Walking with Jesus

Our culture is in crisis in so more ways than I can count! When it comes to man's role as a husband and father in a relativistic world, here's an article worth reading. Better yet, it's worth listen to! 5 Ways Men Need to Step Up as Husbands and Fathers Thanks to Dennis Rainey, FamilyLife.com, and my amazing wife (who pointed the article out to me). (image taken from article)

Perhaps you’re not part of the growing minority? Perhaps you didn’t know that Halloween isn’t something followers of Jesus should associate with? Perhaps you didn’t know that... ...Jack-o-lanterns represent a wandering soul so evil that *atan wouldn’t let him into Hell? ...Halloween Costumes were originally worn to commit crimes without being recognized by demons? ...Trick-or-Treat was about buying protection from thugs who would kill your horse, rape your wife, or burn down your barn if you didn’t pay them? ...Dozens of children are sacrificed each year on Halloween by satanic cults in the a United States? ...The Bible specifically forbids God’s people from participating in the worship of the very demons who are celebrated on Halloween? ...The Founding Fathers of our country did not celebrate Halloween? ...Light and Dark should have nothing to do with each other? ...Halloween provides *atan with avenues of access into the souls of our children? ...Sometimes our kids NEED ...

As some of you may remember, Oct. 31st is a big deal in our home, but not because we think it’s a good (or even mildly okay!) celebration. The following post represents a fair and compassionate testimony of one family’s decision to skip Halloween from now on. The author clearly presents the choice before us. As believers, we are free to do whatever we want with this day, but WHY we do what we do is important to consider. Please read the following article and feel free to write Mrs. Gowen a note of thanks. You might also thank Olivia since she is the one who shared this post with me to begin with. (Thanks, sweet girl!) https://faithit.com/why-were-not-celebrating-halloween-this-year-brie-gowen/

Hello friends; I was inspired by my amazing bride's blog to turn my own blog back on as a study break. She recently wrote about our daughter Natalie's 15th Angel Day . Hope you are doing well. I'll try to write again, but no promises. I'm studying hard for a Comprehensive Hebrew Exam, teaching at some Bible Schools, trying to find a full-time job, and loving my life with Olivia , Ahava , Ezekias , and Gracey . So, you'll pardon me if I don't write a lot or often for a while, won't you? Thanks! God bless. Bryan (or "Professor Brigham" as my students call me)

Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will refine them and try them; for how shall I deal with the daughter of My people? Their tongue is an arrow shot out; it speaks deceit; One speaks peaceably with his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lies in wait. Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the Lord. 'Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?' - Jeremiah 9:7-9 We're coming up on the 4th of July again, and I expect this year's celebration to be among the most nationalistic/patriotic/humanistic holidays of recent decades. Now don't get me wrong, I'm thankful to be an American. I enjoy the freedom to worship God publically, raise my children to love Jesus, and live with those inalienable rights we claim God has given to us (although I'm not sure the God of the Bible would have prioritized "the pursuit of happiness"). However, there are increasingly times when I look at our country and cringe in shame, espec...

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” ~ Proverb 14:12 My daughter is attending day camp for the first time this week. Of course, the camp is Christ-centered and she is having a great time. (Anyone who knows our family knows that we are extremely selective about who gets to be an influence in our lives!) She is also learning a lot… including lessons we need to be reminded of from time to time. Today, she learned about Fool’s Gold . “Fool’s Gold,” or Pyrite, is a common iron sulfide whose metallic luster and pale yellowish coloration give it a superficial resemblance to true Gold. However, while they may look like to the untrained eye, Gold and Fool’s Gold are intrinsically different. And, although Pyrite does have some handy uses, it is an unstable element which can advance the deterioration of composite materials or even spontaneously explode. Now, the application for my daughter’s learning is where you (dear reader) come to m...

My brother is a scientific sort of guy, so one of the first thoughts I had after I recovered from hearing this (right after lots of God-praise) was: "I need to post this for Kevin." Of course, even if you aren't Kevin, I want you to listen to this as well. I heard it on the car radio while I was running errands, and it shook me to the core. I actually sat in the parking lot at the recycling center weeping over the goodness of God that we should live in an age when we can hear the praises of creation. The video clip is long, but you'll be glad it is. Ps. 148:1 Praise the Lord ! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light ! 4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord , For He commanded and they were created. 6 He also established them forever and ever; He made a decre...

Today my classmates and I were worshiping the Lord together and I had one of those moments... Perhaps you know those moments... You're singing in a group and suddenly you feel the presence of the Lord. It's a very experiential feeling: a chill, a separation from the world around, a feeling of clarity in your voice and power in your shoulders, a sense that your words have power (being created in the image of God). Suddenly, you realize that the overwhelming feeling in your chest is LOVE: love for God in particular, but also a recognition of love from  God.  Since I cannot share that moment with you, at least let me share the words we were singing. I pray that you too will experience those moments. However, even more than that, I pray that you will know the God who makes such moments known. May the Lord bless you today! One day when Heaven is filled with His praises One day when sin was as black as could be Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin Dwelt among men, my example is H...

Hello Friends! I haven't written in a while, and for that I guess I should apologize. Or, perhaps I shouldn't. :-) Jesus said he did only what he saw the Father doing. I haven't felt like it was the right time to write, so I haven't. But,  today I do. We are settling into our new life and our new ministry. There is so much need in our town. #atan has been attacking recently and I feel like we're in his territory. I guess we are, but we are also taking that territory one soul at a time. The difficulty is that some people want to take that territory without requiring a change in ownership . They want to be sensitive to the point of not making any demands, But, this doesn't really work, because God does make demands of us. Please don't hear me incorrectly: Salvation is an absolutely free gift based on the perfectly atoning work of Jesus Christ and not on anything we can or ought to do. However, becoming Jesus' disciple after we have confessed Him as Lord an...

Father God gave me a special insight today through part of a Sunday school lesson on Hearing God  and in something sad my wife encountered this morning.   As Olivia and I were talking about it tonight, she encouraged me to write this blog in order to share this revelation gift  with you as well. The key verse is Psalm 18:11:   "He made darkness His hiding place, dark storm clouds His canopy around Him."   It's an admittedly strange verse when you first encounter it. It seems to indicate, at the very least, that God is somehow present in the dark and sad things of life, at the very moment when He seems most distant. It does. But, it says even more than that. This verse is God's heart crying out to us in those moments: (as presented in the class) " I am here !" God is telling His children He has a secret place in the midst of the darkness, and He is inviting us not to miss finding Him there. Our Father, God, som...

  Psalm 8 (HCSB)   1  Yahweh, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth!   You have covered the heavens with Your majesty. 2  Because of Your adversaries, You have established a stronghold from the mouths of children and nursing infants to silence the enemy and the avenger.   3  When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, 4  what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? 5  You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. 6  You made him lord over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet: 7  all the sheep and oxen, as well as the animals in the wild, 8  the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea that pass through the currents of the seas.   9  Yahweh, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth!

Today's Reflection come from Matthew 7 J esus taught with authority. And, what did he teach? "Enter by the narrow gate." This seems to me to be the thesis statement for chapter 7. The way of the narrow gate does not judge (v.1); it does not condemn, though it is discerning (v.15). The way of the narrow gate addresses itself first (v.5) and then tries to help others. The way of the narrow gate looks to God for a provision of grace (v.7), and also provides grace to others (v.12). The way of the narrow gate looks to knowing Jesus (v.23) for salvation, but also heeds the warning that we will be known by the fruit produced by God through that relationship (v.20).   In its broader context, this chapter is part of the Sermon begun in chapter 5. Therefore, the way of the narrow gate includes those admonitions and warnings found in chapters 6 and 7 as well.   Together, these chapters (and perhaps the central concept of THE WAY OF THE NARROW GATE) provide us with an introduction (m...

  Read Matthew 6 I remember I was surprised to notice the word assumptions come into my mind as I was reading this chapter, but that is exactly what happened. Jesus assumed some things about us, things that we do not always assume about ourselves. That is, as Jesus taught and talked to his disciples, he took some things for granted. I think it's appropriate to consider his assumptions and ask ourselves whether or not they are true of our lives as his followers. v.1 - Jesus assumes we will practice our righteousness. Of course, we are quick to remind ourselves that we have no righteousness apart from the grace of God (except perhaps a little SELF-righteousness). Yet, Jesus seems to believe that as his followers, we not only have righteousness, but we will  practice righteousness. He doesn't say, "By the way, you should go do righteous things." He assumes we will do righteous things and warns us against doing those righteous things with improper motives. v.2-...

This is a video of Dr. Jeff Iorg, President of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary where I am a student pursuing my PhD in Old Testament. It is a bold and honest message in response to our culture's celebration of America's sexual immorality and a challenge to our faith as Christians as we attempt to tell people the Good News about Jesus through our lives, our words, and our love. (You may wish to click on the HD to turn it off for easier uploading.)   Ministry in the New Marriage Culture from Golden Gate Baptist on Vimeo .     1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, equip yourselves also with the same resolve—because the one who suffered in the flesh has finished with sin— 2  in order to live the remaining time in the flesh, no longer for human desires, but for God’s will. 3  For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the pagans choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carous...