesn't bless sincerity but He does

PS 51:The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

Is 66:2
For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “ But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

Here are a list of verses that either talk about praying to Jesus or are examples of prayer to Jesus.

You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
(John 14:14 TNIV)

Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs."
(Acts 1:24-25 TNIV)

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
(Acts 7:59-60 TNIV)

And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."
(Acts 9:14 TNIV)

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
(Acts 22:16 TNIV)

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
(Romans 10:12-13 TNIV)

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours:
(1 Corinthians 1:2 TNIV)

If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!
(1 Corinthians 16:22 TNIV)

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
(2 Corinthians 12:8-9 TNIV)

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
(Revelation 22:20-21 TNIV)

I think it's clear from scripture that it is okay to pray to Jesus.

Hi Mavos

Re: "...it is okay to pray to Jesus."

When you pray to Jesus; do you pray in his name?....(re: "ask in my name...I will do it") Or do you only pray in Jesus name when addressing/praying to his/our Father..(as per Jesus instruction)?

Christian love,

gogh

As per his instructions, "Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you" (John 16:23 ESV), I pray to the father in the name of Jesus....

e.g. "Abba Father, I ask this in the authority of the name of Jesus ...."


And, also per his instructions, "If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14 ESV), I pray to Jesus in His name...

e.g. "Lord Jesus, I ask this in your blessed name..."

So, I pray to both of them, often times in the same prayer! I would never exclude one or the other. Both deserve our worship, prayer, praise and adoration.

...that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
(John 5:23 TNIV)

Thanks for your question gogh!

Matt

Re: "Thanks for your question gogh!"

Thanks for your answer Mavos.

:ok:

Christian love and appreciation,

gogh

Hi, Matt! :hibye: I agree with gogh. :thumbup: It is an excellent answer you have provided. :ok:

[ps: I also pray gratefully to Both.]

John 16: 17 Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" 18 They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying."
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, "Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me'? 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

25 "Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

29 Then Jesus' disciples said, "Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God."

31 "You believe at last!" Jesus answered.

Here, it seems to me, Jesus is giving his disciples new instructions - to pray to the Father in his name. So, anything I ask from my Heavenly Father, I ask for in Jesus' name. But indeed I also address Yehoshua, my King, in the course of my prayers and tell him I love him soooo much... and always thank him profusely for what he's done for me - which is a LOT! so... ditto what Matt said. When he is praised like that it also glorifies his and our God, Who sent him.[kiss the son] He is our mediator after all - it would be rude, wouldn't it, to not acknowledge him at all except for the end of the prayer "...in Jesus name, Amen."?

Wayne, do you believe we should only be praying to Jesus, or that we should only be addressing him by name/title in our prayers? Just curious....

:peace:

I'm simply saying the same thing as Matt that is praying directly to Jesus ( in Jesus name as in matt's example ) and that the majority of our prayer is to the Father through the Son ( in Jesus name once again )

John 5:23
that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.:ok:[/quote]

Wayne

I am sure, BB, that you really do understand precisely what I mean. You also know how the straightforward guidance we need from God's word for "turning around" has been distorted into jousting and debate, with different sides preaching totally opposing "spiritual truths" and claiming that the others must change to inherit life.

But nobody can doubt the fine motives of a sincere heart, and that is essential, fertile ground which God can cultivate, through Jesus Christ. So as I say: you believe what you sincerely believe, and I sincerely wish you well.