The Good Of The Father (A Church Like No Other) # 2044

 

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

Paul to the Colossians 1: 18, Concordant New Testament 

Ever since I left the church, it seems that I always come across someone who asks me THAT question once again.  "So, what church are you going to?"  They're always a bit dumbfounded when I tell them that I walk into the church of the Lord Jesus.  Well, just where exactly is that?  Can I go too?  In all honesty, the church of the Lord Jesus, that church of which He is the head, will not be found in some ornate fancy building that we've come to expect of churches down through the years.  Where we will find the church of the Lord Jesus, His ecclesia, is anywhere there is a gathering of those who know, love and worship Christ Jesus.  This could be in a Sunday morning small group meeting or, as in my case, in a simple gym environment among those who are seeking the Lord as well.  Through the years, those within the mainstream church have come to structure the way that church is defined.  They will insist that we should not be "Forsaking the assembling of ourselves" {To the Hebrews 10:25}.  They will point to this verse as somewhat of a heavenly command to go to church each and every week without fail.  In reality, when one looks into the context of this passage, we began to see a somewhat different message.  See, when this scripture was written, the nation of Israel was still under the control of the Roman empire.  As a consequence of this, early believers were persecuted for their belief and for following the teachings of Jesus.  The writers of the verses we find in Hebrews encouraged believers to gather amongst themselves in worship despite the consequences they faced if they were caught by the Roman authorities.  To not forsake the assembling of themselves within the ecclesia, the church of the Lord Jesus.  These gatherings typically took place not in synagogues, but in the homes of believers in Christ Jesus.  If these early believers followed the dictates of the religious leaders of their day, they would have gathered in the synagogues as they always had.  Jesus changed all that.  No longer is the brick and mortar church the center of those who know and believe in Jesus. 

God is spirit, and those who are worshipping Him must be worshipping in spirit and truth

Johns Account 4: 24, Concordant New Testament 

One of my favorite scenes from The Chosen series is the day that Jesus traveled to meet the Samaritan woman drawing water from a well.  This woman had been fed the requirements of the religious leaders of her day, who claimed that she could not worship in Jerusalem due to the fact that Samaritans were seen as somehow "Unclean" by the Jews.  Once again, Jesus came to break the traditions and requirements of the Jewish authorities.  This woman, who was seen as unclean was assured by Jesus that she was a part of His ecclesia.  That the traditional worship requirements no longer mattered.  She was now free to worship the Lord in "Spirit and truth" wherever she felt led to do so.  This is the same spirit of worship which we have today.  Nothing has changed, God is still in spirit and He continues to desire that we worship in spirit and truth.  Now, if someone is led to worship in the traditional church environment, then they are free to do just that.  As for myself, I choose to worship the Father in my own way, apart from the rules and traditions of the mainstream church.  No boring sermons.  No tithe and no obnoxious praise and worship music.  Of course, there will always be those within the church who will tell me that I'm missing the point.  That I somehow cannot worship the Father unless I do so within the confines of the brick and mortar church environment.  That sounds a bit too much like compulsion to me.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (One And Done) # 2043

 

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 the 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 

I can still remember one of the last times that I walked into a church for a Sunday service.  It was an Easter Sunday, and the pastor had just finished his sermon on how Jesus had risen from the grave three days after giving Himself on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  Immediately following the sermon, the pastor invited anyone who needed prayer, including those who felt led to confess sin in their lives, to come forward where the church staff could pray with them.  In my mind, something didn't click with this invitation to prayer.  For I had just been told that it is Jesus who has given Himself for the forgiveness of my sins.  Now, you're telling me that I still have sin to worry about?  At that moment, I knew that I was done with the hypocrisy of the mainstream church.  Granted, this wasn't the first time that I had been told that I needed to worry about those sins Jesus had supposedly forgiven.  Growing up in the church, I had been taught to continually pray over that sin which Jesus had supposedly forgiven me.  I spent most of my life wondering what I had done that would make Jesus overlook my own sin.  Never once did I think that this was not a Jesus or a me issue, but an issue with the teachings of the church.  For if the scriptures tell me that Jesus gave Himself for the forgiveness of sin, but the church says otherwise, I will accept the words of Jesus each and every time.  Therefore, it's my belief that the church has sold us a bill of goods when it comes to sin.  Those within the church know full well that Christ Jesus died for the sin of all mankind, yet they continue to preach otherwise.  Scripture tells us that He is "The Lamb of God which is taking away the sin of the world!" {Johns Account 1:29}.  That Christ Jesus has been dispatched not to judge, but that ALL the world would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Somewhere along the way, the church lost that message.  

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 good friend of mine made the comment to me the other day that Christians love their sin, and I would agree.  Think about it, too many believers spend their days wondering and worrying over something which Jesus has already given Himself to remove from our lives.  The apostle Paul speaks to the truth that Jesus died that we "By no means still be slaving for sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  Not only that, but that He gave Himself for the death of our sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Jesus has not overlooked some sin that we would once again be under its influence.  Jesus has given Himself that ALL sin would die on that cross!  Yet the argument I get from too many believers is that they continue to "Behave wrongly."  They falsely identify this as being sin.  But if we're promised that Jesus has died once already for the forgiveness of sin, can we therefore assume that this means ALL sin past, present and future?  Once again, Jesus said it, I believe it.  Yet whenever I mention this truth to well intentioned believers, they scoff at my seemingly blatant heresy.  But is it heresy?  I have been told that Christ Jesus is the Lamb of God which is taking away the sin of the world, can we trust the scriptures in this?  I know that I do.  One message I will not trust is that of the mainstream church, whose message contradicts the truth we find in the evangel of Paul.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (How I talk About Jesus) # 2042

 

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

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

I'm not like other so called Christians.  I refuse to tell others about Jesus while quoting numerous scriptures and "Thou shalt not" quotes to others.  The Jesus that I speak unto others might not be the same Jesus which they have heard preached in any mainstream church they have ever been in.  For I do not speak of a Jesus of tradition and law, but of the truth of Him which has been revealed unto me.  First and foremost, the Christ which I proclaim in fact gave Himself on the cross that I would be free from the bondage of sin {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  People are often shocked when I tell them that I no longer spend my days worrying if my sins have been forgiven.  For in my heart I KNOW that it is Christ Jesus who gave Himself for me.  Jesus said it, I believe it {Johns Account 14:6}.  I also speak of the love of the Father, which is exemplified through Christ {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  I have come to believe that the reason that so many people have a difficult time in understanding the message of Jesus that I speak to them is because they have never heard this truth of who He is.  Growing up in the theology of the church, I was taught that Jesus indeed died for my sin on the cross, and three days later He rose again.  However, many times this is where the similarities of the church version of Jesus and His truth which I speak are radically different.  Another area where I often get some pushback is in how it is that I live my life.  I do not live my life in fear of the unknown.  That fear that God might find my behavior not worthy of His holiness as is preached by those in the mainstream church.  No, I live my life (Which wasn't mine to begin with) in union with Christ and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  For those who have been taught that their sin has separated them from the presence of God, this is a difficult pill to swallow.  Yet Jesus Himself has spoken the words of our union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20, Johns Account 17:21}.  Do we discount these words spoken by Jesus simply because they don't agree with the theology taught by the church?  Not in my opinion.  Because of this, I will continue to speak the truth that has been revealed to me. 

"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 

A good friend of mine has always been on me to include more of my own life experiences when I write these posts.  I get it.  Jesus has proclaimed that we are to be "The light of the world" {Mathews Account 5:14}.  We are the ones whom the world will look upon to see the love nature of God displayed through us.  I have had a good number of people approach me and remind me that "There is something different about you."  It is in these moments that I usually introduce them to the Jesus which the Father has revealed unto me.  Not everyone is accepting of my words, but the seed has been planted.  The Father will speak unto their hearts as they contemplate these words which I have spoken to them.  How do I know this?  Because this is how the truth of the Lord Jesus has been revealed to me.  After being out of the church for some time, I began to have conversations with a dear friend of mine who also had received the revelation of the Lord Jesus.  It has been through our conversations that the truth of the Lord has also been revealed unto me.  The seed which was planted in our first conversations has now been nurtured by the Father into my knowing of the truth of Christ Jesus within me.  As I've mentioned, this is a Jesus which I never heard spoken of in the church.  And this is the Jesus that I proclaim.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Thankful Heart) # 2041

 I am thanking my God always concerning you over the grace of God which is being given you in Christ Jesus 

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 1: 4, Concordant New Testament 

What are you thankful for?  That is the question which will be asked many times over on this Thanksgiving day.  Over dinner and in conversations with friends, we will ask what we're most thankful for.  Many times, we will answer that we're thankful for the material possessions or good circumstances in our lives.  It might just be me talking, but I don't consider this to be a thankful heart.  What I consider to be a thankful heart is what the apostle Paul demonstrated in his words spoken in his letter to the Corinthians.  That he was thankful for the grace of God which was given unto them through Christ Jesus {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 1:4].  Paul may not have had too many earthly possessions, but if he did, he didn't consider them to be worthy of being that thankful.  What his heart was thankful for was the grace given to us through Christ Jesus.  For Paul had experienced the love and the grace of the Father first hand in his own life.  Paul had every reason to have a thankful heart.  On this day, I think back to the history of that fist harvest of Thanksgiving, where the fist settlers came together among the inhabitants of this land in thankfulness for what the Lord had given unto them.  Indeed, I'm sure their own hearts were thankful for what the Lord had delivered them from on their journey.  It is for this very reason which they celebrated with the first feast of Thanksgiving.  These days, it is common practice to gather around the traditional Thanksgiving turkey meal to connect with friends and family.  But are we truly thankful?  If we are, what is it that we're thankful for?  I don't think many would dispute that Jesus demonstrated a thankful heart to those among Him.  When He fed the crowds with loaves and fish, He gave thanks to the Father for His provision.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus refused to accept the glory which many would have, but instead gave thanks to the Father.  In this He demonstrated His thankful heart for all to see.  

Giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ

Paul to the Ephesians 5:20, Concordant New Testament 

If there is one change which i have noticed as a result of my new found knowledge of the truth I have in my life in Christ is that there is absolutely nothing in my life which God has not been a part of.  Jesus speaks to our union life in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  Indeed, what is it that I will ever acquire that God has not been an intimate part of?  What circumstance will I ever encounter that I have not walked through in His presence?  This is my life in the Father.  If I am thankful for something I have, it is through the Lord that it was given to me.  Likewise, if there is a difficult situation I am facing, I can be assured that I endure it through Him.  So, in this conversation of the thankful heart, I contend that we should always be thankful to the Lord for our life in Him.  This is the truth of our own identity.  Not as individuals apart from God, but as His loved children living through Him.  This is the truth of who we are.  He has created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  Despite our shortcomings, He has dispatched His innocent Son in our place on the cross for our forgiveness {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  We can be assured that everything which the Father will ever do is done with His thoughts of His beloved children in mind.  If Jesus has demonstrated His own thankful heart, we can be assured that He first came to know it in the Father. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father {Being Free) # 2040

 

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

Paul to the Galatians 5: 1, Concordant New Testament 

I've heard that phrase batted around so many times in my time in the church.  That is, to "Live free" in Christ Jesus.  Yet, in all my years sitting in the pews of the mainstream church, I never fully realized what it really meant to be free in Christ.  In fact, it wasn't until I walked away from the church that I began to see what living free in Jesus was truly like.  So, what is it like to live free in Jesus?  Well, I can illustrate it with examples of what I no longer feel as if I am required to do in order to gain His favor.  By living in Christ, I'm no longer required to sit in a pew once or twice a week listening to some Pharisee school educated pastor tell me what I must do to please God.  Not only that, I'm no longer required to set forth a tenth of my income for the upkeep and day to day operations of the church system.  But most important, I'm no longer required to listen to the false church theology that it is my own sin, which Jesus has already paid the price for, which distances me from God.  For me, living in free in Christ is living in the knowledge that my life is not my own, but I live each and every day in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  THAT is the true definition of living free in Jesus.  Yet if you were going to inquire of any typical church pastor what the meaning of this concept is, you might get a totally different answer.  For in the eyes of the church, living free in Jesus means living within the regulations and traditions of the church.  Anything less than this and you're in danger of falling into sin and/or upsetting God.  And who wants to upset the Lord, right?  Therefore, many well intentioned believers continue to live in the traditions of the traditional church.  They have been taught that doing so will lead them into a life lived in Christ, but along with a few other things taught by those in church, this is a lie.  For to truly live free in Jesus we must realize that we are IN HIM.  This is true essence of living free IN Christ.  

Now the Lord is the spirit, yet where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 3: 17, Concordant New Testament 

The apostle Paul, in his evangel, mentions the truth of what it is to be living free in Christ Jesus.  That it is Christ Jesus Who has freed us {Paul to the Galatians 5:1}.  But what have we been set free from?  For one, through Christ Jesus we have been set free from that sin which those within the church continue to remind us of {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  I always have thought it strange that the same church that preaches the truth of Christ Jesus dying on the cross for the forgiveness of sin can in the same breath accuse us of having sin which separates us from God.  Did Jesus give Himself for the forgiveness of sin or didn't He?  Well, Paul seems to think so.  That Jesus is the innocent blood sacrificed for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Are we to disregard the scriptures of the evangel of Paul simply because they don't vibe with the narrative of the church theology?  Well, let's look into what Jesus Himself said about the freedom which we find in Him.  That if the Son has made us free, "You will be really free" {Johns Account 8:36}.  I figure that Jesus knew what He was talking about.  Jesus has never proclaimed that we will be free if we tithe more, go to church more or give more of our time to the local church.  Therefore, I can honestly say that everything which the church has taught about living free in Jesus has been in error.  That isn't just me talking.  This is confirmed through the scriptures of the evangel spoken by Paul as well as the words of Jesus Himself.  That we will know the truth, and that truth shall set us free {Johns Account 8:31-32}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (No Church Required) # 2039

 

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

Paul to the Philippians 4: 13, Concordant New Testament 

A good friend asked me this week to write on the victory which I have achieved over a porn addiction.  In all honesty, this so called victory would never have been possible without the knowledge of who I am in Christ Jesus.  The apostle Paul proclaims this in Philippians when he writes that he is indeed strong in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Philippians 4:13}.  Notice that Paul never says that he is strong because he has believed in Christ, but that he IS IN Him.  See, Paul knew the reality of his life in Christ Jesus.  I would say that this truth is the very reason for my own victory over addiction.  That knowing that my life, my very identity of who I am, is in Christ.  Unfortunately, this is something that I did not learn through my many years of church attendance.  What I did learn from those years was that I was just a sinner despite the work which Jesus did for me on the cross.  That He became the sacrifice to my sin, the innocent sacrifice which took away the sin of the world {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Yet despite knowing and preaching that Jesus indeed bled and died for the forgiveness of sin, the church continues to preach that sin is that barrier in our lives that separates us from God.  This is the theology and preaching which I was raised in.  Thus, when I finally realized that I had an addiction issue, I naturally felt distanced from God because that's what I had been taught about Him.  That He is a jealous God Who punishes sin.  How I spent countless nights praying and worrying that God would not forsake me because of my own sin.  I also know that there are many believers out there who are suffering the same pain that I have.  The church will suggest that they attend a seminar where they can be "Free from sin."  These do not work, believe me I've tried.  It's not that I didn't want to be free of what I saw as sin, I did.  The issue is that I did not know yet of the freedom that I have in Christ Jesus.  As I said, this is not something which is taught within the mainstream church.  For instead of having freedom within Christ Jesus, we have the bondage of sin preached and proclaimed by those within the church.  

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

Paul to the Galatians 5: 1, Concordant New Testament 

Ironically, it was not until I had been away from the church that I began to see Jesus in a totally different way than what I had heard preached from the church.  Not only that, but I also began to have a different view of what the mainstream church proclaims as sin.  This has been the key to overcoming my own addiction.  I would suggest to anyone struggling to overcome their own addiction to take a hard look at how it is that God sees them.  Not as the condemned sinner spoken all too often by the church, but as His loved and cherished children {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  That despite our sin condition, that the Father dispatched His only Son that we will be free through Him {Paul to the Romans 5:8}.  Trust in the scriptures and not in man!  For the scriptures have spoken that Christ Jesus has died on the cross to take away the sin of the world {Johns Account 1:29}.  In reality, the only voices which are condemning us of sin are coming from the pulpits of the church!  For God does not condemn us, He reconciles that which is His unto Himself {Paul to the Colossians 1:20}.  God does not look upon His children as sinners, but as who we truly are.  To me, how God sees me is so much more important to me than how some Pharisee schooled pastor feels that I am.  All of the phrases which the church continues to use to describe us, as sinners saved by grace, are nothing but part of the lies which the church has continued to speak.  The freedom which I have found within Christ Jesus has no room for sin, because Jesus has conquered sin {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  My own path to redemption began when I accepted what the scriptures have proclaimed, that Christ has not come to judge, but that all the world would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:17}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Judgement Day) # 2038

 

Wherefore, defenseless are you, O man!  everyone who is judging, for in what you are judging another, you are condemning yourself, for you who are judging are committing the same things.  Now we are aware that the judgement of God is according to truth against those who are committing such things.  Yet you are reckoning on this, O man, who art judging those who are committing such things, and art doing the same, that you will be escaping the judgement of God? 

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

I'd heard the whispers plenty of times while I was a regular church attender.  "You Christians are such hypocrites!"  Usually, I passed these comments off as that of the sinner.  Yet I soon came to see that passing the judgement of God upon others is indeed a common practice for those who claim to believe.  That it is not just the domain of the unsaved.  I have been reminded of this on a regular basis recently by a good gym rat friend who never ceases to remind me of the coming judgement of the Lord.  Now, I cut him a bit of slack in his behavior as I know all too well where it is that he learns such things.  For I once counted myself among the pews of the churched crowd as well.  I remember all too well the teachings of condemnation that came from the pulpits.  That although I was saved, that I would still stand before the Lord to be judged.  How does that work?  Didn't Christ give Himself willingly on the cross that I would be found blameless in the eyes of the Father?  Was He not the innocent blood shed for me {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}?  Did Jesus somehow miss or overlook some of my sin as He died on the cross?  Did God simply hold back on my forgiveness only to hold it against me later?  Does this sound like the love and forgiveness of the Lord?  Not to me!  For not only do we continue to judge others, but all too often we ourselves indulge in that very same behaviors in which we are condemning others.  I do not use that word condemn lightly, because that is exactly what we are doing when we judge others.  We are taking up that responsibility which lies solely with God and passing it on to those around us.  We often justify our condemnation by proclaiming that "It's in the scripture!"  True, but it is also scriptural that there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Romans 8:1}.  That Jesus Himself did not come into the world to judge, but that all the world would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:17}.  What freedom is there in condemnation?  

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~ 

I have come to the point of knowing in my own faith that I am confident in my identity as Christ Jesus who I now live my life within {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  That my life is now in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  This revelation has not come without questions on my part.  Indeed, there have been many years of mainstream church doctrine which I have needed to overcome.  The trouble is that I often cannot relate my experience to those who remain within the church system without it turning into an argument and my being condemned to the Lords judgement.  This DOES NOT promote feelings of being in Gods love and grace, trust me.  If the freedom we find in Christ Jesus includes passing the judgement of the Lord upon others, then I want no part of that.  Fortunately, this isn't how the love of God works.  He has not provided for our eternity in Him only to condemn us at some future point.  There IS NO condemnation within His love.  The apostle Paul asks the question, if Christ died for us, who is it that condemns us {Paul to the Romans 8:34}?  I'll tell you who, we do!  It has never been the intention of the Lord to hold His judgement over our heads.  However, it has been His purpose to reconcile what was once considered lost unto Him once again {Paul to the Romans 5:10}.  Being reconciled to God through the death of His Son.  Ask yourself, who is it that condemns you?  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (One Dirty Word) # 2037

 

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 loving 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 

I remember that night like it was yesterday.  Lost in my own addiction, I stood outside the door to yet another Portland strip club waiting to once again fulfill that desire of my own flesh.  I had prayed, fasted and read countless books on what it took to beat back the addiction of pornography, and yet I still found myself outside the door to another night of idolizing women.  But this time something was different.  I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but I suddenly felt as if I didn't belong there for some reason.  That I was meant for something better than what I was about to do.  Today, I refer to this moment as the moment that God reminded me just who I was in His eyes.  Not the sinner who everyone, including those within the church, often told me that I was.  I wasn't that guy anymore.  No, as the Father reminded me that night in the midst of my addiction, was that I was His loved child, and that He had better things in mind for me.  As a result, I did something I'd never done before up until that point, I turned and left that place I had so often went to fuel my addiction.  My struggle was not over by a long shot, but I had learned something important about the man that I am.  Why is this important?  Well, lately I have been bombarded with ads and videos from those proclaiming that they can finally end the pornography addiction which so many men and women suffer from.  From seminars to hypnosis, these modern day charlatans take the issue of pornography and prey upon those who suffer from it.  Believe me, I know all too well of the "Break the porn addiction" industry.  As one who was lost in my own addiction, I longed for that day when I could finally be free from those chains.  Yet each and every man conceived method I tried got me nowhere fast.  However, not once did I ever hear one of these salesman ask me that question, who are you in Gods eyes?  For their part, those within the mainstream church instilled in me that I was but a sinner deserving of the Lords punishment and/or eternity in hell.  I was being fed the lie of the deceiver from those I had come to expect to hear of Gods love and forgiveness. 

In Whom there is no Jew nor yet Greek, there is no slave nor yet free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus

Paul to the Galatians 3: 28, Concordant New Testament 

Some time ago, a dear friend of mine related to me the key issue which we face which is at the very heart of the pornography addiction issue.  That being the issue of who it is that we think that we are.  For years, I adhered to the church narrative that I was indeed a sinner.  This is the same narrative spoken by the church today.  I know because I hear it in conversations with my church going friends.  I have even been threatened with an eternity in hell because I no longer go to church!  Tell me, is this biblical?  Does God want us to live in fear?  The apostle John didn't think so.  For it is John who proclaims that there is no fear to be seen in the love of the Father {First Epistle of John 4:18}.  So, God never intended for me, or anyone else for that matter, to live in fear of what He might do as judgement for our sins.  Remember, it is Christ Jesus who has given Himself willingly in our place on that cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  God has proclaimed that "One not knowing sin" would be that sin offering for our sakes.  So, when those within the church speak of our sin identity, they are not being totally honest.  For our identity does not lie with that which Christ Jesus has died to put to death {Paul to the Romans 6:6-11}.  Our one true identity now lies with Christ {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Not only that, but we can be assured that God does not look upon us as sinners, but as His loved and cherished children {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  Whatever addiction that you face, we can be assured that we are never condemned by the Father, but welcomed.  But knowing this truth may just put the porn addiction cure cult out of business for good. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Love Of God) # 2036

 

And we know and believe the love which God has in us.  God is love, and he who is remaining in love is remaining in God, and God is remaining in him 

First Epistle of John 4: 16, Concordant New Testament 

The question was asked by a good friend upon reading my post from yesterday.  Why is it that God does not want us to fear Him?  Now, if I were to have this conversation with someone who has been steeped in the traditions and theology of the mainstream church as I once was, I might get a totally different answer.  Indeed, there was a time when I was still in the church that I actually feared what God would do to me if I did not behave in a way which He found acceptable.  Imagine that, trusting in a God who might one day turn from you and deny your salvation because of how you behaved.  Is there any doubt that I have come to see the Christian church as an institution based on fear?  The fear of how God will ultimately see and judge us.  In spite of this, as comedian George Carlin has stated, He love you.  God loves you, and He needs money, He always needs money.  I will go out on a limb and say that any church that is preaching that we should fear God is not teaching of His love and mercy.  For it is through Gods love and mercy for us that, while we were still in our sin, God saved us {Paul to the Romans 5:8}.  So, what is there to fear from God?  One might point to Gods actions of retribution detailed within the Old Testament and quickly say, AH HA!  To this I say, what about Jesus?  How is it that Jesus fits into the narrative of a jealous and vengeful God?  Can we trust in the forgiving sacrifice of Christ while still living in fear of God?  Well, far too many believers continue to do just that.  Yes, Jesus died for the forgiveness of sin, but if I don't behave God may just not grace me with an eternity in heaven as He has promised.  Surely this is what Jesus was referring to when He proclaimed "I never knew you!" {Matthews Account 7:23}.  In actuality, what Jesus was referring to in this passage was to those who claim to know Him but do not truly know Him personally.  I admit that I once was among this crowd.  I knew OF Jesus, but did not really know Him personally.  I was living in fear.  

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 shared the George Carlin quote I often use with a few church going friends who have scowled and said that they find it offensive.  What?  So, someone calls out the mainstream church for doing what they do and you're offended?  Answer me this, how is it that the traditions and theology spoken by those within the church exemplify the love of God?  Does convincing others that the same sin which He has dispatched His Son to put to death is still an issue show the love of God?  Or, as I believe, has the church gotten it wrong?  I believe that the mainstream church has errored in their attempt to resurrect that which Jesus died to put to death {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  It is through Jesus that Paul is able to proclaim that we must now consider ourselves "Dead, indeed, to sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  THIS is the love of God exemplified.  That while we were yet in sin, Christ died for us.  But the true knowing of the love of God, and the reason that we should not live in fear of Him, is that we now live our lives IN HIM.  Jesus makes this clear in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}.  Jesus in the Father, we are in Him, and He remains in us.  Why should we fear who we are?  For it is the Father who has created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  Not only that, it is through the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross that we now live our life in Him.  We can be assured that there is no fear within the love of God.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Faith Based Upon Fear) # 2035

 

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 

Growing up in the mainstream church, I came to fear God.  God held all the cards to my future.  If I was good enough, He promised me that I would be rewarded with an eternity in heaven.  However, and this is where the fear came into play, if I my behavior did not live up to His standards, then more than likely I would face an eternity in the fires of hell reserved for Satan and his angels {Matthews Account 25:41}.  How is it that a God who loved me enough to create me in His own likeness could ever commit me to a place of punishment apart from Him?  Yet this continues to be the message preached from the pulpits of the church, that we serve a God Who will undoubtedly condemn us if we behave badly.  So it is that far too many believers profess a faith based upon the fear of what will become of them if they don't adhere to Gods holy standards.  I was reminded of this last week when a good Gym Rat friend introduced me to a short video professing a "Day of reckoning" which all believers must face.  Imagine that, that you can do all which God requires of you (Which is difficult to accomplish) and yet still face your own day of reckoning.  My first question when I'm approached with this false belief is simple, what about Jesus?  For it is Jesus who gave Himself willingly to take upon Himself that punishment which was meant for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Indeed, it is Jesus who is "The One not knowing sin" who is made to be a sin offering for all of mankind.  Make no mistake, WE were the ones who needed to die on that cross, not Jesus.  Yet God, in His love for us despite our sin condition, has declared us innocent through the work of Christ Jesus on the cross {Paul to the Romans 5:8}.  Think about that, while you were still considered a sinner, God loved you enough to dispatch His only Son to die in your place.  The trouble I have with the mainstream church, and why I have received a lot of pushback in the conversations which I have had with other believers, is that they have taken to invalidating the freeing work of Christ Jesus in our favor and preached the message of condemnation.  So, I ask you, what condemnation is there for those who are in Christ Jesus {Paul to the Romans 8:1}.  How is it that we who have been declared innocent by God will suddenly fall from His grace and mercy to spend an eternity apart from Him?  That is the question which every believer should be asking of their local church pastor.  

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

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 7, Concordant New Testament 

In recent years, I have been blessed with having the insight and advice of a dear friend who once spent his entire career behind the pulpits of the church.  How he himself, in the final days of his career, began to question that which he had been preaching for so long.  What caused his shift in thinking?  Well, he began to delve into the writings of those speaking a different view of God than he was used to speaking.  Men like author Norman Grubb and J Preston Eby among others.  Granted, these were authors which I never heard mentioned in my years within the church, for good reason.  For they speak of a God who is radically different than that which I grew up knowing.  In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that I have never truly known God until I stepped away from the church and began to look into these writings for myself.  This is why I can confidently say that the God spoken by the church is NOT the God that I have come to know in my heart.  For the God I now know within my heart does not threaten me with His judgement after He has declared me to be innocent through the work of His Son.  The God that I know reminds me that it is Jesus who has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  That through the finished work of Jesus, that we should be considering ourselves to be "Dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.   THIS is the God I know.  The God I know has not burdened me with the church traditions of tithes, regular church attendance and support and devotion to the man-made church.  For speaking this truth, I have been accused of professing false beliefs by those within the church.  However, I am grateful for the truth in that the apostle Paul and Jesus Himself were also hated for the words which they spoke.  The truth is, I do not believe in God through the fear of punishment, but through the truth that my life in now lived in Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Family Business) # 2034

 

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~ 

The other day a good friend of mine shared a podcast from a man by the name of Martin Zender.  Now, Mr. Zender describes himself as "The worlds most outspoken bible scholar."  After listening to him for just over twenty minutes, I can began to see just why he would describe himself this way.  According to Zender, the mainstream church NEEDS people to believe in the existence of sin.  That's right, the church needs you to believe that sin is still the central issue in your life.  Why?  Well, because, as I have written before, when people believe that their sin is the main stumbling block which they face, they will naturally migrate to the one place which can seemingly teach them how to tackle that sin issue.  That being the mainstream church.  And this continues to be the message spoken by those in the church, that we, as believers, need to conquer sin.  Indeed, without the message that we need to conquer sin, what need do we have for the church?  Zender goes on to say that when approached with the scriptural fact that Christ Jesus bled and died for the forgiveness of our sin, which those within the church know is the truth, they suddenly go into denial and proclaim that sin REMAINS the issue we must deal with.  The truth is that Jesus has died that the sin of man would be eliminated.  John the Baptist has spoken of Him that He is "The Lamb of God which is taking away the sin of the world!" {Johns Account 1:29}.  Despite the clear scriptural evidence that Jesus has done away with sin at the cross, those in the church continue in their crusade to proclaim that we must "Defeat sin," seriously?  I can recall being in church where there were videos, sermons and programs all designed for the "Defeat of sin."  When I was struggling with my own addiction, I was told that I needed to "Handle" the sin which I was experiencing.  Believe me, the bread and butter of any modern day pastor is to keep the sin issue alive.  In my opinion, they're simply resurrecting that which Jesus put to death long ago.  

To have an administration of the compliment of the eras, to head up all in Christ - both that in the heavens and that on the earth

Paul to the Ephesians 1: 10, Concordant New Testament 

I would suggest a new motto for the mainstream church.  Sin is our business, and business is good.  Indeed, it is I who would be referred to as the liar at that point.  Pastors and their congregations would wring their hands and pray for my soul.  If anyone needs anymore evidence of the church keeping the sin issue alive and well, they only need to delve into the truth known as universal salvation.  That belief that, through Christ Jesus, that ALL will be saved {Johns Account 3:17}.  The mere mention of the concept of universal salvation is enough to send any pastor worth his Pharisee school degree into attack mode quicker than Rosie O'Donnell at a buffet line.  They'll pull out scriptures of the judgement and punishment of God in their attempt to justify their twisted belief.  Yet the scriptures are clear, all shall be saved {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:28, Paul to Timothy (1) 4:10}.  I'm not simply cherry-picking scriptures to support my position, this IS the word!  If the pastors of the church can support their positions by throwing out scriptures as evidence, then they must accept the scripture evidence which is contrary to their position as well.  There is truth in the words of the apostle John who proclaims that we are to "Test the spirits to see if they are of God" {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  Unfortunately, the church has become not the haven of the truth of the Lord, but that of a false theology.  A false theology which proclaims that it is indeed our sin which has alienated us from the Father.  The truth we find in the word is that it is because of the love of God that sin has been eliminated {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  It has never been Gods desire that we would suffer in the bondage of sin.  Yet for those within the mainstream church, sin continues to be the family business.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father ({Playing God) # 2033

 

For God does not dispatch His Son into the world that He should be judging the world, but that the world may be saved through Him

Johns Account 3: 17, Concordant New Testament 

The conversation this week centered around judgement, or our judgement for that matter.  Are we judged?  Will we be judged in the future?  This is one of the issues which has been hijacked by those within the mainstream church over time.  The that men could, and often do, predetermine the final judgement of their brethren.  A good friend of mine brought up the point that he has never felt more judged than when he was in the halls of the church.  I would agree with him.  For I would challenge any believer to recall if they were never threatened with an eternity in hell if their behavior did not match Gods standards.  I know that I have been.  I recall that a few of my so called brethren threatened me with burning in hell, forever removed from the presence of God, if I did not get my pornography addiction under control.  I felt as if the promise of salvation which I had been given had been reneged on.  Well, is God an Indian giver?  Would He promise us one thing just to pull it away from us once we trusted in that promise?  I believe in my heart that God would never do this to us.  Yet in all honesty, this is what I once believed to be true as spoken through those in the church.  Of course, these days I have a much better understanding of my own life within the Father than I did back then.  These days I trust in the promise of God that I have been found to be blameless through the given sacrifice of His Son on the cross {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  We're told that Christ Jesus was not sent into this world that He should be judging the world, but that ALL the world would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:17}.  So, if Jesus is not judging us, why do we judge ourselves?  Or, better yet, why is it that we judge those around us?  Has God granted us the authority to be the sole judge of His creation here on earth?  I would answer no to that.  But that has not stopped those within the church from bestowing judgement upon those whom they feel deserve the Lords judgement.  But it doesn't stop there, we see this judgement from believers and non-believers alike.  The mistaken belief that it is our duty to condemn those who we feel are deserving of Gods judgement.  

Nothing, consequently, is now condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.  Not according to the flesh are they walking, but according to spirit 

Paul to the Romans 8: 1, Concordant New Testament 

When I speak of those who have taken it upon themselves to bestow Gods judgement upon others, the finger is pointed at me as well.  For there have been many times in which I have passed judgement upon those who I deemed unworthy of Gods eternal gift.  Of course, we all know that I was mistaken in my judgement of others.  Can we also admit that those within the church have been just as mistaken in their judgement of others?  I would say so.  But I am still waiting to hear from those in the church that they messed up in their judgement of others.  I don't see that admission coming anytime soon.  One thing that I would hope that others get from this post is that it is ultimately not our job to place judgement upon others.  That we, as believers, have not been granted some special authority from God in order to do so.  Again, I include myself in this conversation as well.  One of the most common complaints I receive in my conversations about God with other people is that Christians themselves are too judgemental.   This is the label which we have plastered upon ourselves.  We've gone from speaking the love of the Father to condemning others in His name.  The apostle Paul poses the question in his evangel, who is it that condemns {Paul to the Romans 8:34}?  Has God condemned us?  Hs Jesus condemned us from the cross?  No!  What we have through the finished work of Jesus is redemption and reconciliation, never condemnation.  I believe that this is the message which we all are in need of hearing.  For it is man who condemns, not the Father.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Spirit Life) # 2032

 

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 

Almost every church that I have belonged to always held a negative view of Halloween each year.  It was the day of negative, wicked spirits so I was often told.  A day when people dressed up in costumes and celebrated by asking for treats from neighbors.  Indeed, I did a lot of that growing up.  But I also spent a lot of time thinking of that "Other" side.  That realm which very few of us can or ever will discern.  Most people live in fear of what has become known as the paranormal, I was more curious than afraid.  So much so that I would devour as many books about ghost stories that I could.  Even today, I will take time to watch the various ghost hunting shows on TV.  While I have never actually seen a spirit from the other realm, I have experienced something akin to that a few times in my life.  Once was just after my mother had passed, a time of grief for me.  As I lay in bed half awake one morning, I discerned a voice saying "She watches and then she returns."  Now, I almost instinctively understood this to mean my late mother as for some reason I began to feel as if she were near me.  Even though I did not see a full fledged ghost, I am convinced that I had experienced a spirit event.  I believe that there is indeed a reason that I have never held the spirit realm in fear.  For I believe that our true identity in the Lord is that of a spirit identity.  It is well known that God is in spirit {Johns Account 4:24}.  Therefore, if we have been created in His very  likeness, are we not in spirit as well {Genesis 1:27}?  I believe this to be the truth of our own identity, of who we are.  Our identity is not based on our flesh bodies, which are but temporary.  No, for our flesh is but a vessel for the spirit which dwells within us.  The apostle Paul speaks to his life as "Living in me is Christ" {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  One thing I have learned from the evangel spoken by Paul is that not only is this flesh of ours a temple for His spirit who dwells within us, but that our lives are now lived in Jesus and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  

Or are you not aware that your body is a temple of the holy spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you are bought with a price.  Bu all means glorify God in your body 

Paul to the Corinthians (1): 19-20, Concordant New Testament 

People have been conditioned to refer to themselves as their own beings.  But when you look deeper into this belief you will see that this cannot be possible.  Have we created ourselves?  No, it is the Father who loved us enough to create us in His likeness.  Knowing that we have been created by God, how is it, then, that we have become our own self?  How is it that which has been created can ever be separate from the creator?  Do we believe that Gods creation is His and His alone?  Good, then we must also acknowledge that we are not independent from Him.  Yet this continues to be the lie spoken by those within the mainstream church.  That it is our sin which has separated us from God.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Those who document paranormal activity often refer to another "Realm" where spirits remain.  A realm often unseen by man.  But what if what they are referring to is but another dimension of our Lords creation?  After all, has not God created all which we will ever see and experience?  What if ghosts and spirits were never meant to be feared?  The scriptures tell of many who experienced visions of spirits.  Joesph was warned by angels of his child's birth and to protect his family.  What are angels but spirits themselves as we are.  What if those who have professed to seeing ghostly images simply had their eyes opened to another dimension?  Cannot God do that for us if it serves His will?  A radical idea would be to not celebrate Halloween as a day of wicked spirits, but a day recognizing our own spirit identity in the Father.  

~Scott~