Following The Leader

1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
1 John 4: 1 - 6 NKJV

The question came up this morning on the subject of following our Lords lead in certain situations.  Of course, as I anticipated, one of the concerns one of our guys had was just how we would know if what they were feeling was from God or not.  Indeed, I have been in that situation many times before and I feel that I just might not be done in my life with this very issue.  I have often struggled with those feelings of if what I was doing was being led by God or just my flesh.  Many a pulpit pounder may stake claim that this is a simple determination, but for many christians on lifes front lines it is never that simple.  It is true that the Spirit of Christ Jesus is within us {Galations 2:20}.  So, are we then to conclude that ANY feeling we may get is one that is coming from Christ?  I would disagree on that one on the basis of our human flesh being highly susceptible to those influences around us.  For what we may feel is being led by Christ may in reality be our flesh reacting to something around us.  I have found that in many a situation that my desire to "Hear" from God is so strong, that I jump on that very first feeling that comes along and label it as Gods leading.  So, our question may then be, how are we to know if what we are feeling is true to what our heavenly Father desires for us?  Is it as simple as a litmus test of knowing that anything that may bring harm is not Gods leading?  Perhaps, but I still feel that it goes deeper than that.  We have all at one time or another had that "Feeling" that what we were doing was led by God.  To that there is no doubt.  I'm sure that as christians we also are convinced of who our leader truly is.

14“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15“As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18“No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
John 10: 14 - 18 NKJV

As followers of Christ Jesus, we are part of His flock and we know and follow His leading.  Or do we?  There is zero doubt that this world is filled with false voices that will compete with that of our Shepherd.  Gods word indeed warns us of this.  Dennis tends to refer to our human flesh as being neutral, and I tend to agree with his thinking there.  Therefore, as our flesh is neutral, it is therefore subject to any and all influences which we may come across.  Be these influences good or bad, our flesh is still subject to their influence.  So the question remains, with so many influences competing for our attention, how are we to know if what we are feeling is being led by Christ?  My mother had a unique answer to this very question.  I have no doubt that she spent many an hour in Gods word, that was her daily routine.  I remember asking her on quite a few occasions on how I could be sure that what I was feeling was my heavenly Fathers leading.  Her response to me was usually something along the lines of "You'll know that you know."  BINGO!  How would we not know our Fathers voice?  It is something I have come to refer to as His heart whisper, that still, steady voice that we have in our very heart.  Now, Dennis might explain it better, but I refer to our human flesh as reactionary.  As we all know, there are certainly many influences for it to react to.  However, as followers of Christ Jesus, we all know the voice of our Shepherd within us.  His heart whispers to His children are what we need to listen for.

~Scott~

The Modern Christ Man

16I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Galations 5: 16 - 17 NKJV

I was listening to a radio preacher this past week as he entered into a story about being a loving father.  It seems this modern man of God was sitting in a Sunday service with his family when the pastor made a comment referencing John 11:35.  Of course, this is the passage where Christ wept over the death of His friend Lazarus.  This pastors point was that the modern christian man should NEVER be ashamed to show those emotions which his heavenly Father created.  Well, for whatever reason, this modern christian man stood up and walked out of that service in a huff.  I guess that I can understand his attitude to a point, for I grew up in a generation in which men were considered weak if and when they showed emotion of any kind.  In fact, growing up I recall words such as sissy, pansie and worse used to describe someone who dared to show his God given emotions.  Now to any who may still hold to this code of male conduct I offer a question.  If we as men are called to exhibit Christ Jesus who is within us, why do we feel that showing our emotions is still not the man thing to do?  Women, sure, they can do that sort of thing.  However, we are men and we're supposed to be rough and tumble and strong!  This is just what the world expects from us, so we're told.  Were these the very thoughts that were cascading through Jesus' mind that day when He was told of His friends death?  We might never know, but Jesus didn't damn up His emotions in this instance, He let them show.

33Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus wept. 36Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
John 11: 33 - 35 NKJV

I find it interesting that when Jesus wept that the Jews surrounding Him didn't react with shock and dismay that a man would show such emotion in public.  Now, the culture of Jesus' day was certainly male dominted as our own has been for more than a few generations.  Yet those around Jesus were not shocked with His showing of His emotions.  Obviously men before had done the same before Him.  My point is this, should we men of this modern generation be in fear of showing our emotions?  I know that people of my dads generation expected this from us.  I will take a leap of faith and claim that this IS NOT a man who is exhibiting Christ who is within him.  That being said, a man can certainly have Christ Jesus within him and not exhibit his emotions openly.  This does not invalidate our inheritance and future in Christ.  I can definately call this a condition of our human flesh and not a exhibit of the Spirit of Christ within us.  The spirit is very so often willing, but our flesh is weak.  Let us never believe that simply because our emotions do not show when everyone expects they should that we somehow are lacking the Spirit of Jesus within us.  It is because Christ is within us that we exhibit His Spirit as we walk each and every day in Him, even if we walk out on a sermon or two.

~Scott~

Lifes Changing Seasons

1To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2A time ato be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1 - 8 NKJV

There will be one more empty seat at our table tommorow morning when we gather for our weekly get together.  Absent will be our friend, brother and leader Dennis who will be home with family during this season.  For along with a time of celebration for he and his wife Shirley came a time of loss as well.  For 51 years, definately a season of celebration, Dennis and Shirley have shared their lives together.  If there one thing that I am certain, is that in this christian life of ours, that we certainly are not immune from those times of hurt, pain or anguish.  For we are told in Ecclesiastes 3 that there will indeed be a season for everything our Lord provides for us.  We are not immune in some way from the trials which life will visit upon us.  The trouble is, more than a few times when these seasons come we find oursleves asking, "Why, God?"  This is nothing more than our human side reacting to the situations we face.  We do well to remember that our heavenly Father has created each and every aspect of our being, along with those emotions which at times overtake us.  After my mother passed this past year, I found myself asking many of these questions.  Why didn't God heal her?  Why did He take her from those who loved her?  Eventually we may come to the realization, as I did, that our Lords ways are not always our ways and that for everything there is a season.  Yes, my mother was a much loved woman who loved Jesus and touched many people, but she was also in pain in her final years.  In our Lords loving timing, He relieved her of that discomfort.  Who am I to question Gods motives?  For it is God who allows the sun to rise on the innocent and the wicked alike.

1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 2“Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? 3Now aprepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. 4“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the bline upon it? 6To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8“Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth and issued from the womb; 9When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band; 10When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors; 11When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!’
Job 38: 1 - 11 NKJV

Gods servant Job had lost everything he owned.  This man lost his home, wealth and family all in a short span of time.  Why?  Because satan approached God and challanged Gods support and love for His servant.  Why wouldn't Job love and worship his Lord if God had provided such wealth and prosperity for him.  Satans thinking that if Jobs prosperity was taken from him that he would curse God to his face turned out to be in error.  For despite his condition and circumstances, Job refused to cling to the emotion that God had somehow turned His back on him.  Despite Jobs friends playing the devils advocate and questioning Gods decision, Job remained faithful.  I look at the story of Job and I see the inner workings of our Lords decision.  Now, God could have told satan to pound sand, instead He offered the spirit of error a lesson.  Have you considered my servant Job?  As satan comes before Gods presence, God offers Job as a example of worship and faithfulness.  Of course, satan seeks to put a wedge between God and Job.  In the end, our heavenly Father has a lesson for each and every one of us who have encountered lifes seasons and asked, "Why, God?"  Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?  Who am I to question the plans of He who created all which I have or ever will see?  Our human emotions may bubble up in times of trial or loss, but the everlasting promises of our heavenly Father will never change.  He has promised to NEVER leave nor forsake his children.  He has promised that despite our sin condition, that He loved us enough to save us.  I cling to these promises.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any atrouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1: 3 - 4 NKJV

~Scott~

~Stand strong in HIm my brother~

How To Christianity

26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galations 3: 26 - 29 NKJV

I happened across a post by Wayne Jacobsen this week of his discussion on managed spirituality.  Now, every time I hear of an institution that is in the habit of telling people just "How" to follow Christ Jesus I immediately become leary of said institution.  I believe that taking the path where we need to show others a how to manual of just how to worship, praise and believe in Jesus is not what was intended when Jesus promised His Spirit within us.  For that Spirit of Christ within is not given to us by God with any stipulations or burdens upon us.  Indeed, as the apostle Paul tells us in Galations 3, as believers we are all sons of God and are now one in Christ Jesus who is in us.  We have no need to try harder, to work more or to believe stronger that we are in Christ Jesus.  I have heard many a pulpit pounder claim that others need to "Be more" like Christ Jesus in order to be closer to Him.  I find it interesting that Jesus never asks us to be more like Him, only that we believe.  When we go down that road of thinking that we can do it better than everyone else to gain Gods favor, then the free gift of Christ Jesus becomes more of a transaction we purchase.  This is not what was intended.  As followers of Jesus, His spirit is ALREADY within us, there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn this free gift for ourselves.

4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2: 4 -9 NKJV

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Ephesians 2.  Here, the apostle Paul tells us of the free gift of God which we who follow Jesus have received.  To that pulpit pounder who stakes claim that it is we who must work that much harder in order to achieve the indwelling Spirit of Jesus, I present to you Ephesians 2 and the apostle Paul.  You claim that we as believers need to somehow try harder in order to be closer to Jesus?  For by grace we have already been saved through faith, yet NOT of our own efforts!  You preach that it is our own efforts that will draw us closer to Him?  By our Lords grace have we already been saved!  Can you imagine the one who worked hard enough through his own efforts to secure his own salvation?  I am sure this person would indeed be the poster child for arrogance.  Indeed, this is how I sometimes view a pastor who admonishes his flock that they need to try more, to work harder to experience the very presence of Jesus in their lives.  As if our own efforts will bring forth that much hoped for result.  I am not ashamed to say to call such pastors arrogant in their teaching.  Placing themselves upon a pedestal, they continue to tell others just what they should do to get there.  I believe that Wayne Jacobsen refered to this a managed christianity.  I tend to refer to it the same way Jesus did when dealing with the Pharisees of His day, of the blind guides leading the people.  We do well to remember the words of Paul, in that while we were dead in our trespasses and sins that our heavenly Father loved us enough to save us.  It is a gift available to all who seek it.

~Scott~

We Band Of Brothers

~This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, from this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered - we few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother, be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition; and gentlemen in England now a-bed shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap while any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispins Day~
~King Henry V prior to the battle of Agincourt on October 25, 1415~

Our usual Sunday morning group will be moved up by a day this week with the arrival of the first day of 2017.  Absent will be Dennis, our dear friend and discussion leader.  Far from letting this opportunity to gather together once again drift away, we will once again meet for breakfast and discussion.  For anyone that knows or has known my friend Dennis, you will know that he shares a desire on his heart for his brothers to know the truth to be found in Christ Jesus.  What started out as a two man Sunday morning gathering has now doubled, and I will attest that any one of us would feel cheated should we miss out on our weekly discussion.  As I reflected this week on this small band of brothers eager to know and grow in Christ I was reminded of just how the calling of fellowship had been heeded by many who have gone before us.  The disciples of Jesus shared life with the Messiah during His ministry as He walked among us.  This was no once a week gathering, but a day by day experience of living and sharing their lives with Jesus.  One might ask, what would it be like to live each and every day in the very presence of Christ?  Imagine experiencing each and every waking moment with Jesus just as His disciples did.  Of course, few people would even know that this companionship with Christ Jesus is also possible for us today.  We have no need for a time machine or mind altering experience in order to share our lives with Christ, for Jesus Himself has provided for us that very opportunity.

20“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.
Galations 2:20 NKJV

As the apostle Paul tells us in our well quoted passage in Galations, the life we now live, we live AS Jesus.  For not only has Jesus assured that our sins have been wiped clean, but that He is ever present in our day to day lives.  As we see, hear and experience we do so as Christ Jesus who is within us.  This is the restoration of the relationship which man had with our heavenly Father from he begining.  However, it was the lie of satan in the garden which damaged that original relationship.  Instead of casting us aside and starting over, God in His love and mercy provided for the restoration of that relationship through the sacrafice of His son.  Of course, this truth of Christ is at times a hard concept to grasp.  However, as we grow in that knowledge that we indeed share our lives with Him, we are blessed with a wonderful sense of freedom...freedom in Jesus.  We've grown accustomed to calling our weekly gathering "McChurch," as our Sunday group has in more ways than one replaced the rules and regulations of the organized church we all once were devoted.  Each one of our band of brothers has traveled a different path to come to learn about the truth of Christ Jesus in our lives.  Those paths come together every Sunday as we gather together once again, we band of brothers.

~Scott~

I Am

13Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
Exodus 3: 13 - 14 NKJV

It is interesting in this interaction between God and Moses that Moses would think to ask of the living God who he should tell Gods own people just who had sent him forth with His message to the people.  Yet this is exactly what the Lords chosen messenger chose to do.  I can certainly understand the situation that Moses must have been in.  A burning bush that did not burn and a voice coming out of this said bush, it all must have seemed pretty overwhelming to Moses.  The fact that the God of his people had been a big part of the life of Moses from his birth is not lost here.  If Moses himself was finding this difficult to understand, how would the Isrealite people react to the news of Gods deliverance of them from the Egyptions?  The question, "What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"  More interesting still is Gods response to his question, "I AM WHO I AM."  With these words the God of Isreal will introduce Himself to His people.  With these words God will verify to the Isrealites just who He is.  I found this passage interesting due to the fact that it fit in with a topic we have been discussing in our group for some time, that of our Lord God as the one true self of the universe.  When God declared to Moses, "I AM has sent you," He was proclaiming Himself as the one and only.  Our discussion on God as the one true self has brought some interesting revelations.  We as our Lords creation have a tendency to think of ourselves as being in control of our own surroundings and situations from time to time.  Now, we may believe the illusion that we control our own lives and destiny, but nothing could be further from the truth.  For we are a creation, created by the spoken word of the living God.

 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1: 8 NKJV

If anyone had the devine right to call Himself "I AM," it is God.  For God was from the begining and will be until the end.  Before the formation of anything that was seen, God was there.  The very words of the history of our Lords creation attest to this as they proclaim, "In the begining God created the heavens and the earth" {Genesis 1:1}.  There was emptiness...and there was God.  Indeed, we as our Lords creation came onto the scene after that.  However, we all too often make the mistake of believing that we are truly independent of all which is around us.  We control our lives and circumstances.  Really?  Tell me again just how we created ourselves and this world around us.  Of course, it is we who blindly follow this leading of our flesh in this false belief.  It is the same false belief which satan held in believing that he would be higher than God.  Of course, we know how that turned out.  So it is with us, are we truly independent?  Can we claim that God has zero part in our very existence?  Yeah, good luck with that.  When it all comes crashing down around us, who do we turn to?  I find it interesting that the very same people who claim to be independent cry out to God when things go haywire.  Thus the story of our human independence.

28“for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
Acts 17: 28 NKJV

~Scott~

In Gods Corner

I wear the black in mourning for the lives that could have been
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men
And I wear it for the thousands who have died
Believing that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died
Believing that we were all on their side.
~Man In Black by Johnny Cash~

I read a interesting piece the other day from Wayne Jacobsen about how we feel when injustice happens and how we sometimes feel about our Heavenly Father when we experience unfairness in our own lives.  As christians, we certainly may feel different when that unfairness happens to someone else than if it occurs on our home court.  Of course, one need not be a christian to experience these feelings.  I believe that each one of us in our own hearts wishes for justice to be done, and have feelings of despair when it does not go according to how we feel that justice should be dished out.  It is because of these inner desires and feelings where vigilantes arise among us and gain importance.  Indeed, if the system cannot dispose justice upon the guilty, then assuredly we must be justified to take the law into our own hands and punish the guilty!  However, one thing we must realize in these situations, if we bother to take the time to think in times of anger, is that we all too often feel that punishment is deserved on someone we "Perceive" as guilty.  That's right, it is we ourselves who end up making that judgement of guilt upon someone else.  If we were to look into our Lords word and search our own memory, we would realize that it is not our duty to convict another of to pass judgement upon another.  This responsibility lies solely with God Himself.  The trouble is, we very often do not put our trust in God to pass jedgement upon the guilty.  It is in times such as these where we ourselves take that burden of judgement upon ourselves.

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41“And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42“Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44o“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45“that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47“And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
Matthew 5: 38 - 48 NKJV

It is very difficult, in my opinion, to allow God in His due time to bring His judgement upon one whom we feel in our hearts is guilty.  Thus the popularity at times of vigilantes.  In HIs sermon on the mount, Christ speaks directly against these leadings of our own flesh.  As Jesus so correctly points out, is it not God who causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust?  If so, then who are we to bypass our heavenly Father and exact vengence?  I believe that the words of Christ that day caused quite a commotion on that hill.  Turn the other cheek?  Love my enemy?  Bless those who persecute me?  How can someone who is so very often led by their flesh understand such things?  For when we are wronged, is not our very first inclination to "Get back" at our attacker?  In fact, we often may feel justified by God in doing so.  Really?  Is this what Jesus taught?  At His crucifiction, Christ could have very well used His heavenly power to smite those who had unjustly convicted Him.  For even Pilot found no fault in the Nazarene brought before him.  However, instead of lashing out against those who persecuted Him, He endured the torture on our behalf.  We should all be thankfull that He did just that.  As He died on that cross His thoughts were for those who convicted Him, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  Forgiveness in the face of such torture is indeed a rare occurance.  In my lifetime I've certainly have come across many a time when I felt wrongly accused.  There has also been many a time when I followed that leading of my flesh in order to bring justice to the situation.  I found many ways to justify my actions.  God is on my side, He wants justice done, my Lord will bless me.  All of these thoughts as I usurped my heavenly Fathers authority and took my own revenge.  No turning the other cheek, no blessing my enemy.  We do well to realize that not only is our heavenly Father in our corner, but also in the corner of those who oppose at times oppose us.

16“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
John 3: 16 -17 NKJV