The Living Truth Fellowship

In today’s world, the Christian is confronted with a variety of points of view. From the social doctrine of humanist Christianity, to the promises of the prosperity doctrine, to the recent political ideologies of the Social Justice and Black Lives Matter movements, our churches often find themselves as the center of these conflicts.

There is a collision of worldviews occurring in the pews of our churches, unnoticed in many cases, and more than ever fault lines of difference are appearing. What does the Bible say about the Christian witness in these modern times? What does Jesus have to say? In this very frank teaching Jon Touchstone lays out some stark contrasts between biblical and worldly points of view.

On Easter, Christendom celebrates the joyous Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The contrast between death and life cannot be more pronounced. Death elicits faces twisted in grief, and weeping, while the birth of a new life brings radiant countenances, and laughter.

The face is an essential element of every human relationship. Even God, to make himself known by men, had to reveal His “face” by way of His Son, Jesus Christ. He was his Father’s “genetic lookalike” because he flawlessly internalized the heart of God as found in His written Word and was thus the perfect image (face) of our Father.

What’s in a face? Each person’s rubbery kaleidoscope reveals a wide range of emotions – and the best thing about anyone’s face is his smile! The state into which mostly masked humanity has fallen during the Covid-19 furor has systematically “defaced” and dehumanized people and diluted the quality of countless relationships.

Our modern Western culture has embraced so many of the debilitating ideologies of victimhood. It’s taught to our children in schools and mandated in our business and cultural policy. What is the servant of God to do? It’s been said that “Suffering is universal, but victimhood is optional.” Each of us daily must face this choice – to either acquiesce to the circumstances and assume the role of the victim, or to draw strength and resolve from our limitless heavenly Father and push on through until we overcome. It’s always our choice.
 
Join Jon Touchstone in investigating this culturally-prevalent notion of Victimhood to understand why we must, as God’s children, reject these harmful ideologies.

Last month, John taught on one of the other two reproof epistles, The Heart of 2 Corinthians. He is following up with Philippians, another such epistle that corrects the behavioral deviation from a doctrinal epistle (Ephesians). Short and sweet, it is a remarkable letter that is LOADED with heart and pathos. If you first read Acts 16, the scintillating account of how Paul became so bonded with the believers at Philippi, his ensuing words to them will even more deeply touch your heart.

Surprisingly, the underlying theme of this reproof epistle is JOY and REJOICING. If greater intimacy with the Lord Jesus, more humility, and less focus on yourself are your goals, understanding Philippians will definitely enhance and empower your spiritual walk.

Many people ruin their health and their lives by taking the poison of unforgiveness. It is a spiritually crippling affliction that impedes the life of the Christian. Past wrongs, hurts and injustices enslave and deprive a person of the blessings that they would otherwise enjoy. Far from being optional, forgiveness is a must for the person who desires a healthy spiritual life.

God has given us everything a Christian needs for a godly life. He does this through the knowledge of Him and His Son which we find in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Everything that we need. And yet today, just as in the early church, we find those who would pervert this Gospel and nullify its message of salvation.

This teaching explores the very real threat faced by the Church from these worldly ideologies, and the importance of staying vigilant against their influence.

Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians is a heartfelt, comforting, and inspiring section of Scripture. It was likely written about 4-6 months after 1 Corinthians. The believers there had gone way off track in many categories of God’s exhortation to them as set forth in Romans, and even though it was painful for him to do, Paul reproved them over and over throughout his first epistle. Given that they took heed to his reproof (the correction of practical/behavioral error), his second letter is filled with heart and love and anticipation of seeing them again and enjoying sweet fellowship with them. It also points them to the glorious HOPE of Christ’s coming back for them and him. 

Compassion is an essential part of God's character, and mankind is the object of that compassion. In Isaiah 49:15, God tells us that, even though there exists a remote possibility that a compassionate mother would forget her dear child, God will never forget us. This same compassion was highlight of Jesus's earthy ministry. In this teaching, Jon Touchstone takes an in-depth look at compassion with all of its wonderful aspects that will help you to grow in compassion toward others.

The terms wickedness and righteousness are generally left out of public conversation, because these words indicate that there is actually a spiritual realm that many would like to ignore. In this timely teaching by Jon Touchstone we see that God does not ignore this subject and has much to say, often with a harsh emphasis, toward the wicked, as well as the wonderful blessings He extends to the Righteous. 

Welcome 2021, which we are praying is much different from 2020. In the face of an unprecedented tidal wave of evil sweeping over us all, how then shall we live? Each minute of each hour of each day that passes is gone forever. So are the “kairos moments” (opportunities—Gal. 6:9,10) that came with them. In “such a time as this,” we can step up and sprint to the tape, so to speak, and find out what we are made of.


The fabulous record of Gideon (Judges 6/7), a weak man whom God made strong, is the centerpiece of John Lynn's presentation. It is scintillating account of
 God patiently working with a frail human being like us, to the end that he pulled off a noble and heroic deed, to say the least.

As per the title of this teaching, we will look at 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, which shows us that by focusing on our Lord Jesus, we become confident of who we are in Christ, what we can do because of who we are, and how to reflect the glory of our Lord. John will show that the three brief prayers in the Church (Ekklesia) Epistles give us God’s vision of us, which we can make our own.

What is the basis of Christian morality and why is it important?  Many think if what they do doesn't hurt others, it's okay. Some say racial equality is good and then equate it with sinful, behaviors. Jon Touchstone shows what the difference is between Christian morality and the false morality of the age, how it affects our relationships with others, ourselves and with our God.

Is God a forgiving God? A question that is often considered today. People think there are limits to God’s forgiveness. Hebrews 10:26 can cause doudt. Throughout the Bible we read about God’s compassionate forgiveness, however this verse seems to indicate a limit to His forgiveness. In this teaching, Jon Touchstone takes a closer look at Hebrews in light of many other verses about God’s forgiveness to help us understand how this verse fits in with the rest of the Bible.

2020 may go down in history as the most tumultuous year in our lifetime, especially for the USA and other Western societies. This upheaval has left many asking, “What can I do?” or “What should I do?” Given that none of this caught the Lord Jesus or our Father off guard, what better way to prepare our lives for what is ahead than to place our complete trust in them by deepening our relationship with them?


Have you ever heard the idea that once a Christian finds his “place” or “gift” or “calling,” life flows with fulfillment and joy? If so, you may have heard phrases like, “Once you discover your true identity and purpose, you will go to bed dreaming about it and awaken with enthusiasm to pursue it.” Numerous books and seminars offer to help believers discover what they were “meant” to be. I know, because I’ve read and tried many of them on for myself. But such pursuits usually left me looking more deeply into myself for answers, rather than looking at the Lord.


In this teaching, Gary Lee Corns will endeavor to reorient us to certain rock-solid truths found in the Bible. First, to seek to know God. Second, to commit ourselves to following Him. Third, to remain “available” to do whatever He asks. As it turns out, living this way is sure to bring us peace and courage as we move forward into 2021.

There are a variety of opinions on what it means to be spiritual, but it’s God’s Word that teaches this idea most clearly? To be spiritual means to walk in step with God, to be in unity with him so we can hear his voice. It is a peaceable, easy walk with the father. But like any relationship, it requires time to cultivate.
 
So much of the Scriptures compares our spiritual growth to the growth cycle of a plant. As with the plant, we need food, light, water and patience for that plant to grow into a mature, fruit-bearing tree. In this teaching, Jon Touchstone shares the parable of the sower and the four categories of ground – the seed which fell 1) by the wayside, 2) upon the stony ground, 3) among the weeds, and 4) upon good ground. God is responsible for our growth, but it’s our choice of what kind of ground we are.

Ephesians 5:20 tells us to give thanks to God the Father always in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this teaching, Jon Touchstone explains the benefits of maintaining a thankful heart towards God. Besides blessing God Himself, thankfulness guards our souls from an often hostile world. Being thankful fortifies us to stand against resentment, discontent, bitterness and unforgiveness. There are physiological blessings as well. Scripture teaches us that the posture of our hearts affects our health, both in blessing and cursing. Thankfulness clears our perceptions so that we are able to see things properly. Having a thankful heart is the true antidote to selfishness, one of the believer’s greatest enemies.

In recent months, we have addressed the concept of Civil Government, and how God instituted it in Genesis 9 when Noah and his family came off the Ark and He delegated to mankind the governing of the earth. Romans 13 is the most quoted section of Scripture when it comes to civil government, but its context is often overlooked. We’ll see how misunderstanding its opening verses ties in to what I believe is the most harmful lie being promulgated in Christianity today.

Diversity is an integral part of the Christian experience. When we consider God, we see His diversity in everything He creates, and since He created us in His image, and gave us freedom of will, our lives should reflect this diversity as well.

As Christians working alongside each other to do the Lord’s will, our diversity should be evident as we each carry out our specific functions within the Church. It is through our combined strengths that the Church is to stand in this dark age. And while differing opinions at times puts us in conflict with one another, we’re able to work things out with Scripture as our guide so that we can reach sound and truthful conclusions. We live in a time, however, when diversity has become an idol and is practiced for the sake of diversity. In this quest for relentless change, our culture has abandoned many of moral truisms that have given civilizations strength and longevity throughout history. In this crucial time Christians must stand for the non-negotiables of God’s Word.

Jon Touchstone expounds upon those non-negotiables that we, as followers of Christ, should be considering when heading to the voting polls: the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage, and religious freedom.

Throughout the centuries God has made his will clear and He has pointed out when Israel was being disobedient. Our God is patient, loving and forgiving as well as righteous. So deliberate disobedience will have consequences. In this teaching Jon Touchstone expounds the first few chapters of Isaiah rebuking Israel’s sinfulness. This is a good lesson for us today. God still wants obedience and He wants us to have the blessings that follow. What He does not want is superficial religious actions. 

Isaiah makes God’s heart clear on what He thinks about sinful behavior and warns us not to parade our disobedience due to the calamity it will bring upon us. A nation must be run by a clear set of Biblical principles in order to shut down evil and keep it from expanding.

Redemption is a term we often hear in Christian circles, but what should it mean to the Christian? By definition, redemption is what God accomplished through his Son, our Redeemer Jesus Christ, when he laid down his life on the cross. For those of us who have called upon the blessed Name of Jesus Christ, our lives were purchased through his sacrifice, yet many Christians live their lives with little difference from the unredeemed of this world. Why is this?



God’s love for mankind is in full display through the story of redemption, and there is no better way to understand the accomplishment of Jesus Christ than to delve into what the Word of God says about it.

In this teaching Jon Touchstone goes through Scripture to identify the kinds of glory. Glory is referred to in several instances throughout the Bible. We are encouraged to glorify God and not ourselves. Like the sun illuminates the moon, God illuminates Jesus Christ and now Jesus Christ illuminates us when we turn our face toward him.

This teaching expounds on biblical records dealing with glory, and will enrich your life and increase your understanding.