The Good Of The Father (Not What The Man Said)

 

May it not be coming to that!  Now let God be true, yet every man a liar, even as it is written: "That so Thou shouldst be justified in Thy sayings, and shalt be conquering when Thou art being judged" 

Paul to the Romans 3: 4, Concordant New Testament 

I watched a video of a fired up pastor the other day speaking against all which the world will tell us is true.  Male and female relationships, the changing of the sexes and such.  Now, many well meaning believers know in their hearts that such things go against the Lord, yet many more have simply come to accept these things over fear of angering those around them.  As the world will say, there's nothing worse than a preachy, unaccepting Christian.  Yet, when I mentioned this video to a good friend of mine I received an interesting reaction based on the words of the apostle Paul...yet every man a liar {Paul to the Romans 3:4}.  That's it in a nutshell.  When we listen to those in the world when they speak of transgenderism and adulterous relationships, we're listening to liars.  We're listening to those who do not speak the words of the Father.  I will say that if the believers of this world spoke with the conviction that this pastor did, there just might be a different narrative in this world today.  But sadly, too many Christians have surrendered to the lies of network news and those who speak of that which is not of God.  In the past, when I have spoken to others that these words of men go against what the Lord desires, I have been accused of everything from being closed minded to a radical religious nut.  If so, I wear that badge with pride!  Better a religious nut than being lost in the world.  Better a radical believer than adhering to the lies of mankind.  In my heart, I know that what the Lord has proclaimed is good and true.  I also know that most of what I see in the modern media is designed to sway my opinion one way or another.  Yet every man a liar.  

For, at present, am I persuading men or God?  Or am I seeking to please men?  If I still pleased men, I were not a slave of Christ 

Paul to the Galatians 1: 10, Concordant New Testament 

Think of those words of Paul and consider for yourselves what we hear coming from the pulpits of many mainstream churches these days.  Yet every man a liar.  Shall we put aside the words of our church leaders?  I believe that the apostle John said it best when he called upon we who believe in Christ to "Test the spirits" of those we are listening to and see if they are of God {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  We might be enthralled with a seemingly dynamic new kid on the block pastor, still, test the spirits.  We might trust in the tried and true wisdom of a pastor whom we have known for some time, but test the spirits.  These words of John apply to more than just religious teachers, but to all that we hear every day.  From the daily news to those funny internet videos, we need to be testing the spirits to see if what we are listening to is actually of the Father.  It is common knowledge that we should be listening to the Lord and not to man, but many believers seem to have relaxed their defenses in this regard.  Therefore, many mainstream houses of worship have chosen to adhere to the life choices of those who go against what the Lord has proclaimed.  There is a common phrase I heard some years ago that still holds true even today.  Despise the sin, not the sinner.  Test the spirits and think of this phrase again, where is it in scripture that Jesus despises the sinner?  On the contrary, He welcomed all unto Him.  When I speak to the subject of universal salvation, that all will be saved, I get mixed reactions from many believers.  Test the spirits, has not the Father proclaimed that His desire is that all His children be saved {Johns Account 3:16-17}?  Again, it is better that I hear the word of the Father than that of man. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (What The Father Wants)

 Now it is eonian life that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Him Whom Thou dost Commision, Jesus Christ. 

Johns Account 17: 3, Concordant New Testament 

Too many pastors and worship leaders spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to explain what it is that God the Father desires.  I can recall numerous Sunday sermons on the topic of what God wants, all of them with a different idea of what He desires.  To some, God desires loyalty from His children, while others say that God truly wants us to be as holy as He is.  Both would seem to be reasonable ideas of what God desires from us.  But I feel that the most accurate description of what the Father wants comes from the Son Himself.  As Jesus prayed that night in the garden of Gethsemane, He spoke of the true desire of His Father, that we might know Him {Johns Account 17:3}.  This seems reasonable, because what earthly Father is there who has not wanted his own children to know him?  Yes, drawing comparisons between human parents and God the Father might seem like we're lowering God to our level, but I use it only as an illustration as to the desires of the Father.  The scriptures speak to the fact that all we will ever know was created by God {Genesis 1:1}.  We also know that all mankind has been created in the Fathers likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  Yet far too many of His children have not known the Father who created them.  Indeed, there are even those who have refused to acknowledge He even exists.  That everything that we see was somehow created by some cosmic explosion a long time ago.  But somehow science keeps stumbling upon evidence that the creation spoken of in the scriptures is indeed real.  Despite those who deny the existence of the Father and Son, we're told that eventually ALL will know that He is God {Paul to the Philippians 2:10-11}.  The truth is, Gods desire is that all of His creation will know Him before that time.

We are of God.  He who knows God is hearing us.  He who is not of God is not hearing us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. 

First Epistle of John 4: 6, Concordant New Testament 

A dear friend of mine reminded me not too long ago of the true intentions of Satan, that is to deceive the Fathers creation.  Obviously, this is why He is all too often referred to as the deceiver.  We're reminded of his intentions in scripture as well {Peter to the Dispersion 5:8}.  And why not?  It is Lucifer who once desired to place himself above the Father {Issaiah 14:12-17}.  Those who know the Father also know of the deceit of Lucifer.  We know that his place is not one of glory, but of despair.  But what many well meaning believers fail to comprehend is that even Lucifer himself was created by God.  With this in mind, does the Father despise Lucifer?  I would say no.  I believe that God the Father has the same desire for His fallen angel that He has for the rest of His creation, that he would come to know Him, the Father.  Modern Christian teachings on good and evil will not speak to this.  In Christian theology, Satan is the enemy and will ultimately be defeated by the goodness of God.  But the scriptures speak to his creation through Christ Jesus {Johns Account 1:1-4}  Yes, ALL was created through Him and for Him, including him whom we call the deceiver.  Will Satan eventually acknowledge the Father?  Paul speaks to the fact that ALL will bow at the name of Jesus, both terrestrial and the subterranean {Paul to the Philippians 2:10}.  Obviously, one can assume that Satan will be included among those who will eventually know the Father.  We can also be confident in knowing that this is indeed what the Father wants. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Thankful)

 

In everything be giving thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Paul to the Thessalonians (1) 5: 18, Concordant New Testament 

Today marks Thanksgiving.  That day where we often reflect on all which we are thankful for in our lives.  Where we think of the good of those around us besides ourselves.  Most will gather around the dinner table with family and friends before retiring to watch an afternoon of football and holiday movies.  As I contemplated this mornings post, I thought of how ironic it is that we set aside a single day each to think of the goodness of others.  To consider all which we are thankful for in life.  Not to rain on that parade, but I for one am thankful each and every day for all which the Lord has given me.  Not surprisingly, I would be nothing without Him.  For it is God who has created me in His very likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It is the Lord who has created all which we will ever know in life {Genesis 1:1, Johns Account 1:1-3}.  Therefore, it is imperative that we recognize His provision not just once a year, but each and every day.  The apostle Paul proclaims that our every word and deed should be in giving thanks to Christ and the Father through Him {Paul to the Colossians 3:17}.  This not simply a once a year tradition, but something we do each and every moment of the day.  What is it that we will ever have that God has not provided for us?  Growing up, I would often feel a sense of guilt when thinking of all which the Father has provided.  My immediate thought was all too often "What can I ever do to repay God?"  That's the wonderful part of the good of the Father, God is never asking that we repay Him for His love and grace.  Yet this is all too often our own human reaction to what the Father provides out of His love for us.  We always feel as if there must be a catch somewhere.  That God will provide for us IF we pray more, donate more or promise to do better.  Sorry, that's not how this works.  Those in the church love to toss around the phrase "The joy of the Father."  Well, I believe that it gives the Father joy when He gives unto His children.  Just as we experience joy in giving to others, so it is with our heavenly Father as well.  

Giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ

Paul to the Ephesians 5: 20, Concordant New Testament 

Not to upset the traditional Christian apple cart, but there is something else which we must consider when we talk about the Lords provision for us.  We know that Christ has called on us to love one another {Johns Account 13:34}.  Now, brace yourselves.  How is it that the Father provides for the less fortunate among us?  Does He simply wave His hand and send provision from heaven?  Possibly, although I think that we're missing the boat when we think of the Father in that way.  I believe that the Father works through the love and charity of His children as He provides for those less fortunate.  Think about it, what is one of the main things people think of at this time of year?  Providing for those less fortunate among us.  We know that Jesus was born humbly into this world without much in the way of opulence {Lukes Account 2:7}.  Christianity spends a lot of time proclaiming the fact that Jesus came into this world poor, which is in fact true.  When we wrap our understanding around the fact that all were created by God and all live in union with Him it changes everything {Johns Account 14:20}.  Knowing this, it is not beyond the Father to utilize the lives of His children to provide for their brethren in need.  Yet somehow we've either taken God out of that equation, or most believers do not yet have the realization of living in the Father.  I believe the latter to be true.  To live in the Father is to truly know His love and goodness.  THAT is the good of the Father.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (In Disguise)

 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 

It's an argument as old as Christianity itself.  How is it that God, being all in all and holy, could manage to be in those who we see as behaving badly?  I thought of this the other day at the gym where I was treated to someone who obviously was not aware of the proper way to behave amongst others.  Are we to see these people as simply sinners awaiting the realization of the Father?  Well, if you were to ask the apostle Paul you might just get a pretty straight answer.  For it is Paul who speaks to all being one in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Galatians 3:28}.  I will take that one step further by saying that all mankind has the fingerprint DNA of the Lord within them.  For it is we who were created in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  Now, growing up in the teachings of the mainstream church, I was led to believe that those who were "Good" people were created in the Fathers image as scripture proclaims.  Of course, this opens up more than a few questions regarding those who we see as not being capable of having the Lord in them.  These were the "Lost" among us.  And it was the lost who were the target of each and every outreach ministry the church could imagine.  The lost of Africa, the lost in Asia and even the lost here in America.  These lost souls needed to be corralled for Jesus!  Never once was it mentioned that these lost were indeed created in the likeness of the Father as we believers supposedly were.  I have a few friends from my mainstream church days who spent many a day in countries like Serbia and India taking the message of Jesus to those lost among us.  I get it.  It seems that the church has separated the Lords children into two separate groups, the brethren of believers and those who knew not the Lord.  Of course, this runs contrary to the truth of who we are in Him.  

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 

So, are we to believe, as we've been taught, that God is only in those who know Him?  If so we must also believe that He has made two separate creations, one saved and one not so much.  But the words of Jesus Himself speak to the error of this belief.  It is Jesus who proclaims that it is the Father in Whom we live {Johns Account 14:20}.  This is not something which we grow into, it is who we truly are.  We are in Him!  There are no lost among us.  There are only those among us who have not had the revelation of the truth of the Father in them.  To that point, reaching out to those among us to present to them this truth I believe is a worthwhile effort.  But the mainstream church has repeatedly shown that they aren't about that.  They are about continuing the effort of saving the lost.  Tell me, if God has created all mankind in His likeness, is He two competing spirits?  One knowing the truth and the other created against that truth?  Of course, anyone who has a rudimentary knowledge of the scriptures knows this is ridiculous thinking.  And so we agree that all were created in His image, but some among us are lost as a result?  Again, I get it.  Many a pastor has pointed to the wicked among us to show the evil of this world.  They point to the likes of Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin in order to personify evil among us.  But if all were created in the Fathers likeness, wouldn't that include the wicked among us as well?  Many a believer would bristle at this suggestion.  To them, there is good and evil, and God despises evil.  However, if God is all in all as we believe, is He not in both good and evil as well?  We cannot simply cherry pick where it is God will manifest Himself.  If we believe the scriptures, that He is all in all, then He is in all that we see.  We either choose to accept the truth of the Father, or we don't.  That will never change who He is.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (In Our Dark Places)

 For I am reckoning that the sufferings of the current era do not deserve the glory to be revealed for us.

Paul to the Romans 8: 18, Concordant New Testament 

I remember the days while in the mainstream church in the times when life wasn't turning out the way I was expecting it to.  It never failed that when I would entrust my troubles with a few "Christian" friends, they would immediately inquire as to what I had done to upset the Lord.  What sin had I left unconfessed?  Was I lacking in my prayer life?  There were any number of things which they could point to that would somehow explain how a God who seemingly loved me would suddenly turn His back on me.  This was the prevailing wisdom of the church.  That God would not suffer with us for very long before His righteous discipline would be brought against us.  For we were but sinners, and God needed to mold us into the image of His Son.  I didn't realize it then, but I was already in the image of Christ Jesus.  I had already been created in the likeness of the Father {Genesis 1:27}.  However, it was in the dark places of my life that I rarely if ever noticed the presence of the Lord.  This, of course, was due to following the teachings of those in the church.  My own eyes had not yet been opened to the truth of the Father in my life.  Sadly, this seems to be the case for many believers even today.  I have a friend who adheres to the traditions of the Eastern Orthodox religion, and I have witnessed how he beats himself up over one sin or another from time to time.  How he worries if the Lord truly loves Him despite his sin condition.  Much like I had been, he does not see the Lord in his own dark places.  But do we need to trust in the prophesies of man?  Do we need to place our trust in those who speak from the pulpits?  The apostle John called upon us to "Test the spirits" to see if they are of God {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  We also know that it is Christ Jesus Who never deviates {To the Hebrews 13:8}.  We know that God Himself never deviates {Malachi 3:6}.  Even so, Jesus has proclaimed that He and the Father are one {Johns Account 10:30}.  So, when that pastor stands in the pulpit on Sunday and proclaims that your life condition is affected by your own sin, you have a choice.  You can believe him, or you can trust in the Lord with Whom you live in union {Johns Account 14:20}.  

Now the God of all grace, Who calls you into His eonian glory in Christ, while briefly suffering, He will be adjusting, establishing, firming, founding you. 

Peter to the Dispersion (1) 5: 10, Concordant New Testament

Years ago, I found it difficult to rationalize how a loving God could love me in spite of my sin condition.  The fact that Christ had taken that sin unto Himself on the cross did little to change my mind {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  I was following the teaching of the representative of the Lord, or so I thought.  This is the danger many mainstream church pastors today find themselves in, whether they know it or not.  When we're called to test the spirits, that means that we should test the teachings of these pastors to see if they are indeed from God.  How is it that a pastor can declare that our sin condition is cause for the Lord to discipline us?  Has not Christ taken our sin unto Himself already?  Has not the Lord proclaimed that He will never leave us nor forsake us {To the Hebrews 13:5}?  How, then, can it be said that the Father is not with us even in our darkest times?  When I began to test the spirits in my own life, I began to see the truth of the Father.  That I did not need to be conformed to His image, I AM already in his likeness.  That I could do much more than simply "Be like" Jesus.  For I live in union with He and the Father.  I live through Him!  This revelation is not something which comes to everyone at the same time, but by the desire of the Father.  And, it IS His desire that all would know Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  The truth of the Father is that we remain in Him no matter what condition our life takes.  In our dark places, we can trust that we are in His presence.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Fathers Choice)

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

First Epistle of John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

I listened to a radio pastor the other night as he cast a warning to the wayward sinner of the retribution of the Lord.  It was the same old song and dance I've heard from many a pastor, that God will not suffer the actions of the unrighteous.  That those who know not the Lord will face an eternity of damnation.  I thought to myself that this seemed strange for a loving and forgiving Father.  For it is God Who created me in His own likeness, that I would be as He is {Genesis 1:27}.  It is God who breathed into me the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  It is God who provided for the redemption of my sin condition {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Does this sound like the actions of a God who was hell bent on making me pay for each and every sin I've ever done?  Now, I will admit that God definitely has within Him the hell fire nature which we read about most commonly in the days of the old testament.  It was this side of the Father that condemned Sodom and Gomorrah {Genesis 19:24}.  It was this nature of God that invoked the flood, destroying all which was on the earth, save for those He chose to spare {Genesis 6:17}.  It is this other side of the Fathers nature that Christian pastors all too often point to when they speak of Gods retribution.  More often than not, it is meant to scare the believer into submission with the Lord.  But is this how God  truly intended Himself to be known by His children?  To live under the threat of His vengeance?  How could God proclaim love and forgiveness while still submitting His creation to promises of revenge?  And what of Jesus?  Is the Lords vengeance even something for us to consider after Jesus took our sins upon Him at the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}?  Obviously, the Father has shown us two natures, but there is one which He has chosen that He desires to be known as.  That is, love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  

How that God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing us in the word of the conciliation. 

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:19, Concordant New Testament 

I do not believe that it is the desire of the Lord that His children live in fear of His retribution.  However, this has been the mantra of the mainstream church for thousands of years.  Where God looks upon the world with forgiveness, the church continues to preach the retribution of good and evil.  The apostle Paul speaks to the one true nature of God when he speaks of the Father being in Christ bringing the world unto Himself.  Does this sound like retribution?  If God were truly interested in punishing the sinner, He would have separated the just from the unjust instead of reconciling the entire world to Himself {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Many believers struggle with the prospect of universal salvation, that all will be saved.  They see the world through the lens of good versus evil and not through the Fathers eyes of love.  That's a problem.  For the world the Father desires to bring unto Himself continues to see Him in the wrong light.  Many will argue that the old testament speaks to Gods desire that the wicked be punished.  They fail to realize that this was before the redemption which we find through Christ Jesus.  If God was truly intent upon punishment, then the cross of Christ would be meaningless.  Jesus would have died for nothing.  But it is through the Father IN Christ that the love of the Father is manifested.  God has never sought to punish His creation, but to bring it unto Himself. 

Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day.  And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.  And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time!  But he loves you.  He loves you, and he needs money.  He always needs money.  He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money. 

~George Carlin~ 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father {A Dirty Job?)

 

Now, when it delights God, Who severs me from my mother's womb and calls me through His grace, to unveil His Son in me that I may be evangelizing Him among the nations, I did not immediately submit to flesh and blood, neither came I up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I came away into Arabia, and I return again to Damascus.  Thereupon, after three years, I came up to Jerusalem to relate my story to Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days.

Paul to the Galatians 1: 15-18, Concordant New Testament 

I've had plenty of jobs in my life which most people would consider dirty jobs.  My current job also falls into this category.  I will say, that dirty jobs are not considered as that essential, just dirty.  The mantra for so many years was that our young generation needed to prepare for the world outside their home by studying and going to college.  As a result, far too many young adults are now straddled with enormous student loan debts which might take them years to repay.  All for the promise of a better, non dirty, well paying job that may or may not materialize.  We can use the apostle Paul as an illustration of this.  Paul?  But Paul was a servant of the Lord.  True, but before he was a servant, he was known as Saul, a persecutor of the brethren followers of Jesus.  Saul grew up in the Jewish faith, being groomed obviously for a grand position within the ranks of the Jewish Elite.  Not a dirty job by any means, even back then.  Saul would have spent many years in the Jewish religious system, learning all he needed to know of his faith.  We can assume that Saul believed that he was serving the Lord in his education.  There would be no dirty jobs for Saul, or so he thought.  Then came, as they say, Sauls "Come to Jesus moment" which he experienced on that road to Damascus {Acts of the Apostles 9:1-20}.  Suddenly, in a moment, Saul was confronted with the reality of the Lord whom he had been sent to persecute.  This, of course, ran contrary to all of his years of higher learning in the Jewish synagogues.  It seems that Sauls years of higher learning were not beneficial to his own knowing of Christ Jesus he met on the Damascus road.  Saul was destined for a dirty job and he didn't even know it.  

Not all knowledge comes from college 

~Mike Rowe~ 

We know from scripture that the man formerly known as Saul spent three years in the Arabian desert in the wake of his Damascus road experience.  Why would Paul not immediately go out and speak to the wonders of Jesus after his conversion?  Well, he did for a short time {Acts of the Apostles 9:20}.  The trouble was, Paul, having been raised and trained in the Jewish faith, needed to re-learn a lot of what he only thought he knew about God.  What better place to learn about his new understanding than in the isolation of the Arabian desert?  We can assume that Paul spent a lot of time in communion with the Lord during those three years in the desert.  Think of all of the de-programming which he needed to go through.  All of those years in the heart of the Jewish faith certainly had to be addressed.  Who was this Jesus Whom he was introduced to on the Damascus road?  Obviously, before God could use this former Pharisee, He needed to prepare him for his new calling.  We can assume that this is indeed how Paul spent his days in the desert.  When he was ready, the Lord led him out of Arabia and back to Jerusalem {Paul to the Galatians 1:18}.  It was here where Paul's ministry of Christ truly began.  I have a friend who mirrors Paul's journey in many ways.  Choosing to serve and teach the Lord, he spent many years in the halls of the seminary learning what the church thought he needed to know to serve the Lord.  Upon graduation, he went to work teaching God in the traditional Christian fashions and traditions.  But something about it didn't sit well with his spirit, and after many years in the service of the mainstream church, the Father revealed to him, as he had the man Saul, His Son in him.  My friend did not retire to the desert for three years, but he definitely has spent many years learning the leading of the Father in him.  It is through this man that I came to the realization of Christ Jesus in my own life.  It is through the Fathers leading that each of us have revealed His truth to those around us.  This is the desire of the living God, that He will be known to His children.  It is only through those who know Him that the world will truly know the Father.  Not a dirty job at all.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (All In All)

 

Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be all in all 

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15: 28, Concordant New Testament 

What does it mean to know God?  I pondered that question the other day after writing my previous post.  Is knowing God simply knowing "Of" Him?  Or is there something more involved?  Most well meaning believers simply know of the Father.  That is, they know of that which they read in the scriptures.  That was me at one time as well.  I read and studied about God, thinking that I really knew Him.  Some years ago, the author Henry Blackaby wrote his book Experiencing God.  This changed a lot of ways that I had been looking a the Father.  I began to see my walk with God as more of a relationship with Him.  Granted, I would not realize fully this relationship for a few more years, but the seed had been planted in me.  For me, the God I now know is in everything that I see.  This is God all in all.  God encompasses all that we will ever know, and more.  It is God who has created all we will ever know {Genesis 1:1}.  Too many people understand that God created the heavens and the earth, yet fail to understand that His fingerprints are on everything else as well.  Again, I've been there.  How is it that we can know the Father and yet question the wickedness in the world around us?  Is He not responsible for this as well?  If we know God all in all, we understand that He is everything we experience.  To know the Father is all in all is to understand that it is indeed His creation in which we were created and live {Genesis 1:27}.  There is nothing that is out of His influence.  

For in Him the entire compliment delights to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on earth or those in the heavens 

Paul to the Colossians 1: 19-20, Concordant New Testament 

Nobody enjoys prayers that are not answered in our favor.  When I was in the mainstream church, those moments were all too often seen as God being angry or upset and thusly punishing us for something.  After the passing of my mother, I admit that I was angry with God for a time.  Here I had lifted prayers to Him for a few years that He would heal her and relieve her pain.  My first thought as I sat there waiting for them to come retrieve her body that night was why God had forsaken me.  Why had He punished me like this?  Obviously, at this point in my life I did not understand the all in all concept.  After her passing I realized that the Father had indeed answered my prayer, my mother was no longer in pain or suffering.  I will never know what prayers were offered up by my mother in her final days.  In my heart I know that she was a believer.  What if God was honoring her prayer?  Even through this personal pain, I know that the Father was bringing all things unto Him {Paul to the Colossians 1:19-20}.  Contrary to what some believers might think, it's not all about us.  We're not the stars of this show.  For it is God who is reconciling all of His creation unto Him.  We are created out of Him, and live in Him {Paul to the Romans 11:36}.  In the Father can be found all which has ever been or will be.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Knowing His Presence)

 

Now we are aware that God is working all together for the good of those who are loving God, who are called according to the purpose 

Paul to the Romans 8: 28, Concordant New Testament 

I was listening the other day to a radio sermon from a local pastor who was speaking on the barriers each of us encounter in life.  He listed such barriers as racism, sexism and a few other things which many have taken to describing the imperfections of life.  For much of my life, I've been keenly aware that my physical condition and health affected the way others around me looked at me.  Inevitably, this would lead me down the road to more depression and self doubt.  It was truly a vicious cycle.  I began to blame my bad health for many of the bad things in my life.  Sound familiar?  Through pornography, I found temporary acceptance, but it was a false idol.  As it was, those things I saw as barriers in my life were nothing more than distractions of who I truly was.  I was not a sinner saved by grace or a lost sheep searching for God.  I knew who God was, the issue is that until that point I had never experienced being "In God."  The radio padre spoke to the barriers in our life as distractions to knowing the Lord, and with that I agree.  However, it goes much deeper than that.  Knowing about God is much different than actually knowing Him.  Far too many believers spend a lot of time reading scriptures in an effort to know more about God.  These might be the same people who blame those barriers in their lives for the condition they find themselves in.  Believing that things such as racism have been instituted from the Lord.  Now, while it is true that God ALLOWED the existence of the racist attitudes of certain people, I believe that He was not responsible for creating it.  This was mans creation all the way.  From the moment that Cane rose up against his brother Abel in anger and jealousy, man has sought to place labels on one another {Genesis 4:8}.  Again, this is something which the Father allowed to happen.  Cane and Able surely knew of the Father through their parents.  They surely heard of their life in the garden before succumbing to the lie of the deceiver {Genesis 3:1-6}.  Adam and Eve lived their life in the Fathers presence in the garden.  They never learned of such things as hate, jealousy and anger.  These all came about after Satans deception.  

"These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have affliction.  But courage!  I have conquered the world"

Johns Account 16: 33, Concordant New Testament 

Many have tossed about the phrase "Mans inhumanity to man" when describing the destructive behaviors which we exhibit towards one another.  Were such people living in the presence and knowledge of the Father?  I doubt it.  Which begs the question, what is it like to live in the knowledge of the Father?  Well, it is Jesus Himself who speaks to our union in the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  To live in the knowledge of the Father is to live knowing that we have never been separated or distanced from Him.  That God is an intimate part of who we are and all we will ever do.  Jesus has spoken that there will indeed be barriers in our lives {Johns Account 16:33}.  However, our focus should not be on those barriers, but on the Father.  In the Father we know that our future is secure in Him.  That our lives are but a moment in time.  That no matter who is against us, in the Father we are secure {Paul to the Romans 8:31}.  Living in the Father is also knowing that we will indeed experience the pitfalls of life in this world.  Bu that does not define who we are.  We are not defined by racism, sexism or the like, but by God in Whom we share our being {Acts of the Apostles 17:28}.  The good of the Father is knowing that we live each and every day in Him. 

~Scott~ 

The Truth About Sin (And It's Not What You Think)

 Yet we are aware that the Son of God is arriving, and has given us a comprehension, that we know the True One, in His Son, Jesus Christ.  This One is the true God and life eonian. 

First Epistle of John 5: 20, Concordant New Testament 

I've sat through far too many sermons dealing with the subject of sin.  I've struggled more times than I can count to avoid the sinful thoughts I was taught to beware of.  Bottom line, we're told that sin is the difference between good and evil.  To be righteous is to have thoughts of good, while sin belongs to those thoughts of the evil one.  This is what I was taught to believe about sin.  Not only that, but that God has a special place chosen for those who continue to live in their sin.  That those who have not had their sin forgiven are destined to suffer forever in torment.  Keep in mind, this continues to be the teaching of the mainstream church.  My first clue that I might have been wrong about the nature of sin came from the scripture we find in John 3:16-17.  The iconic scripture most evangelists use to persuade those who have never known Jesus to come to Him.  God has indeed loved His creation enough to dispatch His Son.  This I understand.  But it's the following passage that peaked my interest.  That Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but that ALL may be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:17}.  That all would be saved?  What about those who sin?  Obviously, I was missing something here.  Maybe sin isn't about right and wrong after all, but something else.  Where is it that we're told that sin first entered into the world?  This was in the garden of Eden, where the deceiver managed to convince Adam and Eve to act against God.  If we want to understand the real nature of sin, we need to start here.  As a result of Satan's deception, the popular belief is that man was somehow separated from God.  THAT is the true nature of sin.  Our belief that we are somehow separate from God who created us.  Despite being created and given life by the Father, I was deceived into believing that there was a separation between us.  This deception permeated all mankind from its inception in the garden.  God has never spoken that man is separate from Him.  So, the question remains, why would we believe it?  

Now, it is Eonian life that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Him Whom Thou dost commission, Jesus Christ. 

Johns Account 17: 3, Concordant New Testament 

Sit through any church sermon and you're bound to hear the pulpit pounder speak on the virtues of living righteous and the consequences of doing wrong and living in sin.  It is the church which has convinced us into believing that sin is about right and wrong.  It is Christ Jesus Who has come to remind us of the truth of the Father {Johns Account 17:3}.  The truth of the Father is that we live in union with Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  We have been created in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  God has never NOT been an intimate part of who we are.  Yet the church will spend countless hours convincing us that to sin is to separate ourselves from God.  No, sin is the FALSE BELIEF that we are separate from the Father.  It is Christ Jesus Who has come to erase this belief and to show us the truth of the Father.  How is it that we can sin if we are in the Father {First Epistle of John 3:6}?  I will not proclaim that there is not good and evil in this world, because there is indeed.  What I will testify to is that it has never been about good and evil in regards to the sin issue.  It is Jesus who took the sin of not knowing the truth of the Father with Him to the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  What remains is the truth which has been revealed to us by Christ Jesus.  That He is in us, and we are in him.  

"Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day.  And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.  And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time!  But he loves you.  He loves you, and he needs money.  He always needs money.  He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money" 

~George Carlin~ 

~Scott~ 

As The Father

 I and the Father, We are one 

Johns Account 10: 30, Concordant New Testament 

Adam and Eve, they had it pretty good.  They lived each and every day in the presence of their creator.  Having been created and given life by God, they were indeed one with Him {Genesis 2:7}.  Then came the day where Satan the accuser sought to drive a wedge between the Father and His creation.  So, he suggested to Eve that were she to partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that she and Adam would become "Like God."  Never mind the fact that, having been created and given life by the Father, they were ALREADY like God.  Adam and Eve could not have known this, and so Satan sought to use it against them.  What followed was the lie of the deceiver which Adam and Eve chose to partake in {Genesis 3:1-7}.  Popular Christianity has dubbed this as "The fall."  The fall of mankind out of favor with the Lord?  The fall of God's creation into a unrepairable relationship?  Whatever your definition of the fall is, many believers have been lost in the lie of the deceiver for some time.  This is the lie that we and God are separated due to our sin in the garden.  The mainstream church, for its part, continues to teach of the deity of God in heaven and the struggle of His creation here on earth.  Modern worship music speaks to "God above" and "Come, Lord Jesus" as if that separation was indeed real.  Yet the scriptures speak to something totally different.  Jesus speaks to the fact of "I and the Father, We are one" {Johns Account 10:30}.  For this, the Jewish authorities took up stones against Him.  Jesus also speaks to the reality of our own union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  We are, as Jesus claims, as the Father. 

The baby son grew up and said A troopers life for me

A jumper like me daddy was is all I want to be

I only hope that I will jump as half as well as he

He ain't gonna jump no more!

Blood On The Risers ~ Vincent Speranza 

Growing up, my dream was to be a sheriff deputy like my dad.  This was the man I saw each and every day.  This was how I knew him.  Why does this matter?  What child has not grown up wanting to be like their parents?  Did Adam and Eve desire to be as God?  If they did, Satan provided them with that false opportunity.  Having been created by the Father, He is indeed a part of us {Genesis 1:27}.  I dare say that there has never been a separation between ourselves and God.  What there has been is the false belief among Gods children that we are indeed separate from Him due to our sin {Paul to the Romans 3:24-24}.  Pastors often point to the verse in Romans in which Paul speaks to the fact that all have sinned.  However, Paul also speaks in the following passage of our deliverance through Christ Jesus.  Yes, we have sinned, but it is through Christ Jesus that the Father no longer remembers or holds us guilty of those sins.  It is Jesus who took that sin upon Himself at the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  So, where is that sin that somehow continues to separate us from being in union with the Father?  Like two warring factions, God and sin have been in conflict from the beginning.  Yet through Christ victory has been declared!  We no longer need worry that the Father will turn from us due to our sin.  As Paul has proclaimed, we should reckon ourselves to be "Dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  So it is that we live in union with the Father. 

~Scott~ 

Betting On God

 

"Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day.  And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.  And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time!  But he loves you.  He loves you, and he needs money.  He always needs money.  He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all wise, somehow he just can't handle money" 

~George Carlin~ 

I remember the promises.  The promises of prosperity were I to endure a short period of doing without.  It was for the good of the church, they said.  And so I gave, more out of guilt than anything else.  Not wanting to be the one who set the church back financially.  It's been referred to as a "Tithing, or giving challenge."  Basically, the flock is asked to faithfully give of their tithes with the caveat that if their conditions do not improve, or if they somehow suspect that their funds are not being used in a manner that they can request their tithes be returned.  I call it a cry for help.  Recently, pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church in Mt Juliet, Tennessee made such a request of his own congregation.  The trouble is, someone in the congregation tossed a wrench into his plan and requested a return on their tithes as they suspected that they were not being used correctly.  Well, pastor Locke did what any good church pastor would do, he refused the refund request!  When I heard of this story, I immediately thought back to my days in the mainstream church and the times when the congregation was tasked with bailing the church out of one financial pit or another.  Building repairs, overseas ministry trips, you name it.  Under the guise of giving unto the Lord, we were asked to "Give until it hurts."  In the end, we were told, God would bless us for our faithfulness.  In the business world, this would be akin to a ponzi scheme of the highest degree.  People involved would be tried and possibly convicted.  But, when it's done in the name of the Lord it's somehow ok?  How is it that we have resorted to betting on the favor of God?  Are our prayers suddenly not enough anymore to request His assistance?  Now it seems that the more we give, the better our chances of receiving Gods favor.  I'm sorry, but that is not the God that I know and love.  The Fathers love for me came unconditionally.  I did not pay for my salvation, nor did I purchase the Fathers love in my own life.  This has always been the free gift given unto us by the Father {Paul to the Romans 6:23}.  The price that has been paid was paid by Christ Jesus on our behalf {Paul to the Corinthians(2) 5:21}.  

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

Paul to the Ephesians 2: 8-9, Concordant New Testament 

The catholic church instituted the practice of giving indulgences unto its members as "A way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins."  These indulgences were often used as a way to finance the public good, including charities.  Catholic teaching states that when a person sins they assume the liability of guilt and punishment for that sin.  The practice of indulgences seeks to curtail this punishment.  It is through the practice of tithing challenges that I see as modern day Christian church indulgences.  Or, currying the Lords favor through financial gifts or our own works.  But the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus that the favor of Lord is a free gift of God {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  When Jesus died on the cross, He took upon Himself the sin and punishment which had been meant for us {Pual to the Corinthians(2) 5:21}.  Paul reminds us of this when he proclaimed that we are now "Dead, indeed, to sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  Personally, I have not sat through a mainstream church service in many years.  The last time that I did, I was reminded of the mainstream churches misguided teachings on sin.  The pastor had just finished delivering his easter Sunday sermon of how Jesus had bled and died for the forgiveness of our sins.  In the next instant, he asked the congregation that anyone with "Unresolved" sin could step forward to the altar and receive prayer for forgiveness of that sin.  That was last time I walked out of a church.  My relationship I now have with the Father has been possible only through the work of Christ Jesus within me {Johns Account 14:20}.  This is the gift I have received. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father

 

Now we are aware that God is working all together for the good of those who are loving God, who are called according to the purpose 

Paul to the Romans 8: 28, Concordant New Testament 

I read the words of Paul written in Romans 8:28 and I immediately began to think of the good things in my own life.  These is the carryover beliefs from my time in the mainstream church.  The church would have us believe that Paul was referring to the Father showering His children with good in this passage.  That if we believe in and follow God He will reward us in our lives.  But is this what Paul was referring to?  Is it the Lords intent that all will be good in our lives if we simply believe in Him?  As I've said, this is what I was brought up to believe about God.  That if I simply believe in Him I would be rewarded in my own life.  Well, this belief is also what brought me to question not only if God existed, but if He really cared for me at all.  Before my mother passed, I prayed for the Lord to heal her from her infirmities.  I believed that the Father would "Work all together for the good" in this situation.  Meaning, I believed that all would be ok and that my mother would be restored to health.  When this didn't happen, I began to question whether God heard my request or if He even was concerned.  I presented my requests to Him, and in my way of thinking God did not honor those requests.  What good is God if He is not honest in what He proclaims?  Was this the good of God?  Oddly enough, my answer to this question came as I thought over what I had prayed for.  One of my prayers was that my mother would be free of the pain she had been in for so long.  The realization that she was now free of the pain of her sickness opened my heart to what the Father had been accomplishing through all of this.  It wasn't about me at all.  But this is how I had been brought up to view God in my life.  As believers we all too often get stuck on how God rewards His followers and makes their lives better.  When that doesn't come to pass we end up questioning Him and His motives.  In the end, I believe that we interpret good very different from how the Father intended.  

Now this is eonian life that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Him Whom thou dost commission, Jesus Christ

Johns Account 17: 3, Concordant New Testament 

Is it possible to know the salvation of the Lord?  Growing up, I was led to believe that salvation was my eternal life in heaven.  That if I believed in God not only would He reward me in my life, but reward me with my salvation as well.  But all it takes is what we perceive as one unanswered prayer and we immediately start to doubt God.  We began to question His promises.  I've been in that situation a few times myself.  But seeing God through the perspective of mainstream church theology is not seeing the truth of the Father.  The church will teach us that salvation is the gift of God, and in that they are correct.  But does salvation revolve around the idea of eternal life?  Is this what God intended?  Jesus speaks to something different entirely.  It is Jesus who speaks to eternal life as knowing the Father {Johns Account 17:3}.  I believe that this is the "Good" which Paul speaks to in Romans 8.  For the desire of the Father is the same as the desire of any earthly parent, that He be known by His children.  Therefore, God has been working all for the good in those who are loving Him.  It is the Father who is becoming known by His children.  Let me just say that knowing God and "knowing of" Him are two entirely different ideas.  Through the mainstream church we come to know OF God.  Yet many believers still do not know Him personally.  Jesus tells us that as children of the Father that we live in union with Himself and God {Johns Account 14:20}.  Unfortunately, many believers still do not recognize this truth.  This does not mean it's not true, just that we don't yet perceive it in ourselves.  How is it that God will be known?  Through those who truly know Him already.  It will be through these believers that God will be known.  So it is that He continues to work all together for the good.  

~Scott~ 

Perfect Plan

 

Now we are aware that God is working all together for the good of those who are loving God, who are called according to His purpose

Paul to the Romans 8: 28, Concordant New Testament  

There is no doubt that I was relieved over the results of the latest national election.  And why not, this election cycle was often filled with dire predictions for this nation no matter which candidate we voted for.  If you listened to some people, it seemed like a no win situation.  But that is hardly the case.  See, with God there is never a no win situation.  The apostle Paul goes so far as to proclaim that ALL things work together for the good for those who are called according to the Fathers purpose {Paul to the Romans 8:28}.  Up until a few years ago, I tended to interpret this passage as meaning that God would work out everything in my favor always.  Again, not true.  For Paul's words tell us that the Father will work all TOGETHER for the good.  No matter the outcome, we can rest assured that the Father is working each and every situation according to His will and for the good of His children.  This might be a tough thing to understand when difficult situations come, but most of the time it's because we are focused on the situation and not on God.  I admit that there were times in during this election that I felt defeated and stressed.  This can be a common reaction to situations which are out of our control.  Yet Paul's words remain true, God is working all together for the good. 

Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, that is superior to every frame of mind, shall be garrisoning your hearts and your apprehensions inn Christ Jesus

Paul to the Philippians 4: 6-7, Concordant New Testament 

Although I know the Lord, there have been times when I felt apprehensive while praying over certain situations.  I mean, is God really concerned over election results in the big scheme of things?  Absolutely!  Remember, it is the Father Who ultimately determines the results of each and every election.  He is Lord of all.  Now, this might be a foreign concept for someone who has been told that if a certain individual wins an election that the country will fall into chaos.  This is also one major reason that I do not trust the mainstream media.  Money is their ultimate objective, not providing information.  So, for those who have been promised by the media that the world will end if Donald J Trump won the election, rest easy.  We can be assured that the Father is continuing to work all for the good of His children.  I remember while growing up that I did not agree with every decision my parents made.  Yet those decisions they made were with my well being in mind.  As with the Father, we might not see His good in each and every situation, but we can rest assured it is indeed there.  Again, if our perspective is seeing the Father not as a distant caretaker, but as our loving Father Who we live in union with, we will began to see things from His perspective {Johns Account 14:20}.  And seeing life through the Father is much better than any news channel.  

~Scott~ 

One Piece At A Time

 

Yet not only so, but we may be glorying also in afflictions, having perceived that affliction is producing endurance, yet endurance tenderness, yet testedness expectation.  Now expectation is not mortifying, seeing that the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the holy spirit which is being given to us. 

Paul to the Romans 5: 3-5, Concordant New Testament 

In recent weeks I have come to the conclusion that I am not a multitasker.  Normally I can give my attention on one task until it's completed.  Anything more than this and I end up in a stressful mess.  I recall the story which my mother used to tell of her youngest son and his hobby of building model airplanes.  There were times when I would come across a model kit that was particularly complex, but it was always my intent that I would finish the job myself.  Many times my mother would offer to help me, but I would always wave her off and continue with my project more determined than ever.  All too often, everything else went out the window until I finished my project.  This included school work, meals and just about anything else that might distract me.  Eventually, when the task had been completed, I began to catch up on all I had missed.  Now, there are those who can take on multiple tasks at once with no problem.  To them I tip my hat.  I'm not that guy.  I was once again reminded of this in the wake of our recent election season.  Time and again, watching political coverage took priority over other things at times.  And again, at the end, I was once again left wondering why I had allowed myself to reach that point.  It is Jesus Himself, in His sermon on the Mount of Olives, Who proclaims that we not worry about such earthly things {Matthews Account 6:25-29}.  At the end of the day, it is the Father who truly knows what is best for His children.  Our hearts should not be centered on what we can see, but on our life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  These were the words of a dear friend the other day.  That when our perspective is on our life In the Father, the stress and worry of the world around us seem less of a burden.  

So no, I'm not too big on religion...and not very fond of politics or economics either...and why should I be?  They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and deceives those I care about.  What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three? 

~ Willam P. Young The shack ~ 

When I look into the world around me I see a world in turmoil.  There are disappointments, sickness, pain and chaos all around us.  How is it that any of us could make it through this world with a sane mind?  Well, if our intent is to be of the belief that we ourselves are on this journey we definitely won't make it.  It is the Author Norman Grubb who proclaims that the ONLY independent self in the universe is...God.  Yet we humans go about each and every day with the mindset of we're the ones making it happen.  That we are the ones deciding our own destiny.  If that works for you, then you're living the lie.  That being the lie of the deceiver spoken to Adam and Eve in the garden.  The lie which proclaimed that we could "Be like God" if we simply do what He had commanded us not to do {Genesis 3: 1-6}.  The truth of our life in the Father is that we have always been like Him!  We are created in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  He has breathed into us His breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  How much more a part of Him can we be?  We are not simply human organisms tossed about at the whims of fate.  We are His beloved creation alive in Him.  One of my prayers for this election season was that whichever way it went, that His will be done.  In the end, that is the only sure thing.  

~Scott~ 

Through The Storm

 

And, approaching, they rouse Him, saying, "Lord!  Save us! We are perishing!"  And He is saying to them, "Why are you timid, scant of faith?"  Then, being roused, He rebukes the winds and the sea, and there came a great calm.  Now the men marvel, saying, "What manner of man is this, that the winds as well as the sea are obeying Him?" 

Matthews Account 8: 25-27, Concordant New Testament 

It was definitely a difficult time in my life.  My mother had just passed and I was openly wondering if God even was hearing me.  My prayers for some time had been that the Lord would relieve her pain and heal her, but now it seemed as if God was ignoring those requests, or was He?  As my good friend led the memorial service that day, he began to speak of the moment the disciples of Jesus began to fear for their lives in the midst of a storm on the sea of Galilee.  Where was Jesus during this terrifying time?  In the back of the boat asleep.  Imagine the thoughts going through the minds of His disciples, here they were in the middle of the storm and their teacher was sleeping through it all!  Why wasn't He helping them?   So, they did what anyone would have done, they rushed to wake up Jesus.  As His disciples stood before Him in fear and trembling, Jesus inquired of them, "Why are you timid?" {Matthews Account 8:26}.  Jesus truly wondered what His followers were afraid of in the middle of this storm.  Was He not the savior of all mankind?  The living Son of God?  Despite this, the disciples feared for their safety.  And so, Jesus calmed the wind and the waves {Matthews Account 8:26}.  Astonished, His followers wondered amongst themselves, What manner of man is this, that the wind and the seas are obeying Him?" {Matthews Account 8:27}.  Who indeed.  What made this passage appropriate was that I was enduring a situation in my own life where I felt as if Jesus was asleep in the back of that boat.  Little did I know that He wasn't sleeping at all, but I was enduring that storm in Him.  Too many times, traditional church theology teaches us that when times are tough, we should pray to God for His help and guidance.  We're taught that we learn more from the mountains of our lives than we do from the valleys.  But is God limited to the situations we endure?  I would say no.  For when we truly know God, we understand who He is and the depth of our relationship in Him.  Jesus has spoken that we live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Knowing this, what storm do we ever face that our Father is not an intimate part of?  

Wherefore also, lest I should be lifted up by the transcendence of the revelations, there was given to me a splinter in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, that he may be buffeting me, lest I may be lifted up.  For this I entreat the Lord thrice, that it should withdraw from me.  And He has protested to me, "Sufficient for you is My grace, for My power in infirmity is being perfected."  With the greatest relish, then, will I rather be glorying in my infirmities, that the power of Christ should be tabernacling over me.  Wherefore I delight in infirmities, in outrages, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake, whenever I may be weak, then I am powerful. 

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 12: 7-10, Concordant New Testament 

The apostle Paul was in torment.  He was going through a difficult time in his life, and so he prayed that the Lord would remove it from him.  Three times we're told Paul entreated God to remove this torment from him {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 12:8}.  What was the Lords response to Paul?  "Sufficient for you is My grace" {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 12:9}.  Paul understood that he did not have a distant relationship with the Lord, but that Christ was an intimate part of his life.  We're told that there is nothing which will ever take us away from the love of the Father {Paul to the Romans 8:39}.  Knowing this, what situation will we ever face that God is not an intimate part of?  Church teachings based on our separation from God will have us believe that the difficult times we will endure are somehow due to Gods anger or disapproval with us.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  We know that the one true nature of God is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  We know and understand that it is the desire of the Lord that ALL be saved through Christ Jesus {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Jesus has never been asleep in the back of that boat.  When we encounter difficult situations, we do so through our life in Him. 

~Scott~ 

The Different Faces Of God

 Jesus Christ, yesterday and today, is the same One for the eons also. 

To the Hebrews 13: 8, Concordant New Testament 

I was reminded once again this week of the varying beliefs among the followers of Jesus within this religious system we call Christianity.  While in conversation with one of my fellow gym goers, I once again learned of the biblical promises of punishment and banishment.  Now, I'm not a stranger to these institutional teachings of the mainstream church.  Growing up, it was all that I knew about God.  What I knew about Him was what I learned from going to church each Sunday.  I learned that Christ Jesus gave Himself for my sins, but I also learned that it was those same sins which were keeping me from a relationship with the Father.  How does that work?  From a young age, I learned that all I could ever hope to do was to "Be like" Jesus.  If I was somehow like Jesus, then my ticket to heaven was punched and I was good to go.  Yet something happened on the way there.  Like the man Saul on that road to Damascus, I was suddenly faced with one of the most important decisions of my spiritual life.  The decision to realize the truth of Christ, or to continue in my beliefs of the man-made religious system.  It was the apostle Paul, who when he came face to face with Jesus, finally became aware of the Christ he had spent his life persecuting.  It was the Father Whom, as Paul proclaims, proceeded "To unveil His Son in me" {Paul to the Galatians 1:16}.  That is, Christ in this man who had spent so much time and effort persecuting Jesus.  Had Jesus somehow changed from the Savior Saul once envisioned?  No, for Jesus has always been the same today as He ever was {To the Hebrews 13:8}.  God is the same as He's always been {Malachi 3:6}.  No, it is not Jesus who changed, but Paul's own realization of who He was.  As for myself, the decision which I was faced with was to recognize the truth of Christ in me, or continue in the teaching of the church system which denied that truth.  In the end, it is the revelation of the Father who brought me into this knowing.  

"Religion has actually convinced people that there is an invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day.  And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.  And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time!  But he loves you.  He loves you, and he needs money.  He always needs money.  He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money" 

~George Carlin~ 

Have you ever noticed just how many different translations of scripture that exist out there?  We have translations for every language, age group and belief system imaginable.  Are we foolish enough to believe that all of these translations of the word have not watered down the words and intent of the scriptures?  A good friend of mine often uses the word "Lens" when talking about the different translations and beliefs within Christianity, and he's right.  All too often , we will view Jesus and Christianity through the lens of what we ourselves believe.  Knowing this, my own views of Jesus and the Father might not mesh with those of my fellow gym friend.  I do not believe in the separation of man and God.  This is simply a result of the lie spoken by the deceiver in the garden {Genesis 3:1-8}.  Satan led Adam and Eve to believe that were they to partake of the fruit which God commanded them not to, that they would "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:5}.  The issue with this is that Adam and Eve were ALREADY like God.  It was the Father who created them is His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It is the God who breathed into them the breath of life, creating a living soul {Genesis 2:7}.  God has always been a intimate part of who it is that we are.  It is not the Lord who has changed, but our own understanding of who He truly is.  

~Scott~