Good Morning,
One of earliest memories I have of reading Psalm 121 was when I was in the seventh grade. I was preparing for finals, and one of teachers's who has now gone to be with the Lord read this Psalm and prayed for me. As I went away from my home at an early age to go to school, later traveled to far away places and finally to a far away country called the USA, my family members read this psalm before praying for me. At times we read this Psalm when our daughters travel to far away places. Today many people continue to recite Psalm 121 at the beginning of a journey. Its’ been called the “Traveler’s Psalm” and is an affirmation of God’s powerful and providential protection.
Isaac Bashevis Singer once confessed, “I only pray when I’m in trouble…but I’m in trouble all the time, and so I pray all the time.” Where do we turn when we are in trouble, when life hits us hard? Where does our help come from? There have been times in our lives when we can look back at an instance and say, “If it were not for God’s protection, I would have been killed.” What sustains us in our darkest hours? The reassurance of Psalm 121 brings us from fear to faith.
Many people have been blindsided by the beauty of the opening statement, and have misunderstood the author’s intent. We picture someone being inspired by a mountain range, finding strength in the rugged, hilly landscape. Part of the problem is the King James rendering: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” Yet the hills are exactly where the psalmist does NOT find strength. He looks higher than the hills. The NIV correctly puts it in the form of a question, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?” Then he gives the answer: “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” One name for God is El-Shaddai, “the most high God”. He is above all others; He is our “higher power”.
The Jewish composer of this Psalm considered his options. Back in Bible times, pagan shrines were built on hilltops, as they still do in India today, calling them “high places”. Groves of trees were planted and people were lured to these places by the false promise of spells, magic, and the immoral practices of cultic prostitution. There is no help or protection from Baal or Asherah, or any of the false gods. Don’t look to the hills—accept no substitutes.
Heathen/Gentile nations, like Hindu India today, worshipped and feared the sun and the moon, and people today continue to trust in the stars (as in astrology/horoscopes). The psalmist looks beyond the hills, beyond the sun, moon, and stars to the One who stood on the edge of nothing and spoke the universe into existence. We are assured, “the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night” (vs 4). Wiccan, Native American, and New Age religions, including some of the modern tree huggers, confused ecologists, continue to worship nature (the Created) instead of its Creator (pantheism). The prophet Jeremiah declares, “Truly the hills are a delusion—the idolatrous commotion on the mountains” (3:23). Jesus assures us, “I am with you always.” We don’t need any “supplemental help” from the sun or the moon.
We may not be worshipping nature or bowing down to idols, yet we are still susceptible to idolatry, which is trusting in anything other than God. An idol is anything we love, rely on, and obey more than God.
Our help is heavenward, not earthbound. We cry out for help, and our help comes “from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (vs 2). To look anywhere else ends in futility and disappointment. Vs. 3 declares that God “will not let your foot slip.” In God we find our security. Roads in ancient Israel were strewn with dangerous rocks and stones, and robbers were a constant threat. This was before the New Testament time of protected Roman roads which made travel much safer than previously. The brief book of Jude says that God is “able to keep us from stumbling” (vs 24). Peter assures us that we are “kept by the power of God” (I Pet 1:5). Though the paths of life are often difficult and perilous, God will not allow our feet to slip.
Psalm 121 helps us meet straight-on the issue of how to deal with fears and insecurities in a dangerous world. When the Israelites made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem their homes were unprotected. But we are assured in vs. 3 that God “will not slumber nor sleep”. He watches over us every step of the way. He is with us. Soldiers can rest from battle because guards are placed along the perimeter. In the same way, we are garrisoned by the eyes of God’s Providence night and day.
Verse 5 says that God is our “shade”on our right hand. The desert is an unforgiving place. I got some pictures the other day from Iraq, of soldiers fighting in a desert storm, where the sun burns and the unrelenting heat can sap our strength. In the Middle East it can get up to 120 degrees in the Summer months. Soldiers assigned there complain of boots and tires melting and the tarmac turning to mush. Heat injuries are a common threat. Yet God shades us, the shadow of His protection covers us.
Next, the moon will not harm us by night. People have long feared the power of the moon to affect their minds. People still say all sorts of craziness happens during a full moon. Being “moonstruck” is to become unstable, to lose one’s reason. The word “lunacy” comes from the word Luna, another name for the moon. They become lunatics. If we walk with God, He will guard and renew our minds (Rom 12:1-2). He changes us from the inside-out.
An executive was getting ready for a month-long business trip. He prayed with his wife before departing: “Lord, please protect Sharon and the children while I’m gone.” His wife looked up at him when he finished and said, “Who do you think protects us while you’re here?” I’ve been away from my family as well. God can help our family more in our absence than we can in our presence.” When we rely on any help other than God, we’re not getting enough protection. Looking to the hills ends in disappointment.
Verse 7 says that God will keep us from “harm”. This could be translated “evil” (RSV). The Christian life isn’t a quiet escape to a garden where we can walk and talk with our Lord; it’s finding strength in the midst of trying circumstances in a difficult world. Phillips Brooks, renowned pastor of Boston’s Trinity Church, stated: “Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger people. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.”
Sometimes God protects us even when we make dumb decisions. Yet there are times when we seem to be doing most things right, and bad things happen anyway. God hasn’t lost interest in us, He hasn’t deserted or forgotten us, and He isn’t sleeping. He has a purpose in all things, though often we’re unable to grasp the reason. We may stumble a bit along the way, but those who walk with the Lord Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, always reach their destination.
Thank You Jesus,
Brown
Here are some updates from the prayer list yesterday.
What a glorious day in the Lord we have today. As we enter into the Fall season we see the majesty of God and His wondrous works all around us, the beautiful colors, the fresh Fall air, oh such beauty from our Creator. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
We have many prayer requests this morning but God has many more promises from His Word concerning each prayer request we bring to Him. In Isaiah we read: "How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you. Also we read in Job 22:27: "You will pray to Him, and He will hear you...so with that, I ask if you would make your request made known to God.
Patsy Carmon who had a stroke has been moved to General hospital for rehabiliation.
Eleanornore Skinner who has been hospitalized General hospital.
Rosemary Bowen who had surgery is home recovering.
Ryan Kerr,who is in hospice care, he is the nephew of Dr. Douglas Kerr.
Trudy Wesner who had complete knee replacement surgery. She may be coming home today.
Justin Brown.
Linda Ayer, for total healing.
Jack Black.
Grant DeGaramo.
Don Harbecke, 52 years old is had a quadruple heart bypass yesterday in Illinois,
he came through the surgery well. Praise the Lord.
Leslie Broughton, is going for chemo treatment.
Larry, Jane, and family who just moved to their dream house. Larry is concerned that he might lose his job in Atlanta.
Geraldine Okes (Betty DuBois’s sister) who is hospitalized, she had a heart attack and a stroke in Columbia, SC.
Jovita Naik, who is a recent college graduate, looking for a job.
Janice, our oldest daughter, who is going back to work next week, after the birth of Simeon. She works for Healthcare for the Homeless in Boston.
Our youngest daughter Jessica, who will be finishing her assignment with the Americorps in Philadlphia in few weeks.
Sunita who is attending a weeklong conference in Haiti. Sunita will be coming home tomorrow.
Pray for Cameron Tyler, (Lee and Eunice Sanford’s grandson) born 8 weeks prematurely, weighing 4 pounds, in neonatal ICU in Boston.
Pray for Kristin, Becky, Shannan - our young expecting moms.
Jane Leoffler, she is doing well now but she is still at Wilson hospital. She and her husband Charles have been married for 65 years. WOW!
Andy Morse, (Mary Lou Horn’s grandson). Andy is waiting for the biopsy results. He is still at Sloane Kettering in New York City.
Kim, a young mom had an emergency appendectomy yesterday. Kim is home now recovering.
Brolin Parker... As he recovers from surgery in Albany last week.
Burt Sweet (Retired Pastor) is still recovering from lung surgery in Watertown, NY. Please pray for Burt and his family as his health continues to be fragile.
Geno DeAngelo, Binghamton Police officer, father of four children, battling lung cancer.
Praise the Lord for those who have gone to be with Jesus, having loved him on earth.
Betty Slade in KS, Burt Dunham, Joan Purdy, Hugh Dean, Seanne McPherson's uncle, Jim Gibbore.
Pastor Brown's uncle Mamdu Naik in India. He was a staunch Hindu, who accepted the Lord a few years ago. He was baptized last year. He died last week at the age of 85. He was the husband of my mom's oldest sister. They were blessed with 6 children. All of their children except one son love the Lord and are serving Him. The Lord has blessed the entire family. One of the grandsons is an evangelist and a pastor. He was formerly an insurance company executive. He left a very lucrative position to serve the Lord in full time ministry. The Lord is using him in a spectacular way. Over two hundred people have come to Christ from very staunch Hindu families through his ministry. The Lord is doing some amazing things in India. The church is exploding like wildfire. Praise be to God.
Pray for Jack Hoppes who is going for some tests on his liver today. Jack had open heart surgery nine years ago.
Pray for Jim Haas who is working with FEMA in Ohio. Liz is going down to be with him for a few days.
Pray for Eloise Tewksbury for continued healing.
Pray for Dave and Linda Barton and the team that is going to Central America on a short term mission trip in October.
Pray for this evenings television outreach on channel 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Plan to be in the Lord's house this Sunday to worship and celebrate, invite a friend.
The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
Psalm 145:18,19
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 9-27-07
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for the way He is our eternal contemporary and our Eternal companion. In this vast world we are meant to never roam alone. He is the Way. He is our Guide. He is our Guardian. He is our Vision. He loves to lead us. He delights in ordering our path. We read Psalm 37:23, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…" This can apply to us personally, to our families, finances, moves, businesses, and decisions. However, the “stops” and the detours of a good man are ordered by the Lord as well.
Sometimes God closes doors and puts up roadblocks, when we are going the wrong way. At times He paves detours for those who walk with Him. God sometimes uses outward circumstances to guide us, like a door closing, and the worst thing we can do is kick it down and barge through anyway. If we insist on having our way God may do something that we won’t like in the end…He may let us have our way!
Our disappointments are often God’s appointments! Our extremities are His opportunities. When God closes one door he opens another. As Anslem said"We all have a God-shaped void inside of us," and often people try to fill that void with things of the world, such as pleasure, sex, drugs and alcohol, material goods, achievement, money, relationships, and even good works and social involvement!
But the only thing that can fill the God-shaped void is the Lord of Life! As people try all these things they are really calling out, come and help me!
David Brainerd won many thousands of American Indians to Christ. He said, “I cared not where or how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so that I could but gain souls for Christ. While I was asleep I dreamed of these things, and when I awoke, it was the first thought that I had, the thought of this great work.”
He caught the vision, he heard the Indians crying, “come over here and help us!”
David Livingston, the first man to take the gospel into the heart of Africa, said, “I must open a way to the interior or perish!” It was do or die. He caught the vision, and he heard the Africans crying, “come over here and help us!” J. Hudson Taylor, pioneer Missionary to China, said, “I feel as though I cannot live if something is not done for China.” William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, said, "Oh, God, what can I say? Souls! Souls! Souls! My heart hungers for souls!"
The story has often been told of the little church in Germany situated near train tracks that carried Jews to their death. "Each Sunday Morning," the German man telling the story said, "we could hear the whistle in the distance and then the wheels coming over the tracks. We became disturbed when we heard the cries coming from the train as it passed by. We realized that it was carrying Jews like cattle in the cars! Week after week the whistle would blow. We dreaded to hear the sound of those wheels because we knew that we would hear the cries of the Jews en route to a death camp. Their screams tormented us. We knew the time the train was coming and when we heard the whistle blow we began singing hymns. By the time the train came past our church we were singing at the top of our voices. If we heard the screams, we sang more loudly and soon we heard them no more. Years have passed, and no one talks about it much any more; but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep. I can still hear them crying out for help. God forgive all of us who called ourselves Christians, yet did nothing to intervene."
Paul and Silas got into a boat and crossed the Aegean Sea. They began a new venture. We read in Acts 20:6— On the way over God must have been breathing into their sails to get them there! There’s no experience in the world like doing the will of God! The 1st church they established in Europe was in Philippi. When they got there they found a little group of women praying down by the river.
v. 12-13 It was a just a little prayer meeting, just a group of women. Some might have thought, that’s so small, that’s so silly, or some may have thought it was sweet. Let us not despise the small things. It’s from the tiny acorn that a mighty oak tree grows! And God heard these prayers and they are likely the reason for Paul’s vision. Paul saw a man in his vision, and responded, and when he got there, found out it was a woman! Lydia became the first convert on that side of the sea.
“Little is much when God is in it…” You have to remember something about the start of this first European church. That is, the apostle Paul, prior to his salvation, was a Pharisee. And everyday when a Pharisee woke up he would pray 3 things by custom. He thanked God he was not a woman, that he was not a slave, and that he was not a Gentile. Guess who the 1st 3 converts were in Europe? They were a woman, Lydia, a slave girl, and a Gentile! Isn’t that just like God? He breaks down our walls of prejudice and bigotry!
I expect to meet Lydia someday, but she won’t be wearing a purple robe. She will be wearing a robe made white by the blood of the Lamb!
In Christ,
Brown
Some one has said " Every addict is some one's beloved". In a deeper way every one who is sick is some ones' beloved". Pray for the following:
Ryan K ,who is in hospice care.
LA, for total healing
JB who will be going for drug rehabilitation
GD, who is battling chronic depression
Don Harbecke, 52 years old is had a quadruple heart bypass in Illinois,.
He came through the surgery well. Praise the Lord.
Jack B, experiencing heart problems,
Leslie Broughton, Receiving chemo therapy
Larry, Jane, and family who just moved to their dream house. Larry is concerned that he might lose his job in Atlanta
Geraldine who is hospitalized in with a heart attack and a stroke in Columbia, SC.
JN, who is a recent college graduate, looking for job,
Janice, our oldest daughter, who is going back to work next week, after the birth of Simeon. She works for Healthcare for the Homeless in Boston,
Our youngest daughter Jessica, who will be finishing her assignment withe the Americorps in Philadlphia in few weeks,
Sunita who is attending a weeklong conference in Haiti,
Pray for Cameron Tyler, born 8 weeks prematurely, weighing 4 pounds, in neonatal ICU in Boston
Pray for Kristin, Becky, Shannan - our young expecting moms
Jane Leoffler, who has been admitted to the hospital with multiple complications. She and her husband Charles have been married for 65 years. WOW!
Andy, in Sloane-Kettering Hospital in New York City.
Kim, is home after her surgery.
Patsie Carmen, suffred a stroke. She is in the Hospital .
Prudence Wesner, recovering from Complete knee replacement surgery
Brolin Parker... As he recovers from surgery in Albany last week.
Burt Sweet (Retired Pastor) is still recovering from lung surgery in Watertown, NY. Please pray for Burt and his family as his health continues to be fragile.
Geno DeAngelo, Binghamton Police officer, father of four children, battling lung cancer,
Depend on it! God's work done in God's way
will never lack God's supply.
There is a living God;
He has spoken in the Bible;
He means what He says
and will do all He has promised.
J. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)
English missionary and founder of the China Inland Mission
Live so as to be missed when dead.
Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843)
Scottish minister
Live so as to be missed when dead.
Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843)
Scottish minister
The Confused Samaritan
A man was beaten up by robbers on a road to London. He lay there, half dead and in bad shape. A Vicar came along, saw him and passed by on the other side. Next, a monk came by but also walked quickly on the other side. Finally, a social worker came along, looked at the man and said "Whoever did this needs help!"
Goliath's Grief!
Why was Goliath so surprised when David hit him with a stone? Because nothing like this had ever entered his mind before.
The Brutal Truth!
A man called up a bible believing church and the church secretary answered the call. The man on the other end of the line said, "I’d like to speak to the head hog." The secretary replied, "That wasn’t a very nice thing to say about our beloved minister, Rev. Jones." Again the man replied, "I’d like to speak to the head hog, because I’m going to donate £75,000.00 to the church. She replied, "Hold on a moment, I think the big fat pig just walked in."
Praise the Lord for the way He is our eternal contemporary and our Eternal companion. In this vast world we are meant to never roam alone. He is the Way. He is our Guide. He is our Guardian. He is our Vision. He loves to lead us. He delights in ordering our path. We read Psalm 37:23, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…" This can apply to us personally, to our families, finances, moves, businesses, and decisions. However, the “stops” and the detours of a good man are ordered by the Lord as well.
Sometimes God closes doors and puts up roadblocks, when we are going the wrong way. At times He paves detours for those who walk with Him. God sometimes uses outward circumstances to guide us, like a door closing, and the worst thing we can do is kick it down and barge through anyway. If we insist on having our way God may do something that we won’t like in the end…He may let us have our way!
Our disappointments are often God’s appointments! Our extremities are His opportunities. When God closes one door he opens another. As Anslem said"We all have a God-shaped void inside of us," and often people try to fill that void with things of the world, such as pleasure, sex, drugs and alcohol, material goods, achievement, money, relationships, and even good works and social involvement!
But the only thing that can fill the God-shaped void is the Lord of Life! As people try all these things they are really calling out, come and help me!
David Brainerd won many thousands of American Indians to Christ. He said, “I cared not where or how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so that I could but gain souls for Christ. While I was asleep I dreamed of these things, and when I awoke, it was the first thought that I had, the thought of this great work.”
He caught the vision, he heard the Indians crying, “come over here and help us!”
David Livingston, the first man to take the gospel into the heart of Africa, said, “I must open a way to the interior or perish!” It was do or die. He caught the vision, and he heard the Africans crying, “come over here and help us!” J. Hudson Taylor, pioneer Missionary to China, said, “I feel as though I cannot live if something is not done for China.” William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, said, "Oh, God, what can I say? Souls! Souls! Souls! My heart hungers for souls!"
The story has often been told of the little church in Germany situated near train tracks that carried Jews to their death. "Each Sunday Morning," the German man telling the story said, "we could hear the whistle in the distance and then the wheels coming over the tracks. We became disturbed when we heard the cries coming from the train as it passed by. We realized that it was carrying Jews like cattle in the cars! Week after week the whistle would blow. We dreaded to hear the sound of those wheels because we knew that we would hear the cries of the Jews en route to a death camp. Their screams tormented us. We knew the time the train was coming and when we heard the whistle blow we began singing hymns. By the time the train came past our church we were singing at the top of our voices. If we heard the screams, we sang more loudly and soon we heard them no more. Years have passed, and no one talks about it much any more; but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep. I can still hear them crying out for help. God forgive all of us who called ourselves Christians, yet did nothing to intervene."
Paul and Silas got into a boat and crossed the Aegean Sea. They began a new venture. We read in Acts 20:6— On the way over God must have been breathing into their sails to get them there! There’s no experience in the world like doing the will of God! The 1st church they established in Europe was in Philippi. When they got there they found a little group of women praying down by the river.
v. 12-13 It was a just a little prayer meeting, just a group of women. Some might have thought, that’s so small, that’s so silly, or some may have thought it was sweet. Let us not despise the small things. It’s from the tiny acorn that a mighty oak tree grows! And God heard these prayers and they are likely the reason for Paul’s vision. Paul saw a man in his vision, and responded, and when he got there, found out it was a woman! Lydia became the first convert on that side of the sea.
“Little is much when God is in it…” You have to remember something about the start of this first European church. That is, the apostle Paul, prior to his salvation, was a Pharisee. And everyday when a Pharisee woke up he would pray 3 things by custom. He thanked God he was not a woman, that he was not a slave, and that he was not a Gentile. Guess who the 1st 3 converts were in Europe? They were a woman, Lydia, a slave girl, and a Gentile! Isn’t that just like God? He breaks down our walls of prejudice and bigotry!
I expect to meet Lydia someday, but she won’t be wearing a purple robe. She will be wearing a robe made white by the blood of the Lamb!
In Christ,
Brown
Some one has said " Every addict is some one's beloved". In a deeper way every one who is sick is some ones' beloved". Pray for the following:
Ryan K ,who is in hospice care.
LA, for total healing
JB who will be going for drug rehabilitation
GD, who is battling chronic depression
Don Harbecke, 52 years old is had a quadruple heart bypass in Illinois,.
He came through the surgery well. Praise the Lord.
Jack B, experiencing heart problems,
Leslie Broughton, Receiving chemo therapy
Larry, Jane, and family who just moved to their dream house. Larry is concerned that he might lose his job in Atlanta
Geraldine who is hospitalized in with a heart attack and a stroke in Columbia, SC.
JN, who is a recent college graduate, looking for job,
Janice, our oldest daughter, who is going back to work next week, after the birth of Simeon. She works for Healthcare for the Homeless in Boston,
Our youngest daughter Jessica, who will be finishing her assignment withe the Americorps in Philadlphia in few weeks,
Sunita who is attending a weeklong conference in Haiti,
Pray for Cameron Tyler, born 8 weeks prematurely, weighing 4 pounds, in neonatal ICU in Boston
Pray for Kristin, Becky, Shannan - our young expecting moms
Jane Leoffler, who has been admitted to the hospital with multiple complications. She and her husband Charles have been married for 65 years. WOW!
Andy, in Sloane-Kettering Hospital in New York City.
Kim, is home after her surgery.
Patsie Carmen, suffred a stroke. She is in the Hospital .
Prudence Wesner, recovering from Complete knee replacement surgery
Brolin Parker... As he recovers from surgery in Albany last week.
Burt Sweet (Retired Pastor) is still recovering from lung surgery in Watertown, NY. Please pray for Burt and his family as his health continues to be fragile.
Geno DeAngelo, Binghamton Police officer, father of four children, battling lung cancer,
Depend on it! God's work done in God's way
will never lack God's supply.
There is a living God;
He has spoken in the Bible;
He means what He says
and will do all He has promised.
J. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)
English missionary and founder of the China Inland Mission
Live so as to be missed when dead.
Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843)
Scottish minister
Live so as to be missed when dead.
Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843)
Scottish minister
The Confused Samaritan
A man was beaten up by robbers on a road to London. He lay there, half dead and in bad shape. A Vicar came along, saw him and passed by on the other side. Next, a monk came by but also walked quickly on the other side. Finally, a social worker came along, looked at the man and said "Whoever did this needs help!"
Goliath's Grief!
Why was Goliath so surprised when David hit him with a stone? Because nothing like this had ever entered his mind before.
The Brutal Truth!
A man called up a bible believing church and the church secretary answered the call. The man on the other end of the line said, "I’d like to speak to the head hog." The secretary replied, "That wasn’t a very nice thing to say about our beloved minister, Rev. Jones." Again the man replied, "I’d like to speak to the head hog, because I’m going to donate £75,000.00 to the church. She replied, "Hold on a moment, I think the big fat pig just walked in."
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 9-26-07
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for His audacious claims. He is the Resurrection and the Life . Those who believe in Him, though they die they shall live for evermore. During the last few weeks I have conducted several funeral services. I am reminded that life on earth is very short, and eternity is very long. Hell is real and heaven can be ours in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul, who encountered the Risen Lord and was changed for ever, could say " for me to live is Christ and to die is gain". John Wesley said, "Christians die well". Jesus our Lord taught us how to live and how to die and how to live again.
Paul Harvey tells the true story of a lady who went to a newspaper to report the death of her husband. She took a glowing four page report to the obituary counter. Upon seeing it, the news clerk said, "Ma’am, you should know that it costs $.50 a word to put that in the paper." Stunned, the wife took it back and re-wrote it. It now said, "Sam Brown dies." The clerk said, "I’m sorry ma’am, but there’s a 7-word minimum.” The widow took it back & counting on her fingers wrote:"Sam Brown dies... ’88 Ford for sale."
We need to understand that, realistically, grief will not go away that quickly. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says: "There is a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to grieve and a time to dance." The author of Psalm 116 went through the process of grief and was able to find comfort. Grief is defined as: "An involuntary emotion you experience when you lose something or someone that is valuable to you." Now, since it is involuntary we need to understand that grieving is not a sin. It is not wrong to express grief. In fact, it’s natural. Paul, a man who experienced loss, wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:13- "We do not want you to grieve like other people who have no hope." He doesn’t say, "don’t grieve," but he does tell us, in your grief, remember to place your hope in God. Grief is an honorable emotion because it is borne out of love. You must grieve. Most commentators describe Psalm 116 as a “Psalm of Grief,” indicating that the writer either is or has been grieving. We are not sure of the exact circumstances but just look at some of the words he uses. Vs:3: "The danger of death was all around me; the horrors of the grave closed in on me; I was filled with grief and fear." Vs:10 he says, "I am completely crushed." So, the Psalmist was grieving, and although we don’t know specifically the cause of his mourning, we do know that grief can come in a variety of ways.
The most common grief is from the loss of a loved one. I believe this is the source of the Psalmist’s sorrow. In vs:15 he says, "How painful it is when one of the Lord’s people die." The loss of loved ones, especially if they are young or the death is sudden may be the hardest kind of grief, but it’s not the only source. The loss of possessions can cause grief. Just ask those who try to take their own lives when the stock market crashes or go into a hermit-like existence when their life savings are lost. The loss of health can cause grief. Soldiers that lose a limb or athletes who lose their careers due to injury certainly grieve over that loss. Some commentators feel that when the Psalmist says in vs:3 that "the danger of death was all around me," that maybe he was referring to his health. A loss of health can cause grief.
Maybe the clearest Biblical example of someone who lost all of these things is Job. Job was an upright, righteous man of God but he went through a series of tragic losses that may be unparalleled in human history. The late Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote a ground breaking book in 1965, (I was in college), entitled On Death and Dying, in which she suggested a cycle of grief. That book is still widely quoted. However, today’s mental health professionals, when talking about grief, say that maybe a better word than “cycle” is the word “journey.” It is one with many twists and turns. But it’s important to understand that the grieving process is not some neat progression. A person may repeat a stage or skip one and go right into another.
Bob Russell, a preacher in Louisville, took a survey of those who have gone through the grieving process, and then gave 10 practical suggestions of "do’s" & "don’ts" to help you help someone who is grieving.
(1) Don’t avoid the person who mourns. We worry sometimes about, "I don’t know what to say." "I’ll feel so awkward at the funeral home." The worst thing we can do when someone is grieving is to do nothing.
(2) Don’t think you have to say the "right thing." These people said consistently that the person who helped the most was the close friend who was just there. sitting next to them or just close by them, just listening. The poet wrote- "When trouble comes your soul to try... You love the friend who just stands by... It helps somehow to pull you through, although there’s nothing they can do. But just to have a friend, whose sympathy endures until the end, gives a heart the fervent cry: ‘God bless the friend who just stands by.’"
(3) Don’t treat the survivor differently. For example, if you would of invited the couple to the party, then invite the widow or widower to the party.
(4) Do understand that the grieving process takes a long time. Be patient.
(5) Don’t think it’s necessary to bring it up every time you’re with them. Don’t say, "How are you really doing?" Don’t push.
(6) Do expect their emotions to fluctuate. The survivor is not always going to feel badly. Let them be happy, let them be sad, maybe all in a matter of moments.
(7) Do be willing to reminisce. Sometimes we think they won’t want to hear something about their loved one. But I know from experience that some of the things that brought my wife and I the most comfort after the death of her father were those who came up and said, "You know, one time Frank and I were.." -OR- "I remember how Frank used to love to teach.." Let them talk about the loved one.
(8) Do be personal in your remembrances. If you know something nice to say, say it. "O, you’re mother was so wonderful to me.” Your Dad’s strong faith was such an inspiration to me."
(9) Do keep your sense of humor. Don’t be flippant. But at the same time the Bible says, "A cheerful heart does good like medicine." (Prov. 17:22 LB) Vance Havner, a famous preacher, recalled when someone would come up to him after the death of his wife and say, "Sorry you lost your wife." He’d smile and say, "Well, don’t be.. after all something’s not lost, if you know its location! And I know right where to find her!" But remember, Prov. 14:13 also says: “Laughter can conceal a heavy heart; when the laughter ends, the grief remains.”(NLT) So, even though we should keep a sense of humor, don’t think that laughter means the pain is completely over.
10) And Do remember that the time you are needed most is not immediate. Oh, you need to be there from the start but everybody comes immediately. 6-8 weeks or 6 months later, when everyone else is gone, that’s when you’re needed most.
It is important that those going through grief understand the Lord offers some incredible resources to help heal. The Psalmist here mentions several.
(1) God promises compassion. Vs:5- Our God is compassionate." You are not going through your grief alone. Jesus knows how you feel because He’s been where you are. Hebrews 4:15 says: “We don’t have a priest (Jesus) who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin.” God knows exactly how you feel and offers His compassion.
(2) God promises protection- Vs:6- "The Lord protects the helpless; when I was in danger, He saved me." Allow the loss, whatever it is, to draw you into deeper dependence on Him. Cry out to Him.. He’s there for you, protecting you, holding you. Heb .13:4- “God assures us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you.”(MSG)
(3) God promises deliverance- Vs:8- "The Lord saved me from death, he stopped my tears and kept me from defeat." Yes, it will take time to make progress through the journey but God is with us in every step of that process and He will deliver us. We will have to experience some depression in all likelihood, but not total defeat.
The one phrase I hear again and again from Christian people who grieve is: "I don’t how people go through this without the Lord. I don’t know how people go through this without the church and Christian friends." "It hurts," they say, "but I’m am so comforted by God’s promises." That’s a huge difference. Christian’s have hope, something better is coming. 1 Peter 1:6, in talking about our reward, says- "In this you greatly rejoice, (the knowledge of heaven) though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials."(NIV)
Please understand, the grief, no matter how hard, is temporary. There is going to come a time when there will be no more sorrow, no more death. In Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Gatlinburg, TN, they have famous tombstones with unique epitaphs. I have been told there is this one from Watumca, Ala., obviously believed in someplace better: "Here lies Solomon Peas. Peas is not here, only the pod. Peas shelled out and went home to God." That’s funny, but it’s not all that far from what Jesus said in John 11:25-26, “Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. 26They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish." In other words, those who have a relationship with Jesus will be able to shed off this pod and go to be with Him..
In the late 1800’s Horatio G. Spafford, a Christian lawyer from Chicago, experienced the death of his infant son. Within weeks of that devastating loss came the infamous Chicago fire of 1871, which destroyed all his real estate holdings that he had on the shores of Lake Michigan, leaving him almost desolate. In 1873 Spafford, with the help of a friend, planned a trip to Europe, to just get away for a few weeks. And so, on Nov. 19 he placed his wife and four daughters on a luxury liner headed for France. Spafford was going to join them in about a week, after he took care of some urgent business. But on Nov. 21, 1873, the ship the Spafford’s family was on collided with another vessel and within 12 minutes, sank in the northern Atlantic. In the chaotic moments after the collision, all four daughters were swept away from Mrs. Spafford. She was knocked unconscious but was somehow rescued as one of the few survivors. Back in Chicago, Horatio, heard of the accident and waited anxiously for news about his family. Finally, ten days later, a telegram came to his home, sent from his wife, who was in the hospital. The telegram contained just two words: "Saved - Alone." He knew that he had lost all four of his girls. Horatio Spafford was devastated. He began to shake uncontrollably and was comforted by his best friend and neighbor, Major Whittle.
With Whittle’s help Horatio Spafford, took a ship to France, to meet his wife and bring her home. On the journey he asked the captain to wake him in the middle of the night when they came to the approximate location of the accident. The captain did and as Horatio Spafford looked down in those cold, dark waters, which covered up his four girls, he wept unashamedly. And then he went to his cabin and penned the words to what has become one of our most famous hymns. "When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll- Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul." Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate and hath shed His own blood for my soul." The only way that Horatio Spafford could hold on to his faith in midst of devastating grief, was to put his absolute faith in Jesus Christ. That’s the only way you’ll hold up too. Trust Him and you’ll learn like the Psalmist, that God will listen and help. And then you can say as he did in vs:7- "Be confident my heart, because the Lord has been good to me." And know, no matter what, “It is well, with my soul.”
In Christ,
Brown
Some updates:
Some one has said " Every addict is some one's beloved". In a deeper way every one who is sick is some ones' beloved". Pray for the following:
Ryan K ,who is in hospice care.
LA, for total healing
JB who will be going for drug rehabilitation
GD, who is battling chronic depression
Don Harbecke, 52 years old is had a quadruple heart bypass yesterday in Illinois,.
He came through the surgery well. Praise the Lord.
Jack B, experiencing heart problems,
Leslie Broughton, in the intensive care
Larry, Jane, and family who just moved to their dream house. Larry is concerned that he might lose his job in Atlanta
Geraldine who is hospitalized in with a heart attack and a stroke in Columbia, SC.
JN, who is a recent college graduate, looking for job,
Janice, our oldest daughter, who is going back to work next week, after the birth of Simeon. She works for Healthcare for the Homeless in Boston,
Our youngest daughter Jessica, who will be finishing her assignment withe the Americorps in Philadlphia in few weeks,
Sunita who is attending a weeklong conference in Haiti,
Pray for Cameron Tyler, born 8 weeks prematurely, weighing 4 pounds, in neonatal ICU in Boston
Pray for Kristin, Becky, Shannan - our young expecting moms
Jane Leoffler, who has been admitted to the hospital with multiple complications. She and her husband Charles have been married for 65 years. WOW!
Andy, who is going for surgery today in Sloane-Kettering Hospital in New York City.
Kim, a young mom had an emergency appendectomy yesterday
Brolin Parker... As he recovers from surgery in Albany last week.
Burt Sweet (Retired Pastor) is still recovering from lung surgery in Watertown, NY. Please pray for Burt and his family as his health continues to be fragile.
Geno DeAngelo, Binghamton Police officer, father of four children, battling lung cancer,
Praise the Lord for those who have gone to be with Jesus, having loved him on earth.
Betty Slade in KS.
My uncle Mamdu Naik in India. He was a staunch Hindu, who accepted the Lord a few years ago. He was baptized last year. He died last week at the age of 85. He was the husband of my mom's oldest sister. They were blessed with 6 children. All of their children except one son love the Lord and are serving Him. The Lord has blessed the entire family. One of the grandsons is an evangelist and a pastor. He was formerly an insurance company executive. He left a very lucrative position to serve the Lord in full time ministry. The Lord is using him in a spectacular way. Over two hundred people have come to Christ from a very staunch Hindu families through his ministry. The Lord is doing some amazing things in India. The church is exploding like wildfire.
Jude 1:24 -
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
Jude 1:25 -
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
"God, grant me the Serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the Courage to change the one I can, and the Wisdom to know it's me."
The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember...
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate bugs, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything, The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once Zaccheus was too small, Paul was too religious, Timothy had an ulcer...AND Lazarus was dead!
No more excuses now. God can use you to your full potential.
Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger!
Praise the Lord for His audacious claims. He is the Resurrection and the Life . Those who believe in Him, though they die they shall live for evermore. During the last few weeks I have conducted several funeral services. I am reminded that life on earth is very short, and eternity is very long. Hell is real and heaven can be ours in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul, who encountered the Risen Lord and was changed for ever, could say " for me to live is Christ and to die is gain". John Wesley said, "Christians die well". Jesus our Lord taught us how to live and how to die and how to live again.
Paul Harvey tells the true story of a lady who went to a newspaper to report the death of her husband. She took a glowing four page report to the obituary counter. Upon seeing it, the news clerk said, "Ma’am, you should know that it costs $.50 a word to put that in the paper." Stunned, the wife took it back and re-wrote it. It now said, "Sam Brown dies." The clerk said, "I’m sorry ma’am, but there’s a 7-word minimum.” The widow took it back & counting on her fingers wrote:"Sam Brown dies... ’88 Ford for sale."
We need to understand that, realistically, grief will not go away that quickly. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says: "There is a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to grieve and a time to dance." The author of Psalm 116 went through the process of grief and was able to find comfort. Grief is defined as: "An involuntary emotion you experience when you lose something or someone that is valuable to you." Now, since it is involuntary we need to understand that grieving is not a sin. It is not wrong to express grief. In fact, it’s natural. Paul, a man who experienced loss, wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:13- "We do not want you to grieve like other people who have no hope." He doesn’t say, "don’t grieve," but he does tell us, in your grief, remember to place your hope in God. Grief is an honorable emotion because it is borne out of love. You must grieve. Most commentators describe Psalm 116 as a “Psalm of Grief,” indicating that the writer either is or has been grieving. We are not sure of the exact circumstances but just look at some of the words he uses. Vs:3: "The danger of death was all around me; the horrors of the grave closed in on me; I was filled with grief and fear." Vs:10 he says, "I am completely crushed." So, the Psalmist was grieving, and although we don’t know specifically the cause of his mourning, we do know that grief can come in a variety of ways.
The most common grief is from the loss of a loved one. I believe this is the source of the Psalmist’s sorrow. In vs:15 he says, "How painful it is when one of the Lord’s people die." The loss of loved ones, especially if they are young or the death is sudden may be the hardest kind of grief, but it’s not the only source. The loss of possessions can cause grief. Just ask those who try to take their own lives when the stock market crashes or go into a hermit-like existence when their life savings are lost. The loss of health can cause grief. Soldiers that lose a limb or athletes who lose their careers due to injury certainly grieve over that loss. Some commentators feel that when the Psalmist says in vs:3 that "the danger of death was all around me," that maybe he was referring to his health. A loss of health can cause grief.
Maybe the clearest Biblical example of someone who lost all of these things is Job. Job was an upright, righteous man of God but he went through a series of tragic losses that may be unparalleled in human history. The late Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote a ground breaking book in 1965, (I was in college), entitled On Death and Dying, in which she suggested a cycle of grief. That book is still widely quoted. However, today’s mental health professionals, when talking about grief, say that maybe a better word than “cycle” is the word “journey.” It is one with many twists and turns. But it’s important to understand that the grieving process is not some neat progression. A person may repeat a stage or skip one and go right into another.
Bob Russell, a preacher in Louisville, took a survey of those who have gone through the grieving process, and then gave 10 practical suggestions of "do’s" & "don’ts" to help you help someone who is grieving.
(1) Don’t avoid the person who mourns. We worry sometimes about, "I don’t know what to say." "I’ll feel so awkward at the funeral home." The worst thing we can do when someone is grieving is to do nothing.
(2) Don’t think you have to say the "right thing." These people said consistently that the person who helped the most was the close friend who was just there. sitting next to them or just close by them, just listening. The poet wrote- "When trouble comes your soul to try... You love the friend who just stands by... It helps somehow to pull you through, although there’s nothing they can do. But just to have a friend, whose sympathy endures until the end, gives a heart the fervent cry: ‘God bless the friend who just stands by.’"
(3) Don’t treat the survivor differently. For example, if you would of invited the couple to the party, then invite the widow or widower to the party.
(4) Do understand that the grieving process takes a long time. Be patient.
(5) Don’t think it’s necessary to bring it up every time you’re with them. Don’t say, "How are you really doing?" Don’t push.
(6) Do expect their emotions to fluctuate. The survivor is not always going to feel badly. Let them be happy, let them be sad, maybe all in a matter of moments.
(7) Do be willing to reminisce. Sometimes we think they won’t want to hear something about their loved one. But I know from experience that some of the things that brought my wife and I the most comfort after the death of her father were those who came up and said, "You know, one time Frank and I were.." -OR- "I remember how Frank used to love to teach.." Let them talk about the loved one.
(8) Do be personal in your remembrances. If you know something nice to say, say it. "O, you’re mother was so wonderful to me.” Your Dad’s strong faith was such an inspiration to me."
(9) Do keep your sense of humor. Don’t be flippant. But at the same time the Bible says, "A cheerful heart does good like medicine." (Prov. 17:22 LB) Vance Havner, a famous preacher, recalled when someone would come up to him after the death of his wife and say, "Sorry you lost your wife." He’d smile and say, "Well, don’t be.. after all something’s not lost, if you know its location! And I know right where to find her!" But remember, Prov. 14:13 also says: “Laughter can conceal a heavy heart; when the laughter ends, the grief remains.”(NLT) So, even though we should keep a sense of humor, don’t think that laughter means the pain is completely over.
10) And Do remember that the time you are needed most is not immediate. Oh, you need to be there from the start but everybody comes immediately. 6-8 weeks or 6 months later, when everyone else is gone, that’s when you’re needed most.
It is important that those going through grief understand the Lord offers some incredible resources to help heal. The Psalmist here mentions several.
(1) God promises compassion. Vs:5- Our God is compassionate." You are not going through your grief alone. Jesus knows how you feel because He’s been where you are. Hebrews 4:15 says: “We don’t have a priest (Jesus) who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin.” God knows exactly how you feel and offers His compassion.
(2) God promises protection- Vs:6- "The Lord protects the helpless; when I was in danger, He saved me." Allow the loss, whatever it is, to draw you into deeper dependence on Him. Cry out to Him.. He’s there for you, protecting you, holding you. Heb .13:4- “God assures us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you.”(MSG)
(3) God promises deliverance- Vs:8- "The Lord saved me from death, he stopped my tears and kept me from defeat." Yes, it will take time to make progress through the journey but God is with us in every step of that process and He will deliver us. We will have to experience some depression in all likelihood, but not total defeat.
The one phrase I hear again and again from Christian people who grieve is: "I don’t how people go through this without the Lord. I don’t know how people go through this without the church and Christian friends." "It hurts," they say, "but I’m am so comforted by God’s promises." That’s a huge difference. Christian’s have hope, something better is coming. 1 Peter 1:6, in talking about our reward, says- "In this you greatly rejoice, (the knowledge of heaven) though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials."(NIV)
Please understand, the grief, no matter how hard, is temporary. There is going to come a time when there will be no more sorrow, no more death. In Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Gatlinburg, TN, they have famous tombstones with unique epitaphs. I have been told there is this one from Watumca, Ala., obviously believed in someplace better: "Here lies Solomon Peas. Peas is not here, only the pod. Peas shelled out and went home to God." That’s funny, but it’s not all that far from what Jesus said in John 11:25-26, “Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. 26They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish." In other words, those who have a relationship with Jesus will be able to shed off this pod and go to be with Him..
In the late 1800’s Horatio G. Spafford, a Christian lawyer from Chicago, experienced the death of his infant son. Within weeks of that devastating loss came the infamous Chicago fire of 1871, which destroyed all his real estate holdings that he had on the shores of Lake Michigan, leaving him almost desolate. In 1873 Spafford, with the help of a friend, planned a trip to Europe, to just get away for a few weeks. And so, on Nov. 19 he placed his wife and four daughters on a luxury liner headed for France. Spafford was going to join them in about a week, after he took care of some urgent business. But on Nov. 21, 1873, the ship the Spafford’s family was on collided with another vessel and within 12 minutes, sank in the northern Atlantic. In the chaotic moments after the collision, all four daughters were swept away from Mrs. Spafford. She was knocked unconscious but was somehow rescued as one of the few survivors. Back in Chicago, Horatio, heard of the accident and waited anxiously for news about his family. Finally, ten days later, a telegram came to his home, sent from his wife, who was in the hospital. The telegram contained just two words: "Saved - Alone." He knew that he had lost all four of his girls. Horatio Spafford was devastated. He began to shake uncontrollably and was comforted by his best friend and neighbor, Major Whittle.
With Whittle’s help Horatio Spafford, took a ship to France, to meet his wife and bring her home. On the journey he asked the captain to wake him in the middle of the night when they came to the approximate location of the accident. The captain did and as Horatio Spafford looked down in those cold, dark waters, which covered up his four girls, he wept unashamedly. And then he went to his cabin and penned the words to what has become one of our most famous hymns. "When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll- Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul." Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate and hath shed His own blood for my soul." The only way that Horatio Spafford could hold on to his faith in midst of devastating grief, was to put his absolute faith in Jesus Christ. That’s the only way you’ll hold up too. Trust Him and you’ll learn like the Psalmist, that God will listen and help. And then you can say as he did in vs:7- "Be confident my heart, because the Lord has been good to me." And know, no matter what, “It is well, with my soul.”
In Christ,
Brown
Some updates:
Some one has said " Every addict is some one's beloved". In a deeper way every one who is sick is some ones' beloved". Pray for the following:
Ryan K ,who is in hospice care.
LA, for total healing
JB who will be going for drug rehabilitation
GD, who is battling chronic depression
Don Harbecke, 52 years old is had a quadruple heart bypass yesterday in Illinois,.
He came through the surgery well. Praise the Lord.
Jack B, experiencing heart problems,
Leslie Broughton, in the intensive care
Larry, Jane, and family who just moved to their dream house. Larry is concerned that he might lose his job in Atlanta
Geraldine who is hospitalized in with a heart attack and a stroke in Columbia, SC.
JN, who is a recent college graduate, looking for job,
Janice, our oldest daughter, who is going back to work next week, after the birth of Simeon. She works for Healthcare for the Homeless in Boston,
Our youngest daughter Jessica, who will be finishing her assignment withe the Americorps in Philadlphia in few weeks,
Sunita who is attending a weeklong conference in Haiti,
Pray for Cameron Tyler, born 8 weeks prematurely, weighing 4 pounds, in neonatal ICU in Boston
Pray for Kristin, Becky, Shannan - our young expecting moms
Jane Leoffler, who has been admitted to the hospital with multiple complications. She and her husband Charles have been married for 65 years. WOW!
Andy, who is going for surgery today in Sloane-Kettering Hospital in New York City.
Kim, a young mom had an emergency appendectomy yesterday
Brolin Parker... As he recovers from surgery in Albany last week.
Burt Sweet (Retired Pastor) is still recovering from lung surgery in Watertown, NY. Please pray for Burt and his family as his health continues to be fragile.
Geno DeAngelo, Binghamton Police officer, father of four children, battling lung cancer,
Praise the Lord for those who have gone to be with Jesus, having loved him on earth.
Betty Slade in KS.
My uncle Mamdu Naik in India. He was a staunch Hindu, who accepted the Lord a few years ago. He was baptized last year. He died last week at the age of 85. He was the husband of my mom's oldest sister. They were blessed with 6 children. All of their children except one son love the Lord and are serving Him. The Lord has blessed the entire family. One of the grandsons is an evangelist and a pastor. He was formerly an insurance company executive. He left a very lucrative position to serve the Lord in full time ministry. The Lord is using him in a spectacular way. Over two hundred people have come to Christ from a very staunch Hindu families through his ministry. The Lord is doing some amazing things in India. The church is exploding like wildfire.
Jude 1:24 -
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
Jude 1:25 -
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
"God, grant me the Serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the Courage to change the one I can, and the Wisdom to know it's me."
The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember...
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate bugs, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything, The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once Zaccheus was too small, Paul was too religious, Timothy had an ulcer...AND Lazarus was dead!
No more excuses now. God can use you to your full potential.
Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 9-25-07
Good Morning,
We read in 2 Chronicles 30:1, 5-6 about a man named Hezekiah, who reigned over Judah from the throne in Jerusalem. His father had been king before him. The father was an evil man, and when he died the kingdom was in a sad state. But Hezekiah had learned from a young age what sin did to people, and he determined in his heart to bring the people back to God. He led the people to seek the Lord, and they found Him and revival ensued. But Hezekiah was not satisfied that this revival be located just in Jerusalem. He wanted the whole world to be in on it, and so he sent word from border to border about what God was doing. V. 1 says the method chosen was letters, and v. 6 says the letters were carried by ‘posts’, or letter carriers.
You and I are supposed to be God’s mail carriers. We have a message from the King to deliver throughout the land. Today, news travels fast by the web and by email. The post office will tell you: it’s hard to find people who want to carry the mail. Most want to work behind the counter, in the sorting room, or behind 1 way glass, supervising. Why is this? And why in the Christian world do so few want to ‘be the one’ to go out and personally hand deliver the mail for God?
One of the salient features of the mail delivery system is the postage stamp. Recently I did some research about the origin of the postage stamp. The postage stamp can trace its origin back to a hill far away. It was invented by a man named Roland Hill who lived far away in England. We as Christians can trace our origin back to a hill far away as well!
In the name postage stamp, the word post is the root word. Originally the post was just a wooden pole driven into the ground, and on it the king would tack up announcements and decrees and proclamations and they would stick there on public display with the king’s seal thereon so everybody who passed by would realize the king had made these official statements. For the believer, on that hill far away another wooden post stood, and on it God nailed up His love letter to the world. He put the King of kings on public display, and made the announcement of His love, the declaration of His mercy, and the decree of His grace.
Boundless love was shown for it and the great price paid for it. All will agree we pay an ever increasing price for the stamp, but do we love it? Other than licking it I don’t remember expressing my affection for it! We must remember in this illustration that we are the stamp, not the licker. Ever heard of a philatelist? Honestly, where I come from we don’t use words like that. I only learned the word in studying this week about stamps. The philatelist is the stamp collector. The word comes from 2 great NT Greek words: phileo = “to love” and taleo = “to pay for”. The philatelist loves stamps so much he is willing to pay whatever necessary in order to purchase them. And our God is collecting the souls of men because He loves them so much He is willing to pay any price. As a matter of fact, that word ‘taleo’ is the root word of what Jesus said on the cross—‘tetelestai’ = “it is finished” or “paid in full!
Think about where it can be found on the envelope. It is always up in the corner. God has us cornered. He is on our trail and took us to the place where we had our backs against the wall with no place else to go! That’s where Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, found Ruth, the Gentile bride. She was in the corner of the field where the gleaners were allowed.
Think again about the location of the stamp. It’s on the right side! Don’t put the stamp on the left side; that’s the wrong side. Don’t put it on the back side, it’s the wrong side. Put it on the right side! And make sure you’re on the right side, the winning team, and deliver the mail for God!
Ponder the colors of the postmarks. They use 2 colors: black and red. And I once was stained with the black marks of sin, but Jesus blotted out my sins with a crimson red, rich, royal, righteous blood He poured out for me. When the postmaster places his postmark across the top of the letter it overlaps the stamp. Do you know what they call that? They say that stamp has been canceled. And when Jesus sees all the sins of a repentant sinner like you He doesn’t rub them in, He stamps them out, canceled, paid in full!
Reflect on the watermarks. Many stamps today have a watermark for identification. And the Bible says that they that gladly received God’s Word received a watermark, baptism, for identification. You don’t have to have the watermark to be a stamp, but it helps the stamp to have one!
Consider what you see pictured on the stamp. Originally you would only find royalty on stamps, like we put presidents on money. But these days you find all kinds of things on stamps, and these days you’ll find all kinds of things in the lives of Christians . . . but it used to be that when you looked at a Christian, you would see the King.
Copious records are kept of the millions of stamps that have been made in so many designs it would make your head spin. At the post office they have a big book that lists all the stamps ever made, and I want you to know that in heaven there’s a big book of records. Is your name written there? The postmark lists the time and date of the letter’s deposit, so, when was your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? Jesus said, rejoice because your name is written in heaven!
There are a lot of other kinds of stamps out there that are not postage stamps, and they cannot carry the mail. Do you remember green stamps? None of them could carry the mail. And there’s only 1 way to heaven, it’s through Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life! Put a fake stamp on a letter and today’s technology will filter it out and return to sender, right back where it came from. But true postage stamps go where they are sent!
Stamps stay put. They stick to their place. They don’t slide over or slide back. Go where God sticks you and stay put, and let God use you to carry His mail! 1 Corinthians 15:58: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
Some one has said " Every addict is some one's beloved". In a deeper way every one who is sick is some ones' beloved". Pray for the following:
Ryan.K ,who is in hospice care.
LA, for total healing
JB who will be going for drug rehabilitation
GD, who is battling chronic depression
Don Harbecke, 52 years old is having a quadruple heart by pass today in Illinois,
Jack B, experiencing heart problems,
Leslie Broughton, in the intensive care
Larry, Jane, and family who just moved to their dream house. Larry is concerned that he might lose his job in Atlanta
Geraldine who is hospitalized in with a heart attack and a stroke in Columbia, SC.
JN, who is a recent college graduate, looking for job,
Janice, our oldest daughter, who is going back to work next week, after the birth of Simeon. She works for Healthcare for the Homeless in Boston,
Our youngest daughter Jessica, who will be finishing her assignment withe the Americorps in Philadlphia in few weeks,
Sunita who is attending a weeklong conference in Haiti,
Pray for Cameron Tyler, born 8 weeks prematurely, weighing 4 pounds, in neonatal ICU in Boston
Pray for Kristin, Becky, Shannan - our young expecting moms
Brolin Parker... As he recovers from surgery in Albany last week.
Burt Sweet (Retired Pastor) is still recovering from lung surgery in Watertown, NY. Please pray for Burt and his family as his health continues to be fragile.
Geno DeAngelo, Binghamton Police officer, father of four children, battling lung cancer,
Praise the Lord for those who have gone to be with Jesus, having loved him on earth.
Betty Slade in KS.
My uncle Mamdu Naik in India. He was a staunch Hindu, who accepted the Lord a few years ago. He was baptized last year. He died last week at the age of 85. He was the husband of my mom's oldest sister. They were blessed with 6 children. All of their children except one son love the Lord and are serving Him. The Lord has blessed the entire family. One of the grandsons is an evangelist and a pastor. He was formerly an insurance company executive. He left a very lucrative position to serve the Lord in full time ministry. The Lord is using him in a spectacular way. Over two hundred people have come to Christ from a very staunch Hindu families through his ministry. The Lord is doing some amazing things in India. The church is exploding like wildfire.
Jude 1:24 -
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
Jude 1:25 -
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
In Christ our Saviour and Lord,
Brown
"Jesus has a particular eye for the ironical and paradoxical. He gave His disciples nicknames: Peter the Rock who was big on words, but a coward when it mattered; James and John, hotheads, were 'Sons of Thunder'. He told stories about judges who gave justice only after being pestered repeatedly, businessmen who amassed riches only to die the next day, and about priests too precious to help a man who had been beaten up. He talked about people who gave stones in the place of bread, and saw the speck in the eye of another but ignored the log in their own eye. He talked about the blind leading the blind. He called the holy men of his day whitewashed walls" [Rev Peter Weatherby]
"Many of His comments would have had the audience laughing incontrollably, while at the same time making a deep point. The pictures of 'blind Pharisees straining at a gnat but swallowing a camel' (Matt 23:24) is hilarious. Similarly it is reckoned that shpherds were the butt of Galilean society's jokes, and so the one about the shepherd leaving the 99 to search for just one, would have also raised a laugh." [George Newton]
"How often there was a twinkle in the eye of Jesus! His humor shines through his words. For instance, Jesus once pictured the religious legalists of his day. He said they were like a man who polished the outside of his drinking cup, but forgot to clean the inside. "You are like a person," said Jesus, "who picks a fly out of his drink and then swallows a camel" (Matthew 23:24). Jesus made his point by a humorous exaggeration. He used the same kind of humor when he said, "It is much harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle" (Mark 10:25). There must have been a twinkle in his eye when he talked about the fault-finder: "Why do you notice the little piece of sawdust that is in your brother's eye, but you don't notice the big piece of wood that is in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3.
We read in 2 Chronicles 30:1, 5-6 about a man named Hezekiah, who reigned over Judah from the throne in Jerusalem. His father had been king before him. The father was an evil man, and when he died the kingdom was in a sad state. But Hezekiah had learned from a young age what sin did to people, and he determined in his heart to bring the people back to God. He led the people to seek the Lord, and they found Him and revival ensued. But Hezekiah was not satisfied that this revival be located just in Jerusalem. He wanted the whole world to be in on it, and so he sent word from border to border about what God was doing. V. 1 says the method chosen was letters, and v. 6 says the letters were carried by ‘posts’, or letter carriers.
You and I are supposed to be God’s mail carriers. We have a message from the King to deliver throughout the land. Today, news travels fast by the web and by email. The post office will tell you: it’s hard to find people who want to carry the mail. Most want to work behind the counter, in the sorting room, or behind 1 way glass, supervising. Why is this? And why in the Christian world do so few want to ‘be the one’ to go out and personally hand deliver the mail for God?
One of the salient features of the mail delivery system is the postage stamp. Recently I did some research about the origin of the postage stamp. The postage stamp can trace its origin back to a hill far away. It was invented by a man named Roland Hill who lived far away in England. We as Christians can trace our origin back to a hill far away as well!
In the name postage stamp, the word post is the root word. Originally the post was just a wooden pole driven into the ground, and on it the king would tack up announcements and decrees and proclamations and they would stick there on public display with the king’s seal thereon so everybody who passed by would realize the king had made these official statements. For the believer, on that hill far away another wooden post stood, and on it God nailed up His love letter to the world. He put the King of kings on public display, and made the announcement of His love, the declaration of His mercy, and the decree of His grace.
Boundless love was shown for it and the great price paid for it. All will agree we pay an ever increasing price for the stamp, but do we love it? Other than licking it I don’t remember expressing my affection for it! We must remember in this illustration that we are the stamp, not the licker. Ever heard of a philatelist? Honestly, where I come from we don’t use words like that. I only learned the word in studying this week about stamps. The philatelist is the stamp collector. The word comes from 2 great NT Greek words: phileo = “to love” and taleo = “to pay for”. The philatelist loves stamps so much he is willing to pay whatever necessary in order to purchase them. And our God is collecting the souls of men because He loves them so much He is willing to pay any price. As a matter of fact, that word ‘taleo’ is the root word of what Jesus said on the cross—‘tetelestai’ = “it is finished” or “paid in full!
Think about where it can be found on the envelope. It is always up in the corner. God has us cornered. He is on our trail and took us to the place where we had our backs against the wall with no place else to go! That’s where Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, found Ruth, the Gentile bride. She was in the corner of the field where the gleaners were allowed.
Think again about the location of the stamp. It’s on the right side! Don’t put the stamp on the left side; that’s the wrong side. Don’t put it on the back side, it’s the wrong side. Put it on the right side! And make sure you’re on the right side, the winning team, and deliver the mail for God!
Ponder the colors of the postmarks. They use 2 colors: black and red. And I once was stained with the black marks of sin, but Jesus blotted out my sins with a crimson red, rich, royal, righteous blood He poured out for me. When the postmaster places his postmark across the top of the letter it overlaps the stamp. Do you know what they call that? They say that stamp has been canceled. And when Jesus sees all the sins of a repentant sinner like you He doesn’t rub them in, He stamps them out, canceled, paid in full!
Reflect on the watermarks. Many stamps today have a watermark for identification. And the Bible says that they that gladly received God’s Word received a watermark, baptism, for identification. You don’t have to have the watermark to be a stamp, but it helps the stamp to have one!
Consider what you see pictured on the stamp. Originally you would only find royalty on stamps, like we put presidents on money. But these days you find all kinds of things on stamps, and these days you’ll find all kinds of things in the lives of Christians . . . but it used to be that when you looked at a Christian, you would see the King.
Copious records are kept of the millions of stamps that have been made in so many designs it would make your head spin. At the post office they have a big book that lists all the stamps ever made, and I want you to know that in heaven there’s a big book of records. Is your name written there? The postmark lists the time and date of the letter’s deposit, so, when was your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? Jesus said, rejoice because your name is written in heaven!
There are a lot of other kinds of stamps out there that are not postage stamps, and they cannot carry the mail. Do you remember green stamps? None of them could carry the mail. And there’s only 1 way to heaven, it’s through Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life! Put a fake stamp on a letter and today’s technology will filter it out and return to sender, right back where it came from. But true postage stamps go where they are sent!
Stamps stay put. They stick to their place. They don’t slide over or slide back. Go where God sticks you and stay put, and let God use you to carry His mail! 1 Corinthians 15:58: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
Some one has said " Every addict is some one's beloved". In a deeper way every one who is sick is some ones' beloved". Pray for the following:
Ryan.K ,who is in hospice care.
LA, for total healing
JB who will be going for drug rehabilitation
GD, who is battling chronic depression
Don Harbecke, 52 years old is having a quadruple heart by pass today in Illinois,
Jack B, experiencing heart problems,
Leslie Broughton, in the intensive care
Larry, Jane, and family who just moved to their dream house. Larry is concerned that he might lose his job in Atlanta
Geraldine who is hospitalized in with a heart attack and a stroke in Columbia, SC.
JN, who is a recent college graduate, looking for job,
Janice, our oldest daughter, who is going back to work next week, after the birth of Simeon. She works for Healthcare for the Homeless in Boston,
Our youngest daughter Jessica, who will be finishing her assignment withe the Americorps in Philadlphia in few weeks,
Sunita who is attending a weeklong conference in Haiti,
Pray for Cameron Tyler, born 8 weeks prematurely, weighing 4 pounds, in neonatal ICU in Boston
Pray for Kristin, Becky, Shannan - our young expecting moms
Brolin Parker... As he recovers from surgery in Albany last week.
Burt Sweet (Retired Pastor) is still recovering from lung surgery in Watertown, NY. Please pray for Burt and his family as his health continues to be fragile.
Geno DeAngelo, Binghamton Police officer, father of four children, battling lung cancer,
Praise the Lord for those who have gone to be with Jesus, having loved him on earth.
Betty Slade in KS.
My uncle Mamdu Naik in India. He was a staunch Hindu, who accepted the Lord a few years ago. He was baptized last year. He died last week at the age of 85. He was the husband of my mom's oldest sister. They were blessed with 6 children. All of their children except one son love the Lord and are serving Him. The Lord has blessed the entire family. One of the grandsons is an evangelist and a pastor. He was formerly an insurance company executive. He left a very lucrative position to serve the Lord in full time ministry. The Lord is using him in a spectacular way. Over two hundred people have come to Christ from a very staunch Hindu families through his ministry. The Lord is doing some amazing things in India. The church is exploding like wildfire.
Jude 1:24 -
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
Jude 1:25 -
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
In Christ our Saviour and Lord,
Brown
"Jesus has a particular eye for the ironical and paradoxical. He gave His disciples nicknames: Peter the Rock who was big on words, but a coward when it mattered; James and John, hotheads, were 'Sons of Thunder'. He told stories about judges who gave justice only after being pestered repeatedly, businessmen who amassed riches only to die the next day, and about priests too precious to help a man who had been beaten up. He talked about people who gave stones in the place of bread, and saw the speck in the eye of another but ignored the log in their own eye. He talked about the blind leading the blind. He called the holy men of his day whitewashed walls" [Rev Peter Weatherby]
"Many of His comments would have had the audience laughing incontrollably, while at the same time making a deep point. The pictures of 'blind Pharisees straining at a gnat but swallowing a camel' (Matt 23:24) is hilarious. Similarly it is reckoned that shpherds were the butt of Galilean society's jokes, and so the one about the shepherd leaving the 99 to search for just one, would have also raised a laugh." [George Newton]
"How often there was a twinkle in the eye of Jesus! His humor shines through his words. For instance, Jesus once pictured the religious legalists of his day. He said they were like a man who polished the outside of his drinking cup, but forgot to clean the inside. "You are like a person," said Jesus, "who picks a fly out of his drink and then swallows a camel" (Matthew 23:24). Jesus made his point by a humorous exaggeration. He used the same kind of humor when he said, "It is much harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle" (Mark 10:25). There must have been a twinkle in his eye when he talked about the fault-finder: "Why do you notice the little piece of sawdust that is in your brother's eye, but you don't notice the big piece of wood that is in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 9-24-07
Praise the Lord ,
Praise the Lord for His mighty deeds and for His awesome power. He is in control. He performs miracles of mercy and grace. He invites us to become partners in ministry and in His miracles.
An English teacher and her class were studying well known Proverbs. One day she gave them a test to see well they were understanding what she taught. She would state the first half of a proverb and then asked the students to come up with the rest of what it said. These were some of the answers that the teacher got from her students on that quiz:
It’s always darkest before... Daylight Savings Time.
Never underestimate the power of… termites.
Don’t bite the hand that … looks dirty.
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll… stink in the morning.
An idle mind is… the best way to relax.
A penny saved is… not much.
Two’s company, three’s… the Musketeers.
Children should be seen and not… spanked or grounded.
If at first you don’t succeed… get new batteries.
When the blind leadeth the blind… get out of the way.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and… you have to blow your nose.
Even though the students in that class had studied those parables for several days they still had trouble with the right answers.
And even when Jesus’ disciples had been with Him for several months they still had trouble with getting their answer right. During the time they had been with Jesus, His disciples had watched Him as He had…
healed a Leper – Mat 8:1
healed the servant of a Roman centurion– Mat 8:5
healed Peter’s mother in law – Mat 8:14
He also healed numerous people who had evil spirits and various diseases – Mt 8:16
They had even seen him raise a girl from the dead – Mat 9:25
The disciples had seen all of this. They had seen His power up close and personally. But now it became late in the day. They were on a hill out in the middle of no place and they had a bunch of hungry people on their hands. The disciples were practical men, and they suggested to Jesus that He send the people home so they can get something to eat. It was then that Jesus says the most unusual thing to them: "They do not need to go away. YOU give them something to eat." Matthew 14:16
That would seem like a practical solution except for two things:
1. There were 5000 MEN (besides and women and children) in this crowd
2. And they did not have nearly enough food on hand to feed that many people
The Gospel of Mark tells us another part of the conversation. When Jesus said that they should feed the crowd, “they said to him, ‘That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" Mark 6:37 The Gospel of John gives us another insight into this story. It says that Jesus had been speaking to Philip when he was telling them that they should feed the crowds. And John 6:6 says “He asked this only to TEST him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”
When I started to look at all the miracles Jesus had done up to that point I suddenly realized what was going on. Up until that point in time Jesus had been doing all the work. Jesus taught the people. Jesus healed people. Jesus raised people from the dead. And the disciples pretty much had been along for the ride. But at this point… it’s test time.
It was like that teacher who set the stage, by citing the first part of the parables to her class, and then expected them to fill in the blanks. In the same way, Jesus had set the stage for His disciples. He had given them an impossible situation, confronted them with nearly 15,000 hungry people (5000 men, plus women and children) and He told His disciples to feed them.
TEST QUESTION: How are YOU going to feed them?
And, how did they answer? We don’t have enough money - We ONLY have 2 fish & 5 loaves. . . So give Jesus what you have and let Him deal with the solution
Hebrews 11:6 says – “… without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that HE REWARDS THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM. If we earnestly seek His involvement in our plans, and we have nothing much to bring to the table, He fills in the gaps. His strength makes up for our weaknesses. That is the essence of faith. The Lord of miracles, desires to stretch our faith. He wants us to mature in our faith, and in order to get us to do that He often puts us in situations where there is NO way we could EVER possibly do what He’s asked on our own. That’s what Jesus did with the Disciples in this feeding of the 5000. He had put them into a situation they could only accomplish if the Lord did a miracle.
Hudson Taylor said, "Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith." If we could do it all by ourselves what need would we have for God?
In this story of the feeding of the 5000 was that Jesus’ objective was not to feed the 5000. If that was all He had in mind, He could have sent them home. They didn’t need Him to get food for them. They could have gotten their groceries somewhere else.
When Churches don’t understand this, they can fall into the trap of forgetting why they exist. Up until this time Jesus had been doing all the work. But now He told His disciples: YOU do it – YOU give them something to eat. And how much food do the disciples come up with? (5 loaves, 2 fishes). It wasn’t even their food. It was the lunch of a small boy in the crowd! They needed a catering service, and they handed Jesus a sack lunch! But Jesus was NOT offended by that; He took what they gave Him, and He blessed it. Matthew 14 says that “He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he GAVE THANKS and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.” Matthew 14:19
When everybody had eaten their fill, they collected the fragments they ended up with 12 baskets full of food.
Jesus took what the disciples gave Him and He multiplied it. Why did He do that? Why did He ask the disciples to come up with the food? He didn’t need their food. He didn’t need the 5 loaves or the 2 fish. He was Jesus! All He needed to do was clap His hands and the food would have fallen from the sky, complete with table service. Why then did He do it the way He did? He did it that way because He wanted His disciples to be His partners in ministry.
Bill Hybels once said, “I would never want to reach out someday with a soft, uncallused hand, a hand never dirtied by serving, and shake the nail-pierced hand of Jesus.”
When God tests your faith, when He challenges you to do more than you have ever done with your life, you should realize what a great opportunity He is giving you.
In my own life, I have discovered that the hardest tests have lead to my greatest testimonies. In fact, that’s one of the beauties of the English language: His TESTS lead to our TESTIMONIES. The Lord's tests lead to realization that He really wants to use me, and that I have value and purpose in His service. That is also the effect the miracle of the 5000 had on Jesus’ disciples.
Do you realize that this is the ONLY MIRACLE recorded in all 4 gospels? No other miracle has that honor, but this one does. This event was such a turning point in their lives that it became one of their greatest testimonies.
In Christ,
Brown
"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people." - G.K.Chesterton
A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said to him, "I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your Bible a little and get your hair cut and we'll talk about it."
After about a month the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father's study where his father said, "Son, I've been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied your Bible diligently, but you didn't get your hair cut!"
The young man waited a moment and replied, "You know Dad, I've been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair...."
To which his father replied, "Yes, and they walked every where they went!"
Praise the Lord for His mighty deeds and for His awesome power. He is in control. He performs miracles of mercy and grace. He invites us to become partners in ministry and in His miracles.
An English teacher and her class were studying well known Proverbs. One day she gave them a test to see well they were understanding what she taught. She would state the first half of a proverb and then asked the students to come up with the rest of what it said. These were some of the answers that the teacher got from her students on that quiz:
It’s always darkest before... Daylight Savings Time.
Never underestimate the power of… termites.
Don’t bite the hand that … looks dirty.
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll… stink in the morning.
An idle mind is… the best way to relax.
A penny saved is… not much.
Two’s company, three’s… the Musketeers.
Children should be seen and not… spanked or grounded.
If at first you don’t succeed… get new batteries.
When the blind leadeth the blind… get out of the way.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and… you have to blow your nose.
Even though the students in that class had studied those parables for several days they still had trouble with the right answers.
And even when Jesus’ disciples had been with Him for several months they still had trouble with getting their answer right. During the time they had been with Jesus, His disciples had watched Him as He had…
healed a Leper – Mat 8:1
healed the servant of a Roman centurion– Mat 8:5
healed Peter’s mother in law – Mat 8:14
He also healed numerous people who had evil spirits and various diseases – Mt 8:16
They had even seen him raise a girl from the dead – Mat 9:25
The disciples had seen all of this. They had seen His power up close and personally. But now it became late in the day. They were on a hill out in the middle of no place and they had a bunch of hungry people on their hands. The disciples were practical men, and they suggested to Jesus that He send the people home so they can get something to eat. It was then that Jesus says the most unusual thing to them: "They do not need to go away. YOU give them something to eat." Matthew 14:16
That would seem like a practical solution except for two things:
1. There were 5000 MEN (besides and women and children) in this crowd
2. And they did not have nearly enough food on hand to feed that many people
The Gospel of Mark tells us another part of the conversation. When Jesus said that they should feed the crowd, “they said to him, ‘That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" Mark 6:37 The Gospel of John gives us another insight into this story. It says that Jesus had been speaking to Philip when he was telling them that they should feed the crowds. And John 6:6 says “He asked this only to TEST him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”
When I started to look at all the miracles Jesus had done up to that point I suddenly realized what was going on. Up until that point in time Jesus had been doing all the work. Jesus taught the people. Jesus healed people. Jesus raised people from the dead. And the disciples pretty much had been along for the ride. But at this point… it’s test time.
It was like that teacher who set the stage, by citing the first part of the parables to her class, and then expected them to fill in the blanks. In the same way, Jesus had set the stage for His disciples. He had given them an impossible situation, confronted them with nearly 15,000 hungry people (5000 men, plus women and children) and He told His disciples to feed them.
TEST QUESTION: How are YOU going to feed them?
And, how did they answer? We don’t have enough money - We ONLY have 2 fish & 5 loaves. . . So give Jesus what you have and let Him deal with the solution
Hebrews 11:6 says – “… without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that HE REWARDS THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM. If we earnestly seek His involvement in our plans, and we have nothing much to bring to the table, He fills in the gaps. His strength makes up for our weaknesses. That is the essence of faith. The Lord of miracles, desires to stretch our faith. He wants us to mature in our faith, and in order to get us to do that He often puts us in situations where there is NO way we could EVER possibly do what He’s asked on our own. That’s what Jesus did with the Disciples in this feeding of the 5000. He had put them into a situation they could only accomplish if the Lord did a miracle.
Hudson Taylor said, "Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith." If we could do it all by ourselves what need would we have for God?
In this story of the feeding of the 5000 was that Jesus’ objective was not to feed the 5000. If that was all He had in mind, He could have sent them home. They didn’t need Him to get food for them. They could have gotten their groceries somewhere else.
When Churches don’t understand this, they can fall into the trap of forgetting why they exist. Up until this time Jesus had been doing all the work. But now He told His disciples: YOU do it – YOU give them something to eat. And how much food do the disciples come up with? (5 loaves, 2 fishes). It wasn’t even their food. It was the lunch of a small boy in the crowd! They needed a catering service, and they handed Jesus a sack lunch! But Jesus was NOT offended by that; He took what they gave Him, and He blessed it. Matthew 14 says that “He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he GAVE THANKS and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.” Matthew 14:19
When everybody had eaten their fill, they collected the fragments they ended up with 12 baskets full of food.
Jesus took what the disciples gave Him and He multiplied it. Why did He do that? Why did He ask the disciples to come up with the food? He didn’t need their food. He didn’t need the 5 loaves or the 2 fish. He was Jesus! All He needed to do was clap His hands and the food would have fallen from the sky, complete with table service. Why then did He do it the way He did? He did it that way because He wanted His disciples to be His partners in ministry.
Bill Hybels once said, “I would never want to reach out someday with a soft, uncallused hand, a hand never dirtied by serving, and shake the nail-pierced hand of Jesus.”
When God tests your faith, when He challenges you to do more than you have ever done with your life, you should realize what a great opportunity He is giving you.
In my own life, I have discovered that the hardest tests have lead to my greatest testimonies. In fact, that’s one of the beauties of the English language: His TESTS lead to our TESTIMONIES. The Lord's tests lead to realization that He really wants to use me, and that I have value and purpose in His service. That is also the effect the miracle of the 5000 had on Jesus’ disciples.
Do you realize that this is the ONLY MIRACLE recorded in all 4 gospels? No other miracle has that honor, but this one does. This event was such a turning point in their lives that it became one of their greatest testimonies.
In Christ,
Brown
"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people." - G.K.Chesterton
A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said to him, "I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your Bible a little and get your hair cut and we'll talk about it."
After about a month the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father's study where his father said, "Son, I've been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied your Bible diligently, but you didn't get your hair cut!"
The young man waited a moment and replied, "You know Dad, I've been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair...."
To which his father replied, "Yes, and they walked every where they went!"
Brown's Daily Word 9-21-07
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord, for it is Friday. In the words Dr Tony Campolo, "And Sunday's coming". One of the most audacious claims we have in the Bible is found in II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to bring about the total and extreme "makeover". He brings new birth, new life.
I spend one week almost every summer in Birmingham, Alabama attending the Pastor's conference there. One evening is set aside for some southern hospitality including some country and blue grass music festival. Some time ago I read about Kenny Chesney that he draws the largest crowds of any country singer there is right now, believe it or not. He keeps packing in the crowds and he’s on the road continually, but he slowed down long enough to get married.
Chesney met actress Renée Zellweger in January, 2005 and married her May 9, 2005, in Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands. It was the first marriage for both. Chesney stated, “I remember coming back from the wedding and we landed in Little Rock, Arkansas. I had a show. We didn’t have a honeymoon, you know? Welcome to Little Rock, baby. Happy Honeymoon.”
From the beginning, their marriage looked like it was a fairy tale come true.
On September 15, after only four months of marriage, Zellweger filed for an annulment, citing "Fraud" as the reason. Sometime later Chesney said, “The only fraud that was committed was me thinking that I knew what it was like... that I really understood what it was like to be married, and I really didn’t.” I think we all would have to admit that marriage doesn’t always turn out to be what we thought it was going to be. Marriage does change a person, however, and sometimes for the better!
Of course, some women have married a bum thinking he would change. Jim Gibbore, who died on September 3, this year at the age of 57only, used to say, men will promise their women that they will change after marriage, and they will change . . . they will become worse.
There is only one place to find true and lasting change and that is in Christ. And that’s what Saul discovered. II Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Paul declared" It is no longer that I live, but Christ Jesus liveth in me". "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."
One Sunday afternoon in Chicago, a group of ballplayers entered a saloon. When they emerged, they saw a group of people playing instruments, singing gospel hymns, and testifying of Christ’s power to save from sin. Memories of a log cabin in Iowa, an old church, and a godly mother raced through the mind of one of the ballplayers. Tears came to his eyes. Presently he said, “Boys, I’m through! I’m going to turn to Jesus Christ. We’ve come to the parting of the ways.” Some of his companions mocked him, but others were silent. Only one encouraged him. He turned from the group and entered the Pacific Garden Mission.
Later that ballplayer told what occurred. “I called upon God’s mercy. I staggered out of my sins into the outstretched arms of the Savior.” That ballplayer was Billy Sunday, who became known as a world-renowned evangelist and probably preached Christ to more people at that time than any other preacher.
Billy Sunday had an unusual conversion experience. Perhaps it was not as extreme as Paul’s was, but it was unusual, different. No matter how a person comes to Christ, the important thing is that they come to Him in faith, surrender, and obedience.
In Christ,
Brown
Teach me. O God, to use all the circumstances of my life to-day that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin.
Let me use disappointment as material for patience:
Let me use success as material for thankfulness:
Let me use suspense as material for perseverance:
Let me use danger as material for courage:
Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering:
Let me use praise as material for humility:
Let me use pleasures as material for temperance:
Let me use pains as material for endurance.
... John Baillie, A Diary of Private Prayer
A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer "Where do pets come from?"
Adam and Eve said, "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now, we do not see you anymore. We are lonesome and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us."
And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."
And God created a new animal to be companion for Adam and Eve. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.
And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."
And God said, "Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG."
And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them. And they were comforted. And God was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail.
After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved...but perhaps too well."
And God said, "I will create for them a companion who will be with them forever and who will see them as they are. This companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration."
And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings. And Adam and Eve learned humility.
And they were greatly improved. And God was pleased.
And Dog was happy. And the cat did not care.
Praise the Lord, for it is Friday. In the words Dr Tony Campolo, "And Sunday's coming". One of the most audacious claims we have in the Bible is found in II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to bring about the total and extreme "makeover". He brings new birth, new life.
I spend one week almost every summer in Birmingham, Alabama attending the Pastor's conference there. One evening is set aside for some southern hospitality including some country and blue grass music festival. Some time ago I read about Kenny Chesney that he draws the largest crowds of any country singer there is right now, believe it or not. He keeps packing in the crowds and he’s on the road continually, but he slowed down long enough to get married.
Chesney met actress Renée Zellweger in January, 2005 and married her May 9, 2005, in Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands. It was the first marriage for both. Chesney stated, “I remember coming back from the wedding and we landed in Little Rock, Arkansas. I had a show. We didn’t have a honeymoon, you know? Welcome to Little Rock, baby. Happy Honeymoon.”
From the beginning, their marriage looked like it was a fairy tale come true.
On September 15, after only four months of marriage, Zellweger filed for an annulment, citing "Fraud" as the reason. Sometime later Chesney said, “The only fraud that was committed was me thinking that I knew what it was like... that I really understood what it was like to be married, and I really didn’t.” I think we all would have to admit that marriage doesn’t always turn out to be what we thought it was going to be. Marriage does change a person, however, and sometimes for the better!
Of course, some women have married a bum thinking he would change. Jim Gibbore, who died on September 3, this year at the age of 57only, used to say, men will promise their women that they will change after marriage, and they will change . . . they will become worse.
There is only one place to find true and lasting change and that is in Christ. And that’s what Saul discovered. II Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Paul declared" It is no longer that I live, but Christ Jesus liveth in me". "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."
One Sunday afternoon in Chicago, a group of ballplayers entered a saloon. When they emerged, they saw a group of people playing instruments, singing gospel hymns, and testifying of Christ’s power to save from sin. Memories of a log cabin in Iowa, an old church, and a godly mother raced through the mind of one of the ballplayers. Tears came to his eyes. Presently he said, “Boys, I’m through! I’m going to turn to Jesus Christ. We’ve come to the parting of the ways.” Some of his companions mocked him, but others were silent. Only one encouraged him. He turned from the group and entered the Pacific Garden Mission.
Later that ballplayer told what occurred. “I called upon God’s mercy. I staggered out of my sins into the outstretched arms of the Savior.” That ballplayer was Billy Sunday, who became known as a world-renowned evangelist and probably preached Christ to more people at that time than any other preacher.
Billy Sunday had an unusual conversion experience. Perhaps it was not as extreme as Paul’s was, but it was unusual, different. No matter how a person comes to Christ, the important thing is that they come to Him in faith, surrender, and obedience.
In Christ,
Brown
Teach me. O God, to use all the circumstances of my life to-day that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin.
Let me use disappointment as material for patience:
Let me use success as material for thankfulness:
Let me use suspense as material for perseverance:
Let me use danger as material for courage:
Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering:
Let me use praise as material for humility:
Let me use pleasures as material for temperance:
Let me use pains as material for endurance.
... John Baillie, A Diary of Private Prayer
A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer "Where do pets come from?"
Adam and Eve said, "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now, we do not see you anymore. We are lonesome and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us."
And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."
And God created a new animal to be companion for Adam and Eve. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.
And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."
And God said, "Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG."
And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them. And they were comforted. And God was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail.
After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved...but perhaps too well."
And God said, "I will create for them a companion who will be with them forever and who will see them as they are. This companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration."
And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings. And Adam and Eve learned humility.
And they were greatly improved. And God was pleased.
And Dog was happy. And the cat did not care.
Brown's Daily Word 9-20-07
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this beautiful day, which the Lord has given us. This is the last day of official summer for us here. It is going to be sunny, warm and brilliant. Praise the Lord for the seasons the Lord gives to us. He is the Lord in every season. He is Immortal and invisible, yet visible through the eyes of faith. He is Eternal yet He is our eternal contemporary. It is a great miracle that He delights in using rebels and prodigals to Honor His name, as He gives them a second chance.
I was reading the Book of Jonah, the reluctant prophet. There is a storm brewing in chapter 2 . . . in Jonah’s heart. The great fish was Jonah’s means of deliverance, and we see here his prayer of thanksgiving for rescue from a watery grave.
Verse 1 tells us where Jonah prayed. We might prefer going to a nice, quiet place to pray; Jonah had a very secluded spot. Now God has Jonah’s undivided attention, and the prophet prays. How could Jonah be so profound and calm? It became apparent that God had other plans for him. He wasn't going to be eaten. When God brings a trial into our lives, He gives us time to contemplate the lessons He is teaching. Jonah had 3 days. We may feel swallowed up by circumstance, but we have the assurance that what God brings to us is always for our good and His glory.
Jonah knew his plight was his fault, yet when he “called to the Lord” (vs 1), God responded. Jonah’s brief psalm is an honest prayer. Often ours are not. We overlook the real issues we should be discussing, or we ignore some sin God wants us to confess, or we ask for things to which He has already clearly denied.
Jonah states that he found himself in the “depths of Sheol”, verse 2. This is an OT Hebrew term referring in a very general sense to the grave. Sheol is the condition of death. Jonah is admitting that he was as good as dead, but God reached out and rescued him!
Jonah next acknowledges the Providence of God, in verse 3: “You hurled me into the deep … all Your waves and breakers swept over me ... & Jonah knew that it wasn’t chance, circumstance, luck, or blind fate that caused his dilemma. Neither does he blame the sailors; they were merely God’s instruments, His means of discipline, and His restoration. Jonah understands that his deliverance had been directed by the Hand of God, Who rules His creation.
God’s intention is to return Jonah back to a right relationship. How do we respond to correction? A father who loves his children doesn’t turn his back when they go astray. God’s discipline is evidence of His love for us. James Montgomery Boice reflects, “It is better to fall into the hands of God, even in correction, than to be apart from Him.”
Jonah recognized that he was alienated from God. Everything seemed lost as he sank beneath the deep. No more would the voice of God come to this prophet…or so he thought. Jonah cried in verse 4, “I have been driven from Your sight.” Who did the driving? The word “sight” could be translated “favor”. The door of life appeared to shut with a terrible finality. Each wave howled into his ear: “Jonah, you deserve this.” In verses 5-6 Jonah describes the horror of his plight. The “roots of the mountains” refers to the mountainous ocean depths.
Though things couldn’t seem worse, Jonah exercised hope in verse 4: “…yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.”
Faith dares to approach God, knowing that we’re sinful people undeserving of mercy. Faith drives us to “look again”. There is life in such a look.
If God had done nothing, Jonah’s fate would have been fitting. Though deep in sin as well as water, Jonah prayed in verse 7: “I remembered You, Lord, and my prayer rose to You.” Jonah prayed; he couldn’t help it. He prayed to One he knew personally, not some impersonal force. We may spiritually sink as deep as Jonah, yet God will not abandon us. Jonah was thrown out of a ship, but not out of the sight and grace of God. We have Christ’s added promise: “I will never cast you out”…you “will never perish” (John 6:37, 10:28).
Verses 8-9 prove that Jonah meant business; this is his vow of praise. It’s one thing to confess our sins; it’s entirely another to do something about them. Both chapters one and two end with sacrifice and vows. Jonah is at last brought to the point the Gentile sailors had already reached. Jonah agrees to obey God’s call.
Jonah speaks of “worthless idols” in verse 8, . “Worthless idols” could be translated, “vain, empty vanities”. People throw away any hope of salvation by creating substitutes for God. We may not think we are idolaters, yet idolatry is any worthless endeavor we take on apart from trust in God. We may be bowing to the idols of ambition, greed, comfort, and pleasure. Then he mentions “the grace that could be theirs”, admitting that the Gentiles were savable. Jonah re-enlisted in God’s service, renewing his commitment to his prophetic office in verse 9 with a song of thanks.
The prophet admitted in verse 9, “Salvation comes from the Lord.” The word “comes” could also be translated “belongs”. This is the theme of the entire Bible and the key verse of this book. Salvation is a gift, and God is not obligated to limit it to those we may think deserve it. Jonah’s attitude in chapter one was, “I’m not going to be a part of God saving the Ninevites.” God has miraculously saved Jonah from drowning, and he is brought to understand that God is sovereign in salvation.
It’s as if God were saying to Jonah: “Salvation is Mine to give--I give it to whomever I choose. I gave it to you. If I choose to save the Ninevites, that’s none of your business.” “Salvation is possible only because God makes it possible”. God chooses to reach out to people who aren’t reaching back. He accepts and entitles the undeserving. “God loves us not because of who we are and what we have done, but because of who He is” (Phillip Yancy).
In verse 10, the fish obediently spews up this indigestible prophet. Many scholars believe that Jonah was brought back to Joppa. “Return to GO”. I think that Jonah’s arrival back at Joppa was likely during “rush hour”, in other words, in full view of everyone…so that, by the time he arrived in Ninevah, news of his miraculous deliverance would have preceded him, adding credibility and considerable weight to his message.
The most terrifying aspect of Jonah’s plight is when he realized that God almost gave him what he wanted--to be free from Him. Jonah wanted to run from God. The implications of separation brought Jonah to repentance. He rejected God, and it looked as though God was about to reject him! Jonah was unwilling to say “Thy will be done.” In the waters of the Mediterranean he realized the awful significance of hearing God say to him: “All right then—your will be done.”
If we try to run from God He may grant our wish for awhile, but we’ll never want it. The belly of a fish wasn’t a pleasant place to live, but it was a good place to learn.
Jonah returned to God, not as someone expecting special privileges, but as a rebel in need of forgiveness. In the depths of the sea he discarded his pride. The highest moment of our life is the moment when we kneel in the dust and turn to God, confessing our sins. May we seek the same mercy that rescued and forgave the prophet Jonah.
In Christ,
Brown
A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.
John Keats
Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter.
John Keats
How women have changed
The following is from an actual 1950's Home Economics textbook intended for High School girls, teaching them how to prepare for married life.
1. Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal - on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.
2. Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.
3. Clear away clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too.
4. Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces if they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.
5. Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.
6. Some DON'TS: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.
7. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lay down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.
8. Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.
9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his need to be home and relax.
10. The Goal: try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.
Now the updated version for the 90's woman
1. Have dinner ready. Make reservations ahead of time. If your day becomes too hectic just leave him a voice mail message regarding where you'd like to eat and at what time. This lets him know that your day has been crappy and gives him an opportunity to change your mood.
2. Prepare yourself. A quick stop at the "LANCOME" counter on your way home will do wonders for your outlook and will keep you from becoming irritated every time he opens his mouth. (Don't forget to use his credit card !)
3. Clear away the clutter. Call the housekeeper and tell her that any miscellaneous items left on the floor by the children can be placed in the Goodwill box in the garage.
4. Prepare the children. Send the children to their rooms to watch television or play Nintendo. After all, both of them are from his previous marriages.
5. Minimize the noise: If you happen to be home when he arrives, be in the bathroom with the door locked.
6. Some DON'TS: Don't greet him with problems and complaints. Let him speak first, and then your complaints will get more attention and remain fresh in his mind throughout dinner. Don't complain if he's late for dinner, simply remind him that the leftovers are in the fridge and you left the dishes for him to do.
7. Make him comfortable: Tell him where he can find a blanket if he's cold. This will really show you care.
8. Listen to him: But don't ever let him get the last word.
9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or other places of entertainment; go with a friend or go shopping use his credit card). Familiarize him with the phrase "Girls' Night Out!"
10. The Goal: Try to keep things amicable without reminding him that he only thinks the world revolves around him. Obviously he's wrong, it revolves around you.
Praise the Lord for this beautiful day, which the Lord has given us. This is the last day of official summer for us here. It is going to be sunny, warm and brilliant. Praise the Lord for the seasons the Lord gives to us. He is the Lord in every season. He is Immortal and invisible, yet visible through the eyes of faith. He is Eternal yet He is our eternal contemporary. It is a great miracle that He delights in using rebels and prodigals to Honor His name, as He gives them a second chance.
I was reading the Book of Jonah, the reluctant prophet. There is a storm brewing in chapter 2 . . . in Jonah’s heart. The great fish was Jonah’s means of deliverance, and we see here his prayer of thanksgiving for rescue from a watery grave.
Verse 1 tells us where Jonah prayed. We might prefer going to a nice, quiet place to pray; Jonah had a very secluded spot. Now God has Jonah’s undivided attention, and the prophet prays. How could Jonah be so profound and calm? It became apparent that God had other plans for him. He wasn't going to be eaten. When God brings a trial into our lives, He gives us time to contemplate the lessons He is teaching. Jonah had 3 days. We may feel swallowed up by circumstance, but we have the assurance that what God brings to us is always for our good and His glory.
Jonah knew his plight was his fault, yet when he “called to the Lord” (vs 1), God responded. Jonah’s brief psalm is an honest prayer. Often ours are not. We overlook the real issues we should be discussing, or we ignore some sin God wants us to confess, or we ask for things to which He has already clearly denied.
Jonah states that he found himself in the “depths of Sheol”, verse 2. This is an OT Hebrew term referring in a very general sense to the grave. Sheol is the condition of death. Jonah is admitting that he was as good as dead, but God reached out and rescued him!
Jonah next acknowledges the Providence of God, in verse 3: “You hurled me into the deep … all Your waves and breakers swept over me ... & Jonah knew that it wasn’t chance, circumstance, luck, or blind fate that caused his dilemma. Neither does he blame the sailors; they were merely God’s instruments, His means of discipline, and His restoration. Jonah understands that his deliverance had been directed by the Hand of God, Who rules His creation.
God’s intention is to return Jonah back to a right relationship. How do we respond to correction? A father who loves his children doesn’t turn his back when they go astray. God’s discipline is evidence of His love for us. James Montgomery Boice reflects, “It is better to fall into the hands of God, even in correction, than to be apart from Him.”
Jonah recognized that he was alienated from God. Everything seemed lost as he sank beneath the deep. No more would the voice of God come to this prophet…or so he thought. Jonah cried in verse 4, “I have been driven from Your sight.” Who did the driving? The word “sight” could be translated “favor”. The door of life appeared to shut with a terrible finality. Each wave howled into his ear: “Jonah, you deserve this.” In verses 5-6 Jonah describes the horror of his plight. The “roots of the mountains” refers to the mountainous ocean depths.
Though things couldn’t seem worse, Jonah exercised hope in verse 4: “…yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.”
Faith dares to approach God, knowing that we’re sinful people undeserving of mercy. Faith drives us to “look again”. There is life in such a look.
If God had done nothing, Jonah’s fate would have been fitting. Though deep in sin as well as water, Jonah prayed in verse 7: “I remembered You, Lord, and my prayer rose to You.” Jonah prayed; he couldn’t help it. He prayed to One he knew personally, not some impersonal force. We may spiritually sink as deep as Jonah, yet God will not abandon us. Jonah was thrown out of a ship, but not out of the sight and grace of God. We have Christ’s added promise: “I will never cast you out”…you “will never perish” (John 6:37, 10:28).
Verses 8-9 prove that Jonah meant business; this is his vow of praise. It’s one thing to confess our sins; it’s entirely another to do something about them. Both chapters one and two end with sacrifice and vows. Jonah is at last brought to the point the Gentile sailors had already reached. Jonah agrees to obey God’s call.
Jonah speaks of “worthless idols” in verse 8, . “Worthless idols” could be translated, “vain, empty vanities”. People throw away any hope of salvation by creating substitutes for God. We may not think we are idolaters, yet idolatry is any worthless endeavor we take on apart from trust in God. We may be bowing to the idols of ambition, greed, comfort, and pleasure. Then he mentions “the grace that could be theirs”, admitting that the Gentiles were savable. Jonah re-enlisted in God’s service, renewing his commitment to his prophetic office in verse 9 with a song of thanks.
The prophet admitted in verse 9, “Salvation comes from the Lord.” The word “comes” could also be translated “belongs”. This is the theme of the entire Bible and the key verse of this book. Salvation is a gift, and God is not obligated to limit it to those we may think deserve it. Jonah’s attitude in chapter one was, “I’m not going to be a part of God saving the Ninevites.” God has miraculously saved Jonah from drowning, and he is brought to understand that God is sovereign in salvation.
It’s as if God were saying to Jonah: “Salvation is Mine to give--I give it to whomever I choose. I gave it to you. If I choose to save the Ninevites, that’s none of your business.” “Salvation is possible only because God makes it possible”. God chooses to reach out to people who aren’t reaching back. He accepts and entitles the undeserving. “God loves us not because of who we are and what we have done, but because of who He is” (Phillip Yancy).
In verse 10, the fish obediently spews up this indigestible prophet. Many scholars believe that Jonah was brought back to Joppa. “Return to GO”. I think that Jonah’s arrival back at Joppa was likely during “rush hour”, in other words, in full view of everyone…so that, by the time he arrived in Ninevah, news of his miraculous deliverance would have preceded him, adding credibility and considerable weight to his message.
The most terrifying aspect of Jonah’s plight is when he realized that God almost gave him what he wanted--to be free from Him. Jonah wanted to run from God. The implications of separation brought Jonah to repentance. He rejected God, and it looked as though God was about to reject him! Jonah was unwilling to say “Thy will be done.” In the waters of the Mediterranean he realized the awful significance of hearing God say to him: “All right then—your will be done.”
If we try to run from God He may grant our wish for awhile, but we’ll never want it. The belly of a fish wasn’t a pleasant place to live, but it was a good place to learn.
Jonah returned to God, not as someone expecting special privileges, but as a rebel in need of forgiveness. In the depths of the sea he discarded his pride. The highest moment of our life is the moment when we kneel in the dust and turn to God, confessing our sins. May we seek the same mercy that rescued and forgave the prophet Jonah.
In Christ,
Brown
A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.
John Keats
Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter.
John Keats
How women have changed
The following is from an actual 1950's Home Economics textbook intended for High School girls, teaching them how to prepare for married life.
1. Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal - on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.
2. Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.
3. Clear away clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too.
4. Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces if they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.
5. Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.
6. Some DON'TS: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.
7. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lay down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.
8. Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.
9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his need to be home and relax.
10. The Goal: try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.
Now the updated version for the 90's woman
1. Have dinner ready. Make reservations ahead of time. If your day becomes too hectic just leave him a voice mail message regarding where you'd like to eat and at what time. This lets him know that your day has been crappy and gives him an opportunity to change your mood.
2. Prepare yourself. A quick stop at the "LANCOME" counter on your way home will do wonders for your outlook and will keep you from becoming irritated every time he opens his mouth. (Don't forget to use his credit card !)
3. Clear away the clutter. Call the housekeeper and tell her that any miscellaneous items left on the floor by the children can be placed in the Goodwill box in the garage.
4. Prepare the children. Send the children to their rooms to watch television or play Nintendo. After all, both of them are from his previous marriages.
5. Minimize the noise: If you happen to be home when he arrives, be in the bathroom with the door locked.
6. Some DON'TS: Don't greet him with problems and complaints. Let him speak first, and then your complaints will get more attention and remain fresh in his mind throughout dinner. Don't complain if he's late for dinner, simply remind him that the leftovers are in the fridge and you left the dishes for him to do.
7. Make him comfortable: Tell him where he can find a blanket if he's cold. This will really show you care.
8. Listen to him: But don't ever let him get the last word.
9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or other places of entertainment; go with a friend or go shopping use his credit card). Familiarize him with the phrase "Girls' Night Out!"
10. The Goal: Try to keep things amicable without reminding him that he only thinks the world revolves around him. Obviously he's wrong, it revolves around you.
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