Just Like Me

 

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  

Romans 8: 10 - 11 NKJV 

I've been curious lately as to how many well meaning believers can claim that they know Jesus.  I mean, that they REALLY know Jesus.  For there is  a running joke among myself and a few friends of mine that there indeed two Jesus'.  We have the Jesus which every mainstream church pastor preaches on Sunday after Sunday.  The Jesus who was born, grew up and began His ministry and was then crucified.  Of course, that wasn't the end of Jesus, for He was raised up after three days and ascended into heaven to be seated at the Fathers side.  Pretty accurate, I can go along with this view of Jesus for the most part.  Then we have the Jesus who we've all read about, but with one big difference.  This is the Jesus I have come to know.  This is Jesus as He truly is.  Perhaps why most believers seldom hear of this alternative Christ is because He is seldom spoken of in church circles.  Yet, it is through scripture that we learn of the truth of Jesus.  The apostle Paul first introduces us to the reality of Christ in the book of Galatians.  Now, we all have heard of the man Saul and of his relentless persecution of the early church.  Saul may well have become one of the churches great villains...were it not for Jesus.  For on that dusty road to Damascus, Saul was introduced to the real Christ Jesus.  It was Paul who told of His conversion that day, of how God chose the exact time to introduce him to the truth of who it is he really was {Galatians 1:15-16}.  Who was this Jesus whom Paul came to know?  This is a Jesus who is not so far removed from us as we were meant to believe.  This is a Jesus who is just like me {Galatians 2:20}.  Just like me?  It was Paul who spoke to the reality of Christ by claiming that "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."  Knowing this, how can I be anyone else but Jesus?  Of course, this is a huge step for many believers who are much more comfortable with the Jesus of the church.

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves.  Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified.  But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. 

2 Corinthians 13: 5 - 6 NKJV 

For those who have longed to come to know a real relationship with Jesus, how much more real can it get than to realize that you are just like Jesus?  Mind you, the truth is out there, although it might have not yet been revealed in us as it was in Paul.  Remember, it is the Father who brings us this revelation of the truth of who we really are.  More importantly, it is the realization that Jesus is not far removed from our lives as the church has taught us.  Jesus is not just sitting in heaven looking down upon us just waiting for us to screw something up.  It was the prayer of Jesus in the garden that we and the Father would be one with Him {John 17:21}.  This was the desire of Christ, that He would have a relationship with us.  Not only that, but that our lives would be in His as well.  This is what Paul was speaking to in Galatians.  The realization I have of Christ in me has brought me into a new understanding of who Jesus is.  He is not the punisher who calls us out for our sins.  Remember, the sin issue is water under the bridge at this point.  Not only did Jesus die on the cross to wash away our sins, but He dealt a death blow to the sin issue as well.  We are now, as Paul tells us, to consider ourselves dead to sin {Romans 6:11}.  The truth about Jesus is not limited to what we hear from our pastor.  The truth about Jesus is that He is just like me. 

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Galatians 2: 20 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

 

The Battle Within

 

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.  All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 

1 Corinthians 6: 12 NKJV 

I once knew a African American man who was a coworker of mine.  Now, this man was indeed a good and positive person...when he was sober.  For his greatest weakness was retreating to the bar each day after work to, as he called it, "work on his issues."  In the end, he was fired for a DUI he received while on vacation to California.  I've written many times of the evils of addiction, so I figured one more wouldn't hurt.  Perhaps this time somewhere out there someone would hear what I have to say.  I've known plenty of people who have been caught up in the evils of one addiction or another.  I myself battled a addiction to pornography for years.  So, what made me want to delve once again into this issue?  My old coworker.  I often recall him telling anyone who would listen that, as a black man, that he would not be enslaved to anyone.  I get it.  Yet, in his struggle not to be under the control of any man, he came under the control of something far worse.  Back in the day, seldom did I think of my own addiction as being enslaved, yet that is exactly what I was.  When it needed me, I was there.  If you are entangled in a addiction of your own, you might not feel as if you are a slave.  You might even feel as if you can kick your habit any time you want.  But I will disagree with that line of thinking.  Remember, I've been where you are today.  I've already walked that road.  The addiction I had did indeed enslave me.  Although I knew that it was wrong, it's pull was so strong that I continued in its behaviors.  It became a safe place for me, where I could retreat to when things were bad.  I didn't get drunk, high or abusive, but I was as addicted as any drug user has ever been.  What happened that changed my mind on what I was doing?  Simple...Jesus happened.  More importantly, knowing Jesus and the man I really was inside.  I believe that at the heart of every addiction is our own false belief of who it is we really are.  Just because someone abuses alcohol because he feels like he is a failure does not make him so.  A drug user may be enslaved to his addiction because he feels as if he has nothing to live for.  Again, a false belief.  

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 

Galatians 5: 1 NKJV 

A 2014 survey found that 69% of Christian men admitted to viewing pornography at least once a week.  For me it was a staggering statistic.  For any pastor it should be a warning sign that he is not doing his job!  How do I come to this assumption?  The same way I came to the moment that I realized that what I was enslaved to was not who I really was.  There are no better ways for new addicts to be introduced to their addictions than through feelings of inadequacy.  How many alcoholics and drug users are out there among us who simply have a low opinion of themselves.  I get it, I've been there.  When I dabbled in pornography, there was nobody there to remind me of how bad of a person I was.  However, as I found out, that feeling is momentary.  As the effects of our drug of choice wear off, we're back once again to the reality we try so hard to avoid.  But I would like to introduce you to the reality which you may have never heard of.  A reality which I'm almost certain your pastor has never introduced you to.  That is our reality in Christ Jesus.  Those who know my own story know that my epiphany moment came a few years back as I was about to enter yet another strip club here in Portland.  It was like I'd done so many times before.  But this time was different.  This time as I reached the door, something within me began to speak to me.  That message was, "This isn't the man who you are."  I have zero doubt that Jesus chose that moment to introduce Himself to me.  Yes, I knew who Jesus was, just not in a personal way.  So, if I wasn't this guy who walked into strip clubs and watched pornography, who was I?  Well, a good Christian friend helped me with that one.  I was now on a journey which the apostle Paul referred to as the "Mystery among the Gentiles" {Colossians 1:27}.  It is Paul who introduces us to who we truly are in Gods eyes.  When God looks upon us, He sees His one and only Son.  For it is Christ who now lives through us {Galatians 2:20}.  Can Jesus be enslaved to a addiction?  Absolutely.  However, once we realize who it is we truly are inside we start down the path of not only knowing Jesus better, but ourselves as well.  

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1: 27 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

Our Season Of Discontent

 They are of the world.  Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.  We are of God.  He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.  By this we know the spirt of truth and the spirit of error.

1 John 4: 5 - 6 NKJV 

Most everyone has been witness to the events which occurred in our nations capital this week.  Whatever side of the political fence that you sit on, you need to carefully consider whether you are in support of such anarchy.  Now, these demonstrations claimed to be part of a large movement in support of president Donald Trump, but I feel that that is where the similarities end.  There are also reports that this demonstration was infiltrated by more than a few antifa agitators.  Only a complete investigation will reveal what really happened.  So, how is it that we've come to this point?  Well, from my own personal experience, we heard what we have been wanting to hear for many years.  The election of Donald Trump in 2016 was spurred by his promise to put America and our citizens first before anything else.  These words resonated with a large swath of a nation so accustomed to the empty promises of Washington.  This man was speaking to our hearts.  Whether this was a unique campaign strategy or simply Donald Trump being who he is only he knows.  I am inclined to believe that he was being real and honest with the voters who were listening to his every word.  What I, and a good number of Americans, have lost sight of is that Donald Trump is just a man.  President elect Biden...is simply a man.  Despite all of his self inflating ego, Barack Obama was...just a man.  So, are we to believe that one man can indeed alter the nation and ultimately change history?  Perhaps, but I'd bet that all of those marchers in Washington this week weren't focused on the One who can truly change a mans life.  That being Christ Jesus.  I've listened to president Trump speak, and he says a lot of positive things about our country and his Christian faith.  He does indeed appear to be a man who knows the Lord.  Yet, knowing the Lord is a long way from being the Lord.  Now, I've never accepted Donald trump as a replacement for my heavenly Father, but I've given the words he's spoken a paramount, almost heavenly devotion.  After all, he was saying what I longed to hear our political leaders say.  We do well to remember that it is the Lord who is ultimately in control of everything we will ever experience in our lives.  

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

2 Timothy 4:  3 - 4 NKJV 

I will say that I don't believe that Donald Trump ever misled his followers with falsehoods.  What I will admit is that those who listened to him speak were so glad to finally hear his words spoken that they forgot that he was indeed...just a man.  I will point out that other men have enthralled crowds with sound words before.  Men like Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and our own pontificator Barack Obama.  The apostle Paul warned his young apprentice Timothy about such things in his letter to him.  Paul advised Timothy that there will be many with "itching ears" who will be turned from the truth {2 Timothy 4:3}.  From the events of this past election season, it seems that we indeed have a nation of people with itching ears.  Believe me, the political candidates of tomorrow are taking notes of how this past year went down.  If they aren't they should.  We have not seen the last of a few men who will speak to what it is that we want to hear simply to gain political office.  What has set Donald Trump apart from these hucksters is that he actually did what he said he was going to do.  That will forever remain a part of his legacy.  The deeper question we must now ask ourselves is...where do we place our trust?  Do we trust in the slick words of any political hack that comes along?  Well, if all we seek is anxiety and disappointment then we can do just that.  For me, I would rather place my trust in the one who gave Himself for me {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  I would rather place my trust in knowing that it is Christ Jesus who lives on in me {Galatians 2:20}.  Man can speak to a great many things, and at times his words may seem uplifting for awhile.  However, at the end of the day we do well to remember He in whose image we are all created {Genesis 1:27}.  

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said; "We ought to obey God rather than men." 

Acts 5: 29 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

By Faith

 Luke ~ "How am I supposed to fight?"

Ben Kenobi ~ "Your eyes can deceive you...don't trust them."

I recently watched a little snippet of the "Chosen" series which was showing on my Facebook feed.  Now, one of these days I'll take the time to watch the whole first season, but only if I don't have to enroll in anything to do so.  Yeah, I'm funny like that.  Anyway, in this video clip, Jesus is speaking/teaching a small group of young children when something He said caught my attention.  As Jesus was explaining justice to the children, He told them "There are many things which you do not yet understand about scripture, and that is fine."  What?  Jesus telling children that it's ok not to know the bible?  Yes, because I believe that this fell in line with the message Jesus was giving to all who would take the time to hear Him.  Understand that back in the day, these words of Jesus were so foreign to the people of His time that they often refused to see what it was that was right in front of their noses.  The parables which Jesus used to illustrate His teachings often included references to those He was speaking to.  Of course, through these parables, Jesus was speaking to the people in a way they would understand.  How many times have you been scrolling through the scriptures and suddenly came across a passage that suddenly opens your eyes to a new understanding?  I've been there far too many times.  Why didn't we see this passage before?  Or, if we did, why didn't we understand it better?  Well, for lack of a better explanation, God does not reveal all things at once.  I am a firm believer that we see with our eyes yet believe in our hearts.  Yet, that's not always the case when it comes to knowing and understanding Jesus.  Like many, I've struggled with the prospect of believing in One whom I could not see.  I knew that Jesus existed, but I could not physically see Him to assure myself that He was there.  I was trusting my eyes to verify what I already knew in my own heart to be true.  I saw this carry over into church teaching as well.  Whenever I heard that pastor say "Come Lord Jesus," I immediately was excited at the thought of finally seeing my Savior.  Well, if we go down that road we'll be kicking rocks for a long time.  The trouble is most well meaning Christians have missed the boat.  Instead of waiting for Jesus to arrive we should be happy that He is here.

The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord."  So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."  And after eight days His disciples were still inside, and Thomas was with them.  Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, "Peace to you!"  The He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side.  Do not be unbelieving, but believing.  And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"  Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed.  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

John 20: 25 - 29 NKJV 

So tell me, are you blessed today?  Have you known and trusted in Christ Jesus even though you could not prove Him with your own eyes?  Many believers stake claim to know Christ, yet they chafe at the thought of Jesus being alive today.  I do not blame the believers for this, for the institutional church narrative has long held that there is a divide between Jesus and those who believe in Him.  That barrier is sin.  We read in scripture that all have sinned {Romans 3:23}.  Many well intentioned believers read this passage and right away think that they will always be separate from a God who supposedly loves them.  Yet, here's what else we find in scripture.  We are now dead to our sins {Romans 6:11}.  Not only has that sin barrier been removed from us, but it is Christ Jesus who lives within us today {Galatians 2:20}.  So, who do we trust, the scriptures or the pastors?  Well, the bible is correct, we were once dead in our sin trespasses.  However, that is the old man, our former self before Christ was introduced.  Through Jesus, that old man I once was has been put to death {Romans 6:6}.  What remains is a new creation in Christ {2 Corinthians 5:17}.  It is not with our eyes that we will come to know Christ, but knowing Him in our hearts.  Indeed, God will bless those who believe with the revelation of the knowledge of Christ in us.  This happens when it pleases the Father, for not all things are revealed at once.  

Consequently, faith is out of tidings, yet the tidings through a declaration of Christ.

Romans 10: 17  ~ Concordant scriptures 

~Scott~ 

A Witness For Condemnation

 

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8: 1 NKJV 

I recently saw a video online where a young lady was taking the bold step of giving her own testimony for all the world to see.  Apparently she had been a victim of the worst of pornography as well as feelings of self doubt and condemnation.  I get it.  For those who have read this page before, I've been there.  I've been down that very same road where this young lady was headed.  This indeed proves all which I have heard that the evils of pornography are not just indulged in by the men around us.  For me, my addiction led to all sorts of issue I began to have with myself.  Feelings of low self esteem, self doubt as well as not feeling very worthy.  I could see those feelings in the young lady in this video.  However, if I were to give her just one bit of advice I would tell her to not expect her public testimony to free her from her chains.  At least that's not how it worked for me.  I can remember telling my story a few times while in the grip of my addiction, and not much changed aside from more people knowing what I was dealing with.  Perhaps that was this girls intention in relating her story.  Let me just say that we can tell others our story all day long and it will never come close to healing what it is we are trying to escape.  Those who have been to addiction recovery meetings know this all too well.  Sure, we can attend the meetings and tell everyone what we've been through, but after that meeting is over there will still be those who will indulge their addiction.  What is it about giving our testimonies that somehow leads us to believe that we will be cured of what we're dealing with?  Well, back in the day, a testimony was given by those who wanted to tell the world what God had accomplished in their lives.  Like the Christian practice of baptism.  Baptism has never absolved anyone from their sins.  On the contrary, it is merely a public testament of our faith in the Lord.  The only similarity between baptism and our testimony is that they are both given in public.  It is there where the similarities end.

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV 

So, what is the advice that I would give this young lady?  What is it that you're chasing?  What is it that you believe so strongly in your heart that convicts you?  If this young lady were to approach the Lord and ask for forgiveness of her sins, He may just tell her "What sin?"  I am going on the assumption that she is indeed a believer and that she has given her heart to the Lord.  Knowing this, what sin is there that would convict her in the eyes of the Lord?  Did not Jesus come to wipe away our sins {1 John 1:9, Acts 2:38}.  Then there is the reality that there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus {Romans 8:1}.  Indeed, if I feel condemned by sin, have I sinned or have I simply forgotten what it is that Jesus has accomplished in me?  I would say the latter is true.  My sin needed to be dealt with, and it is Jesus who did that.  It is Jesus who became sin on my behalf {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  Ask yourself this question, how many times does Jesus need to be crucified?  Almost all Christians would agree that Jesus died once for the forgiveness of all.  Why, then, do we continue to condemn ourselves with the guilt of sin?  The apostle Paul also tells us that we are now dead to sin {Romans 6:11}.  That's right, that sin which someone told you was still with you...is gone.  You are no longer seen as a sinner in the eyes of the Lord.  What does God see when He looks upon us?  He sees His only Son.  Again, Paul assures us of this truth we have in Christ.  We're told that it is Jesus who lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  So, the truth is that we are dead to sin, God does not condemn us and that we are one with Christ Jesus.  I would hope that somewhere along the line, someone who needs to see this message in their life will read this.  

I and My Father are one.

John 10: 30 NKJV 

~Scott~

A New Day

 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Revelation 21: 4 NKJV 

This is the time of year where most people make predictions for the upcoming new year.  I've tried to lay off that practice this year, for honestly I do not know where my life will soon take me.  I've always thought that new year's resolutions were for those who seem to know exactly where they are headed in life.  Yet, how many of us are indeed certain what tomorrow will bring?  In a year that has shown us so much turmoil and confusion, can we honestly guarantee what the next will bring?  Yet here we stand on the brink of a new day.  If it be the desire of the Lord, I will find myself once again penning my thoughts on times passed 365 days from now.  Once again, I'll put aside any predictions I feel that I need to be made known.  One of my favorite times of day has always been sunrise.  It is here, at the dawn of each new day, that we find a sense of renewal in a way.  Gone are the events of the previous day and, unless we will ourselves to worry over past events, we will soon find that this new day has plenty of worries of its own.  I have a saying that I have incorporated into my exercise regimen; "Tomorrow is another chance for me to do better."  It may sound bland, but it's indeed true.  In fact, I would take that a step further to say that tomorrow is another chance for ALL of us to do better.  Now, do I know what tomorrow will bring?  Not really.  I can, however, make a educated guess as to what the day will be like, based on previous days.  After all, that's all any of us can do, right?  I can do terrible in one of my workouts and immediately declare that "Tomorrow I'll do better!"  Do I know what tomorrow will bring for certain?  No.  So, what is it that keeps me going?  What is it that makes me a so called "glass half full" kind of person?  Well, a lot of my assurance comes from what I believe in my heart to be true.  In a year of uncertainty and lockdowns, I've felt the pain of isolation as we all have.  Yet I still remain true to what I believe, that better times are ahead.  Why?  Because I am not only the worlds worst pessimist, but I know in my heart that God remains on His throne.  I know in my heart that nothing that has or will ever occur will happen apart from the Lords notice.

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not more valuable than they?  "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  "So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; "and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'what shall we eat?'  or 'what shall we drink?'  or 'what shall we wear?'  "For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all of these things.  "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Matthew 6: 25 - 34 NKJV 

What is it that you suppose that Jesus ever worried about?  Do you think that He ever worried or fretted about this, that of the other thing?  I do.  I believe that Jesus, being flesh as we are, indeed worried about whatever things a young Jewish boy or teenager would worry about.  Can I imagine the worries that He might have had?  Well, one can only speculate, but I'm sure that there were worries about His parents finances, His standing in the local community and just about every other thing a kid growing up worries about.  We're told that Jesus indeed can sympathize with whatever it is that we are struggling with {Hebrews 4:14}.  This is due to Jesus having been down that road before us.  He is that trail blazer through life which each of us can follow and learn from.  What did Jesus tell us about worry?  Well, He warned us in a few places of the dangers of worrying about tomorrow.  In the sermon on the mount, Jesus warns us not to worry about things as simple as food or clothing.  Can this be because Jesus knew all too well what worry can do to a person?  Did He Himself experience the negative effects of worry while growing up?  I believe that He did.  Therefore, Jesus would have known that worry is never in our best interests.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble {Matthew 6:34}.  Taking this one step further, can Jesus ease our own worries today?  Of course.  If we trust in our hearts that it is Jesus who is now living through us as the apostle Paul recognized, then we have a real life relationship with Him {Galatians 2:20}.  I know that whatever it is I am facing, Jesus has already been there and done that.  I can trust that He will guide me through.

~Scott~ 

The Book

 

He Knows My name

He knows my every thought

He sees each tear that falls

And hears me when I call

~He Knows My Name~ 

Like I always do, I found myself listening to a radio preacher on my way to work this week.  Something he said made me think.  That the bible I read knows me...more than I know it.  I found this interesting because more often than not I am struck by just how much of myself that I see in scripture.  Some time ago a dear friend related to me that the bible was Gods love letter to me,  Amen.  All too often we see the scripture in a more direct and serious way, like that two edged sword {Hebrews 4:12}.  Indeed, the scripture carries more than enough messaging to help us through our lives.  However, I've come to realize that the bible is not simply a set of rules to live by, it never has been.  Instead, the scriptures tell us the story of Christ Jesus from beginning to end.  From the prophesy predicting His birth {Isaiah 7:14}.  To His birth in Bethlehem {Luke 2:6-7}.  In fact, this book is more about the story of Jesus than it is about rules for our own lives.  You might even say that through this book that God is introducing us to Jesus.  Obviously, His life is chronicled from birth to His death upon the cross.  Oh yes, the crucifixion.  Well, the book tells us that the life of Jesus did not end there.  For we know that Christ died and three days later He rose again.  We know that after His death that He was seen by many {1 Corinthians 15:6}.  We also know that the book tells us of how it is that Jesus lives today {Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:8}.  It is here that many believers fall short.  They look at the book and assume that Jesus is alive but in heaven at the Fathers side.  Well, that is not what the book tells us.  No, the story of Jesus tells us something entirely different.  Where we might see a empty space, the book assures us that Jesus is indeed with us today.  So, are we to believe only some of the truth of the book?  Well, that would be cherry picking the very story of Jesus. 

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Galatians 2: 20 NKJV 

The scripture would be remiss without telling of the life of Jesus.  That is, the ONGOING life of Jesus.  Most believers know all too well the regurgitated stories of the life of Christ that they have learned in church.  I get it.  However, in order to better know Jesus we need to step beyond the stories we know to be true and began to accept the truth about Jesus which we rarely do.  I speak to Christ Jesus in me, that is obvious from what I write.  Yet, mention that truth to many believers today and you'll get a blank stare.  I do not speak heresy, but Jesus.  The apostle Paul spoke to the reality of Christ in him as well {Galatians 2:20}.  Paul spoke to the Lord revealing Christ in him {Galatians 1:15-16}.  Just because a truth is difficult for us to comprehend does not make it any less true.  Therefore, the book tells us of the Life of Christ Jesus today that we would be one with Him.  Yes, that was the prayer of Jesus in the garden {John 17:21}.  That we would be one with He and the Father.  I think that it's safe to say that His prayer has been answered.  So, where is Jesus today if not constrained to heaven?  Well, each day when I look into the mirror I am reminded of just where He is.  It is Christ Jesus who lives in me.  Everything I do, say and experience I do as Christ who is in me.  And here's another curveball, is it the same Jesus in me when I behave badly?  Yes!  Just because I choose in my flesh to act out does not mean that Jesus has left the building.  Perhaps I'll be hearing those accusations of heresy again soon enough.  Whether it is good, bad or ugly, Jesus remains in me.  How do I know this is true?  I read it in a book somewhere.  

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1: 27 NKJV 

~Scott~