“The Farmer and the Poster Board” the story behind the song

This song is very very cool and has a lot of meaning behind it.  Its two different instances where God allowed me to be used for his glory.  The first verse of the song tells the story that’s to fast to understand unless you know the whole thing.  So here it is.  My fathers brother was 21 years old when he died.  I was only 2 and a half, but I had the opportunity to know him before he passed.  He was a man of God as were his parents, who feared the Lord and had a great love for the things of God.  The situation was such.  He was handling a fire arm when it accidentally fired and struck him in the head.  He was alive long enough for my father to hold his hand in the ER and later would pass on to be with the Lord.

Being that his parents, my grandparents, were Godly, there main concern was to have the certainty that he was in heaven.  My grandfather asked God to give him a sign that would assure him that he in fact was with Him in heaven.  That sign came thru a small child.  Me

It goes like this.  My grandmother and I were sitting out side one day after a rain and my grandmother was telling me why it must rain and what the rain comes down and so on.  Just then I looked up at her and made a statement…  She as speechless.  She called for my grandfather who was inside and he came out.  She looked at me and said “Alex, tell abuelo (grandfather in Spanish) what you told me.”  I looked up at him and this was the message that I at 2 1/2 years old relayed to my grandfather.  I said, “abuelo, uncle Braulio is in heaven with God”.  My grandfather asked me… “who told you that Alex”.  I replied “Jesus told me”.  And with that, me grandfathers heart was assured that he would see his son again.  I was a poster board of sorts,  sending a message loud and clear.  The message that they needed.

The other story goes back to when I was 16 years old and working at the theater in Lawrenceville, GA.  I worked with a guy named Jerry and I would occasionally make comments to him, trying to witness to him.  He would shrug it off or not really pay it to much attention.  As time went by, I quit working there and years later I met up with Jerry, after years of not seeing him.  He told me that he had accepted Christ as his savior and that he was teaching Sunday School at his church.  I asked him if any of the things that I said to him while we were working at the theater had aided in his salvation and he said yes… that I had planted the seed.  A farmer of sorts is what I guess you could say that I was.  A farmer and a poster board.  I hope that God so chooses to continue to use me like that.

Alex Aleman .

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Alex Aleman

Hey everyone.  I am writting this blog to say that I will be starting to post some of my music on facebook and the like to gain some exposure for the songs that I have recorded.  If you get a chance, go to www.facebook.com/alexalemanphotography and add me as your friend there.  Thanks so my and have a blessed day.

Alex Aleman

 

A Time to Think, A Time to Reflect Part 2

In the last post, I ended with the loss of my father in 1996. I remember it as if it was yesterday. The transition began on New Years Eve 1995. I was at a friends house nearly 10 miles away and it was nearing midnight. I heard the telephone ring and my gut feeling told me it was my mother calling me. Lo and behold, it was.

She called to tell me that my father was not well and that the paramedics were at the house. It appeared that he was having a malaria attack, which he had one exactly a year earlier. Unfortunately, this was only part of it. I knew he was dying as did be as he called me a couple of weeks earlier to let me know that the doctor had told him he had cancer and that he did not have long.

Two days later, he was beyond critical and was transferred by ambulance to Shallowford Hospital in Dunwoody, Georgia. The emergency room doctor told me that my father had about 24 hours left and to get things in order.

My father did not want to be placed on machines and it was in his medical file for a DNR, Do Not Resucitate. So be it.

At approximately 2am in the morning, God granted my father enough time to say goodbye to his family. My oldest brother, Barry, a longtime EMT, yelled at my father to fight for his life. This helped his fever break for a short period of time and it was welcomed. After about an hour, my father declined again and fell unconscious.

What was sort of strange about this was that my brother Barry and my father did not get along very well. At the same time, my brother did pay for the funeral which was that Friday before the Jewish Sabbath.

My brother Jeff and my father are buried in the same cemetery in Atlanta, and now my mother is interned there as well next to my father .

The period between the loss of my father and my mother saw many transitions in my life. I had a successful business with my friend Ronnie Hubbard, whose parents and I were very close. They were there for me when my dad passed away and it was appreciated.

 

David Brown

Director of Communications and Marketing

 

A Time to Think, A Time to Reflect Part One

“Life is short,” folks according to the doctors, scientists and philosophers who think so. Even we as individuals say the same thing on a daily basis. However, we as humans seem to be living longer thanks to the same doctors and scientists and the continued advancement of medical science and technologyi.

If this is the case then, where does God fit into the overall picture of life? As a Born Again Christian, converted from Judaism, I am told that I have the best of both worlds. I have known God my entire life and I know it was He who created me. Yet, I grew up with phobias that scared me and even would make me sick to the point of having to see these same doctors that I mentioned earlier. What I had come to find out is this: both God and the doctors alike are responsible for the healing process.

This is what I mean with the above statement: God created the field of medicine and therefore created individuals to become doctors so that they can work together to heal us.

So, why do I start off talking about doctors and the field of medicine and God all in the same breath? Because I know many doctors and I also know that it was God who gave them the knack for saving lives or at least in making their patients comfortable during the process of dying on their journey home.

I personally have had to deal with doctors since 1994 who were responsible for doing all they could do to save my brother Jeff from a rare form of brain cancer. He was 35, married with three great children: Emily, Jessica and David. He also had a wonderful and loving wife who remarried and moved to Rhode Island.

As my brother was dying, I prayed day and night that something could save his life. I asked God why He had to take him. He was a great musician a great father and a loving husband. Was this not enough to let him be healed? Well, I came to understand that God has a “timeline” for us and when its our time, so be it. I was angry and confused but my finding Jesus helped me to understand so much better.

Then, two years later in 1996, I again had to deal with death in the family, this time my father. (Continued in Part 2)

 

All Work and No Play

“All work and no play?” is this not the all-knowing cliche? As I wake early now just about every morning of the week as we all do most likely, we probably ask ourselves, “will it ever get better?” Is this something I get to look forward to more now than ever?

With troubling economic times with little relief in sight, we hear day in and day out from people who have worked hard their entire lives that they had been looking forward to retirement and rightfully so. Unfortunately because of losses on the market, downsizing of businesses or even seeing long time businesses closing, people are having to work longer and seeing less play time or even vacation time.

Some people are even having to take on more work or even find a niche and start their own businesses to do nothing more than make ends meet.

So, what can we do about all of this? There are a number of things.

First, we can do what God wants us to do no matter what. That is to PRAY about our individual situations as well as each others. PRAYER is the most powerful tool we have in our arsenal. It is easy to do and it is a tool we can use not once a day but all throughout the day. We can start when we wake up and then before we head out to work. Then we can pray and thank God for what it is that we do have and for all of us that would simply be another day.

Second, we need to utilize the best of our time. In the working world, this means time management. Personally, I used to have the best time management skills. I learned these as a veteran administrator. In the world of Faith, we need to find the time to dwell in God’s Word.

Alex, being an inspiration to me since I found Jesus and accepted Him, is one man who finds time not only for his own dwelling in The Word through Daily Devotionals and Prayer but works with his young daughters preparing them for their day in accepting the Lord but with his wife Carrie as well.

You see Alex is one who does plenty extra to support his family is one who is learning about time management no matter how hard it might be for an individual.

Third, no matter how hard we work, God expects us to take a breather. He did after creating the heavens and the earth. It is said in the Book of Genesis that He rested on the Sixth Day. This means gathering up your family and friends and take a vacation together. God want you to as He did and enjoy it.

So, do not make it all work and no play as this is not healthy and would add to the stress of everyday living. Trust me, I know.

God bless an God speed!

David

 

New Action Plan at Mission Lighthouse Ministry

Alex and I have been doing a great deal of chatting on how to improve on an already great ministry that started not long after I converted to Christianity in 2003.

Alex and I met as members of our choir at Mount Carmel Christian Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia. “It was a blessing as the Lord brought a great friend and Brother-in-Christ into my life.”

Knowing that Alex is extremely talented musically and in other areas, I decided to ask Alex to join me in my mission to teach new Christians about their faith. So was born a new Mission Lighthouse Ministry which is certainly Christ Centered and utilizing Alex’s talent for music and public speaking and my God-given gift for marketing and understanding of Social Media, Mission Lighthouse Ministry is becoming quite known on the internet as well as off the internet.

Alex and I agree that an updated Action Plan is needed to keep up with the times. This means focusing more on the music, worship and marketing and Social Media aspects of the ministry.

A new logo is in the works along with more modern pod casting and blogging which will include bible study and sermons that affect our everyday living and much more.

Look for some really God inspired changes in the coming weeks and months.

Remember this: “Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty!”

God Bless and God Speed!

David

 

Does Attending Church Mean Your Faith is Waning?

David M. Brown

What does church truly mean to the Christian?  Is it a building with a cross atop a steeple and a flashy sign in front with reference to scripture and a welcome to new staff members or congregation members?  To many that is what church truly is and their attachment to said building.

With all of this said, I am guilty, very guilty of not attending the same church that I call home because of reasons that even to me are not right.  I believe that it is very important to attend church on a regular basis and to be active by more than just attending on Sunday morning.  However, because of my current situation and some situations since my joining the church over eight years ago in 2003, I am not going to turn this particular blog post into a sermon.  This is sort of the cliche that says:  “Do as I say, not as I do.”  In other words, due to certain situations, not entirely beyond my control, I have not been attending my home church, yet, I want to be there very badly.

It is said in commentary, as well as scripture, that it is Satan himself who is allowing us to be tricked in believing that we do not have to attend church.  I, then, am personally having a struggle here.  I may pray throughout the day, I have my Bible handy whether it be as an application on my smartphone, but this is truly not the same as gathering in God’s House.  At the same time, church is very much more than a building.  It is the faith that is being practiced within the interior walls of the church.  It is the worshiping and the “making of joyful noise to the Lord” (Psalm 100) that is made by those who gather together within the church.

Here are my reasons as to why a Christian should attend church and I will try to back it up with scripture from The Holy Bible, also known as God’s Word.

1.  Does the Bible say that we have to attend church?  There is no doubt.  At the same time, a church location can be a single building where people gather to study the Word, to hear a pastor speak and to hear a choir sing.  It is a place for fellowship with fellow Christians.  We have to do everything possible to attend church and encourage others to do the same.

Here I have two scriptures to provide evidence as to why the Bible says we should attend church:

–Hebrews 10:23-25 states, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Les us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as ou see the Day approaching.”

–Psalm 100 states:  “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God, It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100 is one of my favorites from this book of God’s Word.  Being a member of the choir of my home church really brings Psalm 100 alive and there are some great songs that have been created based on Psalm 100.

2.  Does God Understand?  Not really.  Some Christians believe that God knows their hearts, so no matter their actions, they want to believe that God loves them just the same.  This is not all true.  God is a jealous God and He has made it perfectly clear since the beginning of time.  We cannot disobey God’s Word and we should stay in it daily.  We sometimes stray from this because our secular lives seem to take over.  But there are ways to overcome this.  Let us, however, turn back to God’s Word to see what is said about His understanding.

— I John 5:2-3 states:  “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

— Exodus 20:5 states: “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God.”

— Mark 12:30 states:  “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

So, the best thing to do in this case is to understand that church may mean the congregation itself, but it is the gathering that is important and to do so on a regular basis is great in His eyes.

3.  Are there any benefits from attending church?  You better believe it!  God intended to and has succeeded in providing us great pastors throughout time who have delivered great sermons which are delivered from God through them.  So, to skip church means we are skipping The Word and hearing it firsthand.  So, why do church’s all around the world utilize the internet through their websites provide live coverage of services and other events?

The answer to the question above is two-fold.  It is not for the members to stay home and watch a live church service via modern day digital technology.  It is for those who are medically unable to attend or for those who are out of town on business or vacation with their families to watch if they so desire.  It is not for the member of the church to stay home permanently and to learn the Word via a screen or monitor.

Here again is some scripture for evidence on the benefits of attending church:

— Jeremiah 3:-15 states:  “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days.”

— Psalm 133 states:  “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

4.  And, finally a few words about Faith and if it does wane if we forgo attending church:  Who knows the answer to this question or concern?  I do, you do and God does.  We know that we tend to forgo our faith when we are not gathered with our brothers and sisters in Christ in the House of the Lord, the House of Worship.  We are not learning the Word if we are not gathered together.  We are using our “secular careers” as an excuse to skip going to church.  We might find ourselves tired (I can testify to this), we might find ourselves having to work (I plead guilty to this) or we just do not have a way to get there (man, too many charges against me).

I will say this, no matter how many excuses I have, you have or whatever the situation, there is no reason not to go to church.  I want to be there and I miss my church family, no doubt.  I feel that my faith could be waning, but I do not want to believe so.  I want to know that I am still in favor with God and I believe that I am because He does know that it is my intentions to return as soon as possible.  So, does what I am saying here give me the right to write this blog?  I want to believe that it does as I feel that I want to help others like myself understand why we cannot miss church.

Here are some scriptures to help regarding the waning of faith by not attending church:

— Galatians 3:22 states:  “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”

— Romans 10:17 states:  “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

— Hebrews11:6 states: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

So, here is something that has been on my mind now for some time.  I hope that this blog post was enjoyable as it brings some scripture to you on why it is important to attend church because we know, one and all that Satan is among us and he wants to turn us away from God and make us believe that this is alright when we know it is not.

Please return often as both David and Alex will be providing Bible Study, what it is that is on our minds at the time of our writings and much more.

Thanks, God Bless and God Speed.

 

David M. Brown

Mission Lighthouse Ministry

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Sharing the Light with Mission Lighthouse Ministry

This is going to be the new home of the Mission Lighthouse Ministry Blog. Here you will read about God’s Word also known as The Holy Bible, hear some great music by co-founder Alexander Aleman of Lilburn, Georgia as well as features of what is happening within the Christian faith around the world. We certainly hope that you will enjoy your stay here and please return as much as you would like.

David M. Brown
Co-Founder
Atlanta, Georgia