SALT AND LIGHT

                                               “Salt & Light”
        "Ye are the light of the World"  (Mt. 5:14)          

      This remarkable statement by our Lord was made during His “Ser-
mon on the Mount.” It is immediately preceded by an equally thought
provoking concept designating His disciples as the "Salt of the earth.”  
At first glance,  the “Light of  the World” statement  seems to conflict 
with verses 3-4 of the very next chapter. I had some difficulty reconci-
ling this with the idea of “..charitable deeds in secret.”  I recognized a 
great  difference  between  shining  light and  charitable deeds.  Chari-
table deeds;  good  works are  personal  sacrifices  made on  behalf of 
another.  While  letting  "your  light  shine" is also in  the category of 
“good works,”  it is not the same,  since it is giving  witness to the gos-
pel.  As one  gives witness to the gospel of  Jesus Christ, the focus and
glory is on Jesus Christ.  It is quite possible in  doing charitable deeds 
the focus  may be taken from our Lord and placed on the one who per-
forms  such  deeds.  Since  we  always  give  Glory to  God,  charitable 
deeds are to  be done in such a way that Christ is glorified.  As we wit-
ness to  the grace of  God in Christ,  we are giving glory to  our Lord.  
Focus is removed  from self,  onto  Him. Witnessing to  the  gospel of
Jesus Christ may be one-on-one, or it may be done in a small or large
group which takes it out of  the realm of secret.  Instead of preaching, 
witnessing,  or  teaching in secret we follow the example of  our  Lord 
as we go among  any people, and openly communicate the good news 
of salvation in Christ Jesus at an appropriate time and manner.

   The idea that  God’s Children are the “Salt of  the earth,” and "light 
of  the world" are kindred principles.  For example,  when  light comes 
into a situation it  is a good thing.   It keeps  men from  stumbling and 
losing their way.  We,  as “salt”  are also a positive in  the world.   Just  
as  salt  preserves, adds  flavor,  and  is even helpful in certain medical 
situations,  the Child of God is to be a positive influence in his culture. 
There is a warning concerning  loss of  saltiness on the part of  the Dis-
ciples  of  Jesus Christ and  that  has to  do with  one who has lost  the 
unique qualities of Christ in his life. Just as salt may lose it’s saltiness, 
(savor) the Child  of  God is capable of  losing  his Christ-likeness.   In 
the older version,  KJV,  this quality  is  likened to the unique savor of
salt.   In the newer,  NKJV,  this is  called  flavor.   I  prefer  the  older 
version, since there is more to saltiness than just flavor.  The ability of
salt to preserve,  enhance  existing  qualities in food  as well  as to irri-
irritate when  applied to cuts or abrasions.   As  it  irritates, it cleanses.
It is critical to recognize the Child of God gives much more than flavor 
to situations when that one  is controlled and empowered of  the Spirit 
of Jesus Christ.  (Salt, in some settings is related to faith in God.)

     Just as salt and light may not  be welcome in some situations, the 
Child of God who is salty;  gives the light of God  on  circumstances, 
may suffer  for it.  I am  reminded  here of  the words of  the Apostle 
Paul:  “..the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be com-
pared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18) 
Since Christ said, “You are the light of the World,” “You are the salt 
of the earth,”  let’s be salt and light  wherever we  go in the  name of 
Jesus  Christ and  for His glory.  This  will occur as  we  are crucified
with Christ,  die to self, daily and  refuse to do  anything  out of  self  
interest, in the flesh.  Galatians 2: 20-21; "I am crucified with Christ; 
nevertheless  I live; yet  not I, but Christ  liveth  in  me:  and  the life 
which I now  live in  the flesh  I live by  the faith of  the Son of  God, 
who loved me, and gave himself for me.  kjv

 CAUTION:   Being "salty," is not an attitude,  but a reflection of Christ.                                                                                    
                                                                                donporter  10.30.12

SATAN; A BAD EXAMPLE Proverbs 6: 16, 19

Satan; A Bad Example                                                        Proverbs 6: 16, 19

                      (You might be following him without realizing it.)

  16 "These six things doth the Lord hate, yea seven are an abomina-
         tion unto him..
  17. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.
  18.  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in
        in running to mischief,
  19.  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord 
         among brethren."   (kjv)

     One of the characteristics of Satan, the Devil, Lucifer,  and Prince
 of Darkness is a trait you and I exhibit at times.  Although we do not 
want to admit the possibility, we must understand it,  if we will  not be 
caught up in it.  Of the sins we may be guilty, with little shame is gos-
sip.  We know  Satan to be the  “Accuser of the brethren,”  and when 
we reduce that to it’s lowest common denominator, we find him a gos-
sip or slanderer.  These words are synonyms, and could be used inter-
changeably at times.  Also, the “Seven things the Lord hates” in Pro-
verbs includes;  “He who sows discord among brethren.”  As we look
into slander or gossip in this light it has an ominous feel.  Is gossip in 
truth, slander?  Does gossip or slander sow discord among brethren?  
If we gossip, slander or sow discord among brethren, does it make us 
ton be like Satan?  These questions must be answered in the affirma-
tive if we are honest with ourselves before Holy God who hates such 
as this.  We might go a step further and state;  most gossip is spread 
by persons who do not have first hand knowledge of the "facts" and 
may be  spreading false  statements  (lies) as well  as true.  Let’s put 
ourselves in  the theoretical  position of  spreading a hurtful story of
one who  is not  guilty of  the "lie."  Where then  does that  leave us?   
When we  are guilty of gossip,  we are included as being  performers 
from the  list of deeds  God hates.  We are in the position to  commit 
the crime of slander and we become a fellow-traveler with the enemy 
of  God,  Satan, who, according to God’s Word, is the father of  liars. 
To avoid  alienation from our  Lord and  alignment  with Satan,  prac-
cing gossip, here are some practical steps we must take:

1. Never repeat a negative or damaging story.
2. Never repeat anything you have not proved  true.
3. Upon hearing any story, ask for the source.
4. Before telling anything, consider your reaction
                            if you were the subject.
5. In everything you say always make sure it glorifies
                         our Heavenly Father.
6. Never betray a person who shares a confidence.
7. Become a person gossips avoid.
8. If you hear slander on anyone, ask the purveyor to
         accompany you to inform the object of the gossip.

There are other positive steps we may take to avoid  becoming 
caught up  in the practice of  retelling negative or  offensive tales.  
The most  important is to make a habit of  thinking on things that 
are,  in the Apostle Paul’s  Divinely inspired  words, “true,  noble, 
just, pure, lovely, good report ,” as  well  as “virtuous and  praise-
worthy.”   If  you  and  I  practice  this  discipline  it  will  keep  us 
from  considering the act of  passing  along stories unworthy of  a 
disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. The best way to defeat negative 
is to saturate with positive. As we  practice  living in the presence 
of our Lord, Christ, the mundane or common will  lose it's appeal 
to us.  We will  find  joy  communicating  treasure from the Word 
of God instead of trash from word of mouth.  (Philippians 4: 8)

        edited 11.22.14, 2.21.15                                       donporter   10.29.12

OFFENSE AND RECONCILIATION

OFFENSE:                                 Matthew 18: 1 - 11

    "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this
     little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of
     heaven." vs.4

“Offences will come”  (vs.  6 - 7)
a. Humility, and with it the ability to follow one
      who is spiritually mature is the only road  to 
      greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven?
b. Specifically, in the Kingdom, one is great as
he serves those he might consider to be less.
c. Least in the Kingdom is he who fails to have
consideration  for others  or “lords”  it over 
     them.

You and I are unable to determine greatness in this
sphere and if  we believe we might have attained it,
 it is far from our grasp.

Offenses  must and will come.  You and I, Children
of the Lord God, are given opportunity to engage in 
the ministry of “Reconciliation.” Greatness belongs 
to the Lord.

Some ways in which we might offend...discuss...
1. Hypocrisy   2. Any  sin in our  lives.  3. An air of
 superiority to anyone.  4. Failing to keep our word.
(Since our Lord is so careful in keeping His Word,
 we cannot represent Him and fail to keep ours.)
5. Profane Use of “Holy” or Sacred things (words) 
in a flippant way or for common purpose. We are
to take care to reverence things belonging to God.
(In retrospect, it all belongs to Him, we are merely
stewards of  everything  within  our sphere.  It is a
trust.)


RECONCILIATION:              Matthew 18: 15 - 19
Reconcile:  To settle a difference or difficulty 
between two previously agreeable parties.  To
restore relationship(s.)
“How to  engage in reconciliation.”  (vs 19 - 20)
   We dare not attempt Spiritual service, ie recon-
ciliation,unless we have the power of  God on our 
lives.  Otherwise we would be dabbling in the Spi- 
ritual with the "arm of flesh" and destined  to fail  
and risk offending our Lord. (vs. 21-23) Reconci-
liation is only possible through God's Word. It is
our tool...

Ephesians  2: 14-18.  Christ  has  paved  the  way 
for reconciliation of mankind to the father and is 
always  willing to enable us  to  work in this area.  
We are talking about the reconciliation  between
God and man, also called Regeneration, the New 
Birth, or  Salvation.  (There is also the same type 
work between individuals as we work to restore
relationships.)

2 Corinthians 5: 14 - 16  and 17 - 21.  Read  and 
discuss  these passages separately.  We are here 
given  the opportunity to engage in a vital  mini-
stry  with  our God.  (Matthew 18: 6 - 9)  We, as 
mature“Saints,”are warned against offending in 
word or deed and find in 2 Corinthians17-21 we
are  never  to  be offended, and must be quick to
reconcile  those  whom  we have offended.  If we 
keep "short accounts" on this earth we  will have
to  give account for less  negative when we stand 
before our Lord,  gain or loss of reward. Always 
be available to help  in  reconciliation of  fellow 
believers  within the  Body of  Christ... (Church)

    (How can we, who are  such great sinners, 
   be offended at/with anyone?  We are given 
   the  privilege to partner in the  ministry of                  
   reconciliation with our Lord.)
    
 donporter,sr  edited, 9.17.14; 8.09.16 

WHERE IS MY CITIZENSHIP? ** 2 Corinthians 5

Where Is My Citizenship?       (2 Corinthians 5)     December 8, 2003

      "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that 
     every one may  receive the things done in  his body,  according to 
    that  he hath done, whether it be good or bad."  2 Corinthians 5:10

**************************************************************  
   Am I a citizen of this world trying to live like a citizen of the Kingdom
   of God,  or a citizen of  the kingdom of God  living as a  pilgrim in the
    world?)

      As one gets older, having lived well over half of his anticipated life
span, it seems he is less at home in the “...body of this death” Romans 
7:24, having a desire to be clothed fully in that body which is Spiritual.
If we are honest with  God and self,  there  are times  even in  maturity
when we  are too much at  home on this earth and in the world system 
which are at enmity with  the Kingdom of God,  At times we  are migh-
tily  offended  by things around  us  as “righteous  Lot,” in Sodom  we 
seem to take them in stride and  have little if any positive influence or 
effect on those  around us.  We  choose not to  be labeled  prudish nor  
moralist.  We smile at off-color stories,  wincing inside;  accepting pro-
fane practices with  little or  no apparent  reaction.  We become jaded 
and  hardened  by regular  exposure to  “worldly”  entertainment  and  
have generally lost our witness for Christ.   If we have a standard it is 
rarely raised; when raised it is not high enough to be noticed or make 
a  difference.  When  with fellow  believers we sing loudly, say  Amen,
and are generally in  agreement that  something  must  be done  about 
the degradation of our culture.  We are not,  however;  willing to stick 
out our necks nor  do  anything that  might affect adversely, our  com-
fort level  among  unbelieving  friends or  people with whom we work.  
Even  in fellowship with like-minded believers,  Kingdom matters  are 
rarely  discussed and  are  never  the primary topic of conversation.

     There must be a cure for  the malaise currently  keeping born again 
Children of the Kingdom of God out of the warfare into which we are
called.  Since we do not conduct this  warfare against flesh and blood, 
but against unseen and sinister entities,  we must take a wise and  at
times  indirect  paths  into the battle.  There  are  some steps we may 
take to overcome our reticence to do battle and get us off on the right  
foot as we engage the enemy.  First, we must recognize  the enemy as
Satan, not our unbelieving friend,  relative or  co-worker.  Those who
our circle who are not  yet Children of  the Kingdom are casualties of 
war and victims in  every sense of  the word.  They are not the enemy.  
Before engaging an enemy,  preparation must be made.  To the Child 
of God, this means developing plans consistent with the Word of God 
to deliver the victims from a fate we recognize as “worse than death.” 
Eternal  separation from our  creator and  loved ones in Hell; punish-
ment  beyond our  imagination.  The first part of the plan must be for  
each to make an honest appraisal of self.  Do I have a  daily walk,  by 
faith,  with my Lord, Jesus Christ,  in  truth.  Am I consistently in the 
Scripture, fervent  prayer,  worship and  praise?   Am I  prepared  to 
give an answer for the  “hope that is in...”  me to  anyone who might 
inquire?  Do I  have an attitude or spirit in  my  demeanor attracting  
believer  and  unbeliever  alike?  Or,  do  I  just  have an "Attitude?" 
Am I  honestly seeking  help  anyone who  might need a hand,  with-
without thought of repayment or even  thanks?  After we  make this  
honest appraisal of our spiritual condition,  it is time to  identify our 
shortcomings  and in the Spirit of God,  to make correction through 
application of the Word of God. 

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things 
have  passed away;  behold,  all things  are become new....all things 
are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself  by Jesus Christ,  and 
hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” (2 Corinthians 5: 17-18)

                    donporter                   10.24.12  ed. 4.04.15

                       "If I am not active in the “ministry of reconciliation,
                            of what good am I to the Kingdom of God?"
                   

ABOVE MY PAY GRADE

 Above My Pay Grade                          Romans 3                       10.22.12

 There is no one on this good earth who is able,  to our satisfaction,  to
tell us just why things happen as  they do.  Some might hazard "educa-
ted" guesses;  that would be mere conjecture.  I am pleased  to  report, 
this is not an attempt to explain why unpleasant things happen to any-
one.  I will,  however,  suggest Talking points.  A subject will be given, 
and  Scripture  will be  referenced for application.  Dogmatism on this 
subject,  and most others,  is  hardly  appropriate and  will not  stand 
against reason.

      Sometimes it is necessary to state the obvious.   It  is  clear;  bad 
things happen to "good" people and good things happen to the "bad."  
To  me, the terms, "good" and "bad," can be highly  subjective  and 
there are times when we have seen  a  good person has done a "bad"
 thing and there are certainly times when someone we consider bad,  
does something  seeming good.  Most  of   us  think  our  idea  of  the  
difference in  these  two terms is adequate,  but consider this: In the
book of Romans the Lord states through  Paul,  the  Apostle, "There  
is none righteous, not even  one:  There is none that understandeth,  
there is none  that seeketh  after  God."  We  might  conclude,  since 
there is none good, then there are none who can make judgments of 
what is good or what is bad?  Let's use the analogy of a child and his 
leafy,  green vegetables.   To a child,  veggies  are bad;  to the nutri-
tionist  they are  essential for  good health  and well  being.  Further-
more, the parent who tries to get  a child to eat  a proper diet,  does 
not eat  properly  nor does the nutritionist.  All  my life I have made
observations if persons in authority seeking to get those under that 
authority to do things the authority figure,  is not willing to do,  kno-
wing all the time the best way to lead is by example.  

      Next,  let's transport ourselves from this existence to another, 
outside our sphere.  Let's say,  in our new dimension we are able to 
see all of life from  beginning to end and  have knowledge  unavail-
able to  those who remain  here in their ignorance.  Do you see how 
this might change our perspective?  When you  relate to the whole,  
a single incident, everything changes.  We may  see some  things,
seeming  to be  good were bad and  things seeming to  be bad were 
good.  We speak here of effect, not moral or theological principles.  
Since we are unable to  make this kind of  transcendent  move,  we 
are stuck here to fend for ourselves and make the best of that with 
which  we have  to work.  Is there  some other  way of  meeting this 
dilemma?

      We all know, or know of a person who know life from beginning 
to end and sees all things from  an other world  perspective.  He  is 
the one who created  this material  universe you and  I  inhabit and  
alone  is able to make judgments of  what  is bad and what  is good. 
The good news;   He  gave the task  to  some  forty,  picked  servants 
to write out everything we must know to make wise decisions about 
our personal lives and even to discern good and bad (Evil), as we go 
through the experiences of our lives.  He does at  times, leave ques-
tions  unanswered and  this  is  when we  must  show absolute  faith 
in Him and His "Word."  The word we trust is  the   book called  the
Bible.  It was written by some 40 men over a  period of 1,600  years.  
They were  not the authors  but wrote under  the Divine Inspiration
of the  Lord God of  the Bible.  This  book  has  been  preserved in a
miraculous  manner,  and  is  dependable  and  applicable  in  every 
situation.

      The Scripture to which we refer is the letter of  the Apostle Paul 
to the Church in Rome, written within the first 70 years of the walk 
on earth of our  Lord,  Jesus Christ.  He  quoted the Old Testament 
book  of  Psalm  and  said, "There is  none  righteous,  no,  not  one;  
There  is  none  who  understands;  There  is  none  who seeks after
God.  They have turned aside;  They have  together  become unpro-
fitable;  There is none who does good, no, not one." 
(Psalms 14:1-3,  Ecclesiastes 7:20,  Romans 3: 10-12)

     Under this indictment, we must turn to the one who is able to 
determine good and bad, since He always does  good  and never
evil.  He alone, based on our personal relationship with His Son 
Jesus Christ, can bring us to the place where  we not only know 
the good but are able to  practice good and to shun evil.  But,  to 
know why bad  things happen to seeming good people,  that may 
be a mystery He has chosen to conceal from us for His own good 
reasons.  

 (Read Romans 3: 10-18)  donporter 10.22.12  edited 11.29.14 &
3.16.17...                                                                                                                                                                                                                

WHO'S IN CHARGE, ANYWAY? ........ROMANS 8

WHO'S IN CHARGE, ANYWAY?                                                Romans 8                                              
       With all of  the teaching and  preaching available to us today, there is
a doctrine that seems to be a source of  confusion in the life of believers.
The belief  that a person may  be born again,  baptized of  the Holy Spirit,
then somehow, make Jesus Lord of life.  It has been discounted from the 
pulpit as long as I can remember, but the belief still persists.  Because of 
this erroneous doctrine, some Christians think  they must "make" Jesus 
Christ Lord of their lives. The following seems to be the  truth of the mat-
ter,  along with the  clear passage, " ...as many as are led  by the Spirit of 
God, these are Sons of God."  (Romans 8: 14)  Does not a person who is 
"Led  by the  Spirit of  God," have  Jesus Christ  as  Lord of  His Life?  He 
does not have to “make” Jesus Lord of His Life.

      Where did  the phrase, "Make Jesus Lord of  your life" originate?  If we
give the concept some serious consideration, we may find that it is foreign
to a  proper understanding of  Scriptural principle.  As we read  the epistles,
or letters of apostles, there is overwhelming evidence supporting the abso-
lute sovereignty of God.  In the Old Testament He was shown to move peo-
ple  around  at will.  Therefore;  the  very  idea  of  a mere  mortal  "making" 
God  anything borders on  the ridiculous.  The only  authority for  doctrine,
and this  would  qualify  as doctrine,  is the Holy  Scripture.  When  we look
into God's Word we  find evidence of  God working His will upon whom He
chose.  The way in which God worked His will upon believers was to bring
things into the life of the believer, causing him to react in a way consistent
with  His will.   Reading in  Philippians 2: 13, "...for it  is God  who works  in
you  both to  will and to  do for His good  pleasure."   In Hebrews 13: 20-21
we find the author's prayer was for God to work His will in the life of those
who had believed.   In the Old Testament,  He worked in the  lives of  kings
in and  around  Judah to  accomplish His  purpose.  I challenge  anyone to 
find in Scripture a passage that even  suggests we are to  "make" God  the 
Son, God the Father or God the Holy Spirit, Lord of our lives.

     We do find; however, in the Proverbs of Solomon,  chapter 3 the keys
to understanding the way the Lord works in our lives to get us  to do His
will.  First in vs. 1 there is a way to enjoy long life with peace,  in vs. 2 we
learn how to find favor with God and man,  in verse 5  we find how to get
direction from Him and in vs. 7-8  how to obtain good health and strength.
Reducing this counsel to it's lowest common denominator we find; we do
not make God Lord of our lives, but we must acknowledge Him to be that. 
Things then falls into place. Counsel goes this way; keep the law, be mer-
ciful and  truthful. Trust  and acknowledge  the Lord  and depart  from evil.
This same passage goes on to tell how to  be prosperous by sharing our
possessions and how to deal with chastening from the Lord, being remin-
ded that parents discipline  their children  because they  love them.  Since
our Father in Heaven loves us, he disciplines us as needed to conform us
to His image.  In the New Testament, 1 John 1: 5-6, 2: 3-6 we find evidence 
suggesting if one is not being perfected by the Holy Spirit, he has no assu-
rance he is in the faith and may well be still in the "flesh."

     How do we acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord?  Beginning in the epistle
to the Romans, chapter 10.  "That if thou shalt confess with  thy mouth the
Lord  Jesus and  believe in your  heart that God  hath  raised Him  from the
dead thou shalt be saved... Whoever calls upon  the name of the Lord shall
be saved."  So, with our  mouths we  acknowledge who He is, and  begin to
live our lives under His control  by  finding His will,  generally, and  living as 
it applies to us.  Finally, through doing His known will, He reveals details of
His will for our lives, one day at a time.  When we study God's Word and put  
into practice the lessons of the Word, we find doing His will brings Him plea-
sure.   This is the only way for us to find peace,  purpose  and  prosperity in 
life on this earth and the promise of eternal life with  Him in the Kingdom of 
God.  Our responsibility is to confess or  acknowledge Jesus to  be Lord, in 
public,  to the  glory of  God  the  Father,  in  the  power of  the Spirit of God.  
This brings all three  persons of  the Godhead into focus as one  and clears 
the air as to who is in charge of my life.

     The  Lord God is not  just  Lord of  my  life;  He is  Lord of  all,  whether 
you and I acknowledge it or not.  When  we  read Romans 8: 31-39, would
we have  it any other  way.  Jesus Christ  being  Lord of  life makes all the 
difference in the world and acknowledging  Him during this lifetime opens 
you and me to the protection, leadership and blessing of God as a favored 
child.  Refusing to bow the knee in submission, or acknowledging  Him as 
Lord keeps one under the condemnation of Law, reserved for judgment in 
the day when "every knee shall bow...and every tongue shall confess that 
Jesus Christ is Lord..."  The  option every man  has while on  this earth is 
whether he will bow  the knee in submission,  voluntarily,  or be forced to 
bow in judgment.  Those of us who bow in submission, voluntarily will be 
saved and those who are forced to bow will be lost.  It’s that plain.   

 http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2015/01/god-is-sovereign.html                                         
 donporter                            10.20.12

"LEAVE AND CLEAVE"

 LEAVE AND CLEAVE”                Genesis 2: 21-25               10.16.12
                                                                     
      Upon  consulting Webster’s  Dictionary for the word “cleave,” you 
will  find  it to  have two  distinctly  different  meanings.  The first is  a 
transitive verb, cleave, cleft, clove, meaning to adhere; to be attached 
strongly. The  second  is  an  Intransitive  verb, cleave,  clave, cleaved,  
meaning to  divide  with  violence;  part  naturally.  Literally,  we could 
have named this  post, "Cleave, Cleave, and Cleave, since we are con-
sidering the state of matrimony as it should  be and  marriage as  prac-
ticed  in our post modern era.  The  confusion  in the title would  be no 
less than is  the confusion in  marriage today.  In the  interest  of  clea-
ring up  the confusion,  we  will  leave the  title alone  and  consult  the 
only reliable source.

   (The only authoritative source concerning any materially important  
 matter, and the only guide to the definition and practice of marriage).

  Today it seems ideas about marriage follow the TV soap opera model 
 as follows:  Two young people meet,  fall “madly” in love and move in 
together.  They  may or may not get  married.   It is also of note;  early 
on,  the relationship  seems  great;  whether  they  get  married or  not.
The glow is  lost and each  moves on to another  equally unsatisfactory 
relationship.  There seem to be  few working models of  husband/wife, 
father/mother  roles worth following.  There is one trustworthy source 
for information on marriage, and it is God’s Word. The Lord God crea-
ted His universe  from nothing,  created man  and woman,  from  dust,
then instituted  marriage.  He  is our  source  for  information on  crea-
tion  and  marriage.  In  Genesis 2: 21-25,  we see  basics on  marriage.  
In verse 24,  “Therefore shall a man  leave his  father and mother and 
be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”  The narrative 
 goes:  The Lord God  knew it  was not  good  for  man to  be alone; he 
needed someone along side.  So  He created man  from the dust of the 
earth, and made woman from one of the man's ribs.  He then brought 
 the woman to the man.  The man, Adam,  said,  “This  is  now bone of 
 my bones and flesh of  my flesh;  She shall be  called woman, because 
 she was taken out of man.”

       The key  here is still  “cleave.”  The woman was actually cleft from
man's side,  then clave  to him.  Our story,  has to do with  the leaving
happening prior to the cleaving of the man and woman.  When a man 
and woman do not properly leave parents or others, prior to the clea-
ving, there is no proper marriage.  In  this case,  the spouse who does 
not  leave is not committed  fully committed to  the  marriage and the 
marriage is temporary or at best weak. 

      Obviously, many problems besetting  families today would be  avoi-
ded with the understanding of this principle.  Each  marriage partner
must come into the new  relationship,  aware this is a completely new 
entity  and  what  was  before  is  past.  If  they  have the  mentality of,
“You and I against the world,” the marriage has a good chance.  Each 
partner must recognize dependence to be mutually exclusive. Looking 
to other sources for comfort, assistance or confidence is  a betrayal of 
that covenant.

     Let’s suppose the woman goes to her parents to  complain about  a
perceived grievance with her husband.   Naturally, the parents  “side”
with their child and betrayal grows.  The husband, learning of  minor
“betrayals,” returns to a friend, male or female,  and seeks some com-
fort or advice.  This does nothing, but further complicate the situation.
The more persons involved, the less likely the marriage is able  to sur-
vive, much less prosper. ( A brief parenthesis:)  If a marriage relation-
ship has deteriorated to the point of separation or divorce,  there may 
come a time when the partners do not  communicate.  If and  when it 
comes, a third party who is Spiritual and wise about the marriage rela-
tionship may be asked for counsel.  This should be regarded as a  last 
resort.  If any relationship between two individuals is to be healthy or  
last, the participants in  that relationship always  considers  the other 
prior to making  decisions  or engaging  in any  activity  that might be
harmful to  that  relationship.  There  is no place  for a  self-centered, 
or  "me first” attitude in a relationship if it is to last.

        We have not even considered moral  betrayal and will not.  That is 
a problem of  character for the subjects involved an d does not have to
do with the education of partners about marriage, itself.  One thing we
might do, is ask before any act;  “Would I approve of  my spouse enga-
ging in this behavior,  or would my spouse approve if  I engaged in this
activity?”   The Advice, aside from that is to say;  a person considering
marriage must be sure of the character of a prospective  spouse before
entering into such a contract. Take as much time and effort as needed 
to be convinced of the maturity and  morality of  a  prospective spouse.
It's that  important.  Persons  in a hurry to marry,  usually make tragic
mistakes with bitter, lifelong consequences.

    In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, we find defini-
tive treatment of marriage as it relates to the concept of the Church of
Jesus Christ.  In verse 22, often quoted to wives, it states, “Wives, sub-
mit to your own husbands,  as to the Lord.”   The directive is true,  but
there are other factors sometimes overlooked,  from the same passage.
In the verse preceding is this thought, “...submitting to one another in
the fear of  God.”  We see this;  the submission is not a one way street,
but applies to the whole  family of  God as we  love and submit to each 
other within the fellowship of the local church.   In verse 25 and  follo-
wing we  find this  advice and this admonition.  “Husbands,  love your 
wives,  just as Christ loved  the church and gave Himself for her,  that 
He might  sanctify and cleanse  her with  the washing of  water by  the 
word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, without 
spot,  wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and with-
out blemish.  Then  in verse 31 he, Paul,  quotes part  of our prior  text 
from the book of Genesis on leaving and cleaving.  In verses 32-33  he 
gives the key.  “This is a great mystery,  but I speak concerning Christ 
and the church.  Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love 
his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her hus-
band.  (KJV has it "reverence")

    In this Scripture passage, we find the marital union between a man 
and a woman to  be a valid and  important part of life.  It is  a  picture 
of God and His church, an earthly example displaying truth about His 
Kingdom. Mankind was  created as  the  companion for eternity  of  a 
Holy God.   Some  places  gives "God" as  plural.  This  is  a  mystery;
since the  church is  also plural,  the simile is consistent.  Mankind is 
plural, body,  soul and spirit.  God is  plural,  Father,  Son and  Spirit, 
one God.  The other factor that comes to mind is the reason the Lord 
created mankind,  was to provide  for himself  a bride  and friend for-
ever drawn from that creation.  There is  to  be a  process of  sanctifi-
cation,  (separation  from the  "world,") of this bride, after which the 
Lord will take His church to be his bride,  just as a woman separates
herself from other relationships before marriage.  (leave and cleave)

      Today,  there are those who have a problem with  “submission" as 
a necessary concept  in marriage.   Taking  the  Scripture as  a whole,
throw in  the factor of  unconditional love of  the man for the woman, 
(..as Christ loved the church and gave Himself...) We see  a woman is 
going to have little difficulty submitting to a man who is  already sub-
mitted to  her and  is willing  to live  and  give  his life  for  her.  Jesus 
Christ the example, laid down His life for His church or bride and He 
expects no less from a husband within the marriage covenant.  When  
Scripture  directs a  woman to  submit to her  husband,  God's  Word 
has also directed the man to love his wife enough to die for  her. This 
earthly covenant  displays a  heavenly message.  When  the  husband 
loves his wife enough to die for her,  he is a  living  example  of  Jesus 
Christ.  If he fails  this test,  he  is a  poor  reflection  on  Jesus Christ.  
When  a woman submits to her  husband and respect him,  she is  an 
example of what  the Church of  Jesus Christ  is to be.  If  she  fails to 
submit or respect her husband,  she reflects poorly on the Church of 
Jesus Christ and along  with the husband who  does not love his wife 
unconditionally, must stand before the lord at the Judgment Seat, of  
Christ and give an account for this failure.  (sin)

What excuse will stand up to the question;   “How did your marriage 
reflect on Jesus Christ and His Church?”   How will you or I respond 
to this all-important question?                                       
                            donporter,sr    10.16.12  edited 11.22.14, 5.16.17

                
 http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2012/12/more-on-marriage.html                                                                                                    
               
                                                                                                                 

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

Crucified with Christ...                                                      Galatians 2: 20

The epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians has a warning about 
falling for a kind of  works religion.  He was concerned with the pos-
sibility of doctrinal error producing a reversion to idolatry or kind of 
legalism which would make grace of no effect in their lives.  The sure
“cure”  for such apostasy  is  God's Word.  A  paraphrase of  verse 20 
might  read,  “I am being  crucified  with  Christ.”  He said  in another 
place that he had to put his  flesh to death on a daily basis in order to  
be  “in Christ.”  Beginning  with  the  necessary faith  in  God without
faith in self or  the flesh;  here  is the idea.   If  we are  alive in  Christ,
we are dead to self,  flesh, or  self  interest.  It  is as though we reckon 
ourselves to  be alive in  Christ  and  dead  to self.   Having  been spiri-
tually  dead,  prior to  being alive in  Christ,  it seems a natural conclu-
sion.   If we are alive at all, it is in Christ and He alive in us.  

     One other element  had  not occurred to  me before;  we can know 
we have life in Christ and are  dead to self,  if in every area of  life, as  
decisions are made,  it is with the reckoning ourselves dead.  In other 
words, we make decisions with the mind of Christ.  Our personal  pre-
ferences, comfort,  gain or loss are not at issue.  Since we are dead to 
self, we no longer  insist on opinions,  preferences  or  choices of  our 
own.   Our  choice is always on the basis of  the  purposes of  God the 
Father,  as did Jesus Christ.   Since  it is  possible to  have  "the mind 
of Christ," I must be in the Scripture daily to retain a fresh vitality, to 
walk with Him in the light of that day in the Word. It is not possible to 
 rely upon  “old”  knowledge of  Scripture.   Since the  Word of  God is 
alive,  active and  changes us,  it  must  be fresh  our  minds  are shar-
pened  by it.  One aside here from the  Old Testament; "iron sharpens 
iron."   For our minds to be sharp with  God’s Word, we must have  in  
depth  interaction with other believers of  like faith who daily sharpen 
their skills  in the  Scriptures.  We will spend time with  those who are
unbelievers as well.  They will  challenge us in ways  another believer  
would  be unable to do.  You  will see,  when  studying  the lives  of the
of the Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ,  they spent much time with men, 
teaching and  in fellowship, sharpening their skills in the Word.  Even
when the Apostle was in  prison  he was,  as much as  possible, in  the 
presence  of others with whom he could communicate the  gospel.  He 
and our Lord were continually  interacting with  others on a  personal 
basis.

        If we are to emulate them, we must be about the business of com-
municating  the  Gospel  of Jesus Christ  with those  to whom the Holy 
Spirit leads us.  It is not a willy nilly spouting of  the Gospel story,  but 
a studied, planned approach that will achieve the result intended; the
changed  lives of those with whom we communicate our faith in Jesus 
Christ.  To be specific,  the  purpose of  sharing  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ is to give life. We know from Scripture; those who do not know 
Christ do not have  life.  They are dead  in trespasses and  sins  just as 
we were  before  coming to  Christ.  We must  not,  however;  think  we
have arrived at some perfect state and are stooping to help, but as one 
who shares "bread" (Jesus Christ is the Bread  that "came down  from
heaven) with other hungry souls.  The  Life we communicate to others 
is not mortal, although  this life greatly affects one while on  the earth, 
but  is primarily Life Eternal in a place  where  God  dwells  with those 
who have gone before us.  

Today,  I have begun to understand,  as a Child of  God, everything 
I do, say, think, plan, contemplate and otherwise involve myself, must 
have one  purpose.  If  I do  anything  that  does  not  purposely glorify
my Lord,  it is sin.  Why Do I say this?   It is plain  in  God’s Word that 
we are occupied  by our Lord.  (The only one  true and living God.)  
We may refer to this one as Jesus Christ, the Spirit of  God,  the Spirit 
of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost or simply Spirit, (God is Spirit) but the 
fact  remains  we are not  our own and  "we were  bought  at a  price."  
It is also true, we have surrendered to our Lord Jesus  Christ and  are 
occupied territory.  We,  are no longer free to make decisions indepen-
dently, but to weigh every thought,  plan, purpose, motive, etc. against 
the revealed Word of  God.  If  that thought,  plan,  purpose or  motive 
does not measure up, we must scrap it.  It  is no longer a mere mistake 
if we slip up.   It may be sin.  How do we arrive at this conclusion?

      "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
       Christ liveth in me:  and the life which I now live in the flesh
       I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
       himself for me."  Galatians 2: 20    kjv

  God’s  Word  states we may  have the “...mind of Christ.”  Since we 
have a resource available to us that is unimpeachable, when we con-
tinue making decisions using our natural "wisdom"  rather than the
wisdom God  gives,  we are  rebelling against a  Holy God and are on 
our own. “Lord, save me from the folly of self reliance.”    
In 1 Corinthians 2: 15-16 (KJV)

15." But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
   judged of no man.  
16.  For who  hath known the mind of  the Lord, that he may 
   instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ."
                                         from  1 Corinthians 2

             “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart 
            and lean not unto thine own under-
              standing. 
           In all thy ways acknowledge Him and 
             He shall direct thy paths.” 
                                       kjv   Proverbs 3: 5-6

     donporter   10.13.12,  edited 3.17.17

IT IS ALL A GIFT FROM GOD, Ephesians 4 & 5, Romans 5: 8-21

Ephesians 4: 1 - 8
“I, therefore, the prisoner of  the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of 
the calling with  which  you were  called, with all  lowliness and gentle-
ness, with  long-suffering,  bearing with one another in  love, endeavo-
ring to  keep the unity of  the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one 
body and one Spirit,  just as you  were called in  one hope of  your cal-
ling,  One  Lord,  one faith,  one baptism;  one  God and  Father of  all, 
who is above all, and through all, and in you all.  But to each one of us 
grace was given  according  to  the measure  of  Christ’s gift.  Therefore 
He says:
When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
and gave gifts to men.”

Ephesians 4: 11 - 16
“And  He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evan-
gelists and some  pastors and  teachers for  the equipping of the saints 
for the  work of ministry,  for the edifying  of the body of Christ,  till we 
all come  to the unity of  the  faith and of  the knowledge of  the  Son of 
God,  to a perfect (mature) man,  to the  measure of  the stature of  the
fullness of  Christ;  that we should no longer be children, tossed to and
fro and  carried about  with every wind of  doctrine,  by the  trickery of 
men,  in the cunning  craftiness of deceitful  plotting, but speaking the 
truth  in  love,  may  grow  up  in all  things into  Him  who is  the head-
Christ,from whom  the whole body,  joined and  knit  together by what 
every joint supplies, according to the effective working  by which every 
part does  its share,  causes  growth of  the body for  the edifying of  it-
self in love.”

Ephesians 5: 15 - 21
       “See then that you walk circumspectly,  not as fools but as wise, 
  redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be 
 unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be 
drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spi-
rit,  speaking to  one another  in psalms  and hymns  and  spiritual 
songs, s inging and making melody in your heart to the Lord,  giv-
ing thanks always. for all things to God the Father in the name of
our Lord  Jesus Christ,  submitting to  one  another in  the  fear of 
God.”
         Read Romans 5: 8-21 for more on this gift from our Lord...
         a favorite passage a Scripture;  donporter  10.11.12, 8.11.61 ed.

ON MINISTRY; 2 Corinthians 5

On Ministry                   Ephesians 4:11-13                    2 Corinthians 5
                                                                                          
  2 Corinthians 5: 18,  "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled 
     us to himself by Jesus Christ,  and hath  given to us the ministry of 
     reconciliation."

   Ephesians 4:12, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of 
      the ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ."

      In  the  New Testament,  the words  “minister”  and  “servant,”  
are interchangeable. The words mean the person designated thusly,  
is under  authority of one who may or may not be in evidence; faith? 
The words have taken different roads in  the world’s understanding 
of  terms and  are now  opposite  rather  than  synonyms.  “Servant” 
refers to one of  low status under direct  authority  of  someone who 
is very much in evidence and  usually anxious to  let everyone know 
the servant is under  authority.  The word “minister” is now used to 
designate one who has much personal authority in a given situation,  
such as a  “Prime Minister,”  but  still  answers to a person who has 
appointed  him,  or  is  responsible to  the  people  who  elected  him.  
The  two  words are still  used  as  synonyms  in some  instances and 
therein lies one reason for confusion.

   If we are true to the New Testament model of a minister, all children 
of God would be ministers or servants of  God.  There  are distinctions
between  the varied  responsibilities of  “parts” of  Christ's body,”  but
all could be called ministers.  There must not be a special class of  per-
sons who are  called  “ministers.”  There  are to  be  pastors,  teachers, 
administrative specialists,  deacons,  elders,  evangelists,  helpers  and 
other types workers in the kingdom.  They will  not be rewarded accor-
ding to position,  but according to faithfulness in his or her responsibi-
lity in a given  area.  The Lord equips each for that ministry/service.   

    The problem arises when a child of God does not  fulfill the role the 
Sovereign God of the universe has  prepared for  him.  Every child of 
God is a minister in the area of  his  “predestination.”  Most  people I  
know who name the name of Christ look to predestination as  guaran-
tee of eternal life. The Word of God  knows nothing of this.  (I believe 
in the eternal security of believers.) When the Word of  God refers to 
predestination,  it is talking  about the believer,  every believer, being 
predestines to be conformed to the image of Christ,  and saved,  even
if by fire, and has good works prepared ahead for him to perform.  If 
that child of God does not voluntarily seek out  those good works pre-
pared  for him  (his  predestination)  and  does not renew his mind in 
diligent study of God’s word or  fails to present  himself  to  Christ,  a
living sacrifice,  then  what?  The  Lord is  "obliged"  to  bring  things 
into  the  life of  this  believer that will  encourage  him to  respond to 
the call  of Christ in all of these things.   At  times this  discipline may 
seem harsh to the believer.   Where  does this  leave us?  It  leaves us 
with  sickly saints,  depressed  Christians and church  members  who
are discontent with no apparent explanation.  This leaves gaps in the  
mission of the church unfilled by those whom the Lord “predestined” 
for this work.  Possibly,  this leaves us with dead  bodies of  potential,
unrealized  in service/ministry to God.   A person  of whom  it may be 
said;   "...saved  as  by  fire...”   ( 1 Corinthians  3: 13-15)   This  is  the 
“saint” with  no crown to cast before the throne,  or  a  Child of  God  
who  tands at  the “Bema,”  unable  to  account  for  those  thing spo-
ken or  unspoken,  done  or undone in the flesh;  Matthew 12: 35-36. 
                              God help us all...  (Revelation 4: 11)

     Finally,  God has a plan for every life and His plan is the best for all.  
At times we  indicate we do  not know  God’s  plan for our service,  and
use that excuse for our failure to  be about His business.  It must work 
in this manner:  
   When one is born into the Kingdom of God, there are basics to learn.
It's up to  those mature in the faith,  to disciple the  newborn  child of 
God.  Along with  the basics of  getting  into  the Word of God,  private 
prayer, and spending time with those who are born again. The respon-
sibility is with  the new believer to follow Christ.  This is accomplished  
as he engages in the disciplines mentioned,  and follows through  on a
thoughtful, in depth study of God’s Word.  He will then find God’s will 
for  his life  and will  know the  doctrine.  The  responsibility given  the 
church, that's us,  is to encourage him/her in the process.

  Please accept my apology for my inconsistency on the male/female
  situation.  Sometimes it  is shown as above and in other spots it is
  merely shown in the male.  Please accept that as  generic.   There
  are  many ministries  filled by competent,  Spirit  filled  men  and 
  women.  The word Pastor is a masculine term. You make you own
 decision as regarding that.  God bless us all.  

Edit: 5.18.13...Regrettably the work of the Spirit of God is not covered 
in this post.  The believer, through faith,  is  led by the Spirit.  This can
be referenced as the Spirit, the Holy Spirit,  the Spirit of  Jesus Christ,  
God the Spirit,  or The Spirit of God.  Since God is one God expressed
in three persons,  there can be no distinction.   It is good for new belie-
vers to be schooled in the work of the Holy Spirit.  There is included in 
this blog, an article, "Holy Spirit 101," which may be of help. 

  See the link below:                                Thanks for reading.

http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2013/02/holy-spirit-basics-acts-1-2.html



 donporter 10.19.12, edited 8.13.16