Hello everyone,
We finally got to see my dad last night at about 10pm. He looked really good and even cracked a joke or two. It was great walking into his room last night and seeing the view from his window---a perfect view of the Boston downtown skyline all lit up! Dad was really blessed that a hospital chaplain came and prayed with him before his surgery and has really enjoyed the staff at the hospital that are taking care of him (I think they're enjoying him as well!). I think he pretty much feels blessed on every side. He didn't get much sleep last night but has been napping a good deal today and just seems to be doing great. He's not in much pain and they'll get him up to walk around a bit soon. One of the highlights so far of the day was a visit by Micah. She was a little concerned to see her grandpa in the hospital bed and not quite sure what to make of it, but she put out her hand and wanted to pray with him and closed the prayer with a resounding 'Amen!' She also told him she loved him and gave him some winning smiles. Dad is sleeping in front of me as I write this and looks very peaceful. Thank you so much for praying--what a priviledge to see the results firsthand!
Love,
Sunita
Psalm 116
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Update on Brown
Dear Friends,
Dad (Brown) just came out of surgery. The surgery went well and he is currently in the recovery room. It looks like he and my mom will have to stay up in Boston a few extra days (2 weeks total), but we'll just count this as extra time with Micah! As of now, he'll be released from the hospital sometime Sunday. Please continue to pray that they were able to remove all the cancer so that Dad won't have to undergo more therapy. We're looking forward to seeing him, hopefully soon, in the recovery room and will let you know how he is. I have to say, he was very brave going into surgery and true to his loving, warm character--introducing himself to all the people assisting him and learning their names. We love this guy! :)
Love and Blessings,
Sunita
Dad (Brown) just came out of surgery. The surgery went well and he is currently in the recovery room. It looks like he and my mom will have to stay up in Boston a few extra days (2 weeks total), but we'll just count this as extra time with Micah! As of now, he'll be released from the hospital sometime Sunday. Please continue to pray that they were able to remove all the cancer so that Dad won't have to undergo more therapy. We're looking forward to seeing him, hopefully soon, in the recovery room and will let you know how he is. I have to say, he was very brave going into surgery and true to his loving, warm character--introducing himself to all the people assisting him and learning their names. We love this guy! :)
Love and Blessings,
Sunita
A word from Brown 5-11-07
Praise the Lord for this beautiful Friday in Boston. It is sunny and bright. It should rise into the mid-eighties again today (yesterday reached 87.6 degrees).
I have been reading this morning from Psalm 91, "He who dwells in the shadow of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. . . For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways."
Thank you all for interceding on my behalf over the past few weeks and today. May Jesus be praised!
Brown
I have been reading this morning from Psalm 91, "He who dwells in the shadow of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. . . For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways."
Thank you all for interceding on my behalf over the past few weeks and today. May Jesus be praised!
Brown
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Remember to Pray 5/11/07 @ 1:30PM EST
Heavenly Father,
We are all deeply concerned for our dear friends, they have touched so many lives in so many ways!
We come before you Jesus, to lift Brown and his entire family graciously before you. Touch each and every one of them in a way that only you can, that they may know you are walking with them.
May you guide the surgeon's hand, may Your hand be his! And at the end of the proceedure, may all the Glory and Honor be given unto you, Our Mighty and Awesome God!
We ask that you begin healing Brown, even now, that every cell in his body come under your authority! Father, we ask believing that you hear our every prayer!
Lord, you are our rock on which we stand!
Be Still and Know that I AM God!
In Jesus name we pray!
Amen
We are all deeply concerned for our dear friends, they have touched so many lives in so many ways!
We come before you Jesus, to lift Brown and his entire family graciously before you. Touch each and every one of them in a way that only you can, that they may know you are walking with them.
May you guide the surgeon's hand, may Your hand be his! And at the end of the proceedure, may all the Glory and Honor be given unto you, Our Mighty and Awesome God!
We ask that you begin healing Brown, even now, that every cell in his body come under your authority! Father, we ask believing that you hear our every prayer!
Lord, you are our rock on which we stand!
Be Still and Know that I AM God!
In Jesus name we pray!
Amen
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Morning Devotion 5-9-07
Good Morning.
"This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it". It is going to be one of the ten best days. It is going to be very warm, just like summer in India. Janice and Micah came down to spend last few days with us. The Lord blessed us with wonderful days together. Micah is very winsome, loving and lovable. She loves to pray. Every time we sit at the table she reaches for my hand to pray. She says a very loud amen after each prayer time. She says Hallelujah with joy and zeal. We will be traveling to Boston this afternoon. I will have full day of preparation tomorrow for the surgery Friday at 1.30.pm. I am thankful that I will have the support of family and friends while in Boston. Sunita and Laureen fly in this weekend. My brothers and sisters are coming there Friday with Brother Jim Holmes driving them. Our young friend Michelle is coming next Thursday. I will be released from the hospital Saturday following the surgery. Alice and I will be staying with Janice, Jeremy and Micah through May 21. We will be updating on my surgery and recovery on my web page: brownnaik.com. I am surrounded by His grace and His love and blessed by all of you. Thank you for praying and caring. May Jesus our Lord be praised. This will be my last devotional, until I get back to New York.
We will celebrate the festival of Pentecost on Sunday May 27. This is the day when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples. It happened 50 days after the Resurrection and after 10 days of Ascension. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples like fire and wind. The disciples were very possibly discouraged, disheartened, depressed and dismayed. Suddenly the Holy Spirit came upon then with power and velocity. It exploded upon them. The were propelled and expelled to proclaim the Good News of Jesus our Lord with boldeness and gladness and with fearless courage. The Lord infused them with His grace and power to turn the world upside down and right side up.
On August 6, 1945, at precisely 8:15 AM, a bomb exploded over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Within seconds, the entire city lay in ruins. Seventy thousand people were dead and another seventy thousand seriously injured. Jesus said that His disciples would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). They would be "clothed with power from high," He promised (Luke 24:49). Paul echoed the same thought when he prayed that his readers might know and experience the mighty resurrection power of Jesus in their lives (Eph. 1:18-20). For Paul the message of the Gospel itself contained power, the very power of God (Rom. 1:16). The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power! He IS quite capable of doing "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us" (Eph. 3:20). Yet perhaps the most amazing thing of all is His ability to demonstrate quiet power in ways often unnoticed by man. One such amazing aspect of the Spirit’s work is His ability to give power in suffering. Several years ago, the well-known German pastor and theologian Helmut Thielicke was asked during a visit to America what he considered the greatest problem in the US. He surprised many with his unexpected reply. "The biggest problem," he said, "is an inadequate view of suffering." He went on to explain that, in his view, the American dream of perpetual progress had led many to believe that any and all problems could be solved with a minimum of effort or discomfort. Unfortunately, he insisted, this is simply not the case. There are, and always will be, certain burdens in life that cannot be eliminated. In Thielicke’s words, "These burdens obviously pitch the American into such helpless embarrassment that he either capitulates, to them or represses them or glosses them. Unfortunately, the German pastor’s words have as much relevance for many Christian’s view of life as for society at large. In the popular mind of our age, it is assumed by many that power always leads to pleasure. Adversity and suffering are certain signs of weakness. Given this attitude, the Holy Spirit’s power is measured by his ability to make life easy for the believer. Health, wealth and success are the true signs of the Spirit’s blessings. Adversity and suffering, on the other hand are the companions of spiritual weakness. For many the Holy Spirit is powerful enough to enable a believer to escape adversity, but not strong enough to sustain him in it. Such an attitude is far removed from the teachings of the Gospel. Nowhere does Jesus promise His followers an easy life. Quite to the contrary, Jesus insisted that the path of discipleship is straight and narrow and the way hard (Matt- 7:13-14). Rather than rejecting adversity as a sign of spiritual weakness, the early Christians rejoiced that they were counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" (Acts 5:41). Paul even taught that suffering was an expected part of the Spirit-led life (Romans 8:14-27). Dr. Paul Brand, world-renowned leprosy specialist, provides some enlightening background for this spiritual truth from his experiences with the lepers of India. Dr. Brand tells how he discovered that contrary to once popular medical opinion leprosy does not directly cause the deterioration of the flesh of its victims. The disease simply deadens the nerves of the body’s extremities. Eventually the leper looses all feeling in his fingers and toes. The afflicted person can burn his hand and never feel the pain. Infection and even gangrene can eat away at his flesh with out ever creating the slightest discomfort. In fact, in certain villages in Africa and Asia the town leper is given a unique job because of his inability to feel pain. Such insensitivity soon destroys the leper’s flesh. After years of working with lepers, Dr. Brand learned to rejoice in the sensation of cutting a finger, turning an ankle, or stepping into a too-hot bath. Pain itself, the hurt of pain, is a gift. "Thank God for pain!" writes Dr. Brand.This is precisely the attitude of scripture toward adversity of every sort. Such a view, however, is not simply a Stoic acceptance of fate: "we might as well live with it. There is nothing we can do about it anyway.’’ Not at all! The Bible insists that adversity is not simply something to be endured. It is a tool of God used to teach us much needed lessons (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4). Adversity is like a cloud. It may block the sunlight for a time, but it also brings the rain. Both sunlight and rain are needed for growth. As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "God whispers in our pleasures, but shouts in our pain." Phillip Brooks must have understood this spiritual truth when he wrote, "Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle but you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself at the richness of life which has come by the grace of God." The Holy Spirit can and does bring power to God’s people. But because He is the Lord of the valleys as well as the God of the mountain tops, His power often brings the quiet strength needed to endure adversity and not simply the power to escape it. A second unexpected power of the Spirit is the power to love. Again, in-the eyes of the world, loving and forgiving are measures of weakness not strength. When abused or attacked the strong reply in kind. Vengeance, not forgiveness, is the law of life. Only the coward or the man too weak to fight fails to retaliate. He commanded them to love their enemies, not just those who were kind to them. Going the second mile, turning the other cheek, and forgiving without limit were to be the true signs of spiritual power for Jesus’ men and women. The Lord knew, as His modern disciples must learn, that real power never needs to hate or destroy. Only a man unsure of his strength needs to prove it. A truly strong man can look hate square in the eye and say, "In Jesus’ name I love! I forgive!" The Spirit also provides the power to serve. As with suffering and loving, service is not often a mark of power in a fallen world. In facts in our world a man is esteemed if he no longer is forced to dirty himself with the menial tasks of life. A powerful man is to be served not serve. Ruling, controlling, manipulating the lives of others--these are the marks of power. Jesus taught His disciples this same lesson again and again. Only a week before the Upper Room Jesus cut short an argument over His disciples positions in His Kingdom with a startling truth, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt, 20:25-28). Paul encouraged this same attitude when he wrote, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus “ (Phil. 2:3-5). The inability to accept such a concept of Christian servant-hood was the very problem that created the disastrous confusion over the work of the Holy Spirit at Corinth (1 Corinthians 12-14). Apparently many in the Corinthian church had decided that whatever power or abilities the Spirit had given them were for their own personal benefits. Paul insisted otherwise. Every gift of the Spirit is for the "common good," taught the apostle (1 Cor. 12:7). No individual member of the body dares look upon himself as the master of the church. Each is a servant of the rest. To use a gift of the Spirit for any other purpose than loving service for others is to destroy their very value to the body (1 Cor. 13:1-3). Who are the most spiritually powerful Christians today? The eloquent evangelist? The famous faith healer? The brilliant scholar? The wealthy benefactor? Perhaps, but not necessarily. The most powerful Christian may well be the lowly widow with the cup of cold water. In the kingdom, power is measured, not by prestige, or position, or wealth, but by selfless service! Suffering, loving, serving---that’s not power! Miracles, raising the dead, healing the sick--that’s power! In fact, that’s the only kind of power that will cause our world to sit up and take notice. That is the power of the Spirit that we need today! The power to love and serve and suffer is not likely to impress our kind of world very much. But that shouldn’t surprise us. The world has seldom understood or readily appreciated the ways of God. As Paul stated long ago, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 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 things that are not --to nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before him” (1 Cor. 1:18, 27-29). God still bestows power on His people, just as He always has!
In Christ,
Brown
"Ye call Me Master and obey not,Ye call Me Light and see Me not,Ye call Me Way and walk not,Ye call Me Life and desire Me not,Ye call Me Wise and follow Me not,Ye call Me Fair and love Me not,Ye call Me rich and ask Me not,Ye call Me Eternal and see Me not,Ye call Me Noble and serve Me not,Ye call Me Mighty and honor Me not,Ye call Me just and fear Me not."--Found on an old slab in the Cathedral of Lubeck, Germany===============A Child's Ten Commandments to Parentsby: Author Unknown, Source Unknown1. My hands are small. Please don't expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture or throw a ball. My legs are short. Please slow down so that I can keep up with you.2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have. Please let me explore safely. Don't restrict me unnecessarily.3. Housework will always be there. I'm only little for such a short time. Please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.4. My feelings are tender. Please be sensitive to my needs. Don't nag me all day long. (You wouldn't want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness.) Treat me as you would like to be treated.5. I am a special gift from God. Please treasure me, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by and disciplining me in a loving manner.6. I need your encouragement and your praise to grow. Please go easy on the criticism. Remember, you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.7. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday, I'll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires of me.8. Please don't do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn't quite measure up to your expectations. I know it's hard, but please don't try to compare me with my brother or my sister.9. Please don't be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it's a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special.10. Please take me to worship regularly, setting a good example for me to follow. Life Explained
On the first day, God created the dog and said: "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark atanyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years." The dog said: "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?" So God agreed.
On the second day, God created the monkey and said: "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span." The monkey said: "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?" And God agreed.
On the third day, God created the cow and said: "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years." The cow said:"That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?" And God agreed again.
On the fourth day, God created man and said: "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years." But man said:"Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?" "Okay," said God, "You asked for it."
So that is why the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves.For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family.For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren.And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.Life has now been explained to you.
"This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it". It is going to be one of the ten best days. It is going to be very warm, just like summer in India. Janice and Micah came down to spend last few days with us. The Lord blessed us with wonderful days together. Micah is very winsome, loving and lovable. She loves to pray. Every time we sit at the table she reaches for my hand to pray. She says a very loud amen after each prayer time. She says Hallelujah with joy and zeal. We will be traveling to Boston this afternoon. I will have full day of preparation tomorrow for the surgery Friday at 1.30.pm. I am thankful that I will have the support of family and friends while in Boston. Sunita and Laureen fly in this weekend. My brothers and sisters are coming there Friday with Brother Jim Holmes driving them. Our young friend Michelle is coming next Thursday. I will be released from the hospital Saturday following the surgery. Alice and I will be staying with Janice, Jeremy and Micah through May 21. We will be updating on my surgery and recovery on my web page: brownnaik.com. I am surrounded by His grace and His love and blessed by all of you. Thank you for praying and caring. May Jesus our Lord be praised. This will be my last devotional, until I get back to New York.
We will celebrate the festival of Pentecost on Sunday May 27. This is the day when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples. It happened 50 days after the Resurrection and after 10 days of Ascension. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples like fire and wind. The disciples were very possibly discouraged, disheartened, depressed and dismayed. Suddenly the Holy Spirit came upon then with power and velocity. It exploded upon them. The were propelled and expelled to proclaim the Good News of Jesus our Lord with boldeness and gladness and with fearless courage. The Lord infused them with His grace and power to turn the world upside down and right side up.
On August 6, 1945, at precisely 8:15 AM, a bomb exploded over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Within seconds, the entire city lay in ruins. Seventy thousand people were dead and another seventy thousand seriously injured. Jesus said that His disciples would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). They would be "clothed with power from high," He promised (Luke 24:49). Paul echoed the same thought when he prayed that his readers might know and experience the mighty resurrection power of Jesus in their lives (Eph. 1:18-20). For Paul the message of the Gospel itself contained power, the very power of God (Rom. 1:16). The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power! He IS quite capable of doing "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us" (Eph. 3:20). Yet perhaps the most amazing thing of all is His ability to demonstrate quiet power in ways often unnoticed by man. One such amazing aspect of the Spirit’s work is His ability to give power in suffering. Several years ago, the well-known German pastor and theologian Helmut Thielicke was asked during a visit to America what he considered the greatest problem in the US. He surprised many with his unexpected reply. "The biggest problem," he said, "is an inadequate view of suffering." He went on to explain that, in his view, the American dream of perpetual progress had led many to believe that any and all problems could be solved with a minimum of effort or discomfort. Unfortunately, he insisted, this is simply not the case. There are, and always will be, certain burdens in life that cannot be eliminated. In Thielicke’s words, "These burdens obviously pitch the American into such helpless embarrassment that he either capitulates, to them or represses them or glosses them. Unfortunately, the German pastor’s words have as much relevance for many Christian’s view of life as for society at large. In the popular mind of our age, it is assumed by many that power always leads to pleasure. Adversity and suffering are certain signs of weakness. Given this attitude, the Holy Spirit’s power is measured by his ability to make life easy for the believer. Health, wealth and success are the true signs of the Spirit’s blessings. Adversity and suffering, on the other hand are the companions of spiritual weakness. For many the Holy Spirit is powerful enough to enable a believer to escape adversity, but not strong enough to sustain him in it. Such an attitude is far removed from the teachings of the Gospel. Nowhere does Jesus promise His followers an easy life. Quite to the contrary, Jesus insisted that the path of discipleship is straight and narrow and the way hard (Matt- 7:13-14). Rather than rejecting adversity as a sign of spiritual weakness, the early Christians rejoiced that they were counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" (Acts 5:41). Paul even taught that suffering was an expected part of the Spirit-led life (Romans 8:14-27). Dr. Paul Brand, world-renowned leprosy specialist, provides some enlightening background for this spiritual truth from his experiences with the lepers of India. Dr. Brand tells how he discovered that contrary to once popular medical opinion leprosy does not directly cause the deterioration of the flesh of its victims. The disease simply deadens the nerves of the body’s extremities. Eventually the leper looses all feeling in his fingers and toes. The afflicted person can burn his hand and never feel the pain. Infection and even gangrene can eat away at his flesh with out ever creating the slightest discomfort. In fact, in certain villages in Africa and Asia the town leper is given a unique job because of his inability to feel pain. Such insensitivity soon destroys the leper’s flesh. After years of working with lepers, Dr. Brand learned to rejoice in the sensation of cutting a finger, turning an ankle, or stepping into a too-hot bath. Pain itself, the hurt of pain, is a gift. "Thank God for pain!" writes Dr. Brand.This is precisely the attitude of scripture toward adversity of every sort. Such a view, however, is not simply a Stoic acceptance of fate: "we might as well live with it. There is nothing we can do about it anyway.’’ Not at all! The Bible insists that adversity is not simply something to be endured. It is a tool of God used to teach us much needed lessons (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4). Adversity is like a cloud. It may block the sunlight for a time, but it also brings the rain. Both sunlight and rain are needed for growth. As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "God whispers in our pleasures, but shouts in our pain." Phillip Brooks must have understood this spiritual truth when he wrote, "Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle but you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself at the richness of life which has come by the grace of God." The Holy Spirit can and does bring power to God’s people. But because He is the Lord of the valleys as well as the God of the mountain tops, His power often brings the quiet strength needed to endure adversity and not simply the power to escape it. A second unexpected power of the Spirit is the power to love. Again, in-the eyes of the world, loving and forgiving are measures of weakness not strength. When abused or attacked the strong reply in kind. Vengeance, not forgiveness, is the law of life. Only the coward or the man too weak to fight fails to retaliate. He commanded them to love their enemies, not just those who were kind to them. Going the second mile, turning the other cheek, and forgiving without limit were to be the true signs of spiritual power for Jesus’ men and women. The Lord knew, as His modern disciples must learn, that real power never needs to hate or destroy. Only a man unsure of his strength needs to prove it. A truly strong man can look hate square in the eye and say, "In Jesus’ name I love! I forgive!" The Spirit also provides the power to serve. As with suffering and loving, service is not often a mark of power in a fallen world. In facts in our world a man is esteemed if he no longer is forced to dirty himself with the menial tasks of life. A powerful man is to be served not serve. Ruling, controlling, manipulating the lives of others--these are the marks of power. Jesus taught His disciples this same lesson again and again. Only a week before the Upper Room Jesus cut short an argument over His disciples positions in His Kingdom with a startling truth, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt, 20:25-28). Paul encouraged this same attitude when he wrote, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus “ (Phil. 2:3-5). The inability to accept such a concept of Christian servant-hood was the very problem that created the disastrous confusion over the work of the Holy Spirit at Corinth (1 Corinthians 12-14). Apparently many in the Corinthian church had decided that whatever power or abilities the Spirit had given them were for their own personal benefits. Paul insisted otherwise. Every gift of the Spirit is for the "common good," taught the apostle (1 Cor. 12:7). No individual member of the body dares look upon himself as the master of the church. Each is a servant of the rest. To use a gift of the Spirit for any other purpose than loving service for others is to destroy their very value to the body (1 Cor. 13:1-3). Who are the most spiritually powerful Christians today? The eloquent evangelist? The famous faith healer? The brilliant scholar? The wealthy benefactor? Perhaps, but not necessarily. The most powerful Christian may well be the lowly widow with the cup of cold water. In the kingdom, power is measured, not by prestige, or position, or wealth, but by selfless service! Suffering, loving, serving---that’s not power! Miracles, raising the dead, healing the sick--that’s power! In fact, that’s the only kind of power that will cause our world to sit up and take notice. That is the power of the Spirit that we need today! The power to love and serve and suffer is not likely to impress our kind of world very much. But that shouldn’t surprise us. The world has seldom understood or readily appreciated the ways of God. As Paul stated long ago, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 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 things that are not --to nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before him” (1 Cor. 1:18, 27-29). God still bestows power on His people, just as He always has!
In Christ,
Brown
"Ye call Me Master and obey not,Ye call Me Light and see Me not,Ye call Me Way and walk not,Ye call Me Life and desire Me not,Ye call Me Wise and follow Me not,Ye call Me Fair and love Me not,Ye call Me rich and ask Me not,Ye call Me Eternal and see Me not,Ye call Me Noble and serve Me not,Ye call Me Mighty and honor Me not,Ye call Me just and fear Me not."--Found on an old slab in the Cathedral of Lubeck, Germany===============A Child's Ten Commandments to Parentsby: Author Unknown, Source Unknown1. My hands are small. Please don't expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture or throw a ball. My legs are short. Please slow down so that I can keep up with you.2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have. Please let me explore safely. Don't restrict me unnecessarily.3. Housework will always be there. I'm only little for such a short time. Please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.4. My feelings are tender. Please be sensitive to my needs. Don't nag me all day long. (You wouldn't want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness.) Treat me as you would like to be treated.5. I am a special gift from God. Please treasure me, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by and disciplining me in a loving manner.6. I need your encouragement and your praise to grow. Please go easy on the criticism. Remember, you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.7. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday, I'll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires of me.8. Please don't do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn't quite measure up to your expectations. I know it's hard, but please don't try to compare me with my brother or my sister.9. Please don't be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it's a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special.10. Please take me to worship regularly, setting a good example for me to follow. Life Explained
On the first day, God created the dog and said: "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark atanyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years." The dog said: "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?" So God agreed.
On the second day, God created the monkey and said: "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span." The monkey said: "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?" And God agreed.
On the third day, God created the cow and said: "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years." The cow said:"That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?" And God agreed again.
On the fourth day, God created man and said: "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years." But man said:"Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?" "Okay," said God, "You asked for it."
So that is why the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves.For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family.For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren.And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.Life has now been explained to you.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Morning Devotion 5-8-07
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the beautiful day He has given us. It will be warm and wonderful with bountiful sunshine. We have many flowering trees, such as flowering crab apple trees, on the parsonage grounds which are about to explode with brilliant colors. I talked to some of my friends in India today. It is Mid-summer there. The mercury reaches 110 to 120. At times it can become oppressive and dangerous. The schools and colleges are closed for the Summer . They will reopen towards the beginning of July. In India they harvest many kinds of summer fruit. Mango is the passion fruit of India. They harvest mangoes of various sizes and shapes, colors, and flavors. As a young boy I spent my summer vacations under the mango groves, gathering and eating the mangoes with soul full, and making friends and keeping them.
"O Lord our Lord how excellent is your name all over the earth." Praise the Lord for the way He is real. He is the Lord who feels our pain, and He is the Savior who is touched by our sorrows. He is the Lord of life. He is the Alpha and Omega. As we pause and ponder about life we come to the conclusion in the light of the Word of God, that life on earth is short. Eternity is very long. Hell is for real. Heaven can be ours because of the finished work of Christ. In Christ all God's promises are "Yes".
The Bible is full of wonderful promises, but perhaps the most wonderful of all is this: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). There are many things we do not know about what heaven will be like, because it is beyond our ability to comprehend. But one thing we can be sure of is that it will fulfill our greatest longings, it will dazzle us with its beauty, it will obliterate our greatest problems with its power and splendor, it will be greater than anything we could imagine or dream, it will be a place where love and joy will reign unspoiled. The Lord of the Church is busy preparing it for His people. It took Him only 6 days to create the first creation. It is taking Him thousand years to prepare it for His people. Heaven will be a real place with real, meaningful and rewarding work for us to do. Heaven will be the fulfillment of what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” T. S. Elliot wrote: We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17). The Bible says, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). I read about Eric Clapton, who in 1991 lost his five-year-old son, Conner, after he fell from the window of their forty-ninth floor Manhattan apartment. Clapton poured out his grief in song and wrote “Tears in Heaven.” In the song he asks the question: Would you know my name If I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same If I saw you in heaven?It is the question to which a lot of people would like an answer. The truth is, we will meet again those whom we have lost who have known Christ and lived for him — if we belong to Christ. Our relationships will not be lost; they will be regained and renewed. We will experience these relationships at a level we have never known before. Deep, rewarding and fulfilling relationships will be the hallmark of heaven. Our relationship with God will be healed as well. No longer will our love for God be compromised by a selfish love for ourselves and an enchantment with the things of the world. Our love for God and our relationship with him will be unspoiled. There will be nothing between us — no separation. Our sinful nature will be taken away, and we will no longer struggle with sin and temptation. Our relationship with God will be so intimate that the book of Revelation describes it as a bride coming to her husband — full of love and passion, with arms open wide. C. S. Lewis, in his great book The Problem of Pain, struggles with the problems caused by the pains of life. In writing, he says, “Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.” I think he is right. Home is on its way, but it is not here yet. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it is. When it gets here he will make “everything new.” Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12). Every sacrifice you have made will be remembered. Every sorrow you have experienced will be dispelled with countless joys. Every rejection will be overcome by an explosion of love. At last we say, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for [us], who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5). In C. S. Lewis’ wonderful books The Chronicles of Narnia, (The Final Battle) the characters who have lived in Narnia have completed their time and work there. In a closing chapter entitled “Further Up and Further In,” Aslan, the lion who represents Christ, has come for them in order to take them home. They are headed away from Narnia and are about to enter Aslan’s land. But they are met with familiar scenes. One of the characters cries out: “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this.”
Because of Christ, the Lion of Judah, the BEST is yet to be.
Brown
Please take note: this daily devotional will be posted on my personal web page. You can visit it at www.brownnaik.com . This page has been constructed and will be maintained by my friends Larry and Mary Beth, who live in Texas, and Julie, in Oklahoma. Results from my surgery will be posted on this web page. Thank you for your prayer.
P.s. I made an error in stating that the author of the book" Heretics/Orthodoxy" was C.S. Lewis. It not Lewis but G.K. Chesterton.
Happy Birthday to Linda C. A, Becky D. B, Joan D. They are all sweet servants of Jesus.
And what might this noble Lord do of more worship and joy to me than to show me (that am so simple) this marvelous homeliness [i.e., naturalness and simplicity]? Thus it fareth with our Lord Jesus and with us. For truly it is the most joy that may be that He that is highest and mightiest, noblest and worthiest, is lowest and meekest, homeliest and most courteous: and truly this marvelous joy shall be shewn us all when we see Him. ... Juliana of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love
May 8, 1603 • Who Is Elect? Arminius Differed with Calvin.
by the Staff or associates of Christian History Institute.
After a lengthy exchange of letters, the curators and burgomasters of Leiden officially appointed Jacobus Arminius Professor of Theology at their university on this day, May 8, 1603. When first proposed for the position, Arminius doubted he would take the job. He had formed loving ties with his flock in Amsterdam. Furthermore, he had found theological research a hindrance to his growth in personal sanctity. His working relationship with Amsterdam's authorities was good and he seldom found it necessary to oppose them for the sake of conscience. Most importantly, he had a lifelong contract with Amsterdam which he could not simply break.
Arminius thought the Bible could legitimately be interpreted a little differently from Calvin
Arminius was Amsterdam's favorite minister. He had served there fifteen years. Yet the possibility of appointment to Leiden raised the question of his orthodoxy. Calvin and Beza taught that Romans 7 referred to a regenerate man. Arminius held that it was the description of an unregenerate person. His chief opponent in Leyden, Franciscus Gomarus, confessed he had never read Arminius' work. After Arminius explained his views, Gomarus agreed they were defensible if not the interpretation he preferred. Arminius showed that his position had been held by a score of eminent theologians from church history.
Everyone was appeased. His appointment had cleared its last hurdle.
Amsterdam was persuaded to release Arminius. The city promised to provide his widow a pension should he die before her and they gave him a substantial parting gift.
Arminius had not cleared his last hurdle of controversy, however. At Leyden he became embroiled in theological arguments not of his own choosing. He was compelled by the lecture schedule to speak on predestination, a topic on which his views were already suspect to strict Calvinists. His lecture consisted almost entirely of scripture with minimal comment. Arminius' careful pastiche of scriptural quotes did not follow the Calvinist line as closely as they desired and the Calvinists challenged him. Strict Calvinists believe Christ died only for the elect. Arminius held Christ died for all (although not all would be saved). "Let those who reject the [teaching that Christ paid the price for the sins of all men] consider how they can answer the following scriptures, which declare that Christ died for all men..." He also said people have genuine free will and grace is resistible. The Calvinist views seemed to preclude free will because they said grace is irresistible.
Arminius tried hard to keep peace, even deliberately withholding some of his views. He tested each of his views to make sure none nullified the doctrine of salvation by faith. Furthermore he was careful to avoid anything which smacked of Pelagianism. He never denied predestination. All was by God's choice. God predestined those he knew would obey him in faith.
After his death, Arminius' views were condemned at the Synod of Dort. But in 1795 the Dutch recognized them as a legitimate interpretation of scripture. Many notable Protestants have held Arminian views, including the Wesleys. Protestant groups are often divided into Arminians and Calvinists.
Praise the Lord for the beautiful day He has given us. It will be warm and wonderful with bountiful sunshine. We have many flowering trees, such as flowering crab apple trees, on the parsonage grounds which are about to explode with brilliant colors. I talked to some of my friends in India today. It is Mid-summer there. The mercury reaches 110 to 120. At times it can become oppressive and dangerous. The schools and colleges are closed for the Summer . They will reopen towards the beginning of July. In India they harvest many kinds of summer fruit. Mango is the passion fruit of India. They harvest mangoes of various sizes and shapes, colors, and flavors. As a young boy I spent my summer vacations under the mango groves, gathering and eating the mangoes with soul full, and making friends and keeping them.
"O Lord our Lord how excellent is your name all over the earth." Praise the Lord for the way He is real. He is the Lord who feels our pain, and He is the Savior who is touched by our sorrows. He is the Lord of life. He is the Alpha and Omega. As we pause and ponder about life we come to the conclusion in the light of the Word of God, that life on earth is short. Eternity is very long. Hell is for real. Heaven can be ours because of the finished work of Christ. In Christ all God's promises are "Yes".
The Bible is full of wonderful promises, but perhaps the most wonderful of all is this: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). There are many things we do not know about what heaven will be like, because it is beyond our ability to comprehend. But one thing we can be sure of is that it will fulfill our greatest longings, it will dazzle us with its beauty, it will obliterate our greatest problems with its power and splendor, it will be greater than anything we could imagine or dream, it will be a place where love and joy will reign unspoiled. The Lord of the Church is busy preparing it for His people. It took Him only 6 days to create the first creation. It is taking Him thousand years to prepare it for His people. Heaven will be a real place with real, meaningful and rewarding work for us to do. Heaven will be the fulfillment of what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” T. S. Elliot wrote: We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17). The Bible says, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). I read about Eric Clapton, who in 1991 lost his five-year-old son, Conner, after he fell from the window of their forty-ninth floor Manhattan apartment. Clapton poured out his grief in song and wrote “Tears in Heaven.” In the song he asks the question: Would you know my name If I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same If I saw you in heaven?It is the question to which a lot of people would like an answer. The truth is, we will meet again those whom we have lost who have known Christ and lived for him — if we belong to Christ. Our relationships will not be lost; they will be regained and renewed. We will experience these relationships at a level we have never known before. Deep, rewarding and fulfilling relationships will be the hallmark of heaven. Our relationship with God will be healed as well. No longer will our love for God be compromised by a selfish love for ourselves and an enchantment with the things of the world. Our love for God and our relationship with him will be unspoiled. There will be nothing between us — no separation. Our sinful nature will be taken away, and we will no longer struggle with sin and temptation. Our relationship with God will be so intimate that the book of Revelation describes it as a bride coming to her husband — full of love and passion, with arms open wide. C. S. Lewis, in his great book The Problem of Pain, struggles with the problems caused by the pains of life. In writing, he says, “Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.” I think he is right. Home is on its way, but it is not here yet. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it is. When it gets here he will make “everything new.” Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12). Every sacrifice you have made will be remembered. Every sorrow you have experienced will be dispelled with countless joys. Every rejection will be overcome by an explosion of love. At last we say, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for [us], who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5). In C. S. Lewis’ wonderful books The Chronicles of Narnia, (The Final Battle) the characters who have lived in Narnia have completed their time and work there. In a closing chapter entitled “Further Up and Further In,” Aslan, the lion who represents Christ, has come for them in order to take them home. They are headed away from Narnia and are about to enter Aslan’s land. But they are met with familiar scenes. One of the characters cries out: “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this.”
Because of Christ, the Lion of Judah, the BEST is yet to be.
Brown
Please take note: this daily devotional will be posted on my personal web page. You can visit it at www.brownnaik.com . This page has been constructed and will be maintained by my friends Larry and Mary Beth, who live in Texas, and Julie, in Oklahoma. Results from my surgery will be posted on this web page. Thank you for your prayer.
P.s. I made an error in stating that the author of the book" Heretics/Orthodoxy" was C.S. Lewis. It not Lewis but G.K. Chesterton.
Happy Birthday to Linda C. A, Becky D. B, Joan D. They are all sweet servants of Jesus.
And what might this noble Lord do of more worship and joy to me than to show me (that am so simple) this marvelous homeliness [i.e., naturalness and simplicity]? Thus it fareth with our Lord Jesus and with us. For truly it is the most joy that may be that He that is highest and mightiest, noblest and worthiest, is lowest and meekest, homeliest and most courteous: and truly this marvelous joy shall be shewn us all when we see Him. ... Juliana of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love
May 8, 1603 • Who Is Elect? Arminius Differed with Calvin.
by the Staff or associates of Christian History Institute.
After a lengthy exchange of letters, the curators and burgomasters of Leiden officially appointed Jacobus Arminius Professor of Theology at their university on this day, May 8, 1603. When first proposed for the position, Arminius doubted he would take the job. He had formed loving ties with his flock in Amsterdam. Furthermore, he had found theological research a hindrance to his growth in personal sanctity. His working relationship with Amsterdam's authorities was good and he seldom found it necessary to oppose them for the sake of conscience. Most importantly, he had a lifelong contract with Amsterdam which he could not simply break.
Arminius thought the Bible could legitimately be interpreted a little differently from Calvin
Arminius was Amsterdam's favorite minister. He had served there fifteen years. Yet the possibility of appointment to Leiden raised the question of his orthodoxy. Calvin and Beza taught that Romans 7 referred to a regenerate man. Arminius held that it was the description of an unregenerate person. His chief opponent in Leyden, Franciscus Gomarus, confessed he had never read Arminius' work. After Arminius explained his views, Gomarus agreed they were defensible if not the interpretation he preferred. Arminius showed that his position had been held by a score of eminent theologians from church history.
Everyone was appeased. His appointment had cleared its last hurdle.
Amsterdam was persuaded to release Arminius. The city promised to provide his widow a pension should he die before her and they gave him a substantial parting gift.
Arminius had not cleared his last hurdle of controversy, however. At Leyden he became embroiled in theological arguments not of his own choosing. He was compelled by the lecture schedule to speak on predestination, a topic on which his views were already suspect to strict Calvinists. His lecture consisted almost entirely of scripture with minimal comment. Arminius' careful pastiche of scriptural quotes did not follow the Calvinist line as closely as they desired and the Calvinists challenged him. Strict Calvinists believe Christ died only for the elect. Arminius held Christ died for all (although not all would be saved). "Let those who reject the [teaching that Christ paid the price for the sins of all men] consider how they can answer the following scriptures, which declare that Christ died for all men..." He also said people have genuine free will and grace is resistible. The Calvinist views seemed to preclude free will because they said grace is irresistible.
Arminius tried hard to keep peace, even deliberately withholding some of his views. He tested each of his views to make sure none nullified the doctrine of salvation by faith. Furthermore he was careful to avoid anything which smacked of Pelagianism. He never denied predestination. All was by God's choice. God predestined those he knew would obey him in faith.
After his death, Arminius' views were condemned at the Synod of Dort. But in 1795 the Dutch recognized them as a legitimate interpretation of scripture. Many notable Protestants have held Arminian views, including the Wesleys. Protestant groups are often divided into Arminians and Calvinists.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Brown's morning devotion 5-6-07
Good Morning.
Praise the Lord for this Lord's day. The highlight of every week for me is the day of worship and celebration. We come before the Lord God our Creator, our Redeemer and our Sustainer. We come before our Father, our Savior, and our Comforter.
We came back from Boston on Saturday, and Janice and Micah came down to be with us for a few days. We will be going back to Boston Wednesday afternoon. The surgery is scheduled for Friday, May 11, 2007, at 1.30 PM Eastern standard time. Thank you for praying fervently, faithfully trusting in the awesome power of our Lord, and standing on His unfailing promises. The Lord has given me wonderful peace and great joy. While in Boston two of our friends, from England, vacationing in Boston joined us for an evening meal and for a time of prayer.
The New testament passage for Sunday was taken from Revelation 21. Here we discover that Heaven is a place of joy. C. S. Lewis, in his "Orthodoxy" concludes, "There was someone thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth". Heaven is a place of joy because of our joyous God who is there. The Scripture clearly states that heaven will be a place where God will wipe away every tear and there will be no more crying. So often when we see scenes of heaven in the Bible there are great exclamations of joy and glorious singing. I think we often pass over the ecstasy of heaven. We see the holiness of heaven and the glory of God, but we miss the ecstatic joy. We understand that there will be no more pain and no more evil, but something in the back of our minds whispers that it might just be a little boring. Where did we get this idea that heaven was about flying around through the clouds playing harps? To tell you the truth, if that is what heaven was all about I wouldn’t be interested either. I believe there will be meaningful and purposeful activity. I believe there will be indescribable joy. When Jesus was on earth he said that his purpose in coming was, “so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). If that was his desire and purpose on earth, how much more is it his purpose in heaven. He said that there was great joy in heaven when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7). There is great joy over the repentant sinner, because there is one more person who will share in the glories of heaven. Part of the joy of heaven for God and for us is that you will be there. The Psalmist talked of the joy and pleasures in heaven when he wrote, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11). The Scripture talk of new heavens and a new earth, for the old heavens and earth have passed away. We are told of a new city coming down from heaven. I began to think about this passage that I have read so many times before and I was struck by a new thought. A city is a city only because it is filled with people — otherwise it is only a ghost town. This is not just a walled compound with streets and gates. This is a group of people. The foundations are people. The gates are people. The city is described as a “bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” And who are these people? These are the redeemed, those who have been filling the city for thousands of years and waiting for their return to the new earth, to dwell there in their new bodies. Paul wrote to the Corinthians saying, “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. "Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:50-52). I get excited when I think about what it will mean to be changed. So what is the purpose of these new bodies living in a new city? It means to live in deep, meaningful, wonderful, fulfilling relationships with other people. We will live in community with other believers and find them to be part of what makes heaven so wonderful. Gone will be the egotism, wounds, personality flaws, and misunderstandings that make relationships so difficult here. We will see as we are seen and know as we are known. Paul said, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. . . . Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:9-12). Randy Alcorn, in his book simply titled "Heaven", says, “Consider what it will be like to see the Masai of Kenya, the Dinka of Sudan, the Hmong, Athabaskans, Tibetans, Aucans, Icelanders, Macedonians, Moldovans, Moroccans, and Peruvians. Hundreds of nations, thousands of people groups, will gather to worship Christ. Many national and cultural distinctives, untouched by sin, will continue to the glory of God. The third thing I see in this passage is that Heaven takes seriously the difficulties we are facing now. The Lord said, “To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son” (Revelation 21:6-7). The Lord understands that in this present world there is a thirst for something new, a world where our longings are met and fulfilled. He understands that sometimes there are things we will face and have to overcome. This whole passage was written to give us hope, because the Lord knew we would need hope. In a world that can be difficult and unsatisfying, we need to know that there is another world coming where all our needs and deep longings will be met in ways that cannot be explained because they cannot be comprehended now. For the Bible says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). If it was not for the hope of heaven, life would be very difficult at times. However, we do not use the hope of heaven as a means to escape the difficulties of life. No, this hope is the means of facing the realities of life. Heaven is a part of the reality of life, and even though it is largely in the future, it is beginning right here and now. It is the hope of what God has for me tomorrow that enables me to face today. I really don’t know what those people do who believe that life is an accident and there is no meaning to life or our personal existence. How do you live like that, especially when it is not true? What would it be like to believe that there is not a loving God living at the center of the universe and no purpose to the things we face? What if instead of a smile at the heart of all things, there was a frown, or worse, there was only a blank stare. What would you do if you just believed that you died, rotted and that was it? Life would be very dark and joyless. When you know that this is your Father’s world, that He created it all with a grand purpose in mind, when you believe you are loved by the Creator of the universe and life has meaning, when you understand that God is in control and that he is bringing the world to a wonderful conclusion, then you face life with joy and confidence. Life has meaning, purpose and direction. Lee Elcov says, “We focus on heaven not as a respite from real life, but to gain strength for real life.” Like Spring sunshine at the end of a long, hard winter, Heaven will break like the dawn of a new day, a day of joy and celebration that we cannot at the present time begin to grasp. In John Bunyan’s "Pilgrim’s Progress", Christian and the Interpreter, in the course of their journey, come across a man with a muck rake in his hand. Steadily raking filth from the floor, the man ‘could look no way but downwards’ and so, could not see the celestial crown being offered him from above.” Like that man, we can look down at the muck, or we can look up. This is the gift that God is offering, but we have to look up to see what is being offered. We have to open our eyes to the God who seeks to embrace us and take us to his eternal reward.
Please take note: this daily devotional will be posted on my personal web page. You can visit it at www.brownnaik.com . This page has been constructed and will be maintained by my friends Larry and Mary Beth, who live in Texas, and Julie, in Oklahoma. Results from my surgery will be posted on this web page. Thank you for your prayer.
With much love,
Brown
Praise the Lord for this Lord's day. The highlight of every week for me is the day of worship and celebration. We come before the Lord God our Creator, our Redeemer and our Sustainer. We come before our Father, our Savior, and our Comforter.
We came back from Boston on Saturday, and Janice and Micah came down to be with us for a few days. We will be going back to Boston Wednesday afternoon. The surgery is scheduled for Friday, May 11, 2007, at 1.30 PM Eastern standard time. Thank you for praying fervently, faithfully trusting in the awesome power of our Lord, and standing on His unfailing promises. The Lord has given me wonderful peace and great joy. While in Boston two of our friends, from England, vacationing in Boston joined us for an evening meal and for a time of prayer.
The New testament passage for Sunday was taken from Revelation 21. Here we discover that Heaven is a place of joy. C. S. Lewis, in his "Orthodoxy" concludes, "There was someone thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth". Heaven is a place of joy because of our joyous God who is there. The Scripture clearly states that heaven will be a place where God will wipe away every tear and there will be no more crying. So often when we see scenes of heaven in the Bible there are great exclamations of joy and glorious singing. I think we often pass over the ecstasy of heaven. We see the holiness of heaven and the glory of God, but we miss the ecstatic joy. We understand that there will be no more pain and no more evil, but something in the back of our minds whispers that it might just be a little boring. Where did we get this idea that heaven was about flying around through the clouds playing harps? To tell you the truth, if that is what heaven was all about I wouldn’t be interested either. I believe there will be meaningful and purposeful activity. I believe there will be indescribable joy. When Jesus was on earth he said that his purpose in coming was, “so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). If that was his desire and purpose on earth, how much more is it his purpose in heaven. He said that there was great joy in heaven when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7). There is great joy over the repentant sinner, because there is one more person who will share in the glories of heaven. Part of the joy of heaven for God and for us is that you will be there. The Psalmist talked of the joy and pleasures in heaven when he wrote, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11). The Scripture talk of new heavens and a new earth, for the old heavens and earth have passed away. We are told of a new city coming down from heaven. I began to think about this passage that I have read so many times before and I was struck by a new thought. A city is a city only because it is filled with people — otherwise it is only a ghost town. This is not just a walled compound with streets and gates. This is a group of people. The foundations are people. The gates are people. The city is described as a “bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” And who are these people? These are the redeemed, those who have been filling the city for thousands of years and waiting for their return to the new earth, to dwell there in their new bodies. Paul wrote to the Corinthians saying, “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. "Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:50-52). I get excited when I think about what it will mean to be changed. So what is the purpose of these new bodies living in a new city? It means to live in deep, meaningful, wonderful, fulfilling relationships with other people. We will live in community with other believers and find them to be part of what makes heaven so wonderful. Gone will be the egotism, wounds, personality flaws, and misunderstandings that make relationships so difficult here. We will see as we are seen and know as we are known. Paul said, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. . . . Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:9-12). Randy Alcorn, in his book simply titled "Heaven", says, “Consider what it will be like to see the Masai of Kenya, the Dinka of Sudan, the Hmong, Athabaskans, Tibetans, Aucans, Icelanders, Macedonians, Moldovans, Moroccans, and Peruvians. Hundreds of nations, thousands of people groups, will gather to worship Christ. Many national and cultural distinctives, untouched by sin, will continue to the glory of God. The third thing I see in this passage is that Heaven takes seriously the difficulties we are facing now. The Lord said, “To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son” (Revelation 21:6-7). The Lord understands that in this present world there is a thirst for something new, a world where our longings are met and fulfilled. He understands that sometimes there are things we will face and have to overcome. This whole passage was written to give us hope, because the Lord knew we would need hope. In a world that can be difficult and unsatisfying, we need to know that there is another world coming where all our needs and deep longings will be met in ways that cannot be explained because they cannot be comprehended now. For the Bible says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). If it was not for the hope of heaven, life would be very difficult at times. However, we do not use the hope of heaven as a means to escape the difficulties of life. No, this hope is the means of facing the realities of life. Heaven is a part of the reality of life, and even though it is largely in the future, it is beginning right here and now. It is the hope of what God has for me tomorrow that enables me to face today. I really don’t know what those people do who believe that life is an accident and there is no meaning to life or our personal existence. How do you live like that, especially when it is not true? What would it be like to believe that there is not a loving God living at the center of the universe and no purpose to the things we face? What if instead of a smile at the heart of all things, there was a frown, or worse, there was only a blank stare. What would you do if you just believed that you died, rotted and that was it? Life would be very dark and joyless. When you know that this is your Father’s world, that He created it all with a grand purpose in mind, when you believe you are loved by the Creator of the universe and life has meaning, when you understand that God is in control and that he is bringing the world to a wonderful conclusion, then you face life with joy and confidence. Life has meaning, purpose and direction. Lee Elcov says, “We focus on heaven not as a respite from real life, but to gain strength for real life.” Like Spring sunshine at the end of a long, hard winter, Heaven will break like the dawn of a new day, a day of joy and celebration that we cannot at the present time begin to grasp. In John Bunyan’s "Pilgrim’s Progress", Christian and the Interpreter, in the course of their journey, come across a man with a muck rake in his hand. Steadily raking filth from the floor, the man ‘could look no way but downwards’ and so, could not see the celestial crown being offered him from above.” Like that man, we can look down at the muck, or we can look up. This is the gift that God is offering, but we have to look up to see what is being offered. We have to open our eyes to the God who seeks to embrace us and take us to his eternal reward.
Please take note: this daily devotional will be posted on my personal web page. You can visit it at www.brownnaik.com . This page has been constructed and will be maintained by my friends Larry and Mary Beth, who live in Texas, and Julie, in Oklahoma. Results from my surgery will be posted on this web page. Thank you for your prayer.
With much love,
Brown
Brown's morning devotion 5-2-07
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this beautiful, brilliant and bountiful Wednesday. Praise the Lord it is midweek. Praise the Lord for the way that He empowers us and anoints us to live as the over comers. In 1 John we read, "Great is He who is in us than he who is in the world." Our Lord Jesus came to destroy the powers of the enemy. He broke the chains and the shackles of sin. What a Savior! Every time Satan met Jesus it was one of his worst days. The Lord displayed and demonstrated His awesome power before him. Satan trembled and stills trembles at the name of Jesus. In Matthew 12:29 we read, "For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. During the brutal reign of Joseph Stalin, who murdered 30 million Russians and bought godless communism to Russia, Stalin, let it be known that he planned to murder the Jews of Russia. When the believers in England heard this report, they committed themselves to fasting and prayer for the Jews of Russia praying in the spirit, they found the Demonic forces that drove Joseph Stalin. Three weeks later, Joseph Stalin had a brain hemorrhage. 16 gifted brain surgeons worked on him for eight hours, and still Joseph Stalin stepped into eternity, on March 5, 1953. Jesus said to his church, what ever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. The apostle Paul writes in Romans the eighth chapter the 26th and 30th verses.26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own Will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. Note, that our weakness in this verse is in our minds. We do not know what we should pray for. We have a language barrier with heaven, therefore, the Holy Spirit makes intercession to God in heaven for us, saying, Father, heres what your child is trying to say. As we go on, we can see that the New Testament church was under extreme persecution. King Herod had executed James, the brother of John. The King then arrested Peter and placed him in a maximum-security prison, where he was guarded by four squads of four soldiers around the clock. What was the churches response? They prayed to God without ceasing for Peter’s deliverance. They didn't have political influence or financial wealth, but they knew the power of prayer. What was Gods response? Angels were released to help Peter escaped from prison. It tells us this in Acts 12:11-15, Our prayer of faith and in faith, also has the power to release the angels of God to defend us, guard us, and guide us. King David wrote he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. Psalms 91:11 the phrase to keep is a military expression meaning, to guard by force. We have that power, through prayer. Uniquely enough, the church that was praying for the deliverance of their pastor, Peter, was shocked when it happened, so shocked that when Peter knocked on the door, they thought it was his Angel and not the man of God himself. The early church had waged war in the heavenlies but they hadn’t prayed with a sense of expectation that they would win. Do you? And God finished this heavenly battle by judging Herod. Acts 12:23 says, Then immediately the Angel Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. Prayer is a weapon of attack, and praise is also a weapon of attack. The enemy is Satan and his kingdom. Praise gives strength to the body of Christ to conquer the Prince of darkness.
Thank you for praying for me fervently, passionately and faithfully. We will be going to Boston today for my pre-op appointment tomorrow. We'll return back on Saturday. I'll be preaching on Sunday. We'll go back to Boston on May 10, 2007. My surgery is scheduled for Friday, May 11 at 1:30 p.m. I'm blessed to have you all praying for me. I'm an unworthy and sinful man, but the Lord is gracious and kind and very merciful. In Chapter 2 of Mark we read about four friends who brought their friend to Jesus. The man was paralyzed and was carried by his friends. We read there that Jesus saw "their" faith and offered healing and salvation to the man that was paralyzed. Often my faith is frail and fragile but I'm blessed to have you as my friends whose faith is strong and fervent. Have a wonderful day of walking with the Lord and serving Him with joy. I'll write you next Monday, until then....may Jesus be praised. Amen.
Brown
Praise the Lord for this beautiful, brilliant and bountiful Wednesday. Praise the Lord it is midweek. Praise the Lord for the way that He empowers us and anoints us to live as the over comers. In 1 John we read, "Great is He who is in us than he who is in the world." Our Lord Jesus came to destroy the powers of the enemy. He broke the chains and the shackles of sin. What a Savior! Every time Satan met Jesus it was one of his worst days. The Lord displayed and demonstrated His awesome power before him. Satan trembled and stills trembles at the name of Jesus. In Matthew 12:29 we read, "For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. During the brutal reign of Joseph Stalin, who murdered 30 million Russians and bought godless communism to Russia, Stalin, let it be known that he planned to murder the Jews of Russia. When the believers in England heard this report, they committed themselves to fasting and prayer for the Jews of Russia praying in the spirit, they found the Demonic forces that drove Joseph Stalin. Three weeks later, Joseph Stalin had a brain hemorrhage. 16 gifted brain surgeons worked on him for eight hours, and still Joseph Stalin stepped into eternity, on March 5, 1953. Jesus said to his church, what ever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. The apostle Paul writes in Romans the eighth chapter the 26th and 30th verses.26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own Will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. Note, that our weakness in this verse is in our minds. We do not know what we should pray for. We have a language barrier with heaven, therefore, the Holy Spirit makes intercession to God in heaven for us, saying, Father, heres what your child is trying to say. As we go on, we can see that the New Testament church was under extreme persecution. King Herod had executed James, the brother of John. The King then arrested Peter and placed him in a maximum-security prison, where he was guarded by four squads of four soldiers around the clock. What was the churches response? They prayed to God without ceasing for Peter’s deliverance. They didn't have political influence or financial wealth, but they knew the power of prayer. What was Gods response? Angels were released to help Peter escaped from prison. It tells us this in Acts 12:11-15, Our prayer of faith and in faith, also has the power to release the angels of God to defend us, guard us, and guide us. King David wrote he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. Psalms 91:11 the phrase to keep is a military expression meaning, to guard by force. We have that power, through prayer. Uniquely enough, the church that was praying for the deliverance of their pastor, Peter, was shocked when it happened, so shocked that when Peter knocked on the door, they thought it was his Angel and not the man of God himself. The early church had waged war in the heavenlies but they hadn’t prayed with a sense of expectation that they would win. Do you? And God finished this heavenly battle by judging Herod. Acts 12:23 says, Then immediately the Angel Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. Prayer is a weapon of attack, and praise is also a weapon of attack. The enemy is Satan and his kingdom. Praise gives strength to the body of Christ to conquer the Prince of darkness.
Thank you for praying for me fervently, passionately and faithfully. We will be going to Boston today for my pre-op appointment tomorrow. We'll return back on Saturday. I'll be preaching on Sunday. We'll go back to Boston on May 10, 2007. My surgery is scheduled for Friday, May 11 at 1:30 p.m. I'm blessed to have you all praying for me. I'm an unworthy and sinful man, but the Lord is gracious and kind and very merciful. In Chapter 2 of Mark we read about four friends who brought their friend to Jesus. The man was paralyzed and was carried by his friends. We read there that Jesus saw "their" faith and offered healing and salvation to the man that was paralyzed. Often my faith is frail and fragile but I'm blessed to have you as my friends whose faith is strong and fervent. Have a wonderful day of walking with the Lord and serving Him with joy. I'll write you next Monday, until then....may Jesus be praised. Amen.
Brown
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