Friday, January 25, 2013

Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, Jan 28, 2013

The Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age. Part 65.
The Doctrine of Supergrace (spiritual maturity). Lesson 6.

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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!

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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:


The Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age. Part 65.
The Doctrine of Supergrace (spiritual maturity). Lesson 6



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



Phi 4:1 “Therefore, my beloved brethren [members of the Royal Family of God] whom I desire to see or be with, my source of happiness and wreath of glory, so stand firm [be advancing not retreating] in the Lord, my beloved. PHI 4:4-8, “Keep on having perfect happiness by means of the Lord at all times; Once more I repeat the command, keep on having perfect happiness. Let your supergrace mental attitude be known to all men. The Lord is near. Stop worrying about anything, but in every circumstance through prayer and through supplication for personal needs after thanksgivings let your requests or petitions be revealed to the God. In fact, that spiritual peace and prosperity from the source of the God, which surpasses or rises above and beyond all comprehension, shall garrison your hearts [right lobes] also your [motivation] minds in Christ Jesus. From now on, members of the Royal Family of God, whatever is true [doctrinal], whatever is honorable [noble or worthy of respect], whatever is just [fair or right], whatever is pure [of proper motivation], whatever personal loves exist, whatever is commendable, if there is any virtue [and there is for the mature believer says the first class condition] and if anything worthy of praise [also a first class condition], be concentrating on these things.” In PHI 4:10 “Now, I have received much inner happiness by means of the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your concern or thinking for me; indeed, you also were thinking about me, but you lacked the opportunity to express it.” PHI 4:13 “I have the endowed power [maximum doctrine resident in the soul], to attain all things [ultra-supergrace and dying grace], By means of the One, God the Holy Spirit who keeps on pouring the power, the doctrine into me.”

The apostle Paul is no man's land, between Supergrace and ultra-supergrace, and what makes him happy is positive volition, especially the positive volition of the Philippians. Anyone who grows and advances spiritually under the ministry of a pastor-teacher becomes a source of happiness for that pastor. When a pastor has gone to Supergrace and then on to ultra-Supergrace, nothing makes him happier than to have his congregation follow him by consistent intake of Bible doctrine. The true pastor-teacher has a different source of happiness than anyone else; his happiness must be related to believers who respond to his doctrinal teaching; all other forms of happiness must be totally secondary. Paul has continued in the PPOG and therefore has moved away from the majority who quit by coming up with all sorts of excuses why they do not continue with a dedication to the plan of God. Paul is on his way to the next objective; he has cracked the maturity barrier himself. He has regrouped in Supergrace, and now he's out crossing that no man's land to the next objective, ultra-Supergrace, and he is telling the Philippians to follow him. The congregation must do this by fulfilling the verb steko which means to stand firm, to be stabilized, to persevere, to persist, especially under pressure.

Paul is commanding them to advance to ultra-Supergrace and not to retreat into reversionism. No man's land has a lot of dangers that could cause a person to move into reversionism. This is when you become apathetic concerning the plan of God. You become indifferent, uninterested, impassive, unconcerned, detached, dispassionate, concerning the plan of God. It is fair to say that the church of Jesus Christ in our country today has experienced a great amount of instability. From the leadership on down it tends to be an unstable because even its own leaders do not seem to be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. The Church tends to pursue stability in areas where it does not exist, such as loving the things of the world and the ways of the world. We can concede the assumption that the Church will be under attack. The Lord Jesus Christ said it in JOH 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” This is a hostile world, and a hostile devil, and if you're a grace-oriented believer, you will be in conflict. The scriptures warn us that we must be watchful. There is the world, which we call the cosmic system, with all of its allurements that endeavor to entice the believer. We are always under assault. In our personal lives there will be times of persecution and even severe trials. Subtle persecution in our society sometimes is more difficult than that which is not so subtle. In a society where being a Christian costs you your life, or you a prisoner, or shuts you off from society all together, that's cut and dry. In some ways that might even be easier to maintain that testimony, than in our society where many want the world’s acceptance and somehow are afraid to make Christianity an issue. So, subtly we compromise because we are caught between being different and being a part of them, whereas in a society where you're definitely apart from the system, there's no subtlety. Our Lord said in MAT 13:18-22, “Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil {one} comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no {firm} root in himself, but is {only} temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

Paul says to “stand firm in the Lord, my beloved,” because Paul does not want to see a division hit the church at Philippi. Don't be under any illusions about the Philippian church. The Philippians had a special bond with Paul, and they alone had supported him financially (Phi 4), in the midst of his need. But, that does not mean that the Philippian church was in all respects everything it ought to be, with no instability there. In fact, there are very clear hints that there was selfishness in that church (PHI 2:3-5). There was self-interest in that church; there were people who had stumbled and fallen from their spiritual stability into conceit and pride and were more concerned about the things of their own life than the things of others. Many of them did not have the mind of Christ. There were also some conflicts in that church of major proportions, PHI 4:2-3. Two women, who apparently may have been able to lead factions that could have split the church, had an intense disagreement and others were no doubt party to the quarrel. Two women who couldn't agree doesn't seem like a lot of problems, but these were two prominent women in the church, so it was significant enough for Paul to have identified them by name in PHI 4:2.

The command to “stand firm in the Lord, my beloved,” and our main verse in PHI 4:13 are commands to advance beyond Supergrace to ultra-Supergrace. There is a no man's land between Supergrace and ultra-Supergrace which has certain occupational hazards and hindrances to the spiritual advance. 2TI 3:10-12, “But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me! And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” One of these hazards is personality conflict with members of the congregation. The believer cannot advance from Supergrace to ultra-Supergrace and at the same time become involved in pettiness or personality conflicts in the local church, or at home, or anywhere else. Pettiness is an occupational hazard that overtakes people who have never been petty, when they get into no man's land. Pettiness comes from a hypersensitivity involving mental attitude sins, starting with arrogance, and including jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, implacability. Two women in the Philippian congregation have reached Supergrace and started out into no man's land. They cracked the maturity barrier, they both continued with doctrine, but then they turned on each other. Not only is the personality of the pastor not to be an issue, but neither is anyone else's personality (2CO 5:16; 1CO 2”2). The only issue is Bible doctrine.

PHI 4:13-23, “I have the endowed power [maximum doctrine resident in the soul], to attain all things [ultra-supergrace and dying grace], By means of the One, [God the Holy Spirit] who keeps on pouring the power, [the doctrine] into me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

In PHI 4:14-23 the logistics for the advance are in view, and logistical grace comes in three categories: 1) Alpha grace is everything that God must do to keep you alive in the Devil's world after salvation and before reaching Supergrace. This grace includes food, shelter, clothing, transportation, providing you a right pastor, right congregation, right local church, providing for you the word of God, and preserving it for all of us. 2) Bravo grace is the logistical grace concept of PHI 4:14-23. Bravo grace is everything it takes to cross no man’s land. It is the intensification of your protection, cranking up your guardian angels. It is everything necessary to keep you alive in this intensive step of opposition. 3) Charlie grace is the alternative of Alpha and Bravo. This is divine discipline for the reversionist.

In verse 14, we start out with a word; notwithstanding, which is the adverb plen used as a conjunction at the beginning of a sentence and this particular adverb should be translated however. The conjunction is used by Paul to indicate his previous comments in verses 11-13. This conjunction does not imply lack of appreciation for the Philippian gift sent through Epaphroditus. Apparently it was a large gift, and it isn't that he doesn't appreciate it, it's that he wants to use it now to teach a principle regarding supergrace living. Paul does appreciate the generous offering and the motivation of grace behind it, but that isn't the issue. This is not an expression of his appreciation so much as stating the principle of Supergrace living and logistics between Supergrace and ultra-Supergrace. The principle in giving is like farming: the more you sow, the greater the harvest. Paul is a wealthy man because of that Philippian offering. If the Philippians had not sowed the seed and then reaped a harvest, they would have missed out on great blessing. Now, as supergrace believers they are wealthy. Therefore, they scooped off their wealth and put together a package, thousands of dollars, they had Epaphroditus take it to Rome, and Paul is going to teach them some principles.

This is going to be a short series on how you can prosper by following some basic principles which are laid out for us in God's word. Do you believe 2TI 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God” and ACT 10:34, “God is not one to show partiality”? This means that what God does for one, He will do for others. God wants every believer to prosper, according to the Bible. However, God has certain conditions and principles that He tells us we must follow in order to receive His highest and best in our lives. God has certain conditions and principles that we are to follow concerning money or finances. If we can't believe God's promises in the area of our finances, how can we believe His promises for eternal salvation and everything else we claim to believe? Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions? Does God really want me to be financially prosperous? Does the Bible teach us to get out of debt? How can I increase my giving to God if I can't even pay my debts with the money I'm earning now? Is it wrong for Christians to have substantial amounts of money in bank accounts and investments? All of these questions will be answered according to Biblical principles and God's laws of prosperity.

First of all, we must begin this subject starting with the two extreme positions which Christians take today concerning the area of finances. One extreme concerns those people who hear that God wants them to prosper and follow Him simply for that reason. This approach, of course, is wrong. We can't bend God's laws to fit our selfish desires. Jam 4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your lusts.” Then there's the opposite extreme, the belief that financial prosperity for Christians is wrong. Many Christians believe that poverty is godly. They believe that financial prosperity destroys humility and will draw us away from God. However, there is a way of prospering that is to be done by following God's principles of prosperity which are outlined in His word. If we follow these laws exactly, we'll prosper and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this kind of prosperity. When you do this, you will prosper financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

God created all the wealth on this earth, HAG 2:8 “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the Lord of hosts.” PSA 24:1 “The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.” PSA 50:10 “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.” So when God created all the wealth on this earth, did He create it for hard-hearted, sinful men and women who curse Him, deny Him, and disobey His word and could care less about Him? Does He really want to see them prosper and not His own children? Look how our Lord put it in MAT 7:7-11, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” Then our Lord makes a very interesting statement which has to do with God's laws for prosperity, MAT 7:12 “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

God is no different from any other father. He wants the best for His children. He wants the world to see prosperous, joyful, loving, happy Christians. If He was willing to give us His only Son, why would He hold anything else back from us? He has already given us His best, does it make any sense to believe that He would refuse to give us the rest? Paul put it like this, ROM 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? PSA 84:11 “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Many great men of God have prospered as a result of following God's laws of prosperity. For example, because of applying these laws, Abraham lived a very fruitful, prosperous life (GEN 13:2; 24:1).

The New Testament clearly teaches that because of the price paid by Jesus Christ, all Christians are heirs to these same blessings that Abraham received from God. GAL 3:6-9, “Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations shall be blessed in you.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.” GAL 3:13-14, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’ in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

God's Word clearly tells us that we are heirs to Abraham. This means that the blessings God gave to Abraham are available to us. Our Father wants us to receive the same blessings that He gave to Abraham, and we can receive these blessings if we will follow His laws of prosperity. If someone says that God doesn't want us to prosper, how can they explain verses like DEU 8:18 “But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth,” 3JO 1:2 “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.”

If it's wrong to be prosperous, why does God give the power to become wealthy? Many people are destroyed by their wealth simply because they didn't obtain it by following God's laws. PSA 112:1-3, “Praise the Lord! How blessed or happy is the one who respects the Lord, Who greatly delights in His commands. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.” If prosperity is wrong, God certainly wouldn't have said that wealth and riches will be in our homes if we “respect” Him and follow His word.

If someone believes that it is wrong to be prosperous, how can he explain why many of the greatest men of God were prosperous? We have already seen that Abraham was very wealthy. Many of our Lord's disciples were wealthy (MAT 27:57; LUK 8:3). There is absolutely nothing wrong with financial prosperity unless this prosperity comes ahead of God. God wants us to have prosperity, wealth, and money, but He doesn't want them to have us!

God gave us His precious promises so we can be like He is if we follow them. 2PE 1:4 “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature,”

Prosperity and abundance are part of God's divine nature. He owns the whole world and everything that is in the world. He has given us more than three thousand promises in His Word so that by these promises we can partake of His divine nature. God is a prosperous God and the very first chapter of the Bible says, GEN 1:26 “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;” If God is prosperous and if He created us to be just like He is, isn't it obvious that He wants us to prosper too? The more we study God's Word, the more evidence we see of God's plans for our abundance and prosperity.

God created great abundance when He created the earth. GEN 1:20-22, Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” The first chapter of Genesis tells us how God stocked the earth with fish, animals, and birds and how He provided plants and fruit trees. When God finished doing this, He then created a man who was meant to enjoy this abundance and to be master over the earth and everything on the earth. GEN 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

God provided Adam with great abundance; he had everything he could ever want. However, Adam gave his riches and his dominion over all the earth to Satan. Satan was able to steal it from him because of Adam's arrogance and pride. Adam also forfeited the abundance and prosperity that God intended for us, his children. Satan took it away from him and became the ruler of the world and still is. However, this brings us to the reason why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. What was the precise reason that Jesus Christ was sent to this earth? Our Lord was sent here for one purpose: To destroy Satan's work. 1JO 3:8 “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” Our Lord succeeded in His mission; this is why, just before ascending into heaven, He said in MAT 28:18 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” God has certain laws and principles that He tells us we must follow in order to receive His highest and best in our lives which is what election is all about. Election is God willing His highest and best for every believer. 2CO 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” Some Christians believe that this verse does not refer to prosperity, but to deity becoming humanity. They say that God is only talking about spiritual riches here and that this does not apply to natural prosperity. I don't agree. Anyone who reads 2Co 8-9 can see that both of these chapters deal primarily with the subject of giving of finances. When verse 8 tells us that the Lord became poor so that we could be rich, I agree that this applies to spiritual riches, but it also refers to financial riches and wealth and prosperity. We know that when you give of your finances, it should be done under the filling of the Spirit, but don't lie to yourself and say, “I have nothing to give.” Look at 2CO 9:10-11 “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.” Some Christians also believe that our Lord was poor during His earthly ministry. They say that His life was a model for our lives and, because He was poor, we were not meant to prosper. That is incorrect! Many may be surprised to see that Jesus was not poor when He walked on this earth. In fact, when MAT 11:19 says “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard,” the Greek reveals He ate fine food and drank good wine; He wasn't poor! He knew God's principles of prosperity! So 2CO 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor,” is not telling us that Jesus was financially poor during His earthly ministry. Our Lord became poor when He made the supreme sacrifice of becoming human. However, He also gave up everything at the cross, even His clothing. In spite of many pictures to the contrary, Jesus was completely naked when He died on the cross. While He hung on the cross, Roman soldiers gambled for the clothing that He had worn because it was an expensive garment (MAR 15:24). When He died, He didn't own one thing in this world. He couldn't have been any more poor than when He gave up all on the Cross.

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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.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Internet Church Service, Sunday, Jan 27, 2012

This week’s sermon title:
The Fruit of the Spirit manifested by the Salvation Ministry
of God the Holy Spirit at the moment of Salvation. Part 6.

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Today’s Sermon Message:

“The Fruit of the Spirit manifested by the Salvation Ministry
of God the Holy Spirit at the moment of Salvation. 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!!

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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

Open Our Eyes Lord – Lyrics in video
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)



Hymn #2

O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus - 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!

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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:



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


(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.)


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

Old Rugged Cross – 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.

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.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, Jan 21, 2013

The Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age. Part 64.
The Doctrine of Supergrace (spiritual maturity). Lesson 5.

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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!

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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:


The Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age. Part 64.
The Doctrine of Supergrace (spiritual maturity). Lesson 5



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



Once God begins to touch those who seek Him, He gives them an instinct to be united with Him as never before. This is a part of PHI 4:5 which says, “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.” The phrase The Lord is near is actually a phrase of intimacy and refers to the fact that the Word of God is not just meant to be known; it’s meant to be applied to daily living. For example in ISA 55:1 “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” Symbolically, this is about making the volitional decision to present ourselves to the real source of life. PHI 4:13 tells us how we do that, “I have the endowed power to attain all things, by means of the One [God the Holy Spirit], who keeps on pouring the power [the doctrine], into me.”

ISA 55:1 tells us we “buy wine and milk without money and without cost. ” In the ancient world wine was used to clean wounds and help the healing process, whereas milk represented food and strength that is necessary for our physical bodies. So then, water, wine, and milk represent spiritual blessings which can only come from the Lord. ISA 55:2 “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.” This actually deals with priorities. There are many couples who work, save, rarely spend or give, and take their annual vacations. When they return to work they continue their same cycle of life. They may like the life, but what’s the point? Their labor profits absolutely nothing as it relates to a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember the parable of the rich man in Luke 12:16-22? Here, a certain rich man, a farmer, had a terrific crop. He had to build bigger barns to hold the abundant harvest. Then, proud of his supposed accomplishments, he said to himself, “well done” and he retired to enjoy the life of leisure he thought he had earned. But just then God showed up and said, “Fool! Tonight you die.” The farmer’s many barns full of goods were left for whomever. That's what happens when you fill your barns with self and not with God.

ISA 55:3 “Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, {According to} the faithful mercies shown to David.” We are to have positive volition, taking in the Word of God, and as a result of volitional action our souls shall live. The Lord is calling people to meet Him, to commune with Him, and their souls shall live! We are to meet God in the place of intimacy. So where is this place of intimacy? God shows up in the most interesting circumstances. He shows up at a time of brokenness, helplessness, hopelessness, and loneliness. God shows up in circumstances that human power cannot control. God shows up in circumstances where we have no power to change our condition. We learn God's intimacy in the midst of life's brutalities! In those brutal times, God reveals His policy towards people as in JER 31:3 “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”

Intimacy is a close relationship, in a secret place, where silent, internal communication takes place. This is a grace benefit that the Lord provides; He provides the place of Intimacy. We need this place of Intimacy for the following reasons: 1) The place of intimacy is the only way we can commune with God and receive from the Holy Spirit (ROM 5:5). 2) Demons are assigned to us. Did you ever wonder why it seems that the attacks against us, as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, are accurate and seemingly so effective? Remember that Satan was watching the Lord restore the earth and watching Him create us. Satan and his demons have observed us ever since. They know more about us than we know about ourselves. Furthermore, as the god of this age, Satan controls the world systems, and influences the people serving him in those systems. Always remember that whoever can influence us also has the ability to predict what we will do. Therefore, when demonic attacks occur, they are generally accurate, having some measure of success, even if only for a little while (MAT 4:1-11, 1CO 12:2-9, EPH 6:10-13, 1TH 2:18 and 2TI 3:12). However, our meetings with God are conducted in the place of intimacy, in the privacy of our souls.

Intimacy is a personal, private relationship based on someone’s thorough knowledge of us, who loves us in spite of our faults and failures. This relationship brings rest in us, it brings strength and help for us, and it brings security. God's Intimacy is accomplished in a quiet way. It's God's Intimacy, not ours. He shares Himself with us, without cross examination or judgment. The only intimate place provided for us by God is in our own souls. Here's the practical application that God reveals to us by this picture of intimacy: HOS 2:14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her.” God, by inner power, draws a person who is the wretched of the earth; here it is a woman who knows only prostitution (slavery of her soul), and God says in effect, “Hosea, you can't change her condition; I must do this by drawing her with My power of love; I will bring her to a condition where I will have her full attention, and then I'll speak tenderly to her.” That's God; that's God’s policy and that's intimacy. The Wilderness is actually a circumstance, a condition that only God can remedy. The wilderness is a location with no life support, a place where only God can sustain life; that’s God’s intimacy. Note the intimacy revealed in 2KI 20:1-6. This is about one of God's most faithful Kings; the only faithful King in about 100 years. At the age of 38, this faithful servant of God was met by major shock: In Verse 1 “set your house in order; for you shall die, and not live.” Now note the intimacy provided for him by the Lord. Verse 2 “Then he (Hezekiah) turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord.” This is the height of intimacy with the Lord. The Hebrew word for wall is Keer and it means a fortress, a secret room in the soul, a place of intimacy. That’s where the Lord met King Hezekiah, and that’s where the Lord meets us as believers. The only place of intimacy that God has provided for the believer is in our souls, and that's why Satan and his team cannot know what we think, what we are trusting God for, and what God is doing in us, because the action is in the soul, that place of intimacy. Every battle that a believer fights is fought in the soul. God's strategy is released in the soul of His people, the Place of intimacy. The Word of God is not only meant to be known, but it’s meant to be applied to the details of life, the pressures and persecutions of the enemy. In the ancient world, before the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Lord met His people in the temple, the Tent of Meeting; it was a location. In the Church-age we meet our Lord in our Temple, our souls.

So, in Hosea’s time, Israel had turned from Yahweh to worship Baal, the Canaanite god of fertility, fruitfulness, prosperity, and sex. The Lord told Hosea to marry a woman who would prove to be unfaithful to him so he could appreciate and communicate how the Lord felt about His wife's (Israel's) unfaithfulness to Him. Hosea also pointed out other sins that the Israelites needed to forsake: Violent crimes (4:2; 6:9; 12:1), political revolt (7:3-7), foreign alliances (7:11; 8:9), spiritual ingratitude (7:15), social injustice (12:7), and selfish arrogance (13:6). Hosea called for repentance, but he was not hopeful of a positive response because most of the people did not want to change. They did not want intimacy with their Savior. God's judgment would, therefore, descend in the form of infertility, military invasion, and exile. Hosea stressed the fact that God was perfectly just in sending judgment upon the Israelites. God would do it by making their punishments match their crimes. The prophet assured the Israelites that God would not abandon them completely, for after the judgment there would come salvation. Eventually the people would return to Yahweh.

When God is intimate with His people, God suffers when His people are unfaithful to Him; this is an anthropopathism. God cannot condone sin, but God will never cease to love His own and, consequently, He seeks to win back those who have forsaken Him. So, the broken marriage covenant of Hosea and Gomer illustrated Israel's sin. In spite of Israel's unfaithfulness God remained faithful to her. The Israelites could expect severe punishment for breaking the covenant, but Israel would again enjoy gracious benefits from God including future restoration.

HOS 2:1-7, “Say to your brothers, ‘Ammi,’ and to your sisters, ‘Ruhamah.’ Contend with your mother, contend, For she is not my wife, and I am not her husband; And let her put away her harlotry from her face, And her adultery from between her breasts, Lest I strip her naked And expose her as on the day when she was born. I will also make her like a wilderness, Make her like desert land, And slay her with thirst. Also, I will have no compassion on her children, Because they are children of harlotry. For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, Who give {me} my bread and my water, My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’ Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns, And I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her paths. And she will pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them; And she will seek them, but will not find {them.} Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my first husband, For it was better for me then than now!’ For she does not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil, And lavished on her silver and gold, {Which} they used for Baal.”

So, God reveals to us His picture of Intimacy in Hosea 2:14, when he says “Therefore, behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her.” We have immediate access to God; we can and must pour out our joys, fears, needs, thanksgiving and our cries for help to God in our souls; that’s intimacy. Note what the Lord commanded Hosea to do in HOS 14:2 “Take with you words and turn to the Lord.” The Hebrew word for word is dhavar, and here it means, “Come to Me with a case, make a case for yourself.” God advises us to come to Him with words. This is praying with purpose, to appeal to the Supreme Court of Heaven. In the place of intimacy, our souls, we are heard by God. He is there with us, not in judgment, but in intimacy. That's why we read HEB 4:14-16, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” Intimacy with God is a powerful asset.

As we continue in the plan of God and with the life of God, we will discover that there is something within us that causes us to realize that we have not been created for the amusement or the meaningless vanities of this world. A common problem believers face after they have tasted the grace and the love of God for a period of time is losing their intimacy with God and become dry; they lose their first love. Remember, REV 2:2-4, “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

There are two ways that we respond, or react, to dryness or lack of spiritual intimacy. One is to lose heart and go back to the ways of the world, 2PE 2:22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit, and, A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” The other way is to instinctively know that the dryness is from the Lord and therefore, continue to follow after Him, even in those dry places. You see, the near grace, or the greater grace, which the Lord gives is given in order to draw us after Him. This type of believer has his source from the Lord. Nothing stops him; he runs with a boldness. He fulfills PHI 4:5 “Let your supergrace mental attitude be known to all men. The Lord is near.” The types of individuals described in this verse have an extraordinary relationship with divine providence. The events that come into their life may be extreme and violent at times, but it doesn't matter because they have learned to become immune to those events. They do not let anyone or anything take away their happiness that they have with God. 1CO 2:14-15, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.” The only one that really knows you is God! In fact, you don't even know yourself as well as you think that you do. This is why David said PSA 19:12 “Who can understand his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.” Paul said in 1CO 4:4 “For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.”

Often this seeking Christian desiring intimacy with the Lord will discover on his own, in astonishment, surprise and delight, that he has within his own self the very treasure he was seeking. This is when the believer discovers that prayer does not have to be a costly and boring thing, and he rejoices in his newfound liberty. He goes deep within himself and there he finds the Lord. He finds an indescribable delight that carries him forward in the spiritual life. PHI 4:6-7, Stop worrying about anything, but in every circumstance through prayer and through supplication for personal needs after thanksgivings let your requests or petitions be revealed to the God. In fact, that spiritual peace and prosperity from the source of the God, which surpasses or rises above and beyond all comprehension, shall garrison your hearts [right lobes] also your motivation minds in Christ Jesus.” This is just the beginning of a deeper teaching on the spiritual life. In fact, even as enjoyable as this state would appear, the believer is dealing with something with which he is not well-acquainted. He is filled with more spiritual enthusiasm and love. At times, he feels that he is in some type of paradise. He has found within him something greater than all the pleasures of the earth, and his love increases from day to day. Everything that burdened him now is meaningless. However, even in this stage there will be periods of dryness, but this does not cause him to fall backward, but to move forward in the spiritual life. He is content and is enjoying his relationship with the Lord and is enjoying those things he believes to be from the Lord. There will be level spots ahead where things will see to get mundane. However, if you continue to go forward in the PPOG, be sure, there are tests up ahead. Don't mistake times of rest as being unprofitable times. When God gives you times of rest, it's wise to build (2CH 14:7).

So, Ultra-Supergrace is the most advanced stage of spiritual maturity related to time, history, and the angelic conflict. Once the believer breaks the maturity barrier through the daily metabolization of doctrine, he moves into three different spheres of maturity. 1) Supergrace A is a period of rest and relaxation, receiving the basic elements of blessings for reaching spiritual maturity. 2) Supergrace B is the period of crossing no man's land, where the believer receives the greatest attacks by reversionistic believers. 3) Ultra-Supergrace is the quintessence of maturity. In ultra-Supergrace, the believer receives maximum opposition from the Satanic forces of evil, which only intensifies his Supergrace blessings. Once God begins to touch those who seek Him, He gives that believer an instinct to be united with Him as never before.

In ultra-Supergrace, the believer receives maximum opposition from the Satanic forces of evil, which only intensifies his Supergrace blessings. This opposition is the highest decoration the believer can receive from God. And these decorations indicate great future blessings in eternity. The mature believer in ultra-Supergrace must get use to the idea that blessing doesn't always mean lack of pressure (1PE 3:12-14; 1PE 4:12-14).

The Eternal Decorations of the ultra-Supergrace Believer: 1) The crown or wreath of life (JAM 1:12; REV 2:10). 2) The crown of righteousness (2TI 4:7-8). 3) The crown of glory (1TH 2:19-20; 1PE 5:4; PHI 4:1).


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.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Internet Church Service, Sunday, Jan 20, 2012

This week’s sermon title:
The Fruit of the Spirit manifested by the Salvation Ministry
of God the Holy Spirit at the moment of Salvation. Part 5.

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Today’s Sermon Message:

“The Fruit of the Spirit manifested by the Salvation Ministry
of God the Holy Spirit at the moment of Salvation. 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!!

# # # # # # # #

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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

Make Me A Servant – Lyrics in video, listen and enjoy.
(You can skip the commercial if there is one)



Hymn #2

My Lord, what love is this (Amazing Love) - 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!

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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:



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


(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.)


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

Nearer My God To Thee – 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.

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.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Wkly Bible Study for Dial-Up/Broadband, 1-14-2013

The Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age. Part 63.
The Doctrine of Supergrace (spiritual maturity). Lesson 4.

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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!

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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:


The Mystery Doctrine of the Church Age. Part 63.
The Doctrine of Supergrace (spiritual maturity). Lesson 4



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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 have begun to look at PHI 4:13, and how this relates to all those who came against the apostle Paul. PHI 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

We noted Hymenaeus and Alexander in 1TI 1:19-20, “keeping doctrine and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their doctrine. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.”

In 2TI 4:10 Paul said, “for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica;”

In 2TI 4:14 Paul said, “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.”

2CO 12:15 “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.” (NKJ)

The higher you go spiritually, the less company you will have. You will discover that the more you love people with impersonal love and honor their privacy, the more they will misinterpret that treatment. So Paul is, in his spiritual life, in no man's land. If you get to this stage, you will become segregated from others as you are becoming integrated with those who have positive volition toward doctrine. PSA 119:63 “I am a companion of all those who respect Thee, and of those who keep Thy precepts.” As you go forward in the spiritual life you cannot help but have rapport with people who are on the same battlefield with you, and there's a lot of people who will get left behind. MAT 10:34-36, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household.” Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. MAT 10:37-39, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.”

There will be many that get lost in the shuffle. They don't go forward. They're negative toward doctrine. You will see many that will sell out for the right price. Judas sold out for thirty pieces of silver; many sell out for far less. Of course it is not only in the monetary realm; it could be fame, a relationship, or many other things. However there are some believers who kept going, never selling out, never compromising. As you go forward in your spiritual life, there will be a time when not only your scale of values about people will change, but you are going to undergo a change of friends. Your scale of values will be formed in no man's land or the spiritual battlefield. It is here that you will lose rapport with certain people, especially with those who have fallen by the wayside and are negative toward doctrine. However, you will pick up rapport with those on the same battlefield. The point is that Paul loves this congregation because it is made up of those who stuck it out and went all the way.

Now, out on that battlefield in no man's land, there aren't as many as there were at the start. As with any battle, there are people who become casualties along the way. You will discover that the more you do for people, the more they expect from you, and the quicker they'll turn on you. Lucifer was the Messiah's personal angel. Joseph's brothers sold Joseph into slavery. Korah, the cousin of Moses came against Moses. Absalom was the son of David and came against him. Judas was close to the Lord Jesus Christ and we know what happened there. The battlefield of no man's land thins out the ranks and reveals the difference between those who have a pseudo positive volition and those who are genuine towards doctrine.

So, we need to get some sort of picture of Paul’s spiritual life. There's no one at his stage of spiritual growth or spiritual maturity. This is the principle: The more you grow spiritually, the less company you'll have. Paul is at a place in his spiritual life of no man's land; he learned how to handle that great problem of fear. We also need to learn these important principles regarding fear:

Fear is met and destroyed with courage. This includes the fear of rejection.

When you face your fear, most of the time you will discover that it was not really such a big threat after all. It was just the roaring lion, but with doctrine in your soul you will be able to roar right back.

Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.

Most of our problems would be totally solved if, instead of fearing to face them, we would make up our minds to walk boldly through them.

Whenever we're afraid it’s because we don't know enough, because if we understood enough we would never be afraid. 1JO 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

Whenever we fear something, we give that which we fear power over us.

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.

Courage is resistance to fear; it is mastery of fear; it is NOT absence of fear. This is why Paul said in PHI 1:28 “Likewise, in no way be intimidated by your enemies which to them [intimidation] is a manifestation of destructive ways, but with reference to you, deliverance, in fact, this [deliverance] is from the source of God.” If you are in no man's land and growing spiritually, you will have opponents and adversaries. There will be people who are manipulated by Satan and the kingdom of darkness who are out to try to stop your momentum. In fact, you will never reach spiritual maturity unless you face a certain amount of undeserved suffering and don't complain about it. So, when you're in no man's land spiritually, you're going to have pressures, and undeserved suffering. This is the suffering that gives you that final thrust to reach God's goal for your life.

As you go forward to spiritual maturity and start getting into no man's land, you will realize that sometimes you have to make sacrifices and suffer seeming losses if you're going to fulfill God's plan. The advance to spiritual maturity or no man's land is a place of great testing, ACT 14:22 “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

You will discover that the worst people you will encounter are certain believers, the con-artists, the unforgiving types, the liars and deceivers. All of us at some time or another are going to bump into a con-artist in life. They are generally people with pleasing personalities, a pleasing appearance, and sometimes they have an attractive way about them.

They may even give the impression of being great believers or great spiritual leaders! Being people-smart is no defense against the con-artists of this life. Neither is spiritual maturity a total defense. David was one of the greatest believers of all time, and in the state of spiritual maturity he was conned by certain individuals.

The thing to remember is that when you are taken in by a con-artist, you can learn from the experience. For example, remember not to react, not to be bitter, vindictive, implacable, or full of vengeance. This is especially important if you are in a position of leadership, because if you become bitter you will never have the qualities of leadership necessary to fulfill that function. All of us at sometime will fail because it's inevitable that the very thing that makes us strong, honor and integrity, also makes us vulnerable and even sometimes weak. We can easily begin to assume that everyone who is nice, well-mannered, and knows the vocabulary of a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, is honorable and filled with integrity, and that's when things fall apart. Some of you have people in your life that you wouldn't even dream about doing the things to them that they are planning to do to you someday, or they would do it for the right price. Remember what David said in PSA 55:12-14, “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend. We who had sweet fellowship together, walked in the house of God in the throng.”

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you're going to get a certain number of tests in this area. This is especially in the local assembly because it is the place where doctrine is taught. The kingdom of darkness desires to do whatever it can to distract people from the intake of doctrine. Paul said in GAL 2:4 “But it was because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.” Notice that there is such a thing as false brethren. David had to deal with three master con-artists during his lifetime, and after the third he finally caught on. The con-artist uses the victim to get to his objective, and to do this he must deceive his victim. The con-artist is a reversionist and in using deceit must hide the evidence to make the lie stick. The greatest con-artists are reversionistic believers under the influence of evil. They know the language and what to say to each person. They know how to be sweet and nice to others and give them the wrong impression. They will ambush you every time they get a chance, and they will be used as the devil's final core from getting you to reach spiritual maturity. This is why you can't get your eyes on people.

So, what is most important is this final push in getting to spiritual maturity, and advancing through the different stages of the Christian way of life, and we do this by PHI 2:16 “holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.” This has to do with the intimacy and the nearness of the Lord in the life of the believer who perseveres and picks up their cross daily. The Lord is near from the standpoint of the omnipresence of His essence, which means that He sees and hears everything we do (ISA 41:10 and HEB 4:13). However, the Lord is also near in the amplification of living grace which makes it possible for the believer to reach Supergrace and understand fully the reality of the grace provision given by God. This is a reference to God's total provision for the believer who recognizes his dependency on God and who has continued toward spiritual maturity. This is the fulfillment of such passages as MAT 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” Or JOH 6:27 “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, {even} God, has set His seal.”

The intimacy and the nearness of the Lord, or near grace, makes it possible for the Supergrace believer also to advance to ultra-Supergrace. Here you continue your advance in the spiritual life in spite of the obstacles, hindrances, and restraints that are placed in your path. Here you can have the confidence of such passages as 2CO 13:8 “For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth” and PRO 21:30 “There is no wisdom and no understanding and no counsel against the Lord.” Or the popular ROM 8:28 “And we know that God to those who love God, He works all things together for good,” Once you believe those passages, you will have a relaxed mental attitude toward everything in life.

So, in PHI 4:5, the whole principle in the phrase “the Lord is near” is simply that you went from saving grace to Supergrace by way of living grace. Now that you have grown spiritually you will experience near grace, or greater grace. Living grace was all the provision necessary to get you to crack that maturity barrier. You cracked that maturity barrier because you perceived, metabolized, and applied Bible doctrine daily and had all the provision necessary to do so. You had food, shelter, clothing, transportation. You had the preservation of divine thought in a sacred book, the Canon of scripture. You had a pastor-teacher. You had the academic discipline of a classroom, the local church. All of these things were just a small part of the tremendous provision whereby you could reach Supergrace. On this road you will begin to experience something very unique which cannot be described by human words: An intimacy and a nearness to the Lord. Therefore, you will realize that you have no excuses. You're moving out into no man's land with the next objective of ultra-Supergrace. It is the same grace provision which took you from salvation to Supergrace that will also carry you from Supergrace to ultra-Supergrace. Living grace keeps the believer alive in the devil's world and provides every need and blessing for the advance. The advance is in the realm of spiritual maturity; it is going from Supergrace to ultra-Supergrace and receiving the greater grace of JAM 4:6 “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’”

So, saving grace is when you believe in Jesus Christ. Living grace takes you all the way through the maturity barrier to Supergrace. It is near grace or greater grace which takes you from Supergrace to the next objective, ultra-Supergrace.

So then, here are some principles regarding near grace:

1) Near grace is a supercharger which performs the same function in no man's land that living grace performed in the advance to spiritual maturity. It keeps you going forward under the most extreme and intensified forms of adversities, trials, difficulties, hardships, afflictions, problems, disasters, sufferings, etc.

2) Near grace recognizes the tremendous opposition which develops in the life of any believer advancing through no man's land between Supergrace and ultra-Supergrace. You will have tribulation. JOH 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

3) The increased opposition from the satanic forces of evil calls for the intensified provision of grace; therefore another category of grace is near grace, “the Lord is near.” This means that the Lord is at home in your hearts, and there is an intimacy and nearness you have with the Lord. This will occur as EPH 3:17 says, “When you are rooted and grounded in impersonal unconditional agape love.” This love must be authentic and without hypocrisy.

In MAT 5:44 it is a love that “loves your enemies, and prays for those who persecute you!” In JOH 14:15 it is the type of love that motivates the believer to stay with doctrine, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.” In 1CO 13:4 it is the type of love that is patient, gracious, not jealous; does not brag and is not arrogant. In 1PE 4:8 it is the type of love that covers a multitude of sins. In 1JO 2:5 it is the type of love that can only be developed from the intake of doctrine, “But whoever keeps His doctrine, in that believer the love of God has truly been matured.” In 1JO 4:20 it is the type of love that has respect for the Royal Family of God, 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. All of these principles are related to the type of love that we must be rooted and grounded in for TLJC to be at home in our hearts and to have that intimacy and the nearness of the Lord.

4) In near grace, the Lord makes special provision for the Supergrace believer advancing to the next objective where the going gets tough and the Lord's provision is greater than the stiffness of the opposition (1JO 4:4).

5) When it says in PHI 4:5 Let your Supergrace mental attitude be known to all men, this spiritual attitude is to be revealed before all men, the saved as well as the unsaved. JAM 3:13-17, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”

6) A Supergrace mental attitude, manifested by a forbearing spirit or a gentleness which is a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, runs contrary to the normal attitude of the flesh. Whenever a believer becomes critical, harsh, or demanding, they will drive a wedge between themselves and those around them. This is especially true in regards to their work in the area of evangelism. TIT 3:1-2, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”

7) A Supergrace mental attitude is manifested by a mild disposition, mental strength under control, and obedience to the Word of God. It springs from the very nature of Christ.

8) The main verb in PHI 4:5 is the Greek word epieikes, translated forbearing spirit, and it also means mildness, patience, gentleness, moderation, unwillingness to litigate or contend. It means meekness under provocation and readiness to forgive injuries.

So again PHI 4:5 “Let your supergrace mental attitude be known to all men. The Lord is near.”


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.