
Diane & Dan Smedra
Thank you for your interest. The
heart of our modest ministry is personal email correspondence* with Christians
around the world who are hungry to grow in their spiritual life and service.
While Diane continues full-time employment, I was led into early
retirement in 2007 due to various health issues. Together, we continue to joyfully serve in this
ministry designed to provide spiritual growth resources to born-again members of Christ's Body.
The website's name "withChrist.org" is drawn from the biblical (Pauline) truths
of the believer's positional: crucifixion (death), burial, resurrection, ascension, and
being seated "with" Christ. See Romans 6:4,6
and Ephesians 2:6.
Having walked with the Lord for 40+
years, my heart's desire is to see believers, both young and older, established
in sound foundational basics and able to navigate today's doctrinal
'minefields'. WithChrist.org seeks to prepare believers for subsequent
spiritual growth with the goal of ever-deepening fellowship with God the Father
and God the
Son (1 John 1:3b). Our online corresponding goal is to stay quietly
in touch with the Lord, being prepared by Him to share with those who reach out in need.
This type of relational ministry is not for everyone.
Our goal is for a life-giving
ministry (2 Cor. 4:12). We neither claim nor assert any earthly "authority."
Those who visit and read material published on our website are humanly free to
disregard its content--a choice consistent with America's unique founding
principle(1) of "religious liberty." Our desire is to
supplement, not supplant, the role of the doctrinally safe-and-sound local
church, assembly, or meeting.
We view ourselves as directly accountable to the Risen Lord Jesus Christ by the
power of God the Holy Spirit. Our ministry largely draws from the context of 19th-to-21st
century expressions of evangelical/dispensational Christianity with its
Reformation roots, all the while
recognizing the dangers of over-reliance on either a traditional and
reforming emphasis.
Our Anchor is the Risen Lord Jesus Christ,
who is the Living Word (John 1:1,2) and Truth Incarnate (John
14:6), and Who with other Persons of the Godhead, superintended the inerrant and
propositional Written Word. The veracity of both Jesus Christ and the
Bible is authenticated in our experience by the sovereign illuminating power
of the God the Holy Spirit.
"Emerging post-evangelicals," who value "post-Bible study
piety," "post-systematic theology," and "post 'in/out' in perception" will find
little to satisfy their tastes here.
Therefore, in an effort to be good
stewards of our time and resources, we respond to those who demonstrate
spiritual hunger and a teachable spirit. We are not
interested in endless debates or arguments. Further, attempts to intimidate, censure or silence
us, or email that is rude, insulting, ranting,
belligerent, or repeatedly disingenuous in tone will be ignored or potentially
blocked pursuant to the
Scriptural admonishment of Titus 3:10,11.
* Given the limitations of our financial
resources and schedules, we prefer email rather than engaging in
long-distance phone conversations. Exceptions will be granted on a
case-by-case basis.
(1) See:
NEVER BEFORE IN HISTORY, America's Inspired Birth, Amos & Gardiner, Haughton,
1998.
Further Important Notices:
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We do not provide legal assistance or financial support for those seeking
religious, political, or economic asylum/relief, domestic or foreign.
Our advice to you is to contact a foreign embassy located in the country of
your residence, a civic organization, or local church.
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We do not provide formal
psychological counseling, therapy, or conflict mediation. We attempt
to share wisdom --
Proverbs chapters 1 & 2.
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We are not a source of material goods, financial aid,
nor are we interested in any "partnering" or
"affiliation" arrangement with
other ministries, domestic or foreign. Other ministries are designed
to addresses these needs. Your request for funds will
simply be added to the dozens we receive on a monthly basis.
Persistent appeals for money (spam) will warrant a block of your email address.
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Other than the cache of resources on our websites, we do not provide free
literature, books, etc. This ministry operates on less than a 'shoestring'
budget.
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Lastly, we only accept
small 'grassroots' donations via PayPal (see button below). All
donations specifically go to the costs of website hosting, spam filtering,
software and hardware upgrades, etc. Historically, donations have never
exceeded these costs. For more detail, see the Ten Year History
Newsletter below.
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Emails which ignore the above will be reciprocally
ignored and deleted.
Subsequent email from the same or similar source will warrant being permanently blocked.
PURPOSE: Our ministry seeks to guide believers into study
suited to their unique circumstances and further strives to see them become "established in
grace" and on their own with the Lord as soon as possible (2 Peter 3:18).
Our expectation is for correspondents to eagerly study the Word of God
(sixty-six canonical books of the Bible) as well as recommended Christian
literature--understanding that the goal for believers is to be anchored in truth
and advancing in a more intimate knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each
must learn to depend upon Him (Head of the New Creation), not us.
APPROACH: Our approach to Scripture is to ideally focus on
those sections of the Word specifically written to New-Creation Christians--Paul's
Epistles. This is not meant to diminish other portions of the Word,
but to establish an initial priority.
When adequately established in basic Christian tenets, the believer can then safely
study and understand other portions of both the NT and OT. As shown is the
graphic below, the believer's focus should be upon Paul's Epistle (the blue dot in the center), then,
move outward to incorporate
the remainder of the NT (the inner green ring). Finally, the believer can
safely incorporation and understand the
portions of the OT (shown by the outer tan ring). Using this approach
helps ensure that new believers aren't overwhelmed by the seemingly mundane details
found in the OT.

Other key marks of our ministry include:
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emphasis upon the supernatural "new birth" as the
exclusive portal to genuine Christian experience,
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reliance on the Bible, God's written revelation as the ultimate authority,
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salvation by grace through faith--never
the other way around,
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concern for the born-again believer's 'spiritual
growth' including conformity to the mind of Christ,
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focus on Christ's redeeming work in His Cross,
Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension, and secondarily,
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the reasoned and consistent application of these
truths to the broader spheres of cultural life.
SCOPE: While not repelled by scholarship or
footnotes, our material is presented from the perspective of the
non-academic or layman who nonetheless enjoys passionate thinking. Our ministry does include
occasional observations: philosophical, sociological and psychological, but its
primary focus is theological and doctrinal. Here you will find
candid discussion, frank evaluations and unvarnished reviews, in contrast to the
'seeker-sensitive' messages so in vogue today. "For the time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears
tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own
desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to
myths." 2 Tim. 4:3,4.
CHRIST: We believe that Jesus Christ is eternally
God the Son and Son of God, the Last Adam and Source of New Life for a New Creation, Savior of
sinners, Head and Bridegroom of the Church--His Body, as well as Israel's
prophesied Messiah and Coming King.
REVELATION OF THE SINFUL NATURE OF THE
FIRST ADAM: Humankind (ha'adam), being animated by God
with "the breathe of life" (neshama), was uniquely created (Gen.
1:27; 2:7) in Elohim's image and constituted "living" beings or souls (nephesh-whole
persons)(1Cor.15:45). In the Fall, humankind's relationship to God
change (Rom.3:23,24) and their animating life became sinful (Romans
5:12-7:25). Both Adam and Eve's standing and sinful life were passed
to their offspring (Gen. 5:3; 1Cor.15:49). The OT and Synoptic Gospels
are the records of God's "testing" of humankind for the purpose of
demonstrating its utter lost and incorrigible estate. God's judgment
upon Adamic humankind, "man in the flesh," culminated at the Cross of
Calvary! In the current age, God is NOT testing humankind to see who
will or will not believe the Gospel, for they ALL make excuse (Luke
14:15-20). God's calling and salvation are by sovereign grace (Luke
14:21-24).
THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL: In contrast to
theological traditions and widespread belief that the Church replaced Israel in God's
plans, we believe God the Father has one grand purpose—to glorify Himself in
Christ. This involves glory in two (2) spheres—the earthly and the
heavenly (a now-unseen spiritual dimension). In keeping with this
purpose, God has created the Church distinct from Israel, yet both are "joint heirs"
(Eph. 3:6) of the blood of the eternal covenant
(Heb. 13:20). OT covenant promises to Israel have not been transferred to the
Church (Romans 11:1, 25, 29).
HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY PEOPLE: Throughout
history, the salvation of all
saints is ever and only by grace through faith in view of
the redemptive work of Christ. At no time has God offered salvation
"by works of law." In regard to spiritual blessings, the Church and Israel
sometimes complement or mirror the other, both reflecting the glory of God, but each in
its own respective sphere. The Church, the Body of Christ, of which
Israel is not a part, is uniquely composed of saints seated in the heavenlies
in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6), while Israel is an earthly people with
unique earthy blessings, who
will be reestablished in their land by sovereign power and in fulfillment of
OT covenant promises.
MYSTERY: The Church, born at Pentecost (Acts
2), is spoken of in the NT as a "mystery," the truths of which were
neither prophesied nor revealed in OT Scriptures, a complete mystery
until revealed and unfolded doctrinally by the Apostle Paul in his Epistles.
While Paul penned Romans to Philemon, these Epistles are
in fact the inerrant revelation from the Risen Lord Jesus
(Gal.1:12), who is
currently seated in the Glory. The other Jewish Apostle indirectly
learned the truth of the mystery from Paul (2 Peter 3:16).
We believe, that over time, the
content of a person's beliefs affect all realms of life--or put simply,
"ideas have consequences." "For as he thinks
in his heart [mind], so is he" Proverbs 23:7.
Many thanks to those who provide prayer
and encouragement.
Biblical Love: In Relation to Doctrinal Error and Those Who Hold It
Doctrinal Statement
Ten Year
History Newsletter
A Few Letters of Appreciation
WithChrist.org
(originally TrueBranch Ministry) was established in late 1995 and has been
supported primarily through our personal sacrifice, labor, and funds.
Since the start, hundreds of hours have been spent each year creating and
maintaining these websites, together with time spent in correspondence with those
who write from all over the world. In addition, both Diane and I were
employed in demanding, full-time jobs--for the past 35 and 40 years,
respectively. The Apostle Paul is our model (2 Cor. 6:3-10).
Believers who benefit from this ministry
regularly ask how they can participate and help support the websites (Timothy
5:18). Donations can be made, using your bank's Internet funds transfer
service (e.g. POPMoney) or the PayPal link below. Using a
PayPal
account or a credit
card is similar to other e-commerce transactions. Euro,
Pound Sterling, Yen, Canadian or Australian dollars are accepted. You don't have to
establish a PayPal account to transfer funds. It is easy, safe and secure.
At this time, your donation directly goes to cover the costs and maintenance of
hardware, software, and hosting service subscriptions. WithChrist.org's
financial stewardship is modeled after 1 Kings 17:3-6.
We deeply appreciate the "ravens" who continue to answer God's call
and sustain this ministry.
At times, our burden is to speak
spiritual truth to both religious and secular power. This includes
publishing opinions on "Christian" leaders and movements; social, political, and spiritual issues; including the
possible
endorsement of political candidates. WithChrist.org is not organized under
U.S. Code 501(c)(3) as a "qualified charitable organization."
According to the IRS, your donation to our ministry is not officially
tax-deductible... but of course still deeply appreciated. We know you'll understand.
Below are two ways you can make a
donation. POPMoney is one of the new online funds transfer
systems and it currently doesn't charge a transfer fee. Below its icon
is a PayPal "Donate" button. Due to PayPal's 3-4%
fee and its recent 'politically-correct' policies, we're encouraging
supporters not to patronize PayPal.