The Good Of The Father (No Church Required) # 2039

 

For all am I strong in Him Who is invigorating me--Christ! 

Paul to the Philippians 4: 13, Concordant New Testament 

A good friend asked me this week to write on the victory which I have achieved over a porn addiction.  In all honesty, this so called victory would never have been possible without the knowledge of who I am in Christ Jesus.  The apostle Paul proclaims this in Philippians when he writes that he is indeed strong in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Philippians 4:13}.  Notice that Paul never says that he is strong because he has believed in Christ, but that he IS IN Him.  See, Paul knew the reality of his life in Christ Jesus.  I would say that this truth is the very reason for my own victory over addiction.  That knowing that my life, my very identity of who I am, is in Christ.  Unfortunately, this is something that I did not learn through my many years of church attendance.  What I did learn from those years was that I was just a sinner despite the work which Jesus did for me on the cross.  That He became the sacrifice to my sin, the innocent sacrifice which took away the sin of the world {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Yet despite knowing and preaching that Jesus indeed bled and died for the forgiveness of sin, the church continues to preach that sin is that barrier in our lives that separates us from God.  This is the theology and preaching which I was raised in.  Thus, when I finally realized that I had an addiction issue, I naturally felt distanced from God because that's what I had been taught about Him.  That He is a jealous God Who punishes sin.  How I spent countless nights praying and worrying that God would not forsake me because of my own sin.  I also know that there are many believers out there who are suffering the same pain that I have.  The church will suggest that they attend a seminar where they can be "Free from sin."  These do not work, believe me I've tried.  It's not that I didn't want to be free of what I saw as sin, I did.  The issue is that I did not know yet of the freedom that I have in Christ Jesus.  As I said, this is not something which is taught within the mainstream church.  For instead of having freedom within Christ Jesus, we have the bondage of sin preached and proclaimed by those within the church.  

For freedom Christ frees us!  Stand firm, then, and be not again enthralled with the yoke of slavery

Paul to the Galatians 5: 1, Concordant New Testament 

Ironically, it was not until I had been away from the church that I began to see Jesus in a totally different way than what I had heard preached from the church.  Not only that, but I also began to have a different view of what the mainstream church proclaims as sin.  This has been the key to overcoming my own addiction.  I would suggest to anyone struggling to overcome their own addiction to take a hard look at how it is that God sees them.  Not as the condemned sinner spoken all too often by the church, but as His loved and cherished children {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  That despite our sin condition, that the Father dispatched His only Son that we will be free through Him {Paul to the Romans 5:8}.  Trust in the scriptures and not in man!  For the scriptures have spoken that Christ Jesus has died on the cross to take away the sin of the world {Johns Account 1:29}.  In reality, the only voices which are condemning us of sin are coming from the pulpits of the church!  For God does not condemn us, He reconciles that which is His unto Himself {Paul to the Colossians 1:20}.  God does not look upon His children as sinners, but as who we truly are.  To me, how God sees me is so much more important to me than how some Pharisee schooled pastor feels that I am.  All of the phrases which the church continues to use to describe us, as sinners saved by grace, are nothing but part of the lies which the church has continued to speak.  The freedom which I have found within Christ Jesus has no room for sin, because Jesus has conquered sin {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  My own path to redemption began when I accepted what the scriptures have proclaimed, that Christ has not come to judge, but that all the world would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:17}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Judgement Day) # 2038

 

Wherefore, defenseless are you, O man!  everyone who is judging, for in what you are judging another, you are condemning yourself, for you who are judging are committing the same things.  Now we are aware that the judgement of God is according to truth against those who are committing such things.  Yet you are reckoning on this, O man, who art judging those who are committing such things, and art doing the same, that you will be escaping the judgement of God? 

Paul to the Romans 2: 1-3, Concordant New Testament 

I'd heard the whispers plenty of times while I was a regular church attender.  "You Christians are such hypocrites!"  Usually, I passed these comments off as that of the sinner.  Yet I soon came to see that passing the judgement of God upon others is indeed a common practice for those who claim to believe.  That it is not just the domain of the unsaved.  I have been reminded of this on a regular basis recently by a good gym rat friend who never ceases to remind me of the coming judgement of the Lord.  Now, I cut him a bit of slack in his behavior as I know all too well where it is that he learns such things.  For I once counted myself among the pews of the churched crowd as well.  I remember all too well the teachings of condemnation that came from the pulpits.  That although I was saved, that I would still stand before the Lord to be judged.  How does that work?  Didn't Christ give Himself willingly on the cross that I would be found blameless in the eyes of the Father?  Was He not the innocent blood shed for me {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}?  Did Jesus somehow miss or overlook some of my sin as He died on the cross?  Did God simply hold back on my forgiveness only to hold it against me later?  Does this sound like the love and forgiveness of the Lord?  Not to me!  For not only do we continue to judge others, but all too often we ourselves indulge in that very same behaviors in which we are condemning others.  I do not use that word condemn lightly, because that is exactly what we are doing when we judge others.  We are taking up that responsibility which lies solely with God and passing it on to those around us.  We often justify our condemnation by proclaiming that "It's in the scripture!"  True, but it is also scriptural that there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Romans 8:1}.  That Jesus Himself did not come into the world to judge, but that all the world would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:17}.  What freedom is there in condemnation?  

Religion has actually convinced people that there is a invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day.  And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he doesn't want you to do.  And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time.  But he loves you.  He loves you and he needs money.  He always needs money.  He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money 

~George Carlin~ 

I have come to the point of knowing in my own faith that I am confident in my identity as Christ Jesus who I now live my life within {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  That my life is now in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  This revelation has not come without questions on my part.  Indeed, there have been many years of mainstream church doctrine which I have needed to overcome.  The trouble is that I often cannot relate my experience to those who remain within the church system without it turning into an argument and my being condemned to the Lords judgement.  This DOES NOT promote feelings of being in Gods love and grace, trust me.  If the freedom we find in Christ Jesus includes passing the judgement of the Lord upon others, then I want no part of that.  Fortunately, this isn't how the love of God works.  He has not provided for our eternity in Him only to condemn us at some future point.  There IS NO condemnation within His love.  The apostle Paul asks the question, if Christ died for us, who is it that condemns us {Paul to the Romans 8:34}?  I'll tell you who, we do!  It has never been the intention of the Lord to hold His judgement over our heads.  However, it has been His purpose to reconcile what was once considered lost unto Him once again {Paul to the Romans 5:10}.  Being reconciled to God through the death of His Son.  Ask yourself, who is it that condemns you?  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (One Dirty Word) # 2037

 

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ.  Now that which I am now loving in the flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me

Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

I remember that night like it was yesterday.  Lost in my own addiction, I stood outside the door to yet another Portland strip club waiting to once again fulfill that desire of my own flesh.  I had prayed, fasted and read countless books on what it took to beat back the addiction of pornography, and yet I still found myself outside the door to another night of idolizing women.  But this time something was different.  I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but I suddenly felt as if I didn't belong there for some reason.  That I was meant for something better than what I was about to do.  Today, I refer to this moment as the moment that God reminded me just who I was in His eyes.  Not the sinner who everyone, including those within the church, often told me that I was.  I wasn't that guy anymore.  No, as the Father reminded me that night in the midst of my addiction, was that I was His loved child, and that He had better things in mind for me.  As a result, I did something I'd never done before up until that point, I turned and left that place I had so often went to fuel my addiction.  My struggle was not over by a long shot, but I had learned something important about the man that I am.  Why is this important?  Well, lately I have been bombarded with ads and videos from those proclaiming that they can finally end the pornography addiction which so many men and women suffer from.  From seminars to hypnosis, these modern day charlatans take the issue of pornography and prey upon those who suffer from it.  Believe me, I know all too well of the "Break the porn addiction" industry.  As one who was lost in my own addiction, I longed for that day when I could finally be free from those chains.  Yet each and every man conceived method I tried got me nowhere fast.  However, not once did I ever hear one of these salesman ask me that question, who are you in Gods eyes?  For their part, those within the mainstream church instilled in me that I was but a sinner deserving of the Lords punishment and/or eternity in hell.  I was being fed the lie of the deceiver from those I had come to expect to hear of Gods love and forgiveness. 

In Whom there is no Jew nor yet Greek, there is no slave nor yet free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus

Paul to the Galatians 3: 28, Concordant New Testament 

Some time ago, a dear friend of mine related to me the key issue which we face which is at the very heart of the pornography addiction issue.  That being the issue of who it is that we think that we are.  For years, I adhered to the church narrative that I was indeed a sinner.  This is the same narrative spoken by the church today.  I know because I hear it in conversations with my church going friends.  I have even been threatened with an eternity in hell because I no longer go to church!  Tell me, is this biblical?  Does God want us to live in fear?  The apostle John didn't think so.  For it is John who proclaims that there is no fear to be seen in the love of the Father {First Epistle of John 4:18}.  So, God never intended for me, or anyone else for that matter, to live in fear of what He might do as judgement for our sins.  Remember, it is Christ Jesus who has given Himself willingly in our place on that cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  God has proclaimed that "One not knowing sin" would be that sin offering for our sakes.  So, when those within the church speak of our sin identity, they are not being totally honest.  For our identity does not lie with that which Christ Jesus has died to put to death {Paul to the Romans 6:6-11}.  Our one true identity now lies with Christ {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Not only that, but we can be assured that God does not look upon us as sinners, but as His loved and cherished children {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  Whatever addiction that you face, we can be assured that we are never condemned by the Father, but welcomed.  But knowing this truth may just put the porn addiction cure cult out of business for good. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Love Of God) # 2036

 

And we know and believe the love which God has in us.  God is love, and he who is remaining in love is remaining in God, and God is remaining in him 

First Epistle of John 4: 16, Concordant New Testament 

The question was asked by a good friend upon reading my post from yesterday.  Why is it that God does not want us to fear Him?  Now, if I were to have this conversation with someone who has been steeped in the traditions and theology of the mainstream church as I once was, I might get a totally different answer.  Indeed, there was a time when I was still in the church that I actually feared what God would do to me if I did not behave in a way which He found acceptable.  Imagine that, trusting in a God who might one day turn from you and deny your salvation because of how you behaved.  Is there any doubt that I have come to see the Christian church as an institution based on fear?  The fear of how God will ultimately see and judge us.  In spite of this, as comedian George Carlin has stated, He love you.  God loves you, and He needs money, He always needs money.  I will go out on a limb and say that any church that is preaching that we should fear God is not teaching of His love and mercy.  For it is through Gods love and mercy for us that, while we were still in our sin, God saved us {Paul to the Romans 5:8}.  So, what is there to fear from God?  One might point to Gods actions of retribution detailed within the Old Testament and quickly say, AH HA!  To this I say, what about Jesus?  How is it that Jesus fits into the narrative of a jealous and vengeful God?  Can we trust in the forgiving sacrifice of Christ while still living in fear of God?  Well, far too many believers continue to do just that.  Yes, Jesus died for the forgiveness of sin, but if I don't behave God may just not grace me with an eternity in heaven as He has promised.  Surely this is what Jesus was referring to when He proclaimed "I never knew you!" {Matthews Account 7:23}.  In actuality, what Jesus was referring to in this passage was to those who claim to know Him but do not truly know Him personally.  I admit that I once was among this crowd.  I knew OF Jesus, but did not really know Him personally.  I was living in fear.  

Religion has actually convinced people that there is a invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day.  And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.  And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time.  But he loves you.  He loves you and he needs money.  He always needs money.  He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money. 

~George Carlin~ 

I've shared the George Carlin quote I often use with a few church going friends who have scowled and said that they find it offensive.  What?  So, someone calls out the mainstream church for doing what they do and you're offended?  Answer me this, how is it that the traditions and theology spoken by those within the church exemplify the love of God?  Does convincing others that the same sin which He has dispatched His Son to put to death is still an issue show the love of God?  Or, as I believe, has the church gotten it wrong?  I believe that the mainstream church has errored in their attempt to resurrect that which Jesus died to put to death {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  It is through Jesus that Paul is able to proclaim that we must now consider ourselves "Dead, indeed, to sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  THIS is the love of God exemplified.  That while we were yet in sin, Christ died for us.  But the true knowing of the love of God, and the reason that we should not live in fear of Him, is that we now live our lives IN HIM.  Jesus makes this clear in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  Jesus in the Father, we are in Him, and He remains in us.  Why should we fear who we are?  For it is the Father who has created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  Not only that, it is through the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross that we now live our life in Him.  We can be assured that there is no fear within the love of God.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Faith Based Upon Fear) # 2035

 

Fear is not in love, but perfect love is casting out fear, for fear has chastening.  Now he who is fearing is not perfected in love

First Epistle of John 4: 18, Concordant New Testament 

Growing up in the mainstream church, I came to fear God.  God held all the cards to my future.  If I was good enough, He promised me that I would be rewarded with an eternity in heaven.  However, and this is where the fear came into play, if I my behavior did not live up to His standards, then more than likely I would face an eternity in the fires of hell reserved for Satan and his angels {Matthews Account 25:41}.  How is it that a God who loved me enough to create me in His own likeness could ever commit me to a place of punishment apart from Him?  Yet this continues to be the message preached from the pulpits of the church, that we serve a God Who will undoubtedly condemn us if we behave badly.  So it is that far too many believers profess a faith based upon the fear of what will become of them if they don't adhere to Gods holy standards.  I was reminded of this last week when a good Gym Rat friend introduced me to a short video professing a "Day of reckoning" which all believers must face.  Imagine that, that you can do all which God requires of you (Which is difficult to accomplish) and yet still face your own day of reckoning.  My first question when I'm approached with this false belief is simple, what about Jesus?  For it is Jesus who gave Himself willingly to take upon Himself that punishment which was meant for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Indeed, it is Jesus who is "The One not knowing sin" who is made to be a sin offering for all of mankind.  Make no mistake, WE were the ones who needed to die on that cross, not Jesus.  Yet God, in His love for us despite our sin condition, has declared us innocent through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross {Paul to the Romans 5:8}.  Think about that, while you were still considered a sinner, God loved you enough to dispatch His only Son to die in your place.  The trouble I have with the mainstream church, and why I have received a lot of pushback in the conversations which I have had with other believers, is that they have taken to invalidating the freeing work of Christ Jesus in our favor and preached the message of condemnation.  So, I ask you, what condemnation is there for those who are in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Romans 8:1}.  How is it that we who have been declared innocent by God will suddenly fall from His grace and mercy to spend an eternity apart from Him?  That is the question which every believer should be asking of their local church pastor.  

In Whom we are having the deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses in accord with the richness of His grace 

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 7, Concordant New Testament 

In recent years, I have been blessed with having the insight and advice of a dear friend who once spent his entire career behind the pulpits of the church.  How he himself, in the final days of his career, began to question that which he had been preaching for so long.  What caused his shift in thinking?  Well, he began to delve into the writings of those speaking a different view of God than he was used to speaking.  Men like author Norman Grubb and J Preston Eby among others.  Granted, these were authors which I never heard mentioned in my years within the church, for good reason.  For they speak of a God who is radically different than that which I grew up knowing.  In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that I have never truly known God until I stepped away from the church and began to look into these writings for myself.  This is why I can confidently say that the God spoken by the church is NOT the God that I have come to know in my heart.  For the God I now know within my heart does not threaten me with His judgement after He has declared me to be innocent through the work of His Son.  The God that I know reminds me that it is Jesus who has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  That through the finished work of Jesus, that we should be considering ourselves to be "Dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.   THIS is the God I know.  The God I know has not burdened me with the church traditions of tithes, regular church attendance and support and devotion to the man-made church.  For speaking this truth, I have been accused of professing false beliefs by those within the church.  However, I am grateful for the truth in that the apostle Paul and Jesus Himself were also hated for the words which they spoke.  The truth is, I do not believe in God through the fear of punishment, but through the truth that my life in now lived in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Family Business) # 2034

 

Religion has actually convinced people that there is a invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day.  And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.  And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time.  But he loves you.  He loves you and he needs money.  He always needs money.  He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money

~George Carlin~ 

The other day a good friend of mine shared a podcast from a man by the name of Martin Zender.  Now, Mr. Zender describes himself as "The worlds most outspoken bible scholar."  After listening to him for just over twenty minutes, I can began to see just why he would describe himself this way.  According to Zender, the mainstream church NEEDS people to believe in the existence of sin.  That's right, the church needs you to believe that sin is still the central issue in your life.  Why?  Well, because, as I have written before, when people believe that their sin is the main stumbling block which they face, they will naturally migrate to the one place which can seemingly teach them how to tackle that sin issue.  That being the mainstream church.  And this continues to be the message spoken by those in the church, that we, as believers, need to conquer sin.  Indeed, without the message that we need to conquer sin, what need do we have for the church?  Zender goes on to say that when approached with the scriptural fact that Christ Jesus bled and died for the forgiveness of our sin, which those within the church know is the truth, they suddenly go into denial and proclaim that sin REMAINS the issue we must deal with.  The truth is that Jesus has died that the sin of man would be eliminated.  John the Baptist has spoken of Him that He is "The Lamb of God which is taking away the sin of the world!" {Johns Account 1:29}.  Despite the clear scriptural evidence that Jesus has done away with sin at the cross, those in the church continue in their crusade to proclaim that we must "Defeat sin," seriously?  I can recall being in church where there were videos, sermons and programs all designed for the "Defeat of sin."  When I was struggling with my own addiction, I was told that I needed to "Handle" the sin which I was experiencing.  Believe me, the bread and butter of any modern day pastor is to keep the sin issue alive.  In my opinion, they're simply resurrecting that which Jesus put to death long ago.  

To have an administration of the compliment of the eras, to head up all in Christ - both that in the heavens and that on the earth

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 10, Concordant New Testament 

I would suggest a new motto for the mainstream church.  Sin is our business, and business is good.  Indeed, it is I who would be referred to as the liar at that point.  Pastors and their congregations would wring their hands and pray for my soul.  If anyone needs anymore evidence of the church keeping the sin issue alive and well, they only need to delve into the truth known as universal salvation.  That belief that, through Christ Jesus, that ALL will be saved {Johns Account 3:17}.  The mere mention of the concept of universal salvation is enough to send any pastor worth his Pharisee school degree into attack mode quicker than Rosie O'Donnell at a buffet line.  They'll pull out scriptures of the judgement and punishment of God in their attempt to justify their twisted belief.  Yet the scriptures are clear, all shall be saved {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:28, Paul to Timothy (1) 4:10}.  I'm not simply cherry-picking scriptures to support my position, this IS the word!  If the pastors of the church can support their positions by throwing out scriptures as evidence, then they must accept the scripture evidence which is contrary to their position as well.  There is truth in the words of the apostle John who proclaims that we are to "Test the spirits to see if they are of God" {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  Unfortunately, the church has become not the haven of the truth of the Lord, but that of a false theology.  A false theology which proclaims that it is indeed our sin which has alienated us from the Father.  The truth we find in the word is that it is because of the love of God that sin has been eliminated {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  It has never been Gods desire that we would suffer in the bondage of sin.  Yet for those within the mainstream church, sin continues to be the family business.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father ({Playing God) # 2033

 

For God does not dispatch His Son into the world that He should be judging the world, but that the world may be saved through Him

Johns Account 3: 17, Concordant New Testament 

The conversation this week centered around judgement, or our judgement for that matter.  Are we judged?  Will we be judged in the future?  This is one of the issues which has been hijacked by those within the mainstream church over time.  The that men could, and often do, predetermine the final judgement of their brethren.  A good friend of mine brought up the point that he has never felt more judged than when he was in the halls of the church.  I would agree with him.  For I would challenge any believer to recall if they were never threatened with an eternity in hell if their behavior did not match Gods standards.  I know that I have been.  I recall that a few of my so called brethren threatened me with burning in hell, forever removed from the presence of God, if I did not get my pornography addiction under control.  I felt as if the promise of salvation which I had been given had been reneged on.  Well, is God an Indian giver?  Would He promise us one thing just to pull it away from us once we trusted in that promise?  I believe in my heart that God would never do this to us.  Yet in all honesty, this is what I once believed to be true as spoken through those in the church.  Of course, these days I have a much better understanding of my own life within the Father than I did back then.  These days I trust in the promise of God that I have been found to be blameless through the given sacrifice of His Son on the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  We're told that Christ Jesus was not sent into this world that He should be judging the world, but that ALL the world would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:17}.  So, if Jesus is not judging us, why do we judge ourselves?  Or, better yet, why is it that we judge those around us?  Has God granted us the authority to be the sole judge of His creation here on earth?  I would answer no to that.  But that has not stopped those within the church from bestowing judgement upon those whom they feel deserve the Lords judgement.  But it doesn't stop there, we see this judgement from believers and non-believers alike.  The mistaken belief that it is our duty to condemn those who we feel are deserving of Gods judgement.  

Nothing, consequently, is now condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.  Not according to the flesh are they walking, but according to spirit 

Paul to the Romans 8: 1, Concordant New Testament 

When I speak of those who have taken it upon themselves to bestow Gods judgement upon others, the finger is pointed at me as well.  For there have been many times in which I have passed judgement upon those who I deemed unworthy of Gods eternal gift.  Of course, we all know that I was mistaken in my judgement of others.  Can we also admit that those within the church have been just as mistaken in their judgement of others?  I would say so.  But I am still waiting to hear from those in the church that they messed up in their judgement of others.  I don't see that admission coming anytime soon.  One thing that I would hope that others get from this post is that it is ultimately not our job to place judgement upon others.  That we, as believers, have not been granted some special authority from God in order to do so.  Again, I include myself in this conversation as well.  One of the most common complaints I receive in my conversations about God with other people is that Christians themselves are too judgemental.   This is the label which we have plastered upon ourselves.  We've gone from speaking the love of the Father to condemning others in His name.  The apostle Paul poses the question in his evangel, who is it that condemns {Paul to the Romans 8:34}?  Has God condemned us?  Hs Jesus condemned us from the cross?  No!  What we have through the finished work of Jesus is redemption and reconciliation, never condemnation.  I believe that this is the message which we all are in need of hearing.  For it is man who condemns, not the Father.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Spirit Life) # 2032

 

Now we all, with uncovered face, mirroring the Lords glory, are being transformed into the same image, even as from the Lord, the spirit

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3: 18, Concordant New Testament 

Almost every church that I have belonged to always held a negative view of Halloween each year.  It was the day of negative, wicked spirits so I was often told.  A day when people dressed up in costumes and celebrated by asking for treats from neighbors.  Indeed, I did a lot of that growing up.  But I also spent a lot of time thinking of that "Other" side.  That realm which very few of us can or ever will discern.  Most people live in fear of what has become known as the paranormal, I was more curious than afraid.  So much so that I would devour as many books about ghost stories that I could.  Even today, I will take time to watch the various ghost hunting shows on TV.  While I have never actually seen a spirit from the other realm, I have experienced something akin to that a few times in my life.  Once was just after my mother had passed, a time of grief for me.  As I lay in bed half awake one morning, I discerned a voice saying "She watches and then she returns."  Now, I almost instinctively understood this to mean my late mother as for some reason I began to feel as if she were near me.  Even though I did not see a full fledged ghost, I am convinced that I had experienced a spirit event.  I believe that there is indeed a reason that I have never held the spirit realm in fear.  For I believe that our true identity in the Lord is that of a spirit identity.  It is well known that God is in spirit {Johns Account 4:24}.  Therefore, if we have been created in His very  likeness, are we not in spirit as well {Genesis 1:27}?  I believe this to be the truth of our own identity, of who we are.  Our identity is not based on our flesh bodies, which are but temporary.  No, for our flesh is but a vessel for the spirit which dwells within us.  The apostle Paul speaks to his life as "Living in me is Christ" {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  One thing I have learned from the evangel spoken by Paul is that not only is this flesh of ours a temple for His spirit who dwells within us, but that our lives are now lived in Jesus and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  

Or are you not aware that your body is a temple of the holy spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you are bought with a price.  Bu all means glorify God in your body 

Paul to the Corinthians (1): 19-20, Concordant New Testament 

People have been conditioned to refer to themselves as their own beings.  But when you look deeper into this belief you will see that this cannot be possible.  Have we created ourselves?  No, it is the Father who loved us enough to create us in His likeness.  Knowing that we have been created by God, how is it, then, that we have become our own self?  How is it that which has been created can ever be separate from the creator?  Do we believe that Gods creation is His and His alone?  Good, then we must also acknowledge that we are not independent from Him.  Yet this continues to be the lie spoken by those within the mainstream church.  That it is our sin which has separated us from God.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Those who document paranormal activity often refer to another "Realm" where spirits remain.  A realm often unseen by man.  But what if what they are referring to is but another dimension of our Lords creation?  After all, has not God created all which we will ever see and experience?  What if ghosts and spirits were never meant to be feared?  The scriptures tell of many who experienced visions of spirits.  Joesph was warned by angels of his child's birth and to protect his family.  What are angels but spirits themselves as we are.  What if those who have professed to seeing ghostly images simply had their eyes opened to another dimension?  Cannot God do that for us if it serves His will?  A radical idea would be to not celebrate Halloween as a day of wicked spirits, but a day recognizing our own spirit identity in the Father.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (What If?) # 2031

 

Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which is superior to every frame of mind, shall be garrisoning your hearts and apprehensions in Christ Jesus

Paul to the Philippians 4: 6-7, Concordant New Testament 

I heard a pastor proclaim the other day, while discussing the words of Jesus in the sermon on the mount, that he does not deal in what ifs.  Indeed, Jesus has spoken about the perils of worrying {Matthews Account 6:25-34}.  I had the opportunity to speak these words to a fellow gym friend the other day who was tangled up in worry over the current political climate in our country.  Now, I'm not going to sit here and bore you with stories that I have never struggled with worries of what might be, because I have.  But I believe that there is indeed a reason that Jesus speaks to the truth that we should not worry.  After all, look at the physical effects which worry takes on us.  In the past, I have suffered from lack of sleep as well as other ailments when I burdened myself with the worries of life.  This was exactly the place that my friend found himself in the other day.  Tired, sick and full of worry.  When he asked me how I would handle his situation I told him simply that I no longer deal in what ifs.  Do I have situations in my life that I could waste my time worrying over?  Absolutely!  But what is the tradeoff when I do submit to worrying over that which has yet happened?  Stress?  Physical illness?  The apostle Paul also spoke to the perils of worry in Philippians {Paul to the Philippians 4:6-7}.  Paul speaks to not bothering with worry, but to "Let your requests be made known to God."  Indeed, I learned a long time ago to deal with worry by submitting the worries in my life to God.  As Jesus has spoken, that we are to "Take my yoke upon you, for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" {Matthews Account 11:28-30}.  How wonderful it is when we place the worries of this life on the shoulders of Christ!  Once we do this, we understand that those burdens now belong to Him.  What is it that Jesus did when the worries of life surrounded Him?  He would often find solace in retreating somewhere to pray to the Father.  Was Jesus placing His own words into practice?  Was He giving His burden unto the Father as He prayed?  I would think that this would be a practice of His.  Why would He not have us do the very same thing He did when worried?  

"Hither to Me, all who are toiling and laden, and I will be giving you rest.  Lift My yoke upon you and be learning from Me, for meek am I and humble in heart, and you shall be finding rest in your souls, for My yoke is kindly and My load is light" 

Matthews Account 11: 28-30, Concordant New Testament 

As I said, I have known for awhile to lift my burdens of life unto Jesus.  Yet knowing and actually putting this into practice are two different things.  What it comes down to is, do I trust Jesus enough to deal with these worries in my life?  Am I confident in knowing that I now live my life IN HIM?  The truth which you will not hear spoken from any mainstream church pulpit is that my worries are His as well.  For Jesus has spoken to the truth that I now live my life not separated from Him, but IN He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  There is nothing that we will ever encounter which Jesus is not an intimate part of.  In fact, when He instructs us to take His yoke, it is not hard to believe that His is a burden we already share with Him.  Too many well-meaning believers have been taught that they live their lives separate from Jesus and the Father.  I believe that when Jesus invited others to "Lift My yoke upon you," that He was actually inviting them to see Him for who He truly is.  That we can do nothing outside of He and the Father.  The false belief of our separation from God is one continually spoken by those in the church.  How is it possible to take upon us the burden of Jesus if we ourselves are separate from Him?  As usual, this false belief of our own relationship with Jesus has caused us much worry and anxiety.  How much easier would it be if, knowing that we live in Him, that we know that our burdens are also His?  This is exactly why I do not deal in what ifs. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (How God Sees Sin) # 2030

 Yet God is commending this love of His for us, that while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes

Paul to the Romans 5: 8, Concordant New Testament 

I have a question for all of those die-hard Christians out there.  If God hates sin, why then does He love us?  If God seemingly hates the sinner, as those within the halls of the mainstream church continue to preach, why did He choose to dispatch His Son for our sakes?  The answer to these questions is simple if you realize the truth of the Lord God.  That through His love and grace we have been reconciled once again to Him {Paul to the Colossians 1:20}.  Yet those in the church continue to harp on that one verse which seemingly condemns all of us.  The passage which proclaims us all to be sinners {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  But often overlooked by the zealous condemn first and forgive later crowd are the words of Paul which we find in the following passage.  That we have "Been justified gratuitously in His grace, which is in Christ Jesus" {Paul to the Romans 3:24}.  A good friend posed the comment to me the other day, that God hates sin {First Epistle of John 1:8}.  So, God hates sin, but while I was yet a sinner He loved me enough to send His Son in my place {Paul to the Romans 5:8}?  How does that work?  This got me thinking, how is it that God sees sin today?  Does He see it the same as He always has?  I would assume so, seeing that God never changes {To the Hebrews 13:8}.  So, it's safe to assume, then, that God still hates sin.  So where does that leave us?  How does God see us, whom the church continues to brand as sinners?  Well, I would assume that He views us now as blameless, seeing as Christ Jesus has been dispatched for our sakes {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  So Jesus, the innocent sacrifice, has been sent to be the propitiation of our sins {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Is it a safe bet, then, that God no longer sees His children as sinners?  Well, if you were to ask any pastor worth their Pharisee school education, the answer would be a resounding NO!  This is obvious from the separation theology spoken from the pulpits of the church.  That it is indeed our own sin, that sin which Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for, which continues to separate us from Gods presence.  Again, how does that work?  I have been under the assumption that Jesus died for the forgiveness of sin, yet those in the church continue to speak otherwise.  

In Whom we are having the deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses in accord with the riches of His grace

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 7, Concordant New Testament 

The other day, my friend who continues to be steeped in the religious traditions of the Eastern Orthodox church lamented to me of how many times each day that he prays for his own forgiveness.  Knowing what I now know about how God sees us, I tried to convince him that God no longer saw him as a condemned sinner.  That Jesus has paid that price for him.  Yet he continued to bring up scriptures which indeed profess the existence of sin in his life.  It is my belief that my friend, as well as so many others, have been brainwashed into believing the false narrative about themselves.  The narrative which speaks to the lie of the deceiver that we have been separated from God.  The lie which speaks to our being our own individual, apart from God Who created us.  This is the lie spoken by the deceiver in the garden {Genesis 3:4-5}.  The mistaken belief is that once Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that they somehow became like God, knowing what is right and wrong.  In essence, the belief that man became something he has never been designed to be.  For their part, those in the church continue to proclaim this lie to the world today.  So it is that far too many believers find it difficult to accept that God could see them as anything less than a condemned sinner.  To this I would ask, what about Jesus?  Is it not Jesus Who has given Himself for the forgiveness of sin?  Not only past sin, mind you, but ALL sin past, present and future {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  What sin of yours did Jesus miss on the cross?  I believe that were you to approach the throne of the Lord and ask Him to forgive that sin you agonize over, His response will very well be, what sin, My child?  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Sin Merchants) # 2029

 

If we should be saying that we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us 

First Epistle of John 1: 8, Concordant New Testament  

I have a good friend whom I work with.  This man is a believer and a good family man, but he seems to have one flaw.  That flaw is his dependence upon the words and doctrine of the Eastern Orthodox religion which he follows rather...religiously.  I was once again reminded of his devotion to his religion this week as our discussion once again turned to his daily admission that he was seemingly a bad man due to the sin in his own life.  Now, I do not put the blame on him, for he has been spoon fed the lies of the mainstream church for too many years.  In my travels, I come across too many people who anguish daily over the perceived sin which they believe that they have committed.  Now, do I myself believe that I have sinned, absolutely.  But I also know in my heart that this is not who I am.  That guy is dead and gone, crucified with Christ at the cross {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  I also believe that trying to explain to someone who has been immersed in the theology of the mainstream church for so long that they no longer need be in fear of sin is a monumental task.  Indeed, when I counted myself as a loyal church attender, I offered prayers unto the Lord many times each day, for I felt that I was unworthy of the gift which God had given me.  This is what the church had taught me.  I learned of a Jesus who, despite dying for my sake, was quick to condemn me for each and every misdeed I had done.  This is an alternate version of Christ spoken by the sin merchants within the mainstream church.  Yet this is NOT the Jesus who I have now come to know.  The Jesus I now know is not a Lord of condemnation, but reconciliation {Johns Account 3:17}.  His purpose is not to remind me of sin, but of who I am in Him {Johns Account 17:21}.  Not as one separated from Him by my own sin, but as one who lives his life THROUGH Christ.  For as the apostle Paul has declared, if we have died with Christ, we shall be living together with Him also {Paul to the Romans 6:8}.  

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are of God, for many false prophets have come out into the world 

First Epistle of John 4: 1, Concordant New Testament 

As I've said, I once followed the precepts of the sin merchants as a member of the mainstream church.  I refer to those within the church as sin merchants due to the fact that they expend vast amounts of time and effort attempting to convince others that sin is the main issue in their lives.  I see the anguish that my friend goes through daily and I see that these teachings are doing more harm than good.  My question is this, did God desire for His children to live in fear?  Fear of losing their salvation?  The fear of the God who loves them some day casting them aside because of their sin?  No!  For fear is not perfected in the love of God {First Epistle of John 4:18}.  How is it that the same church who speaks to being free in Christ Jesus also proclaims that it is sin which prevents us from a relationship with Him?  I wondered that same question.  I also wondered why the same church who spoke to Jesus dying on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins would go out of its way to convince me that my sin is still in front of me.  Is this what the Father intended?  No, for this would take away from His one true nature, which is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  It is because of His love that we have been created in his likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It is also because of His love for us that He dispatched His Son to reconcile us once again to Him {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:18}.  We know that there is no love in condemnation {Paul to the Romans 8:1}.  I also do not see the love of God in the theology spoken by the church. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (So Unlike Jesus) # 2028

 

And Jesus entered into the sanctuary and cast out all those selling and buying in the sanctuary, and the tables of the brokers He overturns, and the seats of those selling doves.  And He is saying to them, "My house a house of prayer shall be called,' yet you are making it a burglars cave."  

Matthews Account 21: 12-13, Concordant New Testament 

One of the reasons that I enjoy The Chosen series is that it gives us a first hand look at what the interaction between Jesus and His chosen disciples must have been like.  I believe that life with Jesus during His ministry was not all prayer and fasting.  There were heart to heart discussions, disagreements and arguments among those chosen to represent Jesus to others.  How could there not be, these men were, after all, human by nature.  Through this series we are privy to what day to day life must have entailed while following in the steps of Jesus.  The frustration Jesus felt as He tried to relate His teachings to these men.  The struggle between Simon and Matthew as each seeks forgiveness from the other.  The pride we see in James and John as they seek to be seated in prominence near Jesus.  This was indeed the every day life of Jesus and His disciples.  Why do I bring this up?  For the simple fact that, as believers, that we may at times act in a way that others might see as so unlike Jesus.  We're sarcastic, we argue and we talk trash to one another.  Is this behavior unlike the Jesus we have come to know through the church theology?  Probably so.  For we're often told by the church that we need to "Be more like Jesus."  That, as sinners, to have a relationship with Him is nearly impossible.  That all we can hope to accomplish is to be "Like" Jesus.  For Jesus was holy, kind and patient.  Or was He?  I can imagine that the patience of Jesus ran thin on more than a few occasions.  He ran out of patience with the policies of the Pharisees of His day.  He also definitely ran out of patience with the money changers in the temple courts.  The church often describes these times as Jesus showing "Righteous anger" in their attempt to whitewash over the fact that Jesus was indeed fully God AND fully man as well {Johns Account 1:14}, Paul to the Philippians 2:7}.  I bring this up because of a conversation I've had with a few friends.  Yes, these men are believers despite what one might ascertain from our human tendencies.  We argue and we disagree just as the followers of Jesus must have done themselves.  Are we unlike Jesus?  

Now, being inherently in the form of God, deems it not pillaging to be equal with God, nevertheless empties Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming to be in the likeness of humanity

Paul to the Philippians 2: 6-7, Concordant New Testament 

I have a gym friend who is pretty bible based in his approach to his life.  He studies the word and, in his words, tries to be the best example of Jesus in this life.  I think to myself every now and then, that must be a boring life.  Keep in mind that, despite being created in the likeness of the Father, that we still hold those attributes of our human flesh {Genesis 1:27}.  Even Jesus is proclaimed to be "Coming in the likeness of humanity" {Paul to the Philippians 2:6-7}.  Fully God, and yet fully man {Paul to the Colossians 2:9}.  Not only that, but Jesus Himself has spoken to the truth that we live our lives WITHIN He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Despite the fact that we all too often display our human flesh side of our creation, that does not erase the truth that we ourselves live within Christ {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  The apostle Paul himself often struggled with that flesh side of his nature as well Paul noticed that it was not the good which he knew was right that he was doing, but "The evil that I am not willing, this I am putting into practice" {Paul to the Romans 7:19}.  Would you call Paul a righteous man?  Indeed he was.  Yet even Paul struggled with his flesh side.  So mush so that he wonders aloud, "A wretched man am I!  Who will rescue me out of this body of death?"  But Paul got it, he understood that it was by grace alone that he would be saved from himself {Paul to the Romans 7:25}.  So it is with us as well.  Those around us may see us as "So unlike Jesus," but through the eyes of the Father grace abounds.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Porn Fix) # 2027

 

And to put off from you, as regards your former behavior, the old humanity which is corrupted in accord with its seductive desires, yet be rejuvenated in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new humanity which, in accord with God, is being created in righteousness and benignity of the truth

Paul to the Ephesians 4: 22-24, Concordant New Testament 

At times I hate to bang that old war drum, and this is one of those times.  My scars tell the tale of my own addiction.  Of how I was once enslaved to images of the flesh.  I wasn't proud of my condition, but despite my best efforts and those of the mainstream church, I continued down the dark path of pornography addiction.  That's right, despite their best efforts the church could not help me in my affliction the way the Father eventually raised me from the ashes.  For on that night, as I was about to enter once again into satisfying my urge of the flesh, God chose in that moment to remind me who I was in His eyes.  Contrary to what I had continuously heard spoken from the church, I was not a sinner in Gods eyes, not even close.  Who I am in the eyes of God is His loved and cherished child {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  See, God cuts through the red tape of the rhetoric of the church and gets straight to the point.  I'm no longer a sinner deserving of His grace.  For it is by His love and grace that my sin has been defeated by Christ Jesus on the cross {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  It is through His love for me that I am no longer a slave to sin {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  Those within the church will point to the words of Paul in Romans 3:23, that we are ALL sinners in need of saving.  But they seem to always omit the following passage, that we have been "Justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus" {Paul to the Romans 3:24}.  Allow me to take this moment to call out those within the church.  If I have been justified from sin through Christ Jesus, what sin am I now found guilty of?  Why is it that you continue to refer to me, a child of God, as a sinner?  I was reminded of this once again this week as I looked at a few Facebook videos of self righteous Christians attempting to persuade those caught in the pit of a porn addiction that the church could help them in their struggle...for a price.  That's right, the mainstream church has placed a price upon helping believers out of their sin.  I would remind those within the church that my own revelation of who I truly am in the eyes of the Father came to me free of charge.  

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ.  Now that which I am now living in flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gives Himself up for me 

Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

Tell me, what price would you place on knowing the truth of who you are before God?  Is there even a price to be paid?  I would say that were there any price to be paid in our own revelation of how it is that God views us, that it has been paid in full by Christ Jesus on that cross.  For it is Jesus Who gave Himself willingly for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Jesus is the "One not knowing sin" Who has been made the sin offering on our behalf once for all time.  So, again I ask you, what sin has God found me guilty of?  What sin has Jesus somehow found unworthy of cleansing me from?  For at the heart of any addiction of the flesh is the belief which has been spoken to us for generations, that we are sinners!  In the eyes of the church, this is now our identity.  But what about Jesus?  Have they not taken into account His selfless sacrifice made for us?  I believe that this is the very reason why it has been revealed to me how it is that God sees me.  To nullify the lie spoken by those in the church.  After all, it seemed a bit contradictory to me that the same church who proclaims that Christ died for the forgiveness of our sins continues to preach that we are but sinners.  How does that work?  I'll tell you how, when we trust and live in the truth of the Fathers love, we will no longer be influenced by the lie spoken by those within the church.  Jesus Himself has proclaimed that we now live our life within He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Therefore, we are no longer sinners, but His redeemed children reconciled once again to Him {Paul to the Colossians 1:22}.  All of this is made available free to His creation.  Try getting a deal like that from the church.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Salvation For All) # 2026

 

For this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our Savior, God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into the realization of the truth 

Paul to Timothy (1) 1:3-4, Concordant New Testament 

Some of the fiercest resistance that I have received from so called believers in my conversations with them revolves around the idea of universal salvation.  The idea that it is Gods desire and ultimate will that all of His children come to know Him.  The apostle Paul spoke this truth to young Timothy {Paul to Timothy (1) 1:3-4}.  Why is it that Christians have such a difficult time in believing that God would desire all of His children to be saved?  Well, I believe that many of these believers, as I once was, have been instilled with the teachings of the mainstream church.  While good in some ways, there are plenty of these teachings which I believe go against the true will of the Lord.  For instance, I was always taught that those who believe in the Lord would be rewarded with an eternity in heaven while the wicked and unbelieving would be punished with their eternity in hell.  This is part of the theology spoken by the church.  But what if they got it all wrong?  What if the desire of God is that all of His creation will be saved?  I can imagine the outcry coming from the mainstream church were this to be proclaimed.  What about the evil people?  Will sin no longer be punished?  In reality, it has never been our duty to decide who is or is not rewarded with an eternity to heaven or punished with eternity in hell.  Yet we have done just that over the years.  Countless pastors have stood at the pulpit and proclaimed the rewards and punishments of those that they deemed deserving of such.  I have experienced this first hand in my time in the church.  Is there any doubt as to why the majority of the world sees us as being judgmental?  I get it.  In fact, I totally understand why it is that people I talk with have such a difficult time accepting the truth of universal salvation.  They have been taught to believe the black and white criteria spoken by the church that goodness will be rewarded and evil punished.  It's not as if there is no scriptures which speak to the Fathers desire that all be saved.  A simple Google search led me to a page full of verses speaking to this truth.  Yet those in the church have continued to cherry pick scripture to fit their false narrative.  

For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15: 22, Concordant New Testament  

In the film Come Sunday, the reverend Carlton Pearson is removed from his leadership position within his church for speaking the apparent blasphemy of universal salvation.  That idea that God will provide salvation for all of His children.  Pearson is awakened to this idea when he questions whether those who have never heard of Christ Jesus would indeed be sent to hell for their unbelief.  For this he was removed from his position of prominence within the church.  Is it, then, any wonder why we do not hear the truth of universal salvation spoken from the pulpits of the mainstream church?  Who would dare speak to such obvious blasphemy?  Well, Jesus for one.  For it is Jesus who has spoken to the truth of why He has been dispatched by the Father, not to judge, but that all the world may be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Too many people proclaim the scripture we find in John 3:16 with joy, that God loved the world enough to dispatch His one and only Son.  Yet they seemingly disregard the accompanying passage, which proclaims that Jesus has not been sent to judge the world, but that ALL the world might be saved through Him.  Does this sound like blasphemy to you?  Well, to many in the church it does indeed.  The narrative spoken by the church remains, the good must be rewarded and the wicked punished.  As if we have propped up ourselves as the final judge of who it is that will be rewarded and/or punished.  One of my favorite quotes from the film Come Sunday comes when Carlton Pearson asks the church leaders who are questioning his beliefs, "If you could save your own father from hell, wouldn't you?"  I would ask that very same question to anyone who desires to place themselves above God and proclaim who is to be rewarded and who is to be punished.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Worth Dying For?) # 2025

 

That everyone believing on Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian 

Johns Account 3: 15, Concordant New Testament 

I have a question.  What is Jesus worth to you?  The other day I unpacked a statement made by a good friend which simply asked, "Are you perishing?"  Well, John 3: 15 goes on to proclaim that everyone who believes on Christ Jesus "Shall not be perishing" {Johns Account 3:15}.  The apostle uses this phrase in the following passage as well, That "Everyone who is believing in Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian" {Johns Account 3:16}.  So, obviously, believing on the Lord Jesus will guarantee us everlasting life?  That seems to be the message spoken by John in these two passages.  So, is that eonian life worth following Jesus to you?  The Greek word ainion, from which we get the word eonian, does not refer to an indefinite period of time, but to a "Age-lasting" or "Age-during" context.  What does this mean?  Well, when put into context, eonian life is referring to a life which exists during a time which lasts for a certain period of time.  Therefore, I do not see the term eonian life as being the same as everlasting life.  Yet the apostle John was on to something when he penned the verses describing those who believe on Jesus as having life eonian.  What was it?  What is that time period we who believe in Christ Jesus will share in?  As actor Kevin Costner once so famously inquired of Shoeless Joe Jackson, "Is this heaven?"  Is there a heaven?  Better yet, is there a hell?  Not so long ago, although not an eon ago, a good friend of mine broached the idea that perhaps we who believe in Christ are living in heaven as we speak.  Indeed, we know that Jesus has spoken to the fact that we now live our lives within He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Is it therefore possible that we are living our heaven lives now in this life?  After all, the mainstream church has made a habit out of proclaiming that when we're rewarded with that ticket to heaven, that we will at last be in the presence of the Father.  Well, if we now life within the Father, is this heaven?  Definitely something to consider.  

And this is the promise which He promises us: the life eonian

First Epistle of John 2: 25, Concordant New Testament 

My friend some time ago took to adhering to the Greek meaning of terms we find in the New Testament as they seem to be the closest to the original context.  Therefore, I believe that the term eonian life is significant in our belief in Jesus.  Jesus Himself uses the term eonian life many times in His ministry.  What is He referring to?  Well, here is my take.  The apostle John describes those who believe in Jesus as having life eonian.  Jesus speaks to those who know He and the Father as having eonian life {Johns Account 17:3}.  If we have known Jesus on a personal level, do we not have that knowing that we are truly in Him?  Now, I'm not speaking to the mainstream church based rhetoric which tells us that knowing Jesus means to know OF  Him.  No, I'm talking about really, truly having a intimate relationship with Him.  For this is the relationship which I now share with Him.  Granted, it is not a relationship which was fostered within the church, but through the revelation from God the Father.  It is through His revelation unto me that I am now aware of my life lived within Him.  Is this my life eonian, or is there something more to come?  I do not believe that God has meant for this to be a confusing concept for us to grasp, so I believe that the answer is there for us if we have eyes to see and the ears to hear.  If we simply follow the words of Jesus, we can be certain that those who believe on Him will indeed not perish.  That this life is not the be all end all for those who truly know Him.  I count myself among that crowd.  So, again I ask that question, what is Jesus worth to you?  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (No Place For Me) # 2024

 

There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe, except the One who calls Himself the I AM {Exodus 3:14} and says, "I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside Me {Isaiah 45:5} 

Norman Grubb ~ No Independent Self 

The other day I was reading through the words which Jesus spoke on humility Lukes Account 14:11, Matthews Account 23:10-12}.  In His words, is Jesus attempting to relay to us the truth of our existence?  The truth that we do not exist as independent creations, but within the life of the Father.  The author Norman Grubb would more than likely agree with that idea.  It is Grubb who, among his works, penned the book "No Independent Self," in which he states the case that the only self-operating self in the universe is God the Father {Exodus 3:14}.  The lie of the deceiver, spoken in the garden, promised Eve that were she to partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that "Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."  Unfortunately, unknown to the Lords first creation at the time is that they already were "Like God," having been created in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  This is seen as the beginning of the false belief that man has become separated from God.  The mainstream church perpetuates this belief by proclaiming that it is through our sin by which we have been separated from the Father.  Nothing could be further from the truth of who we are in the Father.  For just as the first creation has been created in the Fathers likeness, so it is with us as well.  I would argue that the true spirit of arrogance is to believe that you are alone in the universe, with no connection to the One who created you in the first place.  That God is simply in heaven watching over all of His creation with no intimate connection to that which He has created.  This is the lie introduced by the deceiver and which continues to be spoken by those within the mainstream church.  But what is it that Jesus proclaims about who it is that we are?  How does He, and the Father for that matter, see us?  Does He see us as a creation, separated by sin, waiting to be judged for their deeds?  I believe that get a glimpse into how it is that the Father looks upon us through the spoken words of Jesus.  It is Jesus Himself who has proclaimed that we do not live apart from the Father, but that we live our lives in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  Knowing this, there is no place for me as an individual in this world.  

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ.  Now that which I am now living in flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me 

Pual to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

The other day I messaged a good friend for prayer as I was about to undergo a cut and go medical procedure.  Honestly, I was expecting the traditional "Lord heal my friend" prayer from him.  On the contrary, his prayer for me was that I realize the life which I have in the Lord Jesus.  Wow.  Those were the words I needed to hear most in that moment.  That traditional prayer of healing seems to denote the belief that we remain separated from God.  That God, being outside of our space, would grace us with healing.  But the truth of who we are in Him suggests that we are being healed IN HIM.  As Jesus has proclaimed, it is our life lived in He and the Father.  There is NO need for me as an individual in this relationship.  I do not act independently of my creator, I live through Him.  There is no way that I could ever be separated from He who created me in His image.  To those who insist that this is true, I ask, "What about Jesus?"  Was not Jesus the innocent blood shed willingly for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}?  Make no mistake, we're the ones who needed to die, not Him.  Yet it is Jesus, through His death on the cross Who has once again reconciled the Fathers creation unto Him {Paul to the Romans 5:10, Paul to the Colossians 1:20, First Epistle of John 4:10}.  Despite the fact that the mainstream church continues to speak the lie of the deceiver, I live in the revelation given to me that my life is in the Father.  My prayer is that others will come to this realization as well.  That there is no place for "Me." 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Bad Man) # 2023

 

"He - and if there is a God, I am convinced he is a he, because no woman could ever fuck things up this badly" 

~George Carlin~ 

Growing up, I knew that feminism was a thing.  The belief that women are, and should be treated as equal to men.  In a spiritual sense, I would agree with this sentiment.  That is, that all humanity, men as well as women, have been created in the very likeness of the Father {Genesis 1:27}.  Christians cannot doubt this truth of our creation.  But it would seem that this is where our similarities end.  The obvious differences between the sexes are well known.  Men have always appeared to be stronger while a woman's strength often comes from her emotions.  This is simply the way we were created.  Yet popular culture has skewed the narrative enough so that many have come to believe that the differences between men and women have become almost nonexistent.  Barring the obvious physical difference, which even today are being blurred, women it seems are becoming more and more like men.  They are becoming the very thing that they once hated.  It wasn't long ago that the battle cry of the feminist movement was that all men were wicked and evil.  That we were all out to diminish and demean each and every female we came into contact with.  Now, I'm not saying that there have been men who have treated women badly, I use my own father as an example.  For back in my dads day, men were the rulers of the roost, and women were simply there to serve him.  My dad lived that role perfectly, up until the day my parents were divorced.  The funny thing is, I had seen enough of how it was that my dad treated women that I no longer wanted to be a part of it.  Even so, I was still considered by many to be the bad man.  My intentions were evil and I only sought women to serve my own needs.  This has been the popular narrative of the women's rights movement for decades.  For their part, the mainstream church continued to hold to the values of one man and one woman, but even the church on occasion gave in to the narrative of women's liberation.  I recall the backlash the church I was attending received when they opposed Oregon's same sex marriage amendment which eventually became the law of the land in Oregon.  Christians were seen as hateful and chauvinistic.  Upholding the traditions of the bad man. 

Husbands, be loving your wives according as Christ also loves the ecclesia, and gives Himself up for its sake 

Paul to the Ephesians 5: 25, Concordant New Testament 

Even before his untimely death, I began watching the various videos recorded by Charlie Kirk and Turning point USA.  Yes, I agreed with his politics, but there was something else that he was beginning to speak to as well.  That being the bonds of marriage which the Father has originally intended for His children.  A bond not based upon the strength of lording over another, but upon the strength of God in His union between two people.  I only wish that God had chosen to bless my own Father with this revelation earlier in his lifetime.  Instead, I have been blessed in my own life with many examples of a Godly marriage from friends I have known.  Indeed, God has made known to me through the years His desire for a true marriage relationship.  Of course, this does not fly too well with those who continue to view men as wicked and evil, but that does not matter in my opinion.  At the end of the day, what matters is how the Father sees that marriage union between His children.  Are we doing right by Him?  Do we realize that God is the focal point of every relationship we will ever have?  That our spouse has been created, as we ourselves have, in the likeness of the Father.  That we understand the true meaning of the word we so commonly use to identify the opposite sex.  "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, Because she was taken out of man" {Genesis 2:23}.  Indeed, it is God Who has taken from Adam that which He used to create Eve.  Not separate, but one flesh.  There's nothing bad about that.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (What Man Has Wrought) # 2022

 

For I am aware that good is not making its home in me (that is, in the flesh), for to will is lying beside me, yet to be affecting the ideal is not.  For it is not the good that I will I am doing, but the evil that I am not willing, this I am putting into practice.

Paul to the Romans 7: 18-19, Concordant New Testament 

I got to thinking the other night, after perusing a recent podcast by author Wayne Jacobsen.  The title of his post caught my eye right away, "A path out of legalism."  I immediately thought back to my own days  in the legalistic mainstream church system and the journey I have been on since leaving the church.  At the time I left the church I had attended for so long, I had no idea that doing so would eventually lead me into a deeper relationship with the Lord.  It would seem that my own path out of legalism started with leaving the church.  Legalism is partly defined, in a religious sense, as a dependence on moral law rather than a personal religious faith.  I believe that this, in a nutshell, describes the mainstream church perfectly.  For the church is big on placing scriptures and demands upon people all in the name of doing right by God.  I recall pastors speaking to how I could defeat sin in my own life by adhering to the scripture and behaving in a way that was pleasing to God.  The difficulty with this approach is that its easier said than done.  By his own admission, the apostle Paul himself struggled with bad behaviors that he knew were wrong.  Paul admits that "The evil that I am not willing, this I am putting into practice" {Paul to the Romans 7:19}.  I can testify that I have often felt as Paul did.  I think a lot of well-meaning believers have.  Paul has also made the bold statement that the law kills {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3:6}.  The law does not give us life, it is the spirit which does that.  Therefore, if ever there was a church which was adhering to preaching to abiding in the law, I would seriously question it.  Yet far too many churches these days are doing just that.  Speaking legalistic demands of the old system upon their congregations.  The words which Jesus spoke to the Pharisees of His day could well have been spoken to the pastors of today as well.  Like the Pharisees of old, these men "Are binding loads, heavy and hard to bear, and are placing them on men's shoulders" {Matthews Account 23:4}.  In contrast, my own journey to knowing a relationship with the Father has been free from those imposed burdens.  

Then Jesus speaks to the throngs and to His disciples, saying, "On Moses' seat are seated the scribes and the Pharisees.  All, then, whatever they should be saying to you, do and keep it.  Yet according to their acts do not be doing, for they are saying and not doing.  Now they are binding loads, heavy and hard to bear, and are placing them on men's shoulders, yet they are not willing to stir them with their finger.  Now all their works are they doing to be gazed at by men, for they are broadening their amulets and magnifying the tassels.  Now they are fond of the first reclining space at the dinners, and the front seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the markets, and to be called by men 'Rabbi.'

Matthews Account 23: 1-7, Concordant New Testament 

My own memories of the legalistic church system are still with me.  How the pastors and church "staff" were afforded the best seats, front and center in the sanctuary each Sunday.  Could it be that one of the reasons for the exodus of many believers from the mainstream church is due to practices such as this?  I believe it is.  I also believe that the modern church has not been a place to discover a relationship with the Father, but to adhere to a man created religious system.  This is what men have given us.  There is a reason that I was not able to discover the truth of my own life in the Father while I was still in the church.  For God was not the focal point.  The focus all too often was on the church leadership and religious system they perpetuated.  My own revelation of my life in the Father came without conditions.  I did not need to adhere to any tithing challenges, performance based systems or requirements which were contrary to me {Paul to the Colossians 2:14}.  Could I have discovered the truth of Christ Jesus in me while still in the church?  Absolutely, but it definitely would have gone contrary of the separation theology spoken by the church.  The theology which speaks to our sin separating us from God.  In reality, we have never been separated from our creator.  Yet the man made church system will continue to speak to that which is contrary to God. 

~Scott~