Saturday, April 5, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 4-4-08
Good morning,
Praise the Lord . It is Friday and Sunday is coming. Praise the for the glorious Eastertide. Praise the Lord for the Spring season. Praise the Lord for His grace and tender mercies.
Lloyd Rediger in his book, "Clergy Killers", says that, “Pastors are expected to produce reassuring sermons, exciting programs and manage the church budget without causing discomfort to anyone but himself.” [G. Lloyd Rediger. Clergy Killers: Guidance for Pastors and Congregations Under Attack. (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997) page 28] As a result of those pressures and the amount of stress that is faced in the ministry, statistics tell us that 50% of ordained ministers across denominational lines are out of the pulpit within 5 years, that indeed 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each and every month in this country. [Focus on the Family]. Peter is given as an example of one of the first preachers who wanted to quit. In Matthew 28:7 the resurrected Lord had promised that he would meet up with the disciples in Galilee. They went to Galilee and waited and waited and waited. When some days had passed and still Jesus had not shown up the disciples, primarily Peter became impatient. Peter, disappointed in the delay, announced that he was going fishing. Now there is nothing innately wrong with him going fishing, but the real problem was that they were drifting away from the calling of God upon their lives. The first danger we face that could cause us to quit is that of looking in the wrong direction. After the trauma of the crucifixion and the turmoil of the resurrection, Peter and the other disciples were discouraged and now, having waited for the Lord to appear, they were impatient. They began to look back on the good old days of their lives before things became so complicated and, frankly, who can blame them. The days when there was a daily routine that could be counted on, where there was the security of knowing what was next and the satisfaction of running their own lives. In John 21, we read that seven of the disciples have gathered at Peter’s home in Capernaum, waiting for Jesus, when Peter, impatient as always, declares in verse three, “I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee.” (KJV) Perhaps you are under the impression that you are the only believer that ever feels like quitting. Every preacher I know of faces the Monday morning desire to quit preaching. Peter was having one of those days, for in verse three Peter said, “I go a fishing.” The Greek word used to convey what Peter said was hupago (hoop-ag’-o). This is an interesting word that literally means “I retire.” Peter is ready to quit preaching and go back to what he knew best, fishing. And either Peter was very persuasive or the other disciples were as disgusted as he was, for seven of the eleven went with him and three of those were not even fisherman. They said, “Hey, we will go with you.” Peter was looking back, he tried to go back to his comfort zone. He began to think, “Hey, if this ministry thing doesn’t work out I can always go back to where I left off.” Looking back means that our orientation is in the wrong direction. As Paul said so well in Philippians 3:13-14, “ forgetting those things that are behind (and I think he means both the good and the bad) and reaching forth unto things which are ahead, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
We have to keep our eyes focused on the job that God has called us to. The text says in verse three, “They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” What Peter discovered is very important; he discovered that you can’t go back. When you go fishing, there is nothing more depressing than catching nothing. In fact Jesus showed Peter that without Him he could not even fish anymore. It wasn’t until the Lord showed up to give them specific instructions on fishing that these former “professional” fishermen got so much as a bite. The lesson for us is that we cannot go back. We belong to Jesus now and things will never be the same. Your future with the Lord is full of exciting significance only if you follow him. According to verse three Jesus appeared on the beach early the next morning. When the disciples spot Him and John identifies Him as Jesus, Peter always the man of action, jumps into the water and swims to shore. When they have all gathered together, Jesus prepares them breakfast. After breakfast Jesus takes Peter aside to speak to him privately. In verse fifteen we see the second mistake commonly made when we want to quit. The minute we stop and ask, “What’s in it for me?” you are already in trouble. If we are servicing God for any other reason than love we will run out of steam. Look now at verse fifteen, “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. (16) He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My sheep. (17) He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because he said unto Him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep.” Three times Jesus asked Peter a question. Jesus asked, “Simon Peter do you love Me more than these?” More than what? There are several possibilities; Peter do you love Me more than you do fishing, Simon Peter do you love Me more than these other disciples do? Peter replied, “Yes Lord you know I phileo You? I have a deep abiding affection for You. “Then feed My sheep.” A second time Jesus asked Peter, “Simon do you agape Me? “Do you love Me with God kind of love?” Simon Peter again replied, “Yes Lord you know I phileo You.” Jesus said then “Feed My sheep.” A third time Jesus asked him the question, this time He used the name He had given him, Peter. And since he could not come up to His level Jesus came down to Peter’s. This time He said, “Peter do you phileo Me?” “Peter do you have a deep abiding affection for Me.” Peter replied, “Lord You know everything You know I have a deep and abiding love for You.” Peter in effect says, “Lord I realize that nothing I could ever do would measure up to the way You love me, but I am not going to quit.” Peter came out of retirement and Jesus declared him fit for the ministry because he did not quit.
Now that he had learned that there is nothing he could do without Jesus, even fishing, he was ready to be used by the Lord. The Lord made it plain that even Peter can make the connection between his love for the Lord and his service to Him. What is really under consideration in these verses is Peter’s motivation! Only the pure motive of love for the Lord qualified Peter to care for the sheep. Peter evidentially learned this lesson well for he later taught (1 Peter 5:2-4). “The elders (presbutrous) which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: (2) Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight (episkopeo) thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; (3) Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. (4) And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” Jesus constantly talked about servant hood. He who would be the greatest should be the servant of all. There is no room for consideration of what is in it for me, among servants. Do it for love or you might as not do it! The third error that believer’s make who decide to throw in the towel, is looking at others. Christianity is all about having a personal relationship with Christ. The truth is that when we compare ourselves with others we either get the big head or we get hacked off. In verse eighteen Jesus tells Peter what the future will hold for him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. (19) This spake He, signifying by what death He should glorify God.” In so doing He told Peter that he would live to a ripe old age and that he would serve Him the remainder of his life. He may have indeed failed Jesus in the past, but failure is not fatal, failure is not an end unless we quit. Peter’s reply to these words of comfort, was to turn and look at John, and ask in verse twenty-one, “…Lord, and what shall this man do?” In effect Peter says, “But what about John?” Jesus’ rebuke is very sharp in verse twenty-two, “…If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou Me!” He said, “Peter that is none of your business.” Peter was guilty of playing the “comparison” game. We are still tempted today to turn and ask “But what about Them?” Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” Have you ever been guilty of comparing yourself to some other believer? I suspect that we all have. Even preachers are guilty of looking at old so and so across town and saying, “He is not any better preacher than I am and look at the size of his church.” Jesus made the whole matter quite clear to Peter. He said, “Peter, I have told you My plans for your life, what I choose to do with John is none of your business.” “Peter you have enough to be concerned about in yourself,” and so do we. Don’t ask, What am I missing? It is a myth that you can go back. Don’t ask, What is in it for me? The compelling force in our lives, must be our love for Jesus.
In Him,
Brown
Praise the Lord . It is Friday and Sunday is coming. Praise the for the glorious Eastertide. Praise the Lord for the Spring season. Praise the Lord for His grace and tender mercies.
Lloyd Rediger in his book, "Clergy Killers", says that, “Pastors are expected to produce reassuring sermons, exciting programs and manage the church budget without causing discomfort to anyone but himself.” [G. Lloyd Rediger. Clergy Killers: Guidance for Pastors and Congregations Under Attack. (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997) page 28] As a result of those pressures and the amount of stress that is faced in the ministry, statistics tell us that 50% of ordained ministers across denominational lines are out of the pulpit within 5 years, that indeed 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each and every month in this country. [Focus on the Family]. Peter is given as an example of one of the first preachers who wanted to quit. In Matthew 28:7 the resurrected Lord had promised that he would meet up with the disciples in Galilee. They went to Galilee and waited and waited and waited. When some days had passed and still Jesus had not shown up the disciples, primarily Peter became impatient. Peter, disappointed in the delay, announced that he was going fishing. Now there is nothing innately wrong with him going fishing, but the real problem was that they were drifting away from the calling of God upon their lives. The first danger we face that could cause us to quit is that of looking in the wrong direction. After the trauma of the crucifixion and the turmoil of the resurrection, Peter and the other disciples were discouraged and now, having waited for the Lord to appear, they were impatient. They began to look back on the good old days of their lives before things became so complicated and, frankly, who can blame them. The days when there was a daily routine that could be counted on, where there was the security of knowing what was next and the satisfaction of running their own lives. In John 21, we read that seven of the disciples have gathered at Peter’s home in Capernaum, waiting for Jesus, when Peter, impatient as always, declares in verse three, “I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee.” (KJV) Perhaps you are under the impression that you are the only believer that ever feels like quitting. Every preacher I know of faces the Monday morning desire to quit preaching. Peter was having one of those days, for in verse three Peter said, “I go a fishing.” The Greek word used to convey what Peter said was hupago (hoop-ag’-o). This is an interesting word that literally means “I retire.” Peter is ready to quit preaching and go back to what he knew best, fishing. And either Peter was very persuasive or the other disciples were as disgusted as he was, for seven of the eleven went with him and three of those were not even fisherman. They said, “Hey, we will go with you.” Peter was looking back, he tried to go back to his comfort zone. He began to think, “Hey, if this ministry thing doesn’t work out I can always go back to where I left off.” Looking back means that our orientation is in the wrong direction. As Paul said so well in Philippians 3:13-14, “ forgetting those things that are behind (and I think he means both the good and the bad) and reaching forth unto things which are ahead, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
We have to keep our eyes focused on the job that God has called us to. The text says in verse three, “They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” What Peter discovered is very important; he discovered that you can’t go back. When you go fishing, there is nothing more depressing than catching nothing. In fact Jesus showed Peter that without Him he could not even fish anymore. It wasn’t until the Lord showed up to give them specific instructions on fishing that these former “professional” fishermen got so much as a bite. The lesson for us is that we cannot go back. We belong to Jesus now and things will never be the same. Your future with the Lord is full of exciting significance only if you follow him. According to verse three Jesus appeared on the beach early the next morning. When the disciples spot Him and John identifies Him as Jesus, Peter always the man of action, jumps into the water and swims to shore. When they have all gathered together, Jesus prepares them breakfast. After breakfast Jesus takes Peter aside to speak to him privately. In verse fifteen we see the second mistake commonly made when we want to quit. The minute we stop and ask, “What’s in it for me?” you are already in trouble. If we are servicing God for any other reason than love we will run out of steam. Look now at verse fifteen, “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. (16) He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My sheep. (17) He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because he said unto Him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep.” Three times Jesus asked Peter a question. Jesus asked, “Simon Peter do you love Me more than these?” More than what? There are several possibilities; Peter do you love Me more than you do fishing, Simon Peter do you love Me more than these other disciples do? Peter replied, “Yes Lord you know I phileo You? I have a deep abiding affection for You. “Then feed My sheep.” A second time Jesus asked Peter, “Simon do you agape Me? “Do you love Me with God kind of love?” Simon Peter again replied, “Yes Lord you know I phileo You.” Jesus said then “Feed My sheep.” A third time Jesus asked him the question, this time He used the name He had given him, Peter. And since he could not come up to His level Jesus came down to Peter’s. This time He said, “Peter do you phileo Me?” “Peter do you have a deep abiding affection for Me.” Peter replied, “Lord You know everything You know I have a deep and abiding love for You.” Peter in effect says, “Lord I realize that nothing I could ever do would measure up to the way You love me, but I am not going to quit.” Peter came out of retirement and Jesus declared him fit for the ministry because he did not quit.
Now that he had learned that there is nothing he could do without Jesus, even fishing, he was ready to be used by the Lord. The Lord made it plain that even Peter can make the connection between his love for the Lord and his service to Him. What is really under consideration in these verses is Peter’s motivation! Only the pure motive of love for the Lord qualified Peter to care for the sheep. Peter evidentially learned this lesson well for he later taught (1 Peter 5:2-4). “The elders (presbutrous) which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: (2) Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight (episkopeo) thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; (3) Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. (4) And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” Jesus constantly talked about servant hood. He who would be the greatest should be the servant of all. There is no room for consideration of what is in it for me, among servants. Do it for love or you might as not do it! The third error that believer’s make who decide to throw in the towel, is looking at others. Christianity is all about having a personal relationship with Christ. The truth is that when we compare ourselves with others we either get the big head or we get hacked off. In verse eighteen Jesus tells Peter what the future will hold for him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. (19) This spake He, signifying by what death He should glorify God.” In so doing He told Peter that he would live to a ripe old age and that he would serve Him the remainder of his life. He may have indeed failed Jesus in the past, but failure is not fatal, failure is not an end unless we quit. Peter’s reply to these words of comfort, was to turn and look at John, and ask in verse twenty-one, “…Lord, and what shall this man do?” In effect Peter says, “But what about John?” Jesus’ rebuke is very sharp in verse twenty-two, “…If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou Me!” He said, “Peter that is none of your business.” Peter was guilty of playing the “comparison” game. We are still tempted today to turn and ask “But what about Them?” Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” Have you ever been guilty of comparing yourself to some other believer? I suspect that we all have. Even preachers are guilty of looking at old so and so across town and saying, “He is not any better preacher than I am and look at the size of his church.” Jesus made the whole matter quite clear to Peter. He said, “Peter, I have told you My plans for your life, what I choose to do with John is none of your business.” “Peter you have enough to be concerned about in yourself,” and so do we. Don’t ask, What am I missing? It is a myth that you can go back. Don’t ask, What is in it for me? The compelling force in our lives, must be our love for Jesus.
In Him,
Brown
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 4-3-08
Good Morning,
The Book of Jude, one of the shortest books in the Bible, ends with these powerful and promising words: “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...” When we read the Book of Revelation, we know how it ends. Jesus wins! The whole of the New Testament, especially the final pep talk of Jude, is to prepare us for that grand finale.
Throughout the New Testament we are told again and again of our Lord's mighty power. Let us look at the list of seven “ables” in the New Testament. Each confirms a truth we must never forget.
Romans 16:25: "Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past..."
2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
Ephesians 3:20: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..."
2 Timothy 1:12: "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."
Hebrews 2:18: "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
These all naturally lead to this last word before the final battle, Jude 1:24-25: "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great job.”
Our God can do what we cannot. He will keep us standing. He will present us complete and spotless. In ourselves, we will never accomplish this. The enemy is too strong. We are too prone to falter and give up. But God can this, His good purpose in us! We are going to win!
Jude reminds us that It is not about us. It’s not about the church. It’s not about our forefathers or even the saints of old. None of that is what motivates us. It is all about him! Our God and Savior deserves all the credit. “to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!”
He is the only God. There is no other Savior, "no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved". Glory describes his worth, majesty his status. Power refers to his mighty control over the universe. His authority is his right to rule. All of this is His. It belongs to Him. That’s what the battle is about. We are warriors for the king. We are servants of the one and only God.
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!"
In Christ,
Brown
Life is half spent before we know what it is.
George Herbert
Modern Day Tribal Wisdom
The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that when you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.
In modern education and expanded government, however, a whole range of far more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:
1. Buying a stronger whip.
2. Changing riders.
3. Threatening the horse with termination.
4. Appointing a committee to study the horse.
5. Arranging to visit other countries to see how others ride dead horses.
6. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.
7. Re-classifying the dead horse as "living-impaired."
8. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.
9. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase the speed.
10. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase the dead horse's performance.
11. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.
12. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead, and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.
13. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses.
14. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.
15. As a last resort, sell it on Ebay.
The Book of Jude, one of the shortest books in the Bible, ends with these powerful and promising words: “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...” When we read the Book of Revelation, we know how it ends. Jesus wins! The whole of the New Testament, especially the final pep talk of Jude, is to prepare us for that grand finale.
Throughout the New Testament we are told again and again of our Lord's mighty power. Let us look at the list of seven “ables” in the New Testament. Each confirms a truth we must never forget.
Romans 16:25: "Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past..."
2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
Ephesians 3:20: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..."
2 Timothy 1:12: "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."
Hebrews 2:18: "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
These all naturally lead to this last word before the final battle, Jude 1:24-25: "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great job.”
Our God can do what we cannot. He will keep us standing. He will present us complete and spotless. In ourselves, we will never accomplish this. The enemy is too strong. We are too prone to falter and give up. But God can this, His good purpose in us! We are going to win!
Jude reminds us that It is not about us. It’s not about the church. It’s not about our forefathers or even the saints of old. None of that is what motivates us. It is all about him! Our God and Savior deserves all the credit. “to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!”
He is the only God. There is no other Savior, "no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved". Glory describes his worth, majesty his status. Power refers to his mighty control over the universe. His authority is his right to rule. All of this is His. It belongs to Him. That’s what the battle is about. We are warriors for the king. We are servants of the one and only God.
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!"
In Christ,
Brown
Life is half spent before we know what it is.
George Herbert
Modern Day Tribal Wisdom
The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that when you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.
In modern education and expanded government, however, a whole range of far more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:
1. Buying a stronger whip.
2. Changing riders.
3. Threatening the horse with termination.
4. Appointing a committee to study the horse.
5. Arranging to visit other countries to see how others ride dead horses.
6. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.
7. Re-classifying the dead horse as "living-impaired."
8. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.
9. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase the speed.
10. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase the dead horse's performance.
11. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.
12. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead, and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.
13. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses.
14. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.
15. As a last resort, sell it on Ebay.
Brown's Daily Word 4-3-08
Good Morning,
The Book of Jude, one of the shortest books in the Bible, ends with these powerful and promising words: “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...” When we read the Book of Revelation, we know how it ends. Jesus wins! The whole of the New Testament, especially the final pep talk of Jude, is to prepare us for that grand finale.
Throughout the New Testament we are told again and again of our Lord's mighty power. Let us look at the list of seven “ables” in the New Testament. Each confirms a truth we must never forget.
Romans 16:25: "Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past..."
2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
Ephesians 3:20: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..."
2 Timothy 1:12: "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."
Hebrews 2:18: "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
These all naturally lead to this last word before the final battle, Jude 1:24-25: "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great job.”
Our God can do what we cannot. He will keep us standing. He will present us complete and spotless. In ourselves, we will never accomplish this. The enemy is too strong. We are too prone to falter and give up. But God can this, His good purpose in us! We are going to win!
Jude reminds us that It is not about us. It’s not about the church. It’s not about our forefathers or even the saints of old. None of that is what motivates us. It is all about him! Our God and Savior deserves all the credit. “to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!”
He is the only God. There is no other Savior, "no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved". Glory describes his worth, majesty his status. Power refers to his mighty control over the universe. His authority is his right to rule. All of this is His. It belongs to Him. That’s what the battle is about. We are warriors for the king. We are servants of the one and only God.
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!"
In Christ,
Brown
Life is half spent before we know what it is.
George Herbert
Modern Day Tribal Wisdom
The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that when you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.
In modern education and expanded government, however, a whole range of far more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:
1. Buying a stronger whip.
2. Changing riders.
3. Threatening the horse with termination.
4. Appointing a committee to study the horse.
5. Arranging to visit other countries to see how others ride dead horses.
6. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.
7. Re-classifying the dead horse as "living-impaired."
8. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.
9. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase the speed.
10. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase the dead horse's performance.
11. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.
12. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead, and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.
13. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses.
14. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.
15. As a last resort, sell it on Ebay.
The Book of Jude, one of the shortest books in the Bible, ends with these powerful and promising words: “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...” When we read the Book of Revelation, we know how it ends. Jesus wins! The whole of the New Testament, especially the final pep talk of Jude, is to prepare us for that grand finale.
Throughout the New Testament we are told again and again of our Lord's mighty power. Let us look at the list of seven “ables” in the New Testament. Each confirms a truth we must never forget.
Romans 16:25: "Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past..."
2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
Ephesians 3:20: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..."
2 Timothy 1:12: "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."
Hebrews 2:18: "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
These all naturally lead to this last word before the final battle, Jude 1:24-25: "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great job.”
Our God can do what we cannot. He will keep us standing. He will present us complete and spotless. In ourselves, we will never accomplish this. The enemy is too strong. We are too prone to falter and give up. But God can this, His good purpose in us! We are going to win!
Jude reminds us that It is not about us. It’s not about the church. It’s not about our forefathers or even the saints of old. None of that is what motivates us. It is all about him! Our God and Savior deserves all the credit. “to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!”
He is the only God. There is no other Savior, "no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved". Glory describes his worth, majesty his status. Power refers to his mighty control over the universe. His authority is his right to rule. All of this is His. It belongs to Him. That’s what the battle is about. We are warriors for the king. We are servants of the one and only God.
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!"
In Christ,
Brown
Life is half spent before we know what it is.
George Herbert
Modern Day Tribal Wisdom
The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that when you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.
In modern education and expanded government, however, a whole range of far more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:
1. Buying a stronger whip.
2. Changing riders.
3. Threatening the horse with termination.
4. Appointing a committee to study the horse.
5. Arranging to visit other countries to see how others ride dead horses.
6. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.
7. Re-classifying the dead horse as "living-impaired."
8. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.
9. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase the speed.
10. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase the dead horse's performance.
11. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.
12. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead, and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.
13. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses.
14. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.
15. As a last resort, sell it on Ebay.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 4-2-08
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for the way He has promised us that the greatest victory of all is having the presence of the Lord in our lives. The Bible declares that the battle belongs to the Lord. The captain of the host is Jesus. In in Joshua chapter 6, God says, “this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for!" In verse two, the Lord tells Joshua, “I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.” Notice that God does not say “I WILL deliver Jericho into your hands.” He says, “I HAVE DELIVERED Jericho into your hands! The battle is already won! The victory is already done! All you have to do is follow my instructions!”
Beginning in Joshua 6:3, God gives Joshua and the Israelites their marching orders. God says “Take the army and march around the city of Jericho once a day for the next six days. And seven times on the 7th day. Make sure the ark of the covenant goes with you, because it symbolizes my presence with the people.”
Verse five continues, “When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."
Why did God tell them to march around the city for seven days?” It was to intimidate the men of Jericho. We already know from Joshua 2:9 that the people were scared of the Israelites, so when they saw them circling the city like a bunch of hungry sharks, it was certain to make them even more afraid! Furthermore, God was teaching the Israelites that the best way to do things is always God's way, even if it looks strange, is difficult to understand, or you don’t feel like doing it!
God commanded the people to march around the city for seven days, giving the people of Jericho seven more days to repent! Unfortunately, the people of Jericho never repented, nor had they remorse for their wicked ways. Verse 15 teaches us that the people got up early on the seventh day and marched around Jericho seven times, as the priests blew their trumpets. The only sound for seven days had been the marching of feet and the wailing of the trumpets. But, after the long march on the seventh day, Joshua gave the great command - the one that they had all been waiting for. He cried out, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!” Then the silence was broken, and all 600,000 members of the army shouted. The walls of Jericho came crashing down and the Israelites charged into the city. The silver, gold, and bronze that were pillaged from Jericho were put into the Lord’s treasury. Then they put the citizens of Jericho to the sword, just as God had instructed back in Deuteronomy 20.
Did all die in Jericho that day? No, there is victory and forgiveness for everyone who turns to God in faith. Look at Joshua 6:25, where it says that “Joshua spared Rahab, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she sided with the God of Israel!" James 2:25 says that Rahab was considered righteous for what she did, giving lodging to Joshua's spies and giving them a plan of escape.
God’s presence means victory and grace for all who obey Him. In Revelation 3, Jesus is present among the churches of western Turkey. In Revelation 3:10, Jesus speaks to the church at Philadelphia, saying, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour trial that will come upon the whole world. I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God! I will write on you the name of my God and the name of the city of my God!” In other words, God’s presence with His people means victory!
But just a few verses later, in Revelation 3:17 Jesus speaks to the church of Laodicea as if to say, “You guys are in big trouble!" Jesus said, “You say, ’I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” In other words, the people of Laodicea were clueless. They didn't realize how much they needed the Lord or how desperately they needed to repent! God’s presence in our lives means victory, but there is a condition attached. We must obey Him in order to gain the victory.
God scored great victories in the lives of the Israelites, and in the lives of the first Christians. Today, let us ask God to grant victories in our lives. Maybe you need a big victory today. One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 21:30. It says “There is no wisdom, no insight, and no plan that can succeed against the Lord.” In other words, when we have God fighting for us, the devil doesn’t stand a chance. The devil wants us to feel like our best can never be good enough. He wants us to feel defeated, discouraged, and depressed. But no matter what the enemy tries to do, there is no wisdom, no insight, and no plan that can succeed against the Lord.
Life is a battlefield, but because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, the battle is already won! The victory is already done! All of our sins are washed away in the blood of the Lamb! All we have to do is give our lives to the One who gave His life for us. God’s presence in our lives means victory for all who obey Him.
In Christ,
Brown
Dear friends,
Please make a note, the location of the concert has been changed from Boulevard UMC to Sarah Jane Memorial United Methodist Church. We are expecting close to 700 young people for the concert.
Please make a note of the following upcoming youth event.
On Friday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a "Five 4 Five" concert. This concert will be held at Sarah Jane Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 308 Main St. Johnson City, NY. Five 4 Five is a national tour that features five bands in concert for just $5.
The bands are: DIZMAS, THE SEND, A DREAM TOO LATE, CHILDREN 18:3, AND CAYERIO.
The event is being sponsored by the Union Center, Boulevard, and Hawleyton United Methodist Churches, First Presbyterian Church of Endicott, and First Baptist Church of Owego.
Tickets are available at itickets.com or by calling 1-800-965-9324.
Tickets can be purchased from Arrowhead Christian Bookstore 607-798-1793
Union Center UMC—Pastor Brown, umcgospel@aol.com or by calling, 607-748-6329.
First Presbyterian Church—Jeremy Finn, JMFinn@hotmail.com or by calling 748-1544.
Hawleton United Methodist--Ray Haskell, wpuckey@stny.rr.com or by calling 669-4373.
First Baptist Church Owego--Rev Marlene Steenburg, mcsteenburg@aol.com or by calling 607-232-2302.
Boulevard United Methodist Church--Rev Tony, blvdumc@stny.rr.com or by calling 607-797-5675.
Sarah Jane Memorial United Methodist Church-Phone number is 797-3938
Praise the Lord for the way He has promised us that the greatest victory of all is having the presence of the Lord in our lives. The Bible declares that the battle belongs to the Lord. The captain of the host is Jesus. In in Joshua chapter 6, God says, “this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for!" In verse two, the Lord tells Joshua, “I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.” Notice that God does not say “I WILL deliver Jericho into your hands.” He says, “I HAVE DELIVERED Jericho into your hands! The battle is already won! The victory is already done! All you have to do is follow my instructions!”
Beginning in Joshua 6:3, God gives Joshua and the Israelites their marching orders. God says “Take the army and march around the city of Jericho once a day for the next six days. And seven times on the 7th day. Make sure the ark of the covenant goes with you, because it symbolizes my presence with the people.”
Verse five continues, “When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."
Why did God tell them to march around the city for seven days?” It was to intimidate the men of Jericho. We already know from Joshua 2:9 that the people were scared of the Israelites, so when they saw them circling the city like a bunch of hungry sharks, it was certain to make them even more afraid! Furthermore, God was teaching the Israelites that the best way to do things is always God's way, even if it looks strange, is difficult to understand, or you don’t feel like doing it!
God commanded the people to march around the city for seven days, giving the people of Jericho seven more days to repent! Unfortunately, the people of Jericho never repented, nor had they remorse for their wicked ways. Verse 15 teaches us that the people got up early on the seventh day and marched around Jericho seven times, as the priests blew their trumpets. The only sound for seven days had been the marching of feet and the wailing of the trumpets. But, after the long march on the seventh day, Joshua gave the great command - the one that they had all been waiting for. He cried out, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!” Then the silence was broken, and all 600,000 members of the army shouted. The walls of Jericho came crashing down and the Israelites charged into the city. The silver, gold, and bronze that were pillaged from Jericho were put into the Lord’s treasury. Then they put the citizens of Jericho to the sword, just as God had instructed back in Deuteronomy 20.
Did all die in Jericho that day? No, there is victory and forgiveness for everyone who turns to God in faith. Look at Joshua 6:25, where it says that “Joshua spared Rahab, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she sided with the God of Israel!" James 2:25 says that Rahab was considered righteous for what she did, giving lodging to Joshua's spies and giving them a plan of escape.
God’s presence means victory and grace for all who obey Him. In Revelation 3, Jesus is present among the churches of western Turkey. In Revelation 3:10, Jesus speaks to the church at Philadelphia, saying, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour trial that will come upon the whole world. I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God! I will write on you the name of my God and the name of the city of my God!” In other words, God’s presence with His people means victory!
But just a few verses later, in Revelation 3:17 Jesus speaks to the church of Laodicea as if to say, “You guys are in big trouble!" Jesus said, “You say, ’I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” In other words, the people of Laodicea were clueless. They didn't realize how much they needed the Lord or how desperately they needed to repent! God’s presence in our lives means victory, but there is a condition attached. We must obey Him in order to gain the victory.
God scored great victories in the lives of the Israelites, and in the lives of the first Christians. Today, let us ask God to grant victories in our lives. Maybe you need a big victory today. One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 21:30. It says “There is no wisdom, no insight, and no plan that can succeed against the Lord.” In other words, when we have God fighting for us, the devil doesn’t stand a chance. The devil wants us to feel like our best can never be good enough. He wants us to feel defeated, discouraged, and depressed. But no matter what the enemy tries to do, there is no wisdom, no insight, and no plan that can succeed against the Lord.
Life is a battlefield, but because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, the battle is already won! The victory is already done! All of our sins are washed away in the blood of the Lamb! All we have to do is give our lives to the One who gave His life for us. God’s presence in our lives means victory for all who obey Him.
In Christ,
Brown
Dear friends,
Please make a note, the location of the concert has been changed from Boulevard UMC to Sarah Jane Memorial United Methodist Church. We are expecting close to 700 young people for the concert.
Please make a note of the following upcoming youth event.
On Friday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a "Five 4 Five" concert. This concert will be held at Sarah Jane Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 308 Main St. Johnson City, NY. Five 4 Five is a national tour that features five bands in concert for just $5.
The bands are: DIZMAS, THE SEND, A DREAM TOO LATE, CHILDREN 18:3, AND CAYERIO.
The event is being sponsored by the Union Center, Boulevard, and Hawleyton United Methodist Churches, First Presbyterian Church of Endicott, and First Baptist Church of Owego.
Tickets are available at itickets.com or by calling 1-800-965-9324.
Tickets can be purchased from Arrowhead Christian Bookstore 607-798-1793
Union Center UMC—Pastor Brown, umcgospel@aol.com or by calling, 607-748-6329.
First Presbyterian Church—Jeremy Finn, JMFinn@hotmail.com or by calling 748-1544.
Hawleton United Methodist--Ray Haskell, wpuckey@stny.rr.com or by calling 669-4373.
First Baptist Church Owego--Rev Marlene Steenburg, mcsteenburg@aol.com or by calling 607-232-2302.
Boulevard United Methodist Church--Rev Tony, blvdumc@stny.rr.com or by calling 607-797-5675.
Sarah Jane Memorial United Methodist Church-Phone number is 797-3938
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 4-1-08
Good Morning,
Happy First day of April. Jesus is Lord. He is alive. He is the Lion of Judah, who breaks every chain. As I write this morning's devotion, I am praying for one of our friends who is going through radiation treatment, and another strong believer who has gone through chemo and radiation treatments and is still having some severe complications. A pastor friend whom I knew in the late seventies died this week after a prolonged illness. A young man of beautiful faith in Jesus, from my village in Orissa died from kidney disease. He was 49 years old, leaving behind a wife and young children. Another young Christian, from G. Udayagiri, Orissa, who had received a kidney transplant from his mother, died a few months ago, leaving behind a young widow with very young children.
Our Lord has some very encouraging words for people who are finding life hard, who are ’up against it’. "For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose"(Romans 8:28). The apostle Paul was writing to the church at Rome an exposition of the Christian message. He wanted to convey to the believers at Rome that the redemption God has provided is complete, that no aspect has been neglected. The J. B. Phillips’ translation uses these words, "We know that to those who love God, who are called according to His Plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good.’
It’s easy to accept the truth of these words when circumstances are favorable, when life takes on the appearance of being ’heaven upon earth’. When that’s so it costs nothing to say glibly ’everything that happens fits into a pattern for good." Despite these words of comfort and assurance, anyone with even a little experience of life knows that it is not always plain sailing. Life’s voyage has its stretches of troubled waters from which there is no escape and there are no short cuts. But the apostle insists that "everything that happens fits into a pattern for good." Yes, even those things, which at the time are so distressing, perplexing, and hard to bear.
When Paul wrote in these terms he did not do so lightly. We are quite entitled to ask what evidence can be brought to substantiate his words. Here’s the great value of the Bible stories, recorded for our instruction. The characters in them have made their brief appearance on the stage of time, but the lessons they can teach their successors are abiding and it’s for us to reap the fruits of their experience. Then let’s take a page from God’s casebook and see what principles apply in considering Paul’s emphatic words "we know that to those who love God, who are called according to His Plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good."
The principal witness we shall call upon to give evidence as to the way God over-ruled in his life is Joseph. In addressing his brothers, frightened of what might happen to them now that their father, Jacob has died, he said, "you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20). Joseph’s story is so well known that there’s no need to go over the events of his life in any detail except to draw out lessons illustrating the way that God deals with a Christian in his or her personal life. "You meant evil against me," testified Joseph, "but God meant it for good." This is something hard to accept, as it often appears that God has forgotten the victim even though he or she is a person of faith. Joseph had the bitter experience of this. Remember how, as a result of his brothers’ hatred, he found himself up for sale in Egypt and was bought as a slave by Captain Potiphar. The writer records that "the Lord was with Joseph" (39:2), so obviously he was a man of faith, and yet God allowed him to be thrown into prison as a result of the lies which Potiphar’s wife told about him. What a reward for his faithfulness to his master and his personal determination not to sin!
Joseph had worked so hard, and it seemed to come to nothing. He held on to his integrity, and where did it get him? Is there no justice? What hope remained of God using his young life? This must have been terribly hard for Joseph to accept at that point of time but from God’s perspective it was quite different. Joseph would have been astonished had he known that the historian would note following this incident "the Lord was with Joseph and showed him stead-fast love" (39:21). And yet by the time that Joseph was telling his brothers, "God meant it for good", he knew that God had been with him. He would certainly confirm what the hymn-writer affirms: "Ill that He blesses is our good: And unblest good is ill: And all is right that seems most wrong, If it be His sweet Will."
That’s how the Christian is called on to accept the apparent victory of the forces of evil. We are to believe that we are surrounded by the steadfast love of God despite every indication to the contrary. Joseph was in prison. It was unfortunate for him, for he was just at the age when he should have been thinking about setting himself up for the future. Still, the historian records that "the Lord was with him; whatever he did the Lord made it prosper", though year after year rolled by, and all the early promise seemed to have been wasted away forever. Then we come to the episode of the butler and baker’s dreams. With the butler’s restoration to favor Joseph’s hopes were high - surely his break must be here at last? But the butler forgot! Could not God have made the butler remember Joseph? Of course, he could. Then did God intend deliberately that Joseph be left there day after day, month after month, two long tragic years before He would make another move? Yes, that’s the way God does it. That’s His plan in love.
This is as hard to understand as all who have prayed to God with complete confidence and faith and yet have had, in God’s inscrutable wisdom, to wait for the answer. But to wait for God’s perfect time is so worth while. When that moment arrives it’s wonderful to see the way He accomplishes His designs to the benefit of His people, "His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour; the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower." Many years afterwards Joseph could look back with gratitude to God and say, "God meant it for good." A message from a Wayside Pulpit poster declares, "Life is only understood backwards, but must be lived forwards." Joseph’s experience encourages us to trust in God because He sees the end from the beginning. From the first glimpse that the Bible gives us of Joseph it doesn’t seem that he was very promising material for the statesman he became in later life.
Some difficulties and even sorrows stem from our own waywardness and disobedience to God’s laws. The fact that we are Christians does not exempt us from reaping in this life what we have sown. Although it may seem bitter at the time it’s to our ultimate benefit if this grief, as St. Paul said it should, produces a repentance which leads us back to God. So often we see trouble, suffering and disappointments as purely negative, obstacles, hindrances and setbacks. But the Bible casts a different light on them. God’s aim through the suffering of Christians is to give us a desire for, and to make us fit for heaven. If Christ is to present us faultless "without blemish before the presence of his glory" (Jude 24) then He must separate us from the sin which so easily besets us. We must be purged of the ugly aspects of our lives which are not to go with us to heaven.
Because God is love He willed His best for Joseph. He was at work in him, uprooting the things that were unworthy, and creating instead the qualities that were good. It was a long hard process with Joseph, involving the adversity of losing his family, his home, his wealth, and his freedom - drastic action, but all done by a loving God.
What a blessing God’s dealings with Joseph proved to be. Once his faith and character had been proven in the school of life’s experiences God entrusted him with saving a nation from disaster and at the same time preserving his own family. Our vocation as Christians is even higher. God’s aim is that we should bear the family likeness of His Son. When that has been accomplished by the grace of God I am confident we shall look back over some of life’s tiresome, even hard, experiences, and be able to say in the words of Joseph, "you meant evil against me but God meant it for good."
Whatever God allows has a loving purpose behind it. The apostle Paul dearly loved God and served Him to the utmost of his capacity, and yet we read of him being humiliated by "a thorn in the flesh". It isn't clear to us what permanently irritated him. What is clear is that God used it to keep him a humble servant of His and to give him the opportunity to prove that God’s grace is all sufficient. We may be assured that everything that affects the Christian comes under the compass of his permissive will. Paul’s experience and the history of the Church teach us that the devil often oversteps himself.
In reading the biography of D. L. Moody, the famous American evangelist of the late 19th century, I found an example of this. When he and Ira Sankey were holding a campaign in Dublin, some comedians made jokes about their names in the Music Hall, hoping for a big laugh. But instead it must have offended their audience. Someone started singing a hymn and all joined in until the comedians fled from the stage. Happenings that promise overwhelming disaster often turn out in God’s good time to be of great benefit. Obstacles set up by Satan to hinder and stop the progress of the Gospel become stepping-stones. That’s the quality of the loving support God gives to His people. He is touched by feeling of our adversity. Our God is not one who is detached and indifferent. He’s ’Emmanuel, God with us.’ Christianity is not easy escapism from life’s tribulations, from problems that won’t go away. The Lord promises to be with us in them and He will be with us if we are willing to acknowledge Him, to trust Him, and to give Him the glory. "We know that to those who love God, who are called according to his Plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good." The experiences of Joseph and Paul confirm this in the life of a Christian. The pattern for 'good’ is anything but ease and comfort, but the God who fully met the need of those in ages past is unchanging in His faithfulness. Paul clinches his argument with these words, "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, not things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (8:38,39). He challenges us to prove him true.
In His Victory,
Brown
Happy First day of April. Jesus is Lord. He is alive. He is the Lion of Judah, who breaks every chain. As I write this morning's devotion, I am praying for one of our friends who is going through radiation treatment, and another strong believer who has gone through chemo and radiation treatments and is still having some severe complications. A pastor friend whom I knew in the late seventies died this week after a prolonged illness. A young man of beautiful faith in Jesus, from my village in Orissa died from kidney disease. He was 49 years old, leaving behind a wife and young children. Another young Christian, from G. Udayagiri, Orissa, who had received a kidney transplant from his mother, died a few months ago, leaving behind a young widow with very young children.
Our Lord has some very encouraging words for people who are finding life hard, who are ’up against it’. "For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose"(Romans 8:28). The apostle Paul was writing to the church at Rome an exposition of the Christian message. He wanted to convey to the believers at Rome that the redemption God has provided is complete, that no aspect has been neglected. The J. B. Phillips’ translation uses these words, "We know that to those who love God, who are called according to His Plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good.’
It’s easy to accept the truth of these words when circumstances are favorable, when life takes on the appearance of being ’heaven upon earth’. When that’s so it costs nothing to say glibly ’everything that happens fits into a pattern for good." Despite these words of comfort and assurance, anyone with even a little experience of life knows that it is not always plain sailing. Life’s voyage has its stretches of troubled waters from which there is no escape and there are no short cuts. But the apostle insists that "everything that happens fits into a pattern for good." Yes, even those things, which at the time are so distressing, perplexing, and hard to bear.
When Paul wrote in these terms he did not do so lightly. We are quite entitled to ask what evidence can be brought to substantiate his words. Here’s the great value of the Bible stories, recorded for our instruction. The characters in them have made their brief appearance on the stage of time, but the lessons they can teach their successors are abiding and it’s for us to reap the fruits of their experience. Then let’s take a page from God’s casebook and see what principles apply in considering Paul’s emphatic words "we know that to those who love God, who are called according to His Plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good."
The principal witness we shall call upon to give evidence as to the way God over-ruled in his life is Joseph. In addressing his brothers, frightened of what might happen to them now that their father, Jacob has died, he said, "you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20). Joseph’s story is so well known that there’s no need to go over the events of his life in any detail except to draw out lessons illustrating the way that God deals with a Christian in his or her personal life. "You meant evil against me," testified Joseph, "but God meant it for good." This is something hard to accept, as it often appears that God has forgotten the victim even though he or she is a person of faith. Joseph had the bitter experience of this. Remember how, as a result of his brothers’ hatred, he found himself up for sale in Egypt and was bought as a slave by Captain Potiphar. The writer records that "the Lord was with Joseph" (39:2), so obviously he was a man of faith, and yet God allowed him to be thrown into prison as a result of the lies which Potiphar’s wife told about him. What a reward for his faithfulness to his master and his personal determination not to sin!
Joseph had worked so hard, and it seemed to come to nothing. He held on to his integrity, and where did it get him? Is there no justice? What hope remained of God using his young life? This must have been terribly hard for Joseph to accept at that point of time but from God’s perspective it was quite different. Joseph would have been astonished had he known that the historian would note following this incident "the Lord was with Joseph and showed him stead-fast love" (39:21). And yet by the time that Joseph was telling his brothers, "God meant it for good", he knew that God had been with him. He would certainly confirm what the hymn-writer affirms: "Ill that He blesses is our good: And unblest good is ill: And all is right that seems most wrong, If it be His sweet Will."
That’s how the Christian is called on to accept the apparent victory of the forces of evil. We are to believe that we are surrounded by the steadfast love of God despite every indication to the contrary. Joseph was in prison. It was unfortunate for him, for he was just at the age when he should have been thinking about setting himself up for the future. Still, the historian records that "the Lord was with him; whatever he did the Lord made it prosper", though year after year rolled by, and all the early promise seemed to have been wasted away forever. Then we come to the episode of the butler and baker’s dreams. With the butler’s restoration to favor Joseph’s hopes were high - surely his break must be here at last? But the butler forgot! Could not God have made the butler remember Joseph? Of course, he could. Then did God intend deliberately that Joseph be left there day after day, month after month, two long tragic years before He would make another move? Yes, that’s the way God does it. That’s His plan in love.
This is as hard to understand as all who have prayed to God with complete confidence and faith and yet have had, in God’s inscrutable wisdom, to wait for the answer. But to wait for God’s perfect time is so worth while. When that moment arrives it’s wonderful to see the way He accomplishes His designs to the benefit of His people, "His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour; the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower." Many years afterwards Joseph could look back with gratitude to God and say, "God meant it for good." A message from a Wayside Pulpit poster declares, "Life is only understood backwards, but must be lived forwards." Joseph’s experience encourages us to trust in God because He sees the end from the beginning. From the first glimpse that the Bible gives us of Joseph it doesn’t seem that he was very promising material for the statesman he became in later life.
Some difficulties and even sorrows stem from our own waywardness and disobedience to God’s laws. The fact that we are Christians does not exempt us from reaping in this life what we have sown. Although it may seem bitter at the time it’s to our ultimate benefit if this grief, as St. Paul said it should, produces a repentance which leads us back to God. So often we see trouble, suffering and disappointments as purely negative, obstacles, hindrances and setbacks. But the Bible casts a different light on them. God’s aim through the suffering of Christians is to give us a desire for, and to make us fit for heaven. If Christ is to present us faultless "without blemish before the presence of his glory" (Jude 24) then He must separate us from the sin which so easily besets us. We must be purged of the ugly aspects of our lives which are not to go with us to heaven.
Because God is love He willed His best for Joseph. He was at work in him, uprooting the things that were unworthy, and creating instead the qualities that were good. It was a long hard process with Joseph, involving the adversity of losing his family, his home, his wealth, and his freedom - drastic action, but all done by a loving God.
What a blessing God’s dealings with Joseph proved to be. Once his faith and character had been proven in the school of life’s experiences God entrusted him with saving a nation from disaster and at the same time preserving his own family. Our vocation as Christians is even higher. God’s aim is that we should bear the family likeness of His Son. When that has been accomplished by the grace of God I am confident we shall look back over some of life’s tiresome, even hard, experiences, and be able to say in the words of Joseph, "you meant evil against me but God meant it for good."
Whatever God allows has a loving purpose behind it. The apostle Paul dearly loved God and served Him to the utmost of his capacity, and yet we read of him being humiliated by "a thorn in the flesh". It isn't clear to us what permanently irritated him. What is clear is that God used it to keep him a humble servant of His and to give him the opportunity to prove that God’s grace is all sufficient. We may be assured that everything that affects the Christian comes under the compass of his permissive will. Paul’s experience and the history of the Church teach us that the devil often oversteps himself.
In reading the biography of D. L. Moody, the famous American evangelist of the late 19th century, I found an example of this. When he and Ira Sankey were holding a campaign in Dublin, some comedians made jokes about their names in the Music Hall, hoping for a big laugh. But instead it must have offended their audience. Someone started singing a hymn and all joined in until the comedians fled from the stage. Happenings that promise overwhelming disaster often turn out in God’s good time to be of great benefit. Obstacles set up by Satan to hinder and stop the progress of the Gospel become stepping-stones. That’s the quality of the loving support God gives to His people. He is touched by feeling of our adversity. Our God is not one who is detached and indifferent. He’s ’Emmanuel, God with us.’ Christianity is not easy escapism from life’s tribulations, from problems that won’t go away. The Lord promises to be with us in them and He will be with us if we are willing to acknowledge Him, to trust Him, and to give Him the glory. "We know that to those who love God, who are called according to his Plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good." The experiences of Joseph and Paul confirm this in the life of a Christian. The pattern for 'good’ is anything but ease and comfort, but the God who fully met the need of those in ages past is unchanging in His faithfulness. Paul clinches his argument with these words, "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, not things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (8:38,39). He challenges us to prove him true.
In His Victory,
Brown
Monday, March 31, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 3-31-08
Praise the Lord for the Eastertide. The Lord is Risen. He is alive. He is our eternal contemporary. We spent the weekend with Sunita And Andy and Laureen in Washington DC. We were blessed and privileged to see the world famous cherry Blossoms of our Nation's capital. We worshipped at the Historic Episcopal Church in Falls Church . The rector of the church is Dr John Yates , whom I had met in Birmingham a few years ago. Sunita and Andy and many of their dear friends worship at this historic church and also are deeply in involved in ministry of out reach and mission.. Praise the Lord for the Church of Jesus Christ which is alive and well. The Church of Jesus Christ is under the same management for last two thousand years. In Valladolid, Spain, where Christopher Columbus died in 1506, stands a monument commemorating the great discoverer. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the memorial is a statue of a lion destroying one of the Latin words that had been part of Spain’s motto for centuries. Before Columbus made his voyages, the Spaniards thought they had reached the outer limits of earth. Thus their motto was "Ne Plus Ultra," which means "No More Beyond." The word being torn away by the lion is "Ne" or "no," make it read "Plus Ultra." Columbus had proven that there was indeed "more beyond." The world could never be understood the same.
In the same way, Christ proved there was “more beyond” and life can never be understood the same. In Romans 6:4-5 [NLT] we read “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was.” Recently was told the story of…
a woman who had been diagnosed with cancer and had been given three month to live. Her doctor told her to start making preparations to die -- something we all should be doing all of the time.
So she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what she wanted to be wearing.
The woman also told her pastor that she wanted to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There’s one more thing," she said excitedly.
"What’s that?" came the pastor’s reply.
"This is very important." The woman continued, "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."
The pastor stood looking at the woman not knowing quite what to say.
"That shocks you, doesn’t it?" the woman asked.
Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request," said the pastor.
The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and functions where food was involved, and let’s be honest, food is an important part of any church event, spiritual or otherwise, my favorite part was when whoever was clearing away the dishes of the main course would lean over and say ’you can keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming. When they told me to keep my fork, I knew that something great was about to be given to me. It wasn’t Jell-O or pudding. It was cake or pie - something with substance. So I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, ’What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them, ’Something better is coming, so keep your fork too." It is written, 1 Peter 1:3-4 [NIV] “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade…” Jesus the Risen Saviour is our living hope !
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.” Hebrews 6:19-20 [NIV]
In the resurrection of Jesus, God embedded in the earth an anchor of hope sturdy enough to withstand any hurricane. This hope is the anchor that declares…
Jesus the Lord can overcome my past
Jesus the Lord can be with me in the present… each and every day.
Jesus the Lord has a future for me… to be with Him forever.
The tomb that it sealed was the tomb of a transient. He only went in to prove he could come out. And on the way out he took the stone with him and turned it into an anchor point. He dropped it deep into the uncharted waters of death.
This anchor of hope is like receiving news ahead of it’s time…
Murdo Ewen MacDonald, a prisoner of war in Germany and chaplain to American soldiers, told how he learned of the Normandy invasion. Early on D-Day, he was awakened and told that a Scotsman in the British prisoner-of-war camp wanted to see him. MacDonald ran to the barbed wire that separated the two camps. The Scot, who was in touch with the BBC by underground radio, spoke two words in Gaelic, meaning "They have come." MacDonald ran back to the American camp and spread the news: "They have come . . . They have come." And everyone knew the allied troops had landed at Normandy. The reaction was incredible. Men jumped and shouted, hugged each other, even rolled on the ground. Outwardly they were still captives, but inwardly they were free. That’s the hope that changes life !!
“…He said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”Mark 8:34-36
In Christ,
Brown
From: jan coulbourne
Subject: urgent Prayer request for our neighbor
I have an urgent prayer request.
Our 30 year old neighbor Jeff Wagner who is waiting for a kidney transplant was driving his brothers car last night on the way back from Ocean City Md and ran head- on into a truck on rt 12.
His 26 year old brother who was visiting from Baltimore was killed and Jeff is in the Shock Trauma unit in Md.fighting for his life.
The truck occupants were not harmed.
Jeff has a wife Kelly and two small children 4 and two years of age.
Please pray as this is sad and tragic .Please put them on any prayer chains
that you may belong to.
Love Jimmy & Jan
In the same way, Christ proved there was “more beyond” and life can never be understood the same. In Romans 6:4-5 [NLT] we read “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was.” Recently was told the story of…
a woman who had been diagnosed with cancer and had been given three month to live. Her doctor told her to start making preparations to die -- something we all should be doing all of the time.
So she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what she wanted to be wearing.
The woman also told her pastor that she wanted to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There’s one more thing," she said excitedly.
"What’s that?" came the pastor’s reply.
"This is very important." The woman continued, "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."
The pastor stood looking at the woman not knowing quite what to say.
"That shocks you, doesn’t it?" the woman asked.
Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request," said the pastor.
The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and functions where food was involved, and let’s be honest, food is an important part of any church event, spiritual or otherwise, my favorite part was when whoever was clearing away the dishes of the main course would lean over and say ’you can keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming. When they told me to keep my fork, I knew that something great was about to be given to me. It wasn’t Jell-O or pudding. It was cake or pie - something with substance. So I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, ’What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them, ’Something better is coming, so keep your fork too." It is written, 1 Peter 1:3-4 [NIV] “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade…” Jesus the Risen Saviour is our living hope !
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.” Hebrews 6:19-20 [NIV]
In the resurrection of Jesus, God embedded in the earth an anchor of hope sturdy enough to withstand any hurricane. This hope is the anchor that declares…
Jesus the Lord can overcome my past
Jesus the Lord can be with me in the present… each and every day.
Jesus the Lord has a future for me… to be with Him forever.
The tomb that it sealed was the tomb of a transient. He only went in to prove he could come out. And on the way out he took the stone with him and turned it into an anchor point. He dropped it deep into the uncharted waters of death.
This anchor of hope is like receiving news ahead of it’s time…
Murdo Ewen MacDonald, a prisoner of war in Germany and chaplain to American soldiers, told how he learned of the Normandy invasion. Early on D-Day, he was awakened and told that a Scotsman in the British prisoner-of-war camp wanted to see him. MacDonald ran to the barbed wire that separated the two camps. The Scot, who was in touch with the BBC by underground radio, spoke two words in Gaelic, meaning "They have come." MacDonald ran back to the American camp and spread the news: "They have come . . . They have come." And everyone knew the allied troops had landed at Normandy. The reaction was incredible. Men jumped and shouted, hugged each other, even rolled on the ground. Outwardly they were still captives, but inwardly they were free. That’s the hope that changes life !!
“…He said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”Mark 8:34-36
In Christ,
Brown
From: jan coulbourne
Subject: urgent Prayer request for our neighbor
I have an urgent prayer request.
Our 30 year old neighbor Jeff Wagner who is waiting for a kidney transplant was driving his brothers car last night on the way back from Ocean City Md and ran head- on into a truck on rt 12.
His 26 year old brother who was visiting from Baltimore was killed and Jeff is in the Shock Trauma unit in Md.fighting for his life.
The truck occupants were not harmed.
Jeff has a wife Kelly and two small children 4 and two years of age.
Please pray as this is sad and tragic .Please put them on any prayer chains
that you may belong to.
Love Jimmy & Jan
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