LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS - PARTS 14 & 15

posted by A.M. Kisly

The following two chapters concludes this series, 

Living in the Last Days!

May we keep a continual posture of dependence upon God and maintain a humble and contrite spirit throughout our pilgrim journey on this earth. May the Lord God cause His face to shine upon us and enable us to persevere until the end. 

CHAPTER 14

HEALTHY CHURCHLIFE - THE PRACTICAL OUTWORKING

Healthy church-life is not something that develops spontaneously. It does not mean that whenever a group of Christians come together as a congregation, even though they may be sincere, that healthy church-life will develop. What are some characteristics and features that contribute to and constitute healthy church-life? Let us now ponder over some features which make up healthy church-life in practical outworking.           

It is fundamentally the people of God who contribute to healthy church-life. The children of God, in one sense, can make or break healthy church-life. It is not something static but rather, it is dynamic, either growing in quality with the passing of time or degenerating, as the case may be. It would very much depend on the response and cooperation of the believers involved in that context. Knowing this, we must ensure that we fulfil our roles and responsibilities in church-life, and we must guard against just being mere "spectators" looking in, as it were, at church-life and giving critical comments rather than being part and parcel of church-life itself and seeking to contribute positively in any way that is fitting in the eyes of God.

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BOBSERVATIONS: ZEAL for the LAW is met with GOD'S ZEAL FOR MERCY AND GRACE

I would like to take a moment to introduce you to one of our new contributors and guest writers for TTUF.

Bob Lawrenz and his lovely wife, Norine, have been personal friends of my mine and my husbands for many years.  He is Senior Pastor of Whitestone Christian Fellowship in Victor, New York, and the writer of the Bobservations column that is being presented here to you today.  What are Bobservations? They are concise observations of scripture written in devotional style from Pastor Bob to his flock.  Thus you have Bobservations.

Along with being given permission to share these Bobservations with you, we have also made his audio teachings available (still being uploaded to our website) here:  Bible Study Teachings - Pastor Bob Lawrenz.

You can read more of his bio here: Pastor Bob Lawrenz

We are so blessed to have him as a contributor to TTUF, and look forward to the biblical insight and wisdom he imparts to us through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

With that I present to you:

Zeal for the Law is met with God's Zeal for Mercy and Grace!

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LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS - Part 13

Living In The Last Days - Part 13

CENTRALITY OF THE CHURCH AND HEALTHY CHURCH LIFE

*This series is used with permission by the writer, Quek Koh Choon

Before we get into part 13 of this series, a few words . . .

I believe that a healthy church not only believes in the soon return of Jesus Christ (the rapture), but is waiting and preparing herself for His return. 

I know that there are many believers who are all over the place in what they believe about the rapture of the church, but we here at TTUF believe in a pre-trib rapture as the scripture teaches.

Living in the last days,  Titus 2:12–13 says that the grace of God teaches us “to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

This passage identifies that “blessed hope” as the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior! No question about it!!

The true church has the joyful assurance that God will extend His blessings to us and that Jesus Christ will soon return. We are waiting for this glorious event to happen imminently. Why do we believe this? Because Jesus said He would return (John 14:3), the angels said He would return (Acts 1:11), and the epistles say He will return. The rapture will be announced by the voice of the archangel and the Trump of God. The bodies of those who have died will rise first, then we which are alive will be 'caught up' together in the clouds. Our bodies will be changed, we will see Him as He is, and we will be together with Him forever.(1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). 1 Corinthians15:52 says that this will happen "in the twinkling of an eye".  The true church will be waiting, and watching, and hoping, and preparing as the bride makes ready herself for the bridegroom.

The apostate church are not so.  They are like those in 2 Peter 3:4 saying,

"Where is the promise of His coming?  For all things continue as they were." They are not watching or waiting or preparing themselves for the appearing of or Lord, Jesus Christ. Why?  Because they deny Christ, and inevitably will deny the Second Coming because it is associated with judgment.

As you go through this part of the series, keep these things in mind.  Are you saved? Have you surrendered to God?  Are you sharing the gospel with the Lost?  Are you prepared to suffer for His name's sake? Are you watching and waiting for His return?  Are you prepared to meet the Lord in the air?

CENTRALITY OF THE CHURCH AND HEALTHY CHURCH LIFE

We continue to focus on what we can do to ensure that we stand in the last days. In 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10, we see clearly that God has called a people to be His, not just individuals, although individuals are important to Him. It is God's desire and plan that a group of individuals should be called out to be His people, His nation and His priests. It is therefore imperative that the believers, filled with the Spirit of God, should grow and develop towards maturity in the context of God's calling. The child of God should not stand alone and seek to grow alone. It has to be within the context of the church and healthy church-life. The believer must recognize that he is a member of the family of God and he should take his proper place in the local congregation. Notice the term "healthy church-life". It is not just a group of Christians coming together, but rather God's people congregating together after the pattern that God has prescribed in the Scriptures, manifesting the life of God in practical church-life. We see therefore that one aspect of ensuring that we stand in the last days is to grow and develop in the context of the church of God and in the context of healthy church-life. Why is it so, we may ask? 

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LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS - Parts 11 & 12

by A.M. Kisly


Living In The Last Days - Part 11

*This series is used with permission by the writer, Quek Koh Choon 

A LIFE OF QUALITY

We continue to focus on what we can do to ensure that we stand in the last days. A major area we need to look into is to build a life of quality. There may be some overlapping truths with the areas of character and commitment; however, a life of quality is something so important that it should be looked at on its own. In this respect, we would be considering some significant aspects that reflect a life of quality.


The first aspect we can ponder upon is an adequate and wholesome knowledge of God and the truths in Christian living. For the child of God, without this adequate and wholesome knowledge, there can be no life of quality. Spiritual life would be superficial and with worldly influences and pressures present in abundance, the child of God would certainly be tossed to and fro in his faith and understanding. He would then be easily led astray by false teachings and wrong emphasis. In addition, it becomes very much easier for the child of God to pursue "beliefs" colored by deception and distortion.

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SATAN IS TARGETING YOU!

~ By Anne Kisly

Target retailers all across America have set up displays in their stores promoting ‘gay pride’.  No matter where we go today, we are bombarded with seduction, and no matter how much the world seeks to ‘normalize’ aberrant and sinful behavior, it can never change what it is!  

While this world seeks to desensitize and convert you, remember God has set the moral standard, and on His standard we stand.

'Desensitization' means subjection the public to a continuous flood of gay-related advertising as norms. 

'Conversion' means the conversion of the average American's emotions, mind, and will, through a planned psychological attack, in the form of propaganda fed to the nation via the media. 

God sets the standards for our lives, "For in Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28)  There is No Compromise!  You cannot in your hearts and minds accept the world’s standards without making God a liar.  Christian take heed! 

Pride is Sin!  “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23)    Pride is indeed a sin and as the passage says, it “defiles a person.”  Pride makes you unclean and impure.   

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WALKING WITHOUT STUMBLING Part 4 of 5: – The WISDOM and FOLLY of SOLOMON

~ By James Fire

We have examined the lives of Samsonl  a Judge of Israel and Samuel and Saul the first king of Israel; now we will turn our attention to the third person in this examination on how to walk without stumbling: Solomon, the third king of Israel (David his father, of course, being the second and God’s destined and approved man for the throne). 

Hopefully, prayerfully we will learn by these examples of failure on how NOT to walk and thereby avoid the same ‘stumblings’ as these men. The last Person we will look at in this four-part series is our Savior – the LORD Jesus Christ, the only legitimate example of spiritual perfection that we, by the Spirit of grace, are enabled to follow.

UPDATE: 9/25/2021

SHINE BRIGHT CHURCH HAD A MORE GOD/LESS ME Conference and the theme this year was "WALKING Without STUMBLING" based on these five character studies. Five different teachers for each of them. The first three character study video teachings on Samson, Samuel and Saul can be found on the first character study (Samson) in Part 1 of 5.
For Solomon and the Savior: The LORD Jesus Christ, here is the link for these two character studies on the Facebook video
~ end of Update. 

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