The Worldly Way

They are of the world.  Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.  We are of God.  He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

1 John 4: 5 - 6 NKJV 

There are more than a few things about Christian living that I still am trying to comprehend.  The apostle Paul's "Mystery among the Gentiles" being one of those {Colossians 1:27}.  Why bad things happen to good people is another.  This week I was reminded of another aspect of Christian living that all too often we fail to adhere to (I use the wording "adhere" in the aspect of the traditional institutional church theology).  That being, those believers who live the ways of the world.  The apostle John was quick to warn us of the ways of the world in 1 John 4.  John tells us that those who follow the worlds guidelines "Do not hear us" {1 John 4:6}.  We can assume that the apostle meant that those who are of the world will not listen to those of us who speak the truth of the gospel of Christ.  Anyone know someone that fits that bill?  I've known more than my share of people who dabble in the perceived glories of worldly ways.  I myself have known the fleeting joys of the worlds pleasures.  Does that make me one who does not know God?  Not at all.  Can a believer momentarily slide into the pleasures of the world without doing extensive damage to their souls or salvation?  Yes.  Before you accuse me of heresy, again, recall that our own salvation is not something which is won or lost on the basis of our behavior, but on our belief in Christ Jesus {Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9}.  Simply put, our salvation is a free gift from God.  If we believe in our hearts that God has raised Jesus from the dead, and confess Jesus as Lord, we are saved.  Now, does this assurance give us a get out of jail free card to behave any way we want?  As Paul tells us..."By no means" {Romans 6:15}.  Shall we continue to worry about sin?  No.  Again, Paul assures us that through Christ Jesus we are dead to sin {Romans 6:11}.  So, if our salvation is assured and we are now dead to sin, how treacherous are those ways of the world to a believer?  

"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."

John 17: 21 NKJV 

When I say  that I have dabbled in the ways of the world, I'm referring to the simple pleasures that many find so attractive.  Alcohol, women, money...the list goes on and on.  Yet, through all of the ways of the world I have delved into, not once has God turned His back to me.  If He were to do so, then He would make Himself a liar, and God doesn't play that way.  Most believers agree that Paul is one of the most influential speakers of the gospel of Christ that ever lived.  Yet, he was not always like that.  Many believers also know Paul's history as the man Saul, who was brought to his knees in blindness on that  road to Damascus.  Despite the wickedness of Saul, God chose to redeem him.  I would say that God had always been with Saul, but that Saul simply was unaware of it.  So it was that at Gods chosen moment, Saul was dead and Paul was born {Galatians 1:15-16}.  What shall we say of King David, who dabbled in the ways of the world and bore a son with another mans wife?  Once again, Gods mercy ruled the day.  So, should we accept as true the accusatory fingers pointed at us when we dwell in the behaviors of the world?  Absolutely not!  We trust and know the Lords promise of redemption to be true.  We also know and accept the mystery among the Gentiles which promises us the knowing of our one true identity in Christ Jesus {Galatians 2:20}.  The bigger question is, should we be at all concerned with being in the ways of the world?  Or, should we realize how God Himself feels when we do so?

"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, 'Father, 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 out 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~ 

The Ways Of A Child

 

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

1 Corinthians 13: 11 NKJV 

I followed a sermon from a radio pastor with a but of interest this week.  He was speaking to a subject which I have been curious about for awhile.  That being our own belief that we are somehow independent from God, that God is in heaven watching over us.  Not only is this a narrative of the institutional church, but it is a lie spurned by the enemy in the garden.  Still, I was interested.  The preacher got to the point of the word that every child hates to hear...no.  Every parent has most assuredly ridden with their own children through what we call the "terrible two's."  It is here where a child seems to develop their own idea of independence and are not afraid to exercise it.  Is this where we learn the lie of being independent from God?  I don't believe so, but it's a good place to start.  The child's world, from their perspective, is one of mom, dad and a whole bunch of new stuff they have never experienced before.  Naturally curious, children all too often set out to explore all that is new around them.  Of course, trouble comes about when that which they are exploring can be a danger to them.  The hot stove burner, sharp objects and any and every household chemical.  Is it any wonder why parents get very adept at using the one word a child hates to hear?  What child wants to hear that they can't discover the world around them?  I have many memories of my own childhood and my quest to discover all that I could.  One of those memories became a family story for years to come.  It seems that one summer hot summer day way back when I was outside playing as I usually did.  That is, until I got thirsty and needed a drink.  I headed home.  I remembered that my dad always kept a jug of water for me and my brother in the screen porch of our house.  When I got home I saw a red can in the porch, surely this was the water I needed.  Nope.  The rest of the story follows with my getting a police escort in the ambulance (Dad was a deputy) to the local hospital where my stomach was pumped free of gasoline...not water.  Another day in the life so they say.  

I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.  I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning.  I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one.  I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father.  I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning.  I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you.  And you have overcome the wicked one. 

1 John 3: 13 - 14 NKJV 

What do I recall about that day?  That I was too young to know the importance of a gas can.  Yet, I was a child and I needed to experience many things.  I have no doubt that parents can and will recall the times they were kept awake worrying about what their children were getting into.  The apostle Paul tells us that there comes a point where we stop thinking as a child and out away childish things {1 Corinthians 13:11}.  We've recently been discussing the different levels of belief and knowing which the apostle John shows us in 1 John 3.  Although it may be hard to understand, there are different levels of knowing Jesus.  As a young Christian, you rejoice in the belief that your sins are forgiven through the work of Christ on the cross.  As we grow in our faith, we come to realize more and more about Jesus and how much He means to us.  Do we jump into Christianity knowing Jesus?  No.  We enter into a belief in Christ knowing OF Jesus.  This is entry level believing.  As we progress in our belief, we not only come to know more about Jesus, but the Father as well.  When I first heard about Jesus, I had no idea that He could live in me {Galatians 2:20}.  All I knew was that He died on the cross for me and rose three days later.  Now, years later, I have a deeper knowing of Christ than I ever have.  I have grown in my knowing, but that growing never stops.

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.

1 John 3: 1 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

Competing To Know Jesus

 

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

1 John 4: 1 NKJV 

The other day a friend mentioned to me that I unconsciously thought that I was somehow separated from Jesus.  Of course, this was simply his untrained and biased opinion, but it got me thinking along the lines of how and why we know Christ Jesus in our lives.  What has brought us to that point where we can definitively say, 'Aha, that's when I first met you!'  For most Christians, the time and date of such things really isn't important, only that we come to the point of knowing Christ and who He truly is.  Then we have those believers who get stuck on the details.  Who take everything concerning Jesus as gospel.  Therefore, if anyone should stray from these boundaries then, well, they just don't know Christ.  That's not for me.  I believe that the apostle John (I need to tread lightly here, as some might ask, 'was John really a apostle?'), said it correctly when he warned believers to 'test the spirits' { 1 John 4:1}.  I believe that when we test the spirits, we get rid of some of the junk out there that is simply not true.  Are we really separate from God?  No, that's a lie spawned by Satan in the garden.  That question is but one of the early ones which I put to the test.  My belief in Christ centers around the reality that He lives in me, as the apostle Paul tells us in Galatians {Galatians 2:20}.  I believe this to be the truth of Christ Jesus in us.  Yet, there is always someone who comes along to challenge what we know to be true.  I listen a lot to a local Christian radio station on my drive to work in the morning.  Many of the sermons I hear are clearly institutional church slanted theology, but does that mean that I adhere to them?  No.  What it means is that I'd much rather listen to someone speaking about God than a news broadcast or rot gut music.  I do find these sermons useful, however, as I often find more than a few topics to write about on my page.  Yet, another believer could listen to the very same sermon and feel that they need to follow that pastors lead lock, stock and barrel.  Yes, I'll admit that I once counted myself as one of these new believer zealots.  I listened to every word coming from the pulpit thinking that a personal relationship with God was just around the corner.  Needless to say, I was more often than not left wanting more than the padre was offering.  

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.  And no wonder!  For even Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 

2 Corinthians 11: 13 - 14 NKJV 

I'll never forget that day.  The last time I entered a church on a Sunday morning.  It was Easter morning, and I was ready for the traditional sermon on redemption which the resurrection of Christ offers to all believers.  Well, I got what I came for, and then some.  For after his sermon, the pastor opened up the front of the sanctuary for anyone seeking prayer for any sins unconfessed.  To me, you could have heard a pin drop in that room.  I had gone from feeling forgiven moments earlier to once again feeling stained and guilty.  I was done with the merry go round of chasing God.  To be clear, I was not done with God, just tired of chasing Him and never finding Him.  For all intents and purposes, this was my own come to Jesus moment.  This was the same moment endured by the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus.  All his life Saul had been taught the prevailing story of the God of the Jewish people.  If you had asked him, Saul would have told you that he was doing the Lords work by persecuting those who followed that street preacher Jesus.  Then, Jesus came along and upset the apple cart of Saul's beliefs.  In that moment, Saul saw Jesus for who He really was.  God, in His timing, had revealed His Son in Paul {Galatians 1:15-16}.  This is the Jesus I know today.  Knowing Jesus isn't about following some program, but knowing who He is in you.  

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

Acts 17: 24 - 25 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

No Place For Fighting Men

 

Therefore we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  

Ephesians 6: 12 NKJV 

A lot can be said of a man who is prepared for battle.  He is alert, prepared and mindful of the task that lies before him.  I was reminded of that this week as a radio preacher began talking about the spiritual armor of God which the apostle Paul tells us of in Ephesians.  If I were to ask of Paul one question it would be this, "Paul, if we are assured of our own future in Christ Jesus, why is there a spiritual war?'  That's my question for today.  I have spent many a hour in scripture and prayer coming to the conclusion that Jesus indeed lives in me as Paul tells us{Galatians 2:20}.  So, if Christ is in me, do I still need to continue to fight?  If we are assured of our future in Jesus, is there really a battle we are waging?  Is this simply another example of institutional church theology, or is this spiritual conflict something we need to take seriously?  Let me just say that I am assured that Christ lives in me, and yet I am almost as equally sure that there is indeed credence to this idea of a spiritual conflict.  We're told that Satan prowls about seeking whom he may devour {1 Peter 5:8}.  It is Paul who warns young Timothy of the evils of the spiritual war.  It seems that Paul was under no pretense that even though his own future was assured, that the battle raged on.  I'm sure that many believers can attest to the individual battles of this conflict.  I know I can.  However, I believe that we need to look at the battle from the right perspective in order to get a better understanding of what is going on here.  Do you believe that you yourself are in a spiritual battle?  I would say...make your decision wisely.  For is it you who is waging this war...or is it Christ Jesus in us who wages the war on our behalf?  My money is on Jesus.  For if we stick to the belief that we are locked in a battle with the devil, we deny the truth that Jesus in fact lives in us.  Yes, my life circumstances can at times make me feel as if I am in a spiritual conflict, but it is Christ who is in the thick of the battle.  Not only did He give Himself for me, He continues to fight for me.  

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10: 3 - 5 NKJV 

Almost every pastor I have listened to about Paul's description of spiritual warfare has come from the perspective that we ourselves are locked in this battle.  Of course, this has raised more than a few worries for me over the years.  What if I fail?  At what point does Jesus intervene?  Does anyone see the folly of this way of thinking?  If we are to believe that we alone are locked in this battle, then we have come to the conclusion that Christ is not really in us, but with the Father in heaven.  It is this idea of separation between ourselves and God that has messed up many a believer.  Who is the author of this way of thinking?  None other than your adversary.  It is in the garden where Satan poisoned our beliefs by suggesting that if Adam and Eve were to eat of the forbidden tree that they, 'Will not surely die' {Genesis 3:4}.  Then Satan doubles down and suggests that if they were to eat of the fruit that they would, 'Be like God' {Genesis 3:5}.  That is the lie which has many a believer thinking that they are alone in their own spiritual battle against the devil.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For what Adam and Eve failed to realize is that they were ALREADY like God.  Indeed, we were created in His image {Genesis 1:27}.  God has also breathed into each of us the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  What more can we say except that God has always been a intimate part of who we are.  And yet one lie, spoken often enough, has hijacked the truth.  I will agree with Paul in that we are continually involved in a spiritual conflict.  However, I will never subscribe to the belief that we wage this battle alone.  That battle is waged by Christ Jesus who is in  us.  

"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 

~Scott~ 

The Many Faces Of Jesus

 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground.  He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

Isaiah 53: 2 NKJV 

I was reminded recently of yet another depiction of the image of Christ Jesus when a friend mentioned that one of her memories was a tv sitcom which portrayed a painting of a African American Jesus.  I wasn't surprised at all.  For mankind has long tried to place a picture to the history of one of the most influential men history has ever known.  Yet, to this day nobody has even come close, in my humble opinion, of depicting the Christ in a form which we can relate to Him.  Many have tried, even a few who have claimed life after death experiences have come up with painted images of Jesus.  My first question to anyone who desires to know a image of Jesus would be, what are you searching for?  Are you indeed looking for a closer relationship with Him, or does a painting of His image somehow give you comfort in some way?  Perhaps both are true.  For those who wish to know a visual image of Jesus, you should know that the early followers of Jesus refused to show images of Him for they considered it idolatry.  I get it.  After all, is your heart set on knowing Him, or simply a image of Him?  If we seek comfort in knowing a image of Jesus, then we have a lot of competition out there.  There are black and brown Jesus'.  Bearded and without a beard.  Which one will you choose?  Then again, if what you are looking for is a relationship with Jesus, then there is only one you need seek.  That is the one and only true Christ who gave Himself that we would be united with Him {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  I'm not so much interested in His appearance as in what He accomplished for me at the cross.  For I don't believe that Jesus is bound by what we know as a earthly appearance.  We are told that Jesus was God manifested in the flesh {1 Peter 3:16}.  Jesus took the form of man because that was the environment He was in.  Would anyone have known the love of God if not for Jesus?  Probably not.  Would we have known of the Fathers one true nature if not for Jesus?  I doubt it.  So, if Jesus manifested Himself as a man, His true image is something different, right?  That may be true, but His image as He lives today is something we might not expect.  

"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 

Many well meaning Christians are unaware of the image of Christ Jesus as He lives today.  I mean, Jesus is alive and well, right?  If He isn't then that entire rising from the dead miracle was for not.  So, we know that Jesus lives.  But, where does He live?  Well, if you ask most Christians they will repeat the church line that Jesus resides now in heaven as the Fathers side.  That's a good story if you can sell it.  The apostle Paul did not believe that Jesus was confined to the heavens.  In fact, after his Damascus road conversion, Paul laid out what it was that overcame him that day.  Paul tells us that in the Lords timing, Christ was revealed IN HIM {Galatians 1:15-16}.  Paul goes on to say that he no longer lived in his fleshly body, but that 'Christ lives in me.' {Galatians 2:20}.  Why is this important to a discussion of the many face of Jesus?  Because, if Christ indeed lives in us, then He...resembles us.  For those desiring a true to life depiction of Jesus, you don't need a fancy painting, just look in that mirror.  However, I do not consider someone a non believer if they have yet to receive the revelation of Christ Jesus in them.  Remember, the man Saul was pretty long in the tooth before his own revelation.  If you seek to know Jesus, then your own revelation of Christ in you will come at the exact moment the Father desires it.  We need not be focused on His image, but on knowing Him.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3: 18 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

The Jesus Prescription

"Therefore I say to you, do  not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow now reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"  

Matthew 6: 25 - 27 NKJV 

I was reminded once again this week of Jesus' perfect prescription for living a calm life.  That is, DO NOT WORRY.  However, I will go one step further and say do  not worry, and remember who you are.  Why would Jesus warn people of his day not too worry?  Well, probably for the very same reasons He might tell people today not to worry.  Because when we worry or are stressed, our bodies respond in a very unique way.  First of all, adrenaline and cortisol are released into our systems, which is a part of the bodies pre programmed "fight of flight" response to stress.  Yes, even though we might not be involved in a life threatening situation, our own stress level triggers our bodily systems to react as if we are.  Our worry over that past due rent payment might just as well be a lion chasing us.  What do we do?  We ascertain the situation, if it is prudent to fight off that lion or simply to run away.  Either way, our bodies are prepared for a fight.  Now that we know a little about how our bodies react to stressful situations, consider how those biological reactions affect how we feel.  Our immune system will most likely be compromised, making us more likely to become sick.  Our blood pressure will rise, which is not a good sign for those with heart issues.  All in all, the stress that worrying brings can definitely be a bad deal for most people, myself included.  So it was that I was reminded once again this week as I dealt with issues at home and at work.  As a result, I once again was afflicted with a virus.  Was this avoidable?  Absolutely!  If I had followed the Jesus prescription I have no doubt that I would have been able to skate through this time of turmoil unscathed.  Yeah, you'd think I would have learned by now huh?  Is it possible for us to take a look at how Jesus handled stress in His life?  Definitely.  We know that the man Jesus was persecuted, insulted, maligned and made to feel lower than dirt.  Add to that the constant threat of those who wanted Him dead.  I believe that Jesus knew all too well about all of the desires and plans of those who plotted to kill Him, for He often told His disciples that He would be put to death and rise again.  I believe that Jesus knew His destiny, which is all part of the Jesus prescription.  

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." 

Matthew 6: 34 NKJV 

I was reminded about the Jesus prescription on a rocky trail a few years ago.  As I navigated a narrow path a few hundred feet above the ground, I related to my friend that I did not want to die on that trail.  Obviously, fear and worry had taken hold of me.  My friend just laughed and said, 'You're not going to die, Scott.'  He was right.  What triggered my stress was what I saw around me.  In that moment, I forgot who I was.  This is a critical part of the Jesus prescription, remembering who we truly are.  As I look back on that day on the trail, I realize what my friend was trying to teach me.  For if Jesus has defeated death, then I need not fear it as well {Romans 6:9}.  How much stress does that remove from our lives, just knowing that we no longer need to fear dying?  The apostle Paul also provides us with valuable knowledge in Galatians.  Paul explains to us that the old person we once resembled is no more, but has been replaced with the Spirit of Christ Jesus.  Therefore, it is Christ Jesus who lives in us today {Galatians 2:20}.  Do you remember how Jesus dealt with stress in His life?  Well, we can deal with it the same way...as Him.  Oh, how many cold and flu viruses I could have avoided had I simply adhered to the Jesus prescription.  Resting in the knowing that I live my life as Christ who is in me.  And if it is Christ Jesus who is in me, then I have His strength in me as well.  The Jesus prescription.  

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

Philippians 4: 13 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

Life And How We Live It

 

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

1 Corinthians 10: 31 NKJV 

What does your future hold?  Is your stock portfolio up to date?  What worries do you harbor towards your retirement years?  If you're like most people, you have more than enough worries over a life that is definitely finite.  I mean, how many people do you know (save one) who have come back from the dead and claimed, "What a marvelous place that was!"  As Christians, we're programed from day one that our future resides with the Lord God and not on this rock we call home.  Then again, many a Christian spend their days worrying about what the future holds.  It's easy to do, for all which we see before us each day is this world.  I get it.  Sometimes it's difficult to see singing angels and streets of gold through all which we experience in this world.  For this world is a dark and violent place, right?  It's a fallen world, right?  Well, let me remind you that it is also a world where the fingerprints of the Lord God are all over that which He has created {Genesis 1:1}.  God took nothing {Genesis 1:2}, and made it into something.  The critic will point out and ask how Gods fingerprints can be on such a dark world.  Hey, I agree, sometimes this world can look like one messed up place.  Yet, who is to blame for the seeming downfall of this world?  Did God suddenly decide to turn His back on all which He has created?  I think not.  If we take a step back and think about the history of our world we might see something interesting.  Because it's not God who is to blame for the downfall of this world, but we ourselves.  A good place to begin this torrid look into the history of mankind is at its source in the garden of Eden.  For it was here where Adam and Eve ate of the fruit and swallowed hook, line and sinker the bold faced lie that we are somehow separate from God {Genesis 3:4-5}.  Satan's promise was that we would indeed, 'Be like God' if we ate of that forbidden fruit.  Well, how did that work out for you?  What Adam and Eve did not see through the charming words of the cunning serpent was that they already WERE like God.  It was God who has created us in His own image {Genesis 1:27}.  It is also God who has breathed into us the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  From the beginning, we have been like God.  

They are of the world.  Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.  We are of God.  He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 

1 John 4: 5 - 6 NKJV 

Some are going to say, Scott, are you saying that God turned His back on the world and allowed mankind to destroy it?  No, that's not what I'm trying to get across here.  Remember, as His creation, the Lords fingerprints are all over that which we see.  I recall a hiking trip a few years back where a good friend who continues to remain nameless challenged me to see God in the nature that was surrounding us.  If our eyes are opened, it's not too difficult to see.  For if God created all which we see, is it that far of a stretch that He is in all that He created?  Think about that the next time you look around and see all which is wrong with the world.  Remember also that God operates freely in all which He has created.  So, if you are indeed worried over all that is happening, go to the source and ask of Him what He is trying to show us through His works.  I don't profess to know all there is to know about the Lords ways, but I do know that I am able to have a conversation with Him any time I desire.  How is this possible?  The apostle Paul explains it to us in Galatians, of Christ Jesus who now lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  Here's a radical thought, not only does God continue to rule over His creation, but Jesus walks in it through us each and every day.  Who knows, maybe this world isn't so bad after all.  

"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 

~Scott~ 

Fighting Soldiers

 

The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.

~George S Patton Jr.~ 

Every so often it escapes my notice that each day I slog into a battlefield where my enemy seeks my destruction.  This isn't a traditional battlefield, but has nonetheless been with us for thousands of years.  The veterans of these battles are people such as us.  Bankers, lawyers, retired workers, the homeless.  It is not a traditional war, but make no mistake, it is a war nonetheless.  We do not war against that which we can see, but against those in the heavens {Ephesians 6:12}.  I recall listening to a sermon or two on the benefits of the spiritual armor of God as we fight the fight against Satan and his emissaries.  We have the breastplate of righteousness {Ephesians 10:14}.  We protect ourselves with the shield of faith {Ephesians 10:16}.  Finally, we are to put on the helmet of salvation {Ephesians 10:17}.  Is this the apostle Paul's call to battle, or simply a reminder to the believer of who they truly are?  For along with this armor of God comes other things which the armor symbolizes.  Truth, the gospel of peace and the word of God.  All of these are available to us in our own fight against the enemy.  So, here is my question, is one who does not realize he is at war even at war?  The scripture clearly tells us that we wage a war daily against those who wish to destroy us.  I've heard many people talk about how bad our society has become, yet I see this as a attack by the enemy.  Are we to expect anything less from a being who is bent on our destruction?  We're told that our enemy prowls about seeking whom he may devour {1 Peter 5:8}.  That's me, he's after me!  Not only that, but Satan continues his assault on believers and non believers alike.  If you are a child of God, it is guaranteed that Satan will seek to destroy you at some point.  The truth of the matter is that we are all Gods creation, even Satan himself.  Yes, Satan is a created being created by God.  Where things began to go south is when Satan began to see himself as separate from and better than God {Isaiah 14:12-13}.  As Satan proclaimed, he would "Be like the most high."  So, how did that work out?  Instead of being one of the most cherished angels of the Lord, Satan now spends his time seeking how he might be a thorn in the Lords side.  This is the spiritual battle.  

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5: 4 - 5 NKJV 

I asked myself the question the other day as I took notes on this page.  Would Satan ever attack God directly?  Some would call this a losing proposition, yet I say that Satan attacks God with all of his assembled forces every day.  The apostle Paul introduces us to the reality of Christ Jesus living in us {Galatians 2:20}.  Therefore, if Christ is in us and Satan rallies his minions against us, isn't Satan attacking God directly?  Spiritual warfare my friends.  We are assured of the truth that it is Christ Jesus who now lives within us.  Despite this truth, Satan continues his assault on all who would trust in the Lord.  He is also a brilliant master of disguise, making himself look like the angel he once was {2 Corinthians 11:14}.  Yet I do not look at what is displayed against me, but what my victory is through Christ will be.  A good friend once told me, "When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future!"  For Satan knows all too well what his future holds {Revelation 21:8}.  He already knows that he's on the losing end of this deal, he's simply trying to take as many of God's children down with him as he can.  For me the choice is simple, and I've already made it.  Jesus lives in me and I live my life as Him.  How wonderful does the world look, and do you trust the guy who's bent on destroying you? 

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise his heel." 

Genesis 3: 15 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

A Lesson In Motivation

 "I don't measure a mans success by how high he climbs but by how high he bounces once he hits bottom"

~General George S Patton, U.S. Third Army~ 

I that I'm not the only one this has happened to.  Yet, this week it certainly felt that way.  Those times when circumstances force us to take action one way or another.  If we heed the call we accomplish a goal.  But if we put it on the back burner we may just be overwhelmed by our circumstances.  Nobody enjoys being pushed into a corner, I get it.  Your car has that rusty floorboard that you've been putting off fixing forever.  Then one day you notice the floor is no longer there...decision time.  Do you shirk your chores and continue to put it off, or do you fix the problem?  The wiring in your refrigerator has gone haywire.  You keep telling yourself that it's an easy fix, yet you continually ignore the task.  Then, one morning you wake up to a pool of water on the kitchen floor.  Suddenly, what may have been a easy fix is something that may cost a large amount of money.  Don't spend your time cursing the refrigerator, it's an inanimate object void of feelings or emotions.  The bigger question I would be asking is, why didn't fix it back then?  It always surprised me, when these obstacles would appear in my own life, just how many times that I would get upset with God for allowing such things.  Really?  First off, let me clear the air about God.  God is not a overseer whose only task is to sit on His heavenly throne and watch over us.  This is part of the old mainstream church paradigm, which doesn't work too well here.  Also, God has given each of us the ability to choose.  This is a good thing, I mean, God definitely didn't want mindless robots as followers.  These kinds of people are better suited as democrats.  So, if the Father has given us that unique ability to choose how we live our lives, how is it Gods fault when things go south?  Now, I believe that God ALLOWS things to happen in our lives, but we are the ones who choose how to deal with them.  Anti church people have used the same, tired old argument for years.  Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?  I cannot answer that, but what I can say is, why don't good people make better decisions?  Yeah, I know, not a popular train of thought.  Do you suppose that God allows situations in our lives which will present us the opportunity to choose?  The kid at the party who is suddenly pressured into drinking a beer.  The driver in a hurry who is tempted to drive through that stop sign.  What will your choice be?  

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give it to you." 

John  15: 16 NKJV 

I've spent a lot of time here on our ability to choose, but where is God in all of this?  Well, He's in the same place He's always been, living in us {John 17:21}.  The apostle Paul also reminds us of this truth in Galatians {Galatians 2:20}.  Therefore, if we believe that Christ is in us, are we to believe that we are somehow separate from God?  If God indeed is the creator of all that we see, is there anything we experience which can be classified as a random event?  Absolutely not.  For there is nothing which has ever or will happen in our lives that God does not have intimate knowledge of.  So why does He allow circumstances in our lives?  Like I said, choices.  I was faced with a few choices this week resulting from things I have let sit on the back burner for too long.  Apparently, Jesus decided the time had come for some changes...choices.  Is this somehow a motivational kick in the butt from Jesus?  Perhaps, but I am presented with the same choices another in my situation would have to make.  Am I somehow being punished for not carrying out good choices?  No, that's the old church paradigm.  What Jesus is doing is tapping me on the shoulder to remind me that it's decision time.  What will I choose?  One thing is certain, no matter what choice I make Jesus will remain in me as He always has.  

"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 

~Scott~ 

Trade In Value

 

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Philippians 3: 20 - 21 NKJV

A few years ago, while driving to work, I was involved in a accident.  While I was not hurt, my venerable old Jeep had seen its last ride.  In the eyes of any insurance adjuster, it was a total loss.  The needed repairs were not deemed worth the value of a car her age.  I get it.  I'm sure that there are many others out there who have had similar experiences.  I thought of this incident this week as we began to look forward to discussing our new bodies.  New bodies?  We're not talking about new car bodies here.  No, I'm talking about OUR new body which scriptures tell us that we are awaiting for {Philippians 3:20-21}.  Now, I'm not a biblical Pharisee school scholar, but I also know that something would not be written in scripture unless it needed our attention.  So, let's look at this notion of the transformed body.  I'm assuming that it begins with our transformation from this physical realm to the spiritual world we will enter into once our time in this world has ended.  Is this the point where we get our new bodies?  Well, according to the apostle Paul, we are awaiting for Christ Jesus to conform our flesh and blood bodies to His own?  It is not surprising that many a Christian does not know a lot about the transformed body, because not many people wish to talk to things concerning death and the thereafter.  I guess we've gotten too comfortable with our lives in this here world.  Even while I was in church, I rarely heard a sermon from the Pharisee school of thought which spoke to our post death bodies.  So, I'm assuming that most people are not too well informed on the subject, myself included.  So, what is my flesh and blood body worth?  What sort of trade in value will I have?  Of course, these are all questions floated from a worldly point of view.  Somewhere along the line, someone might feel that their flesh bodies do not carry a high trade in value.  Well, that's not the way it works in Gods plan.  Besides, God is not judging by flesh and blood, as that is not our one true identity.  Again, Paul helps us out by pointing out who it is we are in Christ Jesus {Galatians 2:20}.  Yes, we may consist of flesh and blood, but our true identity is in Christ.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."  "O Death, where is your sting?  Oh Hades, where is your victory?" 

1 Corinthians 15: 52 - 55 NKJV 

So what is it that we are waiting for?  Are we awaiting that last farewell which our earthly brethren will bestow upon us once we leave this world?  Or, as Paul advised us, are we awaiting a time when Christ Jesus will provide for us that incorruptible body once and for all?  Well, as for me, I'm not providing too much loyalty into this world.  My hope is for that new body which I have been promised.  I know that it will be uncorrupted.  I also know that my life in Him far outweighs a life conformed to the world.

~Scott~ 

A Love Without End

 See 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.

1 John 3: 1 NKJV 

I've been a Christian for a good many years, yet in some ways I am still young.  One thing that I still try to comprehend is the unending love which the Father has for me.  I mean, what did I do to deserve the God of all creation to call me His own?  What have I ever done which would cause the Lord to make way for my future in Him?  I ask these questions a lot because, being raised in Christianity, I was taught that being a believer was definitely a reward based proposition.  Yes, I am created in Gods own image.  Yet, somewhere along the way I became a sinner.  As we all know, sin is something God cannot be part of.  So here we began to see the beginnings of the narrative that there must be a separation between myself and God.  If I am but a sinner, then I toil away here on earth while God is in heaven watching over me.  A personal relationship with God?  Not likely, remember I'm a sinner.  Indeed, it is this teaching which taught me to believe that I would never measure up to what the Lord desired of me.  This would be a all too true statement, if not for the love of God.  For it is by the love of the Lord that I am created in His image {Genesis 1:27}.  God, knowing that I am not perfect without Him, created me not for what I was...but for what I would become.  I will never believe that God desires that I live in the false belief that He is separated from me.  This is a impersonal God given but to punishment and rewards.  Is God more of a overseer than a loving Father?  I believe that most Christians see Him as a loving Father, yet they continue to follow the old paradigm.  The old paradigm that tells us that we can experience the Lords wrath of kindness depending on how we live our lives.  Not so long ago, I seriously believed that I would end up homeless if I did not spend my money in a way which was pleasing to the Lord.  Think about it, if God does not like how we spend the money He has provided, wouldn't be therefore punish us by taking it all away?  Once again, that old paradigm.  It took me awhile, but I began to chip away at the teachings of the old paradigm.  The wonderful thing is, when we can see past the old teachings, we began to see God for who He truly is.

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.  God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

1 John 4: 16 NKJV 

I can't recall a exact day when I began to see God as less of a score keeper and more of a loving Father, but I know that it was well after I left the church.  Maybe all of those years listening to the old paradigm were finally wearing off.  Whatever it was, I was tired of living my life always wondering what I would do next that God would not be pleased with.  Worse yet, what would my punishment be?  I remember back in my church days where it was common practice if someone was having a rough situation in their lives that a few of their Christian brethren would remind them that God was probably not pleased and was punishing them in some way.  Those who have been in the church long enough may have experienced this as well.  Was this the Lords motivation for fellowship, that our brethren would tell us that we were being punished?  I think not.  It's no coincidence that after I left the church that I began to see God in a way I seldom had.  God was not a overseer...but a loving Father.  He loved me enough to create me in His image.  He loved me enough to claim me as His own.  I believe that the old paradigm which many Christians have grown up in is simply a fog or a mist which we need to strive to see through to the true identity of who God is.  The mist obscures reality for a short time, but it never changes it.  I find more comfort in the thoughts of what God has accomplished in me than in the thoughts of the old paradigm.  God is love, a love never ending.  

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

Ephesians 2: 4 - 5 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

Redemption Road

 Lord I'd love to see my mom and daddy

And what I'd give to hold that boy of mine

I'd get down on my knees and say I'm sorry

If I could only go back one more time

~When you leave that way, Confederate Railroad~ 

Is there someone in your life who you long to make amends with?  Maybe someone close to you who you've had a difficult relationship with?  I can give you the standard answer which was given to me by a few friends of mine some time ago, just call the person.  Well, the trouble with that is sometimes fear and regret go hand in hand and, before we know it, time has stolen the opportunity from us.  I think of my situation with my dad, which was not the best to say the least.  I have a few cherished memories of my father during those times when alcohol was not in control of his life.  It is during these times that I remember a man who, despite his own troubled upbringing, took the time to hang out with his two boys.  This is how I would rather remember him honestly.  I don't want to recall that man any longer who left his family when his sons were still quite young.  That wasn't the man I knew as my dad.  The trouble is, he didn't know the man he was either.  I thought about this a lot as I traveled my own redemption road over the past few years.  I wonder if my dad ever regretted what he had done.  I like to think that he did.  My father passed away in 2018, two years after my mom did.  From the obituary and a few comments I believe that he lived a quiet life in his later years, working on his cabinetry hobby and walking his dog.  I wonder if there were days he thought of me.  I believe there were.  I also believe that he was traveling his own redemption road as I was mine.  The redemption road is never a easy one to travel.  All too often it is filled with regrets and dreams of what we could have done better.  Yet, God never brings us to a place where pain and regret are the only result.  I think of the apostle Paul and his own torrid history.  A man who once persecuted the early church.  Yet, God chose that moment to reveal in Saul His only Son {Galatians 1:15-16}.  I would think that if anyone had a excuse to walk that redemption road it would be Paul.  However, it is Paul who reveals to us the truth of Christ Jesus in us {Galatians 2:20}.  What was revealed to Paul will also be revealed to us in Gods timing.  

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3: 13 - 14 NKJV 

Did Paul ever think of that redemption road?  Maybe, but he also makes it clear in Philippians that he is now focused on forgetting things of old and pressing forward for those things which are ahead of him {Philippians 3:13}.  Paul knew that focusing on that which he did in his younger days was useless and unproductive.  What Paul was zeroing in on was his own future in Christ Jesus.  Good thing, too, because as he does this he provides us with invaluable insights into our own life in Christ.  A life where that redemption road is simply something I pass along the way to something far greater in my life.  For those who walk the redemption road there is ample time for regrets and sorrow over what might have been.  I don't have time for such things.  There is a oft used quote which states that "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."  I agree.  What have I learned from my own redemption road history?  Well, I learned that my father, as rough as he tried to portray himself, was simply a man who loved his kids.  These are the memories I hang on to.  I long to be like Paul, pushing aside the mistakes of the past to strive for what lies ahead in Jesus.  Far greater is my reward in Christ than what this world has to offer.  If you find yourself on the redemption road, keep in mind that pain goes hand in hand with it.  That is not the best which God has planned for us.  

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8: 1

~Scott~ 

Two Men At The Temple

 

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.  

1 John 5: 14 - 15 NKJV 

Prayer should be an easy thing for the believer.  Think about it, when we need guidance or provision, we are told that if we simply come to the Father that He will fulfill our requests.  Sounds simple, right?  Yeah, until we began to put more thought into prayer than we need to.  We fear that our actions will somehow anger God and that He won't oblige us.  We wonder if we have done enough to please Him.  If there is one thing about our prayers to the Father it is this, they are more of a conversation than a vocation.  That is, we work way too hard in our attempts to figure out our prayers.  Did Jesus ever need to wonder if the Father was displeased?  Did He ever need to worry if He was doing enough for Him?  No.  Yet, we're told that Jesus often retired to a private place to pray...to have a conversation with the Father.  Isn't this the way we should be looking at prayer?  Well, it is if we have our understanding straight about who we are in Christ.  For without this realization we are simply like most Christians...leaving requests with a God we see not as a intimate part of our life but as a giver of rewards.  The apostle Paul introduces us to the realization of Christ in us in Galatians {Galatians 2:20}.  Paul realized that his old life was gone and that he had began a new life in Christ {Galatians 1:15-16}.  Notice that Paul is careful to point out that it is God who revealed Christ in him.  This was not Paul somehow being rewarded for good behavior.  Remember, it was Saul who persecuted the early church {Acts 8:1-3}.  There is absolutely nothing with God that resembles a popularity contest.  Do you think that the prayers offered up by the religious leader Saul were any different from those of Paul?  I believe they most certainly were.  For Saul prayed to the idea of a God while Paul prayed to a God whom he shared a personal connection with.  

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

Luke 18: 9 - 14 NKJV 

As I write this page, I'm in the middle of a health event which struck me this week.  Yes, I've indeed had my conversations with Jesus concerning what it is I am going through.  Yet something struck me early this morning as I was talking with the Father.  The message?  'Look at all which I have provided you.'  Indeed, I have health insurance for those times I need it.  Somewhere along the way I got lost in thinking that my current situation was simply too big for the Father to handle.  This is the blind side of prayer.  Sometimes we lose sight of all which He has provided.  I get it.  Unfortunately, as humans, when we're faced with situations such as this we need to resist that urge to somehow fix things ourselves.  This is less about taking care of ourselves and more about the false belief that we are somehow separated from God.  If God cannot help me then I need to do it myself?  Good luck with that.  I believe that the Father delights not only in that personal relationship with His children, but also in providing for us as well.  Like I said, prayer should definitely be a easy thing for the believer.  There is no more personal conversation that with Christ Jesus who is in us.  

Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.

Hebrews 5: 7 NKJV 

~Scott~