Our Jesus Experience

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 question was raised among our group this week if we can ever see Christ Jesus in our sins.  I guess it's a logical question.  For if we are to trust in what the apostle Paul describes in Galations that we are indeed dead to our old ways, replaced now by the Spirit of Christ in us.  But is Christ seen in our sins?  Is that same Jesus who lives through us each day also involved in those behaviors He certainly would never have any part in?  Perhaps, but I would mention one important fact at this point.  Which of our sins is Jesus supposedly involved in?  Was it not Jesus Himself who became sin on our behalf that our own sins would be wiped away {2 Corinthians 5:21}?  Did He somehow miss a few sins as He died on that cross?  Did Jesus take on only part of our sins unto Himself?  Are we yet still sinners saved by grace?  That reality of Christ Jesus in regards to our former selves is that we no longer live in it.  No, through Christ we are now dead to sin {Romans 6:6}.  So, how is it that Jesus can walk with us somewhere where we no longer venture?  For I am no longer a sinner, but one with Christ Jesus who lives through me.  Now, there might just be a few people out there who still cling to the old covenant belief that you and I are still prone to sin from time to time.  For the sake of argument let's just say that this is somehow true.  If I indeed am still prone to sin...am I then not dead to it as Paul tells us in Romans?  If sin is still within me, am I not then still a slave to that sin which Jesus gave His life to free me of?  Does anyone but me see a issue with this line of thought?  I would say that the issue of our sin, if indeed we still wrestle with it, is more of an issue of how we see ourselves and not of who we truly are.  The bigger question we should be asking is...how does Christ Jesus see us?  When He looks upon us, does He still see a sinner?  I'm thinking no.  So, if we wonder to ourselves if Jesus can be seen in our sins, we must first ask the question of if we continue to see ourselves as slaves to sin.  

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

Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV 

At first I thought my friends question was in some way convicting.  Was this my brothers way of nudging me that he saw something in my life that needed my attention?  Of course, that's not his style, so there must be something here for us to learn.  As I said, I feel that this issue of ongoing sin in our life is more an issue of how we still see ourselves than in who it is we truly are in Christ.  The truth is, Jesus does not see me as a sinner.  One of the prayers I all too often whisper to Jesus is that I would see myself as He sees me.  I want to see myself as Jesus sees me!  Believe me, there is no better self help program than knowing in your heart just how the Lord Jesus sees Gods children.  But, we already know the answer to that one anyway.  We are told that we are seen as sons of God {1 John 3:1}.  What greater love could someone ever give?  That doesn't seem like we are still seen by Jesus as sinners at all.  So, do we who are no longer slaves to sin still continue to dwell within it?  I would certainly say that we indeed stray into bad behavior on occassion, but are we defined by our sins?  NO!  In fact, I would venture that the only reason we continue to refer to our bad behavior as sin is simply because we have been taught for so long that we continue to sin despite Jesus have forgiven our sins past, present and future.  I would also say that the very word "sin" keeps more than a few pulpit pounders in busniness.  Can we just accept the fact that Jesus took our sins upon Himself and that we are no longer slaves to our old man?  Perhaps, but then what would that local pastor have to preach on every Sunday?

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 

~Scott~ 

A Wrong Neighborhood

11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.12Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29: 11 - 13 NKJV

A few friends of mine often give me grief for my phone GPS lack of reliable directions.  I admit that there have been a few times where my getting lost has been due to operator error and not a computer glitch.  It seems that following directions has become more about watching a computer screen than listening to someone else explain to us just how to navigate to our location.  Yes, even I have ended up driving into wrong neighborhoods because I refused to listen to directions.  We've all been there whether we care to admit it or not.  When I think back, whenever I have lost my way and ended up in a unfamiliar area I more often than not found myself becoming agitated and nervous.  I mean, who relishes getting lost in a area they aren't familiar with?  True, there are those who treat these situations as a opportunity to explore another part of the city.  Yeah, but that's not me.  There are those who rely on every direction given by whatever GPS system they happen to be using while seemingly ignoring other obvious signs all around them that might point to a wrong route.  I've definately been down that road before.  We have become so used to simply punching a address into a device and trusting one hundred percent that it will lead us to where we're going.  So, why is it that we would treat God any differently?  After all, doesn't He tell us through the prophet Jeremiah that His thoughts for us are for good and never for evil intent {Jeremiah 29:11}?  Does He not promise to lead us in our journey {Proverbs 16:9}?  Our heavely Fathers GPS for us is pretty simple, we plan our journey, relate it to Him and He ultimately leads us to our destination through His guidance.  Yeah, that's how it's supposed to work.  In our own hearts we may plan our journey but it is the Lord who determines our steps {Proverbs 16:9}.  Yeah, that sounds good...but.  What happens when we reach a destination we're uncomfortable with?  What happens when we come across a wrong neighborhood?  Are we anxious, nervous or apprehensive despite having followed where the Lord has led us?  There have been times in my own life where I have questioned God directly as to why He would lead me to what seemed to be at the time a wrong neighborhood.  Can God be trusted to lead us to where we want to go?  No, but I can always trust in Him to lead me to where it is HE wants me to be.

"Everyone has a plan...until they get punched in the mouth"
Mike Tyson

I like to think of that quote from "Iron Mike" Tyson from time to time when I feel like God has somehow forgotten His promise to me and has led me somewhere I'm not supposed to be.  I mean, didn't I have a plan on how to get where I was going?  Didn't I tell God my plan and trust that He would guide me to MY destination?  What's with that, God?  I'll tell you, I made my plans but it was God who determined my steps.  My plan was going along just fine...until I got punched in the face.  Like losing my way and driving into a wrong neighborhood, following God lead into where it is He wants me to be can sometimes bring me into unfamiliar areas and situations in my life.  Does that mean that God has somehow forsaken me?  No, it just means that the journey He's chosen for me has brought me to somewhere I wasn't expecting.  Now, don't get me wrong, God never does anything haphazardly, so even though I come to those places in my journey that I'm unfamiliar with it's all according to His plan.  While our own GPS may be seprate from us, our heavenly Father is right there with us every step of the way {Galations 2:20}.  He lives through us.  Our daily thoughts and experiences are His as well.  So, we can feel comfortable asking Him to guide us where it is we want to go.  All God is saying is, "Hey...we got this."  Whatever bumps in the road we may come across on our journey, it is Christ Jesus who is traveling that road with us every step of the way.  When we come to a unfamiliar neighborhood, we're not at all alone.  We do well to trust in Christ who is in us to guide us in whatever it is we do.  We walk every step as Christ who is in us.

25“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?26“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29“and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not larrayed like one of these. 30“Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32“For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

~Scott~

What Would You Do?

16By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
1 John 3: 16 - 17 NKJV

I was struck the other day while a friend related a work story just how each of us might be missing the boat in our own way.  My friend lamented the fact that a coworker had refused to do a relatively simple task that, in the long run, would have helped their work group.  Instead, the culprit chose to head home without assisting his coworkers.  As my friend related it, he would have gone that extra mile for his coworkers.  Knowing him as I do, I tend to believe what he says.  What would I have done in such circumstances?  What would you have done?  Only we know the answer to that question in our hearts.  However, I will say that there have indeed been times where I have given up on helping a brother.  Does this make me a bad person?  The apostle John may have thought so.  It is John who tells us to not forsake helping a brother in need.  Yet how many times have each of us done that very same thing?  I've also been on the receiving end of someone not helping me in my time of need, it doesn't feel too good.  Now, I'd like to think that if I were unable to help someone that at least I would have a solid reason as to why not, but it doesn't always work out that way.  There are times, when we follow that lead of our own flesh, that we will withhold our help for others simply to satisfy what we feel is right and just.  Like I said, I've been there.  Now, without revealing indentities here, at the end of his work life story finished by telling me that he would definately think twice if his coworker ever asked him for help.  Hey, I get it.  I would be lying if I claimed that I have never treated another in such a way.  Knowing this, I asked myself a all important question.  Who am I to put myself in Gods place?  For isn't it Christ who calls on us to love our neighbor as ourselves?  Would we ever even consider withholding something for ourselves if we needed it?  Yet isn't this exactly what we are doing when we turn our backs on another?

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

Reading that passage of the words of Christ we find in Matthew 25 may just cut to the very heart of all that we believe.  Here's Jesus telling us that when we forsake helping another in need not only are we depriving that person...but Christ as well.  Of course, if the Spirit of Christ Jesus lives on in me, then it lives through my brother as well {Galations 2:20}.  I don't hold a monopoly on the grace of my savior.  However, I also need to recognize that as Jesus came to redeem all, that means my brother as well.  Seeing beyond ourselves may just be the hardest thing we will ever do.  When we think of our own circumstances it's on a personal level.  I feel hurt when a brother, for whatever reason, refuses to help me when I'm in need.  In turn, I might feel that I am justified in withholding help from that same person.  Then I stop and think to myself, what if Christ, knowing my own past, had chosen instead to lavish His love on another person more perfect than me?  Of course, that would never happen, but it certainly does make you stop and think.  Then I think of one of the biggest reasons why I now carry that Spirit of Christ in me.  How is it that others would ever see the love and good works of Jesus if not through those He lives through?  How is it that others will ever take notice of God if not through those He abides in?  Remember that Jesus Himself came in the form of man, that others might see the Father whom they had never seen {John 14:8-9}.  Not only is the Spirit of Christ in us that we might have a closer relatinship with our heavenly Father, but that those around us might come to know Him as well.  I guess that one could call us torch bearers of that light of Christ who is in us today.  He is indeed the light of the world for all to see {John 8:12}.

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: 14 - 16 NKJV

~Scott~

Where Religion Dies

1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’seat. 3“Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4“For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5“But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6“They love the bbest places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7“greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’8“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10“And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23: 1 - 12 NKJV

This week I came across a article in the local news which quoted a recent survey that ranked the least religious sections of our nation.  Well, it seems that the countrys left coast and the northeastern states are some of the least religious states in the country.  Here in Oregon, 48 percent of those polled claimed that religion was not that important to them.  On the other hand, 28 percent said that they considered themselves to be very religious while 25 percent claimed to be moderately religious.  Of course, this does not surprise me too much at all having lived on the west coast for more than a few years.  I would, however, be very interested in seeing the questions which were asked of those who participated in this recent gallup poll.  If they were simply asked how religious they considered themselves then you may expect some pretty straight forward answers.  I mean, despite growing in a deeper relationship with Christ and the Father over time, I don't consider myself to be all too religious in the common sense of the word.  I don't have a church home, I don't sing praise and worship songs every sunday and the only pulpit pounder sermons I have heard lately have been on radio broadcasts.  If being "religious" means that one is fairly active in church attendance and participation, then I am far from being religious at all.  However, if we associate being religious with knowing the Father, with having that relationship with Christ Jesus, then I might be considered a religious zealot.  Like I said, I would love to see the questions which those who responded to this recent poll were asked about their religious beliefs.  All too often we associate religion with a building and the traditions of that religion we claim to follow.  This is why I am not too surprised when I hear that people associate themselves more with being "spiritual" than religious.  I can guarantee you such a question was not on that poll.  So, what is to blame for this decline in religious participation in a nation which was built upon and by God fearing people?  Well, to that queston I will say that we have been our own worst enemy.

Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24“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. 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: 23 - 27 NKJV

I have known for some time that I was not alone in my frustration with the institutional church which we've come to know over thousands of years.  Over time, I had grown tired of having to perform a certain way in order to achieve the love of my heavenly Father.  I was tired of asking for His forgiveness over and over for sins which Christ Jesus had bled and died to wipe away from my life.  I guess the breaking point for me came one easter sunday when the pastor spoke his sermon of how Jesus died, rose from the dead and now sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father in judgement.  Really?  What part of "I am with you always" didn't he understand?  Keep in mind, this is not the Father speaking this seperation between Himself and His creation, but we ourselves.  Now, if I were to conduct a survey to see just how "religious" our nation is I would ask a few key questions.  First and foremost, I would inquire if you believe in God.  The next question would be a key one.  How do you see Christ Jesus?  That is, what is your view of Him?  I'm sure I would get more than a few different answers because this is a loaded question.  I'm not interested in how you feel about a man made religion.  No, I want to know how you feel personally about Christ and the Father.  Ask anyone this question and I can guarantee that you will get to the heart of how they feel.  Away from the constraints and traditions of the religion we've propped up for so long, I'm guessing that many would speak what is on their own heart.  Do I consider myself to be religious?  Not that much.  However, I do believe in God and the risen Christ who took that sin punishment for me.  I also believe that I am not apart from Jesus, but that He lives through me {Galations 2:20}.  My God is not a God only on sunday and only to those who gather in "Gods house."  No, the God I know reveals and opens Himself to all who come to Him.

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

~Scott~

A God That Doesn't Fit

27So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1: 27 NKJV

Some might look upon the title of this entry and scratch their heads in wonder.  Why wouldn't God fit anywhere?  After all, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Begining and the End of all we will ever see.  It is this belief that we are in some way seperate from the God we serve that is in error.  Recently a friend of brought to our attention a quote shared by a friend that we often shrink God to fit into OUR image.  Now, ponder that line of thinking for a minute and you may just see this error for what it is.  Here we are taking God, who must seemingly be seperated from us, and then molding Him into what we want Him to be.  Never mind the fact that the apostle Paul clearly tells us that it is Christ Jesus Himself who lives through us today {Galations 2:20}.  Ignore the fact that it is WE who have died to our former selves and now live WITH Christ where He is{Romans 6:8}.  Now, I realize all too well where this seperation thinking originates, but it is useless to bash the institutional church for its failings.  No, the best that I can do is share the truth that I know in my own heart to be true.  Indeed, thousands of years of church teachings have instilled in all good christian soldiers the belief that Jesus has ascended into heaven and that He now sits at the right hand of the Father.  I get it.  The truth of Christ is that He, the image of the invisable God, lives through us today.  In fact, I would suggest that the world may not know God if not through those whom Jesus lives through.  Did not Jesus, being in Spirit Himself, come in the flesh for all too see?  It is not Christ who has changed over time, but our own image of who He is {Hebrews 13:8}.

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

So, does God fit into who you believe that He is?  Does He fit into who we've been told He is?  As hard as it is for me to say it, as christians we have been sold a bill of goods on who our Lord truly is.  For years I struggled with my own belief in Him.  For I had been taught that I believed in a God who simply sat in heaven, apart from me, judging my every thought and move.  He was a God who would become angry or upset when I messed up.  I remember a few times growing up where I would pray to Him..."where is your love for me, God?"  His love was, and is, still with me.  Not only that, my sins past, present and future have ALL been cleansed by the finished work of Jesus on the cross.  What we have to enjoy today is a Father who has brought His children He loves dearly unto Him.  It is the Fathers desire that we live in communion with Him.  This was the prayer of Jesus in the garden, that we would be one with He and the Father {John 17:21}.  I believe that this prayer of Jesus has been answered in all who have come to know Him.  As Christ lives through us, we become one with He and the Father.  Not only are we that perfect image of our Father in heaven, the rest of the world will know Him through us.

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

~Scott~

Talking Points

19So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 1: 19 - 20 NKJV

We've all known a few of them, those people who seem to always take it upon themselves to speak in anger to others.  Having a job that requires me to interact with the general public at times has definately opened my eyes to that anger which others all too often use when speaking to others.  However, it also made me realize that there were indeed times when I could also fall victim to the choice of using a few choice words.  I'm not afraid to admit that I have at times chosen to use harsh words against others.  This has caused me to grow in my own understanding of how it is that we should treat those around us.  Christian or not, we all make that choice of how it is we will respond to those around us.  That old saying of attracting more bees with honey than with vinegar has never been more true.  This week Wayne Jacobsen delved into how we often interact with one another.  I find this a very important topic today for a good reason.  See, you never know just where that person whom you are speaking in anger against is in their own life.  Will we miss that opportunity to show others the love and understanding of Christ who is in us {Galations 2:20}?  Then again, a harsh response to another may also escalate into a situation we cannot reslove with just words of apolagy.  I asked a police officer aquaintance of mine recently after a well publicized shooting here in Portland of his thoughts on how such a situation could have been avoided.  Now, police officers are usually reserved when talking shop to those in the public, but his response got me thinking.  He was not shy of saying that, in his profession, harsh words can be the difference between a life saved and a life taken.  I agreed.

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

Our group has had many a conversation lately on the reality of Christ Jesus in us.  Why did Jesus choose this path?  Well, I believe that our heavenly Father wanted relationship and not religion.  Being in Spirit as He is, we are told that nobody has ever seen God {John 1:18}.  So, how is it that we, as Gods children and heirs would ever be able to see Him?  Well, we "see" Him as He lives through others.  The world will see God as He manifests Himself through us.  The world saw Christ Jesus as He manifested Himself through His physical form.  If not for this, the world may never have known God in a intimate way.  One of the biggest struggles I have had in seeking a relationship with Christ was that I could not "see" Him with my own eyes.  How can we trust in something we cannot see?  Well, we trust in the law of gravity don't we?  We know that throwing ourselves off of a bridge is not a good thing.  Yet somehow placing our trust in a unseen God is a different story.  All the relationships I've had have been with those I could physically see...except for one.  My relationship with Christ is different.  Yes, I know He is real and that He lives on today, but realizing just where He is today has taken me some time to come to grips with.  I mention this with a lead in to my topic.  If Jesus indeed manifests Himself through us today as we are told He does, does He not also share in our daily experiences?  How many opportunities have we lost in showing the love of Jesus by using a harsh word against those around us?  When we behave this way towards others, does this exemplify He who is in us?  NO!  Should our own talking points to others be based on the love and understanding of Jesus?  I would say so.  For how is it that the world would see Him if not through us?  God is always ready to reveal Himself through us...it is we who will choose to do so.

26“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27nor give gplace to the devil.
Ephesians 4: 26 - 27 NKJV

~Scott~

Spirit Killers

Choose Wisely

13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter envy and hself-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
James 3: 13 - 17 NKJV

I ran into someone this week who I had not seen for some time.  Although happy in our reunion, he was also more than a little discouraged about recent events in his own life.  I didn't press him too much for details, but he let me know enough that he was indeed had been in the midst of spiritual warfar for awhile.  It seems that a few coworkers had been riding him pretty hard and this had him feeling low.  Not only that, a few of his so called christian friends had taken to having a little fun with him at times.  Now, I'm sure that these friends of his would never realize the damage which they were doing in my friends life, but he was obiously much concerned about it to tell me how it made him feel.  I've dealt with more than a few of these people in my own life, spirit killers I call them.  For if we are indeed fighting a battle being waged in the heavens, then we also have spirit forces raging against us {Ephesians 6:12}.  Now, the problem we ultimately face with spirit killers is that they themselves are being used as pawns by our true enemy.  It is this which we need to keep in mind whenever we should become discouraged at the behavior of those among us.  It is the enemy who wanders among us seeking whom he can devour in all he does {1 Peter 5:8}.  So even though we may become discouraged and upset at those among us who are indeed spirit killers in their own right, it is not they themselves who are fighting this war against us.  This is the truth of that spiritual warfare we all face daily.

12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of cthe darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6: 12 - 13 NKJV

The one thing which I told my friend is that the very same people, christian of non christian, who were troubling him were the very same people who perhaps did not realize what it is they were doing by their own actions.  Hey, I've been there myself.  By my own actions I have done my part to bring others down.  I've been a spirit killer.  The point is that I didn't need to be, I chose to be.  If there is one thing which is unique about our heavenly Fathers human creation is that we were each created with that ability to choose.  In this we are unique in our creation.  Yes, we are created in our Lords own image, and I believe that this ability to choose is unique to Him as well.  So, what will we choose?  Will we choose to bring the joy of Christ Jesus who is in us unto those around us {Galations 2:20}?  Or, will we choose to fight that heavenly battle on the oppostite side of good and be spirit killers?  Whichever we choose, we can rest assured that our choices will indeed affect those around us.  Keep in mind that others around us may never see Jesus if He does not show Himself through us.  So, who is it that you will exemplify?  Who is it that we will reveal through our own choices?  Sure, we can call ourselves christians, but this is but a man made term anyway.  Or, we can call ourselves Christ Jesus in whose image we were created and who lives through us today.  All that we do, experience and accomplish we do...as Jesus.  This is exactly why I don't get too wrapped up in those who others describe lovingly as christians.  Christianity is but a man made religion and thus will follow the edicts of man.  If we truly wish to be described as someone whose heart loves and follows Jesus then call us as we are...Jesus.  Who will we choose to exemplify?

~Scott~

More Than A Wish List

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

Our group has been contemplating the question lately of if the prayer of Christ we find in John 17 was answered by the Father.  While at first it may seem that His request may not have yet been realized, I am of the opinion that it has been.  The apostle Paul assures us of this in Galations.  For that prayer of Christ was that we, those who follow Him, would be one with He and the Father.  One, as He and the Father are one.  This is now the union we enjoy with Christ Jesus in us today {Galations 2:20}.  Wayne Jacobsen waded into the topic of prayer this week as well.  So, are our prayers simply part of our supply line to God as we make known our wishes and desires to Him?  Are we to come before the Lord only in times of need?  I feel that the best way to answer this ages old question is to look at prayer through the eyes of He who prayed for us in the garden that night.  How did Jesus look at His own prayers?  We know that He spent a good amount of time in prayer to the Father, for this is what scriptures tell us.  But did Jesus see His own communication with God as prayers, or is this simply something hundreds of years of mans teaching has told us?  I am of the opinion that those prayers of Christ were not simply prayers, but communication with the Father.  Jesus was talking to the Father.  It seems simple to see, as Jesus and the Father were one, would there not be communication between them?  I think so.  Did Jesus come to the Father simply whenever He needed something?  No, He talked to the Father on a regular basis, perhaps even daily.  These were more than just simple requests on Jesus' part.

15Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18the eyes of your funderstanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
Ephesians 1: 15 - 19 NKJV

It is my belief that our prayers are more than seeking our desires from God, so much more.  For it is through our own prayers that we find ourselves in communication with our heavenly Father.  We can learn alot from Jesus when it comes to our own prayers.  In fact, since it is Christ who lives through us, it is Jesus who speaks through us as we pray {Matthew 10:19}.  Also, we should never worry about how our own prayers sound.  I don't think that our Lord is that concerend with such things.  His joy comes from that union and communication we have with Him.  This is why I believe that the prayer of Jesus in the garden has indeed been answered.  For we are now, through Christ Jesus, one with He and the Father.  Despite what many a pulpit pounder may tell us, I don't believe that there is any "right way" we should pray.  We might talk with God in the morning before the worries of the world take hold of our day, or we may communicate with Him throughout our day.  The truth is, any time we are in communication with the Father is time well spent.  We don't need to worry if He will not somehow realize our own needs even if we don't mention them in prayer.  He already knows what it is that we desire and need.
There was a time when I struggled in my prayers.  I would find myself rambling on about what I felt I needed, apolagizing for one thing or another, I was a mess.  I found  my prayer time to be pretty stressful.  What if God did not hear me?  What if He was mad at me and wouldn't answer?  Folks, all of these negative feelings we may have about our own prayers are unfounded.  He delights in union and communication with His children.  He delights in you.

~Scott~

All We've Left Behind

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 bfreed 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

Wayne Gretzky, arguably one of the greatest hockey players the world has ever seen was once asked what he missed most about the game once he retired.  His response surprised more than a few fans.  The great one didn't long for more game winning moments, nor did he yearn for yet another championship to add to his already stacked resume.  No, what Wayne Gretzky missed most about the game he played so well for so many years were the teammates he'd left behind after he retired.  He missed hanging out with the guys he played with.  This had me wondering the other day of just what it is I will miss once I hit that magical retirement age.  I'm guessing that I could ask others just what they miss about that schedule which we all keep during our working years.  Like Wayne, I'm sure that I will miss that interaction I've had with those I've worked with for so long.  It's funny that those we've known for so long would suddenly become those we've left behind as we moved on to another chapter in our own lives.  However, this also got me to thinking of another part of us we've left behind long ago.  All too often we don't give that guy a too much of a thought, and that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned.  Yet we might still see him every now and then...if we ourselves decide to return to those days of yesterday before it was Christ Jesus who defined us.  He is our old man...and he's been put to death by Christ {Romans 6:6}.

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

Now, I mention that my old man, our old man, has been put to death by the work of Christ Jesus on the cross, yet there are times when I feel that I've once again resurrected him.  This in no way changes the fact that the old man has been put to death, only that I've chosen to once again acknowledge him instead of leaving him behind.  He's dead, no longer does he define who I am.  It is now Jesus who lives through me {Galations 2:20}.  What made me stop and think of this this week was how I responded in anger to someone I know for a silly reason.  After we parted I was struck by one thought...that was the OLD Scott!  Why in the world would I resurrect one that has been dead for so long?  Simply put, old habits die hard.  It can certainly be difficult for us to let go of some behaviors which we have clung to for so long.  They soon definately become a part of us.  Yet they will never define who we truly are.  Despite that old man revealing himself every now and then, that in no way changes who I am now in Jesus.  I take courage in that fact that I am quick to recognize the habits of the old man, and of the spirit of error (satan) who once had his grip on me.  Thankfully that is why he is the old man and not the new creation we have in Christ.  He is the one we've left behind.

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 NKJV

~Scott~

In The Spirit

26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”27So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1: 26 - 27 NKJV

A good friend of mine (he knows all too well who he is) has been fond of telling us that we...resemble Christ who is in us.  Now, for someone who only recently began to grasp the concept of Christ in us this was just another mystery I needed to somehow comprehend.  Did God really intend for all of this to be so complicated?  Have we been reading far too much into this?  Maybe the answer is there if we just took God at His word and stopped attempting to add our own thoughts into the mix.  So, knowing this, when the apostle Paul tells us that Christ lives in us we should take him at his word {Galations 2:20}.  Likewise, when the Lord states upon His creation that we were created in His own image, we should see it as it is.  That is, we are in the very image of God.  Does God even have an image?  We're told that nobody has ever seen Him at any time {1 John 4:12}.  So, what is that image of God?  Well, we are.  That is, we were created in that image of our Lord.  Now, maybe I try to over think things, but I wanted to know exactly what that image of God was that I was created in.  For the longest time, I was of the belief that God looked like...me.  That is, my physical image that others see when they look upon me.  Again, a friend tossed a monkey wrench into my entire perception of that image of God.  How can we resemble something nobody has ever even seen?  Wait wait, did Jesus Himself have a image as well?  If we are Christ would we not fit that image as well?  Jesus told His disciples that he who has seen Him has seen the Father as well {John 14:9}.  So, Christ Jesus and the Father are one in the same.  As Christ is in me, so is God in me.  Everyone getting this so far?

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

Ever since I was young I have been intersted in stories of the spirit world around us.  Yes, those ghost stories all too often told around a campfire.  It is my belief that there is another plane surrouding us where spirits of the departed walk.  I'm not alone in my thinking either, for there are many cultures and civilizations who hold this belief as well.  So is this thinking in error?  Are these simply stories and nothing else?  Well, I believe that there is a solid link to this spirit realm and our own true image we were created in by God.  Paul tells us that we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit {Romans 8:9}.  If we are to take Paul at his word, then our physical image we see daily is but a covering for our true image.  Or, as my friend would say, this is but our vessel which contains that image of our Lord who lives through us.  I am inclined to accept this description of myself.  I am not but skin and bones, but that Spirit that is within me.  That is my true image.  This is our true image.  Yes, I am Jesus!  All that I experience and do I do as He who is in me.  As I said, I don't feel that we need to read so much into what our Lord has told us about who we are.  He has told us who we are in Him, and I've never known God to mislead me in any way.

7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” 8Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9Jesus 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’?
John 14: 7 - 9 NKJV

~Jesus~

The Sin Issue

18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.19For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Romans 7: 18 - 24 NKJV

I'm dwelling into something that mnay christians don't enjoy dealing with.  Not only that, but something I myself have struggled in explaining.  It is the white elephant in the room for many a christian.  It is blessed by His forgiveness yet secretly harbored within many of us, or so we all too often feel anyway.  So, what is this part of our former nature that we all too often carry with us still?  Well, the apostle Paul recognized what it was.  Indeed, he was struck that despite knowing the grace and love of Christ that he still found himself in the grips of bad behaviors at times.  Tell me, how many christians out there still struggle with the sin issue?  I know that my readers cannot see it, but I just raised my hand in agreement.  So, since Paul seemed to recognize that within him raged a battle between good and wickedness does that mean that Jesus somehow missed the forgiveness of sin in His sacrafice on the cross?  Excuse me, but does that sound like something Jesus would do?  So is that sin issue really an issue at all?  Believe me, I've struggled often in my attempt to comprehend it.  I finally came to grips that Christ would never have left the door open for more sin in us.  No, for the death of Christ on the cross was accomplished that the "body of sin" might be done away with {Romans 6:6}.  Not only that, the death died on the cross He died to sin ONCE FOR ALL {Romans 6:10}.  This was no sin debt down payment.  Jesus became sin to pay our debt in full {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  So, all that we know and read of the grace of Christ points to us that we are no longer slaves to sin, yet we continue to immerse ourselves in our old beliefs.  That man is dead and gone {romans 6:7}.

6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.7For he who has died has been bfreed 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

In Pauls defense, he recognized that it was not he himself which was at war with what Christ had accomplished in him.  Paul saw something different was at work here, something working against what he himself knew to be right and true.  Paul recognized that in his mind he found the law of God, but that in his flesh, his members, was found the law of sin and death {Romans 7:25}.  I find it interesting in scripture that after Pauls recognition of the war of sin in his own members that he immediately speaks to his readers that it is Christ Jesus who has made us free from the law of sin and death {Romans 8:2}.  So, is there really a white elephant in the room for every christian?  I believe that Paul would tell us definately not.  For Christ has freed us from all the entanglements of that which was our former nature {Romans 6:6}.  So, when we continue to see ourselves as harboring some kind of sin that still requires our Lords forgiveness, we are resurrecting something which was put to death by Christ long ago.  In fact, if we were to ask our Lord to forgive that sin within us, His response to us will always be "what sin?"  Would you continue to make payments on a bill that you already paid?  If not, then why would you continue to seek Gods forgiveness for something He provided for so long ago?  Of course, the institutional church refuses to do us any favors by continually harping that we need to seek His forgiveness daily, I get it.  However, the truth of Christ Jesus is that He not only put sin to death, but that He lives through us today {Galations 2:20}.  Free of sin yet filled with the Spirit of Christ Jesus in us.

10And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies dthrough His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8: 10 - 11 NKJV

~Scott~

Family Ties

14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba,e Father.” 16The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and 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.
Romans 8: 14 - 17 NKJV

I've noticed in more than a few conversations lately the unraveling of more than a few family relationships.  In my own family, I struggle with establishing contact with a part of the family which has been silent for years.  Albeit through pride, abuse or simply not wanting to be a part of certain family relationships, we may be losing what our Lord once brought together.  I talked with a lady the other day who was almost brought to tears as she told me that she refused to be a part of her family due to physical abuse when she was younger.  I get it, I've been there.  Thisn isn't a issue with just non religious families.  I would say that nobody is immune to our own human issues we all face.  That's the key, isn't it?  How is it that we ourselves deal with those issues that we come across daily?  Do we face them straight on or do we pile them upon others.  My own father seemed to deal with most of his own issues with alchohol.  Not the smartest choice I'm guessing.  It's no wonder that so many households are wrecked by the abuse of alchohol.  But what is it really that is at the core of many of our own bent family relationships?  I've thought about this problem more and more over the past few years and I've come to the conclusion that all too often we refuse to see beyond ourselves.  Is someone facing a family issue due to their own behavior?  Well, their easiest out is to lay the blame where it in no way belongs, on the rest of the family.  Have we somehow felt slighted by one family member or another?  All too often the solution is to isolate ourselves from the rest of the family.  Instead of swallowing our own pride and embracing love and forgiveness we lay that gulf between ourselves and others.  Our own actions are the flames that ultimately burn those bridges.  Of course we know that there is another way, but I guess that means that we would need to face our own issues.

17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19We love Him because He first loved us.
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, dhow can he love God whom he has not seen?
1 John 4: 17 - 20 NKJV

I have a coworker who has not talked with certain members of his family for years due to a family argument from years ago.  In his eyes, it's his own way of showing them that he was right.  Really?  I guarantee you that they may have long ago forgotten whatever dispute triggered the current situation.  Yet we continue in our own beliefs that we are right.  Pride indeed goes before the fall all too often.  Now, I can't compell anyone to love their brother, but what I can do is relate my own experiences and hope that others will see that there is another way.  For so many years I remained out of contact with my own father, thinking that it was he who refused to open that door.  In retrospect, both of us may have been waiting for the other to open the door of reconciliation.  As the years went by, the pain of not having communication with my father grew, until the day the door closed for good.  Do I regret not rising above myself and reaching out to him?  Every day.  Now I'm faced with opening those lines of communication with the other side of my own family.  Why is it that I write about this?  I do it so that others in a similar situation might learn from my mistakes and missed opportunities.  We may only get so many chances to heal old wounds.  We are never promised tommorow.
I have often wondered just how my dad saw me in all those years we never talked.  Did he see me as his son or just some aquaintance from long ago.  That question was partially answered as I glanced at his obituary recently.  Mark Wakefield...survived by his sons David Wakefield and Scott Wakefield.

20“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22“But the father said to his servants, f‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23‘And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24‘for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
Luke 15: 20 - 24 NKJV

~Scott~

The Name

 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2: 9 - 11 NKJV

There's something about a name.  A name can tell you a lot about someone.  A persons name can tell the world of their social status or how well known they are.  If I had been born under the name Rockefeller I just might have a bit more jingle in my pockets.  No matter, the name that I have is a indication of just who I am and where it is I come from.  I guess you could say that I have dual citizenship, for I not only carry the name of my father but of my heavenly Father as well.  Now, before too many people freak out and come down on me for claiming the name of Jesus as my own identity, take a look again at Galations 2:20.  It is here that the apostle Paul tells us that it's no longer all about us, but of Christ Jesus who lives through us.  Even the name of our savior has given us a indication of His very purpose.  We are told that He will be named Immanuel, which means God with us (how true that is!) {Matthew 1:23}.  So, even with the name of Jesus we get an idea of His purpose and destiny.  All of this from a name.  My name signifies my place in my earthly family, as do the names of my friends.  However, imagine the furor over one who would refer to Himself as the Son of the living God!  That is exactly what Jesus faced when He declared His own identity {John 14:8}.  Either those of Christs day were unwilling to accept such a declaration or, as I suspect, it was all in our Lords loving plan for His children.  The fury which Jesus caused by declaring His identity has been a topic of recent conversation for our group.  However, as we cling to what the apostle Paul has pointed out, each of us can the very same declaration that Jesus did.  I...am Jesus.

 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, creckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 7 - 11 NKJV

So I often pose the question to more than a few people when they ask me about my belief in Jesus.  So, who is it that you THINK that you are?  There are some answers that have even surprised me.  One elderly gentleman told me that he saw himself as more of a peasant as compared to Jesus.  Well, imagine his surprise when I told him that he is much more than that.  Yet that is the message which we have received for so long from those who teach the gospel of Jesus.  In fact, I was thumbing through a few facebook posts this weekend and came across one that described Jesus as a "polarizing" figure in history!  Really?  I guess maybe for those who never took the time to know the real Christ.  To all too many people, Jesus is just a name and not a man.  For if they were to see Jesus as a man then they may need to accept the need for a true relationship with Him.  It is my feeling that this is what Jesus wants for each of us.  Not only that, but a deeper relationship with Christ makes Him all the more real to us, which is how He is anyway.  He is so much more than a name we read of in the pages of scripture.  Jesus is our savior.  Jesus is our life.  It is also the name of Jesus that is the name which we ourselves carry.

7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” 8Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9Jesus 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’?10“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 the works. 11“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: 7 - 11 NKJV

~Scott~

Christ Reconciled

 18Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Life Lessons 5:19 —God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. God has given to us the task of letting the world know what Jesus has done to make it possible for everyone who has faith in Him to enjoy eternal life and an intimate relationship with the Father. 20Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5: 18 - 20 NKJV

I've wondered from time to time just where I would be if I were to simply accept the popular institutional church teaching of the reality of Jesus today.  We've all heard the story of Jesus' struggles and tribulations as He made His way to the cross and His date with destiny.  In fact, He had warned His disciples more than a few times just where His own life journey would lead Him.  That being, straight to His Father.  Not only His Father...but our Father as well.   The chorus of a popular christian hymm also tells of of this journey...from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky Lord I lift your name on high!  It's as if Christ Jesus finished His journey upon rising from the grave, despite His assurance that He would be with us always {Matthew 28:20}.  So, there sits Jesus at the right hand of the Father in heaven looking down upon Gods children, His work now complete.  This is exactly why we are told by one pulpit pounder or another that you and/or I need to become "closer to Jesus."  It's as if the main fuction of Christ today is to look down upon us in judgement of our behaviors.  Lord help us if He is ever displeased in us as then there He could become displeased and punish us.  After so many times hearing this narative in one church or another I actually did something any pastor might have frowned upon, I began to think on what I was being taught.  How was it that Jesus was sitting in heaven in judgement of all I did here on earth if He had died to cleanse me of all my iniquities?  There had to be something more to this story.  Lucky for me there is.

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

There were a few things that ultimately made me question what the pastors were teaching me.  The first was the completed work of Christ on the cross.  The next was what happened after that, and that took me longer to come to grips with.  See, the work of Jesus didn't end with His resurection that morning.  No, for after His resurection the angels asked the women who ventured to His empty tomb a very important question..."why do you seek the living among the dead?"{Luke 24:5}.  If Jesus were to simply have risen and rose into heaven, why would the angels proclaim this?  Better yet, why would He have appeared to His own disciples after His resurection?  On this easter Sunday we celebrate not the Jesus who died and rose into heaven where He remains today, but the Christ Jesus who lives through us today {Galations 2:20}.  This is not a reconciled relationship based on seperation, but one where Jesus is intimately involved in all that we are doing.  Everything we see, touch and experience today we do as Christ who is in us.  There is no seperation between Jesus and Gods children, and I would argue that there never has been.  Yet so many are fed the teachings of the church each week.  Forgive me if it has taken me so long to come to grips with that truth which is Christ in us {Colossions 1:27}.  To be honest, I feel more comfortable knowing that my Lord and savior remains so close within me.  Of course, that was our Lords plan all along.  Christ Jesus reconciled.

25The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”26And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”27Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”28And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”29Jesus said to him, f“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20: 25 - 29 NKJV

~Scott~