Home Grown

 

Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.  So continuing daily with once accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. 

Acts 2: 44 - 47 NKJV 

I heard a radio pastor this week proclaim that the nation of Japan was in the midst of raising up thousands of Christian churches in the wake of a few natural disasters.  Now, while many believers might see this as a good thing, I would suggest caution.  Take a look around your town and see just how many churches you see.  If your area is anything like mine, there seems to be a church on every corner.  Yet, our nations spiritual needs now seem greater than ever.  Why is that?  I believe that the answer to this is the decline of the traditional church as we know it.  Sure, the virus epidemic has drawn a few people together into churches, but that's because almost all of our social gathering places have been locked up for various periods.  I believe that there is a reason that we begin to see a decline in church attendance even before the pandemic began.  That reason is that people began to feel uninspired by the traditions of the institutional church.  I've always said that I could walk into any church expecting what is going to happen.  Indeed, many of the traditional worship services follow the same template.  However, what is interesting among this exodus from our churches is that those who are leaving the church are more often than not finding a alternative in home groups and home churches.  It is here, free from the worship bands and strict service schedules, that people are free to interact and truly learn about our reason for coming together in the first place.  One thing I've all too often heard from people who have walked away from the church is that they longed to hear about Jesus.  Imagine that, a church that seldom teaches about He who is the head of the church {Ephesians 1:22}.  The issue which far too many people get tangled up in concerning home grown groups and churches is the belief that these gatherings are somehow not under the "covering" of a local church congregation.  That is, they are not sanctified by the church.  Well excuse me, but if my desire is to attend a home gathering where I can hear and learn about Jesus then sanctification be damned!  

Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.  Therefore, the one whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.  God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.  Nor is He worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.  And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth, and has determined their predetermined times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."

Acts 17: 22 - 27 NKJV 

There are those who believe that the Lord actually dwells in the church.  That the church building is His domain.  I used to get hung up on this as a young Christian, thinking that I could never be close to God without being in church.  This, of course, is a false belief that has managed to survive over the years.  The apostle Paul preached to the city of Athens that God does not dwell in temples made with hands {Acts 17:24}.  I've said for some time now that the truest church I have ever seen was the home churches of the original followers of Jesus which we see described in Acts 2.  This is the very definition of church community.  People, whether they are believers or not, gathering together in the course of their daily lives to hear and learn about Jesus.  No worship bands.  No sermons.  Yet, what do we see among these believers?  That the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved {Acts 2:47}.  In other words, this was a growing, vibrant group of believers who were meeting amongst themselves.  There are many modern churches that have attempted to model this early example of community through home groups, with minimal success.  For at the end of the day, these home groups are still beholden to the church as well.  

It's been some time since I walked through the doors of a church for a worship service.  That doesn't mean that I've turned away from God, just man's rendition of how we should view Him.  I don't see God as one who stokes His ego by the number of people who walk into churches each Sunday.  God is not somehow keeping score in this way.  Instead, I put aside time each day to listen to what the Lord is telling me.  On Sundays I get together with a group of people who gather to learn and hear about Jesus.  After all, isn't that what church should be about? 

~Scott~ 

The Calling

"Pardo's Push"

March 10, 1967

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  Bu he who enters the door is the Shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

John 10: 1 - 5 NKJV 

There is no higher calling.  I'm sure that far too many people have heard or used that catch phrase every now and then.  I believe I've even heard it on a few tv commercials.  Yet, what is that higher calling?  What is it that somehow leads us into a new direction?  Brigadier General Robin Olds once described his higher calling as his profession of flying his F-4 Phantom fighter over the skies of Vietnam.  It was Olds who saved a comrades life one day by pushing his damaged fighter out of enemy territory.  A higher calling indeed.  Robin Olds heard that voice, as did many others who found their higher calling.  I believe that this has less to do with a catch phrase and more to so with He whose voice we know all too well.  As a child knows the voice of a parent, so I believe that each of us knows and recognizes the voice of the Lord.  In fact, there is evidence out there that tells us that a newborn baby already recognizes the voice of its mother at birth.  I don't believe that it is that far of a stretch that we would know the voice of our heavenly Father by heart.  I also believe that this is possible through a intimate connection with the Father.  The apostle Paul immediately recognized this connection on that road to Damascus.  It was Paul who, after being blinded, immediately recognized the voice he was hearing {Acts 9:5}.  Keep in mind that Saul had been well trained in the Jewish faith.  He had been raised in the edicts and traditions of his religion.  Now, he was to receive his higher calling.  Why did God choose this time and place for which to convert the man Saul?  Only He knows the answer to that question.  What is unmistakable is that Paul became one of the greatest speakers of the gospel and truth of Christ Jesus mankind has ever known.  Paul definitely had found his higher calling.  

"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 

What is the intimate connection which allows us to recognize the voice of the Father?  For that answer we turn once again to the apostle Paul.  For it was Paul who recognized that it was Jesus Himself who lived within him {Galatians 2:20}.  I'm convinced that this is exactly why he knew the voice of Christ on the road to Damascus.  The revealing of Christ within him was only the beginning of his journey {Galatians 1:15-16}.  Indeed, if Jesus lives within us, would we not know and recognize His voice?  I believe so.  There is much to be said for taking time from our day to wait and listen for the Fathers voice.  After all, it is God who created us, we know Him intimately {Genesis 2:7}.  From the moment He breathed life into us, He has been a part of us.  How could we not recognize our Fathers voice?  Well, more often than we may want to admit, we become distracted by other voices and events that surround us.  Does this mean that the Father isn't speaking to us?  No, just that we have become too preoccupied to listen.  I will never submit to the lie that because we cannot hear the Fathers voice that He has somehow abandoned us.  Friend, there has NEVER been a time when God has not been intimately involved in our lives.  I have found that in those times when I am frustrated at not hearing the Fathers voice it is because of my being occupied with other things and not listening for Him to speak to me.  James identified this when he spoke to being "quick" to listen {James 1:19}.  How many times have we learned that it is not the sharp words that produce results, but being able to listen?  When we seek the Father, we must first come prepared to hear Him.

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

James 1: 19 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

Check Engine Light

 A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart. 

Proverbs 18: 2 NKJV 

It was not a fun day at all.  I was in the middle of a drive from Longview, Washington back home to Portland in my trusty (up until that point) old Jeep.  Halfway home, the red check engine light came on demanding my attention.  Not wanting to push it, I stopped along the freeway to check what the issue was.  The good thing was I probably saved my engine, the bad news was I had to have my Jeep towed to repair a water pump.  What would have happened if I had ignored that warning?  Well, I most likely would have been paying out the keister for a major repair.  Fortunately it didn't come to that point.  As I recalled that day this week I got to thinking about those warning lights which we all too often ignore.  Those warnings which, if heeded, could have saved us from arguments or a broken relationship.  In other words, what is that underlying issue that led to the quarrel which in the end led to the strained relationship?  Many things can and have led us into arguments which have put distance between ourselves and others.  I used to have heated discussions with my mother, who advised me that saving my money was a good thing.  However, when you're saying that to a guy in his early twenties it's a foreign language of sorts.  The check engine light was there, I just ignored it.  Over the years I have seen my share of warning lights which have been ignored and replaced with fights and arguments.  My own parents fell victim to this as well.  My mother told me something which has stuck with me for many years.  A few years before she retired, she noticed that would come home from work ready for a verbal battle with anyone who disagreed with her.  Now, anyone who knew my mother also knew that this was not in her nature.  She was a very outgoing, kind and social person.  She later told me that she felt the Lord speaking to her that she was acting in a way that wasn't who she was.  After that she simply exhibited the person she knew she was inside.  She heeded the warning light. 

Knowing this first, that no prophesy of scripture is of any private interpretation.  For prophesy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1: 20 - 21 NKJV 

In the end, it wasn't my mother who was the cause of the issues she was experiencing.  The underlying issue was the stresses she was feeling from her job.  Which, in turn, led her to act out in a way that was uncharacteristic of who she was.  The same can be said of us.  What are the underlying issues which us to act out?  Finances?  Personal relationships?  There are a multitude of issues people face which, if not recognized, can definitely screw with ones behaviors and attitudes.  For awhile, I had issues with my own job about feeling inferior.  This was not based on reality, but on my own feelings of inadequacy.  I often ignored that check engine light and ended up talking down to those around me.  Was this the person I was?  No.  One day at work a good friend told me that he missed how I used to be.  How I used to be?  Finally, I recognized the warning light.  I feel that a good case can be made that the check engine light scenario I'm speaking of is simply our heavenly Father reminding us of the dangers of the path we're walking.  Does God take enjoyment from His children suffering?  Absolutely not!  However, I am also of the mind that God does not interfere in our ability to make life choices.  We are created with the unique ability to choose, and God does not interfere in this.  So, what happens when we make a wrong decision?  Does God love us that much less?  No.  However, I believe that God does grieve our bad decisions as He only wants what is best for us.  Those check engine lights are merely His loving way of reminding us of the dangers that we will face going forward.  

~Scott~ 

Cherry Pickers

 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone into the world.

1 John 4: 1 NKJV 

There was a discussion in our group this past week about what has become a common practice in modern Christianity.  That is, placing one meaning into scripture which might not belong.  The world calls this cherry picking words in order to make them fit your narrative.  It's a good story if you can sell it.  As I go through scripture, I've some across many verses which the mainstream church may not recognize as the true meaning of the verse.  Instead, they will attach a different meaning of the verse to fit their own teachings.  As a example, I take the apostle Paul's writing in Galatians concerning Christ Jesus in us {Galatians 2:20}.   Now, the way I see this passage, Paul is referring to the Spirit of Christ living in each of us.  However, there are far too many Christian pastors and leaders out there who insist that what Paul was speaking to only applied to him.  That is, what Paul recognized was the Spirit of Christ in him.  For many pastors, this is where the story ends.  Paul recognized Jesus in him, but the rest of us are still far too stained with our sin to ever have Jesus in us.  Have you ever heard a pastor claim that?  I have.  If we stick to this view, then we will never have the opportunity to be united with Christ Jesus.  The prayer of Jesus in the garden was that we would be one with He and the Father {John 17:21}.  I take that as confirmation of Paul's passage in Galatians.  However, many pastors read this prayer of Jesus and proclaim that this is what our eternity will look like after the return of Jesus.  Really?  The way I see it, that prayer of Jesus has already been answered if we are of the mind to see Christ in us.  

"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 

A good friend of mine who has been on the inside of the pastor profession has provided me with many perspectives of how scriptures are viewed by those who teach them.  He refers to this as a persons "filter" or point of view.  Indeed, our own life experiences and what we have learned can have a dramatic affect on how we ourselves see scripture.  If I asked a child who has suffered through a abusive parent about a verse of forgiveness I might get a different perspective than the one I have known.  If I were to ask that same child about verses on a God that loves and forgives, they might not see too many which show God in such a way.  Now, if someone were to ask me if I recognize verses which show the Fathers love and mercy, I could name a few.  One which quickly come to mind is 1 John 4:8 (God is love).  So, it is easy to see how our life experiences, attitudes or even what we've been taught about Christianity can influence how we see scripture.  In response to many pastors not seeing the true meaning of the writing of Paul, this is the thinking which has been taught in seminary schools for generations.  In fact, if you listen to more than a few Sunday sermons you will soon discover how many pastors view scripture.  Knowing this, it's obvious why far too many church leaders might discount scripture which does not fit their view.  In the end this can be harmful as a alternate view of the bible is all too often taught.  Bu there is hope through all of this.  How did I come to realize the truth of the teachings of Paul?  By testing the spirits.  By seeing past what I was being told and to see the truth of Christ in me.  This revelation comes only from the Father, as it did for Paul {Galatians 1:15-16}.  Each of us has the ability to look past our own experiences to the true meaning of what we are reading.  If we listen closely, God will reveal what He is telling us.  

~Scott~ 

Monday Monday

 

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 4: 4 NKJV 

I don't mean to burst anyone's bubble, but this is Sunday and the weekend is almost over.  Tomorrow marks another day where many of you, including myself, will be back at work for the beginning of another week.  There are those who carry with the start of the new week a sense of dread, as if the very end of the world is arriving at any moment.  I get it.  I've been there far too may times.  Many times over I have had a case of the Mondays, where everything just seems to go haywire.  Whether you're a frat kid returning to class or a office worker marching back to your cubicle, Monday means only one thing, back to the real world.  Now, I need to be careful here that I do not present too much of a sense of gloom as I set up these thoughts.  For if too many people read this and decide to call in sick on Monday I could suddenly become the enemy of corporate America.  So, I will pose the question, how many of you out there have faced one too many of those dreaded Mondays?  How many of you have marched off to work on Monday morning knowing that you needed a vacation soon?  I've been there...just last week in fact.  So what will my thoughts be tomorrow morning as I face another Monday?  This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it{Psalm 118:24}.  Indeed, that day which far too many of us have dreaded should not be seen as the drudgery of a new work week, but as another opportunity for us to see what the Lord will reveal in us.  I realize that may be a difficult task for some, but know this, there would be NO work week without the creation of the Lord.  We cannot look anywhere in this world we live in without seeing the undisputable evidence that something mighty and miraculous came upon this world long ago.  If you're a believer you may very well see this as Gods creation.  However, if you are more scientifically minded you may believe that some astrological explosion somehow created all which we see.  As for me, I see the world around me as evidence of He who is in me {Galatians 2:20}.   

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

Genesis 1: 1 - 3 NKJV 

Can it be that hard to believe that the spoken word of the Lord resulted in the creation of all we see around us?  Yes, even Mondays?  I believe this to be true.  Almost a year ago, in the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, I remember standing beside the freeway while at work one Monday morning when I suddenly noticed something odd.  There was very little traffic.  I was used to seeing bumper to bumper traffic on the freeways of Portland that early in the morning, yet this morning, this Monday was different.  As I stood there the revelation came to me, each one of those cars not on the freeway was someone at home wondering when they would ever return to work.  To these people, this Monday wasn't a chore to be faced, but a reminder of life interrupted.  My prayer that day was one I would pray all too often in the coming months, 'Lord, please reveal your mercy and allow your children to once again return to work.'  Ever since that morning, I haven't looked at Mondays in the same way as I used to.  What used to be a grim march to the time clock each Monday morning is now a reminder of the goodness and provision of the Lord in my own life.  For without Him there would definitely be no more Mondays.  

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1: 1 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

A Wish List God

 

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly before the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4: 15 - 16 NKJV 

Have you ever thought about what was on your wish list from God?  You know, things which you continually pray over expecting Him to ultimately reward you with what you requested.  As a young Christian in the faith, I used to believe what that pastor often told me, that if I pray for something that God would honor my request.  Well, more often than not that pastor must have had a ready made excuse as to why God had not provided what I asked for.  Indeed, when the time came for God to pay up, there were times in which I was often left wondering why God had not provided for my desires.  What did the pastor have to say?  That I must have some unconfessed sin, or that somehow God was disappointed in me.  Like I said, a ready made excuse.  This brings about the question, is God a God who grants our wishes, or is He a God who listens when we call upon Him?  Yes, to both questions.  I believe that we might just need to step back and take a deeper look into what we have learned about prayer over time.  I don't believe that we follow a lottery God who will open up the blessings of heaven each and every time He is asked to do so.  Think about this in terms of a good father, and some who are parents will understand this.  Does a father give his child everything they ask for?  No, and for good reason.  Over time we have seen the consequences on a child who always gets  what they want.  They grow up feeling a sense of entitlement that they deserve everything.  Does God want to be seen in this way?  I'd say no.  So, what is it about prayer that all too often has us scratching our heads in wonder why we're not receiving what we asked for?  Like I said, we need to take a closer look at prayer.  I can find no better example on the subject that Jesus Himself.  Here I will ask the question.  Did Jesus pray, or did He speak to the Father?  Well, we know that the scripture tells us that Jesus often retired to a secluded place to pray on His own {Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46}.  If we follow the template of prayer which we have been taught for so long, Jesus must have been praying for God to provide Him with something, right?  Not exactly.  For it was in these private moments where Father and Son would speak to each other.

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Luke 18: 10 - 14 NKJV 

One of the greatest examples of the true meaning and practice of prayer which we can carry on in our own lives can be found in John17.  It is here where Jesus, on the eve of His death on the cross, comes to the Father seeking not that the cross be removed from Him...but that we would be one with He and the Father.  That's right, Jesus prayed in the garden that you and the Father would be one {John 17:21}.  Of course, this doesn't fit the cookie cutter definition of prayer which far too many young Christians swear by.  Jesus wasn't simply asking the Father to provide something from a wish list, but was speaking to the Father directly.  Now, you might be thinking that Jesus, being the Son of God, had a special privileged access to the Lord.  You might feel that as a sinner saved by grace that you yourself can never enjoy this very access to God.  Well, you'd be wrong.  The apostle Paul assures us in Galatians that we intimately share our lives with Christ Jesus.  It is Paul who speaks to Jesus living in us {Galatians 2:20}.  Once Jesus is revealed in us, it becomes easier for us to see a side of prayer that we probably never even thought of before.  That of simply talking with God.  When Jesus spoke of our being one with He and the Father, this is what He was referring to.  No matter the time of day, we can always share our thoughts and fears with the Lord.  This has always been Gods desire, to once again be one with His creation.

"That they may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent Me."

John 17: 21 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

What I Know About 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 

I recall an old bumper sticker which became popular not too long ago which simply stated, "My boss is a Jewish carpenter."  I couldn't agree more.  Yet, every now and then someone will ask me that question once again.  What do you know about Jesus?  Well, is everything we need to know about Jesus written out in scripture?  Maybe, but there's definitely more to Jesus than just a few narrations on the pages.  I would suggest that what we need to know about Christ may indeed be found on the pages of the bible, yet what we need to understand Him will ultimately be revealed to us by the Father.  Because there is definitely a difference between knowing the history of Jesus and to understanding Jesus the man.  We know that Jesus was persecuted, crucified and rose again after three days in the tomb.  Yet, do we understand totally why it is that things worked out this way?  It's not so that He could be guaranteed a seat by the Fathers side, that was without doubt.  In time we understand that Jesus became sin that we would not suffer its punishment {2 Corinthians 5:21}.  We will understand that it is Jesus who defeated death once and for all {Romans 6:9}.  There is an old saying that tells us that being "book smart" isn't always a good thing.  For one also needs the value of experience to compliment his knowledge.  It is the same way with our knowledge (or lack thereof) of Jesus.  It wasn't that long ago where my own understanding of Jesus centered around the narrative of whichever church I was in at the time.  I had read the scripture.  Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins.  Upon His death He was raised three days later to ascend into heaven.  This was how I saw Jesus, with Him in heaven and me stuck here on a sinful earth.  I can honestly say that at this point I knew Jesus, but I didn't understand who He was.  I didn't understand that it was out of His love for me that He gave Himself in my place upon the cross.  Of course, one of the biggest things I did not understand about Jesus was that we were not separated at all.  The apostle Paul tells us this in a few places in scripture.  It is Paul who claims that it is Christ Jesus who now lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  This is the Jesus I know.

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  

John 15: 13 NKJV 

As I said, there is a difference in the Jesus I thought I knew and the Jesus I know today.  The Jesus I know today is the Christ who has been revealed to me over time.  This is the Jesus I though I knew, yet did not understand.  It is my wish that each and every church would shout this truth of the Jesus I know from the rooftops, but I know that won't happen anytime soon.  When people ask us who Jesus is, we should be able to explain more about Him than just a few pages quoted from scripture.  Yes, the scriptures guide us to Him, but is is through the Fathers leading that we come to understand who Jesus truly is.  If I were to rely upon scripture, Jesus to me would be looking down upon me from heaven waiting for me to sin once again.  That's not who He is.  If I relied upon scripture, I would never have understood the relationship and togetherness I now share with Jesus.  As I've said, the scriptures tell us about Jesus, but the Fathers revelation shows us who He is.  For who would know more about the Son than the Father?  I can quote scripture to someone all day long and they will be no closer to knowing the Jesus that I know.  This was exemplified in my own search for who Jesus is.  My good friend showed me more than a few scriptures which spoke to who Jesus is, yet I only began to understand this truth over time with the Fathers revelation.  Paul speaks to this as well when he describes his own conversion as "when it pleased God" {Galatians 1:15}.  Paul definitely knew the scriptures of his day, but it brought him no closer to knowing Jesus.  

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles. 

Galatians 15: 15 - 16 NKJV 

~Scott~