The Slave Master

 

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, severed for the evangel of God. 

Romans 1: 1, Concordant New Testament 

It's a phrase used often in jest by the working man, "Hey, man, slavery is outlawed!"  Yes, they're right, for the thirteenth amendment to the United States constitution permanently outlawed slavery in this nation in 1865.  To many of our citizens, the evils of slavery and the slave trade are but stories from a history book.  However, too many woke hippies feel the need to resurrect the injustices of the past every now and then.  While I agree that slavery was, and is, an evil we never need to revisit, there is One master who endures to this day.  Yet, this slave master is not bent on personal gain and evil, but on the Love of the Father.  Now, many well meaning Christians will read this and think to themselves, "Christianity, slavery?"  Once again on cue, the chorus proclaiming me as a blasphemer of the gospel will clang like a symbol.  However, I present to you the words of the apostle Paul we find in the beginning of the book of Romans.  It is Paul who introduces himself here as "a slave of Christ Jesus" {Romans 1:1, Concordant New Testament}.  Now, I'll set aside the practices and traditions of the mainstream church, which are all too often themselves akin to slavery, and focus instead on what Paul was saying here in Romans.  Recently I had an ongoing back and forth text conversation with a good friend of mine as to what in the world Paul meant when he referred to himself as a "slave" of Christ Jesus.  It was what they call a teachable moment.  So, why is it that Paul, the outspoken advocate for all things Jesus, would proclaim himself a subservient slave to Christ Jesus?  Indeed, Paul had to know that Jesus Himself was no fan of the evils of slavery.  For good reason, for the slave is not free but chained to the will of the slave owner.  Yet in Galatians, Paul appears to say that slavery is no longer an issue.  In Galatians 3, Paul proclaims that we are but one in Christ {Galatians 3:8-9}.  So, Paul, which is it?  Are you a slave to Christ or are you one with Him?  

In Whom there is no Jew nor yet Greek, there is no slave nor yet free, there is no male and female, for you all are one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3: 28, Concordant New Testament

You might ask yourself after referring to a few of these passages if Paul is being just a bit hypocritical.  Is he a slave of Christ Jesus?  Yes.  Is he one with Him as well?  Again, yes.  This won't take a Department of Justice politically slanted investigation to figure out, trust me.  I believe what Paul was attempting to illustrate in the beginning of Romans is that Christ Jesus is his Lord and master.  His one devotion is to Christ.  He is, absent the chains, a slave to Christ Jesus and proudly proclaims himself as such.  This is not a situation where we would condemn Jesus for advocating slavery, but applaud the apostle for his unwavering devotion to his Lord and Savior.  I don't see how we can see it any other way.  The question isn't how can Jesus be a slave master, but how strong is our devotion to Him.  For all intents and purposes, Paul was a slave to Jesus.  So can a slave be free at the same time?  Again, we turn to Paul.  In Galatians he proclaims that, "For freedom Christ has set us free"{Galatians 5:1}.  Yet, in the second part of this passage Paul advises the reader, "Be not enthralled with the yoke of slavery."  Whoa!  Make up your mind, Paul.  So, has Jesus set us free?  Yes.  Are we to never again be enthralled (submit ourselves) to a yoke of slavery?  No!  Is Paul STILL a slave of Christ Jesus?  Yes!  Did he submit himself once again to the yoke of slavery?  No!  What Paul is doing here in Galatians I believe is illustrating slavery with a life of disobedience and sin.  We are definitely supposed to refrain from that no doubt.  However, we are not to be so foolish as to equate a life in Christ with a life in disobedience and sin.  Our devotion is to our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.  He is our master.  

For freedom Christ frees us!  Stand firm, then, and be not again enthralled with the yoke of slavery. 

Galatians 5: 1, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Two Gospels

 

Yet these are written that you should be believing that Jesus is the Christ, The Son of God, and that, believing, you may have life eonian in His name. 

John 20: 31, Concordant New Testament 

Growing up, I had never heard of the two gospels.  In fact, to speak of such things could very well get one labeled as a blasphemer.  Most believers who have spent some time in any mainstream church, however, have indeed heard the two gospels spoken without even knowing it.  So my readers are clear, I risk being labeled a blasphemer or heretic for the sake of illustrating what has become known to me as the two gospels.  One spoken by Christ Jesus.  The other proclaimed from the pulpits of the churches for a few thousand years.  I am no conspiracy theorist, as there is no room for those types where Jesus is concerned.  You either believe that Christ Jesus is the Son of God...or you don't.  There is no middle ground here.  Even now, I can hear the teeth of religious purists grinding as I dare speak to this blasphemous topic.  But, that's what I do.  So, what am I speaking of when I mention the two gospels?  Sorry, these two competing gospels.  My trusty Google dictionary describes the word gospel as 1. The teaching or revelation of Christ.  2. A thing that is absolutely true.  3. A set of principles or beliefs.  Personally I think we can toss number three as being just page filling fluff.  So, we're left with two definitions that constitute the gospel.  When combined, they represent the absolute true teaching and revelation of Christ Jesus.  Sounds simple enough right?  How is it possible to mess this up?  Well, trust me, the mainstream church found a way long ago.  Beginning with Constantine's  Nicene creed in the year 325, church leaders sought to find a way to make the gospel universal.  Sort of a one size fits all religious belief.  The Nicene creed, as it's known, is what the church leaders of the day came up with after much discussion and debate.  This Nicene creed would now become, for all intents and purposes, the gospel of Jesus.  This is what the church would now teach.  

Is this not the artisan, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?  And are not his sisters here with us?  And they were snared in Him. 

Mark 6: 3, Concordant New Testament 

The differences between the two gospels are slight, but nonetheless glaring.  One of the main rejections of Jesus which has come out of the mainstream church is the belief in the separation between ourselves and God.  This is the lie spoken by the accuser in the garden {Genesis 3:4-5}.  On any given Sunday, you can hear some pulpit pounder proclaim the belief that we must strive here on earth in order to achieve the salvation of the Lords presence for eternity.  However, the apostle Paul casts doubt on this teaching as he proclaims that it is indeed Christ Jesus who lives in him {Galatians 2:20}.  If Jesus is dead and in heaven, how can He be alive in me?  Speaking to Jesus being dead, is He really dead?  No.  For Paul also speaks to Jesus overcoming death at the cross {Romans 6:9}.  The true gospel of Jesus, which is seldom if ever spoken to in the halls of the mainstream church, is that Christ Jesus lives among us today.  The true gospel of Jesus is one which has never placed demands upon those who believe in Him.  Those who discover the gospel of Christ Jesus in their hearts will not only discover a new found freedom, but a knowledge of Him which at times contradicts the teachings of the institution which has been tasked with teaching the world about Him.  There, I said it.  Before you push for my expulsion from the church, ask yourselves this question.  Are we to discount all scriptures of the gospel of Jesus that do not agree with the traditional teachings of the mainstream church?  If so, I don't want to live in that kind of world.  

There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe, except the One who calls Himself the I AM {Ex 3:14} and says, "I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside Me" {Isa 45:5}. 

No Independent Self ~ Norman Grubb

~Scott~ 

Free Indeed

 But, to be sure, I am deeming all to be a forfeit because of the superiority of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, because of whom I forfeited all, and am deeming it to be refuse, that I should be gaining Christ.

Philippians 3: 8, Concordant New Testament

I decided this week to write a follow up post to a recent submission I had written (See my post Life Behind The Wall here. Scotts Page: Life Behind The Wall (myscottpage.blogspot.com))decided to do this follow up on the suggestion of a friend.  I had originally written my previous post as a writing on personal freedom.  Of how we can associate being under the control of other people with living under a dictatorship.  Of course, I could illustrate more than a few examples from the mainstream church that would fit this category quite well.  From the mandatory attendance, and legalistic teachings to the tithes we've all been a part of.  Now, many die hard church enthusiasts will point to this as just being sour grapes from a disgruntled Christian, and you wouldn't be too far off the mark on that observation.  However, how then would you explain the mass exodus of people from the congregations of our mainstream churches over the past decade?  If I'm disgruntled with the church, then I've certainly got more than a few people who feel as I do wouldn't you agree?  We can't all be wrong.  All those Christians fleeing from the pews of the institutional church cannot all be simply bored with their surroundings right?  So, there must be something there that convinced me, that convinced them, to leave the church.  It wasn't until a few years ago that I stumbled across what I believed to be the answer to this mass exodus.  Freedom.  I'll admit, when I was a member in good standing with my local mainstream church, I felt at times like I was in a seminary.  Everywhere I looked were the rules and regulations for what I would do or might do in the church.  The tipping point for me came when I was refused admittance to a golf outing with fellow men of the church because, as I was told, it was deemed more towards those members who knew how to play.  I was done.  If this was my freedom in Christ I wanted NO part of it!  

For freedom Christ frees us!  Stand firm, then, and be not again enthralled with the yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5: 1, Concordant New Testament

When I look at the words freedom in Christ I take them quite literally.  For it is in Christ Jesus where we find the true freedom we're looking for.  When you think of it, Jesus is the only freedom which we have.  Where else can we focus our hearts that will bring us such freedom as Jesus does?  Our work, school or relationships?  Jesus transcends all of those.  I would say that anything BESIDES Christ is not freedom but garbage.  This is what the apostle Paul spoke to as well in Philippians..."I forfeited it all, and am deeming it to be refuse" {Phil 3:8}.  Paul knew that he would never find freedom in what the world around him had to offer.  The freedom he coveted could only be found through Christ Jesus.  How is the freedom of Christ shown in the rules and regulations of the mainstream church system?  I would suggest that the church strives to proclaim freedom in the halls and congregations of their surroundings.  That's bunk.  If this were the case, then Jesus Himself would have not proclaimed that He was the One and only path to God {John 14:6}, but that the rules and regulations of the temple would bring one to the Lord.  In fact, it is these requirements which Jesus has nailed to the cross with Him {Col 2:14}.  At the end of the day, do we see our freedom as our own existence?  If so then we are living the lie of the accuser.  Our freedom lies not with the individual, but with Christ Jesus who dwells in us {Galatians 2:20}.  Hence I proclaim...freedom in Christ!  

Erasing the handwriting of the decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and has taken it away out of the midst, nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2: 14, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

Targets Of Opportunity

 

Let the word of Christ be making its home in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing yourselves; in psalms, in hymns, in spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3: 16, Concordant New Testament 

Many have heard of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons school.  Millions have seen the films depicting the pilots who are chosen to fly there, but few know the history of how it came into being.  Top Gun, as the Fighter Weapons School is called by its air crews, was established on March 3, 1969 at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California.  The purpose of this new training facility?  To train selected naval air crews to kill...period.  It came not a moment too soon, for the reports coming back from the conflict in Vietnam showed that the United States was losing the air supremacy fight to the outmanned and outgunned communist North Vietnamese.  Something had to be done.  To date, the United States had lost over 1,000 combat aircraft per million combat missions.  This was unacceptable to the top U.S. commanders.  So it was that on March 3, 1969, Lt. Commander Dan Pedersen took command of a staff of eight F-4 Phantom combat instructors inside a small trailer at Miramar.  Top Gun had been formed.  The intent of the Fighter Weapons school was to recruit the best pilots in the fleet to compete for the title of Top Gun.  Once their time at Miramar had concluded, the newly trained pilots were expected to return to their units and share what they had learned with the rest of the fleets aircrews.  The idea being, a class of around 20-30 aircrews, once they had completed their training, could essentially ensure that the tactics taught by Top Gun instructors would soon be adapted by the air crews of the fleet.  Call it down trickle down training.  I was thinking of this unique training model recently as I went over a post on how the mainstream church goes about discipleship (See my post, The God Factory).  But what possible link could there be between combat pilot training and the sharing of the gospel of Jesus?  Exactly what I would be wondering as well.  However, look at how Jesus began His ministry.  Jesus didn't rely on manuscripts to teach His potential followers how to minister (Did they call it ministry back then?) to the people of Israel.  No, what Jesus did was choose a group of followers whom we have taken to calling His disciples.  These disciples traveled and shared everyday life with Jesus.  As a result, what we have in scripture are first-hand accounts of the important moments in the life of Jesus.  Was this Jesus' intention when He chose His disciples?  I would like to think so.  

Now they were persevering in the teaching of the apostles, and in fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

Acts 2: 42, Concordant New Testament

I have titled this post Targets of Opportunity for a reason.  For those with a knowledge of military procedure, targets of opportunity would be any and all aircraft which would be deemed as a threat.  However, as a believer and follower of Christ Jesus a target of opportunity implies something totally different.  In this context, a target of opportunity is someone who desperately needs to hear the forgiving gospel of Christ.  The father struggling through a divorce.  The parent in pain over their  child's terminal illness.  The addict struggling to ditch the life they're living.  For all intents and purposes, these are targets of opportunity for those who know Jesus.  Those who have been through the grinder of life and have come out the other side encouraged by the presence of Jesus.  But who will speak to them of the reward of knowing Jesus?  Who will tell them that Jesus is closer to them now than He has ever been?  The apostle Paul, himself one who proclaimed Christ to all who would listen, confided that it was Christ who dwelled in him {Galatians 2:20}.  The gospel of the realization of Christ in us is one that is not proclaimed much in mainstream Christianity.  Could it be that there aren't too many of us who would share this truth with others?  Perhaps, but there is little doubt that there are plenty of targets of opportunity who are desperately needing to hear the truth of Jesus in their lives.  As the U.S. navy fleet selects their best pilots to compete for the Top Gun trophy, so will our heavenly Father place it on the heart of the believer to share the truth of His Son in them.  In turn, they will share the gospel with others needing to hear.  

How, then, should they be invoking One in whom they do not believe?  Yet how should they be believing One of whom they do not hear?  Yet how should they be hearing apart from one heralding?

Romans 10: 14, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The God Factory

 Going, then, disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.  Teaching them to be keeping all, whatever I direct you.  And lo!  I am with you all the days till the conclusion of the eon!  Amen! 

Matthew 28: 19-20, Concordant New Testament

It was a pretty proud day for me, I was finally being accepted into the group.  One morning during late services I took the step and was submerged into the holy water and became...a baptized Christian.  The pastor who conducted the baptism is none other than my dear friend to this day.  But enough about him, this day was about me and the leap I had taken into becoming a member of the group.  Now I was someone.  No longer was I expected to show up once in awhile as if testing the waters.  No, now I was expected to be in my pew each and every Sunday interacting with the rest of the congregation.  No longer was I expected to simply show up for services.  No, now I was expected to find my niche in the church and use that as my service to the Lord...and the congregation.  The more I thought about it, this whole baptism thing carried with it a whole lot of responsibilities on my part.  These were things I had never been made aware of in my baptism classes.  It seems that I had entered a new life altogether.  The church was my family now.  Of course, over time my enthusiasm for my new home faded until I eventually cut my ties with the brick and mortar church I had been a part of for years.  I want to point out that I did not break ties with those in the congregation, and more than a few remain friends to this day.  However, as far as the God factory was concerned, I was outa there.  I came up with the God factory moniker some time ago as I thought of my years in the mainstream church.  After all, what is the purpose of the modern mainstream church but to mass produce believers who will go into the world and speak the gospel.  Well, what the church calls the gospel.  My first hint of the God factory came when I began seeing the push for discipleship classes in church.  A good friend of mine was very involved in the discipleship ministry, and he has maintained solid connections with many of those he spoke to during his time in the church.  I tried a few times, but I wasn't too successful in speaking the paradigm of the church.  It all seemed to false, too contrived to me.  If I had been a better salesman, perhaps I could have pulled it off.  

"You are the light of the world.  A city located upon a mountain can not be hid.  Neither are they burning a lamp and placing it under a peak measure, but on a lampstand, and it is shining to all those in the house. 

Matthew 5: 14-15, Concordant New Testament

In the essence of being truthful, Jesus does tell us to go into the world and disciple the nations {Matthew 28:19}.  But what does this mean for the common, ordinary church taught Christian?  Are we to approach the world as we were in the God factory, that knowing the Lord comes with its own set of rules and expectations?  Is this the gospel Jesus and His disciples spoke to?  First off, let's define what a disciple is.  The cheap Google dictionary defines a disciple as a follower of student of a teacher, leader of philosopher.  Is it any wonder, then, that the followers of Jesus were referred to as disciples?  That's what they were!  They were followers of their teacher Jesus.  So, what is Jesus speaking to when He instructs His followers to "Disciple the nations?"  Well, I believe that He meant for the nations of the world to become as they were, followers of the Son of God.  But there's more.  Contrary to the textbook messages the God factory produces on how and when to disciple others, Jesus comes out and proclaims all we need to know.  "Teaching them to be keeping all, whatever I direct you" {Matthew 28:20}.  We are to speak what Christ spoke to His followers.  THIS is the gospel.  There is a reason by which Jesus chose and communed with His disciples.  That they, being followers and direct observers of the Son of God, would proclaim to all the world what they had witnessed.  This is the gospel of Christ Jesus which we have today.  We don't need the how to manuals of the God factory in order to speak to the life of Jesus.  We don't need a rehearsed speech to tell someone what the indwelling Christ has done in our life {Galatians 2:20}.  

~Scott~ 

So This Is Freedom

 

For, in the Lord, he who is being called a slave, is the Lord's freedman.  Likewise, he who is called being free, is a slave of Christ. 

1 Corinthians 7: 22, Concordant New Testament 

I've spoken recently to the idea of the freedom we have in Christ Jesus.  Yet, to most who have never truly experienced this freedom it might seem like something that is out of reach.  That's exactly how I saw this when I heard people speak to the idea of freedom in Christ.  So, is there true freedom in Jesus?  From my own experience, I would say yes.  However, I do have a dog in the fight as well.  I believe in my heart that I am free in Jesus.  That is, free from where I used to be.  Where I used to be was a belief in a system that preached each and every Sunday a concept of submission.  This is what the mainstream Christian church has become.  This wasn't a gradual change, but a change made over a few thousand years ago.  Over time, the message has remained basically the same.  For a traditional church going believer, there are expectations which come with our beliefs.  The expectation to serve.  The expectation to tithe and the expectation to fill our pew each and every Sunday are among a few of the expectations I struggled to uphold in my time in the mainstream church.  These days I speak to others, and they are somewhat surprised that I haven't stepped into a brick and mortar church in over fourteen years.  I've been accused more than a few times of forfeiting my faith.  I've been looked upon as one who has given up on believing in God.  All because I forsook entering into a building each and every Sunday.  But hear me out on this, I truly believe that what I have done is not forsake the Lord I trust and believe in, but to throw away the chains of a system which held me captive for so many years.  You could say that I exchanged one freedom for another.  That I exchanged the freedom of celebrating my beliefs with like minded Christians for the freedom of being one with Jesus.  

For freedom Christ freed us!  Stand firm, then, and be not again enthralled with the yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5: 1, Concordant New Testament 

I know that those who may not be familiar with the freedom found in Jesus might be surprised at such terms as slavery, captivity and submission.  To Many Christians, these are words which might describe their former lives of sin before they found the Lord.  It has been widely accepted that prior to recognizing the saving grace of the Lord, that we are bound by the chains of captivity to sin.  That's the popular mainstream church story anyway.  For we are all sinners deserving of God's grace {Romans 3:23}.  I do not dispute that sin has been a part of each of our lives in the past.  However, I believe that like a terrible actor, we give sin way more credit than it truly deserves.  The apostle Paul went so far as to declare that we are now dead to sin {Romans 6:11}.  This seems to be true in that Jesus became sin on our behalf that we might not suffer its consequences {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  This is what originally got me thinking of my freedom in Jesus.  Yet the mainstream church continues to speak to sin and forgiveness.  I get it.  Remember, one of the expectations of each and every church goer is to fill a pew each week.  What better way to keep people coming back than to lead them to believe that it is the church itself that holds the key to their freedom.  The church can set you free.  The church is your one connection to God.  Well, if being in church is freedom, I don't want any part of it.  Freedom rarely comes with expectations and rules to be followed.  One could say that these are the chains of the bondage of the church.  So does going to church bring one closer to God?  Not according to Paul, who proclaims that God does not dwell in temples made by men {2 Corinthians 5:1}.  So, where does God live then?  Again, Paul helps us in our understanding.  Paul speaks to Christ Jesus in us {Galatians 2:20}.  This is the foundational scripture of our freedom in Jesus.  For if we know and realize that it is Christ Jesus in us, what good are the words of the church that claim that only the church can bring us closer to the Lord?  It is not the building, ages old theology or fancy sermons in that we will find our freedom.  It is only through our faith and trust in Christ that we are truly free.  

Now the Lord is the spirit; yet where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3: 17, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

Life Behind The Wall

 "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

~Ronald Reagan in West Berlin, June 12, 1987~

United States President Ronald Reagan knew the stakes.  He was well aware that what he was doing could possibly put him in history's spotlight...and he was right.  As the American president stood before a crowd at the Berlin wall that day, he knew all too well that he was in ear shot of those in communist held East Berlin.  Perhaps even those within the highest reaches of Soviet government would be listening.  We now knew that they were.  When the time came, Reagan made his plea..."Tear down this wall!"  The Berlin wall, hastily constructed by the communist authorities in 1961, was the barrier which separated a free West Berlin from the East and the communist Eastern block.  Over the years, thousands of freedom seeking citizens had defied certain death in their attempts to cross over, under of through the Berlin Wall to the freedom of the West.  While many succeeded, many more also died in the attempt.  Such was the pull of the freedoms enjoyed by those in the west.  I never thought that in my lifetime I would see the fall of the Berlin Wall, but a few years later in 1989, that wall came down.  Freedom had prevailed.  I thought of these events this week as I pondered the writing of this post.  Although I have never lived under the hands of a dictatorship, I know all to well what it must feel like.  One of the definitions of a dictatorship is absolute authority.  Indeed, those in East Berlin the day of President Reagans speech were not free to walk to West Berlin if they chose to do so.  So, how is it that I could ever know the restrictions of living under absolute authority?  Well, my experience comes not from living in a dictatorship, but from living with those who, for whatever reason, believed that they had every right to treat those around them with absolute authority.  We've all seen that type, using imagined authority in order to control others.  The huge difference between life in a dictatorship and dealing with someone who "feels" that they have authority over you is that you are free to walk away if you choose.  I recall a conversation I had with a pastor in church as he discussed playing golf with a few of the men in the church.  Interested, I expressed my interest in playing.  However, this pastor claimed that these outings were more for guys in the church who "already know how to play."  Of course, I was hurt that someone in church who had authority would treat me that way without so much as a thought.  I was living under a dictatorship, and it sucked.  

For freedom Christ frees us!  Stand firm, then, and be not again enthralled with the yolk of slavery.

Galatians 5: 1, Concordant New Testament 

I feel that one of the most misunderstood terms in Christianity is "Freedom in Christ."  What does freedom in Jesus really mean?  Well, I believe that it can mean something different to different people.  Like those living under a dictatorship, freedom can have many meanings.  Freedom can mean being free to decide one's life for themselves.  Freedom can also mean being free to travel wherever we want.  But freedom in Christ?  What's with that?  I never truly understood the freedom found in Jesus while I was attending church, because I was living under authority.  There were rules that needed to be followed.  There were expectations to be met.  One of these expectations was that I was expected to be in church each and every Sunday.  If I happened to miss a Sunday, the questions would come rapid fire once I returned.  Where was I?  Did I realize what I had missed?  Had I backslidden?  Like I said, I was living under the authority of the church.  Words like freedom in Jesus seemed to me like something I achieved, like salvation and eternal life.  My first taste of freedom in Christ Jesus came at a gathering of friends on a Sunday morning...outside of the church.  Suddenly, I felt as if a weight had been lifted from me.  I was free to speak to the freedom I finally felt.  Not only was I living without the restrictions of church authority, I was basking in the freedom of knowing that Jesus would never condemn me for missing a church service.  This meeting among friends did more for my realization of my freedom in Christ than anything I had ever before experienced.  It has never been the desire of Jesus that the Lord's children live in the bondage of slavery to authority.  On the contrary, it is through Christ that those chains of bondage have been broken {Romans 6:6}.  Freedom is what we all have through Jesus.  

Now all those who believe also were in the same place and had all things in common.  And they disposed of the acquisitions and the properties, and divided them to all, forasmuch as some would have had need.  Besides persevering day by day with one accord in the sanctuary, besides breaking bread home by home, they partook of nourishment with exultation and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor for the whole people.  Now the Lord added those being saved day by day in the same place.

Acts 2: 44-47, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

When Jesus Was Cool

 

Here's to you Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know

Mrs. Robinson ~ Simon and Garfunkel 

I know it sounds strange, but growing up it seems I learned more about the nature of Jesus from pop culture than from any sermon I sat through.  We're not talking the story of Jesus, but His nature.  The man Jesus was.  For decades we have been bombarded with the very idea of who Jesus truly is.  Jesus is kind, longsuffering, merciful and full of grace.  In fact, just about any aspect of God's nature we will also discover in Christ Jesus.  It is Jesus who proclaimed that if we see Him then we have seen the Father as well {John 14:9}.  It is impossible to look upon Jesus and not see the Father as well.  I've noticed that back in the 70's that modern pop culture seemed to embrace Jesus and what He stood for.  I'm not sure if it was the result of the turbulent times in our country or not, but the idea of Jesus and what He might do could be found everywhere.  Jesus was cool.  From popular music to television and movies, Jesus was the talk of the town.  The crescendo seemed to peak in 1971 with the release of Andrew Lloyd Weber's film Jesus Christ Superstar.  By 1980, the Jesus themed rock opera had grossed 237 million worldwide.  But that wasn't all, thanks to the success of the film, songs from the soundtrack played through radio stations from coast to coast.  I recall listening to the title track of the soundtrack more than once and wondering why I had not heard it in church on Sunday.  Such was the popularity of Jesus in that day.  And what of the religious themed movies?  Who can forget Charlton Heston flinging those tablets of stone against the canyon walls in the film The Ten Commandments?  I don't know about you, but after the first few times seeing that movie I feared what God might do to me when I did not obey Him.  I'm sure that I was not the only one whose own perception of God and Jesus was changed by popular culture.  For good or bad, Jesus was being brought front and center into our lives.  

"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.  And henceforth you know Him and have seen Him."  Philip is saying to Him, "Lord, show us the Father and it is sufficing us."  Jesus is saying to him, "So much time I am with you, and you do not know Me, Philip!  He who has seen Me has seen the Father, and how are you saying, 'show us the Father'?  Are you not believing that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?  The declarations which I am speaking to you I am not speaking from myself.  Now the Father, remaining in Me, He is doing His works."

John 14: 7-10, Concordant New Testament

One of the most longstanding pop culture created things about Jesus is simply...what would Jesus do?  We've seen it plastered on everything from bracelets to t shirts.  I won't lie, I still own a few WWJD bracelets I got from church.  What is it meant to imply to those both wearing this Jesus fashion statement and those who see someone wearing it?  Exactly what it says...what would Jesus do in any particular situation?  Would Jesus flash a rude gesture to someone who cuts us off in traffic?  Would Jesus condemn someone who doesn't quite believe the same way that we do?  Of course not.  If we've studied scripture long enough, we know what Jesus would do in these situations.  So, when we're presented with another negative situation we need not wonder...what would Jesus do?  The WWJD bracelet is one thing which I can understand having a positive impact on the lives of others.  However, if it becomes simply a trendy fashion statement then we are definitely missing the point.  Maybe all of this pop culture Jesus craze was created for a reason.  Created not by man, but by a loving Father longing to connect with His wayward children.  I can believe in that more than most of the movies I've seen.  Jesus will always be cool.  

But, to be sure, I am deeming all to be a forfeit because of the superiority of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, because of whom I forfeited all, and am deeming it to be refuse, that I should be gaining Christ.

Philippians 3: 8, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

In His Presence

 We may be coming, then, with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may be obtaining mercy and finding grace for opportune help. 

Hebrews 4: 16, Concordant New Testament 

The word sanctuary is partly defined as a place of refuge or safety.  Using this definition, many people have stuck the name sanctuary on whatever places they deem make them feel safe and unhindered.  We have sanctuaries in church, sanctuary cities and personal sanctuaries.  Pretty much anyplace which makes us feel safe can be labeled as a sanctuary I'm guessing.  For me personally, one of my sanctuaries is the local gym I have been going to for some time.  It's here where I concentrate on myself and ignore the background noise going on around me.  Where is it that you find yourself being safe?  At home?  At work?  The local bar?  Like I said, we've used the sanctuary word to describe someplace that makes us feel safe and secure.  As a young believer, I often wondered why it was that the main part of the church was often named the sanctuary.  Now I know.  It is here where we often gather in worship to the Lord.  It is the church sanctuary which we all too often associate with the Lord's presence here on earth.  This isn't by design, but a remnant of years and years of church theology.  Back in the day, common temple worshippers were actually forbidden from entering the so called holy of holies...the sanctuary of the temples of that day.  Only the priests were authorized to venture into the holy place where it was believed the presence of the Lord dwelled.  Knowing this, can anyone be faulted for believing that there is a disconnect between ourselves and God?  I once believed this to be true, but this is also what I was once taught.  Take a look at many popular Christian songs and/or hymns of old and see how the author is longing to "see" the Lord.  Far too often, we refer to "Being in the Lord's presence" as if God were somewhere else besides with the children He loves.  Knowing the Lord as I now do, I don't believe that this was His intention at all.  If we can say that a sanctuary is anywhere we can rest in the Lord's presence, then the entire world might just be His sanctuary.  

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ.  Now that which I am now living in flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.

Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament

This entire idea of a sanctuary holding the presence of the Lord is an idea perpetrated by the church over the years.  I've seen well meaning pastors jump on the opportunity to proclaim that God Himself was present in their church sanctuary.  I would have to agree with that, although not for the reasons you might be thinking.  I agree that God is with us because this is the truth of Christ Jesus in us.  The apostle Paul, who must have been seen as quite the radical in his day, proclaimed that it was Jesus Himself who lived in us {Galatians 2:20}.  Perhaps relating the same truth as Paul, John proclaims that Christ was sent into the world that we "Might live through Him" {1 John 4:9}.  Once we have the revealing that Christ is in us, then we can rest in the knowing that there is nowhere we will ever go where we are not in His presence.  As I said, the entire world is His sanctuary.  Even in the most hectic places we may find, we will find His presence.  There is nowhere we can go where God is not with us.  All of you up and coming pastors out there need to take note of this before you proclaim that your church is that one special sanctuary which God has blessed with His presence.  That idea smacks of the false claim uttered by Satan in the garden {Genesis 3:4-5}.  Satan deceived Adam and Eve into believing that if they took of the forbidden fruit that they would suddenly "Be like God."  News flash, dude, you were ALREADY like God.  It is in His image that we were created {Genesis 2:7}.  We were never created to be outside of our Fathers presence.  We are forever in His sanctuary.  

There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe, except the One who calls Himself the I AM {Ex 3:14} and says, "I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside Me" {Isa 45:5}.

No Independent Self ~ Norman Grubb

~Scott~ 

The List

 

I'll see you in heaven if you make the list

Man On The Moon ~ REM 

For most of my Christian life, I've been chasing the dream.  The dream that I would spend the remainder of eternity in the presence of my Lord and Savior.  However, like most dreams, this one came with a price.  The price for following this dream was that I would need to give up most, if not all, of the earthly pleasures I had come to know and love.  That was the price of following the dream of the believer.  In it's place, I would need to adhere to more than a few strict church and biblical rules which all too often I saw as being put in place more to keep me under control than to help make me a better person.  That better person would be the one who adhered to the righteousness of God and obeyed the rules and regulations of the mainstream church.  Tithe one tenth of what I earned.  Abstain from harsh language.  Turn the other cheek.  If I was successful in adhering to these rules, then I could indeed "Be like" Jesus.  Yet, being like Jesus was NOT the same as having a relationship with my Lord.  I mean, wasn't the point of making the list to be able to be with the Lord forever?  What if I didn't make the list?  What if I indulged way too much from time to time?  Could it be that God would declare me to be unworthy of His presence?  If this were the case, were my sins which Jesus had given His life to absorb {2 Corinthians 5:21} somehow reinstituted?  Would God go back on His promise to me to absolve me of my sin?  Would God therefore prove Himself to be a liar?  It might sound ridiculous to some who know better, but this was a part of the fear of the Lord which I grew up believing.  This is what I heard from the pulpit more often than not.  It seemed that the game was rigged.  I mean, I was born a sinner {Romans 3:23} then I would spend the remainder of my life trying to prove myself worthy of Gods salvation.  Would I make the list?  

For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is Gods approach present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting. 

Ephesians 2: 8-9, Concordant New Testament

The first time I began to question my own efforts in making the list was in a class I was involved in at church.  The pastor, a good friend, had just introduced us to the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9.  It is here where Paul blows a hole in the theory that we need to compete for the Lord Gods favor.  Far from being confused, I was relieved that my efforts to date had not been in vain.  It is the love and grace of the Lord which assures us that we are no longer seen as sinners in His eyes.  Paul explains that no matter what we might accomplish, thinking that we are securing our own place on Gods list, it is ultimately His love and compassion for His children that has driven the Lord to provide for our salvation {1 John 4:10}.  His desire is that through Christ Jesus all would be saved {John 3:16-17}.  This has nothing to do with a popularity contest and everything to do with Gods love for us {1 John 4:8}.  The fear which many Christians have is that they would not perform well enough to deserve the favor of the Lord {James 2:10}.  This is the stranglehold which the mainstream church has had over believers for thousands of years.  Many a believer has suffered and struggled for a spot on the list all the while encouraged by the mainstream church.  We have been told we must suffer for His sake.  We have been instructed to earn our spot on the list through our adherence to laws and regulations.  I reality, Christ Jesus has overcome that law {John 16:33}.  The law, being of men, has no basis in the salvation of Gods children.  And what of spending our eternity in the Lord's presence?  Wasn't that the goal of making the list in the first place?  Once again, Paul speaks to the truth of our reality in Christ.  For we are already in His presence, as it is Christ Jesus who is in us {Galatians 2:20}.  So what is it that remains for us to prove?  For all which we have struggled to acquire God has already provided for us.  

In this was manifested the love of God among us, that God has dispatched His only begotten Son into the world that we should be living through Him.

1 John 4: 9, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

Gardens Of Stone

 

And already coming to the evening, since it was the preparation which is before the sabbath, Joseph from Arimathea, a respectable counselor, who himself was anticipating the kingdom of God, coming with daring, entered into Pilate and requests the body of Jesus.  Now Pilate marvels if He is dead already, and calling the centurion to him, he inquires of him if He died long ago.  And knowing it from the centurion, he presents the corpse to Joseph.  And, buying a linen wrapper, and taking Him down, he wraps Him in the linen wrapper, and places Him in a tomb which was quarried out of rock.  And he rolls a large stone on to the door of the tomb. 

Mark 15: 42-46, Concordant New Testament

It is a major part of the history of Jesus, and a main part of the celebration of His life.  That Jesus was slain on a cross and buried in a tomb which could not hold Him.  For some time I longed that we, as believers, had the remains of that tomb which to celebrate the history of the resurrection of Jesus.  Some kind of physical connection to the events of those times.  However, this is not the case.  What we do have is the word of the gospel of the Lord and writings of history which document the final days of the Christ.  Each Easter Sunday, believers across the world gather to remember these events.  This is more than a story, it is a part of our own history as well.  For had Jesus not perished on that Roman cross, our redemption would not have been complete.  Sure, God could have chosen another time to rescue His children from themselves, but this was the moment He had chosen.  This was the moment His one and only Son paid the price for our deeds.  For Jesus became sin that we would be free of its burden {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  For our sakes, Jesus was killed and buried in a tomb of stone.  If His story had ended there, I might consider the value of having a physical memorial to recall these events.  However, a Roman cross and a stone tomb could not hold Him.  Yes, the flesh of Jesus had remained after His death and up until the point of His resurrection.  After His resurrection, all that remained were the linens which had been used in His burial.  Yet Jesus remains alive.  Indeed, the cross was not the finish line, but the beginning for Christ Jesus.  The apostle Paul assures us of this reality of Jesus when he introduces us to the truth of Christ Jesus in us {Galatians 2:20}.  So, what need have we for a memorial dedicated to the living?  

Having perceived that Christ, being roused from among the dead, is no longer dying.  Death is lording it over Him no longer.  

Romans 6: 9, Concordant New Testament 

I think of the idea that other believers keep in their hearts that they somehow need a physical memorial to Jesus.  As if His life and experiences are a thing of the past and not of the present.  Think of each and every memorial service you have ever attended and you will more than likely recall a few somber memories.  Maybe it's just me, but I don't want to associate Jesus with black limousines and mourners in black veils.  I want to see Jesus how He is, alive and in me.  If you think about it, memorials are by their very nature a somber experience.  In Arlington, Virginia, our nation memorializes the thousands of young men and women who have given their lives in defense of this country.  Whenever a new member is added it is a somber experience.  The horse drawn caisson slowly makes its way to what will be the final resting place of the fallen.  In one last remembrance, a lone bugle sings out the time-honored tradition of military taps.  The fallen are then laid to rest in their garden of stone.  If this were truly the end, I could accept it.  But if we give heed to the words of Paul, this is far from the end of our being.  For just as death could not hold Jesus, it cannot hold us either.  Through the works of Christ Jesus, we are no longer defined by the physical life we have lived.  What good are memorials to one who is not dead?  Yet as we gather again in the gardens of stone, we remember those who have gone before us.  In our hearts...we await our reunion once again.  

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ.  Now that which I am now living in the flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.

Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament

~Scott~ 

The God Culture

 

Now you are the body of Christ, and members of a part. 

1 Corinthians 12: 27, Concordant New Testament 

For far too many years I have heard too many people refer to the term "Growing up in the church."  Has anyone ever really had this experience?  I've known a few friends in my time whose family was so entrenched in the church and ministry that they literally lived at the church.  I normally have no problem with this idea, as long as it doesn't encroach on my time or my life.  See, I'm totally ok with saying that I wasn't raised in the church.  That doesn't make me any more or less loved by God than the next guy.  I wasn't into all of the church life being spread over all of my life.  In fact, this may be why I stayed away from more than a few church activities while growing up, I'd had enough of the preachy culture.  Indeed, the church has a unique way of turning a simple social event into a full-fledged ministry opportunity.  Give it a rest!  There is absolutely NO need that a simple gathering of the body should be morphed into another sermon of small group teaching session.  That being said, I have no issue with people gathering to share the word and discuss ministry ideas.  Just let the rest of us know beforehand so that I can stay away if I so desire.  As I so often do, I refer back to the words and actions of the ministry of Christ Jesus when contemplating life in the modern church.  Did Jesus use each and every opportunity He was gathered at to speak of the Father and to share His ministry?  No!  Was Jesus more devoted to His ministry than He was to relationships with those around Him?  No!  So, why would we as His body do any less than Jesus did in His day?  Might I say that this whole thing is more about relationship and less about the recognition of any particular ministry.  But this is the church-based God culture at its best.  

Now all those who believe also were in the same place and had all things in common.  And they disposed of the acquisitions and the properties, and divided them to all, forasmuch as some may have had need.  Besides persevering day by day with one accord in the sanctuary, besides breaking bread home by home, they partook of nourishment with exultation and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor for the whole people.  Now the Lord added those being saved day by day in the same place.

Acts 2: 44-47, Concordant New Testament

One of my favorite scriptures of community in Christ is found in Acts 2 44-47.  It is here where we see how the early body of believers in Christ Jesus gathered amongst themselves.  What we DON'T see in these gatherings is anything resembling a mainstream church agenda.  There is no teaching session and no preaching.  Just a like-minded group of believers coming together in Christ.  This is the gathering of the body of Jesus.  The God culture seems far removed from these gatherings.  Now, the scriptures also tell us that the body praised God during their gatherings, so I do believe that there was also some praise and worship of the Lord involved.  I have no issue with that, that is something I do myself each day.  But what remains is that these early believers had no agenda, they came together in Christ.  As I said, I have no issue with the body coming together for the instruction and ministry of the body, just let me know your intentions beforehand so that I can be somewhere else.  I want no part of your God culture.  What I do want is the knowing in my own heart that Christ Jesus lives in me {Galatians 2:20}.  Funny thing, I usually don't need a slick sermon or ministry session to convince me of this truth.  I already know it in my heart.  So it is that I can avoid many of the ministry sessions and pseudo sermons given by those immersed in the God culture.  If your intent is to fellowship, I'm all in.  However, if your intent is to disguise your ministry with fellowship, count me out.  I've seen that movie already.    

~Scott~