Praise the Lord for the beauty of the earth. It is mid-winter here in New York. It is the dawning of spring in India. The mango flowers are in full bloom. In India the Tata Motor company just launched a small car for the Indian Road. It costs, brand new, $2,500. The first car that Alice and I bought was an 1976. It was brand new Chevy Nova. We paid $3,600( cash).
We live in an exciting time of world history. Our Lord is on the move. He is at work, with truth and grace every where.
We visited our friend Linda, who had brain surgery last month. She is doing wonderfully well. She is praising the Lord for His miracle that He bestowed on her. Our Friend Richard Babcock has decided to stop dialysis and has gone home, where he is under Hospice care. He is prepared to see the Savior face to face soon. We praise the Lord baby Caleb born in Oklahoma , yesterday. He weighed 8 lbs. Because of Jesus, our Savior, we can do life and death well.
Jesus Christ is the light of the world. He is the only light that can deal with the darkness of sin upon the earth and its people. We can still see the evidence of spiritual darkness just by looking around us. Spiritual darkness is behind all manner of evil, such as armed robbery, rape, murder and torture. Spiritual darkness is the reason why terrorists are killing innocent people through suicide bombings, and only a few days ago 30 people in Kenya who had sought refuge in a Church were burnt alive. Spiritual darkness is the reason behind drug abuse and the break up of many family relationships. The world had been living in darkness waiting for the light of the world to rise and shine. When the Light came the world did not recognize Him but because of that light we today can arise and shine, for our light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon us. Jesus Christ, the light of the world has dispelled the darkness of evil and made it possible for all people to come from the darkness into His light. All these things were revealed in the Scriptures and fulfilled in Christ.
The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ is described in the Bible as the rising of the sun in a very dark place. With the rising of the sun the darkness immediately disappears. In the same way, with the rising of Jesus Christ in our lives the darkness of sin and guilt also disappears. Christ came to earth for the salvation of the whole world and has been revealed to everyone. He was revealed to the Jews in Israel and to the Gentiles in a faraway land. God has placed within each one of us a place that only Christ can fill. Without Him we are empty inside. It is an emptiness that is caused by God in order to bring us to Christ. Just as the wise men needed to fill the emptiness in their lives by seeking Christ so wise men and women today also need to fill the emptiness in their lives by seeking Him. Christ must be sought with the same sort of seriousness that characterized the search by the wise men from the east. They were prepared to undertake a long difficult journey across the desert on camels to find Jesus in order to worship Him. We should also be prepared to seek Christ at all costs and not allow any perceived difficulties to prevent or hinder our search for Him.
The Scriptures reveal God’s plan of redemption to save the human race by sending a Savior into the world. Jesus Christ came to save everyone. He came to save you and me. Christ’s birth was revealed to people both near and far and those who were wise recognized who He was. When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced and came to worship Him because He was also their Lord. These men from faraway lands recognized Jesus as the Messiah when most of the Jews who should have been better informed did not. The chief priests and the teachers of the Law were not the least bit interested in the star. They were not even prepared to travel the short distance from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to find out what had happened although they knew the predictions about the Messiah.
God has ordained Christ to be the Lord and King of the whole world whether we believe it or not. Our response to Him should be that of wise men and women who seek Him and not the response of Herod and the Jewish rulers. We are to point those who are still in darkness to the light as we ourselves ‘arise and shine, for our light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon us’.
Epiphany also describes the process when someone trapped in the darkness of sin sees and believes in the glory of Jesus Christ. It is when a person finally stops trusting in himself for salvation, and begins trusting in Christ. This is what happened to the wise men from the East. These Gentiles came from a far away land and probably did not know as much about God sending a Savior into the world as the Jews did. Yet, when they saw the star, they recognized the work of God and knew that the Messiah had come. When the wise men saw the sign that the King had come they set out to worship Him. They left their land of spiritual darkness and made the long trip to Jerusalem only to realize that it was just as spiritually dark as the land from which they had come. Yet, finally, the wise men saw the light of the world. The glory of God filled them and all they could do was to worship. They had left the darkness and come to the light.
We can only enjoy peace, and God’s blessings, when Christ is our Lord. He sacrificed Himself for us on the cross and this should be reason enough for us to trust and accept Him as our King. When we accept Him as our Savior and Lord He forgives our sins, forgets them, breaks the power of sin over us, and gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to become members of His Kingdom. Salvation is not something we do, but something Jesus does for us. We cannot save ourselves any more that a drowning man can save himself. We are saved so that we can have a relationship with God, submitting our will to His and allowing Him to rule our lives. This relationship enables us to enjoy His enormous blessings. Without it we miss out on God’s blessings.
Jesus Christ is the King who can bless us with every imaginable blessing . Hehas made available all that we need to live in His Kingdom. This Kingdom is a reality and not just wishful thinking, and it makes demands on us. It calls us to obedience, to faith, and to love. It calls us to reflect the character of Christ.
Epiphany is the light of Christ revealed to all people and all nations. It is when anyone living in the darkness of sin sees the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Just as the sun rises on every nation and people, so also does the light of the world. The grace, forgiveness and salvation of Christ rise, and shine on all people on earth. No matter who you are, you too, can leave the darkness and come into the light. Once the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ is experienced in your life, the light of His glory will never stop shining in your life. No matter how dark the world becomes you are to shine and, by manifesting the love of Christ in your life, point others to the light of Jesus Christ. May this Epiphany season be for you and me, a time when we clearly see the glory of our Savior, Jesus Christ “Arise; shine, for your light has come. And the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”
In His Light ,
Brown
I just got this news about our friend Richard Babcock . He loved the Lord. He was a sweet singer for Jesus our Saviour. " Blessed are those who die in the Lord"
Dear Brown,
On this beautiful day, my dad went to be with the Lord in Heaven! His services will be announced in the Bing. Press on Friday. Thank you for loving him and our family through the years.
Love,
Lynda Babcock Lowin
The Lord is everpresent with me(us).
Today I had the second of my "maintenance" treatments. The Oncology Nurse informed me that my blood counts are all normal; that in itself is miraculous because most people they've experienced do reflect minor and sometimes severe reductions in their blood counts. I continue to tolerate Gemzar (chemo) very well and I give all the thanks to Almighty God. I have experienced some leg weakness 2-3 days after the treatment and am told that is a reaction to the chemo. If that is the worst of it, I can accept that, otherwise, I am feeling simply wonderful. I had a chemo reaction last Saturday and spent most of the day sleeping and was very weak. Sunday I felt 90% better but didn't venture out and by Monday was feeling like myself again. Throughout this time my weight dropped to 170 but I have since rebounded to 175.
Please continue to pray for my complete healing. I know that God is keeping me both physically and spiritually and I know continual prayer will bring about my total healing.
Thank you all and God Bless you.
Jack
Hi Pastor Brown ,
Please keep Andy in your prayers ,as he is headed for Iraq on April 29th. His wife Bonnie is due with their second son ,on the 14th of April Thanks so much ,Marilee and Mike
Hi again,
Caleb weighed...(none of us won!) 8lbs 1oz, 20 1/2" long
sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. Desi said he looks alot like Justin did only tinier! She called me about 5:30pm and sounds really good, but really tired. We will go visit tomorrow, and I'll post pictures when I get home. it was really good to hear her voice.
Justin and Nana will definitely sleep well tonight!
love to you all!
The Nana
From
Bishop B.N. Nayak
Vill:- Kumbharkupa
P/o:- Mallikapodi
Via:- G.Udayagiri
Dist:- Kandhamal, ORISSA , INDIA, 762100
Sub:- Prayer request for recent persecution in Kandhamal District.
Dear Prayer partners,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who came to save us. With great burden and heavy heart and tears I am writing this letter. When whole world was planning to celebrate Christmas. We were in Kandhamal also planned to celebrate birth of our Lord. But on 24 December 2007 thousand of forces of evil came to our Church and burnt, damaged Church Buildings, broken the crosses, burnt chair, pulpits, sound equipment, computer, motorcycles and beaten the people and two people are killed, some pastors evangelists are terrorized and saved their heads and asked them deny Jesus or face death at the point of sword and gun point they have burnt the houses. Christian have left their houses and hiding in jungles with one single clothe on their bodies. Man and women, children with out food, shelter spend Christmas in bitter cold. I personal visited the villages and found the Churches were set on fire completely destroyed and we are living in state of fear. I can not afride to type and send this email in now Christian people facilities. We donot feel safe to travel hiring vehicle of non-Christian people. I cannot describe our state mind. Please pray for us. Prayer can change persons, change things. If you have moved with compassion, prayerfully you can help us.
Our needs-
1- 50 Churches are damaged- to be rebuilt.
2- Nearly 5000 people have lost their houses, need clothing,cooking, utensils, warm clothes. Adopt some families
3- Computer to send email to different places.
4- Vehicle for transporting relief materials.
First and last prayer, prayer and prayer.
With loving Christian greetings
Bishop B.N. Nayak
Pastor Scott and Pastor Brown and Jim,
Would you please send a notice out to all the prayer chains and our praying classmates about our dear friend John Clark. He is the son of our best friends from the days when Harvey and I were dating. Our boys grew up with John. He has M.S. It started over 10 years ago with some relatively minor symptoms then went into remission.
He gradually became ill shortly before Thanksgiving and has been gravely ill in the hospital at Binghamton General ever since. But we know prayers make a difference. He is currently receiving some cutting edge treatment and his doctors are in communication with doctors at Strong Memorial to determine how best to treat John. He may even be transported to Strong for treatment if he doesn't rally soon. The treatment he is on will continue for about another week or so and then they will assess his situation.
He can't have visitors for a while because the treatment lowers the immune system. And even after treatment, nobody should visit him if they even have a hint of a cold or anything that might be contagious. But please pray. I will be in touch with his Mom after the treatment assessment and give you all a report.
In Christ, Nancy Henson
Friday, January 11, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 1-9-08
Good Morning.
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for the way turns our mourning in to dancing. He came down to the earth to bring us His joy, His peace, and His salvation. Isaiah 61 is one of the very powerful portions of the Word of the Lord. It says that God would appoint, or as the NKJV says, God would console those who mourn in Zion. There is enough of God to comfort all who mourn around the world. But his word specifically states those in Zion or those in God’s house are going to get His attention.
God’s people who are in Calamity,Desolation, Crisis situation ,Mourning ,trouble Hard times, Difficult circumstances . . . Will surely get his attention. If I want to have the attention of someone important, it’s God. I want his eyes upon me. I want his ear tuned in to my cry. I want to be underneath the umbrella of his protection. I want to live in the secret place of the most high and abide under his feathers and under his wings.
The Bible says that he will give us beauty for ashes. In Bible times it was the custom for the people of that day to in great times of mourning and difficulty lay in ashes. Just think about that. You have a problem in your life and you just sit down in a pile of ashes. There is nothing beautiful about ashes. But the scripture says he is going to take your difficult, disgusting, depressing and horrible situation and give you beauty. He is going to pick you up out of the ash pile of life and make something beautiful out of you.
The Hebrew word for ashes is epher and the Hebrew word for beauty is pheer. Just move the e and you have a new word. Just as quickly as you move one letter God is going to turn your sorrow into joy. He speaks and it is already done.
You may feel like your life is ugly and insignificant right now, but sometimes things that appear ugly just need the right climate to grow.
Isaiah said the Lord will give you beauty for ashes. Our Lord knows we would be burnt by life’s experiences. But he also knows he could replace that burnt out mess with something beautiful.
Bill Gaither wrote the song that says:
Something beautiful something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer him was brokenness and strife
But he made something beautiful of my life.
Whatever God’s hands touch becomes beautiful.
In His Grace and in His Joy,
Brown
From
Bishop B.N. Nayak
Vill:- Kumbharkupa
P/o:- Mallikapodi
Via:- G.Udayagiri
Dist:- Kandhamal, ORISSA , INDIA, 762100
Sub:- Prayer request for recent persecution in Kandhamal District.
Dear Prayer partners,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who came to save us. With great burden and heavy heart and tears I am writing this letter. When whole world was planning to celebrate Christmas. We were in Kandhamal also planned to celebrate birth of our Lord. But on 24 December 2007 thousand of forces of evil came to our Church and burnt, damaged Church Buildings, broken the crosses, burnt chair, pulpits, sound equipment, computer, motorcycles and beaten the people and two people are killed, some pastors evangelists are terrorized and saved their heads and asked them deny Jesus or face death at the point of sword and gun point they have burnt the houses. Christian have left their houses and hiding in jungles with one single clothe on their bodies. Man and women, children with out food, shelter spend Christmas in bitter cold. I personal visited the villages and found the Churches were set on fire completely destroyed and we are living in state of fear. I can not afride to type and send this email in now Christian people facilities. We donot feel safe to travel hiring vehicle of non-Christian people. I cannot describe our state mind. Please pray for us. Prayer can change persons, change things. If you have moved with compassion, prayerfully you can help us.
Our needs-
1- 50 Churches are damaged- to be rebuilt.
2- Nearly 5000 people have lost their houses, need clothing,cooking, utensils, warm clothes. Adopt some families
3- Computer to send email to different places.
4- Vehicle for transporting relief materials.
First and last prayer, prayer and prayer.
With loving Christian greetings
Bishop B.N. Nayak
Cong, Left flay attacks on Christians
New Delhi, December 26
The Congress today condemned attacks on Christians in Orissa and demanded the state government take immediate steps to stop the violence.
“The unfortunate incidents in Orissa are not good for the country, for any civilised society. The Congress demands from the Orissa government that it should take steps as soon as possible to stop the condemnable incidents,” AICC spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told reporters.
Asked if the Congress was for an intervention by the National Commission for Minorities in the matter, he said the state government should get some time to normalise the situation.
“If the situation does not normalise, then bodies like the Minorities Commission can be approached,” he said.
“The state government’s report is awaited. Sangh organisations are being named. The BJP is the ruling party’s (BJD) alliance partner and hence fingers can be pointed at the government. So the matter should be looked at carefully,” Ahmed said.
Meanwhile, the CPI and CPM also condemned the “organised attacks” against Christians and asked the state government to take immediate steps to protect the minority community through deployment of adequate security forces and arresting the culprits.
Maintaining that the attacks by VHP and RSS mobs took place on Christmas and the day before, the CPM Politburo said Kandhamal district has been, “for years, the target of communal activities against the Christian community”.
It said the state government and district administration had “failed” to take adequate measures to protect the minority community. — PTI
Posted by NARESH KADYAN at 7:08 PM 0 comments
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071227/nation.htm#6
Christian body blames govt for attacks
Urges PM for police protection to Christians
Bhubaneswar, December 26
The Orissa unit of the All-India Christian Council today held the state government responsible for the attacks on churches and Christian organisations in Kandhamal district saying the action initiated by the administration was “inadequate”
“The government does not appear to have taken the matter seriously and the slackness on the part of the administration is evident,” organisation’s state unit president, Rev Pran Ranjan Parichha said.
Parichha alleged that Hindu fundamentalist groups had fomented all trouble.
Denouncing and deploring the attacks on particular community in Orissa, church leaders here today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to prevent the massacre of the community and desecration of churches in the state.
In a memorandum on behalf of the All-India Catholic Union, the All-India Christian Council and the United Christian Action submitted to the Prime Minister, National Integration Council member John Dayal said the atrocities against the community in the state on December 24 and 25 were fast exploding into the kind of violence seen in the Dangs district of Gujarat during the Christmas of 1998.
Calling the escalating violence and the targeting of Church leaders a well planned conspiracy, he alleged that the main aggression was from the Kui Janakalyan Samiti with its entire attention on driving away the community from the region.
Dr Dayal appealed to the Union government to impress upon the Orissa government to ensure ample police protection to the community, its personnel and the institutions in the state. — PTI, UNI
Posted by NARESH KADYAN at 7:05 PM 0 comments
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071227/edit.htm#1
Attack on churches
Attempt to terrorise a whole community
WHILE the people the world over were celebrating Christmas on December 25, the Christians in Orissa’s Kandhamal district were at the receiving end with alleged activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad destroying church after church. In the mindless violence unleashed on the community, one person was killed and several were injured. The attack was ostensibly to retaliate against the alleged manhandling of a VHP leader. That the VHP chose to convert some Christians to Hinduism on that day bears out that the whole purpose was to foment trouble. Orissa is one state where the so-called Freedom of Religion law is in force which makes it obligatory for the organisers of such conversion ceremonies to follow certain procedures. That the VHP has been paying scant regard for such a law on the specious plea that what it organises is not conversion but “home-coming”.
Despite all the potential for mischief, the district authorities failed to take any preemptive action. What’s more, they could not even protect the house of a minister from the communally surcharged lot. It is not the first time that Orissa has witnessed religious tension. The burning of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons was preceded by several incidents of attack on the minorities in the name of protest against cow slaughter and religious conversion. It is the kid-glove treatment those behind such violent campaigns received that emboldened them to burn the missionary who was tending to the leprosy patients in one of the most backward areas of Orissa. There are feudal and pseudo-political forces that do not want the poor to get educated and know their legal and democratic rights for fear it would upset the caste-based social system.
The Orissa government is duty-bound to take stringent action against all those who desecrated the churches. It should also go after those who “attacked” the VHP leader and bring them to book. No excuse is good enough to terrorise a whole community. In fact, any leniency shown will be construed as a failure of the state to protect not just the life and property of the people but also their right to preach and practise their religious beliefs. What the Orissa government does in Kandhamal district will show how committed it is to uphold the rule of law and the religious rights of the people.
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for the way turns our mourning in to dancing. He came down to the earth to bring us His joy, His peace, and His salvation. Isaiah 61 is one of the very powerful portions of the Word of the Lord. It says that God would appoint, or as the NKJV says, God would console those who mourn in Zion. There is enough of God to comfort all who mourn around the world. But his word specifically states those in Zion or those in God’s house are going to get His attention.
God’s people who are in Calamity,Desolation, Crisis situation ,Mourning ,trouble Hard times, Difficult circumstances . . . Will surely get his attention. If I want to have the attention of someone important, it’s God. I want his eyes upon me. I want his ear tuned in to my cry. I want to be underneath the umbrella of his protection. I want to live in the secret place of the most high and abide under his feathers and under his wings.
The Bible says that he will give us beauty for ashes. In Bible times it was the custom for the people of that day to in great times of mourning and difficulty lay in ashes. Just think about that. You have a problem in your life and you just sit down in a pile of ashes. There is nothing beautiful about ashes. But the scripture says he is going to take your difficult, disgusting, depressing and horrible situation and give you beauty. He is going to pick you up out of the ash pile of life and make something beautiful out of you.
The Hebrew word for ashes is epher and the Hebrew word for beauty is pheer. Just move the e and you have a new word. Just as quickly as you move one letter God is going to turn your sorrow into joy. He speaks and it is already done.
You may feel like your life is ugly and insignificant right now, but sometimes things that appear ugly just need the right climate to grow.
Isaiah said the Lord will give you beauty for ashes. Our Lord knows we would be burnt by life’s experiences. But he also knows he could replace that burnt out mess with something beautiful.
Bill Gaither wrote the song that says:
Something beautiful something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer him was brokenness and strife
But he made something beautiful of my life.
Whatever God’s hands touch becomes beautiful.
In His Grace and in His Joy,
Brown
From
Bishop B.N. Nayak
Vill:- Kumbharkupa
P/o:- Mallikapodi
Via:- G.Udayagiri
Dist:- Kandhamal, ORISSA , INDIA, 762100
Sub:- Prayer request for recent persecution in Kandhamal District.
Dear Prayer partners,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who came to save us. With great burden and heavy heart and tears I am writing this letter. When whole world was planning to celebrate Christmas. We were in Kandhamal also planned to celebrate birth of our Lord. But on 24 December 2007 thousand of forces of evil came to our Church and burnt, damaged Church Buildings, broken the crosses, burnt chair, pulpits, sound equipment, computer, motorcycles and beaten the people and two people are killed, some pastors evangelists are terrorized and saved their heads and asked them deny Jesus or face death at the point of sword and gun point they have burnt the houses. Christian have left their houses and hiding in jungles with one single clothe on their bodies. Man and women, children with out food, shelter spend Christmas in bitter cold. I personal visited the villages and found the Churches were set on fire completely destroyed and we are living in state of fear. I can not afride to type and send this email in now Christian people facilities. We donot feel safe to travel hiring vehicle of non-Christian people. I cannot describe our state mind. Please pray for us. Prayer can change persons, change things. If you have moved with compassion, prayerfully you can help us.
Our needs-
1- 50 Churches are damaged- to be rebuilt.
2- Nearly 5000 people have lost their houses, need clothing,cooking, utensils, warm clothes. Adopt some families
3- Computer to send email to different places.
4- Vehicle for transporting relief materials.
First and last prayer, prayer and prayer.
With loving Christian greetings
Bishop B.N. Nayak
Cong, Left flay attacks on Christians
New Delhi, December 26
The Congress today condemned attacks on Christians in Orissa and demanded the state government take immediate steps to stop the violence.
“The unfortunate incidents in Orissa are not good for the country, for any civilised society. The Congress demands from the Orissa government that it should take steps as soon as possible to stop the condemnable incidents,” AICC spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told reporters.
Asked if the Congress was for an intervention by the National Commission for Minorities in the matter, he said the state government should get some time to normalise the situation.
“If the situation does not normalise, then bodies like the Minorities Commission can be approached,” he said.
“The state government’s report is awaited. Sangh organisations are being named. The BJP is the ruling party’s (BJD) alliance partner and hence fingers can be pointed at the government. So the matter should be looked at carefully,” Ahmed said.
Meanwhile, the CPI and CPM also condemned the “organised attacks” against Christians and asked the state government to take immediate steps to protect the minority community through deployment of adequate security forces and arresting the culprits.
Maintaining that the attacks by VHP and RSS mobs took place on Christmas and the day before, the CPM Politburo said Kandhamal district has been, “for years, the target of communal activities against the Christian community”.
It said the state government and district administration had “failed” to take adequate measures to protect the minority community. — PTI
Posted by NARESH KADYAN at 7:08 PM 0 comments
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071227/nation.htm#6
Christian body blames govt for attacks
Urges PM for police protection to Christians
Bhubaneswar, December 26
The Orissa unit of the All-India Christian Council today held the state government responsible for the attacks on churches and Christian organisations in Kandhamal district saying the action initiated by the administration was “inadequate”
“The government does not appear to have taken the matter seriously and the slackness on the part of the administration is evident,” organisation’s state unit president, Rev Pran Ranjan Parichha said.
Parichha alleged that Hindu fundamentalist groups had fomented all trouble.
Denouncing and deploring the attacks on particular community in Orissa, church leaders here today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to prevent the massacre of the community and desecration of churches in the state.
In a memorandum on behalf of the All-India Catholic Union, the All-India Christian Council and the United Christian Action submitted to the Prime Minister, National Integration Council member John Dayal said the atrocities against the community in the state on December 24 and 25 were fast exploding into the kind of violence seen in the Dangs district of Gujarat during the Christmas of 1998.
Calling the escalating violence and the targeting of Church leaders a well planned conspiracy, he alleged that the main aggression was from the Kui Janakalyan Samiti with its entire attention on driving away the community from the region.
Dr Dayal appealed to the Union government to impress upon the Orissa government to ensure ample police protection to the community, its personnel and the institutions in the state. — PTI, UNI
Posted by NARESH KADYAN at 7:05 PM 0 comments
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071227/edit.htm#1
Attack on churches
Attempt to terrorise a whole community
WHILE the people the world over were celebrating Christmas on December 25, the Christians in Orissa’s Kandhamal district were at the receiving end with alleged activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad destroying church after church. In the mindless violence unleashed on the community, one person was killed and several were injured. The attack was ostensibly to retaliate against the alleged manhandling of a VHP leader. That the VHP chose to convert some Christians to Hinduism on that day bears out that the whole purpose was to foment trouble. Orissa is one state where the so-called Freedom of Religion law is in force which makes it obligatory for the organisers of such conversion ceremonies to follow certain procedures. That the VHP has been paying scant regard for such a law on the specious plea that what it organises is not conversion but “home-coming”.
Despite all the potential for mischief, the district authorities failed to take any preemptive action. What’s more, they could not even protect the house of a minister from the communally surcharged lot. It is not the first time that Orissa has witnessed religious tension. The burning of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons was preceded by several incidents of attack on the minorities in the name of protest against cow slaughter and religious conversion. It is the kid-glove treatment those behind such violent campaigns received that emboldened them to burn the missionary who was tending to the leprosy patients in one of the most backward areas of Orissa. There are feudal and pseudo-political forces that do not want the poor to get educated and know their legal and democratic rights for fear it would upset the caste-based social system.
The Orissa government is duty-bound to take stringent action against all those who desecrated the churches. It should also go after those who “attacked” the VHP leader and bring them to book. No excuse is good enough to terrorise a whole community. In fact, any leniency shown will be construed as a failure of the state to protect not just the life and property of the people but also their right to preach and practise their religious beliefs. What the Orissa government does in Kandhamal district will show how committed it is to uphold the rule of law and the religious rights of the people.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Brown's daily word 1-8-08
Good Morning,
We are experiencing a great heat wave in our area here in New York, with record temperatures yesterday. It felt like Spring, so I walked for four miles on the Rail Trail. It was first time in a long time. It will be another record breaking day today, with temperatures expected to be in the mid-sixties. Thank you Jesus.
One of our church families lost everything in a house fire on Saturday night. Praise the Lord that they all escaped alive and un-injured. When John Wesley was a young boy the church people set the parsonage at Epworth on fire because they did not like their pastor, Samuel Wesley. John Wesley was rescued from the burning parsonage.
I spoke to one of the Bishops of the Church in Orissa, who conveyed that a Hindu mob has set on fire over 1000 houses that belonged to Christians. Many Christians have fled to the hills and the mountains seeking refuge. Many Christians are seeking refuge in some large church buildings, spending time in worship and prayer 24/7. The recent barbaric and senseless persecution of Christians in Orissa by thee militant Hindus has ignited the whole church with a unquenchable zeal for the Lord and to serve Him with obedience and bold
ness. We are planning to go on a short term mission trip to the epicenter of persecution. We are leaving on the June 16, 2008. We will be there through June 30, 2008. Pray for the team. We would love to have you join us. It will be an "adventure of a lifetime.
If you knew your home was going to be destroyed and you only had a minute to escape with your life, and you could only carry one or two other things, what would you leave behind? Can you imagine someone trying to take out their new plasma television, or their collection of 500 cd’s, or their new computer, printer and monitor, or their shoe collection, knowing they only had 35 seconds left to get out?
What if you had a baby grand piano, would you try to get that out? If we tried to take some of these things with us, we would most likely perish in the disaster. Sometimes, for our own health and safety, we must be willing to leave some things behind. There is a freedom in being able to walk away from some of the trappings in our lives.
In Mathew 2 we read about Mary and Joseph, who have probably been married for a about a year or two. Joseph is working as a builder or contractor. He and Mary had not returned to Nazareth after the census. Instead they stayed in Bethlehem. Bethlehem gave them a fresh start in life without the rumors of them having sex before their marriage vows had been completed. They had left behind some of the gossip that would have been floating around in Nazareth. No one in Bethlehem would be saying, "there’s Mary, the girl who lost her mind and said she got pregnant by God."
Life was beginning to look a little more normal for them. Then, out of the blue, some wise men showed up looking for their child, Jesus. Not only that, but these wise men presented them with some very expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It was as if someone had made a huge direct deposit into their checking account. They were delighted and thrilled at this visit and the untold financial blessing.
This may have been just the kind of thing Joseph needed to get his business to soar into high gear. He may have had plans to triple the size of the gift by expanding his business. Who knows what plans Mary may have had for them as a family, but no doubt something would have been swirling through her head. Yet, before their plans could take root, an angel comes to Joseph and said that he needed to get up and take his family to Egypt. Herod was searching for the child to kill him, and it was vital to stay in Egypt until Joseph received the word of the Lord once again that it was okay to come back home.
Joseph and Mary have to decide on the spot what are they going to leave behind. If they could not carry it in their hands or on their donkey, or perhaps in a wagon, it had to stay. They had got a 75 mile journey to take, starting in the dead of night, and they did not know whether the soldiers were already on their way to Bethlehem.
I think they realized that the gifts they had received were the provisions God had made for them to escape this disaster. They probably took the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and fled for their lives to Egypt. All of their plans, dreams, business, friends, and family they left behind out of obedience to the word of the Lord, given by the angel. They found a new freedom in the things they left behind. Had they delayed their obedience, they may have been looking at soldier’s sword entering the body of their child.
We do not always realize it, but there is a flip side to the call to come and follow Jesus. The flip side is that usually something must be left behind. We cannot come and follow Jesus without leaving something behind. What we fail to realize is that there is freedom in leaving things behind, letting go of the goods that weigh us down.
For some of us we have had a great year. We find ourselves happier than we were at this time last year. There were graduations, the birth of children, better jobs, new homes purchased, and new love found. But none of us made it through the year completely unscathed by circumstances. For some it has been a year of sorrow and of pain. We lost friends and family who were very dear to us. Some saw our families began to fall apart. Some found ourselves being sent to jail, while others were coming out of jail. Some found ourselves trapped by sin, paying a cost far greater than we could have imagined it to be. Some of us ran into situations in which we were greatly hurt by someone and found it nearly impossible to forgive. Some of us thought we could do something just once, and walk away from it, only to be enslaved and still will not admit our addiction. Some lost jobs and are still unemployed. Some of us developed attitudes that have hurt us and hurt others. Some do not like the persons we have allowed ourselves to become during 2007.
Jesus looks at us, with our broken dreams and shattered lives, and says to us, "come to me". But, in order to come to Jesus, you have to leave all that other stuff behind. Why do you need to come to Jesus? You need to come because you cannot do this thing called life and death by yourself. Sure you can make plans, but you can’t make them happen. Positive thinking does not stop the calamities and tragedies that come our way. You need an anchor when they hit. You can die on your own, but you can’t control your eternal destiny by yourself, unless you are determined to be cast into hell. Jesus came in order for us to have life, that is, life while we are alive and life when we die. He is calling us to a life of freedom, but most of us insist on being a slave to something else.
The new year, 2008, is here. What do we need to leave behind so that we may fully follow Christ and reach our potential? Is there a spirit of laziness that we have at home or at work that we need to leave behind? Is there an attitude problem we have, a critical spirit, anger problem, or jealousy problem we need to leave behind. Is there a spirit of selfishness,that we need to leave behind? Are we traveling the road to an addiction that we need to leave behind?
What if God sent an angel to you this night and said get up, that thing is seeking to kill you, so run for your spiritual life? What is the thing that the angel would be talking about? Joseph did not wait to get out of the situation. Don’t put it off any longer. End the affair. End the addiction. End the bad attitude. End the relationship. End the spirit of just not caring. End the abuse. Freedom is not found in getting things or people for yourself. Freedom is found in saying yes to the call of Christ upon your life.
You can go into 2008 with a clean conscience. You can go in with the right attitude. You can go in with a positive spirit, saying "yes" to the will of God for your life. You can be a better mother, father, son, or daughter. You can be a better student, worker, or member of the church. You can be a better parent, wife, husband, and friend. Enter into 2008, knowing that the plans God has for your life are far richer and far greater than anything you come up with for yourself.
God planned to take care of Mary and Joseph long before they needed to leave things behind and go to Egypt. The wise men arrived just in time for their escape. God has made provisions for you to be successful wherever he is sending you. It might seem scary at first, but be willing to leave your encumbrances behind and see how the Lord will take care of you. There is a wonderful freedom in the things we leave behind. Jesus gives perfect peace and unspeakable joy.
In Him,
Brown
click here to see video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uqBxizNZJ4
We are experiencing a great heat wave in our area here in New York, with record temperatures yesterday. It felt like Spring, so I walked for four miles on the Rail Trail. It was first time in a long time. It will be another record breaking day today, with temperatures expected to be in the mid-sixties. Thank you Jesus.
One of our church families lost everything in a house fire on Saturday night. Praise the Lord that they all escaped alive and un-injured. When John Wesley was a young boy the church people set the parsonage at Epworth on fire because they did not like their pastor, Samuel Wesley. John Wesley was rescued from the burning parsonage.
I spoke to one of the Bishops of the Church in Orissa, who conveyed that a Hindu mob has set on fire over 1000 houses that belonged to Christians. Many Christians have fled to the hills and the mountains seeking refuge. Many Christians are seeking refuge in some large church buildings, spending time in worship and prayer 24/7. The recent barbaric and senseless persecution of Christians in Orissa by thee militant Hindus has ignited the whole church with a unquenchable zeal for the Lord and to serve Him with obedience and bold
ness. We are planning to go on a short term mission trip to the epicenter of persecution. We are leaving on the June 16, 2008. We will be there through June 30, 2008. Pray for the team. We would love to have you join us. It will be an "adventure of a lifetime.
If you knew your home was going to be destroyed and you only had a minute to escape with your life, and you could only carry one or two other things, what would you leave behind? Can you imagine someone trying to take out their new plasma television, or their collection of 500 cd’s, or their new computer, printer and monitor, or their shoe collection, knowing they only had 35 seconds left to get out?
What if you had a baby grand piano, would you try to get that out? If we tried to take some of these things with us, we would most likely perish in the disaster. Sometimes, for our own health and safety, we must be willing to leave some things behind. There is a freedom in being able to walk away from some of the trappings in our lives.
In Mathew 2 we read about Mary and Joseph, who have probably been married for a about a year or two. Joseph is working as a builder or contractor. He and Mary had not returned to Nazareth after the census. Instead they stayed in Bethlehem. Bethlehem gave them a fresh start in life without the rumors of them having sex before their marriage vows had been completed. They had left behind some of the gossip that would have been floating around in Nazareth. No one in Bethlehem would be saying, "there’s Mary, the girl who lost her mind and said she got pregnant by God."
Life was beginning to look a little more normal for them. Then, out of the blue, some wise men showed up looking for their child, Jesus. Not only that, but these wise men presented them with some very expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It was as if someone had made a huge direct deposit into their checking account. They were delighted and thrilled at this visit and the untold financial blessing.
This may have been just the kind of thing Joseph needed to get his business to soar into high gear. He may have had plans to triple the size of the gift by expanding his business. Who knows what plans Mary may have had for them as a family, but no doubt something would have been swirling through her head. Yet, before their plans could take root, an angel comes to Joseph and said that he needed to get up and take his family to Egypt. Herod was searching for the child to kill him, and it was vital to stay in Egypt until Joseph received the word of the Lord once again that it was okay to come back home.
Joseph and Mary have to decide on the spot what are they going to leave behind. If they could not carry it in their hands or on their donkey, or perhaps in a wagon, it had to stay. They had got a 75 mile journey to take, starting in the dead of night, and they did not know whether the soldiers were already on their way to Bethlehem.
I think they realized that the gifts they had received were the provisions God had made for them to escape this disaster. They probably took the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and fled for their lives to Egypt. All of their plans, dreams, business, friends, and family they left behind out of obedience to the word of the Lord, given by the angel. They found a new freedom in the things they left behind. Had they delayed their obedience, they may have been looking at soldier’s sword entering the body of their child.
We do not always realize it, but there is a flip side to the call to come and follow Jesus. The flip side is that usually something must be left behind. We cannot come and follow Jesus without leaving something behind. What we fail to realize is that there is freedom in leaving things behind, letting go of the goods that weigh us down.
For some of us we have had a great year. We find ourselves happier than we were at this time last year. There were graduations, the birth of children, better jobs, new homes purchased, and new love found. But none of us made it through the year completely unscathed by circumstances. For some it has been a year of sorrow and of pain. We lost friends and family who were very dear to us. Some saw our families began to fall apart. Some found ourselves being sent to jail, while others were coming out of jail. Some found ourselves trapped by sin, paying a cost far greater than we could have imagined it to be. Some of us ran into situations in which we were greatly hurt by someone and found it nearly impossible to forgive. Some of us thought we could do something just once, and walk away from it, only to be enslaved and still will not admit our addiction. Some lost jobs and are still unemployed. Some of us developed attitudes that have hurt us and hurt others. Some do not like the persons we have allowed ourselves to become during 2007.
Jesus looks at us, with our broken dreams and shattered lives, and says to us, "come to me". But, in order to come to Jesus, you have to leave all that other stuff behind. Why do you need to come to Jesus? You need to come because you cannot do this thing called life and death by yourself. Sure you can make plans, but you can’t make them happen. Positive thinking does not stop the calamities and tragedies that come our way. You need an anchor when they hit. You can die on your own, but you can’t control your eternal destiny by yourself, unless you are determined to be cast into hell. Jesus came in order for us to have life, that is, life while we are alive and life when we die. He is calling us to a life of freedom, but most of us insist on being a slave to something else.
The new year, 2008, is here. What do we need to leave behind so that we may fully follow Christ and reach our potential? Is there a spirit of laziness that we have at home or at work that we need to leave behind? Is there an attitude problem we have, a critical spirit, anger problem, or jealousy problem we need to leave behind. Is there a spirit of selfishness,that we need to leave behind? Are we traveling the road to an addiction that we need to leave behind?
What if God sent an angel to you this night and said get up, that thing is seeking to kill you, so run for your spiritual life? What is the thing that the angel would be talking about? Joseph did not wait to get out of the situation. Don’t put it off any longer. End the affair. End the addiction. End the bad attitude. End the relationship. End the spirit of just not caring. End the abuse. Freedom is not found in getting things or people for yourself. Freedom is found in saying yes to the call of Christ upon your life.
You can go into 2008 with a clean conscience. You can go in with the right attitude. You can go in with a positive spirit, saying "yes" to the will of God for your life. You can be a better mother, father, son, or daughter. You can be a better student, worker, or member of the church. You can be a better parent, wife, husband, and friend. Enter into 2008, knowing that the plans God has for your life are far richer and far greater than anything you come up with for yourself.
God planned to take care of Mary and Joseph long before they needed to leave things behind and go to Egypt. The wise men arrived just in time for their escape. God has made provisions for you to be successful wherever he is sending you. It might seem scary at first, but be willing to leave your encumbrances behind and see how the Lord will take care of you. There is a wonderful freedom in the things we leave behind. Jesus gives perfect peace and unspeakable joy.
In Him,
Brown
click here to see video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uqBxizNZJ4
Monday, January 7, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 1-7-08
Good Morning.
The Russian Orthodox Church and all orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas on the January 6. It is also called Epiphany, when the Gentiles first came to Jesus to worship Him as Lord and King.
One of the most appealing Christmas stories is that of Amahl and the Night Visitors. As the three wise men were on their way to Bethlehem, they came to the home of a poor woman who had a little boy named Amahl. Amahl was crippled; he could not walk without a crutch.
One evening their humdrum existence was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door, and his mother said to Amahl, “Go see who is at the door.” He went, and he returned and said, “Momma, a king is there.” She gave him a tongue lashing for exaggerating so much and sent him back to the door; he came back a second time. He said, “There are two kings out there.” He was in big trouble now, but a third time she sent him to the door, and he told her, “Momma, there are three kings out there.”
Eventually, after all manner of discussion, the three wise men came in. After much more conversation, Amahl’s mother wished she had something to send, but she was very poor. Amahl, sensing what was happening all around him, realizing he had nothing at all to send but wanting to send something, decided, “I will send my crutch.” The one thing that was indispensable to him he was going to give away. Thus he lifted up his crutch and gave it to the wise men.
He gave what he had; he gave it personally and he gave it completely. Then a miracle occurred. His mother noticed first that he could walk unaided now. The giving away of the most valuable treasure that Amahl had was the very thing that freed him from the need of having to use it.
Matthew 2:1-12 is where the story of the three wise men coming to worship at the feet of Jesus is told. It is during this time of year, immediately following Christmas, that we commemorate this event. This week is widely celebrated as the Epiphany. It is when we remember the events directly after the birth of Jesus. It is a time when we, like the magi who followed a distant star, are reminded of the fullest meaning of the coming of Jesus.
Though they are often referred to as kings, it is probably more likely that the Magi were astrologers familiar in some way with the coming of the Messiah. They may have been descendants of some who had even come into contact with the Messianic prophecies during the Babylonian captivity of the Nation of Israel some centuries prior to the birth of Christ. Whatever their background, they were wise men from the East who were provoked to action by a star which signaled Christ’s birth. They came to worship at the feet of the newborn King, each bearing a uniquely valuable gift.
The Magi came before Jesus bearing gifts of incredible value. God has placed gifts of incredible value inside of each one of us. Just as the Magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, each of us bears unique and valuable gifts for the Kingdom of God. We are all members of one body and our gifts, whatever they may be, are meant to serve one another so that the love of Christ may shine brightly in, around, and forth – from the fellowship that we share together.
How often do we lock away our treasures for fear of loss? As followers of Christ we are given the matchless opportunity to experience the extraordinary power of God working in and thorough us. The call of Christ is a call to action! Just as the Magi saw a distant star and followed it to the baby – the King of Kings – so too God has given us a sign of His coming and a call to action.
Earlier in this message I told you of a boy who gave the only thing of value that he had to the Magi to bring to the King. He was a crippled boy who was willing to give the most valuable thing he had – his crutch – as a gift to Christ. The story continues that, as a result of his generous offer, he was healed. The message is clear. It is in sharing our most precious gifts that we find healing.
It is in loving others, in sharing our gifts, that we become free to receive the most precious gift of all – the grace, love, and mercy of Christ in our own lives.
Jesus is the Light of the world. Let us walk in His light through out this new year. Let us serve Him, with our time, with our talents and with our treasures.
Brown
THanks Pastor Brown, I needed to really hear this one too!( 01.04.2008) Please add Allyson to your prayer list at church. Did you get my email? She is in Alicante Spain. She is excited about witnessing to others there. She is looking at this as a mission trip as much as a school assignment! She is a wonderful young woman, of very strong faith. She holds me up sometimes! She will be there through May 30th, the next week her brother graduates from high school. Keep her in your prayers, please.
Tammy
The Russian Orthodox Church and all orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas on the January 6. It is also called Epiphany, when the Gentiles first came to Jesus to worship Him as Lord and King.
One of the most appealing Christmas stories is that of Amahl and the Night Visitors. As the three wise men were on their way to Bethlehem, they came to the home of a poor woman who had a little boy named Amahl. Amahl was crippled; he could not walk without a crutch.
One evening their humdrum existence was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door, and his mother said to Amahl, “Go see who is at the door.” He went, and he returned and said, “Momma, a king is there.” She gave him a tongue lashing for exaggerating so much and sent him back to the door; he came back a second time. He said, “There are two kings out there.” He was in big trouble now, but a third time she sent him to the door, and he told her, “Momma, there are three kings out there.”
Eventually, after all manner of discussion, the three wise men came in. After much more conversation, Amahl’s mother wished she had something to send, but she was very poor. Amahl, sensing what was happening all around him, realizing he had nothing at all to send but wanting to send something, decided, “I will send my crutch.” The one thing that was indispensable to him he was going to give away. Thus he lifted up his crutch and gave it to the wise men.
He gave what he had; he gave it personally and he gave it completely. Then a miracle occurred. His mother noticed first that he could walk unaided now. The giving away of the most valuable treasure that Amahl had was the very thing that freed him from the need of having to use it.
Matthew 2:1-12 is where the story of the three wise men coming to worship at the feet of Jesus is told. It is during this time of year, immediately following Christmas, that we commemorate this event. This week is widely celebrated as the Epiphany. It is when we remember the events directly after the birth of Jesus. It is a time when we, like the magi who followed a distant star, are reminded of the fullest meaning of the coming of Jesus.
Though they are often referred to as kings, it is probably more likely that the Magi were astrologers familiar in some way with the coming of the Messiah. They may have been descendants of some who had even come into contact with the Messianic prophecies during the Babylonian captivity of the Nation of Israel some centuries prior to the birth of Christ. Whatever their background, they were wise men from the East who were provoked to action by a star which signaled Christ’s birth. They came to worship at the feet of the newborn King, each bearing a uniquely valuable gift.
The Magi came before Jesus bearing gifts of incredible value. God has placed gifts of incredible value inside of each one of us. Just as the Magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, each of us bears unique and valuable gifts for the Kingdom of God. We are all members of one body and our gifts, whatever they may be, are meant to serve one another so that the love of Christ may shine brightly in, around, and forth – from the fellowship that we share together.
How often do we lock away our treasures for fear of loss? As followers of Christ we are given the matchless opportunity to experience the extraordinary power of God working in and thorough us. The call of Christ is a call to action! Just as the Magi saw a distant star and followed it to the baby – the King of Kings – so too God has given us a sign of His coming and a call to action.
Earlier in this message I told you of a boy who gave the only thing of value that he had to the Magi to bring to the King. He was a crippled boy who was willing to give the most valuable thing he had – his crutch – as a gift to Christ. The story continues that, as a result of his generous offer, he was healed. The message is clear. It is in sharing our most precious gifts that we find healing.
It is in loving others, in sharing our gifts, that we become free to receive the most precious gift of all – the grace, love, and mercy of Christ in our own lives.
Jesus is the Light of the world. Let us walk in His light through out this new year. Let us serve Him, with our time, with our talents and with our treasures.
Brown
THanks Pastor Brown, I needed to really hear this one too!( 01.04.2008) Please add Allyson to your prayer list at church. Did you get my email? She is in Alicante Spain. She is excited about witnessing to others there. She is looking at this as a mission trip as much as a school assignment! She is a wonderful young woman, of very strong faith. She holds me up sometimes! She will be there through May 30th, the next week her brother graduates from high school. Keep her in your prayers, please.
Tammy
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