Diggin Up Bones

 I'm digging up bones

I'm digging up bones

Exhuming things that are better left alone

Digging Up Bones ~ Randy Travis 

The other day I found myself recalling some of the times I spent with my mother before she passed.  I do this from time to time despite the fact that she's been gone almost eight years now.  Some of the times were good, others not so much.  When I begin to think of her final days and the pain that she was in, I backtrack and think of what I might have done better to make her feel better.  I'm assuming that this is a normal reaction to someone who has passed away as well.  Yet, as I recall what the past hath wrought, I'm left with one conclusion.  It's over, let it be.  Part of our growing process is to examine those things which we have experienced in the past and to learn from them.  Some make good use of this while others do not.  As for myself, I've learned over time that I have never been alone in my life.  Despite the fact that I may at times feel this way, I've learned that I am in the Father and that He is always present in my life {Johns Account 14:20}.  It hasn't only been my memories of my mother which I have drug out from my memory, but also many of the bad choices which I have made, knowing I could have done better.  Again, experience is the best teacher.  I know that I am not alone in digging up the bones of past experiences, we all do this for different reasons.  Our memories can be both beneficial and detrimental.  Yet the underlying truth of our memories is that they represent what once was, not what will be.  Can we recall Jesus as He once was?  Perhaps, but we also recognize that Jesus is the same, He's never changed {To The Hebrews 13:8}.  The mainstream church is big on referring to us as sinners.  Listen to any pastor speak for very long and you're bound to hear the warnings of sin and how we need to repent from it.  Yet what many in the institutional church fail to recognize is that I'm not the guy I once was {Paul To The Romans 6:6}.  That I am a new creation in Christ {Paul To The Corinthians (2) 5:17}.  How can these two passages help us when we exhume the events of our past?  Because the past is gone and that which we have now is far better.  

For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is grave, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is agreeable, whatever is renowned - if there is any virtue, and if any applause, be taking these into account. 

Paul To The Philippians 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

I have seen and heard many of the horror stories of those in the military returning from combat only to find that their war was not over.  When I was younger, I remember my uncle, a Vietnam veteran, walking the halls of the house in the late hours of the night unable to sleep.  Some recent data claims that on average, 17 military soldiers take their lives each day.  While this is a staggering number, consider the circumstances involved.  The military, by nature, exists to prepare those who volunteer to fight to defend themselves and their nation.  War is a ever present reality for all who join our nations armed forces.  When your time in the military is done and you're released once again into civilian life, that transition can be a tough pill to swallow for many.  Indeed, there are many who make the transition without a hitch, but there are also those who continue to fight the ghosts of the past.  The National Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C is visited by millions of people searching for the names of friends and loved ones who served.  Many trace the names of those they remember onto pieces of paper in memory those who have fallen.  I do not take this away from anyone, for it is a part of the grieving process.  But how do we know which of those old bones are good and which ones should remain buried in the past?  Well, I believe that any of those old memories which cause us pain and grief are better left alone.  I've made some pretty bad decisions in the past, but I DO NOT live with the memory of these instances.  I learned from them.  The most important thing I remember is that the old man I once was is dead.  What remains now is Christ {Paul To The Galatians 2:20}.  

Brethren, not as yet I am reckoning myself to have grasped, yet one thing - forgetting, indeed, those things which are behind, yet stretching out to those in front - toward the goal am I pursuing for the prize of God's calling above in Christ Jesus. 

Paul To The Philippians 3: 13-14, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

A Convenient Scapegoat

" I visited every nook and cranny of the camp because I felt it my duty to be in a position from then on to testify at first hand about these things in case there ever grew up at home the belief of assumption that 'The stories of nazi brutality were just propaganda.'  Some members of the visiting party were unable to through the ordeal.  I not only did so but as soon as I returned to Patton's headquarters that evening I sent communications to both Washington and London, urging the two governments to send instantly to Germany a random group of newspaper editors and representative groups from the national legislatures.  I felt the evidence should be immediately placed before the American and British publics in a fashion that would leave no room for cynical doubt." 

General Dwight David Eisenhower upon viewing the German concentration camps

There has been a storm brewing in this nation recently.  A storm of discontent among those who call for the immediate end to Israeli military action against the Hamas terrorists who sucker punched Israel on October 7, 2023.  Chants of "Death to Israel" and "From the river to the sea" have echoed across the college campuses of the country.  Of course, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that these liberal institutions for indoctrination often foment civil disobedience.  We watched this play out in the 1960's and 70's as the anti Vietnam war crowd demonstrated against the war in Southeast Asia.  Many a returning soldier has spoken to being harassed and spit on at various airports across the country.  Now, some Ivy League educated liberal judge may see these actions as free speech, but I see them as assault on another.  In my honest opinion, the Vietnam protests were just a scapegoat for a generation determined to change the moral fabric of our nation.  As surely as Adolf Hitler used the Jewish population of Europe for his own political gains, so are our current batch of college educated liberal young people using the Jewish population of the nation of Israel to get whatever it is they are attempting to gain.  This is nothing new.  Convenient scapegoats have been used for centuries to help people establish themselves as legitimate.  The Jewish people, The war in Vietnam, George Floyd, the list is a long one.  Still, one of the most frequently used scapegoats in history is that of the Jewish population of the world.  The Germans were not alone in their mistreatment of the Jews, for even here in America there is a history of mistreatment of the Jews.  We won't get into the weeds of the claim that these Jews are the "Lords chosen people."  Yes, the Father blessed the nation of Israel, but He also struggled with a stiff necked people at times.  I believe that all are the Lords children, for we share the Fathers image {Genesis 1:27}.  The apostle Paul spoke to our true heritage that we are all one in Christ Jesus {Paul To The Galatians 3:28}.  Knowing this truth, who would you therefore demonize in order to further your cause? 

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. 

Paul To The Galatians 3: 28, Concordant New Testament  

The Scottish poet Robert Burns once penned a poem entitled "Man's inhumanity to man."  In it he described the glory by which every day men did terrible things to their brethren.  From a Christian standpoint, one of the toughest questions to consider is how it is that the Father would allow such treatment of His children.  Yet we see this throughout our history.  The Jews, the Lords so called chosen people, have a history stained by the horrors of mans inhumanity to man.  The battlefields which litter the earth also testify to our own inhumanity to one another.  I do not profess to know the plans of the Lord, but I know enough to trust in Him that His desires and His plans are for the best.  Even in those times where we wonder how it is that a loving Father could allow such bloodshed.  To truly know the Father is to trust in Him no matter the situation.  In the midst of his torment, Job spoke to this as his wife called on him to "Curse God and die" {Job 2:9}.  Jobs response was spot on, and could speak to any difficult situation we experience, "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity" {Job 2:10}?  So it is that placing the blame upon God for the actions of mans inhumanity towards his neighbors is to bark up the wrong tree.  It's not the Jewish people who inspired your own selfish motives.  

And man, whose heaven-erected face

The smiles of love adorn

Mans inhumanity to man

makes countless thousands morn 

Man's Inhumanity To Man, Robert Burns 

~Scott~ 

Who I Am

 

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. 

Paul To The Galatians 3: 28, Concordant New Testament 

I was going through a few health insurance forms the other day when I came across the obligatory question of my race and sex designation.  What made this interesting was the choice at the end, which simply stated "I identify as."  I contemplated a few well thought of responses before I just stated the obvious.  White male.  Of course, if you read the liberal news lately, and I try hard not to, you would get the feeling that most of the worlds problems are caused by white males.  Climate change, crime and even political uprisings.  Yes, the white male is responsible for a good many things.  Yet, on the official form I was forced to identify with someone whom society claims that I am.  The world as a whole sees me as a white male.  But is this who I truly am?  If not, who am I?  Who are we?  The apostle Paul shed some light on this question in his letter to the Galatians.  Paul proclaimed that we are not as the world sees us.  For there are no male nor female, nor white nor black, there is only Christ Jesus {Paul To The Galatians 3:28}.  More importantly, as Paul proclaims, we are all one in Christ.  For it has never been God who chose to separate His children into categories.  To classify His creation based on the color of their skin.  No, this was mans idea all along.  The late Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke of a day when men would be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.  That day has yet to come.  Instead, we base every aspect of our society on race and sex.  Sometimes even those lines have become blurred by mans efforts.  Case in point, the recent transgender efforts.  We now have women who identify as men and men who see themselves as women.  If you don't feel like a man, you can check that box and identify as a female.  I might be old fashioned, but I tend to look at things how Jesus sees them.  So, how does Jesus see someone who chooses to identify as a member of the opposite sex?  Well, I would say that Jesus views this person as he was originally created.  That being in the spirit image of the Father {Genesis 1:27}.  Of course, this might send many a liberal into fits, but it doesn't take away from the truth of who we truly are.  

Now he who joins the Lord is one spirit.

Paul To The Corinthians (1) 6: 17, Concordant New Testament 

I believe that what would help people understand who they truly are is to see themselves as we are, in spirit and not in the flesh {Paul To The Romans 8:9}.  Of course, this might be a tough ask for a lot of people who continue to view themselves by what they see with their eyes.  When I was younger, I tended to see God as resembling my own flesh.  After all, I was created in His image, right?  Wouldn't God look like me?  Unfortunately, that is the wrong way of seeing things in the spirit reality.  In the spirit reality of our true identity, we all bare the same exact spirit image of the Father who created us.  This is who we are in Him. It is the Father who breathed life into these flesh vessels which contain the spirit {Genesis 2:7}.  It is not our flesh which defines us, but the spirit of His very image.  So it is that someone who suddenly decides that no longer "feel" like a man, but as a woman is only fooling himself.  They are missing the point entirely.  This is one situation where what we see IS NOT what we get.  Despite the scriptures speaking to our spirit identity, many believers continue to live in a false reality.  That the flesh is who we are.  Maybe so, but it's not who I am.  

You are not in flesh, but in spirit, if so be that Gods spirit is making its home in you.  Now if anyone has not Christs spirit, this one is not His. 

Paul To The Romans 8:9, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

In That Day

 In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 

Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament 

I discussed with a few of my married brothers a few years ago the phenomenon of how each spouse would know what the other was thinking at any given time.  This was not so much of a surprise for me, as from the scriptures I knew that the marriage covenant was a vow between two people.  However, once married, these two individuals become one flesh {Genesis 2:21-24}.  The fact that the name woman is derived from her very creation testifies to this truth.  "She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man" {Genesis 2:23}.  Most believers are all too familiar with the creation history, how God caused a deep sleep to befall Adam and created Eve from the bone which He took from him.  It is no wonder, then, that two individuals brought together would be considered as one flesh.  So, what would the marriage covenant have to do, if anything, with our life in Christ Jesus?  Well, I use this as an example to illustrate what the apostle John spoke of.  That being our union with Jesus.  Jesus speaks to being in the Father, of our being in Him and Christ in us {Johns Account 14:20}.  This has been a topic which our group has discussed to some extent as of late.  What is it like to live IN Jesus?  Well, if you can picture living each and every day living and walking as Jesus then you may just have a good understanding of this truth.  The reason I used the marriage covenant as an example is because it closely identifies with this truth.  For I have never been a separate entity.  It has never been Jesus and then me, it was always about the union I share with Him.  When I see myself in the mirror, I see Jesus as well.  When I run into difficult situations in my life, I am assured that I share them with Christ Jesus Himself.  Indeed, whatever I think or do, I do as Christ.  This is my union with Him.  This is what Jesus referred to which is related to us through the apostle {Johns Account 14:20}.  As the apostle Paul proclaimed, I no longer exist, what remains is Christ {Paul To The Galatians 2:20}.  

That they may all be one, according as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in us, that the world should be believing that Thou dost commission Me. 

{Johns Account 17: 21, Concordant New Testament  

For its part, the mainstream church has never quite grasped the truth of our union with the Father.  They speak in phrases such as "Being like" Jesus and "Walking with" Him.  There is, in fact, a huge difference in the way in which the traditional church sees our union with Jesus and the actual truth.  The church speaks to the lie of our still being separate from the Father.  That the best which we can hope for is to be close to Jesus.  Well, the very definition of the word union speaks to "Joining or being joined."  When we join a club, we are a part of that organization.  When we join a union, we become a part of it.  When we are united with Christ, we are a part of Him.  Nowhere in the definition of the word union is it intended that one would "Be close" to something.  In fact, if we are "Close" to Jesus, then we are not in union with Him.  This is the truth of our union in Christ, that we are now in Him.  It is also through the love and mercy of Christ that He chose me to be in union with Him {Johns Account 15:16}.  Yes, I may have chosen to believe in Jesus, but it is Jesus who chose me to be in Him.  Not to "Be like" Him, but to be in Him.  What confidence it gives us knowing that we live each and every day in Christ Jesus!  The world could not defeat Jesus, and it certainly cannot defeat we who remain in Him.  

"Not you chose Me, but I chose you, and I appoint you, that you may be going away and bringing forth much fruit, and your fruit may be remaining, that anything whichsoever you may be requesting the Father in My name, He will be giving it to you."

Johns Account 15: 16, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

Free Indeed

 

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

Paul To The Galatians 5: 1, Concordant New Testament 

How many believers out there have at one time or another seen religion as more of a chore than a belief?  The truth is, I don't blame you if you had.  For centuries the institutional church has burdened congregations with the rules of what to do and what not to do in order to have favor with God.  Some may wonder, what does freedom in Jesus really mean?  Well, I can tell you what freedom in Christ Jesus has meant to me.  See, I was once one of those bored church goers who obediently sat in my pew each Sunday while some pulpit pounder spoke of the freedom to be found in Jesus.  One of the most often quoted verses can be found in John 8:36, that if the Son sets you free, then you are free indeed.  Interestingly, the concordant version of the New Testament speaks that if Jesus makes us free, that we shall be "Really free" {Johns Account 8:36}.  Yet, how do you explain freedom in Christ to someone who has never experienced it?  The mainstream church talks a big game by preaching on the freedom found in Jesus, but they fall short in practice.  I believe that freedom in Jesus goes hand in hand with freedom from the obligations of the institutional church.  Freedom from the traditions.  Freedom from the guilt and shame of sin {Paul To The Romans 6:6-11}.  THIS is the freedom which we find in Christ Jesus.  How many times have you sat through a Sunday sermon only to have the pastor tell you that you are a sinner?  Yeah, I've been there.  Of course, believing that we are still in sin is not freedom, but slavery.  Slavery to the yoke of sin.  The apostle Paul speaks in a few places in scripture.  In Romans, Paul proclaims that we consider ourselves to be "Dead indeed" to sin {Paul To The Romans 6:11}.  Make no mistake, when the mainstream church proclaims us sinners, they are perpetuating that which enslaves us!  Dare I say that when the mainstream church speaks to us of being sinners, that they themselves are perpetuating a lie.  The lie which proclaims that, despite giving Himself on the cross to free us of the consequences of our sin, that Jesus failed to accomplish His destiny.  This is NOT freedom in Jesus.  

For the spirits law of life in Christ Jesus frees you from the law of sin and death. 

Paul To The Romans 8: 2, Concordant New Testament 

The truth of Christ Jesus is that He did not give Himself up that Gods children would remain in bondage.  Yet remain in bondage many continue to do.  I have a good friend and coworker who stresses each and every day if he has offered enough prayers to overcome the sins he has committed that day.  Again, this is NOT freedom in Christ.  This is bondage plain and simple.  When the pastor speaks that we are sinners, he attempts to wash away the hope which Jesus brought unto us.  The hope of freedom from the slavery of sin.  I cannot speak to the motivation within the mainstream church as to why they would continue to promote slavery to sin.  All I know is that it does not speak to the freedom we have in Christ.  The freedom which we have in Jesus assures us that Christ died to free us from the yoke of sin.  That we are no longer under the threat of condemnation {Paul To The Romans 8:1}.  More importantly, that we are now one with Christ Jesus {Paul To The Galatians 2:20}.  Not only are we free from the slavery of sin, but we are now free IN Christ Jesus.  I spoke of how it is that I would describe freedom in Jesus to someone who had never experienced it.  It all comes down to one question...are you a sinner?  If you believe that you are still indeed a sinner, then you are still enslaved by sin and not free in Christ Jesus.  For Jesus took that penalty for you that you will be free!  

~Scott~ 

Daughters Of Men

 

The sons of  the Elohim saw the daughters of the human that they were good looking.  So they took wives for themselves from any whom they chose. 

Genesis 6: 2, Concordant Old Testament 

Here is a stunning statistic.  12 Billion dollars annually in the United States goes into...pornography.  At any given moment in time, over 28,000 people are viewing porn on the internet.  35% of all internet downloads are pornography related.  In 2018, users collectively watched 5,824,629,200 hours worth of porn.  We have a problem.  Unfortunately, this is a subject which I am fairly familiar with as I once counted myself to be addicted to this junk.  What was once seen as somewhat forbidden has now become common in our culture.  Yet ask any person addicted to pornography if they are aware that the images they are viewing are someone's wife or daughter and you might just get a blank stare.  The addiction is that strong.  Yes, I call it an addiction just as I realized that I was addicted as well.  Those who justify the use of pornography refer to it as either a coping mechanism or a pleasure of life.  Indeed, the list is long of those who have viewed pornographic images and in then committed violence against women.  Pornography is a trigger for things far uglier.  I was fortunate enough to learn the lies of pornography before it was too late.  I frequented many a nude bar in my time.  Yet on one night I was stopped in my tracks by a feeling in my spirit that this was not the place for me.  I praise and thank the Father for my revelation that night.  Believe me, I prayed A LOT that my desire for those images would fade away.  I would walk into church each Sunday knowing what I had done.  Knowing that God did not approve of it.  When people talk of the guilt and shame of sin, I've walked that road!  However, I've also known the love and forgiveness which the Father gives to all who desire it.  Trust me, a life in the Father is much better than a life lived as a slave to a lie.  

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. 

Paul To The Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

It is interesting that Moses describes in Genesis the erosion of human which God had created.  How the sons of the Lord chose freely from the daughters of the human whomever they desired to be their wife {Genesis 6:2}.  Sounds a bit like todays society huh?  What many fail to realize is that what Moses was describing was the lead up to the flood which God brought upon the earth.  The wickedness of man had reached the point where God pushed the reset button.  One of things I've realized since I've been working to overcome my addiction is that each and every image plastered on the internet of an attractive woman is indeed a daughter or mother or wife.  In the same breath, I react with rage when I think of someone treating someone I know like that.  Yet I was doing the exact same thing!  Make no mistake about it, pornography IS NOT a victimless crime.  The true victims are not those enslaved to viewing the images, but those who are often forced into doing what they do.  I have no magic solution to overcoming this addiction.  However, I can speak with confidence to what opened my eyes to the truth of what I was doing.  Our prayer should not be that the Father would take away the desire, but that He would reveal to us who it is that we truly are inside.  I pray that God would shine His light and pierce the darkness of what we have considered normal for so long.  

~Scott~ 

Rock Stars For God

 

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 to those being saved day by day in the same place. 

Acts Of The Apostles 2: 44-47, Concordant New Testament 

My mom always liked going to church on Sunday mornings.  That was her thing.  Whatever was going on in life, it came second to her being there in the pews.  One of her favorite parts of the Sunday morning service was the singing of the old hymns she recalled from her younger years.  Despite not being that much into the public singing thing, she always encouraged me to join in.  This was part of her way of praising the Father.  Yet, something began to happen in the few years before she became sick.  The church she knew and loved so well began to change.  The singing of the old hymns had began to give way to new, louder and more hip versions of morning worship songs.  Along with the loud music came the light show one might only expect to find at a local rock concert.  Not only did this new form of worship alienate my mother, but others as well.  Yet, in the end it seemed that this was the direction which our church was headed.  I mention this because this seems to have become the go to model for many of our brick and mortar churches these days.  Granted, there continue to be houses of worship which will from time to time dig back into the golden oldies of praise and worship hymns, but these instances are few and far between.  Now, one thing which I will seldom criticize another for is how they praise the Lord.  That is indeed different for everyone.  I was never much of a singer of hymns in church, but I would praise God in my own way.  I have a few dear friends who still enjoy singing the hymns of old as well.  I believe that part of the issue here is that we have elevated those who perform these modern church hymns into pseudo rock stars.  Once a lower tier of church ministries, praise and worship bands and orchestras now occupy places of importance within the church.  And why not?  We're told to sing unto the Lord, aren't we?  But what is the difference between those who rock out to modern praise and worship hymns in church and those who quietly sing the old hymns they remember to themselves throughout the day?  Absolutely nothing!  Therefore, I see these modern rock stars for God as simply ways to bring more people into the mainstream church.  

Through Him, then, we may be offering up the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips avowing His name. 

To The Hebrews 13: 15, Concordant New Testament 

In the days of the old Promise Keepers ministry conferences, there was a praise and worship band known as Maranatha music.  These were my hymns.  I still have more than a few recordings of these hymns in my music collection.  Why do I mention this?  As I said, people sing praises to the Lord in different ways.  Yet, my first experience with Maranatha music came at a Promise Keepers conference in Portland some years back.  Honestly, the sound of thousands of men singing praises to the Lord on that day still moves me.  I had been under the assumption that most guys were like me, that they would sing to themselves or in private.  But that day, I sang praises to the Lord with the rest of my brothers.  If you search Maranatha or Promise Keepers on YouTube you are bound to come across the awesome sounds of men singing unto the Lord.  Many of these songs don't include the blaring sounds or flashing lights of a normal Sunday morning worship, but they are awesome.  And what is the overall message of our modern praise and worship music?  Lord, come into our presence.  Forgive us, oh Lord.  I get it.  For the message of modern praise and worship music seems to follow the messaging of the mainstream church without fail.  So, we continue to sing the messages of church theology unto the Lord.  For me, I prefer hymns that celebrate my life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}, and Jesus' defeat of sin on the cross {Paul To The Romans 6:6-11}.  The trouble is, hymns such as these are few and far between.  

~Scott~ 

The Waiting

 

Now of this one thing you are not to be oblivious, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.  

Peter To The Dispersion (2) 3: 8, Concordant New Testament 

Outside the old church I used to attend someone had once erected a bronze statue of a majestic eagle.  Why an eagle?  Well, as the scripture proclaims, those that wait on the Lord shall mount up with wings like eagles {Isaiah 40:31}.  Anyone who has ever gone through a positive or difficult season in their lives knows the importance of waiting and being patient.  I myself have been reminded of this in the past month.  Yet, as the crooner Tom Petty once sang, "The waiting is the hardest part."  I recall many a church goer agonizing over the prospect of waiting for the Lord to intervene in any given situation.  It seems that we at one time glorify the concept of waiting on the Lord, yet when the rubber meets the road we agonize over it.  Why is that?  I believe that it all goes back to the lie which the deceiver instilled in Adam and Eve in the garden.  It is Satan who convinced Eve that she indeed could partake of the tree which the Lord God had commanded them not to eat of, that being the tree of the knowledge of good and evil {Genesis 1:17}.  The consequences of partaking of this tree, according to the Lords warning, was death.  Yet the deceiver convinced Eve that she if she was to eat of the forbidden fruit, that she "Would not surely die," but that "The day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:1-5}.  As they say, the rest is history.  What followed was the expulsion from the garden for the Lords creation, and the opening up of sin in man.  Indeed, we would need to wait a very long time before Jesus cried out on that cross "It is finished!"  With that, sin was put to death.  But the waiting for that moment?  I've come to the conclusion that as much as we are told to remain patient and to wait upon the Lord, we don't like it.  Why?  Because we desire to live our own life, that's why.  We want our life on our terms.  THAT is the very definition of the lie of the deceiver!  That we can be separate from the Lord who created us.  Don't be deceived, when scripture speaks to us of waiting on God, we are indeed waiting IN HIM.  

Now when the full time came, God delegates His Son, come of a woman, come under law. 

Paul To The Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

To understand completely how it is that we are indeed waiting in the Lord, we must first understand the relationship which we share with Him.  Contrary to institutional church teaching, there is NO separation between ourselves and God.  God has been an intimate part of our life ever since He breathed into us the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  But what about God banishing Adam and Eve from the garden?  Yes, there were consequences for following the lie of the deceiver.  The trouble is, many clueless believers continue to follow that lie even today.  The apostle Paul spoke of the truth of the indwelling Christ in us in Galatians {Paul To The Galatians 2:20}.  This was not something unique to only Paul, but is the evidence of our life in Christ.  And if we live in Christ Jesus, then we wait in Him as well.  I feel that many Christians treat the verse of waiting on the Lord as if they are alone.  We're far from alone in this life.  For many years, waiting on the Lord meant a struggle to me.  For when I waited upon the Lord, I waited for One who was far off to come and deliver me.  Now I realize that I could have avoided a lot of undue stress had I known the relationship which I share with the Lord.  Indeed, for the Lord a day is like a thousand years.  Waiting on Him can seem like a difficult proposition in a microwave speed world.  Yet when we come to know that we wait IN the Lord, it is His comfort which surrounds us.  

~Scott~ 

The Fathers Voice

 

"He who is of God is hearing Gods declarations.  Therefore you are not hearing, seeing that you are not of God."

Johns Account 8: 47, Concordant New Testament 

There is a popular television game show where unknown singers compete from behind a screen.  As they sing, well known recording artists judge them based not on appearance, but by their voice talent.  I was thinking of this this week as I contemplated what we have come to know as "God's voice" within us.  I've heard it time and time again from Christians who face particular situations oh so carefully as they await to hear from God as to what it is they should do.  I get it.  Of course, I also hear many believers complain that they just cannot hear the voice of the Father despite waiting for awhile.  Is it that the Father makes His voice known only to certain people?  I would doubt that.  The Father who loved us enough to breathe into us the breath of life would not pick and choose which of His children He wishes to commune with.  I believe that the desire of the Lord is that He commune with ALL of His children.  Yet, there are those who insist that they cannot hear the voice of the Lord.  My question to them would be this, do you know Him?  Do you know Him well enough to recognize His voice?  Jesus proclaims that those who do not hear the voice of the Lord "Are not of God" {Johns Account 8:47}.  It is for this reason that I ask, do you know Him?  I admit that for much of my life I only knew OF the Father.  I knew the stories which were told each and every Sunday.  How I was created in his image {Genesis 1:27}.  How the Father breathed into me the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  Yet as far as knowing the Father intimately, I was lost.  I was like most well meaning Christians, knowing of God yet never experiencing a relationship with Him.  Granted, I knew right from wrong, and I still possessed that "Little voice" within me which warned me when I was on the verge of doing something wrong.  Some claim that this is indeed the voice of the Lord.  While a good case can be made that this voice of what we know as our own conscience is in reality the muted voice of the Lord within us, it is often ignored.  

Lo!  I stand at the door and am knocking.  If ever anyone should be hearing My voice and opening the door, I will also be coming in to him and dining with him, and he with Me. 

The Unveiling Of Jesus Christ 3: 20, Concordant New Testament 

I first heard of the scripture being "Seared" into our memory during a Sunday morning sermon.  I feel most would agree that there are certain events in our lives which will be forever seared into our consciousness.  I feel that the same can be said of the scripture which we read.  Passages which seem so important that something within speaks to us that we should remember it.  The Fathers voice?  I believe that it very well could be.  Do I believe that those who have never known the Lord can hear His voice?  Absolutely.  God has never been limited to only those who follow Him.  After all, each of us has a unique history with the Father.  We recognize Him because it is God who is a part of who we are.  For we are not flesh based, but in spirit {Paul To The Romans 8:9}.  This is the truth which the apostle Paul spoke to in Galatians.  That being the truth of our life in Christ {Paul Tom The Galatians 2:20}.  Following the history of the Lords creation, God first created man in His spirit image {Genesis 1:27}.  It is this spirit image which is our one true identity.  After that, God formed the flesh man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life, and our spirit became a living soul {Genesis 2:7}.  There is no doubt that the Father has been a part of us from the beginning.  Therefore, I believe that it is entirely possible that someone who has never known the Lord will suddenly hear His calling.  Of course, it remains entirely up to the Father as to when this will happen.  

~Scott~ 

Come And See

 

Now Jesus, being turned and gazing at them following, is saying to them, "What are you seeking?"  Yet they said to Him, "Rabbi (which, being construed, is termed "Teacher"), "Where art Thou remaining?"  He is saying to them, "Come and see."  They came, then, and perceived where He is remaining, and they remain with Him that day.  It was about the tenth hour. 

Johns Account 1: 38-39, Concordant New Testament 

I read an article recently which talked of a trend among some college age students who were getting themselves baptized in the back of a pickup truck.  Now, having been baptized twice myself, I can say that the decision to be baptized is not one that is taken lightly.  For baptism is a public testament to ones faith in the Lord.  I sort of relate this to the people I see at the gym I frequent who show up in an array of Christian themed shirts, proudly proclaiming that they believe.  As I told a dear friend recently, I believe in the Lord, and I don't need a shirt to tell that to the world.  As Jesus has proclaimed, "They shall know you by your fruits" {Matthews Account 7:15-20}.  What was Jesus referring to?  Well, I believe that He was referring to the way in which some people conduct themselves.  He begins His lesson by warning those listening to beware of false prophets, of those who come looking like sheep but inside their intentions are as rapacious as wolves {Matthews Account 7:15}.  If you've ever wondered the origins of the phrase a "Wolf in sheep's clothing." this is it.  Why do I mention this passage when speaking to baptism?  For the simple fact that recent years have seen a resurgence in those seeking to know more of the Lord.  Yes, the mainstream church has seen its share of vacant pews as well, but I am encouraged that those seeking to know the Lord is once again on the rise.  As we look back on that passage where Jesus spoke to the fishermen on the shore we get a glimpse into how Jesus would have handled someone seeking to know more of the Lord.  Jesus' response?  "Come and see."  Come and see He whom you are curious of.  Come and see where I am residing.  This is Jesus inviting these fishermen into His inner circle.  When was the last time you entered a brick and mortar church and the head pastor immediately guided you to a seat in the front row?  That never happens.  Those seats are typically reserved for the church elite.  Yet here was Jesus inviting these men to come and see where He stayed.  As most everyone knows, Jesus was no wolf in sheep's clothes. 

"Let not your heart be disturbed.  Believe in God, and believe in Me.  In My Fathers house are many abodes; yet if not I would have told you, for I am going to make a place ready for you.  And if I should be going and making a place for you, I am coming again and I will be taking you along to Myself, that where I am, you also may be." 

Johns Account 14: 1-3, Concordant New Testament 

What would I tell someone who was interested in knowing Jesus?  Well, I would start by telling them the very same thing which Jesus spoke...come and see.  Come and see the love which the Father has given.  Come and see He who takes away the sins of the world.  Despite my criticism of the modern day mainstream church, I believe that it is a good starting point for someone who is desiring to know the Lord.  I cannot speak to this myself, as going to church was just something which was expected of us growing up.  However, as I have grown in my faith, I have followed the words of Jesus to come and see.  When I desired to know more of Him, I came to see the truth of who He is.  When I was concerned if my sins would create a separation between myself and the Father, I came to see just what Jesus had accomplished by defeating sin on the cross {Paul To The Romans 6-11}.  A good friend made the comment recently that some in the mainstream church get stuck there.  That is, they stop growing in Christ.  I agree that the church is a good beginning point for someone looking to know more of the Father.  However, once the Father reveals Himself, I believe that no longer offers what they need to hear.  That being truth of the evangel of Christ.  That sin is no longer a barrier between ourselves and God.  That we ourselves reside in the Father through the work of Christ on the cross {Johns Account 14:20}.  These truths are not something which they will find spoken in the traditional church.  My own revelation of Christ in me came years after I had last stepped foot into a church.  It was then that Jesus once again invited me...come and see! 

In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 

Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

Where The Church Won't Go

 

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 shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, having been 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. 

Paul To The Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament 

This week a few friends and I delved into the question of the elephant in the room for many believers.  That being the issue of sin.  Yes, sin.  You know, that sin which Jesus gave Himself on the cross to wipe away...that sin.  It's a wonder to me why the issue of sin is even an issue for so many believers.  We all know the truth of the scriptures which speak to us of Christ Jesus giving Himself on the cross that our sins would be no more.  In fact, it is Jesus who BECAME SIN on our behalf {Paul To The Corinthians(2) 5:21}.  There is indeed ample evidence that this issue of sin, should no longer be an issue for us.  The apostle Paul speaks to us of reckoning ourselves DEAD to sin {Paul To The Romans 6:11}.  Yet in almost every modern church service we see the ghosts of sin past, present and future raise their ugly heads to torment us once again.  A good friend this week made the comment that the mainstream church needs to stop raising the sin issue.  Yeah, good luck with that.  See, the church needs to keep the sin issue alive in order to keep itself relevant.  If believers are led to believe that sin continues to exist, they will be filled with guilt and shame and continue to fill the church pews seeking the Lords forgiveness.  Good scam huh?  And they said Bernie Madoff was a scam artist.  Let's just say that the modern mainstream church doesn't have anything on Bernie Madoff!  Across the world, modern church goers celebrate Jesus dying for their sins in one breath, then scamper back to church to seek forgiveness for "other" sins in the next.  So which is it, did Jesus give Himself for the eradication of sin or didn't He?  For me there is but one answer...YES!  Sin has become a roadblock to the freedom of many a believer.  But it doesn't need to be this way.  

For One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes that we may be becoming God's righteousness in Him. 

Paul To The Corinthians(2) 5: 21, Concordant New Testament 

One of the most powerful passages of scripture we may ever read are the words of Paul to the church in Corinth.  Here, Paul speaks to Christ Jesus BECOMING sin that He would put sin to death at the cross.  One not knowing sin (Jesus) He (God) makes to be a sin offering for our sakes.  How much clearer could that be?  Yet each week we file into the brick and mortar houses of worship to confess our wrong doings once again.  Here's a good question, how many times would you sacrifice Jesus?  Ten?  Twenty?  As you know, sin requires a sacrifice, and Jesus was that sacrifice for the sin of man.  As Paul declares, "For in that He died, He died to sin ONCE for all time" {Paul To The Romans 6:10}.  The sacrifice of Jesus was never meant to be repeated.  So, what it comes down to is that believers today have NO clue as to their true identity in Christ.  As long as the sin issue remains in their minds, they will not find true freedom in Christ Jesus.  Yet if we heed the words of the apostle, then sin will no longer be an issue.  "Be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin" {Paul To The Romans 6: 11}.  For in Jesus there is no condemnation {Paul To The Romans 8:1-2}.  

~Scott~ 

Two Creations

 

So Elohim created humanity in His image; in the image of Elohim He created it: male and female He created them.

Genesis 1: 27, Concordant Old Testament 

Many believers are aware of the creation story.  How the Lord formed man out of the dust of the ground {Genesis 2:7}.  How we were created in His own spirit image {Genesis 1:27}.  Yet, if we're to follow the timeline of the scriptures, we make a interesting observation.  That is, that there are not one, but two creation events which we are involved in.  The first being when the Lord spoke to the creation of man in the beginning of Genesis.  It is the Lord who proclaims, "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness."  After the creation in the spirit image of the Father we see in Genesis 1:27, we do not see the physical results of His creation until a bit later.  So, our first creation has left us in the spirit image of our Father creator.  This is where the creation story falls short.  This is just one of many examples of the mainstream church theology.  After the first creation, the Lord gives a glimpse into His plan for His new creation.  That man would have dominion over the earth and all that lived upon it {Genesis 1:26}.  So, we now have an idea of what the Lords purpose is for His new creation.  To be fruitful, multiply and to fill the earth and subdue it {Genesis 1:28}.  These are the instructions which the Lord has given to His new creation.  Yet, it would seem that even before the Lord gave us life in the flesh, that we indeed had life in the spirit.  For we see from scripture that the Lord is relating to His new creation although they are but in spirit form.  He speaks of His expectations for them.  So, instead of a living, breathing life in the flesh, our first creation has left us with a spirit life with our Father creator.  

Yahweh Elohim formed the human out of soil from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the breath of life; and the human became a living soul. 

Genesis 2: 7, Concordant Old Testament 

The second creation begins with the Lord breathing into His spirit creation the breath of life.  It is after this that His creation is defined as a "Living soul" {Genesis 2:7}.  This is also the first instance of the Lords creation being referred to as "Human."  So it is that we have gone from a spirit to a flesh creation.  In the spirit creation we were obviously in the presence of the Lord who created us.  We were obviously conscious of our surroundings as the Lord related to us what His plans were for us.  And who exactly was the Father speaking to when He spoke of creating man in "Our" image?  Well, the apostle John might help us out here.  John speaks that from the beginning "The Word" was toward God, and God was the Word{Johns Account 1:1}.  It can be said that this "Word" is none other than Christ Jesus, who has been with the Father from the beginning.  So, from our creation we have been with Christ and the Father.  He has always been a part of us.  We were created as His perfect image and we then became a living being through His second creation.  What is interesting is that we see nothing in the second creation of being in His image.  This second creation is our flesh creation, yet still created from the Father.  What can be said is that our one true image is that which the Lord first created.  For we are in spirit and not the flesh {Paul To The Romans 8:9}.  

~Scott~ 

The Call

 

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

To The Hebrews 4: 16, Concordant New Testament 

Every believer knows the story, that in times of need our Lord is closer to us than we think.  In such times, all we need do is seek His help and He assures us that He will be there {Matthews Account 7:7, Johns Account 15:16, 1 Epistle Of John 5:15}.  Growing up, my mother would always assure me that the Lord was as close as my next breath.  This is what I grew up believing, that if I were in trouble, that I could pray to God and He would be closer to me.  Believe me, I have called upon Him many times in my life.  I know that it might sound silly, but when I was younger I would sometimes think to myself just how long it would take God to reach where it was that I was at.  This, folks, is the way that the world thinks.  All too often we tend to look upon the Lord through our earthly lens and place upon Him the aspects of the world we see around us.  How long will it take God to act?  Can He hear me in this dark place?  Is God trying to punish me?  Again, these are all questions I have posed myself.  Yet they are questions that go against all which the Father is.  We know from the apostle John that God...is love {First Epistle Of John 4:8}.  Indeed, this passage shows us all that we need to know of the very nature of the Father.  Now, instill this truth into a few of the questions I posed.  If God loves me, can He hear me in this dark place?  If God loves me, is He trying to punish me?  Seeing the Father for who He truly is will help us in our time of need.  The apostle Paul spoke confidently of the indwelling spirit of Christ in him {Paul To The Galatians 2:20}.  Did I choose Jesus to reside in me?  On the contrary, my own knowledge of Christ Jesus in me came much later in life than when I became a believer.  No, it was Christ Jesus who chose me {Johns Account 15:16}.  It was Jesus, the Father within Him, who chose me long before I was ever conceived.  Of course, it took me a good number of years to realize this truth, as it did Paul.  It is Jesus who speaks to us of being one with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Jesus in the Father, we in Christ and Christ in us.  Now, tell me again how it is that we need to pray for Gods presence.  

Not you choose Me, but I choose you, and I appoint you, that you may be going away and be bringing forth much fruit, and your fruit may be remaining, that anything whichsoever you should be requesting the Father in My name, He will be giving it to you. 

Johns Account 15: 16, Concordant New Testament 

When I spoke of our seeing the Lord through an earth bound lens, I knew what I was talking about.  I spent much of my life applying the aspects of this world to the way God does things.  How I was never actually in a relationship with the Lord, but under His heel.  I was a sinner, and what use could God have for a sinner?  This was the predominant teaching of the church as I was growing up.  Yet this has never been how the Lord desires to be seen by His children.  As I mentioned, we know from scripture the nature of the Father.  It is out of love that He created me in His own spirit image {Genesis 1:27}.  It is also from His love that He breathed into me the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  From the beginning, He loved me and called me His own.  Tell me, how is it that I can thereby attach a negative world view to the love nature of the Father?  How is it that I can confidently say that the Father who loved and cherished me enough to send His Son to die for my sins would then punish me for those same sins?  This is not the love of the Father, but the ideology of the man created church.  God has never intended that I live in fear {First Epistle Of John 4:18}.  What He has intended is that if am in need of Him, that through Christ I have the Father in me.  

~Scott~ 

Something More

 

"Search the scriptures, for in them you are supposing to have life eonian, and those are they which are testifying concerning Me, and not willing are you to come to Me that you may have life. 

Johns Account 5: 39-40, Concordant New Testament  

I have a good friend who once shared with me that the reason that he began attending our former church was that he wanted to know Jesus.  Well, I have to admit that he chose a good starting spot, for this man today is one of my brothers in the theology of Christ Jesus in us.  There are as many people looking for a good church in this country as there are people leaving the mainstream church.  Why is that?  My first thought would be that many people are like my friend, that they truly want to hear of the Lord.  That they desire to know Christ Jesus.  Unfortunately, there are few places in this world where one can come to know of the Lord.  Indeed, we have the scriptures to guide us, but who is it that will lead them to the bible?  I have spent a good deal of time lambasting the mainstream church in my writings.  These criticisms are not without warrant, for I have seen the damage that the church has done to others around me.  In fact, I do not even consider the traditional brick and mortar church to be "The church."  What I do consider to be the true church is the church of the ecclesia, with Jesus at it's head {Matthews Account 16:18}.  In this passage, Jesus speaks of "Building My ecclesia."  Jesus wasn't speaking of building some ornate temple, but of building up His church of believers.  What good is a fancy church if the congregation is left wanting for the Lord?  That is the question I believe each and every pastor needs to address.  We have seen in recent years a surge of believers leaving the mainstream church.  Why is that?  I believe that these well meaning believers are looking for something more.  I believe that they are seeking the Lord they have not been told of in the halls of the traditional church.  The Lord of grace and forgiveness.  Above all, the Lord Jesus who welcomes a relationship with His church.  

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?  Yet how should they be heralding if ever they should not be commissioned?  According as it is written: how beautiful are the feet of those bringing an evangel of good?  

Paul To The Romans 10: 14-15, Concordant New Testament 

So, are you looking for something more?  Have you sat through one too many boring Sunday sermons only to come away wanting to know God more?  I get it.  Some years ago, that was me.  My friend posed an interesting question this week.  How is it that we help those who get stuck and think that there is nothing more than the mainstream church?  Certainly, they are seeking to know the Lord more, but feel that the church is the place where that will eventually happen.  Well, sorry to say, but that's a false assumption.  I spent most of my life listening to church sermons and never came away with a closer relationship with Christ than I have today.  What I learned of Jesus I didn't learn in a sermon or Sunday school class.  This truth of Christ in me was spoken to me by a few dear friends and verified with the Fathers revelation in me.  In the end, it was the Father who revealed to me the truth of His Son in me.  This is the same revelation which Paul himself received on the road to Damascus {Paul To The Galatians 1:15-16}.  As with Paul, the Father revealed His Son in me that I speak Him to others.  This is how I came to know the truth of Jesus in me.  This is how others will come to know Him as well.  This is the building of the church of Christ Jesus, the ecclesia.  For those who desire something more than the run of the mill church, the Father has something far better in mind for you.  

In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 

Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

Strong Enough?

 

And He has protested to me, "Sufficient for you is My grace, for My power in infirmity is being perfected."  With great relish, then, will I rather be glorying in my infirmities, that the power of Christ shall be tabernacling over me.  Wherefore I delight in infirmities, in outrages, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christs sake, for, whenever I may be weak, then I am powerful. 

Paul To The Corinthians (2) 12: 9-10, Concordant New Testament 

Over this past weekend I had the pleasure of having a emergency room doctor poking me attempting to determine what it was that was causing the pain in my knee.  As he did so, he performed a test which they say tests the strength of the muscles in my leg.  "Well, you're pretty strong." he muttered after a few minutes.  I could have told him that, I've spent the past few years working on my fitness through strength training.  I've had more than a few people comment on the strength I've developed.  But, am I really that strong?  I think of the apostle Paul, who in his weakest moments considered himself to be stronger than ever.  In those times when he was at his strength was lacking, Paul understood Who it was that was the source of his strength.  That being Christ Jesus.  Like many believers, when troubling times came, Paul prayed to the Lord that He would remove them from his life.  I'm sure we can all relate to those times.  Yet, what was the Lords response to Paul this particular time?  "Sufficient for you is My grace" {Paul To The Corinthians(2) 12: 9-10}.  Paul didn't get that thorn removed from him, but what he did get was something much more valuable.  For in his moment of weakness, he realized that the strength he needed was that provided by Christ Jesus.  For when Paul was weak, it was Jesus who is strong.  I can absolutely see the value of Paul's situation in my current health struggle.  This strength which I've developed means nothing.  In fact, one could say that it was but by the strength of Christ that I have been able to accomplish what I have.  It's never been about me.  I know that whatever physical or spiritual struggles that I'm facing, that it is in those moments that the strength of Christ Jesus is what carries me.  A dear friend presented to me an interesting outlook on prayer not too long ago.  In those times where we are hurting.  In those times where we struggle, our prayer should not be for the Lord to remove what it is that is afflicting us, but to ask of Him, "What is it that you're doing, Lord?"  Amen! 

For all am I strong in Him who is invigorating me -- Christ! 

Paul To The Philippians 4:13, Concordant New Testament 

If the apostle had asked of the Lord what He was doing in his life, would we even have the valuable lesson we receive from the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12?  Perhaps.  But this has been the automatic response from those seeking the Lord in times of struggle for thousands of years, "Lord, help me."  The scriptures tell us that when we ask Him for help, He listens {Matthews Account 7:7, Marks Account 11:24, To The Hebrews 4:16}.  The Lord is our constant help in difficult times.  I think that it is a good thing that, when faced by life's troubles, that our first thought is of Him.  If we have the revelation that we are in Christ, then He is indeed our strength {Paul To The Philippians 4:13}.  Again, my dear friend and brother enlightened me some years ago with his own interpretation of Paul's words to the Philippians.  Not only can I do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but Christ Jesus IS my strength!  I can do nothing without Him.  Did Paul have this realization?  I'm sure that he did.  For from Paul we learn a lot of our own lives in Christ Jesus.  Knowing that we are in Christ can lessen the burden we feel in times of our struggles.  His grace is indeed sufficient for us.  

~Scott~  

In Him

 Or are you not aware that your body is a temple of the holy spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought with a price.  By all means glorify God in your body.  

Paul To The Corinthians (1) 6: 19-20, Concordant New Testament 

What is it like to be in Christ?  What does it mean?  I understand the words of the apostle Paul when he proclaims that it is Christ who now dwells in me {Paul To The Galatians 2:20}.  Which is why I see this passage as one of the key verses to our realization of Christ Jesus in us.  Yet being book smart may not be all that we need to realize the full extent to which we remain in Jesus.  To understand the truth of Christ in us, we need to understand the entire extent of that truth.  How Paul spoke to those in Corinth of their flesh bodies being, "A temple of the holy spirit in you" {Paul To The Corinthians (1) 6:19-20}.  The understanding must be that WE are in HIM.  A good friend this week posed the comment which defined this perfectly.  That is, that if we are in Christ, we feel and experience ALL which He does.  Everything which Jesus thinks and feels ultimately includes me as well.  I am part of Him.  All too often we get caught up in the false narrative of this flesh body which we assume defines us and who we are.  This is part of the lie of the deceiver spoken in the garden {Genesis 3:5-6}.  The truth is that we, as individuals, no longer exist.  I am not that guy I once was, I am in Christ.  Part of the iconic scripture spoken by Paul speaks to my being crucified with Christ.  That is the truth of who I am.  At times it is difficult to wade through the years of mainstream church theology and peel back the layers of the onion to get to the truth.  Yet we cannot simply cherry pick certain parts of the scripture to fit what we feel is correct.  We're told that we have been crucified with Christ, that's how it is.  We're told that these flesh bodies of ours have been purchased at a price and that, also, is true.  It is Christ Jesus who remains.  

In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 

Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament 

Some things are instinctive.  There are some things which we just know in our hearts to be true.  The sky is blue.  Fire is hot and water will freeze.  These things we know as fact.  Yet consider this as well.  It has been proven that a unborn child recognizes the very voice of it's mother even before birth!  To quote from Mary, the mother of Jesus, "How can this be?"  Well, understand that this unborn infant (Yes, it IS alive and growing inside the mother for all of you liberals out there) is not only growing inside it's mother, but also experiencing all which she does.  The unborn child IS indeed a part of the mother.  Doubt me?  Why do we try to instill in would be parents that liquor and smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is a bad thing?  We understand that the baby is an intimate part of the mother even at this stage.  We know this to be true.  Well, this is how it is when we are in Christ.  We are not two separate individuals, but one with Jesus and the Father.  Jesus speaks of this in the gospel of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  By this we understand that whatever Jesus does and feels, we do and feel as well.  We are an intimate part of Him.  We often see our life as a walk through the world alone.  But know that we are simply going where Jesus is leading.  

~Scott~ 

The Revealing

 

Now, when it delights God, Who severs me from my mothers womb and calls me through His grace, to unveil His Son in me that I may be evangelizing Him among the nations. 

Paul To The Galatians 1: 15-16, Concordant New Testament 

Not too long ago, a good friend asked me just what it was that made me know that Christ Jesus dwelled in me.  How is it that I am confident in my life in Him?  Well, for one thing, the scriptures assure me that this is true.  Yet there is something else which assures me that I reside in Christ.  That is the revealing of Christ Jesus in me through the Father.  The apostle Paul spoke to his own revelation in Galatians {Paul To The Galatians 1:15-16}.  This isn't something that is unique to Paul only, but to all whom the Lord wills to reveal the presence of His Son.  Don't get me wrong, before I knew of my life in Christ, I knew OF Jesus and His influence on my life.  However, that's as far as it went.  My understanding of Jesus was limited to what I learned through whichever mainstream church I attended.  I understood that Jesus bled and died for the forgiveness of my sins...yet I was still a sinner in the eyes of the church.  At least this is what was drummed into me from an early age.  I am also confident that even at this point of discovery in my life, that I remained in Christ as I now do.  My own understanding just did not comprehend this truth.  Again, Paul helps us in our understanding of the indwelling Christ.  It is Paul who speaks of the indwelling Christ in him {Paul To The Galatians 2:20}.  So, think this all sounds confusing?  Well, that is the mystery, as Paul described it {Paul To The Ephesians 5:32}.  I have no doubt that Paul, in his day, was asked countless questions concerning his knowing of the indwelling presence of a guy who had been killed on a cross years earlier.  How does that work?  I'm sure there were more than a few people who considered this former Pharisee a fake.  Still, Paul went on preaching the gospel which had been revealed to him.  

To whom God wills to make known what are the glorious riches of this secret among the nations, which is: Christ among you, the expectation of glory. 

Paul To The Colossians 1: 27, Concordant New Testament 

Going from the words of Paul to the Colossians, the Father has willed that I would know His Son in me {Paul To The Colossians 1:27}.  Of course, I am confident that He chose to reveal His Son in more than a few of my friends as well.  This knowing comes from nothing that I have done.  It didn't take a Pharisee school degree for me to realize my life in Christ.  This, if you will pardon the expression, was a God thing.  God has been with me from the beginning, and in His timing He revealed to me my life in Him.  Now, we know from the words of Paul that his knowing of his life in Christ had a purpose.  That is, to evangelize Christ among the nations {Paul To The Galatians 1:16}.  So, not only does the Father reveal to us our life in Him, but He does so that we would speak the gospel of Christ Jesus to those among us who might have never known Him (I can already hear the questions, "Who have you shared Jesus with?).  We know that the world will only come to see Jesus through the actions of those who know Him {Johns Account 14:17}.  It is for this reason that Paul spoke Christ Jesus to the nations.  That all would know the knowledge of the gospel.  I cannot speak as one doing extraordinary things, only as one speaking the truth of Christ.  

The spirit of truth, which the world can not get, for it is not beholding it, neither is it knowing it.  Yet you know it, for it is remaining with you and will be in you. 

Johns Account 14: 17, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Trust Factor

 Tossing your entire worry on Him, for He is caring concerning you. 

Peter To The Dispersion (1) 5: 7, Concordant New Testament 

How well do you trust God?  Do you trust Him enough to accept whatever it is He has planned for your life?  Too many Christians stop short of placing full and complete trust in the Father.  They walk by sight.  The apostle Paul explained this to the believers in Corinth {Paul To The Corinthians(2) 5:7}.  What does this mean for us?  Well, a good friend of mine explained trust to me in a rather unique way some years ago.  He explained that trust was similar to a park bench that we expected to support us whenever we placed ourselves upon it.  We look upon such a bench and we know that we will be supported when we sit upon it.  We might not know much about the objects construction, but we know that.  Likewise, how is it that we know within ourselves that the Lord God is trustworthy?  Well, one of our best sources is that of the scriptures.  We're told that God cannot Lie {To The Hebrews 6:18}.  We are told that God never changes {To the Hebrews 13:8}.  We can rest in the confidence that we can definitely trust in the Father to know what is best for us.  After all, it is God who created us {Genesis 1:27}.  Who would know more about us or what it is that we truly need?  The apostle Peter proclaims that we should place our worries upon God {Peter To The Dispersion (1) 5:7}.  Why?  Because He CARES FOR US.  Again, we can rest assured that when we place our worries and concerns upon the Lord that we are not wasting our efforts.  In my life I have tried too many times to walk by sight.  That is, to do things my own way.  More often than not the result is all too predictable.  Yet I have also faced many occasions where I placed my trust in the Lord and allowed Him to guide me through whatever it is I was facing.  Of course, as with others we may have met in our lives, trust may not come easy.  

Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed. 

To The Hebrews 11: 1, Concordant New Testament 

My own path to knowing the Father was not an easy one for me.  Raised in a Christian home, the rules and regulations of the Christian mainstream church were instilled in me from a early age.  Instead of knowing God as I now do, I simply knew OF Him.  I knew of the stories and sermons which were spoken on Sundays.  Yet my heart did not see God for who He is, as a integral part of who I am.  This is the error of traditional church teaching.  The separation of the Father and the believer.  How is it that I trust in One who is not an intimate part of my life?  For me, trust is a matter of knowing.  I KNOW that God will never leave me nor forsake me.  I KNOW that He hears me when I speak to Him.  To me, God is not simply a figurehead in heaven, but a part of who I am.  Jesus speaks to this reality in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  Jesus speaks to the reality of He in the Father, we in Christ and Christ in us.  Jesus is intimately involved in our lives.  Paul speaks to this in Galatians {Paul To The Galatians 2:20}.  I trust in Him because I KNOW Him.  

For to expectation were we saved.  Now expectation, being observed, is not expectation, for what anyone is observing, why is he expecting it also?  Now, if we are expecting what we are not observing, we are awaiting it with endurance. 

Paul To The Romans 8: 24-25, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~

Raising The Dead (Addictions Choice)

 Be observing accurately, then, brethren, how you are walking, not as unwise, but as wise, reclaiming the era, for the days are wicked, Therefore do not become imprudent, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 

Paul To The Ephesians 5: 15-17, Concordant New Testament

It's been some time since I wrote in this series, but recent events reminded me that the struggle is far from over for many.  Recently, our Oregon governor signed into law what is thought to be a reversal of the infamous measure 110, which decriminalized possession quantities of narcotics in Oregon.  Narrowly passed by the wisdom of the voters, measure 110 was deemed to be a "Pathway to recovery" for many addicted to drugs.  However, what actually happened was more rampant narcotics use than we have seen before.  So, what are my personal feelings on these drug addicted zombies?  Well, I am in a unique position to see the affects of these failed policies every day in the public eye.  I see the piles of used needles.  I see the violent behaviors.  Above all, I see the continuing cycle which repeats itself with every hit of these "Legal" drugs.  And so, my feelings over these addicts are that they have made a choice that they are living.  Years ago, I made choices to deal with negative situations in my life in a negative manner.  I chose a food addiction to make me feel better.  As a result of that choice, my struggle today is to overcome the results of those bad choices.  The difference between me and the addict on the streets is that I realized that I made bad choices and decided to do something positive about it.  While there have been success stories of those who have overcome drug addictions, they are few and far between.  Every day on the streets of Portland one can see the effects of so many who fell victim to bad choices.  So how is it that we, as believers, should pray for these unfortunate souls?  Well, one thought which I have pondered more than a few times is that the Father would open the eyes of the afflicted to the effects of their wrong choices.  When I began to see the effects of my bad choices, no excuses in the world would justify what I had been doing to myself.  Scripture tells us that these flesh bodies of ours are indeed a temple to the spirit within us {Paul To The Corinthians(1) 6:19-20}.  In this passage, the apostle Paul calls upon believers to glorify the Father in our bodies.  How does a life spent in bad choices glorify our body?  

Or are you not aware that your body is a temple of the holy spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought with a price.  By all means glorify God in your body.

Paul To The Corinthians (1) 6: 19-20, Concordant New Testament 

I will be the first to admit that all too many of the addicts which we see on our streets have NO idea of the saving love of the Father.  This is exactly why I pray that the Father would open their eyes to this reality.  Whatever it is they are running from, they cannot run from God.  Whatever new drug promises to bring them relief, it is but by the love and grace of the Father that they will truly find peace in their lives.  I thought the choices which I made would bring me comfort, I was wrong.  In the end, what brought me comfort was knowing a relationship with the Father and that I am in Christ.  I am always astounded at the amount of money doled out to homeless outreach and addiction recovery programs.  My good friend at the gym was recently berating the fact that his taxes included over $1,500 in homeless assistance funds.  With all the monies which we have poured out into addiction recovery programs, one would think that we'd be getting a better handle on the problem by now, right?  Wrong!  I have a better idea, help the homeless and drug addicted with simply basic needs, but with a caveat.  With this assistance, provide the afflicted with another choice.  That choice being a knowledge of a love for them which never dies.  Of a Father who will never leave them nor forsake them.  Bring Christ Jesus into this equation.  Guaranteed that as more and more people began to see the saving grace of the Father the former things which they treasured so dearly will become suddenly not so important anymore.  I can speak to the truth of this, for I can see the self destructive behaviors I once engaged in for what they are.  I was wrong.  God never forces Himself upon His children, but works through the lives of all of us.  I pray that the Father will open the eyes of all in need of seeing Him.  

~Scott~