Brown's Daily Word 12-31-07

Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for the year 2007. Praise the Lord for the new year. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness. Praise the Lord for His promises. As we say good-bye to 2007 and enter the new year I would like to share some reflections from Psalm 31,
"In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends-- those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in your hands; 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love."
New Year's Eve is one of those few times in the year when just about everybody is thinking about the same thing. There's something dramatic about watching the old year slip away by counting the hours left in it, then the minutes, down to the seconds when the old year has passed into history, never to come again.
We seldom think much about time except when we're running late. Time is a lot like a river and it's carrying all of us downstream. Where is it taking us? What are we doing while we're on the trip? A lot of people have trouble with time management, with putting first things first. Someone put it this way:
"This is the age of the half-read page and the quick hash and the mad dash and the bright night with the nerves tight the plane hop and the brief stop, the lamp tan in a short span, the big shot and the good spot, and the brain strain and the heart pain, and the cat naps till the spring snaps and the fun's done and then comes taps."
If there is anything we truly need in this New Year, it is to get closer to God, to grow in the love of our Savior, and to carry out His will for our lives. That will carry us through no matter what the river of time may bring our way. Psalm 31 is almost entirely a prayer, but you can tell that it's not the kind of prayer that one prays out loud or one that is prayed with folded hands. No, it appears to be the kind of prayer Paul had in mind when he told us to PRAY CONSTANTLY. It's the kind of prayer that you pray while working or driving or when you're under a lot of stress, as David was here.
Prayer and good Christ-centered self-reflection go a long way to having that Happy New Year that we wish each other. Christ-centered self-reflection is the fine art of handling the stress that comes your way by reacting to it in a Christian manner. David joins prayer and good self-reflective talk when he tells God of his circumstances and lays it upon the Lord for help. Notice that he does not minimize his troubles; this is not a case of whistling in the dark. He describes the trouble in all of its sorrowful details.
He said: * 9 "Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends-- those who see me on the street flee from me. But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God.' 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me."
The psalm goes on to say, * 16 "Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. 17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD 19 How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.21 Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. 22 In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. 24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD."
There may be times in this coming year when you too will feel cut off from God's sight. You may wonder if God has forgotten you. There is good news for us - The Lord make his face shine upon you. The Psalm says, "Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your unfailing love."
When God's face is shining upon His people, that means that he is SMILING upon them. What more could you ask from the New Year than that? Think of the grim-faced idols that you see on a totem pole and the frowns they present to those who worship these gods. We have a God who came here personally to smile upon us The Psalm says, "How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you."
This is the God who is able to do so much more than we can ask or imagine. Trust him for your future, both your future on earth and your forever future. Jesus said: In this world, you will have trouble, but don't be afraid, I have overcome the world.
That's the kind of God we have to guide us through the New Year; He is the One we can trust, the One in whom we can have confidence for the future, no matter what the New Year may bring.
And we all need to get to work for Jesus! There is no better way to use the time of this New Year. Here is a timely item:
Take time to work--it is the price of success.
Take time to think--it is the source of power
Take time to read--it is the fountain of wisdom
Take time to worship--it is the highway to reverence
Take time to be friendly--it is the road to happiness
Take time to laugh--it helps to lift life's load
Take time for God's Word--it brings Christ near and it washes the dust of earth from your eyes.
Take time for God--it is life's only truly lasting investment. In Jesus' name.
Brown.
I am forwarding some of the communications that I have received from the Christian leaders of Orissa, India. I have also included a map of Orissa. You can locate the Phulbani district on the map.

EFI NEWS
Churches Continue to Burn in Orissa
Churches continue to burn in Orissa inspite of curfew being imposed in different places, we receive many phone calls about the violence which is given below: • Situation in Barkhama village of Baliguda block is alarming. The fundamentalist group ransacked the village, broke two churches and looted the properties of the poor villagers and torched the houses of the new believers. The force was so tremendous that all the villages including women and children had to flee from the village to save their lives and now hiding themselves in the forest. Latest information received from the Bishop of Phulbani reveals that three dead bodies of Christians are lying un-attended. This has not been carried in any of the newspapers so far. • Many Christian NGOs, Institutions including the homes and hostels have been attacked and looted. Mostly these institutions are Catholic run institutions. Due to blockage of road by the activists, neither the media person, nor the Church leaders are able to reach at the spot. There could be much more information from rural churches, which has not reached us so far, due to communication obstructions. • So far 23 churches have been damaged as per the report received till 12 Noon. The damage caused on 26 th December' 07 are to the following 9 churches: A) Barkhuma Area of Baliguda Block – 2 Churches B) Rutungia Area of Baliguda Block - 4 Churches C) Dolgaon Area of Baliguda Block – 1 Church D) Irpiguda Area of Baliguda Block – 1 Church E) Kalinga Area of Udayagiri Block – 1 Church The Arch Bishop of Catholic Dioceses of Orissa, Bishop of Diocese of Cuttack, and all other Church leaders have been trying frantically to take an appointment from the Chief Minister to discuss about the situation. However the CM's office have deliberately failed so far to fix up a date and time with the CM for a discussion of Orissa Church leaders. However the situation in Udaygiri is coming towards normalcy. All Church leaders of Orissa, had a meeting in the office of the Arch Bishop of Catholic Dioceses of Orissa at Bhubaneswar, today at 10:00 a.m. It has been decided that steps be taken to meet the C.M to ventilate the grievances. A fresh memorandum has been drafted with the following demands: A) Initiation of a C.B.I enquiry into the incident. B) Central Police Forces must be deployed immediately as the local police has failed to prevent the communal riot inspite of getting early information. C) Proper assessments be made for the loss of property and lives of the victims of the Christian community in the affected area and proper compensation be paid to them as early as possible. D) Exemplary action to be taken against the Government officials, for their lapses, negligence and in action to prevent and control such situation. E) A fact finding committee consisting of Church leaders will visit the violence sites in order to bring peace in the locality and also to take a stack of the situation. We request all of you to uphold the situation in your prayer and especially for the women and children, who are taking shelter in Jungles without food. In Delhi a Peace Dharna is organised from 4 to 6 p.m at Orissa Bhavan. Please pray for Orissa and intervene to bring normalcy.
Please write or fax to the below mentioned addresses to express your concern:
HON'BLE PRESIDENT OF INDIA SMT. PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL President of IndiaRashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi - 110 004Fax : +91-011-23017290/ 011-23017824Dr. Manmohan SinghPrime Minister of IndiaRoom No 152, South Block,New Delhi - 110 001Ph: +91-011-23012312/ 011-23013149/ 011-23019545Fax: +91-011-23018939
Shri Navin PatnaikChief Minister of Orissa Naveen Nivas, Aerodrome Road, P.O. BhubaneswarDistt. Khurda, Pin - 751 001 (Orissa)E-mail cmo@ori.nic.inOffice Phone 0674-2531100/2535100/2531500Office Fax: 0674-2400100
Rev. Dr. Richard HowellGeneral SecretaryEvangelical Fellowship of IndiaNew Delhi, India
Evangelical Fellowship of India (established 1951) is a charter member of World Evangelical Alliance, an accredited NGO with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
EFI Press Release
Memorandum Submitted to the Chief Minister of Orissa
Shri Naveen PatnaikHon’ble Chief Minister of OrissaBhubaneswar Dear Sir, We, the leaders and representatives of different Churches of Orissa would like to bring to your kind notice, the atrocities committed against the Christians in Kandhamal District and other places of the state of Orissa. The trouble began on 24th December at 8.00 a.m. at Bamunigam village, close to the police station under Daringibadi Block of Kandhamal District. Some Hindu Fundamentalists forcefully removed the Christmas decoration, which the Ambedkar Baniko Sangho comprising the local Christian entrepreneurs, had put up as a preparation for Christmas, with the due permission of the administration. This was followed by exchange of hot words between two groups, as the Fundamentalists insisted to stop Christmas celebrations. Within a few minutes a group of people who were stationed close by pounced on the members of Ambedkar Baniko Sangho with sticks, knives and other lethal weapons like guns. Seeing the crowd coming to attack the people dispersed out of fear. The Fundamentalists began to destroy the shops of Christians. About fifteen shops have been destroyed and looted. They also shot at by guns Christian community badly injuring two of them. They also destroyed about fifteen shops belonging to the Christians and looted the property available. Six seven members of Ambedkar Boniko Sango were beaten up by the mob. On the second day, 25th December, the crowd came back and destroyed the Churches in Bamunigam area. Then they entered the Christian villages and burnt their houses and property. They were also threatened to leave their places. The parish church and the Christians are under threat without any police security. Attack on Balliguda ParishOn the same day, 24th December evening much larger crowd (400to 500) marched into Balliguda town parish and damaged and ransacked the Church building, residence of priest, convents and institutions and looted the property. By 10.00 p.m. the following institutions were destroyed and burned (some fully, others partly). The large parish church, presbytery, convent, computer room, dispensary plus +2 student’s hostel, etc. The same crowd moved into the town and completely burned down the church belonged to the Baptist Christians. They also attacked another church belonging to the Pentecostal Christians. On 25th December they were moving around menacingly threatening the priests and Christians so that they were not even able to file an FIR. The situation is desperate and there is total fear and anxiety among Christians. Two constables asked the priests of Phulbani parish to have no celebration otherwise there will be more troubles. On 25th December, the convent in Phulbani was also attacked by a group of Fundamentalists. They destroyed everything possible from outside of the convent (door, window glasses, etc.) They also destroyed a new school bus. On 25th December the priests and sisters in Pobingia parish were advised to move out to a safer place which they did. And thereafter at 12.00 noon a group of Bajrandal people attacked the church of Pobingia parish and destroyed it. There after they destroyed the priest’s residence in the afternoon. All these happened in the presence of police with impunity. More than half of 24 parishes in Kandhamal District could not celebrate Christmas mass because of fear of attack In Bhubaneswar During midnight Mass on 24th December, someone threw a bomb on Archbishop’s House, Bhubaneswar. Though it exploded fortunately no damage took place. Our Fears 1. Even though the Government have been assuring us all protection the fundamentalists are moving about with lethal weapons threatening the Christians. 2. The fundamentalists go on their destructive activities even in the presence of the police force who often say that they are not enough to face such a crowd. The destruction goes on unabated. 3. The Christians who are already attacked and those who are in great fear of being attacked feel with sufficient reason that they are left to the mercy of the fundamentalists. 4. We don’t see any where sufficient number of police force, the senior police officers who deputed to the Kandhamal District for maintenance of law and order have expressed their inability to contain the situation in absence of adequate force. 5. The Fundamentalists are forcing the Christians to leave their homes and take refuge in the forest.
INSTITUTIONS ATTACKED SO FAR
PARISH CHURCH
VILLAGE CHURCHES
Balliguda
Bodagan-Balliguda

Balliguda town

Kamapada – Balliuda
Pobingia
Mandipanka- Godapur
Baminigam
Jhinjirguda- Bamunigam

Ulipadaro – Bamunigam

Goborkutty-Kattingia

Kulpakia- Nuagam

Dohapanga-Balliguda

4 village Churches - Nuagam

3 more village church

Bakingia ( Raikia )

Boriguda ( Padangi )
CONVENTS
PRESBYTERY
Balliguda
Balliguda
Pobingia
Pobingia
Phulbani
Bamunigam
Sankharkhole
Padangi
Bamunigam
HOSTELS
Pobingia 2
Balliguda 2
Bamunigam 2
Minor Seminary (Balliguda)
Vocational Training Centre (Balliguda)Sarshnanda (Pobingia)
Barakhama, 400 houses are gutted, five people murdered, property looted, one tractor burnt. Sirtiguda ( Balliguda) 7 Churches, 4 Churches in Phiringia, Phulbani Block 7 Churches, Ruthungia 4 Churches, Kallingia 3 chruches, Dalagam one church, Irpiguda one, Tikabali two IA Churches.
Kui Janakalyan Samiti This organization had declared bandh on 25th and 26th December 2007 in order to press for their alleged demands. But it was only a ploy to prevent the celebration and attack the Christians and their churches and institutions. But their real purpose was to: a) Disturb their Christmas celebration, the important feast of Christians; it is even a National holiday. b) Instead of conducting bandh they have unleashed a reign of terror, destroying institutions, intimidating Christians and forcing them to go out of their homes. c) Their entire attention is on driving away Christians from the region. It is evident from the slogan they are shouting at Christians.Most of the priests, pastors and religious sisters in Kandhamal District have taken shelter in the forest. In fact the fundamentalists are in search of finding their hide-outs.All these happened during last three days. We are in receipt of information from various churches and institutions that the miscreants are still active and the destruction of property is still going on and Christians are under attack. On the other hand the innocent Christians are apprehended and Christian officials are victimized in order to appease the Fundamentalists.In view of the facts stated above we demand the followings: 1. That a CBI inquiry may be ordered for proper and impartial investigation for justice. 2. That Central Para Military forces be deployed in adequate strength at all the affected and sensitive places to prevent any further recurrences as the local police has not been able to control the situation. 3. That impartial and proper assessment of the property damaged, caused to various Churches, Christian institutions and other establishments may be made and adequate compensation be provided as early as possible to restore confidence of the people in the administration. 4. That proper compensation be given to the deceased family and injured persons. 5. That the culprits responsible for creating communal disharmony and caused damage to people and properties should be severely dealt with and the Govt. officials be given exemplary punishments for their gross negligence, inaction, apathy amounting to connivance with the perpetrators 6. A Fact Finding Committee consisting of various Church leaders and representatives proposed to visit various affected sites and personnel of the Kandhamal District and other affected places of the state to take stock of the situation and to console the victims and families. Therefore, we request to provide police protection to the team during their visit. Yours sincerely, Archbishop Raphael Cheenath,SVD Bishop Sarat Chandra NayakBishop Samsan Das Rev. Dr. Richard HowellGeneral SecretaryEvangelical Fellowship of IndiaNew Delhi, India
Evangelical Fellowship of India (established 1951) is a charter member of World Evangelical Alliance, an accredited NGO with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations

Brown's Daily Word 12-28-07

Good Morning,
We are confronted during this Holy Season, the world is in uproar. It was three years ago the world witnessed the Tsunami disaster. It was on the 23rd of .
January, 1999 when Graham Stains and two of sons were burned alive in Orissa , India. The situation in Orissa is still very tense; I have been in touch with Christian leaders in Orissa. According to their reports, at least eight people have been killed, of whom three were pastors. Twenty churches have been destroyed by arson. Over 400 houses have been destroyed. The Christians have fled in to hills and mountains for safety. I have enclosed some news bulletins here with, for prayer.
The Christians in some parts of the area are in the churches day and night, praying and fasting. The Lord is hearing their prayer.
The way the Gospel according John opens, is majestic and glorious. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. …[4] In him was life, and that life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
… [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. …[12] Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. [14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. [18] No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” John 1:1-2, 4-5, 10, 12-14, 18
John’s Gospel offers nothing naïve…he sees the darkness…but he sees what is equally true…that is, darkness has been enlightened. The Word of God became flesh. It was a great day in our history when a man first walked on the moon. But John reminds us that a far greater event took place when God walked on the earth. For in it WE SEE THE REAL THING.
John’s words capture the deeper storyline; He provides the cosmic treatment which can be laid upon the events of that timeless night.

“WORD” of God
He was preexistent…always and fully God…What has been revealed is not the exception, but the essence of God. “Word” in Hebrew culture is not simply a powerless object in print. The Word is the very agent of creation. Gen 1- The Lord spoke and it came into being.
Ps. 33:6 “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made.”
> So it is, just as God’s Word established the reality of creation…so again the reality of himself in the flesh is a recreating as real as creation itself.
Though our world may reflect the darkness and digression of a world gone wrong…THIS WORD IS A REVELATION OF THE REAL THING. The Word of God…entered a silent night
…yet spoke volumes and still speaks volumes.
This word was spoken in the midst of simplicity and silence…perhaps because our questions are deeper within… because God was and is speaking to the quiet places of our souls…like the pauses of the poet…he uses the quiet backdrop so that we might hear.
Christmas, John makes clear, isn’t simply about God’s visit, but God’s view. It’s the night God put the world into perspective. In the coming of Christ our sentiments are not only given place, they are filled with substance, with reality. It’s the wonderful night to end our deepest wondering. It’s the night that while the world slept, everything changed.
At Christmas, DO WE SENSE THAT OUR WORLD IS NOT FULLY LOST AND LEFT ABANDONED. DO WE SENSE THE PRESENCE OF ANOTHER SPIRIT IN OUR MIDST? A HOPE?
John declares the reality - GOD IS WITH US. In Jesus, our planet is filled with God’s purpose and penetrating presence. Our tiny planet matters to God. It’s filled with His purpose, as the power of God’s Spirit continues the ministry of Christ continues to fulfill that purpose. “Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men” is not just a good Christmas card, not merely a slogan or sentiment, it has substance and reality, for God blessed the earth. He is GOD WITH US.
At Christmas, DO WE SENSE OUR LIVES ARE GIVEN MEANING, THAT WE RISE TO A SENSE IN OURSELVES AND SEE IN OTHERS A GREATER VALUE? John declares the reality - GOD VALUES US. In Jesus, God reveals the reality of human dignity, a worth beyond our merits. God reveals himself not to the super powers, nor to those who did “power lunches”, but a small nation, a peculiar people, a displaced couple, shepherds. IN JESUS GOD DECLARES DIGNITY UPON THE OVERWORKED, OUT OF WORK, to the CEO and those vulnerable to finding merit, the homeless and the helpless.
John declares the reality. GOD WANTS US AS HIS CHILDREN. Do you ever want to be a child again, unburdened, able to be dependent on someone bigger? God says great!…that’s the kind of love he has for us.
Stephen Covey tells the story of a friend whose son developed an avid interest in baseball. As he describes, “My friend wasn’t interested in baseball at all. But one summer, he took his son to see every major league team play one game. The trip took over six weeks and cost a great deal of money, but it became a powerful bonding experience in their relationship. My friend was asked on his return, “Do you like baseball that much?” “No,” he replied, “but I like my son that much.”
So it is that Christmas reveals the reality of a Fathers Love at the heart of the universe. Is. 9:6 “Everlasting Father”
At Christmas, DO WE NOT SENSE WE CAN SEE MORE CLEARLY IN A DARK WORLD, THAT THERE”S A LIGHT WITHIN THE DARKNESS? John declares God’s reality: GOD HAS COME TO GUIDE US through the light of Christ, for “IN HIM WAS LIFE…LIGHT OF MEN.
C.S. Lewis- “I believe in Christ as I believe in the sun. For I not only see it, but by it I see everything else.”
The reality of light and darkness is one of contrast; there is a choice between the two. It is our choice. Christmas is a choice, for embracing reality, embracing light in the midst of darkness.
Ann, along with her two small sons, went to live with her parents in Texas for the duration of World War II, while her Air Force husband was busy in Europe. It was Christmas time and mother and grandparents were making great plans for the boys. The tree was up and decorated. Gifts were bought and hidden away. The excitement, the gaiety, the beauty of the season seemed to push the sorrows and separation of war aside for a time, but only for a time. Just a week before Christmas Day, word came that Daddy would not only be away for this Christmas, but for all the Christmases that were to come; he had been killed in action. Ann went away to her room and closed the door.
Grandpa and Grandma talked quietly and wondered. Finally they decided to set the tree out and take down the decorations, since sorrow had replace their joy. Ann came out of her room after a while and saw the empty space where the tree had been. “Why, Mother?” she questioned. “What have you done with the tree” “Daddy and I set it out. It seemed out of place with you so broken-hearted.” “Oh, but Mother, let’s bring it back in. Christmas was made for such times as these!” “There is a darkness in the earth this Christmas. Deep, thick, black, darkness that would destroy all that is bright and beautiful if given full release. But the light that blazed forth from Bethlehem still shines from the lives of those who believe everywhere, and the only thing that can put it out is rejection. Surely, it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness! Shall we keep Christmas this year? Yes, we must keep Christmas this year, for Christ was born for such times as these.

In Christ,
Brown

3 Killed in Hindu, Christian Violence
By GAVIN RABINOWITZ – 2 hours ago

NEW DELHI (AP) — Police in eastern India killed at least three people when they opened fire on a group of hard-line Hindus who set fire to a police station during ongoing clashes between Hindus and Christians, officials said Friday.

The killings, which occurred Thursday in a remote corner of Orissa state, bring the death toll to four since violence broke out on Christmas Eve when long-standing tensions between the Hindu majority and the small Christian community erupted over conversions to Christianity.

The Hindus had attacked the police station in the Kandhamal district's Brahmangaon village, complaining of a lack of protection after a group of Christians burned down several Hindu homes in an apparent retaliation for earlier Hindu attacks on churches.

About 19 churches, most of them small mud and thatch buildings, have been ransacked and burned since Monday and several homes destroyed, including that of Radhakant Nayak, a member of India's upper house of parliament and a Christian leader in the area.

The state's chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, told reporters Friday that three people were killed in the violence at the police station, but provided no other details.

Patnaik also called for more federal forces to be dispatched to the area after local police and a curfew failed to halt the violence. On Thursday the federal government said it was sending a 300-strong paramilitary force to the region.

At least 25 people, belonging to both Hindu and Christian communities, have been arrested for suspected involvement in the violence, Superintendent of Police Narsingh Bhol told The Associated Press by phone.

India is overwhelmingly Hindu but officially secular. Religious minorities, such as Christians, who account for 2.5 percent of the country's 1.1. billion people, and Muslims, who make up 14 percent, often coexist peacefully.

But throughout India's history, the issue of conversions has provoked violence by hard-line Hindus.

Hindu groups have long charged Christian missionaries with trying to lure the poor and those who occupy the lowest rungs of Hinduism's complex caste-system away with promises of money and jobs.

Orissa has one of the worst histories of anti-Christian violence. An Australian missionary and his two sons, aged 8 and 10, were burned to death in their car in Orissa following a Bible study class in 1999.

There were conflicting reports of what started the violence in the rural district of Kandhamal, about 840 miles southeast of New Delhi.

Hindu hard-liners said Christians had attempted to attack one of their leaders, who heads an anti-conversion movement.

But Christians said the fighting began when Hindu extremists objected to a show marking Christmas Eve, believing it was designed to encourage conversions.


A Christian-Hindu Clash in India
Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007 By SIMON ROBINSON/NEW DELHI

A bus set on fire by protestors goes up in flames at Baliguda in Phulbani district in Orissa state, India


The violence that has wracked India's eastern state of Orissa over the past few days seems, at first glance, to be purely religious. On Christmas Eve and Christmas day, Hindu nationalists in the Kandhamal area attacked churches and convents and set fire to houses belonging to Christians, killing one person and injuring at least two dozen more. Since then, more than forty Christian houses have been set ablaze despite curfews and increased police patrols. Local Hindus say the violence began after Christians attacked a Hindu leader. Christians say the attacks — the latest in several bouts of religious violence that have plagued the state over the past few years — were sparked by church plans for a performance to celebrate Christmas.

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As with most communal violence in India, this latest explosion of hatred is the result not only of religious differences but of a tangled intersection of political power, communal prejudice and the injustices of Hinduism's archaic caste system.

Orissa is predominantly Hindu, with a small Christian minority. Over the past few years, though, thousands of Hindus have converted to Christianity. Many converts, and the churches they join, say conversion is a way to escape their place in the complex social hierarchy of Hindu caste.But India's right-wing Hindu groups and political parties allege that Christian groups are forcing Hindus to convert against their will, in an effort to change the nature of India. "They want to convert people to Christianity and convert the country into a Christian land," Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, head of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council), one of India's biggest Hindu nationalist groups, told Indian reporters. "We are opposed to that and that is the source of all disputes and fights." Other low-caste groups and so-called "tribals" — ethnic minorities who stand outside the caste system but have historically been poor and neglected — who benefit from affirmative action programs that reserve for them government jobs and school places, worry that minority Christians may one day receive affirmative action places themselves — diluting their chances of moving up India's social ladder. Groups such as the VHP play on those fears in an attempt to unite India's diverse Hindu population against the Christian or Muslim "outsiders," says Ashis Nandy, a political psychologist and sociologist at India's Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. "If you can identify a common enemy it is easier to unify all these Hindu groups" that, in the view of Hindu nationalists, should "work together to save Hinduism."

One of the hard-liners' main frustrations is the fact that Hinduism is inherently tolerant of other religions and allows that they too could be valid alternative paths to enlightenment. Proselytizing as Christians and Muslims do is, by its nature, un-Hindu, which makes a looming battle for Indians' souls look "very asymmetrical," says Nandy. For Hindu nationalists, the fear of Hindu conversions to Christianity "is a kind of humiliation that is being rubbed in," he says. Ironically, of course, Hinduism's acceptance of other religions is used by extremists as an excuse for hostility towards other religions. "The source of tolerance has become a source of bigotry," says Nandy. Which is why this week's upheaval won't be the last.

Brown's Daily Word 12-27-07

Good Morning.
Merry Christmas. Jesus is born. He is the King of angels, and the Lord of all. The world is now learning of the assassination of the former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. We have also received the news of senseless and barbaric violence against Christians in the State of Orissa, India on Christmas Eve and on Christmas day. The report cites that 12 churches were set on fire. One man was killed. The area of the Phulbani district was completely in uproar. Militant Hindus carrying weapons marched, terrorizing Christians and churches. The Government of Orissa, which is pro-Hindu, is very slow in responding to protect the Christians. I have included some of the news releases in this mail so that you can pray for the situation. May the Lord of Christmas bring about His peace in the hearts of those who love Him and worship Him. May He open the eyes of the blind that they may see His grace and love. In the Gospel according to John we read the astounding declaration that, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH.” John 1:14. John 1:16, “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” What we need more than anything is grace, God’s grace.
I read about another great example of grace and God’s grace in action.
Every Sunday for the past 9 years members of the Landisville (Pa) Mennonite Church have prayed for a son of their congregation. Every month they send him a small sum of money, and every month some of them visit him. Prayer, money, and visits. These sound fairly typical for a caregiving church. BUT THIS SITUATION IS NOT TYPICAL AT ALL. Far from it. Nine years ago, after a meal with relatives on a calm Sunday afternoon, 14-year-old Keith Weaver killed his parents and his sister. The horror of the crime and the loss of lives rocked the Weavers’ family, the church, and the community to the core.
In the midst of their grief and disillusionment, however, members of the Landisville Mennonite Church got busy. They helped clean the house where the murders occurred, established a legal support committee to care for Keith’s needs so that the surviving brother and sister wouldn’t have to, and founded a “seventy times seven” fund to collect money for his expenses. They studied grief, forgiveness, and victimization in Sunday School and sermons, calling on the expertise of area chaplains and counselors. A year after the tragedy, they held a memorial service to lament the loss of their loved ones and TO RECOMMIT THEMSELVES TO THE JOURNEY OF FORGIVENESS.
Landisville Pastor Sam Thomas said, “Forgiveness is an act of God’s grace. You don’t forgive and forget. You forgive again and again and again.” When I read this story about their forgiveness toward that young 14-year-old murderer I was humbled. Deeply humbled. Strongly humbled to think that they would do such a gracious thing. And praise to the Lord for His mighty grace at work in their lives!
What we need is more grace! More grace from God and more grace working through us to bless the lives of others! When people are touched by the grace of God they become gracious people. They become an actual extension of the grace of God. They do things they would not otherwise do.
Here is God’s grace in action.
- To the woman caught in adultery, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”
- For the crowd who crucified him, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
- To the thief crucified alongside, Jesus said, “Today, thou shalt be with me in paradise.”

That’s grace in action. And it’s exactly what we all need. Titus 3:4-5, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us - not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.”
II Timothy 1:9, Paul speaks of God “who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus.” God’s greatest demonstration of grace is seen in Jesus Christ! WITHOUT JESUS THERE IS NO GRACE! Jesus is the very personification of God’s grace! And His death on the cross was the “greatest show on earth” of God’s grace!
John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.”
Acts 4:12, Peter, speaking of Jesus, said, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
People can argue with God and Scripture all they want. God’s Word stands true and will stand the test of time and eternity. Heaven and earth will pass away, but not the Word of God! And people can call us bigots, biased, narrow-minded or whatever, but we still believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and only true Savior of the world!
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.”
“Not by works, so that no one can boast.” Our salvation is not based on how much we do for God and Christ, nor on how much good we do for others in life.
If our salvation was based on our good works, some people would never stop bragging. No one can get into heaven without the grace of God as demonstrated in Jesus Christ! Jesus is the road, the pathway, the door. We are saved by His work, not ours.
Romans 4:7-8, “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”
Why is it that the Lord will never count our sins against us at death nor the judgment? IT’S BECAUSE OF JESUS! And it’s because we’ve put our trust and our hope in Him and Him alone! Our sins are covered by His blood! He bore our sins in His body on the tree! He became sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God! God’s grace sustains us in this way and we need to learn to walk with our heads held high! And there should some leap in our walk and our talk! We should live a joyous life because we know where we’re headed. AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS!
God’s grace sustains us in another way. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” II Cor. 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No,’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”
In a corner of the churchyard of Olney Parish Church there is a large tombstone on which the inscription reads: “John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ preserved, restored and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”
Our friends gave us the movie, Amazing Grace " for Christmas. We are watching it. It is powerful and very moving. John Newton was the son of a sea captain engaged in Mediterranean trade. His mother died when he was 6, and after several years at school, he joined his father’s ship at the age of 11. Immorality, debauchery and failure followed. Rejected by his father and finally jailed and degraded, he later served on slave ships where he incurred the hatred of his employer’s black wife.
He was eventually brought to his senses by reading THE IMITATION OF CHRIST by Thomas a Kempis, the great German preacher of the 13 and 1400’s. He became converted to Christ. At the age of 39 he became a minister of the gospel and was the Pastor of the Olney Church for 15 years. He wrote many hymns and the most familiar being:

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.

The grace of God can save us but only if we respond to it. The grace of God can sustain us but only if we trust it. The grace of God can sanctify us but only if we surrender to it.
In Jesus,
Brown



Christian body blames govt for attacks
Urges PM for police protection to Christians

Bhubaneswar, December 26
The Orissa unit of the All-India Christian Council today held the state government responsible for the attacks on churches and Christian organisations in Kandhamal district saying the action initiated by the administration was “inadequate”

“The government does not appear to have taken the matter seriously and the slackness on the part of the administration is evident,” organisation’s state unit president, Rev Pran Ranjan Parichha said.

Parichha alleged that Hindu fundamentalist groups had fomented all trouble.

Denouncing and deploring the attacks on particular community in Orissa, church leaders here today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to prevent the massacre of the community and desecration of churches in the state.

In a memorandum on behalf of the All-India Catholic Union, the All-India Christian Council and the United Christian Action submitted to the Prime Minister, National Integration Council member John Dayal said the atrocities against the community in the state on December 24 and 25 were fast exploding into the kind of violence seen in the Dangs district of Gujarat during the Christmas of 1998.

Calling the escalating violence and the targeting of Church leaders a well planned conspiracy, he alleged that the main aggression was from the Kui Janakalyan Samiti with its entire attention on driving away the community from the region.

Dr Dayal appealed to the Union government to impress upon the Orissa government to ensure ample police protection to the community, its personnel and the institutions in the state. — PTI, UNI




Cong, Left flay attacks on Christians

New Delhi, December 26
The Congress today condemned attacks on Christians in Orissa and demanded the state government take immediate steps to stop the violence.

“The unfortunate incidents in Orissa are not good for the country, for any civilised society. The Congress demands from the Orissa government that it should take steps as soon as possible to stop the condemnable incidents,” AICC spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told reporters.

Asked if the Congress was for an intervention by the National Commission for Minorities in the matter, he said the state government should get some time to normalise the situation.

“If the situation does not normalise, then bodies like the Minorities Commission can be approached,” he said.

“The state government’s report is awaited. Sangh organisations are being named. The BJP is the ruling party’s (BJD) alliance partner and hence fingers can be pointed at the government. So the matter should be looked at carefully,” Ahmed said.

Meanwhile, the CPI and CPM also condemned the “organised attacks” against Christians and asked the state government to take immediate steps to protect the minority community through deployment of adequate security forces and arresting the culprits.

Maintaining that the attacks by VHP and RSS mobs took place on Christmas and the day before, the CPM Politburo said Kandhamal district has been, “for years, the target of communal activities against the Christian community”.

It said the state government and district administration had “failed” to take adequate measures to protect the minority community. — PTI



Attack on churches
Attempt to terrorise a whole community

WHILE the people the world over were celebrating Christmas on December 25, the Christians in Orissa’s Kandhamal district were at the receiving end with alleged activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad destroying church after church. In the mindless violence unleashed on the community, one person was killed and several were injured. The attack was ostensibly to retaliate against the alleged manhandling of a VHP leader. That the VHP chose to convert some Christians to Hinduism on that day bears out that the whole purpose was to foment trouble. Orissa is one state where the so-called Freedom of Religion law is in force which makes it obligatory for the organisers of such conversion ceremonies to follow certain procedures. That the VHP has been paying scant regard for such a law on the specious plea that what it organises is not conversion but “home-coming”.

Despite all the potential for mischief, the district authorities failed to take any preemptive action. What’s more, they could not even protect the house of a minister from the communally surcharged lot. It is not the first time that Orissa has witnessed religious tension. The burning of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons was preceded by several incidents of attack on the minorities in the name of protest against cow slaughter and religious conversion. It is the kid-glove treatment those behind such violent campaigns received that emboldened them to burn the missionary who was tending to the leprosy patients in one of the most backward areas of Orissa. There are feudal and pseudo-political forces that do not want the poor to get educated and know their legal and democratic rights for fear it would upset the caste-based social system.

The Orissa government is duty-bound to take stringent action against all those who desecrated the churches. It should also go after those who “attacked” the VHP leader and bring them to book. No excuse is good enough to terrorise a whole community. In fact, any leniency shown will be construed as a failure of the state to protect not just the life and property of the people but also their right to preach and practise their religious beliefs. What the Orissa government does in Kandhamal district will show how committed it is to uphold the rule of law and the religious rights of the people.

Christmas
By Steve Herman
New Delhi
26 December 2007

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Curfews have been imposed in four districts in the Indian state of Orissa after rioters attacked churches, police stations and homes. VOA's Steve Herman reports from New Delhi that the violence started with a fight over Christmas decorations.


Indian police officers stand guard in front of church in Darigibadi, Phulbani district of Orissa, 26 Dec 2007
Officials in Orissa say hundreds of armed security personnel have been sent to the tribal-dominated Kandhamal district, following a rampage that saw the torching of about 12 churches, attacks on police and offices of charitable organizations. At least one person was killed in the violence.

Authorities say a prominent conservative Hindu figure, 80-year-old Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, was attacked on his way to a town where gunfire had broken out over the installation of public Christmas decorations. Hindu mobs took to the streets to protest the assault on the official of the VHP, the acronym for the World Hindu Council. The VHP is active in the area trying to convert Christians to Hinduism.

Media reports say a member of the Kui tribe was hit by a rock and killed when he was caught between clashing Hindus and Christians. About 25 other people have been injured in the escalating violence since Monday.

Vijay Kumar Nayak, who heads the Ashakiran organization, a volunteer group dedicated to conflict resolution in the troubled district, blames authorities for not doing enough to prevent violence.

"I feel really sorry about our government and our police department who cannot control the difficulties and problems. They don't take precautions," said Nayak. "When everything is finished, the destruction is done, houses have burned, churches have burned, Christians are killed, they implement the rules and all that."

On Wednesday, the national Hindu newspaper described the area as a "virtual war zone," which is now under indefinite curfew.

Brown's Daily Word 12-21-07

Good Morning.
Praise the Lord the way He invaded this world of sin, sorrow, and suffering with His grace and truth. We live in a very fast paced and harried world. Jesus comes silently yet gloriously. He comes dancing on darkness and dispelling gloom.
I am reminded of a story I heard about a mother who was running furiously from store to store on Christmas Eve trying to get those last-minute gifts. Suddenly she realized she had lost track of her little 3-year-old son. In a panic, she retraced her steps and found him standing with his little nose pressed flatly against a frosty window. He was gazing at a Manger Scene. When he heard his mother call his name, he turned and shouted in innocent glee, “Look Mommy! It’s JESUS! Baby Jesus is in the hay !”
The harried mom grabbed his arm and jerked him away, snapping, “We don’t have time for all that! Can’t you see that Mommy’s trying to get ready for Christmas!?!”

I love to listen to Christmas carols. My wife starts to listen Christmas carols by the later part of October. I have a collection Christmas carols the Lord has blessed His church with from around the world. One of the most familiar carols composed by an American preacher of the past is based on Micah 5. It was 1865 when a well-known American Preacher named Phillips Brooks made a trip to the Holy Land. Years earlier, in his mid-20’s, Brooks had become pastor of the Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia. He recruited a salesman named Lewis Redner to serve as his Church Organist. The church grew from 30 to 1,000 in less than a year, partly because of Brooks’ preaching and partly because of Redner’s music. Brooks gained a reputation as one of the most dynamic speakers of his day. In fact, after the Civil War ended, Brooks was asked to preach the funeral sermon for President Lincoln. After preaching that sermon, Brooks felt so spiritually drained that his Church gave him a Sabbatical. Brooks made a trip to Jerusalem.
On Christmas Eve he rode on horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem where he listened to a Choir singing in the Church of the Nativity. Brooks decided to write a Poem to express how it felt to stand near the place where Jesus was born. He entitled the poem: “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Later, Lewis Redner, the Organist, wrote a melody that turned the Poem into a Christmas Carol.

The first thing this familiar Carol points out is that Bethlehem was a LITTLE town. You see, God chooses to use SMALL things to accomplish his GREAT purposes.

God’s Greatest Gift came to a Little Town
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

How many of you grew up in a small town --- say… less than 10,000 people? That’s the kind of town Bethlehem was. At the time of Christ it was a quiet little shepherding community. For you who aren’t sure if you were from a small town, let me help you out. You know you’re from a small town when:
• The city limits signs are both on the same post!
• The local Motel 6 sleeps 6. (You’ll notice is says that in Bethlehem “…there was no room in THE Inn.” Bethlehem didn’t have a big tourism industry.)
• You call a wrong number and they supply you with the correct one.
• You don’t signal turns because everyone knows where you’re going anyway.
• The one-block-long Main Street dead ends in both directions. (That’s actually the case in Juneau, Alaska.)
• Driving cars up and down Main Street is a universal High School experience.
• A “Night on the Town” takes exactly 11 minutes. (By the way, if you’re getting these jokes, then you’re from a small town.)
• The New Year’s baby was born in October.
• You have to name six surrounding towns to explain where you’re from.

Well, if you were giving Directions to Bethlehem, you would say it was about 5 miles outside Jerusalem. Bethlehem may have been a sleepy little Suburb, but it did have some notable History.
Bethlehem is first mentioned in Geneses 35:16-19 because Jacob’s wife, Rachel was buried there. She died giving birth to Jacob’s youngest son. Before Rachel died, she named him Benoni, which means “son of my sorrow.” But Jacob changed the boy’s name to Benjamin which means “son of my right hand.” It’s interesting that both of these terms were used to describe the Messiah.
Bethlehem is featured again in the Book of Ruth. It was in Bethlehem that Ruth was “redeemed” and married Boaz. It was in Bethlehem that Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed, who would be the grandfather of King David, who was also born and raised in Bethlehem.
Years later, Bethlehem (along with all of Judea) was conquered by the Assyrians. The last person in David’s family line had been carried into captivity when the Prophet Micah made this prophecy: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel …” Micah 5:2 700 years later, this prophecy led the Wise Men to the birthplace of Jesus.
God still chooses small places for great things. God’s Greatest Gift came through a Humble Family
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!

Phillips Brooks once said, “It is while you are patiently toiling at the little tasks of life that the meaning and shape of the great whole of life dawns on you.” For most of their lives, Mary and Joseph simply went about the mundane little jobs of daily life, living small lives in small towns. But, in the process, they protected, nurtured, and raised up the Hope of all the World.
I heard a World War II story that shows how the smallest deed can make all the difference. During the last months of the War, the British conducted daily bombing raids over Berlin. One night the bombers were attacked by a large group of German fighter planes.
During the dogfight one of the Bomber Planes got separated from the protection of British Fighter Planes. They watched helplessly as a German Fighter Plane came within range. Bullets whizzed by over and over until Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Five bullets slammed into the fuselage of the bomber near the gas tank. The crew braced for the explosion, but it never came. Fuel poured from the bullet holes, but there was no explosion. After landing, a mechanic handed the pilot 5 bullets he had pulled from the plane.
The pilot carefully opened the shells. They were empty --- except for a tiny wad of paper with a note that read: “We are Polish POWS forced to make bullets. When guards do not look, we do not fill with powder. Is not much, but is best we can do.” Five tiny bullets, made by a few weak and lowly prisoners, but for the Crew of that British Bomber it made all the difference.
God often chooses insignificant people and events to bring about His great purposes. I Corinthians 12:27-28 says, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are…” God loves to show His strength through human frailty. God can use YOU in big ways. He does not require you to be strong or extremely intelligent or amazingly talented. The one thing God requires is obedience. Joseph and Mary were chosen because they were obedient to everything God called them to do.
God’s Greatest Gift came as a Helpless Infant

How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Chuck Swindoll writes about a Department Store that decided to market a new item in their Christmas Sales. Their idea was a doll in the form of Baby Jesus. It was advertised as being unbreakable, washable, and cuddly. It was packaged in straw with a satin crib and a few appropriate scriptures to make it complete.
It did not sell… The manager of one of the stores panicked. In an effort to move the merchandise, he hung up a huge sign that read, "JESUS CHRIST – Marked down 50% - Get Him while you can!"
When God sent his Son as a helpless little infant, there was no Big Advertisement to tell how Valuable this Gift was. Jesus came to earth silently and humbly. He came to earth like every other human being, as a tiny infant --- entirely dependent on loving care from human parents.
God took on flesh, not to show us how God would live on this planet, but to show us how a man can live in humble obedience to God. Look again at how Malachi 5:4-5 describes the Messiah, "He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace."
Through His Obedience, this tiny infant attained greatness that reaches to the ends of the earth. The Power of Jesus is a Power that brings Peace to every heart that receives Him.
It was Christmas Day in the hills of South American Columbia. Two Missionaries had been kidnapped by Bandits, and were held captive in a squalid hut. On that Christmas Morning, one of the Missionaries worked intently with pieces of hay that were there on the hard clay floor. When he finished, he stepped back and showed the other Missionary the finished product. In the dim light of the hut the other Missionary smiled down at the single word spelled out, there in the straw, "Emmanuel".
On that first Christmas Morning --- the day when Christ was born --- there in the straw lay the hope of all mankind: Emmanuel – God with Us.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

Thank you Jesus.
Brown


O Holy Night, Celtic Woman . .. it is the right link:Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-8jYpa1-o

Brown's Daily Word 12-20-07

Good Morning.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad it. Praise the Lord, for the He is Emmanuel, the God with us. He became a Man of Sorrows, acquainted with our grief, yet He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Most of you have read, heard, or seen the poem called, “One Solitary Life”, which reads, “He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn’t go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself.
"He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race.
"All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that have ever sat, all the kings that have ever reigned, put together, have not have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life.” [Attributed to James Allen Francis]
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5 (NKJV) Have you ever stopped to consider how different the world might be if Jesus had never been born? Although some unbelievers consider Christianity and its founder Jesus Christ a menace to society that should be removed as soon as possible, they have never really considered how the birth of Jesus Christ has affected this world in which we live!
“In the eighteenth century, there was great attack on foreign missionaries in the London Times. An experienced traveler wrote a letter to the editor in which he criticized this attitude. The letter’s writer said that such an attitude on the part of a voyager was particularly inexcusable – for should he happen to be cast ashore on some uncharted island, he would devoutly pray that the lesson of the missionary had preceded him! The writer of the letter was no less than Charles Darwin, later an enemy of the Christian faith. Nonetheless, he recognized the useful value of the faith.” [D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe. What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994) p. 157]
Perhaps nothing could be more applicable in this season in which we celebrate the birth of Christ into human form, than by stopping to consider just how great an impact He has had on the human race. -[Principles drawn from D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe. What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994) p. 157]
Because Christ Lived the World Has Attached A New Value To Human Life.
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Gen 1:27) The concept of sanctity of life is a spiritual concept; the word sanctity comes from the Latin word (sanctus) which means ‘holy’ or sacred to God, that which God has declared is of great value. Even in the world today, when you get into areas where Christianity is not the prominent religion human life is cheap. Christianity has changed the value attached to human life, especially to Children, Women, and the Elderly. Prior to the coming of Christ, abortion, the killing of infants, and abandonment were common practices. Over time the influence of Christianity has stopped the practice of child-killing until the recent revival by the modern practice of abortion. Prior to the Christian influence, a woman’s life was very cheap; in fact, in most ancient cultures, the wife was the property of her husband. In the nineteenth century, Charles Spurgeon told of a Hindu woman who said to a missionary, ‘Surely your Bible was written by a woman.’ ‘Why?’ he asked. ‘Because it says so many kind things for women. Our experts never refer to us but in some reproach.’ (p. 17)
Today we take our values on human life for granted. We do so because we in America have had them so embedded in our culture for centuries. But had Christ never been born, it would have been a far different story; human life would be quite cheap. The morality of any society can easily be judged by the view it holds on human life. Remove the influence of Jesus Christ in the world and you will quickly see how cheap human life becomes.
Because Christ Lived the World Has Changed the Way It Responds To Those In Need. “He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” (Proverbs 14:21)
Before the advent of Christianity there was no organized charitable effort at large in the world. The example and teaching of Jesus changed the way the world reacted to those in need especially the poor, the widowed, and the orphaned.
Hospitals as we know them began through the influence of Christianity. Christianity also gave rise to nursing care. The Red Cross was started by an evangelical Christian.
W. O. Sanders, a skeptic, made this admission about the influence of Christianity, “Your agnostic is tremendously impressed by the power of your faith. He has seen drunkards and libertines and moral degenerates transfigured by it. He has seen the sick, the aged, the friendless comforted and sustained, and he is impressed by your wonderful charities, your asylums, your hospitals, your nurseries, your schools; he must shamefacedly admit that agnostics, as such have built few hospitals and few homes for orphans.” [p. 156] In reality they have built none!!!! A world without Christ would be a world without charity.
Because Christ Lived the World Has Changed Its View about Science. Some think that Christianity and science are opposites and have nothing to do with each other. Science, theology, and history are not three distinct branches of knowledge, but simply three different ways in which to view the reality around us! Blaise Pascal states it well when he said, “Faith tells us what the sensed cannot, but it not contrary to their findings. It simply transcends, without contradicting them.” [p. 99]
Some of the greatest pioneers of science were committed Christians, I will name just a few:
Antiseptic Surgery – Joseph Lister
Bacteriology – Louis Pasteur
Calculus – Isaac Newton
Electromagnetics – Michael Faraday
And the list goes on and on. Countess benefits of science which you enjoy in your everyday life today would not exist if Christ had not been born!
To borrow a phrase from C.S. Lewis, a good description of life on earth if Jesus had never come would be, “always winter but never Christmas.” If Christ had not come life would be meaningless. If Christ had not comet there would be no forgiveness for sin. If Christ had not come there would be no sure hope of Eternal life.
But Christ was born, and, oh, the difference it has made. The world is different because Christ lived. Is the world different because we profess Jesus as our Lord and Savior?
These daily devotionals are posted in my home page, "Brownnaik.com". When you visit the page you can find link to pictures of our grandchildren, Micah and Simeon. You also can find a link to the pictures of children in Orissa , India.
We will soon be posting our annual Christmas letter, that allows us to share about the Amazing Faithfulness of Lord and Savior, Emmanuel, God with us. Praise the Lord for each of you around the corner and around the globe. We are so blessed to belong to Jesus, the newborn King. We are so blessed to belong to His Church, militant and Triumphant. We have been blessed with simple and profound gifts. We are blessed with the best of both worlds. Knowing, Worshipping, Serving Jesus Christ, you never lose.
With much love and gratitude,
Brown
Reporting a Praise the Lord. George Cosler visited his oncologist yesterday in Ogdensburg, NY and he doesn’t have to return until August of 2008. Their visit to the surgeon at Upstate Medical January 10th will hopefully and prayerfully result in removal of the feeding tube. George is maintaining his weight, beginning light exercise and attended the United Methodist Church in Morristown, NY last Sunday. They hopefully will leave for Florida after the January 10th doctor’s visit and join Phyllis’ Mother Dot Catlin, Walt Carmon’s sister. Thank you for all the prayers and praise God for his goodness.

Thank you Brown for this wonderful message of healing. I passed it on to my son-in-law E. today who is married to P. He is suffering terribly with back pain. He was a former fireman, 47 years old and is now unable to work after an unsuccessful back operation. He is waiting for paperwork to come through from the state so that he might go on disability. He was injured carrying a heavy woman down from a second story house. He blew up terribly at P. last night after a basketball game over a misunderstanding. He is going to counseling, but his quality of life has diminished so much. Their oldest daughter, A, received a full basketball scholarship to St. Rose in Albany. She is a senior at UE. Please pray for him for the understanding of God’s love and healing power. He called this afternoon to apologize and was crying through most of the conversation. We’re trying to help in every way we can. Thanks in advance. B.



Hi everyone!
We just returned from another long day at Dartmouth.
Good news - The twins are doing great!!!! One is 1 lb 10 oz and the other is 1 lb 9oz so they are still sharing and doing well in there.

We met with the doctors and have finally agreed on a plan.
We are going to start daily monitoring at Littleton soon (tomorrow or Monday.) Then I will be admitted into Dartmouth hospital around December 28 for more continual monitoring. Once admitted they will be able to monitor me more frequently and be able to have a better chance of saving the twins if anything happens.

We took a tour of the maternity section and it was nice. It will be hard living there for an extended period of time but we'll have to make the best of it. We're hoping the twins will be fine with no problems until mid to end of February so if all goes well I will be there for a while.

Our last stop was the David's house (a big house nearby for family to stay.) David's house was awesome - I was choked up for most of the time there because it was perfect for Eliana. I think she will adjust very well there because it is a huge beautiful house with lots of family rooms, food and toys. She said she wanted to come back to play there and that was what Patrick and I were hoping for.

Please continue to keep the twins and us in your prayers. We are about to start the whirlwind part of this experience. We are really glad to have peace in our hearts that God will take care of us and we keep handing concerns over to him. Thanks for all of your support and we'll keep you posted if anything else happens.
Love,
Cori

Brown's Daily Word 12-19-07

Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this wonderful season. Praise the Lord for the wonderful and Holy Birth of our Savior and Lord, who is Holy, meek and mild, and He is the Lion of Judah, who breaks every chain. I love to read the poignant and powerful prophecies regarding our Savior and Lord. Our Lord delivers what He promises because He can. He is able, and He is more than able.
The more I read from His Word the more I get excited about Jesus our Savior and about His coming to the world and the eternal blessings he brought down to the earth of sorrow, sin and suffering. He is Emmanuel, the God with us. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. In translating Revelation 21, Eugene Peterson makes a wonderful rendition, "Look, look, God has moved to our neighborhood". Indeed, Jesus has moved to our neighborhood with healing in His wings as read in Malachi.
We have seen so many healing in our lives ... so many of them in so many lives. It is a wonderful privilege, serving Him, and a high honor indeed it is, to worship Him.
Let us go back to Isaiah 35, "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart,‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come . . . .
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool,and the thirsty ground springs of water."
What a magnificent picture of healing and new life Isaiah portrays. It is the very thing that many people long for more than anything else either for themselves or those they love. We spend billions of dollars on health care and healing.
Some time ago I read about Mark Cruikshank, who owns 2 transmission repair shops in the Chicago area. Last year, Debbie, his wife, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and he tried to think of various ways to help. As he watched her suffer he thought, "Are there other venues, medically? Something we haven’t tried or thought of? How can I support her emotionally?" After awhile, he realized praying might be the best thing he could do. He really hadn’t been a praying man himself, and he wasn’t sure that in itself would be enough. So, instead of using his company signs, as he usually did, to advertise the most recent special, he would use those same signs to say: PLEASE PRAY FOR DEBBIE THAT THE CANCER WILL GO AWAY. "
How amazed he was at the response! A stream of customers, many of them strangers, began flowing in to ask how Debbie was doing and to offer their prayers. People of every faith came in. Some customers told Mark that they hadn’t prayed in twenty years, but they would be sure to pray for Debbie. Now emboldened, Mark began to personally ask customers and business colleagues to pray.
As the months passed, Mark noticed a change, not only in his wife, which was certainly there, but in himself. Over the years, he had become rather cynical about human nature. He was like anyone involved in the service industry, considering how grouchy and rude customers can be. You can imagine what it would be like to run a car repair business! I mean, no one likes to get their car fixed or pay the high costs usually involved. As a result, Mark became weary of dealing with such people.
But after he posted the sign about his Debbie’s cancer, the outpouring of love and support from his customers, and even from total strangers, startled him, causing him to think differently. A few days before Christmas, the Cruikshanks got the good news. On Christmas Eve, Mark Cruikshank drove to his shops to post a new sign: PRAISE GOD, DEBBIE IS WINNING HER BATTLE WITH CANCER.
The truth is that not everyone in the wilderness will win a battle like that--Or that dramatically. Not everyone is going to be healed of cancer. But we do know that healing was and is a part of Christ's ministry. We also know that many who came to him were among the most challenged: The hearing impaired, the visually challenged, and the leprous, among others. Thus, the coming of Christ was and is hope for the hopeless and healing for the hurting.
Isaiah wrote," A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." The coming of Jesus brings joy. To be in his presence is heaven.
Pastor Clay Shultz of Alberta told the story of his father, who worked in the oil fields. It was a job meant that he was on call 24/7. Often he would be gone for days at a time. Still, Clay seldom felt cheated or deprived of time with his father. He said that during summers and holidays, their family would often go to where his father was stationed just so everyone could spend time with one another. If they were near a body of water, their father would take them fishing, or if it was a particularly good hunting region, they would hunt.
Though they never went on a vacation in a usual sense, Clay says both mother and father knew how to give their children their full attention. In fact, one of the best Christmas dinners Clay says he ever had was on a work site. The rig was stacked, which means it was not operating over the holidays, but Clay’s father was assigned there in order to ensure its security. Clay, his mother, sister, and older brother, also traveled there to stay with him. On Christmas Day, all they had to eat was turkey sandwiches and chips. And yet, Clay insists it was wonderful for all of them!
Why? How could he find it to be wonderful? It was because they were in the presence of their father, which meant that nothing else could compare in value.
That is what believers often claim they feel in the presence of Jesus. From the beginning His coming has meant, and continues to mean, hope for the hopeless, help for the hurting, and joy.
Christmas itself is all about God actually having come into our world in the form of an infant. His divine act makes a life of wonder and joy possible and accessible to all. Thus, no wonder we can sing during this season, Joy to the world, the Lord is come. " Look. Look, the Lord of life, liberty, and Joy is moving in to our neighborhood". We are not alone; no, we are never alone. He makes the "Communion of saints" a living reality.

Brown

Pray for Janice, Jeremy, Micah, and Simeon, as they drive from Boston to New York State on Friday after work.
Pray for Andy and Sunita as they drive up from DC on Friday, for Jessica and Tom as they drive in from Philadelphia on Friday, and for Laureen, as she drives up from Virginia on Sunday morning.



We are all happy faces as mom is scheduled to come home Thursday
- a note from Roger

Hi everyone!
We just returned from another long day at Dartmouth.
Good news - The twins are doing great!!!! One is 1 lb 10 oz and the other is 1 lb 9oz so they are still sharing and doing well in there.

We met with the doctors and have finally agreed on a plan.
We are going to start daily monitoring at Littleton soon (tomorrow or Monday.) Then I will be admitted into Dartmouth hospital around December 28 for more continual monitoring. Once admitted they will be able to monitor me more frequently and be able to have a better chance of saving the twins if anything happens.

We took a tour of the maternity section and it was nice. It will be hard living there for an extended period of time but we'll have to make the best of it. We're hoping the twins will be fine with no problems until mid to end of February so if all goes well I will be there for a while.

Our last stop was the David's house (a big house nearby for family to stay.) David's house was awesome - I was choked up for most of the time there because it was perfect for Eliana. I think she will adjust very well there because it is a huge beautiful house with lots of family rooms, food and toys. She said she wanted to come back to play there and that was what Patrick and I were hoping for.

Please continue to keep the twins and us in your prayers. We are about to start the whirlwind part of this experience. We are really glad to have peace in our hearts that God will take care of us and we keep handing concerns over to him. Thanks for all of your support and we'll keep you posted if anything else happens.
Love,
Cori (a young mom on maternity bed rest )

"Walt is having foot surgery on Friday 12/21 at 1:30 at Lourdes. He'll be off of work for 4-6 weeks because it's his right foot. "

Brown's Daily Word 12-18-07

Praise the Lord for Christmas. It is simple and yet profound. It is earthy and yet celestial. It is mundane and yet majestic. At Christmas our Savior was born. He started the whole world dancing and singing. He dances over sin and suffering. He dances over injustice. He dances even over death. Christmas is about songs of Joy. Our friend Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, the president of Asbury Seminary, says that during Christmas both saints and sinners sing. Thank you, Jesus.
Frederick Nietzsche, the nineteenth century German philosopher famous for his quote that “God is dead,” stated, “If they want me to believe in their God, they’ll have to sing me better songs . . . I could only believe in a God who dances.” Our view of God often determines our relationship or our lack of relationship with our Creator. Many individuals see the Lord as someone who stands off in the distance, watching and waiting to strike us down the minute we mess up.
Bet Midler sang the song, "God watching from a distance". He is viewed as a God of rules and regulations, looking to stifle our fun and suppress our freedom; and for such people this is not a God who cares about anyone. He is not a God to be desired, but rather to be rejected and opposed every step along life’s journey. Would Nietzsche’s life have been different had he known that the Lord does care for his creation? The Bible teaches us that the Lord is not impersonal and that he does not wish to remain somewhere in the distance, but rather he desires a very close and intimate relationship with human beings. In fact, for those of us who confess him as Lord and Savior, he is a God who loves us so greatly and is filled with such joy for us that he sings and dances over us! If only Nietzsche could have realized that God sings beautiful songs and that he really is a God who dances! He is not dead, but a God who is alive (Mark 16:6) and who seeks to make us alive as well (John 10:10). We are going to know God’s extravagant love this morning as we look at our God who sings and dances over us.
There is a song called “Amazed” by singer and songwriter Jared Anderson. The lyrics of this song say, “You dance over me while I am unaware. You sing all around, but I never hear the sound . . . Lord I’m amazed by You – how You love me.”
One of my favorite Advent passages is found in Zephaniah 3:14-17. First of all, in verse 14, we see that God was speaking to Zion, Israel, and Jerusalem. Zion here is “the city of David” where King David built a citadel and his palace, and it was the place where the Ark of the Covenant had been stored for some time before being brought into the temple that King Solomon built. In the later books of the Old Testament this name was sometimes used to denote Jerusalem in general, and sometimes God’s chosen Israel. In the New Testament it is used sometimes to denote the Church of God, or people who worship Jesus Christ. The three names mentioned here are all names for God’s chosen people – or those who worship the Lord – and Zion includes those of us who worship him today. If we keep this passage in its context we understand that God was speaking to Israel, and in verse 15 we learn that God wanted to remove the judgment that was brought upon Israel by her enemy.
Zephaniah prophesied of judgment by Babylon, but he also prophesied of the day of deliverance from that judgment. In verse 16 he used the expression “in that day” which is in the future tense, and is an image of God’s faithfulness to his people and a future deliverance. The people are told, “Let not your hands be weak” (v. 16). In Hebrews 12 we read about how God allows us to go through hard times for our own good; and in Hebrews 12:12 we are encouraged to “Strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees . . .” Israel would experience chastening in the Babylonian exile, but chastening lasts only for a time before we are purged and escape to the other side; therefore we are to lift our heads and take heart, and stand tall in the confidence that our deliverance is near. Isaiah 35:3-6 refers to deliverance by the coming Messiah, and Israel is encouraged, “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” Israel would go through a tough time in the captivity, and some of us are going through a difficult time of bondage in our lives, but we are to look up and place our hope in our Deliverer, Jesus Christ.
In verse 17 we see God’s love for Israel, as it is his fervent desire to rescue Israel, to sweep her off her feet and rapture her away to a place where he can “rejoice over [her],” “quiet [her] with his love,” and “rejoice over [her] with singing.”
In verse 17 we see that God desired to “rejoice” over Israel, and “sing” over her as well. In just a moment I will discuss how God rejoices over Israel, but first let’s focus on how he will sing over her. What type of song will the Lord sing? In Psalm 32:5 and 7 we read, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin . . . You are my hiding place; you shall preserve me from trouble; you shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”
We read here how the Mighty One desired to “save” Israel (v. 17) and rescue her; therefore his songs would be “songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7), and in verse 17 we are told that God wanted to take away Israel’s judgments. Today we are placed under God’s judgment if our sins have not been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. In Romans 6:23 we are told, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we wish to receive forgiveness and eternal life, then we need to be as King David and confess our sin to God in order to be forgiven (Psalm 32:5). 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God will take away our judgments, as we read in Zephaniah 3:15, whenever we acknowledge and confess our sin. That’s when we are surrounded by his songs of deliverance.
The Lord not only wished to sing over Israel with songs of deliverance, but he wished to rejoice over Israel as well. I mentioned earlier how singer Jared Anderson said that God dances over us. The Hebrew word for “rejoice” which we find here, or yagil (giyl, gheel), is defined in Strong’s Concordance as, “To spin around under the influence of any violent emotion,” and to “be glad, be joyful,” or to “rejoice, cry out, and exalt.” Some other words of commentary that I read on this verse state, “Yagil literally means ‘spin around in joy.’ God will spin around in joy over his people, and we reflexively respond to his love by spinning around also. Interestingly, rejoice and dance are the same word in Aramaic, the common language spoken in the area.”
Our God truly sings beautiful songs – songs of deliverance; and he really is a God who dances – who dances for joy out of his love for us! You can know this God who sings and dances if you have your sins forgiven by Jesus Christ.

I have included a link to Celtic Woman's recording of "O Come All Ye Faithful". Just cut and paste onto the "go" line at the top of your server. or click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eLDvM7eSq0
Last night we attended a Christmas Cantata presented by a 60-member choir comprised of singers from various area churches. It was a Tom Fettke composition that was moving and powerful.

Our choir is going to present the annual Christmas Cantata this Sunday, December 23 at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship services. We will have our annual Christmas banquet after the second service. We will also be attending the Handles Messiah this Friday, December 21 at the Binghamton Forum. The performance will begin at 8:00 p.m. This is the 25th anniversary of the presentation of the Handle's Messiah, by the Downtown Singers. It is conducted by Alan Crab. We will meet at the church parking lot at 6:30 p.m. for carpooling.
Congratulations to George and Irene Dunham on their 52nd Wedding Anniversary.
Keep praying for :
Ryan Kerr, Dr. Roger Chatterton, Jack Black, Linda Geer, Linda Ayer, John Pipher, Jack Hoppes, Irving Rosenbarker, Connie Perry, Mahlon Tewksbury, Scott Henson, Andy Morse, George Kossler. Richard Babcock.
Joy to the world,
Brown

Brown's Daily Word 12-17-07

Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for He is the real Joy Giver. He is the dispenser of genuine Joy. In Isaiah 35, there is a radical vision of what it would be like to discover joy, because it was joy found in the desert. Usually a place of dryness, emptiness, and death, the desert would suddenly come to life with joy. In his vision, he foresaw the coming of one who would offer us a new way of living, one who would bring us overflowing joy, one who would offer us salvation, hope, peace, and yes, joy - like joy in the desert. The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. "Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. "
This passage reminds me of what it’s like to have Christ come into your life very suddenly. What is it like to have Christ come into your life. It’s like joy in the desert! Joy comes by welcoming the Christ child into your life and into your heart, and following in his new way of living; that gives true joy, joy overflowing, like streams bubbling up in the desert. What else might we discover, when we allow the Christmas Child, Jesus, overshadow all our other joy-spots in life? What else does joy in the desert, the joy of Jesus, look like? We may find help for our feeble hands and fearful hearts. Isaiah records: "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.'”
Welcoming Christ into your life is like having someone strong beside you when you are at your weakest point, someone to steady you, to strengthen you, to comfort you, to remind you that there is no reason to fear, for even death has been overcome with victory. What else is it like? Isaiah continues:
"Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy."
It’s like seeing or hearing for the first time. It’s like jumping for joy. Have you jumped for joy, lately? A Savior has come to release you from the emptiness of the desert, to help you to see and to hear good news, maybe for the first time. He helps you to discover your tongue, a tongue that can shout praises, and can forgive, leaving years of frustration and bitter disappointment behind.
Isaiah continues to paint the picture for us, of what joy in the desert will look like, "Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow."
Finding joy in the desert, the Joy of Christ, will be like seeing all the dry and dead places of your life suddenly gushing with new life and vitality, like streams in the desert or greenery springing up where once there was only hot sand. Isaiah continues his vision of joy by revealing that there is a highway in this desert which will carry us away from the emptiness and disappointments of the past: "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return."
It is like having a new way opened up before you, a way you could never see before, the Way of Holiness. It represents a new way, a different way, a beautiful way to walk through this life, leaving behind the old Way, the Way of the World, with all its empty promises. The world promises fame, fortune, youth, health, and social position. They are empty promises on that way that lead to wrack and ruin, disappointment and disillusionment, broken dreams and broken hearts.
What highway are we on? Is it a highway of joy? Is it a pathway laid out for us by the Lord? Is Jesus, the author of Joy, walking next to us? How close is He? People that are on this new way, the Way of Holiness, are on the Way of the Lord, walking with their Savior, on the paths of righteousness. And, "They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
Walter B. Knight wrote this, about joy: “Joy is the flag that flies over the castle of our hearts announcing that the King is in residence today.”
Perhaps we need to open a new door, start a new journey - a journey of joy on the Way of Holiness. Let us Invite the King to be in residence in our lives, and walking with us all the way home.
In Him,
Brown

Brown's Daily Word 12-14-07

Good Morning.

It is calm after the storm yesterday. We have heard from friends in Oklahoma, they have their power back. Praise the Lord for this Holy Season. It is a most wonderful time of the year. As we get close to Christmas Day, shopping center parking lots get clogged with car headlights like a starry night sky in the country. Mindless, welcoming Christmas music drift over the hordes of harried, hopeful, hesitantly happy Christmas, hunters. We praise the Lord for all the customs and traditions of the Season. I like Christmas in the country and also in the City.
City sidewalk, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style.
In the air there’s
A feeling of Christmas.

Children laughing, people passing,
Meeting smile after smile,
And on every street corner you'll hear:

Silver bells, silver bells,
It’s Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring,
Soon it will be Christmas day.

I love many of the annual playful, over-rated, superficial, commercialized hollow Christmas rituals. Christmas gives us an excuse to move closer to one another. Man shall not live by bread alone; good relationships are of utmost importance and this season reminds us of this.
Christmas crowds us, badgers us, makes us open our pocket books, and hand tokens of love to people we spend too much time avoiding. Christmas makes us vulnerable, duty-bound to honor the possible...we could possibly be friends...we could possibly work together without in-fighting or envy...we could possibly get along, maybe even like each other. Our cynical patterns of mistaken thought patterns try to tell us it won't happen. But for one brief shining moment, we allow ourselves to pretend it is all so...possible. That’s the reason why I love the commercialism of Christmas—it gives us an excuse to move closer to one another. Christmas changes most people’s internal thermometer to "warm-up" setting. I love the commercialism of Christmas because it warms me up on the inside. It warms most of you up too .Christmas gives us a reason to hope. Christmas gives humanity an opportunity to pause and believe, if only for a little while, that "peace on earth and goodwill" are actually possible. For one brief shining moment, heaven touches earth. Despite the war in Iraq and some of the other tragic events that we have heard in the news lately, this Advent season we look forward to a new earth and a new heaven, the time Jesus will come again and bring peace on earth, goodwill to all men, as the angels sang during His first advent. Reading for the coming Sunday is taken from Isaiah 35, which portrays such a hope. The barren wilderness would rejoice in springtime bloom.
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.
The beauty of natural wonders would be given to the most desolate of surroundings.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
God would reveal himself in lowest places. And these areas would respond in worship. [35:1-2]
Like the wilderness, the poor and weak would feel the saving touch of God. Those beaten down would be strengthened with a new courage. The ill would be healed. The blind would see. [35:3-6a]
Both the place and the people seem to be in ruin. Yet God would return their glory. The concluding words of Isaiah 35 read: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
“Bless the Sacred Malls: May their tribe increase!”
So, if you haven't been to a crowded shopping space yet this year--or if you've been putting off the last minute gifts and are now wondering how late Wal-Mart stays open Christmas Eve, or if you just want to go window-gazing again--let me suggest a radical departure: Bless the mall! See the shopping centers as holy ground. Go to the crowded places and say a silent prayer, that all these people may have someone to give and receive love, that the spirit of triumph may spread across the human species, that the true gift of Christmas may be born in everyone’s heart.
And I hope that you will find, as one Christmas song sings: it’s the most wonderful time of the year. And may our sorrow and sighing fly away.
These daily devotions are posted on my homepage" brownnaik.com" You can visit the site and there is link to the pictures of children in two children's homes in Orissa, India. You will also find a link to pictures of Micah and Simeon. Tomorrow is our daughter Laureen's birthday, Laureen was the Lord's Christmas gift to us. She is still the wonderful gift of the Lord to us. She loves Jesus. She loves to sing His praises and she serves Him with joy and gladness. We also wish a happy birthday to our friend Lauren Halverston of Alabama. We are planning for our Christmas caroling this evening. Our choir is planning their annual Christmas Cantata, due to the storm warning the Cantata has been rescheduled for Sunday, December 23, 2007. The name of the Cantata is Touched By A Child, Touched By A King” By John Purifoy, presented by the adult choir and directed by Aric Phinney. Our annual Christmas banquet will be held next Sunday following the second service. Those who live around here can join on cable channel four this evening for our outreach ministry at 7:00 p.m. One of the reasons Jesus came that we might know Him as Lord and Savior and worship Him as our King. Plan to be there in the Lord's House, wherever you are to worship the newborn King, and remember, Jesus doesn't take any excuses. Thank you for sending the gifts for the children in Orissa. We have received money for gifts for 88 children. Praise the Lord for your generosity. One hundred percent of the money will go for the children.

Merry Christmas,
Brown