Are you putting yourself in chains?

We are going to continue on in the book of Galatians this week. This book is a road map for the pure Gospel of Jesus, the Gospel Of Grace that was given to Paul. As we study this book we will see a problem that still exists today………..

Galatians 1:6

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

When you study this book you will notice right off that Paul does not spend a lot of time on pleasantries… He writes a couple lines of greeting, but then get right into the subject of this letter. This shows that he was very concerned about what he was hearing from this Church that he had founded.

In our verse above the Greek word that is translated as “soon removed” is metatithesthe. In context, it means “ a deserter in the military or a turncoat”. By using this word we can assume that Paul was not only upset at what was going on, but was also broken hearted.  Paul was shocked that those in the Galatian Church would drop what he had taught them so quick. That they would listen to another person who was changing things was just unfathomable to Paul.

It is important to point out here that the people who were doing this DID NOT deny the facts of the gospel- that Jesus died and rose again.  What they denied was that The Lords sacrifice was adequate....

 Sound familiar? The teachings that these people were bringing in to the Galatian Church were that a person is saved by faith plus keeping the law, and that the believer is sanctified and enabled to live a holy life by faith plus keeping the law. My friends this is a total and complete lie.

 The Grace Of God IS sufficient for Salvation. You do not need to keep the law, to follow a set of rules, regulations or rituals in order to be saved.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee made this statement in regards to this teaching:

"This is one of the oldest heresies known, and it is still with us today.  It is adding

something to the gospel of grace; it is doing something rather than simply believing something. It

is faith plus something rather than faith plus nothing.  Every cult and 'ism' has something for you

to do in order to be saved."

Now think about Dr. McGee’s statement for a minute….. What he said is true. I have studied religions extensively, and I can tell you that each one that departs from the true Gospel adds things. We are of course told NOT to do this. From the Old Testament to the New, we are warned not to add things to the Gospel….

You will notice that the other “Gospel” that these people were trying to get the Galatian Church to believe was not really another Gospel at all, it was a PERVERSION of the Gospel Of Jesus.

Galatians 1:7

7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

These people used a tactic that is still used today. They take just enough of the Gospel as told by our Lord and then they add their own things into it so that it sounds plausible to those who are looking for a quick fix…..

 Do this, do that, give this, give that and you are saved. Why do they do this? Because by adding things in and by making it so you have to participate in a ritual or do a certain thing in order to be saved they can keep control of you. By making these rituals and telling you they are “mandatory” or that they are an “obligation”, they can withhold Salvation from you if you run afoul of their rules….

 When they do this they change the Gospel from what it truly is, a message (Good News) of FREEDOM, into the bad news of bondage. They do exactly the opposite of what the Gospel of Jesus is for, and that is to set people free from the bondage of the law.

 If a bunch of legalism, rituals and other mumbo jumbo could have saved us, then there was no reason for Jesus to suffer and die as He did. By adding this junk to the Gospel of Jesus, they make His sacrifice worthless……

We have to stay true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul tells us in the next verse:

Galatians 1:8

8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

My friends, the Gospel message is the message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Period.

 If you believe in that, and accept Him as your personal Savior that is all you need to do. Everything else is nothing but man made rules.

If we look in the book of Acts, where Paul and Silas were in prison and after praying and praising The Lord, they were set free by and earthquake, the jailer asked them what he needed to do to be saved. What was Paul’s reply?

Acts 16:31

 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Cant get much clearer than that…….

My prayer for you to take away from this message today is to stay true to the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are way to many Churches and denominations that  do not preach to the pure gospel of grace alone for salvation. 

  They try to bring us under the law.  Some teach dietary restrictions, some teach certain days must be observed.  Others will try to say certain church affiliations are necessary to gain salvation. Still others will tell you that you have to follow their rules to the T in order to be saved…….

  They do this through not only through pressure, but also through misguided education of those who are new to The Faith. There are denominations out there that require you to take classes on their rules and regulations in order to become a member of their Church.

  These new converts are not grounded in the pure gospel and do not know any better, but if they pick up their Bibles and read them they will see that all these rituals, traditions, whatever you want to call them are nothing but a bunch of man made rules designed to keep these young ones in Christ under their thumbs.

 They do this to build their membership rolls and by building their membership rolls, they fatten their bottom lines through giving. Their purpose is to keep you in bondage, but the purpose of Christ is to set you free.

 If you are a new Christian and you see the Church you are attending in this message, my advice to you is to run and run fast. Find a Church that preaches the true Gospel of Freedom in Christ. A person who is in bondage will not grow, but a person who if free in Christ will have no limit as to what He will do with your life……….

God Bless You Alll!!!

Pastor Brian

Not Against Us? Then you are for us.......

In the world today, it is estimated that there are between 30-35 Thousand Christian Denominations. While most of these hold the same core beliefs, they go about things in different ways.

 Some have set liturgical Worship, others freeform. Some dress in robes, others in suits and some very casual….. (I am guilty of this one, as I have been known to preach in shorts and a T-Shirt, and about the only time I wear a robe is when performing a wedding).

 Some view Communion/The Lords Supper/The Eucharist as central to the service while others only do it on special occasions. Then there is the whole Transubstantiation/Memorial debate (which is an entire sermon unto itself).

 The way things are done in Church and the reasons they are done that way are as varied as the members themselves….. Some are based on their interpretation of the Bible, others based on long held  Tradition’s.

No matter where you stand on these  or other Dogma issues, what we will be talking about today is the “my way or the highway” mentality, and why this is wrong and goes against the teachings of Our Lord…….

People, even those who were closest to Jesus when He walked this earth, have always bickered over this type of thing, and in the years since then it has not gotten much better. In fact it has, if anything, gotten worse, and has caused mass killings, crusades against others, witch hunts, you name it….. as we look at Luke’s Gospel we will see the start…….

Luke 9:49-50

49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

The last portion of Verse 50 is the most important and profound statement that Jesus makes on the subject, and one that if we truly follow His teachings, should put the whole denominational debate and in-fighting to rest.

 If we look at what was going on before and after Jesus made this statement, and the context in which He made it, we will see that even though He was right there, some of the disciples thought that they were the only true Christians, and that everyone who claimed the name of Christ had to follow them,  or they could not be Christians. 

 Even His disciples, who had traveled with Jesus, spent a lot of time in His presence, and knew Him better than anyone on the earth, and should have known what He stood for,  still argued and fought over positions of power……

Luke 9:46

46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.

 This Verse from the King James Version, is kind of watered down. If you look at the original Greek passage, “a reasoning” means an argument. In fact, the first part of the Verse translates to “satan taking possession of them and thoughts coming to their mind”. We can assume from the context of the Verse that the Disciples were talking about this when they thought Jesus was out of ear shot…. But, He knew their thoughts.

Luke 9:47

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

So he takes a child and gives the child the place of honor next to Him. This is significant because children were seen as unimportant at that time. I am sure that their parents loved them, and they wanted to see them grow into adults, but the fact is, children were considered to be little more than their parents property. Kind of like the old saying that “children should be seen and not heard”.  But Jesus tells his most trusted advisors, the ones who he spent the most time with and who he trusted to carry on His message this:

Luke 9:48

48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

In this way, Jesus gently but firmly rebukes His Disciples by doing something totally out of character for a normal adult in Biblical times, let alone a Rabbi or teacher. He gives a child, who according to the customs of the time, should not even be close to Him, a place of Honor, and tries to show them that if they would be great, they must become the least of all. The message though doesn’t sink in as we see further on in Lukes Gospel:

Luke 18:15-17

 15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

Again here we have Jesus breaking with protocol and tradition of the culture and the religious people of his time by taking children and giving them a place of honor next to him. Why? Because a child believes what they are told without question. A child trusts those family members who are older than them without question and without asking for proof…. That is why we must receive the Kingdom of God like a child.

Now back to our original verses:

We can safely assume that the person who was casting out these demons was a true follower of Jesus (not like the seven sons of one Sceva mentioned in Acts 19). We don’t know anymore about this person than what is written, but we do know he followed The Lord and believed in Him, otherwise he would not have had the authority to cast the demons out. And yet John tells Jesus that he forbade him to cast out the demons and to call upon the name of Jesus because he did not follow along with them (or in modern terms was not part of their fellowship)… Sound familiar?

 This is what a lot of Churches do today. They claim that if you are not in communion with them, then you have no authority, you are not a real Minister, etc. etc. Don’t these people READ the Bible that they claim to know so much about? I guess not, because if they did, they would understand that even though you may follow a different path, as long as you believe in Jesus, and call upon His name, you are a Disciple of Christ.

So no matter what label you choose to wear as a Christian, be it Catholic, Pentecostal, Baptist, Lutheran, whatever, we still serve THE SAME LORD and we will all end up with Him at the end of our days on this earth.

My prayer today is that Christians, no matter what denomination they claim, will come together and build the Kingdom Of God. Lets lay aside our petty little differences and focus on what is important….  Only in this way will we ever be able to reach a lost and dying world with the message of Christ.

God Bless You All

Pastor Brian

Its A Wonderful Life, 1st Sunday Of Advent, 2012

The classic Christmas film “It’s A Wonderful Life” is beloved the world over. It somehow manages to do something that most filmmakers today are not capable of, kind of a “lost art” if you will. What this film does is take us back to a simpler time. A time where God was honored, where children still prayed in school, when The Bible was a textbook, where most everybody young or old honored Jesus and knew without a doubt that He was there and strived to live as if he was standing right next to you.  Even most of those who “strayed from the path” knew that God was still there and admitted such in public. As we go through the next four Sundays, we will be using this film along with some other literary works to illustrate how even though these films and books were made or written for entertainment, they can and should teach us a lesson on how to live……


We come into the film during the last dinner that George Bailey and his father will ever have together. Georges Father (Peter) had spent his life laboring away at a small building and loan (what we would call today a credit union). They had more lax rules for lending to people who wanted to buy a home, and generally were more involved with their customers. Peter Bailey was a good man and was hoping that his eldest son would one day take over this business. George of course, wants more out of life. He wants to travel and have adventure. He does not see himself sitting in that small business in that small town for the rest of his life. But sometimes The Lord has other plans for you even if they are not your plans……

If we turn in our Bibles and look at Joseph when he finds out that Mary is pregnant, even though they were not married, we will see a prime example of this.

Matthew 1:18-20
 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Just as George Baileys life changed when his Father died in our film, so did Josephs life change when he found out that Mary was pregnant.

There are two schools of thought on how Joseph felt after getting the news. One is that he thought Mary had been unfaithful to him, the other is that she had told him what happened and he was blown away by it. Either way, the fact is that he pondered or considered all that had been presented to him and also pondered what to do about it. Now according to the law, Joseph could have had Mary stoned to death for being unfaithful, but he did not want to do that. Why? Because as the Scripture tells us, he was a just man. I am sure that (if he did believe that she had been unfaithful to him) he was very sad and probably angry, but still his love and devotion to her would not allow him to make a public spectacle of her and see her die because of a mistake. On the other hand, if he did believe Mary and believed that she was pregnant through an act of God, he was probably a bit overwhelmed and feeling unworthy to be the earthly Father of the Son Of God……

Either way, we see that he had determined to send her away privately so that she could avoid a public scandal at best and death at worst. Even if it meant that he would have to endure some shame or ridicule, so be it. His love for Mary and  his devotion to God would not allow him to subject this young girl to that.

But then God sends an angel and tells Joseph not to be afraid and that the child is in fact the Son Of God. Can you imagine how overwhelmed that Joseph must have been?  What thoughts must have been going through his mind? That he was to be the earthly Father of Gods Son? I don’t know about you, but I think I might have passed out…….. But what does Joseph do?

Matthew 1:24

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:


  So Joseph gets up from bed and takes Mary into his home so that everyone around them would think that the marriage had already taken place. In Biblical times a couple that were engaged were not considered married until the husband took the wife into his home to live with him. Of course it was assumed that the couple would have sexual relations and that the wife would bear children. So by Josephs act of obedience to God, even though I am sure this was not what he had planned for his life, the way was set for the Savior to be born and for the world to be redeemed…..


As you start this Christmas Season, and things get busier and busier as the big day approaches, do not forget to take time out and reflect on the real reason for the season…….

Do You Judge A Book By Its Cover???

His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of esoteric and very, very bright.
He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how to go about it.
One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, trust me, this had never happened in this church before!)
By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves, You can’t blame him for what he’s going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?
It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing. The people are thinking. The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won’t be alone.
Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control he says, “What I’m about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget……..

Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read.” –author unknown

While looking for something to write on today, some “eloquent flowing words, that would touch your soul and challenge your mind“, I came across this simple story. and it struck a nerve with me. Why? Because I have been every person in this story. I have been “Bill”, young, full of zeal, and ready to save the world. My hair long, my clothes not “suitable Church attire”, my actions totally out of what you would normally expect in a Church.

I have been the congregation, looking at someone that is different than me, that may follow The Lord in a different way, wondering when the bouncer was going to come and remove him so that we could get on with the service and the way things are always done.

I have been the Deacon, where my actions were unexpected, and I embraced a person, even if those around me did not approve……

But the most powerful line from this story, one that I want everyone reading or listening to this devotional today to take away and apply to your lives is the last one. This line is a challenge to every Christian. Look at your life and how you live it, then search the scripture and look at how Jesus lived. If you find any discrepancies, change the things in YOU so that they match up to the things in HIM. We are His representatives on earth, we must live as He did, we must tell all the Good News without exception. We must break out of our comfortable rut and reach out to a lonely and dying world. We do not know who we may touch, who is looking at us, who may have been sent to us to hear about Jesus and salvation because their time may be short on this earth. Do you want to stand before God on your day of judgment and have no answer when He asks you why you didn’t let that teenager with the black clothes and long hair sit in your church? I certainly don’t, and if you do, then friend, you need to hit your knees and stay there until there is a change in your heart………

Just in case you are wondering where I am in the story now….. I am the natural progression, I am now Pastor Bill, who’s hair (what isn’t falling out) still falls well below his shoulders, who has been known to show up to preach wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and who tries his best everyday to look past a persons appearance and meet them at the point of their need. I sometimes fail, but by the Grace Of God, I get back up and try again…….

Got Clones??????

I'd gone through so much other stuff
That walking down the aisle was tough
But now I know it's not enough
I want to be a clone

I asked the Lord into my heart
They said that was the way to start
But now you've got to play the part
I want to be a clone

                     (Chorus)

Be a clone and kiss conviction goodnight
Cloneliness is next to Godliness, right?
I'm grateful that they show the way
'Cause I could never know the way
To serve him on my own
I want to be a clone

They told me that I'd fall away
Unless I followed what they say
Who needs the Bible anyway?
I want to be a clone

Their language it was new to me
But Christianese got through to me
Now I can speak it fluently
I want to be a clone

          (Bridge)

Send in the clones

Ah, I kind of wanted to tell my friends and people about it, you know?

What?
You're still a babe
You have to grow
Give it twenty years or so
'Cause if you want to be one of his
Got to act like one of us

-----Chorus-----

So now I see the whole design
My church is an assembly line
The parts are there, I'm feeling fine
I want to be a clone

I've learned enough to stay afloat
But not so much I rock the boat
I'm glad they shoved it down my throat
I want to be a clone

Everybody must get cloned

Steve Taylor, from "I Want To Be A Clone" (1983, Sparrow Records)

This blog started out on a totally different subject, but as often happens, The Lord lead me in a different direction..............

I first heard this song when I was 13 years old. Like most 13 year olds, I was just trying to figure out where I belonged in the world. Of course when I was 13, "social media" meant listening to music with your friends, and if someone asked you about "facebook" you were likely to cover your head for fear of being hit in the face with a book (yes the "old fashioned" ones with pages and everything :) )

Being a teenager is hard but when you add the fact that your Grandparents are Pastors, your Parents and a lot of other family members are Ministers, and the family members that are not actually in the Ministry still attend and/or work in various capacities in the Church,  it's kind of a double whammy. On top of all this, you get (or got to hear then anyway), that even Christian Rock music will "send you to hell", its a wonder that I am writing this from the desk of my own Church office.......

Anyway, I heard this song at a Christian Bookstore (they had listening stations so you could hear the music before you bought it), and I instantly identified with what Mr. Taylor was saying. The denomination I was raised in told you exactly how to worship The Lord, and if you didn't do it their way, you were on a one way road to hell.

This  is the same thing that the pharisee's did to Jesus. He did not fit in with them, they considered Him a rebel because He did not conform to their way of doing things. But did He let that stop Him? NO. He did what His Father called Him to do, and if that meant that he went against the religious authorities of His time, that was just too bad. He had a job to do and He did it, and THAT is why we are here today........

The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 2:12-13

¹² Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
¹³ For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

These verses make it very clear to anyone who reads their Bible that your Salvation is just that, it is YOURS. No two people will have the exact same relationship with The Lord, because no two people are exactly the same. Are there fundamental or core beliefs that one must hold in order to be a Christian? Of course. What are they? Again we turn to the Scripture:

John 3:16


For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.


Galatians 5:14
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

That my friends is it in a nutshell. If you believe in Jesus Christ, his Birth, Death and Resurrection, and you love your neighbor (even those who do not love you back), then you are a Christian. I know people will want to argue that you cant do this or you cant do that, and yes,  there are things that a Christian should not do, but this again comes back to working out your own Salvation. What is right or wrong for one person will be different than what is right or wrong for another. There are exceptions of course like murder, theft, etc, but that should go without saying. What I am talking about here is the small things that can vary from one denomination to another........

1 Corinthians 10:23

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

1 Corinthians 6:12

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

There are many examples of this, and we could spend all day listing them, but we wont. Probably the most common examples of this (and the only two I will list) are Alcohol and Tattoos. 

In some denominations both are taboo. In others both are fine. It all comes down to following the lead of The Holy Spirit in your life, and letting The Lord have control. If you do this, He will guide you and you will no longer want to do those things that would keep you from moving deeper and deeper into His presence.

Just remember my friends. We are not clones. we are not supposed to be. Just as all of the Disciples had different personalities and talents, so do we. If someone is trying to make you a clone, run, and run fast.......

God Bless!!

Pastor Brian 

I want to be a clone-Steve Taylor, Courtesy of Youtube

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Angels Around Us............

Wanted to share portions of a sermon I preached some time back on Angels. Hope you enjoy.


A young girl went to her friend’s house and she ended up staying longer than planned, and had to walk home alone. She wasn't afraid because it was a small COMMUNITY and she lived only a few blocks away. As she walked along under the bike trail Diane asked God to keep her safe from harm and danger. When she reached the alley, which was a shortcut to her house, she decided to take it. However, halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing at the end as though he were waiting for her. She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for God's protection. Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security wrapped round her, she felt as though someone was walking with her. When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely. 
The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley just twenty minutes after she had been there. Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she began to weep. Thanking the Lord for her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to the police station. She felt she could recognize the man, so she told them her story. 
The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup to see if she could identify him. She agreed and immediately pointed out the man she had seen in the alley the night before. When the man was told he had been identified, he immediately broke down and confessed. The officer thanked the young girl for her bravery and asked if there was anything they could do for her. She asked if they would ask the man one question. 
She was curious as to why he had not attacked her. When the policeman asked him, he answered, 'Because she wasn't alone. She had two tall men walking on either side of her.  

Just like the girl in the story, we are never alone. God always provides  protection & deliverance for His children. That is not to say that we will not have to endure some things, or even endure tragedy sometimes, but we can know that God will protect us in our time of need.

Throughout the Bible we see that God protects and delivers His children. All the way from Genesis to The Revelation. Many times, God uses Angels to help and protect us. Other times, He uses people. We know from the accounts in the synoptic Gospels that Angels were sent to minister to Jesus after his temptation in the wilderness.

  God still uses Angels today, to keep us safe, to protect us from harm, as well as using just ordinary people.

Have a great weekend my friends, and may The Lord Of All Creation keep you in His loving arms.

Pastor Brian




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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.

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God Loves YOU...............

Happy Saturday everyone.

Just a quick note today to let you know that God Loves YOU...

Yes You, who thinks you couldnt possibly be loved by anyone

Yes You, who bears the scars from your past

You in the suit, You wearing rags, You living in the mansion or You living in the street..........

Yes God Loves YOU. He doesnt care about what you have or have not accomplished in life, He doesnt care what you have or have not done.

He just Loves YOU, and He wants YOU to be with Him forever.....

John 3:16

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8

King James Version (KJV)

⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

So not matter what you do today just keep this simple fact in mind...... 

If you want to know more about Gods Love for you visit us at: 

Pacific Life Church

We would be happy to help in any way we can......

God Bless You All!!!

Pastor Brian & The Ministers & Staff of Pacific Life Church


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”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.

Get Ordained

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

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

Online Ordination............

There has been many stories in the news lately about celebrities obtaining Ordination online so that they could perform a wedding.  Some people think it’s fine, some people think it is wrong. Others go so far as to question the validity of Ordinations performed by online churches (other than theirs of course).

We have offered Ordination since our inception, but have just recently began publicizing it, and allowing people to begin the process online.  We waited until The Lord said go to start doing this, and it is still a growing, living thing (just as your Faith should be). Had we done otherwise, I do not believe we would have gotten very far.

Since we began offering people the chance to begin the Ordination process online, we have received a lot of e-mails with questions about it (and a few damning us to hell, making threats, etc  ). In this blog, I will do my best to answer the most frequent questions regarding the Ordination process.  Please do note that we are MINISTERS, not LAWYERS. We can not nor will we give you legal advice in regards to your specific situation . We will provide general guidelines, and facts as we have uncovered them and as they have been presented to us,  but we STRONGLY urge you to contact the proper authorities in your area and/or a competent Attorney of your choosing should you have questions about your Ordination and/or the validity of performing Weddings in your area.

1) The Legalities of Online Ordination

In 1974, The United States District Court for the Eastern District validated “mail-order” Ordinations in a case brought by The Universal Life Church against the United States (Universal Life Church, Inc. V United States of America, Case Number Civ. No. 1954)
In part, the final ruling in this case stated:

“Certainly the ordination of ministers and the chartering of churches are accepted activities of religious organizations… The fact that the plaintiff distributed ministers’ credentials and Honorary Doctor of Divinity certificates is of no moment. Such activity may be analogized to mass conversions at a typical revival or religious crusade.”

Further, the court went on to say (and this is perhaps the most applicable portion of this case:

“Neither this Court, nor any branch of this Government, will consider the merits or fallacies of a religion. Nor will the Court compare the beliefs, dogmas, and practices of a newly organized religion with those of an older, more established religion. Nor will the Court praise or condemn a religion, however excellent or fanatical or preposterous it may seem. WERE THE COURT TO DO SO, IT WOULD IMPINGE UPON THE GUARANTEES OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT.”

So the process of Ordaining those who ask is firmly established in case law by this case. And although the Universal Life Church is not (nor have they ever claimed to be) a Christian Church, The Lord did use them to establish the practice of Ordaining people in this manner, and all Churches that offer Ordination online or through the mail owe them a debt of gratitude.

2) Why Online Ordination?

By far the most common reason a person seeks Ordination outside of going to a Seminary or Bible College is to perform a Wedding. There are other reasons as well, and these reasons are as unique as the individuals who seek Ordination.

If you want a friend or family member to officiate your Wedding, chances are that person is not going to want to spend the time and money to go to Bible College and jump through all the other hoops in order to be able to do it for you. There has been a trend over the past years away from traditional Church Weddings and towards more intimate and personal ceremonies. Mostly gone are the days when a bride promised to obey while repeating vows that were 100 years old (or more). As with most things, the institutional Church has been slow to embrace this trend and as a result Online Ordination and the Ministers that it creates have stepped up to fill that need.

Wedding laws vary, but in most States/Counties you do not need much. You do have to register in some States/Counties, and some require a Letter Of Good Standing. In parts of Nevada & New York, these letters must be Notarized.  We provide all this along with membership in our Church.

Some Ministers also want to start a Church/Ministry or other Religious Organization. Along with being a Wedding Officiant, your Ordination will also allow you to do these things, again without spending years in a Seminary or Bible College.

Dont get me wrong, I am all for education and training. I myself have an earned Theology Degree (D. Th.). But the fact is that many people finally answer The Lords call later in their lives, and spending 4-8 years in a Seminary or Bible College is not practical. There are also the denominational guidelines to think about. Some denominations do not allow women to be Ordained or be a Pastor, others have such strict guidelines about who they will Ordain,  that Jesus himself would not have qualified for their Seminary program. Again, this is where we (and other Churches that Ordain online) come in and fill a need. 

3) Who should I be Ordained by? There are so many websites now that will Ordain people…

You are correct. There are a lot of websites that offer Ordination. Everything from The Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster to Conservative Christian Fellowships. We suggest that you take some time, look through the website and find out which one is the right fit for you. If you have read this far into this blog, I am going to assume you are pretty serious about Ordination, so I will not discuss the satire “Churches”.  The others (including ours) can be broken down into 3 categories.

1) Ordination/Marriage Ministries-  These are Ministries that exist primarily for the function of Ordaining you to perform a wedding.  They are sometimes referred by their critics as “Ordination Mills”.  These Ministries generally do not hold any services,  or (most times)  have a physical address. They are there to Ordain you and that is about it.

If you are getting Ordained to perform a wedding for friends or family, and you have no intention of going any further in the Ministry than that, this may be the type of Ordination for you.

2) Interfaith Churches- These Churches accept all Faiths. They may or may not hold services (most times they dont). They will generally ordain you into whatever faith you choose to follow. These Organizations even “Ordain” atheists .

If you want to follow a certain Faith, but do not want to jump through the hoops of said Faith to obtain Ordination, this is probably your place.

3) Non-Denominational Christian Churches- These Churches (this is where our church fits in) Ordain people within the Christian Faith. They may or may not hold services at a physical location (most do in one form or another), but they generally have a creed and a statement of beliefs. Most of these meet some or all of the “14 points” as established by the IRS* to meet the “essence of legal authority”. Also, most of these Churches provide training of some sort to those seeking Ordination, and may require some work on your part (such as an essay or thesis) in order to become Ordained.

If your purpose in seeking Ordination is to start a Christian Ministry, this is the type you want to go with.  

Those are the basics of Online Ordination. If you would like to know more, please visit us at the link below.

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, 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