Battle Scars

 

Then Jesus spoke to the throngs and to His disciples, saying "On Moses' seat are seated the scribes and the Pharisees.  All, then, whatever they should be saying to you, do and keep it, yet according to their acts do not be doing, for they are saying and not doing.  Now they bring binding loads, heavy and hard to bear, and are placing them on men's shoulders, yet they are not willing to stir them with their finger.  Now all their works they are doing to be gazed at by men, for they are broadening their amulets and magnifying their tassels.  Now they are fond of the first reclining space at the dinners, and the front seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the markets, and to be called by men 'Rabbi.'  Now you may not be called Rabbi, for One is your teacher, yet you all are brethren.  And 'father' you should not be calling one of you on the earth, for One is your Father, the heavenly." 

Matthew 23: 1-9, Concordant New Testament

For many believers, the traditional houses of worship we all frequent have traditionally been seen as places of escape.  A sanctuary against the wiles and wickedness of the world we live in.  In church, we've been told, we can lay our hurts upon the altar and find peace in the Lord.  But what if I was to tell you that many of those who have hurt us have indeed come from the same place where we were to find peace?  Trust me when I say that I know this to be true because I've been there.  I know the battle scars of the mainstream church all too well.  I remember the excitement I felt upon hearing the announcement of a few guys in the church seeking men for their weekly golf outings.  Yet when I approached the pastor, he told me that they were looking for guys with more experience in the game and that I should not consider joining them.  Needless to say, this interaction left me feeling unwanted and unneeded.  Not something you would expect to feel in Gods house.  I'm not alone in my experience, for I have since talked to a few friends who have shared similar experiences which they have faced in the church.  Honestly, I am not surprised that so many Christians have fallen victim to the battle scars of the traditional church.  For what is the church but an assembly of men.  Are we to be surprised when men in the church began to show the same behaviors as those in the world outside of it?  Whenever man is involved in something, expect wickedness and bad behavior to follow in some extent.  We can't help ourselves, this is who we are in the flesh.  Is it no wonder that the apostle Paul referred to his own flesh as wicked {Romans 8:6-7, Galatians 5:17}?  Our flesh is highly influenced by the world around us, and we all share in it.  We might enter into the church on Sunday with the most well meaning intentions, but soon that changes.  There are arguments, power struggles and hierarchies which affect even those assembled in the Lords name.  

If anyone should be saying that "I am loving God," and should be hating his brother, he is a liar; for he who is not loving his brother whom he has seen can not be loving God whom he has not seen.

1 John 4: 20, Concordant New Testament 

I have been blessed in recent years with the friendship and fellowship of a former pastor of a church I used to attend.  From his experiences I have come to understand how it is that we have failed those whom we been charged to teach and lead in the Lords name.  I have learned that many of our large modern day churches are simply large businesses in themselves.  What is the goal of any business?  To stay relevant and in business.  How is it that businesses stay in business?  By maintaining cash flow.  There must be more money coming in than expenditures going out.  Knowing this, we may get a better understanding  that morning offering and why it is so important for the church to keep people in the pews.  Granted, not every church follows this pattern, but enough of them do that give our traditional houses of worship a bad name.  As if men in the church being led by the flesh could not give it a bad name already?  I feel that part of the reason that we let our guard down within the walls of the church is due to the fact that we put our trust in those whom the Lord has placed in the church leadership.  Keep this in mind, it is God who has risen up leaders of His people.  If said leaders choose to follow the flesh to the detriment of the congregation, that is on them.  This is not God punishing the church.  Over the years I have seen many a church leader follow the flesh to their downfall.  Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggart immediately come to mind.  Did the congregations of these once powerful Christian leaders bring them down?  No, these men following their flesh did that on their own.  The scriptures tell us to test the spirits of potential false prophets as many have already entered into the world{1 John 4:1}.  It is not the act of an unbeliever to question the teaching of a pastor.  In the end, our faith and trust should be with the Father and not the flesh.  

~Scott~ 

Selling Jesus

And he dispatches to the farmers, at season, a slave, that from the farmers he may be getting the fruits of the vineyard.  And taking him they lash him and dispatch him empty.  And again he dispatches to them another slave, and that one, pelting with stones, they hit his head and dispatch him in dishonor.  And again another he dispatches, and that one they kill, and many others, lashing these, indeed, yet killing those.  "Still one had he, as son, his beloved.  He dispatches him also, last, to them saying that 'they will be respecting my son.'  Yet those farmers say to themselves that 'this is the enjoyer of the allotment.  Hither!  We should be killing him, and the enjoyment of the allotment will be ours!"  And, taking him, they kill him and cast him outside of the vineyard.  What, then, will the lord of the vineyard be doing?  He will be coming and destroying the farmers and will be giving the vineyard to others.

Mark 12: 1-9, Concordant New Testament

I was thinking this week of just how hard the mainstream church is attempting to pull in new believers into their congregations,  At the same time, we are seeing what can best be described as an exodus of people from the traditional church.  The church I, as well as others, grew up with.  Does the traditional church need to keep selling itself in order to draw in more and more people?  Do we need to keep selling Jesus in order to draw more potential believers into our churches?  There are those who would argue that we indeed need to keep trying to fill the pews of the big congregations.  But what does a large congregation mean to you?  Success?  More believers?  Whenever I see a church with a large congregation I think of only one thing...dollar signs.  That's right, the more people in our church congregations and the more monies are brought forward in those Sunday morning collection plates.  Selling Jesus has become quite the business.  I recently spent a Sunday morning enjoying the fellowship of a few friends.  All were believers yet not everyone has taken the same path to knowing the Lord.  What would I say to the staunch church enthusiast who curiously asked me why I would choose to dine with friends than worship in church on a Sunday morning?  Well, the fact is that I see Jesus more represented in this group of friends than I would in any church sanctuary.  This is the church of Christ Jesus, wherever two or more are gathered in His name, He is surely there {Mathew 18:20}.  

For where two or three are, gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 18: 20, Concordant New Testament 

I used to think that the scriptural reference to the church of Christ was in some way related to a brick and mortar church.  In fact, my church resume includes time spent in a church of Christ.  It wasn't until I was older with a few more years under my belt that I realized the truth of the church of Christ Jesus.  The church of Christ Jesus has no sermons, no loud worship music and (gasp!) no offerings.  What the church of Jesus does offer is fellowship in Him.  This is exactly what I was experiencing recently with my fellow Jesus believers, fellowship in Him.  I'm sorry, but I just don't feel that there too many fellowship opportunities presented for fellowship in the mainstream church, but that's a rant for another day.  I've come to understand just why we are seeing such a large exodus from our traditional churches, and it has nothing to do with building the best and fanciest church buildings.  It would seem that what does matter to people is a spiritual connection with the Lord.  What people are searching for is to KNOW a relationship with Jesus.  Unfortunately, our brethren in the mainstream church haven't gotten the message yet.  And so the people leave, hoping to find Jesus somewhere else.  But Jessus isn't One we need to spend years searching for.  Many believers fail to realize the gift which we have been given.  The gift of knowing Jesus in a more personal way.  The apostle Paul points this out in Galatians {Galatians 2:20}.  Not only is the spirit of the Lord with those who gather in His name, but the spirit of Christ Jesus is with us each and every day.  So tell me, would you rather work at accepting the idea of Jesus which the church is selling, or knowing the true Christ which God has given to us for free?  

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 Unchurched

 

God is spirit, and those who are worshipping Him must be worshipping in spirit and truth.

John 4: 24, Concordant New Testament 

I had a friend ask me the other day why it is that I do not sit in a church pew on Sundays anymore.  Am I angry with God?  Have I given up on Him?  On the contrary, I am neither angry with My Lord not have I turned my back to Him.  If anything, my absence from traditional houses of worship has brought me closer to the Lord.  But how can that be?  Traditionally the church has been seen as the focal point of all things Christian.  The church is where we BECAME Christians.  In the church we were nurtured, taught and surrounded by all that is in the Lord.  Yeah, maybe in a perfect world.  As I related to my friend, the church has its own issues just like any other man made establishment.  The church has its hierarchies.  The church has its own internal conflicts, and the church indeed has its own personality conflicts.  There are those who step foot into a church fully expecting to see the green grasses of the other side of the fence.  Unfortunately, this is rarely the case.  At least that was my experience.  My friend has come to believe that I have somehow fallen off the Christian wagon and that it's his God ordained mission to bring me back on board.  Good luck with that.  He's not alone, for there have been many well meaning believers who have tried to entice me back into the church fold.  So far I have steadfastly resisted their efforts.  There have been those who have taken to referring to me as somehow "unchurched."  If they believe that, so be it.  In my heart I know that I am closer to God than I ever was on a Sunday morning in a brick and mortar building.  It was not the church that revealed Christ Jesus in me.  That revelation came to me from the Father after I had left.  If you listened to my friend, I should be alone and desperately searching for God.  Well, I'm not searching for the Lord.  I am experiencing Him each day.  

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, according as the custom of some is, but entreating, and so much rather as you are observing the day drawing near.

Hebrews 10: 25, Concordant New Testament 

I've often heard the verse commonly taken from the book of Hebrews and used by many a Christian when it comes to recruiting people into their own congregations.  That we are not to forsake our gathering unto the Lord as some have {Hebrews 10:25}.  Sounds pretty cut and dry, right?  Thou must go to church!  Well, the problem we run into when referring to this passage is that was written to believers during a time of intense Christian persecution.  The Romans had decreed that those of the way (followers of Jesus) were to be persecuted and prosecuted for professing their faith.  Therefore, many believers got into the habit of meeting in secret to avoid being seen by the authorities.  The author of Hebrews is pointing out to the believer not to forget to gather in worship of the Lord.  I have always wondered just what a gathering of the early church of the followers of Jesus was like.  Would it in any way resemble the churches we have raised up?  Were there loud music bands?  Was there an offering?  Were there long sermons?  From what I have managed to learn of the early church, there were none of these modern church trappings in the early church.  Instead, what we would have found is a community of believers coming together to talk of and celebrate the Lord Jesus.  When I find a church such as that, I'll be the first one in line every Sunday morning.  

Now all those who believe were also in the same place and had all things in common.  And they disposed of acquisitions and 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 exaltation and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor for the whole people.  Now the Lord added to those being saved day by day in the same place. 

Acts 2: 44-47, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

Old Friends

 

For everything that is in the world, the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the ostentation of living, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

1 John 2: 16, Concordant New Testament 

It's been said that one of the toughest parts of overcoming any addiction is that moment when it stares you in the face once again.  Like an old friend, it comes knocking once again seeking your attention.  Those who have been through the process of alcoholics anonymous know full well the benefit of having a "sponsor" to assist in guiding them through the post addiction process.  When the times get hard, and those old friends are knocking at the door once again, it is good to have someone to call on who has walked the same path as you are.  Scripture tells us that no one man can go through life's adverse situations on his own {Ecclesiastes 4:12].  So, it's good to have a helper to assist in guiding us through the tough times in life.  The interesting thing about our addictions is that they can come in many shapes and sizes.  Alcohol and drugs no longer corner the market on addiction.  Many are those who have found themselves enslaved to food, sex, cigarettes and other things which may not be the best for us.  I've known a few of these addictions myself.  One of the toughest lessons I've learned as I have struggled to overcome my addictions is that they never completely go away.  Sooner or later you will once again come face to face with that which enslaved you for so long.  What will you do?  Will you once again fall into the pit of addiction.  The short term recovery rate for alcoholics seeking treatment is between 20 and 50 percent.  Think about that, if you are a alcoholic, you have a 50 percent chance of beating it.  Not to overuse a pun...but that is a sobering statistic.  One thing I have noticed is the lack of faith based addiction recovery programs available out there.  Granted, each church may indeed have their own recovery programs, but the guilt and shame of publicly admitting addiction can be a tough pill to swallow.  From being in my share of churches, I can say that many congregations see addiction recovery as failed sinners.  Who wants to deal with that label?  And yet, the very essence of the sin which once enslaved all mankind is that it continues to be something to be reckoned with each day.  

Knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for sin, for one who dies has been justified from sin.  Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, being roused from among the dead, is no longer dying.  Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, He is living to God.  Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament

Not too long ago, as I struggled to understand the entire sin and death of sin issue which the Apostle Paul speaks to in Romans 6, a good friend of mine compared that sin to the minions of my former life continuing to attempt to convince me that they were still relevant in my life.  It is, indeed, a accurate description.  For anyone who has seen the Minions animated films, you know that these creatures can be, as our own sin has proven to be, quite convincing.  They will repeatedly try to climb over the walls of their former home in you to once again establish residency.  That is the reason for the 20 to 50 percent recovery rate for alcoholism.  This is the reason so many continue to struggle with the demons that have tortured them for so long.  A big part of my own recovery is recognizing that the minions never really go away.  They simply await their next opportunity.  As former residents in your life, they KNOW what it takes to once again entice you.  They knock on the door promising you the same enjoyment which you craved before.  However, that can be your defense mechanism if you let it.  Not long ago, the minions came knocking at my door one night.  I was alone, nobody there to talk to, so once again I followed the minions to their destination.  But then something funny happened.  For instead of the minions leading me, the Lord was assuring me that THIS was not the man I was created to be.  I wasn't that guy the minions wanted me to be.  So I ditched the minions.  I had been reminded that, through the death of Christ at the cross, that I was no longer a slave to those sins I once struggled with.  I am a new creation.  Of course, the minions will continue to entice me that they deserve a place in me as well.  

~Scott~ 

Gods Ordained

 

Let every soul be subject to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except under God.  Now those which are, have been set under God, so that he who is resisting authority has withstood Gods mandate.  Now those who have withstood, will be getting judgement for themselves, for magistrates are not a fear to the good act, but to the evil.  Now you do not want to be fearing the authority.  Do good, and you will be having applause from it.  For it is Gods servant for your good.  Now if you should be fearing evil, fear, for not feignedly is it wearing the sword.  For it is Gods servant, an avenger for indignation to him who is committing evil.  

Romans 13: 1-4, Concordant New Testament 

How can one who is engaged in immoral behavior speak to others about its consequences?  I listened the other night as a local radio pastor posed that question.  Most of us love to speak to the perils of immoral behavior, unless we're the ones behaving wrongly.  The modern Democrat party is a prime example of such hypocrisy.  For the past few years, they have taken each and every opportunity to prosecute the man Donald Trump.  Trumps crime?  Well, he was elected president, defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016.  Ever since that point, each and every possible misstep by Trump has been investigated as a possible crime.  However, when a Democrat politician falls out of line of moral behavior (and there have been plenty), the Democrats attempt to explain it away as a simple mistake.  Again I ask, how can someone who is engaged in immoral behavior speak to others about its consequences?  Politics, indeed, is a dirty business...and business is good.  One of the great rallying cries of those in the Christian community over the past decade or so has been for believers to take our elections seriously.  While I agree with that, I also question what we as believers are attempting to gain.  More conservative leaders?  More Christian friendly policies?  Whatever the motives, we must realize that those in power which we might be speaking against were placed there by the Father.  It is God who has raised up His chosen leaders over His people.  While we demand that every vote count, the Lord places into the seats of power those which He wills.  Does that mean that God is somehow as corrupt as those He uses?  Absolutely not.  However, what it does mean is that the Father is in complete control of each and every seat of power in His creation.  So the question for believers is not one of Republican or Democrat, but if we trust in God enough to allow Him to work in the world around us.    

He is altering the eras and the stated times, causing kings to pass away and causing kings to rise, granting wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those knowing understanding.

Daniel 2: 21, Concordant Old Testament 

There is an old phrase that the hippy types of the sixties used to toss about.  Never trust anyone in authority.  That included politicians of any ilk as well as the military, police and other various authorities.  If there were hippies in the churches, and I assume that there were, even the pastors authority may have been questioned.  What was the cause of all of this anti authority behavior?  Well, I believe that it had its roots in the fact that mankind, at its base, is flawed.  Men in authority will behave immorally and preach to those under them of the consequences of such behaviors.  Indeed, this is exactly what happens when one who is flawed is given access to authority.  Yet we miss the underlying message, it is God who has placed such people in their positions.  The very hippies who were protesting those in authority were rallying against those who were put in place by God Himself.  Likewise, the very politicians we believers rage against are the same people who have been instituted by the Lord to be in their positions.  Nothing escapes the attention of the Father.  So what are we, as believers, supposed to do when those anointed by the Lord misuse their authority to the detriment of those whom they govern?  Is it God who has asked you to intervene for Him?  Perhaps you're of the opinion that you're doing the Lords work by opposing those YOU have deemed to be immoral?  News flash, you're not doing the Lords work.  What you are doing is speaking out against those the Lord has raised up.  We do well to remember that we can trust Him in everything.  

~Scott~ 

Raising The Dead (God's Love)

 

Perceive what manner of love the Father has given us, that we may be called children of God.  And we are!  Therefore the world does not know us, for it did not know Him.

1 John 3: 1, Concordant New Testament

Growing up, I remember one of the ways that my mother would make me feel better when I was hurting.  In those times, she would often hold me and tell me that God loved me.  At the time, I was more interested in hearing that my mom loved me, but I grew up at least knowing that God loved me as well.  I found myself thinking of those times this week as I struggled through a few of life's situations.  I admit, there are still times in my life where I need to hear those words...God loves me.  You'd think that being a Christian born and raised that I would already be assured of this, but I still have my moments where I need to be reassured.  In my heart I know this to be true, but it is still good to hear it.  I think of all of those whom we might come into contact with in our daily lives, and how much they may desperately need that confirmation as well.  When was the last time that you told someone that God loves them?  Can you think of anything more life changing than hearing those words?  I recently had the experience of speaking to a girl named Heather who happened to be living on the streets of Portland.  As we talked, she told me that she missed her family but that she didn't want them to see her in the condition she was in.  Her breaking point came when I tried to assure her that God loved her.  At this point, this tough street kid started to cry.  I'm guessing that at that moment Heather needed to hear that God indeed loved her.  How powerful of a statement is that?  The apostle John marvels at this as well as he reveals the Lords love for us.  A love that assures us that we are His children {1 John 3:1}.  Is it any wonder that my mother would choose those times when I needed it the most to remind me of the Fathers love for me?  I believe that most people do not hear those words quite enough.  

And we know and believe the love which God has in us.  God is love, and he who is remaining in love is remaining in God, and God is remaining in him.  

1 John 4: 16, Concordant New Testament 

As believers, I believe that each and every church service should began with one statement...God loves you!  We spend far too much time focused on the do's and don'ts of Christian life that we sometimes forget that it is the love of the Father that is at the base of our belief.  Jesus tells us not to covet.  Does He do this out of a sense of right and wrong?  Perhaps, but I believe that His main focus is His love for us.  It is because of His love for us that He gave Himself in our place {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  We also understand that the very nature of the Father is one of love {1 John 4:8}.  He is not a God of hellfire and brimstone as the Old Testament at times depicts.  The Fathers main purpose is not to remain in heaven and watch for the next opportunity where we mess up.  No, because of His love for us, He remains in us today {Galatians 2:20}.  In spite of our former condition, it is God who loved us enough to send His Son to die for us {Romans 5:8}.  There is absolutely nothing that will ever separate us from the love of the Father {Romans 8:37-39}.  The message of Gods love for us could be a strong one for someone in desperate need to hear it.  Do you know someone who needs to be reminded of the Fathers love for them today?  I remember in those times when I needed it the most I was reminded of the Fathers love for me.  I don't think I'm wrong when I say that He desires all of His children to know of His love for us.  

He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love. 

1 John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Road Not Taken

 

And not to be configured to this eon, but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for you to be testing what is the will of God, good and well pleasing and perfect. 

Romans 12: 2, Concordant New Testament

There's a guy I work with.  Someone of, let's just say nefarious behaviors when it comes to his recreational time away from work.  A man with a wife and three children who has been known to drop back a few beers at the local strip club before going home at the end of the day.  A real family guy.  As most readers of this page know, that was once my way of doing things as well.  That was the road I used to travel before Jesus pulled me back.  My coworker wondered this week why he had not seen me at the local watering hole for awhile.  I simply told him that I had been a bit busy, because trying to explain to him the real reason for my absence may have been a bit over his head.  I'm not sure that he would have understood that night I realized that I was somewhere I didn't belong.  Don't get me wrong, I had been a regular attendee to the local dens of iniquity for quite some time.  It's what guys do, so I was told.  So, you can imagine the shock among my work brethren when they realized that I was not partaking in the time honored male tradition of admiring the female body.  As far as Jesus was concerned, it was not the place for me to be.  Far too many people often find themselves traveling down that road I once did.  Walking somewhere they shouldn't be.  My coworker continues to do just that.  The only difference between myself and him is my realization of the Lord Jesus in me.  Were he to chance upon his own revelation of Christ, he might change his path as I have.  It is never the Lords intent to see His children waste their lives in the pursuit of what many would call worldly treasures.  Scripture tells us to avoid such things {1 John 4-6}.  People such as my coworker are of the world, that is what they flock to.  Yet, we recall a man named Saul who also once walked in the world but was shown the error of his ways.  

Now Saul, still breathing out threatening and murder against the disciples of the Lord, approaching the chief priest, requests for him letters for Damascus to the Synagogues, so that, if he should be finding any who are of the way, both men and women, he may be leading them bound to Jerusalem.  Now in his going he came to be nearing Damascus.  Suddenly a light out of heaven flashes about him.  And falling on the earth, he hears a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"  Yet he said, "Who art Thou, Lord?"  Yet He said, "I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting."  

Acts 9: 1-6, Concordant New Testament 

Would anyone dare think of the apostle Paul as an unbeliever?  Would any well meaning Christian stake claim that Paul was wandering down that wrong road in life?  Well, before it was revealed to Paul who he truly was, he was the man Saul who persecuted the believers of the early church.  It was Saul who fought for the execution of those who followed the words of Jesus.  Raised up deeply in the Jewish faith, Saul saw the teachings of Jesus as blasphemy at the very least.  Being the loyal religious soldier, Saul did his part to do away with those of the way, the early church.  Yet, that road Saul was walking one day brought him face to face with the One whom he had been vehemently against for so long.  The man Jesus.  What is interesting to me is that from the beginning of his encounter with Jesus, Saul, seems to know that he is dealing with something different here.  His initial response leads us to this conclusion..."Who are You, Lord?"  Now, it may well have been the bright flash of light that blinded him that brought him to that conclusion, but being a religious man himself, I believe that Saul had a hint of who he was dealing with.  So, another man wandering in the wiles of the world receives the revelation of Christ.  Anyone see a pattern here?  I am satisfied to tell those I once associated with that I no longer indulge in that which I used to.  Some accept me despite of that while others walk away.  If there is one thing I have learned from this is what I learned outside the strip club that night.  No man is beyond the reach of the Lord.  

~Scott~ 

The War Within

 

A wretched man am I!  What will rescue me out of this body of death?  Grace!  I thank God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Consequently, then, I myself, with the mind, indeed, am slaving for God's law, yet with the flesh for sin's law. 

Romans 7: 24-25, Concordant New Testament 

There is a common phrase thrown out whenever someone acts in the wrong way.  The devil made me do it!  There may be a sliver of truth to that, since it is the deceiver who introduced us to sin in the first place {Genesis 3:4-6}.  Yet we can't throw all of the blame for our bad behaviors on the most obvious scapegoat, for we ourselves have a role to play in that movie.  Not only do we at times have the desire to behave wrongly, there is a part of us which is more than willing to go along with the plan.  That part of us is none other than our flesh.  To put it in perspective, it is Christ who indwells in us {Galatians 2:20}.  Yet, it is our flesh that is the container for His being in us.  Granted, Jesus did away with that old nature that He would make His home in us {Romans 6:6}.  It is the flesh that remains.  It is our flesh that is often at war with the desires of the Lord.  It is our flesh which God referred to as His enemy {Romans 8:7}.  This should not come as a surprise to most believers, as scripture is filled with passages that depict the flesh as being contrary to the desires of the Lord.  Now, the flesh is not entirely wicked, it is simply highly influenced by our outside world around us.  The apostle Paul realized that his mind was obedient to the Lord but his flesh was indeed focused on sin {Romans 7:24-25}.  Should we anguish as Paul did upon our realization that our flesh is contrary to God?  What wretched man am I!  No, for even Paul realized that although his flesh may be highly influenced, it is the grace of the Lord which saves us from ourselves {Romans 7:24}.  

For the flesh is lusting against the spirit, yet the spirit is against the flesh.  Now these are opposing one another, lest you should be doing whatever you want. 

Galatians 5: 17, Concordant New Testament 

It is important to remember that despite the fact that our members are waging war against the desires of the Lord, all is not lost.  I am not that wretched man.  For through the love and grace of Christ Jesus I have been redeemed.  Despite the war raging within me, I still reserve the right to choose bad behavior or choosing Christ.  My focus can be on Jesus, or on the world around me.  Because of the sacrifice of Christ at the cross, I am a new creation in spirit {2 Corinthians 5:17}.  This vessel that is so influenced by the world around me was also lovingly created by the Lord {Genesis 1:27}.  For many believers, the mind is focused on the Lord.  Yet the fleshly body is all too often focused on what not to do.  We can see this evidenced in the number of Godly men who have fallen victim to one perilous behavior or another.  I used to think of pastors as  men of the Lord with iron will.  I would try to model myself after their passion for the Lord.  That was then, this is now.  In recent years, the mainstream church has been rocked with allegations and charges of these men of God behaving badly.  More evidence of the war waging within.  Knowing the good which pleases God, yet instead choosing to follow the deceptions of the flesh.  I've been down that road as well.  Guilt, condemnation and shame are the usual outcomes.  As believers, we might feel that all is lost when we make the choice to follow where the flesh leads.  We may see ourselves as that wretched man Paul agonized over.  We do well to remember that Christ Jesus has provided for our redemption.  We are no longer defined by our flesh, but by Christ in us. 

~Scott~ 

Loving The Unlovable

 If anyone should be saying that "I am loving God," and should be hating his brother, he is a liar; for he who is not loving his brother whom he has seen can not be loving God whom he has not seen. 

1 John 4: 20, Concordant New Testament 

I passed by a billboard the other day which struck at my heart as it should many self proclaimed Christians.  The sign said simply...Christians love their enemies.  Really?  Well, I'll tell you, there is a entire world out there that probably would not agree with that statement.  I do not agree with it, and I'm a believer.  Let's be clear, I DO NOT disagree with the loving our enemies statement, I just feel that as believers we have fallen far short of what was expected of us.  Sure, we might out on our Sunday best and shake our brothers hand, but all that goes out the window as soon as someone cuts us off in traffic.  I am in no way attempting to be condemning here, I am simply bringing up what Jesus desired for His followers.  It can be said that Jesus is not shown in us when we treat our brethren badly.  However, I am of the opinion that Jesus never leaves us.  Therefore, He is in us even when we deny our brother.  Is He approving of our actions?  Probably not.  Yet if we listen to what the apostle Paul has proclaimed, Jesus dwells in us no matter what {Galatians 2:20}.  How is it that we, as believers, can convince the world of the truth of the indwelling Christ when we treat others in questionable ways?  My first question to them would be, is this how Jesus taught you to treat people?  Of course, most believers know that Jesus was pretty clear when it came to how we're supposed to treat one another.  With the same love that He shows us.  It is through our love for the brethren that God will be glorified {Matthew 5:16}.  I will be the first to admit that I have fallen short when it comes to loving those around me.  I won't go through a list of those I've considered unlovable, only that it exists.  There are those who have wronged me, insulted me and treated me badly.  My response has always been the one taken from the world, get mad and get even.  Oh, there are times when I have given grace to my brethren, but it's definitely an area I need to pay more attention to.  

Thus let your light shine in front of men, so that they may perceive your ideal acts and should glorify your Father who is in the heavens.

Matthew 5: 16, Concordant New Testament 

It's really not a big shock to me as to why we choose not to bestow our brethren with love as Jesus commanded.  We think we know better.  When someone treats us wrongly, instead of showing the grace of the Lord we have already convicted them in our hearts.  How much better would we feel if we were to absolve what others have done to us and allowed the Lord to deal with it all?  Do we trust Him enough to do just that?  I know that I haven't.  My list of accused and condemned brethren is quite long.  Yet the Fathers intent is to transform that list of accused into a roster of those blessed through His love and grace.  I could have shown them love, but I thought my way was better.  After all, those who practice wrongdoing are guilty right?  Well, that kind of reminds me of a story of a pot and a black kettle.  At some point in my life, I was that guy who treated someone wrongly.  Was it my expectation, then, that God should condemn me for doing so?  If so He never got that memo.  For all of the brethren that I have mistreated, the Father is the One that showed me His love.  How much so will He also show love to those I treat wrongly?  We believers do not have a monopoly on the blessings of the Lord.  Nor are we immune from those who will treat us in a bad way.  What we can be assured of is that when we love those the world deems to be unlovable, it is Christ who is showing Himself through us. 

~Scott~ 

Separation Anxiety

 

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 

The other day I heard of a story of a young man who, while facing a trial in his life, came to the realization that as he went about his day, that God was there right with him.  I do not dispute this belief.  Modern Christians are quick to point to the fact that God continues to be a integral part of our lives...albeit from a distance.  Growing up in the traditions and legalism of the mainstream church, I came to accept as fact the idea that my Lord was not a physical part of my life, but One who sat in heaven and manipulated events to His choosing.  Should I need help, and if it fit his will, God would manipulate events in my favor.  However, if I was acting in a not so holy way, then the Lord would deem it in His power to withhold blessings or allow discomfort in my life.  Thus was my early relationship with God.  Like many who attended the churches of our land, I had separation anxiety.  I was in His earthbound plane while God controlled things from the heavens.  Sadly, this continues to be the view of the mainstream church today.  Nothing much has changed as far as the believers relationship with the Father.  Sure, we can proclaim that we love God, but we come up short in our desire for a personal relationship with Him.  The idea that God is with us in the midst of our trials is not a new concept.  Jesus promised that He would be with us always {Matthew 28:20}.  Of course, this introduces the question, if Jesus is with us, can He be two places at once?  Does Jesus pick and choose when and where He accompanies us?  What if I were to suggest that not only is Jesus with us in our trials, but that we walk through those times AS Jesus?  Is this statement worthy of blasphemy?  Perhaps, but reading the words of the apostle Paul presents us with a different view of Jesus.  One the mainstream church seems to have missed altogether.  

Now if the spirit of Him who rouses Jesus from among the dead is making its home in you, He who rouses Christ Jesus from among the dead will also be vivifying your mortal bodies because of His spirit making its home in you.  

Romans 8: 11, Concordant New Testament 

When it comes to separation anxiety, I'd say that the mainstream church puts it into practice.  Separation anxiety in the believer is the struggle to identify the true God from the one the church has propped over the centuries.  Have you ever longed for a closer relationship with the Lord?  Wondered if you were of good enough behavior that God would allow Himself into your heart?  That was my struggle.  I longed to embrace God as I had my own father, yet church teachings told me that this was not possible until I became perfect in the Lords eyes.  I needed to prove to God that I was worth that relationship with Him.  Does this sound like the love of the Father?  Does this sound Like God loved me enough to breath into me the breath of life?  If I wasn't good enough for me to have a personal relationship with God, what was He even there for?  Fortunately, through a good friend, I came across the words of the apostle Paul.  Paul proclaims that those who long for a personal relationship with God can have it.  It is Christ, explains Paul, who lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  It is the spirit of the Lord that is making His home in you {Romans 8:11}.  Keep in mind that this is probably something you will not hear from the pulpit of too many church congregations.  I have often wondered why the church would choose not to proclaim the liberating truth of Christ Jesus in us.  Instead, they continue to adhere to the idea of the Father being separate from the Children He loves so dearly.  It is no wonder that so many believers suffer from this separation anxiety.  

He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love. 

1 John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

Jesus Freaks

 Wherefore , also, God highly exalts Him, and graces Him with the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father.

Philippians 2: 9-11, Concordant New Testament 

Have you ever met someone who was so on fire for Jesus that it could best be described as an obsession?  Their only thoughts are centered around Gods one and only Son and how they can know Him better.  Not only that, but these so called Jesus Freaks go to any length to tell the world around them about the joy of knowing Jesus.  They've heard of all the wonderful things Jesus has done, and they are all in for following Him.  I feel that were these people alive during the ministry of Jesus that perhaps they would have perhaps been disciples of His as well.  The era of the Jesus freaks as I recall was back in the 60's and 70's.  I recall watching tv shows featuring multi colored vans of Jesus freaks traveling around the country.  Of course, this was the public image of someone who followed Jesus back then.  The recent film release Jesus Revolution attempts to capture the spirit of those to whom following Jesus was an obsession.  Not having yet seen the movie, I can only go off what I have seen from the films trailers.  However, I do feel that it is a film worth seeing.  In my time in the mainstream church I would at times encounter someone who came across as being a Jesus freak.  Someone who lived and breathed knowing Jesus.  The interesting thing is, instead of accepting one who desired to know Jesus, those in the churches I attended tended to ignore these admirers of Jesus.  So much so, that in many cases the once proud seeker of Jesus became just another regular member of the congregation...minus the desire to know Jesus.  That fire had been squashed by those who for one reason or another did not want to hear of their form of Jesus.  But has anyone ever realized the Jesus who these Jesus freaks were celebrating?  This is a Jesus of love and kindness and mercy for the downtrodden.  Why would Christians who claim to worship Christ want to silence this message about Jesus?  

He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love

1 John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

The only reason I see that those in the church would dismiss the excitement of the Jesus freaks is that their zeal went against the narrative of the mainstream church.  It is well known that Jesus was crucified and buried and that He rose again on the third day.  This is basic Christian knowledge 101.  But the story of Jesus does not end there.  I prefer to view the cross as the starting line for Jesus and not the end of the race.  As He claimed to His followers, He will be with us always {Matthew 28:20}.  I prefer not to think of Jesus as a liar, so I take Him at His word.  One of the most encouraging scriptures I have found was penned by the apostle Paul and it concerns the reality of Jesus in our world today.  Paul writes that it is Christ Jesus who lives in him {Galatians 2:20}.  I feel that a lot of believers get lost in the reality of Jesus, and it all depends on which message you are receiving.  For most of my life, the church version of Jesus was spoken to me.  This is the Jesus who died for me, was buried, rose again and ascended into heaven where He now resides.  This, of course, flies in the face of the Jesus Paul was speaking to.  Imagine my own confusion as I was introduced to the reality of Jesus indwelling in me.  I no longer needed to strive to "be like" Jesus in order to be successful.  Jesus put to death the man I once was, clearing the way for His life in me {Romans 6:6-11}.  This is the message of the truth of Jesus.  It is rarely preached in the pews of Christianity, so this may be your first time reading what some might consider to be heresy.  Thinking back, this was the message that the Jesus freaks were attempting to give us.  Jesus is alive! 

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~ 

In The Line Of Fire

 

When I get home people will ask me, "Hey Hoot, why do you do it man?  Why?  You some kinda war junkie?"  You know what I'll say?  I won't say a goddamn word.  Why?  They won't understand.  They won't understand why we do it.  They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it.  That's all it is. 

SFC Norm "Hoot" Hooten 1SFODD, Task Force Ranger 2001 

It's a question I've often asked myself, where are you God?  Usually it's in my times of most trouble as I struggle to make sense of one situation or another.  Where is God when we're up against it?  Where is God when the rubber meets that road?  Well, if we stop long enough to think, in the midst of our troubles and struggles God is in the only place that He can be...within us.  The trouble with our life situations is that we rarely take the time to stop and realize the presence of the Lord within us.  Our life situations and how to deal with them seem to take priority in these times.  I get it.  I have been down that road plenty of times.  After my mother passed I became angry with a God who I felt had abandoned me in my time of need.  My grief was clouding my vision.  God was grieving as well.  The pain which I felt at her loss, the Lord felt as well.  How could He not, it is He who dwells in me.  The apostle Paul makes this clear in Galatians.  God is not just a overseer who sits in heaven waiting for His children to screw up or need His help.  He is a active participant in our everyday lives.  The mainstream church will preach to us a version of Christianity which separates us from God, but nothing could be further from the truth.  It is God who created us {Genesis 1:27}.  Not only that, it is also God who breathed into us the breath of life that we became a living creation {Genesis 2:7}.  His very fingerprints are upon us.  How is it that we could deny that our creator would be ever present in our lives?  Yet this is what the church narrative teaches.  Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the dead.  We readily accept this truth of Jesus as fact.  After His death on the cross, Jesus ascended into heaven to be seated next to the Father.  Christianity generally agrees with this as well.  But that's where the history of Jesus ends for many believers.  Leaving many to wonder...where are you God?  

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 the faith that is of the Son of God, who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.  

Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

As we began to realize the presence of Christ within us, we will began to see just how involved He is in our lives.  There is never a time when Jesus is not there with us as we traverse this thing we call life.  His desire is that we be one with He and the Father {John 17:21}.  His place is here with us.  Of course, this presents another interesting question which I was reminded of recently.  If Jesus is in us, what of all of those times where we behave in a not so Christian manner?  Is He still in us at these times?  Yes!  Jesus is the same, He does not change.  In those times where we're not at our best, it is Jesus who is within us grieving the fact that we would do this to ourselves.  This is how Jesus feels when we act in a bad way.  Instead of sitting in heaven waiting to punish the wayward sinner, Jesus is dwelling within us.  He is there in the good as well as the bad.  A comment was made some time ago in one of our gatherings that we act in a way which is pleasing to the Lord.  I agree.  What behaviors are pleasing to the Lord?  We all know the right things to do.  Be kind to others, love those who persecute us and give to those in need.  Jesus often reminded people of these behaviors.  I have not found any scripture where Jesus claims that He is waiting in heaven to punish those who behave badly.  However, I have read the passages of Him being in me {Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:8}.  It has never been the Lords desire that we would be left to our own devices, separate from God who created us.  On the contrary, the joy of the Lord is that we would be one with He and Christ.  

For in Him is all created, that in the heavens and that on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities, all is created through Him and for Him. 

Colossians 1: 16, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~