The Sum Of My Own Measure

So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?"
Hebrews 13: 6 NKJV

I've been following a man on the internet who posts a few videos each week mostly dedicated to "alpha male" self confidence and how to live a life of strong male attitude.  For the most part, I find these segments both informative and amusing.  So much so that I decided to reach deep and take a look at just what kind of man that I am.  Am I that alpha male that others supposedly admire?  Possibly, but I really don't think that this defines me as a man.  Sure, I carry with me more than a few of those characteristics a man will exhibit, but they really don't define who I am.  So am I straddling the fence?  Not really.  I believe that we all exhibit those characteristics and identity of that person we truly are.  Who am I?  I'm a man, yes, but I was created to be so much more than that.  Anyone who believes in God can understand where I am coming from.  However, this post is more directed to those who might not have a clue to who it is they are.  Like that guy in the internet videos, they posture themselves in the way which they want those around them to see them.  Trust me on this.  Some people call them posers , I just call them fake.  Yet, I once counted myself among this crowd before I began to see the man I truly am.  I think most people will eventually position themselves the way they want others to see them.  That's just human nature.  I will say, however, that this goes against all who we really are.  So, I am pretty confident in declaring that I am Christ.  Now, before you brand me a heretic and burn me at the stake, follow my reasoning.  The apostle Paul, in Galatians, reminds us of that person who we truly are inside.  Paul tells us that we (that is, our old nature) have died.  In its place now resides the Spirit of Christ Jesus {Galatians 2:20}.  Knowing this, I can say with complete confidence that I, Scott, am Jesus.  How much confidence would this revelation give you in your own life?  I will say that in all the alpha male man videos I've watched, never once has the name of Jesus been mentioned.  Why?  Because we seldom see Jesus from His human side.  We know that in Jesus we see God {Colossians 2:9}.  We also know that Jesus and the Father are one in the same {John 1:18}.  Does this still sound like heresy?  I thought so too, until I thought about the man I was inside.  It is impossible for me to carry ANY physical attributes that are not a part of Christ Jesus.  For I am all that He is.  This is the man I am.  In those instances of indecision, I can be assured that I walk with the confidence of Christ.  In those moments of self doubt, He has promised that I walk as Him.  This is who I am.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor 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

Some time ago I noticed a interesting thing.  Whenever I tried to be someone I wasn't I often found myself talking to myself.  However, whenever I just allowed myself to simply be that person who I was, it seemed that others around me would gravitate to me.  I found this difficult to deal with, since I'm not what most people would call a typical man.  This is the idea of a man which was more prevalent in my dads generation.  You take without asking, never show emotion and say whatever you like regardless of the consequences.  This is that alpha dog male we've all heard about.  Hey, maybe mister internet video was onto something after all.  Not that I really believe that, but it's possible.  So, if I follow this blueprint of how to be a man I will be adored by many?  Again, I don't buy it.  I've already proved to myself that by simply being the man that I know I am that others will notice it.  After all, it's not me who they are seeing, but Christ who is in me.  Have you ever found yourself confused by following a God you can't see?  Me too.  In fact, there is nobody who has ever seen God except for one...Jesus.  The scriptures tell us of the doubts which the disciple Thomas had after the resurrection of Jesus {John 20:25}.  Thomas had most certainly watched as his teacher hung and died on that Roman cross.  To him, Jesus was dead.  Then came the day when he heard what should have been the most blessed news of his life..."We have seen the Lord!"  What did Thomas do?  He refused to believe unless he saw it with his own eyes.  We've all been there.  Well, Jesus answered those doubts of his disciple by appearing before him.  Only then did Thomas proclaim the obvious..."My Lord and my God!"  I don't need proof to tell me the obvious.  I don't need the affirmation of others to tell me the man that I am.  Above all, I don't need a internet video to show me who it is that I am.

The other disciples therefore said to him, "we have seen the Lord."  So he said to them, "unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and out my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."  And after eight days His disciples were once again inside, and Thomas with them.  Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "peace to you!"  Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at my hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into my side.  Do not be unbelieving, but believing."  And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
John 20: 25 - 28 NKJV

~Scott~

Trigger Happy

John Rambo ~ The poster child of trigger happy people

Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5: 26 NKJV

We've all met them, those people we know whose main purpose in life it seems is to bring anger and disappointment wherever it is they go.  Indeed, I know more than a few of these challenging head cases myself.  Some remain close among my Christian friends while others are, for obvious reasons, kept at a distance.  One of these acquaintances, a coworker, I've taken to nicknaming trigger man due to his uncanny ability to draw out anger in those around him.  Now, I will say that he is not always such a harbinger of disappointment, but he definitely has his moments in the sun.  The scriptures tell us that we are to not go about provoking those around us, but all too often we do just the opposite.  Don't get the idea that just because I am writing about those trigger happy doom bringers I know that I myself have not been one myself from time to time.  At least I admit to it.  There are those times where I wear my emotions on my sleeve and say whatever comes to mind.  The trouble with this is that it is speech that is unseasoned.  What is unseasoned speech?  The very same words that the scripture warns us not to engage in.  Words that have not passed the test of our own reasoning.  Make no mistake, we all have that ability within us to season our own words so that they are agreeable to those around us.  However, what good is that when we want to make our point known?  What good is seasoned speech when we're so consumed with making another person pay for some conceived grievance we might have?  Well, I've been there more than a time or two.  It is exactly in these heated moments, before that seasoning is applied, that we need to step back and consider our own actions.  What harm will our unseasoned words bring?  Will they ultimately put to rest what it is we're seeking to rectify?  Probably not.  More than likely, our words will only seek to bring more volatility to the situation.  Now, there are definitely those around us who relish the thought of bringing anger and disappointment to those around them.  It is to these people that I give proper distance.  For if I were to engage everyone who sought to bring me down, how might that affect my own attitude and outlook?  More than likely I'd land smack dab in the same rut they were in, fighting it out in a gutter war.

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 1: 19 - 20 NKJV

I cannot speak much to this post if I don't refer to what it actually means to be trigger happy.  Being trigger happy is that police officer who draws his weapon and seeks to resolve most any situation with force and violence.  Being trigger happy is the soldier who shoots indiscriminately, not caring what victim he hits.  I associate being trigger happy with soldiers of the German Wehrmacht of the second world war.  This is exactly why we rules of engagement.  Can you see why being trigger happy with our own words is not a good thing?  James gave us a pretty good model to follow when dealing with those who would seek to trigger us.  Swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath {James 1:19}.  In other words...seasoned speech.  When you think about it, those of us who come off as looking calm, cool and collected most of the time are indeed admired.  It baffles me how people can see meek Christians as purveyors of harsh words, but we certainly don't own the title of treating others badly.  That's just not who we are.  In fact, that's not the person who ANY of us are inside.  Now, before you pat yourself on the back for not being a trigger happy word slinger, think back to who it is you really are.  If you're a Christian, you most likely know a little about Jesus.  You might even see Jesus as your "get out jail free card" when it comes to our own harsh words.  The apostle Paul dealt with this question as well in Romans.  His answer...Certainly not {Romans 6:1}.  For Jesus has never been a get out of jail free card.  He is the one who defeated sin {Romans 6:6-11}.  So much so that Paul tells us that we should now consider ourselves DEAD...TO...SIN {Romans 6:11}.  So, Jesus is not our opportunity to behave badly...but our opportunity to know we no longer need to.  When we're trigger happy, we're stuck in the knowledge of this world.  However, when our speech is well seasoned and thoughtful, it is Christ Jesus in us whom we are exhibiting {Galatians 2:20}.  Those who are trigger happy may be hard to deal with, but Christ can indeed work through us when we are quick to hear, slow to speak and even slower to wrath.

What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

~Scott~

Finding My Way

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?"
Matthew 7: 11 NKJV

There are times when I get sick and tired whenever I hear someone tell me how grateful they are for their parents who taught them so much.  They don't realize that they're preaching to the choir.  I get it.  Trust me, if I had a father who had been there when he was supposed to be to teach his kids some of those lessons of life, I guess I'd be grateful as well.  Unfortunately, that wasn't the case in my own life.  So, like most people would do in like circumstances, I improvised.  That is, I learned on the fly.  Where others had the guidance of parents, I found my own way.  One thing for which I extremely grateful is that I was not totally shut out of life's lessons.  While my dad was out of the picture, I was blessed to have the wisdom of my mother to guide me.  Of course, as anyone will tell you, a child needs that balanced guidance of both parents in order to be complete.  That's just the way of things.  So, while my mother indeed guided me in certain areas of my life, I was left stranded when it came to learning things that only a father can teach his children.  Let's just say that he was never there to show me how to fish, shoot a gun, give me that first talk about girls or to do the things that fathers do.  All of these things I needed to learn and experience on my own.  I learned to fish, although not to catch.  I learned to shoot, both a bow and a gun.  However, as my dad wasn't there to give his teenage son that "talk" about the opposite sex...I was on my own with that one.  I had to find my own way.  By finding my own way, I would become enmeshed in a addiction to pornography as well as the flesh.  Thanks dad.  I guess that I can't lay all of the blame at his feet.  They were my life decisions, and I stand by them.  Despite the pain that it led me through, I believe that I emerged that much stronger as a result of going through all which I have.  Would my dad have been proud of his son?  I'll never know, he passed a few years ago.  I know in my heart that my mother was proud of me, and she took every opportunity to tell others just that.  My dad, however, was a enigma.  I believe that I have inherited more than a few of his characteristics.  His impatience, stoicism and his talent for keeping his emotions well inside of him.  Indeed, in that respect he lives on.  Knowing what I know of him, I believe that even that quiet mountain of a man would have been proud of his youngest son.

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

I can say that I grew up without a father.  I have the scars to prove it.  However, I can never claim that I was without the Father.  That's right, although my own father was absent, my heavenly Father was never very far from me.  While I would never trade any of what my father passed down to me, it is from my Father that I saw the man that I had become.  Earthly experiences and life lessons will only carry one so far.  There comes a time when we must learn for ourselves who it is that we really are.  Am I really that man who the world says that I am?  Or, am I the man whom God has revealed in me?  I know that the world does not know the man I've become...because it has not known Him {1 John 3:1}.  However, that does not mean that the world cannot know Him through me {Matthew 5: 16}.  One of the truths of our own relationship with Christ Jesus is that it is no longer we who remain.  The apostle Paul assures us of this as he tells us that it is Christ who remains in us {Galatians 2:20}.  Therefore, as I carry those physical characteristics of my own father, so do I carry in me all that Jesus is.  This is my DNA in Him.  If this is difficult for you to wrap your mind around, remember the pushback Jesus got when He told anyone who would listen that He and the Father were one!  Believe me, Jesus never lies, and we today share in the inheritance He has given us.  Thanks Dad.  One thing that I will tell people who will somehow feel sorry for me over my life experiences is that I would not trade it for anything.  I mean that.  I believe that everything happens for a reason.  The life experiences which I was left with by growing up without a father led me to that realization of the man I've now become.  In a few months a good friend of mine and I will have the opportunity to speak to a few young people who have been dealt some difficult circumstances in their lives.  A few of them have grown up without a parent.  I saw a opportunity here to tell my own story to these young men/women.  I'm sure that among this group that there is one individual who, battered by their own life experiences, is searching for who they really are.  I already know the answer to that question.  I've found my own way.

"For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."  And they began to be merry.
Luke 15: 24 NKJV

~Scott~

When It Pleases God

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

I'm asked on occasion how it is that I came to know the truth of Christ Jesus in me.  Honestly, I'm really not sure that I can place a date or time to narrow down just when I came to this realization.  One thing I can do, however, is provide bookends to my own realization by telling of my life before and after my experience.  Before I came to know Jesus in me, my Christian life was just that, a Christian life.  Each day was a duty, behave well and do good to please God lest He become upset and somehow "test" me with His power.  I would all too often hear that phrase in church on a Sunday morning as I talked to friends about some situation life was throwing my way.  Inevitably, someone would shake their finger at me and proclaim, "God's testing you, what did you do?"  Immediately I was somehow guilty of upsetting God in some way.  What happens when you make God mad?  Well, from my experience, He sends trials and turmoil your way until you straighten up and do things His way.  This is the image of God I've carried with me a good part of my life.  In fact, I would guess that many a Christian carries this image of God in some way.  Why?  Is this how God wants to be known by His children?  No, but this is exactly how the mainstream church will tell us that God is.  See, God is there in heaven watching over us, waiting to deal out His judgement upon us when we screw up.  Why wouldn't we feel this way?  Wasn't it God who became angry with the Israelites, His chosen people?  Wasn't it God who sent the flood to wipe out all who would not follow Him?  Of course, we're talking about the old testament there.  As you might guess, times were different back then.  So, this is the teaching of God that we've grown up with.  We've spent many a Sunday school class singing songs of how we should see Him.  We do, in fact, see God as being separate from our own lives.  Is this how God wants to be known?  If you were God, would you want to be known as one who was separated from the children you loved?  I know I wouldn't.  Yet this is what we're taught time and again.  Can you see where it is we get this version of how God is?  I'll often tell my pastor friend that we're fighting thousands of years of church teachings in our efforts to tell of the truth of Christ Jesus in us.  Is it any wonder why it is so difficult for others to understand this concept?

"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."
Galatians 2: 20 NKJV

Now that I've told how it was before I heard of the truth of Christ in me, I can relate how it is now that I've had my own revelation.  Of course, this revelation is not one that turns on like a light switch.  One might find himself wondering over and over as to the validity of this truth.  I'm sure that the apostle Paul had some of the very same questions over this that I myself have asked.  One thing that we're not told about Paul's conversion on that Damascus road is what occurred afterward.  How is it that he came to the realization that Christ was in fact in him as he tells us in Galatians?  Well, we know that after his Damascus road experience that Paul spent a good amount of time off in the desert.  I have no doubt that it was here that he not only received more revelations from God, but more teaching as well.  I just wish that the scriptures told us more about Paul's journey.  Nevertheless, we're left with his description of the living presence of God.  Of course, this fly's in the face of much of the church teaching about who Jesus is.  To me, Jesus is more than a dead guy with a good legacy.  To me, Jesus is my life.  To me, Jesus is my being.  He is all that I am.  It is Jesus who is all in all {Colossians 3:11}.  If there is one word that I can use to describe my new life in Christ Jesus, it would be freedom.  Free from the rituals and traditions which the mainstream church has adopted over the years.  Free of that narrative that proclaims Jesus as a disciplinarian rather than a loving God.  Above all, freedom from striving to do good that I "might" find favor with God.  The truth is, we've already found favor with Him long ago.  It is His love for us that led Him to not only save us but to provide for His children to live in unity with Him {John 17:21}.  I'm still waiting to hear that message from any church pulpit.

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all in all.
Colossians 3: 11 NKJV

~Scott~

Space For Rent

And besides that they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.
1 Peter 5: 13 NKJV

There was a coworker of mine some years ago who once shared some sage advise to me regarding those we happened to work with.  As we talked one night she told me, "I don't let these people rent space in my head."  How prophetic those words were not only at the time in my life, but today as well.  For if there is one thing as Christians, and non Christians alike, that we share in common is that we all are at one time or another subjected to the thoughts and opinions of those around us.  It is how we use this input from others that may in the end save us many a hurt feeling.  If we accept the opinions from others for what they are, opinions, we can save ourselves a lot of grief.  However, if we take these opinions of those around us as a basis of how it is we see ourselves, then we're headed down the wrong road.  For the longest time, I was one of the poor souls who took the opinions of others as confirmation of the man that I was.  If someone claimed that I was lazy, this is how I saw myself.  If I was told that I was too big, that's how I saw things.  Therefore, I've spent most of my life fighting a self image which was often based on what others thought.  How sad.  Not only sad that I thought so lowly of myself, but sad also that I gave others around me that much power over how I felt.  Of course, I wasn't alone in my situation, for there are all too many people out there who suffer from the same thing I did.  I will say, that as Christians we have a advantage in this arena of self identity.  For while the world toils in thoughts of how they can make the world accept them, we who follow Jesus already have that confirmation of who we truly are.  We are children of God {1 John 3:1}.  We share in the inheritance of Christ {1 Peter 1:4}.  We are created in the image of God {Genesis 1:26}.  To quote from that old phrase, God doesn't make garbage.  Seriously, these days whenever I shun the negative opinions of others they are truly flabbergasted.  I've even had a few people say to me, "what do you have, you think you're better than me?"  No, bro, not better, just more enlightened.  I've found that once I realized my own value in Christ that those words of others actually began to take on less meaning.  See, I already know the man I am, so I don't need to depend on others to remind me.

You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4: 4 NKJV

One of the most important verses we can use to see our own true identity is found in 1 John 4: 13.  It's here where the apostle John tells us the truth that "He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world."  Indeed, Christ who is now in us is greater than anyone who is in the worlds way of things.  The apostle Paul tells us of this truth of Christ in us in Galatians 4:20.  So, if Jesus is indeed in us, how much weight do those negative comments of those around us really matter?  If you know that Christ is in you, are you suddenly going to see yourself as worthless?  Let me put it another way, will you let someone else convince you that you're not part of your own family?  Of course not!  My goal here is not to disparage those who sling hurtful and negative comments, but that everyone would see who it is that we really are.  Yes, even though we might not want to see it that way all the time, God never discriminates when it comes to who He saves {John 3:17}.  A friend of mine who to this day continues to remain nameless despite my attempts to out him is fond of saying that all of Gods children carry that Spirit of Jesus within them.  Yes, that bothersome bully you battle with has Christ in them as well, they just have not yet realized it...yet.  I say yet, because, like yourself, God will choose that time where He will reveal Himself in all of us.  Remember, that it is His desire that ALL would be saved.  Of course, we know that won't happen, but that never means that God will give up on those who do not know Him.  I look to the man Saul for confirmation of the Fathers heart to save.  For Saul was indeed the chief persecutor of the early followers of Jesus.  Yet God revealed to him who he really was {Galatians 1:16}.  I'm guessing that we can see this as those who have the revelation and those who don't.  So, what is my role in all of this?  Well, what do you think one of Gods deepest desires is?  If you were God, wouldn't you like to be seen and known by your children?  How is it that those around us will see the invisible God?  Through we who follow Jesus.  Indeed, those around us will surely see He who lives in us through all we do.  Then even they will know that the space is no longer for rent.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mothers womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the gentiles,
Galatians 1: 16 NKJV

~Scott~

A Flock Of Sparrows

"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your fathers will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.
Matthew 10: 29 - 31 NKJV

One of the key realizations in my recovery from my addiction was when I realized my own self worth.  Not only that, but how it is that my Father sees me.  In Matthew, Jesus uses the example of two sparrows to illustrate just how important we are to Father God.  The people to whom Jesus was speaking I'm sure knew full well the value of those two sparrows.  For two birds who are sold for two coins, our Father pays much attention to their fates as well as our own.  In fact, He pays more close attention to us, His prized creation.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who realizes that one of the most lucrative niches on the book market these days are those novels on self help.  It seems that everyone has a take on how it is that we should present ourselves, see ourselves and treat ourselves.  However, when was the last time that you sought out just how God sees you?  How do you think God sees you?  For the longest time my own view of God was tied to a negative view of myself.  I couldn't refer to God as "Daddy" simply because of the painful memories of my own father.  I didn't see myself as loved or valuable to God because I didn't see it in myself.  sure, I knew who God was and that He loved me, but it was my own view of God where I fell short.  I saw God not as a loving Father, but as one who was quick to jump in to correct me when I messed up.  As my own father had done, I saw God as one who would abandon me when I screwed up too many times.  The mainstream church keeps us pretty close to this narrative with their teachings on God.  We're taught to see God as separate from ourselves, apart from His creation.  We're told that God and Jesus are sitting in heaven, while we the sinners toil away on earth.  Our lives are but races to see if we can achieve enough "good" points to allow God to grant us access into eternity with Him.  Trust me, I've all too often felt as if I was losing that race.  I've talked to far too many Christians whose own view of God is that of a disciplinarian.  Far too few Christians know the true nature of God which we're told in 1 John.  It is here where it is revealed to us that God...is Love {1 John 4:8}.  Far from being the strict upholder of his commandments, the God we hear of here is one of tenderness, mercy and compassion.  I won't lie, I haven't heard that message from the pulpits all too often.  As it did for me, this view of God might just lead to some bad feelings about ourselves.  How could God ever be in the presence of such a sinner?  Yeah, that's a big one.  Too many Christians feel removed from God because of the sin issue.  The sin issue which has already been dealt with by Christ {Romans 6:6-11}.  That's right, the apostle Paul tells us that we should now see ourselves as "dead to sin."  So, if you're dead to sin, what barrier remains between you and God?

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

When I walked in the throes of my addiction, I saw a lot of barriers between myself and God.  All of the negative things I saw in myself I was sure that God Himself saw those very same things and He wasn't happy with the person He saw!  This is the life I lived.  So, you might ask, how is it that I finally broke through and began to see how God really saw me?  More on that in a minute.  My deeper issue was the sin issue, that inner voice that screamed that I was not worthy of Gods time because of all that I had done.  Then, one night while listening to a radio preacher I heard what I can only describe as Gods revelation to me.  As J Vernon McGee spoke to his sermon on the parable of the prodigal son, something clicked.  God wasn't the overseer who me waiting for me to screw up.  As I listened, in my heart I imagined God waiting at the end of that road...for me.  Yes, that son who had taken all that was due to him and struck out on his own to do his own thing apart from his home and Father.  That was me.  Yet, through all of my wanderings, where was it that God remained?  The same place He was as I indulged in my pleasures.  There He was, waiting for me to return.  It turns out that God wasn't upset over my life choices.  It was never His discipline He wanted me to experience, but His love for me.  I believe that this was the turning point for me in how I saw God.  For now I saw Him as He is.  Something else began to change as well, how it is that I saw myself.  If God didn't see me as the guy who keeps messing up, then just maybe that really wasn't who I was after all.  Who I am...is Christ.  Paul tells us in Galatians that it is Christ Jesus who now lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  When I look in that mirror, the man I see there is Jesus.  THAT is our real true identity.  Whatever it is that the world may want to tell us about who we are, God has the perfect answer.  "You are my child,,,and I am in you"{1 John 3:1}.
It happened one night as I was driving the streets of Portland that I came upon a strip club I hadn't been to in awhile.  True to my addiction, I stopped for a look.  As I started to open the door I felt it immediately..."This isn't who you are."  He was right, that guy wasn't who I was anymore.  I didn't need to sell two sparrows to see that.

"And he arose and came to his father.  But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  And the son said to him, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.  But the father said to his servants, 'bring the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'
Luke 15: 20 - 24 NKJV

~Scott~

Microwaves And Beer

But I want you to be without care.  He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord - how he may please the Lord.  But he who is married cares about the things of the world - how he may please his wife.  There is a difference between a wife and a virgin.  The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy in both body and spirit.  But she who is married cares about the things of the world - how she may please her husband.  And this I say for your own profit.  not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.
1 Corinthians 7: 32 - 35 NKJV

My life is pretty damn simple.  I wake up at 5 am every morning, get ready for work then go and give my eight hours.  When it's all said and done at the end of the day, you'll probably find me at my local gym putting more work in.  Not too terribly hectic of a life.  Is mine the life of the typical Christian bachelor?  Probably not, but I'd venture to guess that it's pretty close nonetheless.  Do I care about the things of the Lord?  Indeed I do, it's a big part of my life.  Do I care about the things of the world?  Absolutely!  I'd say that Paul's words describing the married and the unmarried in 1 Corinthians are pretty spot on, to a point.  Like I said, I still find myself worrying about the things of the world.  I also have friends who are married who's lives don't seem to adhere to Paul's writings.  Go figure.  For the most part, I will write of only my own experiences.  In my opinion, I have no idea where Paul came up with his definition of the married and unmarried.  Each of us, in our own way, is going to be burdened by those things we fret over.  That's just a part of life.  We're told that Jesus counseled Martha when she was all too worried about those preparations {Luke 10:40}.  In His sermon on the mount, Jesus again tells us of the dangers of worry {Matthew 6:25-34}.  So, we're in good company in that department.  Despite my own worries of day to day living, it seems that I'm able to keep my thoughts on the Lord as well.  I really don't think that God differentiates that much between married and single people.  However, I have my own opinions on that.  A few words that you will NEVER hear a single man utter are "yes dear, you're right, dear" or "I'm wrong."  I catch my share of joking from my married friends about how uneventful my life is, and perhaps they're right.  While they're running from place to place handling the responsibilities of two people, I'm sitting in front of the tv drinking a beer.  Well, not really, but you get the point.  I will say that they have their things to worry over, and I have mine.  Not that one is greater than the other, it's just that the decisions I make aren't made for two people.  That, in a nutshell, is the difference on being married and being single.  Would I ever trade in my single mans card for a marriage license?  Perhaps, but only with careful consideration of the consequences.

And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."
Genesis 2: 18 NKJV

Honestly, that decision of remaining single is not in my hands but in Gods.  Indeed, there is a helper out there who is comparable to me...and that's what scares me sometimes.  Look at it from my perspective, I've been single for so long now it's almost like a lifestyle.  Can you imagine what my married friends would say if I suddenly had to give up my care free lifestyle?  No more tv!  No more beer!  All of a sudden I'd be turned from a independent, care free man to one whose thoughts all of a sudden were upon someone else's needs and not my own.  It all seems like a pretty drastic transition to me.  How would I act?  Would I be able to endure the "I told you so's" of my married friends?  Indeed, life as I now know it would definitely change.  However, I honestly feel that were I to suddenly join the ranks of relationship bound men, I would somehow endure.  I'm resilient, I can improvise, overcome and adapt with the best of them.  Besides, how much different can married life be to what I'm living now?  Yeah, I know, the famous last words of the condemned.  Yet, as the scripture says, it's not good that I should be alone.  But, alone is all I've known until now.  I'm not one to question my Lords judgement, so I will ride this wave as far as it goes.  So far I'm enjoying the carefree life of microwaves and beer.  Despite what my married friends say, I see nothing wrong with being accountable but to myself.  Honestly, at times I feel as if they too long for those days again.  Although I know that they wouldn't change a thing, I'm sure they still think about it at times.  For the time being, I'll be that example of how a single Christian man lives.

~Scott~

When It's Not About Me

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2 Corinthians 12: 7 NKJV

There is nothing in the world that will drag us out of our feelings of self importance like adversity.  I can't imagine the apostle Paul being proud or haughty per se, yet there was that thorn in his flesh which, by his own admission, was sent remind him that it wasn't all about him.  I know that feeling all too well,  This past week I was feeling pretty good about myself.  My gym workouts were going well and it seemed like things were going smoothly.  Then it happened.  While probably not as great a thorn in the flesh as Paul dealt with, a case of bronchitis sidelined me for more than a few days.  Now, was this a "messenger of satan" as Paul observed in his case?  Maybe not, but what I do know is that it took me from the pride of my recent accomplishments to a place of realizing who I really am pretty quick.  Now, I'll never say that we shouldn't take pride in our own achievements, just not too the extent that we're the star of the movie when there's another who deserves that recognition more.  I've found that living as Christ Jesus is a lot like that.  Through our daily lives we will certainly come across many opportunities to toot our own horns to celebrate all we've done.  I don't have a issue with that.  What I do have a issue with is removing Jesus from His position of prominence in our lives.  I say this because I've been there more than a few times.  It usually starts out innocent enough, with something we might take pride in accomplishing.  For me it was a two hundred pound bench press goal I'd set for myself.  Once I reached it, I exalted in my strength!  This in itself isn't a big issue, as long as we see the big picture.  I go back to the words of Paul in Philippians, "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me {Philippians 4:13}.  How can I read this verse and think that it is due to my efforts alone that bring me to my victories?  Not only can I do all things through Him...but Christ Jesus IS my strength.  He is the push.  He is the motivation.  Jesus has a wonderful way of reminding us that it's not always about ourselves.

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

I'll be the first one to admit that feeling proud is a fundamental part of our being human.  Again, being proud of our accomplishments is never a bad thing.  However, believing that we alone are responsible for our victories, that's a bad thing.  Remember, we can do all things through CHRIST who is in us.  He is our strength.  I recently had the opportunity to share with a friend of mine my journey to recovery from addiction.  I didn't use a twelve step program, seminar or lecture series in my recovery.  What I did do, ultimately, is realize the man I really was inside.  I think that once I related my story to me friend, that he somehow thought that he had discovered a cure all for his own addictions.  However, I was the first to tell him that not everyone could follow the path I had.  In my case, Christ used something unique to my situation to remind me that it wasn't all about me.  One thing I reminded my friend of was that, as He had done with me, that Jesus would eventually speak to him of how valuable he is to his heavenly Father.  We spend a lot of time in discussions on the independent self.  That belief we all have that it is we ourselves who are in control of our lives.  This is simply another lie spoken from the accuser.  How can we be independent of our Lord who created us?  In my opinion, this is a absurd belief.  Not only did God create me in His own image {Genesis 1:26}, but He breathed into me the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  I have my Father in me {Galatians 2:20}.  This, more than anything, is enough to remind me that's not all about me.  I'm not proud of the things I've done, but I am proud of the man I've become in Christ.

~Scott~

Prayers Reach

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and cast into the sea,' it will be done.  "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."
Matthew 21: 21 - 22 NKJV

I found myself asking a few friends this week to pray for me over a recent string of viruses.  Now, usually when I pray it's simply a one on one conversation with Christ.  After all, there is a good chance that He already knows what it is that I'm coming to talk with Him about.  I don't base this solely on the fact that Jesus is all knowing, but that it is He who lives in me {Galatians 2:20}.  In fact, all that I experience in this life, I experience through Him.  Indeed, if I'm sick, it is Jesus who knows all too well what I'm feeling.  If I'm worried, it is Christ in me who knows the extent and stress of those worries.  Most people regard prayer simply as a name it and claim it reward system from God.  Indeed, Jesus does tell us in a few places in scripture that we can have whatever we ask for in prayer {Matthew 21:22, Mark 11:24, John 15:7}.  So, does that mean that I can then have that new sports car I've been dreaming of?  Well, we can certainly pray for those things which we desire in life.  However, more often than not, when our requests go unanswered, we tend to think that there is an issue somewhere.  There is, and it lies with us.  When was the last time you approached God in prayer and asked simply, "God...what is it that you want for me?"  You might just be surprised with the answer that you receive.  For when we approach God this way we are removing our own desires and motives from the conversation and relying on He who knows us best to tell us what we truly need.  Do we really desire to hear answers such as, "You really should be nicer to your wife" or "Do you really need that drink?"  No, we'd rather have God shower us with gifts which we can therefore use for our own pleasures.  I ask you again, is this what God really desires for us?  Is it Gods desire that I should drive through town in a new car while making others envious?  Is it Gods desire that I should have a job where I make more money than my neighbor that I might hold that over him?  These might be my own desires...but I can assure you that they're not Gods.  Now, does that mean that we're to live humbly with our meager possessions?  If that's His desire for you, then yes.  I am not of the belief that God frowns on our financial success.  I believe that He enjoys blessing us, that we might impact those around us.  As I've said before, the world might not ever know God...but for us.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 6 - 7 NKJV

I don't know about you, but there are A LOT of things I could pray to God for that would indeed make my life easier.  That new car, house and boat would certainly come in handy for sure!  But wait, how would my new found toys help someone around me see Jesus?  Sadly, it wouldn't.  I've known many a Christian who claim themselves "blessed" with material goods yet when a brother is in need their house suddenly looks like a rummage sale! To me, these people have seen their reward in full.  So, how is it that we are to pray?  Well, like I said, I believe that we should approach prayer from the Fathers viewpoint and not our own.  Indeed, He obviously knows our requests even before we approach Him.  So, our prayer should be somewhere along the lines of "Lord, what is your desire for this situation?"  After I requested my brothers to pray over my sickness this week, I also spent some time in prayer asking the Father what He desired to see.  I'm not too proud to say that this life I live is less about my daily efforts and more about what He desires for my life.  After all, it is the Father who walks with me each day.  Ultimately, I believe that His desire is for those around me to see Him working through me.  There are no fancy cars, boats or houses that can exemplify that.  One last thing which I need to mention from my conversation with my brothers this week is faith.  Indeed, I can ask anyone to pray for me, but if I don't trust that it will come to pass then who is it I am asking?  As the scripture claims, we can ask for anything, and if we believe it will come to pass {Matthew 21:22}.  I believe.  I believe that He hears me when I call.  I also believe that He has my best interests in mind even when I don't get that sports car.

~Scott~

The Case For Gods Heaven

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Revelation 21: 4 NKJV

Someone must have torn down those pearly gates without my knowing it.  Indeed, from a young age I was told that living my life with the Lord would provide for me the reward of living with him forever in heaven.  However, this week that assumption took a turn for the bizarre in a conversation filled with certain blasphemy.  Traditionally, we have seen heaven as that wonderous kingdom far above us where our heavenly Father and Christ Jesus now make their home.  Well, the first bombshell to this teaching was the revelation of Christ in me.  Granted, I am of the belief that Jesus can certainly be two places at once, but if He is seated at the Fathers side in heaven, how is it that He can abide in me as well {Galatians 2:20}?  The idea of Jesus and I crossing paths in heaven before my time has crossed my mind, yet I brushed it off as just heresy or the false teaching of some crackpot pulpit pounder.  It turns out that I was only half right.  See, there are some aspects of Christianity that you simply don't f#ck with, and changing our entire view of a heavenly paradise is one of those out of bounds teachings better left alone.  Leave it be, let us have that place in our hearts where we know we will be when this life we've lived is finally over.  Indeed, that's the traditional way of thought, that if we are good little Christians, that we will secure for ourselves a place in Gods mansion.  That's right, we've certainly earned our right to walk through those pearly gates and down those streets of gold.  This is paradise, the place where Gods children end up.  So we've been told at least.  At the risk of speaking heresy, what if our traditional view of heaven has been...skewed?  What if heaven is here surrounding us now?  Well, if your own view of our Lords heaven is gang shootings, drugs and war then you might just be on to something.  However, if you see heaven as that paradise promised to us in scriptures, then you, sir, a traditionalist.  You see things in the way they're supposed to be, as we've always been taught.  To you, heaven is indeed a paradise that we see as our one and only goal in this life.  It is the end of our journey of a life of following Jesus.  This is where our devotion and good deeds will finally be rewarded.  Heavenly rewards?  Yeah, that's another thing we've been taught.  It seems that a few well behaved Christians will indeed at last see the fruits of their diligence.  So, depending upon how I've lived my life here on earth, will I be living in Gods mansion or in a homeless shelter?  Will I be driving a Porsche...or a Yugo?  Well, like many scriptures, when it comes to heavenly rewards I'm afraid we've been misled.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2: 8 - 9 NKJV

So, what of those heavenly rewards?  Are we now to boast in our own righteousness because we are destined to receive a much better reward than others?  I'm afraid that's not how it works.  In fact, the apostle Paul reminds us that our salvation is but a gift of God, and not of our own accomplishments {Ephesians 2:8-9}.  Indeed, what God has created is for the benefit of all and not just the well behaved few.  Remember that there is indeed no partiality with our Lord{Romans 2:11}.  Knowing this, it's my belief that we've been fed a false narrative when it comes to heaven.  Indeed, the argument can be made that we are experiencing heaven now.  Far from being the blasphemy of a old preacher, maybe what we are living now is the heavenly experience we've been told about for so long.  Just maybe.  But what about the violence and bad things we see every day?  Well, there's the rub.  Can we trust in our heavenly Father that He can provide us a heavenly experience in the midst of all the pain we see each day?  Absolutely.  If you recall, nothing is impossible for God {Matthew 19:26}.  If it is His desire that He reveal heaven to us then that is what He will do.  Who am I to argue with the creator of all we see?  So, what should our focus be?  Should we focus all of our energy on that shining heavenly city at the end of the rainbow?  Or, should our focus be on Christ Jesus and our relationship with Him?  I would suggest that our relationship with Christ should be our primary focus.  In the end, if we devote our attentions to our entrance into those pearly gates, we might just miss our relationship with He for whom heaven was created.

~Scott~

Mind Games

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, siting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory.
Colossians 3: 1 - 4 NKJV

There's a battle going on for the beliefs of those who know the truth of Christ.  That is, for those who know the truth of Christ Jesus in us.  That battle, as we're told in Ephesians, is not against anything which we can see, but a spiritual battle against those entities in the heavens.  Each day we receive differing opinions of who it is we are and what our future holds for us.  For example, I know in my own heart that Christ lives in me.  However, despite my old man who I once was now being dead, I still carry thoughts of his existence from time to time.  This reminds me of the numerous stories of phantom limb syndrome, where someone who has been injured and lost a limb can continue to feel it as if nothing had happened.  Yes, I know that Jesus lives in me, but mind is a powerful tool used by the accuser to make us feel as if we're still in the clutches of the old mans sins.  These are the mind games which Satan plays with each of us from time to time.  Once we understand his motives and his tactics, however, we can refute whatever he has to say.  A good friend of mine has a saying, when Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future!  No more truthful words were ever spoken.  From his beginnings, satan has been the accuser of the brethren.  He has accused Adam and Eve, Job and now he spends his time speaking lies unto us.  It's funny, we will all too often refute another persons lies when we see them, but satan gets a pass.  Well, not in my book.  For I know his past and his full intentions.  He desires not to see me prosper in the presence of Jesus, but continually speak to me to pull me away from Him.  Not gonna happen.  These are the mind games of satan.  These are the suggestions of the enemy.  The apostle Paul reminds us in Colossians to prepare ourselves by setting our minds on things above and not of those things of the earth.  Remember, we've died to our old nature (I cannot in good conscience say we've died to our old self as we've never been a independent self) and are now a new creation in Christ Jesus {2 Corinthians 5:17}.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6: 12 NKJV

Part of our training as good Christian soldiers is to realize who our enemy truly is.  Many believers can point to who that is and yet fail to realize that he can and will disguise himself in ways which they do not recognize.  For example, can we agree that any and all negative situations which cause us distress actually pass by God before they reach us?  I'm sure that Job didn't see the calamity which beset his life, even as satan plotted against him.  Yet, what were Gods instructions to satan as he sought to destroy job?     God allows satan to afflict Job, but gives him specific instructions to spare his servants life {Job 2:6}.  What did Job do to God that God would allow satan to afflict him in such a way?  Nothing!  Satan was simply doing what he always does to Gods elect.  I know in my heart that Christ is in me, but I am under no illusions that satan does not play a role in our lives on a daily basis.  Wouldn't it be foolish to even think such a thing?  By the law of opposites we can see exactly what satans purpose truly is.  Would you ever know light if not for darkness?  Bitterness without sweetness?  Indeed satan, being the exact opposite of God in his nature, through his own actions shows us the loving self for others nature of God.  Yes, that's the way satan was created.  Indeed he is our spiritual enemy, yet even satan was created by God as we were.  For some time I wondered for what exact purpose which God would speak into creation one such as satan, until I learned of the law of opposites.  Would we ever know the goodness of God if not for evil?  I still hear the voices of the minions of old as they try to entice me back into my old ways.  However, I also know that Christ has died once for all to ensure that part of my life no longer exists.  I'm dead to that.  Of course, that doesn't mean that our accuser will give up trying to influence us.

~Scott~

Looking For God

"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 gave Himself for me."
Galatians 2: 20 NKJV

I don't know how many times I've said it.  How is it that I can believe in a God that I can't see?  Indeed, if I can't see Him is He even there?  Of course this is a silly question, but I've heard it all too often in my Christian life.  Usually it's from someone who is struggling to "see" the God which the mainstream church has been trying to show them.  Well, if this is the God you're looking for, you might never find Him.  For this is the God of separation.  We're told from a young age that God, and Jesus for that matter, are in heaven watching over us.  In fact, the best that we can ever hope to do is to somehow "be more like Jesus" through our good behaviors.  Yet, as most always happens in human behavior, we will always fall short of those expectations.  We will always be left to wonder, "where are you God?"  Well, there is indeed good news for everyone who has ever asked that question.  There is good news for anyone who has ever felt like they've failed in their search to find God.  The trouble with this is that all too often we're looking in the wrong place.  With our eyes lifted to the sky we pray, and pray some more that we will finally find Him.  Sadly, few people realize that their search was in vain.  That is, that God was closer than they ever realized.  The apostle Paul tells us that Jesus Himself lives in us today {Galatians 2:20}.  I'm always surprised when I hear from others that they never realized this or read this scripture.  I have the mainstream church to thank for that, of course.  We've been conditioned to see God as being separated from sinful man.  I get it.  Yet, Paul also tells us in Romans that we are now dead to sin {Romans 6:11}.  That old man has long since died.

Jesus said to Him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed.  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
John 20: 29 NKJV

There have been plenty of times where I've felt like poor Thomas, waiting for Jesus to show me some proof of His being.  Does Jesus really need to prove Himself to anyone?  How arrogant is it for us to think this way?  The very proof of Christ which we seek is all around us in our Lords creation.  Indeed, when we see God, we see Jesus as well.  Thomas asked for proof of the existence of Jesus.  See, he'd been through the crucifixion of his friend and teacher, so I don't fault him for thinking that Jesus indeed was dead and gone.  I've been there, in a matter of speaking.  Despite knowing that Jesus rose from the dead, I asked Him to prove it.  If I could not see Him, was He even there?  Well, the truth of Jesus is that He's always been there with us {John 1:1-3}.  There has never been a moment where Jesus ever doubted that He was with me, so why would I doubt Him?  Because, like Thomas, we demand proof of what we believe in.  If that apple never fell from the tree would we accept the premise of gravity?  However, it is Christ who transcends all which we believe in.  We can trust that not only will He always be with us, but that if we seek Him we will find Him.

~Scott~  

The Man Of The House

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent?  As it is written:  "How beautiful are the fee of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
Romans 10: 14 -15 NKJV

Why is it that you go to church?  Do you go for the fellowship?  The worship?  Or, do you go because of the charismatic pastor?  After all, isn't the pastor the voice of the congregation in a matter of speaking?  Well, from my experience, there are good pastors and some not so good ones as well.  Pastors are, after all, human and subject to the same thoughts and behaviors as the rest of us.  I'm always amazed at the shock and dismay displayed by other every time a pastors bad behaviors hit the local news.  What were you expecting?  Folks, if you yourselves are subject to the occasional misbehaviors, then all the same for your preachers as well.  We seem to have become accustomed to placing a crown of royalty upon the head of our preachers.  He is, after all, the man of the house of worship.  But wait, does God really desire for us to look up to such men as our leaders?  Do the  scriptures even allow for that position of a pastor in our congregations?  Well, as near as I can tell, the scriptures of the new testament tell of a elder to watch over the flock of the followers of Jesus {Titus 1:7}.  Of course, these elders were to also be "above reproach."  Good luck with that.  I have not found a scripture where the elders of the congregations were given the duties and expectations of the pastors of today.  I've not found where our pastors should be in total control over a congregation.  Likewise, I've not found in scripture where a pastor has been called upon to rule over a congregation of believers.  So, where did we come up with this idea of the duties of our pastors?  Might I suggest that we ourselves are to blame for this?  I've never been in a church where the pastor did not have a list of "duties" ranging from keeping in touch with the congregation, attending to the business needs of the church and providing for fundraising.  This is indeed a big load to place on anyone's shoulders.  I would say that the expectations we all have of our pastor will all too often lead to discord in the church.  Again, I've seen it one too many times.  I attended a church when I was younger where it was not the pastor who ran the show, but one family within the congregation.  Where is that provided for in scripture?  Perhaps this is why the early church was directed to appoint overseers among them.  Not so much to control things in the flock, but to guide them.  I trust that definition more than the position of pastor which man hath created.

"And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding."
Jeremiah 3: 15 NKJV

On a whim, the other day I looked up the word pastor for a definition.  What I found was interesting indeed.  It seems that one of the translations of the word we know as pastor was for a shepherd.  From my experience, a shepherd never controls his flock, but watches over it and protects it from harm.  I would be all for a pastor adhering to these responsibilities.  Then we are left with the question which was raised earlier.  Since scripture does not seem to provide for the position of pastor as we know it today, why do we even have them?  Of course, I know the answer, but I thought I would throw it out there.  Likewise, if our congregations were without pastors, would they survive?  I'm thinking that were we to do away with the position of pastor in our houses of worship that we would be in for a dynamic shift in how we do church.  We would concentrate more on learning and experiencing our Lords presence than man made traditions.  From the scripture description of the early church we find in Acts I have found no mention of praise and worship bands, communion or a weekly offering.  Why is that?  Oh, I also found that the church of the early followers of Jesus lacked another thing...pastors.  Can we learn a thing or two from this early church?  Can we agree that one man with total control over a congregation is not needed?  Perhaps.  However, we would need to agree that the man of the house was never intended in  the first place.

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

~Scott~

Say It Ain't So, Paul

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who brought them, and bring on themselves quick destruction.

2 Peter 2: 1 NKJV 

I recall a acquaintance of mine some time ago that centered around the words of the apostle Paul.  Now, many Christians see Paul as one of the great defenders of the faith, but this man he was different.  after being in a few discussions with him on the reality of Christ in us, he came to the conclusion that Paul himself was guilty of more than a few heresies in his day.  Of course, this is based simply on his disagreement with what Paul spoke on the reality of Christ Jesus.  I'm assuming that it didn't fit into his narrative of who Christ was.  To him, Jesus was one who was totally disconnected with Gods creation.  Jesus simply sat in heaven all the while passing judgement upon those who could not, or would not "be like" Him.  My friend who continues to remain nameless refers to this as our "filter" on how we see things.  I agree.  Each of us, from the most devout believer to the baby Christian have our own views which our own experiences have all too often fostered.  Some time back I was reluctant to refer to God as "daddy" simply because of my own experiences with my father growing up.  Of course, this does not mean that God is not our heavenly Father, only that my own experience was at odds with how we should see Him.  That was my filter.  I can point to numerous television news channels that proudly display their own filters on a daily basis.  I also recall numerous friends and acquaintances who have allowed their own filters to cloud what they believe.  There are a few who know Christ and grew up in the church, yet refuse to believe that Christ could be in our presence.  This was the beginning for what my friend saw as Paul's heresy.  It is Paul who tells us in Galatians that Christ Jesus lives through us {Galatians 2:20}.  Are we to toss Paul's  words aside simply because they at odds with how we see things?  Where do we draw that line between a critic and a false teacher?  I once was in fellowship with a man who was so adamant on his old covenant beliefs of scripture that he refused to believe more than a few prophesies of the new testament.  This often led to many a argument between himself and those he was "fellowshipping" with.  To me, that's not teaching...but coercion.  

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

2 Timothy 4: 3 - 4 NKJV 

I shouldn't say that I did not see this coming.  Paul himself spoke of these "teachers" in his letter to young Timothy {2 Timothy 4:3}.  Paul knew that among the many believers of the followers of Jesus that eventually those who had another agenda would seek out teachers who would agree with their own view of how things should be.  For it is from their own desires that their "itching ears" will desire someone to tell them what they want to hear.  I've seen it too many times.  This is why I believe to this day that the duties of our pastors should never be to win a popularity contest.  Far from it.  I believe that beyond the politics of modern congregations, a pastors duties should begin, and end, with the proclamation of the truth of our personal relationship with Christ Jesus.  However, like the tail wagging the dog, all too often it is the congregation who ends up determining the message we hear from our church pulpits.  If we don't agree with what pastor says, we simply find a new one.  All too often, it is our own itching ears that turn away from the truth.  Which brings me back to Paul and his supposed heresies.  Was Paul speaking heresy when he claimed his realization of Christ in us?  No more than Noah was proclaiming the flood or Moses proclaiming Gods word to His people.  Yet, we agree with some parts of our faith while discounting others.  More often than not, we're turned aside to those fables we long to hear.  I get it.  After all, we all have our filters we use to base our beliefs on.  However, if you're inclined to see Paul as one who spoke heresies...then call me a heretic.

~Scott~ 

Something New

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at that last day."
John 6: 44 NKJV

Every year it happens.  People say goodbye to another year, often with the promises and oaths that somehow the coming new year will be different from that which had just passed.  By the time the clock strikes midnight on January 31st, plans are already in place to begin something new.  This brought to mind this past week a question a friend who continues to remain nameless has often brought up to me.  Do we really need to change?  Now, I get all of the new life direction changes which we all have contemplated at one time or another, but do we really need to change?  Well, in answer to this I will pose a somewhat different question which we must consider along with this idea of change.  Do we need to change who we are?  To this, I would say emphatically...NO.  However, there remain those among us who will swear up one side and down the other that everyone needs to change once in awhile.  Why?  Let me just say here that our individual attitudes and behaviors are no indication of who it is we really are inside.  Just because someone gets mad at the world doesn't mean that they all of a sudden need to change something.  No, what they NEED to do in that situation is to realize who it is they truly are.  That, depending on your own view of Christianity at the moment, may open another can of worms.  There are those will claim that they are simply a sinner saved by our Lords grace.  I always had a issue with this description as in my mind it devalued the works of Christ Jesus on the cross.  What was it that Jesus suffered and died for?  US!  Jesus put Himself on the line and became sin that we would never need suffer that burden {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  It was the prayer of Christ on the eve of His crucifixion that we would be one as He and the Father were one {John 17:21}.  Have you ever felt that Jesus needed to change?  Probably not.  However, when we mess with the idea that we somehow need to change the way we see ourselves, we're messing with the very image of Christ.  For it is we who are created in His image {Genesis 1:27}.  Indeed, when we look into that mirror, the image we should be seeing is Jesus.  Instead, all too many people look upon themselves based upon the lies of the accuser.  You're too fat, too dumb or not religious enough for God to have a relationship with you.  All of that is crap!  Not only is it old covenant thinking, it denies what Christ has already done in each of us.  The apostle Paul tells us in Galatians that Jesus is  a intimate part of our lives.  For it is Christ who now lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  Now, you might think that I'm simply cherry picking scriptures here, I've heard that argument before as well.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
1 John 4: 15 NKJV

The first time I came to the realization of who I truly am came the morning I was first baptized.  As the pastor, again, someone who continues to remain nameless, brought me out of the water I knew I was now part of something special.  I was...a Christian.  Of course, I soon realized that it wasn't the baptism that defined me, but Christ whom I was confessing.  As much as I knew that Jesus had bled and died for me, I still had the agonizing feeling...that I needed to change.  That old feedback loop of lies played over and over in my mind.  Does God REALLY love you?  How can God be close to a sinner?  Well, if indeed I was still a sinner I could understand that mindset.  If indeed I was still stained I might be able to understand the talk that I somehow needed to change.  But, here's the rub, we're no longer sinners in Gods eyes.  In fact, not only did Jesus forgive our transgressions, He Himself put sin to death.  Paul tells us that we should consider ourselves now dead to sin {Romans 6:11}.  That's right, not only are our sins forgiven, we're dead to it.  What does that mean?  Well, how can one sin if they are dead to it?  Oh, what about those sins I continue to commit?  You know, the ones I need to continue to seek my Lords forgiveness for?  Well, here's my response to that...have you forgotten who it is you really are?  Does Jesus sin?  So, if we are but His image, do we continue to be guilty of sin?  I know this could be a big pill to swallow for most, but that doesn't make it any less true.  The fact remains that we, being His children, are the image of Christ Jesus.  In fact, the world around us will never know God but through us.  Still think you need to change?  Well, wait until next year and make another new resolution.

~Scott~