HATE IS NOT A CHRISTIAN VALUE

   In  reading  from the  Scripture, we  find much said
about the practice of love for brother , sister, neigh-
bors and even strangers. There is, to  my  knowledge, 
no great body of literature on this subject that is not 
drawn from Scripture. There are no injunctions from 
literature  encouraging  readers to  practice  selfless 
care and  concern for others as there are in the  gos-
pel of the Apostle John, chapter 3:16-17, 

    "For God so loved the world that He Gave His 
     only  begotten  Son, that whosoever  believeth
     in him should not perish, but have everlasting
     life. For God sent no his Son into the world to
    condemn the world, but that the world through
     him might be saved." 

        So, the  basis for  the actions of a Holy God
     on behalf of a sinful, hopeless and lost man-
     kind was his selfless care  and  concern  for
     his creation.  This care and selfless concern 
    is shared by his Son.  The Lord God, in three
     persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, loved
     his creation so much he was not only willing
     to reach out  to him through Holy Scripture,
     but came to this  earth  as a  new born child,
     lived a life  without  fault, according to  law,
     and died for his creation.  He is the  God of
     Abraham,  Isaac and Jacob... (For this rea-
     son, there must not be "Anti-Semetic" views 
    among  the  Family of  God,  the  Church of  
    our Lord Jesus Christ who was born of Jew-
    ish parents,) 

     As we look in the epistle of this same apostle,
 we find in the second chapter, First John Vs. 9- 

 11; "He who says he is in the light, and hates his
 brother, is in  darkness until now.  He who loves 
 his  brother abides in  the  light, and  there is no 
cause for stumbling in him.  But he who hates his 
brother is in darkness and walks in darkness and
does not  know  where  he is  going,  because  the
darkness has blinded his eyes."  
(Read 1 John 4: 7-21) 

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of
God; and everyone  who  loves is  born of God 
and knows God. He who does not love does not 
know God,  for God is love." 

    This  might  be  a good  place to "define" the term.  
To love is to have affection,  benevolent compassion, 
desire and  to choose to act  upon those traits. There 
is no cut and dried definition and love may be frater-
nal as to a brother or  sister and it  can  be romantic 
or passionate as with one to  whom you  would  care
to marry.  The one  common denominator, this  fact; 
A lover  always has  the best interest of the object of
that love, to the point of denying self in the favor of 
of  that loved one, as  in the love of  Jesus Christ for 
His church.  If it were not for Scripture there would 
be no knowledge of love in this world.  If we were to 
accept the "world's" definition of "love," it would be
more perfectly interpreted, "lust."    

 The clear teaching of Scripture here,  and  other 
passages is this;  If you are born of  the Spirit of
God, saved, etc.,  you are instructed  to love and
are  capable of love.  If  you  are not one of  His, 
you are unable to love.  Is that  not what it states
in this  passage? This does not  mean one cannot
have warm feelings toward another, be attracted
and enjoy one's company. It is, however; another
matter to love unconditionally, and unselfishly as 
in the love God gives.  The other side of the coin;
if  we do not love our brother, neighbor, and any
with  whom we  have a  relationship, how can we
say we love God,  whom we have  not even seen? 
Then, there is this; Some say one must love every
one in the whole world. My view is this; only God
is capable of love like that. We are limited to lov-
ing only those with whom we have  personal rela-
tionship. To say you love everyone in the world is
"pie in  the sky."  It is unsupportable in Scripture,
nor is it practicable. 
      

HOWEVER:   I do not believe it would be a stretch 

for me  to call every  soul walking this earth  today 

my brother or sister.  Are we not all from  the same  
parentage, Adam and Eve of the Garden of Eden.  

     These were the  first man and woman to inhabit 

this earth and all of  the inhabitants of earth came 

from  that  union.  There  is not one  soul  then,  to 

whom I may turn a deaf ear  when  there is a need 

of which I am aware. We also must  recall persons 

who  have been benevolent  to us as  we had  need.  

Then there is the fact of our heavenly Father, who 

with God  the Son  has met us at our deepest point 

of need and provided Salvation; no cost to us. The

great cost was on Him.

    Although it may not be spelled out in Scripture, I 
am  convinced Jesus Christ's  identification with the
human  race, in  His incarnation, will affect him for 
eternity.  He is one with the Father,  but we who are 
his  followers  will be one with  our Savior when we 
move  from this earthly sphere,  at death,  and enter
into  life  with him in  heaven.  The cost He bore, we  
will never know until we see him and are made to be
like him in truth.  God Bless you, and  may the Holy
Spirit of God enlighten you and me as we follow our
Lord, Jesus Christ in our temporary condition.

     One personal note; Have you noticed when you 
have an issue with someone and it rises to the level
of  resentment, contempt or  just ill will, the  blind-
ness it  causes. As we  are influenced by such emo-
tions  related  to any  individual, we  are no longer 
interested in that  ones well  being, nor do we want
to be around  him and we lose  the joy  of our rela-
tionship to others, including  our Lord.  So, "hate"
and any emotion like that, has no  place in  the life
of one who would serve the One who always  loves.
There is also this;  if we just begin referring to our
neighbors  who are somewhat different  from us as
of  another race or color, we  will then believe that
one who is "different," does not qualify for similar
care as  one  who  is more  like  us.   Can  you  or I
still say we are following Jesus Christ when we see
a fellow being with a need and fail to meet it.  If we
have the  ability to  meet that  need  and do not,  we
are failing to follow Christ  as Lord in that  area of
life.  If we consider color, ethnicity, national origin,
religion, status or any of the variables that make us
"different," we "SIN".  See the link below...   

http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2013/10/who-separated-races.html   

     As it stands now, we are flawed and incomplete,
temporarily.  Our  Lord  loves us  too  much  to let 
us stay in this temporary condition.  We  must love 
others in the same  way and do whatever we can to 
help them see how the love of Jesus Christ changes
 their temporary condition and eternal destinies.

donporter  1.20.14  

     

WHAT ARE YOUR GIFTS? HOW ARE YOU USING THEM?

     Outline of the Spiritual Gifts… Scripture taken from NKJV                    

These “Gifts” come from the Lord to His Child.

The gifts are to be used for Kingdom purposes.

   These are not natural phenomena.  One does not come by them 
except as given by the Spirit of God and are distinct from natural
talents or abilities.

One does not qualify for Spiritual gifts.   They are disseminated
by the Holy Spirit through the process of Election, God’s choice.
The gifts are considered to be Spiritual gifts, therefore, the first
of these gifts and basis for all gifts (In my view) is the gift of the 
Holy Spirit.  For, without that gift we have no others. 

 Luke 11: 13,  If you then, being evil, know how to give good
                        gifts to your children, how much more will your
                        heavenly Father give  the Holy Spirit to those
                        who ask Him.  (Faith)

In Ephesians 2: 8, we read; For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that  not of  yourselves; it  is the gift of God.

(This gift, like the others,  is not to one who works, but to the one
who believes, or has  his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior
and Lord. The difference in this gift is;  it is secure in the hand of 
God and  is eternal.  One  may lose other Spiritual  gifts through 
disuse, misuse or sin in the life.   Although one does not lose the
gift of the Holy Spirit, we may quench the Spirit, lose the power
associated with the Spirit in  one's life and one may fail  to obey 
Spirit leading.  These failures, as to Spirit  blessing, leads to ill-
ness or even early death of the one who  lives his life in disobe-
dience to our  Lord.  (There are differing  views on  this subject 
among  various sects or  denominations of  the Church,  as well 
within a local assembly.  No one is perfect in belief or practice.)

There are many and varied gifts given to men through the Holy
Spirit  according to  the will of  God the Father.  Along side the
gift of  the Spirit is the gift of  Prophecy.  That is the foretelling 
of future events on God's calendar and/or the telling forth of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.  (Preaching of the Word of God) 

 Romans 12:  Having then gifts differing according to the grace
                       that is  given to us, let us use  them:  If prophecy,
                       let us  prophesy  in  proportion  to  our  faith.  (6)
                       or  ministry, let  us  use it  in our ministering;  he
                       who teaches  in  teaching; (7 ) he who exhorts, in 
                        exhortation;  he  who  gives, with  liberality;  he 
                       who  leads, with  diligence, he  who shows  mercy, 
                       with cheerfulness. (8)
                                 
       1 Corinthians 12:  There are diversities of gifts, but the same 
                                      Spirit...
        This passage continues to list more of the varied gifts as:
                  "the Word of Wisdom"
                  "the Word of Knowledge" (8)
                   "Faith"
                   "Gifts of healing" (9)
                   "Working of Miracles"
                   "Prophecy"
                   "Discerning of spirits"
                   "Different kinds of Tongues" 
                   "Interpretation of Tongues"  (10)
"But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing
  to each one individually as He wills." (11) 

 Below, we find the emphasized spiritual gifts to be prophecy, 
 the building of the church and excellence.

  In 1 Corinthians 14: 1, "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts,
                                          but especially that  you may prophesy.
                                  12, "Even so you, since you are zealous for
                                          spiritual  gifts, let  it be for the edifica-
                                           tion of  the church  that  you  seek  to
                                           excel.
In 1 Timothy 4: 14-15.     "Do not neglect the gift that is in you,
                                            which was  given to you by prophecy
                                            with the laying on of the hands of the
                                            eldership.  Meditate on these things;
                                            give yourself  entirely to  them,  that
                                            your progress my be evident to all.       

 James 1: 17, Every  good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
                       and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom
                        there is no variation or shadow of turning.

As we close, there is a word to the wise to be inserted here.  Our Lord
was  kind,  considerate,  humble and  never self  promoting.   We must 
always  display that same humble Spirit as  we serve Him  in His name
and in the power and wisdom of  His Spirit.  There are none among us 
who is able to point a self-righteous finger  at  others among  us, since
we are flawed, every one,  and  are just  sinners saved by the grace of
God in Christ Jesus.

There was one  place in  Scripture where Jesus displayed anger;  that 
was in His Father's House, the Temple, as he discovered money chan-
gers  and others selling  animals, taking advantage of  the worshipers.
He drove them out with a whip He made from cords. Jesus Christ had
a deep respect for his Father and  His house of  worship.  Desecration
of that temple was one of the few things that raised  His indignation to
the point of demonstration...Reflect on that...  

Our gift(s) may be small and little known outside our immediate circle.
Each of  us must search  out, seek and discover  (a) Spiritual  gift(s) in
order to  become the  person  our Lord  intends  us to  be  and  accom-
plish the Divine mandate  placed on our lives by our Lord.   At the age
of 74 years, in my case, it seems there has been opened a new window
of grace as though the Lord God who created it all is giving a mission, 
never before expected....   Praise His Holy Name!!!

   The context in which one develops and makes use of these gifts from
our Lord  is to  be within  a community of  believers in  Christ Jesus, or
"The Church of Jesus Christ."  See the link below:

http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-call-and-gift.html

Definition:  Prophecy:   Inspired declaration of Divine will and 
                                        purpose Concerning things to come.

                    Prophesy: To utter future events by Divine inspiration. 
                                     These utterances have to do with God's Kingdom.

donporter 1.18.14;  Thanks for looking...    edited 4.08.14 &, 8.22.14

MY HOPE IS IN THE LORD!!! ...a Favorite

  During  the past few weeks, having spent time
reading  liberal, conservative and  Libertarian, 
articles  and  posts on  the  internet I find; The
consensus they reach is uncertainty, instability 
and a severe decline in all elements of our cul- 
ture.  Polls show a  decline in  persons  in  our 
culture who describe themselves as born again 
followers of Jesus Christ and growth in a num- 
ber of persons in  our country who do not iden-
tify with any religious group.     

  There are  few who  have a very positive  outlook 
and  many who  prophesy doom and  gloom.  Each
faction  is convinced, if their party fails to win the 
next  election,  there  is  little  hope  for sustaining
life as we know it in "the greatest country on God's
green  earth" or even  the planet. (the quote comes
from Michael Medved of talk radio.)


    Although the people who come to power or hold 

office  during the  next 2, 4 or 6 years may make a   

difference in  our lives,  according to  the book we

read, there  is one  who is still in  control and will

not permit mankind to spoil his great, "Sovereign"

plan.  (There are times when we are all inclined to

lose  focus of  the fact that  the  plan of  our  Lord
encompasses,  not only the  life  span  of  creation,
"earth," but  extends  into a  measureless  eternity
where mankind will live forever and ever with our 
Creator-God.

               In mark 13: 22-37 we read:
  "For false Christs and false prophets will rise
and show signs and wonders to deceive, it pos-
sible, even the elect. But take  heed; see  I have
told  you  all  things  beforehand.  But in  those
days, after that tribulation, the sun will be dar-
kened, and the moon will not give it's light; the
stars of  heaven will fall  and the powers in the
heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the
Son of Man  coming  in  the clouds with  great 
power and  glory.  And  then  He will send His
angels, and gather together His elect from the  
four winds; from the farthest part of the earth 
to the farthest part of heaven." 

   Now, just what part of this prophecy do you 
think we can influence?  Our Lord has a plan.  
He will carry out His plan and those who fail
to get on board with that plan will be nonenti-
ties in His  kingdom.   There  are  many  such
statements  in  God's  Word.  Some   given  to
prophets and the Patriarchs of the Old Testa-
ment   era.  Many were given by our Lord  as 
He walked  on this earth.  Some were written;
and uttered by the Apostles of our Lord in the
New Testament  era, and  some  were  uttered
from Heaven by our Lord since His ascension
to the Father  following his  death, his  burial,
his  resurrection  and  ascension.   These  are 
found in  the book of  the  revelation of  Jesus 
Christ penned by the beloved Apostle, John.

One of my favorites from Jesus Christ is...
  "Behold I stand at the door and  knock.  If
anyone hears my voice and  opens the door,
I will come in to him and dine with him and
  he  with me. To him who  overcomes I will
grant to sit with Me on my throne, as I also
overcame and sat down with My Father on
His throne."      Revelation 3: 20-21      

Can there be a more positive message of hope
to our  world  today.  To all  prophets of doom
and gloom,we say; "We are overcoming in the
power of our Lord, Jesus Christ. This is not of
ourselves.  He is doing a  work among, in, and
through us, in the power of his Holy Spirit. We
are  simply  recipients of  His love, grace  and 
mercy.  It  is in his almighty hand and  there is 
none able to remove us from that hand. 

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

    "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me. And I give them eternal life,
 and they shall never perish; neither shall any
one snatch them out of my hand.
     My father who had given them to me, is grea-
ter than all; and no one is able to snatch them
 out of my Father's hand.  I and my Father are
one."    
                                            John 10: 27-30  
                                                                                    
donporter,sr  1.09.14           
      

THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST MT. 5:17-20

The Commands of Christ    Matthew 5: 17-20  12.12.12      

     There is a mistaken notion held by some; Jesus Christ, 
God the Son, came to annul the Law of God.  This notion 
cannot be true,  for in Christ’s own words;  “Do not think 
that I  came to destroy the Law or  the Prophets.  I did not 
come to destroy but to fulfill...”  Matthew 5:17-20.  Since 
Jesus did not  come  to  destroy  the Law of  God,  what is  
His take on  the commandments.   What are "His" Com-
mands?  

    When we look in His Word at His words, we are taken 
with the number of references  to law and the command-
ments.  His words support  fully Old Testament law and 
the Ten Commandments in particular.   It is also accep-
ted by Bible scholars that Christ was;  “...born under the 
law...” as in Galatians 4:4.  If  you continue to read this 
passage you  find the purpose of  His incarnation was to 
purchase  freedom  for those of  His who  were  under the 
law,  turning them  from slaves (to sin) to  free men  and 
sons of  God.  No where do we find Him saying anything 
but  good of  the Law of  God.  His only references  to the 
Law  that could  be construed  as negative is  to this  fact; 
justification  is  not  accomplished  through  keeping  the 
Law and  the weakness of  Law was/is the flesh.  No man 
has kept the law before or since our Lord Jesus Christ.
  
    So, just what did Christ come to do with respect to the 
    Law of God, “Jewish” Law?  Our Lord interprets the 
    law for us and enables us to keep "His commands."

    There were no laws annulled by Jesus Christ.  He was 
opposed to  the rules some  leaders added to  the “Law of 
Moses,” according to the Bible.  He clarified the law, 
making it plain, as only He could.  When He was tested 
by a lawyer about the great commandment in the law, 
he gave the sum all of the commandments in verses 37-
40, Matthew 22. He did, as was His custom, quote from 

Scripture, Deuteronomy 6, 10, and 30.  Adding that all 
of the law hung on the two great commandments.  (Love 
God with all your heart and love your neighbor as your-
self.) In another place he hung the law on the “Golden 
Rule” or “As ye would that men should do for you, do 
you also unto them.” (Matthew 7:12) The former showed 
His summation of the law and the latter indicated how it 
is to be practiced.  As our Lord gave these two examples 
of how to satisfy the law, “The Golden Rule” and “The 
Law of Love” for God and man, he freed us from narrow 
interpretations of the Law.  
  

      In redemption, Christ removed the curse of the Law 
from those who placed their faith in Him through an act 
of repentance for the deeds of the flesh.  This repentance 
is a turning away from justification by works of the flesh 
and turning to the work of Jesus Christ.  The key in this 
act is the believers joining Christ in His death, burial 
and resurrection.  The picture is Believers Baptism, lived 
out in the life of the believer through submission to the 
Son in all of life.  The believer no longer lives his own 
life, but has submitted that life to Christ living in the 
believer, just as our Lord submitted to the Father in His 
incarnation.  Since our Lord was as we are in every way
except for personal guilt, He was not born with original 
sin.  He had God for his father and not man.  He kept 
the Law of God perfectly.  When we receive him, we are 
considered to be free of guilt, in Him.  We have died to 
ourselves as we identify with Christ in His death. We are 
free from our sins as we take part in His burial and are 
alive, in Him.  He died, was buried and rose from the 
dead as our substitute.  Since Christ, and what He did 
are unique in history, there are no parallels on which 
we might draw to illustrate what He did for us. We can 
say, he was punished (bruised) for our iniquity and by 
His abuse (stripes) at the hands of sinful men, we are 
pardoned (healed). (Isaiah 53) His sacrifice fulfilled 
the law of ritual blood sacrifice of the Jewish Temple 

or Tabernacle which was, in reality, a picture of His 
death on the cross.  There is no longer a need for such 
sacifice.  (Slaughter of lamb without spot or blemish)

     We could say Jesus Christ had a very high regard 
for the Law of God, since He was God.  He did not des-
troy it, but fulfilled it.  Now men need no longer look 
at the  law as a  burden, but  as a  guide,  or "School-
master" to bring us to Grace. There He unburdens us 
of our sin/guilt as we see the Law of God was not the

problem.  It  was/is our sin,  separating us from God.  
The law displays our sin to us and shows us our utter 
inability to keep the law.  As the Children of God we 
are  not saved  through  the works of  the law, “..not

through works of righteousness...” or of any effort in 
the  flesh.  We are  made right with  God through His 
grace and mercy. Our part; to accept the gift through 
faith in our Savior.  His teaching shows us how to live 
life well pleasing to God the Father,  above reproach 
before our peers.  He  already fulfilled the “righteous

requirements of  the law,” on our  behalf.  It is not re-
quired nor expected of mere beings of flesh and blood. 
We are instructed by the Apostle Paul to die to the flesh 
every day, reckoning ourselves dead to the flesh, alive 
in Christ.  In "Dead reckoning,"  God the Son, through 
His Holy Spirit, takes up residence in our mortal bodies 
and quickens them to life.  Since it is now Christ living 
in us, He will, over time, mortify the deeds of our flesh, 
for He is responsible in the sanctification process.  It is 
no longer us, alone, trying to keep laws we do not under-
stand.  We have Christ along side and within, doing the 
regeneration.   He has already fulfilled the Law of God.

   One sticking point with many is keeping of the Sabbath 
as required in the Ten Commandments.  There is one pos-
sible answer to this. When one reckons himself dead, his 
life is in Christ. He has entered into rest promised to all 
who are in Christ. This one is no longer working.  He is 
at rest and every day a Sabbath or day of rest, worship 
and praise to his Lord.  Jesus Christ kept the law and is 
keeping the law on our part... AMEN!  The Sabbath in
the Law of God was merely a picture of Salvation in our
Lord, Jesus Christ.

CAVEAT:  If one has not received the gift of Jesus Christ,
what he did on earth to free us from the penalty of our 
transgressions of the Law of God, he is still under the 
full weight of the law and the penalty of eternal (death)
separation from the Lord as well as our family and 
friends.  
"The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will 
   gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and 
   those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into 
   the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing 
   of teeth."  Matthew 13: 42-43

(This is not to be construed as an attempt at scholarship 
on law or grace.  Of that, the author is hardly capable.  
It is an attempt to show my limited understanding of the 
matter.  No one I’ve heard or read has addressed it to my 
satisfaction.  I'm still not so sure it has been adequately
 addressed.)                      donporter  12.12.12

If you have a comment or clarification of something that 
is not crystal clear, contact me at jlrsbnch@msn.com                                                                                      

   Since writing this, there has been a book brought to my 
attention; "Jesus Did It Anyway," (The Paradoxical 
Commandments for Christians) Kent M. Keith, author 
came up with this at age 19 as a student a Harvard Uni-
versity.  It is eye-opening, humbling and well worth 
reading.                            donporter  edited on 1.11.14                                                                                                                                                                                    

WHAT THEN SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN...?

WHAT THEN WILL IT PROFIT A MAN IF HE GAINS
THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSES  HIS OWN SOUL?
                     (Matthew 16: 24 - 26)

       When He had called the people to Himself, with His 
disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come

after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and

follow Me.

       For  whoever  desires to save his life will lose it,  but

whoever  loses his life  for My sake  and  the gospel’s will 
save it.

       For what will  it profit a man if  he  gains  the whole 
world and loses his own soul?

      Or what will a man give  in exchange for  his soul?"

     Admittedly, the followers of Christ, today, have  great

difficulty with  this passage of Scripture.  There are some

church  congregations teaching  some things   foreign to

this Word from our Savior.  Many times Scripture is dia-
metrically opposed to  current thought in "religious" cir-
cles and the message is "watered down" in order for it to 
be acceptable.  It takes a level of Spiritual maturity  seen
rarely in this life for one to accept the passage along with 
this:

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this 
adulterous and  sinful  generation, of  him  the Son of 
Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory 
of His Father with the holy angels."

    Regrettably,  I  also have had difficulty receiving this 
one  message and  incorporating it into life.   It is much 
easier  to think of being a Christian as always pleasant; 
requiring  little if  any sacrifice on  our part.  Of course, 
the opposite is true.  Then,  again;   Is there anything in 
life,  worthwhile,  that  does not require  sacrifice,  hard 
work and is thankless at that.   If you or I are expecting 
to be  commended and  highly  regarded  with a reward 
here  for  doing  the "right"  thing,   we  will be  greatly

disappointed.   "But  without  faith  it  is  impossible  to 
please Him, For he who comes to God must believe that 
He is,  and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently 
seek Him."   (Hebrews 11:6) The reward of  the believer 
comes later, when it will be an eternal reward, not some 
temporal  blessing.  One other  question;  does the word 
"diligently" give  you pause as  it  does  me?  Just  how 
does my life measure up to this principle? Have you and 
I been diligent?  Webster  defines diligent  as, "Charac-
terized   by  steady,  earnest,  energetic  application  and 
effort; Painstaking."  Also implied is the word, "haste." 
   

      One day I will stand before my Creator and Savior, 
who  for  me made the ultimate sacrifice.   He gave His 
very  life's  blood to atone for my sins.   What will  I say 
in answer  to  the penetrating  questions  He will ask of 
me?  God forbid  that you or I fail to hear; "Well done,
good and faithful servant:  You were faithful over a few
things...  Enter into the joy of your Lord."  (Mt. 25: 23)

In the allegory, 'Paradise Lost," by Milton, Satan was 
said  to remark, "I would rather reign in Hell  than to 
serve  in Heaven."   That  option is not  available to us 
anymore than it  was to  Satan.  Would you  not rather 
reign with  your Lord and Savior in His Kingdom than 
to  suffer  eternal destruction in  hell?  Those  two  are 
our only options.   Satan's  "rule"  in  Hell  is  not  an 
acceptable way to exist for eternity.

     You and I are unable to determine whether a friend
or  relative is destined to  suffer or be eternally blessed. 
There are, however; behavior patterns for clues and we
must always be  ready to communicate the  reasons for
the hope that is in us, since we are "in Christ."  I am
convinced it is related to our salvation experience.  The
Scripture says that if we confess our  Lord before men,
he will confess us as well.  (paraphrase)  One way we
confirm our relationship to our Lord is when we com-
municate  our confession of  faith in Him, to someone 
we  believe might be outside of  faith.  Study Scripture
to increase your faith and as in Romans 10: 9-10.....
  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God has raised
Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the
heart a man believeth unto righteousness and with the
mouth, confession is made unto salvation." 
 
                                                     (edited  9.19.17)  
(Scripture quoted is from the New King James Version.) 

Thanks for looking.            donporter 1.03.14