The Dark Side

 

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.  And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1: 2 - 4 NKJV 

Most of us know the story of one Anakin Skywalker...aka Darth Vader.  A young man who showed such promise for good that he was thought of as the "chosen one" who would bring peace to the galaxy.  Then, along came a frail old man who introduced Anakin to a new way of thinking and suddenly Anakin was introduced to the dark side.  Even now, mention the words dark side and most people think you're referring to menace and evil.  But is that what darkness really is?  Is darkness really the hiding place of evil, or is what we know as darkness simply a lack of light to shine upon it?  Up until recently, I was of the opinion that darkness was indeed where wickedness dwelled.  Darkness is unknown and unsure.  Darkness is in need of the light.  We're told that God brought light upon the darkness of the earth in the beginning.  Up until that point the earth had been a dark void.  Did that mean that the earth was evil and wicked?  Not at all.  The earth was simply a place where light had never been introduced.  We're told that once light was introduced and shown upon the earth that God was pleased.  Obviously, the Lord was aware of the difference between light and darkness.  What I would say is that our own ideas about darkness have been shaped by the stories we read and the movies we watch.  Darkness often brings uncertainty and the unknown.  The old saying goes that it is always darkest before the dawn.  What does the dawn bring each morning?  Light.  Former Navy Seal Dick Marcinko once said that he and his former team mates were trained to embrace the darkness as this is where they would spend most of their careers.  So, I would say that if your intent is to not be seen, then stay in the darkness.  However, beware of those carrying flashlights.  

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

John 8: 12 NKJV 

Christ Jesus has told us that He is the light of the world.  That we who follow Him shall have the light of life {John 8:12}.  This got me to thinking, is the world such a dark and dismal place that we need the light of the Lord?  Or, is Jesus simply the Light for others to follow?  Jesus does say that those who follow Him shall not walk in darkness.  As Christians, we have been led to believe that we indeed live in a fallen world.  So, God's creation is a fallen world?  I believe that this line of thinking refers to the fall in the garden of Eden where Adam and Eve gave in to the lie of the deceiver.  I get it.  But living in a fallen world?  I find it hard to wrap my understanding onto that line of thinking.  First, there is no scriptural reference to this.  Now, there are plenty of scriptures that speak to the fact that we will face adversity and hard times in our lives in this world.  In fact, Jesus even warned us that this would be the case {John 16:33}.  Yet not only is Jesus the light of the world, but He has overcome the troubles and cares of the world we know as well.  So it is that our guiding light in this world is that of Christ Jesus.  We're told that Jesus has been here from the beginning {John 1:2}.  Yet not only is Christ our guiding light, but our life as well.  The apostle Paul introduced Christ Jesus in him, and us, in Galatians {Galatians 2:20}.  I think of poor Anakin.  Had he known the truth of who he truly was, his decent into the dark side may have been averted by the light of Jesus.  

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1: 5 - 7 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

Years Ago Before I Knew Everything

 

Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right. 

Proverbs 20: 11 NKJV 

I came across some commentary this week of how one of the most dangerous creations on this planet is that of a 11 - 15 year old teenage boy.  Indeed, my memories of these years often provide me with plenty of reminders of the bad decisions and behaviors I engaged in.  I look back upon those days now and wonder how it is that I made it out alive.  To say the least, I was a terror not to be taken lightly back then.  I now know why parents seem to get gray hair at a early age.  During my time in the church I spent some time as a Sunday school class leader with fourth grade kids.  I went into this endeavor thinking that because I was younger than the other teachers that these kids would respect me and behave.  I was wrong.  Typical for children their age, this bunch gave me a run for my money.  In the end, I enjoyed my time spent there.  So, what is it that makes these teenagers act out for the rest of the world?  I believe that it is youth itself.  For when I was young, the whole world was in front of me.  Each day was another opportunity to discover something else.  What about those crazy stunts we used to do?  Well, that was just something cool to show everyone else.  I don't believe that things have changed much since my younger years, but you might not get that impression by watching tv.  Turn on the tv lately and you see countless shows of people doing reckless stunts for recognition and money.  The bad behavior inspired show Jackass seemed to inspire a new generation of misbehavior among our youth.  Perhaps they're simply carrying on the proud traditions of generations of kids before them.  

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

1 Corinthians 13: 11 NKJV 

Another hit MTV series which far too many people have never heard of is Mike Judge's Beavis and Butthead.  I rate this program as one of the best animated series of all time.  And for good reason, it features two teenage kids as the main characters behaving badly.  Beavis and Butthead have done everything from gorging on nachos and soda to stuffing a bowling ball with fireworks and dropping it off of a roof (To which poor Beavis took some shrapnel to his privates}.  As a survivor of  my own teenage hell raiser years, it's no wonder that I would marvel at the antics of Beavis and Butthead.  Back then I was a child, and I spoke, understood and behaved as a child.  Has anyone ever wondered just what the early formative years in the life of Jesus were like?  One of the closest looks we get into those early Messiah years is in the film Young Messiah.  Yet even this film falls far short in my opinion of showing Jesus' early years.  As I've mentioned, teenage kids have been misbehaving for generations, so I'm sure the kids in Jesus' day were prone to act out as well.  One of the biggest complaints that I have of our bible translations is that we're given far too little information of the formative years in the life of young Jesus.  Was He teased by the other kids?  Was He prone to pranks on His parents and others?  Was He disobedient?  All we're told in scripture is that Jesus increased in wisdom, stature and favor {Luke 2:52}.  Can we assume that Jesus also engaged in some of the reckless behavior as the other Jewish kids He certainly hung around with?  That's a pretty high assumption, but lacking any scriptural help on the early life of Jesus I believe that we can assume that His life mirrored that of the other children of His time.  We know that Jesus the child became Jesus the man on His life journey.  We can also trust that when He became a man, that His childhood ways became a thing of the past.  I guess there is hope for Beavis and Butthead after all. 

~Scott~ 

Something In The Water

 Now a certain man was there who had a infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and He knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" 

John 5: 5 - 6 NKJV 

I recently watched a snippet of the series the chosen which very well illustrated the power which religion has over people.  Now, many people out there can speak to the truth of this line of thinking as a lot of things have been done in the name of religion.  Wars have been started.  Atrocities have been committed.  Lives have been ruined.  All in the name of one religion or another.  Who hasn't woken up on a Sunday morning relishing the idea of a relaxing day off only to feel that tug at their conscience that they "need" to be in church?  It's what we've been taught time and again, Sunday is for church.  We've even gone so far as to bastardize the scriptures in support of our narrative.  Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake our gathering together.  This verse is often used to bully others into church.  Yet this was not the original intent of the passage.  The author of Hebrews was speaking to the fear of the people of the time to gather due to the persecution the believers in Jesus were experiencing.  Therefore, many followers of Jesus were reluctant to gather in groups for fear of being persecuted further.  Hebrews 10:25 is in no way related to our own gathering or lack thereof in church.  Now, I will say that gathering with those in the faith is a good thing.  I usually get together with a few friends each week myself.  Yet, I have not stepped inside a church in over ten years.  For me, following religion was not as important as following Jesus.  The pomp and circumstance of the regular Sunday morning dog and pony show got old after awhile.  Think of the things which religion has tried to tell us over the years.  We are sinners.  God hates sinners.  We can never be close to God.  Many was the time I would walk into church on a Sunday morning in a good mood yet by the time church was over that good mood had vanished into one of condemnation and guilt.  No matter what the circumstance in my life, if something bad was happening, God was angry with me.  

"You do not need this pool, you only need Me"

~The Chosen, Episode 4~ 

Think of the frail man by that healing pool.  For years he has been lying there waiting for a chance to be healed.  It was told that angels would stir the water in the pool and that whoever stepped into the water first would be healed of whatever infirmity they had.  But, this man had nobody to help him into the water when it moved.  He had seen many others step over him to be healed by the waters of the pool.  Yet he remained where he was.  Because he had been told that the waters offered healing.  How many of us have remained in churches for years in the hope that something would change?  I know I have.  We feel in our hearts that the pastors teaching is not Christ centered, but each Sunday we still come because we're told that is what we're supposed to do.  We follow the lead of a man in the pulpit instead of Christ who is in us {Galatians 2:20}.  It is no surprise that Jesus was no fan of religion either.  His woes to the Pharisees testify to His dislike of these religious leaders.  It is Jesus who referred to the religious leaders of His day as "whitewashed tombs."  Beautiful and welcoming on the outside but filled with uncleanliness within {Matthew 25: 27}.  One of the reasons why I stopped going to church was because I did not agree with the showmanship of most church services.  I stayed away from church because the truth of Jesus is seldom spoken to within the walls of our houses of worship.  The truth of Christ in us.  The man waiting by the pool certainly knew about religion.  One thing he had never experienced was the healing touch of Jesus.  

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanliness." 

Matthew 25: 27 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

Life Assurance

 

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

John 17: 3 NKJV 

I received a call this week from a salesman hoping that I would fall for his speech about buying life insurance.  As I talked with him I thought to myself that if he only knew me he would know that I could never possibly collect.  That is, I will never die.  This is a foundational Christian belief taught down through the years, that if we have been redeemed by Christ Jesus, that we have eternal life.  Indeed, even our scriptures ensure us of this.  This has been a hot topic of discussion amongst us the past few weeks as a few have taken to taking words apart in order to decipher their true meaning.  This isn't new, and believers have been cherry picking and deciphering the scriptures for years.  But what did I learn about myself from a life insurance salesman?  Well, I learned not about life insurance...but life assurance.  That is, the assurance that I am not bound by the years I pass on this earth.  The assurance that long after my fleshly vessel has passed, my spirit will remain with Christ Jesus.  I don't need some wanna be evangelist to reassure me of this.  The Lord has already laid it upon my heart.  So why do we waste our time debating the meaning of words instead of assuring others of the truth that we should already know?  Perhaps we want to impress others with our word skills?  But I have a better idea.  Did you ever notice that one of the most important companion pieces to any bible is a concordance?  Better yet, if you were smart you got yourself a Greek or Hebrew dictionary to decipher the ancient words of the scriptures.  After all, we all want to know what those words in the bible are referring to right?  Let me lay a few words on you...forever and eternal.  What is it that you think of when you hear these words?  I'm not a Pharisee school graduate, but when I hear the word forever I think of time without meaning.  What good is it to count the minutes that pass when they no longer have any meaning?  Time is of no consequence.  

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."  But the other, answering rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."  Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom."  And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise."

Luke 23: 39 - 43 NKJV 

I always found it ridiculous when a court found a mans crime so obscene that a judge would sentence him to consecutive life sentences.  Needless to say, what meaning does time have for such a man?  He is assured that his life is, for all intents and purposes, over.  What of the criminal on that cross next to Jesus?  You know, the one condemned to death as Christ was?  Seeing his opportunity for a reprieve, did he suddenly seek out Jesus that his own life might be spared?  Or, as I believe happened, suddenly decided to place his trust in the One he knew to be innocent.  Whatever the case, his trust was rewarded by Jesus.  Notice the response of Jesus to this man, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise."  Life assured.  I believe that we can all take a lesson from this man who gave himself to Christ Jesus while on his own cross.  Perhaps the first death bed conversion in history.  Do you worry over those words in the bible that proclaim eternal life?  Perhaps after cutting through their meaning like some grad school surgeon you are not convinced they mean what they say?  Consider the words of Jesus..."Assuredly I say to you."  Stop playing word games with the scriptures and rest in the knowing that as believers we now have life assured.

"And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."

John 10: 28 NKJV 

~Scott~ 

Knowing Him

 

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.  

Philippians 3: 10 NKJV 

I was struck with a simple thought this week.  A week which carried its own share of tragedy and hardship for me and some I have known for awhile.  A dear friend of mine was down sick for a brief time while another is on the brink of losing her husband to the virus.  My thoughts through all of this were, where is Jesus through all of this?  Well, were I to adhere to the common teachings of the mainstream church, Jesus is sitting in heaven watching over us.  Yeah, that's fine for believers, but where is Jesus for that person who has never known Him?  And how is it that we go about knowing Jesus?  I'll admit that I spent most of my life in the church not knowing who the man Jesus really was.  I knew that he died on the cross for me.  I knew that three days later He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.  That was the basis of my knowing who Jesus was.  But is this who Jesus truly is?  As I write this a good friend of mine has sent me a message concerning my friend about to lose her husband..."May they both recognize Jesus in them."  Folks, THAT is Jesus.  Jesus isn't simply a feel good bible story that we can turn to every time we're feeling bad or in need.  Jesus isn't someone who only cares for us when we need Him.  We don't celebrate a on demand Jesus.  The apostle Paul assures us of this when he writes of the reality of Jesus in Galatians.  It is Paul who speaks to Christ living in us {Galatians 2:20}.  Imagine the joy of someone who realizes that in their desperate time of need that Jesus within them is there to comfort them.  So, back to my original thought this week.  Where is Jesus in the midst of the turmoil I have been experiencing?  He's in the same place He has always been, in me.  Now, whether or not I recognized Christ in me is on me.  Count me among the millions of people worldwide who, for a time, failed to recognize the one true Christ and where He is.  

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

Philippians 3: 7 - 8 NKJV 

I find it interesting how Paul viewed those things which he gained through his life.  Wealth, influence and power as well as knowledge in the faith which he was raised on.  How did Paul view his stature after his trip on that road to Damascus?  He counted all of it as LOSS for the opportunity to know Jesus.  Think about that, all of those things which the man Saul once valued in his life, Paul counted as loss in order that he know Christ.  How many of us have come to that point in our lives where we have lost something we have valued and treasured?  I know I have.  From family members to material possessions, I've felt the sting of loss many times in my life.  Do I regret any of it?  Not when I realize that they were counted as loss that I may know Christ in me.  Did Saul have any idea who Jesus truly was?  I would say no, although he most assuredly had heard of Him.  We do well to realize that the pain of our loss, whatever it may be, can be eased by our realization of knowing Jesus.  It is Jesus who brings comfort in these times.  When our attention is focused on all we find important in our lives, we may fail to see Jesus as He truly is.  May we all recognize Christ Jesus 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 

~Scott~ 

The Vocation Situation

 

Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 

1 John 3: 13 NKJV 

It has ben said that people will spend 90,000 hours, or about a third of their entire lives at work.  Is it any wonder, then, that workplace conflicts rank among some of the most stressful situations many of us face?  From power hungry brothers to manipulating coworkers, many of us see enough stress at work to last them a lifetime.  On August 20, 1986, a United States Postal Service employee named Patrick "Crazy Pat" Sherill came to work in Edmond, Oklahoma and shot two of his supervisors.  Before he had finished his rampage, fourteen more people lost their lives.  Soon a new phrase entered our vocabulary.  Sherill had "Gone postal."  I won't lie, I've had more than my share of personal conflicts at work.  In fact, I'm currently battling another work situation which has had me stressed for some time.  What is it that drives people to act out against others?  Well, there are some who are convinced that this is the best way for them to get ahead.  Then, there are those who are just mean people.  Does this mean that they are beyond Gods reach?  Not at all.  However, I believe that it does mean that they simply have no idea who they truly are inside.  Believe me, self identity is a major problem in our places of work.  What am I talking about?  Was Patrick Sherill a killer at heart?  I would say no, yet something drove him that day to "go postal."  How many Christians consider the apostle Paul to be one of the greatest speakers of the ministry of Christ Jesus we have ever known?  You would be correct in saying this.  However, when we consider Paul's life before his conversion we get a different view of the man.  See, the man Saul was hell bent on persecuting the early followers of Christ, even to the point of death.  In fact, as he walked the Damascus road that day, Saul was carrying with him letters from the chief priest that if he found any followers of Jesus that he would bring them bound to Jerusalem {Acts 9:2}.  It was Paul who called himself "chief" of all sinners {1 Timothy 1:15}.  Eventually the man Saul realized his true identity in 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 

It is interesting that this chief of sinners has also presented us with the evidence of our true identity in Christ Jesus.  Paul's words in Galatians 2:20 should be a reminder to everyone just who we are in Gods eyes.  God did not look upon Saul and see him as chief of all sinners.  No, He looked upon him and saw him as he truly was, His beloved child.  We cannot stray too far from the truth of our own creation until we come to the truth that it is God who has always been with us.  We are created in the Fathers image {Genesis 1:27}.  It is also God who breathed into us the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  Why do I mention this?  Because when it comes to workplace conflicts there seems to be a common factor.  That being the false belief in who we are inside.  If we listen to those who would slander us, we're nothing but dumb, slow and stupid.  However, if we trust in the reality of how our heavenly Father sees us, the hurtful words of others will lose their sting.  If we trust in the knowing of who we really are, we will soon realize that we are not that person who spews hurtful words to our brethren.  There is a saying out there somewhere...garbage in, garbage out.  That is, if we believe the hurtful words of others are true, they will soon become part of our mindset.  This only leads to depression.  However, if we know in our hearts that it is Christ Jesus who lives in us, then we will began to see the hurtful words of others for what they are, the lies of the deceiver.  

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.  

Colossians 3: 23 - 24 

~Scott~ 

Relationship And Religion

 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 

Ecclesiastes 4: 9 - 12 NKJV 

It is common knowledge that one must never argue two topics...religion or politics.  For when we get engaged in such discussions we quickly digress into many a heated argument.  I heard the point raised this week, does God desire religion or relationship?  From my experience, I would say that our heavenly Father desires relationship with His children far above any religion man may come up with.  That is the trouble with religion, it's all man made.  Mans fingerprints are all over many a failed religious system.  Religion tells us that the only way to God is through the laws and commandments set forth by those who profit from the religion.  Relationship with God tells us that we have direct access to the Father whether we have religion or not.  One of the major religious teachers of his day was the man Saul of Tarsus.  Strictly legalistic, Saul believed that the early followers of Christ Jesus needed to be rounded up and scourged for their blasphemous beliefs in a man claiming to be the Son of God.  To Saul, this was a insult to God.  However, something happened on that road to Damascus.  It was here where Saul came face to face with the one he had persecuted for so long.  It was here where religion met with relationship.  When it was over, Saul was blind and on his way to seeing things from a different perspective.  I find it interesting that the very first reaction of the man Saul when confronted by Jesus was, "Who are you, Lord?"  Being a legalistic, religious man, Saul obviously knew that he was dealing with something, or someone not of this world.  The transformation of the man Saul had begun.  God wasn't interested at all in the legalistic religion of the man Saul.  What He was interested in was a relationship with this man who had spent so much time persecuting His church.  

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 one 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 

From my point of view, I cannot see how God would desire a world of legalistic robots blindly following rules and regulations all in the name of getting closer to Him.  Yet, that is what more than a few religions have been teaching for thousands of years.  There are rules to follow if you want to be saved.  There are rules to follow if you want to be married.  There are even rules to follow in regards to the utensils we eat with.  It seems that in a religious system, getting closer to God requires a lot rules and regulations.  This was Saul's life.  That is, up until he met up with the one who only wanted relationship with this man who had persecuted Jesus for so long.  Now, the man Paul would learn what relationship with Christ Jesus really entailed.  He would also learn the price he would pay for that relationship.  In all of my years sitting in the pews of different churches, relationship was never something that was preached.  What was preached was commandments and how God blessed those who followed them.  Yet, run afoul of these requirements and that loving God you sang every Sunday suddenly morphed into a vengeful God.  So, onward the Christian soldiers marched hoping to somehow get closer to God.  Does this sound like something God desires?  For his part, Paul spoke to the relationship he discovered in Christ in Galatians.  It is Paul who introduces us to the ultimate in relationships, that relationship we share with Christ Jesus {Galatians 2:20}.  A relationship based not on simply getting closer to God...but on being one with Him through Christ.  

"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~