The Good Of The Father (Where Hate Begins) # 2182

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

First Epistle of John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament Translation 

One of the questions people often ask me is, how is it that God can allow such hatred in the world?  I agree that God is the creator of all that we see, of the heavens and the earth {Genesis 1:1}.  There is nothing that has ever passed His notice.  However, when we start talking about hate, we need to see it for what it truly is, and its very origins.  See, hatred does not come from God.  We're assured of this when the apostle John reveals to us the one true nature of God, and that is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}.  It is out of His love for us that He created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  It is also out of His love for us that He dispatched His one and only Son to once again reconcile us unto Himself through Him {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:18}.  I ask this question, what has the Father ever done out of His outright hatred for us?  The flood in the days of Noah?  Was that hate, or did God grieve for His children despite their wickedness?  So, we can be assured that hate DOES NOT begin with God, or within the Father.  So, where does it start?  Well, I believe that hate actually begins when mankind fails to see his neighbors for who they truly are in the eyes of the Father.  We have an easier time believing that we ourselves are within the love of God while seeing those around us as wicked and evil.  And God could never love the wicked among us, right?  Wrong!  Far too many Christians have taken upon themselves the responsibility of the judgement of God when they condemn those they see as wicked.  I have known a few self-proclaimed believers who steadfastly condemn those they view as wicked to the tortures of hell.  But is this our arena in the first place?  I was always taught that God is the only and ultimate judge.  It is God who condemns.  Yet mankind has taken this responsibility upon ourselves for thousands of years.  We condemn those around us while we speak of the love and mercy of the Father.  Hypocrites all!  Can there be any doubt whatsoever where hate has its origins?  

It is Jesus Himself Who has commanded us to love our own neighbor as we love ourselves {Marks Account 12:31}.  But how is it that I can love someone who, in my eyes, shows disrespect and unbelief towards the Lord?  Well, at the end of the day, who must they ultimately answer to?  That's right, God is the ultimate judge, not me.  God is the one Whom we turn to for justice.  I believe that the reason for Jesus calling on us to love our neighbor as ourselves is because He KNEW who we truly are in the Father.  He illustrates this point by proclaiming our life lived within the love of God {Johns Account 14:20}.  Of course, Jesus wasn't picking and choosing whom He was speaking of, but revealing to us that WE ALL live in union with He and the Father.  Jesus in the Father, we are in Christ and He is within us.  THAT is the truth of who we are in God.  And if we know the truth of who we are in the Fathers eyes, it becomes easier to love those around us.  When we see Gods children as being within His love, hate becomes something of the past.  Are there many people who actually hate themselves as much as they dislike others?  Yes, there are those who dislike the life choices they've made and therefore hold a bad self-image of themselves, but even these people have never known the truth of who they are in the Fathers love.  So, as you see, when we do not know the truth of who we really are in Gods eyes, judgement and hate become the order of the day.  There are many well meaning Christians out there who have never known a life within His love.  Therefore, they only see wickedness and unbelief and not the image of who they really are.  For their part, those within the mainstream church preach that the wicked are deserving of the punishment of hell.  This is what I was taught growing up.  That the Godly would be rewarded and the wicked punished.  Yes, while this is pointed out in the scriptures, who is it that hold the ultimate authority over such decisions?  Jesus Himself warns us of pacing that judgement upon our neighbor, lest we be judged in the same way we see others {Matthews Account 7:2}.  It is important to recall the words of the apostle John, that "He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love."  Do you really know God?  

"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 be measured to you" 

Matthews Account 7: 1-2, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Living The Lie) # 2181

 

Now, when the full time came, God delegates His Son, come of a woman, come under law, that He should be reclaiming those under the law, that we may be getting the place of a son.  Now, seeing that you are sons, God delegates the spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 

Paul to the Galatians 4: 4-6, Concordant New Testament 

This morning I pose this question, who is it that you are in the Lord?  The answer which you give will tell me a lot about how it is that you see God in your life.  Do you see God as some distant entity Who sits in heaven while judging the unrighteous?  Or, do you have a more personal connection with Him?  Far too many Christians claim that they're seeking a closer walk with God, while not having any idea what that means.  For their part, those within the church have never sought to introduce believers into a true communion with God.  In all honesty, my own perception of God radically changed only after I had been outside of the church and their teachings and theologies for a few years.  I believe that God has brought me to this place in my life in order to reveal my life within His love.  In the same way, the Father brought the man Saul to his own Damascus road experience in order that God would "Unveil His Son in me" {Paul to the Galatians 1:15-16}.  I have zero doubt that had I remained as a loyal church goer that I would not have come to know God as I now do.  How is it that I now know Him?  Well, I now have the intimate knowing of a Lord that I share my life with.  I do not live a life separated from Him, but within Him {Johns Account 14:20}.  This is Who God is to me.  Now, there are plenty of nay saying believers out there who will scoff at this so called radical belief that I have.  A belief that sinful man can not only be in the presence of, but live within God.  This isn't something that I pulled out of thin air, but the knowing I've attained through His revelation within me.  You cannot accept the revelation the man Saul experienced and expect that the very same truth of Christ Jesus within us cannot be revealed to another.  The scriptures speak to this truth.  

Aside from a few scattered Old Testament verses, the truth of our life within the love of the Father is clearly spoken of throughout scripture.  Jesus Himself speaks to the union which we share with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  He also speaks to the truth that "I am going to make ready a place for you" {Johns Account 14:2-4}.  The common Christian religious belief is that Jesus is referring to our place in heaven in this passage, but I disagree.  Because those within the church continue speak to the lie that heaven is something we earn and not the free gift bestowed by the Father {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  This is why I believe that Jesus has spoken the truth that the Father "Will be coming to him and making an abode with him" {Johns Account 14:23}.  Our place was never meant to be outside of the Father, but within Him.  The only voice we will hear which contradicts this truth of our life within the Father comes from those within the church.  That should tell you something.  Do we accept the truth spoken by Jesus, or do we continue to believe in the lie spoken by the church?  That, in a nutshell, is the choice we have.  Trust in the religion of mankind, or in the spoken word of God.  I have chosen to follow the Father and not the words of man.  For that, I'm deemed to have radical beliefs.  But I take heart in the truth that those who opposed the teachings of Jesus considered Him a radical as well.  Those within the church will speak to the lie that sin has separated us from God, but nothing could be further from the truth.  Paul speaks to the truth that Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Sin is no longer the issue we face.  The issue we face is quite simple, do we accept God for Who He is, or do we accept the false teachings of the church?  I refuse to live that lie. 

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone should be loving Me, he will be keeping My word, and My Father will be loving Him, and We shall be coming to him and making an abode with him." 

Johns Account 14: 23, Concordant New Testament Translation

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Gods Reconciliation) # 2180

 For in Him the entire compliment delights to dwell. and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on earth or those in the heavens

Paul to the Colossians 1: 19-20, Concordant New Testament Translation 

I have said for quite some time that one of the greatest lies spoken by those within the mainstream church is that mankind has been separated from God due to their sin.  To illustrate this point, they often point to a scripture found in the Old Testament book of Isaiah in which the prophet proclaims "Your iniquities have separated you from your God."  Now, I would say that this passage of scripture has a leg to stand on were it not for one important factor, what about Jesus?  Indeed, the prophet Isaiah spoke these words unto the people of Israel long before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.  Keep in mind, that a lot happened between the time of the prophet until the days when the Lords only Son came to redeem sinful man.  Not only to redeem mankind, but to reconcile all to Himself through the blood of His Son {Paul to the Colossians 1:19-20}.  So, what did Paul understand that those within the church to this day either do not or will not admit to?  I believe that the old apostle understood what I have come to know as the truth of the Lord Jesus.  The truth which speaks not only to forgiveness, but to the ultimate death of our former sin nature {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  The truth which speaks to the fact that we ourselves have died together with Christ Jesus that sin would no longer define us {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  These aren't simply the personal introspective thoughts of Paul, but of what he knew to be the truth of his life in Christ.  A life no longer defined by sin.  As he proclaims, "We, who died to sin, how shall we continue living in it" {Paul to the Romans 6:2}?  Paul understood that the truth we have in Christ centers not only on forgiveness, but on Gods reconciliation of His children unto Himself.  Why would He even do this if we were still considered lost in our sins?  If this were true, would our reconciliation to God even be possible?  I think not.  Therefore, the restoration of the Lord's children cannot even be made possible without the redeeming work of Christ Jesus on the cross.  Paul knew this to be true.  

The other night I watched a video from the self proclaimed "Worlds most outspoken bible scholar," Martin Zender.  In it he lays out the truth of our reconciliation to God.  The truth that we are no longer defined by sin, but by our life in Him.  It is through Christ that this is made possible.  Jesus has provided the groundwork for our reconciliation unto the Father.  I believe that it has never been the Fathers desire that we be chained to an identity of sin.  Yet those within the church continue to ignore the truth spoken in the evangel of Paul and continue to separate mankind from God.  Make no mistake, it is not our sin which separates us from the Father, but the teachings and theology of the mainstream church.  THAT is why I refer to the separation theology spoken by those within the church as a lie.  It simply is not true!  Sure, you can hold fast to a single passage of reference in the Old Testament to prove your point, but what about Jesus?  Has He not given Himself for the death and forgiveness of sin {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}?  If you continue to believe that mankind is separated from God, you have not known the truth of the Lord Jesus, but the lies of the deceiver.  This is the same lie which the deceiver spoke in the garden, that mankind could "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:5}.  The truth is, we have NEVER been separated from the Father Who created us, despite the lies spoken by those within the church.  How is it that which has been created can be separate from their creator?  The words spoken by Jesus Himself also expose the lie of the church.  For Jesus has declared the truth of our life within the love of the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  THIS is our reconciliation unto the Father.  Jesus in the Father, we are in Christ and He is within us.  If we are indeed separated from God, as the church continues to spew, why is it that Jesus never speaks to this?  Why would He not refer to us as separate from the Father?  Instead, Jesus speaks to the truth of our reconciliation unto Him.  But this is something you will not hear spoken of in the church. 

How that God was in Christ, conciliating the world unto Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of the conciliation 

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:19, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (Jesus Was Right) # 2179

 

"I and the Father, We are one" 

Johns Account 10: 30, Concordant New Testament Translation 

Imagine for a moment that you are a member of that elite group of Jewish religious authorities we know as the Pharisees.  As a Pharisee, it's your duty to interpret and dispense the written word of God (Torah) to the people of Israel.  You are also charged with ensuring that the Lords chosen people of Israel adhere to the traditions and commandments God has set forth in His written word, which has been handed down by the prophets.  Your job is generally pretty easy, and it comes with more than a few perks as well.  You're greeted with greetings of honor in public, and the best places are reserved for you at banquets and the synagogues {Lukes Account 11:43}.  The life of a Pharisee is not bad at all.  Then, one day your world is thrown aside by some scruffy looking dude from the backwoods town of Nazareth who preaches to the people of Israel words that you find to be...blasphemous to say the least.  Not only that, but this guy has taken to performing signs and miracles in the midst of the people of Israel.  Those who have been lame have been healed.  The sick as well.  Then, word reaches you that this blasphemous man has supposedly raised a man from the dead!  The worst part of all of this commotion is that a large portion of the population of Israel has begun to listen and take heed of this mans teachings.  Some have even spoken of Him as the promised Messiah who will save the Lords people.  You and your fellow Pharisees have been of the belief that Gods promised Messiah would deliver Israel from the chains of the occupying Romans.  Something doesn't seem right about all of this.  So, you fall back on your training and rebuke this man for His blasphemous words and actions.  After all, He speaks against very the words you have been charged with giving to the people.  Then one day comes the ultimate heresy, this Nazarene boldly declares that "I and the Father, We are one" {Johns Account 10:30}.  Did He really just proclaim Himself equal with God?  What more evidence do you need of His blasphemy?  He must be silenced!  If you were that Pharisee, what would you do?  Would you scheme a way to catch Jesus in His blasphemous words?  Would you seek to discredit Him in front of His followers?  Well, the Pharisees of Jesus' day tried all that.  But, it turns out that Jesus was right after all.  

For someone who had been raised in the teachings of the Torah, it must have been difficult to swallow the words of someone proclaiming to be one with your holy God.  But, as I said, Jesus wasn't lying.  In fact, I am of the belief that He is incapable of lying {To the Hebrews 6:18}.  Therefore, we must accept the very words of Jesus as truth.  He and the Father are indeed one.  How is it possible for the One we know as the Son of the living God to be one with the Father?  Well, I take Him at His word.  We also have the words spoken by the apostle Paul in his evangel as proof of the truth we have in Jesus {Paul to the Colossians 1:15}.  Indeed, not only is Jesus one with the Father, but he is the image of God Who is invisible.  What more proof do we need?  But here's the issue which I have with those in the church.  They might accept that Jesus and the Father share a common identity, yet all the while they ignore the truth that we also share in that identity with the Father.  Jesus Himself has spoken to this truth of our union within the Father in Johns gospel {Johns Account 14:20}.  As it turns out, Jesus was right, in both cases.  Not only is He one with the Father, but we are one with Him as well.  He is in the Father, we are in Jesus and He is in us {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  This is the truth we have of our life lived within the love of the Father.  But why was it so difficult for those Pharisees to take Jesus as His word?  Well, why is it so difficult for pastors of today to accept the truth that we reside within the Father?  The common denominator here is religion.  The Pharisees were steeped in the religious practices of their faith.  They could never accept that a sinful man could ever be equal with God.  Likewise, the pastors of today refuse to accept that sinful man could ever share an identity with the Father.  To believe so would be...blasphemy.  Well, it turns out that Jesus was right all along.  

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 Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (God All In All) # 2178

 

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

Johns Account 1: 1-5, Concordant New Testament Translation 

One of the most difficult concepts to accept about how we see God is in the truth that He is all in all.  That is, God is within everything and anything which we will ever experience.  That it is through Christ Jesus that all has been created {Johns Account 1:1-5}.  The reason that this concept of God all in all is so difficult to comprehend for many is in how we see Him.  Many Christians see God as some far away overseer sitting in heaven while man toils away here on earth.  For their part, the church has perpetuated this belief in that they have spoken that it is the sin of mankind that has separated us from God {Isaiah 59:2}.  Those who adhere to this belief will find it difficult to understand how God could be within all which he has created.  They will admit that He has indeed created all which we see, but that's where His involvement ends.  When it comes to the difficult times in life, they cannot accept that God could ever be involved in such things as death, injustice and world turmoil.  But the simple truth is that He HAS by His hand created everything which we will ever experience in this world.  This is laid out for us in the very first words of the scripture we find in Genesis.  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth {Genesis 1:1}.  How much more proof do we need?  He created both the heavens and the earth, that everything we see and experience in either of these is of God.  He also created us in His very likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  So, not only are the fingerprints of the Father upon the heavens and the earth, but upon us a s well.  I like to think of God all in all in the example of our earthly parents and of how each of us have received that biological DNA signature from two different people.  Not only do I carry the genetic markings of my father, but of my mother as well.  But consider this, having created us in His likeness, we also carry that spirit image of the Father within us {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:49}.  

Growing up in the mainstream church teaching, it was difficult for me to accept that God could be within the tragedies of life.  That He could ever be involved in such things as pain and grief.  In these times, I often would pray and ask THAT question, where are you, God?  Never once realizing that He was right where He has always been.  For with Him there is no wavering {James to the Twelve Tribes 1:17}.  If I would have known the truth of my life within the Father back then, I probably could have saved myself a lot of frustration.  The very reason that I can say that I now see God as all in all is due to how I now see my life within His love.  That He has always been an intimate part of who I am.  Of course, this fly's in the face of who those within the church tell us that He is.  That God can never be in the intimate presence of sinful man.  To this I ask, what about Jesus?  Has not Jesus given Himself that we would be free from sin {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}?  In his evangel, Paul speaks to Jesus having died so that we are "By no means to be still slaving for sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:6}.  This is welcome news for anyone who has felt that they are trapped in their sins.  That the best that they can do is to continually offer up prayers for God's forgiveness.  Believe me, I've seen that movie play out far too often in my own life.  I was slaving for sin.  This is the very same place many believers continue to find themselves in today.  The truth we have in the Father is that Jesus has already provided for an end to our torment.  That Jesus has died to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  This answers the question that God can and is within what the church continues to see as sinful man.  Jesus Himself has spoken to the truth of our life in the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  He has created all we experience and has created us in His likeness, He is indeed all in all.  

Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be all in all 

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15: 28, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (In Gods House) # 2177

 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone should be loving Me, he will be keeping My word, and My Father will be loving him, and We shall be coming to him and making an abode with him

Johns Account 14: 23, Concordant New Testament Translation 

Growing up in the church, the physical building was often referred to as Gods house.  How many of you have heard someone ask you, "Were you in Gods house on Sunday?"  Indeed, the brick and mortar church buildings, temples and cathedrals we have become used to over time have always been considered to be the abode of God.  The Jewish authorities of Jesus' day revered the temple in Jerusalem as holy ground.  So much so that in the inner sanctums of the temple was what was known as the holy of holies.  This was sacred ground in which God was believed to abide, and which only the high priest was allowed to enter into.  Even here, we can see the religious belief of the separation of God and sinful man.  This was true back then, and continues to be one of the hallmarks of Christian theology and teaching.  But here's my question, what is it that Jesus proclaims of the abode of the Father?  We know that Jesus raised the ire of the Pharisees by proclaiming, "I and the Father, We are one."  In the eyes of the religious leaders of the day, Jesus was comparing Himself to God.  There could be no greater blasphemy than this.  But was He lying?  We have read that Jesus has proclaimed His own union, and ours, with the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  That not only is He in the Father, but we are in Him and He...is in us.  When we read and understand these words of Jesus, we begin to understand that the true home of the Father has never been the physical building of the church, but within those who love and worship Him.  Of course, this runs contrary to the traditions of the mainstream church.  And those who run contrary to the traditions of the church are all too often seen as radical thinkers.  I know this all too well.  For whenever I attempt to have the conversation with other believers about the truth of our life within the Father, I'm often accused of not understanding the scriptures or of cherry picking them for my own benefit.  In reality, I'm not adding nor taking away from the truth we find in scripture, only pointing out that which those within the church refuse to acknowledge.  

The scripture tells us that God finds His home within us {Johns Account 14:23}.  These are the very words spoken by Jesus Himself.  I have not found any spoken words of Jesus which speak to the Father residing within the walls of the church.  Now, we have read that God is indeed in the presence of those who gather in His name {Matthews Account 18:20}.  But this passage DOES NOT speak to God physically residing within the walls of the church.  So it is that we must accept the spoken word of the Lord Jesus of where God calls His home, and that is within those who love and believe in Him.  News flash, it turns out that Jesus was right all along.  Not only is He one with the Father, but He also dwells with us within Him.  However, the elephant in the room still remains.  Why is it that the mainstream church continues to ignore this truth spoken of by Jesus?  Why is it that those within the church continue to pursue the narrative that man has been separated from God by the same sin which Jesus has given Himself for{Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}?  Keep in mind, this is the spoken teaching of man's religion and not of the truth we find in the Father.  In his evangel, the apostle Paul speaks to Jesus dying to sin "Once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  However, I am of the opinion that those within the church continue to crucify Him daily over sin He has already died to.  I'll take this truth one step further.  Paul speaks in Galatians that he (and we) have been crucified along with Jesus, that the life we once knew is no more {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}.  So, do you think that you're still guilty of some sort of sin?  Not according to Paul, who proclaims that "We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it" {Paul to the Romans 6:2}?  So much for the false church narrative that sinful man cannot abide in the presence of God.  The truth is, WE are the home of the Father. 

Are you not aware that you are a temple of God and the spirit of God is making its home in you? 

Paul to the Corinthians 3: 16, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~ 

Good Of The Father (Radical Jesus) # 2176

 Yet I am saying to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who are persecuting you

Matthews Account 5: 44, Concordant New Testament Translation 

Have you ever thought of Jesus as anything more than your Lord and savior?  While we would be correct in proclaiming this, we should also recognize that Jesus was indeed considered a radical teacher during His ministry.  Many of the Jews of His day had the idea that the coming Messiah would be a leader who would lead the nation of Israel to victory over their hated Roman occupiers.  Never once did they consider that God would desire them to pray for these same Romans.  That is, until Jesus came along and shocked the social norms of the Jewish society.  The idea of praying for ones enemies was a foreign concept to the tradition based Jewish leadership.  In their view, "An eye for an eye" was the best response to someone who had wronged you.  The radical teaching of Jesus tells us not to exact an eye for an eye, but "Anyone who slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also" {Mattews Account 5:39}.  It's understandable that there were indeed those who despised Jesus for His radical teachings, the Jewish Pharisees among them.  It was these religious leaders who clung to the traditions of the Torah in verse, but not in practice.  All too often, you could see these men in public openly going against the traditions they taught.  They seldom practiced what they preached to others.  Jesus, on the other hand, definitely exemplified that which He taught.  In fact, many of the modern church teachings of love, non-violence and humility come straight from the teachings and words of Jesus.  But how is it that these words of Jesus could be considered to be radical?  Well, because Jesus spoke against what were considered to be the social norms of His day.  For their part, the Pharisees challenged Him at every turn.  These Jewish leaders wanted more than anything to keep things the way that they were.  They despised this radical street preacher from Nazareth coming into their arena to upset the apple cart so to say.  In fact, we hear Nathaniel inquiring of Philip, "Can anything good be out of Nazareth?" {Johns Account 1:46}.  So, here we have One from the hillbilly town of Nazareth speaking a message no one had ever heard before.  The very definition of a radical. 

So, what is it that we can learn from these radical teachings of Jesus?  Remember, it is for His radical teachings that the Jewish religious leaders had Him crucified.  These days, many embrace the so called radical teachings of this man from Nazareth.  We understand that love, humility and grace are not radical at all, but what the Father desires for us.  Yet there continue to be a few of the teachings of Jesus that we continue to see as radical in nature, inclusivity being one of them.  While left wing pundits today rage for inclusivity, it is the apostle Paul who speaks of the very definition of the word.  In his evangel, Paul speaks to the truth that "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}.  While the debate today rages against gender equality, it is Paul who refused to group the Lords creation into gender identification.  The truth we find in Jesus is that we are all one with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  Of course, the Jewish authorities despised Jesus for His blasphemous words that "I and the Father, We are one" {Johns Account 10:30}.  Even today, many believers scoff at the idea that sinful man could ever be one with Jesus.  When I speak this truth of Jesus to others, I become the radical.  I guess I'm in good company.  In many ways, the same religious norms which Jesus spoke against in His ministry are still with us today.  The religious hierarchies, the traditional requirements and the expectation that believers adhere to them.  But what did the radical teachings of Jesus tell us about how we worship the Father?  Not by recognizing and practicing religious traditions, but something radical indeed.  For Jesus speaks to the woman He encountered at the well that "God is spirit, and those who are worshipping Him must be worshipping in spirit and truth" {Johns Account 4:24}.  "For the Father also is seeking such to be worshipping Him" {Johns Account 4:23}.  What does these radical words of Jesus tell us about how we worship today?  Well, like the Pharisees before them, I'm sure that it would make more than a few pastors nervous.  No church?  No praise and worship music?  No tithing?  Blasphemy!  And that, is the radical Jesus. 

But coming is the hour, and now is, when the true worshippers will be worshipping the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also is seeking such to be worshipping Him.  God is spirit, and those who are worshipping Him must be worshipping in spirit and truth 

Johns Account 4: 23-24, Concordant New Testament Translation 

~Scott~