A Matter Of Worth

For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
Psalms 139: 13 - 16 NKJV

One of the biggest obstacles that we will ever come across is our own self worth.  Be it what others tell us or what we perceive it to be, what we think of ourselves goes a long way in deciding how it is we live our lives.  Of course, there are also right and wrong messages that we will always associate with who it is we really are inside.  If we see ourselves as being a failure, then we may very well act and be that failure.  However, if we see ourselves as having value, then we will damned sure live our lives in a different way.  I've experienced both sides of this spectrum, and I know which side I prefer to stay on.  There was a time when my own self worth depended on how much money I could muster up to get someone to like me.  Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous, but that was the addiction which I was feeding into.  One of the best questions which we can all ask of ourselves is...who am I?  Am I simply a piece of flesh making my way on the earth until the day comes when I become, yet again, dust.  Indeed, there are those among us who believe such rot.  Being unenlightened as they are, I choose not to follow that path any longer.  My worth is not decided upon what others think or feel about me.  I also know that my worth is far greater than even I can see myself.  Now, I'm not bragging, I just know who it is that I truly am inside.  I didn't get this revelation from some self help book or video.  No, that revelation which I received I received from God.  After all, as the old saying goes, God does not make garbage.  You might disagree, but then you probably never appreciated the full beauty of His creation either.  Indeed, we were ALL created in our Lords image.  We are, in fact, our Lord in flesh form.  I know that this might be a big horse pill for some to swallow, but there is plenty of evidence that what I'm telling you is true.  Yes, we are all created in His image {Genesis 2:7}.  Not only that, it is Christ Jesus who lives through us today {Galatians 2:20}.  How can someone so fearfully and wonderfully made be worth only what others tell him he is?  How can anyone carrying the indwelling Spirit of Christ within them be worth only their next drop of alcohol or hit of cocaine?  You can see now how we have allowed our own sense of value to become bastardized by our own surroundings.  I was there, I get it.  How is it that I can get the alcoholic to see who he truly is?  How is it that I can convince a drug addict that she is worth so much more than what she is shooting into her arm?  Well, it's not my own words that will bring about that change, but the revelation of our heavenly Father.  It is God who, in their darkest moment, will whisper into their hearts that they are worth so much more.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Corinthians 6: 19 - 20 NKJV

I've never been in the military, but I've been around my share of veterans in my time.  While I honor and respect those who have served, I have always taken issue with the part of the military training process that strips us of who we are.  This is illustrated in the induction process, where numerous drill instructors began the process by telling each recruit just how worthless they are.  The thing is, these young men are useless...in their current state to whatever branch of service they are entering.  In order for these young men to become fighting soldiers they need to be broken down and built back up into what the military needs them to be.  Does this change who it is that they really are?  No, only who they're TOLD they are.  Of course, if you tell someone something often enough, they will more than likely come to accept it as being true.  If a father tells his son that he's a worthless piece of crap often enough, how do you think the boy is going to grow up?  If a alcoholic knows nothing of self worth more than alcohol, that is how he will see himself.  This isn't rocket science, just a lesson in the power of positive thoughts.  There is something to be said of the man who stands in front of the mirror each day KNOWING who he really is inside.  Not listening to the words of chaos he hears from those around him, but knowing in his heart that God has created and loved him.  God doesn't make garbage!  It was never our Lords intention to create alcoholics and drug addicts.   No, this was our intent.  Somewhere along the way, I got lost in the belief that I was worth only what I paid someone to like me.  That was NEVER Gods plan for me.  Somewhere along the way, some of you got lost in believing that your worth was defined by your addiction.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  You were fearfully and wonderfully created by our heavenly Father that He would live through you.  Indeed, the world will never see God...but through you.

"God has a hard on for marines because we kill everything we see!  He plays His games, we play ours!  To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls!  God was here before the Marine Corps!  So you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the Corps!"
-Gunnery Sargent Hartman-

~Scott~

No Time For Miracles

The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof.  But only speak a word and my servant will be healed.  "For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard it He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!  "And I say to you that many will come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  "But the sons of heaven will cast out into outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you."  And his servant was healed that same hour.
Matthew 8: 8 - 13 NKJV

There was a time when I would wonder at these passages in Matthew.  Jesus marveled?  How is it that Jesus could stand in wonder at a Roman centurion?  Then it hit me, this centurion knew the chain of command.  He may not have been a follower of Jesus (We're not told), but he definitely knew the nature of giving commands.  To him, were Jesus to perform a miracle and heal his servant, he would simply be giving a command that it be done.  I can understand how Jesus could be in wonder of this man, I've not seen too many places in scripture where faith such as his is displayed.  Funny how it took a military man to give us such a solid demonstration of faith in Christ Jesus.  I was reminded about this this week as I talked with a friend of mine about the issues of overcoming those addictions we carry with us.  For me, it was a addiction to the flesh, but whatever your demon of choice is, let me make it clear that this is no time for miracles.  What I mean by that is that this is no time for Jesus to step up and, upon our urging, wave His hands that our addictions would disappear.  The faith of that centurion needs to be shown!  How is it that we can have the faith of one of the New Testaments champions of faith?  Well, when we look at it from his perspective it becomes quite easy.  Those of us who have served in the military will look upon this and see no other way.  Orders are orders.  So, how are the rest of us supposed to approach this?  Do we know in our hearts that Jesus has Authority over all things?  If He indeed has authority over all, does He not also have authority over our addictions?  After all, what are addictions but believing in something we're not?  What are addictions but chasing unicorns?  The heroin addict chases the feeling he had with the drug.  For myself, I was chasing my next naked woman.  Not much could replace the feeling I had when I was in that element.  I'm sure there are many former addicts who could testify to that.  There are indeed many things one can become addicted to.  Women, drugs, video games, the list goes on.  The underlying message in all of these is that they make us feel good even though we may be at a dark place in our life.  My life might suck, but I've got something to help me deal with it!  Well, if all we're doing is dealing with our addictions, then we're not really dealing with them the right way.  Until we do that, we will struggle.

The other disciples therefore said to Him, "We have seen the Lord."  So he said to them, "Unless I see 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."  And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them.  Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, "Peace to you!"  Then 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.  And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
John 20: 25 - 28 NKJV

I have one piece of advice when dealing with your addictions...DON'T be like Thomas!  My friend who has struggled with His addictions in the past is a Thomas.  He sees...yet he does not believe.  He has been involved in our discussions of Christ in us, yet he still struggles to see this truth.  Sometimes the truth is that simple...do not be unbelieving but believing.  Do we trust that not only is Christ in us {Galatians 2:20}, but that He is all in all?  That is, Jesus is present in all of our Lords creation?  Yes, even in the darkest pit of our addictions.  If we trust that He is all in all, then we trust that He is with us in these dark times as well.  Like I said, this is no time for miracles.  What it is time for is for us to realize who it is we truly are in Christ.  It is Jesus who is in that struggle with us, that comes along with His living in us.  Whatever we experience...He experiences.  One of the thoughts that used to trouble me when I realized the truth of Christ in me was...do I want Jesus to see what it is I am taking pleasure in?  Of course, He always had been there even when I didn't know it.  Do you want Jesus to take that next hit of heroin with you?  Well, in reality that is what's happening each time we feed our addictions.  If we believe in the truth of Christ in us we cannot escape this.  All that we feel He does as well.  All that we suffer He suffers with us.  This is the truth of Christ in us, and how I rid myself of my own addiction.  It is how I came to that point one night not that long ago as I was about to walk into yet another strip club but was stopped in my tracks by one thought.  Standing there that night I wondered, Is this the man that I am?  Of course, I knew that I was more than that.  I am a child of God.  I am heir to His glory.  Despite all of my struggles, it is still Jesus who walks with me through it all.  My life is in no way perfect, but my reality in Christ Jesus is.  There is no situation, addiction or circumstance I encounter that He will not be a intimate part of.  He...is me.  This is not a time for miracles, but a time for the realization of the person we are in Christ Jesus.  THAT is the faith of the centurion at which Jesus marveled.  Do not be unbelieving...but believing.

~Scott~

Jesus, Mary and Joseph

But 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 you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  "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 

Can anyone relate with what Joseph was told by the angel?  Here he was, a typical young Jewish man about to be married to the woman who had been chosen for him (Yes, they still did that back then).  Josephs thoughts, for all intents and purposes, should have been on his upcoming wedding.  However, here he was burdened with thoughts already of a unfaithful mate?  Granted, back in Josephs day, were a woman found to be accused of bearing a child before marriage, she was subject to being "put away" by her husband to be.  Of course, this would have been a shameful thing for Mary.  We're told that Joseph wished to deal with this privately, so as to spare his bride the shame {Matthew 1:19}.  These were the thoughts of a young Joseph on the eve of his marriage.  Of course, the angel of the Lord had some good news for him.  Well, for all of us.  Indeed, the child Mary was carrying inside her was born of God, the promised Messiah of His people.  Unfortunately, not everyone who had heard the prophesies actually believed them.  Indeed, the prophesy of the coming King had been spoken for hundreds of years.  I am of the opinion that the scriptures we hold so dear are simply a guide towards a relationship with the King, Christ Jesus.  Not simply a book of rights and wrongs and rules to be followed, but the story of the life of Jesus from the beginning.  So, we now know the thoughts of Joseph in this confusing time, but what about Mary?  What about she who will birth the coming King?  Well, we can be sure that Mary's thoughts may have been along the same line as her future husbands in some ways.   We can assume that were Joseph to know of the unborn child being carried by Mary, that she also was aware of these happenings.  Her thoughts, for sure, must have been on how her life would now change.  Then, as with Joseph, the angle of the Lord answered that question for her.  Mary's reaction to hearing of the special nature of her child is a good indication that she must have been as confused as Joseph.  "How can this be?" {Luke 1:34}  How indeed.  As one of my favorite 80's TV actors was fond of saying..."I love it when a plan comes together!"  I'm sure the Lord does as well.

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."
Luke 1: 34 - 35 NKJV

Indeed, we love it when a plan comes together.  I will say that I have had many a Mary moment in my own life when I've realized just how the Lord is working.  How can this be?  I also realize that it is not up to me to rationalize His works, only to accept them knowing that it is He who lives in me {Galatians 2:20}.  So, we know of the reaction and thoughts of Joseph and Mary during this time, but what about the star of the show?  What, if any were the thoughts of Jesus the unborn child?  Now, before anyone starts going "medically impossible" on me, consider this...that Jesus was with us before His birth.  That's right, even before His birth, Jesus was in the picture and a integral part of each of us.  We're told that He "was in the beginning with God" {John 1:2}.  So, can we say with any certainty what the thoughts of Jesus were at this time as well?  I can.  How could the thoughts of Christ be any different than they are now?  Therefore, I believe that the thoughts of Jesus were...of us.  That's right, the thoughts of Jesus have always been with those He was destined to save from the grip of their own sins.  I believe that we can proclaim this with all confidence.  How could He not think of us?  From the very beginning, He has always been connected to us.  I will go one step further and say that Jesus was waiting anxiously for His opportunity.  Not only to do the will of the Father, but to bring us into union with Him {John 17:21}.  Some have called it the greatest story ever told.  While I agree, I would take the prophesy and life of Jesus one step further.  I would call it the greatest life which is still being lived...through us.

"That they 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."
John 17: 21 NKJV

~Scott~ 

Todays Exodus

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10: 25 NKJV

The word exodus, in its literal terms, means to leave or to depart.  It is a Greek word meaning literally the same thing as it does today, to exit or to depart.  Why is this important?  Well, I recently ran across a story not too long ago which decried the fact that young people were leaving the organized church in some good sized numbers.  A 2017 study by Lifeway Research found that 68% of young people who had been regular church attenders in high school, stop attending once they hit college age.  Although some do seem to return at a later time, this 68% figure seems to indicate a modern day exodus.  Many have asked, why are so many young people leaving the organized church?  I prefer to ask, why are people leaving our churches?  Perhaps in a answer to this question, a friend messaged me this week with a different question to ponder.  What is it that kept us in bondage all of those years?  Bondage?  Really?  How could one see a institution supposedly existing for the good of all as holding people in bondage?  Well, that was my old way of thinking.  See, I gave up on attending organized church some time ago.  My friend, upon his retirement, did the same.  So, what is it that keeps those who attend church regularly in bondage?  Well, I have an idea, but I thought it would be beneficial to look back at my own experience in the church.  In my experience, going to church on Sunday was expected.  There was no other option.  If you were a good Christian soldier, then you were to show up on Sundays to equip yourself against the evils of this world.  If you didn't feel that you needed to be in church, then it was assumed that perhaps you had fallen victim to Satan's treachery and were in drastic need of saving.  Forget the fact that for years you had been taught that Christ Jesus bled and died on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins.  Miss a week or two of church services and more than a few of your fellow believers would suddenly mob you with statements such as "God told me to tell you...".  Really?  People, if my heavenly Father really wanted me to know something important...don't you think He'd cut out the middle man and tell me directly?  For me, the final straw came during a Easter Sunday service.  When the pastor had finished his flowery sermon on how the risen Christ had set me free from all of my iniquities, he followed it up by asking all to come forward to seek the Lords "forgiveness" for anything we may have done.  I was done with organized church.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him.
Colossians 1: 16 NKJV

I'm thinking that after relating my own church experience that those who read this will be able to shed some light as to why so many people are leaving the organized church.  One of the key words I use in describing the church is "organized."  For there have been many a home based gathering which have brought others closer to knowing Jesus.  Sadly, I never saw that in all of my time in organized church.  Relationship with Christ is not preached all that much.  Granted, we're taught that if we live right, act righteous and attend church, that we can definately "be like" Jesus at some point.  Well, the truth of Christ Jesus they refuse to tell us is that we are already like Jesus.  It is Christ, the apostle Paul tells us, that lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  I can understand why the church holds off on proclaiming this truth.  For if they were to reveal it, what would we then need pastors and the church for?  Think about it, not only are we in the very presence of Christ daily, but all that we once were...is now dead.  That's right, Paul tells us that we should now reckon ourselves "dead indeed to sin"{Romans 6:11}.  We no longer need to worry about not being good enough, righteous enough or more well behaved in Gods eyes.  When God now looks upon us, He only sees His beloved Son.  That's the freedom we find in Christ.  There is nowhere where our Lord requires us to attend church in order to gain His approval, we already have that.  There may be times when we feel as if our human behaviors have tossed us off course and that God is frowning upon us, but this is simply another lie of our accuser.  It is in these times where we are simply forgetting who it is we are in Christ.  Trust me, it's easy to do at times.  Now, I agree the organized church still serves a purpose as far as fellowship, but that's where my support ends.  With all of its traditions and ceremonial trappings, it's no wonder the exodus is upon us.

~Scott~

My Search For The Needle In The Haystack

"God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.  Nor is He worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things."
Acts 17: 24 - 25 NKJV

Someone asked me some time ago what church I would recommend they attend, if I were to recommend one.  First off, I don't make it a practice to tell anyone what it is they should do.  When it comes to matters of religion, each person makes their own choice.  That being said, if I were to recommend a church, and I'm not, which one would I recommend?  Well, I certainly wouldn't recommend a few of my local houses of worship either by knowing directly their faith and mission or by word of mouth from those who have been there.  This question puts me in a interesting position as I'm of the belief that the church building itself has NOTHING to do with how God sees His children.  That's right, you could build one of the most ornate church castles in the world, but you would still be important in our Lords eyes.  I learned a long time ago that many times we build fancy churches for ourselves and not for God.  Why is that?  For a large, fancy church sets in motion a vicious cycle which I have seen far too often.  That beautiful building requires money, which requires a large loyal congregation to tithe, which requires a number of pastors and support staff.  See where I'm going with this?  In my opinion, we can achieve the same result, or even better, with a smaller building.  But do we even need a church building after all?  I'd say no.  There are those, however, who cling to their traditions and yearn for a church mansion from which to show God how much they adore Him.  I get it.  Do we really believe that God will see us any different if we worship in a fancy building?  Like I said, all too often we build these ornate churches more for ourselves than for worshipping the Lord.  No, that doesn't sit too well with me.  I might be in the minority, but I prefer something along the lines of a grass roots church, where the followers of Christ gather wherever to talk of Him and His presence in their lives.  We find the example of such a church in Acts 2.  Here, the early church of the followers of Christ met in each others houses daily to worship Him {Acts 2:46}.  Without a large congregation, were they able to sustain themselves?  Well, we're also told that the Lord "added to the church daily those who were being saved"{Acts 2:47}.  It is a church such as this which I am attracted to.  Unfortunately, I haven't found one yet in my travels.  A friend of mine is of the opinion that in order to see such a church congregation that we would need a change in our society.  Maybe He's onto something there.

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

So, what do I look for in a church?  Just look into the scriptures of Acts 2 and you will get a good idea.  I look for a church that is community oriented, driven by a deep, personal relationship with Christ Jesus and.. is small enough to remain dedicated to these values.  See, I'm a firm believer that the more a church grows, the more watered down it becomes not only in its message but its vision as well.  It won't take long for a larger congregation to fall victim to the politics of human emotions, I've seen it too many times in my life.  I believe that this is a big reason for the decline in church attendance in recent years, but that's just my opinion.  I, for one, do not look forward to walking into church on Sunday morning to a blaring, new age version of worship music.  That might be your thing, but it's not for me.  Believe me, my heavenly Father knows in my heart how I feel.  In fact, He knows how we all feel in any given moment.  Another thing, most church sermons these days are beyond boring to me.  More often than not, they regurgitate the centuries old separation theology of the church.  That doesn't excite me.  What I want to hear about is our own relationship with Christ in us.  Yes, that's right, Christ Jesus in us, I want more sermons on that.  The apostle Paul tells us that it is Jesus who lives in us today {Galations 2:20}.  This isn't some middle ages heresy, but the truth of Christ in us today.  Another thing, why would I want to sit through another sermon of condemnation on my own sins?  Paul also tells us that our old sinful nature was put to death long ago {Romans 6:11}.  Yet, we continue to preach the old theology.  I suppose there's a reason why I haven't found a suitable church as of yet.  Mind you, we have a small group pf men who gather each week and talk about Jesus.  We don't have a fancy building or a boring sermon, but what we do offer is the uplifting truth of our freedom in Christ.  My search for a suitable church isn't over by a long shot.  One of these days I might just find it.  Until then I'll keep searching for my needle in a haystack.

~Scott~

Spin Doctors

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4: 1 NKJV

When it comes to news, I usually tend to screen more than a few different sources in order to get a balanced view of what's going on in the world.  However, I found out some time ago that the spin doctors of cable news cared less about the news and more about a political parties agenda.  Often times ignoring the truth, they spout the views they feel that we should adhere to.  To them , there is but one view of things and it's their own.  I also have come to realize that spin doctors don't always exist in the broadcast news business.  No, there are plenty of these purveyors of opinion to be found in our houses of worship as well.  I know what you're thinking, spin doctors in church?  Well, I didn't want to see it for awhile either.  However, after sitting through my share of sermons, I've come to the conclusion that those pulpit pounders were indeed simply sharing their views of the gospel.  I get it.  From a close friend I've gained a bit of knowledge as to the teachings of the modern seminary.  Therefore, I'm not surprised by what is being preached from the pulpits today.  Of course, were I the one in the pulpit I would share what I believe to be the truth of Christ Jesus as well.  After all, Jesus is the beginning and the end of what the scriptures are all about.  His story is told all through scripture, from the prophets who foretold of His birth to His apostles who tell us of His life.  If we're seeking the truth of the gospels, it is Jesus where we must began and end {John 1:1}.  This is where I would began.  However, all too many pastors these days do not see things that way.  These Christian spin doctors would much rather paint a gloomy picture of Christian life than tell of the freedom we will  find in a relationship with Christ Jesus.  They would much rather speak to the struggles we will go through in our lives as we try in vain to "be like" Jesus.  What about God?  Well, most church theology tells us that we are separated from Him due to our sin nature.  This is, of course, the error continually preached by the spin doctors.  The truth of the matter is that we don't need to strive to be like Jesus...we already are like Him {Galations 2:20}.  It is God who breathed into each of us the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}, thereby placing Himself in each of us.  Each of us, whether we realze it or not, carries the very dna of our heavenly Father within us.  He created us, so there should be no doubt that His fingerprints are everywhere in His creation.

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

One of the obstacles to telling of the truth of Christ in us is that we are speaking against hundreds of years of church theology.  All those spin doctors have convinced many a well intentioned believer that they were the only game in town.  There is a reason that the apostle John warned us to "test the spirits" of those who would proclaim the gospel {1 John 4:1}.  He even went so far as to proclaim that many false prophets had gone out into the world.  I would agree.  So, are we to test the words of even our trusted pastors?  Absolutely!  There have been many stories of wayward pastors who have misguided their flocks into a false belief.  Can I promise that my message of Christ in me isn't a misguided theology?  Test the spirits.  At the end of the day, we will know in our own heart whether what we are hearing is of God or not.  No spin doctor can deliver the freedom in our spirit which a relationship with Jesus can bring.  There is something to be said about a freedom from the trappings of the traditional institutional church.  Freedom to worship without worrying if you are forgiven.  Freedom to be in the presence of Christ without fear that you're not good enough.  The spin doctors will tell us that a life being LIKE Christ is a life filled with working to gain His approval.  If we fail, as many often do, the guilt and shame we encounter can be enough to leave us with a negative view of God.  What we need to remember is that not only has Jesus provided for our redemption at the cross, but a new life of freedom in Him as well.  That's something you'll never hear the spin doctors tell us.

~Scott~

The Man Inside

"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

Ever wonder why you do the things you do?  Do you ever feel that God is so far away to even care about you?  I've been there.  I've heard from a few friends of mine who seem to be confused as to why they continue to sin despite Christ Jesus having already dealt with our sin issue.  Believe me, I used to wonder the very same thing.  Sure, Jesus died on that cross for the forgiveness of my sins, but why do I feel as if I continue to sin?  I suppose those are the key words for our consideration here.  Why is it that we FEEL as if we're still in our sin nature?  Of course, I already know that the old man I once was is now dead, having been put to death with Christ Jesus.  So what's left?  Well, I'll tell you, what's left is that man inside of each of us.  The apostle Paul touches on this in a few sections of scripture, such as his revelation that it is Christ who now lives in us {Galations 2: 20}.  He is the man inside.  Wait, you say that God cannot be in the presence of sin?  Well, if Jesus is indeed in us can we now say that we are without sin?  Pretty much.  Again, Paul enlightens us to the truth of Christ in us in Romans.  Indeed, it is our "body of sin" which was put to death with Christ{Romans 6:6}.  So, why is it that we feel as if we continue to sin when we are now dead to sin? {Romans 6:11}.  Well, I will say that we have been constantly reminded of this by church theology throughout the years.  Not wanting to share the truth of Christ, the institutional church has continued preaching a theology of our own separation from God.  This, of course, is a bald faced lie perpetrated by flowing robes in pulpits.  Dare I say wolves in sheeps clothing?  Jesus Himself warned us against such antics from the elders of His day.  The time may be long ago, but the lie remains the same.  Jesus called these people for who they were...ravenous wolves {Matthew 7:15}.  Now, I don't blame others for following this lie...to each his own.  I also know enough to understand that God, as He did for me, will reveal Himself to those He chooses.  Indeed, I fell for the church theology hook line and sinker in my early years.  It was all that I knew.  Imagine my shock when a dear friend of mine who continues to ask to remain nameless approached me with the truth of Christ in me.  You mean I no longer had to work for Gods approval?  How sweet is that??  The beautiful part of this truth is...you don't need to work for our Lords approval either.

'Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."
Matthew 15: 14 NKJV

My intent here is not to bash the failings of church theology, but to point out that there is indeed freedom through Christ Jesus.  Indeed, I've never been able to find freedom through church theologies.  I've never had a pulpit pounder proclaim to me that Jesus lives in me.  So, you can see how I refused to see the truth of Christ for some time.  I will say that once it was revealed to me I felt a overwhelming sense of freedom.  Gone were those requirements and traditions which had stood in the way of my coming to know Him.  This is, after all, the desire of our heavenly Father, that we will be one with Him.  Jesus professed this in the garden as he prayed {John 17:21}.  His desire was never to let His children compete for His favor.  That isn't who He is.  Who God is...is Love {1 John 4:8}.  Love never requires one to jump through hoops to curry the favor of another.  Love never turns its back on another simply because of a misstep.  I've always seen the story of the prodigal son as the perfect example of our Lords love for His children.  Despite all that the fathers son had done, his father still welcomed him home with love.  This is exactly how our heavenly Father sees us.  Despite all which we feel we may have done, He will always welcome us home with love.  We need not worry about how far away His is from us.  He is as close to us as the man inside.

~Scott~

Too Close To Home

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

I shared a picture this past week on one of my posts which seemed to get a reaction from a few people.  To me, this picture has a special meaning because it shows us without doubt the truth of Christ Jesus in us.  If there is anyone who is on the fence about the knowing of Christ in them, they should take a look at this picture.  It is a painting of a drug addict in the midst of putting another needle in his arm.  However, the painting shows not the young mans arm which is about to receive the dose...but the arm of Jesus.  Only fitting, that Jesus would give Himself for us in the midst of out tragedy.  A few of the reactions I received were of sadness, and of knowing.  Sadness, because it reminded a friend of mine of his past bad behaviors.  Meanwhile, another friend acknowledged the same picture as evidence of the truth of Christ in us.  Since I received the revelation of the truth of Christ Jesus in me some time ago, I tend to see this picture for what it is, Jesus giving Himself for us.  Indeed, others may interpret it in different ways.  For myself, it is a good reminder of what I gave up in my acceptance of Jesus in my life.  See, that old man is gone now, never to return.  The apostle Paul reminds us of this in Romans as he tells us that we are indeed "dead to sin"{Romans 6:11}.  Think about that for a moment, all of those things that you regret from your past, all now erased from our Lords memory and no longer held against us.  It is Jesus Himself who became sin on our behalf that we would be spared its penalty {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  I titled this picture "too close to home" because of the reaction it received.  Granted, it has been floating around the internet for some time, so it is my belief that someone had the revelation to create a picture that perfectly shows our relationship with Jesus.  Do you sometimes feel as if Jesus is there simply to pass out discipline on sinners?  Well, my response to that would be, what about the cross?  What about the scourging which He willingly put Himself through in our place?  It was never our heavenly Fathers intention that we would live in the past, forever haunted by what we've done.  There is no relationship in condemnation.

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

There is a key part of Pauls words in Romans that we see in verse 6.  Here, Paul makes the claim that our "body of sin" be done away with through our own death with Christ.  That body of sin which we continue to reference as keeping us from a relationship with Christ was put to death long ago.  There is no reason for us to hang onto that which is dead.  What remains now is Christ Jesus and our relationship with Him.  I understand how one picture can conjure up memories of a life sin long past.  I get it.  When I first saw this painting I was filled with a lot of emotions.  Sadness for what I had done.  Thankfulness that Jesus thought of me before Himself.  To say that this picture hits close to home for some is a understatement.  However, would it even have that much of a impact were we to know and understand the truth of Christ in us?  That Jesus, having given Himself for us, now desires only that we be one with He and the Father {John 17:21}.  Church theology has preached that Jesus, upon being raised from the dead, ascended into heaven to be seated at the Fathers right hand.  The trouble is, we're often taught that once He arrived there, that He stayed there and remains there today.  Well, this is separation theology and I believe that it is in error.  For if this were true, why would Jesus speak of us being one with He and the Father?  Why would He continue to live in us?  In my mind, the only separation between ourselves and God is that which we create ourselves.  It was never our Lords intention to oversee His creation, but to be a intimate part of it.  Indeed, His fingerprint can be seen in all we see around us.  One picture.  One picture showed me just how close to us Jesus really is.

"That they 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."
John 17: 21 NKJV

~Scott~

Knowing

We are of God.  He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
1 John 4: 6  NKJV

There are things which know are true beyond a reasonable doubt.  I know that I alive with each breath that I take.  I know that if I were to jump off a cliff that I would not simply float away.  These are things I know to be true in my heart.  However, there are also things which I know to be true which others might not realize...yet.  Such as, I know in my heart how I came into being.  I know who it is that I really am inside.  These things, to me, are without question.  We all know about the things that are accepted without argument.  Things such as gravity, air and the atmosphere around us.  However, how did all of these things come into being?  How was it that they were created?  Well, far beyond some big bang theory, there is the reality of our Lords creation.  I shy away from referring to it as the "creation story" as some may think that this is all it is...a story.  More than just a story is how our heavenly Father brought all that we see into being.  I know that He accomplished this in six days' time.  I know that He created not only all which I see around me, but myself as well.  I know these things because I trust in what He has spoken into my heart.  I didn't need a textbook or special class to come to this knowledge.  God spoke it, and I trust in it.  As the scripture claims, I am of God because I hear Him.  It wasn't always this way.  There was a time when I only believed what I was taught by a pastor.  However, I later realized that there were things that the pulpit pounders left out.  I wasn't a sinner after all, as so many pastors were fond of telling me.  I did not need to settle for simply "being like" Jesus as I heard many a sermon claim.  No, I was never created to live my life as a sinner separated from God by my past behaviors.  In fact, despite what modern church theology may tell us, there is no separation from God...period.  This I know.  There are times where I feel that there is the man which the church sees and the man which God sees in me.  Of course, the which He sees in me is the image that I trust in.  Who is that man?  Well, I am Him in the flesh.  That's right, it is His Spirit which lives in me.  The apostle Paul assured us of this in Galations {Galations 2:20}.  All that Christ is, I am as well.  This I know.

"I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
John 17: 23 NKJV

If I were to stick to the centuries old church message, I would still be a lost soul struggling to be like Jesus.  For God cannot ever be in the presence of such sinners as we.  Therefore, He looks down upon us from His heavenly perch waiting to save us from ourselves yet again.  Oh, and that man seated beside Him is none other than Christ Jesus Himself.  The trouble with this teaching is that Jesus gave Himself for us that those sins would be erased {John 3:16}.  It is by His sacrifice that we are who we are today {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  So, if Christ became sin that we would not shoulder our own burden, how is it that we are still sinners?  Keep in mind, these continue to be the teachings of the mainstream church.  I know differently.  Paul also assured us that we are indeed dead to sin {Romans 6:11}.  As a child of God I am dead to sin.  This I know.  As His loved child, I no longer need to struggle in my desire to "be more like Jesus."  So great was His love for me that His only Son became the very essence of the man that I am.  This I know.  I have never been defined as the man who others see me as.  It is by His spirit within me where they will see my real identity.  This I know.

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

~Scott~

Microwave Jesus

So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Romans 12: 5 NKJV

It's amazing these days that one hardly needs to wait for anything.  From service on the spot to a coffee shop on every corner, you can pretty much see that we have become accustomed to having our needs met at microwave speeds.  This desire for immediate gratification has even made it into the world of Christianity.  Everywhere you look there is a church dedicated to one belief system or another.  Many a pastor, having felt left out in one church, has pulled his boot straps and started a new congregation built upon what he feels is the correct theology.  I personally know a pastor who, after having been denied a leadership opportunity, bolted his church to start a new congregation.  Well, the trouble is that when he left he took a good number of church members with him.  This process of gutting congregations which have been on solid ground for years has become all too common in our own impatient society.  We want our Jesus, we want Him our way and we want Him NOW.  Now, I'm one whose own views of modern church theologies is well known.  I believe that we have turned our church congregations into pseudo political parties with all the drama and politics included.  With the scriptures as our backdrop, we push our own view of how Jesus should be.  If that doesn't work...we simply start another church.  Anyone see the problem with this line of thinking?  Instead of seeing Jesus for who He is we mold Him into who we want Him to be.  I've often wondered as to how Jesus would see this trend of sprouting churches.  We know that it is Christ Jesus who is the head of the body of the church {Colossions 1:18}.  So, wherever we go throughout our own search for the truth of Christ, it is He who is the leader.  Whichever congregation we feel we belong to, it is Christ who must be at the forefront.  To see Him as anything else is in error.  So, is it indeed in our ornate church buildings where we will find Him?  Is it in the congregation with the most influential pastor where Jesus will set Himself?  Well, contrary to popular microwave society thinking, Jesus can be found in neither of these locations.  For it is not the best church nor the largest congregation which He will favor.  In fact, I have more of Jesus in me than most modern churches, and so do you.  What?  Heresy?  Far from it.  It is the apostle Paul who introduces us to the very truth of Christ in Galations.  It is not the building which houses the Spirit of Christ, but we ourselves.

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

 I've come across plenty of people who left one church or another simply because they were looking for Jesus.  Well, as we now know, they were looking in the wrong place.  We know that the Lord does not dwell in ornate churches or temples {Acts 17:24}.  So, if we are indeed seeking out Christ, we need to look elsewhere than where we have been taught to look.  I believe that it was never our heavenly Fathers intention to have His Son redeem us only to spend His entire time in the buildings of men.  No, I believe that, as Paul told us, that His desire is to live is us.  One, as He and the Father are one {John 17:23}.  I know, it's a hard concept to understand, but one that, when we fully comprehend who Jesus truly is, is most liberating.  Once we see Him for who He is, we cease to continue searching for Him in the most expensive church buildings.  Once we come to know Him, we realize that He is closer to us than we have ever known.  For brick and mortar are but materials used by men to create that which God has already created in our hearts.  It is not the priests or the most influential pastors who have access to Christ.  As He is in us, He now endures all which we do on a daily basis.  Heresy?  Hardly.  I believe that men could have saved millions of dollars in construction costs simply by knowing who Jesus really is.  I admit that I'm not a patient man, but I know the truth of Christ in me.  I don't need to search for a congregation that shares my beliefs in order to find Him.  In fact, I'll argue that my views of the truth of Christ would not be received well in too many of todays  mainstream churches.  There is a reason for that.  For if todays pastors preached the truth of Christ in us, what need would we have for churches?  Well, I would not drop the wrecking ball on the entire church idea yet.  There are many well meaning Christians who continue to fellowship in our houses of worship.  I won't deny them that.  With a church seemingly on every corner, there are plenty to choose from.

"God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.  Nor is He worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath and all things"
Acts 17: 24 - 25 NKJV

~Scott~

The Dead Sinners Society

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

I've often thought of writing a book about how I overcame my addiction to pornography.  Of course, I know that there are dozens of self help books out there each claiming that they can help you overcome and become part of the dead sinners society.  The trouble is, many of them are complete and utter garbage, relying on broken theology to somehow cure one of the evils of the skin game.  Trust me, I've been there and lived the nightmare many times over.  I've lost count of just how many books, seminars and videos I've gone through in that vain hope that they would free me.  The trouble was, with each new miracle cure I failed to deal with the heart of my addiction issue.  No, this isn't some cure all I'm talking about.  It's also probably not something one would assume to be a cure for any type of addiction.  For me, it all began with one simple question.  Is this who I really am?  That's right, entry into the dead sinners society requires one to question who it is they truly are.  Was I really this guy who hung out in strip clubs, viewing women as more of objects of gratification than who they truly were?  Like I said, most self help books on this subject are based on a broken theology pushed by the institutional church for years.  I was a sinner, and as a sinner I needed to strive to be more like Christ and pray that God would forgive me for my evil deeds.  Each day was but a walk through the valley of sin, praying that my heavenly Father would finally approve of me.  How could He?  I was a sinner, locked in my own life of sin which God could never be remotely close to.  That's right, God is holy so He needed to keep His distance from me.  Can anyone see the issue with this crap that is still preached from many a pulpit even today?  If we are to believe this line of malarkey, then the dead sinners society has never existed.  Indeed, the apostle Paul may be the founding father of this club, as he realized the truth of who he truly was way back in the day.  I'm almost certain that Paul must have asked himself the very same question I did...Is this who I really am?  Remember, Paul...was the former Saul who breathed threats against the early followers of Jesus {Acts 9:1}.  If anyone was in need of help it was him.  Well, Paul did find help, in the man Christ Jesus whom he had fought so hard against.  It was Jesus who showed Paul that his past behaviors had never been a indication of who he really was in Christ.  It was Christ who showed me that my sins have never defined me.

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

Like I said, this line of thinking goes against most of what the church has told us when it comes to our addictions.  Be it drugs, liquor or porn, when it comes to addictions it is assumed that we are the issue that needs to be dealt with.  We are the sinners, the ones who have fallen away from God.  For His part, God is simply there to deal out His justice on those who deny Him.  Now, if you're a common church member, then you might just fall for this line of thinking.  If you do, it will mess you up as it did to me.  Yeah, I saw God not as my redeemer, but as someone who was simply there to punish my sins.  I lost count of how many sundays I'd walk into church with my head held low like one of the accused on a perp walk.  That's what I felt I was worth.  Then, one night in the middle of one of my strip club tours I was stopped in my tracks.  Placed on my heart was THE question.  Lord, is this who I really am?  Was this my fate upon Jesus giving Himself for me?  Were my sins so great that even Christ Jesus refused to cleanse them?  NO!  It turns out that the man who wandered the strip clubs of Portland...was dead.  That's right, he died long ago.  I had been living a lie.  It took me a bit of time to come to that realization, but eventually I came to see that my behaviors did not define me.  I was not the man I had been pretending I was.  Neither are you.  Wherever your life has taken you, your behaviors have never defined who you are in Gods eyes.  When He looks upon you, He sees His beloved child, not a sinner.  Therefore, you are already a member of the dead sinners society.  That's right, those sins which held us back for so long are no more.  It is Christ Jesus who became sin on our behalf {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  Of course, you'll never see this truth in any self help novel.  Yeah, I should write a book.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5: 21 NKJV

~Scott~

When Fools Rush In

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

I've made some pretty bad decisions in the heat of the moment.  The fact is, I'm sure that I'm not alone in that department.  All too often when we hastily make decisions meant to be made in due time, we come out on the losing end.  There is a good reason that a wise man once told me that each and every decision I make is worth taking the time to consider.  I used to be a sucker for getting caught in panic situations.  Well, the trouble is, when you're in panic mode, all logic goes out the window.  You cease to think rationally and begin thinking impulsively.  THAT, is the easiest way to making mistakes.  So, what does all of this sage advice have to do with being a Christian?  Not much, really.  Unless you're into running around most of the time in a panic wondering why it is that God has abandoned you.  See, at the heart of every panic situation is a irrational thought.  The truth about God is, He will never abandon His children.  In fact, one of the most liberating truths we can ever know is that it is Christ Jesus who lives in us today {Galations 2:20}.  The idea that we are somehow separated from Him is a lie perpetrated by our enemy the accuser.  It is satan who claimed to Eve that were she to eat of the fruit God had commanded her not to that she would indeed...be like God {Genesis 3:5}.  Well, the truth is, she was already like God!  Indeed, when God breathed into His creation the breath of life, He became a vital part of each and every one of us.  Yes, that is His Spirit that lives in you.  All too often we associate the longstanding institutional theology teaching as the truth of our heavenly Father.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  We're told from a early age that the way to God...is up.  Jesus ascended to heaven after He rose from his death {Acts 1:9-11}.  Looking up to the sky, we almost assume that we are gazing at Gods own front door.  Where did we get such an idea?  Indeed, scripture gives us a few of these references to the upward direction of God, but the rest lays in generations of church theology.  Are we to assume that God is somehow set apart from all which He created?  If you believe that then you more than likely do not know God all too well.

There 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.  We love Him because He first loved us.
1 John 4: 18 - 19 NKJV

What is panic but a fear of failure.  We panic because we are afraid of losing control of a situation and failing.  That is it in a nutshell.  Fear is at the base of every panic situation we will ever encounter.  Alexander Pope was indeed wise to claim that fools rush in.  Trust me, if you're a fool when you enter a situation, without knowledge you'll be more of a fool when you are done.  Do you really know the truth about God?  Do you really know about how He cast away sin that we would not face its penalties?  Why do so many people continue to fear the sins they carry?  Did not Jesus become sin that we would be free?{2 Corinthians 5:21}.  Sin, as we once knew it, no longer exists {Romans 6:6-11}.  When we come to God, we do not come to Him as a condemned sinner in need of His mercy.  That card has already been played.  All that remains is for Gods children to return to He who has redeemed us.  We need not fear the vengeful God perpetrated by the institutional church.  God is not interested in settling old scores or holding grudges against us for our generations of bad behavior.  Christ Jesus bore that burden for us.  Do you fear God because of what you've done?  Well, rest assured that God is no longer interested in yesterdays.  What's done is done, all that remains is for us to see God as He truly is...Love.  I no longer fear the man I once was, because I know that God does not see me in that way.  I don't panic and wonder if God has indeed abandoned me, for I know that it is He who lives in me.  Fools might rush in, but I don't.

~Scott~

My Worship

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Hebrews 13: 15 NKJV

Have you ever taken stock of how you worship God?  I mean, really thought about it in terms of is it appropriate?  Is there such a thing as appropriate worship?  The scriptures tell us in many places that we are to offer up praises to God, and in some cases it tells us how.  Here's another question, does God judge us on how we worship Him?  Will our reward be that much greater or less if we do not worship Him correctly?  I think not.  However, there are those who place a high standard on how we worship Him.  I have a friend who is critical of many modern praise and worship songs due to the fact that they follow the institutional theology.  Hello, that's the purpose.  I am not one who will be quick to criticize the music one listens to simply because of why they are listening in the first place.  Why are they listening?  To be closer to God, that's why.  Now, I know the knowledge of Christ in me, but that's not the point here.  I know that not only am I close to God, but that He lives in me {Galatians 2:20}.  So, if I know the truth of Jesus in me, am I prohibited from those worship songs that tell a contrary message?  Some would think so.  Don't count me in that crowd.  My feeling on this is whatever music the Lord chooses to lead someone to Him, that is His leading.  Who are we to interfere?  I recall listening to songs of the old Promise Keepers conferences because they were uplifting and drew my heart to Him.  Friends, not all of those songs proclaimed the message of Jesus in me.  I listened to them because they of how they made me feel.  I don't expect everyone to follow this model, but I also would like people to understand just why others listen to the music they do.  To tell someone what kind of music to praise God by is, well, institutional theology.

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "rejoice!" so they came and held Him by the feet and worshipped Him.
Matthew 28: 9 NKJV

Tell me this, when Jesus rose from the tomb, did He command those who saw Him in how they should worship Him?  HELL NO!  In fact, we're told that those who saw the risen Lord "held Him by the feet and worshipped Him."  Jesus didn't need any of that structured, church approved worship.  In fact, I would suggest that those who saw Him just praised Him naturally.  THIS is praise and worship of our Lord.  Non structured, organic and from the heart.  I have a friend who once claimed that one of the best versions of how great thou art was done by a small band at a conference we attended.  I would agree.  To me, it's not the substance, but the intent that we should find important.  What good is a church approved worship song if it does not speak to the hearts of those who are listening?  After all, that's what it's all about in the end, right?  There are many a worship song that I just don't get.  Somehow, I just don't feel a connection with the message.  Perhaps that is where my friend is coming from.  However, I still maintain that praise music will speak to the hearts of those our heavenly Father has chosen to hear His message.  Who knows, someone who hears that message may end up coming to the Lord.  Are we going to deny them that simply because we don't agree with the message of the song?  There have been many times in my life where a praise and worship song has brought my heart back to God when I needed it.  I'm sure others have similar testimonies as mine.  Yes, I know that most worship music does not carry the message of Christ in me, but that's not the point.  The point is not the message it sends, but the way our heavenly Father uses the music to bring others to Him.  I'm all for that.  I know that I might get a argument from my friend, but I expect that.  He's focused on the message and not the intent.  However, at the end of the day we both would agree that God will use many methods to bring to Him the hearts of those He desires.  That is my worship.

~Scott~

Not My Jesus

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

I ran into a conversation this week with a young man who was absolutely adamant that he was a Christian believer despite being pretty picky about which situations he imposed Jesus upon.  Now, I've run into these "not my Jesus" types before, so I wasn't surprised that he might feel the way he did.  But, I had to ask.  It seems that this young man had been through a pretty difficult childhood all while being raised in the church.  I'd seen it before, the masses being taught to obey the spoken words of the pastor, priest or arch bishop without question.  I know a man who values the words of his arch bishop because it makes him "feel good."  Well, not every word Jesus spoke made people feel good.  In fact, there were times when He so angered those around Him that He had to retreat from the area He was teaching in.  Some people don't want to hear the truth at times it seems.  So, what does this all have to do with the man I was talking to?  Well, it seems that He was upset at God for somehow accepting Donald trump as a Christian.  Now, I'm not privy to the fact that God has accepted Donald Trump into His fold, but I assume that He would.  We're told that He accepts all who call on Him {Romans 10:13}.  If my heavenly Father has indeed included Donald Trump among His children, what is that to me?  I know that when I called upon Him that He kept His promise to me.  What kind of God would He be if He picked and chose just who He would accept?  What of salvation?  Mercy and grace?  The God which I have come to know would be tossed out the window, replaced by one who accepts us based upon our accomplishments.  Does that sound like a God you want to follow?  Like I said, I can see where this young man got the idea of a performance based God in his head.  The institutional church has been preaching this concept for generations.  We can be like Christ...if we do things just right.  We can be closer to God, if we behave.  Whenever I hear someone talk this way about God, I imagine a excited kid running downstairs on Christmas morning hoping and praying that he will be rewarded for his good deeds.  Well, thankfully God doesn't work that way.  For if He did, I'd never be saved from myself.  That's not the Jesus I know.

Now, if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 8 - 11 NKJV

We really cannot get too deep into this conversation without realizing that it is the church which has perpetrated a theology of a separation between God and His children.  I believe that this is why most people find the truth of Christ in us to be so hard to accept.  How can Jesus be in the presence of sinners such as we?  Folks, every day Jesus walked the earth He was in the presence of sinners.  He made no secret of the fact that His very purpose was not to condemn those guilty of sin, but to accept them {Mark 2:17}.  The apostle Paul made it clear that sin should no longer be an issue for us {Romans 6:11}.  In fact, we are indeed dead to sin.  That's right, that part of our history is gone, that old man is dead.  However, I can understand why people get confused, as the church continues to preach a different Jesus than I know.  I get it.  The Jesus that I know is loving and accepting of who I am.  Not only that, of those around me as well.  Yes, even Donald Trump.  I would not like to be among those left behind were it not so.  Realizing the love and grace of God takes salvation out of our hands and places it right where it belongs...in His hands.  I am not too proud to admit that were it not for my heavenly Father that I would be lost.  This is true for all who fail to accept Him.  For without God, what hope is there?  If you find yourself telling others that "my Jesus" would never accept one who does wrong, you best be asking yourself why He chose to accept you.  For if you believe that Jesus only accepts those who do right...that's not my Jesus.

~Scott~

Meek Is Never Weak

28“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11: 28 - 30 NKJV 

Growing up in the church, I always had an idea that there was something different about me.  Well, something different about christians and how we approached life.  The "eyes on the prize" theology that was so often preached made for some interesting life choices.  See, I wasn't supposed to seek those things in the future.  In fact, I recall a pastor telling me many years ago that we, as chrisians, were not supposed to plan for our future.  "God will provide" he calmly told me.  Really?  Then, when I was in my teens I got a rude introduction into exactly how the church wanted me to conduct myself.  It seems a local school bully had his sights set on me and, one day after school, he took the opportunity to introduce me to my first fight.  Well, it wasn't much of a fight at all in my opinion.  I followed the church rules of engagement and attempted not to participate.  I was after all, meek as Christ Jesus was meek (yes, I heard that in a sermon).  Well, all I got from being meek that day was a cut lip and a reputation for running away.  I remember asking God, "is this what being meek really means?"  Have we sacraficed our own dignity for the pleasure of saying that we are meek as Jesus was meek?  For awhile I thought so.  The theology of the modern institutional church will tell us that we, as christians, must achieve a laundry list of accomplishments if we are ever to be like Jesus.  Our own meekness is but one of those things.  However, there is a issue with this theology.  It is based on the very same lie which satan spoke to Eve in the garden.  For when satan uttered the words that we would "be like God" if we ate from the tree He had instructed Adam and Eve not to, what he set in motion was the idea that we ourselves are seperate from our creator.  Well, the dirty little secret is that Adam and Eve ALREADY WERE like God!  It is God who breathed into His creation the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  From the very begining, we were the very image of 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 

So, do we really need to follow the traditional church theology that we might one day be as Jesus was?  In short, no.  Let me just say that we were not created that way.  We, as Gods children, were never created to run a hamster wheel all of our lives chasing that image of Christ Jesus which we might never catch.  Of course, the church will tell us that this is "the" way to achieve being close to Jesus.  Yes, close but no cigar my friends.  For not only were we created in His image, it is the Spirit of Christ who lives in us.  That's right, we are now one in Christ.  We are all Jesus is.  So, getting back to that question of being meek, do we really need to be that meek, weak christian in order to be like Jesus?  Hell no!  All of this is simply part of the theology we have been fed over the years.  Why would we need to attempt to be like Jesus when we already are?  The apostle Paul lays this out for us in Galations {Galations 2:20}.  See, Paul knew that the man he used to be was dead, replaced by the living Spirit of Christ.  We are the same way.  Now, I will make the comment which I came to realize some time ago.  Meek...is never weak.  Part of the definition of meekness is one who is quiet and gentle.  Of course, this fits Jesus perfectly.  Unless, of course, we forget all of that trashing the temple and calling out the Pharisees stuff.  Was that Jesus being meek?  Maybe not, but it was still Jesus doing His thing.  As Jesus stood up for what was right, so it is with us.  Being meek should never require us to be someones doormat.  I'm sure that Jesus would not require that from me except for His own reasons.  Anyone who knows me will testify that I am about as meek as a enraged tiger at times.  Sure, I can be meek when needed.  Remember, meek is never weak.  That must be the Jesus in me.

7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being

Genesis 2: 7 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

Sex And What Jesus Told Me

1Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
1 Corinthians 7: 1 - 5 NKJV

I've heard a lot of complaints over the years of how hollywood and our ever so popular culture has minimalized marriage and glorified sex in our society.  I will say that I agree.  However, as they say, sex sells.  I am of the opinion, however, that we cannot have one without the other.  Now, those who really know me may be surprised to hear such a statement coming from me, but I'll say it anyway.  Yes, this man who has spent more time in strip clubs than most couples spend in marriage counseling.  How is it that I, a former porn addict, would know anything at all about sex and marriage?  Well, simply put, Jesus told me.  Yes, despite my past history, it is Christ Jesus who saved me from my own past {Romans 6: 6-11}.  It should be no secret how Jesus Himself views sex.  In the book of Matthew we see Him address this topic.  Jesus' view on sex is made abundantly clear in Matthew 19, verse 5.  Here He lays it out for us, that a man and a woman shall be joined together and become ONE FLESH.  That's right, not simply two seperate individuals...but one in Christ.  Keep in mind that in the Jewish culture of Jesus' day, people usually were married by the age of 13 or 14.  Therefore, sex before marriage was more than likely not a issue.  Of course, that would never jive with our own sex saturated culture.  Maybe it's the former porn addict in me talking, but isn't sex a normal human function?  Well, I used to think so.  That is, before Jesus told me different.  I find it rather curious that our sex glorified society exploded in the mid to late 60's.  Yes, it was here that the "free love" of the hippie era began.  In my opinion, what many called womens liberation was nothing more than enslavement to a idea.  The idea that sex was good, and that women could be used for that purpose.  Do you think that I had respect for women as I made my way through the strip clubs of Portland?  Usually not.  For me, it was all about what I desired.  Sadly, this is the mindset of more than a few people today.

4And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5“and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6“So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Matthew 19: 4 - 6 NKJV

One of the most accurate descriptions of sex that I've come across came from Wayne Jacobsen when he described it as a "bond" in the marriage relationship.  Of course, this is exactly what Jesus was telling us in Matthew 19.  Remember, one flesh!  We also see in Pauls letter to the Corinthians that he warned them of sexual immorality {1 Corinthians 7:2}.  So, it seems that sex has been around for awhile.  Even though our own culture has embraced a sex crazed society, we by no means own the idea of glorifying sex.  I've often thought that our own views of sex could be traced to that false belief that we are our own independent beings.  That is, we are seperated from our creator.  Of course, this cannot be true, for Gods fingerprints are all over His creation.  Not only that, Paul tells us that it is Christ Jesus who lives in us {Galations 2:20}.  This truth has never seemed to squash the independent self narrative however.  Can you see how our own views of sex can be affected by this lie?  Despite knowing (and most of us do) that sex before marriage is wrong, we figure that we do not share a connection with God.  He's in heaven, totally removed from our lives.  That is, until we need Him, right?  Sorry, it doesn't work that way.  We may WANT it to, but it doesn't.  Everything that affects us and our lives each and every day is lovingly connected to God.  Yes, even the sex we engage in before marriage.  Huh?  That's right, this gift He has reserved for the marriage relationship has been indulged in by those for whom it was never intended.  Now, God will definately feel sad and regret that we made such choices, but He is still our loving heavenly Father.  We shouldn't expect any fire nor brimstone to fall from the sky anytime soon.  That's sooooo old covenant.  I know a guy who would continually make the point that the guy who engages in adultry should be booted out of the church.  Sadly, there are may christians out there who feel as he does.  If we see sex and our own relationship with Christ in the right way, we'll see just where we've dropped the ball.  Yes, God has destined sex for the marriage relationship.  However, do not fear if you, like me, have marginalized His gift for our own desires.  It is never Gods intention to withhold any gift from His children.  That's just something Jesus told me. 

~Scott~

O Daughters

27So God created man ain His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1: 27 NKJV 

I read the other day the God Journey podcast of how Wayne Jacobsen and his sidekick were entering into the "minefield" discussion of women in ministry.  Specifically, does that scripture we hold so dear actually forbid women to share their gifts with the body of Christ?  My first thought was, is this how far we've come as far as christians?  If so, then we're a large group of hypocrites.  It is beliefs such as this that cause others to slam christianity as hypocritical.  On one hand we preach that God created men and women, while in the next breath we are downgrading His very creation as somehow not worthy.  Why would allowing women to share their God given gifts be considered a taboo subject?  Are we some middle eastern hocus pocus religion that demeans women?  Of course, that got me thinking more and more about how it is that we treat women among us.  As a man, I will say that I enjoy having women around.  In both a physical and humanity nature, women are a damn good thing.  The apostle Peter describes a woman as the "weaker vessel" deserving of honor and understanding.  Now, before any radical feminists add me to their hate list, it is not I who created this situation.  If you have a issue with how men and women were created, take it up with God.  I don't believe that Peter was refering to women as inferior, only that they have been created as a "weaker vessel" (physical body).  Now, I'll also say that I have met more than a few women in my time who could give me a serious butt kicking.  Not all women are weak, meek and passive, just as not all men are strong and mighty.  So, before I digress much further, why is it that we as christians are so hard set on seeing women as inferior?  Why are we as a society so intent on seeing women as second class christians?  Good question.  I'm thinking that part of my own history will shed some light on this subject.  See, not that long ago I was one of those macho God men who believed that women were to sit quiet in church while the men ran things.  Not only that, I also saw women as simply there for me to enjoy.  Seriously, why else would God have created women but for His creation to enjoy?  Twisted thinking I know, but that's how I rationalized my beliefs.  I had no issues going to a strip club and seeing a woman as something for my own enjoyment then waking up for church the next morning.  That was my view of things.

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galations 3: 28 NKJV 

One in Christ Jesus?  Those words hit me like a rock the first time I heard them.  Of course, I thought there was no way that Christ could be anywhere near me the way that I was.  I was a sinner, He was holy, yada yada yada.  That was my understanding of all things christian anyway.  What I failed to realize is that the truth of Christ in me transcends what we've come to  know as christianity.  Man made religions are no match for the reality of Christ in us.  That's right, I said US.  Men, women, goat, tree everything!  Nowhere is this made more clear than by the apostle Paul in Galations.  There is neither male nor female...for we are ALL one in Christ.  If only I had known this truth earlier in life.  I'm thinking that I could have avoided some pretty bad feelings.  Indeed, this is another truth which many will find difficult to accept.  The truth that Jesus (God) is "all in all."  That is, that each and every part of our Lords creation not only bears His fingerprint, but that is a part of Him.  As a child is part of it's parent, so are we one with our creator.  We should not think along those human driven ways of male and female, but as members of our Lords creation.  For it is the Spirit of Christ Jesus who dwells in us all.  I believe that this is why Peter described the female as deserving of honor, for she also is the vessel of Christ as we are.  There is no difference.  Not the type of equality the radical feminists were looking for, but something more special.  Christ, all in all.  

 Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Everywhere. Here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere. Yes, even between the land and the ship.

~Yoda~ 

~Scott~