The Good Of The Father (The Church Hierarchy) "

 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites! for you are going about the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever he may be becoming one, you are making him more than double a son of Gehenna than you are!" 

Matthew 23: 15, Concordant New Testament 

I recall those days well, sitting in the "assigned" pews of the sanctuary which were set aside for those of the congregation who were, shall we say...normal.  Yet I also noticed how certain individuals were granted the opportunity to sit in the pews which were reserved in the first few rows of the sanctuary.  These were the seats which were reserved for the pastoral staff, leadership and the well to do of the congregation.  I remember one of the very few times that I was even allowed to sit in these pews of royalty on the morning that I was baptized.  I couldn't help but feel that I was infringing in somewhere I was never meant to be.  Sadly, this scene has been played out in many of our churches for many, many years.  I have a dear friend, a retired pastor, who grimaces when he recalls these practices.  For even back then, he realized that something about segregating our church congregations on the basis of personal importance just wasn't right.  Someone else thought that way as well.  His name is Jesus.  In His "Woes to the Pharisees," Jesus called out the religious leaders of His day for placing themselves above those whom they were meant to serve.  Yes, that means to serve and not to oversee.  For it has never been the Lords desire that men would carve out for themselves positions of importance and honor among the congregations of the believers in Jesus.  For Jesus has even proclaimed that "Anyone who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and anyone who shall be humbling himself shall be exalted" {Matthews Account 23:12}.  What can these words of Jesus tell us about those in our congregations who continually seek their own honor?  Well, if we take His words to heart, they will indeed be humbled.  And, speaking from personal experience, when the Lord humbles you, you get the message loud and clear!  

"Yet anyone who shall be exalting himself shall be humbled, and anyone who shall be humbling himself shall be exalted" 

Matthews Account 23: 12, Concordant New Testament 

Throughout His ministry, Jesus spoke of the poor, weak and broken hearted who needed Him the most.  He has declared that "Those who are sound have no need of a physician, but those who have an illness" {Lukes Account 5:31}.  For Jesus did not come to call the just, but sinners, to repentance {Lukes Account 5:32}.  Therefore, if you are wasting your time in advancing in the hierarchy of the church, where do you think that you stand with Jesus?  Who is more important in your life, your position in the church or He who is the head of the church {Paul to the Ephesians 1:23}.  Do not make the mistake of believing that it is the Father who has delegated men to serve above the Ecclesia, the body of Christ.  No, this has been mankind's effort all along.  Despite knowing that they are not to serve themselves, but Jesus, they continue to prop themselves up into positions of importance in front of the Lords children.  This is the essence of the modern day church hierarchy.  I would suggest that there is absolutely NO room for these positions of authority in the Ecclesia of Christ.  The apostle Paul clearly states that we are all members of His body, for He is all in all {Paul to the Ephesians 1:23}.  For those who seek positions of authority in our church congregations, are you more important that Jesus?  For it is Christ who is the head of His church, not you.  

And subjects all under His feet, and gives Him, as head over all, to the ecclesia which is His body, the compliment of the One completing the all in all. 

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 22-23, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Fathers Heart)

 

And rising, he came to his father.  "Now, at his being afar away, his father perceived him and had compassion, and running, falls on his neck and fondly kisses him.  Now the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.  No longer am I worthy to be called your son.  Make me as one of your hired men.'  Yet the father said to his slaves, 'Quick! Bring forth the first robe, and put it on him, and give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet.  And bring the grain fed calf, and sacrifice it, and eating, we will make merry.  For this my son was dead and revives, he was lost and was found.'  And they began to make merry. 

Lukes Account 15: 18-24, Concordant New Testament 

How many times have you felt this way?  You are aware in your heart that you have done something which you feel goes against the Lord.  You feel the guilt and shame of your actions.  Then, you pray, admitting your faults and telling Him that you are a sinner and not worthy of that gift which He has already bestowed upon you through Christ Jesus on the cross.  You are not worthy?  Have you ever even wondered how it is that the Father feels in these same moments?  Has He already decided our punishment?  Is He waiting for us to somehow "Make amends" for our actions?  Well, neither of these is true in any way.  The other day I had a good conversation with one of my Gym Rats on the merits of the parable of the prodigal son spoken by Jesus.  Now, it is well known that when Jesus spoke to the people of His day in parables, that He was speaking to them in a way in which they could better understand His message.  This parable was no exception.  This mans son had taken his inheritance and squandered it on personal pleasures.  When the money ran out, he found himself homeless in a strange land.  What was his first thought?  To return once again to his father, not as a son, but as a servant.  In this kids mind, he had sinned with his actions, and he felt as if he somehow was no longer worthy of his fathers love.  Sound familiar?  But what of his father?  Has he forgotten his son for leaving home?  No!  This boys father has been patiently waiting at home for his sons return.  We know this by how it is that he welcomes him home.  He is not waiting for the young man to come groveling to him.  No, the father RUNS to his son and embraces him!  Think of the young mans reaction to this.  Here he was prepared to bargain with his father for a hired position on his property.  His guilt over his actions must have been tremendous.  You.ve been in that young mans shoes, right?  You are aware that your actions go against what the Lord has planned for you, and you feel guilty for that.  You might even feel as if God could never forgive you for what you have done.  But remember this, through all of it the Father has been waiting for you to return to Him.  He is waiting to embrace His child.  

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

First Epistle of John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

My conversation with my friend meant a lot to me not only because I've been there but because of what I have come to know of the love of the Father.  One of the reasons that I have been so critical of the mainstream church is because its misleading message to the Lords children.  In fact, if we look at Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, we will see an example of this as well.  The reaction of the fathers eldest son to his brothers homecoming speaks volumes.  This young man points out that he has remained faithful to his father while his younger brother journeyed far off and wasted his own inheritance.  HE had remained faithful.  HE deserved his fathers devotion more so than his wayward brother.  This smacks of many today in the mainstream church.  They pay their tithes.  They serve in the church congregation.  They are more worthy of Gods attention than that sinner sitting in the back pew.  I also believe that Jesus was speaking to this very issue in this parable.  And why not?  It was also Jesus who berated the Pharisees for their treatment of the people {Matthews Account 23:23-39}.  The older brother in this parable spoken by Jesus IS the Pharisees of His day.  These Pharisees indeed placed themselves above the "common man."  They were the ones who, in their minds, had remained faithful to the Lord.  In reality, these Pharisees were the ones who misled the Lords people.  Sound familiar?  I consider the Pharisees of old and many of our modern day pastors and mainstream church leadership to be cut from the same cloth.  While they preach repentance and effort to please the Lord, the Father patiently and lovingly waits for His children to return to Him.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Fathers Invitation)

 

Now, similarly, the spirit is also aiding in our infirmity, for what we should be praying for, to accord with what must be, we are not aware, but the spirit itself is pleading for us with inarticulate groanings.  Now He who is searching the hearts is aware what is the disposition of the spirit, for in accord with God is it pleading for the saints. 

Paul to the Romans 8: 26-27: Concordant New Testament 

Growing up, I was told that my prayers were anything from a wish list to a last ditch measure.  This was all based on the separation theology model which we see in the modern mainstream church.  Man, here on earth, "Lifts" his prayers "Up" unto God in heaven.  At the heart of this thinking is that, due to the fall of man in the garden, that mankind has been separated from God and will remain that way until the coming of Christ the Savior.  Well, forgive me for upsetting the institutional apple cart, but has not Jesus already returned?  The obvious answer is that Jesus has returned from tomb in which He was buried after He was crucified.  But beyond this, Jesus has also returned and has been witnessed by hundreds of people.  The scriptures testify to this {Paul to the Corinthians 15:6}.  So, the belief that man will remain separated from the Lord who created us until after Jesus has returned does not hold water in my opinion.  Jesus is already here!  Not only that, He has proclaimed that we now live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Can we live separated from God and yet still live union with Him?  That's a good story if you can sell it, and the church has been doing a good job of selling such tales over the centuries.  The reality is that the Father, through Christ Jesus, has restored His relationship He once shared with His creation in the garden.  We now live each and every day in Him {Paul to the Romans 6:5}.  So, what does this have to do with our prayers?  Why do we continue to offer up prayer to a Father we continue to see as separated from us?  In reality, shouldn't we be praying "In union" with the Father?  Are not His desires our own?  The apostle Paul gives us an indication in Romans that the Father is already keenly aware of what we need to be praying for {Paul to the Romans 8:27}.  It is God who is searching our hearts and inviting us into a conversation with Him. 

"Father, those whom Thou hast given Me, I will that, where I am, they also may be with Me, that they may be beholding My glory which Thou hast given Me, for Thou lovest Me before the disruption of the world" 

Johns Account 17: 24, Concordant New Testament 

How is it that Jesus looked at what we refer to as prayer?  Weren't the prayers of Jesus simply conversations which he was having with the Father?  Why would it be any different, then, for we who live in union with Him daily?  Paul speaks to the reality of Christ living in us {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Has not God searched our hearts?  Has He not already known what it is that we should be talking to Him about?  What we see as lifting up prayers is simply our own intimate conversations with the Father.  And, if God has indeed searched our hearts, as Paul has declared, does He not know what we need to be speaking to Him about?  The author Norman Grubb has described our prayers as an invitation from the Father within us.  God already knows our hearts.  Grubb describes Jesus as "He in us is the prayer."  If Christ lives in us, as Paul states, then it is Christ Jesus who stirs within us what we should be speaking to the Father.  It is Jesus in Whom we are living each day.  We are Him.  So, if He seeks to speak something unto the Father, what better way than to speak that desire unto us?  For our part, we are the ones who speak the desires of Christ unto God.  Remember, He has already sought what is in our hearts.  Our prayers are simply speaking unto the Father the desires of Christ Jesus in us.  This is our union life in HIm.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Healing Faith)

 

Who Himself carries up our sins in His body on the pole, that, coming away from sins, we should be living in righteousness; by His welt you were healed 

Peter to the Dispersion (1) 2: 24, Concordant New Testament 

I was struck by a scene from the Chosen series the other day.  In this scene, a woman who had been suffering with a disease which produced her bleeding sought out Jesus to be healed of her condition.  Yet, as she followed Him through a crowd, certain religious leaders recalled that they had deemed her "unclean" to her condition.  Therefore, she was treated as an outcast.  Undaunted, the woman continued to follow Jesus through the crowd until she was able to reach out and touch his clothing.  Immediately the woman realized that she had been healed.  Also, as she touched Jesus, we see Him react to her act of faith, despite not knowing she was even nearby.  Immediately, Jesus stops and asks those in the crowd who had touched Him {Lukes Account 8:45-47}.  See, in that moment in which the woman touched Him, Jesus felt the healing power leaving out of Him.  This made me ponder, is it Jesus who heals, or is it our faith in Him which does so?  There are many passages in scripture where Jesus proclaims that faith has healed {Marks Account 5:34, Lukes Account 18:42, Matthews Account 15:28}.  The author of Hebrews proclaims that without our faith it is impossible to please the Father {To the Hebrews 11:6}.  Many a believer has often been told that our faith is a major issue.  Even those within the mainstream church focus on faith being all important in our lives.  But I ask the question, is it Jesus who heals, or our faith in His ability to do so.  The story of the faith of the Roman Centurian is a cornerstone scripture on the topic of faith {Matthews Account 8:5-13}.  In this passage, this Roman soldier approaches Jesus apparently KNOWING already that Jesus has the ability to heal his servant.  Now, this event has also been embellished in the Chosen series as well.  In fact, the Roman Gaius becomes an important figure in the life of Jesus and His apostles.  We can assume that this Roman had heard many things of the miracles and abilities of Jesus.  Still, it took belief on his part to know for certain that Jesus could heal his servant.  

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

I've often been asked what living with the faith of the Roman Centurian would be like.  To that I ask, do you know Jesus?  Do you believe in your heart that He lives in you?  If you answered yes then you already live with faith in Him.  For the author of Hebrews proclaims that our faith is "An assumption of what is being expected" {To the Hebrews 11:1}.  We trust Jesus to do what He claims that He can do.  This includes His healing.  The one time in which I threw this into question was when my mother passed.  I had been praying for God to heal her for more than a few years.  I knew that He had that ability to heal her.  Yet that wasn't in His plan for her.  Later, I learned perhaps one of the most important lessons of the Lords healing that I will ever know.  That God had indeed healed my mother, just not in the way that I had expected Him to.  I had prayed that He would relieve her pain, and that He did.  When I finally got over myself, I realized that my prayers for her had been answered.  There are many instances in which believers have been in prayer over people or situations in which these prayers have been answered.  Is it Jesus who has been working in the lives of the Fathers children, or is it simply our faith in Him to do so?  Whatever our thoughts on this question, it has always been the desire of the Father that we put our faith and trust in Him {First Epistle of John 5:4}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Moment Everything Changed)

 

Then the eyes of both of them were unclosed, and they realized that they were naked.  So they sewed fig leaves together and made girdle skirts for themselves.

Genesis 3: 7, Concordant Old Testament 

We've all heard of the fall.  That day in the Lords garden that His creation suddenly disobeyed His instructions and took of the forbidden fruit.  Indeed, Adam and Eve had been warned by the Lord never to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil {Genesis 2:17}.  So, it's not like we can say to the Father, "Hey, why didn't you warn me about this stuff?"  The Lords instructions to Adam were clear.  So, then, why the fall?  Well, enter the serpent, more cunning than any other beast of the field {Genesis 3:1}.  It is argued, and well known by many believers that this serpent was, in reality, Satan the accuser.  What do we know about Satan?  Well, we know that he was once honored among the Lords creation {Ezekiel 28:12-15}.  Yet, as the most beautiful of the Lords creation, Lucifer eventually became filled with pride in himself and began to feel as if he were better than God {Issaiah 14:12-14}.  Basically, Lucifer began to think of himself as an individual, separate from God.  It is this notion which he would soon introduce into the hearts of the Lords creation in the garden {Genesis 3:4-5}.  So it was that from the moment in which Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and after taking of it, also offered it unto Adam who was with her, both of their eyes "Were unclosed, and they realized that they were naked" {Genesis 3:7}.  In essence, this was the moment by which everything changed for us.  For this is the moment in which sin entered into the world.  Yet, this was also the moment by which our redemption through the second Adam, Christ Jesus, was put into action.  Indeed, Jesus is that second Adam, the first in line of a new creation.  The apostle Paul speaks to Jesus as the "Last Adam" {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:45-47}.  The first man was out of the earth, while the Last Adam is the "Lord out of heaven" {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:47}.  Can this be the reason by which Paul referred to those in Christ as a new creation {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:17}.  Indeed, for the old has passed away.  From the moment Eve took of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, this new creation had been set in motion. 

If there is a soulish body, there is spiritual also.  Thus it is written also, the first man, Adam, "Became a living soul:" the last Adam a vivifying spirit.  But not first the spiritual, but the soulish, thereupon the spiritual.  The first man was out of the earth, soulish; the second man is the Lord out of heaven

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15: 45-47, Concordant New Testament 

The question was raised this week if God knew beforehand that His initial creation of man would fall into sin.  I would say that this was definitely the case all along.  For nothing escapes the Lords notice.  So it is that from the moment Eve took of the forbidden fruit in the garden, everything changed for all mankind.  Yet the work of the serpent remains an issue to this day.  For there are many who stake the claim that, as a result of the fall, that mankind is now separated from God.  You will hear this message echoed throughout the halls of the mainstream church.  Remember how Lucifer got it in his consciousness that he was separate from the Lords creation?  That he was somehow a separate individual?  Well, welcome to the mantra of the institutional church.  The church has made it clear that mans separation from God is a reality.  Yet it is through the redemption of Christ Jesus, the second Adam, that our new creation has come into being.  Now, just because the philosophy of the mainstream church seems to deny this truth does not make it a false teaching by any means.  The truth is that we have never been separated from He who created us.  For we were formed in His very likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  Jesus Himself has also proclaimed that we now live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Does this scripture sound like we are separated from God?  The only place I have heard this separation doctrine spoken is from the pulpits of the church.  It is the true word of the Father that proclaims our true life in Him.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Matter Of Faith)

Faith is the God-implanted, natural and only way by which man can go through all the processes of doing or obtaining the things he desires 

Norman Grubb ~ The Law Of Faith 

His disciples implored Jesus to increase their faith {Lukes Account 17:5}.  The apostle Paul speaks to not walking by sight, but by our faith {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:7}.  Growing up in the mainstream church, I was told all too often of the importance having faith.  That if I desired anything from God, that it was more faith that I needed.  Yet here, as in more than a few other circumstances, the mainstream church has missed the mark.  We understand that we have been created by God in His exact image {Genesis 1:27}.  We also understand that it is God who has given unto us the breath of life that we have become a living soul {Genesis 2:7}.  Therefore, those attributes we associate with God have been given to us as well.  How is it that we can be created in Gods very image and not share in that identity of who He is?  The author Norman Grubb writes in The Law Of Faith that we are created in Gods image, with all of the attributes of His personality.  We feel.  We desire.  We think and we speak.  All of these are attributes of the Father who created us.  These attributes in themselves are neutral, neither good nor evil.  Our faith is among these attributes which we have received from the Father.  The rub comes when we, possessing these attributes of the Father, choose to use them in a way they were never intended.  We get angry, we lash out at others, we choose hate over His one true nature of love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  People ask me constantly, how can God be proud of a creation which is inherently wicked?  Well, this isn't the way we were designed by Him to be.  This is the path our own choices have led us to.  For man has been created with the free attribute of the Lord to choose for himself.  Adam and Eve chose, and the church continues to live out those dire consequences to this very day.  It is the church which continues to preach that man is somehow separated from his creator as a result of the wrong choices of Adam and Eve in the garden.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For God has now reconciled His creation unto Him through the work of Jesus on the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  We are no longer condemned, but reconciled. 

Faith is action.  By faith alone can a man act.  Faith carries out the urges of love.  Faith works by love. 

Norman Grubb~ The Law Of faith 

What I have described is not merely a story, but the truth of how we have been reconciled, through Jesus, to the Father once again.  Now, we can choose to utilize our God given faith and accept this truth for what it is, or we can choose to ignore it.  The fact is, our faith is ever present within us.  It dictates all which we do.  We see food, and we have faith that we can eat it for our nourishment.  If that faith is somehow disrupted, however, we will fail to see that food as a good thing.  We have been created with these attributes of the Father to live a certain way {First Epistle of John 5:4}.  As Norman Grubb writes, do we utilize our attribute of faith to walk after the flesh or after the Spirit?  We can choose either path.  Adam and Eve chose the path of the flesh and humanity paid the price for that choice.  Through Christ Jesus, we are once again reconciled to the Father.  As I think back, I never really needed to "Increase my measure of faith" as the church once told me.  What I needed was to realize the God given attribute of faith that I possessed as being created in His likeness.  By faith we trust that we are not only created by God, but truly live in union with Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  

By these men are made "after the similitrude of God," and by them they walk the course of this world.  What matters is, do they walk after the flesh, or after the Spirit? 

Norman Grubb ~ The Law Of Faith 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Watching For Jesus)

 

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 in Christ Jesus 

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

I've been doing quite a bit of Jesus watching lately.  I have offered up more than a few prayers within my circle of friends, and now I watch for what Jesus might provide in these situations.  After all, isn't it Jesus who ultimately works in these situations of offered prayer {Johns Account 16:23-24}?  Granted, the prayers which I offer up are not always over believers in Christ.  Many of my prayers are for those who have struggled to know who Jesus even is.  And that is usually how I began my prayer for them, that Jesus would reveal Himself in them as He did me.  I remember the days that I used to struggle with the knowing the truth of Christ in me.  I also know that there were friends of mine who prayed that Jesus would be revealed in me.  How wonderful it must have been for them to witness firsthand the Fathers revelation of Christ in me.  Once they prayed over me, they were certainly watching for Jesus to do His work in me.  Well, that prayer has been answered.  Now, this is the same prayer that I offer up for my friends.  When I talk to my friends about prayer, I get a few different responses.  There is the common, Christian theology response that whatever we ask for in prayer will be given to us {Matthews Account 7:7, 21:22}.  But I've also had discussions with others about those prayers which remain unanswered, through our eyes anyway.  Does unanswered prayer mean that Jesus has given up working in our situation?  No!  In my opinion, those prayers which we often see as being unanswered are simply more of an opportunity to watch for the works of Jesus in our lives.  I recall the days of the "Name it and claim it" doctrine in the mainstream church.  Where far too many Pharisee school educated pastors pushed the belief that we could ask for anything and it would be given unto us.  After all, look at all the scripture passages that proclaim that whatever we ask for in prayer will be delivered unto us.  Well, it wasn't long before congregations everywhere were bowing their knees in prayer to God for everything from new cars to fancy houses.  Why not, God said that He would provide for us, right?  I've often wondered if these pastors ever read from Jesus' sermon on the mount that the Father knows what we need even before we ask Him {Matthews Account 6:19-21}.  Besides, what good is watching for Jesus if we already know what He's going to do?  

"You, then, should not be worrying, saying, 'What may we be eating?' or 'What may we be drinking?' or 'With what may we be clothed?'  For all these things the nations are seeking.  For aware is your heavenly Father that you need all of these 

Matthew 6: 31-32, Concordant New Testament 

In my community of friends, there are often times when a few of them will relate to me difficult situations which they are facing.  Sometimes I share that I will be praying over them, while other times I simply pray without telling them.  A good friend recently thanked me for praying for his son who had been sick for some time.  The funny thing is, I never told him that I was praying for him.  However, it seems that he knows me well enough to know that once I am aware of a friend's difficult situation, that my first reaction is to offer that situation up in prayer.  Whatever the case, my friend's son is now doing well once again.  This is all part of our Jesus watching, waiting and looking for how He will work in any given situation.  Scripture tells us that He hears us when we pray {First Epistle of John 5:14}.  So, if He hears our prayers, can we not be confident that He will work in a way that is beneficial to us {Jeremiah 29:11}?  He knows our needs.  He also knows how to work in every situation so that it will be the best outcome for us.  This is the confidence we have in Him.  If our prayer for a fancy car goes unanswered does that mean that God is not interested in our needs?  Not at all.  Remember, He knows our needs.  I remember being angry with God after my mother passed.  For more than a few years, my prayer had been that He would heal her and deliver her from her pain.  The night she passed away, my anger with God simmered.  How could He not honor my prayer to heal her?  Yet, months later, after I'd had time to cool down, the Father revealed to me that He had indeed healed my mom.  She was no longer suffering and in pain.  God worked in this situation not in the way I expected, but in one that produced the best outcome.  For that I am thankful.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Church Reimagined)

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~ 

I recently began a new shift working on Sundays.  For me, the transition wasn't all too difficult.  For a few of those I know, however, you would think that I had just committed the unpardonable sin.  How is it that I could tolerate working on the "Lords day?"  Why had I forsaken the gathering together with other believers?  Those in the mainstream church are quick to point out that we should not forsake our gathering together {To the Hebrews 10:25}.  Pastor after pastor hammers home this point as they try to keep their pews filled each week.  Let me remind others out there about what the author of the Hebrews was referring to in this much overused passage.  See, back in the day, the believers in Jesus were quick to be persecuted in public.  Therefore, many took to meeting in secret.  The author of Hebrews, knowing the persecutions those of the faith faced daily, still encouraged the believers in Christ Jesus to not forsake meeting together despite the persecutions they often faced.  So, tell me, how does this history fall in line with a mainstream church pastor trying to fill the pews of his church?  I would say that believers today have not been persecuted to the point of death, as those of old were.  I would also like to point out that I have not forsaken gathering with other believers despite my reluctance to give into the pressures of the institutional church.  For the church that I walk into each and every day is not the church of some Pharisee school bred pastor, but of the church of the body of believers in Jesus, the Ecclesia.  It is Christ Jesus Who is the head of this body of believers {Paul to the Colossians 1:18}.  Knowing this, I do not need to turn to some brick and mortar mainstream type of church in order to be among the body of believers.  Each day when I walk into the gym which I frequent, I am walking into the church of the Ecclesia of Jesus.  The gathering of the body of believers.  We might not have a choir, offering or other institutional church traditions, but here we are free to come to know the truth of He who is the head of the body.  This is church reimagined.  This is also church which far too many in the  mainstream church leadership have shunned for far too long.  To them, the congregation has a duty to God to come together each and every Sunday.  In the Ecclesia, the body of believers are free to assemble whenever and wherever they choose.  

And He is the head of the body, the Ecclesia, Who is sovereign, Firstborn from among the dead, that in all He may be becoming first 

Paul to the Colossians 1: 18, Concordant New Testament 

A large part of living in the freedom of our life in Christ Jesus is living free of the traditions and customs of the traditional mainstream church.  For our devotion has never been to the man-made church, but to Christ Whom we live in union with {Johns Account 14:20}.  Sure, the church speaks to being "Free in Jesus," but they rarely walk the walk.  Instead, they will burden the Ecclesia with the customs and traditions carried on for thousands of years.  If you have ever wondered just what Jesus thought of these man-made traditions, take a good look at His "Woes to the Pharisees" which we find in the book of Matthew {Matthews Account 23: 13-33}.  The Pharisees of Jesus' day had burdened the Lords people with one custom and tradition after another.  Finally, Jesus called them out on it.  He went as far as to proclaim these men serpents and vipers {Matthews Account 23:33}.  Is it any wonder, then, that these same Pharisees sought to kill Him?  Just as I have reimagined church with my gym community, Jesus was proclaiming that the Lords people do the same.  That they not give their loyalties to customs and traditions, but to the Father.  I've often wondered what Jesus would say to our mainstream church pastors of today.  Would we see His "Woe to the pastors?"  I believe that we most likely would.  The Ecclesia is not a community which gathers solely on Sundays, but wherever the believers in Christ Jesus may be.  I am confident in my heart that I engage with this Ecclesia each and every day in my own church community.  

We can't afford any fancy preachin'

We can't afford any fancy church

We can't afford any fancy singing

But you know Jesus has a lot of poor people out doing His work 

~Me and Jesus ~ Tom T Hall 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Defenders Of The Truth)

 

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~ 

I remember being in those group discussions.  We were usually brought together to discuss one church teaching or another.  However, eventually someone would bring up a question which in some way challenged the theology of what the pastor was speaking to.  When this happened, the discussion leader would immediately shut down the question and tell us to stay on the topic at hand.  It seemed that any discussion concerning "Other" aspects of scripture or Christianity were not to be discussed at all.  I have often wondered how I would have been treated by these "Defenders of the truth" were I to speak of the truth of Jesus in me.  Of course, back then Jesus had yet to be revealed in me.  Still, I knew of more than a few church brethren who were labeled as "Dissenters" by the defenders of the truth within the church.  I didn't find out until after I left the mainstream church that one of the duties of any institutional church pastor is to readily shoot down any opinions which could interfere with the narrative of the church.  That narrative being the theology which is taught to this day in the traditional church.  One of my Gym Rat partners has even been asked to leave a church congregation simply because he questioned the teachings of the senior pastor.  This simply was not tolerated.  It seems that the church system relishes church goers who arrive on Sunday and dutifully sit through the sermon and absorb all which is being taught.  I used to be among that crowd.  But then "It" happened.  Whether it was from the revelation of the Father or simply hearing the questions of other dissenters within the church, I began to have questions of my own.  Why was I still concerned over sin if Jesus gave Himself that I would be free from it {Paul to the Romans 6:11}?  I asked one of the defenders of the truth this very question one Sunday, but I was quickly brushed aside.  Instead of taking this literally, I began to question the teachings of the church more and more.  The final straw came one Easter Sunday morning.  As the pastor finished his traditional Easter message of how Jesus died on that cross for the forgiveness of sin and rose three days later, he then asked the congregation to come forward and confess any sins they might be led to confess at the altar at the front of the sanctuary.  The double speak was pretty obvious to me in that moment.  Pastor or no pastor, I was GONE!  

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 

Many believers might not understand, but walking away from the mainstream church was one of the best decisions I could have made.  For I did not learn of the truth of Christ Jesus in me through some Sunday defender of the truth sermon, but from the revelation of the Father.  It would seem that He waited until I was no longer under the influence of man-made religion before He began His process of revealing His truth in me.  For that I am grateful.  I could not have understood my union life in the Father if I had continued to follow the doctrine of the church which proclaims that God is separated from me {Johns Account 14:20}.  I could not have digested the words of the apostle Paul while still being taught that sin was a road block in my life {Paul to the Romans 6:6-11}.  I now realize that in order for me to understand that revelation which the Father was unfolding in me, that I had to be outside of the confines of organized religion.  So it was for the man Saul, steeped deeply in the Jewish faith and actively persecuting the followers of Jesus.  For once Christ was revealed unto him, he forsook that religion which he had been raised up in {Paul to the Galatians 1:15-16}.  As it was for Paul, my own revelation came once it pleased the Father {Paul to the Galatians 1:15}.  Of course, it was also His purpose that I endure my time in the mainstream church as well.  For in that time I not only developed the friendships which I still enjoy today, but I developed a understanding for the scriptures as well.  I do not regret my time spent in the church, because I know that this was the Fathers time to grow in me an understanding of who He is.  I often tell those people I talk with not to take my words as gospel, but to read the scriptures and wait for the Fathers leading.  I'm guessing that I wouldn't have made a very good defender of the truth.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father {Lies The Church Told Me)

 

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 

I recently finished recording a podcast with my good friend Dennis where I discussed those issues that I have with the mainstream church.  For anyone who has been reading these posts for awhile, you know that I have not been a huge fan of the modern day institutional church system.  Keep in mind that I grew up in a Christian home, so I was fed the theology of the church from a very young age.  But as I have grown in the knowing of Christ Jesus in me I have come to the realization that many of the things which I was once taught were not necessarily the truth.  Now, I know that there will be many on the church side of the aisle that will read these words and at once deem me a blasphemer and worthy of God's punishment.  I'll wear that badge with honor.  In my heart I know that the Lord is speaking the truth of His Son through me.  Since I introduced Jesus into this conversation, let me begin with Him.  Growing up, I was taught that there was absolutely NO way that I could ever be intimately close to Jesus.  Pastor after Pastor spoke that the best that I could ever hope to accomplish was to emulate Him, to "Be like" Jesus.  See, I was a sinner, one which a holy Savior could never be in the presence of {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  However, from these same pulpits came the words that it was Jesus Himself who cleansed me from my sins.  Which was it?  Am I a sinner, or has Jesus indeed saved me from myself?  Well, the theology of the traditional church system proclaims that Jesus indeed bled and died on that cross for my sins.  Yet, somewhere along the way they also decided that, despite this truth, my sin continued to be in front of me.  So yes, this is a lie which the church told me.  Jesus Himself has proclaimed that we live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  I am in Him, and He is in me.  The ancient Greeks had a term they used to describe someone with a shared lineage.  We know that term today as synapomorphy.  It is through synapomorphy that we live in union with Christ Jesus.  Of course, I never heard this truth uttered from the pulpits of the mainstream church.  

Yet hallow the Lord Christ in your hearts, ever ready with a defense for everyone who is demanding from you an account concerning the expectation in you, but with meekness and fear

Peter to the Dispersion (1) 3: 15, Concordant New Testament 

By far, the biggest lie which the church told me, and the one which has taken me so long to overcome, is the lie that I was still a sinful being despite the work of Christ Jesus on the cross.  It is this lie, spoken by a church pastor, which ultimately led me to walk away from the church.  See, the church teaches that despite the sacrifice of Jesus, we still struggle with the effects of sin today.  One of the most liberating passages of scripture I have ever read was penned by the apostle Paul.  It is Paul who has proclaimed that, through Christ, that I am now "Dead, indeed, to sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  It is Jesus who has given Himself "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Paul got it.  Yet the mainstream church has seemingly ignored Paul's words because they do not fit into the narrative of the traditional church theology.  This theology, conceived and written by man, came about from the first council of Nicaea in the year 325.  The Nicene creed was designed from the beginning to bring the beliefs of the Christian faith under the umbrella of one theology.  In essence, this was the beginning of the indoctrination of millions of believers in Jesus.  The apostle John proclaims that we are to "Test the spirits to see if they are of God" {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  Is it of God that Jesus missed some sins in His sacrifice on the cross?  Is it of God that we would be forever separated from our creator?  Yet these are only a few of the lies which the mainstream church continues to speak to.  Paul has proclaimed that it is Christ Jesus who lives in him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Yet the church ignores this truth when it speaks to the separation of God from His creation.  I understand that there will be those in the Christian faith who will disagree with me.  However, for those who question my words I offer up a solution.  Follow the words of the apostle John and do as I have done, test the spirits.  How do the lies of the church coincide with the good of the Father?  The good of the Father comes from the revelation in us of the truth of His Son Jesus.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Problem With Seeing Jesus)

 

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 discovered some time ago that the man I see in the mirror each day is not the man I remember.  For the man I remember was a mistake ridden sinner saved by grace.  At least that's what the church has taught me.  This presents the issue of knowing Jesus, which is also one of the main edicts of the mainstream church.  If I were indeed still a sinner, how is it that a holy Jesus could even be in my presence?  How is it that I could come before the throne of the Father if my sins were still before me?  Yet scripture, and the church, tell us that we can indeed do all of these things.  Somehow, the message has been lost that Christ Jesus gave Himself willingly for our sakes {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Not only that, but Jesus has also proclaimed that we live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  So, the truth which will be revealed in us reveals that He has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Not only for those who believe, but for all of God's children.  This week I found myself in an interesting discussion with a friend on the subject of Christ in all things.  While he agreed that Jesus could be and is present in all things, he scoffed at the truth that Christ is in all of us.  Despite scriptural references, he could not get past the sin issue which continues to grip those in the mainstream church.  The idea that, despite the work of Christ Jesus on the cross, that our sin is still before us.  How is it, my friend asked, that Jesus could reside in evil such as Adolf Hitler or violent criminals?  Believe me, as I first struggled with my own revelation of Christ in me, I wondered the same thing.  How is it that Jesus, being holy and perfect, can live in a sinner saved by grace?  The answer is simple, it is Jesus Himself who has defeated sin at the cross.  So, being without sin, Jesus is now free to live in union with the Lords children.  Again, for someone who is stuck in the rut of mainstream church theology, this might be a tough pill to swallow.  

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

Paul to the Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament 

So, when someone who we have deemed unworthy looks into the mirror, what do they see?  A sinner?  One beyond the touch of the Lord?  I suggest that, knowing the truth of Christ, will see Him in that reflection.  But here's the issue with that, does he even know Jesus?  Does he realize the truth that has been revealed unto me?  I would say no.  For is he were aware of the saving truth of the Lord Jesus, he would see himself for who he really is.  That is, in union with Jesus and the Father.  So it is that I can proclaim that even the most vile of people indeed have the spirit of Christ within them, they simply fail to recognize who He is.  I see this issue, to some extent, in my friend.  Having spent many years in the mainstream church theology, he does not know who he truly is in Christ.  For him, his sin is keeping him from that relationship with Jesus.  Again, this is the same issue I struggled with when I received my own revelation of Christ in me.  I had yet to see that sin was no longer an issue.  Jesus had seen to that.  Living in the truth of Jesus which will be revealed unto us is a wonderful thing.  Not only are we free from the bondages of sin, but free to live a life in Him.  This is something the church refers to as "Freedom in Christ" but has no clue what that entails.  This is why those in the mainstream church have a problem with seeing Jesus as He truly is...in them.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Better Than DEI)

 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 

Recently, all of the mainstream media has been abuzz about how Donald J Trump has been dismantling many of the government funded programs designed to promote diversity, equity and inclusion to all.  Ask anyone about DEI and you will surely get some mixed reactions.  On the one hand, many will praise the benefit of everyone being included, with no exceptions for race, color or creed.  However, the down side to this is that there will be those who are passed over in the hiring process who might be extremely well qualified for a job yet lose that opportunity simply so someone of a lesser stature or status can be "Included."  This isn't right and equals the equivalent of modern day discrimination.  Ironically, the very same political party which prides itself on fighting discrimination has championed this DEI idea.  The democratic party, the party of American slavery, insists that all should be included.  But there is another Who has proclaimed that all are included, and that is Christ Jesus.  The apostle Paul speaks to this in Galatians, that we are all one in Christ {Paul to the Galatians 3:28}.  Traditionally, Christian groups have said that all are welcome, but have fallen into the same prejudices as any DEI program.  Those who follow Jesus are, after all, human, and we humans are often inclined to be prejudiced against others for one reason or another.  I recall the morning a pastor at my old church informed me that I probably would not be welcome in a men's fellowship golfing group because I had yet to learn the game.  To hear this coming from a pastor was devastating for me.  Was this what Christian fellowship amounted to?  A fellowship intended for those deemed worthy by those involved?  I'll go out on a limb and say that this is not what the Father intended for His children.  For even Jesus has proclaimed that we are to love one another {Johns Account 13:34}.  Now, I'll be the first one to admit that I have failed in that commandment.  There are those who I have shunned for one reason or another in the past.  As I said, we're human, it's what we do.  

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

First Epistle of John 4: 20, Concordant New Testament 

I titled this post "Better than DEI" because I believe that I have stumbled upon something.  Some time ago, I began focusing more on my fitness goals by going to the local gym more often.  Well, this presented a new problem, because traditionally I was a rather shy person often embarrassed by my physical condition.  Now, surrounded by so many others in the gym environment, I had a choice to make.  I could do what I usually did and keep to myself, or I could open up and become one of the crowd.  I chose the latter.  What has followed has been one of the best times of my life so far.  For what started with introducing myself to one person has mushroomed into a rather large group I affectionately call the "Gym Rats."  The people I have come to know are bartenders, construction workers, retail clerks, men and women.  So, if you ask me, these Gym Rats are much better than any DEI program ever developed.  There are no prerequisites or entrance exams.  There is no discrimination if someone is coming to the gym for that first time.  It may yet to be revealed in these Gym Rats, but we are all one in Christ Jesus.  The same Jesus I have come to know in me is also the same Christ who resides in them as well.  For all are in union with the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Too many in the mainstream church have taken to having requirements of those who choose to be a member of the church.  I can remember being required to attend membership classes before I could be considered a "Member" of the church I was attending.  How inclusive is that?  To be clear, the mainstream church IS NOT the church of which Christ is the head {Paul to the Colossians 1:18}.  This church is the Ecclesia, the body of believers in Christ.  This is the distinction I make when I speak of the church of Jesus.  Inclusion isn't simply a buzzword to be tossed around.  For our Gym Rats, all are welcome.  All are one in Christ Jesus.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Broken Chains)

 

Who Himself carries up our sins in His body on the pole, that, coming away from sins, we should be living for righteousness; by Whose welt you were healed 

Peter to the Dispersion 2: 24, Concordant New Testament 

The other night I watched a confessional video interview of rocker Alice Cooper who declared that it was God who had healed him of his addiction to drugs and alchohol.  While I do not doubt that the Lord healed the old rocker, I see something else in play here.  After watching the interview, I immediately thought to myself, so this is what happens when God becomes more important in our lives than the addictions we're enslaved in.  I can say that I am speaking from personal experience.  I recall the night standing outside a local strip club in Portland and wondering why I couldn't just walk in like I had so many times before.  Yet this time was different. This time the appeal just wasn't there anymore.  So it is that I can relate to the words and experience of one Alice Cooper.  Now, he might believe in his heart that the Lord delivered him from the throes of his addiction, and he would be right in thinking that.  But, wasn't it God who allowed him to be addicted in the first place?  Well, the apostle Peter speaks to just that in First Peter.  Peter speaks to the Father briefly allowing our sufferings in order that we might  benefit from them {Peter to the Dispersion (1) 5:10}.  Peter also speaks that we should not find it strange when we encounter various trials in life, but that we should rejoice in the unveiling of Christ in us {Peter to the Dispersion 4:12-13}.   Wasn't it the Father who allowed me to be addicted to pornography for as long as I was?  Indeed, this is also true.  The apostle Paul proclaims in Galatians that Christ Jesus has set us free from the yoke of slavery {Paul to the Galatians 5:1}.  Jesus has broken those chains!  I submit that when Christ is revealed in us, those chains of our sin will indeed be broken.  Paul also has declared that we are indeed dead to sin {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  Since I was dead to sin while in the midst of my own addiction, why was it that I continued to engage in it?  Well, it was at that point in my life that I did not know just who I was in Christ.  In essence, I didn't know who I truly was inside.  It had been preached to me that I was simply a sinner who had been saved by the grace of God.  So, in my mind I was doing what sinners do.  The knowing of Christ Jesus had yet to be revealed in me.  Standing outside that building that night, God showed me not only who He is, but who I am as well.  

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

Paul to the Galatians 5: 1, Concordant New Testament 

The revelation of Christ that I have received from the Father is the knowledge that it is Christ who I now live in {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  We do well to understand that this revelation, which was also revealed in the apostle Paul, has no set time schedule.  For Paul spent more than a few years steeped in the Jewish faith and persecuting the followers of Jesus until Christ was revealed in him {Paul to the Galatians 1:15-16}.  This revelation only comes "When it delights God."  I believe that this is exactly what Alice Cooper experienced as he was in that hospital so many years ago.  For he went in an addict but came out with the realization that he wasn't the same man he thought he was.  The chains had been broken!  I enjoy hearing the confessions of those who have come to their own "Jesus realization" moments in their lives.  Let me be clear, Jesus has always been with us from the beginning {Johns Account 1:1-3}.  For all was created by Him and for Him.  We also understand that we are created in the Fathers likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  Having been created in His likeness, how can we not have the Father in us?  Yet all too often we forget that truth, or the truth has yet to be revealed in us.  The mainstream church, for their part, do not speak to this truth of Christ in us.  Jesus and the Father live separate from us in heaven.  This is the lie of the deceiver spoken in the garden which continues to be spoken from church pulpits today {Genesis 3:1-6}.  The truth is that God has never been apart from His creation.  It is in our minds that we accept this as truth until such time that the Father reveals Himself in us.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father {Jesus In A Skirt}

 

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 

Not so long ago, President Donald J Trump was criticized for seemingly degrading comments which he made against women which were caught on tape.  Democrats, of course, did everything they could to damage him over these comments.  For his part, Trump dismissed his comments as "Locker room talk."  In my own experience, I have been around many men/boys who have shared the same degrading comments about women as Trump has, even worse.  More than a few of my co-workers have taken to referring to women in derogatory ways as well.  Now, I believe that this not only relegates a woman to being inferior to a man, but that her only purpose in life is to give pleasure and obedience to men.  Furthermore, the disciple Peter proclaims that women should be honored as "The weaker vessel" {Peter to the Dispersion (1) 3:7}.  The apostle Paul takes this a bit deeper as he proclaims that there is no male nor female, but that all are one in Christ {Paul to the Galatians 3:28}.  Now, I'm not saying that man has not been created with certain, shall we say, urges which we are constantly bombarded with throughout our lives.  However, we should realize that all which we have been created with is from the Father Himself {Genesis 1:27}.  It is obvious that God knew beforehand just what we were getting into.  If we are all one in Christ, as Paul proclaims, then when should know that when we look upon a woman we are looking upon Jesus Himself.  Would we ever even think of disparaging Jesus with a vulgar name?  Yet, this is the behavior which far too many men continue to engage in.  Be it locker room talk or simply speaking how we feel about women in general, speaking this way of the Fathers creation presents to us a problem.  Now, I have not been innocent in this arena by any means.  While I may not have verbally degraded women, my own thoughts over them did just as much harm as if I were saying it out loud.  I've made my peace with the Father for my actions.  So, the question remains, how are we as believers to view e female?  The weaker of the sexes?  Trust me, in my own time in the gym I have seen more than a few women who could kick my butt given the chance.  But I tend to fall in line with the words of Paul, that there is no longer any male or female, but that we are all one in Christ Jesus. 

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

Genesis 1: 27, Concordant Old Testament 

Through the years I have been told that when I look in the mirror the image that I see is not my own, but that of Christ Jesus.  Knowing this, is it any different for a woman?  I would suggest that when a woman gazes into the mirror, she does not hear that she is the fairest of them all, but that she is a daughter of the Father.  Indeed, we have all been declared children of God {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  How, then, knowing that we have not only been divinely created, but live within the Father, can we possibly degrade His creation?  Obviously, this is not from the Father but from our own human desires.  As I've said, I've been there.  I'm not proud of those things I've done, but I've come away with the revealing which the Father has given unto me that not only am I in His image, but all have been created in it as well.  So how is it that we respond to someone who is continuing to disparage the Lords creation?  Well, I believe that our calling is to remind them that the very one whom they are degrading carries the same identity as they do.  That man I know who has taken to referring to women in a not so flattering way is one in Christ just as she is.  This is the truth given unto us by the Father.  Nobody will convince me, as some have tried, that their opinions of women are the Fathers desire for them seeing as God is in them.  That's crap!  The desire of the Father is that His children would recognize their union life in He and Christ {Johns Account 14:20}.  Jesus isn't simply a man, He wears a skirt as well.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Never Close Enough)

 

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 

The other day at the gym I was listening to a country music version of the old hymn "A closer walk with thee."  One verse in particular got me to thinking, "I'll be satisfied as long as I walk, Dear Lord, closer to thee."  Closer to God?  Anyone who has ever attended one of our mainstream churches for any length of time will recognize these words.  Growing up in the church, I learned to walk closer to God.  To do this, however, meant that I needed to live my life in a way that He approved of.  Of course, anyone who has ever attempted to live a life totally pleasing to the Lord knows that there will be obstacles along the way.  We're only human, and all too often that freedom of choice God has created us with can get in the way of living a God favored life.  Again, if you've ever spent time in the church, you know and have heard these words in one sermon or another.  I know that I have.  What got me thinking about the words of the hymn was not the fact that I could walk closer to God, but in the knowing that today I walk IN HIM.  The apostle Paul speaks to this truth in Galatians {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  In his heart, Paul knew that it was no longer he who was alive and thriving, but Christ Jesus who lived through him.  If I were still in the church, this verse might have sounded a bit far fetched.  Jesus in me?  Christ alive in a sinner?  How is this even possible?  Well, it's not possible, if not for Jesus.  For it is Jesus who took our sin upon Himself at the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Were it not for the work of Christ on the cross, my sin would forever be before me.  But this has never been Gods plan for me, nor for His children.  This is why a hymn such as A closer walk with Thee sends the wrong message about the truth of the Father.  We do not simply walk closer with Him.  We walk IN HIM.  Jesus has declared our union life with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Of course, this is not the message which we will receive from the pulpits of the mainstream church.  

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 

My mother was a huge fan of the old hymns when I was growing up.  I can still see her singing to herself as she worked around the house.  So it is that I was exposed to these hymns from an early age.  The message was clear.  God is with us.  We can walk with Him.  Come unto us Lord.  Of course, I never in my life heard one of these old hymns that proclaimed our life in Him.  So it is that the authors of these hymns followed the path of centuries old church theology.  That all have sinned and that God could never be within reach of sin.  Of course, I now know that there are indeed scriptures that speak to our life in the Father.  These are indeed the same scriptures which have been around for thousands of years.  So the question remains, did the church get it wrong or did they simply choose to ignore that which was in front of their noses?  One thing is for certain, God has never changed {To The Hebrews 13:8}.  This leads me to believe that those in the church simply chose to ignore that which was in front of them in favor of the centuries old church narrative.  This is also the reason that I struggled to accept the truth of the Father as it was revealed to me through a dear friend of mine.  I had never before heard of the concept of living within God.  Was it even possible?  Well, I have come to know that not only is it possible, but that it is how I now live each and every day.  In fact, if I could I would rework that old hymn from A closer walk with Thee to...As I walk in Thee.  But, that wouldn't fit the narrative.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Love Like No Other)

 

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

First Epistle of John 4: 16, Concordant New Testament 

For some reason, I found myself watching a match making reality program the other day.  As far as I could tell, the purpose of this charade was to bring together single people with the intent of matching them with someone compatible with them.  This would have been the usual boring fare except for one young lady who claimed that her motivation for appearing on the show was to "Find someone to love me for who I am."  Now, this struck a chord with me because I myself have felt this way at times in my own life.  I mean, who doesn't want to be loved, right?  Too many people spend a lifetime in their search for this love relationship.  Far too many fail in their quest to find it.  More still find a feeling disguised as love, but in the end is nothing like love at all.  I can recall speaking to more than a few people involved in abusive relationships who only remained in them because they hoped that they would eventually lead to the love which they desired for themselves.  My own parents lived such a relationship.  Thankfully, my mother had the intuition to see that my dad would not change his ways.  This is a story repeated too many times for too many people.  Again, it is natural that we would desire someone to love and to love.  But what if these people found that love which accepted them no matter what they had done?  A love that, through the good and the bad, continued in its affection for them.  Well, this love can be found in the love which God has for us.  Growing up in the church theology, my image of God was one of a distant Father.  A Father who would love me one minute, but then withdraw His love the moment that I misbehaved or did something to displease Him.  The truth is, this is NOT the love of God.  For the love which God has for His children transcends any love which our human hearts can imagine.  The love of God is not abusive.  Furthermore, the love of God is never based on what we may or may not have done.  It is God who has loved us even before our first breath {First Epistle of John 4:19}.  It is God who will love us at our best and our worst.  This is the love of God, a love like no other.  

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 

How many times have you felt this way in your life?  That feeling that God could never love you because of what you had done in your life.  Well, I've spent a good portion of my life fighting off these feelings.  There are times that I've been my own worst enemy when it comes to my own relationship with God.  I'm well aware of those things that I've done in my life which the Father does not approve of.  There were days when the guilt and shame of my actions clouded my own view of Gods perfect love for me.  How could God love someone like me?  Simple, I am His creation {Genesis 1:27}.  In love I was created, and it is in love that I remain in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  Too many people look upon God as being judgmental, but this isn't who He truly is at all.  For we're told that the one true nature of God...is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  For their part, the mainstream church has failed when it comes to speaking to the love nature of the Father.  They would rather speak of a God who holds the threat of an eternity in hell over our heads if we fail to live as He desires.  Again, this is not who He is at all.  It is because of Gods love for us that He dispatched His Son to be that sacrifice for our sins {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  It is because of the love of Jesus that He became sin and gave Himself willingly for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  He did all of this for us, out of His love for us.  Does that sound judgmental to you?  What love is there that, upon being found guilty, would do away with our transgressions and declare us clean in His sight?  Only the love of the Father.  A love like no other.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Saving Grace)

 

Not for the works which are wrought in righteousness which we do, but according to His mercy, He saves us, through the bath of renascence and renewal of the holy spirit

Paul to Titus 3: 5, Concordant New Testament 

It's something which every believer strives for.  We struggle, hope and pray that we will one day be among the elect.  It is one of the key beliefs of our faith.  That when we believe in Jesus and follow a life of the Lord, that we will be saved.  Not only that, but spend our eternity in the presence of the Father.  For too many believers, this is the end game.  This is our reward for living a life in the Lord.  To be "Saved" is Gods reward for accepting His Son.  Or is it?  Growing up in the mainstream church, my salvation was a promise given to me if I flew right in the eyes of the Lord.  However, that same salvation could also be revoked should the Lord deem me unacceptable.  This was my struggle with knowing my own salvation.  A few years ago a good friend posed a question to me, did I consider God to be a Indian giver?  Did I consider God to be One who would promise me one thing and then take it away if He felt I didn't deserve it?  Of course, this made me question a few things about God as well.  Would God promise me something just to yank it away from me?  What kind of loving Father would do that?  We're told in scripture that God never changes {To the Hebrews 13:8}.  Therefore, if the Father makes me a promise, He intends to keep that promise {Paul to Titus 1:2}.  Yet the message of the mainstream church continues to be that of salvation in limbo.  Yes, Jesus shed His blood on that cross for you, but if you don't live your life the right way, you might just find yourself in hell someday.  This is the  mixed message that I grew up receiving from the church.  But it IS NOT the message which God has declared to His children.  For time and time again in the scriptures, we are told of the salvation of the Father {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul to the Romans 10:9, Johns Account 5:24}.  So who is it that we are to place our confidence in, God the Father or in man?  The words of man will tell us that our salvation is an object to be traded.  But the word of the Father proclaims that salvation is the gift freely given unto His children {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  

That, if ever you should be avowing with your mouth the declaration that Jesus is Lord, and should be believing in your heart that God rouses Him from among the dead, you shall be saved.  For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, yet with the mouth it is avowed for salvation

Paul to the Romans 10: 9-10, Concordant New Testament 

I see the topic of salvation to be the prickly pear of Christian theology.  For those in the mainstream church will hear that salvation is indeed conditional.  However, the apostle Paul, who undoubtedly knew of his own salvation, proclaimed this was not the case at all.  It is Paul who preaches that salvation is not a reward of our own works {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  Want to know the key to your salvation?  You will find it in Christ Jesus.  Jesus has proclaimed that nobody comes to the Father but through Him {Johns Account 14:6}.  But what is salvation?  That is key to our understanding of it.  A simple Google definition describes salvation as a "Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin or loss."  Knowing this, is our salvation simply a eternity in the Lord?  That ship might already have sailed.  For Jesus has proclaimed our union life in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  So, how is it that salvation is our eternity in God if we already are there in Him?  My own belief on salvation is that it is that which is given freely of the Father unto His children.  Salvation is not simply a reward for good works, nor is it a destination of heaven.  I have been saved because of the love of the Father through the works of Christ Jesus.  I have been saved from what I once was, and redeemed unto who I am now {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Those in the church will hang onto the words of Paul that all have sinned {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  But Jesus has died to that sin, thus saving me from being enslaved to it {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  THAT is my salvation.  Given freely out of Gods love for me.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (How Deep Are You?)

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 

I heard a radio pastor the other day speaking with approval of those who find themselves "Deeply Religious."  In his words, these deeply religious believers are the ones who keep the faith of those around them alive.  As I listened, I thought that a better title for these mainstream church goers might be "Deeply in the weeds."  For those who might think differently, consider this prospect.  Who has ever been saved by religion?  Now, I agree that many have come to acquaint themselves with knowing the Lord and Jesus through immersing themselves in religion, but how many have been saved by religion itself?  Having grown up in the mainstream church, I'm well aware that having faith and believing are key points to the religious lifestyle.  I remember rising from the pool the morning of my baptism with the thought that I was now saved.  Was it this tradition that saved me?  Did John the baptizer save those he baptized?  Or, as John declared, did he simply pave the way for One greater than himself {Johns Account 26-30}?  As the baptizer declared, "He must be growing, yet mine is to be inferior."  Knowing this, we can say that it is definitely not the tradition of baptism by which one is saved.  For Jesus has proclaimed, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one is coming to the Father except through me" {Johns Account 14:6}.  So, it is not by being religious that we are saved.  We are saved when we trust in the work of Christ Jesus {Paul to the Ephesians 1:7}.  Religion has led us to believe that it is due to our own efforts that we have achieved salvation.  We believe.  We profess Jesus.  We accept Him into our hearts.  But the apostle Paul proclaims that it is not by our own efforts, but due to the love and grace of the Father {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  If you continue in this religious belief, then you might just be deep in the weeds.  

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 

I personally would hate to see the after affects of those who, through their own efforts, achieved their own salvation.  Can you imagine the arrogance?  Knowing that they were saved, and rubbing this knowing in the faces of those who weren't.  Of course, this has nothing to do with the love and grace of the Father, but of the arrogance of man.  It is for this reason that God loved us enough to save us {First Epistle of John 4:10}.  To be in the weeds is to hold onto the belief that my own efforts are leading to my salvation.  The mainstream church is known for telling us that we can "Punch our ticket" for salvation if we only believe and live the right life.  But this goes against the declaration of Jesus Who has proclaimed that it is He who is the way to the Father.  It is Christ Jesus who has paved the way for the love of God to be manifested.  It is through the love and grace of the Father that we are saved {First Epistle of John 4:16}.  God saved you, not the church.  Sure, the church can TELL us of how it is that the Lord has loved and saved us.  I am thankful that I grew up in this knowledge.  I am thankful that I was raised knowing of Gods love for me.  I believe that this knowing kept me from getting too deep into the weeds of mainstream church theology.  I knew that I wanted to live my life in the Father and not simply punch my ticket for heaven.  The truth of the Lord that is so often overlooked is that WE DO live our lives in union with Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  Yet sometimes we need to dig ourselves through the weeds in order to see it. 

~Scott~