The Good Of The Father (The Road Less Traveled)

 "Enter through the cramped gate, for broad is the gate and spacious is the way which is leading away into destruction, and many are those entering through it.  Yet what a cramped gate and narrowed way is the one leading away into life, and few are those who are finding it" 

Matthews Account 7: 13-14, Concordant New Testament 

Not too long ago, I wrote on the cost that we pay for following Jesus.  While we may never see that cost which Jesus Himself paid, there is indeed a price to be paid.  Jesus Himself spoke to this when He proclaimed that to follow Him, one must enter through "Cramped gate" {Matthews Account 7:13}.  For to enter through the spacious gate "Is the way which is leading into destruction" {Mattews Account 7:13}.  What was Jesus referring to when He spoke of this?  Well, can you think of that which you have left behind in order to follow Jesus?  For myself, I have lost everything from friends and coworkers to opportunities.  There have been many instances where those who claim to follow Christ have been subjected to discrimination from those around them.  In my experience, I have also often faced the ridicule of others for choosing to follow the preaching "Of a dead guy."  For the most part, I take this all in stride, as this is part of the price that I've paid for my life in Christ.  To forsake the pleasures which the rest of the world indulges is but another price to be paid to follow Jesus.  Granted, I've spent my time in the pleasures of the world already.  Yet I do not see those days as lost, but as my gain in Christ.  From his prison cell, the apostle Paul wrote of that which he had given up in his life following Jesus.  For Paul, to live was to be in Jesus, and to die, gain {Paul to the Philippians 1:21}.  Paul did not consider the pleasures of the world around him to be worth that which was awaiting him through Christ {Paul to the Colossians 3:23-24}.  Is this life even possible in this modern world of ours?  I would say yes.  For my life is proof that one can forsake that which the world calls "Normal" in order to follow Jesus.  Indeed, I have faced the mocking and insults from those choosing to enter through the broad gate.  To choose not to follow the world is simply not seen as normal.  I've even been accused of being involved in a cult for my beliefs.  The way I see it, my life in the Father has a greater reward than a life following the desires of this world.  

Yet we are encouraged, and are delighting rather to be away from home out of the body and to be at home with the Lord

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:8, Concordant New Testament 

In Corinthians, Paul speaks to being away from home, out of the body and to being at home with the Lord {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:8}.  So, where is our focus?  Are we delighting in the achievement of what the world has to offer?  Or, are we rejoicing in the promise of what is to come?  For I know from experience that there is not much rejoicing when one enters through the broad gate.  When I was involved in following the desires of this world, I never saw myself as complete.  Sure, I was doing everything which those around me said would make me happy, but I was far from that.  I didn't realize it back then, but the broad gate just wasn't for me.  I couldn't profess to be a Christian and follow the desires of the world around me.  I had to choose one or the other.  Thankfully, my choice was made easier by the Fathers revelation of His Son in me.  As with Paul, I only came to this knowing when it delighted the Lord {Paul to the Galatians 1:15-16}.  Sure, it may have been better for me if I had come to this realization earlier in life, but I look at the testimony which I have shared with others which may not have been possible if I had chosen to follow the Lord earlier in life.  The truth is, when the time came for me to choose the broad or narrow gate, I chose that which led me to a life in the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Seek Thee Jesus)

 

If, then, you were roused together with Christ, be seeking that which is above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Be disposed to that which is above, not to that which is on the earth

Paul to the Colossians 3: 1-2, Concordant New Testament 

I will began this page with one important question, who is Jesus?  Jesus asked this very question of His own disciples {Matthews Account 16:15}.  Some of His followers answered with John the Baptist of one of the ancient prophets of Israel.  But Simon Peter, yes, the same Simon who would deny Jesus on the eve of His crucifixion, answered that Jesus was indeed "The Christ, the Son of the living God" {Matthews Account 16:16}.  As Jesus proclaimed, Simon did not come to this truth on his own, but "By My Father who is in the heavens" {Matthews Account 16:17}.  So, again I ask, who exactly is Jesus to you?  For I already know who He is for me.  To me, Jesus is He in Whom my life now resides {Johns Account 14:20}.  Like Simon, this truth of the Lord Jesus was not revealed to me by some up and coming mainstream church pulpit pounder, but by the Father opening my eyes to the identity of His Son.  I mention this because far too many people seek out Jesus through the church, which is the LAST place where the truth of Christ will be preached.  Indeed, in all of my years sitting in the pews of the church, I've never heard the truth of Christ mentioned.  What I have heard is the same old song and dance theology which too many Christians have come to accept as truth.  That mankind is separated from God and Jesus.  Indeed, Jesus is seated at the Fathers side in heaven, carefully watching over His Fathers creation.  As I've mentioned before, this has been one of the lies spoken by the church.  A dear friend of mine reminded me the other day that the power of identity is the key to our transformation.  The apostle Paul speaks to this renewing of our minds {Paul to the Romans 12:2}.  For too many believers, this transformation has yet to occur in their lives.  Like Simon Peter, we await the opening of our eyes to the true identity of Christ, and ourselves.  

He is saying to them, "Now you, who are you saying that I am?"  Now answering, Simon Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Now, answering, Jesus said to him, "Happy are you, Simon-Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood does not reveal it to you, but My Father Who is in the heavens."

Matthews Account 16: 15-17, Concordant New Testament 

Many believers, if asked of their one true identity, would answer in the flesh.  That is, they would answer in human terms in order of physical appearance or family genealogy.  I don't fault them for this response, for this is what we have been taught from the beginning.  We are in the flesh, not the spirit.  Indeed, this has been the message given unto us by the mainstream church.  That our identity is ornately flesh and sinful from birth {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  Our own minds follow these identity politics by continuing to believe in the sinful flesh.  Paul realized this error in our thinking, and our own need for our minds to be renewed {Paul to the Romans 12:2}.  How is it that we can look upon Jesus and see the truth of our own identity if we are still of the belief that our own flesh is wicked and sinful?  This is part of the struggle I faced when my eyes were opened to who I really am in Christ.  How could Jesus ever be in a sinful man like me?  For those fans of The Chosen series, this is struggle Simon faces when Jesus calls him to follow Him.  Our minds have become focused on the flesh, and not the spirit.  To that I say, seek thee Jesus.  For when we our eyes are opened to who it is that we really are in the Father, we will began to see Jesus when we look at ourselves.  As my friend reminded me, the power of identity is the key to our own transformation and the renewing of our minds.  When we see the flesh not as a barrel of sin, but at the vessel of our life in the Father. 

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

Paul to the Romans 12: 2, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Something Out Of Nothing)

 

The God Who makes the world and all that is in it, He, the Lord inherent of heaven and earth, is not dwelling in temples made with hands, neither is He attended by human hands, as if requiring anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all

Acts of The Apostles 17: 24-25, Concordant New Testament 

The other day I came across an ad for a local church which proclaimed that those who attended would somehow be "Transformed."  I immediately thought to myself, transformed from what?  Transformed into what?  I feel that like a good deal of those within the mainstream church, that this particular house of worship had fallen into the same old institutional church theology.  That man is a sinner, and that he needs to somehow be "Transformed" from that into one that is more agreeable to God.  But wait, hasn't this already been accomplished?  Did not God, after I was created in His Likeness, declare all to be "Good" {Genesis 1:31}?  So, how is it that one who has been declared "Good" by the Father needs to be transformed into something else?  Are we not already complete in the Lord?  Yet, I'm not at all surprised since we're dealing with the centuries old lie of the mainstream church.  The lie that has been perpetrated for thousands of years, that we have somehow been separated from He Who created us.  Therefore, having become separated from God due to our sin, we need to be transformed into something which He will find more agreeable to Him.  What would that even be?  For if God has declared His creation to be good, what changes need to be made?  God has not declared His creation to be somewhat good.  He has not declared it to be partially good.  No, the Father has proclaimed that His own creation, mankind included, is now GOOD.  It seems that the only way that one would disagree with this heretical belief of mine is if they adhere to the theology of the mainstream man-made church.  Sadly, this theology of the church flies in the face of what we see in the scriptures.  Jesus Himself has proclaimed that we live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  The apostle Paul speaks to how he has died with Christ and that Jesus now lives in him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Is this scriptural evidence not proof enough that we're not apart from God?  The theology of the church is based around man as a born sinner {Paul to the Romans 3:23} and his constant struggle to return once again to the Lord.  Yet Paul speaks to our "Being justified gratuitously in His grace" in the following verse.  So, if we have been justified in the grace of the Father, are we still considered a sinner?  I suppose you would be if you adhere to the false teachings of the church.  

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are of God, for many false prophets have come out into the world 

First Epistle of John 4: 1, Concordant New Testament 

Thousands of years ago, religious authorities put to death many of the followers of Jesus, including His own disciples, for the words which they spoke.  The apostle John spoke of the need to "Test the spirits" to see if they are indeed of God {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  We can indeed test the spirits, or examine the words and teachings of the church, in order to see if they are of the Lord.  This is what I have attempted to do in my writings.  I may have come across as pretty critical of the church, but this is due to my own testing of the spirits.  I see the revelation introduced by Paul of our life in Christ.  What I did not see was that same teaching spoken in the church.  In fact, there is indeed a discrepancy between the theology spoken within the church and that of a few key parts of scripture.  The insistence of the church that man remains a sinner is but one example of this disconnect.  Yes, we were born sinners, but we were crucified beside Jesus on the cross.  That man is now dead.  What remains is our life in the Father.  To continue to speak to our old sin identity is but one of the lies of the modern church.  For what God has declared to be good has no need to be transformed.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Men Of The Cloth)

 

"Take heed to yourselves and to the entire flocklet, among which the holy spirit appointed you supervisors, to be shepherding the ecclesia of God, which He procures through the blood of His own"

Acts of the Apostles 20: 28, Concordant New Testament 

It remains one of the main reasons that people choose to attend the church that they do.  It is even how most churches are identified.  Who's the pastor?  I have come to know more than a few of them in my life.  Some good, and some not so.  One of the best pastors I have ever known is also one of my best friends in the Lord that I have ever known.  From him my eyes have been opened to what are the inner workings of the mainstream church.  The hierarchies, cliques and power struggles.  Despite the fact that his eyes were opened to the truth of Christ in him, the profession which he chose refused to acknowledge that revelation.  I fear that this has been the state of the church for thousands of years.  But what else would we expect from a man-made religion?  Indeed, the roots of our modern day Christian beliefs are centered around the Nicene creed which was first adapted in 325 AD.  The creed has been accepted as the defining statement of beliefs by modern faiths such as the Catholic church, Anglican and Eastern Orthodox sects of Christianity.  It was the emperor Constantine who called for the council of Nicaea in order to resolve a dispute among the beliefs among the followers of Christ.  What they came up with was a universal statement of beliefs for all who believe in Jesus.  So it is that, over time, those in the leadership of the church were more or less required to adhere to the theology of the church.  When my friends eyes were opened to the truth of the Father in him, he began to struggle with what he had been teaching for so long.  Apparently there's no room for disagreement over church theology amongst its leadership.  In the film Come Sunday, bishop Carlton Pearson is removed from the church he led simply for denying the mainstream church teaching on hell.  Pearson questioned how a loving God could punish those He supposedly loved.  The truth is that it has always been the desire of the Father that all be saved and come to know the Father {Paul to Timothy (1) 2:4}.  Of course, men of the cloth are forbidden from promoting this truth.  

Not many should become teachers, my brethren, being aware that we should be getting greater judgement

James to the Twelve Tribes 3: 1, Concordant New Testament 

While it is true that people will consider the pastor of a particular church before considering attending, it is also true that those pastors can and have been the focus of blame when something goes haywire.  For men of the cloth are all too often held responsible for all working of the flock they oversee.  Is the sermon bad?  Talk to the pastor.  Did someone in the flock offend you?  Talk to the pastor.  So it is that men of the cloth often wear many hats in their chosen profession.  From administrators to counselors, they are often called upon to resolve not only the issues of the congregation but of the community as well.  Make no mistake, the institutions of higher learning that churn out potential future pastors are responsible for preparing these men of the cloth for the occupation they have chosen.  I often refer to these institutions as Pharisee schools, for that is what they churn out.  Somehow it takes four years or more to transform a believer in Christ into a diehard defender of the church theology.  While I share in a relationship with the Father, that was never a path I wanted to follow.  However, there are many each year who consider to follow what has become known as a "Calling" to preach the word of the Lord.  Well, a calling to preach what someone else says is the word of the Lord would be more accurate.  After being away from the mainstream church for so many years, I have come to grow in my own relationship with the Father.  Not because a man of the cloth told me it was the right thing to do, but because my eyes were opened to the truth of my life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of the Father (Relics)

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

Paul to the Colossians 2: 14, Concordant New Testament 

Like many, I watched more than a few scenes of the funeral procession of the recent death of the leader of the Catholic church.  Indeed, the death of Pope Francis and its aftermath was played out on live feeds everywhere for the world to see.  But what was most interesting to me was the collection of old relics which the church displayed in the ceremony.  From the ornate coffin to the ceremonial papal ring used to seal it, it seems that the catholic church once again spared no expense as they blew the dust off of these ancient artifacts to display them for all to see.  Of course, growing up in the Christian mainstream church, I grew accustomed to the display of relics.  Who hasn't walked into a church where the very first thing you see is the ceremonial cross of Jesus?  I use the words ceremonial because it's obviously not the same cross as Jesus was nailed to, but it is indeed meant for us to remember Him for that event.  Yeah, Jesus died, I get that.  Yet the way that I remember Him and the way in which the mainstream church remember Him may be a bit different.  See, I remember Christ Jesus as my life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  I do not require an image of the cross to stir my memory of the Lord Jesus.  In fact, to me Jesus is more than simply a memory, He is my life.  Of course, in all of my years in that mainstream church I never heard of Jesus described in that way.  What I did hear was of the church rendition of Christ, Who was seated at the Fathers side in heaven and removed from us here on earth.  Perhaps that is why the church feels the need to prominently display the cross in houses of worship, to remind people of the presence of Jesus?  Keep in mind that the scriptures speak to the truth of our life in Him.  The apostle Paul understood this as he spoke of Christ Jesus in him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Paul didn't need to be reminded of Jesus with the image of the cross.  He knew and lived Jesus daily.  I feel that this also has become the basis of my own relationship with Christ.  I'm not one to display a cross around my neck to proudly display who it is that I believe in.  I already know that in my heart.  

Then Jesus is saying to him, "Go away, Satan, for it is written, The Lord your God you shall be worshipping, And to Him only shall you be offering divine service" 

Matthews Account 4: 10, Concordant New Testament 

I hate to say it, but the Christian faith is full of images which far too many people somehow give worship to.  The "Way of the cross" is an old Christian belief of walking the path which Jesus took to the cross, reflecting on fourteen parts of that journey to Golgotha.  It doesn't end there, for many believers give devotion to other sights connected to the life of Jesus.  Form the alleged site of His burial to the site of His birth, many believers often journey to the "Holy Land" in order to see these sacred sites.  I've never been.  Yet, despite never being to the land where Jesus once walked, I am still well aware of the life that He lives for me.  I do not need a relic to assure me of my life in Him.  I believe that the basis of mans need to have a physical connection with Jesus is a natural one for us.  For we are created in the likeness of the Father {Genesis 1:27}.  It is only natural that we would desire that physical connection with He who created us.  God has always been a intimate part of who we are.  So much so, that many look for ways to develop that physical connection with God.  They look for the cross in church.  They seek to "Walk the path which Jesus walked."  Yet, if we listen to the iconic words of Paul in Galatians, we have been put to death with Christ {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Our old identity was there on the cross with Jesus when He died.  Like I said, He's always been an intimate part of who we are.  God has never asked us to use the image of the cross to remember Him.  However, He has made it known through His apostle that it is His desire that we will come to the realization of His truth {Paul to Timothy (1) 2:4}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Price To Pay)

 

Now He said to all, "If anyone is wanting to come after Me, let him disown himself and pick up his cross daily and follow Me" 

Lukes Account 9: 23, Concordant New Testament  

It's a question that I've heard more than a few times.  In fact, it's a question I've even asked myself.  Is there indeed a cost which we pay for following Christ Jesus?  Now, there are those in the mainstream church who will choose to quote a few cherry picked scriptures in order to illustrate the fact that to follow Jesus is to pay for that opportunity in some way.  For even Jesus has proclaimed that if one should be choosing to follow Him that he should, "Disown himself and pick up his cross daily and follow Me" {Lukes Account 9:23}.  Pick up my cross?  Am I to do exactly as Christ did?  One issue that I have with this line of thinking is that our salvation in the free gift given unto us by the Father.  Do we follow Jesus in order that we be saved?  If so, Jesus has already paid that debt.  The apostle Paul speaks to the truth that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe that the Father raised Him from among the dead that we will be saved {Paul to the Romans 10:9}.  Is our own belief in Jesus a price which we pay for following Him?  I wouldn't agree with that statement.  What I WOULD consider as feasible is that which we will give up in our own pursuit of Jesus.  It is a common belief that if we're to follow Jesus, that we need to be resisting that which is of the world.  Paul speaks to this when he proclaims that we are to set our minds upon that which is above and not that which is on the earth {Paul to the Colossians 3:2}.  Still, is to give up that which we might desire in this world a price to pay for following Christ?  If so, then to follow Jesus may indeed bear a cost to us.  For some time, I was involved in the pursuit of the flesh in my life.  I've written many times of my own times spent within the strip clubs in my town.  When my eyes were opened to who I truly was in Christ, that life meant less and less to me.  Was this part of the price which I paid to follow Christ?  As far as worldly desires I would say yes.  Yet giving up my desire for the flesh in the end saved me money, so what was the price I paid for Jesus?  In the end, that price paid may have been in denying my desires of this world, but is there a financial cost related to that?  But I've come to learn that looking at the cost of following Jesus in strictly financial terms might be the best indication of what we give up for Him. 

If then, you were roused together with Christ, be seeking that which is above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Be disposed to that which is above, not to that on the earth, for you died, and your life is hid together with Christ in God.  Whenever Christ, our life, should be manifested, then you also shall be manifested together with Him in glory 

Paul to the Colossians 3: 1-4, Concordant New Testament 

That which we cannot place a monetary value on is that which we ultimately have given up for Christ Jesus.  That is our old identity, who we once were before being nailed to the cross together with Him in death.  Paul states pretty clearly that we have indeed died with Christ {Paul to the Galatians 2:20, Paul to the Colossians 3:3}.  Without our life in Jesus which we now share in our union with Him, our life would indeed be our own {Johns Account 14:20}.  But we have died.  We have died, and our life is now together with Christ Jesus in God {Paul to the Colossians 3:3}.  so, tell me, what is the cost of that which we sacrificed?  Can we place the fact that we've died together with Jesus in human financial terms?  I would say no.  Because when we speak of our death in Christ Jesus we're not speaking in financial terms, but in terms of our own spiritual identity.  For in Christ we are no longer identified in human terms, but in union with the spirit of Christ.  When we look upon ourselves now and who we really are, we see Jesus.  Gone is the man who chased after the desires of this world, he has died.  Will your eyes be opened to this truth as mine were?  Maybe, but when they are it will be at the will of the Father.  However, simply because one does not understand who he is in Jesus does not negate the fact that he has indeed died and is now alive in Christ.  Their eyes have simply not been opened to who it is that they are in Him. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Dead On A Tree)

 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 was one of the most difficult revelations which I've had to deal with in my life in Christ. The fact that I've died with Him already.  The apostle Paul's iconic scripture which we find in Galatians speaks to Paul acknowledging that he no longer lives, that he has been put to death with Christ Jesus {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  So it is with me.  The life which I have, or had, is no more.  What remains, as Paul speaks to, is my life in Christ.  Indeed, it's pretty difficult to come to terms with being dead if each and every day I feel life.  I feel emotions, pain and thoughts.  Is this really what death looks like?  Of course, when we look at it through the lens of the spiritual and not the physical, we see that death is really just another dimension of life.  The author of Hebrews describes "So vast a cloud of witnesses" which surrounds us {To the Hebrews 12:1}.  Many have interpreted this verse to refer to those memories which we have of those of the faith who have gone before us.  While this is true, I also am of the belief that there is yet another dimension parallel to our own where those who have passed from this world await their own resurrection.  Hebrew texts describe sheol as the place of souls who have departed this world.  To be clear, sheol IS NOT what we have come to know as hell.  Think of it as a holding place for those who have passed before us, the good as well as the wicked.  Is this the cloud of witnesses which the author of Hebrews was referring to?  I believe that it could very well be.  Yet that is beside the point.  The reality is that we have been crucified with Christ Jesus.  We have already died with Him on that cross.  We're dead.  As a good friend pointed out to me recently, what life do I have if I've died?  It's what Paul referred to as "The secret among the nations {Paul to the Colossians 1:27}. 

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 

So, if you thin k that grasping the truth that you have died with Christ is a tough pill to swallow, you're not the only one by any means.  Yet Paul understood that despite FEELING as if he were still alive, his life was not in this world but in Christ alone.  This is Christ among us, our expectation of glory in Him.  Of course, this is contradictory to the theology preached by those in the mainstream church.  In fact, I've never heard of our death is Christ spoken of in the time I spent in the church.  Instead, Jesus is preached as a far off and distant savior who looks down upon us from His place at the Fathers side.  So, tell me, how is it that the passage we find in Colossians 1:27 can remain factual if Jesus has remained in heaven?  How can Christ be among us if He's never left the Fathers side?  This is but one of the issues that I have with the theology of the mainstream church.  I also believe that it is why I had such a difficult time accepting the Fathers revelation that I've died with Christ already.  For I spent many years in the church listening to and believing in the religious system that I was taught.  I'll stop short of referring to it as brainwashing, as I was free to leave at any time.  Also, it was the Father Who allowed me to remain in the church until such time as my eyes were opened to the truth of His Son in me.  Indeed, it is Paul who speaks to this very thing in Galatians {Paul to the Galatians 1:15-16}.  For it was the Father, in His own timing, Who would open my eyes to His revelation in my life.  It wasn't ever easy, but it is true. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (For Those Lost)

 

Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth 

Paul to Timothy (1) 2: 4, Concordant New Testament 

Christianity is filled with them.  My friend who remains in the Eastern Orthodox religious system often refers to those who somehow throw away the "Gift" which the Lord God has given unto them.  These are the lost souls among us.  Mainstream church theology would describe these wayward children of the Lord as destined for an eternity of fire and punishment in hell.  For they have rejected the truth of God.  In the theology of the church, there is good and evil.  The good shall prosper in the presence of the Lord while the wicked will suffer in agony in hell.  But what does the Father think of these lost souls?  The words of Jesus give us a good example of this in the book of Luke.  It is here that Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep, and of the shepherd rejoicing when the wayward one is found {Lukes Account 15:4-6}.  That shepherd is the Father, and that lost sheep represents those lost souls among us.  For it has never been the Fathers desire that any should perish, but that all would come to the realization of the truth in Him {Paul to Timothy 2:4}.  To speak of those lost souls is simply another lie which the mainstream church has perpetrated upon the Lords children.  For they have never been lost.  They may have not made the smartest decisions in life, but the Father has been in them from the beginning {Paul to the Romans 11:36}.  There has never been even a moment in our lives that the Father was not a part of us.  So how is it that we can speak of being lost?  How is it that we can believe that God somehow has abandoned His own creation?  Obviously, this is an error in our beliefs.  Having grown up in the doctrine of the mainstream church, I can understand just where these beliefs begin.  I too was once worried about becoming one of those lost souls.  If I didn't behave in the right way.  If I somehow didn't accept what the pastors told me.  Would God consider me as lost?  Knowing what I know today, I have come to realize the error of those beliefs.  

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and losing one of them, is not leaving the ninety-nine in the wilderness and is going after the lost one, that he may be finding it?  And finding it, he is placing it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And coming into the house, he is calling together the friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice together with me that I found my sheep that was lost!" 

Lukes Account 15: 4-6, Concordant New Testament 

I believe that one of the biggest lies spoken by the mainstream church has been the theology that we have somehow been separated from the Father Who created us.  Really?  How can that which has been created suddenly not carry the fingerprints of its creator?  How is it that we can look upon the world around us and not see what God has created?  Indeed, if His creation is in Him and through Him then, as His creation, we are as well {Acts of the Apostles 17:28}.  Knowing this truth, it is not possible that there are lost souls among us.  There are indeed those whose own decisions have led them astray of God.  Whether through unbelief or of not ever hearing of the truth of the Lord, the truth is that we have never been absent from the Father Who created us.  In the film Come Sunday, the bishop Carlton Pearson is ostracized by his own church when he denies the existence of the hell so often preached by the mainstream church.  Pearson is convinced that those who have for one reason or another never heard of the Lord or the gospel of Christ would not be abandoned by a Father Who loves them.  For his beliefs, Carlton Pearson was expelled from his church.  This has had me thinking lately, what would the churches reaction be to what I have to say?  In all reality, I might just be ostracized just as the reverend Pearson was.  But who is it that speaks against the Lord, he who speaks the truth of our life in the Father or those who continue to preach of our separation from Him?  I already know that answer.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Holy Warriors)

 

C.S. Lewis 

Beware that no one shall be despoiling you through philosophy and empty seduction, in accord with human tradition, in accord with the elements of the world, and not in accord with Christ

Paul to the Colossians 2: 8, Concordant New Testament 

By definition, apologetics is the vigorous defense of religious doctrines and Christianity.  I have certainly known a few hard core apologetics in my time.  While I was involved in the church, I would often run across those who would quote the scriptures in order to defend the policies and theology spoken within the mainstream church.  With many of these holy warriors, there was no room for another opinion.  What they quoted from their interpretation of the scripture was the be all end all of their argument.  Yes, these so called believers were arguing for God.  One day I asked a friend of mine, a diligent holy warrior if there ever was one, why God, the creator of the universe, would ever need anyone to defend Him.  His silence spoke volumes to me about his knowledge of the Father.  For he was not in fact defending God, but the religious system we had been raised up in.  Yes, I've not been afraid to admit that I was brought up in the mainstream church.  In fact, I also dabbled in the practice of apologetics for awhile.  To me, Gods word was supreme, and those who disagreed with that were among the worst of sinners.  For they had abandoned the Lord.  Of course, as a believer, I saw it as my Christian duty to inform them of the nature of their mistake.  This was all fine and good until another holy warrior decided to use the same tactics against me.  Let me tell you, it didn't feel too good at all.  I began to question myself, "Is this how I sound to others when I defend God?"  I thought of those in the faith of the Jehovah's witnesses who often go door to door to speak their faith to others in the community.  Was that me?  As I dug deeper into scripture I began to realize that it was not God who needed me to defend Him, but that God needed to protect me.  How is it that the God who parted the Red Sea and raised Christ Jesus from among the dead needed others to defend Him?  Let me tell you, God is perfectly able to defend Himself and has on so many occasions.  

Seeing that out of Him and through Him and for Him is all; to Him be the glory for the eons!  Amen! 

Paul to the Romans 11: 36, Concordant New Testament 

I didn't realize it back then, but my entire belief of our relationship with God was backwards in thinking.  The theology preached by the mainstream church will have us believe that we are of our own lives, somehow set apart from God the Father.  How is it that the creation could be separated from that which created it?  The apostle Paul speaks to our life in the Father in Romans.  That all of creation, including us, is out of, through and for God the Father {Paul to the Romans 11:36}.  Jesus Himself also speaks to our union life in the Father in the account of the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  From his prison cell, Paul wrote to young Timothy that he should "Herald the word, stand by it" {Paul to Timothy (2) 4:2}.  However, Paul did not call upon Timothy to vigorously herald the word to others, but "With all patience and teaching."  Not surprisingly, those within the mainstream church have hijacked this passage to encourage others to vigorously defend not God, but the church and its theology.  Something is definitely wrong with that picture.  Will we defend the religious system which speaks to our own separation from the Father who created us?  Or, will we accept the truth of our life within the Father?  For if everything is out of, through and for Him, then He is more than capable of defending Himself.  

Herald the word.  Stand by it, opportunely, inopportunely, expose, rebuke, entreat, with all patience and teaching 

Paul to Timothy (2) 4: 2, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Our Life 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 

Growing up, God seemed to be somewhat of a distant entity to me.  One of the lies which the mainstream church has taught me is that I have somehow become separated from my heavenly Father who created me.  That the best which I could ever attempt to achieve was to become closer to God, or to do my best to emulate Him, to "Be like" Him.  Most of this theology is based off of the scripture that all have sinned {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  Yet, forgotten in this passage are Paul's own words which we find in the next verse.  That we are now justified through the Father's grace and the deliverance from our Savior Christ Jesus {Paul to the Romans 3:24}.  Yes, we have sinned, but God in His grace has removed that from us through Christ.  Funny thing, I rarely if ever heard these liberating words ever spoken from a mainstream church pulpit.  What I did hear was a lot of guilt and shame over what I "Had" been.  I use these words in the past tense because that is not the man that I am today.  The man that I am today is alive once again IN the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  I am alive despite the old identity dying at the side of Christ Jesus on that cross {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  For it is Jesus who took my sin upon Himself on that day {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  It is Jesus who has died to sin, in the words of Paul, "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Yet despite the scriptural references of my life in the Father, the mainstream church continues to proclaim the separation I experience with Him.  How can that which has been created be separated from the creator?  We accept the truth that we have been created in the Fathers likeness {Genesis 2:20}.  That it is God who breathed into us the breath of life, creating a living soul {Genesis 2:7}.  Knowing this, how is it that anyone can proclaim that we have been separated from God?  In reality, the theology of the mainstream church continues to enslave us with a false narrative.  Yet the liberating truth we find through the gospel of Christ Jesus sets us free of the bondage of this false teaching.  

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}.  

The church gets one thing right when they speak to the freedom of living in Christ Jesus.  For in Jesus there is freedom from the bondage of sin.  Despite this, the church skews this freedom into something which we must earn of our own accord.  Yes, we can indeed achieve freedom in Christ if we are more "Like Jesus."  But although we may see ourselves as being like Jesus, we all too often even heard the truth of our own life in Him.  So, our life becomes a struggle between knowing of Jesus and continuing to struggle with what we see as our sin.  And why wouldn't we believe in this, it's what we hear each and every Sunday.  My own realization of my life in Christ was not realized until I was free of the teachings of the church.  As luck would have it, my good friend had also been recognizing the same struggles in his own spiritual life.  Through our mutual conversations, I came to know a deeper relationship with the Lord.  Something which I had never known while in the church.  The freedom that I have now come to see through my life in Him is not something I picked up from a Sunday sermon.  As with Paul, I received this revelation "When it delights God" {Paul to the Romans 1:15}.  This is our life in the Father. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (To Sheol And Back)

 

In which, being gone to the spirits in jail also 

Peter to the Dispersion 3: 19, Concordant New Testament 

This past Easter, I noticed a few videos going around which raised the question, what did Jesus do in those 72 hours until He was resurrected.  Well, the scriptures tell us exactly what He was up to in those three days, and it might just lead to a larger discussion on the truth of the Fathers desire that all His children be saved.  While His physical body lay entombed in the earth, Jesus in spirit would descend into sheol, the Hebrew underworld or abode of the dead.  Now, it's important to note here that it is NOT proclaimed that Jesus ministered in hell.  For sheol, as mentioned, is simply a place where those who have passed on from this world go to wait for their own resurrection.  It is interesting that sheol is often referred to as the abode of the dead and not one of eternal punishment we often associate with hell.  This would seem plausible knowing that the Fathers desire is that all be saved {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  However, the concept of a universal salvation is a touchy subject for the mainstream church.  For it seems that they are of the mindset that the good should be rewarded and the wicked punished.  Yet why, then, is it written that even the wicked should be rewarded with salvation?  Why did Jesus descend into sheol to preach to the good and wicked alike?  For we know that sheol was not just a place for the departed spirits of the wicked, but of the good as well.  Again, the idea of sheol is not one of the punishment of hell.  So, what was it that Jesus was doing in the underworld?  Well, if the desire of the Lord is that all of His children be saved, I believe that Jesus was delivering the message of His gospel unto those who either had not the opportunity to hear it while alive, or who flat out ignored it.  Again, this is Jesus doing the will of the Father, Who desires that all will be saved.  For those who believe in the reward of the rich and the punishment of the wicked, this might be a tough pill to swallow.  But, at the end of the day, I'm glad that the Father is in charge of my salvation and not you.  

'And in all this, between us and you a great chasm has been established, so that those wanting to cross hence to you may not be able, nor yet those hence may be ferrying to us.'  "Yet he said, 'I am asking you then, father, that you should be sending him into my fathers house, for I have five brothers, so that he may be certifying to them, lest they also may be coming into this place of torment,"  Yet Abraham is saying unto him, 'They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them!'  Yet he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone should be going to them from the dead, they will be repenting.'  Yet he said to him, 'If Moses and the prophets they are not hearing, neither will they be persuaded if someone should be rising from among the dead.'  

Lukes Account 16: 26-31, Concordant New Testament 

I have heard those in the mainstream church refer to the passage written in Luke that there is a gulf between those in sheol and the living {Lukes Account 16:19-31}.  But is Jesus referring to sheol in this passage?  One would assume so.  Yet if there is a gulf between us, then Jesus has overcome it to speak to those waiting there.  We know from the scriptures that the Father is merciful.  We also know that it is His desire that all be saved through Christ Jesus {Johns Account 3:17}.  Therefore, it is Jesus who has transversed that void to deliver the good news of Gods salvation to those who are in desperate need of it.  They may have somehow never heard of the salvation through Christ or chose to ignore it altogether.  Yet through His love and mercy, the Father did not write these souls off as lost.  He has dispatched His Son that they would hear of the gift given to them from the Father.  While the mainstream church is big on judging between the good and the wicked, they leave out one important fact.  That being that we are ALL created in the Fathers likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  That He has breathed into all the breath of life, thus creating a living soul {Genesis 2:7}.  We are ALL a part of Him.  Our life is indeed in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  Knowing this, it is easy to see how the Father would desire to go to any length to save His children.  Jesus also speaks to this in His parable of the one lost sheep {Lukes Account 15:3-7}.  If God did not desire to save all of His children, that one lost sheep would have been counted as lost.  But not with God.  Which begs a question for another day, are there truly any lost souls?  

I am saying to you that thus there will be joy in heaven over one sinner repenting, more than over the ninety-nine just persons who have no need of repentance

Lukes Account 15: 7, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Life Experiences)

 

Now, having graces excelling, in accordance with the grace which is given to us, whether prophesy, exercise it in accord with the analogy of the faith; or dispensing, in the dispensation; or the teacher, in teaching; or the entreater, in entreaty; the sharer, with generosity; the presider, with diligence; the merciful one; with glee 

Paul to the Romans 12: 6-8, Concordant New Testament  

I recently watched once again a video of ancient entertainer Alice Cooper as he described his life and how it has changed since his eyes were opened to a life with the Lord.  What was interesting to me was that Cooper did not shy away from his years of alcohol and drug use, but seems to use his experiences for the benefit of others.  Specifically, in speaking to younger people of the dangers of substance abuse.   Now, some might ask how a life of substance abuse could be misconstrued as a spiritual gifting, but I believe that this man is onto something positive as a result of his life experience.  For years in the mainstream church I have heard the term "Spiritual gifts" tossed around like it was some sort of reward given out to the faithful.  However, I've since come to realize that such gifts are just that, gifts given unto us by the Father.  The apostle Paul describes these gifts from God as "Graces" {Paul to the Romans 12:6}.  But can we see our individual life experiences as graces given to us from the Father?  I would agree with that idea.  Going back to the experiences of Alice Cooper, it is God who allowed him to go through and endure the personal choices which he made in his life.  Yes, he made those choices, but God used his choices of personal destruction for the good {Paul to the Romans 8:28}.  Did Cooper know at the time that the Father was guiding him into a better life?  Probably not, but that's the beauty of the Father working in the lives of His children.  For what we might see as calamity, the Father sees as an opportunity.  Opportunity for our testimony to others, or the opportunity for our own eyes to be opened to the desires of the Father.  I believe that Alice Cooper has been the recipient of both of these graces in his life.  In my own life, I have endured many situations where I have come out on the other side with a testimony for others.  I recently encountered a unfortunate accident where I have been sidelined with a broken bone in my foot.  What was the Fathers purpose for having me endure this injury?  I believe that in time my eyes will be opened to His purpose.  

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: 6, Concordant New Testament 

I find it appropriate that the apostle Paul would write on the graces of the spiritual gifts given unto us by the Father.  For it is God who allowed the man Saul to endure a life of religious extremism and the persecution of the followers of Christ before opening his eyes to the truth of the living Christ in him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  It is Paul who is known as one of the greatest speakers of the gospel of Christ Jesus man has ever known.  It is through his own life experiences that Paul was able to see the error of the teachings in which he was raised {Paul to the Galatians 1:14-16}.  In the Lords timing, Paul's eyes were opened to what the Father desired for him.  And what a testimony it is!  Indeed, the scriptures are filled with those whose life experiences would later be revealed in a positive way by the Father.  Through Davids sin, God opened his eyes to His desire for him.  Each of us can probably point to a difficult situation in their own life where the Father eventually would open their eyes to something which He wanted them to see.  I recall the story of Corrie Ten Boom, the author of the novel The Hiding Place, who helped many Jews escape the holocaust in World War Two.  Eventually arrested, Ten Boom was sent to a German concentration camp, which may have been the end of her story.  Yet despite being sent to the cruelty of the German military, she continued to speak of the Lord to captives and captors alike.  What some would see as a cruel situation, the Father used that others might come to know Him through the words of His child.  All things for the good.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Self Knowing)

 

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ.  Now that which I 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 

There is a good thing to be said about having self confidence.  The knowing of who we are and what our abilities are.  The strong, self confident person rarely is concerned with what the outside world has to say about them.  They know who it is that they are, and they stick to that script.  Yet I say that true self confidence lies not in what you can do, but in who it is that you are in the eyes of the Father.  As I walk into the gym each day I rest in the confidence that I am a child of the living God {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  It matters not what I can or cannot do, not what the world thinks of me.  I am confident that in the eyes of the Lord, I am perfect.  But when we speak of self-confidence, we all too often get sidetracked into the worlds narrative of who they proclaim that we are.  Trust me, those in the world can find many things which will throw us off of our own belief in ourselves.  I have a dear friend who for years has adhered to the narrative that he is a world class jerk.  Of course, this may have been the way in which he conducted himself, but is that the man he really is?  I would say no.  Yet he will continually offer up apologies for being the kind of man the world makes him out to be.  This IS NOT true self confidence.  True self confidence or, as I refer to it, self knowing, reassures us that our true identity lies not with who the world says that we are, but in how the Father sees us.  For example, if you continually proclaim yourself a jerk because that is what so many others in your life have led you to believe, what does that make God out to be?  For if we are indeed created in His likeness, wouldn't that make God a jerk as well?  I am smart enough to know that the Father is nothing like a jerk, and I indeed carry His identity within me {Genesis 1:27}.  

And we know and believe the love which God has in us.  God is love, and he who is remaining in love is remaining in God, and God is remaining in him.  In this love is perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judging, seeing that, according as He is, so are we also in this world.  

First Epistle of John 4: 16-17, Concordant New Testament  

I will be the first to admit that the voices of those around us can be pretty influencing.  There have been plenty of times that I have given in to what others saw me as.  Of course, this was an error in my own thinking at the time.  Indeed, this is how I see the situation that my friend now finds himself in.  Too many people for too many years have led him to believe that he is not as the Father truly sees him.  And just like I did, he has bought into that narrative hook, line and sinker.  The only way out of this caldron of low self esteem is truly knowing in your heart and mind how it is that our heavenly Father looks upon you.  It wasn't until my eyes were opened to the truth of my own life in Christ Jesus that I began to chip away at the negativity that the world around me continued to proclaim I was.  I wasn't that lousy, good for nothing person they said I was.  In reality, when the Father looks upon me, He sees His own Son.  For that is who I am.  The apostle John speaks to this truth when he proclaims that as the Father is, so are we also in this world {First Epistle of John 4:17}.  So as the Father is, so are we also in this world which He created.  Our life remains 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 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Who I Am)

 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 have come to realize recently that there are far too many believers who are not aware of their own identity in the Father.  This morning I received a message from a good friend who offered his apologies for his behavior recently.  In his words, he was sorry for being a ***hole.  My first thought was, does he even know who he is in the Father?  It is a common well known adage that if there is garbage in, there will indeed be garbage out.  Meaning, if we think of ourselves as insignificant, then that is exactly how we will conduct ourselves.  Trust me, I know this because I've lived it myself.  For too many years my identity of myself revolved around how out of shape I was.  Not surprisingly, this led to some dismal feelings of the kind of person that I was.  I also was failing to recognize who I was in the Fathers eyes.  For all too often the way that we perceive ourselves is NOT the way in which the Father looks upon us.  This is the battle that I fought.  Unfortunately, at that time the eyes of my own understanding had yet to be opened to who I truly was.  I feel that this is the struggle which my friend is now facing.  Our paths have been similar, with other people around us constantly telling us who it is that THEY thought we were.  Of course, this is all bullshit.  Or, as I like to say, background noise.  The reason that so many people, including my friend, have been blinded to their true identity is that our identity in the Father is rarely taught in the mainstream church theology.  What is taught is that we have somehow become separated from the Father by our own sin, and that is how God now sees us.  I was reminded of this mentality in a recent conversation with one of my gym friends who insisted that sin was his biggest stumbling block.  In a way I agree with him.  For it is our own belief in the lie that is our biggest obstacle.  This is not a sin issue, but an issue of our own understanding of who it is that we are.  

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 u for me

Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

Part of our group conversation the other night focused around the undeniable fact that we cannot become separated from our creator.  This is part of the lie of the mainstream church theology.  As Christians, we celebrate the truth that it is God who has created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  This is scriptural and is without question a core belief of our faith.  Yet when it comes to knowing who we ultimately are as His creation, that belief gets tossed out the window.  Instead, we adhere to the false belief that the sin which Christ Jesus gave Himself to defeat is somehow still an issue in our lives {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Remember, it is the apostle Paul who proclaims that Jesus gave Himself "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  In fact, I believe that if more believers knew and understood Paul's words concerning sin which we find in Romans 6 that the sin issue would no longer be a valid excuse to be used by the mainstream church.  We are NO LONGER sinners in the Fathers eyes.  We're not even sinners saved by the Fathers grace.  Who we are now in this moment are His beloved children {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  Again, the scriptures proclaim this without a doubt.  To my knowledge, one of the only place we will hear of our separation from the Father Who created us is in the halls of the mainstream church.  Yet this is NOT who I am in Him.  Who I am is His loved child created in His likeness. 

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

First Epistle of John 3: 1, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Death Of A Tyrant)

 

Religion has actually convinced people that there is a 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~ 

This week Catholics around the world were saddened to hear of the death of the ceremonial head of the church, Pope Francis.  I wasn't among them.  For more than a few years, people I've known have asked me just what it is that I have against the Roman Catholic church.  Or, in proper term, the Holy Roman Catholic church.  My answer has always been the same, this is NOT a church ordained by the Father, as the catholic church itself claims.  The catholic church is a system.  It is a religious hierarchy.  In fact, I am hard pressed to see the difference between the Roman Catholic church and the churches which many Christians attend today.  Both are based off of a theology devised by man and both rely heavily upon the use of images of our Lord and others.  Walk into any Catholic church and you will more than likely encounter a statue figure of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  See, Mary has been given celebrity status among those within the church.  Despite the fact that her only claim to fame was adhering to the Lord's instructions concerning the birth of the Lord Jesus, she has been deified by those within the Catholic church.  I see this as wrong.  Now, there may be a few people who will argue with me on this point, but the scriptures are clear, there is only ONE God, and He is the one Who declares "I AM" {Exodus 3:14}.  Then they will say, "When did we make Mary equal with God?"  When you deified her in a way that is equal or surpasses God Himself!  I agree that Mary retains a special place in our faith as the mother of our Lord and Savior, but our admiration of her SHOULD NOT include statues in her honor and deity status.  Of course, these are just a few of the grievances which I have against the Catholic Church. 

For there is one God, and one mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus

Paul to Timothy (1) 2: 5, Concordant New Testament 

Many believers are familiar with the day which Jesus called out the Pharisees and religious leaders of His day.  In His "Woes to the Pharisees," Jesus make His case against the policies and actions of these men of the church {Matthews Account 23:1-33}.  Jesus calls out the scribes and Pharisees for their treatment of the people of Israel.  How they placed themselves above the children of God.  How they adored their positions of wealth and power.  How they enjoyed the greetings which they received from others.  Jesus could have very well been speaking to ANY member of the clergy of the Catholic Church!  Growing up, one of my best friends came from a devout Catholic family, so I was introduced to the inner workings of the church from a young age.  The mandatory mass.  The mandatory prayers.  The adoration of the virgin Mary.  I believe that if Jesus were to walk into a Catholic Church today that He would immediately began His "Woes to you, Catholic priests" speech.  And He would be justified in doing so.  As I was reading of the recent passing of Pope Francis, I was once again reminded of the hierarchy and traditions held by this church.  There are priests who verify the old guy has died.  Priests whose duty it is to notify the world of his death, and priests who call the other priests into conference to elect a new Pope.  Is this the church which the Father intended for us?  I'll go out on a limb and proclaim that the Catholic church in NON WAY exemplifies the Ecclesia church of which Christ Jesus is the head {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 12:27}.  As the apostle proclaims, we are ALL the body of Christ Jesus and members of it.  In His church, He is the only hierarchy.  

"Take heed to yourselves and to the entire flocklet, among which the holy spirit appointed you supervisors, to be shepherding the ecclesia of God, which He procures through the blood of His own"

Acts of  The Apostles 20: 28, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Not The Life We Knew)

 

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 

There are many people who make a habit of saying, "Live your life."  In our human understanding, we have been led to believe that we are the sole individual who is responsible for whatever happens in our lives.  We idolize those who seemingly get by of their own accord.  To truly be free, it seems, is to be in charge of your own life.  But is that how things really are?  When we believe in such things, are we not relegating God to second hand status?  The author Norman Grubb has written that "There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe except the One Who calls Himself the I AM" {Norman Grubb ~ No Independent Self}.  Indeed, as the creator of all which we see, God the Father is the One and only self that will ever be known.  He is what matters.  Our lives are not our own, but are carried out through Him.  Jesus has proclaimed this as true in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  In the words of Jesus, He is in the Father, we are in Christ and He remains in us.  Nothing which has ever been written in the scriptures has declared man independent of God in any way.  How is it that we can be separate from the One Who created us {Genesis 1:27}?  As humans, we have trusted that even though we have our own characteristics, that we have a unique DNA which will forever connect us to our earthly family.  How is this not also possible with the Father who created us?  I believe that it goes deeper than that.  For it is God who has breathed into us the breath of life, creating a living soul {Genesis 2:7}.  It is without doubt that the Lords fingerprints are all over our physical being.  The trouble is, we rarely trust in that truth.  We would rather trust in the world view that we are the ones responsible for what happens in our lives.  Our life.  Our decisions.  Yet there is no room for that way of thinking when we know the truth of our life in Him.  

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone should be loving Me, he will be keeping My word, and My Father will be loving him, and We shall be coming to him and making an abode in him" 

Johns Account 14: 23, Concordant New Testament 

It is Jesus, also, Who has proclaimed that He will be coming with the Father to make their home in us {Johns Account 14:23}.  The truth of our life in the Father is that this life of ours has never been of our own accord.  But, then again, our life in Him is not the life we have known.  For we have been taught that we are separate from God.  That we live our lives here on earth while God watches over us from His abode in heaven.  And what of Jesus?  Well, Jesus has ascended into heaven to be seated at the Fathers side {Marks Account 16:19}.  So, then we must ask the question, where exactly is heaven?  From the scriptures we know that heaven is a spirit realm.  Yet there are many times in the scripture where the eyes of man were opened to reveal what the Father desired for them to see.  After His resurrection, the followers of Jesus had an interesting interaction with a man they considered a stranger among them.  This man it seemed knew nothing of the events which had unfolded in the days before.  However, as he sat and ate with them, their eyes were opened and they instantly recognized this stranger as the Lord Jesus {Lukes Account 24:31}.  Did Jesus simply ascend once again into heaven, or was He already in heaven but not revealed to these men who knew Him?  Indeed, there is ample scriptural evidence to suggest that we are living in the Lords heaven as we speak.  That our daily lives are lived in the presence of His kingdom.  This is indeed a life we've never known. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Why Jesus?)

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

Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

One of the greatest thoughts which I've had to overcome in my knowing of my life in Christ is the fact that I've already died with Him.  The apostle Paul makes clear this point in his letter to the church in Galatia {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  One would think that if I had died, that I would remember it.  Yet I am told that I have indeed died with Christ Jesus on that cross.  If I have indeed died, how is it that I can still be here?  Thes are the questions which I have had to fight through in my own understanding of who it is that I am in Him.  One of the first was, why Jesus?  If God, Who is infinite in knowledge, foreknew our lives, why wouldn't He simply find an easier way to go about doing what He did?  Keep in mind, I am not critiquing at all the works of the Father, for His wisdom surpasses all.  Is it not He who has proclaimed all which He created "Good" {Genesis 1:31}?  If we believe this then we must admit that included in His original creation were the events which were soon to take place.  The knowledge that His human creation would ignore His instructions and make the choice to eat of the fruit which He Himself had forbidden.  The knowledge that, in doing this, mankind would now require a sacrifice to atone for this original sin.  Were these events indeed a part of God's original creation?  If so, then He is certainly justified in declaring His creation to be good.  Knowing that the Father is all-seeing and all-knowing, it is my belief that God knew before time even began the events which were to take place.  He has proclaimed that He knows already the plans that He has for us {Jeremiah 11:29}.  The prophet has proclaimed that God knew me before I was even born {Psalm 139:15-16}.  Therefore, I simply do not see how it is possible that God has not known the future events of His creation even before they unfolded.  Yes, His creation has been declared good.  

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, why is it that I needed to die with Jesus?  Why was I also nailed to that cross with Him?  Why Jesus?  Why me?  The answer is NOT that I was somehow separated from God due to the choices of Adam and Eve.  This is the popular theology of the mainstream church, and it's also the reason that I believe that I have been lied to by them.  For how is it that I could ever be separated from He Who created me {Genesis 1:27}?  This lie of the church is nothing compared to the lie which the accuser fed unto Adam and Eve in the garden.  For they were told that if they were to take of the forbidden fruit that they would "Be like God" {Genesis 3:1-7}.  The issue here is that Adam and Eve were ALREADY like God in the purest sense.  For they, as I am, were indeed created in the likeness of the Father.  They had the Father in them, as I do.  Yet Satan, as devious as he is, added something to the lie which he proposed to Adam and Eve.  The fact that if they were to partake of the fruit which God had commanded them not to, that they would indeed "Be like God, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL" {Genesis 3:5}.  Can we assume that at this point in our history, that Adam and Eve had any clue what good and evil even were?  No, but it must have sounded good for them to eat of the fruit.  As a result of this, I believe that the first couple fell out of step with the Father but did not become separated from Him.  As a result, God needed to reconnect with His creation, to once again draw them unto Himself.  Hence, the need for Christ Jesus.  For it is only through His death and ours that we are once again drawn unto the Father.  As the first Adam was the first among the Fathers creation in the physical realm, the second Adam (Jesus) proclaims a new creation in the spirit {Paul to the Corinthians 15:45-47}.  And it has been declared good.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (He Is Risen)

 

Now entering also, they found not the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it occurred, at their being perplexed concerning this, lo!  Two men stand before them in flashing attire.  Now at their becoming affrighted and inclining their faces to the earth, they say to them, "Why are you seeking the living with the dead?  He is not here, but was roused.  Be reminded how He speaks to you, being still in Galilee, saying that, 'The Son of mankind must be given into the hands of men, sinners, and be crucified, and the third day rise'"

Lukes Account 24: 3-7, Concordant New Testament 

It's often been said that things seem the darkest before the dawn of the day.  Indeed, in the dark of night, worries often overcome us.  Yet I think of those followers of Jesus that night.  Having been witness to the man they perceived as a great teacher, and whom some believed in as the coming Messiah, crucified at the hands of the hated Romans and religious leaders of the day.  What were their thoughts on that dark night?  Jesus was gone now, they had been witness to His death on that cross.  But somehow forgotten in all of the chaos were the words spoken by Jesus Himself before His death.  That He would be delivered into the hands of the chief priests and religious leaders who would condemn Him to death {Matthews Account 20:18}.  These words spoken by Jesus had been forgotten in the chaos of events that had unfolded before them that week.  Yet these words spoken by Jesus ultimately came to pass before their eyes.  They had been witness to His death, now they would be witness to His life.  As the women stood before the empty tomb that morning not believing what they were seeing, the angels would speak and ask the obvious question, "Why are you seeking the living with the dead" {Lukes Account 24:5}?  The angels then reminded them of the words Jesus had spoken to them regarding His death, "The Son of mankind must be given into the hands of men, sinners, and be crucified, and the third day rise" {Lukes Account 24:7}.  This was the dawn of that third day.  The empty tomb of Jesus stood as testimony of the truth of His words.  Soon, many would also be witness to Him as He appeared to them after His resurrection.  Many who saw Him would happily proclaim, "He is risen!"  The thoughts of death and despair that had permeated the previous night were now replaced with the good news of the risen Jesus as dawn fell over Israel.  

And when I perceived Him, I fell at His feet as dead.  And He places His right hand on me, saying, "Do not fear!  I am the First and the Last, and the living One: and I became dead, and lo!  living am I for the eons and eons. (Amen!) And I have the keys of death and of the unseen" 

The Unveiling of Jesus Christ 1: 17-18, Concordant New Testament 

This weekend marks the annual Easter celebration by Christians across the world.  Churches will be filled with worshippers celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and savior.  However, it should also be remembered that it is the church that called for the execution of Jesus {Lukes Account 24:7}.  While many will scoff and say that todays church and the Jewish churches of Jesus' time are markedly different, I disagree.  For Jesus did not speak against the church of His followers, but against the leadership of the synagogues, the scribes and Pharisees.  Many are familiar with His "Woes to the Pharisees" we find in scripture {Matthews Account 23:13}.  Sadly, the leadership of the mainstream churches we have today are not much different in hierarchy and style than those which the Jews of Jesus' time maintained.  Of course, this should not be our focus.  The focus should be on the words of Jesus and His rising from the tomb meant to enclose Him in death forever.  Yet it is Jesus who has overcome the obstacle of death {Paul to the Romans 6:9}.  It is Christ who has given Himself ONCE for all time {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  It is Jesus who has taken our punishment willingly on that cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus in the same breath as our own life through Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  As He lives, so do we.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Trust Factor)

 

Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and do not lean to your own understanding.  in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He Himself shall straighten your paths

Proverbs 3: 5, Concordant Old Testament 

One of the reasons that I love The Chosen series is that it provides us a good view of the relationship between Jesus and His followers.  the other day, a quote by Jesus in the Chosen caught my attention.  As Jesus and His disciples were contemplating a certain situation, Jesus proclaimed "Man makes it much harder when he leans on his own understanding."  Amen!  The author of the proverbs make this clear in the third book as he proclaims that we should "Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and do not lean to your own understanding" {Proverbs 3:5}.  I would venture to say that when we trust completely in the Father and forgo our own understanding of how things should be, we may just find Him leading us where He wants us to be.  I can think of many times in my life where my own understanding of things led me to wrong decisions.  What I felt was right in the moment ultimately turned out to be wrong.  For a time, my understanding was that all real men saw women as there for our own enjoyment.  Turns out I was wrong.  Had I not leaned on my own understanding, I may have discovered just what it was that the Father had in mind for me in that moment.  Yet, through much trial and error, I eventually came to that place where I leaned less on my own understanding of things and more on trusting the Father to guide me.  Indeed, there is a reason why the author of Proverbs invites us to trust in the Lord above our own understanding of things.  The desire of the Father is that He will guide us, and not we who believe in the lie and falsely believe that we live our own life separate from Him.  The reality is that we are created in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  In his own way, the apostle Paul illustrates this in Romans {Paul to the Romans 9:21}.  Has not the creator have the right over that which He created?  You would think so.  Yet through the love and wisdom of the Father, He created His own likeness (us) with the innate ability to choose.  We can choose to follow the Father, or we can choose to adhere to the lie and follow our own human understanding.  No matter which we choose, it does not have any bearing on who it is that we really are in Him.  

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  

Over the years I have heard far too many people comment to me that they simply cannot believe in or follow a God Whom they cannot see with their own eyes.  However, how many instances do we encounter each and every day where we anticipate something which we cannot physically see?  We cannot physically see gravity, yet we more than likely place our faith in it each and every day.  We cannot see oxygen in the air, yet we know and understand that it's indeed there.  How is faith in a God Whom you cannot see any different?  You trust in your heart the effects of gravity upon the earth but you won't trust in your heart that God exists?  Going back to Paul's example, has not the Creator the right over that which is created?  I'm astounded at just how many people, when presented with the physical evidence of the Lords divine creation, continue to reject the idea that He could have created the heavens and the earth.  But, that's what you get when you lean onto your own understanding.  The truth is there if we choose to accept it.  If we set our hearts on the Father, He will straighten our path.

~Scott~