IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD

In the Beginning [before all time] was the Word [Christ],

And the Word was with God,

and the Word was God Himself. [Isa. 9:6.]

He was present originally with God

ALL things were made and came into existence through Him;

And without Him was not even one thing made

That has come into being.

In Him was LIFE and the LIFE was the Light of men.

And the Light Shines in the Darkness,

For the Darkness has never Overpowered it--

Put it out, or has not absorbed it,

Has not appropriated it, and is unperceptive to it.

There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. [Mal.3:1.]

This man came to Witness, that he might Testify of the Light,

That ALL men might Believe in it--

Adhere to it, Trust in and Rely upon it—through him.

He was not the Light himself,

But came that he might bear Witness regarding the Light.

There it was; the True Light [was then] coming into the World--

The Genuine, Perfect, Steadfast Light--

That Illuminates every person. [Isa. 49:6.]

He came into the World,

And though the World was made through Him,

The world did not Recognize Him—did not know Him.

He came to that which belonged to Him—

To His own [domain, creation, things, world]--

And they who were His own Did Not Receive Him

And Did Not Welcome Him.

But as many as Did Receive and Welcome Him,

He gave the Authority [power, privilege, right]

To Become the Children of God,

That is, to those who Believe in—

Adhere to, Trust in and Rely on—His Name; [Isa. 56:5.]

WHO OWE THEIR BIRTH neither to bloods,

Nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse],

Nor to the will of man [that of a natural father],

But to God,--THEY ARE BORN OF GOD!

And the Word [Christ] became Flesh (human, incarnate)

And Tabernacled—Fixed His Tent of Flesh, Lived awhile—among us;

And we [actually] SAW HIS GLORY—His Honor, His Majesty;

Such Glory as an only begotten son receives from his father,

FULL OF GRACE (favor, loving kindness) and Truth. [Isa. 40:5.]

John Testified about Him and cried out,

THIS IS HE OF WHOM I SAID,

He that comes after me has priority over me,

FOR HE WAS BEFORE ME—He takes rank above me,

FOR HE EXISTED BEFORE I DID.

[He has advanced before me, because He is my Chief.]

FOR OUT OF HIS FULLNESS (abundance) we all received--

ALL had a Share and we were all Supplied with--

One Grace after another

And Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing,

And even Favor upon Favor and Gift [heaped] upon Gift.

For while the Law as given through Moses,

GRACE—UNEARNED, UNDESERVED FAVOR

AND SPIRITUAL BLESSING—AND TRUTH

Came through Jesus Christ. [Exod. 20:1.]

NO MAN HAS EVER SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME;

The only Unique Son, the only begotten God,

Who is in the Bosom [that is, in the Intimate Presence] of the Father,

He has Declared Him—He has Revealed Him,

Brought Him out where He can be seen;

He has Interpreted Him, and He has made Him Known. [Prov. 8:30.]

And this is the Testimony of John,

When the Jews sent Priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem

To ask him, Who are you?

He Confessed—admitted the truth—did not try to Conceal it,

But acknowledged, I am Not the Christ!

They asked him, What then? Are you Elijah?

And he answered, No! [Mal. 4:5.]

Then they said to him, Who are you?

Tell us, so that we may give an answer to them that sent us.

What do you say about yourself?

He said,

I AM THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING ALOUD IN THE WILDERNESS--

The Voice of one Shouting in the Desert--

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD

(Level, Straighten out, the Path of the Lord),

As the Prophet Isaiah said. [Isa. 40:3.]

(John 1:1-23)

TODAY, It is the True Church of the Living God

Crying out in the Wilderness of this Dark World,

MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE SOON COMING KING.