Prone To Wander

16Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.
Exodus 20: 16 NKJV

A lot of christians I talk to lament the decline of our society in recent decades.  They reflect and shake their heads and tell me, "If only we could return to the days of the ten commandments all of this would be gone."  Really?  News flash, christian, we HAD those ten commandments and we couldn't follow them!  What makes us even think that were we to return to that system that things would be different?  This isn't exactly what we as humans do.  Instinctively, when we're told that we cannot do something, the first thing we want to do is to go out and try it for ourselves.  I've been there, I get it.  I'm also of the mind that a system of strict laws will never reflect a moral society.  Look at how many laws we live under in America.  Has that system of laws done much to eliminate crime and wrongdoing?  No, because it cannot accomplish that, at all.  So, we are left with a society where people pretty much do whatever they choose.  The people of Isreal were the same way.  The Isrealites had numerous rules and traditions they were expected to live by even before the ten commandments came along.  One of those commandments was that they were not to worship false gods or idols.  Tell me how that law worked out for them. Even before Moses returned from that mountaintop with the laws given to them by God, the Isrealite camp had broken out into a orgy of idol worship and celebrations.  Still want to return to the days of the ten commandments?  If you ask me, there's zero difference in Gods people between then and now.  The passage of time has only increased our appetite for misbehavior.  There is a reason by which christians claim that we live in a fallen world.  Although it is our Lords desire that all of His children would be saved and return to Him, that is not the case.  There are those whom God will "Give over" to their own bad behaviors {Romans 1:24}.  Beleive me, it isn't the law which is the issue here.  No, the issue is with those who supposedly FOLLOW the law.  Show me a man who claims to be morally upright and I'll show you a man who is not honest with himself. 

"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men - the washing of pitchers and cups, and many such other things you do."
Mark 7: 8 NKJV

It's no secret that we, as Gods children, all too often wander from the best He has for us.  It's what we do.  There is no system of laws that will ever eliminate that.  Why would you want to?  Are you not happy with being able to choose on your own?  Well, this was Gods desire when He created us as well.  I believe that God did not desire children who could not think and choose for themselves.  This would make His relationship with us a forced endeavor, and there is no freedom in such a relationship.  Though we are prone to wander, God recognizes this and waits for His children to return to Him.  If this were not the case, there would be many a sad christian in this world without ever a chance of being in His presence.  Our Lords desire has never been to rejoice in the banishment of offenders, but in the return of His children to Him.  One of my favorite parables of Jesus illustrates this point very well.  In the story of the prodigal son, the father of the wayward boy eagerly awaits his sons return home.  Despite all which his wandering son did to squander his monies, his father welcomed him home with open arms!  He did not ground him and place him under a system of rules designed to make sure he never left again, much to the chagrin of the older brother.  I believe this parable of Christ is a perfect example of Gods desire to have all of His children return to Him.  He is not waiting with whip in hand ready to punish the wandering child.  No, for God shows His love for us by welcoming us unto Himself.

~Scott~

Marching Orders

13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Colossions 2: 13 - 15 NKJV

I heard a phrase the other day which got me pretty upset.  This statement came from a man who I've known as a christian for some time.  He was describing his beliefs of what christians should be adhering to.  Now, I might not have agreed with a few of his points, but I kept a open mind nonetheless.  I was doing just fine until IT happened.  There on the screen in front of me were those words..."christians need to."  Really?  So, forget all about that freedom in Christ crap we see in the scriptures, now we simply need to follow the marching orders of some pulpit pounder?  Sorry, I'm not that guy.  In fact, I've walked out of church services where they've felt more like a military exercise on following orders than a message from scripture.  See, I'm all about the freedom which we are promised in the scriptures, our freedom in Christ Jesus.  For it was Jesus who wiped away the requirements which were against us and nailed them to the cross with Him {Colossions 2:14}.  I believe that this was the death of the law.  What was the law?  That's right, that law which so many christians continue to adhere to was nothing but a list of requirements to be followed.  In it we were instructed how to live, pray and eat in a christian fashion.  A good friend of mine has the thought that the Isrealites themselves asked to be given the very law which they could never uphold.  This occured after the flight out of Egypt as the Isrealite people stood before that mountain in fear of the Lord {Exodus 20:19}.  Enter the ten commandments, which led to so many more requirements which we could never uphold.  Knowing that we could never possibly uphold Gods requirements, the Isrealites simply added more to the list.  In essence, these were the marching orders of the Isrealites.  Structured, precise and doomed to failure.  Think the law is a good way to live?  When was the last time that you yourself violated one of its statutes?  Driving above that speed limit?  Ignoring that stop sign when you were in a hurry.  Pocketing that dollar you find on the floor.  Still think the law is meant to keep us holy?  Well, the first thought of many people when faced with a law is how they can get around it, it's what we do.  I suggest that Jesus did us all a huge favor by putting it to death. 

18Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”20And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”21So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.
Exodus 20: 18 - 21 NKJV

My best friend in high school came from a family who was devoutly catholic.  There were many rules to follow, which I didn't really realize at the time.  There were the sunday morning mass services, the yearly starvation practices and the constant confessions of wrongdoings.  Even back then, this all seemed a bit too structured for my taste.  In my world, sunday morning meant going to church and sunday school no matter what.  Yeah, we christians weren't like those dutiful catholics.  So I thought.  I have another dear christian friend who came within a whisker of becoming a rabbi in his younger years.  What changed his mind?  Well, it seems that while a young rabbi in training, my friend noticed one of his Jewish teachers about town practicing something which he instructed my friend not to do himself.  This opened his eyes to the hypocracy of religious law.  So, still think that those marching orders are a good thing?  My friend might disagree.  So would I.  With each requiement we pile onto the original, we create one more link in that chain of bondage.  Bondage to our old sin nature which has been put to death by Christ.  Bondage to our own guilt and shame.  I suggest that if we are going to go down that road of forced christianity that we do away with all but the original ten laws given to Moses.  If we cannot keep those then we cannot obey the law, period.  Well, we already  know how that story played out.  There is a very good reason why our heavenly Father created us with that freedom to choose on our own.  See, I believe that God never wanted a creation that followed His directions without question.  Gods own desire is that His children will have a desire to come to know Him on a more personal level.  He does not desire a relationship with us based upon fear, but on love.  The call of Christ Jesus has always been "come and see," not "you need to come and see!"

37The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”They said to Him, “Rabbi”(which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”39He said to them, “Come and see.”They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
John 1: 37 - 39

~Scott~

The Face Of Jesus

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

Back in the days of the "What would Jesus do" bracelets, it seemed that millions of christians all over the world were all of a sudden facinated with the idea of acting like, and being, Christ Jesus.  Well, the what would Jesus do fad lasted about as long as the warehouse stock of those cool little bracelets.  Back in the day I owned two of these church novelties, one red and one black.  I loved wearing them around town because everywhere I went, people knew where I stood.  I was a christian, and I was doing my best to be like Jesus.  It was as if my bracelets were somehow channeling the power of Christ into me whenever I wore them.  I had the power of Christ to change the world!  Of course, after awhile the fad cooled off and I put my "be like Jesus" bracelets into storage.  The funny thing is, I really didn't feel any different without them.  The what would Jesus do bracelets would soon be replaced by the next christian money making fad...and we all followed along.  If someone were to ask me today what would Jesus do I could give a pretty good answer.  See, Jesus would do the same thing I would.  Yes, my bracelets might be lost, but not the Spirit of Christ Jesus in me {Galations 2:20}.  When I think about it, we all could have saved a ton of money if we simply had realized that we didn't need all that feux jewelry to remind us that Jesus was indeed still with us.  I'm thinking that Adam and Eve could have used a few of those reminders, however.  For we see in Genesis that they both fell hook, line and sinker for the lie of the enemy.  It was satan who planted the idea in their heads that, by eating the forbidden fruit, that they would "be like God."  Well, like those millions of Christians and their bracelets, Adam and Eve were already the perfect image of our heavenly Father {Genesis 1:26}.  Like Adam and Eve, we also were created in our Fathers image.  Why is this important?  Because knowledge is power, that's why.  For when we come to the realization that we are His very image and that He breathed into us the breath of life, we will know that God is a intimate part of our being {2:7}. 

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

Thinking back, what I find interesting is that all of those jewelry wearing bible thumpers really believed  in their hearts that wearing those bracelets somehow gave them that connection to Christ.  I know, I was one of them.  When I put on my bracelet I felt empowered, I was doing the work of Jesus!  Ironically, if we all had simply realized the truth of  Christ in us, that bracelet fad might not have taken off as it did.  Not only that, but that we are the IMAGE of Christ who is in us {1 Corinthians 6:19-20}.  If we get hung up on the teachings of Christ, we might just miss the point.  Yes, I was created in my Fathers image.  Yes, He lives in me today.  Yes, I (Scott) am the image of Christ who is in me.  For those who have never before known Christ, I am the only image of Him they will ever see.  All which Jesus is, I am as well.  It is Christ who lives THROUGH me.  I should never have needed a bracelet to tell me that.  Yet, those bracelets were just for show, to proclaim to others who it is we were.  To place ourselves on that mountaintop with raised fist shouting "I have Jesus!"  As I said, we could have saved all of that money if we had simply known the truth of Christ in us.  I thought long and hard about titling this page "The only Jesus they will ever see," but finaly settled on the one you see.  When others look upon you, they are looking  upon Jesus who is in you as well.  We need not, as Philip did, wonder when Jesus will show us the Father.  When He created us in His image, the Father was revealed in us. 

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~

It Is Finished

“I don't need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it; it's my joy to cure it.”
~ William P. Young, The Shack~

I've often wondered if faith was enough of a motivation for me to live my life the way the Lord desires me to.  Faith that, in the end, I will make the right decisions in regards to my behavior.  Faith in knowing that despite my best efforts to the contrary, God has provided for my eternity with Him.  Is that enough of a motivation to carry on a christian centered life?  Perhaps, but others take a more underhanded approach.  There are those who would use fear to keep us in line.  Fear of, as christians, what we are most afraid of.  What is it that we are really afraid of?  Being apart from our heavenly Father, that's what.  Think about it, we toil through our lives as we try our hardest to make Him happy.  Because, everyone knows what God is like when He's not happy, right?  Fire, brimstone and wrath surely await those who fail to walk in line with what God has planned.  Worse than that is our own fear of that firey eternity in the lake of fire known as hell.  Such is the fate that awaits each and every sinner.  So, to avoid this fate we toil to make sure our sins are forgiven.  Did you get that?  WE work hard to make sure our sins are forgiven.  It is one of the worst hypocracies I've ever seen in the institutional church, and it's caused many a christian to toil way in a life of fear.  It's well known that Jesus became sin on our behalf on the cross {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  He did this that we would not know sins terrible punishment.  Yet, there are those in the faith who continue to advocate that we should seek our Fathers forgiveness each and every day for any sins we may have commited.  Really?  What part of "It is finished" do you not understand?  For as He died on that cross these were the final words of Christ Jesus...it is finished.  What's finished?  Sin, that's what.  Few christians will fail in their attempt to understand the real truth of sin in our lives.  It wasn't the desire of God that Jesus should give Himself for a partial sin debt.  If that were the case then there would certainly be more sacrafices needed.  No, in order to tackle the sin issue, sin needed to be put away once and for all. 

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

The apostle Paul tells us that we were joined with Christ in His death.  Well, our old sin nature was there with Him {Romans 6:6}.  In order for sin to be put to death, He who knew no sin at all would need to be put to death as well {Romans 3:25-26}.  So, what is it in the finished work of Christ Jesus that tells us that He forgave some sins while ignoring others?  Were there sins which even Jesus could not cover?  I doubt it.  As I said, the sin issue needed to be dealt with once and for all...and it was.  It is finished!  The trouble for most people is that they don't believe that their sin issue is dead and gone, never to return.  This simply doesn't fit into the institutional church narrative.  I firmly beleive that were we as christians to realize the truth about sin it would certainly reduce our fears about life.  The truth is, we no longer need be in fear of our Heavenly Fathers firey judgement and retribution.  He has already provided for our eternity with Him.  The only advantage to mentioning sin these days is to control the lives of well meaning christians.  There is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus {Romans 8:1}.  So, tell me again why you feel that need to continually seek forgiveness for something that is dead.  As I said, far too many people simply do not realize the truth of the death of sin.  For knowing this can be a tremendously liberating experience.  No longer are we bound by the shackles of judgement.  No more do we live in fear of our heavenly Fathers wrath.  All that remains is the love through which He provided for our salvation.  It is finished!

 30So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
John 19: 30 NKJV

~Scott~

When Jesus Comes

28so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Hebrews 9: 28 NKJV

I've heard the sermon quite a few times.  We must all do our very best to be "like Jesus" to ensure that He will look favorably upon us when He returns.  I guess that this is a good way to keep christians on good behavior?  We all too often use the coming of Christ to proclaim a few prophesies.  That Jesus will return to gather all believers to Himself {Matthew 24:31}.  That Jesus will return to judge the nations gathered before Him.  However, in Matthew 25 we're told that Jesus will "seperate" the nations gathered before Him {Matthew 25:32}.  Nothing is mentioned here of the  judgement of Christ.  It can certainly be said that the second coming of Jesus is one of the most debated topics in all of Christinaity.  Perhaps it's because Jesus said in His own words that nobody knows the exact time of His return {Matthew 24:44}.  Therefore, we've resorted to our own understanding in predicting the return of Christ.  We might intermingle a few scriptures that sound well and good to support our prediction, but in the end we still don't know the exact time of His return.  Whether we understand the timing of Jesus' eventual return or not, most christians agree that it must happen.  Not to toss a wrench into those who would predict the coming of the Lord, but what if Jesus has already returned?  What if Christ Jesus is today very much present on the earth?  That's right, what if Jesus is alive and well on the earth today?  Would you consider something like this His second coming?  Would you even believe in such stories? 

15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.17Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessolonians 4: 15 - 18 NKJV
*Notice that we are to meet Christ in the air, not here on earth*

Although he had never met Jesus, the apostle Paul indeed knew much about Him.  Raised in the strict teachings of the Jewish faith, Paul spent a good portion of his early life in opposition to all Jesus taught.  These days Paul would be labled as a non believer...and who would follow someone like that?  Had Paul followed the traditional path, the story would have ended there with Paul continuing to persecute the early followers of Christ.  Then, as sometimes happens in life, God stepped in.  After Paul was introduced to Jesus on that Damascus road, his life would never be the same {Acts 9:5}.  Eventually, Paul came to understand that Jesus wasn't where he was taught to believe He was.  Paul tells us that it is Christ Jesus whose Spirit dwells in us {Galations 2:20}.  Still think that Jesus is yet to come a second time?  I could do the math.  Jesus was born to Mary (His first appearance).  Upon His death on the cross, Jesus rose again on the third day and was seen by many (appearance number two).  Now, what was that you were saying of His second coming?  It seems to me that any appearances of Jesus after this will be His third.  What do I know, I'm just a silly believer in Jesus.  However, I believe that we can no longer use the catch phrase "when Jesus comes" with any certainty.  No, Jesus is already here with us.  Now, I believe that, according to scriptures, that Jesus will reveal Himself once again in the end of the age to gather all to Himself.  As Paul realized, there's no need for us to tow the line of church doctrine to assure ourselves favor with Jesus upon His return.  There is no need for us to strive to "be more like" Jesus...we already are.  If you feel that you've been waiting for the Jesus bus for a long time take heart, He's been here waiting for you also. 

15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles.
Galations 1: 15 - 16 NKJV

~Scott~

No Higher Calling

9Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’13“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’14“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18: 9 - 14 NKJV

There are expectations we christians carry with us as we walk through our daily lives.  We are expected to be righteous, God fearing and excellent in all that we do.  For to do anything less would be a failure on our part.  This is our higher calling.  We are to walk as Christ with all of the love and humility which He exhibited.  One of the greatest struggles I hear of when I talk to other believers is the almost impossible expectations which the world, and the church, place upon them.  Christians aren't supposed to get angry, vengeful or display any other form of negative human emotion we might think of.  Instead, we are to be a army of dutiful christian soldiers marching through life.  Tell me how that's working out for you.  As for me personally, I think that God sort of lowered His expectations of my behavior long ago.  Yes, I'm a christian, but I'm also human.  I'm a human created in my heavenly Fathers image.  I am a man with the breath of my Lord within me {Genesis 2:7}.  Do I screw up?  Absolutely!  I believe one of the mysteries of being a christian is knowing that Christ is in you despite all of your own failures {Galations 2:20}.  Remember that Jesus was the example we have been shown throughout the ages of a perfect man.  Jesus is all loving, all caring and...all man.  That's right, Jesus is all that I am or will ever be.  Knowing this, I am also all that Christ is.  The righteous christian will assuredly turn up his nose and snort, "Yes, but Jesus was the perfect example of a man and you...are a sinner!"  Let me clarify that by saying that I once WAS a sinner.  It is but by the work of Christ that I am no longer a slave to my former ways {Romans 6:6}.  We do well to recognize Christ as the example of a perfect man.  For that He most certainly was.  However, just because Jesus carried the mantle of  the worlds perfect man doesn't mean that things were always smiles and sunshine in His world.  Think you screwed up today?  Did you piss off the religious authorities of your congregation?  Jesus most certainly did that, among other human things. 

5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it brobbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2: 5 - 7 NKJV

See, despite Jesus being the perfect example of man, He was still flesh and blood as we are.  Jesus was human enough to become angry and upset with what was going on around Him.  Yet despite His outbursts against the authorities of His time, Jesus was emotional enough to weep as well.  Yes, Jesus has experienced all which we have and then some.  You think there are other believers out there holding that yardstick to measure your christian performance every day?  Try being hounded by the religious leaders on a regular basis.  See, according to them Jesus didn't walk the straight and narrow line required by someone who claimed to be as holy as He was.  In fact, they didn't believe that Jesus was who He said He was.  How can sinful man be God?  They didn't get it.  Honestly, most christians don't.  Whenever I mention that it is the Spirit of Christ who dwells in each of us, I usually get quite a few blank stares.  This is the seperation mentality of christian teaching.  Despite there being scriptures which tell us of His Spirit in us, we continue to see Jesus as being enthroned in heaven apart from Gods children.  That's been the prevailing teaching of the day.  Knowing this, it isn't hard to see why it's so difficult for many to see Jesus as having the same attributes as we do...good and bad.  So, knowing that it Jesus who lives in me, what happens when I mess up?  What happens when I do something I shouldn't?  Does this mean that Jesus has run for the hills as far from me as possible?  Not at all.  In fact, I believe that it is in these times that He draws Himself even closer to me.  Why?  To remind me of just who it is that I really am.  To remind me that my identity doesn't lie in the eyes of the world but in He who is in me.  See, despite how hard the world around us tries to convince us that we're not walking the christian life, the truth is something far different alltogether.  It is the world around us that fails to walk with Him.

~Scott~

#Metoo

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

We've heard a lot about the #metoo movement lately.  Women across America who are tired of being taken advantage of by men.  My only question would be, what took people so long to speak out against this behaviors?  Whether you agree or not with the movement, it remains unquestionable that people have been being taken advantage of for ages.  King David used his influence as the leader of Isreal to lure Bathsheba.  Many politicians in our own country are now walking on eggshells with the arrest of financier Jeffrey Epstein.  Here's a man who had more money than he could ever spend.  However, he chose to spend it luring underage girls into his own perversions.  Being one who once fell victim to the addiction of pornography, I can see how it is that he would be seduced by such behaviors.  I was there at one time.  Maybe not on the scale of Jeffrey Epstein, but I was there nonetheless.  I won't spend much time on that subject of how God sees pornography.  That's a useless endeavor.  I know from first hand experience that knowing the religious scriptures and rules against fornication only give rise to guilt and shame in those who are afflicted with this addiction.  Think about it, people know that there are laws against robbery, but every day we see jails full of robbery suspects.  You can preach to people until you are blue in the face about how wrong pornogrpahy is, but that will never lead to a healing of their condition.  Through the course of my own addiction I sat through countless sermons hoping against hope that they would free me from my behaviors.  Predictably, they never did.  Nevertheless, I continue to see pitch after religious pitch for books, seminars and sermon series which are often touted as "Gods sure fire method" of ridding men of the pornography addiction.  Like I said, simply telling someone that something is wrong will never lead to a healing.  See, I knew that engaging in pornography was wrong, yet I still did it.  If you believed many of todays institutional pastors, I was going against God and I surely deserved His judgement.  Tell me again how this type of judgement within the church leads to healing for the afflicted.

“I don't need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it; it's my joy to cure it.”
― William P. Young, The Shack

I know a man, a man who I thought I knew pretty well.  He was smart, hard working and pretty well liked among his coworkers.  One day all of that changed when he decided to pay a  visit to a woman from a former relationship.  Well, the trouble with that is that she had a restraining order against him.  Yes, my friend knew about that, but he chose to go through with his plans nonetheless.  How does knowing something is wrong change a behavior?  It doesn't.  If it did, then my friend would be in a much better situation right now.  Yes, pornography is a bvery bad thing.  It degrades women as well as advocates using them to fullfill our own personal needs.  There have been countless studies showing the effects of pornography on the addiction/pleasure centers of the human brain.  There is absolutely NO difference between that crack coccaine addict on the street and myself.  Our drugs of choice are simply different.  How does telling a crack addict that his behavior is wrong lead to the healing of his condition?  It doesn't.  So, go ahead and tell me that what I was doing was wrong in Gods eyes.  I already know that!  When I tell my story to others I'm often asked what it was that led to my transformation to healing?  First off, let me get one thing straight, I'm not "healed" in the common sense of the word.  The turning point for me came when I fully realized how it is that God sees me.  See, God has never seen me as some sort of outcast deserving of His harshest punishment.  This is a teaching embedded in the old testament.  No, what my heavennly Father sees when He looks upon me is...Himself.  That's right, for I am created in His very image {Genesis 1:27}.  Not only that, but the perfect gift of Christ Jesus has guaranteed that my sins have been forgiven me {John 3:16}.  Then what about our sins?  Well, Jesus took care of that too.  The apostle Paul tells us that we are now dead to those sins which once defined us {Romans 6:6}.  All of that institutional church crap about God never being in the presence of sin no longer applies to me.  Paul also tells us that it is the Spirit of Christ who lives in us {Galations 2:20}.  Yes, this was true even as I was going through my own addiction.  The trouble was, I didn't realize who I truly was inside.  I wasn't, and never will be, that man who the world tells me that I am.  No, I am who God claims me to be.

~Scott~

When Our Veil Is Lifted

14But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
2 Corinthians 3: 14 - 16 NKJV

Back when I used to work the graveyard shift I found it difficult to sleep during my off hours.  Keep in mind that my "off" hours were more often than not during the daytime.  Yes, when most everyone else was out in about doing normal stuff during normal hours, I was trying to get the sleep I needed.  As you might expect, this was easier said than done.  Anyone who has ever worked the night shift can understand where I'm coming from.  After more than a few years and more than a few restless sleep patterns I came across a new idea.  It seems that a coworker of mine had the same issues for a few years.  To remedy his situation, be purchased a black veil to place over the window of his bedroom.  The difference, to him, was night and day.  Where he was unable to sleep in the light of day, he now rested peacefully in the darkness.  Well, his idea did the trick for me as well.  From the day I put in my veil I slept well.  For the purposes of this writing, I'd say that many a christian has never gotten rid of the veil which blocks the light of Christ Jesus from entering their hearts.  Now, you might scoff at me in disbelief at this statement, but there is indeed a veil of understanding among christians.  Not just christians, but all who seek the truth of Christ.  Simply put, our own search fot the light of Jesus is often shrouded by that veil of our own understanding.  Do you believe that Christ lives in us as Paul speaks of in Galations{Galations 2:20}?  Do you know that you no longer suffer from being a sinner as we're told in Romans {Romans 6:6}?  If you have never known these truths of Christ Jesus, then your own veil of understanding may very well be preventing you from seeing it.  Indeed, my own veil kept me from a relationship with Christ Jesus for many years.  That is, until my God lifted that veil.

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: 8 - 9 NKJV

I will say that I have taken issue with the passage in 2 Corinthians 3 which speaks to our own veils of understanding being lifted once we come to the Lord.  I do this simply because it isn't how it worked out in my case.  I've also noticed many a well meaning christian struggle with their own understanding of who God/Jesus is.  I remember a few friends of mine talking to me about their own relationship with Christ and wondering why it was that I couldn't have what they were experiencing.  Wasn't I a good enough christian?  Was there something I was missing?  No, it wasn't something I was missing, it's just that I did not know who Jesus really was.  This comes from our traditional teachings of Christ.  We're often told that upon the resurectionof Christ that He simply ascended into heaven to live forever.  Well, that understanding of Jesus part of the veil of understanding which blocks our own relationship with Jesus.  We simply will not enjoy a personal relationship with Christ if we see Him as we have been taught.  For there is no seperation of God from His children.  When we discover the truth of Jesus, that He lives in us, we will get a glimpse of what was once hidden to us.  How could I have had a relationship with one who I saw as being seperate from me?  What intimacy is there in that scenario?  No, the real truth of Christ tells us that He not only lifted that veil of our own understanding of Him, but He removed it from us forever.  When the veil is removed, we see Jesus for who He really is.  He...is me.

~Scott~

Looking For God

 6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11: 6 NKJV

I couldn't believe that God would do this to me.  Here I was in the middle of some heart breaking situation, diligently lifting prayers for deliverance to my heavenly Father.  This is what I had been taught to do in times of turmoil, seek the Lord.  I found myself wondering, "where are you, Lord?"  I began to have discouraging thoughts that perhaps God was angry with me over some unspoken sin I had commited.  After all, God see's everything, right?  So, I prayed for Gods forgiveness if I had angered Him in some way.  Still, my struggles continued.  Had my Savior who had promised to never leave me nor forsake me gone back on His word?  For those who have ever been in the situation of desperately seeking God, the you know the struggle I was enduring.  So, where was God in the midst of the turmoils of my life?  Closer to me than I would have ever thought.  As I worked through my situation, the thought never occured to me that my heavenly Father would be there with me.  No, there must be something I had done to anger God and that was exactly why I was enduring these troubles.  It had to be something with me, God was perfect and He certainly would have helped me when I asked Him, right?  I never gave it a thought that God could be in this struggle with me, guiding me through it as I went.  No, it had to be something with me.  Unfortunately, this is all too often our first reaction when it feels like the prayers we have offered to God have gone unaswered.  The reason that I I believed that my own sin had kept God from helping me was due to my own distorted view of Him.  In my mind, I was the issue.  I had to be, I was a sinner, and God can never be in the presence of sin.  I guess it's at this point that I should clarify my condition.  See, in Gods eyes I HAD BEEN a sinner.  That man which I had been was now dead {Romans 6:6}.  That's right, I am no longer a slave to the sins I once lived in.  The love of Christ Jesus has assured me of that.  So, if it wasn't my own sin which was keeping God from me, what was it?  Not a thing.  See, we've fallen for the myth that God is somehow seperated from His children.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, the truth of Christ might just be a life changer for you.


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

What is the truth of Christ Jesus?  The truth of Christ is what I prayed for way back then.  As I endured my troubles, I prayed that God would walk with me as I went.  Well, He already was.  God had not abandoned me in my darkest hour.  On the contrary, He drew closer to me as my heart sank searching for Him.  The issue I was having had nothing to do with God but how it was that I was seeing Him.  I never thought for a minute that He could ever be IN me.  Yet, that is exactly where the apostle Paul tells us Jesus is, in us.  This is the liberating truth of Christ.  For once we realize who Jesus truy is, we are free to live in His love, which has been Gods plan all along.  It was never Gods intention that we would live our lives apart from Him.  This idea has nothing to do with God and everything to do with church ideology.  It is His love for us that removed our sins, that we would be with Him.  Even in those darkest hours when we feel that He is far away from us, He is closer to us than we could imagine.  The whispers will assault us.  "God is holy, He could never be with me, God despises sinners."  These are the words of the accuser.  Satan has much to gain by having us believe his lie that God is far out of our reach.  For once we trust and believe in this lie, our own view of God becomes distorted as mine had once been.  Do we believe in the truth, that God indeed is who He claims to be?  A rewarder of those who seek Him?  Do we trust in the fact that God is love? {1 John 4:8}.  Do we indeed have faith that it is God who loved us first? {John 3:16}  You might even believe that God looks forward to those times of trouble in our lives because it is here where we draw closer to Him. 

~Scott~

Our Sin Issue

25“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’27“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28‘for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’29“Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’30“And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’31“But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
Luke 16: 25 - 31 NKJV

I had a discussion the other day with a good friend who staked the claim that we should not look forward to a hell to pay for our sins.  Now, this might sound like herecy to more than a few institutional church stalwarts but, believe it or not, there is some backing for this idea.  First off, Paul assures us in the book of Romans that Christ has already dealt with our sin issue.  Therefore, we should consider ourselves to be "dead to sin." {Romans 6:11}  Furthermore, it is common knowledge in christian circles that Jesus Himself became sin that we would not face its penalty {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  Still, everyday I hear well meaning christians talk about seeking our Lords forgiveness for any sins they may have commited.  Really?  Did Jesus somehow miss a few of our sins as He was dying on the cross?  If you believe that line of thought, then His sacrafice was in vain.  The crucifiction and death of Christ was never meant to be a tempoary solution to our sin issue.  No, the sacrafice of Christ was intended to be the final death of sin as we know it.  We are now free of the bondage which held us for so long.  We are...dead to sin.  Yet, the gnawing guilt and shame we often face remains.  So, what is the source of these feelings of accusation?  Our accuser, of course.  That one who resents every fiber of Christ Jesus and all He has accomplished for us.  Indeed, satan used to hold a commanding control of our lives with His constant reminders that we are somehow not good enough, will never be good enough and not worthy of our heavenly Fathers love.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For if God truly felt for us the way we sometimes feel He does, He would not have provided for our eternity with Him.  Yet we continue to see ourselves as having a sin issue.

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

One of the most common urges we get when we feel we are still burdened by our former sins is that God can never be in the presence of sin.  Knowing this, we reel in fear because we know that scripture tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of our Lords glory {Romans 3:23}.  I don't dispute this scripture, only its aftermath.  Yes, all have sinned, but that is exactly why God has provided for the saving grace of Christ Jesus.  As Paul tells us in Romans, our "old man" sin nature was put to death with Him long ago, that we might live in unity with our Lord.  That has been acomplished.  Don't think so?  We are also assured that the Spirit of Christ dwells within us {Galations 2:20}.  Now, if you continue to hold fast to the teachings of the church that our sins are keeping us from our Lords presence, how then would you explain Galations 2:20?  Yes, we DID dwell in sin at one time.  However, that man has been crucifed with Christ Jesus that our sins would no longer define us.  But what about our bad behaviors?  What about them?  Are they sins?  How can they be sins if we have died to sin?  Do not make the mistake of calling the behaviors of our own flesh sin.  Indeed, our flesh will continue to be influenced by our environment.  There will be times when we will be led by our flesh into wrong behaviors, but that's not sin.  Our flesh has never been the evil part of our being, just a part which is easily influenced.  Remember, we have been lovingly created by our heavenly Father in His image.  That image includes our flesh.  There is simply nothing about our being which God considers evil in His eyes.  On the contrary, we are the crowning glory of His creation.  The sin issue, as we once knew it, is dead.

“I don't need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it; it's my joy to cure it.”
~William P. Young, The Shack~

~Scott~

By Faith

1Now faith is the asubstance of things hoped for, the bevidence of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3By faith we understand that the cworlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Hebrews 11: 1 - 3 NKJV

We've spent a fair amount of time in our group learning about Christ Jesus in us.  In fact, it's become pretty much of a common lesson plan.  Now, most people would cringe at the thought of Jesus dwelling in sinful man, but it depends on what you believe...what it is you trust in.  For me, I trust in the fact that I've died to that old man I once was and have now become one with Christ.  Others will, and have, rolled their eyes in disagreement with me.  It can be a hard concept to grasp, I get it.  There are times that the very things which we hold dear can be that roadblock to something God wants us to know.  I came from a place where I thought I knew who Jesus was, boy was I wrong.  Don't get me wrong, that cookie cutter christian view of Christ isn't wrong, it's just that there is so much more to knowing the man Jesus.  I wanted more than to just "be more christlike."  Well, it turns out that I already was one with my Savior and just didn't know it.  Like I said, traditional christian teachings often get in the way of knowing Christ.  For instance, Jesus isn't simply sitting in heaven waiting for me to be more like Him.  No, for it is Jesus who dwells in me {Galations 2:20}.  Yes, it took me awhile to grasp that concept, but once I came to know who Jesus really was, my understanding of Him grew as well. 

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

There is but one constant in this equation, and that is if we truly want to know Jesus we must believe that He is real.  I could not discover the truth of Christ for myself if I did not know in my heart that He was real.  That's the thing with having faith, knowing in your heart that what you trust in is true.  If I stand under a tree, I trust that something could fall from that tree and hit me.  If I jump off a thirty story building, I trust that I'm headed for a fall...literally.  So, what is it that you believe about Jesus?  He died, rose again and ascended into heaven.  Yeah, yeah, I get that cookie cutter christian narrative.  That is the story of Jesus I've heard all of my life.  One question that always stuck with me was, if God loved me enough to save me, why would He make it so difficult to come to know my Savior?  Think of the hoops one needs to go through to even come to know Jesus.  Repent of the sins which Jesus has already addressed {Romans 6:11}.  Live a good, mistake free life.  Do all of this then maybe, just maybe you too can be close to Jesus.  Well, I'm here to tell you that this narrative of knowing Christ is nothing but a hamster wheel from which you will never come any closer to Jesus.  In your way will be the guilt of unresolved sin and the hurt of feeling seperated from Him.  Well, that's bunk.  It is Jesus who lives through us today.  It is Christ Jesus who has dealt the final blow to our sin issue. All that remains is for you to know in your heart who Jesus truly is.  That...is true faith.

~Scott~

Storm Damage

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

I listened to a radio preacher this week recount a portion of the apostle Pauls time in prison.  Now, I've known a few people who have come out of the criminal justice system with a bitter attitude, I get it.  However, one verse in Ephesians (one of Pauls prison letters) intrigued me.  What was Pauls attitude in this letter to the church at Ephisus as he languished in prison?  You be the judge.

15Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
Ephesians 1: 15 - 16 NKJV

Doesn't sound at all like Paul was too bitter about his situation does it?  In fact, I could learn a thing or two from Pauls time in prison.  One of the main things which I can take away from Pauls prison writings is his focus on what was truly important to him.  His ministry and those he'd left behind.  Above all, Paul wrote of his love and devotion to a man he had never met.  A man who, prior to his conversion, had been the object of Pauls (Saul) wrath.  That man, whom Paul never ceased to glorify, was the man Christ Jesus.  Think about that, even in the midst of being chained in prison, Paul never questioned his circumstances nor complained why God had not answered his prayers.  More than anything, THIS is what I can learn from the life of the apostle Paul.  What is my attitude when the storms of life make things uncomfortable?  I'll tell you what it is, it's not good.  I can recall a few times where, in the midst of one trial or another, that I wondered aloud why God would treat me the way He was.  First of, God wasn't treating me any different than He always had.  He still loved me, He still cherished me.  He still called me His very son.  Nothing had changed.  I take that back...I had changed.  It was in those times of trial that the seed of doubt was planted in my mind.  Did God really love me?  If He did love me, why would He treat me that way {Hebrews 12:6}.  Keep in mind that NONE of these thoughts of pity were of God, but of the accuser.  As he whispered to Adam and Eve so long ago that they could "be like God." {Genesis 3:5}.  Like a tired old democrat politician, he was using the same tactic on me. 

12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
1 John 4: 12 - 16 NKJV

I read with some interest the title of Wayne Jacobsens weekly podcast this week...When desperate prayers go unanswered.  So, when we reach out to God in prayer, are we sure He hears us?  Does God place His children on a waiting list at times?  Do we need to pre schedule a appointment?  Well, if you have ever felt this way about God then that seed of doubt has already been planted.  It will never be our heavenly Father who will whisper to us, "I don't have time for you."  That is contrary to who God truly is, and far too many christians fail to realize it.  We fail to realize that we do not need to reach out too far in order to be in our Lords presence {Galations 2:20}.  For His indwelling Spirit is now one with us.  So, knowing this, would God willfully hurt and possibly destroy Himself?  I don't think so.  I've been in that situation where I've felt as if my deperate prayers were falling on deaf ears and it's not a very comforting feeling.  Maybe James knew something we don't when he spoke of "counting it all joy" when we endure our storms of life.  The truth is, God never leaves when the storms arrive.  In fact, He assures us that He will never leave nor forsake us.  It is we ourselves who give God thoughts He has never had towards us.  Thoughts of anger, condemnation and punishment.  These thoughts are not of God, but of our accuser.  It is satan who wishes to see God and His children fail.  It is God who ensures that will never happen.

 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

~Scott~

Freedoms Call

"I suffer the mortification of seeing myself attacked right and left by people at home professing patriotism and love of country who never heard the whistle of a hostile bullet. I pity them and the nation dependent on such for its existence. I am thankful, however that, though such people make a great noise, the masses are not like them."

General Ulysses S. Grant

Like most Americans, I have never known the physical bondage of slavery.  I don't know what it's like to wake up and know in my heart that someone else controls my destiny.  I've never lived in a land where hopelessness abounds.  In many regards, I'm pretty fortunate.  However, for many people around the world freedoms call is nothing more than something they read in a book.  If there is one thing we have learned from the immigration crisis we are facing as a nation is that freedom means different things to different people.  For myself, freedom means a life lived without fear.  For others, freedoms call means an end to oppression.  For others, freedom is walking into a church without persecution.  For over 400 years, the United States has been the shining beacon on a hill for those who yearned for a better life for themselves.  My own grandparents fled from Finland just as it was invaded by Joseph Stalins red army.  Others followed freedoms call from the only land they had ever known, making the often perilous journey to a new home.  What is it within us that so often draws us to that place where we, not others, choose our own future.  Like I said, I have never known the bondage of slavery, so I cannot relate that experience.  However, what I have known is a life of decisions and choices made by myself.  What I have known is a life which millions around the world have risked everything to enjoy.  Despite what the American political left wing continually claims, we have it pretty good in America.  If this nation was as bad as they tell us, why is it that millions continue to follow freedoms call to get here?  The answer to that is easy, the United States, our United States, is the last outpost of freedom man has known.  I'm proud to say that, because I know it's true.  Not only that, those who live the struggle to follow freedoms call to our shores know it is true as well.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
~The New Collosus~
Emma Lazarus

It's not that difficult for me to equate the freedoms I experience into a christian context, because It's something I've experienced.  For others, however, freedom of religion simply means worshipping as they wish.  I speak not of freedom of religion, but freedom IN religion.  Specifically, the freedom we have through Christ Jesus.  How would you like to live a life free from sin?  Well, it's definately possible when we realize the truth of what Jesus has accomplished in us.  We're told that it is Christ who lives through us today {Galations 2:20}.  When I claimed that I had never felt the physical bondage of slavery I was telling the truth.  However, the bondage which I did struggle to be free from was my own bondage to sin.  It is Jesus who has accomplished that in me.  Sin is now dead in me {Romans 6:11}.  I've heard many a institutional church thinker claim that God can never be in the presence of sin.  Well, I no longer need to worry about that.  The good news is, if you know Christ Jesus, then your own sins are a thing of the past as well.  Think about it, Jesus died to take those away from you.  Why continue to punish yourself over something Jesus has already taken care of for you?  "But what about my sin?"  Is it really sin?  Perhaps, if you yourself fail to realize what Jesus has accomplished.  Do I still sin?  No, because sin is dead in me.  I do, however, still follow the lead of my flesh at times.  Our flesh is a wild card, able to be influeneced by all which is around us.  When Jesus claimed "It is finished!" it truly was.  So, what is it that you believe to be true?  Do you believe in the freedom which Christ Jesus has accomplished in you?  If so then you also realize that He has erased sin from your life...permanently.  It is finished!  When you hear Jesus whisper freedoms call unto your heart, you will never be the same.

1Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Galations 5: 1 NKJV

~Scott~