Life With Eddie

16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

2 Corinthians 5: 16 - 17 NKJV 

Not too many people in this day and age recall the old television series Leave It To Beaver.  Sure, there may be more than a few, but not many.  One of my favorite characters from this popular series was the wise cracking teen Eddie Haskel.  If there was ever a poster child for a obnoxious kid...it would be Eddie.  Now, I can honestly say that there were times in my younger days when I may have modeled myself after Eddie, but that didn't last too long.  However, I have known quite a few people who seem to have studied at the Eddie Haskel school of interpersonal relations.  We all know them, they always have a negative comment or a wise crack waiting to inject into any conversation.  I think about Eddie whenever I come across someone who defines his personality.  There a number of self improvement books and videos out there which claim to teach us on exactly how to handle those Eddie Haskels in our life.  Like I said, there are times when that ghost of Eddie is reincarnated in my own life as well.  Is this simply an issue of how to deal with those negative people around us?  I would say no for one very important reason.  Are our own behaviors a true indicator of that person we truly are?  It's a well known fact that our own behaviors will be heavily influenced by events around us.  A friend makes a negative comment and we all of a sudden get defensive.  On the other hand, a child at play will more often than not elicit good natured behaviors.  So, obviously, our own behaviors may not be a true indicator of that person we truly are.  The apostle Paul hit the nail on the head when addressing this issue in his letter to the Corinthians.  Paul advised them not to judge others by their flesh any longer.  I take this to mean that we are not to judge others by their very behaviors or mannerisms.  I know that this might throw some people for a loop, but I believe that Paul saw the bigger picture.  What would Eddie Haskels reaction have been if Mr. Cleaver had simply claimed "Eddie, is that who you really are?"  A good question.  

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 

For me to accept what Paul was saying, I had to understand just who it is that I was inside.  Who was Scott?  Well, most people would stake a claim about who I was after spending just a few minutes with me.  Judging by the flesh.  So, how is it that we can see our own behaviors, which are easily influenced by those events around us, as a true indicator of who it is we really are?  A key verse to help us understand this also came from the apostle Paul.  In Galations 2 he writes that it is no longer he who lives but Christ who lives in him {Galations 2:20}.  Wait, Jesus lives in me?  Well, yes, and not just in me but in others as well.  Yes, even Eddie Haskel.  What Paul was trying to tell us in Corinthians is that because the Spirit of Christ resides in all who accept Him, we are not to judge them by the flesh any longer.  Instead, when we come across a graduate of the Eddie Haskel college of human interaction we should inquire, "is that who you really are?"  However, if you choose to go this route, be prepared for more than a few blank stares in response.  See, what Paul mentioned way back when really isn't seen as truth by too many people on the christian side.  A good friend of mine likes to say that these people do not realize who it is that they really are.  Therefore, they continue to see themselves as bound by their behaviors, by their flesh.  I was there once.  However, I found it hard to see myself as governed by my flesh if the Spirit of Christ Jesus is indeed in me.  I also found it difficult to see others by their own behaviors if I knew in my own heart that the same Spirit of Christ was also in them.  I wonder what Eddie Haskel would have said had he known who he really was.

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 

~Scott~ 

All That Glitters

"Jesus removed our sins and guarantees that we can be raised from the dead.  I'm still waiting on someone to enlighten me on what story beats that one."
~Phil "Uncle Phil" Robertson~

It didn't seem like a exciting story at all.  A poor child born into a poor family without even a hospital or decent shelter to cover him.  In fact, this poor lad was born in a barn.  This wasn't some disadvantaged kid born into a third world country.  No, in time He would make His mark upon a world which by all rights should have been in awe of His birth.  There would be no fanfare upon His birth.  However, it was the birth of this child which the scriptures had predicted would change the world.  Indeed, the greatest gift we will ever receive came to us in the most humble of ways possible.  However, this was exactly how it needed to come to pass.  My mother had a saying which she would tell me whenever I felt as if I didn't measure up to others.  Whenever I felt like I was a small fish in a big pond.  In these moments she would smile and tell her youngest son."Scotty...all that glitters is definately not gold."  In the years that followed, I would often come across a few of those who had looked down upon me and see that they themselves felt inferior as I once had.  All that glitters is not gold.  That baby born in a barn definately didn't fit the bill of a king born into a royal family, but this Son of Joseph and Mary was more important than anyone could ever imagine.  Sure, His birth had been foretold for generations, it still passed without much notice.  Local shepherds would not have known of His coming had the angels not proclaimed His birth that night.  So, how could such a important event pass without much notice?  Simple, it had to.  This was the plan all along.  How great is the story where a baby born in a manger ultimately is the very savior of us all?  That, my friends, is the greatest story ever told.

20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.21“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1: 20 - 21 NKJV

The baby Jesus was far from noticeable to those of His time.  Born out of wedlock (or so the local rumors claimed) the Son of a local carpenter and a (seemingly) disgraced mother.  By all accounts, this boy came into the world with more than enough strikes against Him.  He may have seemed destined to be anything from a recluse to a lowly carpenter like His father.  This leads to one of the big issues which I have with the scriptures. That is, our lack of understanding of the growth of the young Jesus into manhood.  This used to drive me nuts because it would certainly help explain a lot of who Jesus was as a person.  However, are we really left in the dark about Jesus' upbringing?  We are told in Luke 2 that as Jesus grew that He grew "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."  If we want to know about Jesus' younger years we need simply look at the lives of other normal jewish children of His time.  THIS is where we will find the story of the growth of the boy Jesus.  We will see Jesus for who He was, a young man.  How often would He play in the shop of His father?  What was that day like when Joseph finally decided that it was time for his son to learn His fathers trade?  One of the many films of the story of Jesus which I enjoyed was Young Messiah.  It is in this movie where I saw the human Jesus for the first time.  Yes, it is hollywoods version of the life of Christ, but for the first time, we see the young Jesus.  How is it that we can think that the boy Jesus never played, laughed and at times worried His own parents?  I mean, this is what all children do right?  To my understanding, Jesus was a normal child of His time.  Despite His own lineage, He grew up without much fanfare.  Yet it is this humble child who would ultimately become the crowning of our heavenly Fathers love and grace.  Sure, God could have chosen anyone to bear our sin burdens upon that cross, but His was the perfect chioce.  A baby born in a stable to a poor father and a (seemingly) shamed mother for bearing her child out of wedlock.  Would such a child ever have a chance?  Perhaps...all that glitters is not gold.

52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Luke 2: 52 NKJV

~Scott~

White Jesus

18No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten hSon, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
John 1: 18 NKJV

A friend of mine brought up a interesting point this week.  Why is Jesus always portrayed as a white man?  I'll admit that I was shocked, but I have to say that I agree with his statement.  For centuries, those who have related and printed various versions of the scriptures have depicted Christ as a white, dare I say european looking dude.  Yes, it is this version of Jesus which I grew up knowing.  White man, long hair and beard.  Now, I'll have to point out that this is not a race issue, but an issue of how it is we see Christ.  In my opinion, it is we who resemble Jesus.  After all, we were all created in the Fathers very image {Genesis 1:26}.  So, is the Father white?  Probably not.  However, we can rest assured that we resemble Him in all that we are.  One thing that I told my friend is that our focus should not be on that physical apprearance of Christ, but on who He is.  Who Is Jesus?  Well, Jesus is our Lord and Savior AND it is Jesus who lives in us today {Galations 2:20}.  This is who the man Jesus really is.  We can be assured that our heavenly Father will never catagorize any of His children according to their race, abilities or faults.  This is from man, not God.  So, who is it that fostered the image of the white Jesus?  Yep, we did, and still do.  I will say, that our image of a thirty something Jewish man from Nazareth may be a bit skewed.  But, that might not fit our narative, right?  Again, why is it that we are so stuck on that physical image of Christ?  That is not who He really is.  As much as our own bodies are but vessels which house the Spirit of Christ, so it was for the man Jesus as well.

12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
1 John 4: 12 - 15 NKJV

Even before my friend introduced his question, I had come to see Jesus not based upon His physical appearance but on who He really is.  As they say, everything else is but window dressing.  If some artist insists on depicting Christ as a white european, does that change at all who Christ is?  Not at all.  See, Jesus had to have a appearance to those He came into contact with as He was born unto us in the flesh.  I would suggest that had Jesus not come in the flesh that we would never have seen Him.  Indeed, it was His fleshly body which housed who He really was...His Spirit.  It is His same Spirit today which lives in us.  Jesus will never judge us according to our appearance, and we should never judge Him as such.  In fact, we do Him a supreme disservice by presenting Him as we would see Him.  Let us present Christ to others not as we see Him, but as who He really is.

~Scott~

On The Road To Knowing Jesus

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

There is a often used phrase out there to describe those people who are trying so hard to be someone they're not.  All too often, people such as this put on a mask to hide whatever insecurities they might have.  I never even thought that the christian life could be chock full of posers as well.  That is, until I began to realize the truth of Christ Jesus in me.  I would bet that until my real identity in Christ was revealed to me, that I was a poser as well.  See, I didn't need to hide a inner deficiency to make myself into something I wasn't, I only needed to continue living in that knowledge of life seperated from Jesus.  Sure, like any good christian I knew that Jesus was out there somewhere, just not as close to me as He's always been.  I was acting like someone I wasn't....I was a poser.  The traditional institutional church message had taught me that Christ Jesus had bled and died to forgive me of my sins.  Then, after His death on the cross, He ascended into heaven to His rightful place at the Fathers side.  There He remained, always watching over me.  It is this understanding of Jesus that plagues most christians to this day.  For Jesus is holy, perfect and without sin.  How could Jesus EVER be in the presence of sinful man?  These are the very same thoughts I ran into as I searched to know Jesus the man.  Like so many, I wanted a more personal relationship with my Savior.  Yet I continued to run into the ages old stumbling block of the seperation of myself from Jesus.  I mean, if the pastors taught this it was believable...right?  Well, it took one pastor to upend all that I had understood about this man Jesus.  One voice fromt the wilderness, if you will.  What this man suggested to me didn't seem like the truth of Christ, simply because I'd never heard it before.  Yet, I listened.  What he related to me shook all I believed in when it came to Christ.  Yes, He died for the cleansing of my sins, but there was so much more I'd never even known.  The man Jesus had been there all along.

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

One of the first things my friend the pastor revealed to me were the very words of the apostle Paul, which testify to the truth of Christ.  Indeed, there are more than a few passages, written by Paul, which tell us of the truth of Christ Jesus in us.  As Paul writes in Romans 8, our bodies may be dead due to our sins, yet our spirits are alive because of righteousness {Romans 8:10}.  Wait, I died?  Somehow I think I would have remembered that happening, right?  Indeed, this is a question many people ask when faced with the truth of Christ.  I died?  Yes, I was with Jesus on that cross and perished with Him.  Perhaps Paul explained it better in Romans 6 when he claimed that our "old man" was crucified with Him {Romans 6:6}.  Even though I don't remember dying on that cross of Christ, I was there.  Indeed, the old Scott which I was born into perished on that day.  The trouble is, despite this truth of Jesus in my own life, it took me some time to realize who I really was.  This is the journey of coming to know the man Jesus on a more personal level.  This is the journey I began for myself not so long ago.  This will never be a journey of instant revelation, but one of gradual coming to the knowledge of who Jesus really is.  He has never been simply words from a book, but as much of a physical reality as I am myself.  For those of you who, like me, yearn for a closer relationship with Christ, you don't have far to look too far.  For it is not Jesus who tells us that we are seperated from Him.  No, that was mans narative all along.  We can take heart from another man who walked that road to knowing who Jesus really was.  Paul spent a good part of his own life in opposition to the man he eventually gave his life for.  Yet, one day on that Damascus road Paul met the man who would change his life {Galations 1:15-16}.  This is how my journey began and most likely how the journey of knowing Jesus will began for others as well.  When it pleased God, He revealed His Son in me.

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~

The Good, The Bad and God

The man with no name

2For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
James 2: 2 - 5 NKJV

A friend of mine recently related a story to me on why he and his family had grown sour on their local church, a church he had never stepped into but was eager to try.  Well, it seems that as he was parking his car in the lot one particular sunday morning, a woman walked out of the church and sarcastically "reminded" him that first time visitors were to park in another section of the parking lot.  That was enough for my friend to forgo his visit to this particular church.  I don't blame him at all.  After he told me his story, I told him that I would have done the very same thing.  I'm sorry, but I have neither the patience nor the self control for self righteous christians who hold to the belief that their way is the only way to pay tribute to God.  Now, if I sound a bit hardcore, good.  Obviously, the person my friend came into contact with had never before read the words of James, or is she did she had conveniently tossed them away as not useful to "modern" christianity.  I get it.  After all, we all worship in our own way, right?  I attended a church for quite some time where greeting new visitors had become a priority in the congregation.  This is a good thing.  I have also visited my share of churches in my life and it can be a nervous experience for some.  Think about it, you're stepping into a large group of people whom you've never met under the assumption of welcoming christian fellowship.  Sadly, there may be a large number of first time visitors to a church who would never come back due to a bad first impression.  Even more damaging is when these visitors equate the behavior of those they come across with the traits of our heavenly Father.  Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.  For it is we who are dependent upon God, it doesn't work too well the other way around.  A question I asked my friend after he related his story was, why did James even bring up this example of avoiding personal favoritism in his writing?  Obviously in James' day they were dealing with that same issue we ourselves have dealt with.  We should not judge God through the actions of men.  God is welcoming, forgiving and His desire is that ALL would come to know Christ {John 3:16-17}.

19cSo 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

Whether I like it or not, there are people out there who are going to make a assumption about God from the way I conduct myself.  After all, I'm His representative, right?  Yes, but I am also created in His own image, good and bad.  Most people don't feel comfortable when they first hear of the opposite "bad" side of God.  Oh yes, God has another side to Him.  Fortunately, He has chosen to manifest Himself in His loving and merciful side.  However, along with the God we see as merciful, loving and all forgiving, is a God of punishment, torment and fire and brimstone.  My point is this, as I am created in His image, this is my identity.  That is who I am.  It is Christ Jesus who now lives in me {Galations 2:20}.  Regardless of the actions of my flesh, the Spirit of Christ still resides in me.  However, most people all too often recognize a simple equation about christians.

Bad behavior = christianity = God

Nothing could be further from the truth of who it is we really are.  Despite the fact that our heavenly Father has two natures does not take away from the reality that He created us in His very image.  Just because God has chosen to embrace His Holy nature over His opposite does not mean that He nonetheless a Holy and merciful Lord.  Trust me, it was a tough time coming to the realization of the harsh nature of the God I love.  So, is our own bad behavior a reflection of the God we love?  Absolutely not.  Do we, as christians, sometimes choose to react within our flesh?  Absolutely!  However, this in no way is a indication of who it is we truly are.  I have the realization of Christ Jesus in me, yet there are times that I make decisions to act according to the flesh...that's on me.  My friend might have felt slighted by the conduct of a few christians choosing to act according to the flesh, but my prayer for him was that his eyes would be opened to who he, and they, truly are.

16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

~Scott~

In The Trenches

2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
James 1: 2 NKJV

Charles Stanley once wrote that there is nothing joyful about lifes trials, and absolutely no value in our suffering for it's own sake.  In this I would agree.  Who among us enjoys going through those tough times in life?  Trust me, I don't wake up with a smile every day and proclaim, "Lord, I'm happy for the bad things in my life!"  That's just me.  Now, I have known more than a few christians who were on the other side of that fence, who would relish in whatever trial God would send their way.  Believe me, when I get into the trenches of my everyday life, I'd rather there be smooth sailing all the way.  Am I wrong in thinking this way?  Maybe, but I also know that God has a purpose for those trials which He allows into my life.  That purpose is my own endurance through these situations.  If I never once faced a tough time in my life, how would I know how to handle them?  This is why I'm a big believer in those who keep a journal of their daily walk through life.  I've tried it, and it is a big help when I can look back on situations I've been through which God has brought me through.  I can recall many a situation I've faced where I was not so sure of the outcome.  We've all been there.  What I didn't see during those times was how that situation looked from Gods perspective.  Sure, I can ask God what He was thinking, but unless I have a personal relationship with Him then I probably won't see how it is that He walks with me each day.  This I am already assured of because we know that Christ lives through us {Galations 2:20}.  Each and every step I take, I take as Christ who is in me.

3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces bperseverance;4and perseverance, ccharacter; and character, hope. 5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5: 3 - 5 NKJV

I have a coworker who has struggled in his own relationship with his oldest son.  On more than one occassion he has asked me, "Scott, does he REALLY think that I would give him advice that would hurt him?"  I can say the same thing about our relationship with God.  Do we really feel that God would lead us into something that would ultimately harm us?  Yet every day there are christians who sit on that fence wondering if the Lords leading is REALLY what He desires for them.  Yeah, I've been there too.  Do we really know better than God when it comes to what's best for us?  At times I have been foolish enough to think so.  We call it taking a wrong turn in life, when what we should be calling it is failing to follow His leading.  Does He who breathed into us the breath of life ultimately know what's best for His children?  I would think so.  Maybe this is exactly why James tells us to "consider it all joy" when we come across lifes trials?  Maybe what we see as a trial is simply Gods way of  leading us in that direction He desires for us?  Do we really feel that He would lead us into a direction that would harm us?  Perhaps a better response when we encounter lifes forked roads would be to step back and allow Him to lead us where it is He desires.  Easier said than done, right?  I get it.  Yet, I think back again to my coworkers situation.  If his son would place enough trust in his fathers experience to see that he is not leading him astray then perhaps the relationship would be on better footing.  When those times of trial and turmoil rage into our lives, if we trust in Christ  who is in us to lead us where it is that He desires then perhaps it will deepen our own relationship with Him.  In the end, He will never fail us nor lead us into harm.

12Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
1 Peter 4: 12 - 13 NKJV

~Scott~

Book Smart

13I can do all things through fChrist who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13 NKJV

I have a friend who, when we meet for our weekly Jesus talk, relishes relating our own daily experiences into our discussions.  Sure, it's all good to gather to learn all about Christ in us, but there's something about putting Jesus into our own every day experiences that somehow makes Him more real to us.  I get it.  There are times when we all look to others that they might share in our daily struggles.  I believe that this is one of the main benefits of christian fellowship.  When we share in our experiences, we not only relieve that burden of life in the trenches, but we may very well learn how to handle it better as well.  However, one thing I have reminded my friend of from time to time is that we do not need to go to such lengths to make Jesus more real to us.  See, Jesus is as real to us today as He was to His own disciples back in the day.  Yes, I know I will get some push back on this, but I know from my own experience that a personal relationship with Christ is not only possible, but essential to all who trust in Him.  The funny thing about knowledge is that it fades over time if we don't use it.  We can be "book smart" in the scriptural descriptions of Jesus and His life and yet never know Him on a personal level.  My question would be,  what have we gained by this?  Sure, we learn all about Jesus from that book, but we also learn of how God is a jealous God and all men are sinners.  This is where a lot of christians get tripped up, they focus on the book and not on their own relationship with Jesus.  Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of value we can gain from reading into the scriptures.  Why wouldn't we, this is Gods own story to those who seek Him.  It is my belief that the scriptures were never meant to be used as a guideline for how we live our own lives, but as a story.  Think of how it would be if God wrote a letter to you about His own life, and there you have the bible.  Think of what it would be like if God wrote you a letter to introduce to you His own Son.  Well, you get the idea.  Like I said, this is where many well meaning christians get tripped up.  After all, we've been taught by way too many pulpit pounders that burying ourselves in the scriptures is what every christian needs to be more "Christ like."  I get it.

37“And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38“But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
John 5: 37 - 39 NKJV

I recently heard a radio preacher claim that there was no way to God but through scripture.  Really?  Think of the words of Jesus in John 5:39.  "You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me."  Jesus was plainly telling all who would listen that the road to knowing Him was not paved by the pages of the bible.  Don't be that guy.  There is no way that you will find a personal relationship with Christ through the scriptures.  Now, what you will find is His own story.  For the pages of scripture are what testify of Him.  It is through the scriptures that God introduces His own Son to us.  There is a guy in our group who steadfastly hangs his hat on the scriptures as a guide on how to live his christian life.  This does not make him any less a christian, only that he has not yet realized the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus.  That relationship cannot found on the pages of any book which I've seen.  The apostles did not come to a personal relationship with the man Jesus by reading about Him.  No, they came to know Him through spending time with Him.  Yet, you tell me, "Scott, how can I come to know Jesus personally?"  Believe me, I asked that very same question of a good friend some time ago.  What he told me made me stop and think.  See, getting to know Jesus on a personal level is not too complicated when we we realize the truth of who it is we are.  See, part of the story of Christ Jesus is how He has come to live in us {Galations 2:20}.  It is through this revelation that we can confidently proclaim, I AM Christ!  After all, it is Jesus Himself who lives through me.  How much closer to Him will I ever be?  It is this truth of Christ in us which we should be focusing.  After all, our heavenly Father has already written His letter to introduce His Son 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

~Scott~

Someone Like Me

Someone Like Me

3For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Galations 6: 3 NKJV

There was a time not so long ago when pride in ones self was considered a admirable trait.  Such people were looked upon as self assured, confident and strong.  Now days, to hear most people tell it, these very same people are now looked upon as arrogant, pridefull and mean.  What happened?  I mean, I myself have been convicted all too often by those around me of being far too arrogant.  No, I know who it is that I am and I simply WILL NOT allow some  poor schmuck to label me as somone I'm not.  Yes, I could go along with the crowd and be that cookie cutter person that everyone else tells me that I am, but what fun is that?  After all, I wouldn't be too honest with myself if I did that.  Yes, I am confident in who I am, but that in no way means that I am conceited.  Was the apostle Paul arrogant?  Was Jesus Himself conceited?  Some misguided believers might say so, but not me.  That wasn't who they were.  In fact, Paul made it a point to claim that it was he who had died {Romans 6:6}.  There was a reason for the demise of the old man they used to know as Saul.  That man had been replaced by the one true Spirit/personality/being in the universe.  See, Paul realized that it was no longer he who took center stage in his life, but Christ Jesus in him {Galations 2:20}.  Was Paul arrogant in this realization?  Hardly.  I would have been more concerned if he, knowing Christ in him, continued to see himself as really important.  Paul knew better.  For lack of a better anology, Paul knew where his bread was buttered.  He knew who was really important.  So, what's the difference between myself and Paul?  What's the difference between myself and any other believer who knows Christ in them?  Nothing really.  Still, when I am confident in who it is that I am, I'm seen by many around me as arrogant and conceited.  I guess Jesus faced these same nay sayers whenever He proclaimed His own identity.  How can a sinful man be the Son of God?  Blasphemy!  Well, most well meaning christians see Jesus for who He really is yet refuse to see themselves in the same light.  I get it.

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

Not so long ago, former Minnesota Vikings coach Tony Dungy, himself a christian, penned a book titled simply "Quiet strength."  I have to say that the title of the book fit Dungy to a T.  For anyone who has watched this man walking the sidelines or in the broadcast studio you cannot come away without seeing how confident and strong Tony Dungy is.  Yet he is not seen as arrogant or conceited.  However, too many others are labled as conceited for displaying the same traits as Dungy.  Go figure.  The truth of the matter is...I know who it is that I am.  I am a child of God.  I am the heir to His kingdom.  If knowing this causes me to walk with self confidence never before seen then so be it.  I will never apolagize for walking in the realization of who it is that I am.  This is not false confidence but self assurance.  As I said, I would be far more worried if I, knowing Christ in me, continued to see myself as truly important.  Instead, I walk in the knowledge of WHO is important in my life.  I walk each and every day as Christ Jesus who is in me.  This is not arrogance, but the realization that my old man has died and has been replaced by He who loved me first.  If I have any regrets it is that I do not proclaim often enough who it is that I am.  Even then, that is who I am.  All it is that Jesus is, is all that I am.  If others see this as being conceited then perhaps they need to come to that realization of who they really are as well.  I haven't cornered the market on the realization of Christ in us.  God delivers that revelation to all who seek Him.  True arrogance is accepting the lie that we ourselves are responsible for our own being.  That we are indeed a independent self.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  The prophet Isaiah has claimed that there is but one God...and no other gods besides Him.  I know this to be true.  I also know the man who walks in Christ.  That man is someone like me.

5I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me.
Isaiah 45:5 NKJV

~Scott~