The Good Of The Father (The Identity Crisis Facing Men) #2168

 

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 the flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me

Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament Translation

There have been many attempts throughout our history to determine what defines a man.  I recall the Marlboro man cigarette ads in the 70's that depicted a man as a horse riding cowboy type who smoked multiple packs a day.  Then, we were told that cigarettes were the main cause of cancer, and the definition  of the man changed once again.  The author John Eldredge penned the popular Christian book Wild at Heart, which spoke to the identity of a man as the outdoors, risk taking, care free man we at times dream of being.  But again, this fell short of the one true definition of what a man truly is in the eyes of the Lord.  Most every time someone has tried to define what a man is, it is usually based upon who the world feels that a man should be.  Tough, compassionate or wild, it seems that we can't make up our minds on what makes a man.  The apostle Paul hits the nail on the head with his own truth of who we are in Christ Jesus.  Paul does not strive to define what a man is, but who WE are.  He understood the truth, that the old man was gone, having been crucified on that cross with Jesus.  All which remains...is Jesus {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  So, in our attempts to ascertain the identity of a man, we've been missing the mark entirely.  This is why I believe that men face an identity crisis.  This is the same identity crisis which I faced not that long ago.  Believing what the world told me that a man should be.  Ignoring what the Father created me to be.  It's no secret that, as men, we are bombarded with messages about who we are and how we should act.  I have a gym friend who has spoken to the lie that he believes that women hold too much power over men.  In my opinion, we've done this to ourselves.  Instead of following who the Father has created us to be, we manufacture a false identity which is far different. 

So, who is it that God has created me to be?  Answer this question, and you're most likely on the road to discovering who it is that you truly are.  The truth is that we have been created by God in His own likeness/image {Genesis 1:27}.  He has always been a part of who we are.  Everything we are or will ever be, has been created by God.  So, is God an adventurer, as the author Eldredge sought to establish men as?   Absolutely.  Following Paul's lead, we can assume that we have never been an independent creation, but have dwelled within the love of the Father.  When we look in the mirror, we see the image of Jesus.  Jesus Himself speaks to our union life within the Father in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  God has not created us to be a separate entity apart from Him.  He has created us to live within Him.  The lie spoken by the deceiver has convinced many that man is his own, separate being.  This is the lie spoken by Satan the deceiver in the garden, that man would "Be like God" {Genesis 3:5-6}.  The Christian author Norman Grubb writes about the error in this thinking.  That "There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe, except the One Who calls Himself the I AM"{Exodus 3:14}.  For their part, the church has fallen for the lie of the deceiver hook, line and sinker.  You will seldom hear of our union life within the Father preached from the pulpits of the church.  In my opinion, this only adds to the identity crisis facing men today.  The truth is that we have been created to live IN the Father and not outside of His love.  This is the truth of who we are. 

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 Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (What We Expect From Satan) # 2167

 

We are of God.  He who knows God is hearing us.  He who is not of God is not hearing us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deception 

First Epistle of John 4: 6, Concordant New Testament Translation

There has never been a more aptly applied name.  To many believers, Satan has become known as the deceiver.  We know it, and we proclaim it.  But we all too often don't practice what we preach.  All too often, we fall for the lies of the devil without even realizing it.  The apostle Peter has spoken that the devil roams about seeking whom he may devour {Peter to the Dispersion (1) 5:8}.  He never misses the opportunity to deceive anyone.  I know that I have been the victim of his lies on more than one occasion.  The latest has been during a bout of a feeling of low self-worth, where Satan had a field day feeding me lies about myself.  That I was not important.  That my eternity in the Lord was a false belief.  That my sin had caused Him to deny me.  Lies!  It is in these moments that we need to heed the advice of Peter and be sober...watch!  For we must always be on guard for the lies of the deceiver.  Because deception is his only game plan.  Think about it, what does Satan have to offer us but lies?  Of course, a lie told often enough has a good chance of becoming truth.  Not in this case.  For our truth is within the love of the Father.  The apostle John correctly refers to Satan as the "spirit of deception" {First Epistle of John (1) 4:6}.  Nothing could be closer to the truth than that.  For this is all which Satan has to offer us.  He cannot offer salvation.  He definitely will never offer us unending love.  Everything which he has to offer is based upon lies.  He has spoken the lie that he will ascend above the Lord {Isaiah 14:13-14}.  He has also spoken the lie which speaks to man being separate from God {Genesis 3:4-5}.  I believe that this is one of the most dangerous lies of the deceiver, and one which continues to be preached from the pulpits of the church.  The lie that the sins of man have caused him to be separated from the God Who created him.  As with all of the lies of the deceiver, nothing could be further from the truth.

One of the best defenses to combat the lies of the deceiver is the truth which we have in the Father.  The writer of Hebrews speaks to the truth that God shall be "Imparting My laws to their hearts, I shall be inscribing them on their comprehension also" {To the Hebrews 10:16}.  This is the new covenant of the Lord for His children.  In other words, His desires are not only written in our hearts, but we are always keenly aware of His thoughts if we only will listen to His spirit in which we now dwell.  That's right, contrary to the lie of the deceiver, our life is not lived separate from God, but within His love.  Jesus has spoken to this truth in the book of John {John's account 14:20}.  The apostle Paul, in his evangel, speaks to his life being in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  THIS is the truth which we have in the Father.  This is who we are!  The deceiver will try to whisper in our ear that our sin has separated us from God, that God could never love a sinner like me.  In reality, it is through the love and mercy of the Father that our sin has been nullified {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  This isn't just for sins of the past, but for our present and future as well.  The truth is that Christ Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Knowing this truth we have in the Father, we can easily counter the lies of the deceiver.  That I am created in the Fathers likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  That He has breathed into me the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  That I am His loved child {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  A good friend of mine often spoke a simple truth which I remember to this day, when Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future!  My future is in the Father.  The future of the deceiver lies within his deception.  This is all he has to offer us.  

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 Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (How To Be A Church Outcast) # 2166

 

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 Translation

I have some advice for those who will ever plan on questioning your pastors teachings...don't.  I also have some advice for those who will ever espouse to a different interpretation of the scriptures than what those within the church preach...DON'T.  Take a lesson from me, because I've had to learn that lesson the hard way.  There was a time when I was a loyal church attender, taking my place in the pew every Sunday as was expected.  I took in the sermons which the pastor spoke convinced that it was God ordained, which it may well have been.  But I felt like something was missing.  Over time, that feeling grew into a longing within my heart.  Knowing what I now know, I believe that this was the beginning of the Fathers revelation within me.  Still, I sat in that pew each week.  I had heard the ramblings for years, that sin had corrupted me to the point that I was now separated from a holy God.  But one question remained, had not Jesus died in order to take away that sin?  When I asked that question, I was told that sin is ongoing, that man is inherently sinful {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  Still the question remained, what about Jesus?  The longer I remained in the church, the more I witnessed how the church dealt with those who had beliefs which were out of line with what the pastors were preaching.  I recall a few individuals who were quietly asked to leave.  I didn't want to be one of those outcasts.  The church was my gateway to God.  This all changed one Easter Sunday.  While sitting through the usual Easter sermon on how Jesus had died for the forgiveness of sin, the pastor encouraged anyone who felt the need to confess their sin to come forward and receive prayer from the church staff.  Again, that question ate away at me, if Jesus has given Himself for the forgiveness of sin, why would I need to seek His forgiveness for that which He has already accomplished?  That was the day that I left the mainstream church for good.

My reason for leaving the church was simple.  I had a question in my heart, a question those within the church could not, or would not, answer.  I had become that person that only a few years back I had not wanted to become.  Now I was the outcast.  At this point, I needed to address the question which those within the church couldn't answer.  Thankfully, I had a dear friend who had felt the same tugging upon his heart which I had.  Together we have discovered the truth which the church has refused to proclaim for thousands of years.  Yes, Jesus has indeed given Himself for the forgiveness of sin {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Make no mistake, I was the one who needed to die for my sin.  The apostle Paul has spoken that we HAVE died with Christ Jesus on that cross {Paul to the Galatians 2:20, Paul to the Romans 6:8}.  Obviously, this is something I never heard mentioned within the walls of the church.  But does that make it any less true?  This is not something which I have pulled out of thin air to proclaim.  This is the proclaimed truth of Christ Jesus as documented through the scriptures.  Yet whenever I have attempted to broach this subject with those in the church, I am accused of cherry-picking the scriptures in order to suit my blasphemous narrative.  This is how those within the church treat those who don't follow the church teachings.  It's also why I kept the longings of my own heart a secret while I took my place in that pew each Sunday.  If I were to give some advice to someone with the same questions as I had it's this, you will NEVER find the truth about God while adhering to the teachings of the church.  I never did.  My good friend never did.  It was only after I had been out of the church for a short time that I began to realize the revelation of my life in the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  That Christ Jesus, and I along with Him, has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  I take comfort in knowing that those who opposed Jesus back then also considered Him to be an outcast.  I guess I'm in good company.  

For the era will be when they will not tolerate sound teaching, but, their hearing being tickled, they will heap up for themselves teachers in accord with their own desires 

Paul to Timothy (2) 4: 3, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Keepers Of Conformity) # 2165

 

"Take heed to yourselves and to the entire flocklet, among which the holy spirit appointed you supervisors, to be shepherding the ecclesia of God, which He procures through the blood of His own" 

Acts of the Apostles 20: 28, Concordant New Testament Translation

Very few Christians know of the First Council of Nicaea, which was convened in the summer of the year 325.  However, it is through the works and decisions of this gathering of church bishops that shaped the teachings and ideology of the church as we know it today.  Convened by the emperor Constantine, the councils primary focus was to somehow develop a consensus within the church through a gathering of those from throughout Christendom.  That is, to develop an understanding and a primary focus of the church.  In other words, to create conformity within the church.  It is through the Nicaea council that we have many of the traditions and theologies preached by the church today.  Make no mistake, the same bishops which gathered in the year 325 were the ones most responsible for establishing conformity within the Christian religion.  They were the original keepers of conformity.  While we still have bishops in many Christian dominations today, including the Catholic and Eastern orthodox churches, within the mainstream church, it is the local pastor(s) who now carry that weight of the keepers of conformity.  It is the pastor who speaks the words taught for centuries by the church.  Seldom wavering in the message which is given unto the congregations.  Make no mistake, there can be no non-conformity within the congregation.  Many churches have boards which decide the message and direction of the church.  These are the modern day keepers of conformity.  I have been blessed with the experiences a dear friend of mine has shared with me over the years of his own experiences as a pastor and the keepers of conformity of the congregation.  I've seen first-hand how those who do not conform to the standards set by the council of Nicaea are treated.  Consider the truth which I have come to know of my own life within the Fathers love.  Back in the day, the bishops of Nicaea may well have deemed such beliefs as blasphemy.  For they do not fall in line with the church message established so many years ago.  

For those who have had the revelation from the Father as I have, your biggest struggle will be fighting against thousands of years of church teachings.  The keepers of conformity will not tolerate the truth being spoken within the walls of the church.  What is this truth?  The truth which speaks to the fact that I am no longer a sinner {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  The truth which testifies to the fact that I no longer life a life of flesh, blood and sin, but a life within the love of the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  To the keepers of conformity, this is heretical thinking.  It goes against the church message which the council of Nicaea agreed upon all those years ago.  The fact that my beliefs are grounded in the scriptures makes no difference to them.  In their eyes, I am simply cherry picking verses to support my blasphemous viewpoint.  The keepers of conformity will use sin as a weapon to keep the congregation in line.  The same sin, by the way, which Christ Jesus has already given Himself for {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  The only thing which makes their teachings certified and mine heresy is that decision by a group of bishops thousands of years ago.  In all of my years within the church, I've never heard a pastor utter anything in the way of living my life within the Father.  The closest they would come is to proclaim that we "Be like Jesus."  But the apostle Paul speaks to the truth that we're not like Jesus, we ARE Jesus {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Paul understood that he was dead, having been crucified with Christ at the cross.  What remains, is Christ.  Yet this thinking, taken straight from the evangel of Paul, is seen as blasphemy by the keepers of conformity.  And that cannot be accepted in the church.  

Two priests came round our house tonight

One young, one old, to offer prayers for the dying 

to serve the final rite

One to learn, one to teach, which way the cold wind blows

And fussing and flapping in priestly black like a murder of crows

~All this time~ Sting 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (God Of All) # 2164

 

But the Most High is not dwelling in what is made by hands, according as the prophet is saying, "Heaven is My throne, yet the earth is a footstool for My feet.  What kind of house shall be built for Me?"  The Lord is saying, or what is the place of My stopping?"

Acts of the Apostles 7: 48-49, Concordant New Testament Translation

Think about this for a minute, what is it that we give to God?  Christians are fond of proclaiming that they "Give" all sorts of things to God.  We give praise, we give prayers and, most of all, we give Him money.  I recently watched a short flick by Christian influencer Martin Zender, who titled his video as God FORCING His love upon His children.  Now, I grew up in churches where I was taught that I have been created with free will.  Indeed, many believers continue to hold onto this mistaken belief.  It is the basis of our decision to choose or reject Christ Jesus.  We are seemingly free to do just that, or are we?  According to Mr. Zender, we do not give love to God, He freely gives His love to us.  Not only that, but the very nature of God, is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  Christians are also fond of referring to their church as "Gods house."  As if He is somehow dwelling within its walls.  Well, Luke writes in the book of Acts that "The Most High is not dwelling in what is made by hands" {Acts of the Apostles 7:48}.  The question which I asked myself while preparing this page was, what do I have to offer God which He does not already have?  This is the question which every believer needs to be asking.  What is it that we offer God?  Is He not the creator of all which we will ever see or experience?  The simple truth is that we DO NOT offer anything unto God, but God delivers unto us through His love and mercy for us.  It is God who gives unto us love, life and all things {Acts of the Apostles 17:28}.  We offer God nothing.  It is the Father Who gives unto us life, health and all.  So, what does this say about the church lie of free will?  Do we, as the Fathers creation, really have free will?  Is it truly our responsibility alone to somehow "Choose" Jesus as our Lord and Savior?  Well, the church would have us believe so. 

One of our core Christian beliefs is that we have been designed and created in the Fathers likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  That He has breathed into His creation the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  What is it that we have which God has not provided us?  Nothing.  I would say, not even that which we cherish as humans, free will.  For to possess free will is to suggest that we somehow operate out of the jurisdiction of the Lord.  This simply is not true.  The author Norman Grubb writes that "There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe, except the One Who calls Himself the I AM {Exodus 3:14}.  Understanding this, we began to see that we ourselves have nothing to offer unto the Father.  For He has given us all we will ever have or know.  Again I ask, what can we ever offer unto God which He doesn't already have?  Do we really offer Him praise?  Do we truly offer Him our hearts?  No, for what God requires, He takes unto Himself.  I dare say that God desired for His children to be reconciled unto Him.  This was accomplished through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.  We do not choose Christ, He has chosen us.  Through His love for us, He has chosen death {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Those within the church cannot truthfully say that we are the ones who must choose Christ, for out of His love for us, He has chosen us.  The simple truth is that we have nothing to offer He Who has created all which we will ever see.  Even our life is lived within His love {Johns Account 14:20}.  But, that message doesn't fill too many pews on Sunday mornings.  

The God Who makes the world and all that is in it, He, the Lord inherent of heaven and earth, is not dwelling in temples made by hands, neither is He attended by human hands, as if requiring anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all 

Acts of the Apostles 17: 24-25, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Jesus Fraternity) # 2163

 

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

Paul to the Colossians 1: 18, Concordant New Testament Translation

If you hang around amongst Christian circles often enough you might just hear "The" question thrown in your direction.  What church do you belong to?  I've heard this question often enough in my life until it made me think that I not only needed to attend a church, but I needed to belong to a church.  Doesn't this sort of sound like a Jesus fraternity?  I had this conversation with a friend this week, one who knows all too well the inner workings of fraternities, as he was in one while in college.  Not only was he in said fraternity, but he "Belonged" to that elite group.  Now, this is nothing against fraternities per se, because I'm sure that they have their finer points.  For the purpose of this post, my goal is to illustrate how our belief in Jesus has been hijacked by those within the mainstream church.  I believe that it is no longer acceptable for the church that someone simply believes in Christ Jesus.  No, we not only need to believe, but we need to accept and proclaim Jesus as Lord and devote ourselves to one particular church.  Think I'm off base here?  Consider the requirements which many churches openly speak to, requirements which they fully expect from their members.  Requirements to attend the church, to serve said church AND to be initiated into the church.  Initiated?  Yes, initiated.  Like so many college fraternities out there, far too many churches insist upon a requirement which one must perform in order to be accepted as a member of the church.  I'm talking about the ritual of baptism.  I can recall going through the membership classes of the last church I attended, classes which were required if someone were to be considered a member of the church.  Sounds like a fraternity to me.  Part of joining almost any fraternity is the initiation into said group.  This is where the pledge is judged worthy of joining the fraternity.  Of course, this is just the first step, for even after joining, the new member is saddled with expectations that they serve the fraternity.  My friend offered up more than a few stories of how he was expected to perform.  What church doesn't follow these same practices? 

There might be more than a few people who will get bent out of shape by this comparison of the church to a common fraternity, but the similarities are simply too hard to ignore.  They demand that those who choose to worship in "Their" church adhere must prove themselves worthy of the congregation they seek to join.  Still think I'm wrong?  Why is it that so many churches continue to offer up membership classes, as if the requirement is to somehow "Join" the church?  Why is so much importance placed upon serving said church?  When someone askes me what church I belong to, I smile and tell them the church of Jesus.  I am a member of that church which Jesus is actively building among us.  The church where Christ Jesus is the head of the body {Paul to the Colossians 1:18}.  In His church, there are no requirements to prove you belong.  In the church Jesus is building, all are welcome.  I commented to a good friend of mine this week that I see similarities in my group of gym friends to that church which Jesus is building.  We gather and we talk about Jesus.  We are contractors, doctors and industrial workers.  At first glance, you might not see this group as a church.  We don't have all the traditional trappings one might expect to see in any run of the mill church.  There's no worship music, no offering and, above all, no new membership classes people need to attend in order to become a member.  THIS is the church Jesus is building.  Jesus isn't looking for someone to prove that they belong here.  In the Lords eyes, this is His assembly, His ecclesia.  My invitation is the same which Jesus gave to those who sought to know about Him, come and see.  

Now Jesus, being turned and gazing a them following, is saying to them, "What are you seeking?"  Yet they said to Him, "Rabbi (Which, being construed, is termed "Teacher"), "where are thou remaining?"  He is saying to them, "Come and see."  They came, then, and perceived where He is remaining, and they remain with Him that day, it was about the tenth hour. 

Johns Account 1: 38-39, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (For Heavens Sake) # 2162

 

And in My Fathers house are many abodes; yet if not I would have told you, for I am going to make ready a place for you.  And if I should be going and making ready a place for you, I am coming again and I will be taking you along to Myself, that where I am, you also may be

Johns Account 14: 2-3, Concordant New Testament Translation 

Depending on what your own view of Jesus is, you might have a differing view on heaven as well.  There are some who see it as a future reward, while I tend to look at it as my present reality.  Like I said, this knowing depends on your own personal knowing of Jesus.  Do you see Him as a distant savior, or as the very reason for your life?  Those within the church will tell us that sin has distanced us from God.  That we have been separated from the Father by our own sins.  While it is true that all have sinned and wanted for the glory of the Lord {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  Many misread or simply ignore the passage which follows Paul's warning we find in Romans.  That verse which proclaims that we have been justified "Gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus" {Paul to the Romans 3:24}.  Yes, we've sinned, but Jesus has given Himself for the death of that sin {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Not only that, we  ourselves have also died to sin with Jesus {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Here is where the present reality of the kingdom of Heaven comes into play.  Jesus has spoken that "I am going to make ready a place for you" {Johns Account 14:2}.  If you believe that Jesus is not simply a far off observer, but the purpose of your life, then you will hold a different view of heaven than those in the church who claim to be the experts on preaching about it.  Jesus has spoken that our life is now lived in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  So, if we live in union with the Father, are we not in heaven now?  Isn't God dwelling in heaven?  If you adhere to the teachings of the mainstream church, you might just consider this line of thinking as blasphemous.  Yet I do not speak to this truth of my own accord, but of that which has been recorded in the scriptures.  

For some, it might be difficult to understand how heaven could resemble such a reckless, sinful place as the world in which we live.  Yet even the apostle Paul reminds us that "Our realm is inherent in the heavens, out of which we are awaiting a savior also, Jesus Christ" {Paul to the Philippians 3:20}.  Are we still awaiting a savior?  The way I understand it, that savior, Christ Jesus, has already arrived.  Paul's words are but another example of the truth we find that our home is now in heaven with the Father.  The world around us may not look much like the gold lined streets of the Fathers kingdom, but rest assured heaven is real and it is now!  Like I said, your own view of heaven will depend on your view of Christ Jesus.  I see my life as being lived within the love of the Father.  My home is not of this world, but in the Fathers kingdom.  THIS is my home.  However, if you are of the mindset that you live a life separated from God, then you might have difficulty in understanding your place in the Fathers heaven.  For you, sin is still the obstacle needed to be overcome in order to "Punch your ticket" into heaven.  As if our place in heaven is something we must achieve ourselves.  Jesus has spoken that He has gone to make a place for us, "That where I am, you also may be."  If I live a life within the love of the Father, then I believe that heaven is a current reality for me.  I AM where the Lord Jesus is.  My home is in heaven, not within this world.  

For our realm is inherent in the heavens, out of which we are awaiting a savior also, the Lord Jesus Christ 

Paul to the Philippians 3: 20, Concordant New Testament Translation

~Scott~