A LIFE OR DEATH PROPOSITION
Douglas C. Schacht
Author, Writer and Edited By
Ocean View, Hawaii
Copyright @ 1998 by Douglas C. Schacht
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, are reserved.
No part may be reproduced in any manner without permission
in writing from the Author or Publisher, except for brief quotat-
ions used in connection with a review in a magizine or news paper.
ISBN 1-884570-90-9
Library of Congress Catalog card Number. 98-66827
Disclaimer: I invite any and all who visit this Web-Site, to feel free to copy any and all parts of this writing for
their own or group study, and to enjoy it to the fullest. Sincerely Doug.
Introduction
Many ideas with different solutions for solving the needs of society have been tried several times and failed. Different
people think they can make their ideas work, if only they can enlist enough support and raise enough revenue to promote it.
In the midst of all the confusion being created, I have felt it necessary to interject a voice of sensibility and clear thinking,
according to the oldest but newest,(The Bible), solution to the dilemma man has created for himself.
That which mankind
has been striving to achieve, has been available to him at every juncture along life's pathway. Because he insists on trying
to do it himself, he has had his vision obscured, his understanding distorted and therefore is unable to see or think clearly.
He tries to fix the problem rather than deal with the cause of the problem.
The message that, "The Gospel is the power
of God resulting in Salvation, to every one who would believe," has been distorted and confused. It has been my thinking for
quite some time that some clarity and simplification needs to be restored to the true message of life. It is the cause that
needs fixing first, before the problem can be addressed.
Dear Reader, if you are truly serious about your relationship
with the Lord, and are in search of the solution to life's dilemmas, the time spent perusing the contents of this writing,
will be rewarding to you. If you desire to partake of the fruit of the Spirit, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,
Etc. in order that the life you now are living might be enriched, then give yourself to reading and absorbing these truths.
If
however, you are only interested in stories, and trite sayings, or myths, or fictionalizing the Truth of the Good News, look
elsewhere; this writing is for the sincere, serious seeker.
For this purpose I have given myself to this task, in hopes
that some needy person might be helped. Sincerely, Doug.
|
|
|
Bracing Against the Wind-South Point |
Taking a break:
|
Enjoying Life
Checking out the Wonders of the Islands. Just Enjoying the Time the Lord has given us here. Working on My Web Page, hoping
to make your acquaintance, so please, let me hear from you. I would like to be of any help I can, I know there are many unanswered
questions you maay have.
|
|
|
|
Preface
JEHOVAH-GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSEGod overcame all opposition, broke down all barriers, defeated all foes, and accomplished
His purpose for all who would receive Him in Jesus Christ. His finished work makes it possible for Him, to ultimately have
a creation that would be to His glory.Of the multitudes who have been called, any and all may be one of His Chosen, by believing
His Word concerning His Son Jesus Christ. God, knowing all things from the beginning, has predetermined, if you are one who
would believe, and having predetermined you would believe, has therefore called you, to be one of His chosen. Having chosen
you, He justified you in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His purpose is to conform all believing persons
to the Image of His Son. He has sent His Holy Spirit, to complete His finished work in the believer, through His abiding presence.
Gen. 1:26, and 27a, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in our Image, according to our Likeness. And God created man in His own
Image, in the image of God, He created him, male and female He created them." The image became marred by and act of disobedience,
but God was not to be deterred from His original purpose. In the Scriptural record, He reveals the purpose of the effort He
put forth throughout the centuries, is to bring about fulfillment of His purpose. It was at this point that the, conflict
of the ages, that had began in Heaven, was brought to earth and interjected into the nature of man, when he exercised his
will in place of the will of God. More will be said about this later.As an example in our day, consider the manner in which
professional teams in the sports world call and choose the people who will fill their rosters. Each season, the, "Call",
goes out for the draft. Because of the foreknowledge of the coaches and scouts, those qualified, (and it is presumed who will
answer the call), are the many called." Then the selection process takes place. Each franchise chooses the players of their
choice and the player is told to show up at a desig-nated time and place, to fill the position on the team. From then on
he lives according to the teams prescribed regimen. The team franchise provides everything necessary for the player to
fulfill his or her assigned position. However the analogy breaks down because the team can't provide the player with the life
or the ability to perform up to their potential,. God in Jesus Christ, does. The Apostle Paul, expresses it this way, "For
this reason also, since the day we heard of it, (their faith and love ), we have not ceased to pray for you, and to ask that
you may be filled with the knowledge of His Will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner
worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience, joyously
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us, to share in the inheritance of the saints, (true believers), in light.
For He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son." Col.. 1:9-13.
According to the New Testament, The Word, that the Cross Speaks, is that in His Son Jesus Christ, the work and all the provisions
necessary to fill the place in the Body,( the Church), the believer is to hold, has been completed. For almost two thousand
years, it has been offered without charge, freely, (Gratuitously), to all. It is offered to all who acknowledge that they
don't measure up to the,Image, and by faith they will accept God's assessment of their condition and their need. They then,
by faith, may accept Jesus Christ as God's provision for their need and the one through whom restoration takes place. Jesus
Christ is the one sent from the Father to take the place of the first man, Adam, under judgment of sin and death. Jesus by
resurrection would conquer the power death had over the believer and He would usher in the second man, the man from Heaven,
as a New Head, of a new race of men, a spiritual body, so that the members of this body might bear the image of the Heavenly.1Cor.
15:45-49, "So it is written, The first man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam became a Life Giving Spirit, the spiritual
is not first, but the natural; then comes the spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy, the second man is from heaven.
As is the earthy so also are those who are earthy: and as is the heavenly so also are those who are heavenly. And just as
we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly."All who will accept being one of His
chosen ones by faith, become identified with Jesus, in His death to sin; for you, that you might be identified with Him in
resurrection Life. Read Remans, 5:25:-6:23. Plus 7:18-8:17. Through the Strength of His Life, you now put off the old man,
the natural man, the sinful man, and put on the New Man created in Christ Jesus. Eph. 4:20-24, "But you did not learn Christ
in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and been taught by Him, just as the truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your
former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that
you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness
and holiness of the truth."You are now equipped to walk,(live the life) worthy of being called a child of God. Walk, (live),
therefore, bearing the Image of the Spiritual Man, with the ability supplied you, to control the natural, the physical man,
to His Glory. John 6:63, "Jesus said,' It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing; the words I have spoken
to you are Spirit and Life". ABIDE IN HIM!" My Sincere Appreciation To my loving wife, for her untiring
time and effort put forth in proof reading and critiquing my writing, and to Steve Roberts, my nephew and SystemsManager at
Sun Microsystems, first for his generous gift of my first Apple Computer, and then for his willing availability in mentoring
me as I struggled to gain the understanding and ability to operate and produce this work. Thank you both, and I love you much.
|
Dolores-Admiring Plumaria Blossom |
Anytime is the time to communicate: doug.schacht@cox.net
Life In These Difficult Times
|