BRIAN TODD BLOG

Drawing Near in Prayer

2012-02-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

James 5:16 “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

Always looking to improve, grow and mature our Christian walk, our small group Bible Study started studying prayer. A year or two ago, I wrote a post titled “The Garden of Prayer”, where I admitted that I did pray as much as I should, and that I don’t pray every time that I need to. Our study asked, Is our prayer life is all it should be? If we worry that we don’t truly understand what prayer really is? I think that everyone believes that they could always improve on their prayer life. We know prayer has to do with communicating with God, but what exactly does that look like? A.W. Tozer wrote, “What the praying person does is to bring our will into line with the will of God, so God can do what He has all along been willing to do.” It is helpful to have a clear definition and understanding of Christian words that we are using, such as “righteous” means “ruled by what is just”. God is just & holy.

1 Kings 8:27-28 & 39 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today; then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men.”

Supplication refers to a request for favor or grace. It is defined as a humble & earnest entreaty or petition. This begins in putting, not just our faith, but our total trust in the Providential provision for our life. When encountering stressful situations, rather than giving in to our fear or focusing on our circumstances, we can call out to God and trust in Him. The result is peace in the midst of difficulty. Prayer is as natural as crying out. Crying out and telling God what is on our heart. Prayer is simply drawing near to God and talking with Him. We have access to Him through our high priest, Jesus Christ. We can rest because we know the Lord sustains us. Draw near to Him and enjoy His presence.

Psalm 5:1-3 “Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my groaning.
Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray. In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”
In Christ, Brian

WICKED

2012-01-30T22:25:00.000-08:00

Psalm 7:8-10 “The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. Oh, let the evil of the wickedcome to an end, and may you establish the righteous — you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.”

Many know that my favorite movie of all time is the 1939 American musical fantasy "The Wizard of Oz". It's a classic "good verses wicked" movie of colorful characters and exciting adventure that I enjoyed all my life. It was just last year that I discovered that this novel (written by L. Frank Baum and first published in 1900) was an allegory or metaphor to the contemporary political interests of the day; actual political personalities, events and ideas of the 1890s. Dorothy represents the American people - naive and simple, led astray and seeking the way back home, following the road of gold that leads only to the Emerald City, which symbolized the fraudulent world of greenback paper money that only pretended to have value. The "Yellow Brick Road" represents the gold standard in the united States of America. Oz: an abbreviation that stands for gold, a hot political topic of the day. The Scarecrow: represents western farmers. During the time that the story was written, American farmers were suffering from the effects of federal deflation. Their debts were growing larger as they were getting less money for their crops and other goods. The farmers wanted the dollar value to have fixed ratios of both gold and silver. The Tin Woodsman is a representation of the industrial workers and the Cowardly Lion of politicians in general. Here I thought that the story was just a nice little fairy tale with a happy ending and a silver screen classic.

Romans 1:16-20 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

Saturday afternoon, we made the traffic-jammed drive with our good friends, Robbie & Marcia from the "couples ministry" at the church that my wife was the Secretary at for nine years, to Hollywood the see the "On Tour" production of the Broadway musical Wicked" and the Pantages theater. It was well worth the trek, as this Play was hilariously entertaining. The synopsis says that "Wicked" explores the concept that the Wicked Witch of the West, here known as Elphaba, is a misunderstood outcast, a victimized person whose behavior is merely a reaction against the charlatan Wizard's corrupt government. It also displays her relationship as "best friends" with the beautiful, popular and ambitious Galinda Upland, who ultimately becomes Glinda the Good Witch of the North. The Grammy award-winning songs ("I'm Not That Girl" & "Defying Gravity", my favorites), outrageous stage effects, and an outstanding cast made for an evening to remember. I highly recommend that you see "Wicked", if you get a chance. Yer, here too, was an allegorical message and a metaphor to the contemporary political and social interests of our day. (godless struggles with prejudice, popularity, position, power, prestige, pride, mis-treatment of animals, taking advantage of others and government corruption ... wickedness). The common hidden message ... the problem of sin.

Romans 6:13-22 “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments ofwickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Slaves to Righteousness. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”

What is wicked? By definition “wicked” means iniquitous, nefarious evil in principle and practice, sinful, immoral; vicious, harmful; destructive; vile; bad. But what defines “wicked” and what is “wickedness” measured against? Answer: The standards, the statutes, the commandments, and the words of our just and holy creator God. Virtues are “of God”, while vices are “not of God”, but sins against God. So the question is: “Who is on the throne of our heart?”, because everyone obeys who is on that throne of our life. We have to realize that when it comes to being “wicked”, I’m not that girl … or guy.

In Christ, Brian

Letter from Chris

2012-01-24T21:40:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Today, my youngest son Christopher Michael, with wife Jamie and cat William left my house with U-Haul trailer in tow, and headed for their new home in Nashville, Tennessee. Tear-filled hugs repeated before they turned the corner of his childhood home for the last time and began the next step in his young life 1800 miles away. Never take for granted a single second of the time you have with your children. Do everything within your power to parent your child properly with Christian values that they may grow into responsible adults. You may not know it, but your children listen to you, learn from you, and carry those teachings with them. May they be lessions of love, joy, & peace.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

This morning, as I left for work, I found a letter from Chris on the dining room table. This is what it said … Dear Pop,
To me you will always be pop, always have been and always will be. Moving from California isn’t hard at all … it’s moving away from you that’s the tough part. Ever since I can remember you have done anything you could to make a great life for us. Even though you worked so hard to give us a home and put food on the table, you always had time to be a great baseball coach, mentor and leader. Teaching how to be a respectable member of society and knowing the difference between right and wrong … and choosing right! I think I will always remember you saying that. I’ll have to use it on my kids as well. Indian Guides, camping, fishing and countless other life lesson activities we learned from you and you only learn later in life how much these things really mean. I owe all of my character and determination to you and you’ve taught me how to be a man. Learning from you has helped me become a man of my own and given me the tooled needed t be the husband and father that I should be.

Thank you for keeping our family in church and learning the way of God’s teachings. Those types of things don’t get appreciated always as a young child, but now I think back on them as priceless tools now that I am older. Your complete and full support of our move to Tennessee for a better opportunity has been tremendous. I don’t think I can thank you enough for that. Without your love and support we could have never made this move possible. You opened your home back for me and my wife and I can’t thank you enough for that. Everything in the wedding was a great success; we couldn’t have done it without you, Portico church and Pastor Jason. Everyone at Portico has been so nice and loving to us. It’s been great to have met them all. We will see and hear from you lots I know. I love you so much. Just typing the words doesn’t convey how much I mean that. Without you being a strong figure in my life, I have no idea where I would be now. Your guidance has got me to this point and now it’s time for me to lead my family. I can’t thank you enough for that.
Love always, your son Chris

Matthew 19:4-6 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Isn’t this what every parent wants to hear from their child? Praise be to God! Never give up on your children. God doesn’t.
In Christ, Brian

Holiness - Walking in the Light

2012-01-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

Wrapping up our home Bible study on holiness and living like we belong to God the focus centered on, not only practicing holiness, but on what it means to be a child of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 asks us, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” We saw in John 14:15-17, Jesus tell us, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” Those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus are not only set apart from sin, darkness & unbelief in devoted service by God for the kingdom of Heaven purposes, but given the Holy Spirit of God to indwell our bodies, therefore making it sacred ground … the holy temple of God.

1 John 1:5-7 “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

I once heard someone ask: “If God created everything, why did He create “evil”? The same can be asked about darkness, but the answers are similar. Evil is the absence of “good”. God is “good”, so the absence of God is evil. Darkness is the absence of “light”. You can bring light into a dark room and the darkness is gone, but you can not bring darkness into a lighted room and the light leaves. God is Light, so the absence of God is darkness. God does not create darkness or evil, they are both the absence of God. So we are to walk in the goodness and righteousness of His Light. The Lord said in John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” This points directly to Jesus’ words to the Pharisee Nicodemus in John 3:19-21, saying “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

1 Peter 2:9 “But, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” It is as plain as black and white. Our practice of holiness is to be God-centered and will only become reality in our lives when we care more about God than we do about ourselves. We are not to be distracted by selfish concerns. As we take daily steps to glorify God, His holiness is seen in our separation from the concerns and distractions of this world, in our separation to our holy God. Are we living every moment of every day to glorify the God of glory? Is He the most important thing in our life? Matthew 5:16 tells us, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Ephesians 5:8-13 “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light." We are to be holy as He is holy, and walk in the Light.
In Christ, Brian

Wedding Bells are Ringing

2012-01-18T05:49:00.001-08:00

Genesis 2:23-24 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Today, January 18, 2012, our youngest son, Christopher Michael Todd is taking his fiancée Jamie Leigh to be his lawfully wedded wife. A new chapter of life shall begins, and the exciting start of a new family takes the first step in their pilgrimage and sojourn here as children of God. They leave next week to begin a home in Nashville, Tennessee and start a family of their own. May God richly bless them all the days of their life. May their love and joy grow and mature, and may they serve the Lord in adoration and faith always.
Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Todd.

Ephesians 5:22-27 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

In Christ, Pop

Practicing Holiness - Part 2

2012-01-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

By the phrase aliens & strangers, Peter is saying that this world is not our home. Our real home is in heaven. As Believers in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, dying for our sins, repenting & accepting Him as Lord and Savior, we become children of God and citizen of the kingdom of heaven, as confirmed in John 1:10-13 “He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” So Peter is saying that in holiness we should leave the sinful life behind and act like your Heavenly Father, reflect the light of Christ in righteousness, and walk in the Spirit that does not gratify the desires of the sinful nature, though we are in the god-rejecting world. Remembering that we do not do good and righteous works to get saved, but because we are saved by grace and the purpose is to glorify God. Every kingdom has a king. The kingdom of Heaven has a King. Citizen of Heaven, who is your King? Who do you obey? To say, “No Lord” is disobedience. God’s holy Word, Will & Way is our standard for behavior to model; the measuring stick to govern life, the prototype to evaluate everything against. Is what we think, say and do pleasing in the sight of God?

1 Peter 2:13-17 “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”

The responsibility to reflect God’s holiness has been given to the church. God’s purpose in choosing believers for himself is so that they may declare His praises before others. Believers should live so that their heavenly Father’s qualities are evident in their lives. We are to serve as witnesses of the glory and grace of God, who called us “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1Peter 2:9). So then, in practicing holiness we are reflecting God’s character to the world around us. All of our behavior must be pleasing to God. God has established all authority, and by respecting the office and honoring authority we show the world that we honor God. In other words, being under authority is reflecting holiness. However, we are always to be careful never to allow the law of the land to overrule the law of the Lord. Practice holiness in obedience to the King of kings and Lord of lords.

1 Timothy 6:12-16 “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”
In Christ, Brian

Practicing Holiness - Part 1

2012-01-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

How does holiness apply to today? True Christian Believers are called saints in the Bible, but what does that mean? The gospel of Jesus Christ describes the incredible blessings of grace & salvation, but how are we then to put into practice, to live in the light of, those blessings? Our Friday evening Small Group Bible Study examined and considered these questions on “living out” our faith in holiness as a natural and usual course of action and behavior. Deb commented on the last post, saying: “Obedience is better than sacrifice. I'm so glad God didn't create us to be mindless puppets, but that He gave us free-will to choose to be obedient out of our love for Him. Obedience brings us closer to looking and behaving and representing the Jesus we say we believe in.” So right. The Bible tells us that we can not obey two Masters (Matthew 6 & Luke 16) and that we are slaves to either Sin or righteousness (in Romans 6), the question is “Where does our obedience reside?” Every kingdom has a king, including the kingdom of Heaven. Who sits on the throne of our heart as the king that we obey? Who do we belong to and obey? Practicing holiness is being set apart from sin and unbelief for God’s purposes, and obediently doing them; not out of fear, not just out of duty, not just out of what He did, is doing and going to do, but out of love of God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit).

1 Peter 2:9-12 “But you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

More on this next post.
Blessings, in Christ, Brian

Holiness - The Great Separator

2012-01-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

Leviticus 11:44-45 “For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.“

This passage of holy Scripture goes on to tell us that God’s law enables us to make a clear distinction between the unclean and the clean (aka wrong & right – holiness & unholiness). Ultimately, meaning to be set apart from sin and spiritual death unto virtue and devoted service to God as His people. Not isolated from and creating no godly influence upon the culture, the society and the world walking in darkness of sin and unbelief – engaged in the world, but of the world, but of the Kingdom of God. To be holy is to be uncommonly set apart (heart, mind, soul & spirit) by God’s sovereign authority, unto God, for God’s purposes in the world. Our Friday evening Small Group Bible Study group explored this topic.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with the devil, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

The “Fall of Mankind” in the Garden brought sin into the world, but through God’s redemption and restoration Plan of Salvation in the blessed Savior Jesus Christ that regenerated the spirit in the repentant sinner, who accepts the free gift of eternal life offered, believers are to be different from the unbelieving world around them. Salvation should result in a holy lifestyle much different from our previous unholy one. As God’s children we should reflect His character; not the devil’s, the ignorant & God-rejecting world’s or the sinful desires of the flesh’s.
1 Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Does our lifestyle look the same as before we cam to Christ? Or does it reflect the nature of the One who gave you new birth (John 3:3-6) and called us to be his own. It is said the God meets us where we are at, but does not keep us where we are at. Who do we belong to and who do we obey? God is holy and has called us to be holy and maintain holiness; to be a holy priestly nation to a watching world and reveal that He is God. Holiness is not something to be achieved by our strenuous efforts. It is a state already created and given by God to His sanctified, holy & blameless people, immersed in the Word of God, renewed in the spirit of your mind. Christianity is not a “DO” attitude, but a “Be” attitude that desires from the heart to please God and never let Him down. Ephesians 1:4-6 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Take faith seriously, and live life in a way (holy & fruitful) that shows that we believe in Him, in holy light of truth. Double-minded Christians (riding the fence and standing one foot in the world) have forgotten all that Christ has done for them and failed to be distinctively different from the godless world around them. The result is that the church that supposed to be salt & light to the world has been influenced by the lawless world and its secular views rather than impacting the world with the truth of God. Does the body of Christ in the church look like the culture surrounding it? Has the Church become a thermometer, measuring the temperature of the world, when we should be a thermostat, setting the temperature to holiness? Let us fix our eyes of Jesus and run the race set before us. “For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.”

Revelation 1:5-6 “To Jesus Christ, who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”

In Christ, Brian

A Drink of Water

2012-01-04T18:43:00.000-08:00

Mark 9:41 “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”

Liquid water is the foundation of life on Earth; one of the essential elements necessary for the existence of life. This is a universal fact known by all scientists … no water; no life. 70.8% on our planet is covered by water, which only 3% is fresh water that is mostly in ice and water vapor. To get a good prospective, just look at a globe, with Asia on the far left and the Americas on the far right, and get a good prospective of this. I was never taught these facts though school, church or television, and that is disturbing to me because is one of the truths that points our Creator that Romans 1:18-23 declaimed, and fuels the God-rejecting myth of humanistic macro-evolution (the theory taught as fact) that is indoctrinating the minds of people today. Science literally means knowledge. Do not blindly believe the twisted lies of unbelievers bent on, not proving the origin of life, but proving the non-existence of Creator God, who will judge and condemn them for their sin and unbelief. Believe the holy Word of God and check the scientific research of Christian Creation research scientist for truth. In the DVD movie & book “the Privileged Planet”, where I first heard about the Anthropic principle, which is the research by scientist into everything that must be present for the existence and sustaining of life on Earth. The odds of the Earth being created by anything except God being astronomically beyond possibility – that it is apparent that man was not made for the Earth, but the Earth was made for man. It’s ridiculous to waste time & money seeking life on Mars or any other planets light-years away. We need to concentrate on doing what our Creator instructs us to. Seek God.

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 97:6 “The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples see His glory.”

In the greatest commandment which all the Law and the Prophets hang on: loving God and loving others, we need to realize and act upon the water problems that this world is experiencing today. Potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. We need to raise public awareness about what many believe to be the world’s most serious health issue—unsafe and inadequate water supplies—and to promote the conservation and development of global water resources. More than a billion people—almost one-fifth of the world’s population—lack access to safe drinking water, and 40 percent lack access to basic sanitation. Cholera epidemics due to impure water have broke out in Africa and Haiti. There is a global “life & death” water crisis that how many of us are aware of in America? The world? Seen anything on CNN, FOXNEWS, MSNBC, 60 Minutes, Talk Shows, et cetera? Where is the focus?

Matthew 25:31-40 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy[a]angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

I saw a sign in the California “Central Valley” farm country that said: “Where water flows, life grows”. Not just crop life, but all life. There are many Christian non-profit humanitarian organizations that are digging wells, providing water filtration devices and decontaminating plans to bring clean, safe water to save lives where needed in the world. Praise the Lord! I personally support Campus Crusade for Christ’s “Gain & Zimbabwe Water Project”, but there is other great groups as http://www.charitywater.org www.globalwater.org , www.cleanwater.org, http://water.org, www.blueplanetnetwork.org, www.mwawater.org, www.thewaterproject.org and more on the worldwide web that anyone check into for knowledge on the global problem, communicating crisis and need to others, and see a means to help if you can and so desire. There are ministry needs of mind, body and soul everywhere you look. But we must remember the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 16:25-26 “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” Not only must we bring immediate life-giving water where needed, but bring the eternal life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ unto salvation that producing “living water” that satisfies the soul.

John 4:7-14 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Thank you Father God for Your rain that brings life-giving water and Your Reign that brings a life worth living, now and ever-lasting. Do you have a drink of water that you can spare? In Christ, Brian

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Happy New You

2012-01-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 4:17-24 “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Unbelievers walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Today is New Year’s day, January 1, 2012 Anno Domini (abbreviate A.D.). We measure time in years, beginning from Zero, the birth of Christ, the incarnation of God, the promised Messiah, and the Savior of the world. Anno Domini is Latin and translated means “In the Year of the Lord”. All time and events prior to the arrival of the blessed Redeemer are also measured in years designated by the words “Before Christ” (abbreviated B.C.). Every time, anyone speaks or writes the year, they acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, whether they know it or not. Every day blesses the Lord. Ecclesiastes 11:7 “Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.”

As another year ends, we sort of put a close on the past 365 days and start a new chapter of history. We steps back and assess the accomplishment, progress, pauses, set-back or failure of goals, then adjustments made and new ones set. Evaluation are taken by us and, also, of us by others, but a fresh new start begins. This is not only true in our lives and livelihoods, but in our spiritual walks with the Lord, our God. Have you ever wondered why we are here? Why God doesn’t just skip this life and have us in heaven now? It’s because He has a purpose and plan for us all here and now in 2012. As we grow and mature as Christians in this pilgrimage (aka “journey”) through life towards our eventual eternal home in Heaven, we make stops along the “Glory” path to take account and learn from our past, check the map with the Lord, make any necessary adjustments (trimming off the burdens and hindrances of ungodly and unfruitful behaviors & actions) renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness, then start the next leg of our adventure set before us, walking with the Spirit as the body of Christ.

Colossians 3:1-11 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”

But as the Lord Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), we are not only to set ourselves in Holiness apart from the sinful desires of the flesh, the God-rejecting world, and Satan’s lies, but to be a light of truth for Christ and the gospel in the darkness of a lost & dying world. This is what it means to be “in the world, but not of the world”. We are instructed by the Lord (Matthew 28:8-20) to seek the lost and help them find the foot of the cross and a “saving” knowledge of Jesus Christ, who all of time is separated and measured by, because He, and He alone, is God’s plan of salvation and the Savior of the world. Happy New You’s Day, in the year of our Lord -2012.

In Christ, Brian

Take My Life

2011-12-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:1 “ I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

As we near the coming year, a renewing resolve for a fresh start to give glory to the Lord and a blessing to everyone that I can in 2012. I heard this Hymn of such a prayer this morning, so I thought that I’d share this familiar sonnet in hopes that it touches your heart, mind and soul as much as it has grabbed mine this morning.

I went for a little visit of five days (to Areley House). There were ten persons in the house, some unconverted and long prayed for, some converted, but not rejoicing Christians. He gave me the prayer, “Lord, give me all in this house!” And He just did. Before I left the house every one had got a blessing. The last night of my visit after I had retired, the governess asked me to go to the two daughters. They were crying, &c.; then and there both of them trusted and rejoiced; it was nearly midnight. I was too happy to sleep, and passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration; and these little couplets formed themselves, and chimed in my heart one after another till they finished with “Ever, Only, ALL for Thee!” Frances R. Havergal, February 1874.

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.

Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Isaiah 64:8 “O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Knead me, mold me & form me for your loving purposes by your perfect will.
Have a blessed new year and a blessed new you. In Christ, Brian

The Savior of the World

2011-12-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon is shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.

From my family to you and yours, Merry Christmas. John 3:16 tells us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Christmas is about the arrival of this Savior of the world; God amongst us, God incarnate (God with skin on), come not to condemn, but to redeem the condemned by paying for our sins with His own innocent blood, unto total forgiveness to eternal life as Children of God in the Kingdom of Heaven, for whoever believes the gospel truth. Redemption for all mankind has arrived! Hallelujah! Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen!

Luke 2:6-14 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

In Christ, Brian

Spiritually Possess the Land

2011-12-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 11:8-22 “Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.”

There is much talk these days about the secularization of America, with plenty of examples of indoctrination of children for anti-biblical beliefs in the name of diversity without parental consent or opt out options, removal of Christian symbols, references and even prayer in the name of separation of church & state (a well-known mis-interpretation and not found in the U.S. Constitution), and ever-increasing efforts to remove Christ from Christmas for a “non-offensive winter celebration” of nature. I heard it said that the self-proclaimed tolerant preach that they cannot tolerate Christianity. Why single out the “Light & Savior of the World”? It has completely to with who is on the Throne of their dark heart, mind & soul. They love their darkness and desire to vanquish and eliminate the light of truth, Lord of lords, Jesus Christ.

"And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’ Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest the LORD’s anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you.”

Deuteronomy 11 instructs us to be God’s holy people, to seek and know the truth, teach the truth to our children, obey & display our faith freely, then spiritually possess the land by bringing the light of truth into the darkness of sin & unbelief. The lures and temptations of the adversary Satan are all around, but the child of God obeys God, not that which is contrary to the Lord’s Word, Will & Way. Abide in Christ means to forsake the lawlessness of darkness and live out our faith dedicated and devoted to Him alone, who saved us, who guides us and blesses our every steps. Don’t expect the blind to see on their own, but expect the blind to see Christ reflected in your Christian life. At Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation of God-the Son, Jesus Christ, literally “God with skin on” , Emmanuel – “God with us”, who came to seek and save the lost. May we do likewise. Spiritually possess the land, in the name of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth. “For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do—to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him”

Love, walk & hold fast,
In Christ, Brian

Christmas Presence

2011-12-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

Genesis 2:15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

It has been a couple years now since we lost of our family dog. That beautiful yellow Labrador was not only our cherished companion, but became the “neighborhood” dog, as all the children of the block came over to pet her and rub her belly. She loved to lay on the raised front porch of our Bungalow home and watch the world and take long walks on the sidewalks of our big bustling city, but she wouldn’t leave her front yard on her own. The bible makes it clear that the LORD created and loves all creatures, and put the care of them into the hands of mankind … plants, water, ground, and air also. It’s hard-wired into our soul to love and care for the creation. God cares, we are made in His likeness, so we naturally care; to not care is unnatural. Studies show that a pet given to elderly people improves their life, both mentally and physically. It’s a joy of life. We’ve owned two cats and two dogs in our 35 years married, and both all through my childhood.

Genesis 8:1 Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark.

Yesterday, we brought home “Tobias”, a cute, cubby little yellow Lab, to join the family. Looking up the meaning of the name, we found that it means “God is good” in both the original Hebrew and Greek. We couldn't disagree with that, so “Toby” became the latest addition to our home and family. Our oldest son bought his brother “Rossi” at the same time, so they can visit and go on walks together. They can watch “Toby”, when we go on vacation and vise-versa. The adventure begins with this blessed Christmas presence. What are your pets, and pet memories?

Psalm 104:24 O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures.

In Christ, Brian

My Dove

2011-12-14T06:08:00.000-08:00

Psalm 40:1-4 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him. Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD.

Today is three years since I lost my precious cousin Laura to Breast Cancer. I being the youngest kid of the oldest of six children and she being the youngest of the youngest child, there was a great difference in age growing up along with 2000 miles of distance between creating two separated lives, but still with a family tie and many personal similarities. When a family reunion brought us together as adults, the most incredible connection was immediate as family, in both bloodline and the blood of Christ was established. Have developed cancer prior, I only had a year plus of being blessed by this amazing woman. Our talks and correspondences were priceless and she truly touched and changed my life for the better. Her fight against cancer became her ministry to others about cancer awareness and prevention. Her Blog @ http://loloplunkett.bloggspot.com/ reached out to all of us in compassionate love and care, which inspired me to start my own Blog. Today, I give tribute to my cousin, who went to be with the Lord. Laura is now my dove that reminded me of the purity of God’s love. Here is one of her letters and a story that she wrote, to give you a glimpse of the loss that this world had in her passing and the gain that heaven has today.

Brian, I truly appreciate your genuineness...and I totally GET it. I am the same way. We are both Christians and it is so interesting to me that we both take it so seriously...yet another similarity between us. I do a lot with my church and have found that my faith really kept me grounded when I was diagnosed with cancer. I have ALWAYS believed this experience is about God healing me, not me dying. It gets hard at times because even among other Christians, I have found that everyone’s faith is different. Faith is a spiritual gift, of which there are many. Each of us has our own strengths and weakness when it comes to the gifts....by faith is one that has always come easy to me. I try not to take for granted and always want to help others understand that I continue to feel protected and buffered by God. I continue to feel that He is protecting me.
It is so interesting because this whole experience has been surreal for me...in some respects. What I mean is, I continue to feel privileged by my cancer at times. I have always felt very guided by God, very directed to do very specific things. I know I am loved by God and have received way too many blessings by this disease.

Don’t get me wrong, I wish I wasn’t a cancer survivor. If I could take it all back or start all over, I probably would. But, then I remember the story of Job or Noah or Jonah or Abraham. All of them went through suffering and God allowed it to happen because that is just the way life is on earth. Suffering happens. It just does. I am a better person because of all of this and my family (extended, included) are much better, closer. We care about other people more and try to take on causes outside of our world. I am attaching a short story that I have written.
Blessings, Laura

My Dove
As I was sitting in the car in a parking lot, the dove flew into my line of sight. Her beautiful white image shone bright against the grey backdrop of the dreary winter sky. She flew around my car and perched on the light pole, directly in front of me. Like a guardian angel, she was watching over me. I began to tear up, got chills all over my body. I just kept looking at her; I was humbled by her presence. She reminded me of the purity of God’s love, at the very moment I desperately needed reassurance. I was a year into my fight against advanced breast cancer when I saw my dove. I was almost through my treatments after hitting many rough patches. I was weary, but she renewed my strength to confront the disease.

I was 32 when I was diagnosed, a young wife and mother with a four-year-old daughter and an infant son. I had no family history of breast cancer. I was naïve in thinking this would protect me. I realize now that anyone can get cancer, it does not discriminate. We caught my cancer as early as possible, but I still had three small tumors. I found the initial lump in my breast, which led to a mammogram, sonogram and biopsy. Doctors confirmed it as breast cancer. There was another tumor in a lymph node and one on my liver. It was harrowing to find out all of this information, but I was grateful to know my enemy.

God gave me the strength to effectively fight this battle, the resolve to win. I went through multiple surgeries, numerous rounds of chemotherapy and two life-threatening infections to get my disease stabilized. I am now in remission and plan on keeping it this way. I live with cancer, daily. I am aware that it could come back, but I constantly seek treatments and information to mitigate this risk. I am thankful to God for being the mastermind behind my treatment and for directing my path from the beginning.

He gave me many gifts along the way. He surrounded me with an amazing support system, sharpened my survival skills through sermons at COR and bolstered my faith by reminding me that Jesus healed people through their faith in Him. But, the dove was my most precious gift, a harbinger of good things to come. Not only was she was a visible sign of God’s presence in my life, but of the wings He had given me to fly through adversity. She reminded me that God was holding me securely through that entire journey, as He still does to this day.

Laura Walsh Plunkett
May 10, 1972 – December 14, 2008

Today, I honor you Laura.
We shall meet again in heaven. Brian

Holy Gound - Part 2

2011-12-11T06:05:00.001-08:00

Leviticus 11:44-45 “For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

The discussion came up in our small group Bible study last evening about how holiness means being set apart unto God; by God for God’s purposes by God’s standards & perfect will. But in that separation from sinful sensual lusts of the flesh contrary to God’s will & way found in His holy word and/or the self-centered pursuits of a God-ignorant or God-rejecting worldview God, how we, as a child of God saved by grace, are then to be actively engaged with this lost and dying world, as holy ground by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, equipped and filled by the regeneration of our heart, soul and spirit and the renewing of our consecrated mind to the character of our heavenly Father in Christ, to bring the light of truth into the darkness of sin & unbelief to reach the spiritually blind and perishing by planting seed of the gospel in their hearts by our compassionate and godly words and actions, to bring them to the foot of the cross and a “saving” knowledge of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. A holy people in covenant with the holy God must never forget who they are and the separateness, not isolation, they are called to as Ambassadors for Christ. Set apart from sin, not the world, as delegates from the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” Numbers 15:39-41 Remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”

God is holy. God is separate from and other than all of His creation. He is righteous, He Is pure, He is holiness dwelling in unapproachable light. Habakkuk 1:12 & 13 asks: “Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.” If this is our God, how should we as His people live and reflect His glory in a dark world that is passing away into judgment? How are we to live as holy ground, holy people, as a kingdom of priests, as image-bearers of the Almighty? We represent God by walking in obedience to His commands. The two greatest commandments are to love God and to love people. We are to love the sinner, not the sin. Repentance and Salvation is what Jesus’ atonement and redemption is about. His command is then to love the people of the world as He loved us and saved us. As we seek God through the study of His Word, we fall more and more in love with and in awe of the Lord. It is a great privilege to be a child of God. But with privilege comes responsibility. It is our responsibility to conduct ourselves in a manner that reflects God’s holiness, to live lives that are easily distinguishable from those of the secular world around us. Is our live so separate from and different than the world around us that it is like the difference between light & darkness, because we are holy ground?

Acts 5:29 Peter and the other apostles said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.
In Christ, Brian

Holy Ground - Part 1

2011-12-07T20:54:00.000-08:00

Exodus 3:4-6 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush (burning with fire, yet not consumed) and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
As we enter this season of celebrating the visitation of God incarnate in the birth of the Savior of the world Jesus Christ, (literally “God with skin on”), may we truly make every efforts to convey the “reason for the season” to this lost & dying world that is walking in darkness of sin & unbelief. “Our “Colony” Friday evening small group Bible study is continuing in our study on “Holiness” and this last week we looked at God choosing Israel to be a holy nation, sanctified and separated from the other nations. But what does it mean to be holy? What was, and is, the standard of holiness? What makes holy ground?

Exodus 19:5-6 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ Leviticus 20:26 And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine. Deuteronomy 7:6 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.” Deuteronomy 28:9 “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.” Psalm 147:19 He (God) declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.

To be consecrated is to be set apart as sacred; dedicated & devoted to God. That which is sacred is that which is extremely dear to God and worthy of deep respect and reverence; holy. To sanctify is to set apart as holy. Set apart from the darkness of sin and sanctified apart for God and His purposes. Sanctity is holiness, sacredness & saintliness of character. The standard, the bounds set for His people, are His sacred word, commandments, statues and ordinances. The root word of the Hebrew word holiness means “to separate”. The idea is that of separation between what is unclean and what is pure, between what is common and what is sanctified. God is separate from all that is evil and defiled. I’ve heard it said that evil is the absence of good, as darkness is simply the absence of light. His holy character is the standard for moral perfection. Therefore holiness for us is simply conforming to the character of God. Holiness is a vital attribute of God. This same quality is to be a characteristic of His people. Holiness is the standard not only for the Israelites, but for all who claim Him as their God.

Isaiah 6:3 And one cried to another and said: “ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “ Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
God is Holy. What makes “holy ground”? Next time.
In Christ, Brian

Prayers of Nicole

2011-12-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 12:12-16 “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.”

Over Thanksgiving, we drove out to amazing Arizona to visit my brother and his family for the long weekend. On my birthday, August 2, of this year, my niece Nicole was involved in a terrible roll-over accident on her way to start her first semester at Northern Arizona University in pursuit of her degree to become a Veterinarian. Her vehicle experienced a blown out rear tire and her boyfriend, who was driving as she slept, lost control on the highway. The SUV swerved, flipped and rolled, ejecting Nicole from the vehicle. She was Medi-Vac airlifted from the accident scene to a hospital in Flagstaff, Arizona, where she under-went multiple surgeries. Many prayers went up for Nicole, by family, friends and you Readers too. This Thanksgiving trip was my first chance to see Nicole after this horrific incident for this young lady, and the family. The four months of recovery and rehabilitation have been hard, but now I can give a first-hand report on her status.

Acts 28:25-27 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, ‘ Go to this people and say: “ Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”’

I was blessed to find my precious niece in wonderful physical and emotional shape. She seems excited to show us her surgical scars and X-rays images showing the metal in her shoulder, as battle scars of victory. She spent most of our two day visit being with us, as we explored a desert ghost town, small shops and dining out was no visible sign a pain or handicap, outside of (understandably) not being able to hike rough & hilly desert terrain. It was wonderful to experience her passion and high spirits, as she spoke of her determination and efforts to return to college next semester to resume her dreams. Full of life and vision, the future is definitely “right in front of her”, the hurdle cleared and she is pressing toward the goal. The next chapter begins. I thank you all for the many intercessory prayers and the blessings for Nicole from them. They were and are cherished. Glory to God!

Romans 8:1-9 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

Why did I choose these Bible verses for this message? Because, as important as it is to renew our physical vitality, is the renewing of our spiritual vitality. Let us not focus completely on the physical, but may we always see the physical through the spiritual with an eternal perspective. We must not take life for granted; this one or the next. The healing of our body is a great gift, absolutely. Of course, the greatest gift of the Great Physician was proclaimed John 9:19b “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” Praise be to God!

In Christ, Brian

Holiness – Separation between Light & Darkness - Part 2

2011-11-30T06:23:00.000-08:00

John 1:4-5, 3:18-20, 8:12, 12:35-36 & 45-46 In Him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.”

Would you & I be content to simply know our sins are forgiven, or do we want more than that? Don’t we want to know that God is with us and that we are with God? Don’t we desire to give glorify, honor & praise to our heavenly Father. Do we understand the holy character of God, recognize how seriously God takes making the distinction between holy and profane, and discern what the Lord wishes in His children? Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Yes, separated and set apart from darkness, walking in the light of truth. 1Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Luke 11:34-35 Jesus said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.” God’s first recorded act, after creating the heavens and the earth, was to separate light from darkness. This actual physical separation became a metaphor for a spiritual truth. Ephesians 5:6-10 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.” For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.”

Light is the characteristic of Christians. We are to be separated from the darkness. 1 John 1:5-6 “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” No gray areas, no shade, and no shadows. 2 Corinthians 6: 6-7 & 14 “By purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” We, as people who name the name of Christ must be light – bright pure light shining in the darkness so everyone will see the truth and some will even see the Father. Colossians 1:12-13 “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”

Are we living as a child of light? Is our holiness clearly visible to a dark and lost sinful world?
1 Thessalonians 5:5 “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness.” Then walk in the light; live out the holiness that shows you belong to God.

In Christ, Brian

Holiness – Separation between Light & Darkness - Part 1

2011-11-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

1 Peter 2:5-9 You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “the stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief Cornerstone,” and “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

The Small group home Bible Study has moved from examining the “Be” attitudes to a new lesson on “being holy”. In today’s churches, far too often, the concept of holiness seems a bit archaic, “old School”. How often do we hear the word mentioned and do we know what holiness actually is? And on the rare occasions “holy” comes up in conversation, is what comes to mind a preacher in a robe, the thought of a perfect life that we will never attain or maybe a holier-than-thou attitude member of the piety police? These are mis-guided notions, and in fact a life of true holiness is the key to true happiness. Yes, the pursuit of happiness is found in the pursuit of holiness. Not in some arbitrary standard set by the church or an unreachable goal of sinless perfection, holiness is about pleasing God, about living in such a way that’s it’s clear you belong to Him. Abiding in holiness is what makes the Believer unique and easily distinguishable from the unbeliever. The discrimination of the holy politics of God is the higher standard and mark of the Kingdom of Heaven, set apart in a lost and dying world, guiding the daily life of the Christian. It’s as clear as black and white, darkness and light, right and wrong. “Holy” is defined as (1) Regarded as inviolate for ordinary use and set apart for religious observance. My dictionary of Bible Words lists “holy” as pious, godly, sacred, to be or make clean, purify or consecrate, hallowed, and set apart for God. I’ve heard it said this way: Set apart by God, for God’s purposes, according to the Word, not the World.

Genesis 1:3-5 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. The first recorded words of God are “Let there be light.” His first act was to separate physical light from physical darkness. And spiritually speaking, He has been separating light and darkness ever since. Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. What distinguishes us from the world around us?

We'll look at this, next time.

In Christ, Brian

Thanksgiving & Thanksliving

2011-11-24T06:32:00.000-08:00

Colossians 3:16-17 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLIC THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine. (signed) President George Washington

I pray that America never forgets that it is Almighty God who is being thanked, and why, on Thanksgiving Day. Far too many have lost site of the “Light from above”, of God’s sovereign provision and providence in our lives today. With help from the secular humanists glorifying mankind, the meaning of true Thanksgiving Day in thanking God is being buried, hidden and forgotten. The Creator of Heaven & Earth is in control always, but let us not let the the words of the Father of our nation be hijacked and the true meaning of Thanksgiving missed.

One of our Bible Study teachers at church explained that the Greek word for “thanks” is eucharisteō, meaning gratitude. But within this Greek word is “charis”, which means “grace”; literally giving thanks out of gratitude for God’s grace to us. I’m sure that you’ve also noticed that this is the Greek word where we get the word “Eucharist” of Holy Communion from also. And this Grace is a gift ("Charisma" in Greek); an endowment from God as "favor freely given" or "gift of grace". Let us never forget that all blessings come from our Heavenly Creator Father Lord God. This Thanksgiving Day, and every day give praise, and honor and glory in thanksliving ... an abundant life of godly liberty as a child of God, saved by grace. Got charisma? Rejoice!

Ephesians 5:19-21 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This 24th day of November, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2011.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, in Christ, Brian

Blessed are the Persecuted Because of Righteousness

2011-11-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

We finished up our Friday evening home small group Bible Study of the Beatitudes of the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount with the reality that there will be assailing resistance and hatred towards the people of faith in gospel of Jesus Christ because of unbelief and reject of God’s will & way: His Standards, Commandments, Decrees, Instruction, Laws, Precepts, Rules, Statues, & Teachings. The root cause of all the world’s problems is Sin, and the whole question comes down to Belief & Unbelief. This is the two world-views (metaphorically called “Light & Darkness”, appositionally called “Saved & Unsaved”, spiritually called “Regenerate & Unregenerate” in the Bible) that exists and drive the thoughts and actions of the heart of fallen mankind. John 3:16-21 explains the situation, but John 3:36 gets to the bottom-line: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”, and repeats in 1John 5:11-12.

Philippians 1:27-29 “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

I remember, when I was baptized in my early twenties with my infant son, that the Pastor put his stole over my shoulders and pulled down, then lightly slapped my face to symbolize the persecution that I shall expect, at accepting God’s Son as Savior & Lord, and becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, by the God-rejecting world. What church gives that full-truth today? Do we understand the influence of the Devil, the world in spiritual darkness and the sin nature of the flesh? Evangelist Ray Comfort says that far too often the man-centered message is deceivingly given that by accepting Jesus that our live will be improved – a dreamy prosperity gospel of blessings, without opposing revelry & hardships, which reality dashes and leads to misunderstood discontent. Mr. Comfort says that we need to be speaking in love and compassion to others about reality of our sin’s consequences when this life is over, if we do not accept God’s plan of salvation. Paul explains in Romans 13:12-14 "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." & in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." & in Galatians 5:19-21 "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God."

I remember when my precious goddaughter realized what the Bible was saying, on bringing the truth of the seriousness of Sin and Salvation to a lost & dying world that does not want to hear it, stating: “You are going to be hated!” But Jesus said in John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” Christ came into this "already condemned by sin" world to save all who will believe, repent and accept His offer of mercy and grace to salvation by faith. Those who choose to reject the Savior and the light of truth shall persecute those who do. God does not cause the division between holy and unholy or sacred and unsacred; they are natural contradictions.

1 Peter 4:12-16 "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." Are we honoring God and pursuing righteousness in ways that mark you as being set apart for Him? We are here, in this time & place, for a reason and purpose. Glorify God and let your light of Christ shine. 1 Peter 1:6-7 "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." Our Lord Jesus suffered for us and our salvation. Shall we not suffer for him and to His glory? 1 Peter 2:21-24 "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."

2 Timothy 3:12 "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." Our endurance of persecution becomes a testimony to the reality of our faith. When we stand firm in front of our opponents and are not alarmed, that’s a sign of our salvation. You realize that you have a home in heaven. Are we being persecuted for righteousness’ sake? Do people mock us because we are Christians? If not, could it be that we are not all we ought to be for Him? Are we so like the rebellious God-rejecting world (the deceived, unsaved and luke-warm) that our life doesn’t expose their sin, therefore they feel comfortable with us? Are we stepping out of our little Christian bubble and stepping out, into the world that does not knew the Lord, to be peacemakers, to show others their need to be reconciled to God? We have no need to fear when persecution or suffering comes into our lives. Remember: God is sovereign, the Almighty is in control, God holds us in His hand and God is love. John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The Beatitudes begin and end with a promise “theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. When we turn our hearts towards God, these attitudes will become apparent in our life. They are the mark of a true believer – one who posses the full favor of God, eternal life and the kingdom of heaven. What greater blessing could there be?!

In Christ, Brian

Cast Out Fear

2011-11-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

From: BILL
Sent: Sat, November 12,2011 Subject: Fear can sabotage the bravest heart.

They who had scorned the thought of any strength except their own to lean on learned at length, how fear can sabotage the bravest heart. And human weakness answering to the prod of terror calls, "Help us, O God." Then silence lets the silent voice be heard, bringing His message like a spoken word, "Believe, believe in me! Cast out your fear. Oh, I'm not up there beyond the sky, but here, right here in your heart. I am the strength you seek. Believe! ... And they believed!"

- From God Is My Co-Pilot 1945.
(Alan Hale as Father Mike)

**********************************************************

Bill, The Skipper's dad is right! The knowledge that God is all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-powerful, that the Creator of Heaven and Earth is in control, and that "believing" & "accepting" that He sent Jesus Christ to die on that Cross to pay for our Sins has given us forgiveness, eternal life, adoption as His children, citizenship in Heaven, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, regeneration of our Spirit to discern godly spiritual truth, and His shepherding of our life, casts out all fear. If we go down, we go up! And as far as the injustice today in the world, that is only for now; there is a Judgement "Come to Jesus" Day in the future for everyone, and justice will be served by the Lord. Fear not Brother! Praise God!

Luke 12:2-5 Jesus said: For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Of course, "the fear of the God" to the Believer, in the light & joy of their salvation, is reverence: "to never desire to let Him down", but for the Unbeliever "the fear of God" is that, by not accepting the free gift of eternal life in the atoning sacrifice of His Son, our Lord & Savior, they have the wrath of God upon them and have to pay the price for their Sins for eternity. The Believer has the "love of God that casts out all fear" because they have the Christian world-view and eternal perspective of victory in heaven, so therefore rejoices fearlessly, lives purposefully, loves passionately and cares compassionately.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts.

John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Fear not Brothers & Sisters! God is right here with you.
Thanks for writing.
Peace in Christ, Brian

Blessed are the Peacemakers

2011-11-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

I remember, when I first became a Christian and came across the Beatitudes. Reading through the list, I immediately focused upon the peacemakers and being called sons of God. Sign me up, I wanted to a peacemaker. But after the initial emotional response, you step back and ask: “What makes someone a peacemaker?” My trusty 1960 Webster’s New American Dictionary defines a Peacemaker as “Reconciler”. Now, what exactly is meant by “Peace”? It is defined as a state of tranquility; absence of war; freedom from disorderly disturbances; freedom from fears or worries. But the Lord Jesus said in John14:26-27, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” And, being one of the Fruit of the Spirit, from Galatians 5:22 (love, joy, peace, et cetera), you have to believe that the peace of God, the peace of Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit is much, much more.

Colossians 1:19-22 “For it pleased the Father that in Jesus all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” How easily we forget that the state of mankind before we were reconciled was alienation from and hostility towards God, objects of wrath due to the fall because of sin of both commission (doing what ought not to be done in the eyes of God) and of omission (not doing what ought to be done in the eyes of God). Who is the real “Peacemaker” here? But our Creator God, the Reconciler! Romans 5:10-11 “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

I have a little video gadget on the right side of my Blog homepage that visually gives the gospel message that we began with perfect communion, love and peace with God, then sin rips through the relationship connection separating us from God, but then God reconciles us by sending Jesus to pay for our sin with His atoning life, so the Cross bridges the gap and restores relationship, so we again have peace with God. We cannot have the peace of God until we have peace with God through the blood of Jesus Christ. How are we reconciled to God? John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” How do we receive this reconciliation? By believing in the finished work of Jesus Christ and accepting the free gift of salvation, justification and eternal life though His blood. What makes you a peacemaker? First, it is having peace with God.

Romans 12:1-2 & 16-18 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” 1 Thessalonians 5:13 “Live in peace with each other.” The Greek verb used in the phrase “live in peace” suggests an ongoing condition or action. Believers are commanded to be continually living in peace with one another. The idea is to maintain peace rather than initiate it.

The blessing that the peacemaker receives is that they shall be called sons of God. According to Jewish thought, the word “son” carried the idea of one who bears the characteristics of the father. As the moon reflects the light of the Sun for all to see; the sons and daughters of God are to reflect their Father God’s characteristics; the light of truth and righteousness revealed from their Father in Heaven. Peacemakers are men and women who are at peace with God and have the peace of God in their heart. When God changes a heart and cleanses us from our selfishness, prideful, “I”-centered flesh, it is then that we are able to show the love of God to a chaotic world and be peacemakers. Our priorities have been transformed. Live at peace with those people in our lives so that we can influence them in the name of Jesus Christ. Help “the Lost”, the enemies of God see their need to be reconciled to Him though a “saving" knowledge of the Blessed Redeemer. Peace be with you. – John 20

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

In Christ, Brian

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

2011-11-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God."

The beauty of the small group home Bible Study is that each individual brings to the discussion their personal life experiences to share and learn from, along with the Word of God and the lesson taught. The blessing of the "Body of Christ". The list of Beatitudes seems simple and appropriately religious on the surface. But as we have seen, the reality Jesus describes in the Beatitudes isn’t about outward, self-imposed religiosity. A Pastor friend of mine once preached that if you put a suit on a pig, though they clean up well, it is still a pig and wants to get back into the mud. Meaning that we need to have our heart changed, but how? The Lord’s words call us to a radical, supernatural life; a life that can be lived only through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. These are the ones who are blessed of God, but we are not to seek the blessing. We are to seek the Blessor, who transforms the heart of the Believer, and the blessings come as a natural consequence. Is being pure in heart just a matter if being a “good” person? What does the “Good Book” say?

Matthew 19:17, Mark 10:8 & Luke 18:19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is “good” but One, that is God.” Romans 3:10-12 “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” If this is the condition of mankind without Christ, what does that say about the state of the heart?

We seem to be so “hard wired” into our flesh-minded thinking that we can clean up our act of the outside and put on a suit, so to speak, and think that we are okay, but that is not what the verses just before say. We have to realize that we need a “pure heart”, but the question is. How do we get a pure heart? We’ve learned that sin has separated us from our just & holy Creator God. Jesus said: “We must be born again.” – born anew, born from above. The regeneration of the human spirit then can see and receive, with spiritual discernment, the kingdom of God and understand. 1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Salvation restoration opens the door.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. This is the “born again” transformed heart of the Believer that opens our eyes to the truth of God in His word, Will & Way for our lives. A new heart that does change the outside, but changes the inside; the way that we see, hear and think, by aligning our will and desires with His. Jeremiah 31:33 Says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The Holy Spirit of God is given to live within our heart as a Counselor for us (John 14:15-18). But Galatians 5:17 tells “For the flesh (the desires of the fallen sin nature) lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” So, because of this battle within, that wages against our heart, having been cleansed from an evil conscience by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, how do we stay pure and not being stained all over again? Sanctification.

Galatians 5:16 & 24-25 "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" Hebrews 10:22 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." Ephesians 5:25-26 (Love), just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word. John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 17:17 Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” To sanctify is the action of setting apart something as holy and sacred. Set apart from sin and the God-rejecting world, by God, for God’s purposes, holy and blameless. God’s Word, found in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible, is truth.

This is an on-going process for the Christian walk, as the flesh desires of the sin nature tempts and lures the mind, will and emotions by the self-centered senses, pride, pleasure and greed. Matthew 26:41 & Mark 14:38 - Jesus instructs us: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." And in 1 John 1:9, we are told, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." To confess means “to say the same thing, to speak the same word.” In other words, confessing our sins means agreeing with God that what we have done is sin. Sin is “missing the mark” and “hitting a different mark”. The emphasis is not on the missing, therefore, but on the “Mark”. The “Mark” is God’s standards; His loving commandments, laws, ordinances, statutes, teachings for our life, aligned with His perfect Will & Way, through His holy Word. Read, study, think about and live by the truth in the Bible daily. Keep your eye on the target!

Psalm 24:1-6 The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. In Matthew 7:7-8 & Luke 11:9-10, Jesus said: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. Blessed are the pure in heart.
In Christ, Brian

Blessed are the Merciful

2011-11-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy."

This Beatitude has a horizontal, people-to-people aspect to being blessed in addition to the vertical, people-to-God aspect. And don’t all of the beatitudes seem to have a conditional reward to them (if “this” way, then blessed and gets “that”). Mercy refers to an outward manifestation or showing of compassion. The concept of mercy assumes two things: first, that there is a need, and second, that you have the ability to meet that need. The question is: Who has a need, and who can meet that need?

Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

The Bible says, God is love” (1John 4:8). We know that God is merciful and loving, gracious and kind, but the same Bible says that the same God is also just, holy and righteous. He must deal with sin, but God doesn’t want to punish us (the dead in trespasses and sins) because He is merciful. God, in His infinite wisdom, devised a solution; not by merit, but by His grace. God solved this problem in the atoning death of Jesus Christ in our place. We have the genuine need (salvation) and God has the ability to meet that need. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we do not deserve.

Joel 2:13 "So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm." Since we have received God’s amazing mercy, how should we respond to those around us who are difficult to get along with? Luke 6:35b-36 "He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."

Matthew 9:11-13 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

What role does mercy play in our life? Matthew 23:23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things." Not outward actions, but inward attitudes … beatitudes.

Does our passion for a “right” relationship with God translate into compassion for people? When asked, in Matthew 22:36-39, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ For most of us, there is a jarring difference between who we actually are and who we should be as followers of Jesus. We might say that we are merciful, but do we reach out in compassion to those who need help? Ask God to give you a passion, a hunger, a desperate thirst for righteous, and a passion for others. They don't care that you know, until they know that you care. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

In Christ, Brian

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger & Thirst For Righteousness

2011-10-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

We are already into the fourth week of our Friday evening home Bible Study small group looking at the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus. What a blessing to dive into the deep meaning of the Lord’s instruction and teachings, especially for the facilitator who studies it twice for preparation and presentation, but even further to the Blogger who gets to acquaint with, meditate upon and convey the lesson a third time. And what a lesson the Lord is teaching!

Righteousness. The word itself can make us a little uncomfortable. We don’t use it much today either. Somehow the word righteousness feels out of place in our culture. Should it be this way? The word for righteousness in the Greek is used to describe whatever is right or just in itself, and which therefore conforms to the revealed will of God. A life aligned with God’s will. Being “right with God”. Hunger & thirst are bodily cravings that must be satisfied. Life cannot be sustained by simply eating one meal or having an occasional sip of water; rather, the intake of food and water is to be a continual habit of life. So, too, a hunger and thirst for righteousness implies a craving and desire that has to be satisfied (meaning a deep inner contentment), no matter the cost. Are we truly satisfied with our life? If not, could it be that we are hungry for the wrong things? Do we have our priorities right and straight? Are we looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places? Think about it. What is it that you just absolutely have to have? Luke 12:34 says: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” If, like the words of songwriter Mick Jagger, “I can’t get no satisfaction”, then what exactly do you & I hunger for? Thirst for?

John 7:37-38 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"

John 4:13-14 Jesus said to her (the Samaritan woman at the Well), "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

What do thirst for (our motivating, driving force) and where do we go for our satisfying water of life and “well being”. Is there anything in our lives that might ruin our appetite for righteousness? Think about it. How would the world be impacted if all truly desired to live life as God intended it to be lived? Is satisfaction – that sense of deep inner contentment – something we can pursue and gain as an end in itself, as so many of us do, or is it a natural by-product of something else? Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:31-33 "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Providence is defined in my Webster’s New American Dictionary of 1960 as “God’s care for mankind”. Jesus speak to this in the giving of the “Lord’s Prayer” of Matthew 6, instructing us to pray: “Give us this day, our daily bread”. “Give” means that God is the “Giver” of our provision for life and we receive all from our Maker, Lord God. “Us” means that we are not selfishly in this world alone, but to “love our neighbor as ourself”, having compassion and care for all and each other, as God does. “this day, our daily” means (as we read earlier) Life cannot be sustained by simply eating one meal or having an occasional sip of water; rather, the intake of food and water is to be a continual habit of life. So, we ask our Heavenly Father, Creator and Providential Provider to meet our true needs in life, each and every day for living and living in righteousness. “Bread” represents all our needs. So, as life is not comprised of only nourishing our bodies, we ask God to provide the needs of our entire life (body, soul & spirit) to, including His Devine Hand on our life as His precious child seeking first the kingdom of God (his Will, not ours) in righteousness. The sensual flesh of our sin nature thinks otherwise.

James 4:2-4 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people (meaning spiritual adulatory against God), don’t you know that friendship with the (godless and therefore lawless) world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. The world seeks life satisfaction (doing a this and a trying to do that), apart from God, in darkness. How can we be sure that we have a genuine hunger and thirst for righteousness? We need to focus our attention on the spiritual and not the sensual and physical. What is our continual habit of life and who do we live for?

Psalm 119:1-8, 40 & 123 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness. My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation and Your righteous word.

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
Satisfaction guaranteed! Christ is our righteousness, Brian

All Hallows Evening

2011-10-26T16:09:00.001-07:00

Matthew 15:3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?

In a day or two, we celebrate Halloween. Dressing up in costumes, going to parties, playing games and “trick or treating” for the little kids. But when I ask people what is the significance of the day and what exactly are we celebrating on this “second most popular” holiday in the United States of America?, the answer always seems to be the same: “I don’t know.”

I’ve listened to a couple Pastors this week explain that there is a confluence of three streams that flow together to form this modern celebration. The first goes back to the Druids, who were the pagan inhabitance of pre-Christian Ireland & Scotland. The Druid or Celtic year began on November 1, which was called “Samhain”. This was their New Year’s day, and consequently, October 31 was “New Year’s Eve”. It was also a combination of a “Harvest Festival” and thought of as a “Festival of the Dead”, for it was said that it was this night that the Earth came to its closest contact with the unseen and spiritual world. Consequently, ghosts, goblins and witches terrified the populous, supposedly destroying crops, killing babies, stealing farm animals, upsetting garbage cans and reeking all sorts of havoc on the people. Bon fires were set upon the hills, either to keep the ghosts away, or perhaps to guide the spirits of the dead back to their homes, where it was believed that the spirits of the deceased on the eve of Samhain find warmth and good cheer in the home of their kinfolk before the onslaught of winter. Therefore, we see a lot of the folk custom of Halloween has come from this Druid celebration.

Another one of them is the custom of “Trick or Treat”. It originated when the people of Ireland went around to homes asking for various treats for the celebration which was to follow later in the evening. Then, when the belief in the reality of goblins and ghosts began to decline, and it was no longer believed that they were really doing these mischievous things, the children decided to help out. So they dressed up in various costumes and put on masks, then went house to house asking for treats, but adding a little something extra … threatening also tricks if they failed to be generous. And so, there were garbage cans upset, gate posts found in trees, and all sorts of pandemonium that took place on that night, supposedly attributed to the ghosts and goblins, but, of course, wrought by the dressed up children.

Deuteronomy 18:9-11 “When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.”

The second stream that flows into the modern celebration of Halloween comes from Central Europe, when the Christian church made its attack upon the pagan bastions, destroying the temples of the various heathen gods and goddesses. But it was never able to completely eradicate the pagan worship which reappeared in the “Dark Ages” in the form of witchcraft. One of the important aspects of witchcraft are a number of celebrations each year, which are called “Witch’s Sabbaths”. One of the highest witch’s Sabbaths, the “Black Sabbath” of witches, occurred on October 31. This was a night of feasting and revelry, and imagery includes themes of death, evil, the occult, black cats, bats, mythical monsters and other related Halloween paraphernalia. The source of much of our Halloween folklore today stems from the high witch’s Black Sabbath of October 31 celebrated in Central Europe in the Middle Ages.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.

The third stream that completes the modern concept of Halloween comes from the Roman Catholic Church. The church was engaged had been engaged in appointing certain days to honor and reverence certain Saints that the church had appointed or declared. There had become so many of these days that it became impossible to have a specific day for each Saint, so they decided to have one day in which they would remember all of the Saints, called “All Saints Day”. In the 700’s A.D., Pope Gregory III changed the date if “All Saints Day” to November 1, and in the year 834 A.D., Pope Gregory IV extended this celebration to the entire Roman Catholic Church. There was a celebration associated with this, on the evening before called “All-Hallows-Mas” or “All-Hallows-Even” on October 31 and it is from these two words that we have the contraction “Halloween”.

Here you see the three-fold origin of the celebration of Halloween. Are you still excited to celebrate it? Well, unrelated, on October 31, 1517 @ noon in Wittenberg, Germany, a young professor of Theology by the name of Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the University door that sprung into existence the Protestant Reformation and churches. So October 31 is the birthday of Protestantism and the Evangelical faith. Saved by grace alone, saved by Christ alone, and saved by faith alone. Now that’s no trick, but the greatest treat of all.

In Christ, Brian

Hillbilly Ten Commandments

2011-10-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

Some people in the world seem to have trouble with all those "shalts" and "shalt nots" in the Ten Commandments. Folks just aren't used to talking in those terms. So we translated them for you to make them easier to understand.

1.) Just one God. The God of the "Good" book.

2.) Put nothin before God. Any fella or gal, place or thin' that yer puttin more importin than Him? Stop.

3.) Watch yer mouth. Be holy and revere the Lord, yer Maker.

4.) Git yerself to Sunday meetin. Thankin' and givin glory.

5.) Honor yer Ma & Pa. God picked them, so love em and do what they say.

6.) No killin. Jesus even said, no hatin, fer its the same thig in yer heart.

7.) No foolin around with another fellers woman. Jesus said, 'don't even think about it."

8.) Don't take what ain't yers. That's lo down and ya wouldn't want folks takin yer stuff.

9.) No tellin' tales and gossipin'. Tell em straight and tell em all. Don't be addin anythin.

10.) Don't be hankerin for yer buddy's stuff. The "good' stuff is in heaven. Have a hankerin for that instead.

Now that's kinda plain and simple, don't ya think? Y'all have a nice day!

Blessin's, Brian

Blessed are the Meek

2011-10-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Looking forward to Friday evening small group Bible study of the “Be” attitudes of the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 (the Sermon on the Mount), which focuses the blessings of the Believer, for life on this side of Heaven and the eternal rewards to come to those who are “born again” (John 3). Not how to “act”. These are “Be” attitudes, not “do” attitudes. This is the heart attitude of the regenerated heart of a Believer. Meekness, humble gentleness, is Holy Spirit-given fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), not by self effort. Not of us, it is a natural “fruit of the Spirit” in those saved by faith in the redemptive atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ – not by our works or any human desire and decision, so that no one can boast. The glory belongs to God alone. The opposite of “meek” is proud. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek,” but realistically, in this day and throughout history it seems to be the aggressive, the fighters, the intellectuals, or even the just plain lucky that might inherit the earth. But Jesus’ view of life and righteousness is nothing like the world’s perspective. The ancient Greeks understood the gentle or meek person to be the one who is angry on the “right” occasion, with the “right” people, at the “right” moment, for the “right” amount of time. There is a thing called “righteous indignation” over sin, but in the intent is to correct with gentleness; neither in excessive anger, nor in pathetic mildness that never gets angry. In humility remember that, except by the grace of God, there walk I.

Psalm 37:10-11 “Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before (Rest in) the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”

Joseph demonstrated the foundation of faith in action by his life when he proclaimed in Genesis 39:9b “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?", and also in Genesis 50:20 “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” He did not live a man-centered anthropocentric life, but a God-centered Theo-centric life, looking beyond actions to the sovereignty of God to choose meekness rather than anger. Gentleness is not weakness; it is power under control. James 1:19-20 tells us that every brother & sister in Christ must have the habitual nature to “be quick to hear (be a good listener), slow to speak (think about what you are going to say & watch your words), and slow to anger (in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control); for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26 “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

In our church’s Summer series, Ray Vanderlaan explained that sin brought chaos and death into the world and God is, by grace, working to bring “shalom” (peace and order) back through His redemptive plan of salvation, but not by excusing sin unpunished; that would be unjust. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." Sin must be paid for, and the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). We just discussed this issue this week in Wednesday’s Men’s Bible Study at church. We read in Romans 3:22-26 “The righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Psalm 37:22, 29, 34 “For those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.” How do we get there? John 1:12 -13 makes clear, “To all who did receive him Jesus), who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” And consequently, Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” – inherit the earth. Revelation 5:9-10 declares, "Worthy are you (our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ) to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."

We will never be really, biblically gentle until we have surrendered our will to the will of God; aligning our will with His will. To put it another way, strength without control leads to chaos. Loving God sets the standard to live by and live out daily, not us. Meekness, gentleness and humility starts with unconditional surrender to the control of God. Have we ever given our will to God? As Jesus did, have we ever cried out to Him and said, “Not my will be done, but Yours”? When we do, meekness and gentleness becomes something the Holy Sprit works within us, not something we must try to manufacture on our own; it’s not a “DO” attitude. The mistake we make all too often is trying to live the Christian life on our terms, in our own strength, without unconditional surrender to let God work in us. We view gentleness as a law to be obeyed, a forced limitation on our behavior, rather than a character quality God is working into our lives. The Lord’s nature of meekness is sown into the fabric of our soul (mind will & emotion), and written upon our heart, that we do not try to be meek; we are meek and becoming meeker as we grow and mature daily in our walk as a Christian because it is a “BE” attitude of the child of God.

In Christ, Brian

An American Audit

2011-10-17T05:51:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 28:2 When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.

We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained; and since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people. President George Washington's First Inaugural Speech (1789)

Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. President George Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States — September 26, 1796

Our First President and "Father of our Country" pointed to the standard by which to measure. How are we doing?

Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

One nation under God. In God We Trust. God bless America.

Brian

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

2011-10-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted”.

This week’s small group Bible Study focused on the second of beatitudes taught by Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. The study began as many would think: “Really?” Taken at face value, “blessed are those who mourn” seems strange. But as Jesus explained that it is the “poor in spirit” who are blessed when we reach the point of realizing our spiritual bankruptcy because of sin. It is then that we are able to be blessed of God. There is a connection between mourning and realizing our poverty of spirit. Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

The specific language used in this beatitude includes the strongest word for mourning in the Greek language. It is the term used for mourning the death of a loved one, and it describes a grief that cannot be hidden. But when Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn.”, the question that comes to minds is, “What are we to mourn?”

James 4:4 & 6-10 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Both cleanse and purify are technical terms in the Old Testament. The reference to cleansing, which brings to mind an external action, would indicate stopping certain behaviors (words and deeds). The admonition to “purify your heart” deals more with the internal cleansing of an individual’s thoughts, motives, and desires of the heart. The double-minded person suffers from divided loyalties. On one hand their desires to be near to and please God; on the other hand they love the world and all it has to offer.

What is to be our response to our sin? At my Wednesday night men’s Bible Study group a 20 year old young man (we'll call him Robert), from my New Believer’s class last year, commented that knowing “what is sin in the eyes of God” is the most difficult thing for his age group in recognizing that they are a sinner and seeing the consequences for their sinning against a “just & holy” Lord God. The world, the flesh and the Devil are bent against God's perfect moral law, teachings, statutes and commands; focused on sensual self interests and pleasures. With no moral compass, no one mourns their sin; they ignore it in humanistic moral relativism. How can there be a sorrow that is in according to the will of God which produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation? Repentance means changing your mind about your sin, mourn your sin, literally making a u-turn and bringing your thoughts and actions in line with God’s will.

Psalm 34:17-18 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Holiness is the standard. Each of us is to be holy just as God is holy. Holiness is the goal. Sound impossible? Good news! Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the ones who realize they just don’t have it in them to be holy. They are blessed because they are the ones that God helps. Sorry Ben Franklin, God does not help those who help themselves. God helps the helpless. As we see our spiritual poverty, the Holy Spirit works in us to bring us to mourn over our sinful lack of holiness. Jesus paid the painful ultimate price for our un-holiness. Our response to sin, the response prompted by the Holy Spirit, is to mourn over sin. We should mourn because sin caused the death of Christ in our place to atone for them. Sin grieves God and causes damage to His people. Spend some time in prayer today, asking God to break your heart with the things that break His. Ask Him to help you mourn over sin, that you may be blessed with Him comfort.

In Christ, Brian

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

2011-10-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:1-3 Seeing the crowds, he (Jesus) went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

We started a small group home Bible study at our house this week, which began by asking God to help us see the familiar verses of the Beatitudes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew, chapter 5. Focusing, this week, on the first of these precious teachings that radically defined and took righteousness to the “right” level of what it means to be blessed of God and how these blessings are manifest in our lives; to live out these blessings in our Christian walk. Growing in our faith by seeking and finding truth, maturing in our godly knowledge and wisdom from above, aligning our purpose with the Lord’s purposes of restoration and creating beauty in this fallen world, to be a light shining in the darkness as ambassadors for the Son of God, for the kingdom of heaven, to impact our life and the lives of those within our sphere of influence, in this time and place of God’s plan called history. Do we want to be blessed by God? Of course, we want His blessings in our lives!

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Blessed or blessedness is first and foremost a characteristic of God. It is a part of who He is, His state of being. The Greek word translated is ‘makarios’. It is sometimes translated as “happy”, but it carries a much deeper meaning. In English, the idea of being “happy” is based upon favorable circumstances. But to be blessed is to possess the favor of God. It is a state of being defined by fullness and satisfaction from God. To be blessed is to be walking in the fullness of God regardless of circumstances; in good times and bad.

Luke 18:9-14 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: " The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

The Greek word translated in Matthew 5 as poor means “to be poverty stricken, powerless, utterly destitute, and bankrupt.” To be “poor in spirit” means knowing you have nothing to offer and acknowledging your total dependence on God. It suggests a humility, which is the opposite of pride. It seems to be ingrained in our sinful human nature to think that we are better than perhaps we really are. This is especially true when it comes to standing before the Righteous Judge of the universe. We fail to recognize the seriousness of sin that is wicked iniquity in the eyes of our “Just & Holy” Lord God. All too often, when it comes to sin in our life, we justify our actions by comparing ourselves to someone we believe is worse than we are; like God grades us on a curve or scale. But that’s not the way God judges. Just look at the Ten Commandments. How do you and I measure up to no idols, taking God’s name lightly or profanely, no lying, no stealing, no hating, no lustful thoughts, no envious desires. Paul clarifies in Romans 7 stating: “Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” God’s standard is perfection , not goodness. No one measures to the standard known as righteousness. 1 John 1:8-10 says: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” Our only hope for blessing is to confess our sinful life that falls short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and admit our utter dependence on God. Those who are walking in the fullness of God, those whose inheritance is heaven, are those who are “poor in spirit”. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2 Corinthians 1:2-4 "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
Blessings, Brian

Entitlement

2011-10-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. What about ... in these days ... here and now?

Have we turned into a disposable society, where life, relationships, and faith are taken so lightly. I was talking to a Christian co-worker that said that he believes that our egocentric pagan culture has been indoctrinated and bought into the notion that “we deserve it” … whatever we want, with no limit, which has created a immoral code that (as Alliance Defense Fund President Alan Sears states) is contaminating minds with a endless torrent of anti-God, and anti-Christian propaganda, in the battle between faith & unbelief. Are we starting to reap the results of decades of a force-fed unbiblical diet of Darwinistic evolution, pre-marital sex, abortion, socialism, selfish disrespect for authority, and entitlement? Not only have we lost sight of the gospel massage that God has a plan to forgive and save, but we have lost sight of God and living focused on ourselves. But the One who creates also reigns and rules, and the heavens & the Earth are His. In the eyes of God Almighty, we are entitled alright, for our willful disobedience, unfaithfulness and rejection, but God's plan of redemption and salvation is knocking at our hearts door, for the blessed life.

It's "right" to obey God. Not see how close to the edge of the cliff without falling, or to the line of God's standards without crossing. We want God to bless the flesh and our disobedience; wanting blessing without obedience, as we live in compromise of His Holy Word, Will & Way. We want to go to heaven, but we want to be the lord of our life and follow our own flesh desires and rules ... what is right in our own eyes. We prove, time and again, that we do not understand the complexity of God, or the seriousness of Sin. Never under-estimate the consequences that result from our acts of disobedience. Victories & trials, good times and bad, are to train us and mature our faith, improve our life through life experiences by developing knowledge and associated wisdom, shape our perspective an, ultimately, to give praise to the living God and bring Him honor, to trust in His presence and follow Him. May we see that light of truth in this dark age and act upon it in righteousness, shining that light of the gospel of Christ, by our godly life, into the darkness.

Know that God goes before us and prepares the way. God’s grace, out of unmerited love towards the sinner, provides salvation to the Sinner though Jesus Christ alone, transforms hearts, changes lives; making a way to be "right" with God, to those who repent, believe and accept the free gift. Two things I have learned are that there is a God and He is not me. In the words of songwriters Glenn Frey and Don Henley: "This big, bad world doesn't owe us a thing!" The sense of entitlement in our sin nature is, at the root, pure pride and causing chaos in our self-centered society. Who serves who? Look around and see what godless, lawlessness has produced.

Proverbs 21:2 People may be right in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their heart.

Justice is getting what we deserve ... getting what we are entitled to for our willful disobedience. Mercy is not getting what we deserve . Grace is getting what we do not deserve. Realize what we all deserve for sinning against the "Just & Holy" Creator God. Understand God's love and unmerited grace to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our sins with His life on that cross to redeem us because we were helpless to pay ourselves. Believe, repent & accept the free gift of forgiveness & salvation, if you have not already. Appreciate, with a life of praise, honor, glory and thanksgiving, in trusting obedience, in dedicated discipleship, and in devotedly serving the Lord in His work of redemption in this world, this side of Heaven (our eternal home). Make a difference.

Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

In Christ, Brian

Courageous - In Theaters September 30

2011-09-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Courageous - In Theaters September 30
http://www.courageousthemovie.com/

Here is a message, from the makers of Fireproof, Facing the Giants and Flywheel, that needs to be heard in this day and age, and a faith-based movie that needs to be supported by the community of faith. I wish that more of these movies were out there, being a light in the darkness for a world that could use the gospel truth in life and living. I pray that you get a chance to take as many as you can to watch this Friday or soon after. We need this hope.

Blessings, Brian

Metamorphosis

2011-09-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

You learn something new all the time about Blogging. I had written a message about religion and government, a week or two ago, but wanted to add a quote from one of this nation’s Founding Father that explained the reason for laws and government. So I saved the writing as a draft and wrote another message to post that week. Finally, I found the quote that I was looking for, and added it to the message. But when I posted the message titled: “Politics is Dirty”, it dropped into my Blog with the date that I saved the draft, and behind the other message titled “Genealogy”, making it hard to find by the readers. I hope that you will scroll down and take a moment to read that message, as I fill that there is an answer to this nation’s misdirection by following what the original intent of the Founding Fathers.

This last weekend, I attended a movie premier from the company that produced other “faith based” movie as “ The Privileged Planet”, “Unlocking the Mystery of Life”, “Where does the Evidence Lead?” and “a Case for a Creator”. Illustra Media came to Fullerton, California (among other cities) to launch the release of their latest documentary, titled: “Metamorphosis”, which is a celebration of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. Through spectacular photography, you enter the mysterious world of butterflies to discover the scientific evidence for intelligent design (Creator God) woven throughout every facet of their lives. Honestly, it was one of the best documentaries that I’ve ever seen. This is a great movie and should be seen by everyone. I’ve included a link to the movie trailer for you to get a glimpse for yourself. Click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiRFftkTtSA&feature=player_embedded.
What a blessing to see and know the Creator Father and His handiwork. Praise and glory be to God. I hope that you purchase a copy of the DVD for yourself and your church.

Romans 1:18-22 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.
God is awesome.
In Christ, Brian

Genealogy

2011-09-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Genesis 2:7,18,22,&24 The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. This is origin of everyone on earth; one blood and one family.

My wife has found a new hobby of tracing and documenting our family trees and developed a love for genealogy research and networking in www.ancestry.com & www.findagrave.com. Genealogy is a chronological record tracing the descent of a person or family from an ancestor; lineage. There is even a television show titled “Who do you think you are? on NBC that traces the lineage of celebrities that is popular today. It’s fun to look back and follow our relatives to see where we came from. Where did the “house of Brian” come from, and who is in “the line of Brian”? We’re talking “family”.

Psalm 127:3-5 Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!

The family was not man’s idea, but is God’s gift. The intent is a unique, tight-knit unit of mother, father sister, and brother extending back for care, love and support, which continues to extend forward and expand. “Blood is thicker than water”, means that the bonds of family and common ancestry are stronger than those bonds between unrelated people (such as friendship). But today, the roles of parents and children within the family are being reinterpreted by some to place higher value to friends and self than family in life. This is also true in the reinterpretations that place a higher value on fleshly & worldly pursuits and acceptance by peers than being a follower of Christ and a redeemed child of God. Honor and respect of both family values and biblical values are being challenged.

Proverbs 12:7 The wicked die and disappear (spiritually in this life and eternally in the next), but the family of the godly stands firm.
The Bible gives us genealogies also (i.e. Genesis 5, 1 Chronicles 1-12, Matthew 1:1-16) that we might also know history and enjoy the family lineage of the people of God and our Redeemer Lord Jesus in God’s plan of forgiving sin and bringing salvation to the world. I have both great family ties (though many of those are long distance) and great family of God ties that I cherish. The love of God develops the love for God and His perfect Word, Will and Way for our lives, which includes the family that He gave me and expects me to love and actively build in relationship; mentally, physically and spiritually. There is contentment, deep love, trust, peace, rest and security in pure family ties.

Ephesians 2:18-19 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.

May we never forget our roots and our blessed “loved ones”, in family. May we recognize and value our Heavenly Father, our being a “Child of God”, and the family that the Lord has gifted us with. May we cherish every moment we have, in the time that we have to be a blessing to both. What pure joy I experience in family and I love them dearly. You have a great genealogy! Rejoice and give thanks.

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

In Christ, Brian

Politics is Dirty

2011-09-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men & citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man ought to respect & to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private & public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the Oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure--reason & experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." - George Washington, Founding Father and first President of the United States of America - September 19, 1796

You may hear that politics is dirty and no place for a Christian. But "Government" is simply the administrative body to govern public affairs, law and order, which is not evil, in and of itself. Sinful politicians, those skilled in civil service but misuse the position of authority and power for personal gain and/or godless ideology and their associated agendas, corrupt the system. Power has the potential to corrupt because of sinful lusts of the flesh. A true “Civil Servant” serves the people for the “good” of the people, nation and world, but the definition of “good” must be defined by the God of the Bible. Morals are the generally accepted ideas and standards of what is just (right and wrong) in human conduct, so morality is pertains to virtues for living “right” before man … and God. That is why the Founders of this country used the Word of God in the framing of this country’s Constitution. John Adams, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Second President of the United States, said: “It is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue. We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 tell us to "Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?" As a child of God, guided by and living according to His Word and Spirit in purpose and peace affects the way we see life and the decisions that we make. How can anyone expect ungodly people to make godly decisions for the people or honor God. America was founded based on biblical principals, by godly men, for this reason and the Constitution written to protect these godly principles with Rights. They knew of the "darkness" of the human heart apart from God and provided a means to protect the people and this country. This original intent is proved by our Founding Father’s own writings, but is hidden today by the political correctness of those who are hostile to the God of the Bible, with unregenerate hearts that desire and promote secular humanism and atheism. How can it be expected that biblically immoral people govern the people rightly? What cost has America paid, and will increasingly pay, for ungodly leaders? Government and politics are only dirty when ungodly people are elected into office, and godless individuals placed in positions of authority and power.

Psalm 4:3 says: “But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly.” Why do we allow corruption? We are told to expose it and remove it. No, we cannot "all get along" in a sinful, fallen world because godlessness is contrary to God and His standards of morality. Without a “moral compass”, a biblical standards set for social order by God, we have a Judges 21:25 situation: “In those days there was no king (no Ruler, so no rules) in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”, aka Moral relativism and decay. Unchecked, evil will go as far as it can in lawlessness. The penalties of laws are not meant for law-abiding citizens, but for those who break the law. Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Robert Winthrop in a speech on May 5,1849 rightly stated: “All societies of men must be governed in some way or other. The less they may have of stringent State Government, the more they must have of individual self-government. The less they rely on public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint. Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them, or by a power without them; either by the Word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible, or by the bayonet. It may do for other countries and other governments to talk about the State supporting religion. Here, under our own free institutions, it is Religion which must support the State.”

Souls, Liberty and Justice of a people and a nation are at stake. Change a heart towards the Lord and produce a law-abiding citizen. John Jay, Founding Father of the United States, President of the Continental Congress, the first Chief Justice of the United States, wrote: “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers”. Let’s get biblical Christian values back in Washington and this nation under God. Our national motto is: “In God We Trust”. Let’s live that out.
In Christ,
Brian Todd

A Cheerful Giver

2011-09-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

Leviticus 27:30-31(NIV) "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. 31 Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it.”

In the many years of annual church Stewardship drives and Sermons, I hear about tithes and offering, but never had the two defined individually. I know that many think that they are different names for the same thing. But I know that there is much confusion, by so many, over this critical meaning, to the body of Believers, the individual church's function, and to God (what the Lord is desiring His children to learn and live by in "giving back" a portion of what He has first given to us; for everything is the Lord's, who created the heavens, the earth, and all that is in it. It is good for us to read Job chapter 38-chapter 41 often, to not take for granted what God gave, and continues to give us, less we forget. God gave; shall we not do like-wise.

Malachi 3:8-10 (NKJV) “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

The Hebrew word for tithe literally means “a tenth”. I didn’t know that! There is no need to apologize for instructing the Brothers & Sisters in Christ of what the Lord says in His holy Word and the reasons behind it, as the intent of the message is to bring knowledge and application of the Word of God. I like to Pastors to speak on such biblical subjects of such great importance, as if I knew nothing of the Ways of God ... like a new Believer, who just came to a "saving" knowledge of Jesus Christ, and knew nothing else, and was hearing this message for the first time, rather than thinking that I grew up in the church and know everything already. Number 1, I didn’t & number 2, I don’t. There is no shame in communicating what the Lord desires and requires, but there is sin in greed and pride. Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “God helps those who help themselves.” does not reflect God’s attributes. Charles Dickens quote: “Charity begins at home.” Doesn’t mean that charity ends at home. The Lord tells us to give. As Peter said in Acts 5:29 “We must obey God and not men.” I want to obey my Maker and Redeemer, Lord God.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV) The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

We know that through God's mercy and grace in salvation to the sinner, His loving provision and providence, that we can never out give God. In John 3:16, Jesus tells us the ultimate gift, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” But we are to give out of "natural obedience", meaning because we "want to" give out of our love of God, and the joy of our salvation through. This is what 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 saying. God desires us, as His children, to give, but more, to want to give … to desire from the heart to be a cheerful “giver”. It’s easy to obey a command that we do naturally, with joy knowing that it is for the work of the Lord, anyway. In 1 Samuel 16:7 we read, “But the LORD said to Samuel, “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (NASB) We are not under the law, but under grace, but understand Romans 6:14-16 “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Being a “cheerful giver” is obedience which leads to righteousness … the relationship that I desire. May my thoughts, words and deeds be pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

1 John 3:16-18 (NLT) We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

In Christ,
Brian

Teach Your Children

2011-08-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

At our church here in Anaheim, California, we’ve been presenting a mid-week summer evening class from the “That The World May Know” video series by Ray Vader Laan on the Exodus story of the Israelites from Egypt to Mt. Sinai and it’s meaning & application to us today. One of the primary messages of this outstanding presentation is that parents, Grandparents and great-grandparents need to teach our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren the Bible; that they may “hear God’s words, so that they may learn to fear the Lord (meaning: out of pure reverence, not ever want to let God down) all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children and their children's children.” Does American Christian families … do the Christians in the world teach their Children diligently or do we let the spiritually-blind pagan secular humanistic world teach us and our kids its self-centered message of hedonism and materialism that destroys the soul with sin and leaves them in the dark pursuit of happiness apart from God? What do you see is the virtues & vises result today?

Deuteronomy 4:9-10 "Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children— how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.' Deuteronomy 6:6-8 repents God’s message here.

This was well-known in this country’s beginnings, as evidenced by the first school textbook printed in the United States, “The New England Primer” in 1690 and used to teach children to read until 1900 A.D., which taught our nation’s children using nothing but biblical references. There is also evidence that biblical morality was taught to all American children in public school by the 1890 textbook on Ethics, with its emphasis on character traits such as honesty, gratitude, and responsibility. This text calls attention to the critical importance of character development and the role of a well-formed conscience in making morally sound decisions,; also full of biblical references. Check it out for yourself. Reprint copies for home-schooling or your own reference are available @ http://shop.wallbuilders.com/store/books.html. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Article 3 states: "Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged." Why? Because biblical knowledge leads to obedience from the heart to the Maker of Heaven & Earth, that produces order, peace, happiness and joy in life; nowhere else.

Deuteronomy 11:18-20 "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

The God-rejecting & Christ-rejecting world seeks joy, apart from a just and righteous God’s holy Word, Will and Way, in sinful distractions, while making every effort to suppress and eliminate the thought and even mention of the one true sovereign Lord of all, which we are accountable, based upon His commands and standards, which we fail. Talking to my Pastor this week, we discussed how it is not just knowing and legalistically obeying, outwardly, the Word of God, but having God’s words written upon our hearts, inwardly. When it is the desire of our heart to live a life that is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, we naturally study the Bible to learn, mature and grow, meditating on the holy Scriptures day & night that they will not depart from our lips (Joshua 1:8 & Psalm 1:2). Not that we say and live by the Ten Commandments only because God says to, but to have the purposes of God in our heart that we do not break them and sin against God and our fellow man, because it is wrong and we do not want to. It changes our prospective from “I shall not lie, steal, covet, kill, have other gods” to the heart that says “Why would I lie? Why would I steal? Why would I covet? Why would I Kill? Why would I have other gods? I have no desire to. Like Joseph says in Genesis 39:9 “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Our hearts are changed; transformed by the Lord. Isn’t this where we want ourselves to be mentally, emotionally and spiritually? Isn’t this what our children need to know to become healthy, balanced & stable adults in this generation? Doesn’t it say in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Who will teach them? It’s our job. Let’s do it!

Romans 2:28-29 For no one is a Jew (or Christian) who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew (and Christian) is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

In Christ,
Brian

Letter to Pastor Tracy

2011-08-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

Pastor Tracy,
With what is going on today in America, morally & spiritually, it's not hard to see that people are looking for definition for living. The clear boundaries of God through His Holy Word and Spirit have become foggy & gray as the lack of knowledge of the Bible & Jesus have opened the door to progressive change from godliness led by and walking in the Spirit, to the desires of the sinful nature and the unbridled works of the flesh described in Galatians 5. So many for my Christian brothers and sisters in ministry see it, and more & more of my secular friends & family see the social chaos caused by its affect also. This lack of biblical knowledge seems to have lead to a world of the “blind leading the blind into the pit”, described in Matthew 15:14, because that which the Lord says is sin (meaning, of the Christ-rejecting world, the flesh’s natural desires & knowingly or unknowingly following Satan and is contrary to God’s word, will and way, Jesus teachings, examples & commandments, and the Holy Spirit leading) are not defined, so people are redefining their life based upon, not only what they think is "right" in their own eyes (as mentioned in Joshua 21:25), but what secular humanism propagandizes as "right", based on pagan hedonism. The lines of loving and safe boundaries for our lives, found in God's commands, statures, decrees, teachings, laws, et cetera found in His holy Word, are not only neglected & therefore not being seen clearly, but being omitted & erased from our culture. Tolerance of sin moved public opinion of Jesus from Lord and Savior to just Savior, then to a “good” person (humanizing Christ). Tolerance of sin and intolerance towards Jesus is attempting now to remove the Redeemer sent by God as Savior, in public opinion and life. Where Jesus has commissioned His followers (the born again Believer, the Children of God and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven) to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" in Matthew 28:18-20, it is found that the secular society is the one aggressively evangelizing the world (both us and our children) to forsake God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Even some, so called, Christian denominations are saying that the Bible is NOT the defining authority on human behavior, and giving into secular beliefs over the defining Word of God. Lives are being redefined along with, and aligned with sin, and the consequences are the rejection and dismissal of God as their Creator Lord, and the Bible (their Maker's perfect will and word) no longer matters & lost souls continue to look for meaning for life and the definition of love, joy, peace, and happiness that they disparately need and desire in the “wrong places”, here on Earth, in people, places, pleasures, possessions, popularity, power, privilege and pomp. We know that God is in total control all the time, and in the end He wins, but our society is going in the “wrong” direction and needs godly guidance and guides. What are His children to be doing to make an influence on this culture today for Christ's sake on this generation? Shouldn't each and every one of us be telling everyone within our sphere of influence, and to the best of our God-given ability, about the gospel of Jesus Christ - the great Hope of mankind lost and dying in sin? This is the true place of Love, joy, peace & happiness.

Today, my goddaughter and niece are being tempted by godless people in college, to abandon what they call the "fairytale of a God" and turn her back on a faith in something that non-believer’s of God believe does not exist, including rejecting & leaving behind the people-of-faith in their life, to give themself over to the sinful nature completely. The reality of secular humanism is not something that I can ignore. To eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die (from Luke 12;19) is the theme of the day, today, in the darkness of secular America, and they what to rid this land of the Light of Christ. I believe that every professing Christian needs to stand up, as Jesus said, and join in this “spiritual war”, in America and the entire world, for the hearts, minds and souls of those that need to find the foot of the Cross, where they will not only find their loving Lord and Savior, but the true definition of their life in Jesus Christ.

Please tell me your thoughts and opinion. I appreciate all that you do for Christ, the church and the community.
Blessings to you.
Brian

********************************************************************

Brian,
Ever since Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, when we all inherited the sin nature, it has been the way that you have described. The only answer is the last Adam, Jesus; that He has redeemed us by His blood. He is the only answer and we must preach the Word, be the salt, and fight the good fight of faith. Having done all, then stand and keep on standing. Anything changing in society as a whole, or in one individual, will be the result of the Holy Spirit working through our faithfulness to be a "John The Baptist" as we speak the truth in love. When I think of these things, I think of you. So, be faithful to the call to be “salt and light” and then trust the Lord with Him changing things. We have to "enter into His rest". Just think, the Father and Son are looking down right now at their entire creation and the state of that creation and they are still "sitting on the throne." They know the end from the beginning and they are in perfect rest; they are bringing all things into perfect completion. Some things will continue to be evil and that is why there is a coming judgment. It will come, so we must continue to lead as many people as we can to the Lord.

I feel led to direct you to John 16:1-33. It will bless you with understand of the state of things, what is coming, and how we can even right now in the midst of things, "be of good cheer" (vs.33).

Bless you,
Pastor Tracy Hearnsberger
Little Church in the Pines
Bass Lake, California

All Have Sinned & All Need “The Savior”

2011-08-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

Romans 3:21-25a But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation (as an acceptable payment in full) by his blood, to be received by faith.

I heard a great Bible Study this week that I’d like to share the notes that I wrote down. I pray that they bring as much light of truth and is as great a blessing to you as it was for me.
We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. We are “lost” because we are sinners. Laws are for order and peace. God demands and God provides because we can not. We have nothing to offer, but our great need. We are completely lost outside of Christ. There is no such thing as middle ground. There is no such thing as trying to come some other way. Religion can not save you, but Christ can save you. Jesus is the Savior of the world. It’s not trust or hope or faith that saves us (though faith is the instrument). It is the object of faith that is the important thing. It’s Christ! By Jesus’ atoning blood and merit that we are saved. Come to Jesus and receive deliverance. The love of God is revealed in Jesus Christ. God offer is universal to who-so-ever in scope, but limited to those who believe by faith. The sinner must have either the righteousness or the wrath of God, and both of them are revealed from heaven. The guilty hope for one of four circumstances: (1) to not let their crime be discovered, or (2) to get beyond jurisdiction and the long arm of the law, or (3) if caught, to get off on a technicality, or (4) if convicted, to escape from Prison. But these hopes are useless in the economy of the omnipotent Maker of the Universe and all that lives & breathes. The goodness and blessings of God should lead you and I to Him and to repentance. Do you have a Savior or don’t you? Got Jesus?
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

God is merciful and just. The gospel has not changed God’s attitude towards sin. We do not get by with sin; it will be judged. The gospel has made it possible to accept the sinner by Jesus paying our penalty and is the “way unto salvation”. You either have Christ or you don’t. This may be dogmatic, but this is the truth. Either you are in Christ, which is what it means to be “saved”, or you are completely lost. We are absolutely saved in Christ and this is the gift of God; not earned, deserved or paid for by us. The process is (1) admission, (2) remission, & (3) submission. (1) Admit that we have sinned against a just & holy God and are a sinner that can not save ourselves. (2) Accept God offer of salvation through, His Son, Jesus Christ’s atoning death on the Cross that remits of sins by imputing them upon the Savior, while the Redeemer’s sin-free life is imputed to the Believer. (3) Regeneration of the spirit and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, submitting our life to Jesus as Lord, in trust and obedience, in His perfect Word, Will, and Way. We are complete in Christ. Christians are no longer in debt to sin in this lost and dying world. Praise be to God and our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!

Romans 1:4-6 He was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

In Christ, Brian

Say a Prayer for Nicole

2011-08-03T03:54:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 3:11-12 He must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer .

Yesterday, I received a shocking call from my niece Natalie, that her sister Nicole had been involved in a serious accident. Just the day before, she had moved some of her furniture and belongings from Kingman, Arizona 150 miles to Flagstaff, Arizona to begin to upcoming semester at Northern Arizona University in pursuit of becoming a Veterinarian. Her boyfriend was driving her in the 100 plus degree desert heat to take the last final things for her new apartment when the accident occurred. The details are not complete to me as yet, but just outside Kingman, the vehicle experienced a blown-out rear tire and the driver lost control on the highway. The car flipped and rounded, ejecting Nicole from the vehicle and she had to be Medi-Vac airlifted from the scene to a hospital in Flagstaff. I received a report from my brother, as they were en route to Flagstaff that she was in emergency surgery for a broken pelvis, broken collar bone, ruptured spleen and bleeding on the brain. As you can imagine, Nicole and the whole family is in need of your prayers. You prayers are appreciated and cherished. We know that she is in the hands of the "Great physician" now, and ask that the Lord guide the hands and decisions of the doctors and nurses in Nicole's care.

Thank you for your intercessory prayers.

In Christ, Brian

Family

2011-08-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

Genesis 2:24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

As I'm on a whirl-wind tour of the mid-West visiting family, it comes to mind that "blood is thicker than water". Family ties are the idea and creation of God Almighty for the stability of mankind in this cycle-of-life that He has placed us in this time and place in history, called our walk & watch. Some would argue that "it takes a village", but I think that the Maker was right when Genesis 1:31 said: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." The love of your child, your parents, your grand-parents, Uncles, Aunts and cousins is powerful to the mind, body and soul because it is natural bonds, and marriage (when by God's design) makes two into one in heart to create this godly family process.

It is sad when we realize that we are losing our older generation, and truly need to cherish and honor our parents and grand-parents (great & great great, if we are lucky) with the time that we have left with them on earth. The Ten Commandments include "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." But all the commandments, if written upon our hearts, are natural thoughts and actions of a godly life. Why wouldn't I honor my father and my mother? Just as, "Why would I murder, lie, steal, cheat, covet, et cetera. We, far too often, take for granted our family, and put others, other things and self in front of the relationships that matter in a healthy, satisfying, and fruitful life.

Friends are nice, a great part of life, but they are not a substitute for family. There aredifferent personalities involved and "black sheep", but I believe that God made this combination within the family to teach us to deal with it (by His standards), so we could not hide in the comfortible confides of "like-mindedness", but grow and mature as children of God in the diversity and confrontations of family; the critical part of the "Great Commision - Matthew 28:18-20 "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

There is an old saying that goes: "You can pick your friends, and you can pick your neighbors, and you can pick your nose, but you can not pick your family. So take some time and enjoy them. Touch them with the love of Christ. Speak the truth in love to them, even if they don't want to hear it because of darkness rejecting light. Throw a flare in their live out of love and care. But don't let the time go, because we will only have missed opportunities when either they or you are gone. God made family, so rejoice in it.

In Christ, Brian

The Lord Reigns

2011-07-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

Presenting the mid-week summer series on Ray Vander Laan’s “That the World May Know” sessions titled “God Heard Their Cry” has brought to light the parallel of the Israelites leaving bondage (slaves to Pharaoh) and the Egyptians worldview, redeemed and saved by God in the miraculous Red Sea crossing and becoming a free people of God, with today’s bondage to sin and God’s redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ to become a Child of God in the kingdom of Heaven. What an awesome and challenging lesson. It leaves me saying: "Praise be to God!"

Exodus 15:2 & 18 “The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.18 The LORD will reign forever and ever.”

What God had accomplished in the Hebrews hearts and minds was no less dramatic and powerful than his redeeming acts in the crossing of the sea, and the Hebrews knew it, standing safely on the far side of the sea. Their sovereign, all-powerful, one-and-only God had watched over them and redeemed them from Egypt. As the Israelites danced and sang praises to the God who had redeemed them, they had no idea what great journey they had just begun. From that point on, their lives and their culture would never be the same. Their commitment to God’s lordship required them to participate obediently in his ongoing redemptive story. He had called them to bring shalom into the chaos of a sinful world, to be like Him to other people, and to learn by His grace to obey His will. Although the expression “kingdom of heaven is not found in the (Old Testament) Hebrew text, a kingdom exists whenever a king reigns. So the Hebrews sang their commitment to the God who delivered them. There was no uncertainty that He was their reigning King. They did not know the ending, but God did, and does today.

John 8:36 “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

The good news of God’s kingdom that Jesus proclaimed was rooted in and shaped by the exodus experience. If we stand with the Israelites and seek to understand and celebrate their deliverance as they experienced it, we will appreciate more fully the grace-filled message and work of Jesus the Messiah. We also will be more responsive to the challenges, responsibilities, and privileges of being disciples of Jesus who are eager participants in God’s amazing story and are committed to obey His will.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

And when the people see the finger of God, the result is a dance of celebration on the shore of the sea, saying: “He is King!” But God is asking to us, “I am blessed that you would call me King, but I want to know if I am your King?” “Do I rule in your life?” “You call me King, but do I reign?” “Am I in charge in your life?” Is the kingdom “active” in your life, because you obey God as your King? Good questions.

God of the Universe reigns forever and ever. The Lord is reigning.

In Christ, Brian

The Un-Social Network

2011-07-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

I saw a commercial of the Television a week or two ago, where a young lady made a statement that older people were becoming more and more Un-social, based on the growing number of parents and grandparents getting fed-up with the current trends of immediate and constant communication; turning them off, discontinue using or disconnecting, some or all, completely. Of course, the commercial was scripted and the actor just speaking lines, but there was a message there. A quick look at some numbers off the internet shows that there are 20 million MySpace users, 156 million Bloggers, 200 million Twitter users, 750 million Facebook users, 1 billion Smart Phone users, 1.4 billion e-mail users, 2 billion Internet users, there are 3.9 million YouTube subscribers & 4.6 cell Phone users with texting. Sounds like we’re pretty social, or are we just obsessed with these latest crazes? What was intended to shame those not embracing the social network may actually be a call to evaluate what is going on in our society today, and if things have gone too far, too fast and created addictive behavior, then step back to a balanced & healthy position in life.

In the parabol of the Sower from Mark 4:18-20, the Lord Jesus explains the principle that worldly cares and desires, when the focus, become unfruitful distractions in godly instructions and affairs. "And others (seeds) are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." It’s not the social network that is the problem. I’m blogging right now and use most of these services. There are many good and godly things happening, but there are also some behaviors of concern. It’s disturbing to hear some say that they feel ‘naked” if they leave home without their cell phone. There is a great example of the root problem in 1 Timothy 6:10 saying that it is the “love of money” that corrupts because of the obsession. Then that which was intended for positive becomes a negative. You don’t even have to know the biblical references to understand this lesson, because we see and experience it in our world daily. You have taken good things too far and make them bad. Remember, money isn’t bad, in and of itself. It’s just an item of commence. We need money to function in society to purchase of goods and services in everyday life. But greed of money can lead to gratifying the sin nature of the flesh and needs to be kept in check by “walking in the Spirit” (Galatians 16-24). Let’s remember the keep our eye on the race set before us, our priority. Keep the “right” thing, the “right” thing. Let nothing come before the Lord.

1 Corinthians 9:24-26 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly.”
In Christ, Brian

Eyes That See

2011-07-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Romans 1:28-32 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Secularity (adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from religion. Of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal Not bound by biblical restrictions, especially not belonging to a religious order. Worldly rather than spiritual. From Latin, “of an age” (existential – living for today). The belief that there is no God, Creator of Heaven and earth, who sets the standards of what is “right” and “wrong”, has given us the law of nature and the law of the Holy Scripture to live by, and that we are accountable to. Secularism is an assertion or belief that religious issues should not be the basis of politics, and it is a movement that promotes those ideas (or an ideology) which hold that religion has no place in public life. As Judges 21:25 says, In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

John 3:1-7 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

But that is not the end of the message, just the identification of the problem. There are two world views and drive two world beliefs. The unbeliever is spiritually blind of the things of heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says that we walk by faith, not by sight. And Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Just because we don’t see something, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist, physically and spiritually. God made us to live in a physical world in relationship we our Creator. Sin broke that connection, so our Heavenly Father sent Jesus (from unseen heaven to physical earth), “God amongst us” & “God incarnate”, to pay and restore that spiritual sight, relationship and life. Jesus came to open the eyes of the spiritually blind and spoke it.

Jesus goes on to develop the next point in John 3:8-15 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” I don’t physically see the wind, but I believe that wind exists, because I see the affects of the wind blowing things. I don’t physically see gravity, but I believe that gravity exists, because I see the affects of gravity. I believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, though I can not see them physically, but I see the affects of God and heaven in my life and the lives of others. It’s called faith and an assured hope only because this is a life of justification that begins when we are “born again” in belief in God’s plan of salvation and restoration in Christ that regenerates our spirit and opens our spiritual eyes, is lived out for God’s purposes in a life of sanctification that walks in the Spirit and grows into the likeness of our Lord & Savior, then finally steps through the doorway to eternal life in the life of glorification in the kingdom of God that we finally see face to face.

This secular world system (though it is not pleasant with its egocentric drama and dreaded rejection of God) is not doom and gloom for the Christian because we know that (1) God is totally in control and (2) Jesus opens our eyes to full life and (3) this world is a not the end – Heaven is just ahead. So secularism is just a ministry opportunity for us followers and students of Jesus to reach the unsaved with the TRUTH. Jesus gets to the conclusion of his teaching message to Nick in John 3:14-16 saying “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Let’s lift up the name of Jesus Christ in this secular world that they may come to the foot of the Cross, to come to a “saving” knowledge of the Savior of the world, to be “born again of water and the Spirit, have their hearts regenerated and their eyes opened to both physical and spiritual reality of the infinite, eternal Creator and His love.

In Christ, Brian

Faith to Action

2011-06-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

James 2:14-26 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. I remember, years ago, trying to understand the thought behind “Good Works”. Early on, I found the passage of Scripture in Ephesians 2:1-10, which states that by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. I guess that I grew up with the concept of earning your way into Heaven. That the idea of good deeds in life out-weighing the bad deeds that I do would be a factor. Maybe because our society works that way and we need to earn our keep, to pay the way, so we deserve to go to heaven. That is the concept behind Semi-Pelagianism, defined as a moderated form of Pelagianism, taught that man has retained the ability to seek God in and of himself apart from any movement of God's grace. But this flew in the face of Ephesians 2. It made sense to me when I finally found James 2:14-26 and saw that faith and works work together, like the spirit in the live body. A dead body that lacks life and breath can do nothing, so a dead faith, lacking action in godly desires and works from the regenerated Spirit of God, is not functioning and dead. The true faith of the regenerated heart is evidenced by the natural actions of godly deeds. I’ve heard the phase that we don’t do “good” works to get saved, but do “good” works because we are saved. But it is even deeper than that … “good” works is just what a regenerated heart does because faith and “good” works work together. Born again and anew from above though belief in Jesus Christ. Loving, trusting, obeying, seeking, growing, and fruitful in godly works prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Faith justified in actions of producing and bearing good fruit in works.

In Christ, Brian

That the World Will Know

2011-06-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

John 1:7-10 "He (John the Baptist) came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him."

The questions, “Why am I here? What is my purpose? are basic inquiries asked by just about everyone on the planet and does not exclude Christians. We are not born with the answers and they are not all completely revealed at one time, but unfolded gradually over a lifetime of learning experiences and teachings in God’s perfect timing. Somehow, in the flesh, we lean toward the “big” & “easy” existence and, granted, that is a lot more pleasant than trials and tragedies of a life in a world fallen in sin that we do not totally understand now, but grows and matures us along our time on Earth, while driving us to lean on our Maker and His provision. Darkness and blindness go together naturally, and the same is true for the Soul (our mind, will & emotion) and spiritually when we take our eye off the light of Jesus. Isaiah 59:9 says that because of the darkness of sin “So there is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living. We look for light but find only darkness. We look for bright skies but walk in gloom. We grope like the blind along a wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. Even at brightest noontime, we stumble as though it were dark” (Read Isaiah 59:1-8 also).

But this is not God’s design. In John 8:12 “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” Jesus (The true light, which enlightens everyone) came both to give us “light” to walk and live in this world mentally, physically and spiritually, come what may, but also to reflect the light of God in this dark and sinful world that others may see the truth and that the world may know the way to true and pure life here, as the Lord intended it for each of us. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus tells us “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” I wonder sometimes if we fear and worry so much about not offended someone, that we do not share our faith, the truth of the gospel, to a lost and dying world, that we limit our witness or keep our hands closed and our mouth shut light, when the Lord says in Matthew 28 “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to obey all the commands I have given you.”

Not only must we trust in God, but we need to also “trust God”. Not only must we believe in Jesus, but we must “believe Jesus”. Which person willfully walking in the darkness of sin and rebellion against God is not going to be offended about going to Hell in eternal separation and torment of that "lake of fire” meant for Satan and his demons?). Those who choose to walk in darkness of sin and death of unbelief will come out “tooth and nail” against the gospel message of forgiveness and salvation because they do not want to be subject to a God and answer to their thoughts, words and deeds, let alone pay the consequences for such a life - (John 3:19). We need to expect them to be offended and keep doing what the Lord put us here to do ... to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. Knowing God and making Him known ... speaking the truth in love, that the world will know the way, the truth and the life through the only Savior of the world.

John 17:22-24 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!”

In Christ, Brian

It's a Wrap

2011-06-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 3:1 7 9-14 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever.

I guess that when you are packing up a present for someone, you know that once you’ve finished putting on the decorative wrapping paper, (whether themed holiday, celebratory graduation, bright birthday or colorful artistic designs), I know that the job is done … it’s a wrap. And the term has been used for any activity these days. This is true for these days that we have been given here on Earth, because even they are numbered. The statistics are in, and there is a 100% chance of death for us all. We are moral beings and no one gets off the planet alive. So, it not who we leave behind, not the material possessions either, but what godly love and faith in Christ that we lived out daily towards our Creator God and Redeeming Savior, as a legacy of Christian character to loved ones and others that we leave behind that counts. The secular world says “life is short, so go for the gusto” (aka “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die” – Matthew 24:38 & Luke 12:16-21). This “live for today, with no care about tomorrow” attitude has a “wrap” and a consequence also. What are we doing with our life today? What purpose were we made for? “What is the path set before us by our Maker and are we, not only on it but consciously looking at this mission from God, seeking to improve, grow and mature in our pilgrimage here. Where does the path go and what are we doing on this expedition of life?

2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
The Bible gives many illustrations of “a walk” or “a race” or a “journey”, but these all have the prospective of a destination … a finish that “wraps” up this life and steps into the next life of eternity in immorality (Mark 10:30). The question is: “what is your eternal perspective?” meaning: “where are you going when you die?” & “where will you spend eternity?” If we have this knowledge and why, then it sets the coarse that we follow and the path that we walk today in the light of truth, instead of the blindness of walking through life in darkness; not knowing where we are going and aimlessly following temporal self interests and pleasures, or the eternal destination at the end of this road, called life. When the director of life says “It’s a wrap!” where are you going?

Matthew 5;14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

As I come this week to the last of my “New Believer’s” classes at church, it is my prayer that each of the new disciples in Christ have that “eternal prospective” and are better equipped to “ask, seek and knock” (Matthew 7:7-8 & Luke 11:9-10) to continue to be taught by the Lord and grow into the likeness of their Lord and God, on this marvelous life that has been given each and every one of us today, in this specific time and place. I pray the same for you all also. Go in the peace of Christ and serve the Lord! Praise be to God! Enjoy life, shine the light of Jesus to the world, and when it’s all wrapped up, put a bow on it.

John 3:14-16 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 1 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
In Christ, Brian

ABSOLUTELY

2011-06-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Romans 1:22-25 & 28-32 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know) God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

It always seems that there is some word or phrase that is faddishly popular. We were just talking about this phenomenon at dinner with another couple last night, when Rob jokingly said that he “doesn’t roll that way”, meaning he doesn’t prefer or desire a certain thought or activity. My wife replied that “that was sick” Robbie, meaning "that was awesome". “No doubt about it”, we tend to pick up words and phases as a current trend and speak them in everyday conversations. Such is now with the word “absolutely”. Stop and take notice of how many people are saying this word in their sentences in public, on radio, television and movies and you’ll be amazed.

I remember that it was not so long ago that the secular humanist movement was stating that “there are no absolutes”; that your way may be “right” for you, but not “right” for me or others. Nobody’s desires, opinions, moral thoughts, or religions (theistic or atheistic) were any more or less valid than another’s because there were no absolutes, there were no rules, laws or standards as long as they stop short of one’s face (meaning, as long as nobody physically harms another). Basically saying that there is no God, and that we are the lord & god of our own life, and nobody or no God of the Bible is going to tell us “Right” from “Wrong”, set commandments, laws, rules or standards for morality in life, and there is no consequences or penalty for their actions, behavior, desires, or thoughts. Are they “absolutely” sure?!

Matthew 5:13-15 "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house”.

In unbelief of the one true God of the Bible, Creator & Ruler of heaven & earth, all that lives and breathes, whether in ignorance or outright rebellion, there is an endless pursuit of true happiness found only Jesus, but find only darkness in life and a blindness of the truth. The Lord has instructed “His people” to engage and confront this dark and tasteless world that does not know Him, and make a difference by bringing “salt & light” of the gospel truth. Expect to hear them say that “there are no absolutes” in life, because they either have not heard the truth before, been told that there is no truth, or reject truth of God because they love their dark and sinful life (Read John 3:13-21), but fight the “good” fight for the salvation of the lost. You may hear words like, “Mind your own business” or “Keep your faith to yourself”, but they don’t know that proclaiming our faith is our business, and the Lord has not only commanded us not to keep our faith to ourselves, but also commissioned us (as “salt & light to the unbelieving world) to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that) I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20, so that “To all who did receive Him (Jesus, as Lord and Savior), who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" - John 1:12 to have today the life of true love, joy & peace in the perfect personal relationship with their Maker, Lord God that they were created for and eternal life in heaven to come. Hallelujah is a rejoicing term meaning “Praise ye the Lord”. Give the dark world of unbelief something to rejoice about. Tell them about the “good news” of Jesus Christ! You are the light of the world, so let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

1 Timothy 1:8-11 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
Is God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Absolutely!

In Christ, Brian

My “Inner-self” Talking to Me

2011-05-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.

For the past few months, I have been teaching a “Foundation of Faith” class on Wednesday evenings at our church here in Anaheim, California. As the last couple classes on the subject of Creation verses Evolution close the series of basic doctrines of the Christian church, one of the students asked if I could read a “letter to himself” that he wrote some thirteen years ago, one early morning when he couldn’t sleep and struggled with the arguments of the reality of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, sent to be His personal Lord and Savior, if he would accept, believe, and trust in Him with all of his heart, all of his mind, all of his soul, and all of his strength in pure and complete love of God. (Mark 12:30 & Luke 10:27)

John 6:67-69 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

After reading Scott’s letter, I asked and received permission to post what he wrote on this blog, so it is my prayer that you be blessed by the open and sincere conversation between a man and his heart for Christ. Written shortly before his conversion, Scott wrote: "So, what if I said to you?: Jesus is here. Have you accepted Him as your Savior? Can you truly imagine death without Him in your heart? Do you really believe that without His help, you can achieve a truly meaningful and real happiness? How important is your spiritual existence and awareness right now? What could you stand to lose by asking for and accepting His guidance and love? Do you recall ever hearing of any negative testimonies from any individuals who believe in and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ? How many accounts of healing and “miracles” heave you heard of? Can you discredit any of them? Would you, after considering all of your answers to these questions, be willing to try following the path of Jesus yourself? The ultimate dare is to tell the truth; the ultimate existence is to follow it. Jesus is leading the path to truth and glory. Follow Him and rejoice in His splendor! I dare you." Scott Evans – 2:30am on April 23, 1998

John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
In Christ, Brian

Balance Between Idleness and Busyness

2011-05-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Psalm 39:5-7 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

The 1602 proverb from W. Perkins 'Works' states “The Devil finds work for idle hands to do” or also stated “The idle body and the idle brain is the shop [workshop] of the devil.” I totally agree, but, I wonder about “busyness” also. Over the last few months, I have taken on, obviously, more than I can handle in activities and obligations. Another cliché is that I had “too many balls in the air” that I was trying to juggle … and I “dropped the ball”, so to speak, in either getting all accomplished or getting what I did accomplish done to the best of my capability in a quality manner. Not only that, but busyness in our long list of “Things To Do Today” can lead to distractions (moving shadows) from the true beneficial priorities in life and being where the Lord desires and designed us to be and living. When we’re out of balance and doing too much, things will be missed or outright neglected, because something has got to give. I saw the situation with myself and now cleared that tunnel that I was in.

Many times, someone is hurt and a relationship is damaged in the process; sometimes it is our relationship with the Lord, who loves us. This world throws many demands upon us and our time (even in volunteering), which pulls on our precious hours, our attention, and affects our own joy & peace, if it is not checked and in balance. Not to mention, it's tiring; mentally, physically and spiritually. We need to be neither idle nor over-extended, but find that “happy” medium of proper priorities matched with quality performance. And most of all, praise the Lord; the Giver of life and life eternal! Keep your hearts and minds upon Jesus.

Revelation 19:5-7 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!” Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

In Christ, Brian

Take Sin Serously

2011-05-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

John 5:36b-46 The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and my teachings and my miracles prove that he sent me. And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you. “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life. “Your approval means nothing to me, because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God. “Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me.

Jesus Christ is life. In John 14:6-7 Jesus told Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Not just the breath of life in our mortal being (Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life), but in our immortal being for eternal life (John 3:14-16 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.)

Far too often, we forget about the seriousness of sin. That the Holy Scriptures, the moral compass that God provided us in the Bible, tells us in Proverbs 10:16 The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We tend to think in human and earthly terms that we aren’t too bad compared to others, but fail to see sin in our lives as God sees sin and who we truly sin against. The Word of God says in Isaiah 42:24 “Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways; they did not obey his law.” Psalm 143:2 “Don’t put your servant on trial, for no one is innocent before you.” Romans 3:19-24 Now we know that whatever the law of God says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in[a] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

By our Creator Father God’s Plan of Salvation, His Son the Lord Jesus was sent from Heaven to live a sinless life in order to be the perfect sin offering for all sin, past, present and future. The only One not deserving death for sin, died for our sins that we may live – not experience ignorance of the Lord’s ways or spiritual blindness any longer, nor eternal separation and torment in the ‘second’ death in the fiery lake of Hell, but spiritual life today and eternal life in Heaven forever. Redemption, forgiveness, salvation, regeneration, restoration and eternal life. It's a big deal; rejoice in it!

How serious did our Lord Jesus take sin? Christ tells us in Mark 9:43-48 “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where ‘ Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— where ‘ Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’” Yes, the Lord understands that if you remove one hand, or one foot, or one eye that you still have the other one to sin with. His point is the seriousness of our sin and the sense of urgency that we need to have in both consciously monitoring and policing our sinful flesh desires, the schemes of Satan and the temptations of this God rejecting world upon ourselves, and telling those in our sphere of influence that they may come to a “saving” knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to experience life in Him, that only He gives through Himself; spiritual life and life eternal. Let us never take sin lightly for our Lord died for our sins!

In Christ, Brian

The Lord is My Support

2011-05-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

2 Samuel 22:18-20 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

I just want to take a moment to ask everyone to say prayers for all the tornado & flood victims in the southern United States. Say prayers for the earthquakes and tidal wave victims also. And prayers for all the world nations that are experiencing civil unrest and violence. God is love and our support. The Lord is our strength. The Lord God is our Providence.

Psalm 18:17-19 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

In Christ, Brian

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
Deuteronomy 5:16 "'Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
Psalm 22:9-10 You brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. 10 I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born.
Psalm 139:13-14 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Today, being Mother’s Day, I sat down and pulled up Bible verses that spoke to us children about our mothers. Our Lord God created pro-creation through the family system (Genesis 2:24), and the relationship of a child to their mother is in focus this special day as they are honored. The Word of God (All Scripture) is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) What does the Lord speak through the Bible to guide us in an outstanding relationship with the one who gave us life? The love of our mother, and her godly instruction, is not to be forsaken or neglected.

Proverbs 1:7-9 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.
Proverbs 6:20-23 My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you. For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life.
Proverbs 23:24-26 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice. My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.

I lost my mother in 2001 and miss the ability to see her, to talk to her, to hear her voice, to hug her and to see the joy on her face. Like the Football player’s saying “Hi mom” on national television, the heart of a man naturally desires to love and honor the one who has always been there for them since the beginning, caring, nurturing, protecting, guiding, raising, instructing, counseling, listening and trusting because we know that we are her’s and she is ours alone. I love to hear when daughters say that their mother is their best friend. That's our mom. What a wonderfully unique relationship the mother/child relationship is.

Matthew 19:18-19 And Jesus said, "Honor your father and mother.”
Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3"that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land."

Time goes by so quickly and we get use to the daily routines of life, sometimes to the point where we take things for granted, like mothers. We naturally think that they will always be there, because they are always there for us. We wouldn’t want it any other way because, when it is right as God intended, that mother/child experience is the best and nothing else gets any better then that here. I am not devaluing the relationships that we have with our God, our fathers, our wife or husbands, or our children. The Lord designed and made them all for us to enjoy life and grow. Today, though, we take a moment to single out our mothers and what our moms mean to us. What is always in the heart every day is celebrated and our loving gratitude expressed. Honoring our mother is one of God’s “Big Ten” because this is how the Lord intended life and love. By honoring our mother, we honor the Lord. Happy Mother’s Day all you moms out there. May your day, a day that the Lord has made, be filled with blessings.
In Christ, Brian

Communication

2011-05-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 11:23-31 I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.

Today, being the first Sunday of the month, our church celebrates and receives in Holy Communion. Other Christian churches & denominations may also title Communion as the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the breaking of bread, or the Lord's Supper, but all are proclaiming together, with thanksgiving, the atoning sacrifice of our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ. Communion is a translation of the Greek κοινωνία (koinōnía) meaning "participation", "sharing", and “fellowship". Eucharist is derived from Greek "εὐχαριστία, which means thankfulness, gratitude, giving of thanks. For this is a “holy” occasion, instituted by the Lord; a sacred observance, dedicated and devoted to Christ, for by the breaking of His body and spilling of His blood, the wages of our sin was paid and Believers are found innocent in the eyes of God.

To “Commune” means to confer together, engage in intimate conversation in the context of fellowship and companionship, where it is an association of persons with common interests and activities. This is the relationship that was restored between us and our Heavenly Father by the finished work of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ on the cross. Think about that child of God and rejoice with thanksgiving as you participate in Communion at your church, no matter if it is weekly, monthly, bi-annual or annually. The elements of the bread and the wine are consecrated, hallow and sanctified, so examine yourself and do not take them lightly for they are of the Lord and must not be taken in an unworthy manner. This we do in remembrance of Jesus, who died for our sins, that we may have eternal life.

Acts 2:41-42 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

In Christ, Brian

Rise & Shine

2011-04-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Romans 4:25 “He (Jesus) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

When you sit down and seriously think that God in heaven sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on that cross to pay the price for our sins, and then rise to life in resurrection, conquering sin & death, that we may rise to eternal life through Him, it becomes overwhelming for the mind to grasp the depth of such love for us. When we repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord & Savior, our spirit is regenerated in rebirth from above and we are resurrected from spiritual death and eternal damnation in Hell to eternal life in heaven with God. Our sins are put upon Jesus and Christ’s righteousness thought His sinless life is put upon us through His blood shed upon that cross for us, justifying us … being found “just as if we had never sinned. New life and restoration of relationship with our Maker, Father God, in Christ. That’s what Easter is all about.

Romans 6:2-10 “We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.”

People do not like to talk about sin and hell because they are not what we were created for and therefore both repulsive in thought and undesirable subjects of discussion. Yet, being the natural condition of unregenerate and unsaved due to unrepentant of sin and rejection of salvation through the atoning sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness in those sins, its the duty, commissioned by the Lord, to bring the issue to light and speak to the gospel message of life for the lost, for hope and in love. In bondage to sin and condemned to eternal separation from God in the anguish of hell is neither life nor living. The world, the sinful flesh and Satan has blinded so many of the truth and Christ tells us to let our light of truth in Him shine in the darkness of our society and culture, that they may see that truth and find their way to the resurrected Lord that died for them also.

Romans 8:33-35 “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”

In a secular world looking for love and truth in all the wrong places, every which way but up, may it be our goal this Easter to not only have an answer for the faith that we hold so dear, but to give that answer, that truth of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the free gift of God, to the world that does not know this love and truth. 1 John 4:10 “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

Rise and shine,
In Christ, Brian

COME AGAIN?

2011-04-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

John 14:1-4 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Our Heavenly Father, Lord God, created the Earth by His good pleasure for us, When Adam & Eve bought sin into the world, God, by His loving mercy & grace, sent His Son to save us. Jesus the Christ died on a cross, in our place, to pay for the sins of the world and rose again on the third day, defeating sin and death. Romans 14:8-9. This we celebrate this holy week, at Easter. But not let us forget that Jesus has risen, ascended to the right hand of God in Heaven, and will come again to bring us home with Him. Hallelujah (“God be praised”)!

Matthew 24:30-31 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."

Colossians 3:4 "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Hosanna (“oh save now”) Lord Jesus!
Brian

Are You Fixed Yet?

2011-04-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

There is an old saying that says: “If its not broke, don’t fix it”. This is a good rule of thumb when it comes to having the “right” people in the “right” job, a good relationship, a successful process and procedure to accomplish a goal, and a machine, piece of equipment, tool or even computer software that gets the work done. How many times have we had the “new & improved” updated version actually slow us down, has us going in the wrong direction or brings us to a stop? But when one of these things is broke, that’s when they need to fix it. There is regular and preventative maintenance, evaluating, monitoring and improving that ensures the highest opportunity for optimum function, productivity and desired benefit, but when it’s broke it must be fixed.

Romans 6:22-23 But now having been set free from sin, and having become willful bond-slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

At my Aunt’s funeral this last week, my cousin Mike told of the last words spoken to him by Pat being: “Did you get fixed”? Mike, like me, is just a wee-bit over-weight. He had a Lap-band procedure done years ago, but had it loosened for the last year for a (now cured) ulcer and gained the weight back, along with the associated blood pressure, diabetes, and heart risks. What Aunt Pat was saying was: “I care about your health & well being, and love you enough to tell you “straight up” that you are physically “broke”. His loving mother’s final message to him was to get the Lap-band tightened, start eating a better diet and get on an exercise program to get back in shape and live longer & better. Life is better than death, physically and especially spiritually. But do we take both for granted? How many around us do not even realize the life and death situation they are in?

John 3:31-36 “He (Jesus) has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Because our Heavenly Father, Creator God, out of His love and mercy gave, out of pure grace, His Son Jesus Christ as an atoning sacrifice to pay for the wages of our sin, we who believe in the redeeming Savior, accepting this free gift and follow Him as Lord of our life, are forgiven and made children of God, with a new heart in spiritual rebirth. Because of sin in our lives, we are broke. Outside of Jesus, there are no processes or procedure to make us better. There are no improvements, rules or works that we can perform to restore our right relationship with God. Looking to other religions or other gods will get us nowhere. Living the same sinful life will leave us broke, with unfruitful consequences today and unthinkable eternal consequences. We are all broke by sin and need fixed by “saving” faith in the one and only remedy; salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Until we do, we remain broken and in need of the Great Physician sent by God. So the Question is: “Are you fixed yet?” Got Jesus?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

In Christ, Brian

Aunt Patsy Lou

2011-04-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

This past week, I received a call from my cousin that my mother’s sister, Aunt Pat, had passed away suddenly on Wednesday. I had heard that we only have a few truly close people in our lives that we connect on the deepest level and relate to with trust, open and honest fellowship in the confidential and relaxed sharing and interchange of ideas, opinions, dreams & thoughts, safe and without reservations. In the years following the passing of my mother, I had developed this relationship with my Aunt Pat and realized the excellence of her natural loving quality of family and practical knowledge from years of experience in this world’s school of “hard knocks” combined to produce and shape a fine gem. The word “eulogy” is defined as “an oration in high praise of a person; to extol”. Let me tell you a little about my priceless Aunt. She was quite a character with a heart to match and exceed ... a one-in-a-million. There has been much said these days about both the attack on the family and the lack of family love, interaction & influence in our society, but it was God that made the family to care & support, love & fellowship, teach priorities, values & virtues in community. Character, loyalty, honor, respect, hospitality, courtesy, kindness, integrity, manners, charity, duty, faith, industry, dedication and devotion, which are not old school notions that passed away decades ago and forgotten. They are the fabric of society found in family and community as the Lord designed us to live. It’s not hard to see that it is these qualities that are lacking or perverted today that have a cultural in chaos. Self-life has produced a society that is blind to these balanced and healthy values and virtues, but some have eyes that see the truth and a heart filled with love, not of self, but of family and community. Aunt Pat was there, but with a unique “rough-on-the-edges” hilarious personality. She always said that we can laugh or cry at life’s situations. So her talks and stories would have everyone smiling at her humor. There had been many hard times in her child and adult life that she fought through with steadfast courage and determination, and conquered. Even in the last years, battling cancer and health issues in her late seventies, her outlook was that “life was worth living with joy”. Aunt Pat was experienced, knowledgeable, loving and strong because of her trying years. And she passed her wisdom on, to those who had ears to hear, in funny tales. Not ignoring the serious, but exposing with light and a light heart bathed in good old fashioned family values. I was blessed to have the Lord give me such a character in one of the closest people in my life … my Aunt Patsy Lou. We would, seemingly, talk for hours on the phone. I learned from her, love in demonstration, what family should look like. I knew her love. Rest in peace, I shall see you again soon on streets paved in gold, my priceless Aunt. Don’t take for granted the loved ones in your life. Talk to them, make and spend time together enjoy their company. Enjoy every moment, creating cherished lifetime memories, founded and finished in pure love. Don't forget to tell your family that you love them either. One day they will go to be with the Lord. And I hope that you will be able to say that your life was blessed by them becasue you didn't miss the opportunity. God made family; love & enjoy them. In Christ, Brian

Holy is the Lord, God Almighty - Part 2

2011-04-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 6:3 “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

What hinders us from denying self, taking up our cross (crucifying our sin) daily and following Jesus in total dedication and devotion in holy sanctification? What is still shutting out the light and hiding the face of God from us? A.W. Tozer writes that it is the veil of our fleshly, fallen nature living on, unjudged within us, uncrucified and unrepudiated, an enemy to our lives and an effective block to our spiritual progress. This veil is woven of the fine threads of the self-life, the hyphenated sins of the human spirit. To be specific, the self-sins are self-confidence, self-pity, self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-indulgent, self-love, with self-opinion and a host of others. They are not something we do, they are something we are, and therein lies both their subtlety an their power. Edwards adds that Self-love and its lusts keep the eyes so caught up only upon themselves that their minds are taken up with self and the admiration of their experiences. What they are chiefly excited about is not the glory of God or the beauty of Christ but the thrill of their own experiences. The fundamental object of holy gracious spiritual affections is the glory of God, so in no way can these affections be conceived to bear any relation to self or self-interest. The fundamental basis of holy gracious affections is the transcendent excellence and loveable nature of divine things. Christian love particularly is the spring of all gracious affections. Yet it is the divine moral excellency and glory of God in Jesus Christ, the Word of God, the works of God and the ways of God that are the primary reason a true saint loves these things. By the moral perfections of God they mean those attributes which God exercises as a moral agent: His righteousness, truth, faithfulness, justice, mercy, grace, goodness, love and holiness (What He does). By God’s natural attributes, according to the way of conceiving Him, that consists of His greatness, His omnipotent power, omniscient knowledge, His eternal being, His omnipresence, and His awesome majesty (Who He is). The moral excellence of an intelligent being, when it is true and real, and not merely external or counterfeit, is ‘holiness’. It is the only true virtue.

1 Peter 1:13-16 “So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

Holy is defined as (1) Regarded as inviolate from ordinary use and set apart for religious observance; sacred; consecrated; dedicated. (2) Free of sin; untainted by sin. (3) Of persons ; devoted to God; religious, saintly, innocent. Holiness in man is but the image of God’s holiness. A love for the supreme excellence of divine things, for the beauty of their moral excellent or holinesss, is the beginning and spring of all holy affections. Not that the saints (Believers)love God only for His holiness. All His attributes are attractive and glorious to them. They delight in every divine perfection. But their love of God for His holiness is what is most fundamental and essential in their love. It is here that true love of God begins. All other holy love for divine things flows from this. A true love of God must commence with a delight in His holiness. No other attribute is truly lovely without it. Those that do not see the glory of God’s holiness cannot see anything of the true glory of His mercy and grace. Herein consists the beauty of the saints that they are holy ones. The moral image of God in them is their beauty and their holiness. The Christian faith is beautiful because is holy. The excellence and love of the Word of God is in its pure holiness. The glory of the gospel is largely that it is a holy gospel, the bright expression of the holy beauty of God in Jesus Christ. The way os salvation is a holy way. The glory of heaven is that it is the habitation of God’s holiness. A new spiritual sense is given to those that are regenerated. This is different from all the other five senses that we naturally have. This is nothing other than the beauty of holiness; the great object of a spiritual taste, and appetite. It is a holy love of a holy object; the love of what is holy.

Revelation 4:8 “Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”

And so above all else, the holy nature of God, Christ, the Word of God and the other divine things must be consistent with the holiness of the saints; living for Christ, walking in the Spirit, trusting and obeying God. Likewise, what is sinful has enmity hostility in the heart) against God. So what is carnal (the sinful desires of the flesh) is against the holy things, against God, against the law of God, and also against the people of God. They have contrary natures. Wickedness hates holiness and holiness delights in holiness. The saints on earth (those who are sanctified) admire and extol (praise) all His attributes, seeing the loveliness of His holiness. This when they praise God for His power, His holiness is the beauty which motivates them. Likewise, they praise Him for His justice and awful majesty. They praise God for His mercy, grace and faithfulness. The test of affections, particularly love and joy, lies in whether or not holiness is the foundation of the affections. The sovereign power of God and the excellence of His holiness captivates their hearts and delights the saints above all things. By this you may examine your love to God and to Jesus Christ and to His word, and your joy in them, and your love also to the people of God, and your desires after heaven. This is the real test. This is the difference between saints and natural man. Instead of being terrified they will rejoice and praise God. They see the beauty of His holiness to live for today, their salvation by faith in the finished work of Jesus for their sins and the blessed assurance of their eternal home, not the terror.

Psalm 97:11-12 “Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.”

Revelation 15:4 “Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Give all diligence to growing in grace by adding to faith, virtue, and so on for “making our calling and election sure and for having an entrance into Chris’s everlasting kingdom ministered to us abundantly” (2 Peter 1-5-11). God is able to convict those who practice false affections and reject good rules; His grace is not limited in anything. Such moral rules may help real Christians detect what are false affections, which they may have mingled with true. God’s holy Word, Will, and Way will help their faith become purer, like gold tried in the fire.

Genesis 17:1 “The LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.”

Deuteronomy 10:12 “What does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul."

Holy is the Lord, God Almighty. The earth is filled with His glory!

In Christ, Brian

Holy is the Lord, God Almighty - Part 1

2011-04-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” And from the Apostle’s Creed: “There is “One God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and all things visible and invisible.”

In studying the holiness of God, I found A.W. Tozer's writing that our God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is eternal. He antedates time and is wholly independent of it. Time begins and will end in Him. He pays no tribute and from it He suffers no change. He is immutable. God has never changed and can never change in any smallest measure. To change He would need to go from perfect to less than perfect, and if He were to become less perfect He would be less than God. God is omniscient. He knows in one free and effortless act, all matter, all spirit, all relationships, and all events. Love and mercy and righteousness are His, and holiness so ineffable that no comparisons or figures will avail to express it. Only fire can give even a remote conception of it. God created the heavens and the earth, all the elements of the universe, the hosts of heaven and everything that lives and breathes. God is omnipresent. God is spirit and the limits of space, though established by Him, provide no boundary for the Creator. God is almighty. All powerful in all that is natural and supernatural.

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Read Job 38:1-40:4 for details we need to thnk about.

America’s first public school textbook asked every student in this nation the same question proposed at the 1646 Westminster Assembly: “What is the chief end of man; the purpose of our life?” The answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Why is it important that we esteem this our highest lesson to glorify God? Is it not the fruit of love? The great American Theologian, Jonathon Edwards writes: “For a man must first love God and be one with Him in heart before he will esteem God’s good as his own. It is the contemplation and enjoyment of God’s perfection that motivates someone to apprehend intrinsically the beauty, glory and supreme good in God’s nature, in a heart united to God in love. The basis of a true love for God is His intrinsic worth, for He is worthy to be loved for His own sake. The exercise of true and holy love in the saints is not primarily that they first see that God loves them and therefore He is to be loved, but rather that they first see that God Himself is lovely. God is the ultimate foundation in the love of true saints. Everything else is built upon this foundation. True gratitude or thankfulness to God for His kindness to us arises from a love for God, based on who He is in Himself. Natural gratitude has no such basis. The gracious stirrings of natural affections to God for kindness received always spring from the primary love already in the heart, which is for God’s own excellence. Because of this love that already exists, prepared the way and laid the foundation, the affections are disposed to flow out on occasions of God’s kindness.

1 John 4:6-12 “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”

Edwards continues that Love of God makes a man desire to honor God and to please Him. A natural man’s love for his friend makes him desire to honor and please him. Yet the saint’s knowledge of the loveliness of God and his delight in Him for that are distinctive in holy affection. The desire is not the same. One has acquired the sweet taste of honey but the other has never tasted honey. Therefore their tastes are quite different. A spiritual application of an invitation of the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ consists in the giving the soul a spiritual sense and relish of the holy and divine blessings offered, and the sweet and wonderful grace of the offerer. Relishing in total trust in the holy excellence of the Promiser and His faithfulness to fulfill what He offers, and in His glorious sufficiency, the heart embraces the offer and embraces the Promiser. Thus they are enabled to see their grace and their title to the promise." We are His children.

Genesis 17:1 “The LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.”

Deuteronomy 7:8-9 “Because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

I’ll pick up right here in the next post. Wow, praise God! In Christ, Brian

In The Presence of God

2011-03-29T05:34:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 2:14 – “The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things.”

A young man called into a radio talk show discussing the topic of our National Motto (In God We Trust) and the Pledge of Allegiance words (One Nation Under God) and asked, “Isn’t it time that America quit pretending to believe in an imaginary, invisible God?” It is time for those who do not know the Lord God to earnestly seek his manifest presence through the gospel of Jesus Christ that they may have eyes to see and ears to hear what they are missing. Don’t pretend to believe the imaginary, but believe in the reality of true life; in a holy body, soul and spirit, as we were created by our Maker to experience this wonderful gift of life in loving relationship is always present. A godly, balanced, full and satisfying life lived in the presence of our glorious Father God. And it is time for the redeemed child of God, setting apart Christ as Lord, to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have, speak the truth in love, with gentleness and respect, that they may seek and find both salvation and life eternal at the foot of the cross; that they may see and know the life in Christ & the love of Christ.

Matthew – 28:18-20 Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age”. Jesus opened the door.

American Christian Author A.W. Tozer wrote, The veil in the Jerusalem Temple that separated the Holy of Holies, where above the mercy seat dwelt God Himself in glorious manifestation, which was rent when our Lord Jesus gave up the ghost on Calvary, and opened the way for every Believer in the world to come by the new and living way straight into the divine Presence. Ransomed and redeemed men need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we, His redeemed children, should push on into His presence and live our whole life there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience and at the heart of the Christian message. It is more than doctrine to be held; it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day in the conscious awareness in the Flame of the Presence. Spiritual life, divinely given by the Spirit of God alone, is distinctively of God in Christ and distinguishes the Believer, the child of God, the saints from those who are not sanctified, the natural and carnal, unregenerate heart that is void the Spirit.

John 3:3, 5–6 Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God, unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

Tozer adds that the pseudo-Christianity that is popular today knows this Presence of God only in theory. It fails to stress the Christian’s privilege of presence reality. According to its teachings, we are in the presence of God positionally, and nothing is said about the need to spiritually experience that Presence actually. The fiery urge to walk in communion and present relationship is wholly missing. And the present generation of Christians measures itself by this imperfect rule. Ignoble contentment takes the place of burning zeal. We are satisfied to rest in our judicial possession and, for the most part, we bother ourselves little about the absence of personal experience.

Matthew 13:13-16 Jesus replied, “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will ever be hearing but never understand; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart have become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”

Tozer states the obvious, that the world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God, famishing for want of His presence. The instant cure of most of our religious ills would be to enter the Presence in spiritual experience, to become suddenly aware that we are in God and God is in us. The highest love of God is not intellectual, it is spiritual. God is Spirit and only the spirit of man can know Him really. In the deep spirit of a man the fire must glow, whose soul pants with a thirst after God, as a deer after the water brook, or his love is not true love of God. God is so vastly, utterly and completely delightful that He can, without anything other than Himself, meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, which can never come from a mere doctrinal knowledge of God, but the heart with pure love for the Godhead are those who have been in the Presence and have looked with open eyes upon the majesty of Deity. The world waits for the tender voice of the saint who has penetrated the veil and has gazed with the inward spiritual eye of their heart upon the wonder of God. And yet, thus to penetrate, to push in sensitive living experience into the holy Presence, is a privilege open to every child of God. By the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, we now have direct access to the presence of our Heaven Father, so why stand any longer outside the Holy of Hollies? Child of God, come in and abide in the Presence of the Lord God Almighty, that your joy may be complete. Read John 15:1-11 with this access in mind.

Matthew 5:8-9 & 13-16 Jesus began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Blessing in Christ, from somewhere in the middle of the Carribean. Brian

Holy Affections of the Heart

2011-03-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”

Do we truly understand and appreciate the length that God went for our salvation? No one who has realized something of the love of Christ, who died for us, can remain indifferent. Do the inclinations of our soul bend towards what is right in the eyes of the Lord? Does our will align with the will of God for our lives, and do we seek His holy will daily? Where does our heart prove its allegiance by our thoughts, words, attitude and actions? What do we demonstrate to the Lord by our life? The Scriptures tell us to test ourselves because the emotions and commotions of the ages then and now. Galatians 5:16-25 explains to us that the indwelling Spirit is in conflict with our old flesh, that compete for the affections of our heart; the dedication, devotion and desires of our mind, will and emotions daily. This examination humbles me to my knees; to rejoice in the Lord, because our Father God desires that we develop, expand, grow and increase our faith in action; indentifying and trimming off that which is unproductive and/or harmful in our walk with Him, while continually seeking godly knowledge and wisdom from above to produce increasing more heavenly fruit (of love, joy, peace, etc.) aligned with the mercy and grace given us through our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. May we stand up, anew, and boldly walk in His purposes.

Jonathon Edwards, in the year 1746, wrote: If true religion lies much in the affections, then we should do as much as possible to stimulate the affections towards godliness and holiness. Those books, types of preaching of the Word, and liturgies of worship that help us worship God in prayer and praises are to be encouraged, as they help to affect the hearts of those who do these things. But in these times, the apathetic way in which prayer and preaching are practiced no longer excites the affections. Rather, it causes disgust and only creates displeasure and contempt. If true religion lies so much in the affections, we should realize, to our shame before God, that we are not more affected with the great things of faith. It appears from what we have said that this arises from our having so little religion.

For God has given affections to man for the same purpose that He has given all the faculties of the human soul, namely that they might serve “man’s chief end,” to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever, which is the greatest business for which God has created him, namely the business of religion. Yet we find that people exercise the affections in everything else but religion! When it comes to their worldly interest, their outward delights, their honor and reputation, and their natural relations, they have warm affection and ardent zeal. In these things their hearts are tender and sensitive, easily moved, deeply impressed, much concerned, and much engrossed. They get deeply depressed at worldly losses, and highly excited at worldly successes. But how insensitive and unmoved are most men about the great things of another world! How dull then are their affections! Here their love is cold, their desires languid, their zeal low, and their gratitude small. How can the sit and hear of the infinite height, depth, length, and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus, of His gift of His infinitely dear Son offered as a sacrifice for the sins of men, and yet be so insensible and regardless?! Can we suppose that the wise Creator implanted such a facility of affections to be occupied in this way? How can any Christian who believes the truth of these things not realize this?

If the Creator has wisely made human nature in this maner, why then misuse our affections? Can we Christians find anything worthier to respond to with all of our affections than what is set forth to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ? Can anything be worthier to affect us than this? For the glory and beauty of the blessed Lord shine in all their luster in the face of an incarnate, infinitely loving, meek, compassionate, and dying Redeemer. All the virtues of the Lamb of God such as humility, patience, meekness, submission, obedience, love, and compassion, are shown us in such a way as to most deeply move our affections. We see too the awful effects of the nature of our sin which our Redeemer undertook and suffered for us. There we see in the most affecting way God’s hatred of sin and His wrath and judgment. As we see His justice and His wrath, we realize what a dreadful punishment was borne for our sins. What cause then have we to be humbled in the dust, that we are not moved more than we are?!

Colossians 1:9-12 “We have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”

Jonathon Edwards’ words are as true today as when he first penned them, because these natural affections of the flesh and the world, destitute of holy affections of the Spirit of God, creep into the heart quietly and rarely recognized for the evil that they are. Edwards’ goal is not to convict and condemn, but to bring to light the real issue, realize our dependence on Almighty God, and refocus our hearts on Christ alone with eternal holy affections for true love and joy in life. This should be our goal also. Live every day, all day long, abiding in Jesus, enthusiastically moved in body, soul and spirit by the love of God, and in the joy of your salvation in Christ.

From my temporary corner office with a nice view of Columbia today,

Blessings, Brian

Exercises of the Inclination and Will of the Soul in the Affections of the Heart

2011-03-23T05:16:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 3:15 “In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

I love when technical words and processes are broken down and explained, in an elementary manner, in order that the complete meaning is understood and con be properly applied to live issues in our life. When it comes to some biblical terms, we need to explain this “Christianize” simply, so everyone can understand, value and use them in their walk with the Lord. This type of defining moment happened to me as One of America’s Founding Fathers, Jonathon Edwards put into plain words what is meant by “affections”. May I share his words with you? The anticipation of the joy of heaven raises minds to heavenly bliss, and fills us with the light of God’s glory, making us shine with the expression of that glory. Loving God demands obedience to Him in every aspect of our lives, and calling others to obedience – whether that message is popular or not. To confess faith in God is therefore to live a life that is governed by godly emotions, such as the fear and reverence of God, repentant sorrow over sin, joy in God’s steadfast love, and love towards one’s neighbor. With this meditation in mind I propose the following statement: True religion , in large part, consists of holy affections.

What is meant by “the affections”? My answer to this question is the affections are the more vigorous and practical exercises of the inclination and will of the soul. God has endowed the soul with two facilities. One is capable of perception and speculation so that it can discern, see, and judge things. This is called “the understand”. The other facility is that by which the soul does not merely perceive and view things, but is in some way inclined towards the things it views or considers. It is either inclined to them or is disinclined and averse from them. The soul, because of this facility, does not want to see things as an indifferently, unaffected spectator. It either likes or dislikes, is pleased or is displeased, approves or rejects. This facility is called “inclination”. When it determines and governs the actions, inclination is called “the will”. When the mind is related to these actions, inclination is often called “the heart”. Inclination is exercised in two forms. The soul either views things with approval, with pleasure, and with acceptance, or it views things with opposition, with disapproval, with displeasure, and with rejection.
These exercises of the inclination and will of the soul have various intensities. Some are almost completely indifferent. But there are other degrees where approbation or dislike, pleasure or aversion are stronger. When the soul reacts vigorously and strongly, the exercise is still more intense. Indeed, because the Creator has bonded body and soul together, even the physical life can be affected by such emotions. Through all cultures and times this facility has been call “the heart”. These are those vigorous and sensible exercises of the facility that we call “the affections”.

Our Maker, Lord God, created us wired as a triune human individual, in His image, with body, soul and spirit, that we may perceive, discern and judge that which is good and bad, right or wrong, pleasant or unpleasant, acceptable or to reject, based on the standards of His perfect Word, Will and Way, as we walk in His purposes for our life on this pilgrimage towards heaven. May we, this side of glory, continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the ways of our Creator and act in godliness, holiness and righteousness in the family, friends, community, nation and society with the knowledge and wisdom from above to affect our culture for His honor and praise. Amen

From the beautiful Pacific Ocean between Costa Rica And Panama via satellite.
In Christ, Brian