Hide And Seek

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

I was listening to a old Billy Graham crusade this week when I ran across something interesting.  As the reverend Graham told it, it is we who need to live our lives representing He who lives in us.  Now, as Billy had all too often preached on the reality of hell for those who did not know God, I reacted to this with a bit of reservation.  Yes, the reality between heaven and hell is all very real, but there is also one who will save us from the torments of such a place.  He is the man Christ Jesus.  Granted, for a southern baptist preacher like Billy Graham to speak of the joy of Jesus living in us, I was encouraged.  So, what was ol' Billy talking about here?  Simple, when we live as Christ who is in us, then the rest of the world will indeed take notice.  The problem comes when we, as christians, play hide and seek with Christ who is in us.  Hide and seek?  Yes, when we unknowingly cover up Jesus who is in us, there is no way for Him to make Himself known through us.  That, my friends, is a tragedy.  For although Christ Jesus today is but in Spirit form, it is this form in which we are all created {Genesis 1:27}.  It is through us that Christ will be known and glorified.  When we refuse to allow Jesus to be known through us, others may not see Him.  The other day I came across a Facebook post from a friend who was all too happy to proclaim His success in a recent goal he had achieved.  Great, good job.  However, I also felt like posting "Dude, where is Christ in all of this?"  In the end I chose not to stir that pot.  Now, I'mnot saying that I have always been that prime example of Christ living through me.  On the contrary, it was not until He was revealed in me that I was even aware that I was closer to Jesus than I ever thought possible.  I'm sure that it's that way with others as well.  For how is it that will be aware of Jesus in us if it is not revealed by our heavenly Father?  The apostle Paul tells us in Galations that he himself was unaware of the Lord Jesus in him were it not for it being revealed in the Lords timing {Galations 1:16}.  As I said, I'm sure it's that way with all who will come to that realization of Jesus in them.  The bigger question is, what will He do through us once we are aware of His presence in us?

13“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15“Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5: 13 - 16 NKJV

So, what is it that Billy Graham was talking about and that we ourselves should be aware of?  Is that knowledge of Christ Jesus in us simply a invitation for good christian living?  Perhaps, but I think it goes deeper than that.  We do well to remember that even Jesus Himself would not have even been seen by those of His day had He not come in the form of a man.  Obviously, if Jesus, being in the Spirit form of the Father had arrived on the scene in His true form, we most likely would never would have seen Him.  What would have become of the gospels had this happened?  Obviously, Jesus needed to be seen by those around Him, hence His flesh form.  I mention this simply because that it works the very same way today as it did in Jesus' day.  Christ Jesus is still in His Spirit image, nothing has or ever will change in that regard {Hebrews 13:8}.  Knowing this, we can rest assured that the ONLY way for others to see Jesus today is through those who He lives through.  We are, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 5, the light of the world.  We are to let our light "shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  We are the flesh, and He is the Spirit.  Paul recognized that to "live is Christ and to die is gain" {Philippians 1:21}.  So, are we told to hide His Spirit which is within us?  Jesus tells us that men do not light a lamp only to put it under a basket {Matthew 5:15}.  I was reminded this week of a song I once sang in sunday school.  Many may recall this song as well.  "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine!"  Shine, Jesus...shine!

~Scott~

Billy

William Franklin Graham (November 7, 1918 - February 21, 2018)

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!”
Romans 10: 12 - 15 NKJV

It was with sadness this week that I learned of the passing of the reverend William Franklin Graham Jr.  I had known that in his later years Americas preacher had been struggling with health issues, but even through these trials he continued to proclaim Christ Jesus at every opportunity.  That was who he was.  We have yet to comprehend the magnitude of his legacy, but rest assured that it will live on long after he has passed.  I first saw Billy Graham as most around the world did, on television.  My mother would often watch the reverend Grahams crusades on television whenever they would come on.  I can still hear her singing "Just as I am" as Billy would call others to join him at the altar call that would end each crusade broadcast.  Long before the Promise Keepers stadium conferences, Billy Graham was filling arenas, stadiums and other venues wherever he would speak.  I always felt drawn to his words as he would proclaim the love of Christ for all men.  Even though I was a christian myself, his sermons would always touch my heart.  Perhaps that was part of what made his message so timeless, for he spoke not of condemnation but of finding love and forgiveness at the cross of Christ Jesus.  He didn't convict as that wasn't is job.  No, the message from the pulpit of the reverend Graham was one of love and mercy and not fire and brimstone.  I believe that this is exactly why so many people worldwide found his message of the gospel of Christ Jesus so endearing.  Billy Graham was the same person in the pulpit that he was in his private life.  In fact, I would argue that he was completely at home in the pulpit proclaiming our Lords truth.

6For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5: 6 - 8 NKJV

One thing I've noticed about the reverend Graham was his message of Christ Jesus in us {Galations 2:20}.  Now, while I believe that this is the truth of Christ, I've seldom heard it proclaimed from the pulpits of our churches.  Once again, Billy Graham bucked the trend of institutional christianity.  Though he was a simple southern baptist preacher, he had a way of speaking to people that left a lasting impression.  Not only did his words speak to me, but to other world leaders over the years as well.
So much so that he became known as the spiritual advisor to each American president from Harry S Truman to Barak Obama.  It was not a uncommon sight in our nations times of crisis to see the reverend Graham in the company of our nations leaders.  I have heard others say that we need to bring God back into our government, to restore the faith centered culture we once had.  Well, for many years, it was Billy Grahams voice that would advise our nations leaders.  We may never know just what he spoke in his interactions with various presidents, but we can be assured that it was the same message of love and mercy he spoke to millions of others.  That's just who he was.
I came across a Facebook post from Franklin Graham the other day that made me stop and ponder the legacy of his father.  There, placed behind a pulpit was the simple plywood casket of the reverend William Franklin Graham.  Not a ornate casket, mind you, but one constructed by the inmates of a local prison as his own wife Ruths had been in 2007.  One would think that a man of such popularity and prestige would have required a much grander resting place.  This man who had preached to millions and who had become friends with many world leaders deserved so much better...so you would think.  However, I believe that this simple casket is part of the endearing legacy of Americas preacher.  As Billy Graham so often proclaimed, his reward lay in Gods presence in heaven and not in this life.  I would agree with anyone who would describe this man as just a simple southern preacher.  For the lives that he impacted, however, Billy Grahams legacy is far from that of a ordinary man.

19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20“teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28: 19 - 20 NKJV

~Scott~

Bullets For Tears

31Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32“Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his eown, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16: 31 - 33 NKJV

I had a conversation this week with a coworker about the recent school shooting in Florida.  In his mind, nobody except the military and law enforcement would ever need to utilize what has become known as "assault" weapons.  Now, as a student of military history, I have a working knowledge of some of our modern weapon technology.  While I don't know everything, I do know that a gun will not fire itself just as a car will not get drunk and then move on it's own.  The issue we have with those among us who would take a weapon and kill as many people as they possibly can has never been a weapon technology issue.  No, what we have here is a human issue.  It's all fine and good to claim that weapons are evil in the wake of a tragedy such as a school shooting, but when the smoke clears there is but one underlying issue...and that issue is ourselves.  In Genesis 4 we are told that a jealous Cain took a rock and killed his brother Abel.  Note that Cain did not reach for a assault rifle to commit civilizations very first murder.  AsI told my friend, this should be all of the proof we need to see that it has never been a weapon issue but a heart issue.  What is it that triggered Cain to do violence against his brother Abel?  Indeed, jealousy over hs own brothers station in life, we are told, ultimately led him to slay his brother.  Unfortunately, very little has changed from the dawn of civilization until now.  For it is still anger, greed, jealousy and hatred which often provoke us to cause harm to those around us.  I haven't read all too much about the young man Nikolas Cruz who is accused of the Florida school shooting, but it seems that at some point he'd had enough of how he perceived that he was being treated.  Now, I'll tell you that there have been MANY times in my own life where I felt mistreated, but I have never taken the life of another.  Why is that?  What seperates me from those who have taken the lives of others?  Well, for one thing, it would seem that I know and respect the value of life.  I also know that were I to succomb to my own feelings that all I have worked to accomplish will have been in vain.  Does that mean that Jesus will cease to live through me?  I don't believe that for a minute.  No, it just means that I would have given in to a bad decision.

9In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4: 9 -11 NKJV

When I was growing up it was a different time.  The worst that I can recall the kids in the schools I went to doing would be a fist fight or two over a disagreement.  Never in all of my years of attending school have I ever been in fear of one of my classmates bringing a gun to school for the purpose of killing.  We just didn't settle out differences that way back then.  So what is the difference between then and now?  Some would say violent video games, pornography or television are to blame for the violent nature of today.  I've been exposed to each of these and I've never fired a gun in anger against another.  As I said, I believe that this is a heart issue and not a gun issue.  The young man who shot his classmates in Florida was obviously hurting over something.  In his mind, violence was the only way out of the pain he was feeling.  If that opportunity had arrived where I would have had the opportunity to talk with him before that tragic day the first thing I would have asked him is "why are you hurting?"  Obvioulsy something had motivated him to kill.  Trust me, it wasn't the gun he used which caused him to do the deed.  So where is it that we turn to when we feel as if we're at our last point?  Who do we turn to when we're standing on the edge of that cliff?  As for me, I can't ever remember praying to or worshipping a gun.  No, I know very well who it is that I am.  It is Christ Himself who now lives through me {Galations 2:20}.  I didn't need to be hit over the head with a hammer for me to realize that I would have troubles in this life.  Jesus Himself assures us of this {John 16:33}.  Of course, I also know that I don't belong to the world but to Christ {1 John 4:6}.  When we standing on the edge of that cliff, it is only Christ Jesus who will love us enough to pull us back.

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: 5 - 6 NKJV

~Scott~

Uncivil War

20If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?21And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
1 John 4: 20 - 21 NKJV

It would seem that I cannot go one single day without hearing of some sorid tale of one person or anothers bad behavior towards others.  Just this past week we were once again witness to a brutal school shooting perpetrated by some disoriented soul who must have thought that violence was somehow his last resort.  How did we get to this point?  Believe me, that's the question that every single anti gun activist is asking right now.  Hiw did we get to this point as a society?  Well, I don't mean to burst anyones bubble, but we've been "there" for some time now.  We've been there when someone decided it was better to shoot their neighbor than to live next door to them.  We've been there ever since some irate driver decided to take a few shots at another driver who cut him off on the road.  This uncivil behavior comes as no surprise to me and it shouldn't to anyone else either.  In fact, in those supposedly well behaved biblical times that raised up such men as Abraham, Moses and David, it was still there.   In fact we are told that God Himself saw that the wickedness of man He created was great {Genesis 6:5-6}.  So, this bad behavior is certainly nothing new to our society.  Our own history is blotched with the wickedness of slavery and racial violence.  This is exactly why I chuckle whenever some news channel talking head comes on and, with fake crocodile tears, bemoans the fact that this violence in our society is something new.  As I write this, there are reports of four people shot to death in a church in Russia.  Wait, weren't we told that gun violence only happens in our own country?  Apparently someone overseas missed that memo.

12“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. Life Lessons
John 15: 12 - 16 NKJV

Things seemed to be different when I was a kid.  The only time it seemed that we would see violence was when one of us had a disagreement with a friend or someone we knew and it resulted in a amateur boxing match.  Funny thing about these occurances though, when the dust had cleared we were usually back playing with each other once again.  Call it a temporary reprieve from civility I guess.  Of course, when I was growing up I fired everything from my dads police revolver to a hunting bow.  Strangely, despite being exposed to these supposed instruments of mass killing, I NEVER once paired my own anger with a weapon against those around me.  Times were different then I suppose.  If we are to bring religion into this arena of people behaving badly, we may not like the outcome.  For it is not God who institutes this behavior, but ourselves.  That's right, mister holier than thou, YOU are the cause of this incivility we are all experiencing.  For each time that we believe in our own hearts that we ourselves are independent from God, we sow the seeds of incivility.  Christ Himself spoke His command that we love one another.  How many of us can proclaim that we have followed His command?  I can't, far from it.  Yet each day christians and non christians alike place themselves on a seperate playing field than God.  The truth of Christ Jesus in us is that Jesus Himself lives through us today {Galations 2:20}.  So, is it Jesus who pulls that trigger meant to kill?  If we believe that then we're on a slippery slope.  No, I believe that there are those of us out there who fail to recognize that they themselves have that Spirit of Christ in them.  That does not mean that Jesus had abandoned them, only that His Spirit has not yet been revealed in them.  Indeed, there is hope.  Our message from Christ Jesus is not bad behavior or revenge...but Love for everyone.

~Scott~

Old Shoes

3For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Romans 12: 2 - 5 NKJV

There's a old saying that to truly get to know someone that we must walk "a mile in their shoes."  Indeed, we ourselves may never come to know another person fully until we have shared those experiences which they have.  You may have had experiences that I cannot speak to and vise versa.  One thing that I would be extremely hesitant to do is to put myself in someones own situation while saying that I would have done things differently.  How arrogant is the man who can make such a a statement?  First off, if I'm going to proclaim that I would handle a situation you have suddenly found  yourself in differently then I had damn well better know what it is that I am speaking of!  Now, if I have gone through a similar situation, I can offer advice as to how I handled it and what it was that helped me.  This is where the practice of journaling is so important.  For once we have gone through the gauntlet, we can look back as to the circumstances of our own ordeal.  The next time we may find ourselves in a difficult situation, we can look back upon not only our struggles, but our victories as well.  How is it that someone can attest to a situation that I am going through unless they themselves have been through the very same fire that I am enduring?  That being said, how can I claim to someone that I would have handled something differently if I am not involved in all that they are going through.  I am not, nor will I ever be better than anyone else.  Nor will I claim to be.  I am not so arrogant that I cannot admit my own faults.  However, I am also not above putting someone who does just that in their place when needed!  It is no big secret, people, that each of us have been blessed with different abilities and talents.  Who are you to say that I should have the same skills as you?  If our heavenly Father wills it, He will open my own eyes to that which He wants me to see.

7So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9“and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10“But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11“For whoever exalts himself will be chumbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13“But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the dmaimed, the lame, the blind. 14“And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
Luke 14: 7 - 14 NKJV

There is a reason that Christ Himself proclaimed that those who humble themselves would be exalted.  For it is these among us who do not place themselves above others.  Just because I know how to put words to paper, I am not so arrogant to assume that others should have that very same ability.  I usually cannot work on and fix my own car, but I know how to take it to the man who can!  So, how arrogant are you to criticize me for paying money to have my car fixed when all you do is turn a few wrenches to fix your own?  Trust me, I will speak to you the error of your ways mister christian brother!  Trust me, I know my own faults better than anyone so I don't need your help.  Likewise, your shoes will more than likely not fit me so I cannot speak to what it is that you might be going through.  In the big picture, we are all members of the same body in Christ Jesus {Romans 12:4}.  Now, as I said, this does not mean that, when asked, that I cannot speak to a situation I may have overcome which may help you in yours.  It is in this way that we uplift one another in the family of Christ Jesus.  However, if you tell me that you are refusing to help me simply because I am not following your supposedly sound advice, then that is a issue that you have with yourself Chumly.  Trust me, I don't need people like that around me.
I recently had a discussion with a coworker who has been going through a messy divorce after being married many years.  I knew of his troubles, but I waited until he approached me before I spoke to him about it.  He was indeed surprised that I had not offered up my opinion of his situation without being asked as others already had.  However, he was also grateful of what I shared of situations I myself had been in and come through.  I believe he wasn't looking for direction of any kind, just a ear to listen.  After all, that is all we can do for one who is going through a trial.  He who humbles himself will be exalted.

9Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13“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!’ 14“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

~Scott~

Learning To Listen

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

Like most people, I hate stressful situations.  It is times like these where I feel out of control and on a island all by myself.  This week was no exception as I set out to purchase a new vehicle.  Now, obviously this meant that I would need to travel into the realm of evey Tom, Dick and Harry salesman in the area just in order to find the best deal.  Some were helpful, while others plied their trade like true predators.  It's no wonder that car salesmen have rightly earned their reputations as those who would take advantage of others.  Now, I'm not saying that ALL salesman are like that, but I personally ran into more than a few who were.  Thankfully, I was aided in my quest by a friend who seems to take enjoyment out of the challange of dealing with these guys.  That was a comfort for sure.  Nevertheless, I came away from this experience with a new understanding of what it means to be patient and to listen.  Not only did I need to listen to the advice of my friends, but to that still voice in my own heart as well.  The comment was made to me as I struggled with my anxiety over this process that perhaps it was my spirit within me that was somehow trying to warn me of impending danger ahead.  Now, I would accept this as valid had I not heard a sound piece of advice from a trusted freind.  When I mentioned to him that perhaps those fears and anxieties I was experiencing were due to my heavenly Father whispering His warnings to me he calmly said to me that God "Never whispers in fear."  Amen brother.  Somehow through my experience I had gotten sidetracked of just who I was.  Indeed, many others may become sidetracked by the fears and anxieties which life lays on us, but as christians we don't have to see things this way.  For we know that above all, God is Love {1 John 4:8}.  It is His love which rescued us from our former sin condition that we would be saved {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  Any way you look at it, God is love and it is His love that He surrounds us in each day.  Love is who God is and what He does.  Knowing this, can we seriously tell ourselves that He would suddenly reverse course and become that God of the old testament once again?  No, for we know that Christ Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever {Hebrews 13:8}.  He is unchanging and unwavering.

5Let your bgentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 5 - 7 NKJV

I once read a account of a Vietnam war F-4 fighter pilot who, after returning from his third mission of the day failed to recognize the base he had called home for so many months.  In fact, he would have bypassed it entirely had not some slick talking air controller reeled him in.  Why is this important?  What does this have to do with my own experience?  Simple, when we are surrounded by the stresses and fears of life we may do things which we normally wouldn't do.  Be it  some form of active PTSD or simply being too focused on our situation at hand, we may all too often make that mistake of forgetting who it is we are.  Who is it that we are?  Well, simply put, we are Jesus {Galations 2:20}.  We must remember that in those times when we need Him the most, that we will "know" that voice of Christ Jesus who lives through us.  I lost my way a bit this week.  That doesn't mean that Jesus suddenly withdrew Himself from me or that He responded in anger at my foolishness, that's not what He does people.  Remember, God is love, and condemnation is NOT in the love of Christ Jesus.  Simply put, like that wayward F-4 pilot, there are times when we listen to the wrong voices.  In this case, I heard that voice of the spirit of error (satan) in the background.  When we know the truth of Christ, we will certainly put aside those suggestions of the accuser whenever they come up.  Jesus will never condemn.  Jesus will never approach Gods children out of fear or confusion.  What that Spirit of Christ in us WILL do is speak to us out of love, kindness and forgiveness.  That is who He always has been.

3and every spirit that does not confess athat 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: 3 - 6 NKJV

~Scott~

The Box

 44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2: 44 - 47 NKJV

There is a common phrase out there these days to describe those who use their heads for something more than just impulse decisions.  For those that tend to see a situation from all possible angles, we tend to think of them as thinking outside of the box.  So I've often wondered, what is that box?  What's in it?  How did it get here?  I know that some might see these as being facetious questions, but those of us who are prone to not thinking outside of that box may want to know how this all works.  I have a dear friend who, before he makes a decision, thinks over each possibility of what it is he is doing.  This is one of the most important things I've learned from him.  For far few of us rarely take the time to stop and smell the roses of our own decisions.  I believe that this...is the box.  That place where we instantly go to where we will feel always feel comfortable.  Indeed, if somethings working for us then why change it?  We might call this tradition, common practice or ceremonial but any way you look at it...it's the box.  So, how in the world could thinking out of the box ever relate to our own world of christianity?  Simple, far too many times we will simply accept those things around us as being "normal."  Therefore, we follow without questioning our own decisions or actions.  The box.  How many times have we sat in a sunday service only to see everything which surrounds us as the christianity which God desires His children to realize and celebrate?  Then again, why are we so certain that it is our Lords ultimate desire that we should follow what we are being told in church?  What if there is more to God than just hearing a weekly pulpit pounder pep talk and singing a few songs?  Careful there, if we keep thinking like that we ourselves may just find ourselves thinking out of the box.

20“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;21“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. 22“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23“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. 24“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

I'll admit that for the longest time I saw God as tied to that church building I walked into each and every sunday.  This was Gods house.  We were His people and this was where we would find Him.  All of Gods people in one convenient box.  The problem with accepting this and not thinking outside of that box is that we simply accept that our Lord is limited to a building.  However, it is the physician Luke who tells us otherwise in Acts 7.  It is Luke who tells us that God does not dwell "in temples made with hands."  Wait, so God does not dwell in His own house?  Then again, why do we limit God to our own understanding?  We know that He created all that we see {Acts 17:24}.  What is it that we can ever make for God who created everything?  This might make more than a few minds swirl and churn with thinking, but that's what they were created for anyway right?  To say that all we are to do is accept that which we are told is, as the great vulcan once  said, highly illogical.  I would suggest that it is not God who keeps us in this box of our own making.  On the contrary, it is God Himself who desires us to see Him as He really is.  Not as a building, pastor or religion, but as our Father who lives through us {Galations 2:20}.  Have you ever wondered what our Lords desire is for you?  Well, Jesus will show you.  As He prayed in the garden that night, Jesus layed out perfectly just what the Father desires for His children.  That we would be one with the Father as He and the Father were also one {John 17:22}.  I would venture to say that it is also His desire that more of His children would come out of their own box.

24“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell intemples made with hands. 25“Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26“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 the boundaries of their dwellings, 27“so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us"
Acts 17: 24 - 27 NKJV

~Scott~

One Mans Struggle

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 

A friend of mine forwarded me a article the other day written by some Pharisee school educated man who seemingly had come across the next best thing in our fight against the chains of pornography.  Unfortunately, I'd seen this song and dance too many times before.  Well, this approach or something similar to it.  At the core of this "new" way of fighting pornography was the ages old practice of having a accountability partner to confess our indiscretions to.  Forgive me, but I've been down that road of pornography addiction and I've tried almost every "cure" under the sun.  I'm here to tell you that this personal accountability partner idea will go no further in curing this scourge than anything else you've ever tried.  Now, if you're the type of person who will take the words of a pulpit pounder over the confession of one who's done battle in the porn arena then more power to ya.  All I'm saying is that in my own experience that this approach never worked.  Oh, but how I prayed that it would.  For awhile I honestly felt that I was doing something wrong or that God was simply fed up with my weaknesses.  Turns out it was me that was wrong in my own approach to this issue.  Each time I thought of calling up one of my so called accountability partners I dreaded what I was certain would be a barage of guilt and shame.  Don't you know that God despises sin?  Are you praying hard?  Do you think God is teaching you a lesson here?  I've heard it all before.  Of course, it didn't take long before I gave up calling on my accountability partners simply because I didn't want to be shamed by them.  The kicker was when I ran into one of these guys at church one Sunday and he shook his head and told me, "you know Scott, you not only gave up on me but you gave up on God too."  Really?  I don't ever remember giving up on my heavenly Father at any time in my life.  Did he know something I didn't?  I certainly felt like this struggle of mine would be with me for some time.  I didn't care, for if christian brotherhood meant shaming someone who was struggling I would gladly go it on my own.  Had I only known the gift that my Lord had already given to me I would have realized that this battle was not my own, but ours together.  

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 

The first clue I had that I been chasing my own tail all those years came with the revelation that I indeed was not as alone as I thought I was.  This revelation could never have come from my own efforts, but from God in His own time.  See, when it came to those struggles in my life, I was always centered on the "me."  However, as I soon learned, it wasn't me at all, but "He."  The apostle Paul tells us in Galations 2 that the life we once had is now gone, replaced by Christ Jesus who now lives through us.  So, whatever it is I am struggling with, it is Jesus Himself and not me who is walking through it.  What of those struggles I used to dread?  Well, the apostle Paul again tells us in Romans that we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin {Romans 6:11}.  You mean that all of those times I was washed in guilt because I felt as if I had dissapointed God were in error?  Apparently so.  You mean I never really needed those accoutability partners?  Thankfully not.  That old phrase is true in this instance...if only I knew then what I know now.  That's called growing in the faith I'm guessing.  I've learned that we were never meant to strive or to struggle with these issues we face every day.  How is it that we can be condemned for something we are now dead to?  Indeed, there is now no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus {Romans 8:1}.  The fact is, I could have saved myself a whole lot of stress and worry had I realized the gift that the Love of my heavenly Father had already bestowed on His child.  The gift that assures me that there is nothing which will ever seperate me from His love {Romans 8: 38-39}.  

I don't need to punish people for sin.  Sin is it's own punishment, devouring you from the inside.   It's not my purpose to punish it; it's my joy to cure it. 

~William Paul Young - The Shack~ 

~Scott~ 

The Gathering

Not your typical church

23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10: 23 - 25 NKJV

There was another interesting discussion this week over a verse many have pointed to as a commandment for all good christians to go to church.  Indeed, many a pulpit pounder has often refered to this passage to keep his pews full each Sunday.  I'm talking, of course, about the apostle Pauls exortation of the followers of Jesus of his day to not fear to gather in their faith despite their surroundings.  Of course, this passage we find in Hebrews 10 has been misconstrued all too often.  We are told that this is our command, no, our duty to attend church every week like the good obedient christians that we are.  Believe me, I've toiled over this passage many times in my own christian walk.  Each time I would miss church for one reason or another I envisioned the apostle Paul shaking his finger at me in disapointment!  Imagine my curiosity when the head pulpit pounder would often take his own sabatical to recoup from the pressures of the every day pastor life.  Did he feel that same condemnation I did when I missed a Sunday?  I think not.  Don't get me wrong, I believe that we all need to come together as believers in Christ Jesus.  However, this is where my idea of church and the local pastors version mill probably differ.  So, who is it that decides where I need to "gather" in fellowship if I am a follower of Jesus?  Is it the pastor, the elders or a mentor?  If we turn our eyes to the early church of the followers of Jesus we see a much different gathering among those of the faith.  These early christians would all too often gather in each others homes in fellowship.  Now, the closest I have seen our modern church come to this was the introduction of home groups into the church system.  I have been involved in more than a few of these and found them to be welcoming and non pressure based.  I'm guessing that's what the early church wanted from their own meetings as well.

44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2: 44 - 47 NKJV

So, who is it that decides where it is that we are to gather in Christ?  Is Jesus Himself bound to one building and we will only be in His presence if we gather in a certain location?  No, on both counts.  I'll get a bit deeper into this issue with the knowing of just where Christ dwells today.  We're told that Jesus Himself lives through those who have accepted Him {Galations 2:20}.  There is no seperation between us and God, He is always in us.  Furthermore, we are told that there is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ {Romans 8:1}.  I wonder if the local pastor even read that passage before guilting his flock into church on Sunday.  No matter, I know in my own heart that it is not the pastor who decides where I need to gather in Christ Jesus.  I believe that since it is Jesus Himself who lives through us, that He is the best judge of just where we're to assemble in His name.  For some time now, a small group of men has been gathering at a local fast food joint each Sunday morning.  This is our gathering...this is our church.  We were not directed by a pastor that this was the right thing to do.  We just knew that it was.  We knew that Jesus, living through each of us, would be there no matter where we gathered.  I can't speak for the other guys, but I don't feel the least bit guilty for meeting up with Jesus outside of Gods house.  I find it encouraging that as the early followers of Jesus gathered in each others homes that the Lord "added to the church daily those were being saved."

1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, whoa do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8: 1 - 2 NKJV

~Scott~

Our Quiet Assurance

3‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'
Jeremiah 33: 3 NKJV

I got into a discussion with a friend recently over just how we hear from our heavenly Father.  Throughout scripture we are told of the patriarchs of our faith who not only knew God, but communicated with Him often.  From our own creation history we are told of how God spoke with His creaton in the garden.  I believe that more than just simple communication that God shared not only His words with men and women of old but His thoughts and desires as well.  I envision two friends sharing a intimate conversation with both knowing within themselves what the other was thinking.  Some call such a conversation a heart to heart, I believe it is more like that quiet assurance between two friends who know one another all too well.  We've all had those close friendships in our own lives that were extremely close.  My friend will also use the example of a husband and wife to describe that communication we share with God, with both often knowing what the other is thinking.  See, I grew up in the belief that God, is His own timing, would simply speak His spoken word to me if He needed me to know something.  Of course, I may not have had that intimate relationship with my Lord that I would intimately know in my own heart what He wanted me to hear.  So, how is it that those who do not know God on a more personal level will know just what He is trying to let them know?  Do we need to pray more, read our bibles or venture out on a journey of spiritual discovery of some kind?  I don't think that either of these will bring us closer to God than our own intimate relationship we have when He is revealed within us.  This is the key that I believe opens up a new understanding of God.  We don't need to seek Him, He's in the same place He's always been within us.  It's not that God has suddenly changed, but that what He has always been has been revealed to us.

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

I remember times in my own life when I would be in tears as I begged God to tell me what He wanted me to know.  Well, the radio was always on, it's just that the antenae wasn't picking up the signal yet.  That doesn't mean that God wasn't already there in my life, it's just that my own relationship with Him was not all too deep at that point.  Think of the example of a married couple, do newlyweds share a deep, intimate understanding of one another from the get go?  No, for that is part of a relationship which matures over time.  It isn't until a husband and wife have been through the challanges of a life lived together that a deeper relationship develops.  I know that in our microwave speed world that this might seem impossible to attain, but for those who remain commited and patient the reward is a deeper relationship with one another.  Is it any wonder, then, that the divorce rate in our nation is as high as it is?  What chance does a union with two impatient people have?  Of course, once we learn to look beyond ourselves we just might be able to enjoy a deeper relationship with another.  Communicating with God is not akin to walking up to someone on the street and asking a question, it goes much deeper than that.  My mother used to have saying whenever I would ask her how she knew what her Lord was saying to her.  In those times she would smile and tell me, "I just know that I know."  That's good advice from someone who walked with Her Lord most of her life.  Knowing what God wants us to know isn't all that complicated once we know Him on a more personal level.  With a relationship like this...we know that we know.

20“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;21“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. 22“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23“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.
John 17: 20 -  23 NKJV

~Scott~

Seasons

2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,3knowing that the testing of your faith produces apatience. 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5If 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. 6But 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.
James 1: 2 - 6 NKJV

Growing up in northern Minnesota I grew used to those signs of the changing of the seasons.  Longer days and melting ice rinks could only mean that Spring was almost upon us.  Likewise, that chill in the air would all too often tell us that Fall was coming and with it more snow than you could possibly ever shovel.  I believe that those seasons in our own lives will also bring forth very pronounced and all too familiar signs that tell us that we are indeed in the midst of another trial in our christian walk.  Of course, by the time we are in the midst of our own trials, those signs might be mute indeed.  If there is one thing that I am certain of, it's that we WILL encounter those times of trial and difficulty in our daily walk.  This by no means is a indication that we have somehow lost favor with God in any way.  We are not being punished as more than a few old testament pulpit pounders would shout from their pulpits.  Far from it.  However, the very idea that the same loving heavenly Father is but a God of avenging fire and brimstone seems to still be a popular belief in the institutional church.  Too many christians today find it hard to believe that the very nature of our Lord...is love.  Yes, love for all He has created.  God, is love {1 John 4:8}.  Yet that image of a vengeful God runs rampant, I get it.  I get it because that is how I saw God for far too long.  God was someone who if I didn't perform the right way would become angry and turn His back to me.  Like the signs of the changing seasons, I would know that I was doing something to anger God if I found myself in a trial in my life.  In these times I was told that I simply wasn't behaving well enough, not tithing enough or slacking off in my church attendance.  God was keeping score.

31Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32“Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you fwill have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16: 31 - 33 NKJV

I recall reading the first chapter of the book of James and feeling confused.  Here was James, the Lords own brother and definately a follower of Jesus telling us all not to fear those very trials which we all will face.  Instead, James tells us to "count it all joy" when we encounter these trials.  At first it sounded like a set up.  I was to count it all joy all so that God could become angered at me?  Of course, this was not the case at all.  Was God angry at Moses, Abraham and the apostle Paul in their trials?  I think not.  See, there is a huge difference between anger and correction.  There a big difference between indifference and love.  I believe that our own trials do not bring God joy, but how we respond to them may indeed grieve Him.  How is it that we respond to our own changing seasons?  Well, for me it was with disapointment and anger, anger at a God who first loved me.  All too often I found myself asking in anger, "why me God?"  Thinking back, why wouldn't I ask Him why not me?  Was I special in some way?  Well, I am special in that my true identity is with He who lives in me {Galations 2:20}.  If God was indeed so despised and angered with me, then why would He provide for the wiping away of those sins which haunted me?  Why would He find within me a place for Him to dwell if it was me He was upset with?  Somehow that idea of a angry and vengeful God was not working for me.  A God whose very nature is to love could not hold such contempt for me.  Despite the changing seasons of our lives, we can be assured that it is God who is walking through them with us.  Instead of asking why God...we should be asking what are you doing through me God?

24And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Matthew 8: 24 - 27 NKJV

~Scott~