The Good Of The Father (House Of Cards) # 2050

 

"Now woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are locking the kingdom of the heavens in front of men.  For you are not entering, neither are you letting those entering to enter.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  for you are going about the sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever he may be becoming one, you are making him more than double a son of Gehenna than you are.  Woe you, blind guides! who are saying, 'Whoever should be swearing by the temple, it is nothing; yet whoever should be swearing by the gold of the temple is owing.'  Stupid and blind! for which is greater, the gold or the temple that hallows the gold?" 

Matthews Account 23: 13-17, Concordant New Testament 

A good friend sent me an article the other day in which people were describing the "Incident that made them bever step foot in church again."  I found this interesting for the very reason that I can relate to their situation.  The incident which caused me to never step foot in a church again came at the end of an Easter Sunday service, where the pastor invited the congregation to come forward to confess any sin which they felt compelled.  This after speaking a sermon of the resurrection of Jesus, who gave Himself for the forgiveness of sin.  This blatant hypocrisy, preached by someone who seemed to know better, was the final straw for me.  In my heart, I began questioning the message of the church.  So, I'm not surprised at all that others have encountered similar instances which made them question their own involvement in the church.  It is no secret that the traditional mainstream church has seen a mass exodus of people over the years.  Why is that?  If I were a business owner, the traditional church would be seen as the perfect example of a failed business model.  A diminishing customer base combined with falling revenues.  Any business heralding these characteristics surely would not last too long.  And yet the church seems to limp along year after year seemingly on life support.  Yet those in the church continue to be good at the game of advertising the fact that we need them around.  The world is a wicked place, and in the church we can find solace from that.  Or can we?  Over time, I have come to know the inner workings of most churches.  Indeed, many churches follow basic business models in order to survive.  There are payrolls, mortgage payments and board meetings just as in any other business.  Ask yourself, is this what God intended for the ecclesia of Christ?  I would say no.  It is for this reason that I have come to refer to the traditional church as a house of cards.  

In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you 

Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament 

When we talk about the need which we have for the church, we must first answer the question of if it is indeed the church which provides us with access to God the Father.  The church has for years heralded itself as being "Gods house," where everyone and anyone could come to connect with the Father.  But what if we already had that access yet didn't know it?  The church preaches that we have been created in the Fathers likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  Yet, in the same breath, they proclaim that it is our sin which separates us from Him.  So, we have an institution which preaches that all can enter and have access to God the Father, yet tells them that their own sin separates them from He who created them.  Go figure.  Know this, that the very sin which the church preaches separates us from God is that same sin which Jesus gave Himself to free us from {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  The apostle Paul, in his evangel, speaks to the truth that Jesus gave Himself for the forgiveness of sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Yet the trad church continues to preach to the error that sin continues to be an issue in our lives.  To this I pose the question, what about Jesus?  Do we believe that Jesus gave Himself for the forgiveness of sin or don't we?  I choose to accept the truth proclaimed in scripture.  For those who hold on to the belief that God is only worshipped in the brick and mortar houses of cards, consider the words of Christ Jesus Who speaks to our union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  I will continue to see the trad church as a source of fellowship but not a center of worship.  That ship has sailed.  

God is spirit, and those who are worshipping Him must be worshipping in spirit and truth 

Johns Account 4: 24, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Mirror Image) # 2049

 

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

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

I've never been the greatest at having confidence in who I am.  There have been plenty of times where I would identify myself by what others thought of me.  If they saw me as lazy, that was who I thought I was.  If they thought of me as not all that important, that is how I saw myself.  In recent years, I've run across far too many podcasters and internet junkies who have began to speak to the idea that men should have a strong self confidence.  Now, while I agree with this idea, we as men also need to take account of just who it is that we are confident in being.  Who is it that we want those around us to see when they look upon us?  A good example comes from the gym environment which I have immersed myself in over the past few years.  In this testosterone fueled environment, having self confidence usually means that you're bigger and stronger than those around you.  This, of course, is a lie.  For anyone who has studied the scriptures will know that these physical bodies of ours (I know them as a vessel) are but temporary.  This raises the question, what is our real and true identity?  Who is it that we se when we look into that mirror each day?  Do we continue to judge ourselves by whatever positive or negative flaws which we, and others, see in our physical bodies?  Or is there something more in play here?  For the answer to that we need to ask ourselves one question.  That being, how is it that God looks upon us?  We know that we have been created in the Fathers likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  So, who is it that God sees when He looks upon us?  For this will go a long way to speaking to our one true identity.  Does God simply look at us and say to Himself, "This flesh I have created?"  I would answer no to that.  Why?  Because not only have we been created in His very image, but He has also breathed into us the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  Yes, God has breathed Himself into that which He has created.  

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 

Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

The apostle Paul, in his evangel, gives us a few hints as to our true identity.  It is Paul who speaks to the truth that we all "Mirroring the Lord's glory, are being transformed into the same image" {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3:18}.  Is it possible that when God looks upon me that He sees His own image before Him?  After all, He created me in His very image.  He breathed into me the breath of life, thereby creating the living soul.  Wouldn't we therefore expect that I would mirror the appearance of the Father Who created me?  Now, we're not talking about those physical attributes by which so many people judge those around them.  For we're told that God is spirit {Johns Account 4:24}.  Therefore, we can assume that if we have been created in His likeness, that our one true identity is in spirit form as well.  THIS is what God sees when He looks upon me.  This is the image which I see when I look into that mirror each and every day.  What does this all have to do with the concept of having confidence?  Well, what are we confident in?  Are we confident in the false image of the flesh, or do we recognize that it is the spirit image of God which defines us?  That is who we truly are.  When we look into that mirror, we see that we are mirroring His glory.  Confident in our faith that our life is in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Two Faces Of God) # 2048

 

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 noticed the comment from a friend of mine the other day asking if we have a fear of God.  Like my friend, it has taken me a good deal of time to overcome my own fear of the Lord.  The fear that if I didn't somehow measure up to His requirements that He would suddenly become a God that I didn't sign up for.  A God Who would, in an instant, forsake His own love for me and condemn me to punishment.  I've spent a good portion of my life attempting to avoid the vengeance of this two-faced God.  Is it any coincidence, then, that I've spent a good portion of my life adhering to the teachings of the mainstream church?  Indeed, it is through the church by which I was taught to fear God.  To fear His judgement.  To fear His wrath.  Indeed, this is one of the cornerstones of the teachings of the church, that we should fear a God Who loved us enough to create us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  That somehow, despite His love for me, that God would toss me under the bus if I didn't adhere to what the church taught me.  One question I often asked is, what kind of love is this?  It's also a question which I've been asked by many people when I engage in conversations about God.  What loving God would condemn those He loves?  Well, I believe that this fear of God comes down to how it is that we see Him in our life.  Do we adhere to the teachings of the mainstream church, and believe that it is our own sin by which God will condemn us?  Or, do we trust in another view of God.  A view of God seldom spoken of in the church.  That of a loving God Who loved us before time began {Paul to the Ephesians 1:4}.  Can love even exist in the face of fear?  The apostle John speaks to the truth that there is NO fear in the love of God {First Epistle of John 4:18}.  We also know that the one true nature of God...is that of love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  That's right, God IS LOVE.  We're told that "Fear is not in love, but perfect love is casting out fear."  This is the God that I have come to know.  

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've made no secret of the fact that my own view of the Lord and that taught by the mainstream church are radically different.  For I do not adhere to the view of the church that God will love us one minute but then suddenly condemn us in the next.  Indeed, one of the core beliefs of so called Christianity is that God never changes {To the Hebrews 13:8}.  Knowing this, are we then forced into choosing which side of God to trust and believe in?  Do we continue to live in fear of a vengeful God?  Or, do we trust in the truth of the scriptures that we have been fearfully and wonderfully made in His likeness?  That God has loved us enough to call Us His children.  For if there is no turning with God, then there is absolutely NO room for the church narrative which proclaims that with God comes the threat of condemnation.  The false narrative which is proven a lie by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross {Paul to the Romans 8:1}.  That it is Christ Jesus who has given Himself for us "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  The truth spoken by Jesus Himself that we are not of this world, but that we now live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  This is the truth of the Lord rarely spoken by those within the church.  The truth which proclaims that in the love of God, there is no room for condemnation. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Crutches) # 2047

 

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 

Matthews Account 11: 29, Concordant New Testament 

Mention the word crutch to someone and you might be surprised at the answer.  Some will correctly identify if as a much needed piece of medical equipment for those who need it.  Meanwhile, someone else might answer that the crutch symbolizes something totally different.  For both the medical and non medical crutches are somehow designed to assist someone through a difficult period of time.  Now, I've been fortunate to have never had an injury in my lifetime which has required me to use crutches.  However, I've used plenty of crutches in my life.  How is that possible?  It's possible because, like too many others, I've used coping mechanisms in my life in order to get me through those times where I felt I needed them.  Crutches can come in many different appearances, from drugs and liquor to pornography.  In my life, I often chose the latter.  It is my pornography addiction that I often turned to when things got too tough for me.  Like that medical device, I felt that I needed this crutch in order to make it through the day.  I've talked with quite a few people who agreed that their own use of liquor or drugs made them feel like they couldn't make it through life without them.  This is the illusion of things which we prop up to somehow help us through our day.  Some depend of porn.  Others depend upon food.  Either way you look at it, it's nothing more than a crutch and not a permanent solution to our problem.  The good news is that Christ Jesus has offered to us a solution to those times when we feel that we can't go on.  That solution, is Him.  For in Christ Jesus we find the peace and solitude which we need to make it through the tough times of life.  Jesus Himself has invited us to look unto Him in those times when we feel burdened.  In Him, Jesus proclaims, "You shall be finding rest for your souls" {Matthews Account 11:29}.  How liberating is it when we take the stress of our life and give it unto Jesus?  The added benefit when we lift our troubles unto Him is that we avoid the addictive crutches that we might have turned to instead of trusting in Jesus.  

And He is the propitiatory shelter concerned with our sins, yet not concerned with our only, but concerned with the whole world also

First Epistle of John 2: 2, Concordant New Testament 

Through the revelation I have received of my own life in Christ, I have come to see Jesus not only as a help in times of trouble, but as my shelter as well.  For it is Christ Who I am protected by in my union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  I cannot define life now as something I walk in alone, but something I live in Christ Jesus.  It is this realization of my life in Christ which has given me the freedom to ditch the traditional crutches we might find and to place my trust in Jesus.  It is in Christ that I have found peace and rest.  This doesn't mean that I no longer face the troubles of life, only that I now face them through Christ Jesus Who is my life.  I believe that this is what Jesus was speaking to when He invited us to "Lift My yoke upon you."  In Christ, our burdens are His as well.  And one thing is certain, Jesus will not stress over the burdens of life.  What He will do is to intercede on our behalf with the Father {Paul to the Romans 8:34}.  We can be assured that when we trust that our burdens are His and His alone, that our own stress will be reduced as well.  Far from being just another crutch, Jesus is not a temporary solution to our problems.  He is our ever present help in times of need {Psalm 46:1}.  No addiction could ever stake that claim. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Trad Church) # 2046

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

Paul to the Galatians 3: 28, Concordant New Testament 

I got a message this week from a friend who was contemplating a story on the increase in the number of younger men accepting the Orthodox religion as their new spiritual home.  The basis of this mass exodus from the traditional halls of Christianity seems to be the trend of the mainstream Christian church leaning more and more towards left wing, anti conservative ideals.  Traditionally, the church has been seen as the bastion of conservative beliefs, but not so much anymore.  In recent years, we have seen the influx of LGBTQ and the "Acceptance" of alternative lifestyles being embraced by the traditional church.  Honestly, I do not blame those who have left the trad church and looked for guidance elsewhere.  Even I, all those years ago, abandoned my spot in the Sunday morning pew in order to pursue a new relationship with the Lord.  Along the way I have faced criticism from those who remain in the church for abandoning God.  Some have even questioned my salvation.  Yet, the apostle John speaks that we must indeed "Test the spirits to see if they are of God" {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  When I left the traditional church, I was intent on putting this verse into practice.  How was the mainstream church theology bringing me closer to the truth found in Christ Jesus?  Was sin still a big factor in my life?  But wait, hasn't Jesus already died to sin {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  How is it that the same traditional church which claims that Jesus indeed gave Himself for the forgiveness of sin still preach that sin continues to be a struggle in our lives?  How is it that the traditional church has somehow lowered its conservative standards to allow into its teachings the acceptance of alternative lifestyles?  Like I said, I understand totally why there are those who seek to abandon the seemingly woke traditional church for something more along the lines of the way that church used to be.  

Because, by the works of law, no flesh at all shall be justified in His sight, for through law is the recognition of sin

Paul to the Romans 3: 20, Concordant New Testament 

In the years since I left the traditional church, I have come to know the Lord in a more personal way in my own life.  I'm not afraid to say that this revelation would ever have been possible had I continued in the teachings of the church.  For the church is fond of preaching that which is contrary to the truth of Christ which we find in the evangel of the apostle Paul.  That sin IS NOT a stumbling block to me, but that which has been put to death by Christ Jesus {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Not only that, but that I now live my life IN HIM {Johns Account 14:20}.  These are truths which I have never heard preached within the traditional church.  For the focus of the modern trad church seems to be fill those pews at any cost.  Even if that means accepting and proclaiming that which it previously spoke to as behaviors which were wrong in the eyes of God.  Now, I might catch my share of pushback from those who might claim that I am judging others, and maybe that was true all those years ago.  But what has the traditional church taught us other than how to judge others?  Judgements of sin, immoral behavior and unbelief.  Perhaps that same church is now placing judgements upon those who have chosen to adapt the Orthodox sect of Christianity while forsaking the traditional church they no longer recognize.  I get it.  All those years ago, I stepped aside from a church that I no longer recognized as well.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Chosen Few) # 2045

 

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 

I was listening to another radio sermon the other night when the topic turned once again to one of the misconceptions of the mainstream church.  That is, the issue of salvation.  Notably, who is to be saved and who will be left in the dust.  Traditional church theology speaks to the point that those who accept Christ Jesus as their Lord and savior will indeed be saved {Paul to the Romans 10:13}.  But what about the remainder of Gods creation?  Doesn't God care about them enough to save them as well?  The answer that we find in scripture is...yes He does.  However, the theology and teaching of the church speaks to the fact that the "Good" will be rewarded with salvation while the "Wicked" shall be punished with an eternity in hell {Matthews Account 13:49-50}.  Indeed, through the centuries the church has latched onto the idea that Gods salvation is a black and white issue.  You're either good or wicked.  Nowhere in the teachings of the mainstream church is leeway given for the grace and mercy of the Lord.  You are either good or wicked.  But what if God does not see tings this way?  What if it is the desire of the Father that ALL be saved and spend eternity with Him?  Indeed, there are also plenty of scriptures which speak to this truth as well.  The apostle Paul, in his evangel, speaks that as in Adam "All are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified" {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:22}.  Paul speaks to the truth that, through the work of Christ Jesus, all shall find life.  And what is life but salvation?  Do we believe that Jesus gave Himself for the sins of all the world {First Epistle of John 2:2}?  Or, as the church preaches, that the free gift of Gods salvation is one reserved for a fortunate few?  Which scriptures do we believe and which do we toss aside as unbelievable?  For there are scriptures which speak to each side of this issue.  If we are to believe that all scripture is given to us to reveal the truth of Christ Jesus and the freedom brought about by His death, then we are to believe that it has always been the Lords desire that all of His children shall be saved.  

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and losing one of them, is not leaving the ninety-nine in the wilderness and is going after the lost one, till he may be finding it?" 

Lukes Account 15: 4, Concordant New Testament 

Another deeper question I have posed to more than a few people who trust in the church view of salvation is this, does God indeed love and cherish all of His children?  The scriptures confirm this truth for us {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  Jesus Himself speaks to this truth in His parable of the one lost sheep {Lukes Account 15:4}.  The church gets it right when they speak to the fact that God so loved the world that He would dispatch His only Son for us {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Yet at the same time that preach the false belief that the Father, despite His own love for us, will turn His back on His those created in His likeness {Genesis 1:27} and send them to that place of eternal punishment apart from his presence.  Is this the love of God?  I would suggest that for anyone adhering to this belief, that they really do not know the Father at all.  For most of my life, I believed that my salvation was related to how well I behaved.  That if I did good, that I would be rewarded with salvation.  However, I was also taught that this salvation is conditional, that I somehow needed to "Maintain" my own salvation.  There continues to be those within the mainstream church who adhere to this false teaching.  I have spoken many times to a gym friend of mine who adamantly holds to the belief that we need to maintain that salvation which has been freely given us.  To this I ask, what about Jesus?  If he is indeed the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, would that not reveal the truth that through Him all are saved?  Not if you're a pastor it doesn't.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Church Like No Other) # 2044

 

And He is the head of the body, the ecclesia, Who is sovereign, First from among the dead, that in all He may be becoming first

Paul to the Colossians 1: 18, Concordant New Testament 

Ever since I left the church, it seems that I always come across someone who asks me THAT question once again.  "So, what church are you going to?"  They're always a bit dumbfounded when I tell them that I walk into the church of the Lord Jesus.  Well, just where exactly is that?  Can I go too?  In all honesty, the church of the Lord Jesus, that church of which He is the head, will not be found in some ornate fancy building that we've come to expect of churches down through the years.  Where we will find the church of the Lord Jesus, His ecclesia, is anywhere there is a gathering of those who know, love and worship Christ Jesus.  This could be in a Sunday morning small group meeting or, as in my case, in a simple gym environment among those who are seeking the Lord as well.  Through the years, those within the mainstream church have come to structure the way that church is defined.  They will insist that we should not be "Forsaking the assembling of ourselves" {To the Hebrews 10:25}.  They will point to this verse as somewhat of a heavenly command to go to church each and every week without fail.  In reality, when one looks into the context of this passage, we began to see a somewhat different message.  See, when this scripture was written, the nation of Israel was still under the control of the Roman empire.  As a consequence of this, early believers were persecuted for their belief and for following the teachings of Jesus.  The writers of the verses we find in Hebrews encouraged believers to gather amongst themselves in worship despite the consequences they faced if they were caught by the Roman authorities.  To not forsake the assembling of themselves within the ecclesia, the church of the Lord Jesus.  These gatherings typically took place not in synagogues, but in the homes of believers in Christ Jesus.  If these early believers followed the dictates of the religious leaders of their day, they would have gathered in the synagogues as they always had.  Jesus changed all that.  No longer is the brick and mortar church the center of those who know and believe in Jesus. 

God is spirit, and those who are worshipping Him must be worshipping in spirit and truth

Johns Account 4: 24, Concordant New Testament 

One of my favorite scenes from The Chosen series is the day that Jesus traveled to meet the Samaritan woman drawing water from a well.  This woman had been fed the requirements of the religious leaders of her day, who claimed that she could not worship in Jerusalem due to the fact that Samaritans were seen as somehow "Unclean" by the Jews.  Once again, Jesus came to break the traditions and requirements of the Jewish authorities.  This woman, who was seen as unclean was assured by Jesus that she was a part of His ecclesia.  That the traditional worship requirements no longer mattered.  She was now free to worship the Lord in "Spirit and truth" wherever she felt led to do so.  This is the same spirit of worship which we have today.  Nothing has changed, God is still in spirit and He continues to desire that we worship in spirit and truth.  Now, if someone is led to worship in the traditional church environment, then they are free to do just that.  As for myself, I choose to worship the Father in my own way, apart from the rules and traditions of the mainstream church.  No boring sermons.  No tithe and no obnoxious praise and worship music.  Of course, there will always be those within the church who will tell me that I'm missing the point.  That I somehow cannot worship the Father unless I do so within the confines of the brick and mortar church environment.  That sounds a bit too much like compulsion to me.  

~Scott~