Living Truth Church – Ft. Lauderdale

Our Team

After a 40+ year career and nearly 28 years at her current job, Brenda is leaving secular work three years earlier than planned to step into full time ministry with a focus on evangelism, prison ministry and community outreach.  She is enrolled at South Florida Bible College, working on a BA in Biblical & Theological Studies.

Ron and Brenda have been married for more than 25 years with a blended family of three children and three grandchildren. 

Evangelist Brenda and Ron Ibitz

Receiving the call to ministry at a Baptist revival in her pre-teen years, opportunity to serve The Lord was impossible starting in high school when family circumstances forced Brenda to, in her own words, to “Chase the almighty dollar vs. The Almighty…”

Born an “Air Force Brat” – both parents served our country at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington.  At age one, the family moved to her material family’s home state of Louisiana. She lived there into her late 20’s until making a career move to Indianapolis for the next 38 years – recently moving to the Ft. Lauderdale area. 

After her parent’s divorce, Brenda bounced between family until thankfully accepting her best friend’s gracious offer to live with her and her mother during senior year.

On her own since high school, Brenda struggled financially while attending Louisiana Tech and Louisiana State University for three cumulative years.  It was after beginning a longtime, successful career as a Development Executive in the not-for-profit trade association industry when she 

enrolled/earned a BA in Business from Mellen University which shortly after folded, not receiving CHEA accreditation.

With her 6-figure career in full-swing, and continuing for 40+ years – Brenda lived a self-fulfilling prophecy of chasing the almighty dollar and “dabbling” in her Christian walk.

Her professed priorities (talk):  God, Family and Job.

Her reality (walk):  Job was #1 and God/Family tied for second – for most of her adult life. 

Pursuing worldly success, Brenda carried on a generational curse, creating her own dysfunctional family for her and her daughter.  With three failed marriages, and chasing the world, Brenda met  Ron.

Until she met Ron.

Married in 2002, Brenda and Ron made church a priority from the beginning.  Brenda shared God’s calling on her life as a pre-teen on their second date and both surmised it as a thing of the past ….

 

THE TALK:

For the next 20+ years, Ron and Brenda agreed their priorities in order were: God, Family and Job.  They faithfully attended/served church, tithed, volunteered, etc., etc., etc.

THE WALK:

At the same time LIVED for luxury cars, vacations, jewelry/fashion – infidelity, worldly pleasure, etc., etc. etc.  Everyone including themselves thought they had it made – living “the good life”.  

 

Materialism is a heart issue – Ron and Brenda COVETED  money, pleasure, things …

 

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

  • Matthew 6:19-21

 

For what will it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

  • Mark 8:34-38

Fast forward to 2020 –  

 The term “hindsight is 20/20” is often used to describe the phenomenon of being able to see things more clearly after they have happened.  The phrase is derived from the idea that our vision is better when looking backward than forwards.

 

BUT GOD!!

 

After witnessing a full demonic manifestation of a precious loved one – REPENTING, ASKING FORGIVENESS AND FORGIVING –  in Brenda’s own words, “THERE IS NO TURNING BACK ON MY GOD AND HIS ABSOLUTE TRUTH!”

 

Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was depressed, Moses stuttered AND was a murderer, Abraham was old and Lasarus was dead …

 

                                    God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the CALLED!!

 

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springd up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

  • Isaiah 43:18-19
  •  

 

But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.   I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

  • Philippians 3:13-14

After a 40+ year career and nearly 28 years at her current job, Brenda is leaving secular work three years earlier than planned to step into full time ministry with a focus on evangelism, prison ministry and community outreach.  She is enrolled at South Florida Bible College, working on a BA in Biblical & Theological Studies.

Ron and Brenda have been married for more than 25 years with a blended family of three children and three grandchildren. 

Evangelist Brenda and Ron Ibitz

Receiving the call to ministry at a Baptist revival in her pre-teen years, opportunity to serve The Lord was impossible starting in high school when family circumstances forced Brenda to, in her own words, to “Chase the almighty dollar vs. The Almighty…”

Born an “Air Force Brat” – both parents served our country at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington.  At age one, the family moved to her material family’s home state of Louisiana. She lived there into her late 20’s until making a career move to Indianapolis for the next 38 years – recently moving to the Ft. Lauderdale area. 

After her parent’s divorce, Brenda bounced between family until thankfully accepting her best friend’s gracious offer to live with her and her mother during senior year.

On her own since high school, Brenda struggled financially while attending Louisiana Tech and Louisiana State University for three cumulative years.  It was after beginning a longtime, successful career as a Development Executive in the not-for-profit trade association industry when she 

enrolled/earned a BA in Business from Mellen University which shortly after folded, not receiving CHEA accreditation.

With her 6-figure career in full-swing, and continuing for 40+ years – Brenda lived a self-fulfilling prophecy of chasing the almighty dollar and “dabbling” in her Christian walk.

Her professed priorities (talk):  God, Family and Job.

Her reality (walk):  Job was #1 and God/Family tied for second – for most of her adult life. 

Pursuing worldly success, Brenda carried on a generational curse, creating her own dysfunctional family for her and her daughter.  With three failed marriages, and chasing the world, Brenda met  Ron.

Until she met Ron.

Married in 2002, Brenda and Ron made church a priority from the beginning.  Brenda shared God’s calling on her life as a pre-teen on their second date and both surmised it as a thing of the past ….

 

THE TALK:

For the next 20+ years, Ron and Brenda agreed their priorities in order were: God, Family and Job.  They faithfully attended/served church, tithed, volunteered, etc., etc., etc.

THE WALK:

At the same time LIVED for luxury cars, vacations, jewelry/fashion – infidelity, worldly pleasure, etc., etc. etc.  Everyone including themselves thought they had it made – living “the good life”.  

 

Materialism is a heart issue – Ron and Brenda COVETED  money, pleasure, things …

 

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

  • Matthew 6:19-21

 

For what will it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

  • Mark 8:34-38

 

Fast forward to 2020 –  

 The term “hindsight is 20/20” is often used to describe the phenomenon of being able to see things more clearly after they have happened.  The phrase is derived from the idea that our vision is better when looking backward than forwards.

 

BUT GOD!!

 

After witnessing a full demonic manifestation of a precious loved one – REPENTING, ASKING FORGIVENESS AND FORGIVING –  in Brenda’s own words, “THERE IS NO TURNING BACK ON MY GOD AND HIS ABSOLUTE TRUTH!”

 

Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was depressed, Moses stuttered AND was a murderer, Abraham was old and Lasarus was dead …

 

                                    God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the CALLED!!

 

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springd up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

  • Isaiah 43:18-19
  •  

 

But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.   I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

  • Philippians 3:13-14