Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

"Lord Teach Us To Pray" Part Two: Daily Bread, Daily Provision.

Matt. 6:11,  Give us this day our daily bread.
When we see that this is a simple prayer for the needs of the everyday, we understand the following: 
1 We understand that God cares for our bodies. Jesus showed us that; he spent so much time healing men's diseases and satisfying their physical hunger.
2 We understand to live one day at a time, and not to worry and be anxious about the distant and the unknown future. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray this petition, He likely remembered the story of the manna in the wilderness (Exo.16:1-21). 
The children of Israel were starving in the wilderness. and God sent them the manna. the food from heaven; but there was one condition--they must gather only enough for their immediate needs. If they tried to gather too much, and to store it up, it went bad. 
We know that God is not against us making plans, but we need to become more appreciative of the day in which we live. As the Pslamist said, “This is the day the Lord has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it.”
Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
3. Praying for daily provision puts God His proper place in our lives. We are reminded that it is from God we receive the food which is necessary to support life. No man has ever created a seed which will grow.
4. This pray reminds us of how prayer works. If a man sat back and waited for bread to fall into his hands, he would starve.“You do not have because you do not ask God.” James 4:2
5. Jesus did not teach us to pray: "Give ME my daily bread." He taught us to pray: "Give US our daily bread."
This prayer teaches us never to be selfish in our prayers.  This prayer is not only a prayer that we may receive our daily bread; it is also a prayer that we may share our daily bread with others. 

Lord, Teach Us to Pray - Part One, Your Kingdom Come, Your Will be Done.

The Model Prayer
Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [c]openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10  Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
11  Give us this day our daily bread.
12  And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13  And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Your Treasure. Your Heart. Your Words. Part Three: Wisdom & Words From Above

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:17
www.BryanHudson.com

Firm Foundation Bible Study - Romans 13:1-7, "Who are our Ministers, Authorities, and Avengers."

Lesson by Bryan Hudson, D.Min.
A discussion about Romans 13:1-7 in light of its literal relevance to modern day America and other governments of the world. Was America founded on Christian principles or did the Founders design a government free from religious control in order to maximize freedom for all forms of religion?
(Presentation notes: http://visioncomsolutionscom.siteprotect.net/Justice_Romans13.pdf)
Romans 13:1, Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Your Treasure. Your Heart. Your Words. Part Two: The Power and the Peril of the Tongue

Your Treasure. Your Heart. Your Words.PART TWO: The Power and the Peril of the Tongue
 
(Download Barclay commentary on James 3)
 
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. James 3:2 (NLT)
 
Words have significance in three domains:In the Kingdom of God (realm of the spirit)In your life: spirit, soul (mind, will, emotions), bodyIn your circumstances
 
For salvationRomans 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
To confirm our beliefs and release our faith in God
2 Corinthians 4:13, And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,
 
James teaches about the power of the tongue
 
James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect [brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness] man, able also to bridle [to lead by a bridle, to guide, hold in check, restrain] the whole body. 
 
(Barclay) James is not pleading for a cowardly silence but for a wise use of speech. 
 
Small things control big thingsJames 3:3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great [great not in “good” but as is exaggerated or overblown] things.
 
Taming the tongue, and the heartJames 3:5, See how great a  forest a little fire kindles!  6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles [stain or soil] the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 
 
God gave mankind dominion over a creatures in the earth but he cannot tame the tongue.
 
I watched a dolphin show at the zoo last year. It was incredible that these animals had been trained to do the amazing things they did. We even train our dogs, but the tongue is not tamed. Only the heart can tame the tongue, and the heart must be trained by God. "Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth" (Gen.1:28)
 
Living in contradiction, hypocrisy, and duplicity - deceitfulness in speech or conduct, as by speaking or acting in two different ways to different people concerning the same matter; double-dealing.
 
James 3:9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
 
Peter was caught in hypocrisy, and duplicity Galatians 2:11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
 
James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 

Your Treasure. Your Heart. Your Words. Part One

 
Luke 6:43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
 
"Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble." -Yehuda Berg
 
"If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and words, we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts. We can always replace negative with positive." -Betty Eadie
 
We know that words have power. The power of words begin with your heart, and your heart is the container of your character. 
In verse 43 Jesus talked about our character when he said, “A tree is known by its fruit.” That character is expressed by words, but words can be deceiving, words can be empty. There are people who say they are going to do a certain thing, but those words are empty. Some people use words to manipulate and misrepresent. 
The foundation for words is the heart. The heart is shaped by what He called “treasure.” Jesus said that this treasure can be good or it can be evil.
 
What is treasure? A treasure is the place where things are collected. A coffer or other receptacle in which valuables are kept.
We always think of treasure as the accumulation of valuable things. But treasure can be the accumulation of evil.  
 
What we think, live, do, and say comes out of a place of accumulated things. Which is our hearts. 
 
One of the self-deceptions with live with is the magical thought that we or people are going to suddenly start doing something that they have not been doing. People can only genuinely think, live, do, and speak from the treasure in their hearts. Certainly, people can fake it, but it won’t hold up.
 
To become really good at something, it has to come from an accumulation of knowledge and action. That’s the art of doing a good interview, is to ascertain if your words are hearing are coming from a place of good treasure. 
 
In our world, we focus on words. But the best words come from the treasure of a person’s heart.v. 43 For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.v. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good
 
You don’t need to fret about some of the words you hear, because it is only a reflection of what is in the heart. And only God can change the heart of willing person. 
 
Proverbs 26:4, Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
How do you build a good treasure in your heart?
1. Pay attention to what and who you are listening to (Guard your heart)2. Repentance and forgiveness clears the heart3. When you show yourself who you are, believe it! Awareness is the beginning of change.4. Read the Bible and pray every day5. Keep up with messages from the word of God. God told pastors to: “Feed the sheep and preach the word.” He told all of us “Receive the engrafted word.” (James 1:21)Don’t miss messages from your pastor and leaders. It’s like not eating or not taking needed medicine.

Let God Be God.

Let God be God
Restoring Human Identity and Purpose
Psalm 86:10, For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God. 11] Teach me Your way, O LORD;   I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.  12] I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore. 
Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me.
We are living in a world where confusion reigns. Confusion leads to becoming lost. People are not lost because they are going to wind up in the wrong place. They wind up in the wrong place because they are lost. (Willard, Renovation)
Philippians 3:17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
Belly means to be given up to the pleasures; the innermost part of a man, the soul, heart as the seat of thought, feeling, choice.
The person who is lost is obsessed with self and circumstances. They dismiss the Word while embracing their thoughts and feelings as divine direction. The “god” is their belly. (Phil. 3:19) The lost person does not want God to be God. He is insulted at the suggestion that he is lost, thinking “How dare you speak to me like that? God cannot be lost.”
It is the person who says, “I can do anything I want to do.”
There are three Gods:
1. There is the god made in the image of man. This is the god that people generally believe in—A god who has to serve them. This god does not exist. 
2. There is the god what occupies our thoughts, our minds, guides our decisions, spending, and planning.
3. Then, there is the God who people forget. The living God whom we all have to serve who has a son named Jesus Christ.  The God that exists and is the reason for our existence.
God being God offends human pride because He does not conform to the wishes of people. He doesn’t bow to our agenda. 
Romans 3:18 says, “There is no fear of God before their eyes” 
When the light of God is absent, the intellect become dysfunctional, trying to devise a truth that will be compatible with the basic falsehood that man is god. (Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines)
Indicators of the True God:
Is from everlasting to everlasting
Known to Adam, Abraham, Moses and the pagans of every generation
Has the power to create, destroy, heal and reform 
Passes final judgment
Knows the hearts of people
Knows the motivations of the heart
Has purpose that transcends the lifetime or sensual interests of people
Manifests His presence in the earth through the Holy Spirit
Has a son name Jesus Christ, who is God the Son
Keys to letting God be God in your life;
1.  Allow Him to intervene into your deadness. Dead represents things separated from the life and power of God.
2.  Understand the principle of separation from the world. This does not mean that we don’t engage with world, which we obviously and necessarily do. It means that we are controlled by the world, not even by the COVID, which can become a small “g” God.
3. Obey the Word of God quickly. Find a way to be a doer of the Word. God said don’t forsake assembling yourselves together. When we could meet physically, we met online. 
4. Live from the inside out “Work out your salvation.” Don’t live from the outside in.
He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)
5. Don’t believe the lie that says, “You cannot change.” Phil. 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
6. Have no confidence in the philosophies of this world regarding the nature of man, evil and God.
7. Apply God’s word and lessons to your everyday life. Remember David’s words:
Psalm 86:10, For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God. 11] Teach me Your way, O LORD;   I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.  12] I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore. 
 
 

JUSTICE - What Is It?

JUSTICE - What Is It?
KEYNOTE SLIDES PDF: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zzyk26b47xmomcw/Justice_Keynote.pdf?dl=0
Message includes talks by Paul Scanlon to whites about racism.
Psalm 82:3-4, Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Matthew 23:23, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
It's important to understand that God's church touches our world in many different ways. People tend to have one view of the church or another. God's church as two primary functions in this world: We are pastoral and we are prophetic
1. Some may view Christ's Church as a place to come learn, to grow personally, become more Christlike, and to find purpose and happiness in life.
2. Some view Christ's Church as a place to reach out to the lost and hurting, to carry the gospel locally and around the world, behind prison walls, to support missions and relieve suffering.
3. Some view Christ's Church as salt and light in a dark world, to broken people, and as God’s agency for mercy and justice to people who are oppressed, orphan, and powerless.
4. Some view Christ's Church as a political party partner to advance God’s will by using godly and ungodly people in government. [Not a proper role for God’s church]
Justice is an important topic in our day. We hear a lot about injustice. We hear about the justice system. We see heartbreaking examples of injustice as well as justice being served. 
What is justice? What is social justice? If you Google the words “Christian” and “justice" see a lot of results expressing various perspectives. There is no definitive definition for social justice come but there are many narratives. Remember that a narrative is someone’s story or interpretation about reality.
For example, the narrative says that most black males are in some kind of trouble. The truth is that most African American males are solid people who do right thing. People push back with statistics, but statistics only measure was is wrong. I am a lifelong expert on being a black male among black males.
List of justice Scriptures: https://justiceco.org/resources/gods-heart-of-justice/scriptures-on-justice-mercy-oppression-and-freedom/

Fathers in 3D: Our Destiny. Our Design. Our Duty

Psalm 103:13 ESV As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
Proverbs 17:6, Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.
Proverbs 1:8, My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother;

Principles of Progress: Roads & Rivers

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 
Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV, “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.