Thought
Experience is great.
I do not like getting it,
but I like having it.
MOD

Foundations   

The study of Who Is This God began with the traditions of the Jewish culture.  These are embodied in the book called the Bible, Scripture, or Writ.  The first essays of the document were written about 3500 years ago.  The latest installments were scribed almost 2000 years ago.  Any document that lasts in common usage for that length of time must be taken seriously.

The Old Division was written primarily in Hebrew.  The New Division was written in Greek.  When any language is translated, there is the possibility of differences in shades of meanings.  In addition, all languages evolve with time.  The result is that English or French of today is very different from 500 years past.  Again this may cause some questions on first look that are resolved with closer investigation.

The Book has lasted for millennia with general acceptance of accuracy by current users.  This record makes the Book the most legitimate resource available for the topics it addresses.  The issue for analysis in this treatise is God.  Since God is the focal subject of the Book, the record's comments must be recognized as credible.


Trinity  

The first area of observation is that humans are in the likeness of God.  Since we cannot see God, it is logical to evaluate people for a model.

When examining mankind, we find that a person has three aspects in dealing with situations.  These are emotional, physical, and mental.  In old English the terms were soul, body, and spirit respectively.  A simple diagram is used to illustrate the interaction between the facets.


The diagram can be explained in just a few lines.  A stimulus causes an emotion to move forward.  The emotion promotes a physical response.  The mental analyzes the response and feedback controls the emotion.  The control may be positive reinforcement, which causes the physical to grow.  Or it may be a negative signal, which causes the physical effect to diminish to nothing.

Similarly, God is a single entity, but he has three agencies.  In the Hebrew record, the emotional will is called Elohiym and God in English.  The physical person is called Yehovah in Hebrew and LORD in English.  The mental faculty is called Ruwach in Hebrew and Spirit in English.  In addition, a title is often used which is Adonay in Hebrew and Lord in English.  

There is one God comprising inseparable emotional will, physical body, and intellectual spirit who relates to people through these three.

The New Tribute is initially about the physical, human life of God.  The emotional element of that person is Christ or Anointed.  The physical representation of the man is Jesus.  The intellectual or teaching feature is Lord or Rabbi.

Another representation of the Trinity is the relationship to mankind in time.  Initially the emotional will was God of the Old Testament patriarchs.  Then the physical person was the man Jesus of the New Testament apostles.  We now have the mental characteristic of Holy Spirit observed by the later New Testament disciples.

Still another variation of the trinity is used in the sense of a family.  God is the father or procreator.  Jesus is the son or physical offspring.  Holy Spirit is the mental attitude that is everywhere.


Attributes  

Besides the trinity, are there other ways to look at God?  An attribute is a quality, trait, characteristic, or feature that describes something.  Attributes of God are expressed by ideals.  The three categories of ideals are philosophy, science, and personality.  Each of these categories is comprised of three attributes.

Philosophy has perfect, unique, and infinite as its descriptions.  Science has stable (immutable), perpetual (eternal), and everywhere (omnipresent) as its values.  Personality includes absolute (sovereign), self-sufficient, and all-knowing (omniscient).



Character  

Two lists identify the character traits of the Spirit of God.  There is one common term between the two inventories.  However, the other terms are related.  Therefore, the character of God is inferred from the compilation of the fruit of the Spirit.

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
- Ephesians 5:9

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control:  against such there is no law.  
- Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

As discussed earlier, the understanding of some terms may vary with language and time.  The current vernacular is preferred since it is more comprehensible by most readers.

The short list for character is virtue (goodness), morality (righteousness), and integrity (truth).  In reality, these terms encompass all that is good and right with God and man.

The longer catalog of traits can be separated into three categories of relationships.  Internal is a personal perspective.  External or horizontal deals with other people.  Vertical has to do with Deity.

The internal feelings are compassion (agape love), charisma (joy), and calm (peace).  The horizontal transactions are patience (long suffering), kindness, and virtue (goodness).  The vertical dealings are confidence (faith), gentleman (gentleness), and control (temperance).  Confidence is the mental assurance that something is true.


In the name of Jesus  

There is a striking parallel between the creation of earth and the birth of the God-man Jesus.  The Greek version of his name is Jesus, while the Hebrew rendition is Joshua.  In simplest terms, Joshua and Jesus can be stated as Jehovah (Yehovah) is salvation.  The personal names are a direct correlation to Yehovah, the name of God.

The entire lineage of the Old Testament is the family tree leading up to this individual.  The two branches of the genealogy are the royalty line and the bloodline of King David.  Prophesies of the Book point to this one person in history.

Many titles, tags, and terms relate to the role of Jesus as God and man.  Nevertheless, his entire reason for being can be summarized into what is called the Gospel.

He was born of a virgin, he lived as a man, he taught as a prophet, and he was executed as a King.  He was buried for three days, he came to life where he was seen by many, and then he ascended to heaven.  There he is offering his blood as a substitute for the transgressions of any person that accepts it.  As our advocate, he sits on the throne waiting the time we will join him.

In his physical absence, he has sent a mental comforter and protector, the Holy Spirit, to minister to us.


Spirit  

The Spirit is the third and final study of God.  The Spirit was at creation, is with us now, and will be involved in the future life.  Spirit has access to humans through the mental pathway.

Positive spirit or attitude is from the Almighty while a negative attitude is influence by the adversary camp.  From looking at the control model, we can determine that a positive mental attitude causes growth.  Conversely, a negative spirit leads to destruction and demise.  Filling of the spirit is a term that simply means the mental relationship is in control over the emotional.

The Spirit confers talents or gifts.  These are either searching (mental), service (physical), or sign (emotional) abilities.  The searching abilities are apostles, prophets, and teachers.  The service talents are helpers, administrators, and healing.  The sign capabilities are miracles and tongues.

The sign talents are part of the birthing process.  Similarly, the searching capabilities are the maturing component.  As the mental begins to take control, the emotional has less influence, and it may be overcome.

One substantial gift by the spirit that is not listed above in the character traits is the gift of freedom.  This provides the individual with the ability to choose.

Law is most elegantly the identification of processes that provide security and protection.  However, violating any of the natural principles will have consequences.  Mankind has the option to choose to learn natural law or pay the consequences for not heeding.    The fruit of the spirit is the character traits described above.


Spirit of another kind  

The Holy Spirit is the mental faculty of the creator God of the universe.  There are numerous other spirits, commonly called angels or messengers.  Spirits or angels are associated with every leadership position and with every attitude.

Humans reside in the natural realm, which is physical space.  Spirits occupy the supernatural realm, which is in the same location, but is invisible.  God has the ultranatural realm.  Beings in a higher realm can go to a lower.  However, beings are restricted from traversing or even seeing a higher realm.

Angels are divided into branches based on the extent of their relationships.  The relations branch is internal for a single person and has archangels over angels.  The government branch is a horizontal relationship of multiple people with angels for rulers and powers.  The service branch is a vertical connection with Deity and has cherubim and seraphim.  

All spirits have names associated with their influence.  In the canon, only three angels have human names.  Michael is the archangel, Gabriel is the good news messenger, and Lucifer, was the bright star.  In the Deuterocanonical book of Tobit, Rahael is the healing angel.

Angels cannot procreate with other similar beings in the supernatural realm.  However, one-third chose to leave their first estate and come to earth as gods.  Some of these mated with women to produce demigods and giants.  Lucifer was leader of the revolt and had his name changed to Satan, Devil, or Adversary.

Since these chose earth as their realm of power, they are committed to the earth forever.  They will ultimately be driven into the lower bowels of the earth when Jesus returns to set up his reign.


Other gods  

The original source of other gods was the angels that left their first realm.  Because they had supernatural powers, compared to men they appeared as gods.  Virtually every culture has these super beings as part of their heritage.  Genesis 6 gives the story of how the idea for these alternative deities originated.

In other cases, malevolent government spirits held influence over very strong men.  With this authority, the men began to be worshipped.  One of the originators that provided the foundation of this worship was Nimrod of Babel.  Nimrod's grandmother, Ham's wife, is traditionally regarded as a descendant of Cain.  She set the groundwork for Egyptian religion.  In some outside records she is called Zeptah and was the mother of the first Pharaoh.

The Greek Titans and Olympian gods have a correlation in most other cultures.  However, the Greek system of mythology has the greatest influence in western civilizations as a story of other gods.


Angel of Lord and other spirits  

Angel of the Lord is a messenger that was involved specifically with a human.  When God operated in the physical realm, it was as the man Jesus.  Prior to that physical birth, his physical presence was as the angel of the Lord.  These appearances are called a theophany.

The ancient scribe John gave an admonition about the various spirits.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:   because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
- I John 4:1

Numerous negative attitudes, spirits, or demons influence people.  Some of these are proud, haughty, jealousy, dumb, bondage, fear, lust, and envy.

The positive attitudes, spirits, or angels also persuade the mental aspect of people.  Some of these are patient, gentleman, wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, truth and freedom.  It is a person's choice to respond to the negative bombardment or the positive affirmation.  There are consequences to going down the negative path or the positive.    The final act on this earth for angels is their participation in the second coming of Jesus to earth.


Review:  

Consider the following.
1. Who is this God?
2. What is your relationship with him?
3. Do you maintain a positive attitude or spirit?
4. Where will you spend your future life?
5. What is the trinity in the Old Testament?
6. What is the trinity for the God-man?
7. What is the trinity with time relationship to mankind?
8. What is the trinity using family terminology?
9. What is the trinity aspect of people?