Being Human

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

Someone I know well asked me not too long ago if I thought that I was special.  True to my humble roots, I said that I really didn't think of myself as that special from anyone else.  He disagreed.  See, all too often christians fail to see just how different and special that we are.  To keep away from arguments, I usually will agree with those who claim that christians are simply like everyone else.  After all, we all come from the same beginings.  We are all lovingly created by our heavenly Father.  I hate to burst the bubble of so many non christians, but even they can't escape the obvious.  That being that we were all created and formed by God in His own image.  Indeed, we are a exact carbon copy of our creator.  I know a man who will swear that claiming to be God is something close to heresy.  Well, I don't know how else to put it.  How do you sugar coat the truth?  Not only are we told that we are created in His image {Genesis 1:7}, but that it is Christ Jesus who now lives through us {Galations 2:20}.  How do I dispute that?  Believe me, there are plenty of christians out there who claim that I am simply misreading scripture.  I don't think so.  Are we to simply disregard one portion of the scriptures just because it doesn't fit what we believe?  Once we do that, we open up a pandoras box of scripture interpretations.  I don't believe that is what God intended.  In fact, I'll suggest that we today use our Lords scriptures in ways He never intended.  That is, for scolding, attack and as a life guide.  A good friend of mine once told me that scriptures were simply our Lords love letter to us.  I agree.  Yet we, as Gods creation, continue to put our own spin on what we know to be the truth.  I have a idea as to why we do this, but most wouldn't agree with me I'm sure. 

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God.3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5And ithe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1: 1 - 5 NKJV

Have you ever been taught that Christ Jesus was both God and man?  Well, it's true.  I'm sure that most christians can agree on this.  We agree that He was born of a virgin.  We agree that the Son of God was indeed born to one of His children.  After this it gets a bit fuzzy because we start to seperate Jesus from our own lineage.  How can the Son of the living God be tied to such sinful...humans?  Never mind the fact that we were each created the very same way in the very same image of our creator.  Remember that the authorities themselves mocked Jesus when He proclaimed to them the truth {Matthew 27:11}.  When Pilate asked Him if He was indeed the Son of God, what was His reply?  "It is as you say."  How can the Son of God...be human?  So, do you still think that Jesus doesn't know what it like to be human?  Think again.  What does it mean to "be" human?  Well, I believe that being human means that everything which makes us unique among our Lords creation is on display daily.  That is our emotions, choices and thoughts.  These are just a few of the charachteristics that make us unique in our Lords creation.  That, is being human.  I have a friend who claims that humans are unique in our Lords creation in that we have the freedom to choose.  Good or bad, every day we make choices which affect our lives.  Did Jesus make those same choices?  You bet.  Could Jesus have walked away after His temptation in the wilderness?  Could He have called legions of angels to His side as He was being led to that cross?  Absolutely!  Yet Jesus, being both human and God, understood the big picture.  There was a reason He was made suffer, and it begins and ends with you and me.  WE are the reason Jesus did what He did.  WE are the reason He continues to do what He does.  For if there were no Jesus...there would be no us.  Our road begins and ends with Him.  We are human, which makes us part of our Lords DNA.

~Scott~

The Walk Of Faith

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've written a lot about how it is to live as Christ.  It is, after all, Christ Jesus who lives through us today {Galations 2:20}.  To me this knowledge is indisputable.  However, I cannot speak for others around me.  I do know that I have been attacked by many a God fearing christian for what I believe to be true.  It was never my intention to create a alternate christianity, only to shine a light on the truth of Christ Jesus.  See, all through my years in the church, the name of Jesus was treated more with kid gloves than anything else.  I was told that I needed to be more "like" Jesus in my daily life.  I've never heard any pastor mention the fact that it is Jesus who lives in me.  Why is that?  Why has mainstream christianity ran away from what should be a groundbreaking truth?  I mean, who wouldn't desire a personal relationship with Christ?  Isn't that what it's all about?  Rather than striving to be like Him, why not celebrate the assurance that Jesus has returned to make you one with Him?  After all, this is the way it was back in the early days of our Lords creation.  Adam and Eve walked through the garden in full assurance that God was their dearest friend.  Living and talking with Him was all that they knew.  To them, God was not some far off, distant being.  No, God was up close and personal with His creation.  That is, until the deceiver put forth the lie that they could "be like" God if they would simply eat the forbidden fruit of the tree.  Well, the dirty little secret is that they already were like Him!  Adam and Eve already were in full union with God, and by all accounts they trusted in this.  This is demonstrated in their relationship with Him.  What happened?  Well, simply put, their trust in God was broken.  For in the moment that satan put forth his lie, The thoughts of Adam and Eve turned from God to themselves.  God didn't change...we changed. 

1Now faith is the 1substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Hebrews 6: 1 - 3 NKJV

I know a man who will argue to his last breath in the defense of the scriptures.  I get it.  I've attempted on a few occasions to introduce verses on the indwelling Christ, and his only response is to point out more scripture to negate that which I've shown him.  From where I stand, this isn't true faith.  What that is is arguing your point.  Any two bit attorney can do that all day long.  I would suggest that true faith is something deeper than that.  True faith is...knowing.  Each day I wake up, I KNOW that I am a child of God.  With every breath that I take, I KNOW that I do so as Christ who lives through me.  A good friend once described faith as our assurance.  We are assured that the chair we're sitting in is actually there.  We're assured that if we drop a rock from a bridge, that it will fall.  We cannot see gravity, but we can definately see and feel its affects upon us.  Why?  Because our faith is the "evidence of things not seen" {Hebrews 6:1}.  I have never seen Jesus, but I am assured that He is alive in me.  As my mother used to reassure me, "I know that I know."  As our faith in that which we cannot see is, so must our faith in our heavenly Father be.  You've never seen God, yet you know that He is here.  I'll take it one step further, knowing what the apostle paul has told us of the indwelling Christ, we HAVE seen Jesus.  It is through us that the world will also come to know Him {Matthew 5:16}.  This is why I can say with confidence that Christ is alive in me.  This is my walk of Faith.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15“Nor do they slight a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16“Let your light so shine before men, tthat they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5: 14 - 16 NKJV

~Scott~

Lifes Victims

12All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
1 Corinthians 6: 12 NKJV

I've been through a lot in my life.  There have been too mnay times where I've felt like throwing in th towell and giving up.  Some times I have, but not for long.  There is way too much at stake in this thing we call life to just simply give up.  Obligations and responsibilities all too often will keep us from giving up.  At least that's how it worked out for me.  Each time I ever thought of giving up, my very first thought was for those around me who would be depending on me.  What do I say to them?  How do I explain that I...didn't want to go on?  How would they trust in me again?  Indeed, these have all the things I've thought about each time I took it upon myself to be a victim.  We've all seen them, right?  Those among us who would rather suffer in defeat than tackle lifes issues and move on.  I've known more than a few in my time.  I know a man who will argue scripture with you any day of the week and twice on sundays just to prove his point.  However, when he is proven to be wrong his first inclination is to act as if the world is against him.  My thought is, if you are going to take a strong stand on something you trust and believe in so strongly, why feel sorry for yourself if someone doesn't see things through your rose colored glasses?  There are plenty of people who disagree with my view of christinaity, but that has never changed my own views or opinions.  Granted, if someone came along and showed me somewhere I have been wrong, and God nudges my spirit to accept it, then I too can change.  However, one thing I WILL NOT do is cry in my beer if someone does not agree with me.  That is your opinion, and opinions are like...well, you know.  I'm not saying that there have never been times where I've felt as if everyone was against me, we've all faced that demon before at one time or another.  My point is this, I don't make it a habit to show the world that I've been wronged.  Somewhere along the way, we discovered that hanging our heads in defeat would bring us sympothy from those around us.  Not from me, brother.  You had a bad circumstance, pick yourself up and move on.  I regret to say that our society has encouraged a sort of victim mentality in recent decades.  These victims have ranged from climate change believers to those of low economic circumstances.  Hey, I've been in that low income bracket before.  One thing I was not...was a victim! 

When I get home people 'll ask me, "Hey Hoot, why do ya do it man? Why? You some kinda war junkie?" Ya know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it. That's all it is."
sfc Norm "Hoot" Hooten  ~1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta~

The U.S. military is a proud tradition of men doing great things.  However, if there is one lesson that we all can learn from those who have served in the armed forces it's this, there's NO room for feeling sorry for yourself!  If you're the type that will expect pity from others as soon as the bullets start flying, then perhaps the military isn't a good career for you.  From the moment you put on the uniform of the United States military, your life as an individual is over.  You now have others around you that are depending on you and the decisions that you make.  Pressure?  Maybe, but if you are the kind of person who has a self for others, then you may be comfortable in these situations.  What is a self for others?  Well, it's exactly as it sounds, putting the needs of others above your own.  Far from being selfish, one with a self for others seeks the desires of those around them.  One of the best examples I've ever seen of one with a self for others was my mother.  She loved going to church each sunday and connecting with her friends.  Those in the church knew, that if they needed prayer for anything, then my mom would gladly pray over them.  That was her calling.  In later years, as she recovered in a nursing home, she would often surprise her nurses by offering to pray for them as well.  Self for others.  A self for self, on the other hand, is the exact opposite.  I would suggest that my bible arguing friend is  aself for self person.  His thoughts are on himself on far too many occasions.  The self for self seeks the gratification of themselves above the needs of others.  We all know people like that.  Believe me, I wouldn't want a self for self individual in any fox hole with me.  I do believe, however, that the Lord can change the heart of a self for self person as well.  After all, it is clear where God stands on this issue of self for self and self for others.  It is Jesus who has told us to love one another {John 13:34-35}.  We are also told by the apostle John that the true nature of God...is Love {1 John4:8}.  Is there any doubt where God stands?  Self for others all the way.  For if He weren't, what hope would we have? 

~Scott~

Illusions

15And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6: 15 - 17 NKJV

I heard a interesting comment the other day about how it is that God sees our difficulties.  Does He see our trials as mountains that cannot be moved, or does He see them as simply illustions which have never been there in the first place?  This is a interesting perspective which could go a long way in showing us who God truly is.  Is He simply a overseer who lets us fight our own battles?  No, because that would tell me that God is in no way concerned about my life and how I live it.  Does He pick and choose who He renders assistance to?  No, because that would portray God as playing favorites with those He loves dearly.  So, who is God?  Well, as I have previously written, God is Love {1 John 4:8}.  This is the simplest and most accurate definition of who God truly is.  It also gives us a good idea of just how He sees those difficulties we face each and every day.  Those difficulties which we ourselves might often see as mountains, God sees as merely illusions.  Why do we not see what God sees?  Because our eyes have yet to be opened, that's why.  Consider the servant of Elisha, who saw only enemy encampments around his own camp and rightly was fearful.  What was Elishas response to his servants fears?  "Lord, open his eyes that he may see. {2 Kings 6:17}"  Immediately, his servant saw the situation that God saw, thousands of angels surrounding his servants enemies.  What he didn't see was a situation that was hopeless.  When his eyes were opened, he saw his own situation through the eyes of the Lord.  I believe that this is what God desires to reveal to us about our own life situations.  All we need to do is ask that our eyes be opened.  The deepest desire of God is not to leave his children in fear.  After all, we were never even meant to have a spirit of fear {2 Timothy 1:7, 1 John 4:17}.  However, we continue to fear that which is unknown.  I get it.  I don't think that there is anything wrong at all to have a righteous fear of our Lord, as long as we don't let those fears ruin our image of who He is.  I have a fear out of respect for God, yet I do not fear Him personally.  There is indeed a difference.  One knows Him and loves Him for who He is while the other shrinks back in fear of Him.  My question is this, what do we have to fear from He whose every thought is of our well being? 

7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have 3refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16: 17 NKJV

There are dozens of books out there on the christian market claiming to be able to help believers with the mountains they face.  How we learn more from our time in the valleys than in struggling over mountains...blah blah blah.  This is all bunk.  Do you need help with that mountain in your life?  Pray that God open your eyes that you may see whats really there.  For what we might see as a mountain, God might see only as an illusion before us.  If we would see our situation through Gods eyes we might see exactly how safe and secure we truly are.  Believe me, He is not above showing us how He sees things.  I've been told that the book of revelation is simply God showing us how He sees our world.  Have you ever wanted to see things through the eyes of Jesus?  Well, ask Him.  After all, it was the apostle Paul who has claimed that it is Christ Jesus who lives in him {Galations 2:20}.  That's right, the man Paul was dead, crucified on the cross with Jesus.  All that remained is Christ in him.  So it is with us.  It is Christ Jesus who we live as today.  All that we feel, do and experience, we do as Christ in us.  Jesus is perfectly capable of opening our eyes that we might see all that He sees in our lives.  Ask Him.  I also believe that he who instigated the lie in the garden has been blinding us for far too long.  We believed the lie we could "be like God. (hint...we already were!)"  We believed the lie that we are seperate from Him.  The lies of the accuser blind us to all which God sees for us.  However, this is but a temporary condition.  For if we ask Him to open our eyes that we may see, He is faithful and righteous to grant us what we desire.  Lord, open their eyes that they might see.

~Scott~

Unanswered Questions

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've asked the question thousands of times.  Why God?  Why do you do the things that you do?  Why do you bring me into so many situations that I wish you wouldn't?  Why won't you ever tell me why?  Am I wrong for thinking this way?  Well, I used to think so.  Back in the day where I saw God not as a personal relationship, but as one who looked and acted on my life from afar.  Indeed, His ways are so much further above my own that all too often He may be acting in my own best interests but I just can't see it.  His thoughts are that much more than my own that He is always far ahead of any of my own.  This is how God works.  Contrary to old covenant theology, God has not simply set His mind on the punishment of man while He runs the affairs of His creation.  Again, that simply isn't who He is.  Who is God?  Well, I would guess that how you see Him depends a lot on your view of Him.  Back in the day I saw God as more of a overseer that anything.  God was only there to correct me when I needed it, which seemed like a pretty demanding job.  However, this isn't who God truly is at all.  The apostle John tells us that God...is Love {1 John 4:8}.  So, if God is love, why doesn't He keep us updated on all that He is doing in our lives?  Why is it that we need to ask Him why?  Well, like I said, that's just how God is.  His thoughts are above mine and His ways are above me as well.  Despite the fact that I have a personal relationship with Christ Jesus, there are still those times where His actions and decisions are beyond my comprehension.  I may rest in the knowledge of one fact, however, that no matter how lost or hurt I'm feeling, that every thought of God is on my well being.  In fact, the apostle Paul tells us that ALL things work for the good for those who love the Lord {Romans 8:8}.  Not just some things, but ALL things.  It's here where we often get lost in our heavenly Fathers good intentions for us.  How can we see that all things work for our good when we're going through our own troubles?  How do we see our Lords goodness and love when life chews us up and spits us out?  Well, I believe that it is in these moments that our own trust in who God is will carry us through.

7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4: 7 - 8 NKJV

How can I see who God truly is and not trust in that fact?  How can I believe in my heart that God is love yet refuse to accept it?  It doesn't even seem possible.  Yet time and again all too many christians who know better do not realize the truth of who God truly is.  Believe me, I've been there.  This is why I often asked Him, why God?  I believe that this is why too many christians feel disconnected from Him.  It's no wonder why we are always wondering where He is and what He's doing when we're facing our battles.  Would it surprise you to know that in the midst of your worst day that God is walking in front of you preparing the way for you?  If you don't know the true nature of God, then I'm guessing that it would.  We're told that Elisha prayed that the eyes of his companion would be opened that he would see the defending armies of the angels of the Lord {2 Kings 6:17}.  Indeed, we can also pray that He would open our own eyes that we might see as well.  What is it that you want Him to show you?  What is it that you want Him to tell you?  Ask Him.  Instead of asking why, ask Him "What are you doing here, God?"  Believe me, God is not so far removed from our lives that He cannot speak to us directly.  The apostle Paul reveals this truth to us in Galations {Galations 2:20}.  God is not so far removed from His children that He cannot speak to us.  In fact, He is closer to you than you might think.  For it is the Spirit of Christ Jesus who now lives through us as Paul realized.  If you've never heard of this truth of Christ, ask Him that He might open your eyes to see what He wants you to see.  I guarantee that He will show you what He desires for you if you will only ask Him.  This is my prayer for you, that He would open your eyes that you may see all which He has in store for you.


15And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16So he answered, g“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD iopened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6: 15 - 17 NKJV

~Scott~

On The Grinder

That Damn Bell

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
~Henry V~

Just outside of Coranado, on the California coastline sits a place where thousands of men have come to compete in a test of endurance.  This is Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Coranado, home of the Navy SEAL's.  In the midst of the silver strand coastline along the Pacific Coast highway sits a large asphalt area where thousands of potential SEAL's come to exercise daily and, if that is their choice, to walk up to the bell at the edge of the grinder and put an end to their misery.  As one SEAL so aply said, "the only thing we ever feared was that damn bell."  For each and every SEAL, that bell came to symbolize weakness, inability and defeat.  It's where those who couldn't hack it went.  Granted, not all the men who ever tolled that bell ended up being unworthy, they just realized that they weren't up to the challanges of being a SEAL.  I thought about that damn bell on the grinder the other day as I was putting myself through yet another workout at the local gym.  Now, my workouts are NOTHING compared to what potential SEAL's go through, but to me they matter.  To me it's personal.  Indeed, how many times have many of us come to that point where we wish to God that there was a bell there to end our discomfort?  After all, isn't that all these situations we wish to avoid are?  Something we definately do not feel comfortable doing?  There's a reason why one of the SEAL's most oft used phrases has come to be "the only easy day was yesterday!"  How many situations have we encountered where, if we had endured, we would have come out that much stronger?  I've lost count of my own.  See, I'm not good at uncomfortable situations.  I tend to avoid those circumstances which are difficult for me.  However, there is much wisdom in the knowledge that going through hard times helps us grow personally.  I'm all for it, I just don't want to endure it.  I guess I'm like many christians, let God work in the lives of others, I'm doing just fine.

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

Another thing I thought about that day at the gym was who exactly I was inside.  I remembered that inside me lived one who has faced much more than I will ever dream of enduring.  The apostle Paul tells us in Galations that the very same man who bled and died to forgive our sins, now lives in us today {Galations 2:20}.  So, was it the voice of Christ Jesus who was urging me to quit that day?  I think not.  For the desire of Christ is for my well being and health, never for defeat.  Were I to ring that bell, it would never be Jesus who gave me the idea.  One thing many christians need to realize about Jesus comes from a well known verse.  In Philippians 4:13 Paul tells us that we can do all things "Through Christ who strengthens me."  However, what if we tweaked that verse a bit to explain what we already should know?  What if, instead of seeing ourselves as being able to do all things through Christ, that we proclaimed loudly that Christ Jesus IS our strength?  After all, this is precisely what Paul was proclaiming, right?  As Paul claimed, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."  Paul, as a individual, was out of the picture.  We're out of the picture now.   All that remains is Christ Jesus who is in us.  Did jesus ever ring that bell?  Hell no!  Despite having ample opportunity to take the easy way out, the thoughts of Jesus were never on the quick and easy exit.  No, the thoughts of Christ were continually on why He was here in the first place.  He saw the big picture.  We can see the big picture as well.  We can set our eyes on what is real and true in the moment.  Once we know what is truly important, once we realize our one true identity in Christ, we will see ourselves not as one standing alone, but as one in the strength of Christ.

~Scott~

The Gift

15Do you not know that oyour bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins sagainst his own body.
1 Corinthians 6: 15 - 18 NKJV

I'm about to go where few christian writers have gone.  Indeed, there are a few subjects in this religion which you would assume would be out of bounds.  I mean, some things you just don't talk about, right?  I'm ignoring all of the warning signs and red flags and diving right in.  So, as a christian, how do feel about...sex?  I'm not speaking in terms of our human desires here, that will come soon enough.  How is it that you see sex as a christian?  Well, I'll tell you how we're SUPPOSED to see it.  Sex is  part of that relationship which occurs between a husband and wife.  So, in order to have sex, you need a husband and a wife, right?  Sure, but I'm betting that if you were to ask more than a few christians out there you would be surprised at just how many have experienced sex outside of the boundries of marriage.  How can that be?  Has God somehow relaxed His moral code?  Not really, it is we who have gone astray in this case.  I will say that sex, as it was meant to be, is not a bad thing.  Sex, as our heavenly Father intended it, is neither dirty or a sin.  Yet, that is exactly how most christians view it.  All too often we see sex through the eyes of the "thou shalt not" commandment and not for the real reason our heavenly Father instituted it into our lives.  I'm guessing that God wanted His creation to prosper, as we're told in the creation story {Genesis 1:28}.  Indeed, God tells us to "be fruitful and multiply."  God WANTS us to enjoy sex!  That is, in its original, organic form.  This is the gift which God has given a man and a woman who make the decision to live their lives together.  Wait, what about the rest of us?  Are sexual desires only reserved for those who are married?  Unfortunately this has never been the case.  We're all too familiar with the case of King David, a man after Gods own heart.  Unfortunately, David followed his own desires and commited adultry with another mans wife.  Now, this really isn't too uncommon in todays world, but back then they had ways of dealing with those caught in adultry.  Let's just say that David should have been lucky he stayed alive.  However, God had other plans for His friend.  He does for us as well. 

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

There are times that I have considered myself a mere hypocrite for even discussing this topic.  Of course, you would have to have seen the road I have traveled in order to even understand that.  In my day, I was a man who was addicted not only to pornography, but to frequent visits to Portlands strip club scene as well.  Like King David before me, I followed my own desires into behaviors which were of no benefit to me.  I sacraficed what was meant to be a gift for m own personal pleasure.  I mention this for the simple fact that sexual desires are not simply confined to the marriage relationship.  As we were created in our Lords very image, we are all which He is {Genesis 1:27}.  We are created not to be seperate or independent from our heavenly Father, but to be one in Him {John 17:23}.  It is in this union by which we should live our lives.  So, how are we to respond to sexual desires outside of the marriage relationship.  Well, as one who strayed down the wrong path many times I would say...very carefully.  Remember that the object of our attention is indeed someones wife, daughter, husband or son.  Our modern culture will glorify those who follow their desires.  We're bombarded each day by messages that it's perfectly fine to give in to our own desires.  But wait, who's desires are they really?  The apostle Paul gives us a clue in Galations.  Paul makes the claim that he himself has died, replaced by Christ Jesus {Galations 2:20}.  As Paul tells us, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."  Knowing this is key to knowing who we truly are.  As I said, we are neither seperate nor independent from God.  We never have been.  I can honestly say that my desires, are His own.  So, when we follow what we perceive to be our own desires, are they truly ours alone?  Definately not.  I would say that as we encounter our own sexual desires that we should view them in the perspective which they were meant to be, as the desire of Christ Jesus for us.  What does that mean for the single christian?  Well, it means that those desires you feel are real and authentic.  It also means that He is showing you His desire for you.   I no longer see my transgressions as that noose around my neck.  Christ does not desire bad things for me.  That is not part of His gift for us.

~Scott~

A Irrevocable Promise

7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4: 7 - 8 NKJV 

I asked a dear friend the other day his opinion on the success of his own marriage.  True to form, his answer was half sarcastic.  His secret?  Simple...get married, get divorced...figure out what went wrong...fix it then get married again.  Now, obviously most people will not adhere to this model, but it worked for my friend.  Although his own relationship with his wonderful wife has taken more than a few twists and turns, he remains devoted to his relationship with her.  How many others can claim that?  To remain in a devoted relationship with one person for a lifetime.  The truth is, I have been blessed in my life with more than a few examples of a sound marriage relationship.  However, it is my friends take on the marriage commitment that made me realize just how personal, and important, this commitmant is.  He described marriage as "to will another persons good."  I agree.  That is, willing another persons good through a UNBREAKABLE pledge.  The way that I see this is simple.  We are to put the needs, desires and well being of our mate above our own.  Now, that may seem a bit extreme to those who believe in throw away marriages, and my friend may correct me, but this is how I feel the marriage pledge should be taken.  This isn't simply a promise, but a unbreakalble vow.  How many people can adhere to a pledge like that?  Well, in my lifetime I have seen precious few marriages that have lasted longer than ten years.  Why is that?  Do people simply get tired of one another?  Is adhering to a marriage commitment really so hard?  Apparently it is.  What I learned  in the rash of short term marriages which I have seen is this, that people refuse to get over themselves.  Being single my entire life, I've often wondered if I have what it takes to enter into that marriage commitment.  My friends think I do, but I wonder.  One thing is for certain, if and when I do enter into my own commitment, life as I now know it will end.  For I will go from a life of living for myself to a life of devoting my life to another.  

4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6hdoes not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 7 NKJV 

Most people are familiar with the words of the marriage vow.  To have and to hold, in sickness and in health.  Yet, when it comes to the tests of real life we quickly forget those words.  How do we love someone when their own family has decided that she would be better off without you?  How do we cherish someone who has just admitted to a long standing affair?  Although these are extreme circumstances, I bring them up for one reason, to illustrate just how fragile we can be when it comes to devoting ourselves to another.  Not only do we marry our love, but all that she brings into the relationship from her own life.  I might not like the way she talks, the way she snores or the way she decorates my home, but all of that comes along with it.  This is all a endearing part of a life lived together.  To not see these things as hinderances, but as gifts is a unique part of our marriage commitment.  This is the life lived in the promise.  How soon do we forget that we promised her to always stand by her?  How quickly do we forget that we promised to always love him?  These aren't simply words we say in the heat of the moment, but a promise made which will never be broken.  If only that were the case.  The truth is, a very wise and godly man who I trust got married and then divorced.  Then, after some soul searching and learning our Lords purpose in his own life, he married his wife once again.  I didn't know them before his divorce, so I cannot attest to that chapter of his life, but I have seen the changes in his own life which Christ has brought he and his wife through.  This is the commitment.  Dare I say that we should commit ourselves to our own mate in the same way God has commited Himself to us?  What a concept.  I still think back on some of the best advice on marriage I've ever gotten.  Get married...get divorced...figure out what went wrong...fix it...get married again.  In a world where the marriage relationship has become disposable at best, wiser words were never said.

~Scott~ 

Can You Relate?

21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He 8made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23And Adam said: This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called 9Woman, Because she was taken out of 1Man.”
Genesis 2: 21 - 23 NKJV

I've been asked more than a few times if I'm a christian.  My usual response is something along the lines of, "not only am I a christian, but I walk with Jesus every day."  Walking with Jesus, I've heard that phrase tossed about in the church more and more.  What does it mean to walk with Jesus?  Well, in my opinion, I really don't think that we can ever walk with Christ unless we truly know Him.  How do we come to know the man Jesus?  Again, I really don't think the institutional church does us too many favors when it comes to knowing Jesus.  I mean, really knowing Him.  How would you like to know Christ as you know your most personal friend?  Instead of "being like" Jesus, how would you like to share that close, intimate relationship with Him?  See, modern theology has taught us that there is no way that we can develop a personal relationship with Christ.  Jesus bled and died on the cross, rose again three days after that and promptly ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.  This is where the disconnect lies between who Jesus WAS and who He is today.  I don't dispute the scripture which claims that Jesus is indeed in heaven with our heavenly Father.  However, this is just part of His story.  As I've written before, that cross wasn't the end of the road for Him, but a new begining.  It is at the cross where we, as believers, get sidetracked.  All too often we see the cross of Jesus as the end of His journey.  He was now risen, justified and complete, what else was there for Him to accomplish?  If you follow the doctrine of the church, this is what you will come to believe.  Believe this, and your search for a intimate relationship with Christ will be that much more difficult.  For how can we have a close relationship with someone we hardly even know?  From scripture, we understand that God created woman out of man {Genesis 2:22}.  Well, our own relationship with Jesus is similar.

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, who is Jesus?  Who is this which many have described as the perfect man?  Too many christians cannot answer this question because they do not share a personal relationship with Christ.  Can you describe Jesus the same way that you would your best freind?  Are your feelings as deep for Him as your closest family member?  I would say that many fail to achieve this level of intimacy with Him.  For the longest time my own view of Jesus was one of a long distance relationship.  Jesus was in heaven and I was here on a fallen world just waiting for His return so that I could finaly meet Him.  You've all heard that sermon before.  There was a seperation, a distance between us.  I did not realize that which the apostle Paul tells us in Galations, that Jesus was as close as our next breath.  How close?  Well, Paul tells us that not only did Jesus live in him, but that he had died with Christ.  What?  I've never heard any sunday morning pulpit pounder preach on this!  I'm guessing that's why I failed to realize the truth of Christ in me.  It is Paul who tells us that our old man, our old sin nature, died on that cross with Jesus.  This is why we need to see the cross of Jesus not as the end of the road but as a new begining.  We no longer need worry about how God will see our sins.  He saw them, and Jesus put them to death.  As Jesus proclaimed on the cross, "IT IS FINISHED!"  The way is now clear for a more personal relationship with Christ.  I would say that only thing standing in our way of a more personal relationship with Jesus is our own understanding of who we really are.  If we're to take Pauls words to heart, then we know that we...are Jesus.  Everythig we will ever see and experience, we do as He who lives in us.  There is no longer a void between ourselves and Christ.  I would suggest that there never was.  It is we who have created that void through our own teachings.  It is the desire of Jesus to be in a personal relationship with us.  Can you relate? 


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

~Scott~

Losing A Brother

4whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
2 Corinthians 4: 4 NKJV

We recently had the sad experience of requesting a brother of ours not join us in fellowship.  Now, before you take heed of all the fake christian red flags you might see out there, keep in mind the context of our decision.  What fellowship is there with a believer who seeks to argue his point each and every time you're together.  Or, to place it in biblical terms, can two who are of opposing views walk together?  Apparently the prophet Amos didn't think so {Amos 3:3}.  The apostle Paul went so far as claiming that "bad company ruins good morals" {1 Corinthians 15:33}.  There are plenty of examples in scripture where two individuals of opposing views cannot coexist.  We're told to not be "unequally yolked to unbelievers" {2 Corinthians 6:14}.  Still, despite all of the scripture backing, it turned out to be a hard decision.  The simple explanation is that both parties had differing views of the gospel.  A gospel of sin, punishment and guilt simply isn't for me.  For me, Christ Jesus bled and died to cleanse me of all of my iniquities.  However, if you listen to the other version, Jesus only forgave half of our sins, and the remaining sins we constantly need to seek forgiveness from God for.  Well, first off, this belief makes God a liar.  For we are told in scripture that Jesus bled and died to forgive our sins {1 Peter 3:18, 1 Corinthians 5:3}.  This is indeed one of the hallmarks of our christian faith.  To believe otherwise is, I believe, a denial of Christ.  So sure are we of the fact that Jesus dealt with our sin issue is echoed by Paul in Romans {Romans 6:6-11}.  Are we, being dead to sin, still enslaved by it?  I don't think so. 

3Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
Amos 3: 3 NKJV

We do not study a faith which includes two ot three gospels of Jesus.  There is but one message of the glory of Christ Jesus, and it is given to us in scripture.  Where all too many people get it twisted is when they seek to inject their own beliefs into scripture.  This, unfortunately, is easy to do.  Say I believe din my heart that God was a vengeful God.  Well, there are plenty of scriptures to be found in the old testament that would support my belief.  Taken out of context, almost any scripture can be changed to fit a misguided belief.  We've seen the likes of Jim Jones and David Koresh take the scriptures we know so well and lead so many to death.  I believe that this is exactly why Paul advised us to "test the spirits" {1 John 4:1}.  Believe me, there will be plenty of others who will come along and try to inject their own beliefs into the gospel.  The truth of the gospel of Christ Jesus guides us as we seek to discern what many will claim to be truth.  For as Christ dwells in us, we are able to hear directly from He who saved us {Galations 2:20}.  It is Jesus who will speak to us when we seek Him.  Are you unsure of the so called truth someone else is proclaiming?  Seek to hear from Christ who is in you and He will help you discern what you are hearing.  One sure fire way to recognize the true truth of Christ from a bogus version comes when you hear someone claim that Christ Jesus has not come in the flesh.  If you ever hear someone proclaim this, run away from this heresy as fast as you can {1 John 4:3}.  The sad fact remains that we may lose a few aquaintences along the way, but what we've gained is so much better.  Do not take this as a invitation to not fellowship and speak the truth of Christ Jesus, but to shout His truth from the rooftops to all who will hear with open hearts. 

1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
1 John 4: 1 - 3 NKJV

~Scott~

Then There Were Two

21And the LORD God caused a adeep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23And Adam said: This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was etaken out of Man.”
Genesis 2: 21 - 23 NKJV

I have a friend who, when it comes to the subject of how he met his wife of over fifty years, will claim that he knew almost instantly that this was the girl for him.  Well, fifty years later it seems that his forsight has proven correct.  When I asked him once what the secret of success in his marriage was he said simply "divorce was never a option."  So, it is with the story of this successful union that I delve into the subject of christian courtship and dating.  Well, I suppose that I could simply apply these thoughts to every male/female social interaction as well.  By infering the word "christian" we often hope to infer all that is well and good and right about our subject.  See, this is how it used to be, back in a more civilized time.  Back when my mom and dad first met there was no plenty of fish or match.com to guide two people into meeting each other.  No, we were left to our own devices.  Of course, this meant that two people who were attracted to each other actually had to talk and interact with each other.  I don't think that I'm too far off base when I say that this is how our heavenly Father intended it to be.  I don't feel that we were destined to hide behind a keyboard in our search for a mate.  That's way too easy.  See, relationships take time and they take effort.  My same friend who claims that divorce was never a option will also tell me that it hasn't always been smiles and sunshine in his own relationship with his lovely wife.  I'm guessing that it's this that scares most people away from actual relationship with another.  I mean, who wants to put effort into something we might never see the rewards of, right?  For me, the hardest part is communication.  I'll admit that I have gotten better over time, but what scared the living hell out of me was the fact that I would actually need to converse with someone of the opposite sex.  What if she didn't like me?  What if she thought I was a geek?  Well, there have been many people who have thought many things about me over the years, true and untrue.  The thing is, it is this fear of how someone would see me that usually kept me from engaging in relationships with others.  I was much safer in my own little world all too myself.  The trouble with that is, I was all alone.  Sure, I had my friends, but as for relationships with others I was lacking.  I'm thinking that this isn't how God wanted it to be.

6For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5: 6 - 8 NKJV

One thing that I am glad for is that Jesus doesn't take the same view of starting relationships that I do.  For if He did I might never have known Him as I do.  Jesus never worries about how others might see Him.  Jesus never worries about wasted efforts in a relationship.  The only thought in His mind is bringing us into union with Him {John 17:21}.  He doesn't hesitate in His desires.  Wait, if that's true then why does it take so damn long for someone to come to that realization of their own relationship with Christ?  Well, have you ever given up on a pursuing a relationship simply because you thought the other person wasn't interested?  That's kind of like our own relationship with Jesus.  It isn't Christ who has passed us by but we who have failed to realize who He truly is.  See, Jesus doesn't toss us aside simply because we may feel we're not worthy of His love.  This is us failing to realize the true nature of Jesus.  For it is His desire that we would come to know Him.  It is His desire that we would come to know that it is He who dwells in us {Galations 2:20}.  This is the essence of our relationship with Jesus.  We were never meant to share a long distance relationship with Him.  As with our human long didtance relationships, they rarely work out too well.  All too often we take what we've learned from our human relationships and paste them upon our relationship with Christ.  Bad move.  Our own human relationships are speckled with anger, doubt and distrust.  Thes are the wrong things to bring into a union with Jesus.  For the longest time I could not realize a personal relationship with Him because of my own relationship failings.  I carried that over into my interaction with Jesus.  As a result, I failed to see just how much He desired to know me.  Of course, it is the desire of Jesus to know each and every one of us.  Our relationship with Jesus is like no other relationship we've ever had.  One void of all that is negative.  A relationship where all we have is His love for us.  Not as two...but as one.

20“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21“that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, jthat 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."
John 17: 20 - 23 NKJV

~Scott~