We are now streaming live video from our Sunday morning services

We have now started testing live streaming video from our Sunday 10:30am and Wednesday 7pm services. This is hosted by a free, ad-supported company so occasionally you will see some kind of ad pop up, some of which may not be totally in line with our values! To see a sample of what we are doing, please click on the image above. Today we made a change in the settings which seems to have greatly improved the video and audio quality. Please give us your feedback.

Hymn Lovers - It's Your Turn...!

An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended a big city church. He came home, and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the farmer, “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns.”

“Praise choruses?” asked the wife. “What are those?”

“Oh, they’re OK. They’re sort of like hymns, only different,” said the farmer.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked the wife.

The farmer said, “Well, it’s like this: If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well, that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you, ‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh Martha, Martha, Martha, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the cows, cows, cows are in the corn, are in the corn are in the corn, are in the corn, the corn, corn, corn’ – well, that would be a praise chorus.”

Meanwhile, a young Christian went to the country one weekend and attended a small rural church. He came home, and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the young man, “it was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs.”

“Hymns?” asked his wife. “What are those?”

“Oh, they’re OK. They’re sort of like regular songs, only different,” said the young man.

“Well what’s the difference?” asked his wife.

The young man said, “Well, it’s like this: If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn, well, that would be a regular song. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:

‘O, Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by
To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth.

For the way of the animals who can explain
There in their heads is no shadow of sense,
Hearkenest they in God’s sun or His rain
Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

‘Yea, those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,
Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
Then goaded by minions of darkness and night
They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed.

‘So look to that bright shining day by and by,
Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn,
Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry
And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.’

“Then, if I were to sing only verses one, three and four and do a key change on the last verse, well, that would be a hymn.”

Author unknown.

(Courtesy of Moishe Rosen's blog at http://moisherosen.org/2009/09/08/hymn-lovers-its-your-turn)

City Plan Commission Denies Our Request for An SUP for Coram Deo Academy

I am sorry to report that this afternoon the Dallas City Plan Commission (CPC) denied "without prejudice" our application for the Special Use Permit (SUP) that we need in order to host the Coram Deo Academy Christian school (CDA) here at Hillcrest Church. This action was taken by the CPC in spite of the fact that the CPC staff had recommended our SUP be approved.

CDA is currently located a mere 600 yards or so up the street on Hillcrest Road on the premises of the Trinity Hillcrest Episcopal Church. CDA would like to move onto our facility in order to be able to grow from their current enrollment of approximately 90 students in grades K-6 to a maximum daily presence of 250 students in grades K-12. Their unique scholastic approach blends traditional classroom education with home-schooling, yielding outstanding results both academically and in the formation of the students' character. They have been a great neighbor and an asset to our community since they have been at Trinity Hillcrest and we would be thrilled to partner with them in the Christian education of children from our congregation and beyond.

Please pray that God would give us wisdom regarding any steps we should now take and that He would bless our neighbors and the members of the CPC.

Watch Real-Time Decisions for Christ from Around the World...!

My friend, Eric Celier, and his team over at Jesus.net have put together this real-time display of people who have just given their heart to the Lord Jesus somewhere around the world via one of their websites in various languages. If you have the free Google-Earth software installed, the second window below will display an even cooler 3-D version...!

Why Jews Hate Palin - Jennifer Rubin in Commentary magazine

Teresa and I have a special love and appreciation in our hearts for the Jewish people, but I found this article in Commentary magazine fascinating. It's entitled, "Why Jews Hate Palin." Author Jennifer Rubin details several ways in which Sarah Palin is the antithesis of much of what modern, secularized American Jewish women hold dear. Whatever one's views of Sarah Palin, Rubin's analysis is worth thinking about. I would love to hear your comments!

CLARIFICATION - How Sweet Is the Victory

A sweet friend just emailed me saying that she thinks that the words I have given are to a song that is already in circulation. I am SO thankful for that clarification...! Apparently, Dad heard them and wrote them down and was learning the song so he could sing it. Either way, it certainly expresses his heart and causes me to think that he sensed he was soon to go...

Celebrating the Life of Kenneth Brand

My Father, Rev. Kenneth F. Brand, went to be with the Lord last Monday afternoon. We are having the visitation this afternoon, Thursday, January 7th from 5-6pm and his funeral service tomorrow morning, Friday, January 8th at 11:00am in the auditorium of the first church he and Mom pastored, the Full Gospel Tabernacle at 1801 Guthrie Avenue in Paducah, Kentucky.

Dad will be interned on Saturday, January 9th in Edwardsville, Illinois. Due to the inclement weather and the size of the cemetary chapel, this ceremony will be private but our our family will host a reception for our friends in the greater Saint Louis area who would like to express their condolences to Mom immediately following from 2:30-4:30pm at Calvary Life Church at 4650 Maryville Road in Granite City, Illinois, thanks to the kindness of their Senior Pastor, Mark Maynard.

We request that in lieu of flowers consideration be given in his memory to the Hillcrest Church World Missions Fund, 12123 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, Texas 75230 for world outreach or directly to Mom for her ongoing care.

If you would like to stay in touch with Mom you can do so via the email address we have set for her at: VeraMaeBrand@gmail.com or by postal mail c/o Hillcrest Church, 12123 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, TX 75230.

Oh How Sweet Is The Victory

This afternoon, we have the visitation and tomorrow the funeral for my father, Rev. Kenneth F. Brand. He often wrote songs and always dated them when they were finished.

We found the following, handwritten words on his piano's music holder after he died. The paper was undated, which means it was still a work in progress. My brother, Jason, was in their home in the days leading up to Dad's heart attack, but he had never noticed the paper on the piano, even though it sits in a very prominent and visibile place in the living room. That makes us think that he had written it in the last day or so before he died. He was a very early riser and may even have penned the words early Christmas morning. Late that evening he was taken to the hopsital.

Unfortunately, we do not have any idea of the melody...

Oh How Sweet Is The Victory!

I.

Oh the storm has come and passed,

I can see the sunshine at last.

There's a rainbow appearing just for me,

Sure, I've suffered for a while,

But, He gave me a brand new smile,

And oh how sweet is the victory!

Chorus

Oh how sweet is the victory,
After the battle has been won,
Well, I've got the valley far behind,
Living on the mountain, walking in the sunshine,

Oh how sweet is the victory!

II.

Well the ole river was dark and wide,
But He was waiting on the other side,
Jesus has set me safely across the rolling tide.
There were many times I thought I'd drown,
But He was standing on solid ground,
And Oh how sweet is the victory!

(repeat chorus 2 times)

It's something...as I was just typing those words in on the computer, I had a melody come to mind that fits perfectly. It's as if I can hear him playing the piano and singing this song in my head...One thing's for sure, if he could speak to us now, this song expresses some of what I think he'd say.

"...thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Corinthians 15:57 NIV)

The Dusty Messiah

This...is what most compels us to follow the Man from Nazareth...We don't recognize him as Lord because he's the bearer of timeless, practical truths, or the beautiful lynchpin on which our complex theologies rest, or the mystical Divine who perplexes everyone but us. We call Jesus Lord because only the true God would stoop low enough to wander dusty Nazarene farms, eat broiled fish by the Sea of Galilee, and ascend the Temple Mount as one Jewish pilgrim among many—all to raise us up higher than the top of Mount Zion.

- Katelyn Beaty in "The Dusty Messiah."

On String Theory and Heaven - Dinesh D'Souza

In an interview over at Christianity Today's website, Dinesh D'Souza makes some very interesting statements about the connection between theoretical physics and the reality of life after death: Here's an excerpt:

The Christian view is that when we die, our souls are reunited to incorruptible, resurrected bodies, and that we live forever in another realm, heaven or hell. It's a pretty incredible assertion, because if the Christian view of the afterlife is viable, there must be other matter and other realms.

If we lived 200 years ago in Newton's time, all of this would seem impossible because space and time stretch indefinitely backward and forward, so what it meant to be outside of time was very hard to articulate. Also, it was hard to posit any other kind of matter.

But revolutionary discoveries in the past 25 years suggest that there is dark matter and dark energy that make up 95 percent of all the matter in the universe. All materialist generalizations about matter are immediately rendered partial, because how can you claim to know something if you've seen only 5 percent of it?

...Scientists now posit through string theory the presence of multiple realms, multiple dimensions. One of the implications of the big bang is that space and time had a beginning, and that space and time are properties of our universe. If that's true, then outside our universe or beyond our universe, there would be different laws of space and time, or no space and no time.

His words bring to mind what I often heard my Dad say when I was a teenager, "Son, true science and the Bible always walk hand in hand."

CBN Videos About Oral Roberts

Summary of his life and ministry:



2009 Interview with Scott Ross concerning how to hear the voice of God:



Life and Legacy of Oral Roberts, including 2002 interview with Michael Little:



Part II of Michael Little's 2002 interview:

Hope - Gay Thurman

While taping a "Word and Spirit" telecast today, my special guest, Gay Thurman, said, "Hope is like a beautifully wrapped package under the tree. I have not opened it yet, but because I know who it is from, I know it will be something good." 

Her statement reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 5:5, "...and hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us..."

God is moving in Iran...!

This past Thursday, I was privileged to host Sam Yeghnazar from Elam Ministries on the Word and Spirit telecast. Elam is dedicated to sharing the love of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Iranian people.

Click on the window below to hear Sam share several powerful testimonies from Iran.

Richard Hilton - 25th Hillcrest Anniversary Communion Testimony

We recently celebrated the 25th Anniversary of Hillcrest Church. During that special service, we played the following videotaped testimony of how God used communion to redeem our church property. Richard Hilton, one of our charter members who is very involved in our prayer ministry tells the story...

There Is Hope For Prodigals

Raised in a Christian family with the most famous preacher of the 20th Century as his grandfather, Tullian Tchividjian ran from God as a young man. His lifestyle caused such serious problems in his family that his father actually had the police remove him from the family home at the age of nineteen and tell him he was on his own. A couple of years later, he came to know Jesus personally, enrolled in seminary, and succeeded Dr. James Kennedy as the Senior Pastor of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in south Florida.

Click on the image below to watch a short video version of his testimony as shown on the 700 Club. To watch Tullian and his wife's recent interview with James Robinson on Life Today click here.

Former Palestinian Terrorist Encounters Jesus and Begins Loving Jews

Former Palestinian terrorist Tass Saada encountered Jesus and began loving Jews. Here is a clip of his testimony on CBN.

Dominic and Lindsay Russo Nicaragua Update

I had a great time hosting young missionary evangelists Dominic and Lindsay Russo on TV last Friday. Teresa and I have known Lindsay and her family for many, many years. It is wonderful to see young people totally sold out to Jesus! He is 25 years old, she is 22.

The two-hour TV interview will air in a few days and we look forward to having them minister soon at Hillcrest Church. In the meantime, check out this YouTube video to see what God did through them in Nicaragua just a few days ago...

MARYAM AND MARZIEH: “We will not deny our faith” (Iranian trial update)

Here is the latest update from Elam Ministries concerning the two young Iranian Christian women who were arrested five months ago for their faith and who were summoned before the judge yesterday at 7am....

MARYAM AND MARZIEH: “We will not deny our faith”

In a dramatic session before the revolutionary court today in Tehran, Maryam Rustampoor (27) and Marzieh Amirizadeh (30) were told to recant their faith in Christ. Though great pressure was put on them, both women declared that they would not deny their faith. Maryam and Marzieh were originally arrested on March 5, 2009 and have suffered greatly while in prison, suffering ill health, solitary confinement and interrogations for many hours while blindfolded.

On Saturday August 8, Maryam and Marzieh were summoned to appear in court on Sunday August 9 in order to hear a verdict on their case. The chief interrogator had recommended a verdict of ‘apostasy.’ However, when they arrived, no verdict was actually given. Instead, the court session focussed on the deputy prosecutor, Mr Haddad, questioning Maryam and Marzieh about their faith and telling them that they had to recant in both verbal and written form. This made it clear that in the eyes of the court, Maryam and Marzieh’s only crime is that they have converted to Christianity.

Mr. Haddad, asked the two women if they were Christians. “We love Jesus,” they replied. He repeated his question and they said, “Yes, we are Christians.”

Mr. Haddad then said, “You were Muslims and now you have become Christians.”

“We were born in Muslim families, but we were not Muslims,” was their reply.

Mr. Haddad’s questioning continued and he asked them if they regretted becoming Christians, to which they replied, “We have no regrets.”

Then he stated emphatically, “You should renounce your faith verbally and in written form.” They stood firm and replied, “We will not deny our faith.”

During one tense moment in the questioning, Maryam and Marzieh made reference to their belief that God had convicted them through the Holy Spirit. Mr. Haddad told them, “It is impossible for God to speak with humans.”

Marzieh asked him in return, “Are you questioning whether God is Almighty?”

Mr. Haddad then replied, “You are not worthy for God to speak to you.”

Marzieh said, “It is God, and not you, who determines if I am worthy.”

Mr. Haddad told the women to return to prison and think about the options they were given and come back to him when they are ready (to comply). Maryam and Marzieh said, “We have already done our thinking.”

At the end of the session, Mr. Haddad told them that a judge will give them his verdict, though it is not clear who will be the judge in their case now. He also allowed Maryam and Marzieh to have a lawyer represent them in the case for the first time since their arrest.

Both women are back in Evin prison tonight. During their five-month ordeal, both have been unwell and have lost much weight. Marzieh is in pain due to an on-going problem with her spine, as well as an infected tooth and intense headaches.She desperately needs medical attention. Two months ago the prison officials told her the prison had proper medical equipment and that they will attend to her, but so far no proper treatment has been given.

Despite the concentrated effort of officials to pressure them into recanting their faith, Maryam and Marzieh love Jesus and they are determined to stand firm to the very end no matter whatever happens. They have demonstrated their love for Jesus and would offer their lives for Him if they were called to do so. After today’s court session they said, “If we come out of prison we want to do so with honor.”

Maryam and Marzieh’s case is a clear and harsh violation of human rights and religious liberty by Iran’s authorities. They deserve the support of all those who respect human rights and to be released without charges so they can pursue a life of freedom.

ELAM Ministries - http://www.elam.com/

Please pray for these two Iranian sisters!

I have just received the following email with a very urgent prayer request from our dear friends at Elam Ministries...

Two young Iranian Christian women, Maryam and Marzieh, were arrested by the authorities there five months ago for converting from Islam to Christianity. They have been summoned to appear in court tomorrow (Sunday) to hear the verdict in their case.

One judge has already told them that he was personally going to see to it that they will be put to death. Even if they are released, they will still be in tremendous danger since in the past Christians have been martyred in the streets after being set from from prison.

Please take a moment to pray for these two precious sisters in the Lord, asking God to supernaturally intervene on their behalf and that His comforting, protecting angels will be with them…!

===============================

Dear friends, After five months of being detained in Evin Prison in Tehran for their conversion to Christianity, Maryam and Marzieh have been told to be ready. Tomorrow (Sunday 9th August) at 7am they will be taken to the court where they will hear of the court's decision. Hopefully their lawyer will be allowed to be present. Marzieh is in pain due to her spine, her tooth and searing headaches. She desperately needs to see a specialist but she has not been allowed.

Let us urgently go to the Lord in believing prayer for Maryam and Marzieh in this most sensitive time.

• Let us thank Him For preserving, sustaining and strengthening them in prison.
• For giving them the grace to be steadfast in their faith.
• For the witness they have been in prison.
• For the love, concern and prayer of many believers around the world.

Pray for their court hearing tomorrow morning.

• Pray that the court will set them free.
• Pray that the presence and the anointing of the Holy Spirit will be with them.
• That they will receive healing from all illness.
• That the peace of God will cover their minds and their hearts, and will keep them safe in Jesus and refresh them tonight.
• That in all this the Lord will be greatly glorified and His perfect will be done.

Thank you so much for praying.

The Elam team

Questions Men Should Ask Their Wives

Sitting here in the Starbucks in Paducah, Kentucky on vacation while waiting for the mechanics at the Honda dealership to repair Teresa's van, I came across as great blog post by Pastor Perry Noble entitled, "Five Questions Men Should Ask their Wives." I am going to take this list back with me to my parents' house where we are staying and ask Teresa each of these over the next few days. My bet is that I will be surprised by some of her answers and that your wife will surprise you with some of hers, too…! (Hint: Teresa says that scientific studies have shown that the most arousing sound a woman can hear is noise coming from the kitchen when her husband is doing the dishes and that the most arousing aroma any woman can smell is her husband's sweat when he is working on her "honey-do" list…!)
J!

Here is Pastor Perry's list:

1. What is the most romantic thing I have ever done for you?
   
2. What is something fun we can do together?
   
3. What is one thing I can do for you this week that relieve stress from your life?
   
4. How can I pray for you?
   
5. If you could change one thing about our marriage, what would it be?
   

Here are two I urge every pastor to add:

Knowing what you know about me, if you were not my wife, would you want me to be your pastor? Would you want to come to my church?

 

Teresa's Interview with Rebecca Bauer

Teresa recently had the privilege of interviewing Rebecca Bauer on our Word and Spirit telecast. After growing up at the Church on the Way where her father, Jack Hayford, was the Founding Pastor, Rebecca served alongside her husband, Scott Bauer, who was the Senior Pastor until he went to be with Jesus very unexpectedly in his late forties. During this interview, Rebecca shares her thoughts on being a preacher's kid and a pastor's wife, before suddenly finding herself an single adult.