The Good Of The Father (The Jesus Narrative) # 2148

 

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 flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me 

Paul to the Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament 

There has been a narrative spoken within the mainstream church for thousands of years.  This is the narrative that we, as sinners, needed a savior in order to atone for that which we had done.  Enter Christ Jesus.  Enter the Jesus narrative.  It is a consensus among Christian believers that Jesus is that sacrifice for that which we have done.  In fact, it is the foundation of the Christian faith.  But this is but a piece of that narrative.  It is also taken as fact that God treated Jesus like a red headed step child on that cross.  That He turned His back on His beloved Son and poured out His righteous anger upon Him.  How else could one explain the torment which Jesus endured?  After all, we're sinners (Yes, we're still considered such by the church), and we deserve the Lords violent anger as a result of our sin.  But we didn't receive that penalty, Jesus did.  It is believed that Jesus received the full wrath of the Lord which our sin deserved.  This is the narrative which I grew up believing in.  So, I believed that God could not deal with me on a personal level, that I had been separated from Him because of my sin nature.  Again, this is all a part of the Jesus narrative.  The passage which opened my eyes to the truth of the death of Jesus was spoken by the apostle Paul in the book of Galatians.  It is this very passage which shoots the Jesus narrative all to hell (If there even is a hell, but more on that later).  Paul speaks to the truth that Jesus did not receive the full wrath of God on that cross, but that WE died with Him at His side.  That's right, Jesus died TO  sin once for all time {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  This is referred to as Penal substitutionary atonement, the belief that Jesus died absorbing the wrath of God which had been meant for us.  Thus, He became that savior which we so desperately needed.  But is it more believable if Jesus absorbed our sin, or if the sin itself was put to death?  But the early Christians had a different view of what Jesus endured on the cross.  They didn't refer to it as punishment, but of victory.

Very few Christians refer to Jesus' death on the cross as a victory, but that's exactly what it was.  For on the cross, Jesus didn't absorb the wrath of the Father, but marched into enemy territory and defeated the enemy which had held the Lord's children in bondage for so long.  On that cross, Jesus conquered sin {Paul to the Romans 6:6}, death {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:55-57}, and wickedness {Paul to the Colossians 2:13-15}.  But this truth never has and never will fit into the Jesus narrative created by those within the church.  We're sinners, we're guilty and WE deserved the Lord's punishment.  As our Savior, Jesus took the penalty of that sin, along with the anger and wrath of God, all for the forgiveness of our sins.  It's a good story if you can sell it.  And that's exactly what the mainstream church has been doing for thousands of years, selling that Jesus narrative.  Is it any wonder that Paul asks the question, "O, death, where is your victory" {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:55}?  For Paul the answer is simple, Jesus defeated death on that cross.  He also knew the answer to the sin issue which surprisingly continues to plague us thousands of years after the death of Jesus.  For anyone who worries they are still condemned by their sin, which those within the church continue to preach, Paul had the answer for that, too.  "We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it?" {Paul to the Romans 6:2}.  As Paul spoke in Galatians, we have DIED to sin!  We have been crucified beside Jesus on that cross.  It is that sin which has been defeated by Christ Jesus on the cross {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  Again, this truth spoken by Paul goes against the Jesus narrative preached by the church.  This is why so many believers believe that they continue to live in bondage to sin, because the church says that we do.  There is a reason that the gospels never speak of God punishing Jesus in our place, because the Jesus narrative had yet to be invented.  What the scriptures DO speak of is the victory of Christ Jesus over what once held the Lord's children in bondage.  But I guess that doesn't fill many seats on Sundays.  

Who rouses Him from among the dead, yet also being dead to the offenses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He vivifies us together jointly with Him, dealing graciously with all our offenses, erasing the handwriting of the decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and has taken it away out of the midst, nailing it to the cross, stripping off the sovereignties and authorities, with boldness He makes a show of them, triumphing over them in it 

Paul to the Colossians 2: 13-15, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Mandatory Jesus) # 2147

 

The God that makes the world and all that is in it, the Lord inherent of heaven and earth, is not dwelling in temples made with hands, neither is He attended by human hands, as if requiring anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all.  Besides, He makes out of one every nation of mankind, to be dwelling on all the surface of the earth, specifying the settling of the seasons and bounds of their dwelling, for them to be seeking God, if, consequently, they may surely grope for Him and may be finding Him, though to be sure, not far from each one of us is He inherent, for in Him we are living and moving and are, as some poets of yours have also declared, 'For of that race also are we.' 

Acts of the Apostles 17: 24 - 28, Concordant New Testament 

I ran across an interesting video from outspoken pastor Martin Zender the other night with the catch line being, "God forces us to love Him."  I immediately thought that he had somehow gone off the rails until a friend explained what it was that he was referring to.  See, for a long time I have been hammered with the church teachings that I needed to accept Christ Jesus in order to be saved.  Indeed, there is some scripture basis to back up this claim {Paul to the Romans 10:9-10}.  Jesus has spoken that He is the one true pathway to the Father {Johns Account 14:6}.  But this isn't what Zender was referring to at all.  What he was basing his statement on is something which many in Christian circles wring their hands over.  That the God they supposedly serve, is all in all.  That God is within all which he has created.  And, since all has been created by the Father, He is within every last bit of it.  For there is nothing which has ever escaped His notice.  Now, Christians do a good job of professing that they believe that God is the creator of all which is in the universe and around us, yet they fall short when it comes to putting that belief into practice.  I should know, because I was once walking with that crowd myself.  Back in my church days I believed that I was indeed separated from God because of my sin.  That sin which Jesus gave Himself to die for {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  That not only had Christ Jesus perished on that cross, but that my old nature was crucified with Him {Paul to the Romans 2:20, Paul to the Romans 6:8}.  This is why I can boldly say that I have been freed from that which I once was.  That through the sacrifice of Jesus, I am no longer a sinner.  Yet those within the Christian faith often bristle when I speak of this freedom that I have in Jesus.  "So, you can simply go on sinning?"  No!  To believe this nonsense is to disregard not only the works of Jesus but the very words of Paul as well.  When asked this question, Paul had the answer.  "We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it" {Paul to the Romans 6:2}?  

Now, when we understand and believe that God is all in all, this begins to make sense.  That contrary to the false teachings of those within the church, that God has never been separated from that which He has lovingly created.  That He has always been an intimate part of who it is that we are.  So, what does this say of the popular Christian narrative that we must somehow "Choose" to accept Jesus in order to be saved?  Well, if God is indeed all in all, what choice do we actually have to make?  Jesus has spoken that we do not live our life outside of the Father, but within His love {Johns Account 14:20}.  So, if our life is lived within the Father, can we really utilize that which is known as the freedom to choose?  Indeed, if we were separate from God, as those in the church are so fond of pointing out, then perhaps that moment of free choice would seem more plausible, but we're not.  So, is this more of God guiding us into that realization of our life within His Son than of our own freedom to choose?  I would say yes to that.  Hence, this is where I run afoul of many within the Christian religious community.  Those who continue to believe that they themselves have that ability to choose for themselves.  That our salvation is ultimately dependent upon whatever choice we may or may not make.  Do they really believe that God has no say in what we do?  Has the veil of the deceiver so clouded their vision that they accept whatever version of God the pastor comes up with?  Apparently so.  But even through this confusion, it is God Who is within it all.  and THAT is the truth we need to understand.  

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

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

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Posers) # 2146

 

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}. 

Norman Grubb ~ No Independent Self 

Frequent any gym long enough and you will see them.  The posers.  Posers are those who will spend ample time between exorcises taking photos of themselves in whichever mirror is closest.  They will flex whatever muscles they think that they have gained over the course of the past few minutes, putting themselves on display for all to see.  You can almost hear them saying, "Look at me!"  In most cases, the posers are trying to be someone they're not.  But that does not stop them from trying to convince anyone who will notice them of who they think that they are.  Now, some might ask me, what do posers have to do with religion and Christianity?  Well, far too many believers these days are posers in their own right.  For they put forth that image of someone they are not.  I used to be among these posers, because it was who I was taught that I was.  That the life that I lived was separate from God in heaven.  That it was my own sin which separated me from the Father.  That I was my own independent self.  Well, this has been one of the lies spoken from the pulpits of the mainstream church for thousands of years.  For we ARE NOT, not have we ever been, separated from God.  But if you listen to any run of the mill pastor these days, the message being put out there is that we're living separate from the Father Who created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  I recently ran across a video from well-known and disgraced Christian pastor Mark Driscoll who claimed that believers need to "Live their lives in a way which is pleasing to God."  Now, this might sound a bit hypocritical coming from someone with Driscoll's track record, but this has been the predominant message from the pulpits for quite some time.  That we, as believers, live our lives independently from the Lord who created us.  Well, this is utter nonsense, and Mark Driscoll is simply another poser standing in the pulpit.

The author Norman Grubb sheds some light on the truth on the lie spoken by those within the church in his book No Independent Self.  Grubb writes, correctly, that "There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe, except the One who calls Himself the I AM."  But this truth has never fit into the narrative created by the mainstream church.  The narrative that man is sinful, and that a holy God can never be associated with such sin {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  Thus, God has separated Himself from that which He has lovingly created.  As I've said, this is simply not true, and it follows the lie spoken by the deceiver.  It is Satan who has convinced the Lords creation that we can "Be like God" {Genesis 3:4-5}.  Well, if there is but One independent self in Gods universe, how is it that we can be among that?  If we have been lovingly created from the dust of the ground, how is it that we can be separate from God?  From the moment that God breathed into us the breath of life, He has always been a part of us {Genesis 2:7}.  So, all which we have to prove that we're indeed separate from God are the words of the deceiver, which is utter nonsense.  And yet, a lie spoken often enough eventually becomes seen as the truth.  So it has been with the separation theology spoken by the church.  Jesus Himself has spoken to the truth of our life lived within the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Yet those within the church will mistake the words of Jesus and claim that "In that day" we shall be within the Father, as if this were some future event believers have to look forward to.  Well, that day is NOW!  Contrary to the false teaching of the church, we do not live apart from God, but within His love.  We can stand on the spoken word of Jesus that this is indeed true.  We do not live as posers, but as the Fathers loved children {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  

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

Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (All Through Love) # 2145

 

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

First Epistle of John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

I hear too many people talking about the negative side of God.  That God is angry enough to afflict His children with illness of bad circumstances.  Back in my church days, I can recall being afraid to mention to my church friends whenever I found myself going through a trial of some sort, because I already knew what their response would be.  That somehow God was either angry with me, testing me or teaching me a lesson.  This is part of the reason that I grew up in the belief that God was an angry, vengeful God.  A good friend of mine recently described his days in the church as dealing with a God who was cranky a times.  This was my image of the Lord growing up.  For their part, the mainstream church has done all that they can to promote this image of an angry God.  A God who lives distant from His children due to their sin nature.  But is this the true image which we should have of the Father?  Is this how God really is?  The true answer to this question is, and has always been, no.  The apostle John has given us an indication of the one true reality of God, and that is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  It is through love that we have been created in His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It is through His love for us that the Father dispatched His Son Jesus to be the price paid for our sin debt {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Not that Jesus would come to condemn the world, but that the world "May be saved through Him."  Through His love, it was never the Lords intent that we would be left to the consequences of our former sin nature.  Through the Fathers love, He who knew not sin "He makes to be a sin offering" for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Was it within the power of the Lord to condemn us in the face of our former nature?  Absolutely!  Yet it is the Father Who has chosen Himself to be seen as love in all which He does.

One of the things which I have discovered as I have come to know a more personal relationship with the Father is to see Him for Who He truly is.  Not as an angry, vengeful of cranky God, but as our loving Father.  It is this reality of the Lord that I wish has been revealed unto me sooner.  However, it took me forty years on my journey to discover the One true identity of God.  Of course, knowing the truth of the Father has also opened my eyes to how it is I see Him in my own life as well as that of others.  That God is not hell bent (Pun intended) to condemn and/or punish us for the bad behaviors which we ourselves feel guilty of.  Can we wrap our understanding around the truth that, because of His love for us, that the Father has already cleansed us of that sin?  Can we understand that Jesus has bled and died that our sin debt would be paid in full?  This has all been accomplished through the love nature of the Father.  That it has never been His intention to hold us accountable for that sin nature which we once were in bondage to.  He didn't simply turn a blind eye to that which we had done, but through His love for us He sacrificed His only Son in our place.  It is not we who bore the punishment for our sin, but Christ.  What greater expression of love will we ever find {Johns Account 15:13}?  This is also exhibited in what Jesus commands of us in regards to others as well.  That we are to love one another as He has loved us {Johns Account 15:12}.  In this we see the truth of the Father, that He does all through His love for us.

Greater love than this has no one, that anyone may be laying down his soul for his friends 

Johns Account 15: 13, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Spin Doctors) # 2144

 

Beware that no one shall be despoiling you through philosophy and empty seduction, in accord with human tradition, in accord with the elements of the world, and not in accord with Christ

Paul to the Colossians 2: 8, Concordant New Testament 

Most people think of a spin doctor as someone who pushes the views and narrative of a political candidate.  While this is true, there are also other spin doctors out there who willingly push the narrative of what we're to believe about God.  I'm talking of those within the mainstream church who preach the narrative at every opportunity.  A good friend mentioned this to me the other day in response to my last posting.  Of course, I've known of the church spin doctors for some time.  But to understand these messengers we first need to understand the message itself.  What is the church narrative?  Well, the narrative consists of a few issues which those in the church treat as truth.  The lie that our sin has separated us from God.  The false teaching that we ourselves live separately from the Father Who created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  I often refer to the evangel of the apostle Paul when speaking out against this narrative of the church.  For Paul has spoken to the truth which we have in Christ Jesus.  The truth which proclaims that our freedom from sins punishment lies within our life in Christ {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  The truth which Jesus Himself has spoken, that our life is embedded within the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  The narrative spoken by the church spin doctors speaks directly against this truth which we find in the scriptures.  Yet, when I suggest these passages to those who follow the church narrative, I'm accused of "cherry picking" the scriptures in order to support my own narrative.  Well, one of us is cherry picking scripture to support their narrative, but it's not me.  Honestly, why believe in the truth that Christ Jesus has bled and died on the cross for the forgiveness of sin only to turn a blind eye to that truth and proclaim that sin continues to be an issue in the life of every believer?  THIS is part of the narrative which the spin doctors preach!  It is also obvious from the various church congregations out there that there are plenty of those who willingly follow the narrative.

Back in my days in the church, I would never have referred to my pastor as a spin doctor.  I was drinking that kool aid along with everyone else.  In fact, on the rare occasions that someone disagreed with the pastor, I treated them just like those who follow the narrative treat me today.  For me, the words of the pastor were the truthful words from God.  To disagree with the teachings was to believe in blasphemy and false teachings.  That all changed one Easter Sunday as I sat in my usual spot for the morning sermon.  The pastor began by speaking to the truth that Jesus was crucified and died on the cross only to be raised three days later.  However, at the end of his sermon, he invited everyone who had "unresolved sin issues" to come forward and the church staff would pray over them.  Unresolved sin issues?  Wait, you just got done telling me that Jesus died for the forgiveness of my sin.  Now you're telling me that isn't true?  That was the last time I stepped into a church service.  It's funny, but once I removed myself from the church narrative, I began to seek a closer relationship with the Father.  A relationship which wasn't possible while I followed the church narrative.  What I've found is that God is not guided by church traditions.  That Christ Jesus has indeed died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  This is the truth we have in the Father which has been spoken and revealed to us through the scriptures.  The truth was never meant to be contradicted by the narrative of a human created religion.  A religion which speaks to the false narrative that we live separately from God.  Nothing could be further from the truth, and the scriptures speak to our life lived within the Fathers love.  But I'm guessing that doesn't fit the narrative.  

But the most high is not dwelling in what is made by hands, according as the prophet is saying, "Heaven is My throne, yet the earth is a footstool for My feet, what kind of house shall be built for Me?" 

Acts of the Apostles 7: 48-49, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Dog Issues) # 2143

 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are of God, for many false prophets have come out into the world 

First Epistle of John 4: 1, Concordant New Testament 

Webster has defined the word dogmatic as being "Characterized by or given to the expression of opinions very strongly or positively as if they were facts."  In my time, I have been witness to many in the Christian faith who have displayed such qualities.  Their consider their opinions on the way we worship, pray and tithe to represent the gospel of the Lord.  I believe that this is why the apostle John calls upon us to "Test the spirits" of those who claim to speak the word of the Lord {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  Indeed, there have been many false prophets who have come out into the world.  In my time in the church, I ran into many of these dogmatic types of believers.  Their minds could seldom be swayed to another view opposite of their own.  In their mind, theirs is the just and righteous view of God, no matter what.  For disagreeing with these dogmatic believers, I have been accused of blasphemy, lies and not following the true intent of the Lord.  But what is the true intent of God?  Indeed, we have the scriptures to guide us, but did God really intend for the rules and regulations found in the Old Testament to govern our lives today?  Remember, it is Jesus who has called out the Pharisees of His day for exhibiting this very same dogmatic behavior {Matthews Account 23:13-16}.  Many Christians agree that the Pharisees of Jesus' day were deserving of His rebuke, but they turn a blind eye to those very same behaviors today.  The apostle Paul has spoken to the truth that "No one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit" {Paul to the Colossians 2:8}.  Yet this is exactly what a dogmatic believer does.  Their trust and faith in the scriptures and human traditions can and has led many astray. 

One of the biggest stones which the dogmatic believer will toss around the neck of the believer is that of the unforgiven sin.  For it is sin which keeps us in bondage and separated from God.  This is also one of the lies spoken by the mainstream church and every dogmatic believer.  The truth about sin is that Jesus has already dealt with this issue.  Paul speaks to us that Jesus has indeed died to our sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  But the dogmatic Christian will wring his hands and proclaim, "what about my sin today?"  Really?  First off, would God dispatch His Son to die on the cross for the forgiveness of sin if He intended sin to be an issue for His creation?  The dogmatic believer truly believes that Jesus died on that cross for the forgiveness of sin, but still believes that sin is a big issue in his life.  How does that work?  It works because they buy into the teachings of the church hook, line and sinker.  For without the false teachings of the church, there would not be those who adamantly defend it to the fullest.  I've taken my share of push back for this belief, but I see the dogmatic Christian believer in the same light as those who have been radicalized by the Islamic religion.  Of course, the one common factor in this is religion.  The religion which places tradition over relationship with the Father.  Religion which speaks to the sin bondage of the children of God.  Something which Christ Jesus has already been sacrificed for {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  The dogmatic believer will never admit it as truth, but our sin debt has been paid at the cross.  That relationship which the Father desires with His creation is void of any and all human traditions.  The truth of our life is that we live life WITHIN the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Within the Father, there is no guilt nor condemnation, only the love of God.  It is this love of God which the dogmatic believer steals away from the innocent. 

Beware that no one shall be despoiling you through philosophy and empty seduction, in accord with human tradition, in accord with the elements of the world, and not in accord with Christ 

Paul to the Colossians 2: 8, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Jesus In Real Life) # 2142

 

For we have not a Chief Priest not able to sympathize with our infirmities, but One Who has been tried in all respects like us, apart from sin 

To the Hebrews 4: 15, Concordant New Testament 

I've had more than a few people ask me if Jesus ever faced the situations and trials that we ourselves so often deal with in the midst of our lives.  Was Jesus ever late for work?  Did He ever deal with a over zealous boss?  And what about people, did Jesus ever have to deal with those who mocked and belittled Him?  Well, one look at the scriptures and we can determine the answer to many of these questions.  We know that Jesus was ridiculed and mocked not only by the Romans who crucified Him, but by many who stood by and waited for Him to die on that cross.  One of the main complaints that I've had about scripture is that we rarely see stories of the young boy Jesus as He grew into the man He would become.  However, we can take a look at the culture of the day and determine what the life of this young Hebrew boy would be like.  In the film Young Messiah (2016), we see the life of a young Jesus personified.  While there have been those who criticized the film version of the life of the young Jesus, I felt that it gives us a glimpse into the life of the boy who would one day suffer and die at the hands of those who hated Him.  Jesus indeed played and hung out with other boys He knew.  He certainly had his moments where He frustrated His parents Mary and Joseph.  In many respects, He was like any other child of His day.  But He also must have had questions as well.  What was His life like?  Was He different than others?  Can we imagine a pre-teen child being able to comprehend all which He was, the Father in human form?  While the film Young Messiah answered a few of the questions people may have had, there are many which remain.  We can be assured that there is nothing which we will ever experience which Jesus has not already been through {To the Hebrews 4:15}.  For this reason, it is Jesus Who will sympathize with all we will ever experience in life.  

So, has Jesus gone through everything we have?  Were there cars and computers in His day?  No, but when we realize the truth of just Who He is, and who we are, we can began to see how Jesus can and will share in our experiences.  In his evangel, the apostle Paul speaks to the truth of the life of Christ Jesus within him.  Yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  Paul understood that his life was never about himself, but about the spirit of Jesus Who lived within him.  Jesus Himself also speaks to our union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  We can honestly say that the life we live is within the Father and not apart from Him in any way.  So, does Jesus know what it's like to be cut off by some inconsiderate driver on the freeway?  Absolutely!  Has Jesus ever experienced the pain and hurt of a broken family relationship?  Definitely.  For if our life is within Him, He is part of every joy and hurt we will ever endure.  We can safely say that Jesus is our life.  Some dogmatic souls within the church might bristle at this reality, for they see mankind as having been forever stained by sin {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  But it is Jesus Who has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  For Jesus did not die that He would judge those who have been found innocent through His death, but that they would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  The truth is that there will never be anything which we experience that Jesus has not been through with us.  We endure all through Him.  This is our life lived within the Father. 

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 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 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Angry Side Of God) # 2141

 

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

First Epistle of John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

How many of us grew up in a church where God was someone to be feared and not loved intimately?  That God was a hairs breath away from bringing down His judgement on those who behaved against His will.  The other day I chuckled at a comment given by a friend of mine in his podcast, that God was somehow "Cranky."  Today I do not see Him as such, but during my days in the mainstream church I definitely looked upon God as some cranky, cantankerous being who was waiting for that day where His judgement would be brought upon my sinners arse.  This is the version of God that I was raised on, and it is the version of God which the powers that be within the church continue to chirp to their congregations to this day.  Needless to say, this is a lie, but I'll get into that in a bit.  Imagine growing up living in fear of a loving God who created you in His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  Imagine living in fear of a God whose very nature...is to love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  So, is He a cranky God?  Well, many well meaning Christians would have us believe that.  Since it is almost impossible to have an intimate relationship with One Who is angry or cranky, I never knew that close relationship with the Father until I spent time away from the church and their false teachings.  I know and understand now that God is neither angry nor cranky against us.  How do I know this?  Well, I know the truth of how it is that God looks upon His creation.  Not with anger or animosity, but with love.  It is through His love for us that Jesus was dispatched to bear that sin burden for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Do these sound like the actions of a God Who is angry with us?  All of the scriptural evidence, in my opinion, leads us into the understanding that God is not set upon condemnation, but on reconciliation {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:18-19}.  The truth of the matter is, God does not speak of His condemnation for us, but those within the church.  This is the environment which I grew up in. 

One of the most iconic scriptures we know speaks to the truth of Gods love and mercy towards us.  That God loved us so much that He has given us His only Son, that through Him we would NOT be judged, but that all the world would be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  So, Jesus has not come to judge, but to save.  To redeem.  Again, does this sound like the actions of an angry God?  If I knew then what I know today I never would have fallen for the false claims of those speaking the lies of the church.  The apostle speaks that God so LOVED the world, not that He judged the world.  But many Christians will counter with the claim, what about Gods anger in the old testament?  What about it?  Realize that this was before Jesus was dispatched unto this world.  That the entire scripture, from the old testament forward, lays the foundation for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus.  This was not dome out of anger or punishment, but of love.  Anger will never produce reconciliation.  Nor will it ever produce trust and faith.  What anger does produce is hostility and fear.  While I have never felt openly hostile towards God, I definitely was afraid of Him.  Those in the church will counter and tell us, but that's righteous fear, which is somehow allowed in Christianity.  The truth is, fear is fear no matter how you look at it.  We're also told that the Father has not given us that spirit of fear, but of power and love and sanity {Paul to Timothy (2) 1:7}.  So, if we have that fear of the Father, is it from Him?  I would say not to that nonsense.  But those within the church seem to embrace that fear of the Father and what He ultimately will do to us.  The fires of hell burn brightly in the back of our minds whenever we think of how He looks upon us.  But this is not the truth of how God sees His creation.  God has chosen love over anger and fear.  It is those within the Christian religion who continue to stoke the fires of Gods anger among any and all who will listen.  

For thus God loves the world, so that He gives His only-begotten Son, that everyone who is believing in Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian.  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: 16-17, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (In Gods Eyes) # 2140

 

For you died, and your life is hid together with Christ in God.  Whenever Christ, our life, should be manifested, then you also shall be manifested together with Him in glory

Paul to the Colossians 3: 3-4, Concordant New Testament 

I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day.  The discussion revolved around his habit of turning to pornography in his life.  He shared this with me after I confided in him that I had suffered through the same affliction which he was experiencing.  During our conversation I asked him the question, what would you think of someone who had those thoughts for your daughter?  Well, his answer was that he would have a serious conversation with that individual and remind him of his mistake.  I'm sure that he knew where I was headed by asking such a question, but he gave me the answer I had expected.  Not that many years ago, this was the question a good friend of mine asked me when I was in the midst of my own porn addiction.  This is what made me begin to question my behaviors.  If God looked upon me as His loved child, wouldn't He do the same with those women I had been fantasizing over for so long?  This is what convicted me that I needed to change how I viewed other people.  I didn't hold a monopoly on having the love of God in my life.  But it wasn't until I began to see where my own life truly stood that I began to see how I was seen from His eyes.  Not as a sinner or a wayward believer, but as His loved child {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  It's a well known fact that those within the church have sold us a bill of goods for thousands of years.  That our sin has ultimately separated us from God.  This is a lie!  For He was created us in His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  The truth is that the Father has always been a part of who we are.  Yes, that means men AND women are a part of who He is. 

When the apostle Paul speaks to the truth that our lives are "Hid together with Christ in God," he is not simply speaking to men, or women for that matter {Paul to the Colossians 3:3-4}.  No, he is speaking to all of the Fathers children.  I'll be the first one to say that to dabble in pornography is to dehumanize those of the Fathers children whose images we all too often lust after.  I should know, I've been in those shoes.  I've struggled with the shame of having those thoughts for one of the Fathers children.  My friends reaction to the question I posed to him let me know that he would not be comfortable with someone having such thoughts for his own daughter.  Yet, this is exactly what he himself had been doing.  It was what I had done.  Instead of piling guilt and condemnation upon him, as some who follow the church theology might do, I reminded my friend of who he was in the Fathers eyes.  That when God looked at him, He did not see a sinner, but His child.  The child that He loved so much that He would dispatch His own Son to bear that burden of his sin {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  Not just for the short term, but that Christ has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Knowing this, we can began to see through the false teachings of those within the mainstream church.  Those who continue to profess that our sin is still relevant in the eyes of the Father.  That we remain guilty and deserving of His judgement.  The truth of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus is that our sin debt has been paid through His death on the cross.  When we look at ourselves in the mirror, there's a chance that we might see someone different than who God sees.  

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 flesh, I am living 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 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Secret To Forgiveness} # 2139

 

Bearing with one another and dealing graciously among yourselves, if anyone should be having a complaint against any, according as the Lord also deals graciously with you, thus also you 

Paul to the Colossians 3: 13, Concordant New Testament 

I learned something about forgiveness this week while in the midst of my own trial.  I had been dealing with a brother seemingly caught in his own wrong behaviors.  Initially, leaning on my old church teaching, I felt that it was my duty to remind him of his deviant ways in order to bring him back into the Christian fold.  Se, back in my church days that's what we did when we came across a sinning brother.  That was our duty, or so we were taught.  Is it any wonder, then, that so many people today view the mainstream church as being full of judgmental people?  In fact, one of the main reasons that people give for leaving or changing churches is just that, to escape that condemnation which comes from others pointing out their shortcomings.  Yes, I was once part of that crowd as well.  But this week I discovered something which I had forgotten in the middle of my encounters with my friend.  That being, what has God done with me while I was in the midst of my own iniquities?  Was it in His nature to condemn me for my own bad behaviors?  The apostle Paul reminds us in Colossians that we are to be "Dealing graciously among yourselves" {Paul to the Colossians 3:13}.  That is, that we, as believers, are to deal with others in the same way that God has done with us, in grace and forgiveness.  For the true meaning of hypocrisy is to accept the Lords forgiveness for our own shortcomings but then hold others to a different standard.  I believe that this is the very reason why Paul addressed this issue in his evangel.  The truth is, men have had differences and conflicts with others since time began.  The fact is, it is not God Who condemns, but mankind.  I've sat through many a Sunday sermon where the pastor called upon his congregation to confront a sinning brother,  This is the same teaching I resorted to recently in my dealings with my friend.  To be honest, it didn't turn out too well.  In the midst of one of our heated discussions, he asked me something which caused me to take a step back.  That question was, "Are you God?"  

As I contemplated my friends question to me, I recalled a time when I was engaged in some pretty bad behaviors.  From pornography to strip clubs, I was into some pretty shady stuff.  All while professing to others that I was a follower of Jesus.  I was afraid of bringing my troubles to my friends in the church because I was afraid of their reaction.  That they would confront me in the same way that I had confronted my friend.  This weighed on my heart as I recalled that, while in my own sin, that God had loved me enough to display His love and grace to me in my darkest of times.  That He has dispatched His Son that my sin debt would be paid {Paul to the Romans 6:6-11}.  It has never been God intention that I would stand convicted for the that which I once walked in.  Paul speaks that it is only by the grace of the Father that we have been redeemed, not by anything we've done on our own behalf {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  Can you imagine the righteous crowd of Christians who would gloat that they were the ones who saved someone?  This is why the words of Paul reminding us of the saving grace of the Father are so very important.  For left to our devices, the price of that forgiveness would be a steep one to pay.  So, no, I am not God.  Who I am is His loved child who lives my life within Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  Therefore, I'm called to display the same mercy and grace which has been given unto me {Paul to the Ephesians 4:31-32}.  Remembering His grace towards us is the key to our forgiveness we give to others.  

Let all bitterness and fury and anger and clamor and calumny be taken away from you with all malice, yet become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, dealing graciously among yourselves, according as God also, in Christ, deals graciously with you

Paul to the Ephesians 4: 31-32, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (What Would Jesus Do?) # 2138

 

Jesus, then, answers and said to them, "Verily, verily, I am saying to you, The Son can not be doing anything of Himself if it is not what He should be observing the Father doing, for whatever He may be doing, this the Son also is doing likewise

Johns Account 5: 19, Concordant New Testament 

I have been in a struggle recently with a friend who seems to be behaving badly.  Now, my first reaction to this situation was just what I had been taught all those years ago in my days in the church.  I was to confront my sinning brother in my attempt to correct him and to draw him back into the Christian fold.  Well, many of those situations did not turn out to well in the past, so I don't know what made me think that this time would be any different.  Still, I tried.  What resulted was a tense situation where we both were left with hurt feelings and nothing accomplished.  Did I fail him?  No, I failed myself.  For in my desire to bring correction unto my brother, I had forgotten that I was not the one who ultimately would reveal Himself unto my friend.  That would be the Father.  I admit that in my heart I am aware of my own relationship with God.  That it is my life that is lived within Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  So, why would this be any different for my friend?  Is his life not lived within the Father as well?  Now, those stuck within the mainstream church theology might claim that one struggling in sin has somehow "Fallen away" from God.  This simply is not true.  It is the Father Himself Who has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us {To the Hebrews 13:5}.  We also know that it is God who has created us in His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  The very idea that we who have been created in the Father could somehow be separated from Him is nothing but false theology.  Yet this is exactly what those within the church speak today.  As I contemplated confronting my brother in his bad behavior, I separated myself from him.  I became the one who was right and he was wrong.  I had placed the judgement of the Lord upon him.  It was my job to reign him in, or so I thought.  I admit that I was wrong in that decision.  Not that my intentions weren't good, but I had forgotten who I was.

The apostle Paul has spoken that it is no longer he who lives, but that Christ lives in him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  This passage is key to understanding our interactions with those around us.  We never interact with people as one separated from God, but it is He who works through us.  It is God Who speaks through us.  We live our life through Him.  My mistake was remembering this truth in my own life.  To realize that I do what I see the Father doing in me.  Jesus reminds us that He never does anything of His own volition, but that He does only what He sees the Father doing {Johns Account 5:19}.  Why would this be any different for we who live our lives in Him?  Should we do, as Jesus has, what we see the Father doing?  I think so.  So, how is it that the Father would have dealt with my friends wrong behavior?  We need only look to the passage where we find Jesus confronting the woman found in adultery.  The Pharisees of His day sought to confront this woman in the same way the church has taught us to deal with those who sin for ages, to condemn them.  But Jesus didn't play their game.  For Jesus has not come into this world to condemn, but to save {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  So it is that, when confronted with this woman caught is sin, He did what He saw the Father doing, He forgave her.  He send her away in grace, not condemnation {Johns Account 8:11}.  Can you see the difference in the way I handled my situation and the way I have seen the Father handle these situations?  I'm not ashamed to say that I was blinded by that which I was once taught.  That we're to shame and condemn those caught in bad behavior.  How is it that God has dealt with our own bad behaviors?  Did He condemn us?  No, for out of His love for us, He dispatched His Son Who through His own sacrifice has provided for our reconciliation.  This is what He has seen the Father doing. 

Now, unbending, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they?  Does no one condemn you?"  Now she said, "No one Lord!"  Now Jesus said, "Neither am I condemning you.  Go!  From now on by no means any longer be sinning" 

Johns Account 8: 10-11, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (What They Don't Want To Hear) # 2137

 

The Lord is not tardy as to the promise, as some are deeming tardiness, but is patient because of you, but all to make room for repentance 

Peter to the Dispersion 3: 9, Concordant New Testament 

Over the course of the week I am usually in a conversation about Jesus with one person or another,  Some welcome these discussions while others will not.  In my experience, one of the most difficult conversations that I have with those who believe is that of what we often refer to as universal salvation.  That truth which speaks to the desire of the Father that all will be saved and abide in His presence for eternity.  Now, there is certainly ample scriptural references that this is indeed true, but I am often accused of cherry picking verses when I attempt to show believers that there is salvation in the name of the Father.  The apostle Paul has written to young Timothy that it is not the Lords desire that He should refuse any of His children, but that He is patient towards us, desiring us to acknowledge Him {Peter to the Dispersion 3:9}.  We're also told that it was NEVER Gods desire to dispatch His Son into the world that He should be the judge of Gods children, but that all may be saved through Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Despite this evidence of the truth we find in God, many believers hold fast to the theology spoken by those within the mainstream church that the guilty must be punished and the good rewarded with salvation.  My first question whenever I'm asked is this, who is it that ultimately decides who is saved and who is not?  If this is Gods domain, then we're on some very thin ice by assuming that we can preempt His decision on who shall be saved and who will not.  I'm not deluded in my thinking that this is the territory of the Lord and none other.  Yet there are far too many believers who have placed rules to follow in order that we achieve the Lords salvation.  We must believe in Jesus.  We must live a righteous life, and the list goes on and on.  It's no wonder that whenever I speak of Gods desire that all be saved, that far too many believers don't want to hear this truth. 

We cannot escape the fact that the punishment of the wicked and the rewarding of the good has been thinking almost since time began.  The Lord Himself has proclaimed this to us {Matthews Account 25:46}.  Yet we're the ones who seem to have decided not only who will be punished, but what that punishment will be.  Listen to any Sunday sermon on the realities of good and evil and you'll definitely hear the pastor proclaim his own view of how the wicked shall be punished.  Usually, the story ends with God banishing the wicked into the lake of fire known as hell.  But here's the question, if it was never the Fathers intention that any of His children be condemned, is there really a hell?  In the film Come Sunday, the reverend Carlton Pearson was removed from his leadership role in his congregation for daring to speak the blasphemy that there is fact no hell.  His fellow church leaders didn't want to hear that nonsense.  Where was the punishment of the wicked among us?  Would they somehow go unpunished?  What blasphemy was this?  In my opinion, this has never been blasphemy, but the truth we will only find within the Father.  I'm often asked, if there's no hell, can we simply just go on in sin?  Good question, if you believe the church theology that sin is still a major concern for believers.  However, as Paul so correctly instructs us, "We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it?" {Paul to the Romans 6:1-2}.  Make no mistake, when we talk about seeing the wicked punished, we're not only placing our own judgment upon others, but we're ignoring the truth of why Jesus came in the first place.  Jesus Himself has been accused of spending His time with sinners and tax collectors {Matthews Account 9:10-17}.  His response?  "No need have the strong for a physician, but those having an illness" {Matthews Account 9:12}.  It has never been the intent of Jesus that He should deny anyone salvation, but that through Him all will be saved.  But they don't want to hear that. 

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

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

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Saving A Brother) # 2136

 

Brethren, if a man should be precipitated, also, in some offense, you, who are spiritual, be attuning such a one, in a spirit of meekness, noting yourself, that you, also, may not be tried.  Bear one another's burdens, and thus fill up the law of Christ

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

Back in my church days, there were plenty of opportunities to accuse those who were deemed to have crossed the line and once again succumbed to the behaviors of sin.  I say accuse because that is exactly what we were taught to do by those within the mainstream church.  If one was deemed to be engaging in wrong behavior, it was common knowledge that we, as believers, were to approach said brother and remind him of his errors in judgement.  Yet more often than not, this approach ended up in fractured relationships and hurt feelings.  Admit it, wo wants to be reminded that we're behaving badly?  Especially from those who they have come to trust in as sharing in their belief of Jesus.  I mean, one does not see church as somewhere they will be confronted by the self-righteous, right?  Wrong!  For one of the main reasons which people give for leaving the traditional church is that those within its walls are far too righteous when it comes to how they perceive themselves.  We're believers, and we've been saved by the blood of Jesus.  Yet this assurance melts away when we're confronted by a brother who we see as engaged in sin.  When this happens, the battle lines are drawn.  The combatants are the righteous within the church against those behaving wrongly outside of its domain.  In the worst of cases, this comes down to an argument of who's right and who's wrong.  Who's saved and who's not.  I know of what I speak, because I've recently been exposed to the wrong behaviors of a brother who claims to be a believer, but his confessions are placed in doubt by his questionable behaviors.  Then the question arises, how should we as believers approach one who has, for lack of a better word, gone astray?  Well, as I've done so often before, I turn to the words of the apostle Paul, who speaks to this issue in the book of Galatians.  Paul speaks to approaching such a brother "In a spirit of meekness" {Paul to the Galatians 6:1}.  Unfortunately, this approach goes against all we've been taught by those within the church.  

I can recall many circumstances where more than a few people were sent to confront a so called sinning brother.  Those within the church will justify this approach with scripture {Matthews Account 18:15-17, Paul to Timothy(1) 5:20}.  We're told that if we approach a wayward brother and succeed in gathering him into the flock once again, that we have gained our brother once again {James to the twelve Tribes 5:19-20}.  While I agree with this approach, how is it that we're approaching our brother who we ourselves see as sinful?  More often than not, it is through a spirit of accusation and not the meekness spoken of through the evangel of Paul.  We see ourselves as justified in the word of the Lord in accusing our brother of his wrongdoing.  As I said, the battle lines have been drawn before this so called intervention even began.  Not only will this approach put the person whom we've come to save on the defensive, but will present ourselves as many in the outside world see Christians, as judgmental, holier than thou church goers.  This is NOT speaking to someone in meekness.  When we approach someone who is struggling from the perspective that we have wandered in our lives as well, we immediately turn a confrontation into a conversation.  THIS is what we want.  I want to talk with my brother about how he feels that he is behaving.  How would he see someone who was behaving in the same way.  All too often, someone who has wandered knows in their heart that they are doing the wrong thing, but they're afraid of the condemnation they'll get from those around them.  I know that in those times where I have struggled, that the last thing I felt I needed was to be convicted of my wrong behaviors.  What I needed was meekness from those around me.  We can definitely learn a lot from this approach.  It has never been the desire of the Father to condemn, but to reclaim what has been lost {Matthews Account 18:12-14}.  

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

Matthews Account 18: 12-14, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Who's The Real Judge?) # 2135

 

"Do not judge, lest you may be judged.  For with what judgement you are judging, shall you be judged, and with what measure you are measuring, shall it be measured to you.  Now why are you observing the mote which is in your brothers eye, yet the bean in your own eye you are not considering?  Or how will you be declaring to your brother, 'Brother, let me extract the mote out of your eye,' and lo! The beam is in your eye?  Hypocrite!  Extract first the beam out of your eye, and then you will be keen-sighted to be extracting the mote out of your brothers eye."

Matthews Account 7: 1 -5, Concordant New Testament 

I have met many people in my time who have taken it upon themselves to deliver unto others the judgement of the Lord.  I myself have taken that responsibility upon myself from time to time.  As Christians, we understand that God is the ultimate judge of mankind.  But that has seldom stopped us from taking our place upon His throne to do that job which only He is qualified.  I know a friend who it seems is hell bent upon deciding who it is will be saved.  He will quote the scriptures like a well versed scholar as he justifies his point.  He will declare that anyone who has not accepted Christ Jesus will be guilty of the hell which God has prepared for the devil and his compadres {Matthews Account 25:41}.  But he doesn't stop there, he will also declare that those who do not live by the rules of the Lord will also be guilty of being thrown into hell for all eternity.  I asked him once, who is the real judge, you or God?  Predictably, he turned to cherry picking the scriptures to prove his seemingly righteous belief.  Sorry, but I'm not buying that nonsense.  I believe that the one true judge is our Father Who is in heaven.  Not only that, any attempt which we make to usurp His authority will inevitably make us guilty of that which Jesus Himself warned us to avoid.  For it is Jesus Himself who has declared that we're not to make ourselves the judge of others {Matthews Account 7:1-5}.  Jesus went so far as to describe such people as hypocrites.  Remember, He also proclaimed the scribes and Pharisees of His day as hypocrites for their practices {Matthews Account 23:13-17}.  In all honesty, I see little difference in the ways of my friend and the ways of the Pharisees of Jesus' day, and that's a problem. 

It's no secret among the Christian circles that there has been a mass exodus of believers leaving the church they once held so close to their hearts.  One of the reasons people give for leaving the church is that they have found those within the church to be too judgmental.  One look at my friend, who is a die- hard church attendee, and I can see that this is a true statement.  In fact, I have lived the issue of judgmental Christians in my own life.  I was once among that crowd.  I'm not proud of it, but that was what I was taught to do.  Pastors love to point out that we're to confront a sinning brother {Matthews Account 18:15-17}.  These are indeed the words spoken by Jesus in His sermon on the Mount.  But what was the intent of Jesus in this situation?  Was it to put our brother into judgment?  No!  As a good friend mentioned to me this week, Jesus did not focus on judging others over their sin, but on restoring their relationship with the Father.  In fact, the iconic verse which proclaims that God so loved the world that He dispatched His only Son to save it speaks to the truth that Jesus has not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Yet too many well-meaning judgmental believers disregard the accompanying verse of this passage, which speaks to the forgiveness of Jesus.  That it has never been Gods intent that Jesus come into this world as the judge of the world, but that ALL the world shall be saved through Him.  Tell me, what room is there for our judging of others in this passage?  If we choose to emulate Jesus, shouldn't we be emulating His forgiveness of others as well?  But perhaps I'm being too judgmental myself.  

For thus God loves the world, so that He gives His only-begotten Son, that everyone who is believing in Him should not be perishing, but should be having life eonian.  For God does not dispatch His Son into the world that He should be judging the world, but that the world shall be saved through Him 

Johns Account 3: 16-17, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Accusers Voice) # 2134

 

We are of God.  He who knows God is hearing us.  He who is not of God is not hearing us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deception 

First Epistle of Johns 4: 6, Concordant New Testament 

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday who asked me to pray for him.  It wasn't an unusual prayer request, one I'm sure we've all had at one time or another.  See, my friend was concerned over feelings of inadequacy which he was having lately.  Feelings that he wasn't worth much and that God had no use for him.  Now, obviously this is a false and misleading message, but one which many others have fallen victim to at one time or another.  There was a time when I myself gave into these feelings of not feeling worthy.  I think we've all experienced this at one time of another.  The first advice which I gave my friend was to beware of the spirit of error.  That is, the voice of Satan the accuser.  It is well known among Christian circles that the devil will take each and every opportunity not only to drive a wedge between ourselves and the Father, but to deliver unto us messages which erode our faith and confidence in who it is that we are in the Fathers eyes.  The scriptures tell us that the devil "Is walking about as a roaring lion, seeking someone to swallow up" {Peter to the Dispersion (1) 5:8}.  We know that the devil, our accuser, has never been passive in his ways.  He will take each and every opportunity to drive us deeper and farther away from the Lord.  He's also crafty {Genesis 3:1}.  He will take the opportunity to speak to our spirits and imitate the voice of the Father.  He knows all to well what he's doing.  I believe that this is the voice that my friend has been hearing, because it's that same voice I recognize from before.  That voice which speaks to our faults and our fears.  That voice which tells us that we're no good, that we're too sinful for the Father to even care about us.  These are the lies of the deceiver!  The litmus test for these falsehoods is to ask yourself, when has God ever declared that I am not good enough for Him?  To believe otherwise is to believe in the lies of the deceiver.  This is the voice of the spirit of error {First Epistle of John 4:6}.  

I know the spirit of error because I've heard it before in my own life.  I've come to recognize his tactics.  My friend, on the other hand, is new to this game.  Back when I felt totally inadequate in my life, I blindly followed that voice which spoke the lies to me.  That God could not love someone who screwed up in their life as much as I had.  That God had turned His back on me due to my behaviors.  These were all lies spoken to me in my time of despair.  It's not uncommon for the deceiver to speak to us in our weak moments.  This is what he's done to me.  This is what he's doing to my friend.  My friend took comfort in the fact that he's not alone, that I have heard the words of the deceiver as well.  That many others have fallen victim to his lies as well.  To his credit, my friend questioned what he felt that he was hearing within his spirit.  It was a voice which he hadn't heard before from the Lord.  Why would God try to make him feel inadequate in any way?  THAT is the key here, God would never speak in that way to His loved child.  What God would tell us is the truth which we find in the scriptures.  That we are His loved child {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  That Jesus has paid that debt for our sin {Paul to the Romans 6:6-11}.  That it is His desire that His children are saved {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  This is the truth which we have in the Father.  If we are hearing this in our spirit, it is His voice.  On the other hand, if we're hearing that voice which accuses and demeans us, we're hearing the voice of the deceiver.  

"My sheep are hearing My voice, and I know them, and they are following Me" 

Johns Account 10: 27, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (He Chose Love) # 2133

 

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

First Epistle of John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament 

I glanced over an article a friend sent me this week which delved into the fact of fear based religion.  As Christians, we've all been there, right?  We know and understand that God loved us enough to create us in His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  We even understand that it is God Who has given us life {Genesis 2:7, Acts of the Apostles 17:25}.  However, despite knowing all of this, we often live in fear of what God has ultimately planned for us.  How, if we don't live our lives in the right way, that He might just banish us into that lake of hell fire He has reserved for the devil and his cohorts.  That in enough would make any believer tremble in their boots.  So it is that those within the mainstream church have chosen to use fear in an attempt to get their congregations to tow the church line.  This playbook has been working for thousands of years.  The church will proclaim that we're all sinners, that we're deserving of the Lords punishment.  But what does God tell us?  When we strip away the words and Sunday sermons of a church that would rather condemn us than save us, we begin to see that this was never God intention.  The apostle John says this clearly in his own words, that "He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love" {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  So, God does not see us as sinners awaiting His final judgement, but as His loved and cherished children {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  But, as the saying goes, if you tell a lie often enough eventually it is seen as truth.  This has been the tactic used by those within the mainstream church for generations.  To draw our attention away from the true nature of the Father.  To convince us that we are inherently bad and deserving of His punishment.  Who wouldn't be afraid of that?  How can we ever trust in a God Who claims to love us, yet plans to condemn us?  But this is the very message which is spoken by those within the church.  Fear keeps the believers in line. 

I remember back in my church days, how I lived in fear that I would never measure up to the standard which God had set before me.  How could He love a sinner like me?  What did I have to do in order to secure His love for me?  Granted, my fears were amplified with each and every Sunday sermon I heard.  Even in the day I decided that I was through with the institutional church, after speaking to the truth that Jesus died and was raised again for the forgiveness of my sin, the pastor welcomed any and all who felt they were sinners to come forward for prayer.  Why wouldn't I feel the guilt of sin?  This is what I had been taught from a young age.  This is what we've all been taught.  But it took my leaving the traditional church for my eyes to be opened to the truth.  That God has never intended to condemn me, but to love me.  He has never chosen condemnation, only love.  We can say that everything He does is out of His true love nature.  That through His love for us, we are His children.  That through His love for us, He dispatched His Son not to condemn, but to save {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  As the apostle has written, Jesus has not come to judge the world, but that "The world may be saved through Him."  Make no mistake, God could have sent His Son into the world to judge us, but that wasn't in His nature.  His desire all along has been to gather His children unto Himself.  Yet this truth flies in the face of the lie spoken by those within the church.  That it is our sin which has separated us from a loving God.  But it is God Who desires for us to know the truth, and that truth is that we are not destined for condemnation, but salvation.  Those within the church will describe this as universal salvation, and those who speak it are accused of blasphemy and lies.  But I ask, why would God love me enough to save me only to condemn me?  Those within the church have chosen to condemn, God chooses to love. 

Perceive what manner of love the Father has given us, that we may be called children of God!  And we are!  Therefore the world does not know us, for it did not know Him 

First Epistle of John 3: 1, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Gathering) # 2132

 

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

Paul to the Colossians 1: 18, Concordant New Testament 

It's no secret that the traditional church has been hemorrhaging members for many years.  I've spoken to this many times on this page.  People who once were gung ho in coming together in the name of the Lord are now lukewarm to that possibility.  What changed?  Well, as I've mentioned before, I believe that it is those within the church that changed it.  This is not something which has suddenly happened, but has been ongoing for the thousands of years since the inception of the first organized group of believers.  From the beginning, the focus has not been on Jesus, but on the desires of man.  But there is another church which is led by Christ Jesus which He continues to grow.  This gathering, the ecclesia, are those followers of Christ which He Himself draws unto the Father.  The ecclesia is different from the traditional institutional church in that it is void of the traditions carried forward by those within the church,  There are no tithes.  There are no boring Sunday sermons.  Jesus does not simply gather those who are most prominent among us, but all are indeed welcome in the church He is gathering.  In my time in the organized church, I came across those who felt guilty over missing a single Sunday or not being dressed well enough for the Lords day.  Jesus has done away with those requirements.  In fact, He has done away with many of the requirements which those within the church have imposed upon those who simply desired to worship Jesus {Paul to the Colossians 2:14}.  This is all about Jesus gathering all unto Him.  But what about those whose intent is not to worship Him, but to live the way they desire?  Won't Jesus judge them instead of gather them unto Himself?  Well, if you're into the broken theology of the mainstream church, you just might believe in that nonsense.  But we're told in the scriptures that Jesus has NOT come to judge the world, but that all the world will be saved THROUGH Him {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  

One of the best examples which I can give of the ecclesia which Jesus is drawing unto Himself is that of a group of gym goers which I have been associated with for some time.  Many of these have since become close friends of mine.  Not all of these are die hard Christians.  In fact, there are many who are either on the fence or have never considered knowing Jesus at all.  But I believe in my heart that they are being drawn into His ecclesia as I have been.  I'm no pastor, but I know that there are those in our group who take notice when I speak of the truth of our life within the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  The apostle Paul spoke to this truth in his evangel, proclaiming that he was no longer alive, but that Christ Jesus lives in him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  This is the truth of our identity in Christ.  Again, this is something you probably will not hear spoken of in the traditional church.  But it is the underlying truth of our life in Christ.  There are many who will bristle at the mention of the concept of universal salvation, that belief that God intends to gather ALL mankind unto Him to be saved in His name.  But what about the wicked?  What of those who openly blaspheme God?  Seriously, if God should choose to save all of His children, who are we to dispute this?  When we argue that the guilty deserve eternal punishment in hell, then we take upon ourselves those titles of judge and jury.  What is it that Jesus spoke of those who judge others {Matthews Account 7:1-5}.  Therefore, if God so chooses that He would save all of His children, that is His desire.  I see the gathering of His ecclesia by Jesus as the fulfilling of this desire of the Lord.  To gather all of His children unto Himself.  The difference being, His church is not losing members.

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

Johns Account 14: 20, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (House Of Cards) # 2131

 

And I hear another verse 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 Jesus Christ 18: 4, Concordant New Testament 

A good friend of mine sent me an article this week detailing the seven reasons that people are leaving the modern church.  Having left the mainstream church years ago, this piece caught my interest.  I wanted to know if any of the reasons they came up with actually agreed with why it is that I left the church of my youth.  There were a few reasons which factored into my decision, but the real reason that I left the church was for theological differences.  I came to question the message which I has been receiving from those within the church.  I questioned how it is that the pastor of the church I had been attending for a good number of years could speak of the truth of our forgiveness of sins in the death of Christ Jesus one minute, and in the next proclaim that there was still unresolved sin within us.  To me it seemed like a zero sum game, what good was it to believe in the forgiveness we find in Jesus if sin still remains in us?  In my opinion, someone was not telling me the truth.  Either it was those within the church, or God had misled me all of those years.  Since I knew in my heart that God had never in my life lied or misled me, I decided that those in the church had lied to me.  Therefore, it was an easy decision for me to leave the organized church to seek the truth of the Lord on my own.  I have been fortunate, as the same friend who forwarded me this article is also the same friend who has spent years in the role of pastoral leadership within the church.  Dare I say that I have become closer to God in the years I've been absent from the church than I ever had while sitting in those pews every Sunday.  To me, that's a problem.  For I see the purpose of the church to not only lead people spiritually, but to guide them into the truth of our life within the Father.  This is a truth I've never heard spoken from any pastor in any church I've ever been in.  So, is it really truth if the church never speaks of it?  Or, do those in the church disagree with this truth and willfully choose not to speak it?  The truth of our life in the Father is not some radical new concept.  There are scriptural references to support it.  Yet when I attempt to speak of this truth to well meaning believers, I'm accused of cherry picking the scriptures to support my beliefs.  

The author J Preston Eby stirred something within me not too long ago when, in his Kingdom Bible series, he proclaimed that the scripture which we find in Revelation 18:4 was a direct command from the Lord to abandon the organized church.  One look at this passage and one could understand what Mr. Eby is referring to.  The article which my friend sent me is loaded with a number of reasons for which so many people are leaving the church.  From moral disagreements and issues with teachings to the conflicts and internal politics involved with the modern church.  Having spent a good deal of time in discussions with my friend, I'm well aware of the inner workings of the church he spent so many years leading.  Not only that, but I have witnessed the inner workings of this house of cards too many times myself.  The personal conflicts and the board room like atmosphere that personifies so many churches today.  It doesn't take long before those only interested in a closer walk with the Father say ENOUGH!  We're all aware of the disdain which Jesus had for the behavior of the scribes and Pharisees of His day {Matthews Account 23-33}.  I've always wondered, if Jesus were to confront those pastors of todays church, would we hear Him declare "Woe to you pastors?"  I believe that He would do just that.  The issues I have with the modern church involve their false teachings of the Lords children continuing to carry sin which Jesus has already forgiven with them.  This is the lie spoken by those within the church.  Now, do I believe that well meaning believers could continue in the church for the purpose of fellowship?  Absolutely.  But I also believe that the value of church attendance stops there.  I chose to abandon the house of cards years ago, and I've seen that I'm not alone in that decision. 

The God Who makes the world and all that is in it, He, the Lord inherent of heaven and earth, is not dwelling in temples made by hands, neither is He attended by human hands, as if requiring anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all.  Besides, He makes out of one every nation of mankind, to be dwelling on all the surface of the earth, specifying the setting of the seasons and the bounds of their dwelling, for them to be seeking God, if, consequently, they may surely grope for Him and be finding Him, though to be sure, not far from each one of us is He inherent, for in Him we are living and moving and are, as some poets of yours have also declared, 'For of that race we are.' 

Acts of the Apostles 17: 24-28, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~