Good Morning.
Praise the Lord the way He invaded this world of sin, sorrow, and suffering with His grace and truth. We live in a very fast paced and harried world. Jesus comes silently yet gloriously. He comes dancing on darkness and dispelling gloom.
I am reminded of a story I heard about a mother who was running furiously from store to store on Christmas Eve trying to get those last-minute gifts. Suddenly she realized she had lost track of her little 3-year-old son. In a panic, she retraced her steps and found him standing with his little nose pressed flatly against a frosty window. He was gazing at a Manger Scene. When he heard his mother call his name, he turned and shouted in innocent glee, “Look Mommy! It’s JESUS! Baby Jesus is in the hay !”
The harried mom grabbed his arm and jerked him away, snapping, “We don’t have time for all that! Can’t you see that Mommy’s trying to get ready for Christmas!?!”
I love to listen to Christmas carols. My wife starts to listen Christmas carols by the later part of October. I have a collection Christmas carols the Lord has blessed His church with from around the world. One of the most familiar carols composed by an American preacher of the past is based on Micah 5. It was 1865 when a well-known American Preacher named Phillips Brooks made a trip to the Holy Land. Years earlier, in his mid-20’s, Brooks had become pastor of the Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia. He recruited a salesman named Lewis Redner to serve as his Church Organist. The church grew from 30 to 1,000 in less than a year, partly because of Brooks’ preaching and partly because of Redner’s music. Brooks gained a reputation as one of the most dynamic speakers of his day. In fact, after the Civil War ended, Brooks was asked to preach the funeral sermon for President Lincoln. After preaching that sermon, Brooks felt so spiritually drained that his Church gave him a Sabbatical. Brooks made a trip to Jerusalem.
On Christmas Eve he rode on horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem where he listened to a Choir singing in the Church of the Nativity. Brooks decided to write a Poem to express how it felt to stand near the place where Jesus was born. He entitled the poem: “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Later, Lewis Redner, the Organist, wrote a melody that turned the Poem into a Christmas Carol.
The first thing this familiar Carol points out is that Bethlehem was a LITTLE town. You see, God chooses to use SMALL things to accomplish his GREAT purposes.
God’s Greatest Gift came to a Little Town
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
How many of you grew up in a small town --- say… less than 10,000 people? That’s the kind of town Bethlehem was. At the time of Christ it was a quiet little shepherding community. For you who aren’t sure if you were from a small town, let me help you out. You know you’re from a small town when:
• The city limits signs are both on the same post!
• The local Motel 6 sleeps 6. (You’ll notice is says that in Bethlehem “…there was no room in THE Inn.” Bethlehem didn’t have a big tourism industry.)
• You call a wrong number and they supply you with the correct one.
• You don’t signal turns because everyone knows where you’re going anyway.
• The one-block-long Main Street dead ends in both directions. (That’s actually the case in Juneau, Alaska.)
• Driving cars up and down Main Street is a universal High School experience.
• A “Night on the Town” takes exactly 11 minutes. (By the way, if you’re getting these jokes, then you’re from a small town.)
• The New Year’s baby was born in October.
• You have to name six surrounding towns to explain where you’re from.
Well, if you were giving Directions to Bethlehem, you would say it was about 5 miles outside Jerusalem. Bethlehem may have been a sleepy little Suburb, but it did have some notable History.
Bethlehem is first mentioned in Geneses 35:16-19 because Jacob’s wife, Rachel was buried there. She died giving birth to Jacob’s youngest son. Before Rachel died, she named him Benoni, which means “son of my sorrow.” But Jacob changed the boy’s name to Benjamin which means “son of my right hand.” It’s interesting that both of these terms were used to describe the Messiah.
Bethlehem is featured again in the Book of Ruth. It was in Bethlehem that Ruth was “redeemed” and married Boaz. It was in Bethlehem that Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed, who would be the grandfather of King David, who was also born and raised in Bethlehem.
Years later, Bethlehem (along with all of Judea) was conquered by the Assyrians. The last person in David’s family line had been carried into captivity when the Prophet Micah made this prophecy: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel …” Micah 5:2 700 years later, this prophecy led the Wise Men to the birthplace of Jesus.
God still chooses small places for great things. God’s Greatest Gift came through a Humble Family
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!
Phillips Brooks once said, “It is while you are patiently toiling at the little tasks of life that the meaning and shape of the great whole of life dawns on you.” For most of their lives, Mary and Joseph simply went about the mundane little jobs of daily life, living small lives in small towns. But, in the process, they protected, nurtured, and raised up the Hope of all the World.
I heard a World War II story that shows how the smallest deed can make all the difference. During the last months of the War, the British conducted daily bombing raids over Berlin. One night the bombers were attacked by a large group of German fighter planes.
During the dogfight one of the Bomber Planes got separated from the protection of British Fighter Planes. They watched helplessly as a German Fighter Plane came within range. Bullets whizzed by over and over until Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Five bullets slammed into the fuselage of the bomber near the gas tank. The crew braced for the explosion, but it never came. Fuel poured from the bullet holes, but there was no explosion. After landing, a mechanic handed the pilot 5 bullets he had pulled from the plane.
The pilot carefully opened the shells. They were empty --- except for a tiny wad of paper with a note that read: “We are Polish POWS forced to make bullets. When guards do not look, we do not fill with powder. Is not much, but is best we can do.” Five tiny bullets, made by a few weak and lowly prisoners, but for the Crew of that British Bomber it made all the difference.
God often chooses insignificant people and events to bring about His great purposes. I Corinthians 12:27-28 says, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are…” God loves to show His strength through human frailty. God can use YOU in big ways. He does not require you to be strong or extremely intelligent or amazingly talented. The one thing God requires is obedience. Joseph and Mary were chosen because they were obedient to everything God called them to do.
God’s Greatest Gift came as a Helpless Infant
How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
Chuck Swindoll writes about a Department Store that decided to market a new item in their Christmas Sales. Their idea was a doll in the form of Baby Jesus. It was advertised as being unbreakable, washable, and cuddly. It was packaged in straw with a satin crib and a few appropriate scriptures to make it complete.
It did not sell… The manager of one of the stores panicked. In an effort to move the merchandise, he hung up a huge sign that read, "JESUS CHRIST – Marked down 50% - Get Him while you can!"
When God sent his Son as a helpless little infant, there was no Big Advertisement to tell how Valuable this Gift was. Jesus came to earth silently and humbly. He came to earth like every other human being, as a tiny infant --- entirely dependent on loving care from human parents.
God took on flesh, not to show us how God would live on this planet, but to show us how a man can live in humble obedience to God. Look again at how Malachi 5:4-5 describes the Messiah, "He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace."
Through His Obedience, this tiny infant attained greatness that reaches to the ends of the earth. The Power of Jesus is a Power that brings Peace to every heart that receives Him.
It was Christmas Day in the hills of South American Columbia. Two Missionaries had been kidnapped by Bandits, and were held captive in a squalid hut. On that Christmas Morning, one of the Missionaries worked intently with pieces of hay that were there on the hard clay floor. When he finished, he stepped back and showed the other Missionary the finished product. In the dim light of the hut the other Missionary smiled down at the single word spelled out, there in the straw, "Emmanuel".
On that first Christmas Morning --- the day when Christ was born --- there in the straw lay the hope of all mankind: Emmanuel – God with Us.
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
Thank you Jesus.
Brown
O Holy Night, Celtic Woman . .. it is the right link:Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-8jYpa1-o
Friday, December 21, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 12-20-07
Good Morning.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad it. Praise the Lord, for the He is Emmanuel, the God with us. He became a Man of Sorrows, acquainted with our grief, yet He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Most of you have read, heard, or seen the poem called, “One Solitary Life”, which reads, “He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn’t go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself.
"He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race.
"All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that have ever sat, all the kings that have ever reigned, put together, have not have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life.” [Attributed to James Allen Francis]
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5 (NKJV) Have you ever stopped to consider how different the world might be if Jesus had never been born? Although some unbelievers consider Christianity and its founder Jesus Christ a menace to society that should be removed as soon as possible, they have never really considered how the birth of Jesus Christ has affected this world in which we live!
“In the eighteenth century, there was great attack on foreign missionaries in the London Times. An experienced traveler wrote a letter to the editor in which he criticized this attitude. The letter’s writer said that such an attitude on the part of a voyager was particularly inexcusable – for should he happen to be cast ashore on some uncharted island, he would devoutly pray that the lesson of the missionary had preceded him! The writer of the letter was no less than Charles Darwin, later an enemy of the Christian faith. Nonetheless, he recognized the useful value of the faith.” [D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe. What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994) p. 157]
Perhaps nothing could be more applicable in this season in which we celebrate the birth of Christ into human form, than by stopping to consider just how great an impact He has had on the human race. -[Principles drawn from D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe. What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994) p. 157]
Because Christ Lived the World Has Attached A New Value To Human Life.
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Gen 1:27) The concept of sanctity of life is a spiritual concept; the word sanctity comes from the Latin word (sanctus) which means ‘holy’ or sacred to God, that which God has declared is of great value. Even in the world today, when you get into areas where Christianity is not the prominent religion human life is cheap. Christianity has changed the value attached to human life, especially to Children, Women, and the Elderly. Prior to the coming of Christ, abortion, the killing of infants, and abandonment were common practices. Over time the influence of Christianity has stopped the practice of child-killing until the recent revival by the modern practice of abortion. Prior to the Christian influence, a woman’s life was very cheap; in fact, in most ancient cultures, the wife was the property of her husband. In the nineteenth century, Charles Spurgeon told of a Hindu woman who said to a missionary, ‘Surely your Bible was written by a woman.’ ‘Why?’ he asked. ‘Because it says so many kind things for women. Our experts never refer to us but in some reproach.’ (p. 17)
Today we take our values on human life for granted. We do so because we in America have had them so embedded in our culture for centuries. But had Christ never been born, it would have been a far different story; human life would be quite cheap. The morality of any society can easily be judged by the view it holds on human life. Remove the influence of Jesus Christ in the world and you will quickly see how cheap human life becomes.
Because Christ Lived the World Has Changed the Way It Responds To Those In Need. “He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” (Proverbs 14:21)
Before the advent of Christianity there was no organized charitable effort at large in the world. The example and teaching of Jesus changed the way the world reacted to those in need especially the poor, the widowed, and the orphaned.
Hospitals as we know them began through the influence of Christianity. Christianity also gave rise to nursing care. The Red Cross was started by an evangelical Christian.
W. O. Sanders, a skeptic, made this admission about the influence of Christianity, “Your agnostic is tremendously impressed by the power of your faith. He has seen drunkards and libertines and moral degenerates transfigured by it. He has seen the sick, the aged, the friendless comforted and sustained, and he is impressed by your wonderful charities, your asylums, your hospitals, your nurseries, your schools; he must shamefacedly admit that agnostics, as such have built few hospitals and few homes for orphans.” [p. 156] In reality they have built none!!!! A world without Christ would be a world without charity.
Because Christ Lived the World Has Changed Its View about Science. Some think that Christianity and science are opposites and have nothing to do with each other. Science, theology, and history are not three distinct branches of knowledge, but simply three different ways in which to view the reality around us! Blaise Pascal states it well when he said, “Faith tells us what the sensed cannot, but it not contrary to their findings. It simply transcends, without contradicting them.” [p. 99]
Some of the greatest pioneers of science were committed Christians, I will name just a few:
Antiseptic Surgery – Joseph Lister
Bacteriology – Louis Pasteur
Calculus – Isaac Newton
Electromagnetics – Michael Faraday
And the list goes on and on. Countess benefits of science which you enjoy in your everyday life today would not exist if Christ had not been born!
To borrow a phrase from C.S. Lewis, a good description of life on earth if Jesus had never come would be, “always winter but never Christmas.” If Christ had not come life would be meaningless. If Christ had not comet there would be no forgiveness for sin. If Christ had not come there would be no sure hope of Eternal life.
But Christ was born, and, oh, the difference it has made. The world is different because Christ lived. Is the world different because we profess Jesus as our Lord and Savior?
These daily devotionals are posted in my home page, "Brownnaik.com". When you visit the page you can find link to pictures of our grandchildren, Micah and Simeon. You also can find a link to the pictures of children in Orissa , India.
We will soon be posting our annual Christmas letter, that allows us to share about the Amazing Faithfulness of Lord and Savior, Emmanuel, God with us. Praise the Lord for each of you around the corner and around the globe. We are so blessed to belong to Jesus, the newborn King. We are so blessed to belong to His Church, militant and Triumphant. We have been blessed with simple and profound gifts. We are blessed with the best of both worlds. Knowing, Worshipping, Serving Jesus Christ, you never lose.
With much love and gratitude,
Brown
Reporting a Praise the Lord. George Cosler visited his oncologist yesterday in Ogdensburg, NY and he doesn’t have to return until August of 2008. Their visit to the surgeon at Upstate Medical January 10th will hopefully and prayerfully result in removal of the feeding tube. George is maintaining his weight, beginning light exercise and attended the United Methodist Church in Morristown, NY last Sunday. They hopefully will leave for Florida after the January 10th doctor’s visit and join Phyllis’ Mother Dot Catlin, Walt Carmon’s sister. Thank you for all the prayers and praise God for his goodness.
Thank you Brown for this wonderful message of healing. I passed it on to my son-in-law E. today who is married to P. He is suffering terribly with back pain. He was a former fireman, 47 years old and is now unable to work after an unsuccessful back operation. He is waiting for paperwork to come through from the state so that he might go on disability. He was injured carrying a heavy woman down from a second story house. He blew up terribly at P. last night after a basketball game over a misunderstanding. He is going to counseling, but his quality of life has diminished so much. Their oldest daughter, A, received a full basketball scholarship to St. Rose in Albany. She is a senior at UE. Please pray for him for the understanding of God’s love and healing power. He called this afternoon to apologize and was crying through most of the conversation. We’re trying to help in every way we can. Thanks in advance. B.
Hi everyone!
We just returned from another long day at Dartmouth.
Good news - The twins are doing great!!!! One is 1 lb 10 oz and the other is 1 lb 9oz so they are still sharing and doing well in there.
We met with the doctors and have finally agreed on a plan.
We are going to start daily monitoring at Littleton soon (tomorrow or Monday.) Then I will be admitted into Dartmouth hospital around December 28 for more continual monitoring. Once admitted they will be able to monitor me more frequently and be able to have a better chance of saving the twins if anything happens.
We took a tour of the maternity section and it was nice. It will be hard living there for an extended period of time but we'll have to make the best of it. We're hoping the twins will be fine with no problems until mid to end of February so if all goes well I will be there for a while.
Our last stop was the David's house (a big house nearby for family to stay.) David's house was awesome - I was choked up for most of the time there because it was perfect for Eliana. I think she will adjust very well there because it is a huge beautiful house with lots of family rooms, food and toys. She said she wanted to come back to play there and that was what Patrick and I were hoping for.
Please continue to keep the twins and us in your prayers. We are about to start the whirlwind part of this experience. We are really glad to have peace in our hearts that God will take care of us and we keep handing concerns over to him. Thanks for all of your support and we'll keep you posted if anything else happens.
Love,
Cori
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad it. Praise the Lord, for the He is Emmanuel, the God with us. He became a Man of Sorrows, acquainted with our grief, yet He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Most of you have read, heard, or seen the poem called, “One Solitary Life”, which reads, “He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn’t go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself.
"He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race.
"All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that have ever sat, all the kings that have ever reigned, put together, have not have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life.” [Attributed to James Allen Francis]
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5 (NKJV) Have you ever stopped to consider how different the world might be if Jesus had never been born? Although some unbelievers consider Christianity and its founder Jesus Christ a menace to society that should be removed as soon as possible, they have never really considered how the birth of Jesus Christ has affected this world in which we live!
“In the eighteenth century, there was great attack on foreign missionaries in the London Times. An experienced traveler wrote a letter to the editor in which he criticized this attitude. The letter’s writer said that such an attitude on the part of a voyager was particularly inexcusable – for should he happen to be cast ashore on some uncharted island, he would devoutly pray that the lesson of the missionary had preceded him! The writer of the letter was no less than Charles Darwin, later an enemy of the Christian faith. Nonetheless, he recognized the useful value of the faith.” [D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe. What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994) p. 157]
Perhaps nothing could be more applicable in this season in which we celebrate the birth of Christ into human form, than by stopping to consider just how great an impact He has had on the human race. -[Principles drawn from D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe. What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994) p. 157]
Because Christ Lived the World Has Attached A New Value To Human Life.
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Gen 1:27) The concept of sanctity of life is a spiritual concept; the word sanctity comes from the Latin word (sanctus) which means ‘holy’ or sacred to God, that which God has declared is of great value. Even in the world today, when you get into areas where Christianity is not the prominent religion human life is cheap. Christianity has changed the value attached to human life, especially to Children, Women, and the Elderly. Prior to the coming of Christ, abortion, the killing of infants, and abandonment were common practices. Over time the influence of Christianity has stopped the practice of child-killing until the recent revival by the modern practice of abortion. Prior to the Christian influence, a woman’s life was very cheap; in fact, in most ancient cultures, the wife was the property of her husband. In the nineteenth century, Charles Spurgeon told of a Hindu woman who said to a missionary, ‘Surely your Bible was written by a woman.’ ‘Why?’ he asked. ‘Because it says so many kind things for women. Our experts never refer to us but in some reproach.’ (p. 17)
Today we take our values on human life for granted. We do so because we in America have had them so embedded in our culture for centuries. But had Christ never been born, it would have been a far different story; human life would be quite cheap. The morality of any society can easily be judged by the view it holds on human life. Remove the influence of Jesus Christ in the world and you will quickly see how cheap human life becomes.
Because Christ Lived the World Has Changed the Way It Responds To Those In Need. “He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” (Proverbs 14:21)
Before the advent of Christianity there was no organized charitable effort at large in the world. The example and teaching of Jesus changed the way the world reacted to those in need especially the poor, the widowed, and the orphaned.
Hospitals as we know them began through the influence of Christianity. Christianity also gave rise to nursing care. The Red Cross was started by an evangelical Christian.
W. O. Sanders, a skeptic, made this admission about the influence of Christianity, “Your agnostic is tremendously impressed by the power of your faith. He has seen drunkards and libertines and moral degenerates transfigured by it. He has seen the sick, the aged, the friendless comforted and sustained, and he is impressed by your wonderful charities, your asylums, your hospitals, your nurseries, your schools; he must shamefacedly admit that agnostics, as such have built few hospitals and few homes for orphans.” [p. 156] In reality they have built none!!!! A world without Christ would be a world without charity.
Because Christ Lived the World Has Changed Its View about Science. Some think that Christianity and science are opposites and have nothing to do with each other. Science, theology, and history are not three distinct branches of knowledge, but simply three different ways in which to view the reality around us! Blaise Pascal states it well when he said, “Faith tells us what the sensed cannot, but it not contrary to their findings. It simply transcends, without contradicting them.” [p. 99]
Some of the greatest pioneers of science were committed Christians, I will name just a few:
Antiseptic Surgery – Joseph Lister
Bacteriology – Louis Pasteur
Calculus – Isaac Newton
Electromagnetics – Michael Faraday
And the list goes on and on. Countess benefits of science which you enjoy in your everyday life today would not exist if Christ had not been born!
To borrow a phrase from C.S. Lewis, a good description of life on earth if Jesus had never come would be, “always winter but never Christmas.” If Christ had not come life would be meaningless. If Christ had not comet there would be no forgiveness for sin. If Christ had not come there would be no sure hope of Eternal life.
But Christ was born, and, oh, the difference it has made. The world is different because Christ lived. Is the world different because we profess Jesus as our Lord and Savior?
These daily devotionals are posted in my home page, "Brownnaik.com". When you visit the page you can find link to pictures of our grandchildren, Micah and Simeon. You also can find a link to the pictures of children in Orissa , India.
We will soon be posting our annual Christmas letter, that allows us to share about the Amazing Faithfulness of Lord and Savior, Emmanuel, God with us. Praise the Lord for each of you around the corner and around the globe. We are so blessed to belong to Jesus, the newborn King. We are so blessed to belong to His Church, militant and Triumphant. We have been blessed with simple and profound gifts. We are blessed with the best of both worlds. Knowing, Worshipping, Serving Jesus Christ, you never lose.
With much love and gratitude,
Brown
Reporting a Praise the Lord. George Cosler visited his oncologist yesterday in Ogdensburg, NY and he doesn’t have to return until August of 2008. Their visit to the surgeon at Upstate Medical January 10th will hopefully and prayerfully result in removal of the feeding tube. George is maintaining his weight, beginning light exercise and attended the United Methodist Church in Morristown, NY last Sunday. They hopefully will leave for Florida after the January 10th doctor’s visit and join Phyllis’ Mother Dot Catlin, Walt Carmon’s sister. Thank you for all the prayers and praise God for his goodness.
Thank you Brown for this wonderful message of healing. I passed it on to my son-in-law E. today who is married to P. He is suffering terribly with back pain. He was a former fireman, 47 years old and is now unable to work after an unsuccessful back operation. He is waiting for paperwork to come through from the state so that he might go on disability. He was injured carrying a heavy woman down from a second story house. He blew up terribly at P. last night after a basketball game over a misunderstanding. He is going to counseling, but his quality of life has diminished so much. Their oldest daughter, A, received a full basketball scholarship to St. Rose in Albany. She is a senior at UE. Please pray for him for the understanding of God’s love and healing power. He called this afternoon to apologize and was crying through most of the conversation. We’re trying to help in every way we can. Thanks in advance. B.
Hi everyone!
We just returned from another long day at Dartmouth.
Good news - The twins are doing great!!!! One is 1 lb 10 oz and the other is 1 lb 9oz so they are still sharing and doing well in there.
We met with the doctors and have finally agreed on a plan.
We are going to start daily monitoring at Littleton soon (tomorrow or Monday.) Then I will be admitted into Dartmouth hospital around December 28 for more continual monitoring. Once admitted they will be able to monitor me more frequently and be able to have a better chance of saving the twins if anything happens.
We took a tour of the maternity section and it was nice. It will be hard living there for an extended period of time but we'll have to make the best of it. We're hoping the twins will be fine with no problems until mid to end of February so if all goes well I will be there for a while.
Our last stop was the David's house (a big house nearby for family to stay.) David's house was awesome - I was choked up for most of the time there because it was perfect for Eliana. I think she will adjust very well there because it is a huge beautiful house with lots of family rooms, food and toys. She said she wanted to come back to play there and that was what Patrick and I were hoping for.
Please continue to keep the twins and us in your prayers. We are about to start the whirlwind part of this experience. We are really glad to have peace in our hearts that God will take care of us and we keep handing concerns over to him. Thanks for all of your support and we'll keep you posted if anything else happens.
Love,
Cori
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 12-19-07
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this wonderful season. Praise the Lord for the wonderful and Holy Birth of our Savior and Lord, who is Holy, meek and mild, and He is the Lion of Judah, who breaks every chain. I love to read the poignant and powerful prophecies regarding our Savior and Lord. Our Lord delivers what He promises because He can. He is able, and He is more than able.
The more I read from His Word the more I get excited about Jesus our Savior and about His coming to the world and the eternal blessings he brought down to the earth of sorrow, sin and suffering. He is Emmanuel, the God with us. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. In translating Revelation 21, Eugene Peterson makes a wonderful rendition, "Look, look, God has moved to our neighborhood". Indeed, Jesus has moved to our neighborhood with healing in His wings as read in Malachi.
We have seen so many healing in our lives ... so many of them in so many lives. It is a wonderful privilege, serving Him, and a high honor indeed it is, to worship Him.
Let us go back to Isaiah 35, "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart,‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come . . . .
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool,and the thirsty ground springs of water."
What a magnificent picture of healing and new life Isaiah portrays. It is the very thing that many people long for more than anything else either for themselves or those they love. We spend billions of dollars on health care and healing.
Some time ago I read about Mark Cruikshank, who owns 2 transmission repair shops in the Chicago area. Last year, Debbie, his wife, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and he tried to think of various ways to help. As he watched her suffer he thought, "Are there other venues, medically? Something we haven’t tried or thought of? How can I support her emotionally?" After awhile, he realized praying might be the best thing he could do. He really hadn’t been a praying man himself, and he wasn’t sure that in itself would be enough. So, instead of using his company signs, as he usually did, to advertise the most recent special, he would use those same signs to say: PLEASE PRAY FOR DEBBIE THAT THE CANCER WILL GO AWAY. "
How amazed he was at the response! A stream of customers, many of them strangers, began flowing in to ask how Debbie was doing and to offer their prayers. People of every faith came in. Some customers told Mark that they hadn’t prayed in twenty years, but they would be sure to pray for Debbie. Now emboldened, Mark began to personally ask customers and business colleagues to pray.
As the months passed, Mark noticed a change, not only in his wife, which was certainly there, but in himself. Over the years, he had become rather cynical about human nature. He was like anyone involved in the service industry, considering how grouchy and rude customers can be. You can imagine what it would be like to run a car repair business! I mean, no one likes to get their car fixed or pay the high costs usually involved. As a result, Mark became weary of dealing with such people.
But after he posted the sign about his Debbie’s cancer, the outpouring of love and support from his customers, and even from total strangers, startled him, causing him to think differently. A few days before Christmas, the Cruikshanks got the good news. On Christmas Eve, Mark Cruikshank drove to his shops to post a new sign: PRAISE GOD, DEBBIE IS WINNING HER BATTLE WITH CANCER.
The truth is that not everyone in the wilderness will win a battle like that--Or that dramatically. Not everyone is going to be healed of cancer. But we do know that healing was and is a part of Christ's ministry. We also know that many who came to him were among the most challenged: The hearing impaired, the visually challenged, and the leprous, among others. Thus, the coming of Christ was and is hope for the hopeless and healing for the hurting.
Isaiah wrote," A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." The coming of Jesus brings joy. To be in his presence is heaven.
Pastor Clay Shultz of Alberta told the story of his father, who worked in the oil fields. It was a job meant that he was on call 24/7. Often he would be gone for days at a time. Still, Clay seldom felt cheated or deprived of time with his father. He said that during summers and holidays, their family would often go to where his father was stationed just so everyone could spend time with one another. If they were near a body of water, their father would take them fishing, or if it was a particularly good hunting region, they would hunt.
Though they never went on a vacation in a usual sense, Clay says both mother and father knew how to give their children their full attention. In fact, one of the best Christmas dinners Clay says he ever had was on a work site. The rig was stacked, which means it was not operating over the holidays, but Clay’s father was assigned there in order to ensure its security. Clay, his mother, sister, and older brother, also traveled there to stay with him. On Christmas Day, all they had to eat was turkey sandwiches and chips. And yet, Clay insists it was wonderful for all of them!
Why? How could he find it to be wonderful? It was because they were in the presence of their father, which meant that nothing else could compare in value.
That is what believers often claim they feel in the presence of Jesus. From the beginning His coming has meant, and continues to mean, hope for the hopeless, help for the hurting, and joy.
Christmas itself is all about God actually having come into our world in the form of an infant. His divine act makes a life of wonder and joy possible and accessible to all. Thus, no wonder we can sing during this season, Joy to the world, the Lord is come. " Look. Look, the Lord of life, liberty, and Joy is moving in to our neighborhood". We are not alone; no, we are never alone. He makes the "Communion of saints" a living reality.
Brown
Pray for Janice, Jeremy, Micah, and Simeon, as they drive from Boston to New York State on Friday after work.
Pray for Andy and Sunita as they drive up from DC on Friday, for Jessica and Tom as they drive in from Philadelphia on Friday, and for Laureen, as she drives up from Virginia on Sunday morning.
We are all happy faces as mom is scheduled to come home Thursday
- a note from Roger
Hi everyone!
We just returned from another long day at Dartmouth.
Good news - The twins are doing great!!!! One is 1 lb 10 oz and the other is 1 lb 9oz so they are still sharing and doing well in there.
We met with the doctors and have finally agreed on a plan.
We are going to start daily monitoring at Littleton soon (tomorrow or Monday.) Then I will be admitted into Dartmouth hospital around December 28 for more continual monitoring. Once admitted they will be able to monitor me more frequently and be able to have a better chance of saving the twins if anything happens.
We took a tour of the maternity section and it was nice. It will be hard living there for an extended period of time but we'll have to make the best of it. We're hoping the twins will be fine with no problems until mid to end of February so if all goes well I will be there for a while.
Our last stop was the David's house (a big house nearby for family to stay.) David's house was awesome - I was choked up for most of the time there because it was perfect for Eliana. I think she will adjust very well there because it is a huge beautiful house with lots of family rooms, food and toys. She said she wanted to come back to play there and that was what Patrick and I were hoping for.
Please continue to keep the twins and us in your prayers. We are about to start the whirlwind part of this experience. We are really glad to have peace in our hearts that God will take care of us and we keep handing concerns over to him. Thanks for all of your support and we'll keep you posted if anything else happens.
Love,
Cori (a young mom on maternity bed rest )
"Walt is having foot surgery on Friday 12/21 at 1:30 at Lourdes. He'll be off of work for 4-6 weeks because it's his right foot. "
Praise the Lord for this wonderful season. Praise the Lord for the wonderful and Holy Birth of our Savior and Lord, who is Holy, meek and mild, and He is the Lion of Judah, who breaks every chain. I love to read the poignant and powerful prophecies regarding our Savior and Lord. Our Lord delivers what He promises because He can. He is able, and He is more than able.
The more I read from His Word the more I get excited about Jesus our Savior and about His coming to the world and the eternal blessings he brought down to the earth of sorrow, sin and suffering. He is Emmanuel, the God with us. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. In translating Revelation 21, Eugene Peterson makes a wonderful rendition, "Look, look, God has moved to our neighborhood". Indeed, Jesus has moved to our neighborhood with healing in His wings as read in Malachi.
We have seen so many healing in our lives ... so many of them in so many lives. It is a wonderful privilege, serving Him, and a high honor indeed it is, to worship Him.
Let us go back to Isaiah 35, "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart,‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come . . . .
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool,and the thirsty ground springs of water."
What a magnificent picture of healing and new life Isaiah portrays. It is the very thing that many people long for more than anything else either for themselves or those they love. We spend billions of dollars on health care and healing.
Some time ago I read about Mark Cruikshank, who owns 2 transmission repair shops in the Chicago area. Last year, Debbie, his wife, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and he tried to think of various ways to help. As he watched her suffer he thought, "Are there other venues, medically? Something we haven’t tried or thought of? How can I support her emotionally?" After awhile, he realized praying might be the best thing he could do. He really hadn’t been a praying man himself, and he wasn’t sure that in itself would be enough. So, instead of using his company signs, as he usually did, to advertise the most recent special, he would use those same signs to say: PLEASE PRAY FOR DEBBIE THAT THE CANCER WILL GO AWAY. "
How amazed he was at the response! A stream of customers, many of them strangers, began flowing in to ask how Debbie was doing and to offer their prayers. People of every faith came in. Some customers told Mark that they hadn’t prayed in twenty years, but they would be sure to pray for Debbie. Now emboldened, Mark began to personally ask customers and business colleagues to pray.
As the months passed, Mark noticed a change, not only in his wife, which was certainly there, but in himself. Over the years, he had become rather cynical about human nature. He was like anyone involved in the service industry, considering how grouchy and rude customers can be. You can imagine what it would be like to run a car repair business! I mean, no one likes to get their car fixed or pay the high costs usually involved. As a result, Mark became weary of dealing with such people.
But after he posted the sign about his Debbie’s cancer, the outpouring of love and support from his customers, and even from total strangers, startled him, causing him to think differently. A few days before Christmas, the Cruikshanks got the good news. On Christmas Eve, Mark Cruikshank drove to his shops to post a new sign: PRAISE GOD, DEBBIE IS WINNING HER BATTLE WITH CANCER.
The truth is that not everyone in the wilderness will win a battle like that--Or that dramatically. Not everyone is going to be healed of cancer. But we do know that healing was and is a part of Christ's ministry. We also know that many who came to him were among the most challenged: The hearing impaired, the visually challenged, and the leprous, among others. Thus, the coming of Christ was and is hope for the hopeless and healing for the hurting.
Isaiah wrote," A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." The coming of Jesus brings joy. To be in his presence is heaven.
Pastor Clay Shultz of Alberta told the story of his father, who worked in the oil fields. It was a job meant that he was on call 24/7. Often he would be gone for days at a time. Still, Clay seldom felt cheated or deprived of time with his father. He said that during summers and holidays, their family would often go to where his father was stationed just so everyone could spend time with one another. If they were near a body of water, their father would take them fishing, or if it was a particularly good hunting region, they would hunt.
Though they never went on a vacation in a usual sense, Clay says both mother and father knew how to give their children their full attention. In fact, one of the best Christmas dinners Clay says he ever had was on a work site. The rig was stacked, which means it was not operating over the holidays, but Clay’s father was assigned there in order to ensure its security. Clay, his mother, sister, and older brother, also traveled there to stay with him. On Christmas Day, all they had to eat was turkey sandwiches and chips. And yet, Clay insists it was wonderful for all of them!
Why? How could he find it to be wonderful? It was because they were in the presence of their father, which meant that nothing else could compare in value.
That is what believers often claim they feel in the presence of Jesus. From the beginning His coming has meant, and continues to mean, hope for the hopeless, help for the hurting, and joy.
Christmas itself is all about God actually having come into our world in the form of an infant. His divine act makes a life of wonder and joy possible and accessible to all. Thus, no wonder we can sing during this season, Joy to the world, the Lord is come. " Look. Look, the Lord of life, liberty, and Joy is moving in to our neighborhood". We are not alone; no, we are never alone. He makes the "Communion of saints" a living reality.
Brown
Pray for Janice, Jeremy, Micah, and Simeon, as they drive from Boston to New York State on Friday after work.
Pray for Andy and Sunita as they drive up from DC on Friday, for Jessica and Tom as they drive in from Philadelphia on Friday, and for Laureen, as she drives up from Virginia on Sunday morning.
We are all happy faces as mom is scheduled to come home Thursday
- a note from Roger
Hi everyone!
We just returned from another long day at Dartmouth.
Good news - The twins are doing great!!!! One is 1 lb 10 oz and the other is 1 lb 9oz so they are still sharing and doing well in there.
We met with the doctors and have finally agreed on a plan.
We are going to start daily monitoring at Littleton soon (tomorrow or Monday.) Then I will be admitted into Dartmouth hospital around December 28 for more continual monitoring. Once admitted they will be able to monitor me more frequently and be able to have a better chance of saving the twins if anything happens.
We took a tour of the maternity section and it was nice. It will be hard living there for an extended period of time but we'll have to make the best of it. We're hoping the twins will be fine with no problems until mid to end of February so if all goes well I will be there for a while.
Our last stop was the David's house (a big house nearby for family to stay.) David's house was awesome - I was choked up for most of the time there because it was perfect for Eliana. I think she will adjust very well there because it is a huge beautiful house with lots of family rooms, food and toys. She said she wanted to come back to play there and that was what Patrick and I were hoping for.
Please continue to keep the twins and us in your prayers. We are about to start the whirlwind part of this experience. We are really glad to have peace in our hearts that God will take care of us and we keep handing concerns over to him. Thanks for all of your support and we'll keep you posted if anything else happens.
Love,
Cori (a young mom on maternity bed rest )
"Walt is having foot surgery on Friday 12/21 at 1:30 at Lourdes. He'll be off of work for 4-6 weeks because it's his right foot. "
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 12-18-07
Praise the Lord for Christmas. It is simple and yet profound. It is earthy and yet celestial. It is mundane and yet majestic. At Christmas our Savior was born. He started the whole world dancing and singing. He dances over sin and suffering. He dances over injustice. He dances even over death. Christmas is about songs of Joy. Our friend Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, the president of Asbury Seminary, says that during Christmas both saints and sinners sing. Thank you, Jesus.
Frederick Nietzsche, the nineteenth century German philosopher famous for his quote that “God is dead,” stated, “If they want me to believe in their God, they’ll have to sing me better songs . . . I could only believe in a God who dances.” Our view of God often determines our relationship or our lack of relationship with our Creator. Many individuals see the Lord as someone who stands off in the distance, watching and waiting to strike us down the minute we mess up.
Bet Midler sang the song, "God watching from a distance". He is viewed as a God of rules and regulations, looking to stifle our fun and suppress our freedom; and for such people this is not a God who cares about anyone. He is not a God to be desired, but rather to be rejected and opposed every step along life’s journey. Would Nietzsche’s life have been different had he known that the Lord does care for his creation? The Bible teaches us that the Lord is not impersonal and that he does not wish to remain somewhere in the distance, but rather he desires a very close and intimate relationship with human beings. In fact, for those of us who confess him as Lord and Savior, he is a God who loves us so greatly and is filled with such joy for us that he sings and dances over us! If only Nietzsche could have realized that God sings beautiful songs and that he really is a God who dances! He is not dead, but a God who is alive (Mark 16:6) and who seeks to make us alive as well (John 10:10). We are going to know God’s extravagant love this morning as we look at our God who sings and dances over us.
There is a song called “Amazed” by singer and songwriter Jared Anderson. The lyrics of this song say, “You dance over me while I am unaware. You sing all around, but I never hear the sound . . . Lord I’m amazed by You – how You love me.”
One of my favorite Advent passages is found in Zephaniah 3:14-17. First of all, in verse 14, we see that God was speaking to Zion, Israel, and Jerusalem. Zion here is “the city of David” where King David built a citadel and his palace, and it was the place where the Ark of the Covenant had been stored for some time before being brought into the temple that King Solomon built. In the later books of the Old Testament this name was sometimes used to denote Jerusalem in general, and sometimes God’s chosen Israel. In the New Testament it is used sometimes to denote the Church of God, or people who worship Jesus Christ. The three names mentioned here are all names for God’s chosen people – or those who worship the Lord – and Zion includes those of us who worship him today. If we keep this passage in its context we understand that God was speaking to Israel, and in verse 15 we learn that God wanted to remove the judgment that was brought upon Israel by her enemy.
Zephaniah prophesied of judgment by Babylon, but he also prophesied of the day of deliverance from that judgment. In verse 16 he used the expression “in that day” which is in the future tense, and is an image of God’s faithfulness to his people and a future deliverance. The people are told, “Let not your hands be weak” (v. 16). In Hebrews 12 we read about how God allows us to go through hard times for our own good; and in Hebrews 12:12 we are encouraged to “Strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees . . .” Israel would experience chastening in the Babylonian exile, but chastening lasts only for a time before we are purged and escape to the other side; therefore we are to lift our heads and take heart, and stand tall in the confidence that our deliverance is near. Isaiah 35:3-6 refers to deliverance by the coming Messiah, and Israel is encouraged, “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” Israel would go through a tough time in the captivity, and some of us are going through a difficult time of bondage in our lives, but we are to look up and place our hope in our Deliverer, Jesus Christ.
In verse 17 we see God’s love for Israel, as it is his fervent desire to rescue Israel, to sweep her off her feet and rapture her away to a place where he can “rejoice over [her],” “quiet [her] with his love,” and “rejoice over [her] with singing.”
In verse 17 we see that God desired to “rejoice” over Israel, and “sing” over her as well. In just a moment I will discuss how God rejoices over Israel, but first let’s focus on how he will sing over her. What type of song will the Lord sing? In Psalm 32:5 and 7 we read, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin . . . You are my hiding place; you shall preserve me from trouble; you shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”
We read here how the Mighty One desired to “save” Israel (v. 17) and rescue her; therefore his songs would be “songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7), and in verse 17 we are told that God wanted to take away Israel’s judgments. Today we are placed under God’s judgment if our sins have not been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. In Romans 6:23 we are told, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we wish to receive forgiveness and eternal life, then we need to be as King David and confess our sin to God in order to be forgiven (Psalm 32:5). 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God will take away our judgments, as we read in Zephaniah 3:15, whenever we acknowledge and confess our sin. That’s when we are surrounded by his songs of deliverance.
The Lord not only wished to sing over Israel with songs of deliverance, but he wished to rejoice over Israel as well. I mentioned earlier how singer Jared Anderson said that God dances over us. The Hebrew word for “rejoice” which we find here, or yagil (giyl, gheel), is defined in Strong’s Concordance as, “To spin around under the influence of any violent emotion,” and to “be glad, be joyful,” or to “rejoice, cry out, and exalt.” Some other words of commentary that I read on this verse state, “Yagil literally means ‘spin around in joy.’ God will spin around in joy over his people, and we reflexively respond to his love by spinning around also. Interestingly, rejoice and dance are the same word in Aramaic, the common language spoken in the area.”
Our God truly sings beautiful songs – songs of deliverance; and he really is a God who dances – who dances for joy out of his love for us! You can know this God who sings and dances if you have your sins forgiven by Jesus Christ.
I have included a link to Celtic Woman's recording of "O Come All Ye Faithful". Just cut and paste onto the "go" line at the top of your server. or click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eLDvM7eSq0
Last night we attended a Christmas Cantata presented by a 60-member choir comprised of singers from various area churches. It was a Tom Fettke composition that was moving and powerful.
Our choir is going to present the annual Christmas Cantata this Sunday, December 23 at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship services. We will have our annual Christmas banquet after the second service. We will also be attending the Handles Messiah this Friday, December 21 at the Binghamton Forum. The performance will begin at 8:00 p.m. This is the 25th anniversary of the presentation of the Handle's Messiah, by the Downtown Singers. It is conducted by Alan Crab. We will meet at the church parking lot at 6:30 p.m. for carpooling.
Congratulations to George and Irene Dunham on their 52nd Wedding Anniversary.
Keep praying for :
Ryan Kerr, Dr. Roger Chatterton, Jack Black, Linda Geer, Linda Ayer, John Pipher, Jack Hoppes, Irving Rosenbarker, Connie Perry, Mahlon Tewksbury, Scott Henson, Andy Morse, George Kossler. Richard Babcock.
Joy to the world,
Brown
Frederick Nietzsche, the nineteenth century German philosopher famous for his quote that “God is dead,” stated, “If they want me to believe in their God, they’ll have to sing me better songs . . . I could only believe in a God who dances.” Our view of God often determines our relationship or our lack of relationship with our Creator. Many individuals see the Lord as someone who stands off in the distance, watching and waiting to strike us down the minute we mess up.
Bet Midler sang the song, "God watching from a distance". He is viewed as a God of rules and regulations, looking to stifle our fun and suppress our freedom; and for such people this is not a God who cares about anyone. He is not a God to be desired, but rather to be rejected and opposed every step along life’s journey. Would Nietzsche’s life have been different had he known that the Lord does care for his creation? The Bible teaches us that the Lord is not impersonal and that he does not wish to remain somewhere in the distance, but rather he desires a very close and intimate relationship with human beings. In fact, for those of us who confess him as Lord and Savior, he is a God who loves us so greatly and is filled with such joy for us that he sings and dances over us! If only Nietzsche could have realized that God sings beautiful songs and that he really is a God who dances! He is not dead, but a God who is alive (Mark 16:6) and who seeks to make us alive as well (John 10:10). We are going to know God’s extravagant love this morning as we look at our God who sings and dances over us.
There is a song called “Amazed” by singer and songwriter Jared Anderson. The lyrics of this song say, “You dance over me while I am unaware. You sing all around, but I never hear the sound . . . Lord I’m amazed by You – how You love me.”
One of my favorite Advent passages is found in Zephaniah 3:14-17. First of all, in verse 14, we see that God was speaking to Zion, Israel, and Jerusalem. Zion here is “the city of David” where King David built a citadel and his palace, and it was the place where the Ark of the Covenant had been stored for some time before being brought into the temple that King Solomon built. In the later books of the Old Testament this name was sometimes used to denote Jerusalem in general, and sometimes God’s chosen Israel. In the New Testament it is used sometimes to denote the Church of God, or people who worship Jesus Christ. The three names mentioned here are all names for God’s chosen people – or those who worship the Lord – and Zion includes those of us who worship him today. If we keep this passage in its context we understand that God was speaking to Israel, and in verse 15 we learn that God wanted to remove the judgment that was brought upon Israel by her enemy.
Zephaniah prophesied of judgment by Babylon, but he also prophesied of the day of deliverance from that judgment. In verse 16 he used the expression “in that day” which is in the future tense, and is an image of God’s faithfulness to his people and a future deliverance. The people are told, “Let not your hands be weak” (v. 16). In Hebrews 12 we read about how God allows us to go through hard times for our own good; and in Hebrews 12:12 we are encouraged to “Strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees . . .” Israel would experience chastening in the Babylonian exile, but chastening lasts only for a time before we are purged and escape to the other side; therefore we are to lift our heads and take heart, and stand tall in the confidence that our deliverance is near. Isaiah 35:3-6 refers to deliverance by the coming Messiah, and Israel is encouraged, “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” Israel would go through a tough time in the captivity, and some of us are going through a difficult time of bondage in our lives, but we are to look up and place our hope in our Deliverer, Jesus Christ.
In verse 17 we see God’s love for Israel, as it is his fervent desire to rescue Israel, to sweep her off her feet and rapture her away to a place where he can “rejoice over [her],” “quiet [her] with his love,” and “rejoice over [her] with singing.”
In verse 17 we see that God desired to “rejoice” over Israel, and “sing” over her as well. In just a moment I will discuss how God rejoices over Israel, but first let’s focus on how he will sing over her. What type of song will the Lord sing? In Psalm 32:5 and 7 we read, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin . . . You are my hiding place; you shall preserve me from trouble; you shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”
We read here how the Mighty One desired to “save” Israel (v. 17) and rescue her; therefore his songs would be “songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7), and in verse 17 we are told that God wanted to take away Israel’s judgments. Today we are placed under God’s judgment if our sins have not been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. In Romans 6:23 we are told, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we wish to receive forgiveness and eternal life, then we need to be as King David and confess our sin to God in order to be forgiven (Psalm 32:5). 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God will take away our judgments, as we read in Zephaniah 3:15, whenever we acknowledge and confess our sin. That’s when we are surrounded by his songs of deliverance.
The Lord not only wished to sing over Israel with songs of deliverance, but he wished to rejoice over Israel as well. I mentioned earlier how singer Jared Anderson said that God dances over us. The Hebrew word for “rejoice” which we find here, or yagil (giyl, gheel), is defined in Strong’s Concordance as, “To spin around under the influence of any violent emotion,” and to “be glad, be joyful,” or to “rejoice, cry out, and exalt.” Some other words of commentary that I read on this verse state, “Yagil literally means ‘spin around in joy.’ God will spin around in joy over his people, and we reflexively respond to his love by spinning around also. Interestingly, rejoice and dance are the same word in Aramaic, the common language spoken in the area.”
Our God truly sings beautiful songs – songs of deliverance; and he really is a God who dances – who dances for joy out of his love for us! You can know this God who sings and dances if you have your sins forgiven by Jesus Christ.
I have included a link to Celtic Woman's recording of "O Come All Ye Faithful". Just cut and paste onto the "go" line at the top of your server. or click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eLDvM7eSq0
Last night we attended a Christmas Cantata presented by a 60-member choir comprised of singers from various area churches. It was a Tom Fettke composition that was moving and powerful.
Our choir is going to present the annual Christmas Cantata this Sunday, December 23 at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship services. We will have our annual Christmas banquet after the second service. We will also be attending the Handles Messiah this Friday, December 21 at the Binghamton Forum. The performance will begin at 8:00 p.m. This is the 25th anniversary of the presentation of the Handle's Messiah, by the Downtown Singers. It is conducted by Alan Crab. We will meet at the church parking lot at 6:30 p.m. for carpooling.
Congratulations to George and Irene Dunham on their 52nd Wedding Anniversary.
Keep praying for :
Ryan Kerr, Dr. Roger Chatterton, Jack Black, Linda Geer, Linda Ayer, John Pipher, Jack Hoppes, Irving Rosenbarker, Connie Perry, Mahlon Tewksbury, Scott Henson, Andy Morse, George Kossler. Richard Babcock.
Joy to the world,
Brown
Monday, December 17, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 12-17-07
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for He is the real Joy Giver. He is the dispenser of genuine Joy. In Isaiah 35, there is a radical vision of what it would be like to discover joy, because it was joy found in the desert. Usually a place of dryness, emptiness, and death, the desert would suddenly come to life with joy. In his vision, he foresaw the coming of one who would offer us a new way of living, one who would bring us overflowing joy, one who would offer us salvation, hope, peace, and yes, joy - like joy in the desert. The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. "Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. "
This passage reminds me of what it’s like to have Christ come into your life very suddenly. What is it like to have Christ come into your life. It’s like joy in the desert! Joy comes by welcoming the Christ child into your life and into your heart, and following in his new way of living; that gives true joy, joy overflowing, like streams bubbling up in the desert. What else might we discover, when we allow the Christmas Child, Jesus, overshadow all our other joy-spots in life? What else does joy in the desert, the joy of Jesus, look like? We may find help for our feeble hands and fearful hearts. Isaiah records: "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.'”
Welcoming Christ into your life is like having someone strong beside you when you are at your weakest point, someone to steady you, to strengthen you, to comfort you, to remind you that there is no reason to fear, for even death has been overcome with victory. What else is it like? Isaiah continues:
"Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy."
It’s like seeing or hearing for the first time. It’s like jumping for joy. Have you jumped for joy, lately? A Savior has come to release you from the emptiness of the desert, to help you to see and to hear good news, maybe for the first time. He helps you to discover your tongue, a tongue that can shout praises, and can forgive, leaving years of frustration and bitter disappointment behind.
Isaiah continues to paint the picture for us, of what joy in the desert will look like, "Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow."
Finding joy in the desert, the Joy of Christ, will be like seeing all the dry and dead places of your life suddenly gushing with new life and vitality, like streams in the desert or greenery springing up where once there was only hot sand. Isaiah continues his vision of joy by revealing that there is a highway in this desert which will carry us away from the emptiness and disappointments of the past: "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return."
It is like having a new way opened up before you, a way you could never see before, the Way of Holiness. It represents a new way, a different way, a beautiful way to walk through this life, leaving behind the old Way, the Way of the World, with all its empty promises. The world promises fame, fortune, youth, health, and social position. They are empty promises on that way that lead to wrack and ruin, disappointment and disillusionment, broken dreams and broken hearts.
What highway are we on? Is it a highway of joy? Is it a pathway laid out for us by the Lord? Is Jesus, the author of Joy, walking next to us? How close is He? People that are on this new way, the Way of Holiness, are on the Way of the Lord, walking with their Savior, on the paths of righteousness. And, "They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
Walter B. Knight wrote this, about joy: “Joy is the flag that flies over the castle of our hearts announcing that the King is in residence today.”
Perhaps we need to open a new door, start a new journey - a journey of joy on the Way of Holiness. Let us Invite the King to be in residence in our lives, and walking with us all the way home.
In Him,
Brown
Praise the Lord for He is the real Joy Giver. He is the dispenser of genuine Joy. In Isaiah 35, there is a radical vision of what it would be like to discover joy, because it was joy found in the desert. Usually a place of dryness, emptiness, and death, the desert would suddenly come to life with joy. In his vision, he foresaw the coming of one who would offer us a new way of living, one who would bring us overflowing joy, one who would offer us salvation, hope, peace, and yes, joy - like joy in the desert. The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. "Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. "
This passage reminds me of what it’s like to have Christ come into your life very suddenly. What is it like to have Christ come into your life. It’s like joy in the desert! Joy comes by welcoming the Christ child into your life and into your heart, and following in his new way of living; that gives true joy, joy overflowing, like streams bubbling up in the desert. What else might we discover, when we allow the Christmas Child, Jesus, overshadow all our other joy-spots in life? What else does joy in the desert, the joy of Jesus, look like? We may find help for our feeble hands and fearful hearts. Isaiah records: "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.'”
Welcoming Christ into your life is like having someone strong beside you when you are at your weakest point, someone to steady you, to strengthen you, to comfort you, to remind you that there is no reason to fear, for even death has been overcome with victory. What else is it like? Isaiah continues:
"Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy."
It’s like seeing or hearing for the first time. It’s like jumping for joy. Have you jumped for joy, lately? A Savior has come to release you from the emptiness of the desert, to help you to see and to hear good news, maybe for the first time. He helps you to discover your tongue, a tongue that can shout praises, and can forgive, leaving years of frustration and bitter disappointment behind.
Isaiah continues to paint the picture for us, of what joy in the desert will look like, "Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow."
Finding joy in the desert, the Joy of Christ, will be like seeing all the dry and dead places of your life suddenly gushing with new life and vitality, like streams in the desert or greenery springing up where once there was only hot sand. Isaiah continues his vision of joy by revealing that there is a highway in this desert which will carry us away from the emptiness and disappointments of the past: "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return."
It is like having a new way opened up before you, a way you could never see before, the Way of Holiness. It represents a new way, a different way, a beautiful way to walk through this life, leaving behind the old Way, the Way of the World, with all its empty promises. The world promises fame, fortune, youth, health, and social position. They are empty promises on that way that lead to wrack and ruin, disappointment and disillusionment, broken dreams and broken hearts.
What highway are we on? Is it a highway of joy? Is it a pathway laid out for us by the Lord? Is Jesus, the author of Joy, walking next to us? How close is He? People that are on this new way, the Way of Holiness, are on the Way of the Lord, walking with their Savior, on the paths of righteousness. And, "They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
Walter B. Knight wrote this, about joy: “Joy is the flag that flies over the castle of our hearts announcing that the King is in residence today.”
Perhaps we need to open a new door, start a new journey - a journey of joy on the Way of Holiness. Let us Invite the King to be in residence in our lives, and walking with us all the way home.
In Him,
Brown
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