The FUNDAMENTALS of the FAITH

 ~ By James Fire

To watch the video of this teaching, go here to see it as recorded at ETERNAL LIVING WORD Church, Tucson,AZ on 5/19/2019.

What does ‘fundamental’ mean?
“Being an essential part of something, or a foundation for the purpose of building on; something essential, of central importance.”

So, the fundamentals of Christian doctrine are the foundation stones upon which all other doctrines of the Bible are built upon.”

What then does doctrine mean? Simply, it means ‘teaching’. Specifically what GOD teaches us in His Word.

The fundamentals of the faith therefore are the core doctrines, the very heart of doctrinal truth that is recorded for us by GOD in the Holy Bible. From these foundational fundamentals all of the truth of GOD’s WORD is built upon and derives.

What are the foundational doctrines then that are the fundamentals of the faith?

Before we get into these, let’s consider this: if there is anyone who claims to be a Christian, but denies any one of these primary fundamentals, they are denying ‘the faith’ – that is, they are contradicting the truth of GOD’s Word that is necessary for salvation and spiritual life. It is doubtful that such a one is truly born again.

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

Contributing commentaries by Sonny Islas and James Fire

Chapter Ten – by Sonny Islas

Video teaching at Eternal Living Word church, GEN 10. 

The Table of Nations – by Lambert Dolphin (GEN 10-11)

Commentary on GENESIS by Ray Stedman 

The World’s Family Tree a.k.a. The Table of Nations by Sonny Islas 

       

Here’s a brief recap:

So far, we’ve covered the history of Creation in GENESIS 1  (The LORD God made heaven and earth and everything in them -including us). 

We’ve covered the Garden of Eden in GENESIS 2 and and the fall of man GENESIS 3.  The first murder and martyr – Cain and Abel in GENESIS 4. The family lines of Adam, Cain and Seth (who replaced Abel) also in GENESIS 4 and the remarkable hidden message found in GENESIS 5.  

We’ve covered the pure and ongoing wickedness of man in that fallen Angel’s sexually mixed with humanity which then brought forth Giants (The Nephilim) and God’s judgment in GENESIS 6.  

God chooses Noah to build the Ark (giant ship) as an act of love and mercy before God sends the world flood and destroys all but eight (Noah’s family) in GENESIS 6 and GENESIS 7.  

Then we covered Noah’s deliverance in GENESIS 8 and God’s covenant with the earth, the animals and mankind that God would never again flood the entire earth (and set a rainbow in the sky for a sign – a reminder) in GENESIS 9. 

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PLUNGING INTO APOSTASY - UPDATE on PLUNGING TOWARDS APOSTASY

~ By James Fire

About nine years ago Anne Kisly, one of the writers for TTUF wrote the article Plunging Towards Apostasy and given the situation we see in this world, and how much worse things have gotten (in less than a decade!), I thought an update would be essential.

It is the saint’s duty to expose the “unfruitful works of darkness” (EPH 5:11) in warning both the church and the world of the impending judgment that will come upon these works. Such evil will only increase as the approach of the LORD Christ Jesus draws near (MATT 24:12) – and so while these things in and of themselves can be burdensome and grievous to see, it is also a token for hope, because it means the signs of the Last Days are coming to a close and the Messiah’s Reign of Righteousness will soon be inaugurated!

In the meantime, it behooves us workers of the kingdom to continue working in our respective callings from GOD while it is still light, for the night is soon coming when no one will be able to work (JOHN 9:4)!

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Christian Persecution: Perilous Times Ahead

Bobservations Column

by Pastor Bob Lawrenz

Several of the Apostles write in their Epistles about hardships that lay ahead for Jesus’ Church.  They have spoken about tribulations, perilous times, and even being hated for our faith in Jesus Christ.

OPEN DOORS USA reports 1 in 12 Christians face threats and persecution in their homelands.  VOICE OF THE MARTYRS claims it’s 1 in 9, with numbers reaching as high as 245 million Christians world wide who face danger every day, just because of Jesus Christ!  OPEN DOORS USA compiled a list of the top ten worst counties where Christian persecution prevails:

1. North Korea, 2. Afghanistan, 3. Somalia, 4. Libya, 5. Pakistan, 6. Sudan, 7. Eritrea, 8. Yemen, 9. Iran, 10. India

. . . and they monitor 40 more nations.  These “Top Ten” countries are not even among the African nations of Radical Islam, where more than 100 Christians have been burned alive, executed, or killed in their own homes or churches just this month by radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram.  OPEN DOORS USA is a watch-dog ministry, and PERSECUTION.ORG is sponsored by The Moody Bible Institute.

Both outreach organizations included prayer requests for Christians in Myanmar, where we support Pastor Roger Oakland (Founder of Understand the Times, International, and Bryce Homes International). Christians there are kept impoverished by being turned away from gainful employment opportunities, and they are relegated to living in the poverty stricken region of southern Myanmar. An email from Pastor Roger this past week informs us of a Mission Trip he embarks upon this coming Wednesday, reaching out into the jungle areas of the country.

While we see an increase in negative attitudes in the USA against Christians, many brothers and sisters in far away places face danger walking out of their front doors.  Radical Islam is the cause of a lot of it, but also Militant Hinduism and Fundamentalist Buddhism also plays an important role in Christian persecution.

Pray for our missionaries around the world.  Pray for Christian believers everywhere.

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”  -- Hebrews 10:25

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PORTRAIT OF AN APOSTATE

by A.M. Kisly

The second to the last book in the bible is the book of Jude.  Jude was a “brother of James”, and the half brother of Jesus. (See Jude 1:1; Gal 1:19 Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3).  

During the time of Jude, pagan philosophies had so infiltrated the church that the Holy Spirit constrained Jude to urge Christians to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once [for all] delivered unto the saints” (Jude vs.3).  

How familiar this sounds even today. Our heads are spinning from all the winds of doctrine that have crept into the church by false teachers promoting a false gospel.  Friend, if there were more than one way to salvation, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross for our sins. There is only one way of salvation and that is through Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life!  “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

The main purpose of the book of Jude is exhort believers to earnestly contend for the faith,  to warn us of false teachers/apostates who have crept into the church unawares, and compel us to go win some souls for Christ, some with compassion, and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire (vs 23).  

We are living in the last days.  There are many who scoff when they hear this, even in the Church, which is even more disturbing.  Yet scripture tells in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 a little something about this. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times hall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  You’d have to be blind not to recognize the overwhelming abundance of this in the culture today.

And so Saints, in these last days we are to equip ourselves with truth, pray for discernment, know the scriptures, and take heed to the warnings.  Love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, because your enemy is out there, lurking in the dark, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).  Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 6, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” in whatever shape they take form.  

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

Contributing commentaries by Sonny Islas and James Fire

Chapter Nine – by James Fire
Video teaching at ETERNAL LIVING WORD Church - GENESIS Chapter 9

Audio teaching on GENESIS 8-9 by Lambert Dolphin –

Commentary on GENESIS by Ray Stedman 

The judgment of the people of Earth was finished; all the rebellious had perished. The flood waters subsided, and the ark finally came to rest on the land. These eight remaining souls became the progenitors of the Human Race. All people derive from the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

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