Four Astounding Words

by A.M. Kisly

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  Philippians 1:21

The last four words in this verse just quoted are, to me, four of the most astounding words in scripture.  "To DIE is GAIN!"  These words can be understood only by a singular group of people - born again, spiritually minded Christians. Unsaved people cannot understand them, nor can carnally minded, worldly Christians understand and appreciate them.

When a loved one dies we refer to that death as a "loss." We say, "We lost our mother," or "We lost our father," or "We lost our child."  But to the Apostle Paul, that spiritual giant who was God's minister to the Church, death was not a loss.  It was definitely payday for him!  Therefore he declared, "To die is Gain."

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Contemporary Christian Music: A Call to Social Justice?

by A.M. Kisly

Social Justice warriors are now calling on the Contemporary Christian Musicians to stop singing songs focusing on love, instead focus on division, hot button political issues and criticizing President Trump.  Protecting sovereign borders, and upholding the law of the land (legal immigration), is being touted by SJW’s as immoral, and racist…something Christian musicians should sing about? Right?

An article written by John Blake, and published by CNN, came out recently, attacking the Christian Music Industry. Mr. Blake titled his article, Why Christian Music's Biggest Stars Refuse to Change Their Tune for the Trump Era.


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A STUDY on MORE BIBLICAL WORDS Part 3 – by James Fire and Sonny Islas

A STUDY on MORE  VARIOUS BIBLICAL WORDS  Part 3 – by James Fire & Sonny Islas

We began to examine biblical words and their meanings some time ago; pastor Sonny Islas started it all in Part One; I continued in Part Two, and now we have Part Three - in which we both share a few words in this article.

You can watch the FB video on this teaching as it was presented at ETERNAL LIVING WORD Church on 10/23/2019 here.

Note: all biblical words are hyper-linked so you can read these definitions for yourselves. So, without further ado, let's dig in!

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The EMERGENT PROTOCOLS of LUCIFERIANISM – a REAL DARK NEWS/TTUF article

 ~ by James Fire

MATERIAL OR MYSTICAL? OR A MIX OF BOTH?

There are many who are Materialists and Modernists, who dismiss anything relating to a spiritual reality. These are those who believe we are merely biological organisms: thinking meat machines as it were.

They look at the idea of ‘Satan’ as a man of red skin, horns, pitchfork and a tail and one who rules in a mythical hell. The same goes for angels, demons and God – all imaginary. C.S. Lewis once stated in The Screwtape Letters, an allegorical work where an elder demon is instructing his novice regarding his ‘assignment’ (“patient”). 

“If once we can produce our perfect work – the Materialist Magician, the man, not using, but veritably worshipping, what he vaguely calls ‘Forces’ while denying the existence of ‘spirits’ – then the end of the war will be in sight. But in the meantime, we must obey our orders. I do not think you will have much difficulty in keeping the patient in the dark. The fact that ‘devils’ are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that (it is an old textbook method of confusing them) he therefore cannot believe in you.”

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GENESIS – An Expositional Overview of the Beginning of God’s Revelation: Chapter TWENTY THREE

Contributing commentaries by Sonny Islas and James Fire

Studies by Ray Steadman: GENESIS 23:Til Death Do Us Part 

GENESIS 23 – by James Fire

INTRODUCTION: There is, above all of the burdens and griefs of life, the curse of death – that unavoidable appointment that all of us face. Gertrude in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet said it succinctly, “All that lives, must die.” The death of a dear friend was something that made GOD the Son weep at the tomb of Lazarus (JOHN 11:35). Every grave is a testament to the truth that:

“The wages of sin is death” (ROM 6:23). And they are cruel, but just wages to pay. While these wages have been “paid in full” (Christ declared it, when He said, “It is finished” from the cross; JOHN 19:30), we who are the saints of GOD, born again of His Holy Spirit still are contained in these corrupted bodies, under the curse of sin – these bodies that get sick, they often contain defects, they wear down, get old and eventually wither away and cease to live and are reduced to dusty, dry bones.

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CRITICISM IN LEADERSHIP

Servant Leaders Conference at ETERNAL LIVING WORD Church on: Lessons from the life of King David - SEPT. '19

By pastor Vance Wood of Life Bridge Fellowship on 2 SAMUEL 19:1-8

Watch the Facebook video of this teaching here.

When we receive criticism from others, we can often feel hurt, defeated, isolated; something that we’ve put a lot of effort into, some real thought, invested a lot of ourselves into something, and then people criticize it all. How’s that feel? It’s tough isn’t it? I think sometimes it’s pretty direct, it’s focused, it’s veiled: 

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GENESIS – An Expositional Overview of the Beginning of God’s Revelation: Chapter TWENTY TWO

Contributing commentaries by Sonny Islas and James Fire

Studies by Ray Steadman: GENESIS 22: Life’s Hardest Trial 

GENESIS 22- 24 Karat FAITH by Sonny Islas

INTRODUCTION: GENESIS 22 is the high point of the Book of Genesis. Mainly because of this shocking and unforgettable narrative that clearly points to the future sacrifice of God’s only Son – Jesus. GENESIS 22 is also the high point of Abraham’s faith, love and relationship with Yahweh God. Abraham learned two great lessons,

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2 SAMUEL 7 – COVENANT KEEPER For The KING: ESTABLISHING The ETERNAL THRONE of DAVID By GOD’s PROMISE

Servant Leaders Conference at ETERNAL LIVING WORD (Now known as SHINE BRIGHT Church) on: Lessons from the life of King David - SEPT. '19

~ By James Fire

We are here to learn about David, the faithful shepherd boy, slayer of lions and bears; the youngest and therefore the least of seven brothers, the last one to be considered a king; who alone stood toe to toe with a giant and got him to ‘lose his head’; the only musician who could soothe the agitated state of the King’s spiritually dark gloom, the Psalmist who desired only one thing: that he would “dwell in the house of the LORD forever, to see the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple” (PSALM 27).

David: the warrior and champion of Israel unrivaled except perhaps by Joshua, successor to Moses. David, the man after GOD’s own heart, who when confronted on his sin, didn’t try to shift the blame as did Saul, but ‘fessed up and was restored to his fellowship with the LORD. The king, whose covenant GOD established and is keeping for this king and the coming King of Israel, Jesus Christ!

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DO NOT DIMINISH A WORD - JEREMIAH 26:2-3

Servant Leaders Conference at ETERNAL LIVING WORD Church on: A Special Message - SEPT. '19

by pastor Sonny Islas 
For the full message as delivered by pastor Sonny, check out this Facebook video, recorded at SHINE BRIGHT Church (formerly ETERNAL LIVING WORD Church)!

JEREMIAH 26:2,3 says
Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah [in our own day, the church], which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word. Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings [staying true to God’s Word is mercy extended].

As I was reading the book of Jeremiah under a palm tree at my house (it's a very nice spot by the way!), there was a command of GOD that was made up of only five words that arrested my attention; five words the LORD gave to His prophet Jeremiah.

And when I read these five words, I couldn't seem to shake it off; where you just know for a fact that God is talking to you and you're wondering if this is something that the LORD is giving personally to you, or if it's something that He wants you to relay to His people. This is a special message only in that it doesn't have anything to do with David, necessarily - the theme for this conference was the latter life of King David.

It's more of an urgent call, to those who handle God's Word, for pastors, preachers and Bible teachers, to remain faithful to the entire Word of God! And that's the call of this ministry, to stay faithful to Jesus, stay faithful to His Word, no matter what!

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New Spirituality Directory of Authors Not Recommended

A Directory of Authors NOT RECOMMENDED
Written and Compiled by Chris Lawson

It is no secret these days that Christian bookstore and ministry resource databases are often jam-packed with so-called Christian resources that are actually promoting anything but biblical Christianity. Special care may be taken by bookstore owners and ministry leaders alike to ensure that ministry and business are “in order,” but, when a close look is taken, the sale of spiritually unsafe material abounds. This is the primary reason for these  lists—to help warn and protect you, the reader, and to provide a quick reference guide.

You should know that many of the authors listed here profess to follow or glean from “Jesus,” yet at the same time they assiduously reject the biblical Jesus Christ of Nazareth Who is Savior, Lord, and God. In fact, many of these authors teach the absolute antithesis (opposite) of the historic Christian faith. Books rife with New Age occult teachings and practices abound in many Christian bookstores, and many owners and managers are going to sell them, regardless.

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