Following The Leader

1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
1 John 4: 1 - 6 NKJV

The question came up this morning on the subject of following our Lords lead in certain situations.  Of course, as I anticipated, one of the concerns one of our guys had was just how we would know if what they were feeling was from God or not.  Indeed, I have been in that situation many times before and I feel that I just might not be done in my life with this very issue.  I have often struggled with those feelings of if what I was doing was being led by God or just my flesh.  Many a pulpit pounder may stake claim that this is a simple determination, but for many christians on lifes front lines it is never that simple.  It is true that the Spirit of Christ Jesus is within us {Galations 2:20}.  So, are we then to conclude that ANY feeling we may get is one that is coming from Christ?  I would disagree on that one on the basis of our human flesh being highly susceptible to those influences around us.  For what we may feel is being led by Christ may in reality be our flesh reacting to something around us.  I have found that in many a situation that my desire to "Hear" from God is so strong, that I jump on that very first feeling that comes along and label it as Gods leading.  So, our question may then be, how are we to know if what we are feeling is true to what our heavenly Father desires for us?  Is it as simple as a litmus test of knowing that anything that may bring harm is not Gods leading?  Perhaps, but I still feel that it goes deeper than that.  We have all at one time or another had that "Feeling" that what we were doing was led by God.  To that there is no doubt.  I'm sure that as christians we also are convinced of who our leader truly is.

14“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15“As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18“No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
John 10: 14 - 18 NKJV

As followers of Christ Jesus, we are part of His flock and we know and follow His leading.  Or do we?  There is zero doubt that this world is filled with false voices that will compete with that of our Shepherd.  Gods word indeed warns us of this.  Dennis tends to refer to our human flesh as being neutral, and I tend to agree with his thinking there.  Therefore, as our flesh is neutral, it is therefore subject to any and all influences which we may come across.  Be these influences good or bad, our flesh is still subject to their influence.  So the question remains, with so many influences competing for our attention, how are we to know if what we are feeling is being led by Christ?  My mother had a unique answer to this very question.  I have no doubt that she spent many an hour in Gods word, that was her daily routine.  I remember asking her on quite a few occasions on how I could be sure that what I was feeling was my heavenly Fathers leading.  Her response to me was usually something along the lines of "You'll know that you know."  BINGO!  How would we not know our Fathers voice?  It is something I have come to refer to as His heart whisper, that still, steady voice that we have in our very heart.  Now, Dennis might explain it better, but I refer to our human flesh as reactionary.  As we all know, there are certainly many influences for it to react to.  However, as followers of Christ Jesus, we all know the voice of our Shepherd within us.  His heart whispers to His children are what we need to listen for.

~Scott~

The Modern Christ Man

16I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Galations 5: 16 - 17 NKJV

I was listening to a radio preacher this past week as he entered into a story about being a loving father.  It seems this modern man of God was sitting in a Sunday service with his family when the pastor made a comment referencing John 11:35.  Of course, this is the passage where Christ wept over the death of His friend Lazarus.  This pastors point was that the modern christian man should NEVER be ashamed to show those emotions which his heavenly Father created.  Well, for whatever reason, this modern christian man stood up and walked out of that service in a huff.  I guess that I can understand his attitude to a point, for I grew up in a generation in which men were considered weak if and when they showed emotion of any kind.  In fact, growing up I recall words such as sissy, pansie and worse used to describe someone who dared to show his God given emotions.  Now to any who may still hold to this code of male conduct I offer a question.  If we as men are called to exhibit Christ Jesus who is within us, why do we feel that showing our emotions is still not the man thing to do?  Women, sure, they can do that sort of thing.  However, we are men and we're supposed to be rough and tumble and strong!  This is just what the world expects from us, so we're told.  Were these the very thoughts that were cascading through Jesus' mind that day when He was told of His friends death?  We might never know, but Jesus didn't damn up His emotions in this instance, He let them show.

33Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus wept. 36Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
John 11: 33 - 35 NKJV

I find it interesting that when Jesus wept that the Jews surrounding Him didn't react with shock and dismay that a man would show such emotion in public.  Now, the culture of Jesus' day was certainly male dominted as our own has been for more than a few generations.  Yet those around Jesus were not shocked with His showing of His emotions.  Obviously men before had done the same before Him.  My point is this, should we men of this modern generation be in fear of showing our emotions?  I know that people of my dads generation expected this from us.  I will take a leap of faith and claim that this IS NOT a man who is exhibiting Christ who is within him.  That being said, a man can certainly have Christ Jesus within him and not exhibit his emotions openly.  This does not invalidate our inheritance and future in Christ.  I can definately call this a condition of our human flesh and not a exhibit of the Spirit of Christ within us.  The spirit is very so often willing, but our flesh is weak.  Let us never believe that simply because our emotions do not show when everyone expects they should that we somehow are lacking the Spirit of Jesus within us.  It is because Christ is within us that we exhibit His Spirit as we walk each and every day in Him, even if we walk out on a sermon or two.

~Scott~

Lifes Changing Seasons

1To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2A time ato be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1 - 8 NKJV

There will be one more empty seat at our table tommorow morning when we gather for our weekly get together.  Absent will be our friend, brother and leader Dennis who will be home with family during this season.  For along with a time of celebration for he and his wife Shirley came a time of loss as well.  For 51 years, definately a season of celebration, Dennis and Shirley have shared their lives together.  If there one thing that I am certain, is that in this christian life of ours, that we certainly are not immune from those times of hurt, pain or anguish.  For we are told in Ecclesiastes 3 that there will indeed be a season for everything our Lord provides for us.  We are not immune in some way from the trials which life will visit upon us.  The trouble is, more than a few times when these seasons come we find oursleves asking, "Why, God?"  This is nothing more than our human side reacting to the situations we face.  We do well to remember that our heavenly Father has created each and every aspect of our being, along with those emotions which at times overtake us.  After my mother passed this past year, I found myself asking many of these questions.  Why didn't God heal her?  Why did He take her from those who loved her?  Eventually we may come to the realization, as I did, that our Lords ways are not always our ways and that for everything there is a season.  Yes, my mother was a much loved woman who loved Jesus and touched many people, but she was also in pain in her final years.  In our Lords loving timing, He relieved her of that discomfort.  Who am I to question Gods motives?  For it is God who allows the sun to rise on the innocent and the wicked alike.

1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 2“Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? 3Now aprepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. 4“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the bline upon it? 6To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8“Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth and issued from the womb; 9When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band; 10When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors; 11When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!’
Job 38: 1 - 11 NKJV

Gods servant Job had lost everything he owned.  This man lost his home, wealth and family all in a short span of time.  Why?  Because satan approached God and challanged Gods support and love for His servant.  Why wouldn't Job love and worship his Lord if God had provided such wealth and prosperity for him.  Satans thinking that if Jobs prosperity was taken from him that he would curse God to his face turned out to be in error.  For despite his condition and circumstances, Job refused to cling to the emotion that God had somehow turned His back on him.  Despite Jobs friends playing the devils advocate and questioning Gods decision, Job remained faithful.  I look at the story of Job and I see the inner workings of our Lords decision.  Now, God could have told satan to pound sand, instead He offered the spirit of error a lesson.  Have you considered my servant Job?  As satan comes before Gods presence, God offers Job as a example of worship and faithfulness.  Of course, satan seeks to put a wedge between God and Job.  In the end, our heavenly Father has a lesson for each and every one of us who have encountered lifes seasons and asked, "Why, God?"  Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?  Who am I to question the plans of He who created all which I have or ever will see?  Our human emotions may bubble up in times of trial or loss, but the everlasting promises of our heavenly Father will never change.  He has promised to NEVER leave nor forsake his children.  He has promised that despite our sin condition, that He loved us enough to save us.  I cling to these promises.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any atrouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1: 3 - 4 NKJV

~Scott~

~Stand strong in HIm my brother~

How To Christianity

26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galations 3: 26 - 29 NKJV

I happened across a post by Wayne Jacobsen this week of his discussion on managed spirituality.  Now, every time I hear of an institution that is in the habit of telling people just "How" to follow Christ Jesus I immediately become leary of said institution.  I believe that taking the path where we need to show others a how to manual of just how to worship, praise and believe in Jesus is not what was intended when Jesus promised His Spirit within us.  For that Spirit of Christ within is not given to us by God with any stipulations or burdens upon us.  Indeed, as the apostle Paul tells us in Galations 3, as believers we are all sons of God and are now one in Christ Jesus who is in us.  We have no need to try harder, to work more or to believe stronger that we are in Christ Jesus.  I have heard many a pulpit pounder claim that others need to "Be more" like Christ Jesus in order to be closer to Him.  I find it interesting that Jesus never asks us to be more like Him, only that we believe.  When we go down that road of thinking that we can do it better than everyone else to gain Gods favor, then the free gift of Christ Jesus becomes more of a transaction we purchase.  This is not what was intended.  As followers of Jesus, His spirit is ALREADY within us, there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn this free gift for ourselves.

4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2: 4 -9 NKJV

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Ephesians 2.  Here, the apostle Paul tells us of the free gift of God which we who follow Jesus have received.  To that pulpit pounder who stakes claim that it is we who must work that much harder in order to achieve the indwelling Spirit of Jesus, I present to you Ephesians 2 and the apostle Paul.  You claim that we as believers need to somehow try harder in order to be closer to Jesus?  For by grace we have already been saved through faith, yet NOT of our own efforts!  You preach that it is our own efforts that will draw us closer to Him?  By our Lords grace have we already been saved!  Can you imagine the one who worked hard enough through his own efforts to secure his own salvation?  I am sure this person would indeed be the poster child for arrogance.  Indeed, this is how I sometimes view a pastor who admonishes his flock that they need to try more, to work harder to experience the very presence of Jesus in their lives.  As if our own efforts will bring forth that much hoped for result.  I am not ashamed to say to call such pastors arrogant in their teaching.  Placing themselves upon a pedestal, they continue to tell others just what they should do to get there.  I believe that Wayne Jacobsen refered to this a managed christianity.  I tend to refer to it the same way Jesus did when dealing with the Pharisees of His day, of the blind guides leading the people.  We do well to remember the words of Paul, in that while we were dead in our trespasses and sins that our heavenly Father loved us enough to save us.  It is a gift available to all who seek it.

~Scott~

We Band Of Brothers

~This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, from this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered - we few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother, be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition; and gentlemen in England now a-bed shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap while any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispins Day~
~King Henry V prior to the battle of Agincourt on October 25, 1415~

Our usual Sunday morning group will be moved up by a day this week with the arrival of the first day of 2017.  Absent will be Dennis, our dear friend and discussion leader.  Far from letting this opportunity to gather together once again drift away, we will once again meet for breakfast and discussion.  For anyone that knows or has known my friend Dennis, you will know that he shares a desire on his heart for his brothers to know the truth to be found in Christ Jesus.  What started out as a two man Sunday morning gathering has now doubled, and I will attest that any one of us would feel cheated should we miss out on our weekly discussion.  As I reflected this week on this small band of brothers eager to know and grow in Christ I was reminded of just how the calling of fellowship had been heeded by many who have gone before us.  The disciples of Jesus shared life with the Messiah during His ministry as He walked among us.  This was no once a week gathering, but a day by day experience of living and sharing their lives with Jesus.  One might ask, what would it be like to live each and every day in the very presence of Christ?  Imagine experiencing each and every waking moment with Jesus just as His disciples did.  Of course, few people would even know that this companionship with Christ Jesus is also possible for us today.  We have no need for a time machine or mind altering experience in order to share our lives with Christ, for Jesus Himself has provided for us that very opportunity.

20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galations 2:20 NKJV

As the apostle Paul tells us in our well quoted passage in Galations, the life we now live, we live AS Jesus.  For not only has Jesus assured that our sins have been wiped clean, but that He is ever present in our day to day lives.  As we see, hear and experience we do so as Christ Jesus who is within us.  This is the restoration of the relationship which man had with our heavenly Father from he begining.  However, it was the lie of satan in the garden which damaged that original relationship.  Instead of casting us aside and starting over, God in His love and mercy provided for the restoration of that relationship through the sacrafice of His son.  Of course, this truth of Christ is at times a hard concept to grasp.  However, as we grow in that knowledge that we indeed share our lives with Him, we are blessed with a wonderful sense of freedom...freedom in Jesus.  We've grown accustomed to calling our weekly gathering "McChurch," as our Sunday group has in more ways than one replaced the rules and regulations of the organized church we all once were devoted.  Each one of our band of brothers has traveled a different path to come to learn about the truth of Christ Jesus in our lives.  Those paths come together every Sunday as we gather together once again, we band of brothers.

~Scott~

I Am

13Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
Exodus 3: 13 - 14 NKJV

It is interesting in this interaction between God and Moses that Moses would think to ask of the living God who he should tell Gods own people just who had sent him forth with His message to the people.  Yet this is exactly what the Lords chosen messenger chose to do.  I can certainly understand the situation that Moses must have been in.  A burning bush that did not burn and a voice coming out of this said bush, it all must have seemed pretty overwhelming to Moses.  The fact that the God of his people had been a big part of the life of Moses from his birth is not lost here.  If Moses himself was finding this difficult to understand, how would the Isrealite people react to the news of Gods deliverance of them from the Egyptions?  The question, "What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"  More interesting still is Gods response to his question, "I AM WHO I AM."  With these words the God of Isreal will introduce Himself to His people.  With these words God will verify to the Isrealites just who He is.  I found this passage interesting due to the fact that it fit in with a topic we have been discussing in our group for some time, that of our Lord God as the one true self of the universe.  When God declared to Moses, "I AM has sent you," He was proclaiming Himself as the one and only.  Our discussion on God as the one true self has brought some interesting revelations.  We as our Lords creation have a tendency to think of ourselves as being in control of our own surroundings and situations from time to time.  Now, we may believe the illusion that we control our own lives and destiny, but nothing could be further from the truth.  For we are a creation, created by the spoken word of the living God.

 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1: 8 NKJV

If anyone had the devine right to call Himself "I AM," it is God.  For God was from the begining and will be until the end.  Before the formation of anything that was seen, God was there.  The very words of the history of our Lords creation attest to this as they proclaim, "In the begining God created the heavens and the earth" {Genesis 1:1}.  There was emptiness...and there was God.  Indeed, we as our Lords creation came onto the scene after that.  However, we all too often make the mistake of believing that we are truly independent of all which is around us.  We control our lives and circumstances.  Really?  Tell me again just how we created ourselves and this world around us.  Of course, it is we who blindly follow this leading of our flesh in this false belief.  It is the same false belief which satan held in believing that he would be higher than God.  Of course, we know how that turned out.  So it is with us, are we truly independent?  Can we claim that God has zero part in our very existence?  Yeah, good luck with that.  When it all comes crashing down around us, who do we turn to?  I find it interesting that the very same people who claim to be independent cry out to God when things go haywire.  Thus the story of our human independence.

28“for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
Acts 17: 28 NKJV

~Scott~

In Gods Corner

I wear the black in mourning for the lives that could have been
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men
And I wear it for the thousands who have died
Believing that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died
Believing that we were all on their side.
~Man In Black by Johnny Cash~

I read a interesting piece the other day from Wayne Jacobsen about how we feel when injustice happens and how we sometimes feel about our Heavenly Father when we experience unfairness in our own lives.  As christians, we certainly may feel different when that unfairness happens to someone else than if it occurs on our home court.  Of course, one need not be a christian to experience these feelings.  I believe that each one of us in our own hearts wishes for justice to be done, and have feelings of despair when it does not go according to how we feel that justice should be dished out.  It is because of these inner desires and feelings where vigilantes arise among us and gain importance.  Indeed, if the system cannot dispose justice upon the guilty, then assuredly we must be justified to take the law into our own hands and punish the guilty!  However, one thing we must realize in these situations, if we bother to take the time to think in times of anger, is that we all too often feel that punishment is deserved on someone we "Perceive" as guilty.  That's right, it is we ourselves who end up making that judgement of guilt upon someone else.  If we were to look into our Lords word and search our own memory, we would realize that it is not our duty to convict another of to pass judgement upon another.  This responsibility lies solely with God Himself.  The trouble is, we very often do not put our trust in God to pass jedgement upon the guilty.  It is in times such as these where we ourselves take that burden of judgement upon ourselves.

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41“And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42“Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44o“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45“that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47“And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
Matthew 5: 38 - 48 NKJV

It is very difficult, in my opinion, to allow God in His due time to bring His judgement upon one whom we feel in our hearts is guilty.  Thus the popularity at times of vigilantes.  In HIs sermon on the mount, Christ speaks directly against these leadings of our own flesh.  As Jesus so correctly points out, is it not God who causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust?  If so, then who are we to bypass our heavenly Father and exact vengence?  I believe that the words of Christ that day caused quite a commotion on that hill.  Turn the other cheek?  Love my enemy?  Bless those who persecute me?  How can someone who is so very often led by their flesh understand such things?  For when we are wronged, is not our very first inclination to "Get back" at our attacker?  In fact, we often may feel justified by God in doing so.  Really?  Is this what Jesus taught?  At His crucifiction, Christ could have very well used His heavenly power to smite those who had unjustly convicted Him.  For even Pilot found no fault in the Nazarene brought before him.  However, instead of lashing out against those who persecuted Him, He endured the torture on our behalf.  We should all be thankfull that He did just that.  As He died on that cross His thoughts were for those who convicted Him, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  Forgiveness in the face of such torture is indeed a rare occurance.  In my lifetime I've certainly have come across many a time when I felt wrongly accused.  There has also been many a time when I followed that leading of my flesh in order to bring justice to the situation.  I found many ways to justify my actions.  God is on my side, He wants justice done, my Lord will bless me.  All of these thoughts as I usurped my heavenly Fathers authority and took my own revenge.  No turning the other cheek, no blessing my enemy.  We do well to realize that not only is our heavenly Father in our corner, but also in the corner of those who oppose at times oppose us.

16“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
John 3: 16 -17 NKJV

A Troubling Birth

1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
Matthew 2: 1 - 4 NKJV

He was born the second son of a civil servant back in late 1960's.  Dad worked for the county while his mother stayed at home to handle the energy and hell bent antics of he and his older brother.  Being the second son of a well known man in a small town certainly had its advantages, as well as its own problems.  For when either he or his brother would run astray of their boundries, everyone in town knew exactly who they were.  It's tough to be incognito in such circumstances.  Despite these apparent setbacks, his birth was embraced within his family.  For most of his younger years, he was known around town simply as his fathers youngest son.  In retrospect, the childs seemigly unnoticed birth contrasted with one from centuries before.  This birth was widely known and expected, for the prophets of old had forewarned the people of His arrival long beforehand.  Not only that, but it was well known just where he would born and who would conceive Him.  This was no ordinary birth, for this child, this promised one would one day lead His people out of bondage and a promised freedom.  However, not everyone was eagerly anticipating this saviors birth.  The birth of this Christ child, the promised Messiah and born of a virgin was viewed by more than a few in His day with some trouble and anxiety.  For one whose very birth was foretold to be a major event for His people, this was a troubling begining.

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or eprincipalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossions 1: 15 - 18 NKJV

It is not by coincidence that the very name of this Messiah child was foretold as "God with us," for He would be the very image of the living God.  What should have been seen as a joyous event by one and all was rejected by some.  As is always the case, these few troubled souls had their own agenda.  For king Herod, ruler of Jerusalem certainly had heard of the prophets prediction of the coming Messiah.  I have little doubt that his primary concern was for his own power and position.  As for the rest of Jerusalem, their anxiety may have been due to as to what to expect from Gods promised savior of His people.  There is zero doubt that many of the Jews in Jerusalem were expexting quite a different savior in Christs birth.  For many were expecting a valiant, holy military leader who would finally rid the Jewish people of their hated Roman occupiers.  Never once had they considered something different, that this Christ child had come to save them from the bondage of sin which they had been born into.  Before His life was over, this Christ child would shoulder the sin burden not just for the Jewish people, but for all mankind.  I see the trouble which those in Jersalem were having with the birth of their Lords savior as more of the anxiety of uncertainty than anything else.  However, without Him we would forever remain in the bondage of our own sins.  If for this reason alone, This childs birth will forever be celebrated during this season.

~Scott~

His Eyes

20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2: 20 NKJV

It has been claimed to be the greatest of addictions.  Many men, and even women have fallen victim to its suggestions of sin.  Indeed, what our heavenly Father has created for the sanctitiy of marriage vows between a man and a woman, we have now bastardized into one of the most pfofitable businesses in the history of mankind.  A business steeped in sin which we ourselves feed into each and every day.  With global profits reaching 97 billion, the pornography industry is no longer just a back alley porn shop business.  On the contrary, with the advent of online entertainment, a new lion has been released from its cage, and it seeks to devour anyone it encounters.  My friend Dennis once described pornography as a sickness, and I tend to agree.  For it is no secret that the viewing of pornogrpahy has been shown to stimulate the very same brain centers as any addictive drug.  How, then, can we refer to this monster as anything more than an addiction.  In this case, I know from which I speak.  For I once was embroiled in this struggle which many a christian today find themselves in.  You see, I had that sickness.  How bad was I infected?  Well, it got to the point where I needed my daily dose of my addiction of choice.  If I didn't get it, it not only affected me physically but psychologicaly as well.  Indeed, if I did not partake in that daily enjoyment of pornography, I would feel PHYSICALLY sick.  Now, tell me again that I was not addicted.  Looking back, I can see no difference at that time between myself and a run of the mill drug addict.

6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be adone away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV

Indeed, I was not proud of my addiction at all.  For each time I was tempted I convinced myself that I deserved this reward in some way.  However, upon partaking in my sin, along with it came that condemnation that my heavenly Father could in no way ever be in the presence of such a sinner as myself.  Oh, I tried the various church endorsed methods of binding satan and accountability, but even these could not erase my sickness.  In fact, accountabiliy only added to the condemnation which I felt inside.  How could I bring myself to bear my sin to a "Trusted" christian brother when in the end I felt even more condemned?  Was this the love Jesus had taught?  The turning point in this sickness of mine came as I struggled with the very truth of Christ Jesus found in Galations 2:20.  For as the apostle Paul tells us, it is no longer we who live, but Christ Jesus lives in us.  In fact, each day WE LIVE as Christ Jesus.  Each thought, action and activity which we engage in, we do so as Jesus.  Indeed, the day came when in the midst of my discovery of the truth of Christ that I realized that each time I viewed pornography, I was doing so as Christ who was in me.  THAT was my eye opening moment.  Did I want my Lord and savior to see and engage in such things.  Not only that, the very person whom I was fantasizing over carried the very same promise of Christ in them as I did.  If indeed Christ Jesus dwells in me, and I believe this to be true, then my eyes are His eyes.  Far from being condemned, I was gently reminded that this was not something Jesus wanted to see.  For the eyes of Christ were meant for better things.

~Scott~

God With Us

14“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15“Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16“For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.
Isaiah 7: 14 - 16 NKJV

I find it interesting that people this time of year continue to seek to celebrate the "True meaning" of the Christmas eason.  For the past few weeks I have found myself listening to a local radio station which began playing non stop Christmas beofre most families Thanksgiving leftovers had even disapeared from memory.  I found myself trying to get into the holiday spirit.  Not wanting to be seen as the proverbial grinch, I had to immerse myself in what popular culture tells us is the reason for the Christmas season. That is, buying, giving and celebrating.  You've seen it in the endless advertisements from black friday sales to pre Christmas deals.  It seems that the true reason for the Christmas season has been lost over time, and that we obvously need to be reminded now and then.  But what is this true meaning of Christmas?  Most who have read my page o a regular basis may have noticed that I spend a good deal of time focusing on the very truth of Christ Jesus, which is Christ in us.  Now, you may also need to search your memory to recall that this presence of Christ was actually predicted in the book of Isaiah.  For in the prophesy of the coming savior, we are told that the virgin shall bear a child and that they "Shall call His name Immanuel."  Most people with a slight knowledge of christianity know that the very name of the coming Christ child meant "God with us."  For even in the days of Isaiah the prophet, the truth of the baby Jesus was fortold.

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or eprincipalities or fpowers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossions 1: 15 - 18 NKJV

From the begining, the reason for this season of the birth of Christ was not one of retail sales or a fat man in a sleigh, but of the joy of the birth of the Christ child.  The child who would become the man who would take the sin world upon Himself that our relationship with our heavenly Father might be restored.  The very birth of Jesus is a major event, which could only come from God.  Born of a virgin, in such humble beginings as a lowly manger.  That is, a barn.  On the surface this had no semblence of a royal birth, but this child was indeed the "King of kings."  So it was that with the birth of Jesus, that the prophesy of Isaiah speaking of "God with us" had become a reality.  Not only was He a child and a newborn son, but God with us.  The devine redemption made possible through the love and mercy of our heavenly Father had been set in motion.  There is no black friday sale or ornate Christmas display which could ever match the glory of this event.  For through this newborn child all things were created in heaven and on earth.  Through His child, God came to dwell among us.

~Scott~

Calm Through Christ

31So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32“If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33“Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13: 31 -35 NKJV

I've noticed a change in a few people around me lately.  For some time, I have shielded myself from the much of the workplace drama around me by isolating myself in my little office which is out of the way.  However, eventually a bit of the excitement managed to find me.  When it did, instead of immersing myself in the mire as I would do in days past, I simply listened to what others had to say without reacting with/to them.  Now for the amazing part, it would seem that after a few months of doing this, of taking the high road, that more than a few of my co workers have openly sought me out for advice on issues they were having.  Now, I'm definately no expert on psychology, but I can listen.  Sometimes, that is all someone is looking for is an ear to hear what is weighing heavy on their heart.  This quiet strength, this calmness was so often exhibited by Jesus when He would encounter those who were hurting.  There was no condemnation, ridicule or lecturing on the part of Jesus, only a simple love for those who were desperately in need of it.  As I've said, all too often this is all that someone who is hurting in some way is looking for, for someone to listen to them, someone to care.  I raised this question to Dennis this past week, of just how during his career as a pastor he had managed to console those who were hurting.  At the time, I didn't see this ability in myself, not realizing that unconsciously I was already doing the very same thing he was talking about.  Dennis' response?  Everyone has pain at some point, and all pain is simply that, hurt.  To emphasize with someone who is hurting is a good thing, but what if we cannot put ourselves in the other persons shoes?  Well, as I found out recently, sometimes simply listening to someones hurt is all they need.

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44o“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45“that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47“And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5: 43 - 48 NKJV

Now, as far as my co workers go, I have no idea of the religious affiliation, if any, of many of them.  That did not enter my mind at the time.  Honestly, my first thought, albeit somewhat selfishly, was to isolate myself from the day to day workplace drama.  However, by not engaging in this banter, I had unknowingly become somewhat of a beacon for those around me.  As believers, we are called by Christ to "Let our light shine before men" that others may see our heavenly Father through our own actions.


16“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5: 16 NKJV

Like it or not, as believers we are truly a light unto the world which we live in.  If this were not true, then Christ would have made this known to us.  This does not mean that we need bear the weight of the burdens of the world on our christian shoulders, only that we exhibit the very love of Christ Jesus who lives through us {Galations 2:20}.  As Jesus tells us in John 13, as He has loved us, so should we love one another.  One thing I always believed, and one thing I mentioned to Dennis in our conversation was that the very worst we can do to someone who is hurting inside is to throw a few bible verses their way and call it good.  This is not love, nor is it the way of Christ Jesus.  To show love to one who is hurting is to listen, to empathize and to care and not to lecture.  In this we let our own light shine and show love to others.

~Scott~

When I get home people'll ask me, 'hey Hoot, why do you do it, man?  Why?  You some kinda war junkie?'  I won't say a goddamn word.  Why?  They won't understand.  They won't understand why we do it.  They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it.  That's all it is.

~SFC Norm "Hoot" Hooten~ 

Learning To Live

"This one a long time I have watched.  All his life has he looked away...to the future, to the horizon.  Never his mind on where he was...Hmm?  What he was doing!"

9But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies dthrough His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8: 9 - 11 NKJV

One of the most difficult concepts of the mystery of Christ Jesus is coming to terms with just what He did for each of us.  Yes, Christ willingly gave Himself to the cross that we would be free of the sins which plagued us.  However, this was only the first part of what the apostle Paul termed the "Mystery among the Gentiles" {Colossions 1:27}.  What was this mystery?  Well, Paul related this mystery as the very truth of Christ, which is Christ Jesus IN YOU, the hope of glory.  The truth of Christ is that we today who have accepted Jesus in our hearts live our lives AS JESUS.  I have listened as many a pulpit pounder has assured us of the glory which will come when Christ Jesus comes again for His church.  Indeed, we await this day with anticipation, but I feel that many of us have missed one of the most important events of our lives.  Something which is not only liberating but joyfull.  This is the realization that Christ Jesus has ALREADY come, to dwell in those who accepted Him in their hearts.  In our small group, we often refer to ourselves in some small confidence AS CHRIST.  Now, this is not in error, but I feel that we need to take a stronger stance in our realization of this truth of Jesus.  For when we, as believers in Jesus, can look ourselves in the mirror each day and say with confidence "I AM CHRIST!" then we may have just turned the corner into living our normal life to one of living as God intended, in union with Him as His sons through His Son (Everyone get that?)

"Always with you it cannot be done, hear you nothing that I say?  You must UNLEARN what you have learned!"
~Yoda~

The struggle young Luke Skywalker was having in learning the way of the Jedi was all too real.  All of his life he had learned through experience and teaching just how to live as a young man.  Now, at the feet of the Jedi master Yoda, he was being told that he needed to throw away all of that experience in order that he might learn how to live and behave as a Jedi knight.  We have gotten a few chuckles in our discussion group over my use of this anology, but I introduced it for a very simple reason, because it relates to the life we all enter into once we accept Christ into our hearts.  Just as young Luke, we must "Unlearn what we have learned."  Many a pulpit pounder has and will tell us that we need to be more like Christ, that it is essential that we get our butts into church each Sunday and that we must be loyal christians in order to have our heavenly Fathers favor.  We must unlearn what we have learned.  In reality, we must learn to live again.  For we no longer live according to the world, but as Christ who is within us.  In some ways, I can envision Christ Jesus as the trusted Jedi master slowly, painstakingly guiding us into our new lives in Him.  We must unlearn what we have learned.  Of course, this is just an illustration, but I believe in my heart that Christ will indeed be our guide to a life in Him.  This is nothing new, for this was our relationship we had with God before the fall in the garden.  You might say that accepting Christ into our hearts is indeed our homecoming.  Not too long ago Dennis and I spent some time on a Sunday morning to fellowship with some old friends.  Far from being a Sunday bible study, our gathering was one of people who had grown weary of the conditions and requirements of the institutional church system.  Now, free from the requirements of the church, more than a few at this gathering expressed just how much freedom they felt not being bound to the church "System."  We are told that all good christians worship without fail every Sunday, contribute their tithes and remain loyal to their pulpit pounder leadership.  Indeed, we must unlearn what we have learned.

~Scott~

Fear Not

7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

There is often nothing in this life which can paralyze someone more than their own fears.  Fears of confrontation, of social situations even fears of disease.  While some of our own fears may be well grounded and indeed keep us from doing something stupid, there are others which may be baseless.  It is these unfounded fears within us which we eventually will confront.  I know a good deal about fear, because I carry more than a few with me.  One fear which I have harbored for more than a few years is a fear of heights.  Now, this fear may have kept me from throwing myself off of a steep cliff or being reckless in some other way, but it also kept me from enjoying more than a few of lifes experiences.  Over the past few years I have come face to face with this fear during my hiking trips with my friend Dennis.  In the begining, the running joke was that I would often hug the inside part of a trail, as I felt it safer than walking on the edge.  Whether this was true or not is not the issue.  The issue is whether these fears of mine were well grounded or not.  The interesting thing is, the more often I walked a certain trail, the more comfortable and less fearful I became of that location.  With my eyes had seen and experienced what my inner senses once screamed was going to kill me.  Far from falling to my death, I lived to savor the enjoyment of our Lords creation.  The lesson Icame away with from this experience is that the more we face those fears which paralyze us, the more we may find that these fears themselves are baseless.  For his part, Dennis would often bring in our relationship with Christ Jesus into our struggles with fear.  With this I will agree.  For as the apostle Paul explains in the book of Timothy, our heavenly Father has not blessed us with a spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind.  In other words, our fears are not from God.  Knowing this may help us in our battle with overcoming these fears.

25“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29“and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not larrayed like one of these.
Matthew 6: 25 - 29 NKJV

In Matthew 6 in Jesus' sermon on the mount we see Him address these fears of ours.  The fears which Jesus addressed must have been common among the people of His day for Him to use them as a example in this teaching.  The people must have had deep set fears of having enough to eat or even decent clothing.  That being said, I'm sure they often struggled with how it was that they would pay for such things.  These are common worries even in todays society.  We struggle, toil and wonder if we will have enough provisions to make it.  With our ears we have heard that our Lord will provide for His children, but in our hearts we have failed to believe.  Yes, I've been down that road as well.  My question is this, why would God promise to provide for us only to pull back on His word?  Why would Jesus make the same point of our Lords provision if it were not true?  Was He lying?  One thing I have learned may fly right in the face of modern day church teaching, but I believe that my heavenly Father rejoices in providing for my needs and does not do so simply on a reward basis.  For we are His children whom He loves, why would He not provide for His own?  It is exactly because of this reality why Jesus must have inquired on the Mount of Olives that day, "So why is it that you worry?"  Jesus was getting to the heart of the fears of those who were listening.  Whatever the fear is that is paralyzing us at the moment, we can be assured that we are not enduring it alone.  The very truth of Christ Jesus which Paul tells us in Galations 2:20 assures us that Christ Jesus shares our life with us.  I have never known Jesus to be afraid of many things.

~Scott~

Angels Rest trail at 1,600 feet ~ Fearless!

Of More Value Than They

29“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31“Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Matthew 10: 29 - 31 NKJV

I ran across a video online the other day.  It seems some random guy had made a inspirational video using only a twenty dollar bill as a reference to our very worth to our heavenly Father.  For even if this bill were to be folded or torn in some way, it still holds its original value.  Of course, the value of the twenty dollar bill is well known and recognized as having come from a higher authority.  It is this authority which guarantees the value of this peice of paper to anyone who holds it.  So it is with our heavenly Fathers children, for we ourselves are given a priceless value which cannot be taken away.  Sin may stain us and life may scar us, but in the end it is the value which our heavenly Father places upon His children which we do well to remember.  The trouble with these motivational videos and speeches is that they eventually get lost in the fast pace of our everyday lives.  Yes, they sound good for a few hours, but time and again we may once again fall victim to feelings of inadequacy.  Of course, these feelings do not come from God, but from the accuser himself.  God makes it clear just what value He holds for His children in scripture time and again.  In Matthew 10, Christ Jesus makes the comparison of our Fathers thoughts for us in relation to two sparrows.  For if our Lord knows and cares for a bird as small as a sparrow, will He not much more care for His children?  If our Lord did not hold His children in such high esteem, would the very hairs of our heads be numbered?  Probably not.  Not only that, but Gods ultimate gift of His one and only Son testifies of His very love for us.

1Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of aGod! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
1 John 3: 1 - 2 NKJV

I've never really been a big fan of the motivational speaker circuit, it's just not my thing.  That does not mean that I don't occasionaly run into those situations where I myself feel unworthy, because I do.  However, in these situations it is not the high priced motivational speaker who brings me back to earth and makes me realize once again just how valuable I am.  No, this assurance comes from the knowledge of who I truly am.  For not only am I a son of the living God, but I live as Him each and every day.  The apostle Paul spoke of this fact in Galations 2 when he claimed that he himself no longer lived, but that Christ Jesus lived in him {Galations 2:20}.  A motivational speaker may speak to us of what WE need do in order to attain a sembelence of value in ourselves.  However, it is the free gift of Christ Jesus which is available to all cost free!  Once again, the error we make in believing that we ourselves can change is one perpetuated by satan himself.  For to believe that we ourselves are truly independent is the very same lie satan continues to believe even today.  Yet, we already know satans ultimate fate.  How can we be independent of He who created us?  Yet this is the lie many continue to believe.  Listen to any motivational speaker and what is the message which you get, that YOU can change!  I would love to see a motivational speaker who spoke of the fact that we need not change at all.  That our true value to our heavenly Father is one where we are not only sons, but heirs in Christ.  Wishfull thinking I'm afraid.  In the end, we need not wonder of what value we truly are.  For our heavenly Father has loved us enough to call us sons.  He has loved us enough to send His only Son to ensure our future in Him.  I don't need to line the pockets of some motivational guru to know this in my heart.

~Scott~

Where Fears Arise

~Death Waits In The Dark~

The insignia of the Armys 160th Special Operations Regiment

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf"

~George Orwell~

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form, and void; and darkness awas on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. bSo the evening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis 1: 1 - 5 NKJV

There is an old saying among us that it is always darkest before the dawn.  Of course, everyone knows that unless you're in Alaska in that certain time of year, that our days are sepeated by light and darkness.  As with the rest of creation, this came into being by Gods spoken word.  However, this is not why we feel that it is always darkest before the dawn.  For it is in these hours of twilight, when the hours of the day wane that we are most often to feel experience anxiety or fear.  Yes, many feel fear in the daylight hours also, but there is something about the darkness of night that encourages our fears.  Many admit to being afraid of the dark when they were younger, I'm on of them.  The dark of night, it seems, brings the unknown and unexpected to the doorstep of our thoughts.  Is it any wonder that horror movies are most often shown on tv late at night?  It is if we expect that suddenly our Lord has turned out the lights and gone to sleep.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Scripture tells us that God saw the light which he spoke into creation, and that "It was good."  How, then, can we associate something which our heavenly Father has created and declared good with our deepest fears.  I believe I know that answer to that.  See, with darkness comes the unknown and the unexpected.  That dark, abandoned house down the road looks more terrifying at night simply because we know not what is inside, but also because it's dark outside.  Fear grows and perpetuates in darkness, for with darkness comes the unknown.  However, as I have found out, many of the fears which I have had of the darkness of night have over time become unfounded.  Of course, that doesn't stop the occasional twinge of fear from rearing its ugly head in the night.

7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1: 7 NKJV

The United States Armys 160th Special Operations Regiment has a unique and special mission.  This unit was created in the aftermath of Operation Eagle Claw, the failed United States rescue mission of Iranian hostages in 1980.  As American equipment lay burning in the Iranian desert, president Jimmy Carter the military to determine what went wrong.  As a result, the concept of a new aviation unit was born.  These are not your normal soldiers by any means, for their primary mission specialty is night combat.  Their motto "Death waits in the dark" testifies to the special mission for which these men are tasked.  With the advent of new night vision equipment, these special operations soldiers truly own the night.  It is ironic that these men wait to bring the fear of darkness upon those who would oppose our nation.  For not only do they fight with conventional weapons and aircraft, but they simply play on those deepest fears of darkness which many have experienced.  For those who choose combat with the United States, the cover of darkness is no longer a protection.  As believers, we ourselves have assurance that darkness shall not be a time of fear and anxiety for us.  In 2 Timothy, the apostle Paul assures us that our fears are not of God.  For our heavenly Father has not given His children a spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind.  Indeed, our Lords spoken word has created that darkness which we so often find as a basis for our fears.  As with the rest of His creation, He has declared it good.

~Scott~

Believing The Unbelievble

Yoda ~ "Always with you it cannot be done, hear you nothing that I say?  You must unlearn what you have learned"

Luke ~ "Alright, I'll give it a try"

Yoda ~ NO!  Try not!  Do...or do not...there IS NO try!"

Once again the old Jedi master had taken Luke Skywalker to school, which was his job.  His apprentice grimaces at the prospect of trying to raise his starfighter from the waters of that Dagoba swamp.  To Luke this seems impossible, so he responds the only way he knows, with his human mind.  He does not see what his master sees, and he seems unwilling to accept it.  That is, until the 900 year old jedi master takes his apprentice to school once again.  In many ways, we can learn alot from the old master regarding our understanding of the truth of Christ Jesus found in Galations 2:20.  For as the jedi master instructs his young apprentice, "You must unlearn what you have learned."  One of the struggles for me in coming to the realization of the truth of Jesus was just that, I believed all which I had learned from one pulpit pounder or another.  What I had learned from one pastor after another was that there was a seperation between Jesus and myself.  Sure Christ had forgiven my sins through His death on the cross and had defeated death by rising three days later, but upon His resurection He had ascended into heaven to be at the right hand of the Father.  Jesus was in heaven and I was on my own here in this sinful world.  No teaching had revealed to me the truth that not only had Jesus risen from the grave, but that we live AS JESUS today.  The apostle Paul makes this clear in Galations 2:20 by claiming. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."  Our old man, our old sin nature, was crucified and put to death with Christ Jesus on the cross.  We are not sinners saved by Gods grace, but entirely new creations in Christ Jesus.

20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV

It almost seems like a uphill struggle as we attempt to "unlearn" all which we have learned about Jesus.  However, in the end we are blessed with a deeper connection with Him.  This is the connection which Gods children had with Him at the begining, but which was abolished when Adam and Eve chose instead to follow the lie of satan.  This was the lie in which satan claimed that Eve could and indeed would be "Like God" if she would only eat from the tree which God had instructed her not to.  This lie, that they could be truly independent, was the same lie for which satan had himself believed when he believed that he could be more exalted than God.  For this he was expelled from heaven along with those who had rebelled with him.  For partaking in the very same lie, Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden to work the ground from which they came.  Instead of having intimate fellowship with God, they were now on the outside looking in.  It is the truth of Christ Jesus that restores our relationship with our heavenly Father that was damaged by satans lie of self independence.  The life which we live, we live in Christ Jesus.

Luke ~ "I don't believe it!"

Yoda ~ "THAT...is why you fail."

~Scott~

A Relationship Of Convenience

16Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Goodd Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17So He said to him, e“Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’‘You shall not commit adultery,’‘You shall not steal,’‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept gfrom my youth. What do I still lack?” 21Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Matthew 19: 16 - 22 NKJV

There have been many times in which I have felt like that rich young man, knowing Jesus and desiring His presence yet choosing instead that which gratifies my flesh.  This is sometimes the relationship of our own choosing, our convenient relationshp with Christ Jesus.  For at times we would much rather have Jesus on the sidelines, ready to come to our defense if and when we should need Him.  Of course, this reeks of independent thinking.  We convince ourselves that we are somehow independent of our creator and that He's only there to dig us out of any and all messy situations our "Independence" may get us into.  Think of this in terms of a physical relationship which you may be in.  Imagine being in a relationship with someone who only relied on you for financial help and emotional support.  How would you feel about that relationship?  For myself, personaly, I would not tolerate such a union for very long.  Yet, that is exactly where I have found myself more often than not in my relationship with my Lord and Savior.  I would okay with God in the background as I went about my life on my own.  However, as soon as something went haywire, as it always does, the first words out of my mouth would be "Help me God!"  Now, for His part, God has always been there for me even when I wasn't there for Him.  My own pride, impatience and false belief in independence have at times beeen more of a barrier to me than any other sin.  One of our discussion points in our group has more often than not centered on our false belief that are ourselves independent beings.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, when we place Christ in the background only to be called on if and when we need Him, we are only demonstrating our own hypocracy.  For if we were truly independent, would we even need Christ for anything at all?  I'll go one further, is our current relationship with Jesus one based on our own needs or our desire to know Him?  Is our relationship with Him one of convenience or one of necessity?  Do we desire Him, or just His help in trouble?

18And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. 19Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Matthew 8: 18 - 22 NKJV

Make no mistake, Jesus delights on being our helper and when we call on Him, but He also delights when we make Him our one and all and place our trust in Him only.  There is a reason that Proverbs tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding."  For this blind trust, this leap of faith will ultimately bring us into a blessed relationship with Christ.  In this relationship we no longer see Jesus as simply a provider and protector, but as someone we come to willingly because we desire to be in His presence.  It is no longer a relationship of convenience but one of love and adoration.  My friends, what is God but...love.  He who loved us first. He who loved us enough to become sin on our behalf that we might live with Him...that love.  That doesn't mean that if we are currently in a relationship of convenience with Jesus that He will ignore us, that is not who He is.  No, despite our own stubborn false idea of independence, Christ will continue to love and cherish us as His own.  He will just do so from the background, waiting for us to call on Him...again.  Our Lords love and compassion for  us will not allow Him to abandon His children.  On the contrary, it is our own foolish belief in our own independence which will widen the gap between ourselves and Christ.  Hist true love will never abandon or throw us away.

~Scott~

When There Is No God

1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 3Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 4He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 5You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 7A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. 9Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12In their hands they shall cbear you up, Lest you ddash your foot against a stone. 13You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. 14“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16With flong life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
Psalm 91 NKJV

I read a Wayne Jacobsen post recently that got me thinking of some of the experiences I've had and of how I have often wondered just where my heavenly Father was in my most troubling times.  The post recounted how we, as christians, can and should be an anchor of encouragement and kindness to those who are going through tough circumstances in their lives.  How do we say "The right thing" to someone who is in trouble or hurting?  This has always been a challange for me, as I was raised with the ideal that in order to understand someones circumstances I need to walk that mile in their shoes.  How is it I could understand anothers pain if I myself didn't understand that pain they were feeling.  I've always believed that one of the worst things we can do as christians is to throw bible verses at someone who is truly hurting inside.  For I have been in that situation before and it did very little to make me comfortable thank you very much.  To me, simply quoting scripture to someone who is hurting is a impersonal approach to helping another.  In our hearts we may feel as if we are helping that other person as best we can, but all we may be doing is increasing their agony and lonliness.  I don't believe this is done intentionaly, but by the heart that truly wants to reach out and help.  However, we ourselves may not know the best way to comfort someone.  As I said, how is it that I can understand what someone is going through unless I understand their situation?

10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” 14How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bpreach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?” 17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10: 10 - 17 NKJV

I have always admired my friend Dennis for his ability to bring comfort to others who are hurting.  Perhaps his years in ministry have served him well in this area.  There have been more than a few situations in my own life when I have turned to him for guidance and comfort and have always been glad I did.  I believe that pastor is rare who can truly place themselves into the situation of someone who is hurting and bring comfort to them.  This is truly an area where I need experience.  Sure, there are a few paths I've walked where I can bring comfort to others who are experiencing the same difficulties I've had in my life.  For those who have lost a loved one or know the pain of growing up in a single parent household, these are shoes which I've walked in.  Does that mean that I have a heart for those who are enduring these situations?  Maybe, or maybe it's just that I already know and have experienced the pain t brings.  I've been the one who has been hurting inside and wondering why there is no God to help me.  Yes, I've felt that way as I'm sure many of us have.  How is it that we comfort someone where the pain in their heart is one where they feel abandoned a God who has promised to never leave them or forsake them?  Obviously, I know that these feelings are simply reactionary to our circumstances, but in the midst of our pain, they often come at us like a freight train.  Our hearts may cry out to God, but our flesh will wonder, "What God is there?"  The days after my mother passed were some of the darkest I've had.  I had watched her health falter and was with her in the hospital during her final days as well.  Not something I wanted.  However, as I went about making plans for her memorial I was struck by a message which I'm sure my heavenly Father meant for me.  I had known that one of my mothers favorite passages was Psalm 91, so it was a obvous to me that I should use it in her memory.  That passage which had comforted her so often, now comforted me in my time of need.

~Scott~

Thank you Dennis 

Our Broken Chains

6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV

There is a chorus from one of my favorite worship songs that I always enjoy.  This song, by Micheal W Smith has the chorus "My chains are gone, I've been set free."  Now, there are numerous passages in the word of how we have been but should no longer be in bondage to sin and our fleshly desires.  I agree that we, as our heavenly Fathers creation, have often fallen under that feeling that we are under compulsion to sin.  There have been many times, when I have fallen short, where I've felt that I was indeed in bondage.  For it seemed to me, as it was, that I was controlled by the behaviors which I truly wished to avoid.  I was a slave, chained to the desires of my flesh.  I've talked with enough believers who have echoed these thoughts, so I know I wasn't alone in my struggles.  Sure, I knew what I was doing was wrong, but as a slave obeys the orders of his master, it seemed I would continue to fall into that same behavior.  Time and again smacking myself in the head claiming, "I know better!"  I was indeed a slave.  However, as a slave dreams of eventual freedom, so it was that I wished for better times for myself.  This was not something I wanted to be remembered for.  One of my first clues that these chains of bondage were not what my heavenly Father had in mind for me was the truth that Christ Jesus had come to wash away the very sins it seemed I was in bondage to.  For if indeed Jesus had become sin on my behalf that I might have life, was I still in bondage?  Had my chains finaly been broken?  Had I finaly been set free?

1Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, b“Abba, Father!” 7Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Galations 4: 1 - 7 NKJV

In Romans 6, the apostle Paul stakes claim that it is Christ Jesus who broke those chains of bondage for us.  It is Jesus Himself who has set us free from the bondage of sin that "We should no longer be slaves of sin."  It is the man Christ Jesus who Himself became sin on our behalf that we would have our freedom {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  Those chains I struggled with for so long have now been broken, I HAVE been set free!  This freedom didn't take a act of congress or a social action prostest, only the selfless act of one man.  Paul follows up his revelation of our broken chains from Romans by telling us that we who were once in bondage to our sin have now, through Christ Jesus, traded in our chains for the honor of being sons of the most high.  Not only sons, but heirs to our heavenly Father through Christ Jesus.  Not only have our chains of bondage been broken, but we who have accepted Christ Jesus now share in His inheritance.  We are no longer slaves, but sons.  Sons of the living God.  This realization came late in life for me, but was revealed to me in Gods fullness of time nonetheless.  There was no tool that could have broken those chains of mine, only the crucifiction of Christ Jesus.  The struggle I now deal with is accepting that my chains are indeed broken and that I need no longer live my life in bondage to something I am dead to.  This is the freedom we now have in Christ Jesus, my chains are gone, I've been set free!

~Scott~

Jesus For Today

35‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Matthew 25: 35 - 40 NKJV

We spend a good deal of time striving for those assets of Jesus which we feel others around us will surely notice in us.  What better confirmation of being "Like Jesus" than for someone to see His heart and His actions within us.  Our journey to rightousness, it seems, would then be complete.  Gods word gives us plenty of examples of the heart Jesus had for those around Him.  It is well known that He held a special place in His heart for those who were lost or hurting.  It is this compassion for others which unbelievers seemingly refer to when they lay claim that Jesus is surely a humanitarian, a counselor or even a prophet.  However, suggest to many that Jesus is Lord of all which we see and you will definately encounter some resistance.  It seems that we are just fine with the compassion of Jesus, but not for His authority.  However, that authority is also a part of who Jesus is.  We cannot cherry pick those characteristics of Christ which we agree with while ignoring those we feel are too invasive.  For Jesus is not just a humanitarian or ancient charitable man, but the one and all for all creation.  The biggest stumbling block in our understanding of Christ falls on the false belief that it is we oursleves who are in control of all around us.  In essence, we place Jesus in a box, only to be called on when we need Him.  We accept and adore His compassion, kindness and mercy, but our feathers get ruffled when we learn that it is we who are dependent on Him.  The very error of our thinking is that we are the masters of our own destiny.  For His part, Jesus simply waits for us to return to Him.

13He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or eprincipalities or fpowers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossions 1: 13 - 18 NKJV

In Colossions 1, the apostle Paul lays out just why the belief that we are a independent self is in error.  As Paul points out, ALL things were created through Him and for Him.  Indeed, this Jesus who you admire for His compassion and mercy is Lord over all.  All things, including ourselves, were created for Him.  This flys right in the face of that which we have been taught, and it is a lie.  It is the very same lie which satan himself believed when he claimed he would be higher than God Himself.  It is the same lie he perpetrates even today.  Of course, he has many followers in his camp.  The very first words of our heavenly Fathers creation story in Genesis also expose this lie for what it is.  For in the begining, God created "The heavens and the earth."  We ourselves were created in our Lords own image.  Of course, if we were truly independent, we would have no need for outside help for we would already exist.  For how can something which is truly dependent be dependent on another for its life, well being and sustenance?  So, how is it that we can be assured that others will see Christ Jesus in us?  What level of righteousness must we reach in order that we may become like Christ?  Well, the truth of Christ, found in Galations 2:20 testifies to the fact that we need not struggle to be like Jesus, because He already lives through us.  It is when we show compassion, love and mercy to those around us that we exhibit the nature of Christ Jesus who lives in us.  For this is the very image of He in whose image we were created.

~Scott~