What is Truth?

The subject of the truth has really been pressed upon my heart lately, about what it is and where it comes and it has really been an issue throughout all of the United States that people are struggling to understand. Many people have received the wrong idea about the truth, when it actually can be found very easily! The truth can only come from the Word of God! There is no other truth in all of the world, but from the Bible!

Many people have argued about this topic for so long and it really needs to not be argued about any longer. The answer has been found! And the answer is in the Bible, but people don’t want to believe that the Bible is truth because of the fact of it having, “too many rules”. Sure it may have some guidelines and commands, but they aren’t to harm us or destroy us. That is what the world has twisted wrongly. The enemy, Satan, has manipulated so many people to following his so-called “truth” and many have believed it.

The devil’s truth, is not true, it is a lie! Plain and simple as that! John 8:44 states, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Satan is the “father of lies”, so why trust him when his mission has been to steal, kill and destroy? Sure his truth seems to be deemed credible, but when you look at the end result of someone who has believed Satan’s “truth”, they are miserable, depressed and could have even died.

But those who hold on to the truth of the word of God will live forever in eternity with God. We cannot be taught the truth in any other way than from the Bible. Psalm 86:11 says, “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” In order to be taught the truth, we must be taught from God Himself, for there is no other truth in existence.

Realize this one thing if you haven’t understood anything thus far. The truth in general is not relative. The truth is not a feeling, it is not an emotion, it is not true one minute and not true the next. The truth is always true and the only thing that has always been true since the very beginning of time has been God! No one, nothing else! Truth is not subjective, and there are no multiple truths! There is only one truth. John 14:6 declares, “Jesus said to him, “I am l the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There are not multiple ways, multiple truths or multiple lives. There is only ONE way, ONE truth and ONE life and that is through the Father, and through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, email me at bormonde@me.com, and I would love to answer questions you may have or lead you to the right path and the way to have a relationship with the King! Please also leave a comment here as well.

Blessings to you, Brad Ormonde Jr.

Trusting in the Lord

I have noticed lately, many who have been going through difficult times, whether it be with finances, a divorce, a death in the family, or just everyday trials that are thrown at us. Many wonder what to do in these difficult times and wonder who to trust and hope in. There is only one answer for that, and that is Jesus Christ alone.

Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “Brad, I know that! But why is it still so hard to trust in Him?” Well maybe you should ask yourself the question, “How much do I trust in Him?” We’ve all gone through one trial or another in our life, and have we not been strengthened and delivered from the enemy by God? Then why stop putting your trust in Him even when times are getting harder? Do you feel like there is no hope? Is there really a light at the end of the tunnel? Am I really going to have victory over this? The answer is, Yes! The Bible even states very clearly in the book of James, chapter 1, that we will be victorious, one on condition.

James 1:12
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

If you remain steadfast, and stand strong in the Lord, then and only then will you be victorious! What a blessed hope that is, to know that when we endure and when we suffer and overcome and defeat the enemy, we will be crowned victorious!

I read a devotional book every day titled, “Morning & Evening“. I’m sure you may have heard of it before, and it was written by a great Christian leader of the 18th century known as Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He was a great man of God, even known by many people as the “Prince of Preachers“. He was definitely a man that the Lord had gifted beyond measure, and he spent all of his time studying God’s word and applying it to his everyday life.

I read the section for this morning and I wanted to share it with you, to encourage you, to lift up your spirit, and to remind you who you are to trust. Enjoy! May the lord richly bless you through this devotion.

“On mine arm shall they trust.” — Isaiah 51:5

In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can trust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his vessel is on its beam-ends, and no human deliverance can avail, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on such a rock as this! O blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone! There is no getting at our God sometimes because of the multitude of our friends; but when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless that he has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his Father’s arms, and is blessedly clasped therein! When he is burdened with troubles so pressing and so peculiar, that he cannot tell them to any but his God, he may be thankful for them; for he will learn more of his Lord then than at any other time.

Oh, tempest-tossed believer, it is a happy trouble that drives thee to thy Father! Now that thou hast only thy God to trust to, see that thou puttest thy full confidence in Him. Dishonour not thy Lord and Master by unworthy doubts and fears; but be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Show the world that thy God is worth ten thousand worlds to thee. Show rich men how rich thou art in thy poverty when the Lord God is thy helper. Show the strong man how strong thou art in thy weakness when underneath thee are the everlasting arms. Now is the time for feats of faith and valiant exploits. Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord thy God shall certainly, as surely as He built the heavens and the earth, glorify Himself in thy weakness, and magnify his might in the midst of thy distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven would be spoiled if the sky were supported by a single visible column, and your faith would lose its glory if it rested on anything discernible by the carnal eye. May the Holy Spirit give you to rest in Jesus this closing day of the month.

May our God richly bless you through difficult times, Brad Ormonde Jr.

Morning & Evening

I have not posted anything on my blog for a very long time now, but I felt the need to post something today and there is no other thing that I wanted to share than this right here.

I read Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s daily devotion he wrote titled, “Morning & Evening”, and I read what he had to say for this morning, and it hit me like a ton of bricks and really made me evaluate myself even more, everyday.

Here is the devotion for June 23rd.

“Ephraim is a cake not turned.”
—Hosea 7:8

A cake not turned is uncooked on one side; and so Ephraim was, in many respects, untouched by divine grace: though there was some partial obedience, there was very much rebellion left. My soul, I charge thee, see whether this be thy case. Art thou thorough in the things of God? Has grace gone through the very centre of thy being so as to be felt in its divine operations in all thy powers, thy actions, thy words, and thy thoughts? To be sanctified, spirit, soul, and body, should be thine aim and prayer; and although sanctification may not be perfect in thee anywhere in degree, yet it must be universal in its action; there must not be the appearance of holiness in one place and reigning sin in another, else thou, too, wilt be a cake not turned.

A cake not turned is soon burnt on the side nearest the fire, and although no man can have too much religion, there are some who seem burnt black with bigoted zeal for that part of truth which they have received, or are charred to a cinder with a vainglorious Pharisaic ostentation of those religious performances which suit their humour. The assumed appearance of superior sanctity frequently accompanies a total absence of all vital godliness. The saint in public is a devil in private. He deals in flour by day and in soot by night. The cake which is burned on one side, is dough on the other.

If it be so with me, O Lord, turn me! Turn my unsanctified nature to the fire of Thy love and let it feel the sacred glow, and let my burnt side cool a little while I learn my own weakness and want of heat when I am removed from Thy heavenly flame. Let me not be found a double-minded man, but one entirely under the powerful influence of reigning grace; for well I know if I am left like a cake unturned, and am not on both sides the subject of Thy grace, I must be consumed for ever amid everlasting burnings.

May God richly bless you, Brad Ormonde Jr.

Brian McLaren Denies the Account of Genesis & The Fall of Man

Well the Heading says it all. You’ve guessed it! Brian McLaren, founder and leader of the Emergent Church, has discussed yet another thing that he does not believe in. The Fall of Man. How can you not believe in the fall of man? We know that we are depraved and the we have fallen short. Romans tells us, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” This is one of the essential doctrines, in realizing that we are sinners in need of a Savior. If there was no fall of man then God wouldn’t have had to send His Son to die for our sins.

You can listen to his response to this and see what you think. Leave a comment here so we can see what everyone is thinking about this subject.
Brian McLaren Denies the Fall of Man

What’s On Your iPod?

I just thought it interesting as I was thinking about the different kinds of music there is out there right now, and how many kids have music from the 70’s and 80’s and how much they love to listen to it. iPods have revolutionized our culture and our music industry tremendously. So I just wanted to ask the simple question, “What’s in your iPod?” I have the first generation iPod video that holds 30GB of music. It’s old and it’s getting worn out, and I think it’s time for me to get a new one. I wish I had the 120GB iPod because I’ve filled mine all the way, and I don’t even have all my music on there, but I don’t think I would ever fill the 120GB iPod.

Here are some of the few bands I have in my iPod.
1. David Crowder Band
2. Copeland
3. As Cities Burn
4. Jack Johnson
5. Hillsong United
6. Chris Tomlin
7. P.O.D.
8. Thrice
9. Underoath and finally
10. U2

That’s just a little bit of what I have, but those groups/artists are what I listen to the most. Well there ya have it. Part of my music collection on my iPod.

What’s on Your iPod? Leave a comment with some of the music on your iPod and see all the different kinds of music we have on here, then we’ll take a poll to see who is the favorite out of them all.

Blessings, Brad Ormonde Jr.

Revealing The Heart

Ok, so I designed this picture and it’s from a concept that I have been thinking of for a while. I’ve titled it, as you can see, “Revealing The Heart”. It comes from Hebrews 4:12. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The word of God reveals who we are by piercing through it and discerns our thoughts and intentions. The Bible is very powerful and very important. It is the guideline by which we must live. I want the Bible to reveal my heart so that I may understand the things that I must work on in order to be a stronger Christian, and I must do it daily. We must all, every day ask the Lord to reveal to us the things we need to work on in order to have a stronger relationship with Him.

May you ask the Lord to reveal your heart so you may be able to become a stronger believer in the Lord.

There are two life verses that I have been trying to apply to my life daily, and I encourage you to do the same. Here they are.

2 Timothy 2:15
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Acts 20:24
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Blessings, Brad Ormonde Jr.

Please Pray for the Arthurs

Well, a lot of people already know by now, and we have all been praying for the Arthur family, hopefully, but this morning Pastor Ralph Arthur passed away in his sleep peacefully.

Pastor Ralph was such a great man of God and was a very loveable guy. I have known Pastor Ralph since I was about 9, but he has known me since I was a little guy and he was always so nice and so kind. Every time I would walk by and see him, he would embrace me with a big hug and say, “Hey big guy!” I loved just seeing such a great and bright smile on his face all the time. The one thing I remember about him more than anything, was his genuine faith. He didn’t play pastor, and he didn’t just act like he loved you, he truly and honestly loved you very much.

It’s hard to imagine that this is really happening and I am so heart broken for Cheri and the kids. I am just so thankful that he is now in the presence of our Almighty God and his Almighty God as well. Pastor Ralph is now in Heaven and for that we are thankful but at the same time we grieve.

Ralph can now look at God face to face and embrace God with such a big hug and smile on his face and just gaze upon the glorious face of our Lord and Savior. The reason Pastor Ralph is in Heaven is because he was a man of faith. He believed in God and he confessed Jesus as Lord of his life. It wasn’t by his good works although everything he did was good but he is now in Heaven because of his confession of Jesus as Lord.

May we take the example of how Pastor Ralph lived his life and live that way as well. Live your life genuinely.

We love you Pastor Ralph

If you would like to leave condolences with the family, you may do so here: Harvest Blog

Pray For The Lusk Family

Just this past week, Jeremy Lusk, a professional MotoCross dirt bike rider, died last week while attempting a trick in an event in Costa Rica. The injuries he sustained are what took Jeremy from this earth, but praise the Lord that he was a believer and now he is in the presence of our Almighty God. I can’t even imagine the pain and agony the family must be in right now, especially for his wife. Thank the Lord that she is a believer as well and now she can hopefully and prayerfully find rest and comfort in the hands of her Father in Heaven.

For a believer, the whole life of one who has dedicated their life to Christ has this hope of Heaven. This hope is a confident expectation of what is to come for one who is on earth living for Christ, and following Him daily. Jeremy had this hope on earth and now he no longer has to hope because he now stands before his Father, face to face, finally being able to say, “This is what I have lived my whole life for.”

I pray for you and for myself that we have this confident expectation of knowing that when we die we will go to Heaven. If you do not have that assurance, send me an email and I would love to help you out and help strengthen your walk with Christ.

Let us please keep the Lusk family in prayer, and for the family friends, and pray that this can open the eyes of many to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior, just as Jeremy did.

Study To Show Thyself Approved…

I am preparing a message for this upcoming Sunday morning at Harvest Christian Fellowship in the Jr. High Ministry. Just thought I’d upload this picture so you can kind of see how I set things up when I’m studying and working on this message. I got all my books out, have my Bible(of course), will NEVER teach without that, and of course you see that wonderful cup of coffee. Coffee just seems to help me more when I’m studying. I love coffee. But anyway back to the subject, I will be speaking on 2 Chronicles 5, the ark of the covenant being brought into the temple. I will show how it is referred to in the Old Testament, and also how it is referred to in the New Testament, and even to this day.

I will be teaching all 3 Jr. High services, so if you are a Jr. Higher, I will see you there, if not they may have a recording of it if you want to hear what God spoke to us about. God’s Word never turns void, even with someone like me. 1 Corinthians 4:6-7.

Blessings, Brad Ormonde Jr.

The Voice™

The Bible is such a powerful “book” isn’t it? Well for believers we know that the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword according to Hebrews 4:12. And even in 2 Timothy 3:16 it says that all scripture is breathed out by God… We know the power of the Bible because it has transformed our life and has had a great impact on our life.

There are many different translations to read from, NIV, NLT, NKJV, KJV, ESV, & NASB. And then there is the paraphrased version known as The Message. And a few Study Bibles made by specific people, and there is now a new translation known as The Voice.

I was blown away by this translation for one reason, it’s known as the Emerging Church Translation.

The Emerging Church is already scary enough as they try to manipulate scripture and become to relevant with people. They have become so “relevant” that the “pastors” who are part of the Emerging Church have stopped reading God’s Word from the pulpit. They started talking about political issues and how to save the environment and to be more “earth-friendly”. This movement if you will, now came out with their own translation known as The Voice and has been translated by Scholars and by people who have degrees in that field. A group of fiction writers came together and compiled this translation together. Instead of reading what I have to say, look at it for yourself.

Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

The Voice