Welcome

The above is a painting I have titled the "Ninety and Nine". If you would like a print on canvas or paper you can DM on my Twitter page. Thanks 

Welcome to Truth Crusade Ministries. Our mission is to share the "glorious gospel of Christ" with the world. 

Part of that mission is  endeavoring to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints " ( Jude 1:4 )

That work grows more contentious day by day, as we see a surge in false teachings and a social climate that seems to be hostile to the fundamental teachings of Christianity. 

These encumbrances to the work of the Gospel abound not only here, but around the world. With the wholesale acceptance of Socialist and Marxist ideologies not only in society, but in mainline Protestant churches; we face an uphill battle against false doctrine that is plunging the Professing Church deeper into apostasy. 

Paul warned the Church in his first letter to Timothy that, 

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" ( 4:1 )

He later described other attributes of the state of the end time Church in Chapter 4 of his second letter to Timothy. In verses 3 and 4 he says, 

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

If we are attuned to what is going on around us, we should certainly be able to see the degradation of society, and an ever so gradual falling away from the fundamentals of the faith. 

While not concerning ourselves too much with attempting to right all the wrongs of the past and the present; let's instead concentrate more on pointing people to a personal relationship with Jesus. 

There is certainly no doubt, if we believe scripture, that we are in the end times that the Bible has predicted. Let's be busy with expounding sound doctrine and exposing false teachings as we have opportunity. 

Let me close the same way the Apostle Paul does in the Epistle to the Romans. 

"To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen."  

My dear friend, if you have never received Christ as your Saviour, would you do so today? Pray this from your heart. 

Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe you died on the cross for my sins. I believe you were buried and rose the third day. I ask you now to forgive me of my sins and come into my heart and save me. Amen 

The Standard

We are at a time, in the history of the church of God, where it has never been more imperative that we hold forth the Standard of Christ. Regardless of who the writer was that coined the phrase "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing--conceptually, the argument has never been more compelling. 

In the history of the battles of the world, we see the Standard--or a Banner as it is sometimes called--playing a very significant role. It was considered as an honor to be chosen as the bearer of the Standard for ancient armies. 

During the Crusades, Bishops and even Commanders have been known to have carried it into battle. 

Danish Naval history gives us some excellent insight into what the purpose and design of the Standard during battle was. The following excerpt is from the NavalHistory.dk website and is known as the Danish Oath of Allegiance:

"I trust you this Banner; because I believe, You are an honest and brave Man; You must lead it, like it is proper for a loyal Warrior. 
You must safeguard it, like a real Dane will safeguard his Wedded Wife. 
You shall wave this Banner for honest People, but never wave it for traitors. 
On the March and mounting Guard, during Storms and Battles, you must appear as an Example to brave Soldiers; you should never retreat; equally you should never cause the Army to become discouraged and running away from the enemy. 
If, in the Battle, the Enemy should cut off your Right Hand, grasp the Banner with your left hand. 
If you loose both your Hands, grasp the Banner by your Teeth's. 
You must safeguard it, as long as you are a live and breathing. 
Are you forced to give up fighting, may God forbid that; you must wrap the Banner around your Body and die."

Holding forth the Standard of Christ. The Apostle Paul admonishes us in 2 Timothy 2:3 "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." Study the life of Paul and you will find that he certainly led by example. Let us resign ourselves, as "good soldiers of Jesus Christ", to use the example of the Danish Oath as our guidon into battle. 

Central Theme

If we were to take a survey of people around the world, asking them what they thought the central theme of the Bible was, what responses would we receive? Most would answer, in one way or another, that it is God's message to the world. Others would probably state that it is a guide book for holy living--a road map if you will. The Psalmist stated "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."(Psalm 119:105). Therefore, we see that both answers would be reasonably correct.

Dr. C.I. Scofield made the statement in his "A Panoramic View of the Bible", that...
"The Bible, incomparably the most widely circulated of books, at once provokes and baffles study. Even the non-believer in its authority rightly feels that it is unintelligent to remain in almost total ignorance of the most famous and ancient of books."

He goes on later to give seven great marks that attest to the oneness and unity of this blessed book. To shed more light on the question of the central theme of the Bible--we look to Dr. Scofield's sixth point in his introduction. He states "From beginning to end the Bible has one great theme--the person and work of the Christ."

The Apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Christians at Corinth "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.(1 Cor. 2:2)

From the day that he was struck blind on the Damascus road, until the day when he gave his life for the witness of Christ, Paul had one message--Jesus Christ and him crucified. Paul said the power of God was the preaching of the cross. "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."(1 Cor. 1:18). He was steadfast in that message until he stated in 2 Timothy 4:6-7, "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:"

The central theme of the Bible? Redemption--through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. From Genesis to Revelation...Jesus Christ.

Giving Back

I was reminded today about how important giving back to others can be. Thank God there have been those in my life who, first of all, cared for me and then shared some of what helped them cope and work through hard times.

Social media is a two edged sword sometimes--it can be used in a very productive way...other times, not so much.

I was blessed to receive a message from a young lady today describing how she had gone through a battle with depression. The most amazing part about what she shared wasn't the fact that she overcame depression--but the first step in the journey. The part of her message that really helped me pause and reflect were these words...

"I suffered depression. So to combat this, I started to help somebody else."

Pause for a moment and let that sink in...

After thinking about these words and reflecting, I began remembering some of my past struggles and what ultimately brought me help and peace. The following is the reply I sent. My prayer is that it will encourage her and help her realize that what she is doing is so very important. 

"What a need there is today for those who are willing to give of themselves to help others. I too went through a dark time after returning from the Gulf War. Thankfully, there were people who cared and told me that God loved me long before I had ever thought about him. David, in the Bible went through a dark time when he said in Psalm 142:4 "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul." There are many today with those same feelings. My spiritual journey has helped me beyond my expectations. The fact that some people did care and pointed me towards the giver of all inner peace--Jesus Christ. I want to give back so I too share an aspect of my life which helped me. I feel the two keys were people who cared and spiritual truth found in God's word. Paul gave us the recipe for real peace when he said "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 4:6-7). Thank you for your desire to give back to others. May your way be blessed. Please stay in contact through this medium and let me know how your efforts are being rewarded."

Giving back...sometimes the greatest gift we could ever give is ourselves. Jesus said...

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Unity

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Psalm 133:1

Most of us have often heard the term "there is strength in numbers ". Webster defines this as "used to say that a group of people has more influence or power than one person."

Unfortunately, though this is certainly true, many times groups can effect change which is not necessarily beneficial to all who will be affected. There's always two forces at work--good and evil. History has taught us that the concept of strength in numbers has oftentimes resulted in mob mentality and mob rule.

Thankfully, the founding fathers of this nation understood that our Constitution needed to be framed in such a way as to combat the threat of mob rule.

With that being said, let's dwell rather on this concept of strength in numbers being used as a way to effect positive changes in today's society.

There are many grassroots organizations that are working, in unity, to bring us together as a nation--as opposed to dividing us. Seek out those organizations, first of all, that strive to better the lives of veterans, children, and the less fortunate. You will find that those organizations(which effect positive changes in lives) usually have some spiritual and moral components that drive their core beliefs.

The great composer Irving Berlin penned these words many years ago referring to America...

"Stand beside her and guide her, through the night with the light from above "...

May God indeed guide us, as a nation, "through the night with the light from above ". The Psalmist told us...

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path". Psalm 119:105

As a nation, let us as brethren, dwell together in unity and seek the light from above.

Charitable Organizations

We have discussed the mission and message of Truth Crusade Ministries--now let's take a look at some charitable organizations we seek to partner with or support.

Truth Crusade Ministries believes that there are some fundamental principles or core beliefs that should drive any organization seeking to effect positive change to society and it's citizens. Our focus will be on those organizations (religious or secular) that embody these principles.

Seek to bring glory to God 

We are told in Revelation 4:11..."Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." We will recognize those organizations that acknowledge putting God first--and seeking to glorify him--is the cornerstone of any successful endeavor. 

Seek the heart of God 

We are given a glimpse into the heart of God in the Gospel of Mark. The disciples, upon learning that the people were bringing young children to Christ to be blessed, began to rebuke the people. The scriptures tell us in Mark 10:14-16..."But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put hishands upon them, and blessed them." We see then that children are near and dear to the heart of God. We will align our ministry with organizations seeking to protect and enrich the lives of all children regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity. 

Seek the mission of God 

Endeavouring to protect people and enriching their lives is certainly at the center of most charitable causes. Whereas this is certainly important, one of the fundamental principles that is lacking is, they are not fulfilling the ultimate mission of God. We see that God sent his Son to accomplish one mission. Luke 19:10 states..."For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." We will partner with and support those organizations that see the Gospel of Christ as a crucial component of their outreach. 

Below is a brief description and link to organizations we feel meet the aforementioned criteria and are worthy of our support. The provision of a link does not constitute endorsement of Truth Crusade Ministries by said organization. 

Veterans for Child Rescue 

"V4CR was founded by Craig “Sawman” Sawyer a former Navy SEAL and member of SEAL Team One and then DEVGRU, formerly known as SEAL Team Six. Due to a personal traumatic incident to his own daughter, Craig has stepped up to the mission to end child sex trafficking and put predators behind bars." V4CR

The Salvation Army

"The Salvation Army is an integral part of the Christian Church, although distinctive in government and practice. The Army’s doctrine follows the mainstream of Christian belief and its articles of faith emphasise God’s saving purposes. Its objects are ‘the advancement of the Christian religion… of education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole." SA website 

Rebecca Bender Initiative 

"We equip communities across America to identify and respond to victims of exploitation. We also assist law enforcement on case investigations and trials. The largest and only online academy for survivors across the globe. Regardless of where they live, survivors can receive holistic support to take their lives to the next level. "  RBI website