Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this last Friday of January. Spring is on its way. Praise the Lord for the way there are new beginnings in the Lord. Charles Wesley wrote in that awesome hymn of the church, "He speaks , and listening to his voice, new life the dead receive".
We read about an amazing miracle that takes place in the valley of dead bones that is recorded in the Book of Ezekiel 37. Ezekiel has been given an unusual preaching assignment. He is brought by God’s Spirit to a valley full of dry bones. It is a scene of desolation and death. The bones are a gruesome image of sin and despair, and a grim reminder of defeat. These bones represent the nation of Israel, carried off to Babylon in captivity. It was a humiliating desecration for the body of a dead Jew to not be given a decent burial. If you have been to Gettysburg battlefield then you have seen the dignified graves of soldiers, along with monuments to the units that fought in that epic battle. Here, however, there are no grave markers. The fallen army is left on the battlefield, and their bones have bleached in the sun.
God tells Ezekiel to walk around this valley and get a good look. He then asks the prophet, “Can these bones live?” And Ezekiel, knowing that nothing is too hard for God wisely answers, “Lord, You alone know.” From a human point-of-view, the answer is obvious. But Ezekiel is not dealing with a limited deity. God tells him to “prophesy” to the bones, to proclaim a divine message, and he does. Nowhere do we see Ezekiel questioning God’s directive or thinking it odd. Ezekiel knows enough about to God to not second-guess Him. Nothing’s over till God says so, not even death.
Thus Ezekiel preaches, and Ezekiel gets a response! The bones lament, they cry out, “our hope is gone; we are cut off” (verse 11). They have been separated from the life-giving presence of God. This aptly describes the human condition. The Apostle Paul tells us that apart from God we are spiritually “dead in our transgressions and sins” (Eph 2:1-2). We are not merely sick, but dead. Only our Lord can raise the dead. Paul assures us, “Though you were dead in your sins…God has made you alive with Christ” (Col 2:13). On the Cross our Savior took on our sins and was cut off for them, taking our punishment. And, like those dry bones in the valley, Jesus burst forth from the tomb with resurrection power.
When we proclaim God’s word, anything is possible. The New Testament says that all Scripture is “living and powerful” (Heb 4:12); it imparts new life (I Pet 1:23). Jesus declared, “The words I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). We read the life-giving Word of God, not to stuff information into our brains, but to transform our lives. When was the last time the Bible made a difference in your life?
As Ezekiel preaches, the bones come together and take on flesh, yet without life. The bones are revived in two stages, similar to the creation of Adam in Genesis--first the body, then the breath. So Ezekiel next preaches to the wind. The Spirit of God then enters these bodies, giving them life, raising them up.
The Hebrew word used here (ruah) can mean wind, breath, or spirit. In John’s Gospel, the words “spirit” and “wind” are interchangeable. In 3:8 Jesus says, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit has been called “the wind of God”. Here the Spirit restores life and hope. “The winds of the Spirit are always blowing. Some people put up windbreaks and others open up their windows” (Robert Hale). May our prayer be, “breathe on us, Breath of God.”
No matter how dire our situation, no matter how miserable we may feel, there is always hope. Refusal to hope is a decision to die; it’s sending our bodies a “die message”, despair is “a partial surrender to death”. It is giving up. Such fatalism can be fatal. On the other hand, in the face of uncertainty, there is no such thing as false hope. Choosing hope sends us a message to live. Confidence in God brings life, serenity, and the healing of our souls.
If death has the final word, then death is supreme, but this vision clearly shows us that God is sovereign over death. Hope has the last word. If this world alone was the totality of human existence, death would be our greatest foe, but we have a living hope that gives us security and makes death a non-issue. We have nothing to fear; death is merely our transition to eternity with God. There are greater things ahead than any we leave behind.
Like those dry bones in the valley, we cannot raise ourselves. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. God takes the initiative. He does not wait for us to seek Him.
Before Ezekiel’s eyes, the bones become a mighty army, and the message to a defeated and captive Israel is clear - God will revive them. They will become a people restored. Though torn apart and spiritually dead, they will live again and return to the land of promise. A remnant will return to rebuild Jerusalem, the Temple and the city wall. The point of Ezekiel’s vision is not physical resurrection but a spiritual one. Israel will be reborn to newness of life. This is a message of hope and the dawning of a new creation. Salvation will arise from the ashes of judgment.
We need a new breath of life. With our constant exposure to an increasingly secular culture we feel like we are living in a desolate wasteland. This valley is our address! It seems like we’re in Death Valley, with decay all around us. We cannot presume to know what God may do in our situation. We feel cut off and without hope, but this we know that our Lord, who makes all things new,, in His time, will breathe new life into us and revive us.
We stand in His promises,
Brown
Click here to view video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HndQZlmJPpc
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 1-24-08
Good morning
We have been studying the Book of Acts during our Wednesday evening Bible study. Currently we have been looking at Acts 9:1-9:19. This passage is most typically known as Saul’s conversion story—his Damascus Road Experience. It describes a dramatic encounter between Saul and Jesus on the road to Damascus…the encounter that started Saul down a new path that would make him the most prolific evangelist of the early church and the most prolific writer in the New Testament.
This passage also describes an encounter, less dramatic and less well known, between Jesus and another man, Ananias. Ananias was a common foot soldier in the Lord’s army. He did not get a lot of attention. Nobody really remembers him. The Lord didn’t blind him with a bright light. The Lord didn’t change his name. As far as we know, the Lord didn’t send him to far away places where he would suffer floggings and imprisonments and shipwrecks. Yet, the Lord did give Ananias an assignment to change the world for one person. For that reason, it’s worth paying as much attention to this account of the encounter between Ananias and Jesus . Like Ananias, you and I may never be asked to change the world, but you and I will be asked, from time to time, to change the world for one person.
We don’t know a lot about Ananias, except that he was a disciple of Jesus, who lived in Damascus. Later in Acts Paul describes him as “a devout observer of the law and respected by all the Jews” in Damascus. We don’t know if Ananias had been a follower of Jesus for a long time or a short time. We do know that he knew Jesus. We know that he had been in Damascus long enough to be known and respected among the Jews (and the Jewish Christians) there.
Saul did not know Jesus. He knew the name, of course. It had become Saul’s career to know the name Jesus, and to root out followers of that name. Saul was from Tarsus, a Jew born into Roman citizenship. He was also a Pharisee, a student and adherent of the Law, highly educated under the tutelage of the most famous rabbi of the first century. Back in Jerusalem Saul had watched over the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death. Now he was on his way to Damascus, the nearest important city outside of the Holy Land, “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples”. He was carrying letters from the High Priest in Jerusalem to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found Jesus' followers among the Jews in Damascus he might arrest them.
On the road to Damascus, Saul encountered Jesus. Shortly thereafter, in Damascus, Ananias heard from Jesus, too. These were two very different encounters, each very important to the future of the church, and each with a lot to teach us about what to expect when Jesus decides give one of us an assignment, large or small. The first thing to notice is this, that Jesus seems to be willing to give assignments to those who recognize his voice and even to those who don’t, to those who are walking the path of discipleship faithfully and to those who are resolutely walking the wrong way entirely.
Saul was an enemy of Jesus, out to take some heads. When he heard the Lord call his name, he had to ask, “Who are you, Lord?”
If you think you have to get your act entirely together before Jesus will even consider calling upon you, think again. Sometimes it is only Jesus’ call that lets us know that we don’t have our act together.
Ananias was a disciple of Jesus—just trying to keep his head down and out of the line of fire. When he heard the Lord call his name, he recognized him and answered, “Yes, Lord.”
If you think you are safe from any further nudges from the Lord now that you’ve made the decision to follow him, think again. The call to turn in his direction the first time is only the beginning. He will continue to call upon you to change the world for one person at a time for the rest of your life.
The second thing to notice is that if the Lord wants to get your attention, he is quite capable of doing it. Ananias seemed to be tuned in to the Lord. When the Lord called, he heard him immediately. Saul, however, was tuned into one thing and one thing only, his zealous pursuit of followers of the Way. Saul was intensely focused, but he was intensely focused on the wrong thing. The Lord had to get his attention before he could do anything else with him. So he did. “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” Saul fell to the ground and was blinded. For three days he did not eat or drink and he was dependent on his men to lead him by the hand. That would get my attention!
Saul’s Damascus Road Experience always reminds me of Moses’ burning bush experience. That was another occasion when God wanted to get somebody’s attention. Moses inattentiveness was not a matter of being focused on the wrong thing, however. Moses’ problem was that he had spent so many years wandering the desert with his sheep that he had stopped focusing on much of anything. The burning bush got his attention!
Whether our inattentiveness is due to intense focus on the wrong thing or lack of focus on anything in particular, God is quite capable of getting our attention when he wants to. God has his own reasons for handing out particular assignments to particular people. Think about it. Ananias was in Damascus, a faithful disciple. He was attentive to the Lord’s voice. He was well-respected by all the Jews. He knew the Law and observed it. He lived outside of the Holy Land so he must have been at least somewhat familiar with the ways of Gentiles.
Do you ever wonder why God went to the trouble to get Saul’s attention when he already had people like Ananias around? God chose Saul, a zealous Pharisee, an active and “murderous” persecutor of his church, to carry the Good News to the Gentiles. Based on results, I guess God knew what he was doing.
Do you suppose Ananias ever wondered why he was selected to go to Saul? I would guess that most of the Christians in Damascus went underground when they heard that Saul was on his way to town. Ananias was the lucky one who got the assignment to risk arrest and worse by confronting Saul. Why Ananias? Based on results, I guess God knew what he was doing.
When Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus he asked Saul one question and he gave Saul one instruction, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” and “Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men with Saul led him by the hand into the city. For three days he could see nothing but darkness. He ate and drank nothing. He waited, and he prayed. He received a vision that a man named Ananias would come and place his hands on him to restore his sight. He waited some more. God had a tremendous task to set before Saul, but his first task was to wait. This is not a task he could do under his own power or with his own wisdom. He needed to let the Lord lead him one step at a time.
When the Lord gave Ananias his assignment, Ananias had time to ask one question of the Lord, “Lord, I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” Are you sure this is the man you want me to go see? And the Lord responded with one instruction, “Go!”
The corollary to this observation is that when God gives you an assignment, you always have the choice to say yes or no. You always have the freedom to obey or disobey. Having said that, sometimes it’s clear that you have to say ‘yes’ even when your insides are crying out in fear ‘no, no, no!’ It seems this was the case with Ananias. He was understandably concerned about going to see Saul, but God said ‘go’, so he went. Sometimes when the Lord calls, he has to do a lot of changing in you before you can go out and change the world.
When Saul lost his sight for three days, more was going on than a physical reaction to a really bright light. The Lord was letting Saul know just how blind he had been, that his rejection of Jesus was the result of blindness, that his zealousness in persecuting the church was the result of blindness, and even that his devotion to the Law was a blind devotion.
When Ananias laid his hands upon Saul and the scales fell from his eyes, more was going on than a physical healing of damaged eyes. The Lord was signaling to Saul the dramatic changes that would happen in his life now that he could see Jesus clearly. Before Saul could even be given his assignment, he had to do a lot of repenting and turning from old ways. Before Saul could even be given his assignment, first the Lord had to do a lot of healing within him. Before Saul could even be given his assignment, he had to come to know Jesus.
Sometimes when the Lord calls, it will turn your life upside down and nothing will ever be the same again. Sometimes when the Lord calls, it is simply time to do your task and return to your life. Either way, when the Lord calls he very often calls you and me out of our comfort zone.
Saul was focused on a purpose of his own. He never expected the Lord to encounter him on the road to Damascus. He never expected to have his life turned upside-down. He never expected to become an evangelist for Jesus Christ. But the Lord called, and nothing was ever the same again.
Ananias had been understandably concerned about the idea of going to see Saul. It didn’t make a lot of sense to him, and it involved taking a considerable risk. But, the Lord called, and he responded. For one brief moment he stepped into the spotlight in response to God’s call, and then he stepped into the background again and went on with his life.
The Lord provided Saul with everything he needed to fulfill his assignment. The Lord provided Ananias with everything he needed to fulfill his assignment. The Lord provides you and me with everything we need to fulfill our assignments.
Thank you Jesus.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns
click here to view
We have been studying the Book of Acts during our Wednesday evening Bible study. Currently we have been looking at Acts 9:1-9:19. This passage is most typically known as Saul’s conversion story—his Damascus Road Experience. It describes a dramatic encounter between Saul and Jesus on the road to Damascus…the encounter that started Saul down a new path that would make him the most prolific evangelist of the early church and the most prolific writer in the New Testament.
This passage also describes an encounter, less dramatic and less well known, between Jesus and another man, Ananias. Ananias was a common foot soldier in the Lord’s army. He did not get a lot of attention. Nobody really remembers him. The Lord didn’t blind him with a bright light. The Lord didn’t change his name. As far as we know, the Lord didn’t send him to far away places where he would suffer floggings and imprisonments and shipwrecks. Yet, the Lord did give Ananias an assignment to change the world for one person. For that reason, it’s worth paying as much attention to this account of the encounter between Ananias and Jesus . Like Ananias, you and I may never be asked to change the world, but you and I will be asked, from time to time, to change the world for one person.
We don’t know a lot about Ananias, except that he was a disciple of Jesus, who lived in Damascus. Later in Acts Paul describes him as “a devout observer of the law and respected by all the Jews” in Damascus. We don’t know if Ananias had been a follower of Jesus for a long time or a short time. We do know that he knew Jesus. We know that he had been in Damascus long enough to be known and respected among the Jews (and the Jewish Christians) there.
Saul did not know Jesus. He knew the name, of course. It had become Saul’s career to know the name Jesus, and to root out followers of that name. Saul was from Tarsus, a Jew born into Roman citizenship. He was also a Pharisee, a student and adherent of the Law, highly educated under the tutelage of the most famous rabbi of the first century. Back in Jerusalem Saul had watched over the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death. Now he was on his way to Damascus, the nearest important city outside of the Holy Land, “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples”. He was carrying letters from the High Priest in Jerusalem to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found Jesus' followers among the Jews in Damascus he might arrest them.
On the road to Damascus, Saul encountered Jesus. Shortly thereafter, in Damascus, Ananias heard from Jesus, too. These were two very different encounters, each very important to the future of the church, and each with a lot to teach us about what to expect when Jesus decides give one of us an assignment, large or small. The first thing to notice is this, that Jesus seems to be willing to give assignments to those who recognize his voice and even to those who don’t, to those who are walking the path of discipleship faithfully and to those who are resolutely walking the wrong way entirely.
Saul was an enemy of Jesus, out to take some heads. When he heard the Lord call his name, he had to ask, “Who are you, Lord?”
If you think you have to get your act entirely together before Jesus will even consider calling upon you, think again. Sometimes it is only Jesus’ call that lets us know that we don’t have our act together.
Ananias was a disciple of Jesus—just trying to keep his head down and out of the line of fire. When he heard the Lord call his name, he recognized him and answered, “Yes, Lord.”
If you think you are safe from any further nudges from the Lord now that you’ve made the decision to follow him, think again. The call to turn in his direction the first time is only the beginning. He will continue to call upon you to change the world for one person at a time for the rest of your life.
The second thing to notice is that if the Lord wants to get your attention, he is quite capable of doing it. Ananias seemed to be tuned in to the Lord. When the Lord called, he heard him immediately. Saul, however, was tuned into one thing and one thing only, his zealous pursuit of followers of the Way. Saul was intensely focused, but he was intensely focused on the wrong thing. The Lord had to get his attention before he could do anything else with him. So he did. “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” Saul fell to the ground and was blinded. For three days he did not eat or drink and he was dependent on his men to lead him by the hand. That would get my attention!
Saul’s Damascus Road Experience always reminds me of Moses’ burning bush experience. That was another occasion when God wanted to get somebody’s attention. Moses inattentiveness was not a matter of being focused on the wrong thing, however. Moses’ problem was that he had spent so many years wandering the desert with his sheep that he had stopped focusing on much of anything. The burning bush got his attention!
Whether our inattentiveness is due to intense focus on the wrong thing or lack of focus on anything in particular, God is quite capable of getting our attention when he wants to. God has his own reasons for handing out particular assignments to particular people. Think about it. Ananias was in Damascus, a faithful disciple. He was attentive to the Lord’s voice. He was well-respected by all the Jews. He knew the Law and observed it. He lived outside of the Holy Land so he must have been at least somewhat familiar with the ways of Gentiles.
Do you ever wonder why God went to the trouble to get Saul’s attention when he already had people like Ananias around? God chose Saul, a zealous Pharisee, an active and “murderous” persecutor of his church, to carry the Good News to the Gentiles. Based on results, I guess God knew what he was doing.
Do you suppose Ananias ever wondered why he was selected to go to Saul? I would guess that most of the Christians in Damascus went underground when they heard that Saul was on his way to town. Ananias was the lucky one who got the assignment to risk arrest and worse by confronting Saul. Why Ananias? Based on results, I guess God knew what he was doing.
When Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus he asked Saul one question and he gave Saul one instruction, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” and “Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men with Saul led him by the hand into the city. For three days he could see nothing but darkness. He ate and drank nothing. He waited, and he prayed. He received a vision that a man named Ananias would come and place his hands on him to restore his sight. He waited some more. God had a tremendous task to set before Saul, but his first task was to wait. This is not a task he could do under his own power or with his own wisdom. He needed to let the Lord lead him one step at a time.
When the Lord gave Ananias his assignment, Ananias had time to ask one question of the Lord, “Lord, I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” Are you sure this is the man you want me to go see? And the Lord responded with one instruction, “Go!”
The corollary to this observation is that when God gives you an assignment, you always have the choice to say yes or no. You always have the freedom to obey or disobey. Having said that, sometimes it’s clear that you have to say ‘yes’ even when your insides are crying out in fear ‘no, no, no!’ It seems this was the case with Ananias. He was understandably concerned about going to see Saul, but God said ‘go’, so he went. Sometimes when the Lord calls, he has to do a lot of changing in you before you can go out and change the world.
When Saul lost his sight for three days, more was going on than a physical reaction to a really bright light. The Lord was letting Saul know just how blind he had been, that his rejection of Jesus was the result of blindness, that his zealousness in persecuting the church was the result of blindness, and even that his devotion to the Law was a blind devotion.
When Ananias laid his hands upon Saul and the scales fell from his eyes, more was going on than a physical healing of damaged eyes. The Lord was signaling to Saul the dramatic changes that would happen in his life now that he could see Jesus clearly. Before Saul could even be given his assignment, he had to do a lot of repenting and turning from old ways. Before Saul could even be given his assignment, first the Lord had to do a lot of healing within him. Before Saul could even be given his assignment, he had to come to know Jesus.
Sometimes when the Lord calls, it will turn your life upside down and nothing will ever be the same again. Sometimes when the Lord calls, it is simply time to do your task and return to your life. Either way, when the Lord calls he very often calls you and me out of our comfort zone.
Saul was focused on a purpose of his own. He never expected the Lord to encounter him on the road to Damascus. He never expected to have his life turned upside-down. He never expected to become an evangelist for Jesus Christ. But the Lord called, and nothing was ever the same again.
Ananias had been understandably concerned about the idea of going to see Saul. It didn’t make a lot of sense to him, and it involved taking a considerable risk. But, the Lord called, and he responded. For one brief moment he stepped into the spotlight in response to God’s call, and then he stepped into the background again and went on with his life.
The Lord provided Saul with everything he needed to fulfill his assignment. The Lord provided Ananias with everything he needed to fulfill his assignment. The Lord provides you and me with everything we need to fulfill our assignments.
Thank you Jesus.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns
click here to view
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 1-23-08
Good Morning,
I seldom read and reflect from the Book of Ecclesiastes, but in Chapter 7 we read about the funeral and the house of mourning. All of us live just a breath away from eternity. I got a news from India yesterday that one of my classmates from High School days, whom I had met during my visit to India in 2006, died suddenly. Also, one of my friends sent a prayer request, to pray for a family that lost a young daughter.
Dr Maxi Dunham, a prominent Methodist pastor and former President of the Asbury Seminary wrote a booklet years ago titled "I danced at my funeral". I am asked to participate in lots baptisms, weddings, and funerals. I have a particular clergy suit that I love to wear for, "matching, hatching, and dispatching". I am blessed to be able to share in some of the very defining moments in the lives of people, always looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.
I have been asked to speak to the Faculty, staff, and students of Davis College at chapel tomorrow at 10:30 am, and participate in a plenary session Friday at 10:30 am. Please pray that the Lord would grant me His fresh anointing through the Holy Spirit.
We read in Ecclesiastes 7, “A good reputation is more valuable than the most expensive perfume. In the same way, the day you die is better than the day you are born. It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and you should think about it while there is still time. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. The heart of the wise is the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. A wise person thinks much about death, while the fool thinks only about having a good time now...Finishing is better than starting.” Ecclesiastes 7:1-4, 8
These may sound like dark words, but they contain profound wisdom. People deny death, refuse to face it, and are reluctant to attend funerals. We often view life as God’s greatest gift, and we regard death as the worst thing that could happen. Most people avoid thinking about death, yet the writer of our text says that they would be better off spending some time at funerals, because they need a reality check. The Bible says that there is value in suffering and sorrow. We learn more from difficult times than happy times. If we view death with the eyes of faith, we see that death is the best of all possible events, because this life is a mere rehearsal for the life to come. Heaven is real and glorious. This is why the day of our departure is better than the day of our birth. Scripture uses mostly celestial language to describe heaven. Trying to describe Heaven to humans is like trying to describe this world to an unborn child. All we really know is that if we are living in the Lord and for the Lord, the best is yet to come.
Do you ever think of what people might say about you at your funeral? What kind of eulogy might you be given? Humorist Garrison Keillor once said that at his funeral he wants people to weep uncontrollably with abject despair! We hope people will miss us, and that they will think well of us. We covet having “a good reputation,” as our reading states. We hope to reach the end of our days with no regrets. How we live matters.
Why are funerals better than parties according to Ecclesiastes? At parties we escape reality and we try to forget our cares; at funerals we come face-to-face with the meaning of life. A party may be a good occasion to blow off some stress, but a funeral is a place to reflect and learn what life is really about—this is an occasion to prepare for the day when we too will depart and stand before the Lord of Heaven and earth.
The time to live is now - we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. More importantly, the Bible says that the time to believe, to trust God, is Today, while we hear God’s voice; tomorrow may be too late. The body is not a home. It is more like a hotel, a place where we dwell only briefly.
Rather than pursue empty pleasures and seek a comfortable life, we need to pursue holiness and seek God. If we reach the end of our days with faith and a good reputation, it shows that we know the true value of things. Many people live in an escapist culture, and have constructed for themselves an oppressive, materialistic prison whose spiritual emptiness is all too apparent. Comfort isn’t as important as living well with integrity, and that may mean often being uncomfortable--enduring hardship, struggle, adversity. A person with character can truly say that the day of death is better than the day of birth.
Winston Churchill designed his own funeral, which took place at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. At his direction, at the close of the service a bugler positioned high in the dome sounded “Taps”: “Day is done, gone the sun”, but then immediately after another bugler sounded “Reveille”: “It’s time to get up in the morning!” This was Churchill’s testimony that at the end of our lives, the last note will not be “Taps” but “Reveille”! Death for the Christian is turning off the light because the dawn has come.
In Christ,
Brown
Click here to view video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1o-lMw3rC0
"Brown - could you please add this name to the prayer list at church. Denise called me tonight and these folks are friends of hers.....what a tragic accident.
DENTON, Maryland - A 15-year-old girl was killed about 5:43 p.m. Monday when she tried to run across Route 404 west of Denton and was struck by an SUV.
Kathleen Hynn Clancy, of Shady Oak Lane, was pronounced dead at the scene around 6 p.m.
According to a Maryland State Police trooper at the scene, Kathleen had apparently had an argument with a family member just before the incident and had been sent to her room. She then packed a bag of clothes and exited the home, making her way through a small wooded area that borders Route 404. She then attempted to run across the highway just west of Route 312 (Downes Station Road).
Jose Gabriel Prati, 45, driving a white 1999 Lexus SUV, was heading home to Derwood from Rehoboth Beach with his wife and two children, police said. Prati told police a vehicle traveling east on Route 404 had to swerve to avoid the girl. He said he also braked and swerved to the left to avoid her as she continued across the westbound lane of the highway, but the front passenger side of the SUV hit the girl.
The stretch of Route 404 where the accident occurred has a single travel lane for both eastbound and westbound traffic. There is no median dividing the two lanes.
Two passersby, including a nurse, stopped to give the girl first aid and attempted CPR until rescue personnel from Caroline EMS arrived. Emergency workers also attempted to revive the girl, but were unsuccessful.
Police said the girl's relatives were brought to the scene and made a positive identification.
Prati told police he was going the speed limit at the time of the crash.
Traffic on Route 404 east was backed up for miles as the scene was closed off, and westbound traffic was diverted onto Route 312.
A Maryland State Police accident reconstruction team was called to the scene and arrived just before 7 p.m. Maryland State Highway Administration crews also were called to the area to help with the traffic detour."
I seldom read and reflect from the Book of Ecclesiastes, but in Chapter 7 we read about the funeral and the house of mourning. All of us live just a breath away from eternity. I got a news from India yesterday that one of my classmates from High School days, whom I had met during my visit to India in 2006, died suddenly. Also, one of my friends sent a prayer request, to pray for a family that lost a young daughter.
Dr Maxi Dunham, a prominent Methodist pastor and former President of the Asbury Seminary wrote a booklet years ago titled "I danced at my funeral". I am asked to participate in lots baptisms, weddings, and funerals. I have a particular clergy suit that I love to wear for, "matching, hatching, and dispatching". I am blessed to be able to share in some of the very defining moments in the lives of people, always looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.
I have been asked to speak to the Faculty, staff, and students of Davis College at chapel tomorrow at 10:30 am, and participate in a plenary session Friday at 10:30 am. Please pray that the Lord would grant me His fresh anointing through the Holy Spirit.
We read in Ecclesiastes 7, “A good reputation is more valuable than the most expensive perfume. In the same way, the day you die is better than the day you are born. It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and you should think about it while there is still time. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. The heart of the wise is the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. A wise person thinks much about death, while the fool thinks only about having a good time now...Finishing is better than starting.” Ecclesiastes 7:1-4, 8
These may sound like dark words, but they contain profound wisdom. People deny death, refuse to face it, and are reluctant to attend funerals. We often view life as God’s greatest gift, and we regard death as the worst thing that could happen. Most people avoid thinking about death, yet the writer of our text says that they would be better off spending some time at funerals, because they need a reality check. The Bible says that there is value in suffering and sorrow. We learn more from difficult times than happy times. If we view death with the eyes of faith, we see that death is the best of all possible events, because this life is a mere rehearsal for the life to come. Heaven is real and glorious. This is why the day of our departure is better than the day of our birth. Scripture uses mostly celestial language to describe heaven. Trying to describe Heaven to humans is like trying to describe this world to an unborn child. All we really know is that if we are living in the Lord and for the Lord, the best is yet to come.
Do you ever think of what people might say about you at your funeral? What kind of eulogy might you be given? Humorist Garrison Keillor once said that at his funeral he wants people to weep uncontrollably with abject despair! We hope people will miss us, and that they will think well of us. We covet having “a good reputation,” as our reading states. We hope to reach the end of our days with no regrets. How we live matters.
Why are funerals better than parties according to Ecclesiastes? At parties we escape reality and we try to forget our cares; at funerals we come face-to-face with the meaning of life. A party may be a good occasion to blow off some stress, but a funeral is a place to reflect and learn what life is really about—this is an occasion to prepare for the day when we too will depart and stand before the Lord of Heaven and earth.
The time to live is now - we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. More importantly, the Bible says that the time to believe, to trust God, is Today, while we hear God’s voice; tomorrow may be too late. The body is not a home. It is more like a hotel, a place where we dwell only briefly.
Rather than pursue empty pleasures and seek a comfortable life, we need to pursue holiness and seek God. If we reach the end of our days with faith and a good reputation, it shows that we know the true value of things. Many people live in an escapist culture, and have constructed for themselves an oppressive, materialistic prison whose spiritual emptiness is all too apparent. Comfort isn’t as important as living well with integrity, and that may mean often being uncomfortable--enduring hardship, struggle, adversity. A person with character can truly say that the day of death is better than the day of birth.
Winston Churchill designed his own funeral, which took place at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. At his direction, at the close of the service a bugler positioned high in the dome sounded “Taps”: “Day is done, gone the sun”, but then immediately after another bugler sounded “Reveille”: “It’s time to get up in the morning!” This was Churchill’s testimony that at the end of our lives, the last note will not be “Taps” but “Reveille”! Death for the Christian is turning off the light because the dawn has come.
In Christ,
Brown
Click here to view video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1o-lMw3rC0
"Brown - could you please add this name to the prayer list at church. Denise called me tonight and these folks are friends of hers.....what a tragic accident.
DENTON, Maryland - A 15-year-old girl was killed about 5:43 p.m. Monday when she tried to run across Route 404 west of Denton and was struck by an SUV.
Kathleen Hynn Clancy, of Shady Oak Lane, was pronounced dead at the scene around 6 p.m.
According to a Maryland State Police trooper at the scene, Kathleen had apparently had an argument with a family member just before the incident and had been sent to her room. She then packed a bag of clothes and exited the home, making her way through a small wooded area that borders Route 404. She then attempted to run across the highway just west of Route 312 (Downes Station Road).
Jose Gabriel Prati, 45, driving a white 1999 Lexus SUV, was heading home to Derwood from Rehoboth Beach with his wife and two children, police said. Prati told police a vehicle traveling east on Route 404 had to swerve to avoid the girl. He said he also braked and swerved to the left to avoid her as she continued across the westbound lane of the highway, but the front passenger side of the SUV hit the girl.
The stretch of Route 404 where the accident occurred has a single travel lane for both eastbound and westbound traffic. There is no median dividing the two lanes.
Two passersby, including a nurse, stopped to give the girl first aid and attempted CPR until rescue personnel from Caroline EMS arrived. Emergency workers also attempted to revive the girl, but were unsuccessful.
Police said the girl's relatives were brought to the scene and made a positive identification.
Prati told police he was going the speed limit at the time of the crash.
Traffic on Route 404 east was backed up for miles as the scene was closed off, and westbound traffic was diverted onto Route 312.
A Maryland State Police accident reconstruction team was called to the scene and arrived just before 7 p.m. Maryland State Highway Administration crews also were called to the area to help with the traffic detour."
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 1-22-08
Good Morning,
We spent the weekend in Boston, attending our grandson Simeon's baptism yesterday in a Presbyterian Church in the North Shore above Boston. It was very cold day outside, but it was a very warm and beautiful day inside. Simeon smiled during his baptism. Best of all, Jesus, the Lord of the Lambs and winsome Shepherd of His sheep, smiled on Simeon.
Baptism is an outward and visible sign of the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came to offer us grace upon grace. He offers His amazing grace to the blind, the lame, the last, the least, and the lost. That covers all of us. All are included.
Bartimaeus the blind is one of those who experienced the fresh grace of our Savior. Bartimaeus was physically blind and financially strapped. He was stuck in a job that was going nowhere. He was a nuisance... in the way, a passing thought. He was, in fact, a painful reminder to everyone walking by that disaster was very possible in their own lives. This man was nothing, and yet, Bartimaeus was Jesus’ man. Bartimaeus was the one to whom Jesus paid attention. Jesus walked by many people that day, the righteous, the godly, the honest, the faithful. Yet, Bartimaeus is the one who received the blessing while others, who were good people, or who were believers, or even some who were His twelve disciples, received nothing.
Here was a man who had absolutely nothing going for him, not a thing. He was a person of no significance whatsoever, and yet he was able to bring out some of the most powerful words in Scripture, “Jesus stopped”. Jesus was walking along, on his way to fulfill his destiny as Messiah in the city of Jerusalem, so you know He had to be walking with purpose. He was approaching the pinnacle of His ministry here on earth and BAMM, out of nowhere Jesus stopped. Jesus had this incredible task in front of him, yet it was just gone, set aside, unimportant for the moment. Astounding!
What a valuable piece of Scripture we have in Mark 10. Jesus just stopped what He was doing, and suddenly all the attention was on Bart. You may be asking, “I wonder, how can I get God’s attention like that?” or, “How can I get God to pay attention to me?”. Mark lays it out for us in Mark 10:46-52.
Jesus walked right by Bartimaeus, but Bartimaeus exhibited several characteristics that made Jesus stop for this man. Jesus usually did not stop for anything, but here He stopped dead in his tracks for Bartimaeus. Remember, Jesus was traveling with his twelve disciples and a large group of other people. Some were believers, some were curious, some probably were not sure why they were walking with Jesus. At this point they were passing through Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the area. It is literally an oasis in the desert, called the city of palms for the many thousands of huge palm trees that grow there. Jericho sits low, near the Dead Sea, about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem, in a very rugged region with the road to Jerusalem leading through desolate and mountainous country, notoriously unsafe, and it was a very difficult walk to Jerusalem, for it is uphill all the way to Jerusalem. Jericho is famous for it’s walls that fell down during the time of Joshua.
The healing of Bartimaeus was the last healing miracle to be recorded in the book of Mark, emphasizing to us how significant it was that Jesus stopped to heal this man.
Jericho was also a redemptive spot for tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19), and the good Samaritan (Luke 10). I think that in some ways the city of Jericho represents in Scripture a place to be given another chance, a place where those who are having great difficulty in life are given another shot, another chance at redemption. It was an oasis of refreshment and a place to start a new life; it was a new beginning. It was no accident that Jesus and Bart deal with each other in this place called Jericho. You know, even when we see that life at a standstill, when we look around us and see nothing but hot, dry, desert, Jesus is able.
Bartimaeus was sitting there by the roadside, a man who had a crisis that was beyond his control or ability to correct/change. He was stuck in his situation with nothing that he could do in his own power. He could not will his way out of it, so he chose to go to a higher source, to a source outside himself. Bartimaeus made a choice, “I am going to stop living this way.” This blind man made a choice to obey the Holy Spirit and grab hold of that spark of faith that fell into his life. He took it, grabbed hold of it, and, in verse 47, called out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” That action of calling out to Jesus was nothing less than an act of faith, an act of belief, a fanning of the spark that was created moments ago in this man when he made his decision not to live like this any more!
Calling out, “Son of David” shows that Bartimaeus had formed a conviction about Jesus. Notice, Jesus did not reject the title Jesus was not just a teacher or a good man. He was the messiah, the Lord God himself. Also, he must have called more than once. Again and again he called, showing persistence. Then, “Jesus stopped”, (verse 49).
We generally cannot bring an issue before Jesus just once; there is a purpose in our repeatedly bringing an issue before God, and that purpose is the building of our faith.
Though Bartimaeus was physically blind and financially strapped, he moved beyond his limitations. He shouted out to Jesus. The crowd, however, held him back, telling him to be quiet. Bart refused to listen to other voices, listening instead for Jesus’ voice. The crowd rebuked him, but (verse 48) he persisted. They told him to shut up, so he shouted louder. The more they tried to stop him, the more intense he became.
We all have voices all around us who try to block our connection with Jesus. They say things like, “You don’t take the Bible seriously do you?” They tell us that taking the spiritual world seriously is foolishness. What they do, in reality, is to shout ignorance our way. Don’t buy it. Don’t listen to those detractors. The reality is this: Jesus is real, Jesus is powerful, Jesus is ready to act on your behalf to change your world.
Bartimaeus first pleaded for mercy and then presented a request. He did not demand, he did not manipulate, but he did ask for mercy. The phrase, “have mercy on me” is a cry directed toward God by the afflicted in the Psalms ex 4:1, 6:2, 41:4, 51:1, 109:26, 123:3. This type of prayer, which really is a prayer, is a general request. It did not refer to anything specific. Jesus asked what, specifically, was wanted. We likewise must articulate our requests. Jesus asks, "what do you want?" We must be prepared to answer him.
Bartimaeus answered Jesus, “Rabbi, I want to see.” There it is. Do you see it in verse 52? Everything came together, life could never be the same, when Jesus said, “Go, your faith has healed you.” “Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.” Normally, Bartimaeus would have taken his cloak off and placed it in front of him to catch coins. The cloak here represented his old way of life. He was managing, just getting by, barely keeping himself alive, but here he threw off his past and left it behind. He left the limitations placed on him; he left the only security he had ever known and cast it aside before he went to Jesus. He had to turn his back on his old life. He got up to go to Jesus and, never, looked back. 52 “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”
When you come to Jesus, you cannot go back to your old life or your old ways. Jesus does not intend for us to revert to our old sinful ways. He is walking by us this very day, so let us not sit here, satisfied with "a few coins on an old cloak". Let us, instead, rise up and walk in the newness of life. Life with Jesus is an adventure.
In Him,
Brown
Dear Brother in christ ,
Greetings From India ,
One prayer request, thank you for your prayer . One Missionary was arrested by the police to day, he is all so my friend. his name is Rev , protheta digal .
Situation is very bad in our Districts. I am all so very busy in the situation .
Please pray for me and our peoples .
Thank you
With kind regards
Swagat naik
INDIA
My sister from New Jersey just called and told me that her son was killed in an accident while cutting wood today.
Please keep this new widow, Barbara, as well as 2 grown children, along with my sister and Her husband, Janet and Dave, in your prayers.
Barbara's parents are both dead. They just went through the Thanksgiving and Christmas season without her Mother for the first time.
Fred
Click here to view video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HndQZlmJPpc
We spent the weekend in Boston, attending our grandson Simeon's baptism yesterday in a Presbyterian Church in the North Shore above Boston. It was very cold day outside, but it was a very warm and beautiful day inside. Simeon smiled during his baptism. Best of all, Jesus, the Lord of the Lambs and winsome Shepherd of His sheep, smiled on Simeon.
Baptism is an outward and visible sign of the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came to offer us grace upon grace. He offers His amazing grace to the blind, the lame, the last, the least, and the lost. That covers all of us. All are included.
Bartimaeus the blind is one of those who experienced the fresh grace of our Savior. Bartimaeus was physically blind and financially strapped. He was stuck in a job that was going nowhere. He was a nuisance... in the way, a passing thought. He was, in fact, a painful reminder to everyone walking by that disaster was very possible in their own lives. This man was nothing, and yet, Bartimaeus was Jesus’ man. Bartimaeus was the one to whom Jesus paid attention. Jesus walked by many people that day, the righteous, the godly, the honest, the faithful. Yet, Bartimaeus is the one who received the blessing while others, who were good people, or who were believers, or even some who were His twelve disciples, received nothing.
Here was a man who had absolutely nothing going for him, not a thing. He was a person of no significance whatsoever, and yet he was able to bring out some of the most powerful words in Scripture, “Jesus stopped”. Jesus was walking along, on his way to fulfill his destiny as Messiah in the city of Jerusalem, so you know He had to be walking with purpose. He was approaching the pinnacle of His ministry here on earth and BAMM, out of nowhere Jesus stopped. Jesus had this incredible task in front of him, yet it was just gone, set aside, unimportant for the moment. Astounding!
What a valuable piece of Scripture we have in Mark 10. Jesus just stopped what He was doing, and suddenly all the attention was on Bart. You may be asking, “I wonder, how can I get God’s attention like that?” or, “How can I get God to pay attention to me?”. Mark lays it out for us in Mark 10:46-52.
Jesus walked right by Bartimaeus, but Bartimaeus exhibited several characteristics that made Jesus stop for this man. Jesus usually did not stop for anything, but here He stopped dead in his tracks for Bartimaeus. Remember, Jesus was traveling with his twelve disciples and a large group of other people. Some were believers, some were curious, some probably were not sure why they were walking with Jesus. At this point they were passing through Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the area. It is literally an oasis in the desert, called the city of palms for the many thousands of huge palm trees that grow there. Jericho sits low, near the Dead Sea, about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem, in a very rugged region with the road to Jerusalem leading through desolate and mountainous country, notoriously unsafe, and it was a very difficult walk to Jerusalem, for it is uphill all the way to Jerusalem. Jericho is famous for it’s walls that fell down during the time of Joshua.
The healing of Bartimaeus was the last healing miracle to be recorded in the book of Mark, emphasizing to us how significant it was that Jesus stopped to heal this man.
Jericho was also a redemptive spot for tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19), and the good Samaritan (Luke 10). I think that in some ways the city of Jericho represents in Scripture a place to be given another chance, a place where those who are having great difficulty in life are given another shot, another chance at redemption. It was an oasis of refreshment and a place to start a new life; it was a new beginning. It was no accident that Jesus and Bart deal with each other in this place called Jericho. You know, even when we see that life at a standstill, when we look around us and see nothing but hot, dry, desert, Jesus is able.
Bartimaeus was sitting there by the roadside, a man who had a crisis that was beyond his control or ability to correct/change. He was stuck in his situation with nothing that he could do in his own power. He could not will his way out of it, so he chose to go to a higher source, to a source outside himself. Bartimaeus made a choice, “I am going to stop living this way.” This blind man made a choice to obey the Holy Spirit and grab hold of that spark of faith that fell into his life. He took it, grabbed hold of it, and, in verse 47, called out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” That action of calling out to Jesus was nothing less than an act of faith, an act of belief, a fanning of the spark that was created moments ago in this man when he made his decision not to live like this any more!
Calling out, “Son of David” shows that Bartimaeus had formed a conviction about Jesus. Notice, Jesus did not reject the title Jesus was not just a teacher or a good man. He was the messiah, the Lord God himself. Also, he must have called more than once. Again and again he called, showing persistence. Then, “Jesus stopped”, (verse 49).
We generally cannot bring an issue before Jesus just once; there is a purpose in our repeatedly bringing an issue before God, and that purpose is the building of our faith.
Though Bartimaeus was physically blind and financially strapped, he moved beyond his limitations. He shouted out to Jesus. The crowd, however, held him back, telling him to be quiet. Bart refused to listen to other voices, listening instead for Jesus’ voice. The crowd rebuked him, but (verse 48) he persisted. They told him to shut up, so he shouted louder. The more they tried to stop him, the more intense he became.
We all have voices all around us who try to block our connection with Jesus. They say things like, “You don’t take the Bible seriously do you?” They tell us that taking the spiritual world seriously is foolishness. What they do, in reality, is to shout ignorance our way. Don’t buy it. Don’t listen to those detractors. The reality is this: Jesus is real, Jesus is powerful, Jesus is ready to act on your behalf to change your world.
Bartimaeus first pleaded for mercy and then presented a request. He did not demand, he did not manipulate, but he did ask for mercy. The phrase, “have mercy on me” is a cry directed toward God by the afflicted in the Psalms ex 4:1, 6:2, 41:4, 51:1, 109:26, 123:3. This type of prayer, which really is a prayer, is a general request. It did not refer to anything specific. Jesus asked what, specifically, was wanted. We likewise must articulate our requests. Jesus asks, "what do you want?" We must be prepared to answer him.
Bartimaeus answered Jesus, “Rabbi, I want to see.” There it is. Do you see it in verse 52? Everything came together, life could never be the same, when Jesus said, “Go, your faith has healed you.” “Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.” Normally, Bartimaeus would have taken his cloak off and placed it in front of him to catch coins. The cloak here represented his old way of life. He was managing, just getting by, barely keeping himself alive, but here he threw off his past and left it behind. He left the limitations placed on him; he left the only security he had ever known and cast it aside before he went to Jesus. He had to turn his back on his old life. He got up to go to Jesus and, never, looked back. 52 “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”
When you come to Jesus, you cannot go back to your old life or your old ways. Jesus does not intend for us to revert to our old sinful ways. He is walking by us this very day, so let us not sit here, satisfied with "a few coins on an old cloak". Let us, instead, rise up and walk in the newness of life. Life with Jesus is an adventure.
In Him,
Brown
Dear Brother in christ ,
Greetings From India ,
One prayer request, thank you for your prayer . One Missionary was arrested by the police to day, he is all so my friend. his name is Rev , protheta digal .
Situation is very bad in our Districts. I am all so very busy in the situation .
Please pray for me and our peoples .
Thank you
With kind regards
Swagat naik
INDIA
My sister from New Jersey just called and told me that her son was killed in an accident while cutting wood today.
Please keep this new widow, Barbara, as well as 2 grown children, along with my sister and Her husband, Janet and Dave, in your prayers.
Barbara's parents are both dead. They just went through the Thanksgiving and Christmas season without her Mother for the first time.
Fred
Click here to view video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HndQZlmJPpc
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