Learning Curve

But 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.  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  But 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 through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8: 9-11 NKJV

Learning something new is never the easiest of tasks.  I realized this recently while learning the "Correct" way to play golf.  Thankfully, I was blessed with a christian brother who has gently guided me along without too much over emphasis on my obvious lack of knowledge of the game.  It is his gentle manner in which he has shown me the game which has once again peaked my interest in training myself to learn this game.  I mean, without him I'd have a set of golf clubs gathering dust somewhere.  In some ways, golf is a extremely unforgiving sport.  Depending on if you swing the correct way, have the right stance and keep your eyes on the ball, you MIGHT just hit the ball well enough to give it a good go.  There are alot of variables involved in this game.  Now, I had tried my hand at golf a few years ago, but ended up with the wrong sized clubs.  This only added to my misery.  My swing, stance and approach I was using were alll wrong obviously.  My performance reflected this by the way.  It was against this backdrop in which I once again entered the arena of learning this game of kings.  I have to say that my former hockey training had given me a unique golf swing, but it wouldn't "Fly" as they say.  It was ok, but I obviously needed to retrain myself with the advice my friend Dennis continues to give me.  This is where my learning curve truly started.  Having my former habits ingrained in me, it has been a struggle to overcome that which I had practiced for so long.  Of course, as Dennis and I often do, we try to realte struggles such as this to our christian life.

Knowing 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.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6-11 NKJV

Like that awkward swing which had become so ingrained in my golf game, that sin in which I was born into may at times seem part of me still.  And why not, since I was born into iniquity, wouldn't it be a struggle to overcome it?  But wait, we no longer need to struggle in this.  For Christ Jesus has single handedly forgiven our sins AND put to death that "Old man" which we were born into so long ago.  No longer are we sinners saved by grace, but Gods chilren created in His very image.  Yes, we have always been His children, but we also carried with us that penalty of sin.  But God, being rich in mercy, even while we were still sinners, sent His son to die for us.  Yet, why do we continue to have these fleshly desires from time to time?  Yes, we are created in Gods very image, as Christ Jesus was also.  However, in order for Jesus to walk among us, His Spirit image which was the very image of God needed a container to reside in.  This was His flesh, that same flesh container which we have.  Of course, our containers were not always filled with the Spirit of Christ Jesus.  For before we trusted in Jesus, our containers were the domain of the "spirit of the power of the air."

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according t the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding richness of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:1-6 NKJV

It is with this former part of our past in which we struggle daily.  It is this part of us which ultimately needs to be retrained in the ways of Christ Jesus.  For it is Christ who now resides within us whom our flesh will now exhibit.  That doesn't mean that our "Old man" will not rear his head from time to time.  Like that golf swing reminiscent of my old hockey playing days, it takes time and effort to retrain the old habits.

~Scott~

The Way Out

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.  No temptatiion has overtaken you except such is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10: 12-13 NKJV

I always hated playing the game of Monopoly.  Growing up my friends and I would usually reserve playing indoors unless the weather outside denied us.  Of course, for those who know the weather of northern Minnesota, you would understand that the winters are not too hospitable to outdoor activities.  And so, in the pre video game age, we would amuse ourselves with games of Monopoly or Risk.  Now, the only thing I actually liked about the game of Monopoly was the coveted "Get out of jail free" card.  I mean, who doesn't like second chances?  I still remember that day when one of my profiteering, capitalistic friends sold me one of these cards for the outrageous sum of $20,000!  What could I do, I was in jail!  Yes, I ended up losing anyway, but I got out of jail.  In many ways, we christians have our own Get out of jail free card which we carry daily.  For we were born into the bondage of sin, fully deserving of incarceration.  However, through the love and grace of our heavenly Father, who loved us while we were yet sinners {Romans 5: 6-8}, we who have trusted in Christ Jesus have been freed from this bondage of sin which once afflicted us.  Instead of a get out of jail free card, Jesus has provided for us a "Never go to jail" card.  It is no secret that along with sin comes the feelings of  shame, guilt and condemnation we feel once we give in to our temptation once again.  "How many more times will I give in to this crap?" we may ask ourselves.  Friends, like a wiley old football coach, satan has that same old playbook which he uses to trick us time and again.  Since he is indeed our former occupying spirit, he knows full well what buttons to push to ensure that we fall victim to his suggestions.  But we have hope.

Knowing 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.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now, if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6-11 NKJV

If there is one thing we can say with certainty, is that there WILL be behhaviors which we engage in which will run contrary to the best which God has planned for us.  Far from being angry with His children when they fall into temptation, our Lord God is grieved that we would follow this path.  There is no punishment, for Christ bore that for us on the cross.  However, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians10, these temptations which so often overtake us are not special to us, but are "Such is common to man."  Yes, those same temptations which you have fallen victim to are the very same suggestions which satan has been using for generations!  He knows us for he was once was a intimate part of our lives.  But Christ Jesus has changed all of that!  For we no longer live as our "Old man" guilty of the sin we were born into.  For when Jesus gave Himself on that cross, He took the guilt and penalty of sin of our old man upon Him and put it to death for good!  What is left behind is a new creation in Christ Jesus, free of the bondage of sin.  Not only that, but our Lord has provided a "Get out of temptation free" card for all of us.  For God will never allow His children to be tempted beyond what they are able to handle.  Not only are we free of the guilt oof sin, but God intercedes for us in our temptations.  As a good friend of mine once told me, "When satan reminds you of your past, remind him of hhis future!"

~Scott~

The Devils Reach

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.  But may the God of all grace, who callled us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
1 Peter 5: 6-10 NKJV

Live long enough, and we shall all be witness to the consequences of christians falling into the temptations of satan.  For there are many doors into this realm.  Doors of hatred, lust, arrogance, pride and malice.  Once opened, these doors are often not slammed shut until transgression is commited, if at all.  Such is the reach of the devil upon the children of God.  It not unheard of for this master of lies and deceit to lead many astray into behavior which is contrary to our Lord.  His main goal being the driving a wedge between us and Christ Jesus.  For it was satan himself who, deluded into thinking that he himself was independent of and higher than God Himself, was cast out of heaven along with those who followed him.

"How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!  How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!  For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'  Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest dephs of the pit."
Isaiah 14: 12-15 NKJV

Such arrogance!  Is it no wonder that this deceiver was not cast from heaven, but from Gods creation in the garden of eden?  For it was satan who introduced the doubt which led to the fall into sin of all mankind.  One suggestion, one instant led to our being born into the sin nature which Christ Jesus died to abolish!  Yet, despite his downfall, it is satan, even today, who serves up suggestions which entice us into those behaviors which are contrary to our Lords desire for us.   As the apostle Peter warns us in 1 Peter 5 that it is satan who "Walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."  This father of all lies who was cast out from our Lords paradise, spends his time these days wandering the earth seeking more victims that he might turn against God.  Oh, we're not at all alone in this plight today.   For scripture tells us of the exploits of satans travels in our Lords creation.  From the fall to the temptation of Christ Jesus himself, satan certainly keeps himself busy.

Knowing 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.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lusts.
Romans 6: 6-12 NKJV

Since I've been there before many times, I can relate to the process of sin and its aftermath.  The worst part for any believer who falls into temptation is after he has partaken of the temptation he has given into.  For is here where we often feel that tug of guilt and shame that always accompanies our mistakes.  How could God ever love a sinner such as myself?  How can God, who hates sin, ever put up with me ever again?  Christian, these ARE NOT the words of God speaking into us!  Far from it, for these are the words of the very same accuser whose suggestions we fell victim to in the first place.  We do well to remember that it is satan who wants nothing more than to put distance between us and God.  We can be assured that he will use any means at his disposal to accomplish this!  So, does God despise us for our sins?  The apostle Paul knew that answer.

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5: 6-8 NKJV

So we, who were born into sin, may often feel as if our Lord is not pleased with us due to our behaviors.  However, far from being displeased, our loving heavenly Father loved us enough to provide for our redemption even when we still carried the guilt of sin.  In stark contrast to satans deceptions and lies is our Lords love and mercy upon His children.  Those feelings of condemnation, guilt and shame are not of God, but of the accuser.

~Scott~

Christ Our Choice

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Fathers house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know."  Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?"  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.  "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him and have seen Him."  Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficent for us."  Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?  He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'show us the Father'?  "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?  The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells  in Me does tthe works.  Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves."
John 14: 1-11 NKJV

It is a interesting situation, those who claim to believe in God yet struggle in their belief of Christ Jesus.  Perhaps God is too big not to believe in?  For from the begining we read that God was there from the start.  But many struggle with the idea that Jesus was there with God from the start as well.

In the begining was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the begining with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Hm was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1: 1-5 NKJV

As Jesus tells Philip in John 14 that "I am in the Father, and the Father in me."  It seems that the disciples of Jesus themselves had difficulty understanding this concept.  However, if there is one thing that needs be known it is that we can choose to trust in Christ Jesus or not.  The disciples of Christ chose to follow Him when He beckoned.  We also are faced with that very same choice.  For if we believe in God, we will eventually run smack into the very truth of Jesus.  If we trust in God, then must we also place our trust in Christ Jesus who is in Him?  For if we seperate the two, we make the mistake of missing out on what our Lord has to offer each of us.  It may be difficult for us to accept outright, but it is a loving God who ultimately gives His children a choice whether they will follow Him or not.  For if we ignore all that surrounds us and trust in one which we cannot even see, we are stepping out in true faith.  Many of us choose to believe in God, yet stumble in this very same belief of Jesus.  It is not good enough to choose to believe in God and yet ignore Christ, for they are one in the same.

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in Me, and I in you; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that you sent Me.  And the glory which you gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom you gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; For You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that you sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
John 17: 20-26 NKJV

As Christ Jesus tells His disciples in John 14, "Believe in God, believe also in Me."  If we are to believe in our Lord in heaven, it must also be our belief in Him whom He sent to be the propitiation of our sins.  There is no dividing line between God and Christ, if we believe in one we must accept both.  For it is our Lords desire that all of His children would come to the saving knowledge of His Son.  Choose wisely.

~Scott~

All Of Our Yesterdays

The only easy day was yesterday
~U.S. Navy SEAL's~

What benefit is to be found in looking towards tomorow?  For tomorow brings only uncertainty.  Today, however, brings only that which we are familiar with.  Oh, we may often await the arrival of the morning sun, but fear the challanges of  the new day.  Each new day brings upon us its own worries, cares and responsibilities.  However, in today we are at ease with what we have become familiar with.  The challanges which face us are still afar off in a distant tomorow.  Such is often our outlook of the future.  Is it no wonder that others warn of the "Challanges" of tomorow as we celebrate the comforts of today?  It's  the future, it's the unknown.  Such is the case for those who hear of the good news of Christ Jesus and yet do not heed His call upon their hearts.  For those who have not known Jesus, to open ones heart to Him is akin to entering the unknown.  For this current life, with all of our troubles and turmoil, must be more acceptable to a unknown future with Christ.  For Jesus promises peace and freedom from this very world which we have become so accustomed to.  The trouble with this is, we are so used to the surroundings of this world around us, that relying on anything else seems like a unfounded belief.  Not to mention the fact of relying on something we cannot see!  One of the most difficult hurdles for me to conquer in my journey of knowing Christ Jesus was simply that, to trust in the unseen.  I can trust in that which surrounds me, for I am surrounded by it daily.  The tree in the wilderness, the oceans roar, all of those parts of our Lords creation which I can touch and feel are real to me.  In these I rejoice daily.  This Christ Jesus saying, "Follow me," I could not comprehend.

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "Youu are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My father who is in heaven.  And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose onn earth will be loosed in heaven."
Matthew 16: 13-19 NKJV

To many, trusting in Jesus is as dark of territory as the unknown tomorow.  And so we continue on in our lives of today.  We've heard of the stories of the love and compassion of Jesus, but these tell only part of the story.  While it is true that Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins past, present and future, He also put to death that part of us which was born into sin.  For when Jesus died, our "Old man," our sin spirit we were born in to perished also.  Gone are the days of condemnation and guilt.  Gone are all of our yesterdays!  For those who make that leap to trust in Jesus, what we now share is our life through Him.

"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

In knowing Jesus, we no longer need fear the unknowns of tomorow for we face it through Christ who is in us.

~Scott~

How I See Her

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and  a sbeingnheirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
1 Peter 3: 7 NKJV

The longer I live, I often realize that I may have been corrupted by my own generations desires.  Of course, these desires are the very same men have had since the begining of time.  For as men today, we often do not realize the importance of  treating women as God would lead us to.  "The game," as they say, is to seek physical contact with a woman before anything else develops.  Welcome to the influence of my generation.  My roots are pretty strong from a time when men were men and women knew their place in a mans world.  See, this was the influence I received mostly from a fallen world.  As I grew, it was common for men to be chastised for not being intimate with a female!  I'd hear it in the workplace, from my friends and, believe it or not, more than a few churches!  I recall one Sunday morning service where, after the morning prayer, a aquaintance of mine made the comment that he would have liked to "Get to know" a certain woman member of the congregation better.  Of course, I knew what he was refering to, and it had nothing to do with friendship.  I don't blame others for being shocked by this behavior, but this was how men were encouraged to act for generations.   To not do so meant that your sexual preference was put into question.  And who would want to be accused of that?  And so we played the game.  Of course, I often felt uncomfortable with the way we were treating others, but not uncomfortable enough to say anything in protest.  I guess that's guilt by association.  However, in my heart I knew that this was not how God intended the interaction between male and female to be.

For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church; and He is the savior of  the body.  Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let wives be to their own husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.  For no  one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.  For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.  "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
Ephesians 5:23-31 NKJV

It is in Ephesians 5 where the apostle Paul tells us of the proper marriage relationship.  However, I believe this is carried over to courtship relationships as well.  As Paul tells us, "Husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies."  Far from being a controling, domineering relationship, this is a relationship of love and respect for one another.  Many feminists have fretted over the idea of ANY woman being subject to a man.  However, I don't believe this was where Paul was going in his description of a Godly marriage relationship.  Far from it.  For a man who loves his wife as he loves himself will indeed shower her with a affection seldom seen today.  Think of how we view ourselves, do we not aspire to treat ourselves well?  It is with this same love in which we treat ourselves that Paul encourages us to bestow on our spouse.  What a joyous relationship will result when two people share such a unselfish union!  Not only have I played the game, but I've been witness to the horrible consequences of what we as men have sown!  For our own nation has some of the highest rates of divorce and single parent households.  Welcome to the aftermath we've wrought upon ourselves!  Thankfully, I've come to know the truth.

~Scott~

Expectations

Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die!"  But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks.  Shall we indeed expect good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?"  In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job 2: 9-10 NKJV

It seems that we christians have this expectation that part of Gods provision for His children amounts to a life of continuous, bountiful blessing.  Despite scriptural evidence to the contrary, some hold fast the belief that one of Gods main purposes is that we remain happy and blessed.  So much so, that we seem to be indignant when things do not turn out as we think they should.  Suddenly, we may find ourselves asking, "Why God?"  Why would a God whose soul purpose is the help and blessing of His people suddenly turn His back on us?  Have we done something to anger our loving God?  I would answer no to both of these questions.  I believe the issue lies not with a suddenly uncaring God, but in our unrealistic expectations.  Yes, there are plenty of scriptures to  back up the point that our Lord will indeed provide for us.  However, there is a definate difference between Gods provision and what we see as His blessings upon us.  For each day we wake, we are faced with Gods provision in our lives.  He provides for our basic health, needs and environment.  Much of what we daily take for granted is simply  God supplying our basic needs.  It is these provisions which we all too often overlook.  It seems that our expectations are for Gods provision of prosperity in our lives, anything less and we may feel that we are being slighted somehow.  I look at the story of Job to illustrate this point.  For Job was a righteous man who "Feared God and shunned evil."  How great had God blessed His servant Job?  Well, scripture tells us that Jobs fortune included seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred female donkeys.  Such were Jobs blessings that he is described as "Greatest of all the people of the east" {Job 1:3}.

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, 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?  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?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lillies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat? or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorow, for tomorow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Matthew 6: 25-34 NKJV

So, what is this fine line between our Lords provision and His blessing?  Why is it that He chosses to bless some while simply "Providing" for others?  This is something that is well within our Lords right.  For who are we whom God created to question Gods motives?  Has God blessed one man over another?  Is this not His perogative?  Would we have the same complaint were God bestowing His blessings upon us?  No, for it is only our arrogance which expects God to supply all of His children with unlimited blessing!  However, it is our meekness which trusts that our Lord knows that which we need.

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.  Who are you to judge another?  Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not  know what will happen tomorow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."  But now you boast in arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.
James 4: 12-16 NKJV

The line between our Lords blessing and provision is neither thin nor blurred.  Instead, it is our expectations of just what our heavenly Father ought to do which may need adjustment.

~Scott~

Homecoming

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Fathers house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know."  Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?"  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.
John 14: 1-7 NKJV

There is that moment when we will suddenly feel no more sadness, shed no more tears and have the answers to every question we've ever known.  It is in that very instant when we who have known Christ Jesus will at long last be called home.  That blessed place with many mansions for which Jesus has already prepared a place for us.  This is the moment we have heard of, worked for and dreamed about.  Like the "Shoeless Joe Jackson" character Ray Liotta portrayed in the film field of dreams, we may find ourselves wondering, "Is this heaven?"  Of course, we may already know the answer to this question.  For this is our ultimate destination and reward, this is our homecoming.  Christ Jesus has already laid the groundwork for our eternity in paradise.  For without His sacrafice, we may be left on the outside looking in.  As Jesus tells us in John 14, "No one comes to the Father except through Me."  Therefore, we who have trusted in Christ Jesus have been granted the right to be heirs to the kingdom of God {{Romans 8:17}.  It is the ultimate reward for a life in Christ.    The apostle Paul refered to it as the end of his race, whereupon he would receive his crown of righteousness.  The patriarchs of old from Abraham to Joseph all waited in anticipation of the moment they would be called home.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8: 14-18 NKJV

There are still many today who consider their lives and times on this earth as the be all end all.  Many of these hearts have not yet known Jesus.  For had they known Him, they would have been privy to the glorious future He has promised for those who trust in Him.  How dark an outlook has he who has not known Christ Jesus!  For to him each passing day is a countdown to a uncertain eternity.  To him there is life, then nothing.  I have spoken with many people who hold this belief in their hearts, and it is at times painful for me to witness them living thier lives without the promise of Jesus.  Who will tell them?  Who will share that gospel of Jesus?  For our Lords purpose is that all would come to know the truth of  Christ Jesus and be saved {John 3: 16-17}.  How wonderful a day when we will stand before the throne and hear those blessed words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

~Scott~

Moving Forward

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that thebody of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that H elives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lusts.
Romans 6: 6-12 NKJV

There is many a christian today who live life in the past.  We go to church on Sunday with the full intent to live a better life.  Yet, within a few days we find ourselves in prayer asking our Lords forgiveness once again.  If we were to listen very closely in these silent moments of our prayer, would we hear Jesus whiper to us, "Forgiveness for what, my child?"  I wonder just what our response would be.  It's not totaly our fault, for each week the conventional wisdom is that we, as christians, need to seek our Lords forgiveness as we seek to be more like Him.  But what exactly are we seeking Gods forgiveness for?  Just what egregious sin have we committed which warrants the grace of His forgiveness?  Now, let me phrase that in another way.  What sin have we committed which Christ Jesus has not already bled and died to forgive already?  For as Jesus hung on that cross, was He not doing so for the full forgiveness of the sins of all mankind?  As the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 6, the very death which Christ Jesus died, "He died to sin once for all."  One perfect sacrafice, one death for the abolition of sin.  Done, finished!  Enough for Christ to claim as He died, "It is finished!"  Again I ask, what sin is there for which Jesus has not died to forgive us for?  And yet we continue to seek our Lords forgiveness for what we've done.

Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.  For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, seperate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrafices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
Hebrews 7: 25-27 NKJV

Again, we see in Hebrews 7, that Christ Jesus offered up Himself as a sacrafice for sin once for all.  Not just for a few chosen sins or sinners, but for the sins of all mankind.  This is the free gift of grace from our heavenly Father, that He loved us enough to provide for our salvation.  As long as we hold to the belief that there may still be that sin for which the blood of Jesus has not covered, we live in the past.  Indeed, the sacrafice of Christ Jesus assured us that we need no longer live with our sin penalty.  He assured us of this by becoming sin on our behalf and taking our place on that cross.  We are no longer tied to our past, but free to move forward in Jesus.

~Scott~

From Me To Him

Talent is God given.  Fame is man given.  Be grateful.  Conceit is self-given.  Be careful

~John Wooden~

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I tyhank you that I am not like other men- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"  "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Luke 18: 9-14 NKJV

One of the greatest compliments a man can get is that he is humble, that he puts others above himself.  When we examine the life of Christ Jesus, we see that this was exactly how Jesus focused His attention on others.  For Jesus truly had a heart for those around Him.  It was among the poor, the sick and the broken where Jesus made His greatest impact.  In Jesus we truly have a perfect example to follow, so why don't we?  As I said, no greater compliment is there than to tell someone that they have a heart for others.  I have run across my share of people in my time who exhibit these very characteristics.  then again, I have certainly met those whose main focus is centered on what is best for themselves.  Indeed, what good is our ministry of Christ Jesus if our intent is more along the lines of what others can do for us?  If Jesus had followed such a path, we may have not witnessed Gods love and mercy of whom Jesus was the very image of.  Were there others in the days of Jesus who exemplified a heart for others?  Certainly, but Jesus, being the true example of God among us, gave witness to the love and mercy of God to all men.  Of course, that heart for others Jesus exhibited is also a calling on our hearts when He becomes a part of us.  In that moment we realize Christ within us, our lives slowly become less about us and more about Him.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death on the cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shouuld bow,  of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should coonfess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:  3-11 NKJV

It is the true humble heart for others which puts the needs of  others above their own.  Instead of our own self preservation, it becomes more about the well being of others.  For it is by this very heart for others by which Christ Jesus selflessly gave Himself up that all might be saved.  How different the course of humanity had Jesus only thought of Himself!    As the well known hymm praises, "O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!  Let thy goodness now like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee."  Indeed, the selfless act of love which Jesus has done for us certainly would require a enormous debt to be paid.  That is, if Christ Jesus Himself had chosen to consider His own desires over those of others.  As it is, that sin debt which we accumulated has, through our Lords love, been paid in full!  The focus is no longer on me, but on Him.

~Scott~

There For The Grace Of God Go I

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience havee its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let Him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1: 2-8 NKJV

We know a man.  A man whose life has dealt him many a blow of adversity.  So far has the road our friends life has traveled, that one of my friends would comment that he must have already used up nine lives in his various trials and tribulations.  And yet, in my heart I know this friend as a man of the faith, a man of God.   My memories of him in days gone by as a rock in Christ are many.  For it is he who steadfastly held to his testimony in Jesus even as others would marvel at how he could even be alive.  His photograph of the "Old man" he once was did more to illustrate the truth of Romans 6 to me than any preacher ever could.  He would often proudly displayed  this symbol of his former life as if to say to all who saw it, "Look what Christ has done in me!"  Those of us who know him are witness to the fact of our Lords work in his life, and our own.  If anything, he is a reminder to those who know him of our loving Gods restoration.  Yes, his live has been one of trials, but along the way our Lord has also redeemed his child.  Still, one of the questions I'm left to ask of our heavenly Father is, "Lord, what seperates me from my friend?"  Yes, I have had my own struggles and trials, but nothing compared to my brother.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father!"  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.  For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us.
Romans 8: 14-18 NKJV

There are plenty of passages throughout scripture that deal with the trials we might face in our lifetime.  For it is common knowledge that adversity does not discriminate in who it strikes.  However, our character will not be defined by how many trials we overcome, but how we overcome our trials.  Will we shrink back in fear at the first sign of adversity, or will we chrage ahead in Christ knowing that it is Christ Jesus whithin us who is our strength?  Most of us are familiar with the story of the trials of Job {Job 1: 1-13}.  Job was a man of God, and yet God allowed satan to test him through adversity.  Would Job falter under satans attack?  No, for when it was all said and done, Jobs response as he sat in his distress speaks volumes to us even today.

Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die!"  But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks.  Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?"  In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job 2: 9-10 NKJV

It is clear that Jobs wife must have been expecting the old man to shrivel under the adversity brought upon him.  However, it is also clear that Job understood the big picture, that throughout it all, it is God who ultimately holds our  life in his hands.  I think of our friend and wonder just what our Lord has in store for each of us.  How will we respond to whatever calling he chooses to place onto our hearts?  Be it good or bad, we must understand that it is only through Christ Jesus within us that we will come through victorious on  the other side of lifes adversity.  There for the grace of God go I!

~Scott~

Looking Within

I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast for I intend to go in harms way

~Captain John Paul Jones~ 

Since you seek proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.  For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God.  For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.  Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves.  Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified.
2 Corinthians 13: 3-5 NKJV

Every now and then, each one of us is inclined to look inside ourselves.  Whether it be merely for personal inventory or  for self improvement, we routinely take stock of what we have within us.  Some are satisfied with what they find, while others are not.  What we find in those less visited places within us may cause us to make drastic life changes.  For myself, it was my fitness and my relationship with Christ Jesus.  Others may find other barriers to their personal growth.  There may be addictiions, behavior or family issues to be dealt with.  The truth is, we may never know what we are facing unless we take a step back and look within.  In 2 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul wrote to those of the church at Corinth that they should examine themselves in this way.   Paul saw a few issues with the church in Corinth, but he also believed that they had not trusted Christ Jesus without reason.  Paul seeks for those in the Corinthian church to examine themselves, to look within and take stock of their faith.  As Paul asks, "Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?"  We today may well ask ourselves this very same question.  We often hear others tell us of how we need to be more in step with Christ.  Well, look within for your answer.  Where is our trust?  Do we truly trust and believe in the truth of Christ Jesus which Paul often spoke of?  Do we believe the lie that is often spoken even today that Christ Jesus is seperated from us as He sits looking down upon us from heaven?  For the very same truth Paul spoke of is as true today as it was in the days of the church of Corinth.

"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

That truth which Paul so eagerly asked the Corinthians to look within themselves for was the very same truth he refered to as the "Mystery among the Gentiles" {Colossions 1:27}.  This "Mystery" being the truth of Christ in you.  Not Jesus on a seperate plane watching over us, but Christ Jesus physicaly with us!  This is sometimes too much for some to wrap their understanding around.  It was, in fact, one of the biggest struggles I've had in my faith.  How could a sinless Jesus even come close to being in such a sinner?  Does not God despise sin?  Yes!  However, there is a chain of events which occured in order for God to fulfill that relationship He once shared with us before our fall into sin.  First, Jesus was scourged, tortured and put to death for the very forgivness of those sins we carried with us.  Jesus Himself became sin in our place, taking upon Himself the punishment which was meant for us.  This being accomplished upon His death on the cross, our sins were indeed wiped clean.  However, the sin "Nature" we were all born into still remained.  Had it not been for the death of Christ, we would still be afflicted with this penalty.   With the death of Christ on the cross, that "Body" of sin we once carried was put to death as well.  When He rose from the dead days later, any semblence of the "Old man" we were born into was put to death.   In essence, a part of us died on that cross with Jesus.

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

It's not a bad thing for us to pause and to take stock of just where we are.  However, we may well do ourselves a disservice when we choose to believe in something which is just not true.  When we look within we no longer see sin, but Christ Jesus who is in us.

~Scott~

Fears

So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You."  As He also says in another place: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek"; who, in the days of  His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a son, yet He learned obedience by the things which he suffered.
Hebrews 5: 5-8 NKJV

It is difficult for one today to know the experience that Christ Jesus went through as He was tortured and crucified by the Romans at the insistence of the Jewish leaders.  One thing that brought these events home for me was the film "The passion of the Christ."  I remember watching this film and for the very first time knowing the anguish Jesus must have felt.  Of course, we will never truly know the anguish which Christ Jesus endured, but we have the witness of scriptures to attest that these events are true.  I have no doubt that Jesus knew the very path which was set before Him, yet He did not flinch in His obedience to follow the plan set forth by His Father in heaven.   He was tempted by satan, scorned, ridiculed and lived the life of a common man, all the while being God in the flesh.  From such humble beginings came forth the savior of all mankind.  I have often wondered just how this flesh of Jesus reacted to the life which He was born into.   For we know that Jesus exhibited anger, sadness, tears and happiness on His path to the cross.  However, we also must keep in mind that Jesus also exhibited the fears of His flesh as well.  We do well to remember that those very same emotions which we ourselves have experienced in our life, were also experienced by God in the flesh.  For Jesus was the perfect balance of holy God and the flesh of man.  For without the flesh of Gods creation, the world may have never known this man Jesus.  For the realm from which Jesus originated is not physical but spiritual.  Indeed, Jesus was the very image of God wrapped in human flesh.  As with ourselves, that flesh of Jesus was nothing more than a vessel to hold His spirit.

And he took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."
Matthew 26: 37-39 NKJV

It is in the garden of Gethsemane where we see another side of the flesh of Christ Jesus.  As Jesus enters the garden with His disciples, He reveals "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death."  One can only imagine the flood of emotions carried by this man who in a few short hours would be scourged and brought before the authorities of the day.  Make no mistake, Jesus knew His impending fate, and it is here where we first see that fear He exhibits as His hour draws near.  This is the flesh side of Jesus, that which so much exemplifies our own emotions.  However, it is in the very next moment where Jesus must have realized His response of His flesh.  In the face of His fears, Jesus prays to His Father "Not as I will, but as You will."  Jesus denies the fears of His flesh as He realizes that the very hour which is appointed for Him was appointed by God.  The perfect plan which God had set in motion from the begining of time would not be derailed by the flesh of man.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.  Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.   Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4: 12-16 NKJV

We may feel like there is nobody who can sympathize with whatever it is I am going through, pain and disapointments are real and personal to all who experience them.  I think of my Lord Jesus, how He must have felt in those hours leading to His crucifiction.  Much worse than the fears of the unknown must be the fear of ones impending death.

~Scott~

Christ Alone

Knowing 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.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that s lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Romans 6: 6-12 NKJV

The common theme in most of christian teaching today concerning the life and times of Jesus is that Jesus came, preached and was thereafter crucified, only to rise again three days later.  After this, He ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of His heavenly Father.  Of course, this is indeed a true telling of the story of Christ Jesus, but I believe that through this truth we often find a misconception of just who Christ is to us today.  Yes, Jesus gave His life that we might be saved from the sin nature which we were born into, but there is significance in His resurection as well.  For the purpose of the resurection of Jesus was not just that He would ascend into heaven, but that He would remain among us today.  It is here where the disconnect might occur in the minds of some.  At least it did for me.  From the pulpits we hear the story of how Jesus, after His death on the cross, rose again to be with God.  We celebrate His resurection each easter Sunday.  This is the story I was told of Jesus from my sunday school days into adulthood.  It is widely accepted that this is where the story of Christ Jesus ends.  From this point of view we see our Lord Jesus as sitting in heaven at the right hand of God the Father looking down upon the creation He gave Himself to save.  It is here, with Jesus afar off from Gods creation where the disconnect occurs in our thinking and teaching.

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in Me, and I in you; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
John 17: 20-24 NKJV

There are plenty of places in Gods word which proclaim to us the truth of Christ Jesus today, but somehow some have missed this prompting.  This is exactly where I found myself in my search for the truth of Jesus.  To me, it seemed that Jesus was nothing more than a disconnected savior watching from His home in heaven.  In this scenario, I was indeed alone as I faced the trials of this world.  Yet I would continue to hear the call from the pulpits that we, as christians, needed to be "Closer to God."  This teaching perpetuated the belief that there was a seperation between Gods children and He.  One scripture which opened my eyes to the truth of Christ Jesus today was Galations 2:20, which I have referenced often.

"I have been crucifed 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 is here where the apostle Paul lays out the case for the truth of our Lord Jesus.  For not only was Jesus crucified, but He remains today in us!  There are two key points in Pauls letter to the Galations.  For "We" have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but "CHRIST LIVES IN ME!"  Now, I don't recall dying, but this is what Paul was trying to get across.  For it was not our physical flesh that was nailed to that cross with Jesus, but our "Old man" of sin into which we were born.  This is that part of us which needed to be put to death in order for Jesus us to live out our lives here on earth as Christ who is in us.  There is no seperatiion.  We are not alone, but it is through Christ alone in which we now live.

~Scott~

A World In Need Of Us

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  They are of the world.  Therefore, they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.  We 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.  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; for everyone who loves is of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through HIm.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if  God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4: 4-11 NKJV

As christians, we often face a double sided view of the world around us.  One could say that we are indeed strangers in a strange land, mere visitors.  For our home is not here in the world we see, but is secured in our eternity in heaven which we do not yet see.  In this world around us we see much of which runs contrary to that which we believe.  There are thefts, murders, diversity and favoritism.  All of these, of course, run opposite to that which God has in mind for His children.  Yes, we are here but for a season, but it is during our time here that we have a unique opportunity presented to us.  As we look at that world which surrounds us, we often see plenty of people whom it must have crossed our minds once or twice are surely meant for Gods eternal punishment.  Be they criminls or simply those who have mistreated us, we often judge these children of our living God as deserving punishment.  The truth we are often too afraid to face is that we ourselves once walked as those we now seek to condemn.  And yet, our Lord in His loving kindness and mercy, willed that we ourselves would have His call placed upon our hearts.  For not for this, we ourselves may very well have ended up as just another of the worlds lost sinners.  How many times have we ourselves been judged by that very same measure which we use on others?

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

Who was it that first planted the very seed of the love of God into our hearts?  Was it a pastor, a teacher or simply a friend?  Whoever it was, God placed someone in our path who would reveal His truth unto us.  Had we known Gods truth until then?  Were we, as we so often see in those around us, simply one who followed the course of this fallen world?  How different would our lives have been had we not met that person who first spoke to us about our loving heavenly Father?  I often think of the course my own life could have taken had it not been for a very few who, heeding Gods calling on their hearts, spoke to me of His love for His children.  For this I am grateful.  Knowing this, where do we now stand in our thoughts of those who may have wronged us in some way?  Who is it that will speak to them of the love and forgivness of our heavenly Father?  Do we trust that God will place that call on anothers heart, or will we heed the call to speak the truth of Christ Jesus to a world in desperate need of Him?  All we need do is look around us to  see a world in desperate need of the word of Jesus.  Will we speak of Him?

~Scott~

The Thin Line

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.  Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

2 Corinthinas 5: 16-17 NKJV 

It is often our goal to be a beacon of Christ Jesus to those around us.  In fact, Jesus was quick to point  out that those around us would know us by our love for others {John 13:35}.  However, we often stop short in exhibiting the very love and compassion of Christ Jesus when we are confronted by those who would bring out in us the anger and resentment which was our former self in which we once walked.  We lash out, we proclaim others to be much more unworthy than ourselves.  In moments such a these, we all too often forget that we ourselves once walked as they did.  Our own arrogance therefore proclaims we ourselves as righteous while proclaiming those who offend us as guilty!  I can only imagine the ranks of the unsaved if only our loving and merciful God would have used that very same judgement on ourselves which we at times place on those around us.  For who then would be worthy enough to be saved?  I believe that the ranks of hell would then be filled with plenty of people who we ourselves have seen as righteous.  In fact, we ourselves may well be among them.  All but for the grace of our loving God.  God, who knowing our imperfections even before we were born, chose to pour His love and forgivness upon us through the selfless sacrafice of Christ Jesus.  Anot only ourselves, but on those who we might see as not worthy of Gods love.  

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power air, the spirit who  now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.  But God, whonis rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2: 1-6 NKJV 

Are we so arrogant that we would consider ourselves that much different from those around us?  For the apostle Paul himself proclaimed in Ephesians 2 that we who are in Christ are indeed dead in our trespasses and sins, in which WE ONCE WALKED.  The only difference between ourselves and that person out there whose conduct has in some way offended us is our realization that it is the love of God which has made us a new creation in Christ Jesus.  That's it, other than that we are as they are!  Think back to just how you conducted yourself before the truth of God came into your heart.  How many others saw you and thought, "What a jerk!"  I am not self righteous enough to believe that the thin line which seperates myself and the unsaved around me has anything at all to do with anything I've achieved {Ephesians 2: 8-9}.  For it indeed through Gods loving grace alone in which the sins in which I also once walked have now been washed away.  This new creation in which I now walk is the perfect work of Christ Jesus who is in me {Galations 2:20}.  Of course, should that person who I find so sinful accept the very same love and forgivness which I've found, where then is the difference between us?  For then he goes from sinner to one with Christ as I am.  Of course, the question remains, who will be the one to exhibit the love of Christ Jesus to him?  For without one to introduce to him Christ Jesus, will he not continue to walk as I once did?

~Scott~ 

Breathe

The Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, North Vietnam

"Am I a God near at hand," says the LORD, "And not a God afar off?  Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?"  says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?"  says the LORD.

Jeremiah 23: 23-24 NKJV 

It was one of the most unassuming buildings in Hanoi, but soon came to harbor a brutal reputation.  For many of the American airmen who were shot down over North Vietnam, the journey to the infamous Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi was a hellish trip indeed.  Roughly translated as  "Hells Hole," the Hanoi Hilton as it was known was often the final stop on the American prisoners journey.  Once inside, these men would endure years of cruel interogations and torture.  One of the most brutal of these methods employed by the North Vietnamese army was that of solitary confinement.  If one was unlucky enough to warrant such treatment, the scars would last a lifetime.  It was lonliness.  It was isolation from ones comrades.  Minutes became hours as all contact with the outside world was taken away.  The very things we might take for granted, the morning sunrise, a soft breeze and even the sound of a familiar voice were suddenly ripped away from these unlucky few.  The ultimate goal of such torture, of course, was to force the individual to give in to the demands of his captors.  It is no wonder that such treatment is outlawed by the Geneva Convention on treatment of Prisoners of War.  Lonliness, at its core, is one of the worst feelings one may face.

"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 

Like most christians, I've often felt the tug of fear at the thought that God has somehow abandoned me.  Of course, I know this in my heart to be a lie, but there are times when these feelings continue to come to pass.  I can honestly say that the feeling that God has abandoned us is one of the greatest lies ever perpetrated by satan.  Have you ever felt as if God has somehow abandoned you?  Well, ask yourself just one question when this happens, who benefits the most from driving a wedge between you and God?  Of course, that is satan!  The father of lies, whose deception led to the fall of mankind into sin is a master of lies and deception.  For His part, our loving heavenly Father has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  I'm thinking that when God says never, he means it.  For our Lord is incapabe of lying, it's just not in His nature.

  My mother would have a saying which she would tell me whenever my feelings of lonliness would lead me to believe that God was somehow afar off from my situation.  As she would tell me so many times, "God is as close as our next breath."  Think about that, we need never wonder if our Lord Jesus is in our corner, we need never go searching for Him.  He has never left us!  In fact, as Paul tells us in Galations 2:20, Christ Jesus now lives in me!  This life I live, I live as Christ!  How is it, then, that Jesus has ever left us?  Our flesh may conjure up feelings of abandonment and lonliness in times of our despair, but in time like these we can rest assured that Jesus is not far off, but we are living out our situation with Christ who is in each of us.  Take a moment, breathe, and realize that this life you live, you live as Jesus.

~Scott~ 

God On Our Own Terms

So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin!  Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.  But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse you to your face!"  And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life."  So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the soul of his foot to the crown of his head.  And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die!"  But he said to her, "You speak as one o fthe foolish women speaks.  Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?"  In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job 2: 4-9 NKJV

It is said in scripture that Job was a righteous man.  In fact, scriptures describe Job as  "Blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil."  By all accounts, this man Job was not one whom God would choose to bestow tragedy on.  And yet, this is exactly what happens.  With a little help from Satan, Job loses his fortune and his family in a staggering series of events.  I challange anyone to read the tragedies of Job and ask themselves if they could overcome such adversity.  Now, I'm of the opinion that God allowed Satan to afflict Job in order to show Job just who his Lord was.  Through all of Jobs trials and troubles, he remained true to God and did not sin.  In the story of Job, I see one of our Lords greatest stories of restoration.  We may also want to add to that list King David, Abraham and the apostle Paul.  Our Lord is never in the business of destruction for destructions sake.  No, for should He choose to afflict us, we can be assured that His ultimate plan is our complete restoration in Him.  Granted, this "Restoration" may indeed come when He welcomes His children home with Him, but it will come.  As with all that our Lord does on our behalf, we may never know His motives.  However, we can be assured that He will always work for the good in our lives and never evil.

"For My thouughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55: 8-9 NKJV

One of the most difficult things any pastor or christian need ever attempt to explain is the death of a child.  The questions will ultimately come.  How could a loving God allow a child to be ripped away from their loving family?  In the pain of our grief, we may be tempted to demand of God just why He would allow such suffering.  Why God?  A better question might be to ask, why do we seek a God who acts only on our terms?  Would a predictable God be so much better?  Would the tragedy of Job have been averted had he known it was coming?  Would that child have been saved had the family known God would ultimately take it home with Him?  In both of these circumstances, had they known our Lords ultimate plan, it would not have changed the outcome.  In our arrogance, we often think of God in terms which we understand.  To better understand His ways, we often view God as a human entity with all of the thoughts, emotions and desires which we ourselves carry with us.  However, as we see in Isaiah 55, the thoughts and plans of our Lord are far above our own.  All too often, we're blinded by our own flesh in our attempts to understand our Lord.
After the recent passing of my mother, I asked these very same questions.  Why would a loving God take her away from those that loved her?  Why would a loving God take her away from her family?  God, don't you understand just how important she is to us?  In my own selfishness, I was blind to the simple fact of why God had chosen this time to call her home.  Why God?  My thoughts and prayers were all filled with just why I needed my mother to remain with us.  Not once did I consider one of the obvious reasons for her passing.  For my mother was in pain, having been confined to a nursing home for so long, one of her deepest desires had been to be healthy enough to return to a normal active life.  In my grief, I had forgotten the mercy of my Lord that He would remove this pain from her and ultimately free her from her earthly struggles.  Instead of seeing Gods love, kindness and mercy, I was looking for God on my own terms.

~Scott~

A Season Of Hate

He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.  He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.   But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 2: 9-11 NKJV

I've known for some time now that there is a enormous divide in our nation.  There are those on one side who adhere to our traditional values and freedoms and those who seem to mock what they see as a sad devotion to this country.  Being of the latter, I grew up in a country where liberty and freedom were the keys which unlocked opportunity.  There is a definate reason that people refer to these United States as the land of opportunity.  They may criticize and villify us, but in the end, their very desire is for the freedoms and opportunities which many of us take for granted.  There is a reason for which men and women young and old have spilled their blood and given their lives that this nation, their home, might survive.  The bodies of Americans laid to rest in Arlington, Virginia and Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France as well as other places of honor around the world testify to the lives given in sacrafice in defense of our nation.  Not only are we a nation of immigrants, but many have died in their attempts to reach our shores.  For it is not our land or scenery which draws those seeking a better life, but the freedoms we enjoy.  In a nation born out of protest, one of our most cherished freedoms is that which allows us to voice our opinions and disagreements without fear of facing prison or arrest.  However, in recent months there have been those who have used the very freedoms each of us enjoy to spread destruction , hate and death to innocent people.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside.   If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
~Abraham Lincoln~

In the wake of yet another senseless murder of three more police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we are once again forced to confront the evil which we ourselves have spawned.  Good or bad, right or wrong, we are the ones who stand alone in the creation of a season of hate.  Our beliefs may not be the same as our neighbors, but that does not make us any less Americans.  It would seem that we have reached that tipping point in our society where law and order are no longer held sacred.  Instead, we have introduced chaos and murder as a sole remedy for expressing our anger.  This rhetoric, this violence, this cold blooded murder should not define who we are as a people.  This nation which has time and again rose above economic instability and racial hatred to become a beacon of hope for others is stronger than the hatred of a few.  As we once again prepare to lay to rest three more men who gave their lives in the defense of freedom, we are left with more than a few questions.  Will we submit to the hatred of a few in order to advance a radical agenda?  Or will we, as many who have gone before us, rise up in defense of this nation which we call our home?  Above all, the choice we are now faced with is simple.  Do we allow ourselves to be driven by hatred for those around us, or do we heed the call of our Lord Jesus that we "Love one another?"  In my opinion, the benefits of love always outweigh those of hatred.

~Scott~

Blind Spot

God, who made the world, and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.  Nor is He worshiped with mens hands, as though He needed anything.  Since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.  And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and boundries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord in the hope that thy might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us, 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: 24-28 NKJV

There is a saying that hindsight vision is 20/20.  It is easy to look back into the past and agree with history that things should have worked out differently.  Every Monday during football season our lives are filled with those monday morning quarterbacks who act as if  they had just passed up a coaching job with a Super Bowl championship team.  The would haves and should haves are argued as if they still had meaning.  Everyone seems as if they are the expert in sports information.  It's amazing that none of these masterminds have never been hired by any team anywhere.  Such a waste of talent I'm sure.  However, it is this rear view mirror thinking which often affects our relationship with our Lord as well.  To live in the past is never a good thing, for there is life here in the present.  Yet, when we adhere to a belief that there is a seperation between ourselves and God, we are experiencing a "Blind spot" in our spiritual thinking.  We often see God as one who provides, protects and comes to our aid should we need Him.  The belief that God could walk with us today seems too much for us to handle.  Anyway, God is holy, and we are but sinners saved by grace.  This is blind spot christianity.  We do well to see God for who He is, but fail to see just who we ourselves have become in the process.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God  and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Ephesians 4: 4-6 NKJV

Yes, there was a time when the lure of the sin of disobedience affected us all.  In fact, it was this sin that each of us were born into {Romans 3:23}.  By one mans disobedience to God, we all faced the sin punishment we deserved.  This is history.  However, we need not live in that rear view mirror christianity any  longer.  For through the death and resurection of Christ Jesus, that "Old man" who we have spent so much time and focus on is now deceased {Romans 6:6}.  He is dead, no longer to rise again.  In fact, as my friend Dennis likes to tell it, sin is now dead to us.  Why, then, do we continue to revisit that which is dead?  I'll tell you why, blind spot christianity.  We may know or have heard of the gift of Christ Jesus, but we fail to live as if He is a part of us {Galations 2:20}.  We embrace our life of the past while ignoring the life which we have with Jesus here in the present.  We need not live in the past, for Jesus has assured us that He Himself is now a part of us.  When we look in that mirror, we see Jesus looking back upon us.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"
~George Santayana~

~Scott~