The Good Of The Father (Crutches) # 2047

 

Lift My yoke upon you and be learning from Me, for meek am I and humble in heart, and you shall be finding rest in your souls 

Matthews Account 11: 29, Concordant New Testament 

Mention the word crutch to someone and you might be surprised at the answer.  Some will correctly identify if as a much needed piece of medical equipment for those who need it.  Meanwhile, someone else might answer that the crutch symbolizes something totally different.  For both the medical and non medical crutches are somehow designed to assist someone through a difficult period of time.  Now, I've been fortunate to have never had an injury in my lifetime which has required me to use crutches.  However, I've used plenty of crutches in my life.  How is that possible?  It's possible because, like too many others, I've used coping mechanisms in my life in order to get me through those times where I felt I needed them.  Crutches can come in many different appearances, from drugs and liquor to pornography.  In my life, I often chose the latter.  It is my pornography addiction that I often turned to when things got too tough for me.  Like that medical device, I felt that I needed this crutch in order to make it through the day.  I've talked with quite a few people who agreed that their own use of liquor or drugs made them feel like they couldn't make it through life without them.  This is the illusion of things which we prop up to somehow help us through our day.  Some depend of porn.  Others depend upon food.  Either way you look at it, it's nothing more than a crutch and not a permanent solution to our problem.  The good news is that Christ Jesus has offered to us a solution to those times when we feel that we can't go on.  That solution, is Him.  For in Christ Jesus we find the peace and solitude which we need to make it through the tough times of life.  Jesus Himself has invited us to look unto Him in those times when we feel burdened.  In Him, Jesus proclaims, "You shall be finding rest for your souls" {Matthews Account 11:29}.  How liberating is it when we take the stress of our life and give it unto Jesus?  The added benefit when we lift our troubles unto Him is that we avoid the addictive crutches that we might have turned to instead of trusting in Jesus.  

And He is the propitiatory shelter concerned with our sins, yet not concerned with our only, but concerned with the whole world also

First Epistle of John 2: 2, Concordant New Testament 

Through the revelation I have received of my own life in Christ, I have come to see Jesus not only as a help in times of trouble, but as my shelter as well.  For it is Christ Who I am protected by in my union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}.  I cannot define life now as something I walk in alone, but something I live in Christ Jesus.  It is this realization of my life in Christ which has given me the freedom to ditch the traditional crutches we might find and to place my trust in Jesus.  It is in Christ that I have found peace and rest.  This doesn't mean that I no longer face the troubles of life, only that I now face them through Christ Jesus Who is my life.  I believe that this is what Jesus was speaking to when He invited us to "Lift My yoke upon you."  In Christ, our burdens are His as well.  And one thing is certain, Jesus will not stress over the burdens of life.  What He will do is to intercede on our behalf with the Father {Paul to the Romans 8:34}.  We can be assured that when we trust that our burdens are His and His alone, that our own stress will be reduced as well.  Far from being just another crutch, Jesus is not a temporary solution to our problems.  He is our ever present help in times of need {Psalm 46:1}.  No addiction could ever stake that claim. 

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (The Trad Church) # 2046

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

Paul to the Galatians 3: 28, Concordant New Testament 

I got a message this week from a friend who was contemplating a story on the increase in the number of younger men accepting the Orthodox religion as their new spiritual home.  The basis of this mass exodus from the traditional halls of Christianity seems to be the trend of the mainstream Christian church leaning more and more towards left wing, anti conservative ideals.  Traditionally, the church has been seen as the bastion of conservative beliefs, but not so much anymore.  In recent years, we have seen the influx of LGBTQ and the "Acceptance" of alternative lifestyles being embraced by the traditional church.  Honestly, I do not blame those who have left the trad church and looked for guidance elsewhere.  Even I, all those years ago, abandoned my spot in the Sunday morning pew in order to pursue a new relationship with the Lord.  Along the way I have faced criticism from those who remain in the church for abandoning God.  Some have even questioned my salvation.  Yet, the apostle John speaks that we must indeed "Test the spirits to see if they are of God" {First Epistle of John 4:1}.  When I left the traditional church, I was intent on putting this verse into practice.  How was the mainstream church theology bringing me closer to the truth found in Christ Jesus?  Was sin still a big factor in my life?  But wait, hasn't Jesus already died to sin {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  How is it that the same traditional church which claims that Jesus indeed gave Himself for the forgiveness of sin still preach that sin continues to be a struggle in our lives?  How is it that the traditional church has somehow lowered its conservative standards to allow into its teachings the acceptance of alternative lifestyles?  Like I said, I understand totally why there are those who seek to abandon the seemingly woke traditional church for something more along the lines of the way that church used to be.  

Because, by the works of law, no flesh at all shall be justified in His sight, for through law is the recognition of sin

Paul to the Romans 3: 20, Concordant New Testament 

In the years since I left the traditional church, I have come to know the Lord in a more personal way in my own life.  I'm not afraid to say that this revelation would ever have been possible had I continued in the teachings of the church.  For the church is fond of preaching that which is contrary to the truth of Christ which we find in the evangel of the apostle Paul.  That sin IS NOT a stumbling block to me, but that which has been put to death by Christ Jesus {Paul to the Romans 6:10}.  Not only that, but that I now live my life IN HIM {Johns Account 14:20}.  These are truths which I have never heard preached within the traditional church.  For the focus of the modern trad church seems to be fill those pews at any cost.  Even if that means accepting and proclaiming that which it previously spoke to as behaviors which were wrong in the eyes of God.  Now, I might catch my share of pushback from those who might claim that I am judging others, and maybe that was true all those years ago.  But what has the traditional church taught us other than how to judge others?  Judgements of sin, immoral behavior and unbelief.  Perhaps that same church is now placing judgements upon those who have chosen to adapt the Orthodox sect of Christianity while forsaking the traditional church they no longer recognize.  I get it.  All those years ago, I stepped aside from a church that I no longer recognized as well.  

~Scott~ 

The Good Of The Father (A Chosen Few) # 2045

 

For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified

Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15: 22, Concordant New Testament 

I was listening to another radio sermon the other night when the topic turned once again to one of the misconceptions of the mainstream church.  That is, the issue of salvation.  Notably, who is to be saved and who will be left in the dust.  Traditional church theology speaks to the point that those who accept Christ Jesus as their Lord and savior will indeed be saved {Paul to the Romans 10:13}.  But what about the remainder of Gods creation?  Doesn't God care about them enough to save them as well?  The answer that we find in scripture is...yes He does.  However, the theology and teaching of the church speaks to the fact that the "Good" will be rewarded with salvation while the "Wicked" shall be punished with an eternity in hell {Matthews Account 13:49-50}.  Indeed, through the centuries the church has latched onto the idea that Gods salvation is a black and white issue.  You're either good or wicked.  Nowhere in the teachings of the mainstream church is leeway given for the grace and mercy of the Lord.  You are either good or wicked.  But what if God does not see tings this way?  What if it is the desire of the Father that ALL be saved and spend eternity with Him?  Indeed, there are also plenty of scriptures which speak to this truth as well.  The apostle Paul, in his evangel, speaks that as in Adam "All are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified" {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 15:22}.  Paul speaks to the truth that, through the work of Christ Jesus, all shall find life.  And what is life but salvation?  Do we believe that Jesus gave Himself for the sins of all the world {First Epistle of John 2:2}?  Or, as the church preaches, that the free gift of Gods salvation is one reserved for a fortunate few?  Which scriptures do we believe and which do we toss aside as unbelievable?  For there are scriptures which speak to each side of this issue.  If we are to believe that all scripture is given to us to reveal the truth of Christ Jesus and the freedom brought about by His death, then we are to believe that it has always been the Lords desire that all of His children shall be saved.  

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and losing one of them, is not leaving the ninety-nine in the wilderness and is going after the lost one, till he may be finding it?" 

Lukes Account 15: 4, Concordant New Testament 

Another deeper question I have posed to more than a few people who trust in the church view of salvation is this, does God indeed love and cherish all of His children?  The scriptures confirm this truth for us {First Epistle of John 3:1}.  Jesus Himself speaks to this truth in His parable of the one lost sheep {Lukes Account 15:4}.  The church gets it right when they speak to the fact that God so loved the world that He would dispatch His only Son for us {Johns Account 3:16-17}.  Yet at the same time that preach the false belief that the Father, despite His own love for us, will turn His back on His those created in His likeness {Genesis 1:27} and send them to that place of eternal punishment apart from his presence.  Is this the love of God?  I would suggest that for anyone adhering to this belief, that they really do not know the Father at all.  For most of my life, I believed that my salvation was related to how well I behaved.  That if I did good, that I would be rewarded with salvation.  However, I was also taught that this salvation is conditional, that I somehow needed to "Maintain" my own salvation.  There continues to be those within the mainstream church who adhere to this false teaching.  I have spoken many times to a gym friend of mine who adamantly holds to the belief that we need to maintain that salvation which has been freely given us.  To this I ask, what about Jesus?  If he is indeed the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, would that not reveal the truth that through Him all are saved?  Not if you're a pastor it doesn't.  

~Scott~ 

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

 

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

Paul to the Colossians 1: 18, Concordant New Testament 

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

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

Johns Account 4: 24, Concordant New Testament 

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

~Scott~ 

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

 

Knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for sin, for the one who dies has been justified from sin.  Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, being roused from among the dead, is no longer dying.  Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, He is living to God.  Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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

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

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

~George Carlin~ 

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

~Scott~ 

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

 

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

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

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

"You are the light of the world.  A city located upon a mountain can not be hid.  Neither are they burning a lamp and placing it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it is shining to all those in the house.  Thus let shine your light in front of men, so that they may perceive your ideal acts and should glorify your Father who is in the heavens" 

Matthews Account 5: 14-16, Concordant New Testament 

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

~Scott~ 

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

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

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

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

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

Paul to the Ephesians 5:20, Concordant New Testament 

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

~Scott~