How to Pray for Your Pastor

--I want to pray for my pastor as never before, especially in the hour that we live!

Behind every great leader, there is someone who is willing to sacrifice for him. This is true of the heroes of the Bible; it is just as true of today's pastors. They need people who will intercede for them in powerful, consistent, specific prayer. An intercessor is someone who bears another's burdens. When Moses' hands were tired, Aaron and Hur inteceded by holding up his hands, and the battle was won (Exodus 17:8-13). Likewise, we can hold up the hands of our pastors through prayer and see God win the battle in our churches and cities!

Jesus called three of His disciples to go with Him into one of His brightest hours and one of His darkest hours. Each time the assignment was the same: to pray for Him. Because they were willing to pray, they had the opportunity to minister to the One who ministered to so many others. They saw Him during His struggle and they saw Him in His glory. If Jesus needed men to pray for Him, how much does your pastor want and need your prayers?

If the truth were known, the hearts of pastors all over the world are echoing the cry of the Apostle Paul: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak" (Ephesians 6:18-20).

Three reasons why you should pray for your pastor:

#1 Love: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). When you pray for your pastor, you are helping him bear the burden of the ministry. You are showing your love for him, and thereby obeying the greatest commandment-the law of love.

#2 Humility: Intercessory prayer focuses on his needs. This kind of prayer will break the chains of pride that keep so many people from becoming what they could be in God. You will be submitting yourself to him in the true biblical sense, which produces tremendous power.

#3 Unity: Praying for your pastor-his personal and ministerial needs-will bind your heart together with his. As you promote the work of the kingdom and unite with your pastor in his vision for your church and city, you will become a vessel for the Spirit to move through. It was this kind of unity that preceded the first revival of the New Testament church-the Day of Pentecost.

The burden of today's ministers is a heavy one. But you can help your pastor fulfill his God-given call through intercessory prayer. The greatest gift you can give your pastor is prayer.

PERSONAL PRAYER NEEDS

Humility: Pray that your pastor would walk humbly with His God, seeking His will and direction in all things (Micah 6:8). Pray that his heart would be strong in the midst of trials and accusation and that he would commit himself into the hands of Him who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23). Pray that he would learn and grow through every circumstance and that he would give God glory for every victory. Pray that he would give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.

Relationships: Personal contact is a powerful force in our lives, either for good of for evil (1 Corinthians 15:33). Pray that your pastor would not be corrupted by the necessary contact with a sinful world and that his heart would withstand the influences of his worldly acquaintances. More importantly, pray that he would influence every person he meets for good and that he would be a shining witness in his personal life for the Lord Jesus Christ. Especially pray for peace in his dealings with people-his family, friends, business associates, and church members, for disharmony can produce a great deal of unnecessary stress.

Balance: "If you go too far to one extreme or the other, you'll wind up in a ditch." Pray that your pastor would maintain a steady, consistent walk, and that he would not be swayed by dangerous extremes. Pray that his course would be steadfast and unwavering. Pray that his character would combine the strength and gentleness of the Lord-the Lion and the Lamb.

FAMILY PRAYER NEEDS

Relationships: There is a lot of pressure in being the family of a full-time minister. Pray for the peace of God to cover and protect the fabric of your pastor's family. Pray that God's anointing would ease the friction and produce a loving atmosphere. Pray that your pastor would be a godly leader of his home, giving his family the love and attention they need to grow.

Protection: Pray a covering of God's protection over the family of your pastor. Pray against negative pressures and distractions. Pray that as your pastor abides in the presence of God that no destructive force would touch his home and that God's angels would keep his family (Psalm 91:9-11).

SPIRITUAL PRAYER NEEDS

Power: Pray that your pastor would be energized by the Holy Ghost for his daily pastoral duties. Pastoring means so much more than preaching, and your pastor needs spiritual vitality to help meet the needs of others day in and day out. Bless him with all the strength and power that he needs. Pray that he would be strong in the Lord and the power of His might and that he would be prepared to do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13).

Holiness: Pray for a hedge of purity around your pastor. Cover his eyes, his mind, his steps, and his heart with holiness that he would not fall into temptation or the snares of the devil. Pray for his words to be seasoned with grace and for his mind to be stayed on the Lord. Pray that he would be well pleasing in all things to God.

Accountability: God's ministers must be accountable. Many of the attacks of the enemy can be warded off or avoided completely if the man of God is protected by being transparent with another strong man of God. Pray that God would bring such a man into your pastor's life and that God would continue to cultivate that relationship. Pray that your pastor will remain open to such a friendship.
Warfare: Jesus said, "Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered" (Mark 14:27). Satan knows that if he can bring down the man of God, the work of God will be severely hindered in your city. Pray the armor of God over your pastor (Ephesians 6:10-18). Quote Scriptures for his protection (Psalm 91; Luke 19:10; etc.). Pray that no weapon formed against him would prosper (Isaiah 54:17), that he would not be ignorant of the enemy's devices, and that the enemy would not gain advantage over him (2 Corinthians 2:11).

God Loves Pickles

We occasionally go out to eat at a place and get a pork tenderloin and with that sandwich we get a sliced pickle. The pickle really brings out the flavor of the food for me. There are a variety of kinds of pickles, some very sour, some hot, some even sweet. But all are good! Sometimes our life has a side of pickles.....some very sour, some hot and some sweet.  There are times in our life when we get served  pickles out of the blue and there are times we get ourselves into a pickle that we cannot get ourselves out of and that’s when we cry out to GOD! In my short time here on earth, I have found out that my God loves pickles!!
He loves to show his strong hand of deliverance, his mighty hand of healing, and his powerful way of provision!!!  The word says: Psalm 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. The word also says in Isaiah 65:24And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.  He will help us with the bitterness of not having. Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
 Our GOD will help us out of our pickle of going backwards!! Hosea 14:4     I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. He will help us with our sour times of sickness. ISA 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. GOD loves to take the sour times and make them sweet. So remember the next time you feel like you are in a pickle....Call on GOD!!! He really loves pickles!! May the Lord bless you always!

What About Matthew 28:19?

A friend of mine asked why we as Apostolics ignore the words of Jesus, in favor of those of Peter.

So should we obey Matthew 28:19. Absolutely yes, context, context, context. Matthew, Mark and Luke all recorded the events of the day of the resurrection of Jesus. In Matthews account, he says in the name of the father, (father not a name) of the son (son is not a name) and of the holy ghost (holy ghost is not a name.) Mark went for simplicity. He summarizes it by simply saying, he that believes and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16:16. But Luke goes into more detail. Luke 24:45-49

45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might the scriptures.

46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead on the third day:

47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem.

48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

49 And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Connect the dots, context, context, context. It all connects to Acts 2:38 . When you obey Acts 2:38 you obey Matthew 28:19.

Ain't it Funny?!

FUNNY ISN'T IT?
....how a $10 bill looks so big when you take it to Church, but so small when you take it to the grocery store.
....how long a 2 hour service is, but how quick a 2 hour movie is.
....how we can't think of anything to say when we pray, but don't have difficulty thinking of things to talk about with a friend.
....how thrilled we are when a game goes on overtime, but complain when our Pastor is preaching "overtime".
....how hard it is reading a chapter in the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a best-selling novel.
....how people want to get a front seat at any game or concert, but scramble to get a back seat at Church.
....how we need 2 or 3 weeks advance notice to fit a Church event into our schedule, but can adjust our schedule for other events at the last moment.
....how difficulty some people have learning a simple Gospel well enough to tell others, but how simple it is for the same people to understand and spread gossip.
....how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
....how everyone wants to go to Heaven, but provided they do not have to believe, or to think, or to say, or do anything.

Holiness vs Legalism

Holiness is beautiful, legalism is binding; holiness brings life, legalism brings death. They are as different as night and day, and yet at first glance they can seem similar, because they both stand against sinful behavior and call for holy living. How can we distinguish between the two?

Legalism is rules without relationship, emphasizing standards more than the Savior, and laws more than love. It is a system based on fear and characterized by joyless judgmentalism, producing futility instead of freedom.

To an unsaved person, the legalist preaches justification by works, saying, “You’re a wicked sinner and you need to get rid of all your filthy habits if you want the Lord to accept you.” There is no grace in this message; no exalting of the life-changing, sin-cleansing power of the blood of Jesus; no clear proclamation of mercy.

The declaration of God’s love expressed through the cross is muffled, if it is even heard at all. Consequently, the proof of the new birth is seen almost entirely in what someone no longer does, and this continues to be the pattern for believers within the church: They are judged almost entirely by a few external standards (which, in many cases, are not even expressly mentioned in the Word) and they are monitored by conformity to the particular group’s code of conduct. The result is external conformity rather than inward transformation—and that means either self-righteousness of self-condemnation (or both!).

Of course, it is absolutely true that God has very high standards, and for anyone honestly reading the Word, there can be no doubt that He calls us to live by very high standards—in our thoughts, words and deeds; in our attitudes; in our sexuality; in our families; in our relationships; and much, much more. (See Eph. 5:1-6.)

Tragically, legalists—despite their best intentions—get things terribly wrong. First, they try to change a person from the outside in, whereas God deals with us from the inside out. Second, they fail to present a balanced picture of the Lord, putting too little stress on His mercy and too much emphasis on His wrath. Third, they do not point the struggling sinner (or believer) to the Lord’s supernatural empowerment, making holiness a matter of human effort alone. Finally, they add laws, standards, commandments, customs and traditions that are not found in the Word, making those things even more important than the biblical commandments themselves.

In contrast, true, scriptural holiness begins with the heart and flows from an encounter with God and His Word. It calls for repentance in response to the Lord’s gracious offer of salvation and it offers a way to be holy—the blood of Jesus and the Spirit of God. Biblical holiness is free, although it requires discipline and perseverance. For the legalist, nothing is free. Everything must be earned! That’s why legalism leads to bondage and holiness leads to liberty.

As Ralph Cudworth explained many years ago, “I do not mean by holiness the mere performance of outward duties of religion, coldly acted over, as a task; not our habitual prayings, hearings, fastings, multiplied one upon another (though these be all good, as subservient to a higher end); but I mean an inward soul and principle of divine life (Rom. 8:1-5), that spiriteth all these.”

It is that inward spiritual principle that must be cultivated—the principle of intimacy with Jesus, the principle of being renewed in our minds by His Word and Spirit, the principle of being conformed to His image and character, hating what He hates and loving what He loves.

As Dr. Kent Hughes expressed in his book Disciplines of a Godly Man, “There is a universe of difference between the motivations behind legalism and discipline. Legalism says, ‘I will do this thing to gain merit with God,’ while discipline says, ‘I will do this because I love God and want to please him.’ Legalism is man-centered; discipline is God-centered.”

Unfortunately, the moment you preach biblical holiness, many Christians put their hands over their ears and say, “That’s legalism! That’s condemnation! That’s man-made religion! That’s the dead letter of the law! You won’t put me in bondage! I won’t listen to stuff like that!” As Robert Brimstead observed, “The idea of living strictly by what the Bible says has been branded as legalism.”

And so, these Christians run from the dangerous clutches of legalism and fall into the deadly grasp of license—that self-deceived state of fleshly liberty, catering to their carnality rather than crucifying it. 

What a terrible error!Whatever comes naturally to these “liberated” believers is accepted as normal (and “understood,” of course, by the Lord), while biblical commandments are brought down to the level of their own experience, and anything that brings any kind of spiritual pressure to bear on them is rejected as not being the easy yoke and light burden of Jesus. And when the Holy Spirit brings conviction on people like this, they rebuke the devil for trying to condemn them.

To quote Oswald Chambers, “Liberty means ability not to violate the law; license means personal insistence on doing what I like. … To be free from the law means that I am the living law of God, there is no independence of God in my make-up. License is rebellion against all law. If my heart does not become the center of divine love, it may become the center of diabolical license.”

What then is the antidote? Flee from legalism, stay far away from license, and run to holiness. Reject humanly birthed, external religion. Give no place to false teaching that excuses carnality, and instead, embrace new covenant, heart transformation—and in the power of the Spirit, supernaturally enabled by God’s grace, deal ruthlessly with sin in your life. That is the path to freedom!

HOW TO MAKE GOD ANGRY/Reflections on Not Trusting God

In my morning times with the Lord I've been reading through the Old Testament. Looking again at the history of God's dealings with His people, it jumps out that God was angered with ancient Israel because of their idolatry, their stiff-necked rebellion, and their unbelief.

Psalm 78 recounts the children of Israel's sagas of skepticism. Even after God had dramatically caused water to gush from the rock, the people essentially said, "Yeah, He produced water but I'll bet He can't give us meat in this wilderness." It was posited in the form of a half-mocking question: "Can God spread a table in the desert?" (Psa. 78:19, NIV).

God's response to their faithlessness was swift and strong. "Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel, because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His deliverance" (Psa. 78:21-22).

God demonstrated His authority over the environment with a deluge of manna and a blinding rain of quail. He also gave these skeptics something else -- spiritual famine. "He gave them their request [for meat], but sent leanness into their soul" (Psa. 106:15).

Here is the Psalmist's verdict: "How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again, they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel" (Psa. 78:40-41). Their unbelief thwarted their own deliverance. In this sense, they limited God. That's one indictment I don't want over my life.

These Old Testament stories "were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Ro. 15:4). A serious caveat unfolds from these stories for our situation and our times. There is way too much "wilderness whining" coming out of people, churches, and ministries. "Well, with the economy the way it is . . ." "In this kind of climate, we can't even think about growing; we're just trying to hold our own." "Obviously, we'll have to cut back." Confessions of faith are being subverted by declarations of doubt.

Are we making God angry? Are we limiting the Holy One of Israel?

Life sees to it that we walk through some deserts. But while we may be walking through the desert we are not subject to the desert. We belong to another Kingdom and we are subject only to King Jesus. While others die from the blazing heat, we live under God's protective cloud. While those not in covenant with God perish from the cold, we are warmed by a pillar of fire. God provides and spreads a table in our desert!

You may have lost your job. Your investments may have tanked. But I have a message for you. If you belong to Jesus Christ you're going to get through this! You're not going to starve. Your needs will be met. And there's a Promised Land in your future!

Let's not tempt God by unbelief. Let's not limit the Holy One of Israel. Watch your words -- and trust your King for supernatural protection and abundant provision.

The Healing Ministry of the Believer

It is important for us as believers to realize that healing was provided for us on the very same basis as forgiveness of sins and salvation. Healing is in the atonement. Divine healing was promised to us by prophecy in the very same verse that declares our salvation.

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

You can see clearly in this passage, the twofold aspect of our redemption—our healing was provided by Jesus beating at the whipping post and our freedom and forgiveness from sin was provided by His death on the cross.

The prophetic fulfillment of this promise was foreshadowed by Jesus’ earthly ministry:

Mat 8:16  When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

Mat 8:17  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

We as believers can minister healing to others with the same confidence we present the message of salvation. We do not have to pray for some special anointing, as we already have the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Nor do we need a special leading or “word” from God. While some do ,in fact have a “Gift” of healing, we as believers  simply need to recognize and acknowledge that healing is part of our purpose and calling.

Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Mar 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Mar 16:18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

We have a commission to minister the Gospel to the world and the whole Gospel message includes the reality of Divine Healing. The Apostle Paul made this clear in his letter to the Romans.

Rom_15:19  Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

The Gospel presented without signs and wonders, is NOT the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to adjust our thinking and realize that this ministry is our responsibility, and is not to be limited to some sort of “professional clergy.” Our pastors are given to us for the purpose of traing and equipping US to do the work of the ministry.

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Not only do these verses make it clear that we as believers are the ones responsible for the ministry of signs and wonders; they also emphasize that the five-fold ministry will endure until the coming of Christ at which time we will be perfected.

We see the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Peter’s letter to the Church:

1Pe_2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

We can go forth in confidence bringing the full Gospel message of salvation, healing and deliverance. This is not only our privilege, it is our responsibility. We are accountable to God for what we do with our Great Commission. We can no longer sit by and leave this to others. It is time for saints to rise up and take our place in the world with the message and ministry of reconciliation.

2Co_5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Healing is in the Believer's Job Description!

Are you a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ? Because Jesus is our Lord, we take His commands very seriously. Most of us have heard the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20. First, He gave us the great commission, to go into all the world, preach the gospel and baptize. Then in verse 20, we are instructed to teach everything that He commanded.

Matthew 28:18 – 20

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen

In the following passages from Matthew, Jesus is commanding His disciples. Notice the common message and theme that we saw in Matthew 28. As we go preach the Gospel, He gives the signs that should follow us, including healing!

Matthew 10:7

7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Matthew 11:1

1Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities

Note: Between Matthew 10:7 and Matthew 11:1, the break in the chapter is something man put in (not God). It goes to follow that Matt 11:1 does not have a time lapse from chapter 10. Read the verses together as if they were not separated by chapter and see how they flow together.

Jesus taught His disciples how to preach the kingdom. When we study Scriptures, it is important to not only notice what is said, but also what is NOT said. In this passage, Jesus did NOT give an end date for His commands.

Mark 16:15 – 20

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen

Notice that verse 18 states that believers (1) Shall lay hands on the sick, and (2) They shall recover.

Let’s back up to verse 15. How long are we to preach the Gospel? It says we are to preach to every creature. That means that we can stop our work when every creature has heard the Gospel. Jesus said until that time, we are to keep preaching with signs following. Healing has not passed away, and will not as long as believers are doing their job.

And that’s not all! Jesus does not stop with the list of signs that follow believers in Mark 16. Read what He says in John 14:12:

John 14:12 -15

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.

We believe on Jesus, so we are authorized and commanded to not only do the works that He did, we are to do GREATER works! What works did Jesus do? Healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out devils, fed the multitudes, commanded the weather and preached the Gospel. Jesus said that we are able to do these things because He went unto the Father. Jesus gave no ending criteria to these mighty works, He only gave the beginning: “because He went to the Father.”

In verse 15, we see that if we love Him, we are to keep His commandments. Often when Christians hear the word, “commandments,” we think of the 10 commandments given to Moses; Jesus is talking about doing everything that He commanded and did, and even greater things. Jesus ALWAYS healed the sick. We have no record of Jesus refusing or being unable to heal someone. If we love Jesus, we will lay hands on the sick and God will heal them. By laying hands on the sick, we are also obeying the command to love our neighbor.

To get a different perspective, turn Jesus’ statement in verse 12 around: We cannot say that we love Jesus if we do not keep His commandments.

We don’t need prompting, we have Scripture

To be led, do the Word; take the Word literally.

The Holy Spirit leads us into all Truth. Once He leads us into truth, we are responsible for acting on it.

When you stand before people, you represent God to them; when you stand before God, you represent the people to Him.

We are to love God and love our neighbor, doing to others as we would want done for us.

We are led by truth and compassion.

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

We know that divine healing and divine health are ours because Jesus paid for all sickness and disease at the whipping post. He was also given all authority over everything after He rose from the dead; thus so have we.

We know that Jesus said that we only need to believe (have faith) and we will receive healing, along with all the other blessings and promises of God. Remember that healing is only one of the promises of God. There are many others, and they are all received in the same way.

One God

Monotheism is the belief that there is only one God.  The revelation of the one God was given to the nation of Israel through the patriarchs and prophets.  To help the nation retain this revelation, the people were to teach diligently their children that “The Lord our God is one Lord.”  (See Deuteronomy 9:4-7.)  The teaching was to be passed from one generation to the next. 

God’s revelation has not changed but remains the same.  It is important that we recognize the oneness of God.    Recognition deals with both knowing and accepting.   Many people in the world do not know who God is nor acknowledge that there is one God.   But God desires that we should both know Him and know that there is none other beside Him.

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45: 22

Many verses of Scripture emphasize that He alone is God:

“Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”  (Isaiah 44:6) 

Jesus is the first and last (see Revelations 1:17-18)  While on the isle of Patmos John saw Jesus Christ in the midst of the golden candlesticks, the sight was so awesome that John fell at Christ’s feet as though he were dead. 

Jesus said “Fear not; I am the first and last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.”  

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.  (Isaiah 43:10)  

World  Book Dictionary defines form as shape of a body, the way a thing exists, takes shape, or shows itself; manifestation.  God formed Himself a body in the womb of Mary.  Jesus, the Christ, was the one God manifested in the flesh.  Since God is spirit (See John 4:24), He could not been seen unless He takes a form.

In the Old Testament God revealed Himself or made Himself known in various ways such as in the form of a burning bush, a cloud, or a pillar of fire.   He also appeared in angelic form.    All these manifestations of God were leading humans to the glorious appearance of the Almighty God in the body of Jesus Christ!  (See Hebrews 1: 1-3)

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”  John 1:14

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” I Timothy 3:16

Jesus is the one true God.  Many try to define Him as the second person in the Godhead, part of a Holy Trinity.  However, God is one.  This is the teaching in both the Old and New Testaments.  This revelation has not changed.  He is our Father in creation and in relationship to His Son (body/form which He created).  Through the Son, he provided redemption for sinful man.  God is the Holy Spirit in the work of regeneration.  God has revealed Himself in many ways in the Old and New Testaments.