The Good Of The Father (Happy, Happy, Happy) # 1944

 

Beloved, do not think strange the conflagration among you, which is becoming a trial to you, as of something strange befalling you

Peter to the Dispersion 4: 12, Concordant New Testament 

I had one of our Gym Rat community comment the other day, "Doesn't God want me to be happy?"  Now, this is also coming from a man who has suddenly lost his perspective on his marriage to his current wife and has been seeking companionship outside of marriage.  So, knowing this, I took his comments with a grain of salt.  But then I pose that question as well.  Does God mean for us to be happy in life?  Was Jesus happy every day of His life?  The obvious answer is and always will be no.  Jesus even speaks to our trials and tribulations in this world {Johns Account 16:33}.  So, what would bring someone to the thought that God desires His children to be always happy?  Well, it has been revealed unto us (For those with the eyes to see) that the one true nature of God is love {First epistle of John 4:8}.  But does love ensure constant happiness?  I would say no.  For even though God is love, we are told in scripture that His emotions shift, as our do, to that of being grieved as well {Genesis 6:6}.  It is known that Jesus wept over the death of His friend Lazarus {Johns Account 11:35}.  We also know that it is Jesus who angrily sent the moneychangers out of the Jewish temple {Matthew 21:12-13}.  So it is safe to say that God does not expect His creation to be, as Duck Commander Phil Robertson was so fond of saying, happy, happy, happy.  Yet, knowing that we will indeed encounter trials and tribulations in this life, the Father has not left us discouraged by any means.  The apostle Peter speaks to our not thinking it strange when these tribulations overtake us {Peter to the Dispersion 4:12}.  For our part, we can fully expect that these times will come.  We've been warned.  Knowing this truth, I can honestly say that it is not the intent of God that each day will be a happy one.  However, one thing that we can be certain of is that we live each and every day in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  I may even suggest that the Lord does not expect us to be happy when we are forsaking His covenant of marriage, but that's just me talking.  

Wherefore I delight in infirmities, in outrages, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake, whenever I may be weak, then I am powerful 

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

Although I didn't mention it to my Gym brother at the time, the apostle Paul has given unto us a wonderful example to follow when it comes to the trials and tribulations of life.  I cannot think of many who endured all which Paul has for the sake of Christ.  Anyone who reads the evangel of Paul will clearly see that he was not happy every day.  But if there is one thing that Paul was is faithful.  He knew that his ultimate destination was not of this world.  Paul reveals his thoughts when he thinks on the importance his life holds.  For him, to die in this life was gain {Paul to the Philippians 1:21}.  Paul's focus was never on this world and how to be happy, but on Christ Jesus.  Far too many believers, myself included, have at times fallen into the trap of thinking that God is somehow angry or upset with them for allowing such tribulations in life.  This thinking comes straight from the mainstream church separation theology which speaks to our being separated from God.  It also relegates our life to our own performance standards.  If we misbehave (sin) then we should be expecting God to be upset with us.  Paul speaks against this in regards to our own salvation.  He speaks to the truth that our salvation is a gift from the Lord and not as a result of anything we have done {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  This is one truth of the evangel of Paul that I wish my eyes had been opened to sooner.  I've spent a good portion of my life worrying that God somehow didn't see me as worthy of His love.  Again, I give credit to the mainstream church for fostering this lie.  The truth is, God is love, and His desire is that He live in fellowship with His children not only in this earthly life, but for the eon as well. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Old Man Gone)

 

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

Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

It's one of the most difficult truths of the evangel of Paul that I've ever tried to wrap my understanding around.  The fact that I have died as a penalty of my sin {Paul to the Romans 2:20, Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  For too many years I believed in the traditional theology that Jesus Himself died on that cross for the forgiveness of my sin.  Paul also speaks to Jesus Himself becoming sin on our behalf {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  While I still agree that Christ willingly gave Himself on that cross for me, I also know that sin itself requires a penalty {Paul to the Romans 6:23}.  The evangel spoken by Paul tells us that our old humanity, our old man, was put to death "That the body of sin may be nullified" {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  This was my own death beside Jesus on that cross.  But why did I need to die?  Wasn't the innocent sacrifice of Jesus enough to satisfy the Lord?  The truth is that Adams choice in the garden made our sin an issue of the mind {Paul to the Romans 5:12}.  Through Adams choice, man came to believe in the lie of the accuser that we are separated from our creator.  This is the lie spoken by the accuser in the garden {Genesis 3:1-6}.  Satan suggested to Eve that she could "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:5}.  Of course, at this point, Eve could not have known that there is but One independent being in the universe, and that is God {Isaiah 45:5}.  God takes second place to no one, including the lie of the deceiver.  The fact is, for sin to be defeated, as Paul speaks to, then mankind needed to die.  For if we accept the truth that Jesus died on the cross as an atonement for our sin, it would have done nothing in regards to our own sin condition, our old sin nature which we carried with us due to Adams misguided choice {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  The old sin nature needed to be done away with as well.  THAT is the reason we have died with Christ as Paul speaks to in Galatians.  Yet as my eyes were opened to this truth of the evangel, I didn't feel like I had died.  

For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just 

Paul to the Romans 5: 19, Concordant New Testament 

When I give unto others my response to their accusation that I am no longer a sinner I usually get a confused look.  This goes against the separation theology found in the mainstream church.  In this theology, Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin.  Yet if this were indeed true, then our sin condition would still remain, we would still indeed be sinners.  It is only through the love and grace of the Father that He provided for the death of our old sin nature which entered the world as a result of the disobedient choice of one man.  Yet through the obedience of Christ Jesus, man shall be constituted just {Paul to the Romans 5:19}.  We are no longer simply sinners saved by grace, which many in the church have taken to referring to themselves.  That sin nature which we were born into has been put to death.  Not only are our sins forgiven, we are now new creations in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Corinthians 5:17}.  Being raised in the mainstream church theology, it was very difficult for me to grasp the truth of Paul's evangel at first.  The fact that we may not feel as if we've died by no means denies that we have been put to death with Christ.  Perhaps this is why Paul explained the truth of our life in Jesus as "The secret among the nations" {Paul to the Corinthians 1:27}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Sickness) # 1942

 And answering, Jesus said to them, "Those who are sound have no need of a physician, but those who have an illness.  I have not come to call the just, but sinners, to repentance 

Lukes Account 5: 31-32, Concordant New Testament 

I watched a video of the old preacher Billy Graham the other night in which he made reference to what many would refer to as the sickness of sin.  Indeed, I have witnessed the obsession which the mainstream church has with the issue of sin in our lives.  I have also written that this is part of the false separation theology of the church.  For I believe that the disease which permeates the world is not the disease of sin per se, but rather a disease of the mind.  The apostle Paul speaks to the "Renewal of your mind" {Paul to the Romans 12:2}.  What was he referring to here?  The church might very well encourage people to focus their minds that they are indeed sinners in constant need of the Gods grace and forgiveness.  But I have a different thought altogether.  I believe that what Paul was referring to is the true source of that disease of the mind found in so many of the Lord's children.  That being the false belief, first fostered by Lucifer, that we are fully independent of God who created us.  This is the lie spoken by the accuser in the garden.  That Adam and Eve "Will not surely die," but that, taking of the fruit which the Lord had commanded them not to, but that their eyes would be opened and that they would "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:1-6}.  This begs the question, if God truly desired that His creation know good from evil, wouldn't He have created us in this way from the beginning?  Granted, the Father knew before time even began that this would happen.  So it is that with the disobedience of Adam, the disease came unto mankind.  That sickness is the mistaken view that we are our own independent selves within Gods creation.  The author Norman Grubb speaks to the fact that there is no "Independent, self-operating self in the universe" {No Independent Self, Norman Grubb}.  Of course, this fly's right in the face of the separation theology we find in the modern-day mainstream church.  That it is our own sin which has kept us from true fellowship with the Father.  The sin first conceived in the garden.  

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" (Isaiah 45:5). 

No Independent Self, Norman Grubb 

For His part, Jesus has spoken to the truth of those who are sick needing a physician {Lukes Account 5:31-32}.  I do not believe that He was referring simply to those who are physically ill, but to those who suffer from that disease of the mind of our own false identity.  Far too many people believe that their life revolves around them.  That God is simply sitting on His throne in heaven awaiting the judgement of mankind.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For Jesus has spoken to our union life which we now have in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  If we were truly independent from God, why hasn't Jesus proclaimed this as truth?  Because it is the disease of the mind which the gospel of Christ and the evangel of Paul speak to.  Paul understood that our minds and thinking needed to be renewed to the truth of the knowing of our life in the Father.  Our own eyes are in need of opening.  It is Jesus Who has come to light the way to our understanding of who it is that we are in the Father.  Paul speaks to the truth that we are not our own, but were purchased with a price {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 19-20}.  Jesus was the price paid for our union life in God.  He willingly gave Himself for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  The disease of the mid will continue to assure us of the false narrative that we are our own independent self.  That is why we need the Physician.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Why, God?) # 1941

 

Yet he said to her, as some decadent woman speaks are you speaking.  Indeed should we receive good from the One, Elohim, and should we not receive evil?  In all this, Job did not sin with his lips 

Job 2: 10, Concordant Old Testament  

It's one of the mysteries which most people find in their search for meaning in the ways of the Lord.  Why do bad things happen?  If God loves us, and He does, why is it that calamity continues to plague His creation?  I used to think that one of the best answers to this question came from the Lords servant Job, who himself suffered many bad things at the behest of the accuser.  Yet, God allowed Satan's requests to bring suffering unto Job.  Why?  For that I turned to the words of Job to his wife as she boldly tells him, "Curse God and die" {Job 2:9}.  Now, this might be the human, flesh reaction to the bad things in our life.  Knowing that God is in control of all, He surely had a hand in our suffering, right?  More on that in a minute.  However, Jobs response to his own wife provides some insight.  For it is Job who proclaims, "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity" {Job 2:10}?  If we, as believers, trust that it is God who is all in all, then dealing with adversity is par for the course.  For we all know that life as a whole is not a bed of roses.  My own beliefs of my life in the Lord have allowed me to better understand the question of why God allows bad things to happen.  If we adhere to the centuries old mainstream church separation theology, then we might consider the misguided belief that we're separate from God and that He brings about challenges in life outside of His true love nature {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  That is, that He is somehow exacting revenge upon those He desires to.  However, if we look upon God with the correct understanding, we see that our life is in Him through each and every moment of our life.  Jesus Himself speaks of our union life in the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Contrary to the teachings of the church, my life has not been separated from the Lord.  Everything that I do and all that happens occurs in the realm of my life in the Father.  This is a comforting knowledge to have when the rubber meets the road.  That we can rest assured that we live our life in Him.  Yet that doesn't seem to answer the question, why does God allow bad things to happen?  Well, what is it that Job understood that we don't?  That God is all in all.  He is in the sunshine as well as the difficult times.  

For me to be living is Christ, and to be dying, gain 

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 21, Concordant New Testament 

It is common knowledge that the evangel spoken by the apostle Paul is one of our best references to our life in Christ Jesus.  What were Paul's feelings on the difficult times in his own life, of which he had many in service to the Lord?  Well, Paul understood that his life was not his own to live.  He speaks to this truth in Galatians {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Paul understood that his old man, his old humanity, had been crucified with Christ on that cross {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  That his life was now in Him {Paul to the Romans 6:8}.  Paul also speaks to the "Momentary lightness of our affliction" {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 4:17}.  I believe that it's safe to say that Paul's focus was not on his affliction, but upon his life in Christ.  That his afflictions could not compare with the glory that would be revealed in him {Paul to the Romans 8:18}.  When Paul sought the Lord three times to remove from him what we're told is a "Splinter in the flesh," the Father communicated His desire for the apostle.  That being,  "Sufficient for you is My grace, for My power in infirmity is being perfected" {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 12:9}.  Therefore, Paul glorified in his trials "That the power of Christ should be tabernacling over me" {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 12:9}.  I see these words of Paul as words of encouragement whenever we are buffeted by the trials of life.  These trials are not outside of the Lord, but a part of our life in Him. 

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

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

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The truth About Sin) # 1940

 

What, then, shall we declare?  That we may be persisting in sin that grace may be increasing?  May it not be coming to that!  We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it? 

Paul to the Romans 6: 1-2, Concordant New Testament 

I've written a few pages on the mainstream church belief that our sin is ever before us.  This is based upon the words of Paul which we find in Romans {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  But is this really how Paul felt about the sin issue?  I would say no, and if the church knew the truth of the evangel of the apostle they might just adjust their theology to fit the truth of our life in Christ.  But I'm sure that there are those in the church who, knowing the truth of the evangel of Paul, continue to speak to the separation theology of the institutional church.  So, how is it that the apostle Paul saw sin?  As an obstacle in his life which prevented him from the presence of the Lord?  No, Paul spoke to sin in the past tense.  For Paul, Christ has already paid the price on the cross for our sin.  This is why I refer to this evangel of Paul to be the truth.  Jesus has already paid the penalty which we accumulated long ago.  We are no longer found guilty in the eyes of the Father.  There is now nothing which keeps us from our life in Him which Jesus proclaimed {Johns Account 14:20}.  The church will use sin as a convenient scapegoat.  A means to an end if you will.  For if they continue to speak to the ever present issue of sin in our lives, then they will keep the Lords children in a constant state of bondage.  Where does a believer turn to when they feel that they have a sin burden?  To the church of course.  I know this is what I did.  I believed that I somehow needed the church in order to "Manage" my issue of sin.  Indeed, this is what the sin spin doctors within the mainstream church would have us believe.  Our sin is always before us, so we need the church to keep us centered on Jesus.  We need the religious system to manage the sin in our life.  Again I will say, this is a false theology.  

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 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, being 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  

On the subject of sin, Paul speaks to the thought of continuing in sin since we have been justified by the grace of the Father.  For if we have indeed been forgiven, does living in sin really matter?  His response to this question is all we need to know.  May it not be coming to that!  We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it {Paul to the Romans 6:1-2}?  Paul understood that through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross, that sin was no longer an issue.  It is in the past.  Therefore, this issue of sin in our own life becomes more of an issue of the mind than anything else.  We believe in the words of the separation theology spoken by those in the church that sin is ever present.  We are broken and in need of Gods continued forgiveness.  Our clothing is filthy, in need of the cleansing of the blood of Jesus.  I agree, but that ship has sailed long ago.  Jesus has already given Himself for the payment of the sin debt cast upon us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  That debt has been paid in full.  The issue remains, do we accept the truth which is spoken in the evangel of Paul, or do we continue to subject ourselves to the yoke of slavery which we find in the mainstream church theology?  Again, the words spoken by Paul speak to the truth of our life in the Father.  For freedom has Christ Jesus freed us!  Freedom from the bondage of sin.  Let us not again be enthralled with the yoke of slavery {Paul to the Galatians 5:1}.  This is not only the freedom which we find in Jesus, but the freedom of a life in the Father.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Two Evangels) # 1939

 

Yet not only so, but we are glorying also in God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom we now obtained the conciliation 

Paul to the Romans 5: 11, Concordant New Testament 

I was once again reminded the other day of two differing teachings within the Christian religion.  One espoused by those in the mainstream church, the other spoken by the apostle Paul.  These two evangels could not be any more different in nature.  One speaks to being "Close to" God, while the other speaks to the truth of Christ and our life in Him.  Indeed, Paul speaks to our glorying IN God {Paul to the Romans 5:11}.  There is no mistaking where Paul lands in this discussion.  However, having spent many years in the pews of the mainstream church, I also have come to know just where the church stands on the issue of our Lords gospel.  The church, for its part, has spoken to the false teaching of a salvation held in balance by God.  While in agreement that salvation is in fact a gift from God, they also insist that salvation can be revoked by the Father as well.  For many years I lived in fear of this happening to me.  I was taught that if I continued in sin, that I would find myself on the outside looking in when it really mattered.  In my opinion, the church has painted God as a liar by speaking to such false ideas.  Have you ever known God to be a liar?  In fact, the church will also proclaim, correctly, that God cannot lie {To the Hebrews 6:18}.  So, if God Himself has assured us of our salvation in Christ, how is it that a God who is incapable of lying can ever revoke that?  In fact, Paul himself also speaks to our salvation in Christ Jesus being the free gift of God {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  If one could lose their eternal salvation, then it was never eternal to begin with.  This teaching of the church is a dangerous theology because it comes too close to relegating our salvation to being based upon our own efforts, which Paul adamantly refutes in Ephesians 2:8-9.  Paul was well aware that any salvation based upon human efforts would produce a proud and arrogant group.  Can you imagine a Sunday worship service glorifying all who had "Earned" their own salvation?  Me either.  

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 wanted to touch on the other false claim of the mainstream church separation theology that differs from the evangel spoken by Paul.  That being the issue of sin in our lives.  The church will claim that we were born into sin, and that sin is where we remain today {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  In fact, far too many pastors have taken to preaching that it is our sin that now separates us from God.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I agree with the church on a few of the key points of our knowledge of Christ Jesus, but only a few.  One of these is that Jesus gave Himself on the cross for the forgiveness of sin {Johns Account 3:16-17, Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Paul has also proclaimed that Christ has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  As He breathed His final breath on the cross, Jesus proclaimed "It is accomplished" {Johns Account 19:30}.  It was never Gods desire that His Son would return to the cross over and over again for the forgiveness of the sin of mankind.  Instead, as Paul writes in Romans, Jesus gave Himself one time for our sin past, present AND future.  It was also never Gods intention that His children live in fear over the loss of the salvation which He promised and delivered unto them through His Son.  My friend shared with me that within the mainstream church salvation is a system, a means to an end with heaven being that reward for those most faithful.  On that I would agree.  THAT is the difference between the church separation theology and the truth of Christ spoken in the evangel of Paul.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Forever And A Day) # 1938

 

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 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 inn Christ Jesus, our Lord 

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

For some time, I have known the truth of sin which the apostle speaks in Romans 6.  That being that Christ Jesus gave Himself for the forgiveness of said sin {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  That Jesus died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  This is the truth of the gospel of Christ, that He died once for the sin of the world.  That means ALL sin, past, present and future.  Yet the mainstream church, as they so often have done, speaks to the issue of our sin as if it is still a very real thing.  I have spoken to many believers who continue to suffer from the guilt and condemnation shoveled out by the church, and that they need to be in a constant state of seeking Gods forgiveness for what they might have done.  I have even heard more than a few people who have grieved because they have been guilted into believing that they could actually lose their salvation.  Now, I've known for some time that guilt and shame are just a few of the tried and true tactics of the church.  I've been among those who has feared that God would some day yank His salvation out from under me for some sin which Jesus gave Himself on the cross to forgive me of.  Does this sound like something a loving God would do?  For our salvation through Christ is the free gift of God {Paul to the Romans 6:23}.  God, unlike far too many of we humans, is not a liar nor an Indian giver.  If He has assured us that our salvation in Him is a real thing, then we can trust in His word that it is true.  But in the halls of the traditional church, nothing could be further from the truth.  Sermons are given which speak to sin being forever in front of us.  Don't believe that?  Paul himself spoke to this as well {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  We've all sinned, so, we're all sinners, right?  Wrong!  For even Paul writes in his very next verse that we have been justified in the grace of the Father "Through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus" {Paul to the Romans 3:24}.  Somehow, the sin spin doctors in the mainstream church missed that one.  

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 

I am always amazed when I have conversations with other believers just how personal their sin issues are to them.  They actually believe that sin continues to be a barrier between themselves and God.  They live in a state of fear that with one wrong move, God will banish them to hell.  I recall my own days in the church and how I grieved over losing my own salvation in the Lord.  As I said, this is one of the main tactics the church uses to remain relevant.  For if the people believe that their sin is an issue, then the more they will need the mainstream church who preach the salvation of the Lord.  It is a vicious cycle which has repeated itself over and over again through the years.  How is it possible to ever get ourselves off of this hamster wheel?  Well, in my discussions with others, I always recommend they peruse the words of Paul which we find in Romans chapter 6.  It is here that the apostle lays out the truth about sin, and it might just surprise you.  Paul speaks to our old humanity, that man which he refers to in the iconic Romans 3:23 passage, having been crucified beside Christ on that cross.  He also speaks to the truth of the gospel of Jesus, that if we indeed died with Him, that we shall be living together with Him as well.  Jesus Himself has spoken to our life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  Most important, Paul speaks to Jesus having died to sin "Once for all time."  When Christ spoke his last words of "It is accomplished" He meant just that {Johns Account 19:30}.  To know the truth of the gospel of Jesus is to see through the smoke screen of the mainstream church separation theology.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Run Away Jesus) # 1937

 

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 

Once again, the late reverend Billy Graham proved to be an inspiration for another writing of mine.  I watched a short video of the old preacher the other day where he espoused the virtue of Christians "Following" Jesus.  Not living in Christ, which is the truth which we find in the gospels of Paul, but following the same old tired church narrative of never being able to be one with Christ.  Of course, this is something that is not new to me, as I've written on the lies spoken by the mainstream church for more than a few years.  But let's unpack the words of the old preacher shall we?  The church will tell us that in order to "Follow" Jesus that we need to live a life which will be acceptable to Him.  If we don't, we're led by guilt to believe that we will somehow loose our salvation, which is the free gift of God.  My friend who sits in the halls of the Eastern Orthodox church has even spoken of those who "Don't accept the gift" given by the Father.  All which is spoken by the church in regards to our relationship with Christ is spoken from the separation theological view that has been prevalent in the church for thousands of years (More on this another time).  The narrative is that the sin of man has separated him from the presence of God.  That a holy God cannot be in the presence of sin.  They often point to the words of the apostle Paul in Romans, where the apostles words proclaim that "All have sinned and are wanting of the glory of God" {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  Yet what is so often overlooked are Paul's words in the following passage, that man has been justified through the grace of the Father "Through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus" {Paul to the Romans 3:24}.  I believe that all have sinned, that is what has been written.  However, I also believe that the grace of the Father has removed it's guilt, shame and penalty from us through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross.  This is also the written truth we find in scripture.  To say that those in the church have cherry picked the scriptures to suit the separation theology narrative is an understatement.  But it's one I've come to expect.  

"Nor is He worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath and all things"

Acts of the Apostles 17: 25, Concordant New Testament 

When I sat in the pews of the mainstream church, I never heard the words of my union in Christ spoken from the pulpits.  Instead, I was made to feel guilty if my life did not live up to the standards of a holy God.  Ironically, this is the same message we see in the Old Testament.  The idea that an angry and vengeful God would visit His anger upon those who refused to follow Him.  Trust me, I didn't want to be among those who had perished in Sodom and Gomorrah.  So I tried with my best human efforts to live a life pleasing to the Lord.  To no surprise, I often would fail in that attempt.  Being a sinful man, I was taught that my sin was always before me and that I needed to be in a constant state of seeking the Lords forgiveness.  Again , the words of Paul help us to dissect the lies spoken by the church.  Paul speaks to Jesus dying to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  How is it that we need to continue seeking Gods forgiveness if Jesus has already accounted for that?  In His dying breath, Jesus Himself proclaimed "It is accomplished" {Johns Account 19:30}.  There is nothing more to be done, Jesus has accomplished all.  Not only that, but the truth of the gospel of Christ is that we do not need to simply "Follow" Jesus.  For Christ has proclaimed that our life is now in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  It has never been the Lords desire that His children be separated from Him.  On the contrary, it HAS BEEN Gods desire that He would once again enjoy the fellowship in His creation that was interrupted in the garden.  Mans acceptance of the lie of the deceiver was not the end of our relationship in the Father.  Through Christ, our life is now in Him.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The War On The Mind) #1936

No trial has taken you except what is human.  Now, faithful is God, Who will not be leading you to be tried above what you are able, but, together with the trial, will be making the sequel also, to enable you to undergo it 

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 10: 13, Concordant New Testament 

I was reading the other day that almost 21 million Americans suffer from some sort of addiction of one form or another.  Of course, this is just in our nation alone,  The rest of the world, I'm sure, is higher.  I was reminded once again this week of the ravages of a substance abuse as I watched a brother of mine continue to endure that which enslaves him.  I do not use the slavery reference here lightly, for I myself have been bound by the chains of addiction in my life.  My own demons were not of the substance nature, but were destructive to me nonetheless.  Step into any mainstream church and you will surely find some small group which has been dedicated to the recovery of substance abuse.  Usually, but not always, there are twelve steps involved in this process.  I recall a grief recovery class which I reluctantly started attending just after my mother passed away.  I also recall the mainstream church narrative being the same as an alcoholics anonymous meeting.  Hi, my name is Scott, and I'm in grief.  I spent maybe three weeks in this environment before I'd had my fill of the same old institutional song and dance.  Although I was hurting, I also knew that the battle I was fighting was one of my mind above all else.  I suggest that this is the same battle many who suffer from addiction now face, including my friend.  The apostle Paul speaks to the truth of our being set free in Christ.  Paul encourages us to "Not submit again to a yoke of slavery" {Paul to the Galatians 5:1}.  Now, in this instance I believe that Paul was referring to the yoke of sin, but in my opinion, he could just as well have been speaking to the slavery of addiction.  Many people have referred to addiction as those "Bonds" that bind them emotionally and physically.  Trust me, I've been in those shoes.  I can relate to the struggles which my brother now faces, to a point.  My own addictions to food and pornography, although destructive, did not take the toll on my life which my brothers burdens are taking on him.  The conscious mind is a very powerful thing, as are the lies of the accuser.  

Now each one is undergoing trial when he is drawn away and lured by his own desire

James to the Twelve Tribes 1: 14, Concordant New Testament 

James, the brother of our Lord Jesus, speaks to trials begin when one is "Drawn away and lured by his own desire" {James to the Twelve Tribes 1:14}.  I desired the images of pornography.  My friend desired the taste and feeling of alcohol.  There is no mistake that the instructions of the Lord God have been imprinted upon our hearts {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3:3}.  Some refer to this as our conscience.  It is my opinion that God, our creator, has instilled within us His instructions.  Therefore, we have that ability to perceive right and wrong.  The lie spoken by the accuser in the garden enticed Adam and Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil {Genesis 3:1-6}.  It is the Father who declared "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil" {Genesis 3:22}.  Therefore, we know what is right and what is wrong.  I knew that pornography was the wrong image of Gods creation, but it felt good.  In my mind, I was thinking and acting outside of the truth of the Father.  That truth is that my life is not my own, but that I live my life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  This is what makes the yoke of addiction a war of our mind more than anything else.  I was able to refrain from pornography, but my mind, still lost in the lie that I was independent, resisted.  I know in my heart that my brother knows the truth of who he really is in the Fathers eyes.  It's the realization I came to myself in the midst of my own addiction.  My prayer is that his eyes will be opened to all which the Father desires to show him. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Community Of God) #1935

 Now I, also, am saying to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will be building My ecclesia, and the gates of the unseen shall not be prevailing against it

Matthews Account 16: 18, Concordant New Testament 

What began as my own attempt to expand my horizons has now blossomed into a community totaling close to fifty members.  Indeed, when I approached my friend Casey that afternoon I was thinking more along the lines of having another gym patron to talk to as I did my exercise thing.  Obviously, God had something else in mind for me.  Slowly, as being led by His spirit within me, I began to open myself up more and more to those around me.  This has been the Fathers intent from the beginning.  I was thinking of this last night and marveled at just how similar my own experience has been to that which the Lord had originally planned for His own community in the garden of Eden.  For what began with the first creation created in the likeness of the Father had been intended to come to fruition as the community of God in the midst of all which He had created.  Unfortunately, Gods first creation knew not of His intentions for them and ended up believing the words of the accuser over that of their creator.  What was meant by God to be the beginnings of His ecclesia, His community, on earth ended when Eve took of the fruit which the Father had forbidden her not to partake of.  Along the way, the Lords creation fell victim to the lie spoken by the deceiver.  This is the lie that if the Lords creation were to take of that fruit, that they would not surely die and the Father had warned them.  For, as the accuser proclaimed, when they took of the fruit their own eyes would be opened and they would "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:4-5}.  This was the continuation of the original sin spoken by the fallen angel Lucifer who also proclaimed that he would "Exalt my throne above the stars of God" {Isaiah 14:13}.  So it is that the deceiver not only believed in the lie of his own independence from God, but he in turn spoke the lie unto Gods creation and convinced them of it as well.  It is the same lie which continues to be spoken by the mainstream church to this day, that our sin separates us from God.  

Now you are the body of Christ, and members of a part

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 12:27, Concordant New Testament 

Despite the fact that Gods creation turned to the lie of the accuser and forsook His intentions for His earthly community, the Father did not give up on His own desire for His ecclesia here on earth.  This was made known through the proclamation by the prophets of the birth of the coming Mesiah.  When the angel of the Lord announced to Joseph the coming birth of His son, he proclaims "You shall call his name Emmanuel" (which means, God with us) {Matthews Account 1:23}.  God with us.  So it is that, through the coming of the promised Mesiah of Israel, that God would once again populate His ecclesia upon the earth.  God the Father, in the human person of Christ Jesus, had once again come to be among His creation He cherished.  As Jesus walked the earth speaking the truth of a radical new teaching, it was God speaking through Him.  Once again, the desire of the Father was being manifested through His Son Jesus.  That desire is the Fathers own desire for His community, His ecclesia, amongst His creation.  God has desired to be among that which He created.  We are all a part of His family, each and every one of us {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 12:27}.  The lie spoken by the accuser is just that, a lie.  The church may speak to our sin being that barrier between ourselves and God, but through Christ Jesus God has dealt with sin once and for all {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  I see many similarities in the way my gym community has grown and that of the Fathers ecclesia here on earth.  He is the focal point of both. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Sin Issue) # 1934

 For all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God 

Paul to the Romans 3: 23, Concordant New Testament 

Over the past few days I have been pondering what the true meaning of sin is.  Thankfully, with the help of a friend, last night my eyes were opened to the truth of sin that most will probably not hear from the pulpits of the mainstream church.  Our key to understanding the sin issue comes from the words of the apostle Paul in Romans.  Here, Paul proclaims what many already knew, that we all have sinned.  The difference between knowing the truth about sin and the churches rendition of sin are like night and day.  For the church continues to push the narrative that our sin is ever before us, therefore, we are in a constant need of the Lords forgiveness.  Paul, on the other hand, speaks to the one true issue regarding sin.  That issue is that all have fallen short or, as my new concordant version states, are "Wanting of the glory of God" {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  Nowhere in Paul's words do we see him refer to bad choices or bad behaviors in relation to sin.  Simply that we have fallen short of the glory of the Father.  I would definitely have to agree with Paul on this.  So what was the original sin?  We can look all the way back to Lucifers desire to "Exalt my throne above the stars of God" {Isaiah 14:13}.  Lucifer desired to be greater than God.  He fell for the false illusion that he and the Lord were separate beings.  Lucifer saw himself as being independent of God.  Sadly, this continues to be the message spoken by todays mainstream church.  That mans "Sin" of bad behaviors and choices has led him to become separated from the Father.  Yet nothing could be further from the truth.  For evidence of this I submit Paul's words which follow his definition of sin that we see in Romans.  In the words of Paul, we have been "Justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus" {Paul to the Romans 3:24}.  So, even though Paul acknowledges that all mankind has indeed sinned, he also reveals that through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross, all have now been justified in the Fathers eyes.  For its part, the church is famous for using the words of Paul found in Romans 3:23 to illustrate their failed theology that sin continues to be the issue for us.  Yet they conveniently ignore his words that we are now justified through Christ Jesus.  

In Whom we are having the deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses in accord with the riches of His grace 

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 7, Concordant New Testament

Much of what irritates me about the mainstream church is due to the message they continue to shovel out.  That I'm a born sinner in need of the grace and mercy of the Lord.  Well, hasn't He already displayed His love and mercy over us by dispatching His only Son to die for us {John 3:16-17}?  In my opinion, to speak to the narrative that our sin is ever before us invalidates the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  Again, I turn to the spoken words of Paul to illustrate this point.  It is Paul who proclaims that Jesus "Died to sin once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  The death of Jesus was a one and done.  When He proclaimed on the cross that "It is accomplished," He meant what He said {Johns Account 19:30}.  So, for those who hold to the church narrative that our sin is ever before us, how many times does Jesus need to be crucified?  For it is common knowledge in scripture that sin requires a sacrifice to be forgiven.  What is that sacrifice that will cover the sin which continues to, in your own mind, rule your life?  The church will tell us that the blood of Jesus covers our sin, but in the same breath they speak to our sin being that which separates us from God.  Which is it?  Is the blood of Jesus powerless to defeat our supposed sin we have today?  Well, since we know through the words of Paul that Jesus has died once for all time, I call Bernie Sanders on that narrative.  Yes, all have sinned, but through the work of Jesus on the cross, that's all behind us.  What remains is our life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (For The Sinners) # 1933

 

In Whom we are having the deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses in accord with the riches of His grace

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 7, Concordant New Testament 

The other night I watched a short video as Franklin Graham, son of the late preacher, encouraged people to seek out Jesus and to pray the "Sinners prayer" that they would be forgiven.  I now know that I should have turned off that video after it started, but I see it as a lesson on just how the mainstream church has indoctrinated so many believers through its teachings.  Now, this is nothing against Franklin Graham, for he is simply speaking to the message of the traditional church.  The message that mankind is inherently sinful, and that we must continue to pray and seek the Lords forgiveness for our iniquities.  To this mantra I have but one question.  What about Jesus?  What about the Jesus who gave Himself for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}?  What about the Jesus Whom the Father dispatched to do just that {Johns Account 3:16-17}?  What of the love and forgiveness of God Who loved us enough to forgive those sins {Paul to the Ephesians 1:7}?  I'm reasonably sure that Franklin Graham knows all about the answers to these questions.  Yet he continues to speak to the failed theology of the mainstream church because that is where his training and experience are centered.  Of course, I can't place the entire blame upon Franklin Graham, as he is just the latest to shovel out the teachings of the church.  His own father, the late reverend Billy Graham, made a career out of crusades where he encouraged millions to pray that very prayer which his son would later encourage.  My mother used to love to watch these crusades on television, and each time the altar call would come, she would be on her knees praying 'The prayer."  So, what is it which makes us believe that we must continually ask the Lord for forgiveness?  The fact is, I already know the answer to that question.  I've sat through too many church sermons to not be aware of the church insistence on continually praying for that forgiveness which the Father has already provided for us.  

Yet if we should be walking in the light as He is in the light, we are having fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, is cleansing us from every sin

First Epistle of John 1: 7, Concordant New Testament 

Let's get real here, just about every church I have ever attended has stood on the principle that Christ Jesus, the Son of God, has died for the forgiveness of our sins.  Yet, knowing this, it is the church that continues to speak to our offering up prayers for the forgiveness of sin.  Did Jesus somehow miss a few of those sins when He died on the cross?  I find that unlikely AND not biblical.  I have a friend who is steeped deeply in the Eastern Orthodox religion who continues to adamantly tell me that we need to always pray for the forgiveness of our sin.  When I mention to him the fact that Jesus has died for our sins already, he argues that He died for the sin of our past, but that we should continue to focus our prayers to Him for forgiveness of what we do today.  Really?  The apostle Paul speaks to the truth that Christ has already died "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  That is, when Jesus declared on the cross that "It is accomplished," He meant it {Johns Account 19:30}.  I believe that the biggest obstacle which believers carry with them is that they do not know their own identity in Christ.  Jesus has proclaimed that our life is in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  If we adhere to the narrative of the church, how can sinful man ever be in the presence of a holy God?  Unless, of course, God has already dealt with that issue of sin, which He has through the sacrifice of His Son.  So, with apologies to Franklin Graham, I'm not buying his spin on sin.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Finding Your Place) #1932

 

"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 

Where is your light shining?  Better yet, who around you has been witness to your own belief in the Father?  The other day, as I was recounting a few of the interactions between myself and my Gym Rat community, a good friend mentioned starting a Facebook page for this community which I find myself in.  For now, I am holding off on this for a very important reason.  This group, this community of now forty-seven members is something real and grass roots.  What began as my own branching out to others around me has blossomed into a community of friends who come to gather in a common place.  I admit that it has been through my own light that more than a few of these Gym Rats have come to see the works of the Father, but I'm not one to blow my own horn.  For it not my own glory which is at stake here, but the praise and glory to God in Whom I have my being {Acts of the Apostles 17:25}.  Granted, although I live my life through the Father, not everyone in this community is what many would refer to as a believer.  That is the beauty of this group of people.  Not all have been called to assemble here as if in some mainstream church.  However, we gather for the purpose of bettering ourselves and to be among those we've come to know.  There is little doubt that the world will come to know the Father through the lives and actions of those who know Him.  Jesus speaks to this in His sermon on the Mount which we find in Matthew {Matthews Account 5:14-16}.  He calls upon us to "Let your light shine in front of men" {Matthews Account 5:16}.  That light is the Lord in Whom we have our life {Johns Account 14:20}.  We do this not to bring ourselves credit, but that those around us will see our acts and glorify the Father Who is being shown through us {Matthews Account 5:16}.  Many mainstream churches have included various ministries which are based off of the words of Jesus we find in Matthew.  In my time in the church, I was involved in everything from men's ministry to working with Sunday school children as well.  Yet not one of these ministries that I was involved in has made me feel more within the desire of God than that of these Gym Rats.  

And everything, whatsoever you may be doing, in word or in act, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God, the Father, through Him

Paul to the Colossians 3: 17, Concordant New Testament 

I've titled this page finding your place because I believe in my heart that all believers can and will find that place where their own light will shine.  It may not even be a place per se, but allowing the light of the Father in you to shine for all around you to see.  My good friend, whom I have been on the journey of discovering my own life in God, has found his own niche in a small group of friends who share in the same belief.  Yet through the power of modern technology, his message, the light of the Father, has been observed by many outside of his circle of friends.  I am thankful to have been a part of this with him as well.  Through my friends podcasts, others have come to have their eyes opened to the truth of our life in the Father.  He has found his place to allow the light of the Father in him to shine.  I have another dear friend who used his morning coffee and bible study routine to allow the light of the Father to shine through him.  As he would enjoy his coffee and quiet time in scripture, he would often engage those around him in casual conversation.  These conversations were not always Jesus based, but were definitely always Christ led.  To this day, my friend maintains a group of friends which he met while during his time in the coffee shop.  We've referred to this as his Starbucks ministry for good reason.  He has definitely found his place to allow the light of the Father to shine through him.  Wherever you may be led, either through common interaction, work relationships or simply speaking to people in the local coffee shop, know that in that moment it will be the Father revealing Himself through you.   

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Who Is This Jesus?) #1931

 

Who is the image of the invisible God, firstborn of every creature

Paul to the Colossians 1: 15, Concordant New Testament 

I spent many years in the halls of the mainstream institutional church before my eyes were opened to the truth of my life in Christ Jesus.  Honestly, it took this long because the truth of our lives in Jesus is something which is rarely, if ever, spoken to by Christian pastors and church leaders.  In fact, I had been absent from the church for more than a few years before, through my conversations with a friend, I was introduced to the truth of Christ in this world.  Yet besides the fact that I KNEW of Jesus, it was difficult for me to believe that One Who I could not see could play such a crucial part in my own life.  I sincerely believe that this is what the apostle Paul was referring to when he spoke to our knowing of Christ Jesus among us as "The secret among the nations" {Paul to the Colossians 1:27}.  For Paul, Jesus wasn't just One Who operated from behind the scenes.  Paul himself had spent a good portion of his life in the temples of the Jewish religion, so he was all too familiar with the culture and religion which Jesus was Himself raised in.  Yet Saul, as he was known then, also spent a good deal of his time in the persecution of the followers of Jesus.  His "Come to Jesus" moment came on that now famous road to Damascus.  My own come to Jesus moment happened as I was on a hike with a dear friend of mine as we talked about the revelation of Christ which he himself had received.  His words were that all of creation, nature included, resembled the presence of the Lord.  Having been raised in the mainstream church Christian religion, this was a difficult pill to swallow for me.  God the Father?  In me?  I recalled all of the sermons which I sat through while listening to the pastor explain that I was but a sinner in need of the grace of God.  I' guessing that my thoughts in that moment were similar to those of the man Saul that day on the Damascus road.  Who is this Jesus?  

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

Paul to the Colossians 1: 27, Concordant New Testament 

Who indeed!  Like I said, I had heard of this Jesus in my time in the mainstream church, but this was something totally different altogether.  For the theology of the church preaches a Jesus that I have been separated from by my own sin.  Yet these words of Paul spoke of his "Expectation" of our own knowledge of Christ among us.  Of our life in Jesus.  I believe that the struggles I faced in my revelation were similar to those faced by Paul after his Damascus road experience.  He speaks to not immediately seek council concerning his experience {Galatians 1:16}.  But Paul spent a good deal of time in the desert of Arabia, undoubtedly unpacking all which had been revealed unto him {Paul to the Galatians 1:17}.  I can relate.  For after my own eyes were opened to my life in Christ, I had my own share of questions about what I was now experiencing.  Fortunately for me, my good friend was there to help as we both navigated this secret among the nations together.  One can understand the struggle I went through as I began to look upon Jesus with a brand new perspective and understanding.  That Jesus was more than someone written about in the scriptures.  What the Father has done is to reveal His living Son unto me.  Jesus is far from dead.  For as the angels proclaimed at the empty tomb that resurrection morning, "He is risen!" {Matthews Account 28:6}.  Jesus is real, and I have not been separated from Him as the church so proudly proclaims.  The words of Paul testify to this in Galatians, "Living in me is Christ" {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  THIS is Jesus. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Lie That Could Be God)

 

"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" {Isaiah 45:5} 

~No Independent Self, Norman Grubb~ 

God was pretty specific.  There will be NO God before Him {Isaiah 45:5}.  The Israelites learned that lesson upon Moses' return from the mountain {Exodus 32:7-8}.  One of my excuses for not buying into Christianity when I was younger was that I could not believe in a God that I could not see.  Was this how the Israelites felt as well?  What is it that makes us desire to worship the image but not the spirit?  Walk into any mainstream church and you will likely see the image of the cross of Jesus.  Walk into any Catholic church and you will see far more symbols than that.  Jesus has proclaimed that to worship God is to worship Him in spirit and truth {Johns Account 4:23}.  Adam and Eve, the first creation, bought into the lie of the accuser that they themselves could "Be like God" {Genesis 3:5}.  Think about it, who wouldn't want to be like God?  But Satan, as crafty as he is, had another motive for wanting to instill in the minds of the Lords creation that they could be like God.  That was to drive a wedge between God and His creation.  But for the grace and love of the Father, he would have succeeded.  Indeed, Adam and Eve fell for the lie spoken by the accuser and fell into sin.  That is, they fell short of glorifying God {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  I refer to this as the lie for two reasons.  First, Adam and Eve, being created in Gods likeness, were already like God.  Second, as the Lord has proclaimed, there can be NO GOD beside Him.  They may have thought that they could be like God were they to eat of the forbidden fruit, but in the end it would be a false image of the original.  I am created in the Fathers likeness, yet I am not Him.  My life is in Him, yet I am still not Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  So it is that thinking one is like God and actually being Him are definitely two completely different things.  Yes, my life is in Him, but I am not Him.  I'm guessing that Adam and Eve could have learned from that very lesson.  

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

Paul to the Colossians 1: 27, Concordant New Testament 

For their part, the mainstream church has adopted the narrative that mankind is indeed sinful.  This is based almost entirely upon the events of the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden.  They point to the words of Paul in Romans that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Yet what is forgotten in these conversations are Paul's words in the following verse.  That, once being in sin, that we have been justified by the grace of God through the deliverance which we have in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Romans 3:24}.  For his part, Paul understood what he was talking about.  For he himself had been redeemed through Christ.  The narrative of the mainstream church for centuries has been to preach of the death and forgiveness of Christ, but to continue with the sin narrative which Paul speaks of in Romans 3:23.  I have been in many a conversation with a believer where that verse is used to illustrate that sin continues to be the issue between ourselves and God.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Added to that is the lie which proclaims that our sin has separated us from the Father.  Again, not true at all.  In the narrative of church teaching, Jesus dies for the forgiveness of our sin, but all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Therefore, sin remains an issue between ourselves and God.  How is it that Christ could give Himself for us to liberate us from sin yet still have sin be an issue?  Did Jesus fail in His attempt?  If so, we're not told that in scripture.  So it is that the man-made, mainstream church continues speaking to the sin lie.  But, in the words of Paul, our hope is in the expectation of glory which we now have in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Colossians 1:27}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Banishment) # 1929

 

Then Yahweh Elohim said: Behold, man has become life one of us in knowing good and evil.  Now lest he should stretch out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for the eon.  So Yahweh Elohim sent him out of the garden of Eden to serve the ground from where he was taken

Genesis 3: 22-23, Concordant Old Testament 

Some in the church have referred to it as the original sin.  That moment when Gods creation took of that which He had commanded him not to take and partook of it.  Of course, he had a little help along the way in the form of our adversary Satan the accuser.  It was Satan who instilled in the thoughts of the Lords creation that if they partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that they would "Be like God," knowing good and evil {Genesis 3:5}.  In that moment in which Eve took of the forbidden fruit, ate of it, and offered it to her mate Adam, Gods creation blatantly disobeyed that which the Lord had commanded them not to do.  But, as many a human has said since then, how in the hell was I supposed to know?  Well, for one thing, Adam and Eve had knowledge that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was wrong, Eve even says so herself to the serpent {Genesis 3:2}.  And so, we are left with two competing incidents of disobedience committed by Gods creation.  Well, one blatant act and one potential act.  For which of these did the Father banish His creation from the garden?  On the one hand, Adam and Eve had blatantly disobeyed God and followed the lead of the accuser Satan.  Why would they do this?  Well, how were the Lords creation to differentiate between God and the accuser whom they had never been exposed to up until this point?  To Adam and Eve, the only voice they had heard besides that of each other had come from God.  Is sit possible that they perceived the voice of the serpent as that of the Lord?  It's possible, but unlikely.  For Satan immediately comes to Eve with the question, "Has God indeed said" {Genesis 3:2}?  Why would God Himself speak to His creation in this way?  I suggest that to Adam and Eve, the serpent was simply another creature to communicate with.  Of course, Adam and Eve took their communication with the serpent and turned it into disobedience to God.  

For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just

Paul to the Romans 5: 19, Concordant New Testament 

So, was the Lords creation banished from the garden due to their own disobedience?  Or is there something else in play here?  The scriptures, of course, play a big part in deciding this question.  In scripture, we are privy to a conversation which the Lord God has with those among Him at the time (Jesus?).  It is here that God proclaims what it is that His creation MIGHT do in the future.  That, if left to his own devices, man just might partake of the tree of life in the garden and take of it and live forever {Genesis 3:22}.  After this conversation, we're told that God "Sent him (Adam) out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken" {Genesis 3:23}.  The question is, if God banished Adam and Eve for their taking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, why aren't we told that He did this immediately after confronting them over their disobedience?  Instead, we're told that God considered what His creation MIGHT do and then banished them from the garden.  Of course, at this point Adam and Eve had already shown a propensity to go against the command of God.  They had believed the accuser over the words of their creator.  Of course, Satan was well aware on how to drive that wedge between the Lord and His creation, which was his goal all along.  The fact remains, does it really matter in the larger scheme of things what the original sin was?  The fact remains that it happened.  Yet despite His banishment of His creation from the garden, He was in no way absent from their own identity as the church might have us believe.  Having created man in His likeness, God has always been a intimate part of who it is that we are.  One might ask, what exactly is sin?  That's a thought for another day. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The In Crowd)

 

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 

Have you ever heard of God coming to make His home in you?  Up until a few years ago, I had never even heard of such a thought.  I certainly have never heard of it spoken in all of my years in the mainstream church.  Yet it is these words which we find spoken by Jesus in the book of John.  Jesus proclaims that the Father will be loving us and coming to make His home in us {Johns Account 14:23}.  I've spoken more than a few times of my own life in the Father, and I suppose that He has already come to make His home within me.  This is just what I believe.  My first inclination of my life in the Father came from reading the words of Jesus as He speaks of our union life in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  See, Jesus did not simply rise from the dead, appear to some people then ascend into heaven to remain there.  It was never the Fathers desire that He would be separated or apart from us.  Yet this is the mainstream church theology that I was taught for so many years.  Therefore, one can understand just why it has taken me so long to grasp the truth of the Father in me.  From the fourth century onward, the church has been speaking the same narrative.  That man is sinful, and that sin has separated him from God.  I recently had a conversation with a gym friend who pretty much spoke these thoughts exactly.  If I were to step foot into a church some Sunday, I would more than likely be surrounded by so many others who have been taught that they indeed are sinners.  You may agree or disagree with me, but I have seen enough of church teachings to know that this is true.  But is it true?  Am I still a sinner?  Does my sin continue to separate me from the Father?  Well, even the most indoctrinated Christians confess that Jesus bled and died on the cross for the forgiveness of sin.  That our once filthy rags are now white as snow.  So, if this is indeed true, why does our sin still continue to be that barrier between ourselves and God?  What sin did Jesus miss while He was dying on that cross?  The church needed to come up with an answer for that.  

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

Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament 

Some say that a definition of sin is rebellion against God.  Lucifer rebelled against the Father when he desired to be greater than God {Isaiah 14:12-15}.  Some will say that this was the original sin committed against God.  But i have another take on that.  I believe that sin, in its essence, is our own lack of acknowledgement of the Father.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the false belief that we have somehow been separated from the Father.  We find the roots of this in the lie spoken by the accuser to Eve in the garden.  The serpent spoke to Eve that if she were to take of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that she would "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:5}.  Satan placed the thought in the mind of the Lords creation that He had been holding out on them somehow.  But, if they took of the fruit which God had commanded them not to, that they would be like Him.  Well, if we follow scripture, we know that as the Fathers creation Adam and Eve were already like God.  For it is God who created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It is also the Father who breathed into us the breath of life, creating a living soul {Genesis 2:7}.  How much more like God could we ever be?  As a result of their disobedience, Adam and Eve were banished from the garden.  Banished because of sin?  Again, the scriptures tell the story.  God banished His creation from the garden because "The man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.  And now, lest he put out his hand and take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever."  Gods creation was banished from the garden because of what it is which we MIGHT do.  Man had already shown his propensity to act on his own.  To this day, the mindset of many in the church is that man has been separated from God due to his taking of the fruit, the original sin.  But for Jesus, our fate would have been sealed.  But for the love and mercy of the Father Who has come to make His home in us.  If we were yet sinners, could we still be in the Father?  Indeed, through the love and mercy of God, we're now part of the in crowd. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of the Father (A Fathers Choice)

 

For this God loves the world, so that He gives His only-begotten Son, that everyone who is believing in Him should perishing, but may be having life eonian 

Johns Account 3: 16, Concordant New Testament 

I was reminded the other day of a perfect response to someone who is hell bent upon condemning someone to hell for whatever behaviors and/or actions they have done.  When that topic comes up, the question might be, would they send their own son to hell if the behavior dictated it?  In the film Come Sunday, bishop Carlton Pearson poses this very question to the church leaders who were condemning him for his belief that there is no hell.  "If you could save your own father from hell, wouldn't you?"  Of course, when faced with this choice, who wouldn't do all that they could to save their loved one?  Well, God did just that.  When faced with the decision whether to condemn His children for their behaviors which were contrary to Him, He made His choice.  That choice was to send His one and only Son to die on a Roman cross for the sins of many {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Who does that?  I certainly know very few people who have willingly sacrificed their own for someone else.  The prevailing Christian theology has been that there are good and wicked people in this world.  In that theology, the good shall be rewarded and the wicked suffer their eternity in hell.  Yet the Father, in His unending love for His creation, has chosen to place that punishment upon One man, Christ Jesus.  The apostle Paul speaks to "One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering" {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  I don't cast blame on my friend for his belief that the wicked need to be punished by God, for this is what we have been taught for thousands of years in the mainstream church.  I used to sit in those pews as well.  In fact, my own belief that the wicked need to be punished often permeated my own life as well.  With every bad behavior, I would live in fear of the Lords impending punishment.  Every time the pastor would mention a day of judgement my heart would be tied in knots.  Because I had been led to believe that I remained guilty in the eyes of God.  But the Father had already made His choice on my behalf.  In the Fathers eyes, I was a new creation {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:17}.  

"What are you supposing?  If it should be occurring to any man, with a hundred sheep, that even one of them should be led astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine sheep on the mountains, and go and seek the one that is straying?  And if he should come to find it, verily, I am saying to you that he is rejoicing over it, rather than over the ninety-nine that have not strayed.  Thus it is not the will in front of your Father Who is in the heavens that one of these little ones shall be perishing." 

Matthews Account 18: 12-14, Concordant New Testament 

Jesus Himself clearly states in His parable of the lost sheep that it has never been the Fathers desire that one of His own should perish {Matthews Account 18: 12-14}.  so, one might ask, who is it that the Father considers to be His own?  Well, I would definitely say that those Whom the Lord created in his likeness will be considered to be His {Genesis 1:27}.  Those whom His one and only Son gave His life for will be considered to be His as well {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 6:20}.  Therefore, I believe that we are all His.  Not only that, I believe that this is the way in which the Father looks upon us as well.  For I am no longer a stained sinner, as those in the church might believe.  When God looks upon me, He sees His own Son.  Jesus Himself speaks to our union life in the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  The contradictory paradigm of the mainstream church has undoubtedly led far too many astray.  On the one hand, they preach the crucifixion of Christ for the forgiveness of the sin of mankind.  On the other, they proclaim that it is the sin of man which separates us from God.  Well, which is it?  Are we indeed steeped in sin as the church proclaims?  Or, as the scriptures assure us, that Christ has indeed died for those iniquities.  If you adhere to the doctrine of the church that the wicked indeed are in need of punishment, what is your view of Jesus?  Did He or did He not give Himself for all?  The Father made that choice long ago.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Real ID)

 

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 

One of the hot button political issues of the day is that of the real ID.  As of May, 2025, all it is now a requirement to have a real ID for any domestic air travel.  Since I don't fly, I don't need to worry about the travel aspect, although I did upgrade my license for the government issued identity papers.  But of course, that is all they are is simply documents displaying who you are.  Or, more importantly, who the world sees you as.  For me, my real ID doesn't come from a document, but from who it is that I am assured that I am in my heart.  For this, I turn to Jesus.  For it is Jesus who has proclaimed our union life with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Far too many believers and non-believers alike, however, continue to see themselves as a false identity.  The lie spoken by the accuser in the garden promised Eve that if she partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that she would then "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:1-6}.  The truth is, if real ID had been around in the days of Adam and Eve, they might have been able to see that they were indeed already like God.  For it is the Father Who has created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It is also the Father who has breathed into His image the breath of life, creating a living soul {Genesis 2:7}.  Yet it seems that the lie spoken by the accuser is easier to proclaim than the truth of our inion in the Father.  I had a conversation with a fellow gym rat the other day, a believer, who pointed out to me that it is our sin which separates us from God.  His reference for this is from Isaiah 59:2 in the old testament.  Here, the prophet proclaims that "Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God."  Granted, this passage is from the old testament, which predates the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  So, one could easily be led to believe that they are indeed separated from God.  Even I fell for this line of thinking long before my eyes were opened to the truth we have in the Father.  The truth that we have never been separated from He Who created us.  

For you died, and your life is hid together with Christ in God 

Paul to the Colossians 3: 3, Concordant New Testament 

A good friend recently reminded me of how it is that the mainstream church has departed from Paul's evangel in order to preach sin management.  Of course, this was all too apparent in my conversation with my gym friend.  For instead of focusing on what Christ has accomplished, the church instead focuses on the past.  Yes, I was once a sinner, as Paul clearly states in Romans {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  But the church conveniently seems to ignore his words in the following verse.  That we are justified by the Fathers grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Romans 3:24}.  Not to sound contrite, but what are we to now consider ourselves?  Do we dwell in the past and wallow in sin?  Or do we accept what Christ has accomplished on our behalf and recognize the redeemed life which we now live?  Well, I definitely know which side of that fence I'm on.  Our one true identity does not lie in the past, but in the present life we live in God.  I have commented to a friend that our speaking to the revelation which we have received will be at odds with thousands of years of mainstream church teaching and theology.  Keep in mind, this theology is based on a religious SYSTEM which must be maintained in order to remain relevant.  All too often, this leads to people being in bondage to a particular teaching with all of its traditions and trappings.  This is exactly what Jesus called out the Pharisees of His day for {Matthews Account 23:15-33}.  To the Pharisees, tradition had replaced the true worship of God.  I have often wondered, how many modern day pastors would fall victim to Jesus' "Woe to you pastors?"  Although I have been extremely critical of the church for good reason, our identity in the Father has never been apart from Him.  It is He who gives us life {Acts of the Apostles 17:25}.  

Neither is He attended by human hands, as if requiring anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all 

Acts of the Apostles 17: 25, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~