The Fathers Eyes

38For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8: 38 - 39 NKJV

Have you ever had a dissussion with someone about scripture that came away with two points of view?  How is it that one verse can mean two completely differnt things to two people?  The same way a story in the local paper will be read and understood two in different ways.  Each of us, whether we like it or not, carry with us our own perspectives on those things we experience.  I have had the experience to share in what was once a bible study become a scripture debate simply by the introduction of another point of view.  We're human, it's how we roll.  My own perspective of scriptire will be influenced on those things which I have experienced.  Likewise, the next guys perspective will be shaped by his own life experiences.  The basics remain the same, God is God and Christ is still Christ.  However, other topics will be up to the interpretation of whoever is reading the scripture.  So, how is it that we will ever know just how our heavenly Father sees things?  Well, I believe that He will speak His voice into our heart to make known what He desires to be revealed.  Before my mother passed I prayed to the Lord that she would be healed of her illness.  There have been many times where I have questioned God as to why He didn't heal my mothers illness...from my perspective.  So, did God heal my mom?  Absolutely!  The pain and suffering she felt due to her illness has left her and she now walks in the presence of the Lord she loved.  Now, there would be others who would stare in disbelief at the mere mention that God healed my mom, but I know better.  They don't see things from my perspective.  Then again, I don't see the world through their filter either.  Most christians would claim that the prophesy of Christ Jesus has been fulfilled.  However, there are those of the Jewish faith who continue to wait with anticipation for the coming of the messiah.  Were I to even suggest to one of these people that they've missed the boat I would be deemed a heretic!  A matter of perspective. 

 8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,”says the LORD. 9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55: 8 - 9 NKJV

I remember a exercise we did in some high school class I was in back in the day.  In it one student would be asked to leave the room while another was given a story to tell him upon his return.  Once the story had been laid out, the missing student would be recalled and the story told.  After this, another student would be asked to leave and the first would relate the same story to him upon his return.  On and on it went.  Well, around the second rotation of storytellers, the class began to notice that the original story had somehow changed through the telling of the tale over and over.  So it is with us.  That scripture we read today will be influenced by those experiences we've had in our own life.  I've even heard the word "herecy" thrown about by those who don't seem to agree with my view of things.  Am I a heretic?  Hardly.  I do, however, have my own view of what's what.  Can we argue that our brothers view of scripture is flawed simply because his experiences differ from our own?  Absolutely not.  Now, if someone claimed to me that God was not who He claimed He was, then I would have something to say.  However, simply having two differing views of scripture is really not much to break a sweat over.  I believe that God allows these situations that we ourselves would take a closer look into what is written.  In the end, healthy debate never hurt anyone.  My own experience has been with a brother who will go to the ends of the earth to justify his own institutional church view of the scriptures.  Granted, my own often do not mesh with his, but we continue to discuss what is written.  In the end, it is the Lord who will speak into our hearts what it is He wants us to hear.  If it is Gods desire that my brother would see the scriptures from another view, that will be revealed to him in time as it was to me.  I'm not in the teaching business, and if there are minds to be changed then God will see to it that it happens.  Until then, I will continue to see my life through the Fathers eyes.

~Scott~ 

From Watching You

 8Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
Colossions 2: 8 - 9 NKJV

On e thing I've learned from my years in my faith is that there is no instruction book to living a life in Christ Jesus.  Now, Imight get some push back from those who will argue that the bible and scriptures are indeed our guide to living a godly life.  I disagree.  For I do not see the scriptures as a guide, but as the story which begins and ends with Christ.  As Christ was there in the begining verses of Genesis {John 1:2-4}.  So we see Him at the end in the book of Revelation as well {Revelation 22:12}.  Through the scriptures we see the complete story of Christ Jesus, from the early prophesy of His birth {Isaiah 7:14} to His death and resurection {Luke 24:5-7}.  However, there are still many a christian who see the bible as the Lords instruction book for our life following Him.  I get it.  But wait, what if we were never intended to "follow" God?  Whoa, what a concept.  For instead of following God through our life, what if we were created to walk IN Him?  Like I said, I expect more than a bit of push back from those who are set in their own ways of following the scriptures.  Now, a freind of mine has given a challange from time to time that the scriptures are never refered to as "Gods word" in the bible.  I've never personally taken the time to research this, but I trust his judgement so I'll go out on a limb and agree with him.  So, if the scriptures we have been taught to read are not Gods word...what are they?  Like I said, they are Gods story of the coming, life, death and resurection of His Son.  If you think about it, you can really see that this is true. 

3Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6“He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7“saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”8And they remembered His words.
Luke 24: 3 - 8 NKJV

Like many christians, I was taught to see the bible as Gods spoken word.  Not only that, I was taught to scan over its verses for guidance in every area of my life.  Now, I'll admit that there are indeed scriptures which may apply to the many different situations which we may encounter in life, but a guide to the christian life?  I'm not buying what you're selling.  Yet this is the prevailing teaching in most institutional houses of worship.  So, if the scriptures are Gods word, why didn't He write them?  I'm sure He was able to.  The truth is that the scriptures we have held so close to our hearts have been written, translated and paraphrased by men.  There isn't a single verse that has been written that hasn't had mans perspectives written into it.  That's just the truth about our scriptures.  Of course, these verses were given by God in most cases, but the story of Christ has also been penned by those who were there and knew Him.  If not for the apostle Paul we may never know of the trutrh of Jesus.  Paul never met Jesus, and yet he became one of His most ardent supporters.  How did Paul come to the knowledge that it is Christ who lives through us {Galations 2:20}?  Well, it most certainly happened after His Damascus road experience and after his return to Jerusalem.  So, are the scriptures truly a guide to good living?  As I've said, I don't believe so.  What I do believe is that Christ who is in us is more of a model for us to live by than anything we might find in scripture.  Through Christ Jesus we are able to walk day by day with our creator.  This is the close, personal relationship we have with Him when we come to the realization that He lives through us.  The scriptures tell of relationship with Jesus {John 17:23} but it is we who fully realize the potential of our relationship in Him.  I can quote you scriptures all day long but you might never come to know Jesus.  It is by our heavenly Fathers revelation that we come to see the truth of Christ and our life in Him.  However, it is true that the scriptures are indeed the greatest story ever told.

~Scott~

The Road Less Taken

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

There is one word the carnal single man will always fear.  That word is...relationship.  If he has relationship, he is no longer free to do as he wishes.  If he has relationships, he will be forced into allowing someone other than himself into his life.  Hollywood and television have somehow glorified the world of the aloof batchelor living his life without a care in the world.  One of the most telling of these programs was the sitcom Two and a Half Men starring Charlie Sheen.  Somehow, I always took a interest in watching bits and pieces of this show.  It wasn't because I had adopted the main characters drunken, womanizing life style, far from it.  No, the reason that I took an interest in this program was because through it I got to see how the other half lived.  Granted, there are many in hollywood who agree that the life of Charlie Sheen mirrored that of his main character to a T.  From chasing women to the all too common drunken stupors, this was the life of the carnal single man.  I say carnal single man because it is christian men who are different, or are we?  Do we, as christian men, fear relationships as many others do?  I mean, we were meant to carpe diem in a sense weren't we?  Wasn't it Gods plan that man was to go out into a sinful world, be master over it and do his own thing?  Well, if you listen to most people you might get that impression.  However, as I learned far along in my own christian life, I was created by my heavenly Father for relationship.  That's right, God did not want us to walk through our lives alone.  We are called into relationship with our spouse {Genesis 2:18}.  His desire is for relationship with those around us {1 John 4:11}.  Ultimately, it is the Lords desire that we be in relationship with Him {John 17:24}.  Of course, I didn't recognize this as part of the christian life for some time.  Well, I wouldn't say that I was against relationships, they were just too hard to maintain.  See, in a relationship we need to take others into consideration as well as ourselves.  How many people out there are down for all that this entails?  Isn't it easier just to live for ourselves without the cares and worries of others?  Maybe, but this isn't in our original settings as they say.  In other words, it isn't what God desires for His children. 

21“that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
John 17: 21 - 24 NKJV

Despite all of the scriptures that witness to the fact that God desires His children to live a life of relationships, it is we ourselves who all too often shudder at the very thought of sharing our life with another.  We sing a pretty good tune in church on sundays about "living" a life for God, but when the rubber meets the road of relationship we come up short.  Jesus Himself knew this as well.  Jesus lived His own life of relationship with those around Him.  Jesus waked each day in relationship with His disciples.  It is Christ who prayed to the Father on the eve of His own crucifiction that we and the Father would be one {John 17:21}.  One of the biggest things that kills relationships is our own fear of giving up control of our lives.  Think back to our friend Charlie, who lived in fear of relationships because it would mean the end of his woman chasing, drunken lifestyle he had chosen for himself.  I was the same way.  I was just fine living life with only myself to worry about.  However, once someone mentioned relationship, right away I cringed at the thought of giving up something I cared so much about...myself.  This is where so many people are self centered on the idea that we are independent of those around us.  Well, this isn't how God created us, nor is it how we should approach our life today.  In the garden, before the fall, we shared a intimate relationship with our creator.  Think about that, a life lived in the Father each and every day.  This isn't only a good sunday sermon topic, but the truth of our life in Christ Jesus.  We're told that it is Christ who lives in union through us today {Galations 2:20}.  The relationship we once shared with the Father in the garden has been restored once again.  If you're at all worried that you might have to give up something more than you're willing to in your relationship with Jesus, think of all which Christ Jesus has given up for you.  I can talk to people every day and yet never experience that relationship.  Likewise, we can read all about Jesus and yet never be in relationship with Him.  We were created for something greater. 

7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”8Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
John 14: 7 - 9 NKJV

~Scott~

Open Door Policy

1My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
James 3: 1 NKJV

I've spent a lot of time getting to know pastors in the churches I've attended.  One of my dearest friends once counted himself as a pastor in the ranks.  There was a time, before I came to my senses, that I even considered the pastoral road as a career path.  Not that being a pastor is bad, for I see it as one of the worlds endearing professions.  No, my disdain does not lie with what pastors have done to us...but what we have done to those in the pastoral ministry.  One of the comments I get today when I ask others about their opinions on their own pastor it is usually positive, except for one thing.  Most people today see their own pastor(s) as being too busy with their profession.  I get it.  After all, they carry a great deal of responsibility in their jobs.  They are called upon to be the spiritual guide, counselor, advisor and confidant to the entire congregation.  As you might think, that is not an easy task to say the least.  I remember more than a few padres I've met telling me that they always have a "open door policy" not only with those in their own congregation, but in the surrounding community as well.  A pastor might feel as if he has a open door policy, but one certainly must go through his schedule keeper in order to gain entrance.  Again, I get it.  So, what is it that we have done that is so detrimental to those i the ministry?  Well, in my opinion, we've shackled them not only with the responsibilities of shepherding a flock, but with running a business as well.  That business being whatever church he is representing.  As you may recognize, Gods church was never meant to compete with fortune 500 companies.  This is part of the burden of being a pastor.  You are inevitably tied to the financial bottom line of the church.  I recall a well known pastor more than a few years ago who used the coffers of his congregation as his personal checking account.  This was my first introduction into just how much money comes through a large church congregation.  All you need do is google the largest churches in America and take a look at their yearly income.  It really is an eye opener.  It was enough of an eye opener to convince me that I wanted no part of that business. 

14How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
Romans 14: 14 - 15 NKJV

So, how is it that the masses will hear the word if not from a preacher?  Well, I think that there are many examples of those who have come to the Lord without the aid of a pastor.  I did.  However, my own beliefs were fostered by my own parents.  What of those who have not been raised with a belief in God?  Day after day we are witness to those among us who are crying out for something more.  Who am I?  Why am I here?  Where is God?  Does He even know me?  These are some of the questions I've asked myself over the years.  Over time I've come to find the answers to these questions.  I believe that it is the role of the pastor to help those around him find their answers to these questions as well.  After all, who better to seek advice on God than from one who has devoted their life to learning about Him?  I feel that we are far better off with our pastors on the front lines of lifes battles than in boardroom meetings and leadership conferences.  If there is someone out there who can locate the scriptures that our churches need to be run like a business please enlighten me.  We all recall the reaction of Jesus to the money changers in the temple.  Well, what were these money changers doing but selling animals for a worthy sacrafice to the Lord in the temple.  Jesus knew that this was wrong, and we should too.  Those money changers never went away, they've just been replaced by church book stores and other retail establishments.  It's no wonder that we often need to book a appointment with the man who claims to have a open door policy.  The disservice we have done to those in the pastoral field is that we have made it more about the bottom line than those they serve.  I think that God is more interested in spreading the truth of Christ Jesus than making sure a ledger evens out.

~Scott~

Real Self Help

8But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
James 2: 8 - 10 NKJV

I had the opportunity this week to experience the worst one man could offer.  In the midst of one argument, I gained a insight into the heart of this individual.  Enough for me to know that I would not like to know him in any sort of way.  Such is the power of the words that we speak.  Think abou it, how many times have we wounded others with what we say to them?  James was spot on when he described a mans tongue as a unruly evil {James 2:8}.  So, why is it that we continue to use our words as weapons against those around us?  Well, for one thing, it's a defense mechanism.  There may be shorfalls in our own life which we all too often place on others through our words we speak to them.  I know a man who will spare nothing to tell others just how many mistakes they make.  Well, it turns out that he himself does not feel too good about himself and his own life.  His words to others somehow make him feel better about himself.  For if he can bring someone else down, then he will feel better about himself.  What a terrible way to live.  I can remember a time in my own life when I was on the defensive when it came to what others said to me.  I had such a low opinion of myself that I just naturally assumed that those around me felt that way  as well.  I walked through each day fully expecting someone to throw a insult or negative comment my way.  Knowing this, I trained myself to respond to such people.  Along the way I alienated more than a few people.  Yes, it is indeed a useless way to live.  How is it that I could see the what God was really trying His best to show me if I only saw negative intentions in others?  The scriptures tell us that if we love God and yet hate our brother that we are liars {1 John 4:20}.  Well, I didn't actually hate those around me, I just felt as if I already I knew how it is that they felt about me.  It also turns out that most of the time I was dead wrong in those assumptions.  I wasn't looking for the good, but the negative in people.  I suppose it's easy to see how some people saw me as having a "edgy" personality.  That was what they saw on a daily basis.  I didn't want to be that guy. 

1Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know bus, because it did not know Him. 2Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
1 John 3: 1 - 2 NKJV

Take a look at the plethora of self help books out there on the capitalist market and see how many of them deal with how it is we see ourselves.  From meditation to accupuncture, the cures for our negative self image often outnumber the causes.  So, what is the underlying cause of our negative self image?  Well, for me it narrowed down to not really knowing who I was inside.  For all I knew, the real Scott was all that others around me told me that I was every day.  I grew to HATE that guy!  He was lazy, unfit and not too smart among other things.  Mind you, this is the man that OTHER people told me that I was.  What I had lost sight of is that this was not the man which God had created me to be.  I was not created to live under the torture of the worlds identity.  I was created for something more, we all were.  Just as I don't hold a monopoly on negative self feelings, I haven't cornered the market on our Lords grace.  All we need to do is to look at our Lords creation to see how highly He looks upon His children.  We were created in His very image {Genesis 1:27}.  He also breathed into us the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  Does this sound as if God meant for us to live a life of self condemnation?  Not only that, God thought so much of me that he put to death all of the sin which had come bewteen us.  It is Christ Jesus who became sin on my behalf to spare me that penalty {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  It is Jesus who lives through me today {Galations 2:20}.  Knowing this in my heart, how is it that I can accept what others say about me?  I'm not that guy anymore.  I never have been!  We could certainly save a lot of money on self help seminars and books if we simply accepted how it is that our heavenly Father sees us.  We were never meant to live a life of self torture.  What we were meant to do was to live a life in union with Him {John 17:23}.  I'm sure that there are those out there who will continue to try to resurrect that which has died.  I'm not that guy anymore...f@ck off! 

21“that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
John 17: 21 - 24 NKJV

~Scott~

Thank You, Mom

26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”29But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."
Luke 1: 26 - 30 NKJV

Most people I meet for the first time have no idea of that young man I used to be.  He was a sight to see for sure.  Proud, pretentious and arrogant, he certainly left his mark on those he met.  Usually I stay away from looking back upon those years, as some of them were not my proudest moments.  However, if there were ever one person who always seemed to accept me for who I really was it was my mom.  These days, there are a few dates each year that I NEVER look forward to.  One is April 25th while the other is christmas eve.  April 25th being my mothers birthday and christmas eve being the night she was brought to the hospital for the final time.  It hurts me that there remain some memories of her that cause me pain, but that's all a part of our own grieving process I'm guessing.  I will say that these days those happy memories outnumber the sad ones, which is a good thing.  If she were still with us, I just know that she would ask me not to be sad for her.  She often talked of that day when she would at last be at home with her heavenly Father.  It is my mom who, despite whatever it is I had done, was quick to forgive even as I condemned myself.  Like most mothers, she saw in me the good which I all too often didn't.  It seems that this is one of the more endearing characteristics of motherhood.  It is most always the mother who, when faced with the wrong behaviors of youth, offer not the harsh punishment we may very well deserve, but the love and forgiveness we need for the healing within ourselves.  I've often been in wonder of just how our heavenly Father has orchestrated that family dynamic which we, His children, all too often follow.  It's the father who we traditionally see as the family leader, bread winner and enforcer.  At least that is how I saw my dad.  However, in my family those roles were reversed.  The day my father chose to no longer be a part of his family was the day my mom took on the roles of both mother and father.  The role of the mother she knew by heart, and she did it well.  However, she was unprepared and ill equipped to take on that father role.  This simply wasn't the ideal family situation which she thought her heavenly Father had in mind for her.  I get it.  I mean, we've all been tossed into those situations which we're dead sure God didn't mean to put us in.  Would the God she loved ever leave her and her boys at the mercy of the world?  Well, as she would find out in the years to come, God was often the only one she could place her trust in.

15So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”16And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2: 15 - 19 NKJV

One thing I will say is that when it comes to the man of faith I have become, a lot of that credit goes to my mom.  One of the more powerful memories I have is of my mother on her knees in front of that old couch in the living room praying.  This is where I would find her when the troubles of life would catch up with her.  This is where she often went when there seemed that there was no other way.  In these moments, her heart would cry out to the Lord for guidance and direction.  In her mind, there was no other way.  This was the faith in the Lord which I grew up in.  My mom never told me to take the easy way out, to just do what everybody else was doing.  It was understood that when things got tough, God was the only constant we had.  Another constant growing up was that sunday was church day.  Of course, more than once sunday became a source of contention between mother and son.  I mean, there I was going off to church while all of my friends were doing what "normal" kids do.  Of course, it was no secret that many of their families themselves struggled with their own issues.  That didn't matter to my mom.  Those other kids could do what they wanted in life, NOT her boys.  As I look back on those days I realize that she more than likely saved me from more trouble than I deserved.  I guess mother really does know best.  As I mentioned, a lot of the man I am today I can credit to the influence of one person.  For that I am grateful.  Would I have eventually found the Lord had she not stood her ground?  Maybe, but I wouldn't change the experiences I've come to know for any sort of riches.  As the scripture tells us, what good does it profit a man to gain the world but lose his own soul?  I will always appreciate those who tell me that the Lords Spirit is in me.  I know that mom was proud of the man her son had become.  Thank you, mom.

~Scott~

In The Spirit

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

I've always had a fascination with ghost stories.  From a young age I sped through books from Hans Holzer, one of the worlds most pronounced ghost hunters.  I relished the mystery and the fear most people felt for the spirit universe which seemed to be inhabited by ghosts and demons.  However, when it came down to it, I was just as afraid of those things which moved about in the night as anyone else.  Why wouldn't I be?  I mean, this was a part of Gods universe which is very rarely understood by those of us on this side of our Lords creation.  I'm not talking about ghosts of the hollywood, comedic type either.  No, these beings which I truly have a fear of are those which seem to take a delight in sowing fear among those in the physical realm.  But do we really need to be in fear of this part of our Lords universe?  After all, if God has created all which is seen and unseen, is He also not responsible for the creation of this spirit world?  Was it Gods intention to create a part of His creation which would continually sow fear in the hearts of man?  I think not.  Recently I began to take a closer look into why it is that most people are often afraid of this part of their universe.  Where I was once fearful, I am now curious.  After all, when we get God involved, all too often we lose whatever fear we may have been feeling.  I no longer see this spirit reality as a seperate realm of evil meant to put fear into our hearts, but as a part of our Lords creation meant for its own purpose.  How many people can say that?  Well, I'm assuming that we will continue to see tv shows and movies meant to scare the $#&@ out of us all.  But, how much do we truly need to fear that which we very seldom see?

14in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or eprincipalities or fpowers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Colossions 1: 14 - 16 NKJV

My own interactions with the spirit realm center around my mother.  I have one recollection while she was still with us, and one after she had passed.  Did my mother have that ability to see what most people cannot?  I wouldn't say that.  However, I believe that her own understanding of this side of Gods creation was often more in tune than most people.  I remember when I was young she would often ease my own fears of spirits by telling me that God would never create something which would harm me.  How right she was.  So, do we really need to fear those from the spirit side of things?  I would say no, and here's why.  Doesn't God have a hand in the creation of everything we see?  Does He not have a hand in the creation of all we don't see?  Well, I've never seen a atom, yet I know that my heavely Father created it.  I've never seen gravity, yet each day I'm reminded that God has indeed created that as well.  So, tell me, what is it that we have to fear from that which we don't understand?  The apostle Paul tells us that all things have been created through Christ and for Christ {Colossions 1:16}.  What would Jesus need for a part of the Fathers creation with a bunch of spirits?  Well, first let's ask the million dollar question, what is a spirit?  Aren't we all spirit in nature?  Isn't this the very image in which we were created?  We lay claim that God is indeed a Spirit reality, but there's definately a disconnect between Him and those created in His own image.  We recognize that Christ Jesus is a Spirit reality, yet we chafe at the idea that man could be one with Him {Galations 2:20}.  Friends, if God is indeed a Spirit form, isn't it obvious that our one true image in which we were created is one of the spirit as well?  If we are to follow this reasoning, then we will no longer need to fear those dark corners where that which torments us hides.  Why do we fear that which our Lord has created for His own purpose?  Are those who have passed before us in fear?  When we know in our hearts that all which we might ever experience has been created by God, it takes the fearout of it. 

7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
1 Timothy 1: 7 NKJV

~Scott~

All For Jesus

 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or eprincipalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Colossions 1: 15 - 17 NKJV

I was talking with a good friend this week and we were both lamenting on the way things used to be early in the early days of our christian faith.  More specifically, how it is that we felt we needed to defend our heavenly Father with fire and vigor.  After all, we were christian soldiers and we were in a spiritual war...right?  It's no secret that our accuser is active day and night seeking to destroy Gods children {1 Peter 5:8}.  Knowing this, more than a few believers are more than ready to jump in to defend God with scriptures in hand.  I get it.  The trouble with this approach is that I've seen it from both sides now, and all it has offered is conflict and bad feelings among those involved.  Then I began to think, does Christ really need me to defend Him in such matters?  He who is our all in all, does He need me to offer up even the weakest of defenses on His behalf?  If you ask me, we've missed the boat here.  For it is Jesus who is all too often working in our defense.  What is it which Christ requires from me?  Can anything  I do increase His glory or deity by one inch?  My focus should not be on what I might do, but on what it is Christ has DONE.  At the end of the day, this strips the attention from me and places it squarely where it belongs, right with Jesus.  I have been witness to far too many well meaning christians who chose to give themselves glory and attention in their labors for the Father.  To these people I would say, what is it that you could you do without Christ?  What am I without Christ?  Wasn't it God who breathed into me the breath of life? {Genesis 2:7}  There is nothing which Christ Jesus has done for me for which I can take credit for.  It is not by my efforts alone by which my salvation is complete {Ephesians 2:8}.  If not for Jesus, all would be lost.

7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”8Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
John 14: 7 - 9 NKJV

I keep in mind that Jesus, knowing that without Him we would be lost, sacraficed all that we would be free.  Certainly I weep when I think of what Jesus went through on my behalf, but I'm dragged back to earth as I remember why it is that He even  needed to walk to that cross.  For it was because of me and my former nature by which Christ became sin so that I would not suffer the punishment of all I had done {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  It was through His own love for me by which He endured the insults and nails offered to Him.  How is it that I can even think of claiming even part of the glory for what it is He has accomplished?  For without Jesus I cease to exist.  It is not by me...but by HE by which all things exist.  I once had a friend ask my why it was that I placed such importance on Jesus.  Well, where would I be if I didn't?  I am not that delusional to believe that I can thrive as a independent self apart from my creator.  Yet many a christian train of thought has advocated for this very idea.  It seems that all too many people are ok with the knowledge that they are seperate from their heavenly Father.  I'm not ok with that.  I yearn for the moments each day when I can step aside from my daily life and rest in His presence.  It is in His presence which I live day by day {Galations 2:20}.  Where would you be without Christ?  Would you be better off?  What is it that you could do which would eclipse the works of Christ?  To me there is no mistaking that without Jesus I am simply a man without the love and mercy of Jesus.  There is no other way.

~Scott~

The Best I've Got

19Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20For 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

Everyone knows that people can say some pretty hurtfull things.  Yes, even I can go off of the rails sometimes and lash out.  Of course, being a christian should not make our words that hurt others any more or less justifed.  Once again, I discovered this week just how hurtfull that those around us can be.  However, something about this interaction surprised me.  As I reflected on it I realized that most of the sting which I used to feel when others talked bad about me was gone, and I know why.  The truth is, I know that those words that others try to put into my head are simply not true.  I already know that man that I am.  For anyone who would look at the man I have become and yet still be critical my response to them would be simple, this is the best I've got.  Well, to be honest, I am the best of Christ Jesus.  My life in Christ is not meant to deflect the words of others, but to remind me of the man I really am.  I am reminded of the man I am by the words of the apostle Paul.  It is Paul who, in Galations, reminded all who would listen of just who we are.  For it is now Christ Jesus who lives through me {Galations 2:20}.  So, yes, I am the best of Christ Jesus in the flesh.  This truly is...the best I've got.  As I said, a life in Christ is much more than a feel good remedy to deflect the words of those around us.  My life in Jesus is the freedom I have to celebrate and worship Him on my terms.  My life in Jesus is my freedom in knowing that I no longer need to compete for the Fathers love and attention.  Those days are gone now.  For most of my life I lived within a system where I was expected to perform at my best to make God happy.  If I tithed enough, prayed my hardest and went without then maybe God would happy with me.  Of course, that acceptance was never guaranteed, as I was always encouraged to pray continually for Gods forgiveness for whatever sins I might have commited.  Never mind the fact that Jesus Himself became sin that I would not suffer for them {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  It was never Gods intention for us to suffer through life in repentance for the sins which Christ bled and gave His life for.  As Jesus proclaimed on that cross..."IT IS FINISHED!" 

4“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5“But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 6“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.7“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."
Luke 12: 4 - 7 NKJV

I was thinking this week on just how many times in the scriptures that we see the question "what can man do to me?"  To me this question has a more personal meaning.  Despite the words and actions of those around me, what is it that man can do to me?  After all, I am the best of all which is Christ.  I am lovingly created in His image {Genesis 1:27}.  I am a child of God {Galations 3:26}.  What is it that man can do to me?  After all, I know in my heart just where my future lies.  I have a dear friend who has a saying.  When satan reminds you of your past...remind him of his future!  How appropriate!  We know that our accuser roams the earth seeking whom of our Fathers children he might devour {1 Peter 5:8}.  I am not naive enough to believe that satan cannot use those around me as pawns to attack me.  Of course, that man which they say I am has never even existed.  It's not who I am.  It is, if nothing else, the words of the accuser.  There has never been an instance when God has whispered to me that I wasn't good enough, that I'm not worthy.  That isn't what He does.  For if He were to use His own words to condemn me, would He not also condemn Christ who is in me?  We can learn a lot by filtering our thoughts through the filter of Jesus.  Is Jesus unworthy?  Is Jesus unloved?  Does Jesus need to perform to achieve the Fathers love?  Of course, the answer to these questions is NO.  Therefore, if I, being Christ have been created in His perfect image...what can man do to me?  You can say anything you want to...but this is the best I've got. 

I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low?
Remind me once again just who I am, because I need to know
~You Say~
Lauren Daigle

~Scott~

Hi, my name is...

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

I thumbed through a book some years back titled "so you don't want to go to church anymore" by Wayne Jacobsen.  Now, I have to admit that the very title of this book fit the narrative of my own life at that point, for I had grown pretty discontent with the goings on of the church I was attending.  Yeah, I could have simply shopped around for another church which would have agreed with what I wanted to hear, but would that really solve my issue?  In this book, a disillusioned young pastor (Jake) who has become increasingly numb in his own christian life.  In the begining of the book, Jake is introduced to a man whom he swears could very well be the apostle John, thus this mysterious character goes by the name John.  So there you have it, two christians (I include myself) increasingly frustrated with the christian life.  It is obvious how I came to see this book as a naration of my own christian life at the time.  I knew there was something missing, and a change of church venues was not going to solve the problem.  If I had changed churches, I would simply gotten more of the same, the STORY of Jesus.  Well, I already knew the story of Jesus, I'd heard it in one fashion or another for years in church after church.  Yet, one thing I had ever heard one pastor talk about was who this man Jesus was.  I'd heard all about how Jesus talked, lived His life and ministered to others, but what about the personal Jesus?  Could that be what I was missing?  Could it be what we have all been missing for all of these years?  The frustrating part is that, unlike a book, I saw no way to walk right up to Jesus and introduce myself.  In my heart I knew I wanted that kind of one on one relationship with the Man who had come to save me.  After all, hadn't Jesus Himself prayed that I would be one with He and the Father{John 17:21}?  This is the personal relationship I wanted with Jesus.  This is the relationship that transcends the stories and sermons which we have all heard about Him.  It is totally different to read about Jesus than to have a relationship with Him.  I can read about  a friend of mine, but unless we share that one on one personal relationship do we really know each other? 

"Although I had been a Christian for more than two decades, I had no concept of who Jesus was as a person and no idea how I could change that.”
~Wayne Jacobsen~

The first idea I had that I could have a relationship with the Jesus I was looking for came from, oddly enough, a retired pastor who had spent years in the church "system."  Like me, he had come to his own realization that what he was missing was a more personal relationship with Christ.  Again, a personal relationship with Jesus is really not something that is stressed in modern institutional church doctrine.  The idead that sinful man could walk side by side in relationship with Jesus was simply...blasphemy.  After all, wasn't it Jesus who had been raised into heaven to be seated next to the Father after His resurection?  Well, for most christians seeking to know Christ, this is where the story ends.  You have Jesus in heaven looking down upon all of us who are simply trying to know Him better.  Was this how it was meant to be?  Not by a long shot.  The apostle Paul gives hope for those yearning for that personal relationship with Jesus.  He tells us of our lives living with Jesus {Romans 6:8}.  Paul also tells us that it is Jesus who lives through us today {Galations 2:20}.  These were verses which gave me hope in my own search to come know the man Jesus.  To my surprise, the story of Jesus didn't end as He rose into heaven.  This was just the begining.  For now Jesus isn't bound by the fleshly form of the man in which He had first presented Himself to the apostles.  It is this image of Christ Jesus in which we were all created {Genesis 1:26}.  We are all made in His image.  The image of Jesus which we need to embrace is not one of seperation, but of union.  There is no seperation between Jesus and Gods children.  This is a myth which has been taught over and over again by the church.  This is a myth which makes it almost impossible to come to know the man Jesus on a personal level.  This was never the desire of Christ.  The desire of Jesus, as He prayed, that we would be one as He and the Father are one.  That prayer has been answered. 

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~

No Apologies

 22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4: 22 - 24 NKJV

But, he seemed so righteous.  Those were my thoughts some years ago when a good friend suggested that our praise and worship band warm up for their sunday morning service by playing a few selected rock songs.  Were these the thoughts of a devout christian?  Absolutely!  There have been more than a few christians I've fellowshipped with who have asked the very same question about me.  How can Scott be a christian and yet still act that way?  Well, I'm not sorry.  There, I said it.  The fact is, there are far too many God fearing people out there who put on a outward display of wild and rambunctious behavior.  Would anyone have beleived that rocker Ted Nugent was a christian?  Me either.  It seems that following Jesus carries with it a  expectation of behaving in a certain way.  Turn that other cheek, never utter bad words...blah blah blah.  While I agree that it is by our fruits that those around us will know that we are followers of Christ, I also understand that we are all human.  Not only human, but created in the image of our heavenly Father.  There have even been a few friends I've known that have suggested that I should have a weekly confession of my unchristian like deeds.  Like I said, I'm not sorry.  For beneath this rough, sometimes vulgar exterior is the heart of a man who walks in Christ Jesus.  How can this be?  Well, despite the reality that I am lovingly created in the image of the Father comes the fact that I am all that He is.  That is, as God has that freedom to choose, so does man, His most prized creation.  So, was I created to act the way that I do?  Some would say certainly not.  They see God as holy, righteous and without fault.  They're right.  They see Christ as meek, loving and loyal.  Again, they're correct in their assumption.  Yet, there were times when even the man Jesus allowed His human emotions to come through for all to see.  Jesus cried {John 11:35}.  Jesus even showed His own anger {John 2:16}.  Many a christian will acknowledge this human side of Jesus yet still condemn me for acting the way which I do.  I offer no apologies.  After all, I am all which Christ is.  That's right all you christian behavior police, I resemble Christ who lives in me.  I have His image, His heredity, everything. 

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, am I just a bad seed from the family of God?  Hardly.  Do I, as a child of my heavenly Father, have that unlimited freedom to act whichever way I choose to?  Of course, if I wanted to be a total jerk.  I would simply say that, as Christ before me, there are those times when I allow my human nature (flesh) to come shining through.  Of course, it is in these moments that I forget the man who I really am.  I'm not that rough talking dude whom I sometimes portray.  All one needs to do is seek those attributes of Christ Jesus which they find so endearing and they will see who I was lovingly created to be.  The apostle Paul, in Galations, assures us that that old man we once were no longer exists.  Jesus now resides in that place he once occupied.  He is no more {Romans 6:6}.  So, where does all of this bad behavior come from?  If it's not from our old man, who is it from?  Who do we blame?  Well, if we're going to play the blame game, then the fault eventually ends with God, the image in which I am created.  There isn't a single cell of my being which God did not know about.  He gathered the dust from the ground and breathed into it the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  Now, did God create me to act the way which I do?  That's a matter up for debate, but if He lovingly created me we have to assume that He knew everything about me before time even began.  Being that I was created with the unique ability among Gods creation to make my own choices, I can understand why it is that we sometimes do what we do.  Trust me, we all make some pretty bad choices every now and then.  I, more than anyone, should know that to be true.  Still, I refuse to apologize.  If you're really looking to ask as to why I do those things I do...take some time and ask God why it is that He created me this way.  I already know. 

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

~Scott~