There exists a condition common to many of us
who name Christ as Savior and are making an
effort to follow him, that saps one of the zeal
and power in his walk and fellowship with our
Lord or members of his church. Having strug-
gled with this condition for years following my
profession of faith in Christ, made at age ele-
ven, I can give testimony to conflict in those
years, and how it is being resolved.
There is also this; the walk of faith in Jesus
Christ is not, in a practical sense, to be easy
or free from trials or tests. This one element
in life will make us more like Him and bring
maturity into the life. Without struggle, there
is no healthy growth in any of God's creation.
It follows that struggles in our lives of follow-
ing Christ Jesus is expected and we should be
thankful our Lord allows trials and struggles
to come into our lives.
So, what is the conflict to which we refer?
It is the principle of the assurance of ultimate
salvation. Since our relationship to our Lord
is faith based, with no confirmation coming to
the believer through the five senses, can we be
positive in our relationship to him? The Short
answer would be; Scripture is plain concer-
ning the means of salvation. We are to simply
believe it; see 1 John 1: 9,
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness."
We read in 1 John 5:13, "These things have I
written unto you that believe on the name of
the Son of God that ye may know that ye have
eternal life, and that ye may believe (conti-
nue believing) on the name of the Son of God."
These two short passages give the basis for
a relationship with God in Jesus Christ.
There are many such passages in Scripture
such as John 3:16-18, John 6: 47, Romans 5:
8-9, 6:23, 8:31-39, and Romans 10: 9-10, 13
There are others, but these will serve. All of
these and others are factual statements giving
details on beginning an eternal relationship
with God the Father through Jesus Christ,
God the Son.
What then is the problem? In spite of all Scrip-
ture confirming Christ to be the author of our
relationship with the Father and security in him.
We still have a thought in back of our minds;
"Have I really done enough? Is there something
missing, that might disqualify me?" Other such
negative thoughts occur, specific to individual
experience. I experienced a lack of confidence
in my standing, because of failure to live up to a
standard of personal behavior and inconsis-
tencies in my walk with Christ as other's have.
My prayer life was weak.
There was always a part of me, inside, of which
I was ashamed and for that reason I hid it. My
Bible study was superficial. The problem? I did
not understand that my Lord had led a life of per-
fection in my stead. He had already fulfilled the
righteous requirements of the law on my behalf.
You and I are not expected, nor capable of living
this life on our own, without the power of God
in our lives. We are to live lives that do not bring
a reproach on that Holy name by which we live,
our Lord Jesus Christ. As we endeavor to live in
this way, we begin to understand the principles
from Scripture relating to this. Until then, we
will continue to struggle.
Then there is this; No one, outside of the Lord
Jesus Christ, ever lived perfectly, without mis-
steps and failures living a righteous life. Even
when we are empowered by His Holy Spirit we
still fail, even sin. We will struggle against our
nature until we meet Him face to face.
The first real knowledge for me, of the power of
the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer was in 1971,
twenty years after my profession of faith in Christ.
This opened to me the idea that many of us, who
claim the name of Jesus Christ, are trying to live a
watered down version of the law of Moses. If living
by the Law given to Moses had been satisfactory,
there would be no reason to bring about the chan-
ges described in the New Testament, nor would
Jesus Christ have had to come to this earth to die
for my sin.
Click the two links below:
This understanding has helped me in my walk with
the Lord, Jesus Christ.
http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2013/12/law-or-grace-cant-have-both.html
http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2013/02/holy-spirit-basics-acts-1-2.html
God bless; donporter,sr 5.12.14
http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2014/03/worse-than-infidel.html
"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord
sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train
filled the temple.
Above it stood the Seraphim: each one had six wings.
With twain he covered his face, and with twain he co-
vered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him
that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, 'woe is me! for I am a man of unclean lips
and I dwell in the midsts of a people of unclean lips;
for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.'
Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live
coal in his hand, which he had taken from off the altar;
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said,'Lo, this hath
touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and
thy sin is purged.'
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom
shall I send and who will go for us?' Then said I, 'Here
as I; send me.' This passage gives important insight
into the person of Jehovah, the Lord God. We know
from other Scripture He is, in all respects without peer.
His power, his wisdom and knowledge are unlimited.
He is omnipresent, observing all events as they hap-
pen, and because of unlimited abilities, He is able to
process all knowledge with perfect objectivity. No one
can make accusation that will stand against him and if
it were possible, to whom would the charge be made?
Having established the fact of these attributes, there
remains his innate purity, fairness and righteousness.
Our Lord's heart is for His creation, or people and He
does nothing without the best for his creation in mind.
He refers to himself as "jealous." He is jealous of
the best for his people and will not share worship or
praise with another. He knows it is best for his people;
an element of his jealousy, seldom mentioned.
By coming to live as one of us, showing us his care of
us by dying on a cruel cross at the hands of the very
souls for which he came to die. When we to get a true
vision of the Lord, "High and Lifted Up," our lives will
be eternally changed. We will reflect his love and his
care for those with whom we come into contact every
day. The terms Man or Mankind sometimes may refer
to either gender.
donporter,sr 5.09.14, ed. 7.19.14, 4.19.17
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/policy/wess2012.html
"Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine
in your heart and in your soul, and bind them
as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as
frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach
them to your children, speaking of them when
you sit in your house, when you walk by the way,
when you lie down, and when you rise up."
Deut. 11;18-19
When we look into the "Book of Remembrance,"
this re-statement or expansion of the law given
to Moses on the Mount, we find instruction that
seems to be lost on the church today; We go back
and learn the lessons of the second book of the
Law.
The persons to whom it was directed were on the
verge of entering the long promised land their
fore-fathers forfeit because of disobedience. The
Children of Israel were given instrution through-
out this book on how to take and occupy the land,
"flowing with milk and honey." This was a land
unlike any they had known, and the differences
were all positive.
"For the Land, whither thou goest in to
possess it, is not as the land of Egypt,
from which you came out, where thou
sowest thy seed, and waterest it with thy
foot, as a garden of herbs.
But the land, whither ye go to possess it,
is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh
water of the rains of heaven.
A land which the Lord thy God careth for"...
Deuteronomy 11: 10-12a
We do not know just how fully those who were to
inherit this land knew of the blessing from the Lord.
One obvious reason for this book was instructions
on how to take it and how to occupy this land suc-
cessfully. These same instructions are to us as we
follow Jesus Christ and teach the next generation
from the Word of God. The understanding is, those
who possess "this" land would not be required to
"slave" over it as they did in Egypt. Not only would
it be their own land, as a gift from the Lord God;
but He would be responsible for much of the care of
the Land.
In the same way, the follower of Jesus Christ is not
a mere custodian of the gifts from the Lord. He
will make sure of our success as we follow him cir-
cumspectly. There may be differences in details of
following Christ under grace, and obeying God in
the law, but the overriding principles are the same.
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge,
and his statutes, and his judgments, and his command-
ments, alway." Deut. 11: 1, kjv
"Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is
the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and
the prophets." Matthew 22: 37-40
donporter,sr 4.21.14
http://noglobaltaxes.org/ck11.30.11.html
************************************************************
I Timothy 5: 8
"But if any provide not for his own,
and specially for those of his own
house, he hath denied the faith,
and is worse than an infidel."
Check out this link Ray...
http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2014/01/world-taxation.html
Having learned of the necessity of preparing for
any disaster from nature, from enemies within and
without;
We were already providing emergency food, as
well as equipment suited for a family to ride out a
natural or man-made disaster. After we began to
do this, the next step was to secure the safety of my
family. Can we say we have "...provided..." for the
family, if protection from persons outside who might
have ulterior motives is not considered. Along with
my sons and information from websites, we have
taken steps to make sure of that element. To pro-
vide food, shelter, proper clothing and gear to be
used in case of emergencies or disaster, is not quite
enough.
I believe the Bible and the Constitution of the
USA speaks to this, therefore, we are gunkeepers.
I can find nothing in Scripture or our Constitution
that does not support this mindset or our action. We
must, however; never use our preparation of this
kind to harm anyone when our safety is not threa-
tened by that one.
I remain committed to the principles of Scriptural
morality, the sanctity of all human life and our
responsibility to use any means to reach a lost and
dying populace with the redeeming message of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This, along with the
passage, in Mt. 6:33, "But seek ye first the Kingdom
of God, and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added unto you." KJV
One other we might consider in Matthew 22:36 as
Jesus Christ was asked about the great command-
ment of the law and he said, "You shall love the
Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like it: You shall
love your neighbor as yourself. On these two com-
mandments hang all the "Law and the Prophets." NKJV
May the Lord God bless as we endeavor to live out
the Law of Christ. We must first see to our responsi-
bility to family, then we meet the needs and go to the
aid of any we encounter, as did our Lord.
donporter,sr 3.15.14, 8.23.14, 1.30.17
http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2014/08/united-nations-global-taxation-sign-of.html
Having discussed the Bible doctrine of Election,
it may be time to discuss just why one is "Elected,
Chosen, Predestined" by our Lord and what it can
mean in a practical sense. As we study the Word,
the question arises; how does it change the life of
those who are "Chosen?"
It may be understood in more than one area of
life, but we will zero in on the initial life changing
work of the Word of God on the individual. When
Jesus Christ takes up His residence in you or me,
there is a confident expectation of eternal good to
come, "hope. We also find a resource enabling us
to deal with whatever may come into our lives, be
it good, bad or indifferent. We are also given the
source and confidence to communicate that faith
to those without the Kingdom of God, as were we.
Our source is the Spirit of Jesus Christ as we study
and apply Biblical principles and walk with Him.
Our confidence is not in ourselves, but is in the
Christ in whom is our faith, and His Word, the Bible.
13. "But now in Christ Jesus you, who once were far
off (Gentiles) have been brought near by the blood
of Jesus Christ.
14.For He Himself is our peace, who has made both
one, and has broken down the middle wall of sepa-
ration,
15. having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is,
the law of commandments contained in ordinances,
so as to create in Himself one new man from the
two, thus making peace." Ephesians 2: 13-15.
Is this Scripture showing God as one who deals
with the Jew and Gentile alike? Am I to understand
He does not change, nor has He ever dealt with His
followers otherwise? Details change, but the over
arching principles of Life, Righteousness, personal
purity and obedience to our Lord are not debatable.
When one receives the Christ of Scripture, making
him guide of life and promise of eternal life/joy with
our Lord, every detail is reconciled, in Him.
We are no longer under the ceremonial law of the
Old Testament (covenant) and since no one, but our
Lord ever kept even the moral law perfectly, we are
not expected to keep it. He kept the law in our stead.
His righteous life is credited to us as though we had
kept his Word/Law. Does this make the Law of God
of no effect? God Forbid...The Law is not annulled
and those who have not placed their faith, their life,
in the capable hands of Jesus Christ are still under
the penalty as law breakers and are separated from
God. There are also principles of right and wrong
covered as law,statute, precept and command in the
Scripture. Each of us will be held accountable to
our Lord at the Judgement seat of Christ,sometimes
call "Bema." There will be rewards for those, who
followed Christ in this, and loss; even for those who
are "Christian," that missed the mark and brought a
reproach upon the name of Christ. (There could be
no authoritative understanding of "right and wrong"
outside "Scripture.")
16."and that He might reconcile them both to God in
one body through the cross, thereby putting to death
the enmity,
17.And He came and preached peace to you who
were afar off and to those who were near.
18.For through Him we both have access by one
Spirit to the Father." Ephesians 2: 16-18
This reconciliation or making of one the Jew and
the gentile, resulted in a new way of looking at the
Law of God. (Commandments) From here we move
to what is expected of one who is a follower of Jesus
Christ and find little difference in that expected of a
follower of Jehovah according to the Law of Moses.
"For there is no partiality with God.
For as many as have sinned without the law will
also perish without law, and as many as have sinned
in the law will be judged by the law..." Eph.2:11-12
"...Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the
righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncir-
cumcision be counted as circumcision?
And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he
fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your writ-
ten code and circumcision, are a transgressor of
the Law? (KJV reads...by the letter...)
"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is
circumcision that which is outward, in the flesh,
but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circum-
cision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the
letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."
Romans 2: 26-29
Look to the Ten Commandments in Exodus and
learn how to live successfully as a follower of our
Lord, Jesus Christ:
"Honour thy father and thy mother.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shall not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against
thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet.. If you keep these
six commandments you will do well. The
first three have to do with our personal
relationship with the God of the Bible and
are very clear. The fourth is addressed in
the links below;
http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2013/01/there-remains-rest.html
http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2013/12/law-or-grace-cant-have-both.html
http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2014/07/thou-shalt-not-take-name-of-lord-thy.html
The outward trappings of faith are not the basis
our Lord uses when relating to His children. He
looks on the heart, and only His blood, shed for
"the remission of sin," can cleanse that.
"For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of
sins. Matthew 26:28, "Then Peter said unto
them, 'Repent, and be baptized, every one
of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38
Thanks for looking and may the Lord God bless
you as you walk with Him as He bears, in you, the
"Fruit of the Spirit."
See Galatians 5: 19-25.. donporter 3.05.14 edited 1.25.15
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/policy/wess2012.html
