God's Gift of Eternal Life Blog

The purpose of this blog is two fold: 1) to accurately describe how one may receive the free gift of eternal life--Jesus Himself said in John 6:47 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life." NKJV and 2) to explore the Word of God in such a way that it will be supplementally edifying to what you're learning from your local church as well as contribute to the spiritual growth of believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, 8-27-2012

This week’s study: What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery - Study 44. The Portfolio of Invisible Assets – Part 4

PLEASE READ FIRST

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: If available on the website you're viewing this on, a few links (i.e., those without an already written scripture quote or brief explanation) are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), they work best using the Firefox browser – pop-ups in Internet Explorer, Chrome & other browsers only appear for a few seconds at best. If you don’t have Firefox (or hover pop-ups aren’t available on the website you’re viewing this on), that’s OK, move your cursor off and on the link until it is read; or left click the link which will open the verse at the online bible; or you can always use your Bible to look up the verses.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life:

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings

STUDY TITLE:

What it means to be initiated into the
secret of the mystery - Study 44.
The Portfolio of Invisible Assets – Part 4

OPTION: If you would prefer to go directly to the Grace Bible Church website to read this study message, all verse reference links are active there (but not hover active) and Enlarged Text is also an available option – right click the above link then left click “Open Link in New Window” or “New Tab”

Terms & Abbreviations used:

PPOG = Predesigned Plan of God
Human Good = Evil + Good Deeds while not in fellowship with God
OSN = Old Sin Nature
TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ
SSE = Spiritual Self Esteem
PVTD = Positive Volition Towards Doctrine
+H - The Happiness of God
NVTD = Negative Volition Towards Doctrine
Doctrine = Bible Truth

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing

BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

We are noting Point 6 in the doctrine of the portfolio of invisible assets, and that is the introduction to the four categories of invisible assets. The third category has to do with your secondary assets which is the suffering for blessing assets: These are providential preventative suffering, momentum testing, and evidence testing. From the context of 2CO 12:1-10, we get a glimpse of what providential preventative suffering is all about. In 2CO 12:10, Paul reveals how spiritual strength comes from putting muscle on the first stage of spiritual growth (spiritual self-esteem). Of course that comes through providential preventative suffering or undeserved suffering which is suffering for blessing. 2CO 12:10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

There are five different categories of undeserved suffering mentioned in this verse: 1) Weaknesses. 2) People testing. 3) The mental attitude test which will help you not to worry. 4) The persecution or mistreatment test. 5) Disaster testing. As you grow spiritually, the more you advance in spiritual growth the less you will be understood by others. Paul knew this principle which is why he said five verses later in 2CO 12:15 And I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved the less? If you are a mature believer or a believer living in the PPOG, you might as well accept the fact that you are going to be slandered and misunderstood. This is used as a test to strengthen your impersonal love, love with people. However, the Bible teaches that persecution should not cause the disciple of the Lord to lose heart or courage. In fact, proof of genuine discipleship is patient endurance in times of undeserved suffering. EPH 3:20 Now to Him [God the Father] Who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, This power that works within us is part of our portfolio of invisible assets. When God's power is at work within us, we have the invisible assets working to supply us with our escrow blessings. Therefore in EPH 3:21 To Him [God the Father, the author of the plan] be the glory [where?] in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. If you pass providential preventative suffering, the next type of suffering is momentum testing.

Momentum testing is designed for two reasons: First, to provide the believer with the opportunity to apply doctrine he has learned at SSE and then passing providential preventative suffering. You apply different doctrines to different situations, and some doctrines have a quite different application in our unseen worship with God. Momentum testing is given to accelerate the believer's growth. Secondly, to accelerate the believer's momentum. No believer attains maturity apart from momentum testing. Spiritual growth results from perception of Bible doctrine, and is accelerated from the application of that Bible doctrine to the categories of testing. All suffering is divided into two categories: Suffering for testing and blessing, and suffering for discipline and punishment. No believer can fulfill the PPOG and glorify the Lord apart from momentum testing. Therefore, some of the testing in the PPOG is suffering, and some of it is prosperity.

There are eight general categories of testing, four of which are for the purpose of application and acceleration of spiritual growth for the believer in spiritual autonomy. All categories of testing in the PPOG are designed for blessing. Therefore, whether adversity or prosperity, the PPOG is for your good. Human volition plays an important part in testing for the believer must make the right decision based on application of Bible doctrine, and residence in the PPOG. These are the eight general categories of momentum testing which occur in all stages of spiritual growth.

1. The old sin nature test.

2. Cosmic #1 test.

3. Cosmic #2 test.

4. Disaster testing.

5. People testing.

6. System testing.

7. Thought testing.

8. Prosperity testing.

Let’s look at the first type of momentum test: The old sin nature (OSN) test which originated from human volition. Man with his own volition invented the OSN. Adam's OSN is the basis for perpetuating this because he was not deceived, but knew what he was doing when he sinned. The woman first created the OSN when she sinned, but hers was a sin of ignorance. 1TI 2:11-14 Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression. So, Adam's original sin is imputed to mankind at birth. This results in immediate spiritual death. At the same time God imputes human life to the soul. In this way, God is able to save those who never reach the age of accountability. Our personal sins are not imputed to us, but to Christ. Man's twenty-three contaminated chromosomes which fertilize the female ovum, which is uncontaminated by the OSN, pass on the OSN to each member of the human race. The exception is Christ, who received the twenty-three male chromosomes from the Holy Spirit, so that He was born without a sin nature, and no original sin could be imputed to Him.

The OSN is the inside source of temptation. No one ever sins apart from human consent. Volition is your authority in your soul. Volition is the guardian of the soul from the temptations thrown up by the OSN. If the volition says yes to the temptation, then the momentum testing OSN controls the soul rather than the Holy Spirit. Gal 5 teaches this inner struggle. GAL 5:16-21 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Human volition then is the source of all sin regardless of how the temptation came about. Neither ignorance nor inanity is an excuse for either sin or crime.

There are two results of sinning: First, the OSN controls the soul. Secondly, the believer enters the cosmic system. Therefore, the believer is either spiritual, living inside the PPOG, or carnal, living inside the cosmic system. Most temptations come from within, from the OSN, but some come from without, from someone else's OSN. Therefore if the believer is at spiritual autonomy and occupied with Christ there are two applications of Bible doctrine in this test: Resistance of temptation and Recovery from sinfulness. A believer in spiritual autonomy who is occupied with Christ can resist the OSN tempting him and pass the test. If the believer does sin, and he does even in spiritual autonomy, occupation with Christ causes an immediate recovery from the sinfulness and back into fellowship with the Lord. This means no guilt, condemnation, fear, worry, anxiety, shame, punishment, phobia, distress, tension, blame, or denunciation. Occupation with Christ immediately delivers the believer from guilt, condemnation, fear, worry, anxiety, shame, punishment, phobia, distress, tension, blame, or denunciation.

The second type of momentum test: Cosmic #1 test. 1JO 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the cosmic system, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the cosmos - world, the lust of the flesh [OSN testing] and the lust of the eyes [motivational evil] and the boastful pride of life [the arrogant pattern of life], is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever. The cosmic one test is as follows: 1) Will the believer submit to the ministry of the Holy Spirit or will the believer grieve the Holy Spirit? 2) The cosmic one test emphasizes arrogance; self in contrast to God.

3. The cosmic one test emphasizes Satan's attitude at the time of his fall. Satan's philosophy in the prehistoric angelic conflict was self. The cosmic one test includes a test to see if you will get involved with motivational evil, mental attitude sins, arrogance, pride, jealousy, bitterness, hatred, anger, guilt, revenge, vindictiveness, implacability, self-pity, operation over-think. Pride is a preoccupation with self which divorces the believer from the realities of life. In the cosmic one test the target is self and the main temptation is the pride of the believer.

The third type of momentum test: Cosmic #2 test.

This is Satan's interlocking system of antagonism toward the Christian way of life and toward our Lord. This is quenching the ministry of God the H.S. The direct attack of cosmic two is to cause believers to become antagonistic to the Word of God, and consequently, toward the plan of God. While cosmic one produces arrogant preoccupation with self as a distraction to the plan of God, cosmic two involves the means by which one becomes antagonistic toward spiritual things. The cosmic system is the trap for the enslavement of the human race to Satan; it is a factory for the manufacture of losers. This test can also happen at every stage of spiritual growth. The test of cosmic 2 is to discredit doctrine, attack doctrine, or cause doctrine to become lightly esteemed.

In this test fellowship with other believers, or self righteousness, works and legalism now become the main focus as doctrine is pushed aside.

The next five tests are those to be faced by the believer who reaches spiritual autonomy. They are a direct contribution to his attainment of the goal of spiritual maturity.

The fourth type of momentum test: Disaster testing.

Before the believer reaches maturity, there are one or two major disasters in the life. How the believer handles these determines whether he accelerates his spiritual growth or retreats and goes backward. There are two categories of disaster testing: 1) Personal disaster testing is designed as suffering for blessing for acceleration of momentum. 2) Historical disaster, collective disaster, or national disaster testing is related to the bad decisions of others in which you are involved by association. There are at least six characteristics of disaster testing: 1) Pain, physical or mental pain and anguish. 2) Crime, where you are the victim. 3) Persecution (not paranoia). 4) Privation, meaning hunger, thirst, exposure, fatigue. 5) Loss of loved ones, property, success, money. 6) Disease and handicaps.

The fifth type of momentum test: People testing.

People testing comes in two categories. First, in personal love or admiration, the object of your love often controls your life or provides for you unhappiness. Unless, of course, you have attained occupation with Christ at spiritual self-esteem, spiritual autonomy, or spiritual maturity. In wanting to please the object of your personal love, you find yourself being a different person and not following your normal function. The second category is in personal hatred or animosity, the object of your antagonism or irritation often has control of your life or happiness, unless you have advanced to occupation with Christ. Under the PPOG, God designed His plan so that your happiness will always reside in you, and you do not depend on people or things for your happiness. As a function of your royal priesthood it all comes from within. You are supposed to have personal control of your life, a personal sense of destiny, self-confidence from metabolized doctrine, and therefore, poise and command of self. Therefore, you bring your happiness to others, but do not lean on others or circumstances for your happiness. People are easily led away from the PPOG and doctrine by their friendships, love life, and even hatred. So unless you attain occupation with Christ, every time you fall in love or acquire a friend, the object can control your life and your happiness. Without impersonal love from spiritual autonomy and occupation with Christ you become a slave to people. So when you make a friend or fall in love, when you become jealous, possessive, when you hate anyone who has it over you; you've immediately become a slave. You have also manufactured for yourself many problems, and they're not all the fault of the object. The solution to people testing is found in the combination of personal love for God and impersonal love for all mankind. The function of spiritual autonomy and occupation with Christ is the use of virtue love. Spiritual autonomy and occupation with Christ is the prerequisite for solving all problems of human relationship. Virtue-love as a problem solving device belongs primarily to the spiritual adult. Without it, you are constantly surrendering the control of your life to others. When you become jealous, angry, bitter, vindictive, or implacable, when you are dissatisfied, antagonistic toward someone else, friend or stranger, lover or enemy; you surrender the control of your life to that person. You become a slave to the object of your antagonism or love. At the same time, you have no control over your life, canceling all the characteristics of spiritual autonomy and occupation with Christ. This means that through impersonal love, the believer has control of his own life and he maintains control of his own happiness. Therefore, disappointment, disillusion, frustration, dissatisfaction with others cannot damage his happiness under the principle of misery derived from getting your eyes on people. People can only become a distraction to the fulfillment of the God's plan for your life when human relationship becomes more important to you than Bible doctrine. So whether it's love or hatred, attraction or animosity, romance or disenchantment, friendship or disillusion, these can distract you from the fulfillment of the PPOG and the glorification of our lord Jesus Christ

The sixth type of momentum test: System testing.

A system is an organization composed of people under the command of other people, functioning under a policy which is designed to fulfill a specific objective. There are good and bad organizations, systems, leadership, policies, and objectives. Your system testing may be from either category, good or bad. Therefore, there are many areas of system testing related to people, policy, and purpose of any organization. Because no one is perfect and everyone has an OSN, personality, policy, and purpose conflicts will inevitably exist. Generally, there are three areas of system testing: First, the authority may give unfair and unjust treatment, as from management, the boss, supervisor, senior officer, coach, professor, government bureaucrat, husband, parents, etc. Favoritism on the part of management can inevitably lead to personality conflict in an office (as well as jealousy). Secondly, the policy may be unreasonable, or may conflict with normal living or with your own personal norms and standards, or it may be a stupid though still enforceable policy. Thirdly, the objectives may be unreasonable or even impossible because of lack of ability in the personnel trying to fulfill them. There may be a conflict between your personal life and the objectives. The motivation for the believer in spiritual autonomy is always his personal love for God, occupation with Christ. Therefore, he does not do his job to please men, but he does his job as unto the Lord. A person who uses spiritual autonomy and occupation with Christ as a problem solving device, with the attitude of doing his job as unto the Lord, will do a good job regardless of any unfair treatment or injustice in the system. COL 3:18-19 Wives, submit to the authority of your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and stop being bitter against them. Here is the first leadership principle in life: Leadership can never afford bitterness, and to the extent that leadership becomes bitter, leadership fails.

The second most basic organization of family is now addressed, and again the first mandate is to those under authority. COL 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord. Children have no rights except what the parents give them taking in consideration with their sense of responsibility. Of course, parents aren't perfect, especially today with the radical change in values and standards. So system testing for children is inevitable. COL 3:21 (parents) Fathers, do not exasperate or be embittered with your children, that they may not become discouraged. Once again, the great enemy of leadership is bitterness, a part of arrogance. COL 3:22 Labor, in all things obey management on earth, not with external service as those who merely please men, but with virtue of right lobe, respecting the Lord.

Management often makes mistakes; Leadership often fails, but management and leadership have the responsibility in a system. Respecting the Lord is how you will pass system testing. You do it because you respect the Lord. Therefore, there is no excuse for our failure in system testing. Our love for the lord and respect for God is the basic factor in solving the problem of system testing. If those in authority over you have poor judgment, that is not an issue to you! You respect the Lord, and you do your job to the best of your ability as unto the Lord. COL 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily or keep functioning from your own soul as for the lord rather than for men; This is the only way you pass system testing. Children often don't realize the importance of this, they never understand that whether they succeed or fail in life is often determined by their attitude toward their parents, their first authority in life. This verse is spiritual autonomy solving the problem of system testing, and as a result moving on to spiritual maturity, as seen in the next verse. COL 3:24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of your inheritance [escrow blessings]. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. You remember, next time you're under some unfair and unjust treatment, whom you serve! Col 3:25 for he who does wrong will receive the consequences of his wrong, and there is no partiality.

Here is the law of volitional responsibility. Those who are unjust over you will reap what they sow. You don't have to get even with them, straighten them out, quit, or be discouraged. The Supreme Court of Heaven will deal with them under the law of volitional responsibility. You must understand how the law of volitional responsibility not only applies to you, but to others, so that you do not interfere in others' lives. Once you focus only on serving the Lord Christ, the Supreme Court of Heaven takes care of them.

COL 3:25 management, provide for your employees what is right and fair, because you too have an authority in heaven. Management doesn't get away with anything. Authority is responsible to heaven, to the Lord Christ. When you are the victim of system testing, you must use spiritual autonomy and occupation with Christ to meet and pass the test. To flunk system testing is a deterrent to momentum in the spiritual life. Man will always be unfair, but God is fair, and uses man's unfairness to promote you. How you handle unfair situations determines whether you are ever going to get to maturity or not. Unfair situations frighten the believer who has no spiritual self-esteem or spiritual autonomy. Flunking system testing often results in you becoming a part of motivational evil and mental attitude sins. You can't feel sorry for yourself without becoming arrogant, bitter, seeking revenge. You cannot react to unjust situations. Reaction means taking the problem out of the Lord's hands. There never was a time when you didn't put anything in the Lord's hands that you did not come out ahead. God will promote the person who passes system testing.

There is no such thing as an injustice that will not be rectified for your benefit provided you do not react. Never run down those who have treated you unjustly in the past. With spiritual autonomy you do not feel threatened by past unjust treatment. If you have been bitter over unfair treatment recently, you have failed to pass this test. You are not allowed by the word of God to have an unkind thought about any unjust treatment in the past.

Separation with bitterness is flunking the test. Spiritual autonomy has the power to accept authority in a system without becoming arrogant, bitter, disturbed, or upset. Spiritual autonomy has the power to handle unjust or unfair treatment or any authority problems. Spiritual autonomy carries out the policy of management without becoming discouraged, conspiratorial, or antagonistic. Spiritual autonomy fulfills the objectives of the organization, no matter how incompetent, insufficient, or unreasonable others in the organization may be. With the motivation of spiritual autonomy and occupation with Christ, he can do his job under an unfair policy regarding his hours or work, under unjust treatment from management, and under unfair bullying regarding the objectives. Spiritual autonomy and occupation with Christ always does the best possible job regardless of unfair treatment, unjust criticism, or even any form of job discrimination. Spiritual autonomy and occupation with Christ does not complain. When the believer in spiritual autonomy and occupation with Christ is the victim of unfair leadership or unjust management or a rotten system, he deals with all the personality conflicts from his impersonal love.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Also posted on ThinkBeDo: bookmark link in case this site is ever off line.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Internet Church Service, Sunday, August 26, 2012

This week’s sermon title:
The New Testament analogy of the Fish Gate
and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Part 6.

Today’s Sermon Message:

“The New Testament analogy of the Fish Gate
and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Part 6.”

Video & Audio

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

# # # # # # # #

from - Romans 8:38-39

Thank you for joining us for today’s worship service. Please enjoy the music before you watch and|or listen to today’s message.

TIP to enlarge the print hold down the “Ctrl” key on your key board, while it is being held down, move your mouse forward until the desired print size is just right for you. To return to normal screen size, reverse the process (some will see a % in the lower right corner of your screen, normal is 100%)

The lyrics have been provided so you can sing along with the artist in your mind and soul; imagine that the artist’s voice is your voice. I’m not a very good singer myself so I often get the lyrics for some of my favorites and sing along in my mind and soul, this way it’s as if I’m doing the singing to the Lord; try it.

Hymn #1

Amazing Grace - Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

Hymn #2

All My Tears - Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately to God the Father.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is faith alone in Jesus Christ alone:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Lectionary

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. (Heb. 4:12) GNB-UK

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed. (2 Tim. 3:16-17) GNB-UK

Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth. (2 Tim. 2:15) GNB-UK

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Opening Prayer
(Do your best to make it your own – below is a sample prayer)

Heavenly Father, we pray that we will all be richly edified by Your Word today and that You will make what we study today clear to us. We pray that all participants in this service as well as those who review it at a later date will be edified and blessed by today’s message. We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Our guest Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world.

Today's Sermon

The New Testament analogy of the Fish Gate
and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Part 6.

(To view the sermon right click the above link then click on open in “new window” or “new tab” and 3 windows will open – 1) audio or video player which should start automatically, 2) slide show, 3) note pad. When finished return to previous window or tab to finish the service with Hymn and Prayer.)

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

If you wish to use it, right click the link and in the drop-down box, left click the "Open Link in New Window"; when the new window opens, reduce the window size of both the on-line bible and the slideshow and configure them to be side-by-side. Also, the window opens to John 3:16, click the word “more” below the verse, you will then see two online bible columns, Use the column on the left as it is set for the NASB95, at the top of the column where you see John 3:16 in the search box, type the book and verse the Pastor asks you to go to a particular Bible verse, e.g., 1tim 5:21, or eph 3:10, etc., then click “Enter” on your key board. You can use the “right column” if you wish for a different bible version but you’ll need to type in the verse you want each time as I directed you for the column on the left side.

Hymn #3

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

CLOSING PRAYER:
(Again, below is a sample prayer, do your best to make it your own)

Heavenly Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit will make what I’ve learned today clear to me, for I pray this in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s name. Amen

If you have any questions that are pertinent about today’s message, please don’t hesitate to ask, you are welcome to ask them via a private message or by a reply in today’s post. However, sometimes questions can be real short but require a much longer answer in order to give an adequate answer. If I don’t think that the question is able to be answered quickly I’ll reply back telling you that I’ll research it and get to you with the answer (it may even be a few days as I’m a little slower than I used to be). Please don’t let what I’ve just said make you hesitate to ask questions.

I want to thank all of you who have attended this Sunday service as well as those who will view it at a later time or date.

Also posted on ThinkBeDo: bookmark link in case this site is ever off line.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can instantly receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, 8-20-2012

This week’s study: What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery - Study 43. The Portfolio of Invisible Assets – Part 3

PLEASE READ FIRST

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings

STUDY TITLE:

What it means to be initiated into the
secret of the mystery - Study 43.
The Portfolio of Invisible Assets – Part 3

OPTION: If you would prefer to go directly to the Grace Bible Church website to read this study message, all verse reference links are active there (but not hover active) and Enlarged Text is also an available option – right click the above link then left click “Open Link in New Window” or “New Tab”

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To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing

BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

We are now noting Point 6 in the doctrine of the portfolio of invisible assets, and the introduction to the four categories of invisible assets: 1) Primary assets. 2) Secondary assets. 3) Personnel assets: spiritual gifts. 4) Unique assets: The indwelling of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The first category is the primary assets which are election and predestination. All believers start out with equal privilege and equal opportunity because of election and predestination. Through utilization of the invisible assets, the believer understands his election and fulfills the pre-designed plan of God (PPOG). Under the secondary assets, which are related to the believer's persistence inside the PPOG with positive volition toward doctrine, we have volitional assets, production assets, undeserved suffering assets, and invisible impact assets. These assets are found between the primary assets you receive at salvation and the escrow assets you receive at maturity. All secondary assets result from perception and utilization of our primary assets, both equal privilege and equal opportunity in election and predestination. From the primary assets, provided for you by the sovereignty of God the Father in eternity past, come the secondary assets. We noted these important points: 1) If we're going to take advantage of our primary assets, election and predestination, and multiply them into secondly assets, it begins by admitting that we are powerless and need divine power without which our lives become unmanageable. This power begins with understanding the cross. 1CO 1:18-31, For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” This is where our true power comes from. We don't like admitting complete defeat and that we are nothing without God that is our nature. But as TLJC said in JOH 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” The apostle Paul said in Rom 7:18-19 “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good {is} not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.”

In 1TI 6:6-12 “But godliness {actually} is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance {and} gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” So, it all begins by admitting that we are powerless and we need divine power without which our lives become unmanageable. 2) We have to come to believe that there is a power greater than ourselves that can restore us to spiritual reality. MAT 9:27-30 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, and saying, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” And after He had come into the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “Be it done to you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. 3) We must make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God. This is like the opening of a locked door, and willingness is the key. Dependence is the means to independence. We must learn to turn our will over to God, and fall back on what our Lord said, in LUK 22:42 “Yet not My will, but Thine be done.” 4) We must make a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves, this means no fear concerning what we find. 1CO 11:31 “But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged.” Or 2CO 13:5 “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you- unless indeed you fail the test?” 1JO 1:8-10, “If we say [assert] that we have no sin [nature], we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth [or doctrine] is not in us. If we acknowledge [name and cite] our sins, He is faithful and righteous, with the result that He forgives us our sins [known sins] and purifies us from all unrighteousness [unknown sins]. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word [Bible doctrine] does not reside in us.” 5) We must also admit to God, and to ourselves, the exact nature of our wrongs. Notice in all these steps that the self-life is being deflated, this is the beginning of true rapport with humanity and God. 6) We must be entirely ready to have God remove the defects in our lives that are hindering our relationship with Him. PSA 26:1-2 ({A Psalm} of David.) “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity; And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Examine me, O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.” This is necessary for spiritual growth. 7) We also must humbly ask God to remove our shortcomings. Humility is a necessary aid to survival, it is the value of deflating the self-life in all of us. There is strength from weakness. 2CO 12:9-10 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 8) We must make direct amends with some people wherever possible (ROM 12:16-21). You function in grace and don't retaliate while the Supreme Court of Heaven handles your case. 9) We must seek God through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God. Praying for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out.

So, there are four secondary assets related to the believer's persistence inside the PPOG with positive volition toward doctrine: Volitional assets, production assets, undeserved suffering assets, and invisible impact assets. Remember that Primary assets, election and predestination, originate from the sovereignty of God, and express God's will for our lives. Secondary assets originate from the volition of the believer, and they express our attitude toward doctrine and the grace of God, and are related to your positive volition toward doctrine and your priorities in life. There are certain blessings that God has ordained to take place in your life because His omniscience saw the positive volitional decisions you would make in time. The issue in the execution of God's will and plan for your life is advancing to spiritual maturity (1CO 14:20). In EPH 4:13, we are to “Attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.” We are told how to do this in EPH 4:11-12 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;” This is a matter of your consistent and numerous good decisions made daily from a position of strength, and this requires daily residence inside the PPOG designed by God for you in eternity past. The accumulated good decisions form positions of strength result in the believer glorifying God, becoming a winner, and being the recipient of many blessings for time and the eternal state. The believer's volition is the basis for establishing priorities in life and consolidating the divine viewpoint scale of values. In each stage of spiritual adulthood, your positive volition and your scale of values is tested. You've already used positive volition to reach the first stage of growth, spiritual self-esteem (SSE), therefore, at SSE you are tested or evaluated concerning your positive volition.

Daily positive volition regarding Bible doctrine is the major issue in the Christian way of life. This is NOT positive volition related to Christian service or some experience. To get to SSE takes a lot of good decisions. This is the beginning of spiritual adulthood and of the motivational virtue of personal love for God. In SSE your persistence in positive volition toward doctrine is tested by that category of suffering for blessing called providential preventative suffering. Providential preventative suffering insulates us against the arrogance complex. This means you begin to eliminate jealously, self-pity, bitterness, vindictiveness, hatred, inordinate ambition, and all the other mental attitude sins in the arrogance complex. Paul alluded to this fact in 2CO 12:7-10, “And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” This is why the apostle Paul and any man who has the gift of evangelist or pastor-teacher will go through similar experiences as the Paul did, which he described for us in 2CO 11:21-33; where he was imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked, and whipped. In all his missionary journeys he was constantly in danger from robbers and others and experienced hunger, thirst, and many sleepless nights. And on top of that he had the daily pressure of concern for all the churches. Peter said it in 1PE 1:3-8 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

What a God we have! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand new life, and have everything to live for. 1PE 1:4-6 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this [inheritance] you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith [doctrine], being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire [such as preventative suffering], may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; Providential preventative suffering changes the nature of the believer. The little bit of providential preventative suffering you have today may result in the praise, honor and glory at the judgment seat of Christ. Notice the last phrase, [this suffering], may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; When TLJC wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of His victory. 1PE 1:8 “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” Remember, the issue in the execution of God's will and plan for your life is advancing to spiritual adulthood. In each stage of spiritual adulthood, your positive volition and your scale of values is tested.

There are three categories of spiritual adulthood: Spiritual self-esteem (SSE), which is cognitive self-confidence and the beginning of the effective function of the ten problem solving devices of the PPOG for the Church. Secondly there is Spiritual autonomy (SA), which is cognitive independence and the continuation of the effective function of the ten problem solving devices of the PPOG. Thirdly there is Spiritual maturity (SM), which is cognitive invincibility and maximum effective function of the problem solving devices for the PPOG. The problem solving devices are designed by God so that you are dependent only on the Word of God metabolized in your soul. Your spiritual life was never designed to depend upon counseling or other people. As a member of the royal family of God, your perception, metabolization and application of Bible doctrine determines your ability to deal with every stress, problem, adversity, and every area of prosperity in life.

Self-esteem can be defined as respect for self, satisfaction with one's self, or a good opinion of one's self. Inordinate self-esteem is arrogance. SSE is that virtue of the PPOG whereby the believer's confidence is based on Bible doctrine; and the believer's respect for self is linked to grace-orientation, the foundation for the stability of the Christian life. Therefore, SSE is the believer's dependence on God's grace provision for stabilizing self and integrating self into the PPOG. The Biblical definition of SSE is found in such passages as PRO 19:8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good [or prosper]. Develop a wise heart and you'll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head and you'll find a good life. Wisdom is the end result of perception and metabolization of doctrine, and the application of that doctrine to experience. Being alive as a Christian does not imply that you understand the PPOG or even know how to live the Christian way of life; this comes with SSE. The N. T. definition of SSE is found in the last half of EPH 5:28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; SSE is mandated for the husband in marriage. There are three Greek words for confidence in the N. T. 1) elpis means confidence with regard to the future, never the present. This means absolute confidence that you will have eternal life if you believe in Christ; that you will have escrow blessings for time when you reach spiritual maturity; that you will receive escrow blessings for eternity when you stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. 2) parresia means courage and confidence. 3) pepoithesis means self-confidence or spiritual self-esteem. In 2CO 1:13-15 we read For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus. And in this confidence [pepoithesis, SSE] I intended at first to come to you, that you might twice receive a blessing; See also 2CO 3:1-3; EPH 3:12.

Characteristics of Spiritual Self-Esteem: 1) Self-confidence, this is the inevitable result of consistent perception, metabolization and application of Bible doctrine. Confidence in doctrine is your self-confidence, not your ability or your personality. 2) Self-realization, this results from the attainment of wisdom; it is tantamount to the application of doctrine to experience. Self-realization is the process of learning, thinking, and solving. There is no self-realization apart from God, apart from being born-again. 3) Self-direction, this is spiritual momentum from residence and function in the PPOG under the enabling power of the Holy Spirit and momentum from metabolized doctrine. 4) Self-identity, this is grace-orientation combined with doctrinal orientation to produce a personal sense of destiny. There is no self-identity until there is self-confidence, self-realization, and self-direction. 5) Self-motivation, this combines personal love for God the Father and occupation with Christ, plus cognition and inculcation of the unique characteristics of the Church Age. 6) Self-vindication, this is tantamount to execution of the PPOG. Self-vindication has at least four concepts: a) Becoming an invisible hero. b) Becoming a member of the pivot of the client nation. c) Distribution of escrow blessings for time. d) Glorifying God in the angelic conflict.

Spiritual self-esteem is a part of marriage: Again in EPH 5:28, “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” The husband is mandated to love his wife with virtue-love, which is not effective without SSE. This virtue-love is described by the phrase as Christ loved the Church in Eph 5:25. Virtue-love is personal love based upon impersonal love. Virtue-love is necessary for the function of the husband's authority in marriage. This is why most Christian husbands fail in marriage. This verse is an analogy to responsibility. You must have a sense of responsibility regarding those over whom you have authority, just as Christ takes responsibility over the Church. The second half of this verse is a definition of SSE.

The Evidences of Spiritual Self-Esteem: 1) Tranquility of soul. You begin to relax in your soul with an RMA. 2) Stability of mental attitude including never feeling threatened by others and avoiding inordinate ambition and competition. 3) Composure marked by self-assurance, which is the correct and accurate application of doctrine to life. 4) Grace-orientation to life. 5) Doctrinal-orientation to reality, which is based upon genuine humility, objectivity, teachability, spiritual common sense, and the avoidance of inordinate ambition and competition or inordinate self-esteem. 6) Good decisions from a position of strength, which includes motivation from personal love for God the Father plus divine viewpoint thinking. 7) Personal control of your life through doctrinal conceptualism, which is understanding the spiritual life even as a part of rationalism and empiricism. 8) A personal sense of destiny, which includes solving the problems related to God, self, others, and things. 9) Self-confidence from wisdom, which means the function of doctrinal conceptualism or the application of metabolized doctrine to experience. 10) Poise, this is the believer under spiritual self-command. You cannot communicate, relate to, or command others unless you have command of self.

We also noted these requirements for contented living: Health enough to make work a pleasure. Wealth enough to support your needs. Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them. Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them. Patience enough to labor until some good is accomplished. Compassion enough to see some good in your neighbor. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others. Faith enough to make real the things of God. Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future. Be grateful for all your problems because after each one is overcome, you become stronger and more able to meet those that are still to come. You can grow in all your difficulties. MAT 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. {Each} day has enough trouble of its own.” God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. What you achieve, or fail to achieve in your lifetime is directly related to what you do or fail to do. No one chooses his parents or childhood, but you can choose your own direction. Everyone has problems and obstacles to overcome, but that too is relative to each individual. You can change anything in your life if you want to badly enough. Those who take responsibility for their actions are the real winners in life. Winners meet life challenges head on, giving it all they've got and never think it's too late or too early to begin.

So, SSE is when we begin to have momentum in the spiritual life. That is the point when God provides suffering for blessing, by which we can advance spiritually. The advance through each stage of spiritual adulthood always includes suffering for blessing. A major part of each spiritual advance is overcoming obstacles under suffering and disaster. The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. This why the apostle Paul said in PHI 1:29 “Because to you it has been graciously given with reference concerning Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on behalf of Him,” Each stage of spiritual advance has the capacity for greater suffering for blessing. SSE plus providential preventative suffering equals Spiritual autonomy (SA). Providential preventative suffering is defined as short-termed suffering from the sovereignty of God for the benefit of the believer. Providential preventative suffering is that suffering which prevents, restrains, or insulates sin and evil, while challenging SSE to suffer for blessing and profit. Providential preventative suffering is the first category of suffering for blessing related to spiritual adulthood. Character cannot be developed through ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. So, providential preventative suffering is the first category of suffering for blessing. From the context of 2Co 12:7-8, it can be called thorn testing. 2CO 12:10 lists four tests which match the four momentum tests: “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” There is a warm up for people testing, for system testing, for thought testing, and for disaster testing. This is known as momentum testing which is the major hurdle in reaching spiritual maturity. When SSE combines with providential preventative suffering, it forms SA, which is SSE with muscle minus arrogance. SSE can only function on humility and orientation to authority. To the extent that you reject any authority in life, to that extent your SSE is parlayed into a system of arrogance. This is why the apostle Paul said in 1CO 8:1 “Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.” The teachers in Corinth were teaching the wrong things about idols and were using their knowledge of true doctrine to back up their false doctrine.

The danger in spiritual self-esteem is that you begin to think that you know all you need to know and you end up in arrogant presumption. SSE is vulnerable to arrogance without providential preventative suffering, which God graciously provides. JAM 1:2-4, “Consider it all happiness, my brethren [royal family], when you encounter various testings [of many kinds in providential preventative suffering], knowing that the testing of your doctrine [spiritual self-esteem applies metabolized doctrine to providential preventative suffering to attain spiritual autonomy] produces steadfastness [spiritual autonomy]. And let steadfastness [spiritual autonomy] have its perfect result lacking nothing [no escrow blessing lost from evidence testing] that you may be mature and complete.” SA plus momentum testing = Spiritual maturity (SM). Then SM plus evidence testing = glorification of God to the maximum in the angelic conflict. Everything necessary to fulfill the PPOG was provided in eternity past by way of assets in the Portfolio of Invisible Assets. Then God provides doctrine and suffering in time, what a marvelous combination!

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Also posted on ThinkBeDo: bookmark link in case this site is ever off line.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Internet Church Service, Sunday, August 19, 2012

This week’s sermon title:
The New Testament analogy of the Fish Gate
and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Part 5.

Today’s Sermon Message:

“The New Testament analogy of the Fish Gate
and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Part 5.”

Video & Audio

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

# # # # # # # #

from - Romans 8:38-39

Hymn #1

You Are My Hiding Place - Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

Hymn #2

A Mighty Fortress is Our God - Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Lectionary

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Opening Prayer
(Do your best to make it your own – below is a sample prayer)

Our guest Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world.

Today's Sermon

The New Testament analogy of the Fish Gate
and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Part 5.

(To view the sermon right click the above link then click on open in “new window” or “new tab” and 3 windows will open – 1) audio or video player which should start automatically, 2) slide show, 3) note pad. When finished return to previous window or tab to finish the service with Hymn and Prayer.)

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

Hymn #3

Abba Father – Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)

CLOSING PRAYER:
(Again, below is a sample prayer, do your best to make it your own)

Also posted on ThinkBeDo: bookmark link in case this site is ever off line.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can instantly receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, 8-13-2012

This week’s study: What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery - Study 42. The Portfolio of Invisible Assets – Part 2

PLEASE READ FIRST

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings

STUDY TITLE:

What it means to be initiated into the
secret of the mystery - Study 42.
The Portfolio of Invisible Assets – Part 2

OPTION: If you would prefer to go directly to the Grace Bible Church website to read this study message, all verse reference links are active there (but not hover active) and Enlarged Text is also an available option – right click the above link then left click “Open Link in New Window” or “New Tab”

Terms & Abbreviations used:

To look up other “terms”, go to:

Alphabetical Listing

BEGIN BIBLE STUDY
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes and references
are from the NASB – New American Standard Bible

1CO 2:9 says “However, as it stands written [Isa 64:4], ‘things [portfolio of invisible assets] no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.’” Our greatest blessings are completely and totally invisible, and therefore can only be understood by the revelation that is contained in the Word of God. By knowledge of Bible doctrine we are able to become aware of our fantastic assets and use them both in time and in eternity. Note the qualifying factor in the last phrase, “for those who love Him. ” The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ who loves God has at least reached the point of spiritual self-esteem or is very close to it. Once this type of believer reaches spiritual adulthood, life takes a fantastic and unusual turn. They no longer consider themselves a victim of circumstances, no longer bitter, jealous or vindictive. They are not trying to prove something; they’ve lost inordinate ambition and inordinate competition. They are now functioning in a magnificent way under these fantastic invisible assets.

In this passage, “What God has prepared for all of us” is the portfolio of invisible assets. It was prepared in eternity past, and becomes real when we come to the point of loving Him. HEB 12:1 puts it all in the right perspective, “Now doctrine is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” You cannot have true hope until you know doctrine. Hope means you understand your portfolio of invisible assets; the eschatology of the Rapture, the tremendous escrow blessings for eternity, and the rewards and decorations that belong to the believer forever. Note that doctrine is “substance;” doctrine is thought, it must be your viewpoint. “The evidence of things not seen” is the portfolio of invisible assets. There must be an experience in the believer's life if the invisible assets are used to glorify God and inherit what God has provided. God is glorified in our lives by this: JOH 15:8 “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” If we are to receive what He has provided for us, which gives Him glory, we must use our invisible assets and live for Him (1CO 3:18).

The problem that most believer's have, and the main reason why they do not use their invisible assets and receive their escrow blessings, is simply because they have been influenced by the same evil form of thinking that Satan had, in eternity past, the “I will” syndrome. Speaking to Satan, the Lord says in ISA 14:12-14 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” Notice the five I wills of Satan: First, I will ascend to heaven which is a reference to his dissatisfaction with the authority and position which God had given him. Secondly, “I will raise my throne above the stars of God” this refers to sitting on the throne of God and ruling all the angels. Here is the frustration of a creature who had negative volition toward the plan of God for his life. Thirdly, “I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.” The mount is a phrase which refers to the seat of divine government on planet earth. The fourth I will is found in ISA 14:14 “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds” which refers to the glory which belongs to God alone. Then there is probably the most shocking “I will,” the fifth one, “I will make myself like the Most High.” Satan's main purpose is to be like God.

Few believers take their calling and election seriously, and therefore they reject the plan of God for their life. This is why the apostle Paul said in GAL 5:24, Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If you truly believe that you belong to TLJC, you will not allow your fleshly desires or passions to control your life. Remember that there is a divine blessing or a divine curse on the believer depending on his love for TLJC. The divine blessing, PSA 23:6 “Only prosperity and grace shall pursue me [prosperity looks for the mature believer] all the days of my life.” The divine curse, 1CO 16:22 “If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed. Maranatha.”

The believer's experience, concerning the portfolio of invisible assets, comes from personal love for God, what we call category one love. This is the believer's capacity to love God and respond to God's love based on Bible doctrine in his soul. Category one love is maximum when the believer reaches maturity or occupation with Christ, and the command to have this category one love is found in such passages as Deu 6:5; 10:12-13. Apart from the daily perception, metabolization and application of Bible doctrine, it is impossible to love God. All believers are commanded to love God in MAR 12:30 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” If a believer really loves God, it will be manifested by the desire to hear God's doctrines, JOH 8:47 “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” Not only will you hear doctrine but if you love the Lord, you will keep His doctrines, JOH 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.” The Greek word for keep is teresate which means to guard something that belongs to you, therefore never take the communication of doctrine for granted (JOH 14:21-23; JOH 15:10). Loving God is also revealed with impersonal love toward one another, 1JO 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Loving God and His people can only come through knowledge of doctrine. 1JO 4:16-21 “And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”

God the Father expects you to love God the Son as much as He does. That is the divine standard, but it is only possible through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit and the intake of Bible doctrine. Since God is invisible and the object of category one love, we must see and love Him through doctrine in our soul. You cannot love God unless you know God, and you cannot know God unless you have metabolized enough pertinent doctrine. 1PE 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe Him [His doctrine]. Category one love is the most difficult love of all, because it takes consistency in the inhale and exhale of doctrine. EPH 3:18 that you may be able to comprehend [here is the secret of loving TLJC] in the presence of all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to come to know the surpassing knowledge love of Christ, in order that you may be filled with all the fulness from God [doctrine filling the soul]. This is why the pastor-teacher has to love TLJC and be occupied with Him in order to do his job under this principle. HEB 6:10 says For God is not unjust so as to forget your occupation [the occupation in focus here is pastor-teacher] and the love which you have shown toward His name [there is category one love], [and then true love for the Lord is revealed] in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. To minister the word, you have to know the word. To know the word, you have to study the word. If a pastor keeps on studying, it is inevitable that he will have category one love which is love for TLJC and it becomes his motivator, regardless of the criticism and indifference with regard to the word of God. No pastor can ever get his eyes on people, he just has to keep studying and teaching. A pastor's love for TLJC is manifested by how often he feeds the Lord's sheep, not counseling or visiting the Lord's sheep (Joh 21:15-17). JER 3:15 “I will give you pastors after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding. Category one love sets up the standard for grace (PSA 119:132), and the basis for supergrace blessing (1CO 2:9).

Let's summarize what we have noted so far: 1) Having personal love toward God is commanded (DEUT 6:5; DEUT 10:12, MAR 12:30). 2) If you do not have Bible doctrine within, you cannot and do not have love for God (JOH 5:38-42). 3) If a believer really loves God, it will be manifested by his desire to hear God's word (JOH 8:47). 4) If you love the Lord, you will guard and protect His doctrines in your soul (Joh 14:15). 5) It is doctrine abiding in us, not works, that reveals to the Father how much we love Him. 6) If you guard or keep God's Word in you, God's love will be in you JOH 15:10). 7) Having God's mind or Bible doctrine is that which produces God's love (PHI 2:2). 8) Keeping doctrine in the soul is the only way to love with God's love (1JO 2:5). 9) Loving God is revealed by your impersonal unconditional love toward one another (1JO 4:7). 10) Loving God and His people can only come through knowledge of doctrine (1JO 4:16-21). 11) Since God is invisible and the object of category one love, we must see and love Him through doctrine in the soul (1PE 1:8). 12) Category one love also sets up the standard for grace (PSA 119:132). 13) Category one love is also the basis for supergrace blessing (1CO 2:9, PSA 37:4-5). 14) Category one love is also the basis for personal and national blessing (DEU 30:15-20). 15) Category one love motivates combat courage and military victory, JOS 23:10-11 “One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you. So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God.” 16) Category one love provides strength for adversity and pressure, HEB 11:27 By means of doctrine resident in the soul, Moses left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. 17) This is why there is a special curse on believers who fail to have category one love in 1CO 16:22, if anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed. Maranatha. 18) Even witnessing must be motivated by category one love, 2CO 5:14 “The love of Christ motivates us.”

So, how important is your love toward God? ROM 8:28 gives us the answer And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him. God does not work all things together for good until there is love for God, and that can only come when you accept God's priorities over your personal priorities. Love toward God then becomes a major issue, in fact, there is no real divine love toward people until there is first, personal love toward God. Peter says in 1PE 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, [a reference to TLJC] you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believing, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. This love comes from believing the word of God, and then falling in love with TLJC, and it is the most important love that a believer develops. Unfortunately, many believers are putting their doctrinal differences aside and trying to love each other, this is not a part of the Christian way of life. Don’t ever let loving God the Father, God the Son under occupation with Christ, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit be set aside for a lot of nonsense called Christian fellowship! Too many believers assume this erroneous concept because there is no organization of their life and no thinking around Bible doctrine. Christian fellowship is nice, but it is not the Christian way of life. You never put fellowship with visible people above your relationship or fellowship with God. Christian fellowship is no substitute for learning Bible doctrine from whomever is your right pastor. The most important person that you should consider in the selection of a church is the pastor-teacher. Does he do the job God has called him to do? The communication of Bible doctrine and the teaching ministry of your pastor-teacher is the most important aspect of your Christian life.

Assembling together for Bible study and other forms of worship must never be confused with Christian fellowship. This wrong emphasis may be the result of misunderstanding passages like Heb 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. The phrase “one another” is not found in the original. The word for encouragement is the Greek verb parakalountes meaning to be encouraged, exhorted, comforted, and even to challenge. However, this is a participle used as a noun in the Greek, and it should be translated encouragement. So HEB 10:25 should read “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the habit of some, but for the purpose of encouragement.” We assemble for the purpose of encouragement which is perception of Bible doctrine, not Christian fellowship. Your Christian fellowship with other believers is inconsequential. It is your fellowship with God that counts. HEB 10:25-26 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the habit of some, but for the purpose of encouragement. For if we go on sinning willfully [how? By forsaking the assembling of ourselves together] after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Some believers cannot assemble for Bible doctrine and encouragement from the Word of God. They are isolated because of location, military service, handicaps, illness, lack of transportation or other reasons; they are not violating this verse. Bible doctrine is the purpose of assembly, and they can learn Bible doctrine alone if they have some form of communication from their pastor-teacher, so since they are getting doctrine, they are in effect assembling themselves. The priority is to get doctrine to have fellowship with God. While some believers are isolated from Christian fellowship, they are not isolated from the communication of Bible doctrine. God always supplies a right pastor-teacher with doctrine for the positive believer. While the isolated Christian cannot assemble himself with other believers, he still fulfills the concept of Heb 10:25 through his daily perception of doctrine on tapes, video, audio, etc. Not everyone's right pastor is located in the same geographical location. Under the principle of supply and demand, the demand of positive volition is for accurate Bible teaching regardless of the geographical location. Therefore, accurate Bible teaching can only come through someone who is prepared and who is teaching line upon line, precept upon precept, especially the mystery doctrine for the Church Age. All too often, the supply for this demand cannot be provided in a given geographical location. In fact, being deprived of Christian fellowship may be just the blessing they need to get a good start in doctrine before they come into contact with other believers. For a believer who is positive, Bible doctrine is never denied. PRO 8:17 “I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.” The most important love in your life is to love doctrine which is the means or the vehicle of personal love toward God.

Point 6 in the doctrine of the portfolio of invisible assets is the introduction to the four categories of invisible assets. We will note them as: 1) Primary assets. 2) Secondary assets. 3) Personnel assets: Spiritual gifts. 4) Unique assets. The first category we will note deals with the primary assets: Election and Predestination. All believers start out with equal privilege and equal opportunity because of election and predestination. Through utilization of the invisible assets, the believer understands his election and fulfills the Predesigned Plan of God (PPOG) by learning day by day more and more about who and what God is and what the invisible assets are. When he arrives at spiritual self-esteem, he can say with the apostle Paul: EPH 3:20 Now to Him [God the Father] Who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us. 2CO 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;

If people only look at us, they will miss the brightness of the treasure of God's power alive within us. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's matchless power with us. How is this power manifested in us? 2CO 4:8 says, we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; we're not much to look at many times, we've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized. 2CO 4:9-10, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 2CO 6:4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly, in hard times, tough times, and bad times; 2CO 6:5-10 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.

This power is identified for us in 2Co 10:3-4 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. Then the reason for this power, 2CO 12:7-10 And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. Then finally in 2CO 13:4 For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.

Through utilization of the invisible assets, the believer understands his election and fulfills the PPOG. Both of the primary assets, your election and your predestination, mean you have equal privilege and equal opportunity as a believer. There is nowhere in life where equal privilege and equal opportunity exists. No human legislation can provide equal privilege and opportunity for no legislation can control the old sin nature. As long as we have old sin natures, man will think in terms of prejudice, antagonism, superiority, and inferiority. However, on the day we believed in Jesus Christ, God did at least forty things for us. One of those things, as we have already noted, was to identify us or baptize us into Christ through the baptism of the Spirit. Our lives were changed positionally when we were entered into union with Christ. Being a member of God's royal family, we have equal privilege in the eyes of God. We may not have equal privilege in the eyes of man, however, remember that man looks on the outward appearance while God looks on the right lobe, the inner life. 1SA 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart [right lobe].” 2CO 10:7 You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.

Once we understand this equal privilege in Christ, we must completely change our attitudes. This means we never again are to look at ourselves as being superior or inferior because of any human factors, such as the color of our skin, our nationality, our genetics, our success of failure, or our economic status (GAL 3:26-28). As far as God is concerned, we are all equal “in Christ.” This also means we must start thinking of ourselves not as man thinks of us, but as God thinks of us. The apostle Paul dealt with this fact in 1CO 7:19 when he said, “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commands of God.” Or GAL 6:15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. As new creatures in Christ Jesus, we have a lifestyle that is infinitely superior to anything the unbeliever can produce such as morality, a facade of concern, whether genuine or misguided, or an overt manifestation of love and affection while using others. The Christian way of life is a super-natural way of life and demands a super-natural means of execution.

This lifestyle has to do with virtue. Virtue in the believer is the visible manifestation of the invisible, i.e., metabolized doctrine and the power of the Holy Spirit. In fact, true happiness depends on virtue manufactured inside the PPOG and it does not depend on fame, success, prosperity, power, approbation, sex, etc. As virtue is the visible manifestation of humility toward God, arrogance is the visible manifestation of Satan's invisible cosmic system. Virtue is the monopoly of God, therefore, it can only be manufactured through the laws of divine establishment and living the spiritual life inside the PPOG. Virtue is not only a Biblical subject, but it is verified by the etymology and usage of the Greek word arete.

Since virtue is the monopoly of God, it is restricted to life inside the PPOG; it cannot be duplicated or reproduced in the cosmic system. Therefore, virtue is the distinctive characteristic of the royal family, and the inevitable result of executing the plan of God. Basic virtues developed in the PPOG include enforced and genuine humility, love, worship, morality, courage, and confidence. Humility is the foundation for all virtue. Virtue is also the quality of intrinsic good; it is not proving one's worth. The believer who is trying to prove something cannot improve spiritually. Proving one's worth is arrogance, and arrogance is the antithesis of and is antagonist to virtue. Virtue is manufactured from perception of doctrine and results in occupation with Christ, while arrogance is manufactured in the cosmic system and is preoccupation with self. There is no happiness in the cosmic system.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

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