The Good Of The Father (Management Issues) # 2087

 

What, then, shall we declare?  That we may be perishing in sin that grace may be increasing?  May it not be coming to that!  We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it? 

Paul to the Romans 6: 1-2, Concordant New Testament 

I've shared on this page the struggles which I've had when attempting to explain my own view of sin to those who continue to follow the teachings of the church.  The teaching that it is indeed sin which has separated us from God.  The same loving God who has created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  The same loving and merciful God who loved us enough to dispatch His one and only Son that He would be the propitiation for the sin which the church continues to condemn us for {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Does this sound to you anything like the love of God on display?  That He would, upon forgiving us our trespasses, continue instead to condemn us for that which He has already forgiven?  Likewise, would a loving God choose to allow us to live a life of condemnation?  It is for this very reason which I have claimed that the separation theology of the church is a lie.  On the one hand, it does nothing to display the one true nature of the Father, which is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  But, this is what I would expect from a church system not centered on the truth of the Father, but on the teachings of man.  At the heart of the issue of sin separating us from God is the belief that Jesus has died for "Some" of the sin which we were once guilty.  The author J Preston Eby has written, correctly I believe, that our sin debt has been paid in full by the willing sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  We have now been found justified for that which we were once found guilty {Paul to the Romans 6:7}.  In the eyes of those within the church, there continues to be sin which we need to be seeking the Lords forgiveness for each and every day.  From lying to cheating to lust, the ghost of sins past still continue to haunt us, so we've been told.  For His part, God cannot be in the presence of that sin, so He has separated Himself from that which He has created out of His love for us {Isaiah 59:2}.  Such is the dilemma we face when we attempt to "Manage" what we see as sin.

A dear friend commented to me this morning the question, do we sin or do we see Jesus?  Unfortunately, far too many believers continue to fall in step with the teachings of the church and see sin instead of Christ.  We also have the mistaken belief that we ourselves (If there were an independent self) can do our best to manage the sin we continue to commit.  This requires both prayer and the determination to abstain from what we see as sin.  Yet, as the apostle Paul so correctly speaks to in his evangel, how shall we who have died to sin still be living in it?{Paul to the Romans 6:1-2}.  For Paul has proclaimed the truth which states that Christ Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  I take this to mean ALL sin past, present and future included.  For if there were sin remaining, wouldn't you think that the Father would have provided a way to forgive us of this also?  But the truth is that He has.  For it is through Christ that we have been found justified from ALL sin.  That debt has been paid in full!  The issue with sin management is that we continue to see the acts of our flesh as sin.  We do not look upon ourselves as redeemed through our life within the Father, but as guilty sinners.  Obviously, those within the church have done us zero favors when it comes to proclaiming our life in the Father.  For Jesus Himself has spoken to just that in the scriptures {Johns Account 14:20}.  Not only has He given Himself that we would be free of the condemnation of sin, He has done away with it entirely, nailing it to the cross {Paul to the Colossians 2:14}.  Without sin, there remains nothing to be managed.  

Erasing the handwriting of the decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and has taken it away out of the midst, nailing it to the cross 

Paul to the Colossians 2: 14, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

Good Of The Father (The Jesus Problem) # 2086

 

Perceive what manner of love the Father has given us, that we may be called children of God! And we are!  Therefore the world does not know us, for it did not know Him 

First Epistle of John 3: 1, Concordant New Testament 

I seem to have a Jesus issue.  More than that, I seem to have an issue communicating Jesus to those who do not know Him as I do.  I'll admit that my views of the Lord Jesus might sound a bit off the rails to those who have been accustomed to the traditional teachings of the mainstream church.  I recently had the nerve to share with one of my gym friends a few pages written by the author J Preston Eby.  His reaction to this was, shall we say, predictable.  Predictable from the standpoint that I've seen this reaction before when I share what it is that I have come to believe about Jesus.  For now, my association with the author Eby has made me misguided in the eyes of my gym friend.  I get it.  For I was once in his shoes, absorbing all which the church pastors fed me.  In fact, I recall reacting in just the way he has whenever someone would introduce a teaching which went against what the church somehow "Authorized" as the acceptable gospel.  There have been plenty of times where I have turned what should have been a simple discussion about the Lord into a full fledged argument.  Therefore, I'm not at all surprised when someone attacks me due to my view of the truth of Christ which has been revealed unto me through the love of the Father.  While I continue to adhere to a few of the core principals held dear by the church, that is where my affiliation with their theology ends.  I'm referring to the false separation theology which continues to be spoken by those within the church.  The idea that it is our sin which has separated us from God.  I have referred to this teaching as one of the lies spoken by the church.  As you might guess, I have been labeled as misguided for holding to this belief as well.  But this is not simply some idea I've come up with on my own.  The apostle Paul speaks to the truth of Christ living in him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20, Paul to the Romans 6:8}.  Jesus Himself has spoken to the truth of our life within He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  These are passages of scripture which are either ignored or misrepresented entirely by the church.

To be clear, I have an issue with a teaching which speaks to the truth that Christ Jesus bled and died on the cross for the forgiveness of sin, but that continues to teach that the sin which Jesus died for continues to be an issue in our lives.  I'll never be on board with that belief.  In fact, it is this misguided teaching of the church which caused me to initially question the message I was hearing.  It is also this teaching which eventually caused me to leave the church.  In my mind, I had been lied to by those whom I had trusted to teach me about the Lord.  So it is that I am not at all surprised when I see this teaching continued to be spoken by those who continue to fill the pews of the church and absorb its teachings.  I was once there myself.  My revelation of the truth of the Father came from conversations I've had with a trusted and dear friend.  He spoke to the fact that we do not have a God of condemnation, but of love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  It is through His love for us by which He has dispatched His Son to be the propitiation of our sin {First Epistle of John 4:10}.  The very definition of propitiation is the "Gaining or regaining" of favor or goodwill of someone.  It is through Christ Jesus by which we have been redeemed in the eyes of God.  Paul speaks to the truth that Christ has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  My gym friend usually bristles at this so called blasphemy.  But what about our sin which we do every day?  Yes, Paul speaks to that as well.  He speaks to the truth of "How shall we who have died to sin live any longer within it?" {Paul to the Romans 6:2}.  This is the Jesus issue which those within the church continue to have.  The issue that despite giving Himself for the forgiveness of sin, that His sacrifice was in vain because sin remains the issue in the lives of the Lords children. 

In this is love, not that we love God, but that He loves us, and dispatches His Son, a propitiatory shelter concerned with our sins 

First Epistle of John 4: 10, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (AI Jesus) # 2085

 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 

I have known a few people that when I encourage them to read a bit of the authors I have encountered (J Preston Eby, Norman Grubb, Frank Viola) their immediate reaction is to type the name into their Google search and base their opinion off of what some chatbot says.  If you ask me, this is not doing your diligence as far as getting to know the work of these authors.  But in the microwave society in which we live, people seek the most information in the least amount of time.  I get it.  On a whim the other day, I Googled the phrase "Can I trust J Preston Eby."  Not surprisingly, the answer came with more than a few warnings of why one should not trust the writings of one Mr. Eby.  In my opinion, we must always be of the mind of the apostle John, seeking to test the spirits of that which we encounter to determine if it is indeed from God.  Now, I have read and studied enough of J Preston Eby to know that he speaks to a pretty solid background which he supports with scripture.  I will say the same for Norman Grubb and Frank Viola.  At the same time, I have tested the spirits of the author/pod castor Wayne Jacobsen and have come away with more than a few questions of what he believes.  For the most part, I test the spirits in order to see if what I am reading lines up with my own beliefs.  But we can also utilize this in all that we do.  When we test the spirits, we are allowing the Father to reveal to us what He desires for us to know.  Can God speak through the untrusted format of Google?  Absolutely.  When we realize that God is all in all, our eyes are opened to His knowing in all that we do.  Yet there is the church based separation theology out there which stakes the claim that our sin has separated us from God.  I tested the spirits some time ago and it is the Father who revealed unto me that this simply is not true.  First off, I am created in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  He has breathed into me the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  On top of that, Jesus Himself has proclaimed that I now live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  

I will always say that the best way to tests the spirits on something is to read and/or experience it for yourself.  Some things are no brainers, such as touching a hot stove or going against what the scripture has declared as wrong.  Somewhere along the line, someone else has tested the spirits and discovered that such things will never be good for us.  If I encounter a Google search warning me of something wrong with a religious author or speaker, my first inclination is to see for myself what the issue is that the chatbot is speaking to.  Test the spirits.  I will not trust Google with such nonsense.  My own knowledge of my life in the Father did not come from some Sunday sermon or pulpit pounder, but from intimate conversations with a dear and trusted friend who also at one time tested the spirits of what he was encountering.  After spending years in church leadership, he began to question the theology of the church he had served for so long.  He tested the spirits of more than a few authors others within the church frowned upon.  I am certainly glad that he did, for from the Fathers revelation unto him I also came to know Christ Jesus in me {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  I am reminded of the experience of the man Saul, whom God revealed Himself to on that road to Damascus {Acts of the Apostles 9:1-19}.  Saul spent years in the halls of the Jewish synagogues, thinking that he had it all figured out as far as the Lord was concerned.  God had other plans for Him.  What I have learned about the Father from conversations with my friend and from my own research is not something I ever heard in my years in the church.  As with Paul, the Father chose that moment where He would reveal Himself in me.  

For the flesh is lusting against the spirit, yet the spirit against the flesh.  Now these are opposing one another, lest you should be doing whatever you may want 

Paul to the Galatians 9: 17, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Dead To Me) # 2084

 Knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for sin, for one who dies has been justified from sin.  Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, being roused from among the dead, is no longer dying.  Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, He is living to God.  Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord

Paul to the Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament 

Whenever I'm asked about the concept of sin, people are usually surprised at my worry free approach to the subject.  I don't wring my hands and pray over Gods forgiveness for me as those within the mainstream church have made a habit of doing.  Why would I need to be forgiven over something which Christ Jesus has already put to death?  The apostle Paul makes it clear in his evangel, that Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Not only has Jesus given Himself for the forgiveness of our trespasses, He has dealt that final death blow to sin itself.  So when people ask me how I live with sin, I can say without question that the condemnation for sin no longer concerns me.  Of course, this ruffles more than a few feathers from those within the church, but those within the church have failed for thousands of years to realize the truth of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus.  For Jesus did not die only to have sin continue to plague Gods children endlessly.  He gave Himself that sin would no longer be an issue {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Paul has proclaimed that not only did Jesus die on that cross, but our "Old humanity" perished there with Him as well {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  He did this that we would no longer give sin control over us, that we would no longer be "Slaving for sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  Yet I believe that many within the church continue to do just that, to slave over sin.  To make sin that centerpiece of their (and our) lives.  Consider the separation theology of the church.  The theology which speaks to the false belief that our sin has separated us from God.  To justify this, they often refer to the words of the prophet Isaiah, who has spoken that "Your iniquities have separated you from God" {Isaiah 59:2}.  Yet I point out for this discussion that these words were given by the prophet many years before the death of Christ Jesus on the cross.  It is Jesus who has come to free the world from the bondages of sin. 

I have a gym friend who I will rarely enter into discussions on religious topics for I already know that his mind is trapped in the false separation theology of the church.  It does me no good to believe in that which I am no longer bound to.  I believe that Paul spoke to the idea of the truth of sin in the sixth book of his evangel to the Romans.  Whenever I am asked my idea of sin in the life of men, I have often referred them to these words written by Paul.  Yet it's funny that those within the church will hold fast to the condemning words spoken by the prophet Isaiah but brush aside the words spoken by Paul which declare our freedom from the bondage of sin.  They prefer to continue to make sin the issue.  For when they declare that sin is still alive and well in the lives of believers, they trust that those same believers will know their ultimate need for the church in order to overcome sin.  Their own belief in sin keeps their pews filled on Sunday!  I believe that if more people knew the truth spoken by Paul that they would refuse to fill the houses of worship whose main job, it seems, is to remind everyone that we remain condemned sinners in the eyes of God.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  The apostle John has declared just how it is that the Lord now looks upon His children.  Not with the condemnation of a sinner, but with His love for a child {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  The world does not know us as such, because it did not know Him. 

Perceive what manner of love the Father has given us, that we may be called children of God! And we are!  Therefore the world does not know us, for it did not know Him

First Epistle of John 3: 1, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Not Myself) # 2083

 

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}. 

No Independent Self ~ Norman Grubb 

It's something that was drilled into me from an early age.  Don't try to put on airs for all the world to see.  Just be yourself.  People will see your authenticity and appreciate that.  It's advice which has served me well over the years.  Don't try to be someone you're not.  Yet when I look back on the advice that has served me so well, I realize that I have been in error.  For my thinking was based on the incorrect assumption that I am my own separate person.  That I alone am responsible for what happens in my life.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I have a good friend who has taken to using the phrase "Be Jesus."  He's not very far off base in his thinking.  Christianity has sold us the lie that man has been separated from God through his sin.  To this I say, what about Jesus?  For it is Jesus who is dispatched by the Father to be the propitiation for that sin of ours {First Epistle of John 2:2}.  But this is only the tip of the iceberg in our understanding of who we truly are in the Father.  Gone are the days where I believed that my life was my own.  For Jesus has proclaimed that I now live my life in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  There are those within the church who will counter that God cannot be amongst sin.  Well, has not Jesus already given Himself for that sin?  The apostle Paul speaks in his evangel that "Our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified" {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  Not only that, but the Christ "Died to sin once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Jesus IS our propitiation for our old sin nature.  He HAS given Himself willingly for that which we were once condemned {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Sin no longer defines who I am.  Through the sacrifice of Christ, I now live a life within the Fathers love.

So, what is it that I now think of when I hear that phrase, be yourself?  Well, I think of how the Father will show Himself through me each and every day.  After all, the likeness of God is who I truly am {Genesis 1:27}.  How is it that I can be someone I've not been created to be?  When Philip inquired of Jesus to "Show us the Father," Jesus was correct in His response.  "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" {Johns Account 14:9}.  He was also correct in His proclamation that "I and the Father, We are one" {Johns Account 10:30}.  I can say with confidence that my life remains in God because it is the truth spoken in scripture.  Therefore, I can no longer simply be myself, but the likeness of He in whom I now live.  This is the essence of authenticity, that I would exemplify the Father in whom I live.  Yet I can already hear the chorus of dissenting voices out there who will say "Wait, is it God who behaves wrongly?"  To be fair, how we conduct ourselves has NO bearing on our true identity anymore than a misbehaving child is no longer their parents offspring.  The reality is that we all too often succumb to the desires of our flesh.  It is the flesh which is the container for the spirit of the Lord in which we now live {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 6:19-20}.  This flesh vessel is from and has been created by God, and is not our own.  Knowing this, it is our flesh which is also prone to the urges of the world around us.  Yet this in no way denies the truth that we now live within the Father.  What it does tell us is that we've at times accepted the desires of our own flesh over that of the Father.  So it is that when I think of being myself, I trust in the knowledge that the Father is shown through me.  If you see me, you've seen the Father. 

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.  By all means glorify God in your body.

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 6: 19-20, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Through The Eyes Of God) #2082

 

 

Perceive what manner of love the Father has given us, that we may be called children of God!  And we are!  Therefore the world does not know us, for it did not know Him

First Epistle of John 3: 1, Concordant New Testament 

I was once again reminded this morning through a message from the author Wayne Jacobsen of just how it is that God looks upon me.  Now, this has been a sensitive subject for me personally in the past, as my sense of self worth often revolved around my own physical appearance or how it is that those around me saw me.  Growing up, it was ingrained in me that I was nothing but a sinner struggling for Gods acceptance.  This was the message given to me from the pulpits of the mainstream church.  Therefore, it came as no surprise to me that I began to feel that this is indeed how the Lord looked at me, as a condemned sinner.  The deck had already been stacked against me.  I was a sinner, but somehow God loved me.  I was a sinner, yet He loved me enough through my sin to dispatch His Son to die for me {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  So, despite looking upon me as a sinner, God did love me.  That much I was assured of.  But if I was a sinner, why was it that God still loved me?  Hadn't I disappointed Him through my sin and disobedience?  Again, this was the church speaking to me.  I had no idea how it is that God really saw me.  You can imagine the damage that this way of thinking could do to a persons own view of God as well.  I saw God not as a loving Father, but as an overseer who judged me each and every day according to His holy standards.  How could I ever get on his good side?  Yet one passage of scripture began to get me thinking that I was seeing the Lord in the wrong way.  This passage is found in the Epistle of John where the apostle explains the one true nature of God.  That being, love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  How is it if God is love that He could continue to condemn me?  Better yet, how is it that God could abandon His own creation?  These were the question that I began asking.  Not of those within the church, but for myself.  

It was not until I stepped away from the mainstream church that I began to see more clearly how it is that the Lord looks upon me.  Being free from the constant reminders of my sin freed me to see the Lord for who He truly is, my loving Father.  A Father who loved me enough to save me despite my condition.  A Father who loved me enough to create me in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  In fact, I would argue that everything which the Father has done in my life up until this point has been done out of His love for me.  Now, some might bristle at this thinking and bring up the obvious negative circumstances which we all go through.  But I would say that we do not see what God sees.  We are not privy to the behind the scenes knowledge that He is.  We're told that His ways are not our ways {Isaiah 55:8-9}.  God has never based His decisions on who is the most popular or most affluent.  No, God bases His every action based on his one true nature, and that is love.  In our limited understanding, we sometimes see an uncaring God in the midst of our tragedies.  This in no way means that God no longer loves us.  What it does mean is that we continue to see Him through the eyes of the world and not as a loved child of God {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  It has taken me some time to come to that realization that despite all that is happening in my life, that the love of the Father remains.  So, does God still see me as a sinner as the church continues to proclaim?  No!  It is written that I am His loved child.  It has also been proclaimed by Christ Jesus that my life remains in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  When He looks upon me, He sees His beloved Son {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  No church ever taught me that lesson. 

Who rouses Him from among the dead, you also being dead to the offenses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He vivifies us together jointly with Him, dealing graciously with all our offenses, erasing the handwriting of the decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and has taken it away out of the midst, nailing it to the cross

Paul to the Colossians 2: 13-14, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Living Free) # 2081

 

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-knowing, all-perfect and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money 

~George Carlin~ 

In my time in the church, I'd heard the phrase bantered around like some well intentioned catch phrase.  Freedom in Christ.  I was told that to know Christ Jesus meant that I would experience that freedom which comes from a life spent following Him.  Funny thing is, the same church which preached this freedom of Christ to me was also the same institution (Let's be honest, the church IS an institution) which saddled me with countless rules and traditions I needed to adhere to in order to be free in following Jesus.  How is it that I could be free in following Jesus while I continued to be burdened by the traditions of the church?  Yet one of the things I have learned along my journey to truly knowing my life within Christ is that I was following the wrong path in my younger days.  For instead of seeking Him first and foremost, I was following the instructions of man.  I believe that the calling of the pastor is one of the most honored of vocations.  That being said, it is also the preachings and the teachings of those pastors which misled me in my journey to truly knowing Jesus.  Therefore, I could not fully know Jesus while I followed the teachings of man.  As a result, I could not know that freedom which comes from living in Him while adhering to the theology and traditions of the mainstream church.  As Jesus has proclaimed, one cannot follow two masters {Matthews Account 6:24}.  Yes, one cannot treasure God and money, but I also believe that one cannot follow the teachings of the church and fully know their life within the Father.  That is not freedom.  I also believe, as it was for the apostle Paul and myself included, that knowing the truth of our life in Christ comes not from book learning but from the revelation of the Father {Paul to the Galatians 1:15-16}.  As one prominent in the ranks of the Jewish Pharisees, the man Saul never knew the truth of his life in Christ.  What he did know were the teachings and traditions of the Jewish elders.  To those like Saul, the teachings of Jesus were considered blasphemy.  However, it was the revelation of the Father which introduced him to the truth of the Lord Jesus.  It was that revelation which led him to the freedom of a life lived in Christ.

I spent some time pouring over verses in my study for this writing.  Paul has spoke that for our freedom Christ Jesus has set us free {Paul to the Galatians 5:1}.  Paul speaks to being free from the yoke of slavery (Sin).  He also speaks to the truth that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3:17}.  But this seemed odd to me, as Gods spirit is everywhere we see.  The spirit of the Lord surrounded Saul as well, but he never realized his freedom in Christ until his own "Come to Jesus" moment on that road to Damascus {Acts of the Apostles 9:1-19}.  So it is that by the revelation of the Father that a man dead set on the persecution of the followers of Jesus was brought to his knees through the truth of Christ Jesus.  This revelation didn't occur in some synagogue or through traditional religious teachings.  Likewise, my own revelation didn't come from some Sunday sermon or church tradition, but from the Fathers revelation of who I truly am in Him.  As with Paul, my own revelation didn't come in the church, but one of the most unlikeliest of places.  Standing outside the door of a local strip club one night, it was God who reminded me that "This is not who you are."  As with Paul, this experience turned my world upside down.  In time I would come to realize that freedom cannot be found in the halls of man-made religion.  True freedom in Christ comes from knowing our life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.

As free, and not as having freedom for a cover over evil, but as Gods slaves 

Peter to the Dispersion (1) 2:16, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (My Hope For You) # 2080

 

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 mas 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 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 written a lot of how the mainstream church has failed those it has been created to make the truth of the Lord known.  But I've decided to switch gears a bit here and speak to what has been my hope for those whom I write this page for.  What has been my main motivation for doing what I do.  That being, that those who read this page would come to know the Lord Jesus as I have in the past few years.  That you would come to know the truth spoken in the evangel of Paul, that we have not been separated from God due to our own sin.  That sin which Christ Jesus gave Himself willingly that we would be free of it {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  For I was once as you are.  Growing up in the church, I was bombarded with the teachings and the theology spoken from the pulpits.  I came to see God not as One I could have that deep, personal relationship with, but as the judge of all that I did.  If He approved, I would be rewarded with His grace and "Punch my ticket" to heaven.  However, if God disapproved of my behavior or my life choices, then He was certain to turn His back to me and relegate me to hell for eternity.  I began to ask the question, if God really loves me, why is it that He would so willingly condemn me?  If God really loves me, why would He dispatch His Son for the forgiveness of my sin only to take that away and condemn me once again?  Again, this was the message I was hearing spoken from those within the church.  And it is probably the same message which you have been hearing as well.  That God does not intend to save, but to condemn.  This is the reality that I struggled with for many years.  The hammer finally dropped one Sunday morning when, after preaching that Jesus had died for the forgiveness of my sin, the pastor invited anyone with sin which they had not confessed to come forward for prayer from the church staff.  I was done.  That was the last time I ever walked into a church.  To say that I felt wounded by God was an understatement.  However, eventually I realized that there were only two options to consider.  Either what the pastor said had been correct, and that Gods intent is to judge me, or I had been lied to.  I vowed to discover the truth of God on my own.

In my life I have been fortunate to have a group of friends who are well centered in the Lord.  It is these brothers whom I turned to in my search for the truth.  It has been through my conversations with one brother in particular that I began to see through the lies of the church.  That Gods intent has never been to judge me, but to love me.  For this is the one true nature of the Lord {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  That when He looks upon me, God sees not a sinner, but His child {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  On that issue of sin, which the mainstream church has decided to hang its hat upon, the words of the apostle Paul speak to the truth of that as well.  For Paul speaks to the truth that Christ Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  The truth is, I have never been separated from God Who has created me in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  How is it that which has been created be separate from the creator?  These were the questions I was asking as I sought the truth of the Lord.  Through my conversations with my dear friends, I have come to see that I do not live separate from God, but that my life is lived through Him.  Jesus has spoken to this truth in the scriptures {Johns Account 14:20}.  Of course, this truth which the Lord has revealed in me runs contrary to the message spoken by the church.  This brings me to the hope that I have for you who read this, that the Father will reveal unto you His truth which He has revealed in me.  That your life is not defined by unforgiven sin, but by His love and mercy which saved you from that.  That you do not live apart from the Lord, but within His love for you.  This is the truth of the Father, and it is my hope that it will be revealed to you as it was for me. 

To whom God wills to make known what are the glorious riches of this secret among the nations, which is; Christ among you, the expectation of glory 

Paul to the Colossians 1: 27, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Church Obsession With Sin) # 2079

 

Knowing this, that our old humanity has been crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for sin, for one who dies has been justified from sin.  Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, being roused from among the dead, is no longer dying.  Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, He is living to God.  Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 

Paul to the Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament 

The apostle Paul got it right, that we "By no means to be still slaving for sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  But apparently the mainstream church never got that memo, nor read and/or understood the meaning of his words.  Indeed, growing up in the church I was constantly reminded of that sin which Christ Jesus gave Himself on the cross to wipe away {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Instead, the teaching of the church has always been that although Jesus died for the forgiveness of sin, that somehow sin survived that sacrifice or has at least been resurrected as Jesus was.  The separation theology of the church speaks to the lie that it is our sin which has separated us from God.  In reality, it is our own belief in the lie which has led us to believe that we have been separated from God in any way.  The truth is not that God has turned His back on us, but that we have somehow come to believe that He has.  So it is that the church has chosen to not only trust in the lie of the deceiver, but that it has also chosen to be obsessed with the very idea of sin in the lives of Gods children.  Walk into any church on Sunday morning and you're sure to hear the pastor speaking to the evils of sin.  While I agree that sin is evil, that is as far as I'll go in following the words of most Pharisee school educated pastors.  Know this, that the pastors of our modern day churches only speak what they have been taught in our seminaries.  I am not afraid to say that what they have preached about sin is an out and out lie.  But where did this lie originate?  Well, I can say with confidence that the origins of our belief that we are separated from God came from Eve believing in the words of the deceiver that were she to take of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that she would suddenly "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:5}.  Eve accepted the lie as truth. 

So it is that the mainstream church has also accepted the lie of the deceiver as truth.  For from its pulpits are spoken sermons not only of sin in our life, but how that sin has separated us from God.  They are indeed obsessed with the idea of sin in our lives.  They have chosen to ignore the truth of the words Paul has spoken in His evangel.  That all who are in Christ Jesus are a new creation {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:17}.  But, those in the church might argue, all are not in Christ Jesus, but stained by their sin.  Lies!  The truth is that ALL are indwelled with the living spirit of Christ Jesus within us.  Jesus Himself has spoken to our union life which we now share with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Again, Paul speaks to the truth that those who are in Christ are no longer condemned {Paul to the Romans 8:1}.  Again, the words spoken by the evangel of Paul assure us that we are no longer condemned under sin.  That ship has sailed.  What we now have through the love and mercy of the Father is a life in Him, free of the threat of consequences of sin.  But, the church continues to argue, why do I continue to sin?  Well, what do you consider sin to be?  Robbery?  Murder?  Lying?  Remember, it is Eve who instituted sin by believing in the lie of the deceiver.  By believing that she was separated from God.  Paul speaks to the truth that "The law is spiritual, yet I am fleshly, having been disposed of under sin" {Paul to the Romans 7:14}.  Paul understood that it was not he himself who dipped into sin, but his flesh which followed it's own urges.  Aha, the church will say, so our flesh is wicked!  Not at all.  For our flesh, the container of His spirit within us, has also been created by God.  It is we who have been created in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  I have chosen not to follow the lie. 

There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe, except the One who calls Himself 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}. 

No Independent Self ~ Norman Grubb 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Not A Fan) # 2078

 

For everything that is in the world, the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the ostentation of the living, is not of the Father, but is of the world 

First Epistle of John 2: 16, Concordant New Testament 

I recently watched an old Charlie Kirk Turning Point USA in which a former Only Fans model testified on how the internet platform had affected her life and relationships before she found the Lord.  I saw this as a very powerful testimony in a world filled with images and videos meant to be pleasing to the eyes.  As someone who was once enslaved to the images of pornography, I can also testify to the negative effects it has had on my own life.  I mention the word slavery as this is exactly what an addiction to pornography is.  You become enslaved to the images and movies which bring you pleasure.  Your daily "Porn time" becomes something of a necessity.  At least that's how it worked out for me personally.  It's been reported that about 5-8% of our adult population, men as well as women, has some form of porn addiction.  Now, some might say that accounts such as Instagram and Only Fans are not porn worthy.  But, that would be a lie.  Because I know first hand that there are many Only Fans accounts where women sell, yes sell, images of their bodies for a monthly fee.  As Charlie Kirk so correctly pointed out to the former Only Fans model, "Don't kid yourself, you were selling yourself for money the same as a prostitute would."  He's not lying there.  You might think that it's innocent and fun, but you're doing the same things a prostitute would do.  There is absolutely no difference between what you do and the actions of someone who publicly sells themselves for money.  The only difference is that you do it behind a computer screen.  But you do it for one very important reason, sex sells.  If people were not enticed by the nude images of others, you'd be much better off.  Had I not followed my own urges, I would have avoided the consequences of my own porn addiction.  The apostle John spells it out as the "Desire of the flesh" {First Epistle of John 2:16}.  I will not call out the flesh as wicked as some in the mainstream church have taken to doing, for it is God Who has created us in His very likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It has never been the Fathers creation that has led us down this road, but the desires of man.

There has never been anything within my own body which caused me to be addicted to the images of others.  As I said, I am His creation and this body of mine is the temple for His spirit within me {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 6:19}.  What led me down that path to addiction was my own desires for satisfaction.  I believe that this could be said for any addiction which mankind has ever faced.  The apostle John also mentions the "Desire of the eyes" in his passage {First Epistle of John 2:16}.  Let us look at the moments leading up to mans leap into sin.  Eve was enticed by the words spoken by the deceiver.  She saw that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was "Good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes" {Genesis 3:6].  So, even though the Lord had commanded her not to take from that tree, it looked pleasant to Eve, so she considered taking of the fruit.  But this wasn't the final temptation.  What pushed Eve into sin were the words of Satan promising her that were she to take of the tree that she would "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:5}.  A fruit pleasing to the eyes AND the ability to be like God?  Eve was all in.  Of course, the words Satan spoke were just a lie designed to tempt Gods creation into disobedience to Him.  This is also the birth of the lie which many live in today, that we live separate from God.  That we are our own individual self.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  How is it that what has been created can be separate from the creator?  The author Norman Grubb confirms this by proclaiming that there is but one individual self in the universe, and that is God.  

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} 

No Independent Self ~ Norman Grubb 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A God Who Is) # 2077

 

"Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, did you not read that which is declared to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?  He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

Matthews Account 22: 31-32, Concordant New Testament 

The Christian religion has always been filled with references to a God that was, or a God which will soon be.  Consider many of the worship songs which we belt out each Sunday.  Songs which declare, 'Come Lord Jesus!'  As if Christ Jesus is someone who is yet to come.  And, speaking of Jesus, consider the teachings of the church, which speak to the 'Second coming' of Christ, as if Jesus were not a part of the Lords original creation.  Now, part of this is due to the false separation theology preached by those within the mainstream church.  The theology which speaks to the false narrative that it is our sin which separates us from God.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For the truth which we find in the Father is not of a God of the dead, but of the living {Matthews Account 22:31-32}.  That we need not wait for Jesus to come again, as He is already here among us.  The angels have declared that His very name, Emmanuel, would carry the meaning of "God among us" {Matthews Account 1:23}.  That is, God here among His children, not afar off watching from a distance.  I believe that part of the reason which the church falsely speaks of God is to keep people coming back to church.  The impression being that in order to "Find God" one needs to start in the church.  This, of course, is in error.  What of the man who, being broken in his life, suddenly discovers that bedside bible in a motel room one night?  He has never stepped foot into a church, yet through the word he has come to be introduced to God and His love and mercy for him.  A God Who is not far away, but here with him.  This is but one of the reasons by which I have been critical of the church.  For they speak of a false image of God.  Jesus Himself has spoken to the truth of our union life IN the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  That we need not wait for His "Second coming" in order to enjoy His love and mercy firsthand.  All we need do is realize the truth of who He is within us {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  

I also am of the belief that to speak of God as if He were separate from us denies us the personal connection with Him that the Father desires.  That we would once again be reconciled unto Him {Paul to the Colossians 1:20}.  It was never the desire of God that He would be a separate part of that which He created.  This has been man's narrative from the beginning.  This has been the basis of man-made religion, that we should "Seek" to find God.  If you're thinking that somehow you need to find God, start from within.  For we ourselves have been created in His very image {Genesis 1:27}.  It is God Who is in all and through all {Paul to the Colossians 1:16-17}.  How, then, is it possible for that which has been created to somehow be separate from He Who created it?  Yet this is what continues to be spoken by the church.  The truth of the Father is that we have NEVER been separated from His love and mercy.  He has declared that "I will never leave you nor forsake you" {Deuteronomy 31:6}.  The scriptures itself speak to the errors in church teaching.  I am not simply cherry picking verses to prove my point, this is the truth of our life in the Father, not outside of Him.  I do not seek Jesus to come again, I seek that the world will know that He has always been here {Johns Account 1:1-4}.  It is Jesus Who has been from the beginning.  This is a God who IS.  

"That they may all be one, according as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us, that the world shall be believing that Thou dost commission Me" 

Johns Account 17: 21, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Why They Hate Me) # 2076

 The Pharisaic spirit still exists, and it's the chief reason why so many non-Christians want nothing to do with Jesus 

Frank Viola ~ Eight signs of a modern day Pharisee

I remember how people used to cringe when I mentioned to them that I was indeed a Christian.  For the life of me, I couldn't see how people would discount such a profession from someone.  Of course, it wasn't until I began to encounter the modern day Pharisees that I began to see just why people viewed me with skepticism.  Was I indeed a Christian?  How is it that I practiced my faith?  Did I look upon others as just sinners and not with the love which Jesus Himself displayed?  Let me explain my point here, and how I came to see that I have become guilty by association with other so called Christians.  The author Frank Viola recently penned an article titled "Eight signs of a modern day Pharisee."  What caught my attention from this article was the fact that what Viola was describing was exactly the way which the church taught me to defend my faith.  I was once that guy!  Thankfully, I have come to know that my life does not center around a belief in a man-made religion, but in Christ Jesus.  This is why so many people have looked at me with disgust whenever I mentioned that I was a Christian.  They saw through the smoke screen which the church throws up.  They saw the actions of a judgmental religion.  I hate to admit it, but they were right in seeing me in that way.  For that is how I was presenting myself back then.  When I think back on those days now, I wonder how it is that I would have seen myself.  Thankfully, I have been recently reminded of how it is that others saw me through the interaction of a gym friend of mine.  My friend, and yes, he remains a friend despite our differences, seems to be the epitome of the modern-day Pharisee spoken of by Viola.  The judgement of others.  The holding accountable to the false ideology of sin separating us from God.  Professing that those who remain in that sin will face the punishment of hell.  I don't blame him per se, as this is what the mainstream church continues to teach the followers of religion.  Yet this is the question we need to be asking ourselves, did Jesus ever advocate for the following of a religion?  Or, as I believe, did He focus on the person and not the religious system?  

One of the verses I looked at this week was the command of Jesus and His own desire for us.  Not for adherence to a religion, but for mercy upon those around us {Matthews Account 9:13}.  I was also reminded of the angry words spoken by Jesus directed at the Pharisees of His day {Matthews Account 23:13-33}.  Not only did Jesus express His disagreement with the religious leaders of His day, He openly and publicly condemned them!  Not a good way to make friends for sure.  But Jesus wasn't looking to make friends in this instance.  What He WAS  looking for was shining the light of truth upon the practices of the Pharisees.  How they would burden others with their traditions yet failed to hold themselves to such standards.  If this sounds a bit like the modern day church you might be right.  As I said, it has been the actions of a certain friend which have made me realize that not only was I wrong in my own judgement of others back in the day, but that my friend is also in error.  Jesus was correct in His proclaiming of mercy over sacrifice.  For this is the desire of the Father for us.  It is mercy which God has shown to us even in our former state of sin {Paul to the Ephesians 2:4-5}.  It is because of His mercy that Christ Jesus gave Himself willingly for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Make no mistake about it, we are the ones who needed to die, not Jesus.  Yet, in His mercy for us, God chose He Who had never known sin as that sacrifice.  God did not condemn us to hell for our sin.  He loved us enough to dispatch His only Son that we would be reconciled again to Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  In Jesus we have love, not Condemnation. 

"Now go, learn what this is: Mercy am I wanting, and not sacrifice.  For I did not come to call the just but sinners."

Matthews Account 9" 13, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Tomorrow's Forcast) # 2075

 

"You, then, should not be worrying, saying, 'What may we be eating?' or 'What may we be drinking?' or 'With what may we be clothed?'  For all these the nations are seeking.  For aware is your heavenly Father that you need all of these.  Yet seek first the kingdom and its righteousness, and all these shall be added to you.  You should not, then, be worried about the morrow, for the morrow will be worrying for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own evil. 

Matthews Account 6: 31-34, Concordant New Testament 

I have often found it silly that man, with all of his technology, will have difficulty predicting what the weather will be yet still feel that they can comprehend what will happen a few days down the road.  This, of course, is foolish thinking.  For nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.  Jesus Himself spoke to the dangers of worry in His sermon on the mount.  In fact, He points out that despite our worries over tomorrow, the Father already knows what we will need {Matthews Account 6:32}.  Every once in awhile in my travels I will pass a little shop with the blinking sign in front which reads "Tarot cards read...fortunes told."  Let me tell you, if there were any credence at all to these hucksters claims, there would be zero element of risk involved in life.  Want to invest some money?  Have your fortune read and there's a good chance they could predict what to invest in.  Every college football fan is aware of the various pre-season polls which follow each season.  It seems that each and every news outlet has the inside scoop on what will happen before it even happens.  Indeed, man has become good at predicting what may happen tomorrow, or the next day.  The question we need to be asking is not what will happen tomorrow, but why we feel the need to dabble in that which has always been the Lords domain.  Somehow, man has been deceived into the thinking that we are responsible for our own lives.  This is the lie spoken by the deceiver in the garden.  The false belief that we could ultimately "Be like God" {Genesis 3:5}.  The lie has been perpetuated by the mainstream church, which preaches that our own sin has separated us from God.  Yes, that sin which Jesus supposedly died to free us from.  The author Norman Grubb has written that there can be but one self-operating self in the universe, and that is God Himself {No Independent Self ~ Norman Grubb}.  

At it's base, I believe the reason for our worry over tomorrow is the false belief that we and God are two separate individual selves.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Jesus Himself speaks to the truth of our life in the Father in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  Many of the false ideas harbored by man which I have recently written on can all be traced back to the false belief that we are an independent self.  The free will of man and our ability to choose for ourselves are all based upon the assumption that we, and not God, are in command of our lives.  So, if we are in control of our lives, why is it that we stress so much over what has not yet happened?  Why did Jesus feel the need to proclaim to that crowd on the mount of Olives that day, 'Do not worry?'  Why?  Because He knew the truth, that to worry over such things is folly.  That the Father already knows what we will ask Him for even before we do.  That God already is well aware of what it is that we need.  But we, believing that we alone control our life, continue to work overtime in order to predict what life will bring.  It's well understood that stress and anxiety can cause havoc with these flesh bodies or ours.  Yet I have found a remedy for the stresses of our anxiety.  Trust in the words of Jesus when He declared, 'Do not worry!'  Think about it, what good has worrying over tomorrow ever brought you?  For me personally, to worry brings only distress.  I have never gotten that feeling from trusting in God.  What I have experienced is the peace which comes from knowing that in Him I no longer need to worry. 

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}.

No Independent Self ~ Norman Grubb 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The War Within) # 2074

 For the flesh is lusting against the spirit, yet the spirit is against the flesh.  Now these are opposing one another, lest you should be doing whatever you may want

Paul to the Galatians 5: 17, Concordant New Testament 

It's a comment that I have received all too often when I mention the truth we find in Jesus that He has delivered us from sin once and for all {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  When faced with this truth, many people are aghast and say something along the lines of, "So I can just do whatever I want?"  Pretty much.  Well, at least that is what a part of us desires for us.  To do whatever it is that we see is good, but not what God might see as good.  I was reminded of this internal battle we face by a good friend the other day when he mentioned a life lived in the flesh.  The apostle Paul speaks to our conflict between the flesh and the spirit in Galatians.  For it is the flesh which is lusting against the spirit, and the spirit is against our flesh {Paul to the Galatians 5:17}.  Paul warns us that these two oppose one another "Lest you should be doing whatever you want."  There are people who brush off this conflict by simply saying. "The devil made me do it."  While I wouldn't put it past the deceiver to derail us in that way, I believe that there is something bigger in play here.  That being our struggle between the spirit we are and the flesh we live in.  I would be against condemning the flesh outright, seeing as we have been created in the likeness of the Father {Genesis 1:27}.  It is also God Who has breathed into us the breath of life, whereby we became a living soul {Genesis 2:7}.  So it is that all which we are has been planned and created by the Father.  For it is foolish to believe that anything escapes the Fathers notice.  He knew beforehand that we would encounter this war between our flesh and spirit.  The sides have been chosen long ago, on the one hand are the desires of the Lord while on the other is what makes us feel good.  There was a time when I followed that desire of the flesh as I was dabbling in an addiction to pornography.  My spirit took a back seat to the desires of the flesh.  I was doing what I felt good doing, not what was good for me.  Yet this is the battle each one of us faces every day.  We know what is right and pleasing the Lord, yet we all too often choose the alternate.  Again, Paul speaks wisdom to this truth by proclaiming the struggles he encountered in his life.  Paul concedes that "Good is not making its home in me (That is, in my flesh), for to will is lying beside me, yet to be affecting the ideal is not {Paul to the Romans 7:18}.  

Indeed, Paul knew all to well the struggle he faced between his spirit and his flesh.  It is for this very reason by which many Christians have condemned the flesh as being wicked.  I won't go that far.  In light that we have been created in the likeness of the Father, I will say that it is our flesh which is highly influenced by the world and the earthly pleasures which surround us.  A good friend once related to me that it is our flesh which is neutral, and therefore highly susceptible to the influences of the world around us.  I believe this to be true.  I would also say that to condemn the flesh is to condemn the Fathers creation, and I'm not prepared to do that.  Fortunately, the Father has a way for us to follow what He knows is right for us.  For it is His very spirit within us which speaks to what is right and good {Paul to the Galatians 5:16}.  We can indeed, as Paul proclaims, walk in the spirit which is within us.  Jesus Himself has spoken to our union life within the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  We no longer live within sin, but in the love and mercy of God.  He IS our life.  Knowing this, we must also recognize that our flesh continues to battle against His spirit within us.  This does not diminish the truth that our true identity mirrors Gods spirit identity as well {First Epistle of John 4:13}.  For to walk in the spirit is the desire of the Lord {Paul to the Romans 8:5}.  

For I am aware that good is not making it's home in me (That is, in my flesh), for to will is lying beside me, yet to be affecting the ideal is not 

Paul to the Romans 7: 18, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Pharisee In Me) # 2073

 

The Pharisaic spirit still exists.  And it's the chief reason why so many non-Christians want nothing to do with Jesus

8 Signs of a Modern Day Pharisee ~ Frank Viola 

Growing up in the mainstream church, I learned early on that there was one and only one narrative of the bible and that was the one which the pastor spoke to each Sunday morning.  I was told that I needed to listen to the padre in order that I might "Be fed" from the word of God.  Not only that, I was expected to take his words and bring them into the community outside of the church walls.  In this way I was seen as walking in the steps of Jesus, evangelizing those who needed to hear the word of God.  This was all fine and good, until I came across someone who either didn't adhere to Christianity or had a different interpretation than what I had been taught.  To me, these people were to be seen as lost and in need of saving.  I spent no time in contemplating why it was that they felt this way, only that I needed to bring correction to them no matter what.  After all, I was doing Gods work.  I never really saw myself as a Pharisee until recently when a good friend shared with me an article penned by author Frank Viola titled "8 Signs of a Modern Day Pharisee."  As I read the article, I thought back to all of those whom I had bullied into my way of thinking about God.  How vehemently I had defended my faith from those who needed to be "Taught about God."  Some know this as apologetics, the vigorous defense of their faith in the arena of any debate or discussion.  I this is one of the signs of a modern day Pharisee, I was indeed among that crowd.  It was my job to defend the word of God from those who disagreed with it.  However, over time I began to wonder to myself just why the creator of this universe would need my help defending Him.  Wasn't God more than capable of defending Himself?  Did He really need to defend Himself?  My "Aha moment" came as I was reading through the epistle of John and came across an interesting passage where the apostle calls on us to "Test the spirits to see if they are of God" {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  Test the spirits?  Whatever did this mean?  Was I being asked to go against what I had been taught about God?  As it turned out, I soon came to realize the truth of the love of the Father, and it hadn't come from any Sunday sermon.

I have come to see the passage we find in the First Epistle of John as one of the core verses of my coming to know the truth of my life in the Father.  As John states, "For many false prophets have come out into the world."  This is not a call for people to ignore the bible, but to seek His revelation through the word.  For Jesus Himself has declared our union life in the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  The Author J Preston Eby has gone as far as to describe the modern church as a "Harlot" {The Savior Of The World ~ J Preston Eby}.  As I began to see the scriptures through a different lens of understanding, I began to know a God not of guilt and punishment but of His one true nature, which is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  Recently I have been reminded through a friend of what I must have been like back in my Pharisee days.  I have a friend who seemingly has a mind set that the scripture as taught by the church is the be all end all word of God.  There is even no room for debate in this.  Believe me, I've tried.  My friends defense of a God who loves His children yet hates sin and wickedness is often very...robust.  When I listen to him I hear the centuries old church doctrine that the good will be rewarded and the wicked punished.  Of course, he backs up these claims with plenty of his interpretation of the bible.  I've asked myself, was I ever this bad?  Although I am grateful for the revelation of my life in Christ, my prayers continue to be with my friend that he might enjoy the same love of the Father that I have experienced in my life.  I don't condemn him for his unbelief.  My Pharisee days are over. 

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  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Fathers Reach) # 2072

 

O man! who are you, to be sure, who are answering again to God?  That which is molded will not protest to the molder, "Why do you make me thus?"  Or has not the potter the right over the clay, out of the same kneading to make one vessel, indeed, for honor, yet one for dishonor? 

Paul to the Romans 9: 20-21, Concordant New Testament 

There are many Christians who have spoken to the arrogance of man, but there is no more arrogant belief than that which speaks to man having a free will of his own.  The apostle Paul speaks to this folly in the book of Romans.  It is here where Paul asks the reader, "Has not the potter the right over the clay" {Paul to the Romans 9:21}?  The arrogance of man assumes that he himself decides what he will do as well as how he will be doing it.  As the apostle would say, what folly!  To be clear, what part of our lives is God not so intimately involved?  What part of His creation does God not dictate what, when and where things will occur?  Man claims that he himself chooses to follow God and/or Jesus.  Jesus Himself declares that "No one can come to Me if ever the Father Who sends Me should not be drawing him" {Johns Account 6:44}.  So, it is not by our own volition by which we come to know Jesus, but it is by the will of the Father.  In fact, I would argue that there is nothing which man does of his own accord.  This seems logical seeing as it is God who has created all which surrounds us {Genesis 1:1}.  It is also logical knowing that we have had nothing to do with our own birth, but that God Himself has created all in His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  I do not recall having anything to do my own conception or birth.  Nobody asked me if I wanted to be born into this world.  My guess is that nobody else was given that opportunity either.  Man takes pride in taking credit for that which God is responsible for.  Yes, I've been among those as well.  For their part, those in the mainstream church don't do us any favors by continually speaking to the false belief that we have been separated from God by our own sin.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  But what sin has done is enslaved man into the lie that his life is solely his own.  If anything, man has distanced himself from God by accepting the lie spoken by the deceiver in the garden {Genesis 3:1-6}.  By our own accord, we have accepted that which has never been true, that we are beyond the Fathers reach.

A gym friend of mine has developed the habit of proclaiming that all must "Come to Jesus and accept Christ," as if it is in our abilities to do just that.  Yet, Jesus has spoken that no one comes to Him but through God Who draws them to him.  Of course, many well meaning believers continue to swallow the bait and hold to that belief that it is they who decide what they will do and when and how they will do it.  So, you decide what is to happen in that which you had no hand in creating?  Yeah, good luck with that.  I am not vain enough to recognize that my efforts are but an example of Gods presence here on earth.  It is He who ultimately decides what will happen and when.  You could say that we are simply along for the ride.  But this truth goes against all which is spoken from the pulpits of the church.  Yes, they will acknowledge that it is God Who has created all.  Yet, knowing this, they do not act according to that which is true.  In the theology spoken by the church, God created all, but man decides how he will conduct his life.  This is the error of the belief that man has been created with a free will of his own.  The belief that God has zero influence in whatever man decides to do.  Again, this is not speaking to the truth of the Father.  For our life has never been outside of Gods influence, but within Him.  Jesus Himself speaks to the union between man and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Knowing this truth, what will man ever do that God is not intimately connected to?  In fact, I would argue that it is God who decides how and when we will do what He has set forth for us {Jeremiah 29:11}.  

For the scripture is saying to Pharoh that "For this selfsame thing I rouse you up, so that I should be displaying is you my power, and so that My name should be published in the entire earth" 

Paul to the Romans 9: 17, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Brought To Jesus) # 2071

 No one can come to Me if ever the Father Who sends Me should be drawing him, and I shall be raising him in the last day

Johns Account 6: 44, Concordant New Testament 

Christianity has taught us that among mankind there is a choice that needs to be made.  That in order to enjoy the glory of a life in Christ Jesus that one must first and foremost "Choose" to allow Jesus into their life.  That they must choose to accept Him and all which He offers us.  This has been enshrined in church doctrine for centuries.  Of course, this all centers upon mans own ability to make such a choice for himself.  We've been conditioned to believe that this is indeed the case.  Adam and Eve chose the apple.  Able made the choice to kill his brother Cain.  The Jews made the choice to bow before a false God.  But what if we've gotten it wrong all along?  What if we never really had that choice, but sere simply adhering to the ultimate plan brought forth by the Father?  Think about this, did we have the choice to be born?  To my knowledge, nobody ever asked me my opinion before I was conceived.  I'm sure that nobody was ever offered that choice as well.  Yet we will profess all day long that we ourselves need to somehow make a choice of our own volition to choose Jesus.  How about this, accept the fact that everything which we will ever see is from God.  Everything which we will ever do is from God.  It is well known fact that I have been created in the Fathers likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  That it is God who has breathed into me the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  All that I will ever be is because of Him.  So, how is it that I can claim that I am the only one who make that choice to accept Jesus into my life?  Do I even need to accept Christ into my life?  For it is Jesus Himself Who has spoken to the truth that our life is in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  If we accept the church claim that we need to somehow choose to accept Jesus, then we fail to see ourselves as we truly are.  It has never been about ourselves alone.  In fact, it can be shown that there is but one self-operating independent self in the universe, and that is God {Isaiah 45:5}.  

Those within the mainstream church will preach all day long that we have been separated from God due to our own sin.  This is the false separation theology spoken by the church.  It is based upon the lie spoken by the deceiver in the garden, that if Eve took of the forbidden fruit, that she would somehow "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:5}.  As we all know, Eve swallowed that lie hook, line and sinker.  Not only that, but mankind has been living the lie ever since.  A self-independent man, really?  Remember that God is the ONLY self-operating self in the universe.  Man cannot be a self-operating self because it was not how he was originally created.  We were originally created to be live within the Father, to be an extension of Him.  It is man who has perpetuated the lie that we are separated from God.  This has never been the Fathers intention.  Knowing this truth of who we are in the Father, how is it that man can ever make the independent choice to accept Jesus?  We have never been independent of the Lord, therefore we do not possess that ability to choose for ourselves.  What we DO know through scripture is that man is drawn to Christ Jesus through the work of the Father {Johns Account 6:44}.  It is God who ultimately brings us unto His Son, not our own choice.  This is the desire of the Lord, that all will be saved through Christ Jesus {Johns Account 3:17}.  We have zero ability to choose our salvation in Him.  

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}.

No Independent Self ~ Norman Grubb 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Jesus Cult) # 2070

 

And I hear another voice out of heaven, saying, "Come out of her, My people, lest you should be joint participants in her sins, and less you should be getting of her calamities 

The Revelation of Jesus Christ 18: 4, Concordant New Testament 

I asked an important question to a friend the other day.  The question was, when did Jesus advocate that we follow any organized religion?  I believe that this is an important question if we are to come to really know Jesus and our life in Him.  Well, his first response is a passage many believers point to when it comes to advocating that we MUST find a bible believing church and that we must become members and worship in that church.  This passage is found in Hebrews, and it implores the reader "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves" {To the Hebrews 10:25}.  This seems like a clear directive from the author (This may be Paul, or another of the apostles) that we should not neglect to gather in the worship of the Lord.  This is all fine and good, but I believe that some context is in order here.  When this scripture was written, the lands of the Middle East were dominated and ruled by the Roman empire.  These Romans were not very agreeable to the public worship of the followers of Jesus.  Truth be told, the Jews of Israel were not that fond of them either.  Remember, it was the Jewish authorities who persecuted and killed Jesus for the blasphemous words they felt He spoke.  So it was that the early followers of Jesus were persecuted if they were found worshipping in public.  Therefore, many chose to meet in secret, or not at all, to avoid this persecution and torture at the hands of the Romans.  Therefore, the writer of Hebrews is encouraging the early church to not forsake their gathering together in His name.  The last time I checked, we here in the United States are not being persecuted for attending a church.  So, again I ask, when did Jesus advocate for organized religion to those who followed Him?  Where did He advocate for Sunday morning praise music?  Where did He advocate for an offering in His name?  To my knowledge, Jesus had but one request for those who would follow Him...Follow Me.  We find His request not only in the calling of His disciples, but in those who would follow Him as well.  

When I first read the critical words which Jesus spoke to the Jewish Pharisees and authorities I was a bit disheartened.  Here was Jesus being critical of that church structure that I had been raised to respect.  Growing up in the church, it was expected that Sunday was church day.  It was rare that we were not sitting in a pew on a Sunday morning.  I was taught that this was the command of the Lord, to worship Him.  Now, I have nothing against worshipping and gathering in his name, I'm all for it.  But where is it that Jesus commands that we assemble in a brick and mortar church building in His name?  What Jesus DOES do is speak to the Samaritan woman He meets at the well that "God is spirit, and those who are worshipping Him must be worshipping in spirit and truth" {Johns Account 4:23-24}.  He does not mention a specific place or even a synagogue, only that she worship in spirit and truth.  In the very words of Jesus, "For the Father is also seeking such to be worshipping Him" {Johns Account 4:23}.  Jesus does not mention a Sunday sermon nor an offering to the woman at the well, only that she worship in spirit and truth.  I believe that the same holds true for all who desire to come to know Jesus.  For all who feel burdened by the practices and traditions of the mainstream church.  The truth we find is that Jesus is not found in a brick and mortar church, but inside of us.  It is Jesus who has spoken to our union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Our life is in Him.

"But coming is the hour, and now is, when the true worshippers will be worshipping the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is also seeking such to be worshipping Him.  God is spirit, and those who are worshipping Him must be worshipping in spirit and truth"

Johns Account 4: 23-24, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~