Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Courageous - In Theaters September 30



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

Monday, September 19, 2011

Metamorphosis

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

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Genealogy

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

Monday, September 5, 2011

Politics is Dirty

"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

Sunday, September 4, 2011

A Cheerful Giver

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