THERE REMAINS A REST...

      "There Remaineth Therefore  a Rest..."  
              Hebrews 4: 9-10  1.14.13

   "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people 
    of God.  For he that  is entered into his (Jesus') 
    rest hath ceased  from  his own  works as  God 
    did from his."(kjv) Hebrews 4: 9-10

Whatever happened to the seventh day of the 
week as the Sabbath?  It says in Genesis that
God rested from all His work" on the seventh
day  and in Genesis 2: 3, "Then God blessed
the seventh day and sanctified it, because He
rested from all His work which God had cre-
ated and  made."   There is also a command
ment  in  Exodus about  keeping the  Sabbath
holy to the Lord.  

   The Jews have always revered this day and 
kept it especially to the Lord, but we "gentile" believers  without  the Law,  know of no  such 
devotion to a certain day of  the week.  We do,
as a whole, attend worship on the  first day of
the week, the Lord's day.  We no longer honor
the seventh day as a Sabbath and our worship
on the first day in no way resembles the obser-
vance of the  Sabbath of  the  Jews. 

What has changed? Is this no longer a priority
for  God's  Children;  should we be concerned
about it? Having never heard this explained to
my satisfaction by any  theologian, and  giving
it some study, there  is a line of reasoning that
may shed  light on  this  apparent discrepancy
between Law  keepers and  the beneficiaries of
grace.  The passage addressing the question is
in the book of Hebrews,Chapter 3:4-8 and 4:8-
11, are the first mention of the "rest" of which
we speak.  There was a rebellion in the wilder-
ness amond the Children of Israel. 

"For if Jesus had given  them rest, then would
 he not afterward have spoken  of another day.
 "There  remaineth,  therefore,  a   rest  to  the
 people of God. For he that is entered  into his
 rest,  he also has  ceased from  his own works
as God  did from his.  let us labour,  therefore
to  enter into that rest, lest any  man fall after
the same example of unbelief." Hebrews 4:8-11

 The result was a pledge by the Lord God that 
they would never enter His rest. The rest, is a 
picture of  entrance into the  Land of Canaan, 
the Promised Land.  Because of unbelief, they
were kept out and wandered in the wilderness
for forty more years, until the adults involved 
in rebellion were dead. There were two adults  
excepted, Joshua and Caleb, because of  their resistance  to the rebellion. This entering into 
the Land is a picture of  the rest into which a 
present day believer may enter through Spirit-
led obedience to  his Lord.  Entering into this 
rest, typifies the entering into Christ by  faith,
and  Christ entering into the believer, who is
not rebellions, but obedient to the call of God.
Therefore, the  believer has  ceased  from his
own  labor, in the  flesh, and  Christ is doing 
his work in the believer thru the Spirit of God.
It  may be said of  this individual, that  he has
entered into the rest of the Lord God in Jesus
Christ.  What  follows in  my personal deduc-
tion from Scripture and life.  I have no autho-
rity on which to base  the remarks, outside of
Scripture concerning the life of Christ and his
teaching;  "The Sabbath was made for man,
                     not man for the Sabbath."  

    In the Jewish, or  pre-church  economy, the 
Sabbath was observed weekly beginning about 
dusk on Friday evening, having strict  ritualis-
tic  practices.  There  were  other  Sabbaths to 
observe, and many considered to be especially 
holy.  There is  no such  understanding  in the
New Testament,  concerning  this practice  for
the  Church of Jesus Christ.  The Law has not
been rescinded, but  the elements referring  to
personal purity and righteousness,  as impor-
tant as  they are, can in  no way cleanse from
dead  works.  Those living in the grace of our
Lord, Jesus Christ live daily in a state of  His
grace  and a state of  rest from  works of  the
flesh, having no need to observe certain days.
Every day is lived as a  Sabbath to  the  Lord 
 by believers, who are recipients of His rest.  

     The theme throughout is that one who is in 
Christ lives daily in a state of rest in our Lord, 
Jesus Christ and has no particular need to ob-
serve  certain days.  Every day is a Sabbath to 
the Lord, as a recipient of His grace, in which 
he stands. The Apostles, after the resurrection 
of  Christ, began observing the first day of the 
the week as the Lord's day along with the Sab-
bath day.  They were eventually  barred  from 
Temple  worship.  (Believers live in a state of
"Grace."
  
     Things changed for the followers of Christ.  
The  believer  is held to a  different  standard; 
every day we live as unto our Lord,  nor does 
he observe seasons,  days or  festivals of  the 
Jews. 

    We have entered  into that rest  promised 
those who have their faith  in  God, through
his Son, and are not depending on works of
the Law,  in  the flesh.  We  must  recognize,
however;  that not one "jot nor tittle" of  the
Law has been  annuled  by  Christ.  He  did,
however; fulfill the law for that one who has
faith in  Him,  and Him alone.  If one is not 
"in Christ "  he is obliged to keep the whole 
Law,  and that to no good effect.  He is still 
under the  condemnation of  God's  Law as 
a "Lawbreaker."  (1 Timothy 1:9)

     Of  course there are sects;  Seventh-Day Baptist, Adventist and the World-Wide Church of God who attempt  to observe the "Jewish" Sabbath.  None of these  have the answer  for  me,  since I disagree on their  doctrine with  respect to Jesus Christ and their observance of the Sabbath is  in no respect  like that 
in the Old Testament. (I have been conflicted on the matter  for over 30 years and have recently settled it 
in my own heart and mind. I trust this post is not too 
confusing to anyone who holds  differing views, and
just because we have differences in doctrine, we will never condemn  another.  We may have  differences and still  be born  again.  "For whoever  calls on  the 
name of the Lord shall be saved."
                      Romans 10:13  (Read all Chapter 10)

    As I may have said before, scholarship is far from me  and these remarks should not be taken as autho-ritative,  but should be used as a springboard for one 
to search for the truth of the matter. Teaching I have 
experienced, has  left me with  no definitive sense of 
this  issue.  In  retrospect, there may be good reasons 
for one to be circumspect when  it comes to this kind 
of  thought.  We must take God's Word seriously and never  dismiss any  as  less  than  relevant.  The Lord 
God  is so serious about  His Word, of  God the Son, Jesus Christ,  it  is  said, "the  Word  was made  flesh 
and dwelt  among us and  we  beheld  His  glory,  the 
glory of the only begotten of the Father,  full of grace and truth."  
                         
(This  piece was  posted with  trepidation after 
several previous attempts to find  peace with it.  
These remarks are solely thoughts of an author, 
who believes we  must  follow  Scripture  even  
when  we settle on something  controversial.  I 
trust it will not be divisive nor confusing.  Dog-
matism is  unacceptable to  believers  except as the Scripture is very plain. 
Thank's for your kindness as you respond with
 email to: 
                            jlrsbnch@msn.com. 
 In the name of Jesus Christ my Savior... 
                                     donporter,sr   1.14.13 
  
Romans 14:5 says:  One man esteemeth one
day above another.  Another esteemeth every
day alike.  Let every man be fully persuaded
in his own mind.  (6) He that  regardeth  the
day, regardeth it unto the Lord:  and he that
regardeth not  the day,  to the Lord  he doth 
not  regard it.  He that  eateth,  eateth to the
Lord and giveth God thanks.  He that eateth
not,  to  the  Lord  he  eateth  not and giveth 
God thanks.  


 Whether the passage applies to the question 
 at hand is not perfectly clear to me, but it
 seems to deserve consideration.
 
                           Edited 11.07.14   donporter,sr

Personal Note:As you might have seen, the Scripture 
quoted on this blog is mainly from nkjv and from the kjv.  We have seen research made about the question of  the Sabbath and it seems inconclusive.  If you are
aware of  research  seeming to be objective and defi- 
nitive, let me know.  For the time being we will quote from the  two translations to which we have referred.
Thanks for taking time to consider this.

  donporter,sr...revised 7.25.14, 12.16.14, 8.03.16

  (This post will most likefully be edited again and
    again.  God bless you as you follow Him, Jesus
    the  Christ,  God the Son,  the Word  who  was
    made flesh.) 

      "Likefully" was coined by my younger son as a pre-teen.  He is now
       50 years old.)



         

FEARLESS FAITH (What do you fear?)

              Fear This        1.10.13  Matthew 10: 28-33                  “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.”  
                                              Winston Churchill

   In Matthew 10, as Jesus sent out His disciples two-by-two.  He said persecution was coming upon them. (This was directed to the church.) His statements are applicable across the centuries and show although his disciples of  every  age will  be persecuted and suffer, 
we must take heart that  our  lives here are  temporal;  
We are looking for an eternal city, and  life with Him, where everything hidden will be revealed.

    There are many things men fear.  One of them is to be found to be afraid or intimidated. What should we, as children of  God fear, and what should we not fear.
Looking into God's Word, we find in Matthew 10: 28,
32-33;  we should not fear man since he is  our equal.
He can do no more  than take ones physical  life.  (At times  we  seem to  fear  ridicule or scorn as  much or more than physical danger.)  God's Word says we are not to fear man  but God; aware the Lord can destroy 
our bodies and souls in Hell.  We must fear this;
 "But whoever denies me before men, him will I deny before my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:33

    These two elements come together in verses 32-33 as we  see our confession of  the Lord before  men as 
directly related to our eternal relationship to God.

If we fear  men’s ridicule so  much we fail  to confess Christ  before  them,  then we  do not  fear  God,  nor understand  his great power over us or His great care for  us. (The hairs of our head are  numbered.) There 
is no  good  provision  for  one  who  does  not  freely 
confess Christ and identify with Him in His Suffering.

   In the book of Proverbs we read, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of  knowledge.”  Proverbs 1:7 
In 1 John 4: 18, “...the fearful,  unbelieving, abomi-nable,  murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, ido- laters,  and  all liars shall  have their part in the lake which  burns with fire and  brimstone,  which is  the second  death."  The fearful  and  cowardly are des- tined for the same end as some pretty vile characters.

    We must have a healthy reverence and 
    awe in the presence of our God, but His 
    perfect love casts out fear.  We fear 
    nothing.  The danger comes as  freedom  
    turns to  contempt, we lose reverence  in  
    His  presence, in which we  live  contin-
    ually,  and forget  His power  over,  and 
    care for us.

        He is still infinite and we, His creation,
        are flesh and blood; forever under his 
        sovereign protection and control.

     edited, 1.10.13, 10.27.16,  donporter, sr.

SAUL OF TARSUS: BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Blinded by the Light                                                             (Acts 9: 1-19)
                                                                                       
     Today in  the typical evangelical congregation we have fallen into the
same trap as did  Jewry at  the time of our Lord's  incarnation. Although
there are attempts from time to time to break from dead tradition in the
 Church, the trap remains and most seem to fall into it.  It is much easier
(easy, our arch nemesis) to compromise with the majority on matters of 
doctrine and practice rather than hold out for a literal view of Scripture, 
requiring a break from traditions unsupported by the Bible.   In the long
run this is the seed of the eventual demise of  "Christian" culture in the 
USA. In some cultures, the church seems to be alive and well. Even here 
there are pockets of resistance to the path of least resistance, but  many 
still fall for the lie of  Satan  and refuse to consider the error of practice   
and doctrine,  although plainly demonstrated in both Old and New testa-
ments.  As we look into the life of  the Apostle  Paul, we see the pattern 
for  breaking from the  paths of  death;  finding the true pathway to life, 
in Christ.

       Prior to His Damascus Road experience,  Saul of Tarsus had chosen
to go along with the traditions of Jewish  authority. Though sincere, with
knowledge of the Law of God and enthusiasm for the task, he was in the
wrong.  As  did  Eve in  the Garden of Eden,  he  chose the way of  death
rather than the way of life.  He was blinded by darkness.  In spite of this,
he was chosen  of  God to be a vessel to espouse,  powerfully, the gospel
(Way) he had denounced and persecuted.  (Acts 9: 21)

           Just  what  was  Saul of  Tarsus doing  prior to  his conversion that
was so ungodly?  First,  he started from a wrong  premise.  The lord does
not advocate the use of  force to make disciples.  Even in Old Testament
times, when   God used  force, it was to rid the land of His enemies whom
he  judged would pervert worship.  The miscreants would be warned with
truth, then prosecution was forthcoming if they did not repent.  Secondly,
Saul was accepting  for truth the many traditions handed  down by a self-
seeking  hierarchy  that  flew in  the face  of God's Word.  He consented
to  the stoning  death of the first "Christian" martyr, Stephen. and there  
is evidence in  the account of  his martyrdom; some who stoned  Stephen 
were convicted and  incensed at his  preaching.  (Acts 7: 54)  This  is not 
the same as  being angered by  incorrect  doctrine,  but being angered at
hearing truth.  Saul of Tarsus was one of these men.

         The Lord  had other plans for this sincere, but  misguided religious
zealot.  As  he  was on his way to the Syrian city of  Damascus,  Saul was
blinded by an intense light  from heaven.  At  this point  he was asked by
a voice from  heaven, "Saul, Saul,  Why are you  persecuting  me?"  His
response was, "Who are you, Lord?"  The reply, "I am Jesus whom you
are persecuting.  It  is hard for you to kick against the pricks." From the
time of conversion, Saul, changed to the Apostle Paul, was used mightily
of  God as a missionary to the then known world.  He was one of the two
most prolific  writers of the New Testament and suffered  greatly for his
newly found  faith  in Jesus Christ.  He also  became the most  authorita-
tive of  Apostles.  Prior to conversion on his way to Damascus, Saul, was
blinded by darkness. Being blinded by the "Light" changed his name and
eternal destiny.  He was blinded by a glimpse of Jesus Christ in his Glory.
 If we, as  the Church of Jesus Christ, could  get away from being so con-
cerned  by  what  our  contemporaries  think  and say, we  might catch  a
glimpse of Jesus Christ in his glory.  We could  then, come to the place of
usefulness in his Kingdom.                                                                  
                                                                            donporter   1.08.13    

THE "PROBLEM" OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

     “The 'Problem' of  the 2nd Commandment"
                       Exodus 20: 4-6                
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, 
or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above
or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the wa-
ter under the  earth.  Thous  shalt  not  bow  down
thyself to them, now serve them: for I the Lord thy
God am a jealous God,  visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them thaqt hate me; and shewing 
mercy unto them that love me, and keep my com-
mandments.  Exodus20: 4-6

    As we look at this commandment from the 
Lord to the Children of Israel through Moses 
at Sinai,  we see three probable  purposes for 
the command.  First,  consider  only the  part  
normally quoted  as it's essence:  
"Thou shall not make unto thee any graven 
image..."  Although  Scripture continues to
detail  specific instructions as to things that 
must not be  copied in  sculpture or graphic 
art, we will consider this as it applies, speci-
fically to the construction of "supposed ima-
ges' of the Deity.
   
      The  first of  the  Possible objections is the 
tendency of  mankind  to worship or be caught 
up in the things observed through the five sen-
ses.  We are certainly aware that concrete  or 
visible objects seem to  be more real than that 
experience through faith alone, and are there-
fore invisible and untouchable. This command 
teaches the unseen is permanent, the seen tem-
porary?   Would we knowingly  worship some-
thing  temporary?  There is also  the potential 
of our worship going to a thing we create.

  With this in mind, we  might make a  case for 
 dispensing  with any work of  art, but we  first 
must consider the most important aspect of the
command.  That  refers  back to the  first com-
mandment.  "Thou  shalt  have no  other  gods
before me."  (No explanation.)  Since we  have
this tendency, that may  be the  main  conside-
ration  for the  commandment.  Anything  that
comes  between  me/you and God  the  Father,
henders worship of  the "True and  the Living
God," and is an idol.  

   (I personally, heard a"man of the cloth" 
   say a man could  love his wife too much 
  and that would be a transgression of this 
   command.  In  the  vernacular, He  was 
   in my view, "all Wet.")

   The second possible reason for prohibiting
the creation of images of the Eternal God is,
any attempt would be poor without a possibi-
lity of a  likeness to the Father, Son or Holy
Spirit.  Since it is a given;  any  likeness  we 
create  would result in mankind accepting a
distorted and deficient view of our Lord. 
Any "image" a man might make would result
in  an inadequate view of our Lord and make
him seem equal or even  inferior  to mankind.
  Although Adam was created in the image of
God, sin entered and that image was marred
leaving us without a true view of what God is
like, until the coming of  God the Son into the
world as a  human child.  (There is one other
thing  to  consider.)  
   Our Lord, Jesus Christ was/is  the  express  
image  of  God  the Father, God  is Spirit, in 
human form. He is the Second Adam, the one   
to  whom we look when we want to know God 
the Father, or to know about God the Father. 
We are able to be in a relationship with  Him 
by  Grace through  faith, not  through any of 
our five senses. Any image or supposed  like-
ness of the Deity  will detract  from  worship, 
praise and adoration of our Lord.  It  would 
color our relationship with Him and must be considered sin.
  
      Since there is not one soul remaining on 
earth who saw our Lord as he lived on earth,
any portrait, sculpture or artist rendering in
any medium would be a misrepresentation of
God  the Son,  reflecting  poorly on  God the
Son, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

This brief article is certainly not comprehen-
sive by any measure, but with the abusesseen 
every day,  within the church and  as various "shrines,"  it is something we  must  consider 
 serious. We are on the verge of  becoming a
pagan culture.  This may well be caused by a
deficient,  distorted view of  God, the Creator
of all that is;  the God of Scripture, Jehovah/
YAWEH.

http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2014/07/thou-shalt-not-take-name-of-lord-thy.html

It will be impossible to exhaust this subject and it is
likely to be edited at times.  Thanks for reading and
God bless... 

donporter 12.05.12  edited on 12.14.13, 11.07.14, 11.20.14, 1.20.15, 1.27.15, 5.07.15, 11.30.15,
8.18.16,

OUT OF OUR CONTROL

“Out of Our Control”                Job 5: 6-8                               1.1.13

    "...affliction does not come from the dust,
   nor does  trouble spring from the ground; 
   Yet  man is born to trouble  as  the sparks
   fly upward.  But  as  for  me, I would seek
   God and to him I would commit my cause.    
             (A Proverb of Solomon)

   A  man's life is about 70 years and  full of
trouble.  There's  nothing  in this life a man
may do to avoid trouble,  conflict,  accident
or other catastrophe. As I see it, even apart
from the  Scripture,  it is obvious;  a man is 
not in control of  his immediate  destiny.  It
is in  the hands  of  seeming  chance.  He is
also  affected  by  those  near and  far.  The
following is an excellent illustration:

     During the year of  2001, the executives of 
the  Enron  Corporation,  a  publicly  traded 

company, regulated by the Securities and Ex-

change Commission, performed some  ques-
tionable  accounting  gymnastics in  order to 
cause their  stock to  perform  above  actual 
value and save their skins.  More details are
unimportant for purposes of this illustration, 

but there  were companies in our local area, 
wholly ignorant  of all this, who were nearly 
forced into bankruptcy due to the actions of 

men a continent away.  Fallout is a continu-
ing sage.  Nest is an example that no matter
what precautions we take, the control of our
lives and health is our of our hands:

           Several years ago, a  middle aged
           man, after having a physical exam,
           walked  out  of  his  doctors  office
           with a clean  bill of  health, seated
           himself  in his car, had  a massive
           heart attack and died.

It seems great strides in medecine are only paci-
fiers or brass rings to entertain us while we wait
for the inevitable event that occurs to every man
on the face of  the earth.  Of all men born, 100%
die.  See  the  Old Testament of  Scripture for the
exceptions.  At this  point,  let's  look  into  God's 
Word  for two  persons who  did not have to face
death:  
    Enoch, at the approximate age of 300 years,
   passed from this existence into the other with-
   out going the way of death. It is said of Enoch
   that "he walked with God and was not for God
   took  him.  Elijah, a prophet of  God, was car-
   ried away to the great beyond aboard a "char-
   riot of fire."  These  two are the only incidents 
   of  this  nature  recorded  in  ancient  history.
   There  are none in modern  history, so where
   does this leave us?  You will notice neither of
   these made request for  this kind of treatment. 
   These may be  references to persons of whom
   the world was  not  worthy  in the letter to the
   Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 37-40.

    These individuals did not deserve the treatment
they received at the hands of wicked men; but they
were not  spared  stoning,  affliction,  persecution, 
nor destitution.  By living holy and righteous lives,
we are not to be spared unjust treatment or death;
on the contrary, right living may well bring oppo-
sition and even persecution.  One might ask, "why
seek to live a life that counts for God and right, if
there is no special  recognition  or reward? Here,
again we must say we  seem to have no control of
what  happens in our lives.  There is another  way
to see this. Is this  life all there is?  Is there some-
thing beyond to consider?

    When we look into God's Word, we find this
life a mere training ground or prep-school for 
a much greater existence.  During my lifetime,
there  was never a moment I have entertained
the notion that this life was all there is.  Being
born and raised in a family of faith in God, it
should be of no great surprise.  What though,
of one  who did not have that  experience?  It
would be difficult to find an individual who is
not  aware of  the faith community  and  does
not entertain ideas of a life after death.  
     Understanding comes from God's Word,
and Romans 1:18-32 gives the story of men
who denied their creator and of  their sorry
end.  No details are needed  here,  except to
say; God had given them up.  God's word is
clear; all men are given revelation of God's 
wrath  and are  without excuse.  This  being 
the truth of  man's condition,  men who  are
infidel, agnostic or atheistic, are deluded by
satan,  and their own  motives, have  lied to
themselves and believe the lie. Has the Lord
God given them over?

     Would this not be a sad place to end this
discussion.  If we  look further in  this same
letter to the church at Rome,  penned under
the leadership of the Spirit of God by Apos-
tle Paul, there is an answer. (This might be 
opportunity to read "Blinded by the Light," 
part of this blog. What determines our eter-
nal destiny, and in whose hands is that?

God's power over his created universe and
his care for us, his creation, Romans 2:1-16

   What is the most critical and difficult responsi-
bility,  professionally, on  earth?  To begin, this
section with a question for which there are many
answers  with a question for which to cause and
effect of one's occupation.  Most of us have occu-
pations or  professions that will have an adverse
affect on us or persons in  business if we make a
mistake.  Most  bad effects are  not  critical,  but 
may  be  serious.  Others  have  professions that
deal  in  life  and  death  situations.  Some  have
eternal consequences,  by the very  nature of the
profession.  For example, psychologist or medi-
cal doctors, officers of  the law,  attorneys make
mistakes that  have life and  death ramifications.
Pastor's mistakes may well have eternal conse-
quences as well a emotional effect.  

A judge, however; has in his hands, the very life
of  a  defendant, and  makes decisions  based on
information and  presentations by  witnesses for
prosecution and  defense  attorneys.  Depending
many times on the several abilities of  attorneys,
bias of  the judge and  the  whims  of a jury,  the
decisions can be tainted or just error.  What are
the consequences? The persons involved may be
stigmatized as having committed,  at times, hei-
nous  crimes of  which they  may  be  completely
innocent.  So I am convinced, of the list above, a
jusge's responsibility might  be the most difficult.
His  judgments  may  have eternal consequences
for those on trial and for the judge as well.  

     Romans 2: 1-16 starts our;  "Therefore you
are inexcusable, O man, whoever  you are who
judge, for in  whatever  you  judge another  you 
condemn yourself;  for you who  judge  practice
the same things."  Now I do not think that Scrip-
ture is talking about the professional judge, but 
I do believe professional judges must remember 
this principle when he is in  the act of pronoun-
cing  sentence or a judgment on a defendant or
he is writing a decision in a civil case. His deci- 
sions had best be based on  absolutely  positive
conviction, having heard the witnesses or other
information pertaining to each case. His judg-
ment must be just; free of personal bias and be
reached in a court proceeding that has given 
truth the best chance of coming to the fore.
There is no room in a court room for ego, or
pride to surface.  Therefore, judges are inclu-
ded along with the rest of us as being under 
the condemnation of the Lord God if they Con-
demn a person wrongfully, or if the judge is
guilty of a similar act as the person under his
condemnation.  Another way a judge falls un-
der condemnation is by receiving bribes or 
favors that affect his handing of a matter.  I
believe Scripture holds persons in any autho-
rity to a higher standard that the general pub-
lic.

     Almost every occupation and activity a person can ethically and 
morally involve himself, gives that one the opportunity to demonstrate 
“God in us,” but none more perfectly gives the opportunity than that of 
judge.  The Lord is referred to as a judge throughout the Word of God 
and the chapter under consideration is no exception.  In verse 2 we see  
God, himself, holds the person who judges accountable.  In verse 3 there 
is  indication that one cannot escape God’s judgment and although God 
is long-suffering toward us, there is coming a time when we will stand 
before Him to give account of our deeds; good or evil; verse 6.  There is 
a recording of the deeds, a reckoning day for the deeds and recompense 
for our deeds. Yes, the judge will stand before the Great Judge of the 
Universe one day to give account of how he judged others as will the rest 
of us who have engaged in the out-of-hand condemnation of another for 
whatever reason.  We all stand daily before our Lord, guilty of all man-
ner of sin and are justified only on the basis of the work Jesus Christ 
finished, and are unqualified to pass judgment on another. 

     What is “judging.”  Judging is verbalizing condemnation of an indivi-
dual.  We are unqualified for this reason; There is no way for one person 
to be cognizant of all facts in any situation or all facts pertaining to ano-
ther’s life and motive.  Judging is simply attaching  motive to the actions 
of another.  There is indication in the writings of Paul, the Apostle, that 
we are incapable of even judging ourselves, and should just do right and 
leave judgment to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 4: 1-5, also check out Proverbs 
3:  5-8)  One day we will each stand before the Lord to give account for 
the deeds done in the flesh.  Here we speak of small and great, rich and 
poor;  those who have held high office and the quiet citizen of no great 
repute. In the eyes of our God we are all the same.  His expectation of us 
is based on the gifts, talents and opportunities with which each has been 
entrusted.   Ultimately, what we do with Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, 
will be the determining factor in our eternal condition.             
                                                                                       donporter  1.03.13                   

PHILOSOPHY, The Goal Matthew 7:12

 Philosophy, The Goal                                    Matthew 7:12, 22:37-39

       "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should
          do to you, do ye even so to them:  for this is the law and
                               the prophets."   Mt.7:12 kjv

   Philosophy taken  from the Scripture  tried by the fire of experience 
is a philosophy to which I aspire,  rather than one I can claim to have
attained. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would  that men should
to do to you,  do ye even so to  them:  for  this is the law and  the  pro-
phets.” This simple “Golden Rule," known all  my life,  is the basis for
a life that is filled with promise.  No matter what we encounter, prac-
ticing  this simple  philosophy will make life meaningful.   If in every-
thing I  practice this  precept,  every one around  me is  affected  in a
positive  way and I  become one who  draws others to the Savior.   If,
on the other  hand I am  self-centered,  I  will be negative and repug-
nant, without a chance of positive impact on others for my Creator.

    One more principle we may draw from this;  we must get to know
people well  enough to  learn  how to  relate to  them.   At  first I did
did not believe this to be pertinent, but come to think about it, don’t
I want  people to get to know me before they start making decisions
about  how to relate to me?   After giving this thought,  that must be
incorporated into our  thinking as we seek to  live out  this  “Golden
Rule.”    Being in music  ministry,  I  have  been  advised  in the  past
against getting “close”  to the people with whom I worship and have
determined  this to be some the worst advice I was ever given and is
diametrically opposed  to my goal of  implementing the Golden Rule
in my life and making a difference in the Kingdom of God. 
 
        When  Jesus Christ was  asked to name the great commandment,
He stated In Matthew 22: 37, “You shall love the Lord your God with
all your  heart,  with all  your soul, and with all your mind.”  verse 38 
“This  is the first and great commandment.”  He continued,  “And the
the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  vs. 39
See the similarity  between the finish  here and  the end of the Golden 
Rule,  where he said,  “On these two commandments hang all the Law 
and the Prophets.”   It is not possible the wording at the close of these
these  two concepts is  the same by  coincidence.   God is not a God of 
coincidence,  but a plan.   It  is a reiteration that  the way we  relate to 
Him is preeminent, and how we treat our fellowman will color our rela-
tionship with our Heavenly Father.  An integral part of getting to know 
God,  which is our goal,  is getting to know his creation,  mankind. The 
better  we know and serve the creation, the better we know and serve 
the creator.

       This one principle of Scripture, the “Golden Rule,” would serve us
well as the guiding philosophy of  life.  There is no other way to state it 
and have the full impact.  One religious leader tried to restate it to say,
“do no one harm,”  but that  leaves us with a negative without the posi-
tive.  We are not to be passive in doing well, but pro-active and aggres-
sive.  We are to seek out injustice in this world and correct it in the con-
trol,  empowerment and the wisdom of  God’s  Holy Spirit.  We start by 
seeing the injustice  we may  perpetrate on a fellowman well before we 
begin to look for injustice on the part of others.  This may well keep us 
busy for a lifetime.  Then we may be called the “Sons of God.” 
                                          (God in us.)

     What is the goal to which we aspire?   Knowing God through diligent
study of  His Word and  putting into practice the precepts found in that
Word.   In so doing we will fulfill His plan for our lives and be “salt and
 light” in His world.

http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2012/10/salt-and-light.html

    (What goes ‘round come ‘round)                   donporter 1.04.13                                                                                                          

IN THE SPIRIT, Romans 8: 1-12, 14

                                                   January 1, 2013
                                              (Romans 7: 14, 8: 1-14)
                                                 (Revelation 2: 2-5)

        To attempt Spiritual service in the flesh, rather than “in Christ,” 
         or "in the Spirit" of God, is iniquity.  It may also transgression 
         of the third commandment.

             
 http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2014/07/thou-shalt-not-take-name-of-lord-thy.html

   Romans 8: 5-8,  "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things
    the  flesh;  but  they  that are after the Spirit the things of  the Spirit.
    For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life
    and  peace.  Because  the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is
    not subject to the law of  God,  neither indeed can be.  So then,  they
    that are in the flesh cannot please God.

     Romans 8: 13-14, For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die:  but if 
    ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh, ye shall  live. 
     For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

            Iniquity:  "Some of the meanings of the word, iniquity in Scrip-
            ture: Crooked, vanity, (vain) moral perverseness.  
         
                 Why is “...your first love...” so critical to our Lord God?
                                                 Revelation 2: 2-5

1.  “God is Love”  (1 John 4:8)  His nature or character is Love.
      Although God is patient, kind, almighty, all wise, His  nature is 
      none of those things.  You could not say God is patience, kind-
      ness, etc.  His nature  is  Love.  This is not to say love defines
      our  God.  He is known to interact with his creation with love, 
      which He defines.

2.  “God is Light”  (1 John 1:5b) "...God is Light and in Him 
                                                              is no darkness at All."

       God’s countenance is Light.  In other word, his appearance is 
       Light. Because of  this we, in the flesh cannot see Him. When 
       Moses was shown  the hinder part of  God,  he was hidden in 
       the cleft of a rock.  Moses countenance became light,  for  a 
       time.  Saul of Tarsus, later named Paul, the Apostle, was blin-
       ded by the light of the Lord on the road to Damascus.

3.  “God is Spirit”  (John 4:24)
     Our Lord’s substance is Spirit.  So, again we are unable to see 
    Him in our flesh. In order to see Him, we must become Spiritual
    beings.  We must become like Him, having a Spiritual component.  
    “When we see Him, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as 
     He is.”  When we have shed this mortal body and are in His pre-
     sence...
          Hebrews 11: 1-2, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, 
          the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained 
          a good report.” 

 


Romans 7: 14, & 8: 1-14.
     How may we who are flesh,  (carnal) be in position to have dealings 
     with the Holy God whose substance,  character and countenance is 
     totally  alien from our own.  We can become  Spiritual on this earth.  
       (We must have God in us,  for  He is the only one who is Love,  
         Light and Spirit.)

     Since our sin separates us  from God, we must deal with our sin by 
    agreeing with God concerning our sin and confess him, and repent
    of sin, accepting the only remedy for sin; Jesus Christ, God the Son.
    His death, burial,  resurrection,  ascension to  the Father and  inter- 
    cession for us at the right hand of the Father is our Salvation.
     See 1 John 1: 8 thru 2: 12,  I Corinthians 5: 1-8

  We must learn to  “abide in Christ;”  walking in the Spirit of  God by
  Spiritual Breathing.  (This principle was taught me in the early 70's 
  by the late Dr. Bill Bright,  (Campus Crusade for Christ,  Lay Insti-
  tute for  Evangelism)

1. Exhale: Agree with God, confessing and repenting of all sin in your 
    life, in secret,  be explicit, name the sin and agree with the Lord to
    forsake the sin, with reliance on Him.  (1 John 1: 9)

2. Inhale:  Ask the Lord to fill you with His Spirit.  Ephesians 5: 18,  
    (1-21)  It  is His will...  Our  prayer is based on 1 John 5: 14-15.  
   "And this is the confidence we have in him, that, if we ask anything 
     according to his will,  he heareth us.   And if we know he hear us, 
     whatsoever we ask,  we know  that we have the petitions that we 
     desired of him."

3. Give thanks:  As an act of faith:
    Thank God for  answering  your  prayer for  the filling of the Spirit 
     on the basis of His Word.  Ephesians 5: 18.  "And be not drunk 
     with wine, wherein  is excess,  (dissipation)  but be filled with the 
     Spirit."   (To be filled with the Spirit is an ongoing, continuous pro-
     cess, since the Spirit of God is not contained,  just experienced.)  
     It may be translated:
     "Be ye being filled with the Spirit..."  Again, we refer to: 
     I John 5: 14-15, as above.

     Our prayers must be made in the name of God the Son, our Lord 
     Jesus Christ.  He, being God,  came to this earth,  lived a perfect
     or sinless life,  was put  to death by mankind, (for whom he came 
     to die) was buried, rose from the dead (tomb) on the third day.  
     After his resurrection,  he remained for some 50 days on this earth 
     having been seen by many persons, on several occasions.  (500 at 
     one time)  He ascended to God the Father and is at His right hand 
     interceding on behalf of those of us who have faith in Him. 
              "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for
                 he who comes to God must believe that He is, and 
         is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6
                                         (Isaiah 53:12, Hebrews 7:25)   
                                                                            
     donporter,sr 1.1.13  ed.11.24.14

     Your confidential comment is encouraged at jlrsbnch@msn.com, email.
     Let me know if you would have it published....