Praise the Lord for His faithfulness. He is always in His time as He intervenes in our lives and situations. His delays are not His denials.
Ray Stedman, a pastor, says that the most difficult thing to handle as a Christian is “when God does not do what I have been taught to expect him to do; when God gets out of line and does not act the way he ought.”[Ray Stedman, God’s Strange Ways" Sometimes you may think that God doesn’t care about you. In fact, sometimes it seems the circumstances of your life don’t seem to allow for any other explanation. When you are being ravaged by the events of your life, it is very difficult to believe that God’s silences and delays are really evidences of His love. Yet they often are.
One of the great SIGNS, the Lord Jesus performed, before His final journey to Jerusalem, is found on John 11. Lazarus, the one whom Jesus loved, was dying. This is a problem we can all identify with, for death intrudes into all our lives and we find those closest to us snatched from our sides by accident, sickness or death. In such moments, some question the presence or love of God. Others, even those who do not doubt the love of God and His faithfulness, find their faith tested.
“Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.(3) Therefore, the sisters sent to Him, saying, 'Lord, behold he whom You love is sick.'”
Because Jesus loved Lazarus one of the obvious things we should note here is that sickness comes into every home, even including those in which Jesus is loved. Although Jesus loved Lazarus, that did not prevent his sickness. In verse four we are told, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” This verse would answer all those who would state that sickness is never the will of God for a believer, that it is wrong to be sick, that is due to a lack of faith, some hidden sin or the judgment of God. But the words of Jesus about Lazarus are unmistakable, that not all sickness is a sign of unbelief or lack of faith. Such a position is not only unscriptural, but hurtful and dangerous.
Not only do those even those Jesus loves get sick, but God’s timing is frequently different than ours! (vv. 5-7) “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. (6) So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. (7) Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
I am convinced at least in my own mind that the sisters assumed that Jesus would do one of two things; He would either come as quickly as he could or he would send word by a messenger that He was coming shortly, but this is not what happened. Verse five begins by telling us that Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters. Then verse six begins with the connecting word “so” or in the King James Version it is “Therefore.” “So” or “because” Jesus “loved” this family he did not immediately make his way to Bethany. It is all the more incredible to us that although Jesus loved this family he did not hurry to Bethany but rather stayed two days were he was.
Likewise, we sometimes find ourselves in trouble and fire off a prayer but find that He does not seem to hear. At those times we are tempted to think that God just does not care. The circumstances at such a time don’t seem to allow for any other explanation. When you are being ravaged by the events of your life, it is very difficult to believe that God’s silences and delays are really evidence of his love. Yet, when we examine His decision in the text to wait, is it a heartless response to the urgent cry of His beloved friends? No of course not!
R. Kent Hughes says, “From ground level it sometimes appears to us that even though we are Christ’s children and we love him, he does not care about us any more. At times humanly speaking, our circumstances seem to admit no other interpretation than that. I think about Joseph being sold by his brothers into slavery. He ended up in Potiphar’s household, by hard work, integrity, and devotion he rose to the top - only to be toppled because he would not compromise himself with Mrs. Potiphar. As a result, he ended up in a foul Egyptian jail. From ground level it appeared that God had forsaken him. Joseph had honored God as a young man, but it seemed God did not care about him any longer. When a child dies in his mother’s arms as she cries to God for help and the ambulance lies stalled two blocks away, we wonder if God cares. When a Christian is falsely accused and pleads with God to bring the evidence to clear him and it is only after his reputation is ruined that the evidence comes, we wonder if God cares. When we plan some great event for God and the whole thing falls through, we wonder if God cares. We must be honest and admit that at ground level there are times when it is very difficult to keep believing in the goodness of God.” [R. Kent Hughes. John: That You Might Believe. (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1999) p.p. 281-282]
What we find in John 11 elevates our perspective. It explains to Christians that no matter how it may appear that these unexplained delays are delays because of God’s love. No set of circumstances, including God’s seeming silences and delays, are evidence that he has abandoned us. Paul reassures us in Romans 8:35, 37-39, “Who (or what) shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ...(37) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (38) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, (39) nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God.” Our death or that of our loved ones, even if it should be sooner than expected, does not reflect unfavorably on Jesus’ care for us.
Martha and Mary must have been clearly mystified as to why Jesus was taking so long in getting back to Bethany - if not to cure Lazarus, then at least to comfort them. They probably went outside each hour to see if their Lord was approaching, then back in to Lazarus whose life was ebbing away, then went out again to look for Jesus. Each day they watched the road, looking for Jesus. One day came and went. No Jesus! A second day came and went. No Jesus. Lazarus, died and was buried and still no Jesus! These four days have been especially difficult for them. But then Jesus came!
In John 11 verse seventeen we read, “So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. (18) Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. (19) And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. (20) Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. (21) Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. (22) But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” (23) Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” (24) Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (25) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. (26) And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (27) She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Weeping may tarry for the night , but the Joy comes in the morning. Jesus came, He saw and He conquered death.
In Him,
Brown
TODAY'S LAUGH
You May Choose First
The story is told of two polite people who were having dinner together. On the table there was a dish with one big piece of fish and one small piece of fish.
They politely said to each other: "You may choose first."
"No, you may choose first."
This went on for a while. Then the first person said, "OK, I'll take first." And he took the BIG piece of fish.
The second person said, "Why did you take the big piece? That's not polite!"
The first person said, "Which piece would *you* have taken?"
The second person replied, "Why, I would have taken the SMALL piece, of course."
The first person said, "Well, that's what you have now!"
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 2-14-08
Good Morning, and happy Valentine's Day to you.
Approximately 250 years after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there was a priest who lived in Rome, by the name of Valentine. At that time Claudius, whom some people called Claudius the Cruel, was the Emperor of Rome. Valentine did not like Emperor Claudius, and he wasn’t the only one! Claudius wanted a great army, and he thought men should volunteer to join it, but many men just did not want to leave home and go off to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives, families, and girlfriends. Because of this not many men volunteered for the Roman army, making Emperor Claudius very angry. He then had the crazy idea that if men were not married, they would be more inclined to join his army. Claudius decreed that there would be no more marriages. Young people thought his new law was really cruel. Valentine thought it was ridiculous! One of his favorite duties as a priest was to marry people. After Emperor Claudius passed his law, Valentine kept on performing marriage ceremonies – but secretly. He would whisper the words of the ceremony, while listening for soldiers on the steps outside.
One night, Valentine heard footsteps at his door. The couple he was marrying escaped, but he was caught. He was thrown in jail and told that his punishment would be death. St. Valentine tried to stay cheerful. Many young people came to the jail to visit him. They threw flowers and notes up to his window. They wanted him to know that they, too, believed in love.
One of these young people who visited him was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit him in his cell. They often sat and talked for hours. She believed he did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and performing marriage ceremonies.
On the day Valentine was to die, he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, "Love from your Valentine." That note started the custom of exchanging love notes on Valentine’s Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. More importantly, they think about love and friendship. When they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can’t be beaten!
Jesus loved us enough to die for us! St. Valentine loved Jesus, enough to die for His Truth. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than to commit or recommit our lives to Jesus?
I want to close by sharing some Bible verses about love:
Psalm 36:8, "O Lord, how precious is your love. My God, the children
of the earth find refuge in the shelter of your wings."
Psalm 40:12, "Your merciful love and your truth will always guard me."
Psalm 13:5-6, "But I have trusted in Your steadfast love; my heart
shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me."
Psalm 19:20, "The Lord came to my support. He set me free in the open,
and rescued me, because He loves me."
Psalm 63:3. "For Your love is better than life; my lips will praise You."
Psalm 86:15, "But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow
to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."
Romans 8:35, 37-39, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?....No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else is all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
1 Corinthians 13, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
Love is the greatest thing we can possess as Christians! It is the thing that will last! Praise the Lord for His gift of love!
In His Amazing Love and Grace,
Brown
Click here to see video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTaSVXMtoZs
Approximately 250 years after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there was a priest who lived in Rome, by the name of Valentine. At that time Claudius, whom some people called Claudius the Cruel, was the Emperor of Rome. Valentine did not like Emperor Claudius, and he wasn’t the only one! Claudius wanted a great army, and he thought men should volunteer to join it, but many men just did not want to leave home and go off to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives, families, and girlfriends. Because of this not many men volunteered for the Roman army, making Emperor Claudius very angry. He then had the crazy idea that if men were not married, they would be more inclined to join his army. Claudius decreed that there would be no more marriages. Young people thought his new law was really cruel. Valentine thought it was ridiculous! One of his favorite duties as a priest was to marry people. After Emperor Claudius passed his law, Valentine kept on performing marriage ceremonies – but secretly. He would whisper the words of the ceremony, while listening for soldiers on the steps outside.
One night, Valentine heard footsteps at his door. The couple he was marrying escaped, but he was caught. He was thrown in jail and told that his punishment would be death. St. Valentine tried to stay cheerful. Many young people came to the jail to visit him. They threw flowers and notes up to his window. They wanted him to know that they, too, believed in love.
One of these young people who visited him was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit him in his cell. They often sat and talked for hours. She believed he did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and performing marriage ceremonies.
On the day Valentine was to die, he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, "Love from your Valentine." That note started the custom of exchanging love notes on Valentine’s Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. More importantly, they think about love and friendship. When they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can’t be beaten!
Jesus loved us enough to die for us! St. Valentine loved Jesus, enough to die for His Truth. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than to commit or recommit our lives to Jesus?
I want to close by sharing some Bible verses about love:
Psalm 36:8, "O Lord, how precious is your love. My God, the children
of the earth find refuge in the shelter of your wings."
Psalm 40:12, "Your merciful love and your truth will always guard me."
Psalm 13:5-6, "But I have trusted in Your steadfast love; my heart
shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me."
Psalm 19:20, "The Lord came to my support. He set me free in the open,
and rescued me, because He loves me."
Psalm 63:3. "For Your love is better than life; my lips will praise You."
Psalm 86:15, "But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow
to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."
Romans 8:35, 37-39, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?....No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else is all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
1 Corinthians 13, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
Love is the greatest thing we can possess as Christians! It is the thing that will last! Praise the Lord for His gift of love!
In His Amazing Love and Grace,
Brown
Click here to see video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTaSVXMtoZs
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 2-13-08
Good morning,
God, in love, has made provision for us to receive his righteousness. This the good news of the Gospel. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself the punishment that we so richly deserve. The good news of God is that we can come into a right relationship with God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. If we will now rely totally on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, God will remove our guilt from us. He will legally declare us, “Not Guilty!” That is called justification by faith. One powerful passage of Scripture is found in Romans 5:I, where we read of several blessings of justification, beginning with peace with God in Romans 5:1.
We read in Romans 5:1-11, paying special attention to verse 1, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
"6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:1-11)
Many years ago, Look magazine ran a personality feature titled “Peace of Mind.” Sixteen prominent Americans were asked how they were able to find peace in our stressful world, and the article consisted of their answers.
James Michener, author of many best-selling books, said that he found peace by taking his two dogs for a “walk along old streams and into fields that have not been plowed for half a century.” Barry Goldwater, the former Senator from Arizona and Republican presidential candidate, said that he found peace in his hobbies—photography, boating, flying, and camping—but above all by “walking in the Grand Canyon.” Former CBS news anchorman Walter Cronkite found peace in solitude, usually by “going to the sea by small boat.” Margaret Mead, the well-known anthropologist and author of Coming of Age in Samoa, sought “a change of pace and scene.” Sammy Davis, Jr., said he found peace by looking for “good in people.” Bill Moyers, former television personality and press secretary to Lyndon B. Johnson, tried to find peace in a family “reunion, usually in some remote and quiet retreat.”
As I read these answers I was struck with how subjective and dependent upon favorable circumstances most of the approaches were. But I noted something else too. Although each of these prominent Americans differed in his or her methods, all were nevertheless seeking peace of mind and recognized that pursuing it was important. No one considered a search for peace to be irrelevant or unimportant.
Perhaps the great North African Christian, Saint Augustine, expressed it best more than 1,500 years ago when he wrote in his famous Confessions, “You made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.”
In Romans 5 we read about the blessings of justification by faith.
The apostle Paul said in Romans 5:1a, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith. . . .” The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that “justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.”
In this portion of God’s Word, the apostle Paul mentions several of our possessions in Christ. Our first possession in Christ is peace with God. The apostle Paul said in Romans 5:1b, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God. . . .” It is very important to note that the Bible speaks of peace with God and also of the peace of God. Peace with God is not the same as peace of God.
The peace of God is described in Philippians 4:6-7, where Paul said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God is having a calm and satisfied frame of heart and mind in the midst of troubles and pressures. The peace of God is peace with regard to the cares of life. It is subjective.
On the other hand, peace with God means that though there had been a state of hostility between God and us, it is now over. Peace with God is peace with regard to God. It is objective, and it happens whether or not we feel happy and secure.
This means that until we are justified by faith, until salvation, there is a war going on between God and us. In Romans 5:10, we are told that we are “reconciled to God.” The peace we have with God is “through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1c). All of our blessings come through Christ. We do not receive a single blessing that is apart from a relationship with Christ. This peace is characterized by gratitude. A person who has peace with God is constantly thankful to God for his amazing grace. He deserved to pay the penalty for his sin for all eternity, but instead God declared him, “Not Guilty!” He cannot help but living the rest of his life in gratitude for the gift of eternal life that was given to him when he did not deserve it.
This peace is characterized by joy. A person who has peace with God says with the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:8, “Though you have not seen [Jesus], you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”
This peace is characterized by holiness. A person who has peace with God agrees with the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
In Christ,
Brown
"All the exaggerations are right, if they exaggerate the right thing." - " G.K.Chesterton
Thoughts on Exercising. . .
I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.
I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.
The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.
If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $5000 per month.
My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we don't know where on earth she is.
The only reason I would take up exercising is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.
And last but not least: I don't exercise because it makes the ice jump right out of my glass.
You could run this over to your friends but why not just e-mail it to them!
God, in love, has made provision for us to receive his righteousness. This the good news of the Gospel. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself the punishment that we so richly deserve. The good news of God is that we can come into a right relationship with God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. If we will now rely totally on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, God will remove our guilt from us. He will legally declare us, “Not Guilty!” That is called justification by faith. One powerful passage of Scripture is found in Romans 5:I, where we read of several blessings of justification, beginning with peace with God in Romans 5:1.
We read in Romans 5:1-11, paying special attention to verse 1, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
"6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:1-11)
Many years ago, Look magazine ran a personality feature titled “Peace of Mind.” Sixteen prominent Americans were asked how they were able to find peace in our stressful world, and the article consisted of their answers.
James Michener, author of many best-selling books, said that he found peace by taking his two dogs for a “walk along old streams and into fields that have not been plowed for half a century.” Barry Goldwater, the former Senator from Arizona and Republican presidential candidate, said that he found peace in his hobbies—photography, boating, flying, and camping—but above all by “walking in the Grand Canyon.” Former CBS news anchorman Walter Cronkite found peace in solitude, usually by “going to the sea by small boat.” Margaret Mead, the well-known anthropologist and author of Coming of Age in Samoa, sought “a change of pace and scene.” Sammy Davis, Jr., said he found peace by looking for “good in people.” Bill Moyers, former television personality and press secretary to Lyndon B. Johnson, tried to find peace in a family “reunion, usually in some remote and quiet retreat.”
As I read these answers I was struck with how subjective and dependent upon favorable circumstances most of the approaches were. But I noted something else too. Although each of these prominent Americans differed in his or her methods, all were nevertheless seeking peace of mind and recognized that pursuing it was important. No one considered a search for peace to be irrelevant or unimportant.
Perhaps the great North African Christian, Saint Augustine, expressed it best more than 1,500 years ago when he wrote in his famous Confessions, “You made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.”
In Romans 5 we read about the blessings of justification by faith.
The apostle Paul said in Romans 5:1a, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith. . . .” The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that “justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.”
In this portion of God’s Word, the apostle Paul mentions several of our possessions in Christ. Our first possession in Christ is peace with God. The apostle Paul said in Romans 5:1b, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God. . . .” It is very important to note that the Bible speaks of peace with God and also of the peace of God. Peace with God is not the same as peace of God.
The peace of God is described in Philippians 4:6-7, where Paul said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God is having a calm and satisfied frame of heart and mind in the midst of troubles and pressures. The peace of God is peace with regard to the cares of life. It is subjective.
On the other hand, peace with God means that though there had been a state of hostility between God and us, it is now over. Peace with God is peace with regard to God. It is objective, and it happens whether or not we feel happy and secure.
This means that until we are justified by faith, until salvation, there is a war going on between God and us. In Romans 5:10, we are told that we are “reconciled to God.” The peace we have with God is “through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1c). All of our blessings come through Christ. We do not receive a single blessing that is apart from a relationship with Christ. This peace is characterized by gratitude. A person who has peace with God is constantly thankful to God for his amazing grace. He deserved to pay the penalty for his sin for all eternity, but instead God declared him, “Not Guilty!” He cannot help but living the rest of his life in gratitude for the gift of eternal life that was given to him when he did not deserve it.
This peace is characterized by joy. A person who has peace with God says with the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:8, “Though you have not seen [Jesus], you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”
This peace is characterized by holiness. A person who has peace with God agrees with the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
In Christ,
Brown
"All the exaggerations are right, if they exaggerate the right thing." - " G.K.Chesterton
Thoughts on Exercising. . .
I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.
I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.
The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.
If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $5000 per month.
My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we don't know where on earth she is.
The only reason I would take up exercising is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.
And last but not least: I don't exercise because it makes the ice jump right out of my glass.
You could run this over to your friends but why not just e-mail it to them!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 2-12-08
Good morning,
One of the readings for last Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, was taken from Mathews 4: 1 ff. It is the record of the temptation of our Lord. It is written, after the Lord's Baptism, when the Lord was driven by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan. He stayed in the wilderness for 40 days and forty nights praying and fasting. He was ministered to by the angels. There He overcame Satan.
Each of us in our daily lives succumbs to some form of temptation, be it by overeating, drinking too much, smoking too much. Some of us are even tempted by the famous seven deadly sins; Greed, sloth, lust, gluttony, pride, envy, and anger. How many of us lust? Gluttony? It is obvious that obesity is a huge problem, as obesity levels in this country are epidemic now and as for pride just look at some of our homes and possessions. Envy? I defy anyone to claim that they have not been envious in their lives,and each of us has surely been angry at some point in our lives.
In many ways, many of us have committed the seven deadly sins without even blinking an eyelid. We have all succumbed; we have all given into some form of temptation and some for a price! Everything has a price if we think about it. Eating too much becomes overweight and the list goes on.
The trouble is that there are other ways in which we give in to temptation and we don’t even think about it. In Genesis 3, we see what happens when we give into temptation. We see the punishment that God dishes out and it is not at all something to enjoy. Adam and Eve were cast out from Paradise, the fall of mankind begins, and mankind paid the price until the arrival of Jesus who, despite everything, manages to resist the temptations of the devil and eventually He crushes his head at the Cross and in the empty Tomb.
We always tend to opt for the easy way, the quick fix solution. We tend to avoid challenges at all costs, because we know in our hearts of hearts that it’s quite an effort to accept a challenge. However, it is often the case that it is more of an effort to avoid the challenge. Just think back to Adam and Eve, who seemed to capitulate very easily. Jesus, on the other hand, had a much harder task and, from all accounts, He handled it very well.
We are in the season of Lent. Lent is traditionally the season when many Christians throughout the world will give something up to test themselves, to see if they can go along the journey that Jesus undertook. I think giving something up is rather silly, making a mockery of his personal sacrifice. There have been times that I have followed Lent to a point and I have tried to abstain from certain things. Yet, I realize that giving up chocolate is hardly a test.
Somebody asked me what I was giving up for Lent and I told her nothing. She was quite taken aback by my statement, but I gently reminded her that while there are denominations that follow this religiously, there are other activities one could do for Lent. For starters we could take something up! We could do something worthwhile, we could even become more involved in the life of the Church and add to Christ's workforce of agents against Satan! That’s one way to look at it!
Perhaps this Lenten season you are going to give up chocolate, drinking, smoking, or overeating. Perhaps you are going to make a conscious decision to be more active and less inactive. Have you ever considered going that step further? Have you ever thought about becoming an agent against Satan? Have you ever considered the prospect of joining the Movement to fight against the Devil and all his incarnations? The Early Methodists felt called to organize to beat the devil.
God calls us as we are. He created Adam and Eve, but they screwed up. His Son Jesus Christ proved to be the Way for us to follow.
I think back to the biography I once read of a man who was a known murderer, violent, aggressive, and abusive towards women. He was not a likeable person at all; he thought nothing of torturing people, young or old, men and women alike. He was the epitome of evil, he was not worthy to hold public office, and he wasn’t worthy to tie the laces on your boots or shoes. This man had done so many terrible things, so many evil actions that he was detested by whole communities and no one, but no one trusted the man. His name was Saul, and on the road to Damascus Saul was converted to the Way by his experience of God talking directly to him. God spoke to him, and he responded. Thanks to that most unworthy, defiled man, perhaps an agent of the devil, he became the greatest ever Apostle of the Christian Church, spreading the Gospel throughout the Western World. His new name, by which we most commonly identify him, was Paul.
Perhaps during this Lenten season, I can challenge you to accept the challenge of Christ. Perhaps you have tried like Jonah to run away but from God there is no place to hide. Perhaps you feel unworthy, well ask yourself this, “Am I as bad as that man Saul?” Perhaps, this Lenten Season, instead of giving up you could take up the challenge set before you and continue the works of the Gospel, the works of the Kingdom, and become a true disciple. God wants you as you are, not by testing yourself or by testing him; he wants you to follow as his disciple, not by giving up but by taking up.
In Christ,
Brown
" I need Thee, O Lord, for a curb on my tongue; when I am tempted to making carping criticisms and cruel judgements, keep me from speaking barbed words that hurt, and in which I find perverted satisfaction. Keep me from unkind words and from unkind silences. Restrain my judgements. Make my criticisms kind, generous, and constructive. Make me sweet inside, that I may be gentle with other people, gentle in the things I say, kind in what I do. Create in me that warmth of mercy that shall enable others to find Thy strength for their weakness, Thy peace for their strife, Thy joy for their sorrow, Thy love for their hatred, Thy compassion for their weakness. In thine own strong name, I pray. Amen. --Peter Marshall
Pray for us for the following ministry events:
The Lenten season of worship and service, to organize to beat the Devil,
Couples banquet on Saturday, February 16 at 6 p.m. Speaker - Dr, George Miller
The Jeremiah People on Saturday February 23 at 7 p.m.
Palm Sunday celebrations with Easter Cantata Sunday March 16
Concert for the youth on Friday April 11 at 7 p.m.
www.5for5tour.com
www.myspace.com/5for5tour
One of the readings for last Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, was taken from Mathews 4: 1 ff. It is the record of the temptation of our Lord. It is written, after the Lord's Baptism, when the Lord was driven by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan. He stayed in the wilderness for 40 days and forty nights praying and fasting. He was ministered to by the angels. There He overcame Satan.
Each of us in our daily lives succumbs to some form of temptation, be it by overeating, drinking too much, smoking too much. Some of us are even tempted by the famous seven deadly sins; Greed, sloth, lust, gluttony, pride, envy, and anger. How many of us lust? Gluttony? It is obvious that obesity is a huge problem, as obesity levels in this country are epidemic now and as for pride just look at some of our homes and possessions. Envy? I defy anyone to claim that they have not been envious in their lives,and each of us has surely been angry at some point in our lives.
In many ways, many of us have committed the seven deadly sins without even blinking an eyelid. We have all succumbed; we have all given into some form of temptation and some for a price! Everything has a price if we think about it. Eating too much becomes overweight and the list goes on.
The trouble is that there are other ways in which we give in to temptation and we don’t even think about it. In Genesis 3, we see what happens when we give into temptation. We see the punishment that God dishes out and it is not at all something to enjoy. Adam and Eve were cast out from Paradise, the fall of mankind begins, and mankind paid the price until the arrival of Jesus who, despite everything, manages to resist the temptations of the devil and eventually He crushes his head at the Cross and in the empty Tomb.
We always tend to opt for the easy way, the quick fix solution. We tend to avoid challenges at all costs, because we know in our hearts of hearts that it’s quite an effort to accept a challenge. However, it is often the case that it is more of an effort to avoid the challenge. Just think back to Adam and Eve, who seemed to capitulate very easily. Jesus, on the other hand, had a much harder task and, from all accounts, He handled it very well.
We are in the season of Lent. Lent is traditionally the season when many Christians throughout the world will give something up to test themselves, to see if they can go along the journey that Jesus undertook. I think giving something up is rather silly, making a mockery of his personal sacrifice. There have been times that I have followed Lent to a point and I have tried to abstain from certain things. Yet, I realize that giving up chocolate is hardly a test.
Somebody asked me what I was giving up for Lent and I told her nothing. She was quite taken aback by my statement, but I gently reminded her that while there are denominations that follow this religiously, there are other activities one could do for Lent. For starters we could take something up! We could do something worthwhile, we could even become more involved in the life of the Church and add to Christ's workforce of agents against Satan! That’s one way to look at it!
Perhaps this Lenten season you are going to give up chocolate, drinking, smoking, or overeating. Perhaps you are going to make a conscious decision to be more active and less inactive. Have you ever considered going that step further? Have you ever thought about becoming an agent against Satan? Have you ever considered the prospect of joining the Movement to fight against the Devil and all his incarnations? The Early Methodists felt called to organize to beat the devil.
God calls us as we are. He created Adam and Eve, but they screwed up. His Son Jesus Christ proved to be the Way for us to follow.
I think back to the biography I once read of a man who was a known murderer, violent, aggressive, and abusive towards women. He was not a likeable person at all; he thought nothing of torturing people, young or old, men and women alike. He was the epitome of evil, he was not worthy to hold public office, and he wasn’t worthy to tie the laces on your boots or shoes. This man had done so many terrible things, so many evil actions that he was detested by whole communities and no one, but no one trusted the man. His name was Saul, and on the road to Damascus Saul was converted to the Way by his experience of God talking directly to him. God spoke to him, and he responded. Thanks to that most unworthy, defiled man, perhaps an agent of the devil, he became the greatest ever Apostle of the Christian Church, spreading the Gospel throughout the Western World. His new name, by which we most commonly identify him, was Paul.
Perhaps during this Lenten season, I can challenge you to accept the challenge of Christ. Perhaps you have tried like Jonah to run away but from God there is no place to hide. Perhaps you feel unworthy, well ask yourself this, “Am I as bad as that man Saul?” Perhaps, this Lenten Season, instead of giving up you could take up the challenge set before you and continue the works of the Gospel, the works of the Kingdom, and become a true disciple. God wants you as you are, not by testing yourself or by testing him; he wants you to follow as his disciple, not by giving up but by taking up.
In Christ,
Brown
" I need Thee, O Lord, for a curb on my tongue; when I am tempted to making carping criticisms and cruel judgements, keep me from speaking barbed words that hurt, and in which I find perverted satisfaction. Keep me from unkind words and from unkind silences. Restrain my judgements. Make my criticisms kind, generous, and constructive. Make me sweet inside, that I may be gentle with other people, gentle in the things I say, kind in what I do. Create in me that warmth of mercy that shall enable others to find Thy strength for their weakness, Thy peace for their strife, Thy joy for their sorrow, Thy love for their hatred, Thy compassion for their weakness. In thine own strong name, I pray. Amen. --Peter Marshall
Pray for us for the following ministry events:
The Lenten season of worship and service, to organize to beat the Devil,
Couples banquet on Saturday, February 16 at 6 p.m. Speaker - Dr, George Miller
The Jeremiah People on Saturday February 23 at 7 p.m.
Palm Sunday celebrations with Easter Cantata Sunday March 16
Concert for the youth on Friday April 11 at 7 p.m.
www.5for5tour.com
www.myspace.com/5for5tour
Monday, February 11, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 2-11-08
Good morning,
As part of our reflections on" Seven Deadly sins" we will look at the sin of "Lust". Lust in Greek is an impulsive, passionate desire. We are called to have a deep passion toward God. Psalm 42:1-2, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"
Lust has been described as an agitated longing, a frightening craving, an out of touch desire for something or someone that is not yours. It is a desire to possess, to own, to consume without caring about the needs or feelings of any other being or the will of God. Lust is a form of passion that has been misdirected and twisted by the power of sin. It is taking a beautiful gift of God and making it an terrible sin. Because it never satisfies, lust leads to greater perversion.
Romans 1:25-27, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Concentrate on honoring the Lord with your thoughts, emotions, and every action and avoid tempting situations. "Flee sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside of his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Therefore, honor God with your body and spirit, which are God’s." (I Cor. 6:18-20) "Love not the world neither the things in the world for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not of the Father but is from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (I John 2:15,16)
"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards God?" (James 4:1-4)
Consider how lust wars against one’s inner well being, peace. "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul" (I Pet. 2:11). As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance" ( I Pet. 1:14). "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Tim. 2:22). "Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary to one another: so you cannot do the things that you please" (Gal. 5:16,17).
Paul wrote, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Teaching us that, denying godliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Titus 2:11,12).
"For sin will not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14). We can only live by grace through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. "First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood.
"Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more--until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!"
It is a fearful thing that people can be "consumed by their own lusts." Only God’s grace keeps us from the wolf’s fate.
In Christ,
Brown
Actual analogies and metaphors . . .
Actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays:
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E.coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant and she was the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Grandpappy had mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.
26. Her eyes were like limpid pools, only they had forgotten to put in any pH cleanser.
As part of our reflections on" Seven Deadly sins" we will look at the sin of "Lust". Lust in Greek is an impulsive, passionate desire. We are called to have a deep passion toward God. Psalm 42:1-2, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"
Lust has been described as an agitated longing, a frightening craving, an out of touch desire for something or someone that is not yours. It is a desire to possess, to own, to consume without caring about the needs or feelings of any other being or the will of God. Lust is a form of passion that has been misdirected and twisted by the power of sin. It is taking a beautiful gift of God and making it an terrible sin. Because it never satisfies, lust leads to greater perversion.
Romans 1:25-27, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Concentrate on honoring the Lord with your thoughts, emotions, and every action and avoid tempting situations. "Flee sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside of his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Therefore, honor God with your body and spirit, which are God’s." (I Cor. 6:18-20) "Love not the world neither the things in the world for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not of the Father but is from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (I John 2:15,16)
"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards God?" (James 4:1-4)
Consider how lust wars against one’s inner well being, peace. "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul" (I Pet. 2:11). As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance" ( I Pet. 1:14). "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Tim. 2:22). "Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary to one another: so you cannot do the things that you please" (Gal. 5:16,17).
Paul wrote, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Teaching us that, denying godliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Titus 2:11,12).
"For sin will not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14). We can only live by grace through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. "First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood.
"Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more--until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!"
It is a fearful thing that people can be "consumed by their own lusts." Only God’s grace keeps us from the wolf’s fate.
In Christ,
Brown
Actual analogies and metaphors . . .
Actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays:
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E.coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant and she was the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Grandpappy had mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.
26. Her eyes were like limpid pools, only they had forgotten to put in any pH cleanser.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
