"We see, in many a land, the proudest dynasties and tyrannies still crushing, with their mountain weight, every free motion of the Consciences and hearts of men. We see, on the other hand, the truest heroism for the right and the greatest devotion to the Truth in hearts that God has touched. We have a work to do, as great as our forefathers and, perhaps, far greater. The enemies of Truth are more numerous and subtle than ever and the needs of the Church are greater than at any preceding time. If we are not debtors to the present, then men were never debtors to their age and their time. Brethren, we are debtors to the hour in which we live. Oh, that we might stamp it with Truth and that God might help us to impress upon its wings some proof that it has not flown by neglected and unheeded." -- C.H. Spurgeon . . . "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31, 32 . . . . .

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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

DEAR CHRISTIAN, LET'S PRESS ON...

by A.M. Kisly 

Dear Saints, I read a devotion today written by Ken Silva that was so pertinent to the times we live in that I thought I'd it share with all of you. I hope it speaks to you as it did to me.

Philippians 3:13-16
  "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing."

The Battle Begins To Intensify
You need to know that this age in which we live will be one of increased spiritual warfare, and that our time grows ever shorter before the return of our Lord. Now I make no prediction as to when Christ comes again—it may not be in our lifetime—but, I can tell you this: When Jesus returns, He will not be in a good mood. And further, because Christ Jesus is God, Paul is trying to remind us in our opening text, that we must put forth some kind of an effort, if we really want to know Him.

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Monday, July 26, 2010

LOOKING Into The SHACK– A Review of the book, UNSHACKLED by Pastor Larry DeBruyn

~~By James Fire

As we have seen in T.T.U.F.s first article on this novel, The Shack by Paul Young, there are many ideas presented in this fictitious work that are unbiblical. What we often hear from those who love this story is just that: “it’s just a story!”

However, story or not, books contain words, and words convey ideas and ideas, concepts and perspectives are either true or they are not. If concepts in a Christian novel (The Shack is not a Christian novel (By ‘Christian’ we mean a Christian world view based on the truth of the BibleLarry), though it’s packaged to look like one) are not biblical, one must ask why the author (who is presumably a Christian) would promote such ideas.

It begs the question, why can’t a well told story also be biblically accurate? As Christians should we support such work by purchasing the books and related materials, to the financial benefit of its authors and publishers?

True, The Shack touches us emotionally, and speaks to the suffering and pain that is common among us in this world, but then many secular novels do as much as this! How is this novel different from any of its secular counterparts?

It purports to be a ‘Christian’ novel and presumes to teach us things about God, and life on Earth for the believer, and here those who love the Word of God supremely, must challenge its tenets.

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Friday, July 16, 2010

Latest News: SEX EDUCATION FOR 5 AND 6 YEAR OLDS?


by A.M. Kisly

We alone are the salt of the earth; there is no other. That's it, just us. If we lose our saltiness, it's lost. We are the light; that's it, just us. Nobody else. If our light is under a bushel, there is no other alternative.


I read a news article yesterday about the newest assault on children and the family unit that just utterly sickened me. If it weren't so completely necessary to bring this to the attention of the public, I would try to erase it from my mind.


In an article by Matt Gouras of the Associated Press, the Helena, Montana School Board has proposed a sex education program that teaches fifth-graders the different ways people have intercourse and first-graders about gay love.


For obvious reasons, this has infuriated the parents of these very young children. Their public outcry has forced the school board to take a closer look at the issue.
While the proposed 62-page document covers a broad health and nutrition education program, included in this curriculum is a portion dealing with sexual education that has angered many in the community who feel it is being pushed forward despite their objections and its obvious controversial nature.

 Listen Folks, because of the nature of this news, because of the times we live in, because Satan, sin and wickedness seem to be gaining ground in every aspect of life, because the Church is asleep, because the time is short, because JESUS is coming soon ... James and I are determined more than ever to bring you the TRUTH to the best of our ability, and to shoot straight from the hip with regards to the Church's response.

 Christian or non-Christian, one would think that even the simplest buffoon would understand that sex education is completely inappropriate for this age group. What, pray tell, is a 5 and 6 year old supposed to do with this information?

 The State Run Education System knows exactly what they are doing and that is to conform society into a lifestyle away from God's absolute law and authority, to take parental control away, and to promote the sinful lifestyles they embrace. Forget reading, writing and arithmetic: for some perverts it is more important that a young child be taught that promiscuity and sex outside of marriage is acceptable, that homosexuality is an alternate lifestyle that is both normal and acceptable behavior, that a baby is a fetus and that abortion is not murder....not to mention all the other filth that goes along with this. Satan is succeeding in destroying this world because Christians stand on the sidelines and do ...
... nothing.

The question is Why?
It was John Wesley who said,
Give me 100 men that hate nothing but sin, and love Jesus Christ, and we'll shake England for God.”
 I say give me 100 men and women that hate nothing but sin, and love Jesus Christ so truly and completely... well, just think of the possibilities!

The sad truth of the matter is that the Church (and I mean all of us) is compromised, we love this world and the things of this world; we have not separated ourselves but have joined WILLFULLY into its sinful pleasures.
It is proven by our speech, our conduct, and our silence on the things that really matter. The world offers us more toys and more distractions and we completely welcome almost all that it has to offer us, and then sit perplexed and horrified at the sinful decay of our society and are paralyzed in our ability to do anything about it.

 We have fallen prey to the selfish mindset of the Hollywood Entertainment Industry. Our kids are falling by the wayside because they are filling their minds with the world through television, music, and other worldly influences.
 Christian kids who have been raised in Christian homes, who go to church weekly and attend Christian teen groups, who perhaps have even been homeschooled are turning out more worldly minded than godly minded. They talk more about the things of this world than about Jesus Christ. Their idols are fictitious Hollywood creations, their dreams are to become the next American Idol. Why?

 Is our Christianity so compromised and diluted that we have become salt without flavor? Jesus, the Savior of the World, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the One who is and is to come (just to put HIM in rightful perspective) taught us,

MATTHEW 5:13-16

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.


 Evangelism is more than just spewing out words of the Bible and defining its message, its an example of a life in Christ that dispels the darkness around us. Simply, these four verses is the picture that our Lord gives of the Christian in the world, it is the function of the believer in the world. If I could reduce it to one word, it would be the word 'INFLUENCE.'

Just who is influencing who?
 Salt (the Christian), in order to be effective, has to be mingled with the substance (the world) that it is affecting, and yet salt (the Christian) is DISTINCT from that substance (the world). Light (the Christian life), in order to dispel darkness (the worldly life), must shine upon the darkness, yet is DISTINCT from the darkness.

He is saying,
You who are characterized by Beatitude-quality life, you who are the sons and daughters of the Kingdom of God are the salt and light of the world to influence the world for good and for God.
Our Lord is calling on us to influence the world that we live in, just as He did with those disciples who followed him and the multitudes he preached to. It was Jesus, the greatest hero of all time, who taught us not to love the world or the things of the world...and yet we have, and to the point where He is no longer the focus of or hearts and hero in our lives.

No longer do we desire to talk about Him, or to emulate Him, but rather we have turned our hearts elsewhere. Our minds have been influenced by the philosophical views of this world rather than the WORD OF GOD. Our kids idols are the characters depicted in various Hollywood films like Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Twilight, and the like; and the music industry has had a great effect upon the minds and hearts of us all so much so that we have become immune, so to speak, of the horror of sin.

How much murder or sex on television does one have to watch before it no longer makes them feel uncomfortable. How many horror flicks before we are immune to horror? I use television here because it is an easy example to present, but there are many, many other influences out there that are leading us away from the Lord.

 The Bible clearly teaches us not to be unequally yoked together with an unbeliever, and yet there are some Christians (through perhaps some careless teaching) who have chosen unbelievers as their closest friends. I am not saying to isolate yourself from unbelievers or that one cannot befriend a non-believer, but they should never become your closest friend or ally. For what have you in common, for ultimately you will be influenced and compromised.

I have watched as some have made this choice and are now struggling with their faith, and others who have turned away from God. The question for us today is, if we are called to influence this world for God and His Kingdom, what message are we leaving the world? When we pass by, what are we saying and doing? What influence have we been on those around us?

 We are taught in 1 PETER 2:9-10,
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;"


 May the Lord wake us up out of slumber and sleep and to the realization that we must "Come out from among them, and be separate." We must all get to our prayer closets and get honest with the Lord and ourselves about the compromise in our lives. We must choose this day whom we will serve, the world or God's Son. It is no longer I, but Christ and He must be allowed to take His rightful place on the throne of our hearts.
 Perhaps then, and only then will our lives influence our homes, our communities and the rest of society.
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Thursday, July 15, 2010

WHAT HAS AMERICA BECOME?

~ by A.M. Kisly

  In a letter written to the editor of a local Michigan newspaper, Ken Huber writes the following thoughts...


  Editor,
Has America become the land of the special interest and the home of the double standard?

  Let's see: if we lie to the Congress, it's a felony and if the congress lies to us it's just plain politics; if we dislike a black person, we're racist and if a black dislikes whites, it's their 1st Amendment right; the government spends millions to rehabilitate criminals and they do almost nothing for the victims; in public schools you can teach that homosexuality is OK, but you better not use the word God in the process; you can kill and unborn child, but it's wrong to execute a mass murderer; we don't burn books in America, we now rewrite them; we go rid of the communist and socialist threat by renaming them progressives; we are unable to close our border with Mexico, but have no problem protecting 38th parallel in Korea; if you protest against President Obama's policies you're a terrorist, but if you burned an American flag or George Bush in effigy it was your 1st Amendment right.


  You can have pornography on TV or the internet, but you better not put a nativity scene in a public park during Christmas; we have eliminated all criminals in America, they are now called sick people; we can use a human fetus for medical research, but it's wrong to use an animal.
We take money from those who work hard for it and give it to those who don't want to work; we all support the Constitution, but only when it supports our political ideology; we still have freedom of speech, but only if we are being politically correct; parenting has been replaced with Ritalin and video games; the land of opportunity is now the land of hand outs; the similarity between Hurricane Katrina and the gulf oil spill is that neither president did anything to help.

  And how do we handle a major crisis today? The government appoints a committee to determine who's at fault, then threatens them, passes a law, raises our taxes; tells us the problem is solved so they can get back to their reelection campaign. What has happened to the land of the free and home of the brave? Thank you Mr. Huber for publicly stating what many of us are thinking.....
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Saturday, July 10, 2010

CHRIST's COURT: Soon In Session - Part 3


Co-authored by A.M. Kisly and James Fire

This is the concluding segment (3 of 3) to this article on Universalism, the Judgment of God and the Eternal destinies of all souls. Previously we looked into some of the history behind Universalism, then we checked out the doctrine of Eternity and of heaven and hell.

We now look at the further ramifications of Universalism and of the distinctions between those who are born of God, and those who are not. Also the relevance of the spiritual rebirth is examined.

Let us conclude the matter:

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Saturday, July 3, 2010

CHRIST's COURT: Soon In Session - Part 2

Part One of this article concluded with “Lessons From Lockyer” in which we examined the three fold aspect of death – physical (or natural), spiritual, and eternal death. We then examined the “broad proofs” of such.

We now continue with more aspects of Universalism’s errant dogma in the following:

NO CONDEMNATION FOR . . . ANY ONE?
Examining Scriptures for Content on This Doctrine –

Universalists have various scriptures that they use to justify this belief that all will be saved, and some of these are listed below with appropriate refutations (many of these are quoted from Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics by Norman Geisler.

Universalists claim that the fires of hell will have a purgative effect on souls that are not yet suitably prepared for heaven; that their sins will be purged away during their limited* time in gehenna (the lake of fire; *also as mentioned earlier, there are those consigned to the lake of fire who will have previously been imprisoned in hades from which there is no escape, thus no liberation is possible and time there is not “limited”). There are no references to gehenna as a place where sins are purged, nor are there any scriptures that validate that once said sins are purged, the souls relinquished there are delivered. This is more akin to the Roman Catholic heresy of purgatory, than a biblical doctrine of eternal punishment.

There is only one thing that ever expiates sin and that is the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7)! Nothing else can do this, for if there were an alternative for the obliteration of sin, then Christ’s death on the cross would have been unnecessary, and there would have been a prayer that Jesus prayed to the Father, that He neglected to answer:

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