How To Respond To A Verbal Attack.............

People are going to talk, that is a given. I present this to you my friends so that when the attack comes, you will know how to respond.......

^{Psalms 56}

¹ O God, have mercy on me,
for people are hounding me.
My foes attack me all day long.

² I am constantly hounded by those who slander me,
and many are boldly attacking me.

Ever had those days/weeks/months where it seems that everyone is coming against you? David was going through the same thing. The sad fact is that people are going to attack you and hound you. There are people out there who it would seem, have nothing better to do than to spread lies about you and slander you. Even more sadly (and hurtful) is that many times these people claim to be Christians and/or Christian Leaders..... So What to do? Keep reading...............

³ But when I am afraid,
I will put my trust in you.

⁴ I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?

There you have it. When you are upset or afraid, you turn to The Lord and His promises. If you trust in God, he will protect you, and when the Creator Of All Things is protecting you, a human being can do nothing. They will still try, of that we can be assured, but they will not get anywhere, and will end up making themselves look like fools.

⁵ They are always twisting what I say;
they spend their days plotting to harm me.

⁶ They come together to spy on me—
watching my every step, eager to kill me.

Twisting what you say to suit their purposes is that standard procedure of these type of people. And it does not matter what you say, they will twist it, or sometimes outright lie about it to suit their purposes. 

⁷ Don’t let them get away with their wickedness;
in your anger, O God, bring them down.

⁸ You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.

⁹ My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
This I know: God is on my side!

Here we get to the heart of the matter. God knows all of the sorrows (or stress or anxiety or whatever) that these people who talk about us have caused. He keeps track of them all. So we know that He will take care of it for us. The only thing we have to do is to make sure that we call on Him and not try and take care of it ourselves. This is crucial. That is why David wrote IN YOUR ANGER O GOD, not in our anger. If we respond with anger and malice, even if we have every right to be angry,  not only do we lower ourselves to the level of these people, but we give them further fuel for the fire. We give them a target painted squarely on our backs, and believe me they will take every chance they get to further twist what you say and accuse you of even more things. This is not to say that there is not a time to act, because there is, but we must act according to the will of The Lord. 

¹⁰ I praise God for what he has promised;
yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.

¹¹ I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?

¹² I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.

¹³ For you have rescued me from death;
you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
in your life-giving light

So to recap what David is saying here, Praise The Lord and give thanks for what He has promised to do. Go on and fulfill the vow (calling) that God (not any man) has placed on you, and walk in His light, no matter what people say about you......... Just as all the darkness in the world can not stop the smallest candle from giving off light, neither can anything that any man says against us stop us from giving off The Light Of God.

God Bless!!

Pastor Brian

”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”

Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 

We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.

Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.

http://pacificlifechurch.webs.com/wanttobecomeordained.htm

Christian Gossip?

^{James 1:26 (NLT)
26} If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.


Recently I came across a post where an internet radio show was looking for a "Christian" gossip host. This struck me as very odd and very wrong considering gossip goes against many teachings. From Moses to Jesus to Paul and James, all have warned us against gossip.

To further understand this, we should look at the definition of gossip..........

Websters defines gossip as:

"Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true."




Doesn't sound very Christian now does it? That's because it is not............

Words have incredible power. With a word you can lift someone up or tear them down. Words can be the difference between life and death both physically and Spiritually. Jesus himself tells us about the power of words in Matthews Gospel:

Matthew 12:36-37 (KJV)

³⁶ But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
³⁷ For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.




The fact is my friends that words are our most precious gift, and we should be using this gift to lift people up, and bring them to Christ not to tell idle tales that get more and more twisted every time that they are retold.

Gossip is a tool of the devil to drives wedges and discord among the Body Of Christ.  It has no purpose except to destroy.

My advice and the instruction of The Bible is to leave it alone. Spend the time that you were going to gossip in Prayer. James was very passionate about this whole subject. Read James 3 and test what you are going to say against what he said in his letter to the tribes. Here is a taste:

James 3:6 (NLT)
⁶ And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself


God Bless you all and have a great week!!

Pastor Brian

”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”

Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 

We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.

Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.

http://pacificlifechurch.webs.com/wanttobecomeordained.htm

Memorial Day...............

This is Memorial Day weekend here in the US, and the traditional start of the summer travel season. As I type this blog, millions across our country are counting the hours until they can take off from work and hit the road, millions more have taken the day off and are packing the car, SUV or RV, and heading to campgrounds, amusement parks, coastal cities, mountain cities and just about anyplace else you can imagine just to "get away" from it all for a few days. When I go out to run errands later this morning, I am sure that (like every year) I will see the armada of RV's on the freeway, and (also like every year) I will wistfully wish that I could gas up my own RV (which is still sitting in it's winter storage facility),  and follow them to wherever.... After all, life is a journey, and the fun part is the road you take because we will all end up at the grave sooner or later (sorry if that's a downer :) ).

But of course I can not do that, because it is Memorial Day Weekend, and for me, as a Minister,  that means presiding over memorial services, visiting veterans, and thanking those who gave up a portion of their lives, and sometimes a part of their body (and those are the lucky ones), to defend my right to write this blog without fear of arrest or censorship, or fear that a police officer will be kicking down my door to confiscate the Bibles that are on my desk and stacked in boxes behind it.

Chances are that at some point during this weekend, you will see a person, usually a Veteran disabled in some way due to their service, selling red poppies. This tradition evolved from a poem written by Moina Michael in 1915;

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

 Largely gone now are the large, citywide parades in honor of those who gave all to our Country. What started as a day to honor our fallen Soldiers, has turned into a 3 or 4 day party or vacation. And while there is nothing wrong with getting away and spending time with family and friends (it is in fact a very healthy thing to do), we should pause during our festivities and remember for a moment those men & women who would love to be doing the same thing that we are over this long weekend, but can not because they chose to lay down their lives so that we could have the freedom to do what makes us happy.

So please, no matter if you are traveling, hanging around the house or even if you have to work,take some time to reflect and remember those who, following the example of Jesus, gave their lives so that we could live in freedom. Buy a poppy, they wont cost you much. Thank a soldier or a vet, a smile and a handshake are free.

Be safe, have fun and please, if you choose to partake of adult beverages, hand the keys to someone who isn't or call a cab.

God Bless

Pastor Brian




I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free

Doctor Of Divinity

After much prayer and contemplation, the Christian training and education center at Pacific Life Church will as of 05/22/2012, begin offering Doctor Of Divinity degrees to those who would like them.

Our degrees are a little different than other online D.D. Degrees, and yes, there are easier ways to obtain one online, but we feel that even though we may not be (nor do we claim to be) an accredited learning institution, there should be something more to obtaining a degree than just buying a piece of paper.

So, we ask that you submit a paper/thesis/whatever you want to call it of no less than 1500 words (about 2 pages) on one of the following topics:

A) The life and Ministry of Jesus Christ

B) The Life and Ministry of any or all of The Apostles (The 12 or The Apostle Paul)

C) The Purpose of "" The Pastoral" Epistles 

Your paper will not be "graded", but will be read and kept in our permanent records. Should anyone wish to verify your degree, we will happily do so for them and (with your permission) will send then a copy of your paper as well as our thoughts on it. 

There are no wrong answers when it comes to these papers, because no matter what denomination you come from or follow, the core message of these 3 subjects will be the same, so please do not let this intimidate you. We offer Ordination and have opened the training center for the sole purpose of better equipping you to serve those you are called to serve. 

We are not out to sell degrees nor are we out to make money from you. There is a small charge ($15.00) for the whole process, and this includes the printing, postage and handling of your paper degree.

We DO NOT require you to be Ordained through us to receive a degree, but we do require that you be Ordained. If you are not Ordained through us we ask that you submit a copy of your credential along with your paper. Also, we do not charge you anything until your paper has been read and your degree approved. 

This is just the first training course that we will be offering. In the near future we will be offering certificate courses in Church Planting and Wedding's as well as Doctor Of Theology Degree's.

For information on training or Ordination, please visit our website

God Bless you all

Pastor Brian

”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”

Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 

We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.

Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.

Online Christian Ordiantion 

Love & Freedom.........

Galatians 5:13-15

King James Version (KJV)

¹³ For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
¹⁵ But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.




As Christians, we have been given liberty or freedom IN CHRIST. But what does that mean?

It means that we no longer under the law because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Because of His sacrifice, His act of extreme love for us the law was broken, the veil was torn and the Grace poured out like a river that suddenly is able to break the dam holding it back.

Now, all we have to do is love one another and we have fulfilled the law.

Sounds easy right? Well...................

Look at verse 15. The is a strong warning that we have to watch what we say. If we are always bickering and fighting we can (maybe even without meaning to) destroy a person.

If we look at The New Living Translation of Verse 15, it tells us this.........

But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another


Words can hurt and they can destroy. They can make a person question their Faith or sometimes even walk away. This is especially true of these words come from someone who claims to be a leader in the Faith. Over my years in the Ministry, I have seen a lot of people who have questioned why they follow The Lord, and even why they went into The Ministry because of hurtful, nasty things said by someone who claimed to be a Spiritual Leader.

Does this mean that there is no place for correction by a Pastor/Bishop/Etc? Not at all, but when correction must take place, it must be done prayerfully and with love, because my friends, as we are told above, love is  what it all comes down to. Love sent God to earth. Love caused Him to be beaten and to die a horrible death, but love also caused him to rise again........

Pastor Brian

Hebrews 6:10 (KJV)


 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

It seems lately that many of our Brother and Sisters in Christ are being attacked from all angles. I have read blogs, articles, and seen this in person. It is my opinion that The Lord is preparing His people for something big. I believe that He is separating those who are truly committed to Him and have turned their entire lives over to Him from those who claim the name of Christ for their own personal gain. Why? I do not know, but The Lord Does, and as long as He knows, I am OK with that…..

In Paul’s writing here we are promised that God will not forget what those Faithful Ministers have done and continue to do.  The Bible of course is inerrant, and Paul “hit the nail on the head” (to put it in modern terms), when he wrote that the work of The Ministry is a labor of love.

To truly be a Minister of The Gospel, you have to love what you do, but more than that, you have to be totally committed to The Lord and to the people the He places in your care. Taking on the title of Minister (or Pastor, Reverend,  Priest, Evangelist, whatever) means a lifetime of service to others. It means late (or early) hours, calls in the middle of the night, being there to comfort people when they are at their lowest point, and holding fast to a world view that is everyday becoming more and more unpopular. Sure there are times when you are helping people at happy times in their lives (Wedding’s being the one that comes to mind first), but for each happy time there is a sad time (most times more than one). Being with a family when their loved one has just passed away, comforting those who have just been told they have a terminal illness, and many other events like these make up the life of a Minister. If you view the Ministry as simply a job that you do, I can assure you that you are dead wrong. There are no time clocks. You do not punch in at 9 and out at 5. If you see yourself in this, you need to change occupations…….

For those of us though who do not see it this way, we can take the passage above as a promise from The Lord, that God WILL NOT forget the work that you do, God WILL NOT forget the sacrifices that you make, God WILL NOT forget the lives that you touch.

And when you go through that rough patch, as you inevitably will, those times when you feel alone and maybe even abandoned, turn once again to our source of hope, our life blood as Christians…….

Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

And when people come against you………

Hebrews 13:6
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.


God Bless You All


Pastor Brian









”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”


Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 


We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.


Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.


http://pacificlifechurch.webs.com/wanttobecomeordained.htm

Stand Just Once More Time........

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore


Just a short one today........................

This verse, from The Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians (6:13-14) Church tells us that we have to do everything we can to stand, and then one more thing......

Once we have done it all, once we feel like we have no strength left, The Lord wants us to make that one last effort, even if it takes everything we have to STAND 1 last time.......... Then? He takes over.....

Have a blessed day everyone.

Pastor Brian









”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”


Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 


We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.


Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.


http://pacificlifechurch.webs.com/wanttobecomeordained.htm

Protecting Your Flock.........

Monday's are normally my "day off" (although that rarely works :) ). Today, as I sat to wrote this blog, it started out as just another light weight random thought, but due to some events that have transpired over the last few days, these random thoughts quickly became organized, and the product is what I present to you now.

What is the duty of a Pastor or Minister when it comes to protecting their flock?

Pastors have long been called and seen as Shepherds of their flock. I dont think anyone who knows anything about the Church would dispute this. So with that out of the way, we then turn to the most famous shepherd in history, King David.

Most everyone had heard the story of David & Goliath. To this day it is a phrase that is used in both The Church and in the secular world. It is not that David killed Goliath that we are going to look at, it is what David said to Saul before going out that shows us our first instruction on what to do when our flock needs to be protected.

 1 Sam 17:34-36 (KJV)

 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: {35} And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 

So there is plain BIBLICAL instruction on what a Pastor should do when his flock is threatened. You stand up, even if it is a threat to your own life and you protect them. If need be,  you go after the "lion" or the "bear" that is coming against your flock and you snatch them back from that threat.

Even in the New Testament, Paul had to deal with this sort of thing. He writes in his 1st letter to the Corinthians about a man who was openly sinning while in fellowship with them. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul, who was not even present in Corinth at the time, heard of this problem, and, based upon the testimony of those within the Church he instructed the leaders to "throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns." 


This came from the man who preached Love, Grace, Unity and Faith,  and yet, when the well being of a congregation that he started and still oversaw was threatened, he did not mince words nor actions. It is also worth noting that he was concerned with this guilty party as well as the Church.

There are other examples as well, but I think these are the best. Too many times today Pastors try to sweep things under the rug, or ignore things that are going on in order to please everyone. And while pleasing everyone is an admirable goal, it is not attainable. There will always be someone who is offended by you or by your actions. This is the nature of The Calling. As long as you have done what The Lord tells you to do, then that is what matters. Protecting those who The Lord has placed in your care is not only the right of a Pastor, it is a Sacred Duty. To do any less would be a disservice to your congregation and to Your Lord.

God Bless you all, and have a great week.


Pastor Brian

Watch The Swelling IN Your Head......

Ever have one of those "what in the world were they thinking" moments? I had one today while looking around the website of a Christian organization that I have not been on in a while.........................

While looking around the site and being happy that their Ministry seemed to be growing, I came upon a phrase that said "If we dont survive, you dont survive". The line was (of course) attached to a plea to buy something from their online store. This phrase struck me as odd and very, very egocentric.

 This organization is primarily an "Ordination" Ministry, meaning that they exist primarily to Ordain people, and that their membership is made up of people who they have Ordained. They do a lot of good works, and get the The Message out, but in order to even fully participate in their internet forum, you have to be Ordained by them. So I can only assume that the statement above was meant to mean that if this Ministry did not survive, then neither would the Ministers.

This is where I have a problem..............

 We are told many times in the Bible not to be puffed up, or egocentric. What is egocentric? The dictionary definition is this:

   Having or regarding the self or the individual as the center of all things. or having no regard for beliefs other than ones own; self centered

As I thought about this definition, I realized that it fits many Christians, and many organizations, and denominations perfectly. They think that the being a Christian is all about believing the way they do and following the rules that they have in place. We are told many places in The Bible not to be like this.  2 Corinthians 10 deals with this issue as does 1 Corinthians 12 and there are many others. Why would we be told not to be this way? Because it leads to pride, and of course we know where pride goes (if not read Proverbs 16:18)

The fact is that if you are a Minister of The Gospel, you are just a small piece in something big. Something much, much bigger than you, me are any 1 person. Even Jesus himself, when he walked this earth made sure that His work, His Ministry would continue on after he ascended back to Heaven to take his rightful place with The Father. By making this statement the leader of this organization is in effect, saying that they are better than Jesus. This my friends is walking into some dangerous territory, and if they do not repent of this attitude, The Lord will show them just how much they are not needed......

To be a Minister is to be a servant of all. Jesus told the Disciples this in Mark 9:35. If you want to be first, you must be last. He also lead by example when he washed the feet of the Disciples. This is the example we must follow. We must be willing to be a servant. To do things that servants do so that we will not be puffed up and proud. To do otherwise IS NOT following the example of Jesus, it is following our own ego. 

Dont fall into the trap of pride. Realize that although The Lord may have appointed you to do a work, it is by His Grace that you are appointed, not by anything you have done, and He can just as easily appoint someone else to that work if you get to puffed up. 

 Until The Lord comes back, The Ministry will survive, whether a particular organization or denomination is there or not. This my friends is the fundamental truth that we have to get back to...........

Pastor Brian

”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”


Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 


We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.


Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.


http://pacificlifechurch.webs.com/wanttobecomeordained.htm

A Great Way To Start A Week

I am truly blessed......

I have been married to my best friend for 20 years (actually it will be 20 years in July)
I have 4 wonderful children
The Lord always provides everything I need.

I also have the best job in the world. Ministering to people is a calling, and it is something that you have to love or you shouldnt be doing it. There are hard times yes. Being there when a persons loved one passes from this life, and trying your best to answer the question why is tough...... But as a balance, there are also weeks like this one has started out to be.

Not only did I have the honor and privilege of preaching to my congregation on Sunday, I was also blessed and honored to perform two beautiful ceremonies on Monday and Tuesday.

Monday found me standing next to the lake with the Palace Of Fine Arts in the background while Mr. & Mrs. Ganus from Oklahoma celebrated 20 years of Marriage by renewing their vows. The intense love that this wonderful couple had for each other was evident by the way they looked at each other and in the way they treated each other.

Tuesday found me back in San Francisco, standing next to The Ocean on Baker Beach as Mr. & Mrs. Green pledge their love to each other and started their wonderful journey together. Once again, the intense love that these two had for each other was evident.

I was humbled that these two wonderful couples had chosen me to help them on their journey of love. I was also humbled that The Lord has entrusted me to train and lead by example a new Minister (Reverend Lisa Fodor). It is an awesome responsibility, and one I take very seriously.

The fact that The Lord has allowed me to Minister to His people full time, without the distraction of a secular job is something that is hard for me to describe. The fact that of all the people in the world, He chose this imperfect vessel to do His work is something that brings me to tears, and fills my heart with thanks and praise each and every day.

So I say a BIG congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Ganus and Mr. & Mrs. Green. May The Lord continue to shine down His love on you all the days of your life.

As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
 Love never fails.

If you are interested in answering The Lords call, click the link below to learn more. I cant promise easy, but I can promise that it will be very rewarding.......

”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”

Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 

We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.

Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.

http://pacificlifechurch.webs.com/wanttobecomeordained.htm