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~ 

The Good Of The Father (God Extended)

 

"You are the light of the world.  A city located upon a mountain can not be hid.  Neither are they burning a lamp and placing it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it is shining to all those in the house.  Thus let shine your light in front of men, so that they may perceive your ideal acts and should glorify your Father Who is in the heavens" 

Matthews Account 5: 14-16, Concordant New Testament 

I've often thought that knowing the Lord was simply a matter of reading scripture and believing.  Sounds simple, right?  To believe in the Father is to know in ones heart that He is Who He claims to be.  Yet the question remains, how will the world know Him?  As Christians, we believe that He is all in all, that everything that we see was created by His spoken word {Johns Account 1:1-3}.  But what of those who have never believed in Him?  How is it that the Father will reveal Himself unto them?  In the film Come Sunday, the bishop Carlton Pearson questions the traditional church theology that those who have never known Jesus would suffer an eternity in hell.  How is it that someone who has never even been introduced to the gospel of Christ be punished for not accepting it?  For his beliefs, bishop Pearson was removed from his position in the church.  But this does not answer the question.  How is it that a world who has never known the Father be introduced to Him?  Sure, Jesus has been sort of a well known figure in history, but how many truly know Him?  Trust me, Jesus is much more than a memory in a book.  It is Jesus who has proclaimed the answer to the question, 'Let shine your light in front of men, so that they may perceive your ideal acts and should glorify your Father Who is in the heavens" {Matthews Account 5:14-16}.  What was He referring to?  Well, in the book of John we see Christ described as "The Light of men" {Johns Account 1:4}.  The apostle Paul has spoken of Christ Jesus who lives in him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  So, if it is indeed Jesus in Whom we live, and I believe this to be true, then it is indeed the light of Christ that is within us.  It is Jesus Who proclaims that we are to let His light within us shine before the world.  In other words, they will know the Father through those who know Him.  This is not such a radical concept, as the greatest desire of the Father is that He would be known by His children {Johns Account 17:3}.  While the world may push us away from knowing Him, it is the Father Who seeks that relationship with His children. 

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 

The mainstream church spends millions of dollars each and every year on its various ministries.  There are music ministries, young people ministries as well as countless others.  Typically, the message of these ministries is to bring the message of the gospel, or the churches rendition of that gospel, into the community around them.  When I first committed myself to my fitness journey, I wanted to have someone at the gym who I could connect with.  Someone I could talk with and develop a friendship with.  I did this more out of having motivation to go to the gym than to showcase the Father to those around me.  But that quickly changed.  For that one person has now grown to include over forty friends with whom I share my journey with.  These are my so called "Gym Rats."  Along the way, I have found many ways to introduce the Father into the lives of those who may not have ever known Him.  This is my light of Jesus shining before men.  I have personally been witness to some people who one would never have thought would ever have a conversation about God suddenly open up and talk of Him with me.  I have been approached by more than a few of my friends asking me to pray for situations in their lives.  Would these Gym Rats ever have known the Father if not for me being there among them?  Maybe, but I now know that God has brought these friendships into my life for His purpose.  It is His light that is shining through me.  I am His heart extended.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Danger Of The Independent Self)

 

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 

I consider it one of the most flagrant lies ever preached by the mainstream church.  The false belief that man has been separated from the God Who created him.  Now, they do this in a way that gets the Lords children to believe that it is indeed true.  It is common belief in Christian theology that man "Fell" in the garden after believing the words of the accuser and forsaking the instructions of the Lord.  As his punishment, the Lord banished His creation from the garden which He had created for him {Genesis 3:22-24}.  Here lies the issue.  For nowhere in scripture is it proclaimed that God removed Himself from the human which He created.  Honestly, that couldn't have been done, for His fingerprints are all over our identity.  It is God who created us in His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It is also God Who creates within us a living soul by breathing into us the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  So here we are, in His likeness and having His life within us.  How is it possible that we could be anything BUT in Him?  Your own earthly parents may have not been the best, but you can never remove their presence from your life or who it is that you are.  So it is with ourselves and God.  His DNA is in us.  Knowing this, how is it that the modern day mainstream church can speak to the fact that we are now separated from God?  We've all made questionable choices in our lives, does that somehow erase us from our biological family history?  Not at all!  Yet the church continues to preach that it is our own sins that have driven us away from God.  As the old actor Harry Morgan used to say..."Horse Hockey!"  Unfortunately, if you tell a lie often enough, sooner or later it might just become accepted as the truth.  This is what has occurred within the halls of the church.  Listen to a majority of sermons on sin and you will hear of how we have somehow become separated from God by it.  The old preacher Billy Graham was fond of proclaiming that men must "Repent" of their sins and "Make yourselves right with God."  But what if we already were right with Him?  It indeed was the Father Who, looking upon His creation, declared it "Very good" {Genesis 1:31}.  Yes, we have been declared by God to be very good.  The issue is not with our sin, but with our own belief that we are separated from God, that we are independent beings.  For its part, the church has continued to preach to this false belief.  

There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe, except the One who calls Himself the I AM {Exodus 3:14} and says, "I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside Me" {Issaiah 45:5}

No Independent Self ~ Norman Grubb 

While I was still in the church, I believed in the lie which I was taught.  I grew up believing that I and the Lord were on two separate playing fields.  God was in heaven watching and judging me as I lived my life here on earth.  I call this a lie of the church because it is a false reality.  The truth of the Lord is that, through Christ Jesus, I now am living my life in the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  There is NO separation in that which He has declared good.  Unfortunately, far too many believers have fallen hook, line and sinker for the false prophesy of the church theology.  I was once among that crowd.  I lived a life not of joy in the Lord, but of regret for what the church declared I had done.  Was this the joy of Jesus?  No!  Living in the joy of the Father is knowing that you live in Him each and every day.  Living a life of knowing that you have been judged as innocent in the eyes of the Father through the willing sacrifice of Christ {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Knowing the truth of the Father is knowing that you have NEVER been separated from His presence.  He created you.  He breathed life into you.  He has declared you good.  This is the truth you won't hear from the mainstream church.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Price Paid)

 

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

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

Many Christians will speak to the fact that they are "Saved by grace," and they would be correct in saying so.  For it is by the love and mercy of the Lord that our salvation in Him has been achieved.  It is only through the mercy of the Father that we are able to lay stake to this claim.  Yet there are too many believers out there who feel that there is indeed a price to be paid for that salvation.  Are you ready to meet Jesus?  Have you confessed your sins?  Have you lived that good life?  Suddenly, our salvation which once seemed rock solid is now in doubt.  Our minds race with the thoughts of spending our eternity apart from the presence of the Lord.  An eternity sinking in that burning lake of fire that is hell.  A dear friend made the comment in response to one of my posts the other day, "The lie is harder to maintain."  Perhaps, but what is "The Lie?"  Well, I see the lie as that which has turned the minds of the Lords children astray from the truth.  What is it that makes you feel as if you've somehow lost your salvation in the Father?  Your sin?  Your life of bad decisions?  Whatever it is I can guarantee you that God has it covered.  The mainstream church, the main perpetrators of the lie, will tell us time and again of our need to "Make ourselves right with God."  Right with God?  Ok, let's think about this for a minute shall we?  Has God offered us His free gift of salvation despite knowing that we don't deserve it?  Yes!  The problem is that far too many believers refuse to see that the price for our redemption has already been paid in full by Christ Jesus on the cross.  It is Jesus who took our sin upon Himself {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  So, there was indeed a price to be paid for our sin, and Christ has paid it in full.  If you were to approach the Lord and ask Him for forgiveness of some sin you were troubled about, you would more than likely hear Him reply, 'What sin?'  For this is how God sees us through His eyes.  Not as condemned sinners, but as His loved and cherished child.  

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~ 

When I was still active in the church, I recall that many things related to God came with a price.  Do you need prayer?  Well, be sure you confess anything which He might be upset about.  Your prayer went unanswered?  You probably forgot to ask forgiveness for something.  Almost everywhere you turn in the mainstream church, it seems that God is seeking payment from you for something.  Is this the price we pay for following Him?  Well, if you adhere to the teachings and theology of the mainstream church then you might believe that to be true.  On the other hand, I prefer to believe in the truth that any price which needed to be paid has already been rendered by Christ Jesus in our favor.  I use a quote from the comedian George Carlin quite frequently when discussing matters of the church.  Carlin begins his quote by claiming "Religion has actually convinced people."  Remember, if anyone is telling you that there is a price to be paid by you for your salvation,,,run!  It is the religious system which speaks to these lies, not the Father.  It is the Father who sent His Son to be the sacrifice, the price paid, for our life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  There is now nothing left to do but rest in His love and mercy.  You owe nothing!  The price has been paid.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The father (Buying The Lie)

 "You hear that it was declared, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  Yet I am saying to you that every man looking at a woman to lust for her already commits adultery with her in his heart" 

Matthews Account 5: 27-28, Concordant Old Testament 

I'm not afraid to admit that I once fell for the lie of the accuser.  I believed it when he whispered to me that this was what men do.  Yes, I knew that this was not God who was leading me, but I was also caught in the false identity that I was my own man.  Had I known then what I know now, I may have been better prepared to tackle the biggest sales pitch in history.  Not long ago, a good friend shared with me the truth that I already knew...sex sells.  We see it every day in every aspect of our society.  From television and movies, to the way we conduct our relationships with the opposite sex.  It seems that sex has become the be all end all for each and every male of the Fathers children.  We think about it, dream of it and in the end often end up partaking in it.  All because of a lie spoken by the accuser.  A lie which has convinced many a man that a woman is there purely for his own enjoyment.  I was once one of those men.  I would seldom think that the immoral thoughts I was having were against someone's wife, sister or daughter.  That didn't matter in the moment.  What mattered most was how I was going to use her for my own fulfillment.  I'd read the words of Jesus teaching against the evils of adultery.  But those were simply words, right?  How could Jesus understand how difficult it was for me to grow up in this seemingly sexually charged society?  After all, wasn't Jesus so distant from my daily life as He watched over me from heaven?  This is what the mainstream church had taught me.  This was the very same church that organized conferences, sermons and small groups all designed to "Free" me from the perils of sexual sin.  I recall more than a few Promise Keepers conferences where the men who gathered were encouraged to join in a commitment to be a strong man and a strong leader of their families.  A leader who was first and foremost in the family structure.  Again, these seemingly faith based ministries had relegated many wives to secondary status.  When the dust finally settled and the conference ended, many of us were back where we had began, with no clear direction or knowledge of God the Father.  This isn't an indictment on the Promise Keeper ministry, as I'm sure that it helped a good share of men find their way to Jesus.  But they didn't help me.  They didn't help me because at the time I had no idea who I was inside.  No idea how it was that the Father saw me.  

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 

My first inkling of how it is that God truly saw me was through a conversation with a friend.  This blew my entire assumption of God out of the water.  For years I had lived under the theology of the mainstream church, which taught me that God was someone who had already branded me as a sinner.  I had been born under sin, and therefore in sin I remained, apart from God.  This also is part of the lie of the accuser.  What I learned that day from my good friend was that I had been lied to, by Satan AND by the church.  God did not see me as a condemned sinner, but as His loved and cherished child {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  Not only that, but the life which I live is not in this world, but in the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Slowly I began to realize that if the Father viewed me as His cherished child, then how much more did He cherish those women whom I had sought after?  After all, it is He who created both in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  There is no difference between myself and her besides the differences in our flesh images.  We are both in the Father.  So, how is it that I could have such thoughts about one of the Lords own children?  Knowing this truth exposes the lies of the accuser.  It wasn't long after my conversation with my friend that I found myself outside the door of one of Portland's many strip clubs one evening.  As I was about to enter, a thought entered into my heart, 'This isn't who I am, I'm His child.'  Needless to say, I walked away from that place that night with more of a knowing of how it is that the Father really sees me.  This is knowing the truth of our life in Him. 

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 (Buying Jesus)

 

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 came across an old Billy Graham crusade video the other night in which the old preacher seemed to declare the work that needed to be done in order for one to be saved.  The first being that the individual needed to repent, or turn back, from their sin.  The second requirement was that the individual must come to the Lord in faith.  Now, this has been a long used tactic of those in the mainstream church for thousands of years.  YOU must turn from your sin.  YOU must believe.  Somehow, the free gift of salvation offered by the Father now must be achieved by the Lords children.  The apostle Paul warned us of this in his letter to the Ephesians.  For in Ephesians, Paul clearly states that salvation is "God's approach present, not of works" {Paul to the Ephesians 8-9}.  Secondly, is there indeed sin to repent from if Jesus has already taken our penalty upon Himself at the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}?  Yet, as I said, this has been the teaching of the mainstream church for thousands of years.  I am not surprised, then, that the old preacher Billy Graham, having been raised up in the teachings of the church, would continue to speak the church narrative.  Even while I was in the church, I was witness to those who would have airs about them in regards to their supposed standing with the Lord.  They had personally won that battle, turned from their sins and were now right with God.  The funny thing is, others within the church celebrated and respected these individuals.  However, I believe that Paul, were he with us today, would have admonished such behavior.  See, what we know in Christianity as salvation is that belief that we are saved by our heavenly Father for eternity.  While admitting the free gift of salvation, the church all too often sends the message that our salvation can also be lost as easily as it was given to us freely.  So, has God ever been known to go back on His word?  Well, if you are to listen to church theology, you might think that this is the case.  My good friend who adheres to the Eastern Orthodox sect of Christianity constantly reminds me that we need to pray for the Lords forgiveness lest we spend our eternity in hell.  So, our loving God, who never lies, would suddenly take away that which He has given us willingly?  I find that hard to swallow. 

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 

Paul to the Romans 10: 9, Concordant New Testament 

It is my belief that our salvation is an issue of our understanding and not of our own efforts.  Paul has spoken that if we should be "Believing in your heart" that God raised Jesus from the dead, that we will be saved {Paul to the Romans 10:9}.  So, do you truly believe that you're saved?  If so, no amount of effort on your part will change that.  But what about my sin?  Brother, hasn't Jesus already conquered sin on that cross?  You believe that Jesus died for your sins but you still claim that you need forgiveness for them?  To me, that sounds like an issue of your belief and not of sin.  You do not believe in your heart that you have been found innocent in the eyes of the Father.  Far too many people have fallen for the false mainstream church doctrine which speaks to the Father turning His back on His creation and taking away that which He has freely given us.  That does not sound like the God I know!  The God I know loved me enough to create me in His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  The God that I know loved me enough to dispatch His own Son to take the penalty I justly deserved {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Those in the church will point to the iconic scripture which we find in John 3:16 as evidence of the Lords love for us, and they are correct in doing so.  But many in the church will also cringe at the second part of this scripture, by which the apostle John clearly states that Jesus did not come to judge the world, but that the "World may be saved through Him."  This is referred to as universal salvation, and it has been disavowed by many in the mainstream church.  How can someone who behaves badly somehow be saved?  How was the man Saul saved?  How was Matthew the tax collector saved?  It has never been our duty to decide who will and who will not be saved.  However, it does fall upon us to believe in Christ and the free gift which has been given to us by the Father.  To know in our hearts that we're saved.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (My Strength)

 

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

Paul to the Ephesians 4: 13, Concordant New Testament 

There was a time when I would cower from those situations in life that seemed to be dangerous in the moment.  We've all been there, the bad news of a passing loved one, the unwelcome news of a serious health condition.  We have never been assured that our life here on earth would be a cakewalk.  On the contrary, Jesus has proclaimed that in this world we would have affliction {Johns Account 16:33}.  It is easy to sit in a church pew on Sunday morning and testify to the truth that the Father is with us no matter what.  But when difficult times enter our lives, fear and uncertainty are often the order of the day.  Believe me, I've been there.  I was once again reminded this week of those moments when our faith is tested as I got the news of a serious injury.  Yet somehow this time was a bit different.  This time I had the knowing that the Father had covered me in His grace no matter what.  So, how is it that we get to that point?  How is it that we get to the point of not being overly anxious as we endure the hardships of this world?  Well, the simple answer is...Jesus.  For not only has Jesus proclaimed that we will indeed have afflictions in this world, but in the next breath He stakes the claim that He has overcome the world.  So, if we are in Christ, have we not already overcome the world as well?  Unfortunately, the truth of our union in Jesus and the Father is something which is rarely mentioned within the mainstream church.  Yet is Jesus Himself who has proclaimed that we live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  So it is that if Jesus has proclaimed it, we must trust in Him that this is true.  The apostle Paul speaks to the fact that his strength is indeed in Christ alone {Paul to the Ephesians 4:13}.  

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 have been a few people who have asked me why it is that I chose one of my favorite illustrations which I post at the top of my page.  The image shows a young man as he is about to inject drugs into his arm.  Yet on closer inspection, it is not his own arm which he is using, but the arm of Christ Jesus!  The reason that I find this image powerful is that it depicts exactly what Paul the apostle speaks to in Galatians, that Christ lives in me {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  This is no longer my life, but I live in Him.  The author Norman Grubb takes it further when he describes that there is only one independent self in the universe, and that is He who calls Himself I AM {Exodus 3:14}.  This has never been my life, I only exist in Him.  This is how it was from the beginning.  It is God who has created me in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It is also the Father who has breathed into this vessel the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  I do not live for my own desires, I live in the Father.  Once again, the mainstream church has fallen short in its teachings that man is somehow separated from God.  Man is sinful and sin cannot be in the presence of the Lord.  However, Paul refutes this false belief in Romans as he proclaims that Christ has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Jesus did not give Himself to death on the cross only for sin to rise again as a threat to Gods children {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  So it is that we can say with confidence that this life is not our own.  Whatever it is that I am facing, I face it as the Father in Whom I live. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The False Narrative)

 

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 

Throughout my life, many people have tried to define who it is that I am.  Liar, cheater, fat, lazy, I've heard them all.  I admit that there have been times when my own confidence has been shaken by how those around me see me.  However, I also have come to realize that these people are not looking deep enough to know who it is that I really am.  For many years even I did not see the truth of who it is that I am.  I simply believed what others told me.  But one day, after a conversation with a dear friend on the reality of Christ Jesus in us, I began to think.  How is it that God sees me?  Who is it that God says that I am?  After all, this is what matters in the end, right?  Would a Father who loved me enough to create me in His likeness proclaim me anything less than special?  Indeed, this is how Father God sees me.  When He looks upon me, He sees His Son {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  When I stand before Him, I stand as His child {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  This is who I truly am!  This is the identity that I have in My Father Who created me.  The world may try to tell me who they think that I am, but they're mistaken.  For how the world sees me and how my loving Father see me are totally different.  The world will look upon that flesh vessel which houses my true spirit identity and judge me by its appearance.  Understand that the vessel which houses my spirit identity has also been created by God.  Know also that the flesh which I have I also have shared with Christ Jesus who is in me.  Did they not judge Jesus by His flesh appearance as well?  But any Christian worth their salt knows all too well that Jesus was much more than his flesh which contained His spirit.  So it is with us.  While it would be wonderful if the world would see me for who it is that I truly am, that's not how things work.  The apostle John speaks to the truth that the world does not know the truth of who we really are because they do not know the Father {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  

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 

The other day a good friend sent out an email requesting prayers for one of our brothers for confidence.  I recalled how many times that I have prayed to the Father for that very thing.  The confidence to overcome who the world claims that I am.  The confidence to know in my heart how the Father sees me through His own eyes.  THIS is what matters most.  For what good is it to have all the popularity in the world and yet not have God?  How many times have we witnessed in the mainstream media the downfall of one who they had previously made popular?  Let me be clear, popularity is temporary, our identity in the Father is eternal.  He is a part of who it is that we are.  This is why I refer to how the world views me as the false narrative, it isn't who I truly am.  Who I am is a child of the living God.  My thoughts are with my friend who struggles with the confidence of who he is because I've been where he is too many times.  I've struggled with ways to make myself more appealing to those around me.  This is a fools errand, and I am nothing like a fool.  My prayer for my brother is that the Father would open his eyes to how it is that He sees him.  As His loved child.  God hears what the world says about him and scoffs!  "They do not know My child!"  Indeed, the world will not know my friend because they have not known the Father in Whose likeness he was created.  For if they had known the Father, they would also know His creation as well.  The false narrative and lies of the accuser will try to convince us that we are someone we have never been.  It is the Father within us Who assures us of who we truly are in His eyes. 

According as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight, in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus, in accord with the delight of His will. 

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 4-5, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Through His Eyes)

 

For the God Who says that, out of darkness light shall be shining, is He Who shines in our hearts, with a view to the illumination of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 4: 6, Concordant New Testament 

Prayer is always a hot topic in most churches.  We either pray too much, or not enough.  Can one even pray too much?  Has the scripture not encouraged us to "Be praying unintermittingly" {Paul to the Thessalonians 5:17}?  Indeed, prayer is a vital part of our life in the Father.  Prayer is that intimate conversation which we have with Him every moment of every day.  Jesus Himself would often retreat into solitude for His own time of conversation with the Father.  Jesus, of course, knew the importance of His own conversations with the Father.  These were not simply fireside chats, but intimate conversations where He poured out His heart to God.  So it is for us as well.  I was thinking this week of a new understanding of my own prayers to the Father.  I pray about many different things every day, so it's important that I have a good understanding of just what prayer is, and can be.  First, what is it that we see as answered prayer?  Does God simply materialize things out of nowhere in order for us to see that our prayers have been answered?  Or, as I have begun to believe, does the Father often open our eyes to what it is that He desires us to see?  Indeed, the opening of our eyes has been mentioned many times in scripture.  Adam and Eve had their own eyes opened after taking the forbidden fruit {Genesis 3:7}.  Up until that point, everything was fine.  When their eyes were opened, they saw things they had previously been blind to.  What is it that you are praying for today?  The author Norman Grubb has mentioned that our prayers are but invitations from the Father Whom we live in union with {Johns Account 14:20}.    The other day a good friend requested prayer for one of our brothers.  I believe that the Father will answer our prayers by revealing to our brother what it is that He wants him to see.  For a short time, I questioned God as to why He would ignore my prayers and not heal my mother from her sickness.  It wasn't until after she passed that my eyes were opened and I began to see that He had indeed answered those prayers.  My mother was no longer hurting.  

In the beginning was the word, and the word was toward God, and God was the word.  This was in the beginning toward God.  All came into being through it, and apart from it not even one thing came into being which has come into being.  In it was life, and the life was the light of men and the light is appearing in the darkness, and the darkness grasped it not 

Johns Account 1: 1-5, Concordant New Testament 

Recently, a good friend mentioned that the Father would reveal to me the woman He has chosen in His time.  Of course, this has been a prayer of mine for some time.  In that day, my eyes will be opened to what it is that the Father wants me to see.  In the book of John, we see that Jesus (The Light) has appeared in the darkness (The world we live in) but that the darkness has grasped it not {Johns Account 1:5}.  Indeed, there are many whose eyes have yet to be opened to who Jesus is.  I was once a "Knower" of Jesus, one who knew of Jesus but didn't know Him on an intimate level as I do today.  My eyes had yet to be opened.  Of course, this was due to the teachings and theology of the mainstream church that I was involved in for so many years.  Yet in all of those years in the church, my eyes were never opened to the truth of Christ Jesus in me.  What was God waiting for?  It wasn't until I had left the church and began to join in conversations about Jesus with a dear friend that my eyes were finally opened to the REAL Jesus in me.  There are people who speak of their own personal "Come to Jesus" moments in their lives.  Those moments where the Father opens their eyes to what it is that He desires them to see.  My own came on a hike with a friend who described the Father as being present in all of His creation.  It was at this point that the Father opened my eyes to the truth of Christ in me.  This was my own "Come to Jesus" moment.  Of course, there have been other things that the Father has opened my eyes to see, such as the folly of partaking in the earthly pleasures of strip clubs.  One night, God opened my eyes to this truth as I stood outside one of these establishments.  What He opened my eyes to was the truth of who I really was in Him.  I wasn't that guy who frequented these places.  That wasn't really me.  Yet it took the Father opening my eyes to the truth of who I was to get me to see the folly of my actions.  I know that the prayers of my late mother were answered by the Father that night.  So, what is it that the Father wants you to see?  

~Scott~