The Good Of The Father (Brood Of Vipers) # 1967

 

"Serpents! Progeny of vipers!  How may you be fleeing from the judging of Gehenna?" 

Matthews Account 23: 33, Concordant New Testament 

Jesus was not too kind the Jewish religious leaders on that day.  In fact, in modern parlance, He went off.  This from the Man who had walked the countryside speaking of love and forgiveness?  Now here He was trashing the church leadership of His day?  Many modern mainstream churches use these scriptures found in Matthew as they speak to the "Manliness" of Jesus.  As proof somehow that Jesus was indeed a Man.  Growing up in the church, one thing I never wanted to happen was for Jesus to speak to me in this way.  Therefore, I believed that if I lived my life in the right way that Jesus would always treat me in a loving way.  Again, this is all part of the separation theology preached by the mainstream church.  But let's put these words of Jesus into context.  Was He adamantly raising His voice against sinners in general?  No, Jesus was bringing the very deeds of the Jewish Pharisees to their attention.  Jesus was reminding them of the harsh ways in that they had treated the Jewish people.  Because of this, He was NOT happy.  The Pharisees were big on tradition and the following of religious rules.  From admiring the greetings of others in public to insisting on cleanliness, these Pharisees ruled their synagogues with an iron fist.  They demanded compliance in the name of tradition.  I began thinking this week of these passages from a different angle entirely.  What would Jesus have to say of those pastors which we at times blindly follow today?  Would we hear Him speak "Woe to you pastors?"  Would we see the same vigor in His attitude which He displayed that day when confronting the Pharisees?  I believe that we just might, and here's why.  Jesus was angered at the Pharisees over their overt righteousness and strict adherence to the traditions of their religion.  More often than not, these traditions had done more harm than good for the people of Israel.  THIS was why Jesus became upset, because of the suffering incurred by these Pharisees.  It is interesting that the scripture which we see just before the passages of the woes to the Pharisees is one spoken by Jesus on humility {Matthews Account 23:12}.  

"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 

I have spent enough time within the mainstream church to have seen the acts and behaviors of its own leadership.  This was not the reason that I walked away from the church, however.  The reason that I walked away from the Christian church was due to their message of the separation theology.  That despite the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, that my sin was ever before me.  But, that's beside the point.  The fact is that I see the same issues within the mainstream church of today which Jesus became angered over with the Pharisees.  The strict adherence to religious traditions.  The raising up of their church leadership to celebrity status.  Add to that the false message of the separation theology and I believe that Jesus indeed would have decried the pastors of today.  I believe that the false messaging of the church is the most harmful to its congregations.  It is this counterfeit gospel of Jesus which goes against the evangel spoken by the apostle Paul in the New Testament.  The church is big on preaching the presence of sin in our lives.  That it is sin which keeps us from fellowship with God.  This is a lie.  Paul speaks to the fact that Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  That our old sin nature has been crucified with Jesus {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  The truth of the evangel spoken by Paul is that we are not separated from God as the church would have us believe.  On the contrary, Jesus speaks to our union life in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  The apostle speaks to our pastors as being appointed by the holy spirit to shepherd the ecclesia of God {Acts of the Apostles 20:28}.  Many of todays church leaders do well to remember this. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Counterfeit Gospel) #1966

 

For not ashamed am I of the evangel, for it is God's power for salvation to everyone who is believing - to the Jew first, and to the Greek as well

Paul to the Romans 1: 16, Concordant New Testament 

What is it about the revelation of Christ Jesus in your life that you recall from a sermon you heard this past week?  In fact, can you even recall a sermon where the pastor spoke to your life in Christ?  I have been out of regular church attendance for some years, so I am at a disadvantage as to the happenings in the church.  Yet when I was a regular in the pews on Sundays, I cannot remember too many sermons where the pastors spoke to my life in Christ.  I've heard plenty of sermons on the ills of society and plenty of "Thou shalt not" sermons spoken in my time.  This is all fine and good, but what about Jesus?  Isn't church the place where one would go to learn the truth of the gospel of Christ?  You would think so.  If I was aware that I indeed needed Jesus in my own life, I would seek out a solid local church that I might learn the truth of His gospel spoken to the world.  Sure, we have the scriptures, but I want to hear His word spoken.  One of the issues with the modern mainstream church is that they have been overcome by a counterfeit gospel.  Like a fluff piece of journalism, modern sermons seem to spin in the direction of what people want to hear instead of what they need to hear.  And what they need to be hearing is Jesus!  In my previous post I spoke of the importance of the church speaking to the ills of society.  While I still believe that this is important, it IS NOT the revelation of Christ spoken by the apostle Paul in his evangel.  For Paul speaks to our own life in Jesus {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  That Jesus is not simply One Who sits in heaven and judges our wrong behaviors.  The reason that the mainstream church does not speak to the truth we find in the evangel of Paul is that they have gotten off message.  The message now is that sinful man cannot be in the presence of Christ Jesus.  Therefore, the best which we can ever hope to do is to "Be like" Jesus.  The truth of Paul's evangel does not speak to our imitating Jesus, but that we ARE Christ in Whom we now live our life {Paul to the Romans 6:8}.  Jesus Himself speaks to our union life within He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Jesus did not give Himself that we should "Be like" Him, but that we would know our life is in Him. 

Now we all, with uncovered face, mirroring the Lords glory, are being transformed into the same image, even as from the Lord, the spirit

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3: 18, Concordant New Testament 

The church is big on speaking to our sin nature and how it is that which keeps us from a true relationship with the Father.  But what does the evangel of the apostle tell us?  Paul speaks to our life together in Christ {Paul to the Romans 6:8}.  As far as the issue of sin goes, Paul speaks that it is something which has already been dealt with.  Paul speaks to sin not in the present, but as something which has been eradicated in the past.  Indeed, that Christ Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  The sin which Jesus gave Himself at the cross has been wiped away.  That debt has been paid in full.  With His dying breath Jesus has proclaimed "It is accomplished!" {Johns Account 19:30}.  The death of Jesus set the stage for our union life in Him, not that we should imitate Him.  We no longer need to worry that our sin is keeping us from fellowship with God.  The true gospel of the apostle Paul assures us of this.  Yet the mainstream church continues to speak to the counterfeit gospel of the separation theology.  That sin and God cannot be among each other.  While I agree on that premise, I also know that through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross, that we have been freed of the bondages of sin {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  When we look in that mirror, we do not see the face of a defeated sinner, but the very image of Christ in Whom we live. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (From The Pulpits) #1965

 

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 

A new question has been offered up this week.  That being, is it the job of the mainstream church to speak out against the immoral issues of our society?  Or, as I commented to he who asked that question, is it the duty of the man created church to speak out against the wickedness of men in our society?  I'll use as an example my time which I spent in the pews of the church.  I recall the outcry the church faced when they proclaimed that the union of marriage was one between one man and one woman.  This came at a time when the state of Oregon was considering an amendment which would allow marriage between same sex couples.  Well, you would have thought that our church pastors had just been convicted of some violent crime.  There were protests outside the church as a few vocal members in the community voiced their disapproval of the moral stand which the church was taking.  However, eventually the same sex marriage amendment passed and the public outrage faded.  This is but one example of what I witnessed during my time in the church when it decided to speak out against what was morally wrong.  Make no mistake, this is the pushback which each and every church will face when they speak out against the evils of society.  I believe that those who believe in traditional morals and doing what is right outnumber those who argue against it in this nation.  It's just that those who would speak out against morality and traditional values seem to have a louder voice.  They definitely have the mainstream media on their side as well.  So, is it the duty of the church to speak out against what we would consider to be the evils of society?  I would say yes.  The apostle Paul spoke to young Timothy that he should "Herald the word.  Stand by it" {Paul to Timothy (2) 4:2}.  I agree with this.  Of course, there will be times when the word spoken by those in the church will butt heads with that which the world considers to be right in its own eyes.  More than likely, the church will come out of these times with a black eye or two on its own reputation.  People may choose to leave the church over the decision to speak out against what is wrong.  But which is more important in the eyes of the Father, proclaiming His truth or filling those pews on a Sunday morning?  

For if I should be bringing the evangel, it is not for me to boast in, for necessity is lying upon me, for it were woe to me if I should not be bringing the evangel 

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 9: 16, Concordant New Testament 

It is Paul who speaks that it is necessary for him to be bringing the evangel of Christ Jesus to the world {Paul to the Corinthians 9:16}.  Is it also necessary for our churches to be bringing that same gospel unto the world?  I would say yes.  Paul was not ashamed of the evangel of Jesus which he spoke.  He did not speak words that others would listen to just in order to get more people to hear him.  Paul wasn't concerned about the quantity, but the quality of his evangel.  He told it like it is.  Sadly, there are in the mainstream church today those church leaders who will speak not to the evangel, but to what people want to hear.  Paul warned Timothy about those who would raise up "Teachers in accord with their own desires" {Paul to Timothy (2) 4:3}.  We've all seen churches such as this before.  Forsaking the word in favor of what man desires them to preach.  This is not the true evangel of the Lord.  This is the church congregation choosing what they want to hear.  Indeed, there will be those who do not want to hear what the evangel proclaims of the evils of our society.  Some of these may be embarrassed by their own life choices and do not wish the spotlight upon them.  Others still might chafe at the idea that the church "Morality police" would put restrictions and requirements upon them.  This is all predictable, as we have been created in the Fathers likeness with that freedom to choose for ourselves {Genesis 1:27}.  God does not want robots following without feeling or emotion.  What the Father desires is for His children to come to Him willingly.  At the end of the day, we're tasked with choosing that church which speaks the truth of the evangel of Christ Jesus and not what man desires.  

For the era will be when they will not tolerate sound teaching, but, their hearing being tickled, will heap up for themselves teachers in accord with their own desires 

Paul to Timothy (2) 4: 3, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (God And Politics) #1964

 

Let every soul be subject to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except under God.  Now those which are, have been set under God, so that he who is resisting an authority has withstood God's mandate.  Now those who have withstood, will be getting judgement for themselves, for magistrates are not a fear to the good act, but to the evil.  Now you do not want to be fearing authority.  Do good, and you will be having applause from it.  For it is God's servant for your good.  Now if you should be doing evil, fear, for not feignedly is it wearing the sword.  For it is God's servant, an avenger for indignation to him who is committing evil

Paul to the Romans 13: 1-4, Concordant New Testament 

I recently saw a video of conservative activist Charlie Kirk calling out churches for not openly coming out against the wickedness of society.  Now, from what I can see from his own words and thoughts, Kirk is indeed a Christian believer.  He has made a name for himself for going onto college campuses to challenge students on conservative and religious issues.  To each his own.  But is Charlie correct in saying that our pastors should be decrying the wickedness of our society from the pulpits?  Well, how would the apostle Paul have answered that question?  We already know, because he speaks to the subject of governing authorities in the book of Romans.  Paul speaks to our being under the authority of those who God has appointed here on earth {Paul to the Romans 13:1-4}.  Now, as a Christian conservative I am no fan of the administrations of Obama and Biden.  However, I also realize that these men were appointed by the Father when they were for the purpose of leading this nation.  Nothing ever escapes Gods notice.  You think that our houses of worship should be taking a more active role in calling out the open wickedness we apparently have seen in our society?  Remember, it is God who, knowing what will come to pass even before it does, has still placed those in authority who we might not agree with.  We know from scripture what the Lord's position is on abortion.  We know just what His thoughts are on injustice.  Is it our duty to then call out those who practice such things?  Again, Paul speaks wisdom into this argument.  It is Paul who speaks to not avenging ourselves, but to be leaving place for the Fathers indignation {Paul to the Romans 12:19}.  Indeed, if the Father has Himself placed governing authorities in office for His purpose, who are we to argue against that?  Who are we to second guess the Lord?  Not only that, if indeed there is wrongdoing by those He has appointed, is it then our duty to rectify that situation.  Or, as the apostle writes, do we make way for the revenge of the Father?  The way I look at it, it is God who placed such people in authority for His purpose, let Him complete that purpose in His timing.  

I am entreating, then, first of all, that petitions, prayer, pleadings, thanksgiving be made for all mankind, for kings and all those being in a superior station, that we may be leading a mild and in all devoutness and gravity, for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our savior, God 

Paul to Timothy 2 (1) : 1-3, Concordant New Testament 

There is much wisdom to be found in the old adage that one should avoid at all costs those arguments of religion and politics.  Why?  Because there's no winner in either one.  In recent years we have seen a more vocal approach to the issues of politics in this country.  My own city of Portland has seen many days of riots in response to the immigration policies of president Donald Trump.  Now, I have nothing against those who voice their opinions on politics, I do that all the time.  However, what I don't do is spit and throw rocks at police officers, start fires and steal from stores in the name of what I'm speaking out against.  This is what crosses the line between protest and rioting.  But what are believers supposed to do in response to such chaos?  One word, pray.  For it is God Who has brought everything to pass, including the recent political unrest in this country.  This He has done for His own purpose.  We could be in prayer, asking the Father for wisdom for what He desires us to see in all of this unrest.  What is it that You are showing me through this, God?  I believe that what He DOES NOT want to show us is that we should judge and take revenge upon those whom we believe are doing wrong.  That is the Fathers territory.  My duty is to pray not only for our leaders whom He has appointed, but that His will be done. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of the Father (O' Man!) # 1963

 

So that, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: the primitive passed by. Lo! There has come new

Paul to the Corinthians 2: 17, Concordant New Testament 

Are you a new man?  This was the question asked by a few friends this week.  Honestly, when I first heard of this my first thought was to the apostle Paul and his own description of the new creation in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Corinthians 2:17}.  But was this the original intent of the author C.C Lewis whom the question originated from?  A little history will tell us that Lewis identifies Christ Jesus as the "Origin and center" of all new men.  That God became man to produce a new kind of man {Johns Account 1:14}.  Now, this would definitely lead us into that iconic scripture of Paul.  That all who are in Christ are indeed new.  The old and primitive have passed away {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  Of course, I have always been of the opinion that this new man was just that, a physical man.  But, that's the old school separation theology of the church in me.  That is what I was raised in growing up.  For anyone who has read this page for a time, you know that I no longer hold to these teachings of the church.  I now follow the truth of Christ which we find in the evangel of the apostle Paul.  That we are not separated from Christ, but that we live our life through Him.  We are not separated from God, but live in union with Him.  Jesus speaks to this truth in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  So, when I heard of C.S. Lewis speaking of the new man, my first thought went to the separation theology of the mainstream church.  I might just have been in error on this assumption.  For I have learned that C.S. Lewis, despite making a career out of the apologetics of Christianity, also had some profound thoughts on our life with Christ.  It is obvious to me that when Lewis speaks of the "New man" that he is referring to the original in Christ Jesus.  That I can be on board with.  For Jesus is the original new creation.  

"I have called Christ the 'First instance' of the new man...He is not merely a new man, one specimen of the species, but the new man.  He is the origin and center and life of all the new men.  He came into the created universe, of His own will, bringing with Him the Zoe, the new life...and He transmits it...by what I have called 'Good infection.'" 

C.S. Lewis ~ Mere Christianity 

So, in regards to the question, do I represent the new man?  Do we represent the new man of Christ Jesus?  It is without a doubt that we are connected with the new Man.  Our life is in Him.  If Jesus is the original copy, as Lewis proclaims, then we indeed the imprint of that impression.  This is indeed the "Secret among the nations" which Paul spoke of, our hope of glory {Paul to the Colossians 1:27}.  This secret is the truth of Christ Jesus among us, THAT is our hope.  I believe that C.S. Lewis was correct in saying that God became man that He would produce a new kind of Man .  A Man which all would share in.  This is our life in Christ.  But, do I represent Him well?  Are my own words and actions a good representation of Christ Jesus in me?  Paul speaks to that which he is hating, this he is doing {Paul to the Romans 7:15}.  Paul definitely knew right from wrong, but he also realized the pull of the flesh in his life {Paul to the Romans 7:18}.  I definitely know that my own heart is in Christ.  Yet I also realize that there are those times, while being in Christ Jesus, that I might not act much like a new man.  Of course, this does not change the truth of my life in Him, the only thing which has changed is my memory of who I am in Him.  I am no longer that old man, he was crucified along with Christ {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  Who I am is the exact imprint of that new Man in Whom I live.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Like Father Like Son) #1962

 

I and the Father, we are one

Johns Account 10: 30, Concordant New Testament 

The question has come up this week concerning the presence of Jesus in the Father.  Has Jesus ever claimed to be God?  Well, in the eyes of the Jewish Pharisees who prosecuted Him, simply proclaiming that "I and the Father, We are one" was enough to charge Him with blasphemy {Johns Account 10:30}.  But we today are not the Pharisees, and Jesus is not on trial here.  And the question remains, is Jesus akin to God?  Is He, in all respects, the same as God?  Are there indeed scripture references to back up this claim if true?  Besides the fact that Jesus Himself has proclaimed that He and the Father are indeed one, Jesus has also declared His union with ourselves and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  As He proclaims, "I in my Father, you in Me and I in you."  Is Jesus in the Father in a hereditary sense, like I am a part of my parents?  Or, is there something deeper in play here?  Does Jesus share in the same attributes of God?  The author of Hebrews proclaims that Jesus is "The effulgence of His glory and the emblem of His assumption" {To the Hebrews 1:3}.  That is, Jesus is the exact representation of the nature of the Father.  But does this exact representation qualify Him as God?  Does a representative qualify as the original?  Has God declared that He and the Son are alike?  Indeed, God has declared "I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me {Isaiah 45:5 NKJV}.  Does this include His one and only Son as well?  I believe that it does.  For if the Father had intended that the Son would be akin to Him, He would have declared just that.  Instead, we see that Jesus is the "Exact representation" of the Fathers nature.  I'm afraid that this falls short of making Jesus as God.  Remember, it is Lucifer who once aspired to "Exalt my throne above the stars of God {Isaiah 14:13}.  Jesus has never staked Himself to such a claim.  What He has done is speak to the truth that He and the Father are indeed one.  What Jesus has done is to speak to the truth that we live in union with He and the Father.  As Jesus is in union with God, so are we as well.  Like Father, like son.  

And the word became flesh and tabernacles among us, and we gaze at His glory, a glory as of a only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth

Johns Account 1: 14, Concordant New Testament 

To say that I dodged a bullet is an understatement.  For if I were to proclaim that Jesus was indeed God, the modern day Pharisees may surely come for me as well.  Instead, I go by the words of the Father and of the Son.  That the Father dispatched His only-begotten Son for the eonian life of mankind {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  That all who believe in the Son shall not perish in the Fathers eyes.  That all who place their trust in His Son will be saved {Paul to the Romans 10:9-10}.  So it is that God CHOSE to send His Son, His exact representation, as the innocent sacrifice for our sin {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  The truth we find spoken in the evangel of the apostle Paul is that we live in union with Jesus {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  We are in union with He and the Father, yet we are not, nor will we ever be, God Himself.  I believe that this truth goes a long way in explaining the truth of Jesus in the Father as well.  He is His representation, not God.  Growing up in the mainstream church, the very idea that I could ever be in union with Christ was never spoken to.  To this day, the church does not address this truth.  Of course, this is why it has taken so many years for my own eyes to be opened to the truth of my life in the Father.  This is the part of the radical evangel of Paul which speaks to our life in Christ Jesus.  Perhaps it is why Paul referred to it as the "Secret among the nations" {Paul to the Colossians 1:27}.  That is, Christ Jesus among us, our hope of glory. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (This Man Jesus) #1961

 

And the word became flesh and tabernacles among us, and we gaze at His glory, a glory as of an only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth

Johns Account 1: 14, Concordant New Testament 

One of the reasons that I enjoy the chosen series so much is that it shows us the human side of Jesus.  Not only that, but of the relationships which He shared with His disciples and those around Him.  I was reminded of this once again this week as I watched another scene of the series.  It seems that Jesus and His disciples had stopped for the night and were asleep in some room somewhere.  Well, the disciples were trying their best to sleep.  However, because of the snoring of Jesus, they couldn't.  It reminded me of just one more of the human attributes Jesus exhibited during His time in His ministry.  Jesus snoring?  How holy is that?  Now, the context in which I viewed Jesus growing up in the church was somewhat different than what I've seen portrayed in the Chosen series.  Jesus was seen and taught as being holy and having holy qualities.  Rarely was it spoken of that He also had human tendencies.  I recall hearing of how Jesus wept upon learning of the death of His friend Lazarus {Johns Account 11:35}.  Granted, I knew that Jesus was indeed human, but the church has had difficulty in explaining how it is that Jesus could possesses certain, shall we say, human characteristics.  I recall a certain pastor explaining that it would be impossible for Jesus, even in human form, to lust for anything.  Now, do I believe that Jesus indeed had "feelings" for those of the opposite sex while growing up?  Absolutely.  We're told that He suffered the same things as you and I have, yet without sin {To the Hebrews 4:15}.  We can readily assume that Jesus ran and played with His friends.  That He more than once got on the nerves of His parents Mary and Joseph.  This is what kids do.  Is a rambunctious Jesus seen as being holy?  Well, He was seen as being holy when He called out the Pharisees and trashed the money changers in the temple.  All too often, we celebrate these actions by Jesus, yet we cannot wrap our understanding around His other human attributes.  As the writer of Hebrews has proclaimed, He has been tried as I have in my life.  

Nevertheless empties Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming to be in the likeness of humanity, and, being found in fashion as a human, He humbles Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross 

Paul to the Philippians 2: 7-8, Concordant New Testament 

The important thing to remember when we begin to see Jesus for who he was in the form of humanity is that He is the "Exact imprint" of the  image of the Father {To the Hebrews 1:3}.  This falls right in line with our being created in the likeness of the Father {Genesis 1:27}.  Whatever people might see as being imperfections or embarrassing about their own characteristics, remember that Jesus shared in our humanity.  What were those human characteristics of Jesus which people of His time would deem as embarrassing?  habits not fit for One who proclaimed Himself to be the Son of God.  Did He suffer from certain "Digestive" issues from time to time?  Did He eat strange things?  All we're told is that He shared in our own trials, yet without sin.  I've often held the view that we're told far too little of the early life of Jesus.  We're told that He grew up and was "Staunch in spirit" {Lukes Account 2:40}.  A quick definition check tells us that the word staunch means to be "Loyal and committed in attitude."  That's all fine and good, but what were the behavioral characteristics of the boy Jesus?  Well, we can readily assume that He lived a life similar to that of other boys His age of that day.  We would likely see Jesus in the workshop of His father, Joseph, learning His family trade.  We might even see Him becoming distracted, as children do, and trying the patience of His father.  The boy Jesus would have certainly had friends that He played with.  However, we also know that Jesus was in the spirit from a young age {Lukes Account 2: 42-49}.  So, for all intents and purposes, that Holy One which we worship was indeed once a rambunctious young boy.  Through Jesus, the Father has returned to be among His children.  This is the man Jesus.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Choice) #1960

 

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 am of the opinion that far too many Christians have come to associate the consequences of our choices with the attributes of God.  Yes, I've been in those uninformed shoes as well as a young believer.  While I truly believe that for each and every action there is a reaction, I also believe that there are certainly consequences for that which we choose to do in our lives.  Is God somehow punishing you if you choose to let your car insurance lapse and therefore get a ticket?  Is He angry with you for choosing to drink too much and therefore get hit with a DUI?  I would say no to both of those scenarios.  Yet growing up in the mainstream church, the common consequences of the actions of others were all too often attributed to Gods punishment over our choices.  Now, while God may be well aware of what we intend to do beforehand, He has given unto us the free will to choose for ourselves.  We can choose to either accept or reject Christ, but rest assured there WILL be consequences for our decision.  If we choose to reject the words of Jesus, God will most certainly grieve our choice, but He will not punish us for our decision.  Jesus speaks to our entering through the narrow gate {Matthews Account 7:13-14}.  He knows that there is a choice to be made on our part.  Wide is the gate which leads to our destruction, while narrow is the way which leads to life.  My advice would be, choose wisely.  Even though God has given to us that ability to choose, He has not left us high and dry to ponder those decisions.  The apostle Paul speaks to doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through Him {Paul to the Colossians 3:17}.  Paul has also decreed that we walk by our faith and not by sight {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:7}.  Just because God has given unto us the ability to make our own choices does not mean that we're on an island all alone in the process.  He is there to council and guide those decisions we make {James to the Twelve Tribes 1: 5-6}.  

And the peace of God, that is superior to every frame of mind, shall be garrisoning your hearts and your apprehensions in Christ Jesus

Paul to the Philippians 4: 7, Concordant New Testament 

I've come to the conclusion that the belief that God is somehow punishing us for our wrong choices comes not from the truth of the Father, but from who we perceive Him to be.  The apostle John speaks to the one true nature of God, which is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  Growing up in the church, I more often than not was taught a counterfeit version of the Lord.  God was indeed an angry and vengeful God.  All one needed to do was to peruse the scriptures of the Old Testament and they would eventually come across more than a few references of the Lord's vengeance {Isaiah 35:4}.  Is it, then, any wonder that far too many people have come to associate the consequences of our choices with Gods approval or disapproval?  Make no mistake, our wrong choices will not affect His love for us.  As I said, God may grieve our wrong choices, but His love for us remains.  Now, never  associate the Fathers correction with punishment.  For there are also times in our lives which the Father will correct us in a loving way.  This is not His punishment, but His love for us.  The writer of Hebrews introduces us to this truth of correction {To the Hebrews 12:11}.  In the moment, the correction of the Father may seem unpleasant, but it yields much greater things.  The truth is that God never disciplines out of anger, nor does He punish us for those wrong choices which we often make.  What He does do is gently remind us of His love for us.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (God 2.0)

 

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 doesn't 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~ 

A friend asked me the other day why I seemed so fond of quoting comedian George Carlin in my writings.  Apparently he was a bit offended that someone would characterize the church in this way.  My first question I asked him was, have you been to church lately?  He admitted that he is a so called "Off and on" church attendee.  The reason I asked him of his church attendance is because it goes directly to my point of quoting George Carlin in my posts.  See, I spent many a year in the pews of the mainstream church.  I have a dear friend who is himself a retired pastor.  So, you could say that I have a unique perspective of what a few have referred to as the "Two gospels."  Two gospels?  Indeed, not many believers have ever heard of modern Christianity described in this way.  On the one hand, we have the teachings of the mainstream church, which I was raised up in.  On the other hand, there is the evangel of the apostle Paul, which more often than not seems to butt up against the separation theology spoken by those in the mainstream church.  Most believers would seem to think that these two are closely woven into the teachings of the church, but when glancing at the evangel of Paul and what he is speaking, they quickly return to their mainstream church roots.  For example, Paul has spoken to our freedom from sin {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  However, the theology spoken within the church speaks to my sin being ever present in front of me.  So much so, that they speak to our praying for Gods forgiveness each and every day.  My response to this misguided church teaching is this, what sin did Jesus miss when He died on the cross?  For as He breathed His last, Jesus proclaimed "It is accomplished!" {Johns Account 19:30}.  Jesus has given Himself for the death of our sin {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Not only that, He has given Himself "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Knowing this truth of the "Other" evangel of Paul, why must we continue in prayer for forgiveness?  

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, Concordant New Testament 

When I speak about sin in reference to the truth of the evangel of Paul, I speak from my own personal experience.  See, growing up I lived in fear of an angry God not only taking away the salvation which He had promised, but that He would not find me good enough to spend eternity with Him in heaven.  Again, this is what I learned from an early age while in the mainstream church.  God was an angry, vengeful Lord, but He loved me.  See the parallels to that George Carlin quote now?  How is it that God can love me yet be vengeful at the same time?  Isn't this a contradictory message?  The truth of the Fathers one true identity can be found in the Epistle of John.  It is here that John describes God as love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  Love, that's all.  Once we realize this truth of the Father, the evangel spoken by Paul becomes more clear to us.  It is through love that He dispatched His Son to give Himself for us.  Make no mistake, WE were the guilty ones who needed to die, not Jesus.  The love of the Father takes away our sin once for all time.  That means our sin past, present and future.  It is also through the love of the Father that our life is now in Him.  Jesus speaks to this in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  When our eyes are opened to this truth of our life in Him, it blows the mainstream church separation theology out of the water.  The truth is, we have NEVER been separated from He who created us {Genesis 1:27}.  Although those in the church might try to tell us differently.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Fear Of The Lord) #1958

 

All the people were discerning the thunderclaps and the torches and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking.  And the people saw and roved about and stood afar.  They said to Moses: Speak with us that we may hear; but Elohim must not speak with us lest we die.  Then Moses said to the people: Do not fear, for in order to probe you the One, Elohim has come, and in order that the fear of Him should come over your faces that you may not sin 

Genesis 20: 18-20, Concordant Old Testament 

The people of Israel, Gods chosen people, heard the commotion up on the mountain and they wanted no part of it.  They understood full well that they were in the presence of their God, yet they were afraid of what it was that they saw in front of them.  The fire, the loud thunder and the trumpet blasts.  Indeed, God was announcing Himself to His people.  So afraid were the Israelites of God in that moment, that they begged His messenger, Moses, to go and speak to the Lord on their behalf.  Although Moses attempted to reassure the people that God meant them no harm, the optics were too much to handle.  So it was that Moses made that walk alone up the mountain to speak with the Lord.  In many ways, that fear of the Lord has somehow survived down through many thousands of years of our history.  God is way too fearsome, we need to keep our distance from Him.  The Hebrews of old went so far as to create the Holy of Holies in the temple, that place where only the high priest of the Lord was allowed to enter.  Once a year, on the day of atonement (Yom Kippur) the designated priest would enter this forbidden sanctuary to offer sacrifices to God for the sins of the people.  Even today, Yom Kippur is recognized as one of the Holiest days of the year in Judaism.  Many continue to honor the occasion by focusing on atonement and repentance.  By the way, this is part of what Jesus gave Himself to accomplish {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  For its part, the mainstream church has also been a part of the "Fear the Lord" theme through the years, although in different ways.  Growing up in the mainstream church separation theology, I was always taught to fear what God might do.  God might become angry with me if I sinned or behaved in the wrong way.  If ever I would be in church on a Sunday morning and speaking to a difficult time in my life, someone might ask me just what I had done to upset the Lord.  Why was he punishing me?  Knowing what I know today, I know that life is life, and that the Father brings us through many situations through our life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  We have no need to be in fear of God.  

Fear is not in love, but perfect love is casting out fear, for fear has chastening.  Now he who is fearing is not perfected in love

First Epistle of John 4: 18, Concordant New Testament 

I recall watching the old Charlton Heston movie The Ten Commandments and being in fear of the God.  There Heston stood on that mountain with all the special effects going on all around him.  Was this really what being in the presence of God was like?  The loud thunder, the smoke and fire?  If so, let someone else talk to Him and report back to me what He said.  The truth is, it was never the Fathers intention that He should be placed in a box, away from His creation.  The Fathers true desire is that His children come to know Him and enjoy His presence.  The apostle Johns speaks to the love we find in the Father casting out whatever fears we might have {First Epistle of John 4:18}.  He is not a God to be feared, but a Father with love for His creation.  In fact, love is the primary identity of God {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  Jesus did not die on the cross because we were afraid of Gods sin punishment.  No, He gave His life for us out of His love for us {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  For some believers entrenched in the theology of the church, it might be a tough pill to swallow that God does everything out of love.  Love is what He has chosen to be.  The Father does not want us to approach Him out of fear, but out of our love for Him.  Yet if we do find ourselves in fear of Him, we can rest assured that He can and will ease our spirits to rest in His love for us.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (From Behind The Veil) #1957

 

Now Jesus, again crying with a loud voice, lets out the spirit.  And lo! the curtain of the temple is rent in two from above to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and rocks are rent

Matthews Account 27: 50-51, Concordant New Testament 

The death of Jesus on the cross was a dramatic event in our relationship with God.  Many things were happening as He drew His final breath.  Including the quaking of the earth {Matthews Account 27:51}.  The dead were raised {Matthews Account 27:52}.  Yet perhaps the most significant event aside from His own death was what happened in the temple of Jerusalem.  For we're told that in the moment that Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom.  Why does this natter?  Well, take a look at why the curtain was placed in the Jewish temple in the first place.  The reason for this is that the Jewish leaders long held the narrative that God cannot be approached by sinners.  The only men who were allowed to enter behind that veil in the temple was the high priest.  Once each year, on the day of atonement (Yom Kippur), the high priest entered the Holy of Holies beyond the veil to offer up sacrifices for the sins of the people.  This was the only time man entered the sanctuary behind the veil.  Again, why is this important to us?  Because with the death of His Son on the cross, God has declared that not only has the sin debt been paid, but that the Father is once again among His children without the hinderance of the veil.  The tearing of the temple veil has more than symbolic value.  For we are now free to commune with Him, which has been the Fathers intent all along.  For centuries, the Jewish religious leaders proclaimed that sinful man could never enter into the presence of God, who dwelled behind the veil in the Holy of Holies.  In an instant, God upended that narrative.  God did not step out from behind the veil, He has always been with us.  It is only the traditions of men that tell us otherwise.  

And I hear another voice out of heaven, saying, "Come out of her, My people, lest you should be joint participants in her sins, and lest you should be getting of her calamities 

The Unveiling of Christ Jesus 18: 4, Concordant New Testament 

It is my belief that the veil, having been torn in the temple upon the death of Jesus, continues to be spoken to by the mainstream church of today.  For it is the church which continues to speak to the centuries old separation theology that our sins have separated us from God.  Sound familiar?  This was the same teaching proclaimed by the Jewish religious leaders for thousands of years.  That man is sinful and that he can never approach God behind the veil of the Holy of Holies.  The author J Preston Eby takes this one step further when he references what he sees as Gods call to His children to "Come out of her," meaning the traditional church.  We already known how God feels about that line of thinking.  For if it was His intention to prevent man from communing with Him, the veil and tradition would have remained intact.  But those in the church have gone further than that, they have resurrected the veil of separation between God and His children.  Despite the death of Jesus and the paying of our sin debt, those in the church continue to preach that sin is still the issue which separates us from God.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For instead of being separated from God, Jesus has spoken that our life in IN HIM {Johns Account 14:20}.  This is the truth which we discover in the Father.  God has always been a part of us.  It is man who needs to step out from behind that veil of religious tradition into relationship the Father.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Behind The Veil) #1956

 

But we all, with uncovered face, mirroring the Lords glory, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the spirit

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3: 18, Concordant New Testament 

Unless you have been ignoring the news lately, you probably have heard of the anti-common sense protests in Los Anglos as well as other cities around the nation.  Of course, this is what usually seems to happen when one side of the political aisle doesn't get their desired outcome and take it upon themselves to assault people, destroy property and generally make a mess of things.  We've seen this movie before.  Fortunately, this time we have a president who simply will not put up with it.  But watch these protests for any period of time and you'll see them.  Those in dark clothing and face masks who choose for some reason to keep their identities a secret.  Yet something that I have learned about the veils we wear is that they can all too often limit our understanding.  From the believers perspective, the "Veil" is that which darkens our own understanding of the truth of Christ Jesus spoken through the evangel of the apostle Paul.  Paul speaks to our being transformed into image of Christ.  We see this as our faces have been uncovered {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3:18}.  There is nothing to blind our understanding of the truth of our life in the Father.  However, not all have had that veil lifted.  To these the truth of Christ has become unrecognizable.  The veil has blinded their own understanding.  They have yet to step out from behind the veil to come to know Jesus for who he is.  Paul speaks to these as having the covering of the veil "Lying on their heart" {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3:15}.  I'm not afraid to admit that I was once blinded by the veil as so many others have been.  Being raised in the separation theology of the mainstream church, I fully believed that it was my sin which continued to separate me from God.  This despite the fact that Christ has given Himself as innocent blood on the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  The sin debt has been paid.  Yet the lie spoken by the deceiver in the garden convinces us that we are somehow separated from God.  Many defenders of this separation theology point to certain scripture which seem to prove their point {Isaiah 59:2}.  If this is true, then why did God dispatch His Son for the elimination of our sin?  Paul speaks to the fact that Jesus has given Himself "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  For Paul, the veil had been lifted.  Through his evangel, it will be lifted for many more in the name of Jesus.  

But their apprehensions were calloused, for until this very day the same covering is remaining at the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered.  For only in Christ is it being nullified.  But till today, if ever the reading of Moses should be reached, a covering is lying on their heart 

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3: 14-15, Concordant New Testament 

I might be out on a limb here, but I don't think that the church is the representation of the veil which blinds so many.  However, I do believe that it continues to be a factor in the understanding of others being clouded.  I wrote yesterday that when a lie is spoken often enough, it soon becomes seen as the truth.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the centuries old theology of the church.  That same veil which Paul speaks of in Corinthians still exists today.  My eyes having been opened to the truth of my life in the Father, I now see many others who continue to be stuck behind the veil.  Make no mistake, as it has been for me, it is God Who will lift this barrier from their hearts.  For the desire of the Father is that His children come to know Him.  Jesus has spoken of our own knowing of our life in the Father {Johns Account 14:20, 17:21}.  When the veil is lifted, our eyes will be opened to the reality of this truth of our life in Him.  There will be nothing to blind our understanding of who we are.  The lie hidden behind the veil speaks to our separation from God.  The truth we find in Him is that we've never been apart from His presence.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Speaking Jesus) #1955

 

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

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

One of our discussions this week centered around the spoken word.  A good friend of mine has the bad habit of proclaiming the false identity for himself.  That being his own negative image he seems to carry with him.  This is the image which so many others have spoken to him that he is.  So much so over the years, that he has now come to accept these false words of others as being true.  I respectfully disagreed with his description of himself, because I've been where he is now.  I've been in those dark places wondering why God would love a sinner and bad guy such as me.  Like my friend, I had bought into the words and lies that others had spoken about me.  I fully believed that was who I was in the eyes of God.  Of course, nothing could have been further from the truth.  But this was the lie which had been spoken to me so many times that I had come to expect it as truth.  There is some truth to the old saying that the lie, spoken often enough, soon becomes truth.  We see evidence of this in the false separation theology of the mainstream church today.  That it is our own sins that have separated us from the presence of God Who created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  I use the corny examples of cars to illustrate this.  How is it that we refer to our cars?  We usually refer to them by their manufacturer, right?  Ford, Chevy and Toyota.  The cars maker is identified with the car itself.  So it is with us as well.  God has created us in His likeness, and we are forever in Him {Johns Account 17:21}.  The false words and lies of others might try to convince us otherwise, but they cannot overcome the truth of who we are in the Father.  

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 would say that rarely are true and positive words spoken about our one true identity unless they are spoken from someone who is in or being led by the spirit.  This is where the truth of who we are really lies.  Now, God can certainly use those around us to speak to us what He wants us to hear as well.  I have been witness to this in my own life.  Where I feel for my friend is when he chooses to proclaim the negative false identity of himself.  I get it.  For too many years, people have been filling his head with everything that THEY want him to believe about himself.  Others might argue, but I see this as verbal abuse.  People choosing to attack someone else through their negative words.  Yet something I have learned over the years is all too often those same negative words which people are using against others can be a clear indication of how it is that they feel about themselves.  That the one using negative words to describe someone else actually is struggling with negative feelings about themselves.  I didn't need to fork out hundreds of dollars to some quack psychologist to come to this understanding.  I simply observed others around me.  More often than not, those who were speaking negative words to me were struggling with a negative self image for themselves.  It's called projecting, and we can use negative or positive words to project this onto those around us.  How can we use this in a positive, Godly way?  By proclaiming the truth and speaking it unto those around us.  That we ARE NOT the product of the negative words spoken by others.  No, the truth is that our life is one with the Father.  Jesus has proclaimed that our life is in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  Knowing the truth of who we are in God can overcome the negative words spoken unto us by others.  One key step to knowing the truth is to speak it to ourselves daily.  My life is in the Father.  I am created in His likeness.  What can possibly be negative about knowing that?  So, my advice to my friend would be, keep speaking Jesus.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Punishment To Fit The Crime) #1954

 

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

First Epistle of John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

Growing up, I was taught that God is all about the rewarding of the righteous and the condemnation of the wicked.  That if I was a good believer I would be rewarded with my place in heaven.  However, if I did not behave, certain banishment to the torture of hell awaited me.  This is the black and white mentality of the Christian religion.  The good must be rewarded and the wicked punished.  The issue that I have with this teaching is that it leaves very little room for the true love nature of God to be expressed.  Many Christians see God as little more than One who watches over them to ensure that we are doing things the right way.  And why not?  We all remember what happened to those in Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the great flood in the days of Noah.  God simply will not tolerate those who behave badly.  There is no room in His presence for those who do such things, or is there?  Like most mainstream church teachings, the black and white, good versus evil mentality is dead wrong.  Yet I'm not afraid to admit that I was once convinced that this was how God worked.  Not only that, this was the lens by which I saw Him in my own life.  Imagine living in fear of the impending condemnation of the Lord.  I would guess that this is the life lived by many believers today.  We walk gingerly through life, afraid of each and every mistake we might make.  Knowing full well that another mistake might just bring about the condemnation of a God Who loved us enough to create us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  Indeed, this is part of the hypocrisy of the church.  Yes, He loves me, when I do good.  Yes, Jesus died for me, unless I misbehave today, which in some twisted way of thinking negates the sacrifice of Christ.  Again, this IS NOT the love of the Father being displayed.  Many don't even know the one true nature of God.  That being love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  Everything which God will ever do is done to display His love.  He can do nothing but that, for that is Who He has chosen to be.  

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

~George Carlin~ 

I've come to the conclusion that far too many believers have the belief that the sacrifice of Jesus was a punishment which did not fit the crime.  The crime being so great that the blood of Jesus could never have covered it entirely.  Therefore, they take it upon themselves to seek the Lords forgiveness for that crime on a day to day basis.  I have a good friend who has this very mindset.  I have talked with many so called Christians who profess to know of the sacrifice of Jesus, but seem to think that their sin was somehow not covered by His death on the cross.  The apostle Paul has written that Christ Jesus has died "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Did the punishment given out upon the innocence of Jesus fit the crime which He was punished for?  Make no mistake, WE were the ones who needed to die on that cross, not Jesus.  Jesus was the innocent sacrifice given willingly for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  THIS is the love nature of the Father being expressed for us.  We did the crime, Jesus did the time.  What better way to deny the sacrifice of Christ than to profess that He somehow missed a sin or two.  That His punishment did not fit our crime.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For as Jesus died to sin once for all time, He died for our sins of the past, present AND future.  This is the truth which the church will not tell you.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Eyes To See) #1953

 

Now the soulish man is not receiving those things which are of the spirit of God, for they are stupidity to him, and he is not able to know them, seeing that they are spiritually examined

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 2: 14, Concordant New Testament 

As a young man steeped in the religious practices and traditions of the Jewish religion, Saul knew all too well what was expected of those who were of the Jewish faith.  The strict adherence to those traditions handed down for generations had been instilled in him from a young age.  By his own admission, he advanced in his faith and religion becoming "Inherently exceedingly more zealous for the traditions of my fathers" {Pual to the Galatians 1:14}.  All of that changed one day on the road to Damascus as Saul traveled, letters for the persecution of the followers of Jesus in hand, towards Damascus.  What happened next I often refer to as this man Saul's "Come to Jesus" moment.  For on that dusty road, Saul came face to face with the One he had been persecuting.  In an instant, Saul was transformed from a Jewish zealot to one on his knees asking "Who art thou, Lord" {Acts of the Apostles 9:5}?  Imagine his surprise as he learned that this was none other than He whom Saul had been persecuting, the risen Lord Jesus.  While he was just beginning in his own understanding of the man he had sought to persecute, Saul's eyes had been opened to the reality of Christ Jesus.  Later, the man now known as Paul would come to know much more about Him, until Paul's evangel became the blueprint of our own understanding of our own life in Christ.  For many believers, however, their eyes have yet to be opened to the truth which Paul speaks of in his evangel.  Growing up in the mainstream church, I can relate to that indoctrination which Saul went through in the synagogues of the Jewish religion.  From an early age, the beliefs and traditions of the mainstream church were instilled in me as well.  That despite the fact that Jesus gave Himself on that cross for my sin, that it was this same sin which now separated me from the God Who created me.  My eyes had yet to be opened.  

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 

Many in the Christian faith throw out the term "Eyes being opened" without really knowing the truth themselves.  For if we adhere to the separation theology preached by the mainstream church, our eyes have yet to be opened to the truth of the Lord Jesus in us.  That's right, Jesus WITHIN  us.  Paul's eyes had been opened to this truth of his life in Jesus {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  His own understanding may not have occurred on that road to Damascus, but Paul would spend more than a few years in the desert unwrapping his own understanding of the truth of Jesus {Paul to the Galatians 1:17}.  Paul spent a good deal of time in Arabia where he undoubtedly spent a good deal of time in the spirit as well.  We do well to remember that Paul had a good deal of Jewish tradition which needed to be unlearned.  My own journey to knowing the truth of Christ in me followed a similar path.  I see my own "Come to Jesus" moment as that day, while on a hike with a good friend, I was introduced to the truth of my life in Jesus.  That trail became my own road to Damascus if you will.  Since then, my eyes having been opened, I have come to know the Lord Jesus not as some distant overseer, but as the source of my life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  As Paul came to understand that his life was not his own, so it has been for me.  I know that there have been more than a few people who have prayed that my eyes would be opened, but God works in His own time.  As it was with Paul, when it delighted Him, He revealed His Son in me {Paul to the Galatians 1:15}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Our Foolish Pride) # 1952

 

Now He said, also, to some who have confidence in themselves that they are just, this parable:  "Two men went up into the sanctuary to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tribute collector.  The Pharisee, standing, prayed to himself: 'God, I am thanking you that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tribute collector.  I am fasting twice of a sabbath, I am taking tithes from whatever I am acquiring.'  Now the tribute collector, standing afar off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, 'God, make a propitiatory shelter for me, a sinner!'  I am saying to you, this man descended to his house justified, rather than that one, for everyone who is exalting himself shall be humbled, yet he who is humbling himself shall be exalted."

Lukes Account 18: 9-14, Concordant New Testament 

People know well the warning, but they insist upon engaging in that which they have been warned against.  The phrase "Foolish pride" has been around for some time.  In my time in the gym, I have come across many a prideful individual.  It seems that the gym, any gym, is a breeding ground for those who are proud not only of their appearance, but in what they have accomplished to get there.  Me, I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity to better my own health and well being.  Recently there has been a good number of threads coming across my social media of guys who profess to be proud of who they are.  They are unashamed that they all too often puff themselves up with advice to others that they also need to be proud of who they are as individuals.  As I so often do, I have recently turned to seeing just what it is that the Lord sees of our own pride in who we are.  First off, when we claim that we are proud of ourselves as individuals, we are lying.  If we were indeed individuals, nobody else could stake claim to our own creation.  Many believers would agree that God created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  That He then breathed into us the breath of life, creating a living soul {Genesis 2:7}.  So, as individuals, we were created by God?  How does that work?  It is no wonder that the scriptures are filled with warnings of our being proud in ourselves.  Jesus speaks the parable of the Pharisee and the tribute collector (Tax collector) in the book of Luke {Lukes Account 18:9-14}.  Here, the arrogant Pharisee prides himself that he is "Not as the rest of men" {Lukes Account 9:11}.  That he is justified in the eyes of the Lord, so he believes.  The tribute collector, on the other hand, would not even approach the altar, but stood far off.  This man, beating his own chest, prayed to the Lord that He would "Make a propitiatory shelter for me, a sinner!" {Lukes Account 18:13}.  The scriptures tell us that the tribute collector returned to his own house justified in the eyes of God.  Jesus concludes His parable with the point of His teaching, "Everyone who is exalting himself shall be humbled, yet he who is humbling himself shall be exalted" {Lukes Account 18:14}.  Good advice. 

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 

The popular assumption out there is that we, mankind in general, is his own separate individual.  This belief speaks to the original sin spoken by the deceiver in the garden.  For Satan convinced Adam and Eve that if they ate of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that they would "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:1-6}.  Why is this false belief in our own individuality a sin?  Because it denies the presence of God in our existence.  That we could somehow "Be like God," despite the truth that there is no other God but Him {Isaiah 45:5}.  For its part, the mainstream church has continued to speak to the separation theology which insists that man and God have been separated by the sins of mankind.  Many Christians enforce this belief by quoting the prophet Isaiah {Isaiah 59:2}.  That God has indeed hidden His face from man, His cherished creation.  If this were indeed true, why would God have dispatched His Son on our behalf?  If God has hidden His face from me, what need do I have for Jesus?  This is the question which needs to be asked of those who proclaim that we have somehow been separated from God.  What about Jesus?  The truth we find in the evangel of the apostle Paul is that we, as Gods loved creation, have never been separated from Him.  We not only share in His creation, but it is Jesus Himself Who speaks to our life in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Jesus speaks to us not as individuals, but as one in union with Him {Paul to the Colossians 1:18}.  How is it that we can have pride in being individuals when the scriptures point to the exact opposite?  But, that is the way of the world.  Our goal should be to be rejoicing in our life in Him.  Knowing that in God we have our being {Acts of the Apostles 17:28}. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Mature Spirit) # 1951

 

I am writing to you, little children, seeing that your sins have been forgiven you through His name.  I am writing to you, Fathers, seeing that you know Him Who is from the beginning.  I am writing to you, youths, seeing that you have conquered the wicked one.  I write to you, little children, seeing that you know the Father.  I write to you, fathers, seeing that you know Him Who is from the beginning.  I write to you, youths, seeing that you are strong and the word of God is remaining in you, and you have conquered the wicked one 

First Epistle of John 2: 12-14, Concordant New Testament 

What does it mean to have a mature spirit?  The first time I recall hearing of this concept was in a Sunday sermon where I was half paying attention and half asleep.  But something about that pastors words caught my attention.  Spiritual maturity?  What was that?  Well, I believe that we can associate our own spiritual maturity in how well grounded we are in our knowing of Him.  The apostle John speaks to some different levels of this spiritual maturity as well {First Epistle of John 2:12-14}.  He speaks to the "Little children" who have that basic knowing that their sins have forgiven through Christ Jesus {First Epistle of John 2:12}.  He speaks to the "Youths" who have become strong and the is remaining in them {First Epistle of John 2:14}.  He speaks to those as "Fathers" who have known Him Who is from the beginning {First Epistle of John 2:13}.  I believe that the apostle refers to his readers in this way in order to illustrate their level of spiritual maturity.  As young Christians, we may begin to understand the truth of our sins being forgiven.  As we grow older, our own spiritual maturity will certainly increase if we remain in the Lord.  Obviously, there is no age timeline for when we advance in our maturity, although it is important that we continue to be in the knowledge of the Father.  As I contemplated my own spiritual maturity recently, I began to wonder if I had indeed reached that "Father" status.  According to the apostle, a father knows Who is from the beginning {Johns Account 1:1-3}.  As I've come to grow in the knowledge of the Lord, I have also come to know Him in a more intimate way.  I now believe that my live my life in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  Indeed, this is the  knowing Who is from the beginning.  Many in the church would refer to this as spiritual growth.  

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual, but as to fleshy, as to minors in Christ.  Milk I give you to drink, not solid food, for not as yet were you able.  Nay, still, not even now are you able, for you are still fleshly, for there is jealously and strife among you, are you not fleshly and walking according to man? 

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 3:1-3, Concordant New Testament 

The apostle Paul writes in Corinthians to those he refers to as "Minors in Christ" {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 3:1}.  These are believers whom Paul could not speak to in a spiritual way, as they were still following the urges of the flesh despite being believers.  The "Solid food" of his evangel would not have been understood by these immature young believers.  Who has not been in the company of brand new believers?  Their energy and enthusiasm are an inspiration to us all.  I can recall being excited as a young believer myself.  But what happens then?  Far too often, those excited new believers get bogged down in the theology of the church or simply continue in the ways of the world.  They understand and celebrate that their sins have been forgiven, but they are not mature enough to know the truth of the Father or Paul's evangel.  There is a reason that my own journey to knowing the truth of my life in Him has taken me a good part of fifty years in the making.  I was not mature enough to understand it.  My eyes had yet to be opened.  But, as with Paul, when it delighted God, the truth of my life in Him was revealed unto me {Paul to the Galatians 1:15}.  I now know that there have been many who have prayed that my eyes would be opened to the truth of the Father in me.  I don't consider myself mature by any means, I simply know the truth in my heart. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Come Jesus!) #1950

 

Thus Christ also, being offered once for the bearing of the sins of the many, will be seen a second time, by those awaiting Him, apart from sin, for salvation, through faith

To the Hebrews 9: 28, Concordant New Testament 

Spend time in Christian theology and you will surely hear of the promise the second coming of Christ.  It is then which the guilty will be punished and all will be made right {Matthews Account 16:27}.  Growing up in the mainstream church, I often heard the call, "Come Lord Jesus!"  Of course, this was born under the assumption of the church separation theology.  See, upon His resurrection, Jesus was taken into heaven and seated at the Fathers side {Acts of the Apostles 1:10-11}.  It has been the teaching of the church that Jesus, therefore, has been set aside from the Fathers earthly creation and awaits the moment of His own return.  This will be the second coming of Christ but, like many teachings of the church, are simply not true.  For it has been documented that after His resurrection, Jesus returned and was witnessed by many {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:1-8}.  According to historical accounts, Jesus was witnessed by over 500 people over a period of 40 days after His resurrection.  THIS was the second coming of Jesus.  For the mainstream church to profess that His second coming will be in the future is simply false teaching.  Not only that, to believe that we must wait for His return is also based upon the false separation theology of the church.  That it is our sin which separates us from the presence of the Lord.  Yet the writer of Hebrews proclaims that Jesus was "Offered once for the bearing of the sins of the many" {To the Hebrews 9:28}.  The apostle Paul speaks to Jesus dying to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  I'm not simply cherry picking verses here, this is the spoken evangel of the apostle Paul.  That Christ Jesus died "That the body of sin may be nullified" {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  That body of sin was our old sin nature which Paul speaks to in Romans 3:23.  Do we simply discount the words of Paul to fit the narrative of the church?  That is a dangerous road.  Therefore, let it be known that we need not await the return of Jesus. 

That they may all be one, according as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us, that the world should be believing that Thou dost commission Me

Johns Account 17: 21, Concordant New Testament 

As He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane that night, Jesus prayed that Gods children would be in unity with He and the Father {Johns Account 17:21}.  It has never been the Fathers plan that we would be separated from He who created us.  This is why Jesus took on our sin upon Himself {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Jesus was innocent.  It was we who needed to die, not Him.  Yet through the love and grace of God, He who knew no sin became the sin offering for many.  I have always believed that the cross was the end of the story of Jesus, but the beginning.  Through the cross, Jesus has transcended death {Paul to the Romans 6:9}.  The church would have us believe that Jesus suffered the cross and was taken up into heaven, end of story.  Far from it.  Jesus Himself has proclaimed that our life is in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  We need not wait for His return in order to enjoy life and fellowship with Him.  He is here today!  Paul speaks to this truth in Galatians {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  To walk in Jesus is to know that our life is not of this world, but in Him.  May our eyes be opened to this truth. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Meaning Of Prayer) #1949

 

Thus, then, you be praying: 'Our Father Who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done, as in heaven, on earth also

Matthews Account 6: 9-10, Concordant New Testament 

I don't have the number, but I would assume that prayer is something many people engage in on a daily basis.  As Christians, we're told to pray without ceasing {1 Thessalonians 5:16}.  To let our requests be made known to God {Paul to the Philippians 4:6}.  But in going over my notes for writing this page, I was more concerned by what Jesus Himself said about prayer.  What is it that Jesus wanted us to pray for, and how?  Fortunately, Jesus gives us His example to follow in the book of Matthew.  In what Christians have long celebrated as the Lords prayer, Jesus lays out His view on how we should pray.  First and foremost, we're to acknowledge our Father in heaven {Matthews Account 6:9}.  It is then that Jesus unloads what we should be focused on praying for.  Not that new car.  Not the job promotion.  No, what Jesus encourages us to be praying for is that the will of His Father be done here on earth as it is in heaven {Matthews Account 6:10}.  That's right, above all else, HIS will be done.  Now, it may just be that the Lords will is to open the doors and provide someone with that car or better job, but we must understand that, above all else, it is the Father's will which will be done.  Jesus doesn't stop there.  He also instructs us to pray that HE be giving us our bread for this day {Matthews Account 6:11}.  That He forgive us our debts, as we also forgive those who we are indebted to {Matthews Account 6:12}.  Nowhere in Jesus' instructions on prayer do we take center stage.  Our purpose is to ask for the Father that His will be done.  This can be pretty difficult in a world that preaches the separation theology of the mainstream church.  That it is our sin which gets in the way between ourselves and God.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For we have died to our old sin nature nailed beside Jesus on the cross {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  It is Jesus Who has perished to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Yet far too many Christians, including a friend of mine, continue in the belief that we are in a constant need to be in prayer for Gods forgiveness daily.  Tell me, if Jesus has died to sin once for all time, what need to we have to keep seeking God's forgiveness?  This is not the purpose of prayer that the Father intended.  

And, dismissing the throngs, He ascended into the mountain privately to pray.  Now, evening coming on, He was there alone

Matthews Account 14: 23, Concordant New Testament 

We can learn another valuable lesson from Jesus in regards to our prayers.  That being that our prayers are not simply a wish list for what we need God to do for us, but our own personal conversation with the Father.  We have many examples in the scriptures of Jesus retreating to some private place to commune with the Father {Matthews Account 14:23}.  In His example on prayer, Jesus speaks to our retreating to a private place for our own conversation with God {Matthews Account 6:6}.  Obviously, Jesus was speaking from His own experience when He spoke to this.  There is something personal and intimate when we retreat to a private place to fellowship with the Father in prayer.  First, we often are free of the hassles of the outside world, which is what God desires.  He wants our full attention.  It is only when we are alone with Him that we can truly hear Him speak to our spirit.  Some call it meditation, others simply call it as it is, being alone with God.  Whatever you call it, it should be a treasured part of your day.  I find that my most quiet times in the Lord are in the evening as I'm preparing to sleep.  Others find their quiet time to be early in the morning.  Perhaps this is why Jesus spoke to our finding that quiet place to pray, that no matter what time of day it is that we can always find time to open our hearts to God.  We can also trust that no matter what time of day it is, He is always listening {First Epistle of John 5:14-15}.  

~Scott~