Good morning,
I have a friend whose name is David. He often tells me that he loves to read about King David. We all love to read his songs and psalms. He was a nobody who became somebody by the grace of God. He loved to sing the praises of His Lord. He danced before Him in self-forgetfulness. He offered to Him all of his praise and worship. When David went to battle, he fought with complete reliance on the Lord of the battle and under the authority of the Captain of the Host. When he sinned and fell, he repented, coming before the Lord with a broken and contrite heart.
David is often called, "a man after God’s own heart." More has been written about David than any other character in all the Old Testament. Fourteen chapters have been devoted to Abraham, 13 to Joseph, 11 to Jacob, 40 to Moses, but there are 66 chapters in the Old Testament given over to the life of David. In fact, there are also 57 New Testament references to him. He was the youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd lad from Bethlehem, a giant killer, a composer of Psalms, and the greatest King Israel has ever known. Yet, perhaps, what draws many of us to him is the fact that he was not a polished-marble personality but he blood, bone, and breath, a man who shares our struggles of spirit and soul. Although he was a man of glorious triumphs he was also a man with some great tragedy in his life. Because he struggled in life, we can gain help for our own struggles. David wrestled with success, discouragement, sexual temptation, and parenthood, to mention just a few of his struggles.
When Samuel was sent out by the Lord to anoint the next king of Israel, Samuel began his hunt by focusing on the external. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God said to Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God does not see people as the world does. That David would be anointed Israel’s next king would not of been the world’s choice. He must have seemed too young, lacking in combat experience, of a limited education, and a sheep herder! But, in the mind of God, who is impressed not by brawn or brains but by a heart completely His, it made perfect sense. God revealed to us through the choosing of David that someone, though evidently unnoticed and overlooked by man, had great worth to God. Apparently, even Jesse, David’s father, didn’t recognize his youngest son’s leadership potential. But God saw David’s heart and claimed his service.
Wouldn’t it be great if we all could change our mentality and see beyond the surface of people and know their hearts? When God refused Eliab, the rest of Jesse’s sons were paraded before Samuel, and God rejected every one of them. Samuel finally asked in vs:11, "Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse replied, "I do have one more. He’s out taking care of the sheep, I guess he kind of slipped my mind." Jesse had 8 sons and 2 daughters, so I would imagine that when you have 10 kids you could forget one. Samuel said in the last portion of vs:11, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." It is impossible to know how long they stood there, because the Bible doesn’t give any indication as to us how far away David’s herd was, but when he came--- I love this picture! When David finally came in from the fields, he must have noticed his brothers all dressed up, and everyone standing around. David was wearing his Shepherds garb and still smelled like sheep. God basically said to Samuel, “There, he’s the one!” The prophet of God came over to him, poured oil on his head, it ran down the back of his neck and told him, "You’re the next King." Can you imagine David's reaction to this? What an unexpected, unorthodox, unanticipated choice! Here was a boy that nobody seemed to notice, yet God did, because God doesn’t look at the outward appearances. He looks on the heart. David possessed a heart of dependence on God. David also had a heart of obedience for God. Psalm 40:8 reveals his heart as he wrote, "I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your law is written on my heart." (NLT) David possessed the heart of a servant. In Psalm 89:20 we read where God spoke, saying, "I have found my servant David; I appointed him by pouring holy oil on him." (NCV) David is revealed as "my servant". Servanthood is humility in practice. To be a servant means to perform the menial tasks of all manner of description. To be a servant means not caring who gets the credit. To be a servant you must have just one goal: the success of your superior. Jesus said, in Mark 9:35, "Anyone wanting to be the greatest must be the least—the servant of all!" (LB) Do you know what David did after he was told he was going to be King? He went back out and tended his sheep. Is that what you would of done? I might have been tempted to catch the camel to Jerusalem to check out my new palace. In today's terms I might have gone out to have new business cards printed, changing them from “David the Shepherd” to “David the King!” Such was not the reaction of David. When Saul needed a musician in verse 17, Saul's messenger found David back with the sheep. He was not too proud to tend sheep. David also possessed a heart of integrity. Psalm 78:70 reveals, "He chose David his servant, from tending the sheep.. he brought him to be the shepherd of his people. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart." Do you know what integrity is? It is what you are when no one else is looking. We also must remain, by His grace, true to Him and faithful to Him, even when no one is looking.
Blessed be His Name,
Brown
Please remember in prayer our friend Al Smith who had an emergency surgery for Diberticulosis yesterday. He will be hospitalized for a few days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU
Friday, May 9, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 5-8-08
Praise the Lord!
He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. In Psalm 91 we read,“‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.’” If you have a love relationship with God then even the greatest disappointments in life have meaning and purpose, because all of life finds its meaning and purpose in him. Our relationship with God is the filter through which we look at all of life. That relationship helps us to interpret all the things which happen to us. We see him standing there in the midst of the situation we face, holding out his arms to us. I love the story of Jesus’ disciples when they leave Jesus on the shore and head out onto the sea of Galilee. A terrible storm arose and they were straining at the oars just trying to survive. The wind came up against them and it looked as though the sea was going to swallow them. But, suddenly, something worse than the storm frightened them. Their worst fears were realized as they saw what they thought was a ghost floating across the waves. They did not realize it was Jesus walking on the water toward them. Screams of terror arose from the boat. But just as they thought they were going to perish, they heard a familiar voice say, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Mark 6:50).
I believe that has been the experience of Christians throughout the ages. Just as their worst fears were realized, just as they thought the storms of life were going to overcome them and the waves would swallow them, just as they thought they were going to perish, they heard a familiar voice call out to them saying, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid. It is not disaster, it is me!” See him coming to you now. Hear him speak through the storm, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Hear him say through the psalmist, “Because you love me I will rescue you. Because you have acknowledged my name I will protect you. I will be with you in trouble. I will deliver you.”
In Jesus who calms storm.
Brown
Please Pray for :
Our sister-in-law, my brother Potel's wife in Orissa, India
Jerry A, as he awaits upcoming surgery
Grayson , as he prepares for upcoming surgery,
.( For healing and full restoration) Connie, Carol, Caroline, Gail, Harvey, David, Dave, Denny, Jack, Wilbur, Alfred, Irene . Laurie.
Happy Birthday to our daughter, Sunita, (on May 1), and to our Friend Linda. . . Sweet servants of Jesus.
He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. In Psalm 91 we read,“‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.’” If you have a love relationship with God then even the greatest disappointments in life have meaning and purpose, because all of life finds its meaning and purpose in him. Our relationship with God is the filter through which we look at all of life. That relationship helps us to interpret all the things which happen to us. We see him standing there in the midst of the situation we face, holding out his arms to us. I love the story of Jesus’ disciples when they leave Jesus on the shore and head out onto the sea of Galilee. A terrible storm arose and they were straining at the oars just trying to survive. The wind came up against them and it looked as though the sea was going to swallow them. But, suddenly, something worse than the storm frightened them. Their worst fears were realized as they saw what they thought was a ghost floating across the waves. They did not realize it was Jesus walking on the water toward them. Screams of terror arose from the boat. But just as they thought they were going to perish, they heard a familiar voice say, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Mark 6:50).
I believe that has been the experience of Christians throughout the ages. Just as their worst fears were realized, just as they thought the storms of life were going to overcome them and the waves would swallow them, just as they thought they were going to perish, they heard a familiar voice call out to them saying, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid. It is not disaster, it is me!” See him coming to you now. Hear him speak through the storm, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Hear him say through the psalmist, “Because you love me I will rescue you. Because you have acknowledged my name I will protect you. I will be with you in trouble. I will deliver you.”
In Jesus who calms storm.
Brown
Please Pray for :
Our sister-in-law, my brother Potel's wife in Orissa, India
Jerry A, as he awaits upcoming surgery
Grayson , as he prepares for upcoming surgery,
.( For healing and full restoration) Connie, Carol, Caroline, Gail, Harvey, David, Dave, Denny, Jack, Wilbur, Alfred, Irene . Laurie.
Happy Birthday to our daughter, Sunita, (on May 1), and to our Friend Linda. . . Sweet servants of Jesus.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 5-7-08
Good Morning,
We are having a heat wave here in New York. It is going to be much like summer today. Praise the Lord for the glorious beauty of this day. Praise the Lord for the eyes He has given us so that we can gaze at the beauty, and truly know that, "a thing of beauty is a joy forever " -- John Keats. Praise the Lord that He has given us minds so that we may know Him and hearts with which we may love Him.
Whenever a Christian visits the Holy Land, one of the places he wants to visit is the Upper Room. There were so many significant things that occurred in the Upper Room. It was in the Upper Room that Jesus and the disciples celebrated the Passover together and Jesus gave to us the Lord’s Supper. It was in the Upper Room that Jesus spoke the words of John 14, "Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me." When the agony of Good Friday had passed and the glory of Easter had occurred, many believe it was through the locked door of the Upper Room that Jesus came and showed himself to the disciples. It has been traditionally held that it was to the Upper Room that the disciples retreated after the Ascension of Jesus, and that the Upper Room was the location when the Holy Spirit was poured out on a praying group of disciples on Pentecost. The Upper Room is significant to the Christian. We, as United Methodists, have a devotional guide we call the Upper Room. At the Board of Discipleship in Nashville, there is the Upper Room prayer chapel with a wood craving of the Last Supper. It is only logical that a Christian visiting the Holy Land would want to visit the Upper Room. Every time I have gone to the Holy Land, I have gone to the Upper Room. The Upper Room is a place for solitude, that place were we find our spirits, our minds, even our bodies renewed. It is that place were we receive the rest we need. For example there were times when Elijah, the Old Testament prophet, was alone with God and God would send birds to bring him something to eat. The Upper Room is a place where our spirits are renewed, the obstacles of life are brought into perspective, and we are able to go about life in a renewed way. In one of his books Charles Allen, a great pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Houston, with whom I was in conferences in the late seventies and the early eighties and who is gone to be with Jesus, told about a highway that was being built in England. In the way stood a very, very old building. The workmen tore it down and cleared off the ground on which it stood. After the ground had been exposed to the sunshine and rain for some months, a wonderful thing happened. Flowers began to spring up, and botanists and naturalists from all over England came to study them. Many of the flowers were identified as plants the Romans had brought to England almost 2,000 years before. Some of the plants that sprang up are completely unknown today. Hidden there in the ground, without air and light, the seeds seemed to have died. But they were not dead. As soon as the obstacles were cleared away, and the sunshine let in, they sprang into the fullness of their beauty.
This is very similar to what can happen in the confines of our Upper Room. What was ugly and hard is some how transformed into life. The Upper Room is a place of prayer. A lot of prayer took place in that original Upper Room. In fact the prayers offered by the disciples did not last for just a few hours. They stretched over a period of days. Did the prayers suddenly end on the day of Pentecost? Of course not! The disciples entered the Upper Room of prayer on a regular basis.The Upper Room is a place were we can study and reflect on the Scriptures. We each need an Upper Room were we can experience solitude, have our spirits renewed, pray and study the Scripture. Let’s face it. This is a lot of work. It takes time to do these things. Sometimes the search for the Upper Room is long and difficult, but the benefits, the rewards, are worth it. Think for a moment about what the disciples experienced because of time spent in the Upper Room. It was in the Upper Room that the disciples encountered Jesus. Isn’t that what we are longing for? It may take time but when we earnestly enter our Upper Room we will experience the Risen Lord. It sometimes requires patience and a lot of hard work. We may encounter Jesus in a dramatic way or in a still small voice, or simply in a peaceful quiet. It was in the Upper Room that the disciples received the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was a gift that Jesus had promised them and now in that Upper Room they experienced just a small taste of what the Holy Spirit could do in their lives. When the Holy Spirit was set free in their lives they received a new courage that allowed them to do and experience things they never dreamed possible. It was the Upper Room from which the disciples went out with renewed strength and power to face the world. In the Upper Room they encountered Jesus, which in turn allowed them to get on with the work of the kingdom. William Hinson, Sr., ( who also has gone to be with Jesus) who followed Charles Allen as the pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Houston, the largest church in American Methodism, told the story about a time when he was going to Columbia, South Carolina to preach in a revival. He had not slept well the night before and had gotten up that morning and preached in two Sunday morning services. He went immediately to the airport to leave for Columbia. He had looked forward to sleeping on the plane but it just so happened that the person next to was a talker so. . . so much for sleep. His plane arrived late so he was immediately picked up by a church member and whisked off to the church. He arrived at the church just a couple of minutes before the service was to begin and did not have the opportunity to freshen up at all. He felt yucky. As he preached he could feel his body swaying from fatigue. When the service was over he was led to the fellowship hall where a receiving line was set up to greet the visiting preacher. The line seemed to extend forever. Near the end of the line, a large man stepped aside and suddenly he saw his youngest daughter. His daughter was attending school in Augusta, Georgia, and when she heard her dad was going to be in Columbia she had borrowed her boyfriend's car and had driven for hours just to be with her dad and to talk with him about some things.They left the church and went to get some coffee and pie, and then went to the hotel and talked for several hours. When she finally left, he said he realized the most unusual thing. He was no longer tired. He had spent time with someone very special to him and found himself renewed. (The Power of Holy Habits, pg. 18-19) That’s what our Upper Room is all about. It is time we can spend with Jesus and find renewal. We may enter the Room feeling beaten up and discouraged, but we can come away revived.
Our Lord rescues. He restores. He refreshes. He renews. He revives.
Blessed be His Name.
In Him,
Brown
When was the last time you laughed for the sheer joy of your salvation? People are not attracted to somber doctrines. There is no persuasive power in a gloomy and morbid religion. Let the world see your joy and you won't be able to keep them away. To be filled with God is to be filled with joy. Anonymous
There's nothing more contradictory than an unenthusiastic Christian. The Bible tells us that God loves us so much, in fact, that God gave his only son so that all who believe in him will have everlasting life. Nothing not even death can separate us from God's love! If we really believe that, we can't help but overflow with joy! Ronald Newhouse
One of the great blessings of church, for all of its imperfections, is the gift of a genuine laughter - a laughter shared and bequeathed to us by our perfect Father. This is a laughter that we will share in even greater measure when all the sorrow is gone and every tear is wiped from our eyes. One day, like the captives many years ago said, we too will sing: We are like those who dream. Our mouths are filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. It is said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." Yes, the LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:2-3 Phillip WareHeartlight Magazine
A tongue filled with laughter and praise is a reflection of a heart filled to overflowing with the joy of the Lord. What a joy it is just to be with someone whose heart is full. A soothing tongue, a tongue that can say "I accept you where you are," or "I appreciate your questions" without offence or bitterness, is a secure place someone can go for help without fear of judgement, condemnation or censure Mike Hoskins
"The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance." Reflections on the Psalms(Clive Staples) C. S. LewisInto The Wardrobe
We are having a heat wave here in New York. It is going to be much like summer today. Praise the Lord for the glorious beauty of this day. Praise the Lord for the eyes He has given us so that we can gaze at the beauty, and truly know that, "a thing of beauty is a joy forever " -- John Keats. Praise the Lord that He has given us minds so that we may know Him and hearts with which we may love Him.
Whenever a Christian visits the Holy Land, one of the places he wants to visit is the Upper Room. There were so many significant things that occurred in the Upper Room. It was in the Upper Room that Jesus and the disciples celebrated the Passover together and Jesus gave to us the Lord’s Supper. It was in the Upper Room that Jesus spoke the words of John 14, "Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me." When the agony of Good Friday had passed and the glory of Easter had occurred, many believe it was through the locked door of the Upper Room that Jesus came and showed himself to the disciples. It has been traditionally held that it was to the Upper Room that the disciples retreated after the Ascension of Jesus, and that the Upper Room was the location when the Holy Spirit was poured out on a praying group of disciples on Pentecost. The Upper Room is significant to the Christian. We, as United Methodists, have a devotional guide we call the Upper Room. At the Board of Discipleship in Nashville, there is the Upper Room prayer chapel with a wood craving of the Last Supper. It is only logical that a Christian visiting the Holy Land would want to visit the Upper Room. Every time I have gone to the Holy Land, I have gone to the Upper Room. The Upper Room is a place for solitude, that place were we find our spirits, our minds, even our bodies renewed. It is that place were we receive the rest we need. For example there were times when Elijah, the Old Testament prophet, was alone with God and God would send birds to bring him something to eat. The Upper Room is a place where our spirits are renewed, the obstacles of life are brought into perspective, and we are able to go about life in a renewed way. In one of his books Charles Allen, a great pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Houston, with whom I was in conferences in the late seventies and the early eighties and who is gone to be with Jesus, told about a highway that was being built in England. In the way stood a very, very old building. The workmen tore it down and cleared off the ground on which it stood. After the ground had been exposed to the sunshine and rain for some months, a wonderful thing happened. Flowers began to spring up, and botanists and naturalists from all over England came to study them. Many of the flowers were identified as plants the Romans had brought to England almost 2,000 years before. Some of the plants that sprang up are completely unknown today. Hidden there in the ground, without air and light, the seeds seemed to have died. But they were not dead. As soon as the obstacles were cleared away, and the sunshine let in, they sprang into the fullness of their beauty.
This is very similar to what can happen in the confines of our Upper Room. What was ugly and hard is some how transformed into life. The Upper Room is a place of prayer. A lot of prayer took place in that original Upper Room. In fact the prayers offered by the disciples did not last for just a few hours. They stretched over a period of days. Did the prayers suddenly end on the day of Pentecost? Of course not! The disciples entered the Upper Room of prayer on a regular basis.The Upper Room is a place were we can study and reflect on the Scriptures. We each need an Upper Room were we can experience solitude, have our spirits renewed, pray and study the Scripture. Let’s face it. This is a lot of work. It takes time to do these things. Sometimes the search for the Upper Room is long and difficult, but the benefits, the rewards, are worth it. Think for a moment about what the disciples experienced because of time spent in the Upper Room. It was in the Upper Room that the disciples encountered Jesus. Isn’t that what we are longing for? It may take time but when we earnestly enter our Upper Room we will experience the Risen Lord. It sometimes requires patience and a lot of hard work. We may encounter Jesus in a dramatic way or in a still small voice, or simply in a peaceful quiet. It was in the Upper Room that the disciples received the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was a gift that Jesus had promised them and now in that Upper Room they experienced just a small taste of what the Holy Spirit could do in their lives. When the Holy Spirit was set free in their lives they received a new courage that allowed them to do and experience things they never dreamed possible. It was the Upper Room from which the disciples went out with renewed strength and power to face the world. In the Upper Room they encountered Jesus, which in turn allowed them to get on with the work of the kingdom. William Hinson, Sr., ( who also has gone to be with Jesus) who followed Charles Allen as the pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Houston, the largest church in American Methodism, told the story about a time when he was going to Columbia, South Carolina to preach in a revival. He had not slept well the night before and had gotten up that morning and preached in two Sunday morning services. He went immediately to the airport to leave for Columbia. He had looked forward to sleeping on the plane but it just so happened that the person next to was a talker so. . . so much for sleep. His plane arrived late so he was immediately picked up by a church member and whisked off to the church. He arrived at the church just a couple of minutes before the service was to begin and did not have the opportunity to freshen up at all. He felt yucky. As he preached he could feel his body swaying from fatigue. When the service was over he was led to the fellowship hall where a receiving line was set up to greet the visiting preacher. The line seemed to extend forever. Near the end of the line, a large man stepped aside and suddenly he saw his youngest daughter. His daughter was attending school in Augusta, Georgia, and when she heard her dad was going to be in Columbia she had borrowed her boyfriend's car and had driven for hours just to be with her dad and to talk with him about some things.They left the church and went to get some coffee and pie, and then went to the hotel and talked for several hours. When she finally left, he said he realized the most unusual thing. He was no longer tired. He had spent time with someone very special to him and found himself renewed. (The Power of Holy Habits, pg. 18-19) That’s what our Upper Room is all about. It is time we can spend with Jesus and find renewal. We may enter the Room feeling beaten up and discouraged, but we can come away revived.
Our Lord rescues. He restores. He refreshes. He renews. He revives.
Blessed be His Name.
In Him,
Brown
When was the last time you laughed for the sheer joy of your salvation? People are not attracted to somber doctrines. There is no persuasive power in a gloomy and morbid religion. Let the world see your joy and you won't be able to keep them away. To be filled with God is to be filled with joy. Anonymous
There's nothing more contradictory than an unenthusiastic Christian. The Bible tells us that God loves us so much, in fact, that God gave his only son so that all who believe in him will have everlasting life. Nothing not even death can separate us from God's love! If we really believe that, we can't help but overflow with joy! Ronald Newhouse
One of the great blessings of church, for all of its imperfections, is the gift of a genuine laughter - a laughter shared and bequeathed to us by our perfect Father. This is a laughter that we will share in even greater measure when all the sorrow is gone and every tear is wiped from our eyes. One day, like the captives many years ago said, we too will sing: We are like those who dream. Our mouths are filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. It is said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." Yes, the LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:2-3 Phillip WareHeartlight Magazine
A tongue filled with laughter and praise is a reflection of a heart filled to overflowing with the joy of the Lord. What a joy it is just to be with someone whose heart is full. A soothing tongue, a tongue that can say "I accept you where you are," or "I appreciate your questions" without offence or bitterness, is a secure place someone can go for help without fear of judgement, condemnation or censure Mike Hoskins
"The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance." Reflections on the Psalms(Clive Staples) C. S. LewisInto The Wardrobe
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 5-6-08
Good Morning,
It is one of the glorious days the Lord has made. Spring has fully sprung here in beautiful New York. You can see the countless flowers with magnificent colors all around us. The crab apple tree overshadows the parsonage with bountiful bloom displaying the splendor of our Savior and King. The daffodils and tulips and forsythias on the parsonage grounds are just passing their peak. Praise the Lord for the manifold witness to the splendor and majesty of our Lord and God. How great is indeed our God. If you had looked at your diary last Friday, May 1, (that would have been six weeks after Easter), you might have seen the heading "Ascension Day". Then, it might not be there because Ascension Day is one of the neglected feast days of the Christian church. The BBC (in Britain) does its best by broadcasting a special service. Many European countries celebrate Ascension Day with a bank holiday. Perhaps because Ascension Day falls on a weekday it does not get the attention it truly deserves. It is full of significance concerning the historical life of Jesus when on Earth - and his continuing ministry for us in heaven. As a weekday event it reminds us that Christianity is not just something for Sunday - it’s an experience for every day. For the Christian the secular cannot be separated from the sacred.Although the Ascension occupies a place on the church’s calendar it is far from being prominent in Christian thought. It seems overshadowed by Good Friday and outshone by the glory of Easter morning. The gospel writer Luke is renowned as a careful historian. When he recorded the birth of Jesus he rooted the event in its historical setting within the Roman Empire. He continued that same precision at the end of our Lord’s earthly ministry by recalling the place of the Ascension at Bethany. He also dates the event at 40 days after the Resurrection on Easter Day. He emphasized the presence of eyewitnesses. The Ascension took place, he wrote, "before their very eyes" (Acts 1:9). Yes, the Ascension was a real event in history. Some people are puzzled as to why Jesus waited around on Earth 40 days after his resurrection, but that period is no accident. Jesus had endured the Devil’s temptation for 40 days in the wilderness at the beginning of his public ministry, but now the tables were turned. In the post-ascension period Jesus triumphantly paraded his victory over the Devil and all his works. During this time, the conqueror of death displayed his supremacy before his faithful followers so that they might share in the joy of his victory. But there was also another reason. Those 40 days of his appearing after the resurrection were of immense value to the believers, for they established the reality of his lordship. A single sighting of the risen Christ may have been open to question, but the continuous encounters that the disciples had with him would remove the doubts of even the most skeptical among them and assure them of his power and authority. The Ascension must always remain a mystery in the sense that it’s beyond the scope of human experience. It draws us into the realm of the supernatural. It happened very simply and very quickly. The Master and his followers were gathered on the slopes of Olivet. When Jesus had delivered his farewell message to the disciples, he lifted up his nail-scarred hands in blessing. Then, his body commenced to rise supernaturally, and a cloud bore him out of their sight. What a fitting end to his earthly ministry! The resurrection of Jesus had signaled the ending of a chapter in his earthly life. Things could never be the same again and it was essential that there should be a clear-cut event to bring the chapter to a close. It’s true that Jesus had been making a series of appearances to his followers, but those could not go on forever. It would be odd if they should grow less frequent until finally they petered out; that would only cause confusion, chaos, and even loss of faith. No, there had to be a day dividing the time, when the Jesus of Earth would become the Christ of heaven. The Ascension was the only fitting conclusion to the life of Jesus on Earth. God is not the author of confusion. The disciples who witnessed the Ascension saw it as an ending. It was the day when their faith in a flesh and blood person, depending on a physical presence, was ended. Now they were linked to someone who was independent of space and time. Yet, the ending of the earthly chapter also meant a new beginning. Luke tells us that the disciples did not leave the scene broken-hearted. They had a definite promise of the soon-to-be-given Holy Spirit. The disciples knew that the Ascension was the completion of the cycle that had begun with the incarnation. Jesus himself had predicted, "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world and go to the Father" (John 16:28). This gave them great assurance because their dearest friend was in heaven.
The resurrection and the Ascension cannot be separated. They form two parts of the one continuous movement resulting in the glorification of Jesus. When Jesus met Mary Magdalene in the garden he told her to tell his disciples, "I am ascending", as if the process had already begun with the resurrection and would be completed when he was finally received into his Father’s presence. The resurrection and the Ascension are milestones in the process whereby Jesus, crucified, risen and ascended, finally entered into the glory of God. Luke’s account of the Ascension places us in the shoes of the disciples. There they are with eyes uplifted, as Luke records the scene so vividly, "gazing into heaven as he went" and all too soon the ascending Savior disappeared from their sight. Then Mark takes up the story. He writes from the viewpoint of our Lord’s destination. Through the inspiration given to him we are allowed to share the secrets of heaven itself. Only the Holy Spirit could have revealed the scene to Mark, "Jesus was received into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God" (16:19). What a homecoming! The crown of thorns was changed into a crown of glory!
Many a hero has been welcomed back into his hometown with bands blaring - the round the world yachtsman, the newly elected prime minister, or the president. But that is nothing when compared to the glory of the welcome given to the ascended Lord Jesus. Is that some speculation on my part? No, it’s not! Psalm 24 is a foretelling or anticipation of the grandeur of the spectacle associated with the homecoming of the Son of God. The scene defies adequate description. As the conqueror neared the celestial city the heavenly heralds cried out in preparation for his arrival, "Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in." The proclamation prompts the enquiry, "Who is the Lord of glory?" The reply declares Christ’s right to the title, "The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle" (7-10). Yes, Jesus had triumphed over Satan, the world, death and hell. His resurrection and Ascension proved he was the victor, and truly that "He is the Lord of glory." The apostle Peter confirmed this, saying, "Jesus Christ … has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand - with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him" (1 Peter 3:22). This proves that Christ had finished the work of redemption that the Father had given him to do. The Day of Ascension from earth became the Coronation Day for Jesus in Heaven. Now we have to ask ourselves the question, have we acknowledged him as our Lord and King? Have we knelt before him in glad allegiance?
When we see pictures on television of a State banquet, the chief guest is seated at the right hand of the Sovereign or the President. Like honor was afforded to the Lord Jesus, but the fact that he is seated there does not imply that his ministry is ended -- far from it. Although the Ascension closed his public ministry, it opened a new age of the Spirit. That is why we celebrate Pentecost. We might even say that the Ascension represents the final liberation of Jesus from all limitations of space and time, so that he is free to be lovingly and powerfully present with every believer in every place, in every age. Christ the King is with me and in me by His Spirit every minute of every day wherever I go. This is beautifully summarized in the words of Charles Wesley’s hymn, "He ever lives above, for me to intercede; his all-redeeming love, his precious blood to plead; his blood atones for all our race, and sprinkles now the throne of grace." Hallelujah! What a Savior! Yet, we each have a responsibility to live holy lives, but if we sin we have a means of cleansing and forgiveness. The Ascension of Jesus makes it possible for him to be close to each and every one of us if only we allow him in every part of our lives. As the disciples gaze heaven-ward in awe and wonder, two men in dazzling apparel appeared. They were just like those that stood by the graveyard on Easter morning. According to Luke's account, they announced to the disciples, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking unto heaven? This Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way as you saw him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). It would be an over-simplification to say that the Lord’s Second Coming will be like a film of the Ascension played backwards, to return on the same spot, wearing the same clothes. Although his coming will be in person, it won’t be in private, for "every eye will see him" (Rev 1:7). He ascended alone, but he will return in the company of millions of the redeemed from all ages (1 Thessalonians 4:13). The Ascension testifies to the fact of our Lord’s return, "He will come." The disciples were not told that they themselves would see the coming again of Christ. The timeline is left open, and it is both futile and unprofitable to speculate as to when his return will occur. Jesus told his disciples that not even he knew the day or the hour when the Son of Man would come (Mark 13:22). But the certainty of his return is clear. It gives assurance that God is working out his purposes for his whole creation and that, when he is ready, our Lord will return just as surely as he ascended. The all-important, practical call of the Ascension is that we are ready for his return. Someone once said, "If I am always ready, I shall be ready when Jesus comes." The secret is to keep short accounts with God and our fellow men. In other words, if something breaks our fellowship then we must immediately put it right. We have to ask ourselves the question, "Are we redeeming the time until Jesus returns? Are we fulfilling the ministries he had given to the church?" We have been placed where we are for a purpose. The angelic beings asked the disciples, "Why do you stand here looking into the sky?" It was the Earth, not the sky, which they should be occupied with, as witnesses, not as stargazers! Our calling is not upwards in nostalgia, but outwards in compassion to a lost world that needs Jesus. It’s been well said that: "At the Ascension Jesus left the Here for the Everywhere; He left the Time for the Eternal; He left the First Century to fill All the Centuries."
In Jesus, our Savior,
Brown
A Sudanese Christian boy has his knees and feet nailed to a board and he is left to die. When rescued he says he forgives the man who did this because Jesus was also nailed and forgave him.
A Vietnamese pastor is sentenced to two years in prison. When he is offered an early release, he declines stating that he has a group of new Believers in the prison he has to disciple.
A Colombian missionary is kidnapped and told she only has two hours to live. She tells her captors that if she only has two hours to live, she wants to spend it telling them about Jesus.
The persecution of Christians around the world is a tragic reality. Our brothers and sisters are beaten and tortured simply for their faith in Jesus Christ. And some pay with the ultimate price.
It is one of the glorious days the Lord has made. Spring has fully sprung here in beautiful New York. You can see the countless flowers with magnificent colors all around us. The crab apple tree overshadows the parsonage with bountiful bloom displaying the splendor of our Savior and King. The daffodils and tulips and forsythias on the parsonage grounds are just passing their peak. Praise the Lord for the manifold witness to the splendor and majesty of our Lord and God. How great is indeed our God. If you had looked at your diary last Friday, May 1, (that would have been six weeks after Easter), you might have seen the heading "Ascension Day". Then, it might not be there because Ascension Day is one of the neglected feast days of the Christian church. The BBC (in Britain) does its best by broadcasting a special service. Many European countries celebrate Ascension Day with a bank holiday. Perhaps because Ascension Day falls on a weekday it does not get the attention it truly deserves. It is full of significance concerning the historical life of Jesus when on Earth - and his continuing ministry for us in heaven. As a weekday event it reminds us that Christianity is not just something for Sunday - it’s an experience for every day. For the Christian the secular cannot be separated from the sacred.Although the Ascension occupies a place on the church’s calendar it is far from being prominent in Christian thought. It seems overshadowed by Good Friday and outshone by the glory of Easter morning. The gospel writer Luke is renowned as a careful historian. When he recorded the birth of Jesus he rooted the event in its historical setting within the Roman Empire. He continued that same precision at the end of our Lord’s earthly ministry by recalling the place of the Ascension at Bethany. He also dates the event at 40 days after the Resurrection on Easter Day. He emphasized the presence of eyewitnesses. The Ascension took place, he wrote, "before their very eyes" (Acts 1:9). Yes, the Ascension was a real event in history. Some people are puzzled as to why Jesus waited around on Earth 40 days after his resurrection, but that period is no accident. Jesus had endured the Devil’s temptation for 40 days in the wilderness at the beginning of his public ministry, but now the tables were turned. In the post-ascension period Jesus triumphantly paraded his victory over the Devil and all his works. During this time, the conqueror of death displayed his supremacy before his faithful followers so that they might share in the joy of his victory. But there was also another reason. Those 40 days of his appearing after the resurrection were of immense value to the believers, for they established the reality of his lordship. A single sighting of the risen Christ may have been open to question, but the continuous encounters that the disciples had with him would remove the doubts of even the most skeptical among them and assure them of his power and authority. The Ascension must always remain a mystery in the sense that it’s beyond the scope of human experience. It draws us into the realm of the supernatural. It happened very simply and very quickly. The Master and his followers were gathered on the slopes of Olivet. When Jesus had delivered his farewell message to the disciples, he lifted up his nail-scarred hands in blessing. Then, his body commenced to rise supernaturally, and a cloud bore him out of their sight. What a fitting end to his earthly ministry! The resurrection of Jesus had signaled the ending of a chapter in his earthly life. Things could never be the same again and it was essential that there should be a clear-cut event to bring the chapter to a close. It’s true that Jesus had been making a series of appearances to his followers, but those could not go on forever. It would be odd if they should grow less frequent until finally they petered out; that would only cause confusion, chaos, and even loss of faith. No, there had to be a day dividing the time, when the Jesus of Earth would become the Christ of heaven. The Ascension was the only fitting conclusion to the life of Jesus on Earth. God is not the author of confusion. The disciples who witnessed the Ascension saw it as an ending. It was the day when their faith in a flesh and blood person, depending on a physical presence, was ended. Now they were linked to someone who was independent of space and time. Yet, the ending of the earthly chapter also meant a new beginning. Luke tells us that the disciples did not leave the scene broken-hearted. They had a definite promise of the soon-to-be-given Holy Spirit. The disciples knew that the Ascension was the completion of the cycle that had begun with the incarnation. Jesus himself had predicted, "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world and go to the Father" (John 16:28). This gave them great assurance because their dearest friend was in heaven.
The resurrection and the Ascension cannot be separated. They form two parts of the one continuous movement resulting in the glorification of Jesus. When Jesus met Mary Magdalene in the garden he told her to tell his disciples, "I am ascending", as if the process had already begun with the resurrection and would be completed when he was finally received into his Father’s presence. The resurrection and the Ascension are milestones in the process whereby Jesus, crucified, risen and ascended, finally entered into the glory of God. Luke’s account of the Ascension places us in the shoes of the disciples. There they are with eyes uplifted, as Luke records the scene so vividly, "gazing into heaven as he went" and all too soon the ascending Savior disappeared from their sight. Then Mark takes up the story. He writes from the viewpoint of our Lord’s destination. Through the inspiration given to him we are allowed to share the secrets of heaven itself. Only the Holy Spirit could have revealed the scene to Mark, "Jesus was received into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God" (16:19). What a homecoming! The crown of thorns was changed into a crown of glory!
Many a hero has been welcomed back into his hometown with bands blaring - the round the world yachtsman, the newly elected prime minister, or the president. But that is nothing when compared to the glory of the welcome given to the ascended Lord Jesus. Is that some speculation on my part? No, it’s not! Psalm 24 is a foretelling or anticipation of the grandeur of the spectacle associated with the homecoming of the Son of God. The scene defies adequate description. As the conqueror neared the celestial city the heavenly heralds cried out in preparation for his arrival, "Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in." The proclamation prompts the enquiry, "Who is the Lord of glory?" The reply declares Christ’s right to the title, "The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle" (7-10). Yes, Jesus had triumphed over Satan, the world, death and hell. His resurrection and Ascension proved he was the victor, and truly that "He is the Lord of glory." The apostle Peter confirmed this, saying, "Jesus Christ … has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand - with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him" (1 Peter 3:22). This proves that Christ had finished the work of redemption that the Father had given him to do. The Day of Ascension from earth became the Coronation Day for Jesus in Heaven. Now we have to ask ourselves the question, have we acknowledged him as our Lord and King? Have we knelt before him in glad allegiance?
When we see pictures on television of a State banquet, the chief guest is seated at the right hand of the Sovereign or the President. Like honor was afforded to the Lord Jesus, but the fact that he is seated there does not imply that his ministry is ended -- far from it. Although the Ascension closed his public ministry, it opened a new age of the Spirit. That is why we celebrate Pentecost. We might even say that the Ascension represents the final liberation of Jesus from all limitations of space and time, so that he is free to be lovingly and powerfully present with every believer in every place, in every age. Christ the King is with me and in me by His Spirit every minute of every day wherever I go. This is beautifully summarized in the words of Charles Wesley’s hymn, "He ever lives above, for me to intercede; his all-redeeming love, his precious blood to plead; his blood atones for all our race, and sprinkles now the throne of grace." Hallelujah! What a Savior! Yet, we each have a responsibility to live holy lives, but if we sin we have a means of cleansing and forgiveness. The Ascension of Jesus makes it possible for him to be close to each and every one of us if only we allow him in every part of our lives. As the disciples gaze heaven-ward in awe and wonder, two men in dazzling apparel appeared. They were just like those that stood by the graveyard on Easter morning. According to Luke's account, they announced to the disciples, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking unto heaven? This Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way as you saw him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). It would be an over-simplification to say that the Lord’s Second Coming will be like a film of the Ascension played backwards, to return on the same spot, wearing the same clothes. Although his coming will be in person, it won’t be in private, for "every eye will see him" (Rev 1:7). He ascended alone, but he will return in the company of millions of the redeemed from all ages (1 Thessalonians 4:13). The Ascension testifies to the fact of our Lord’s return, "He will come." The disciples were not told that they themselves would see the coming again of Christ. The timeline is left open, and it is both futile and unprofitable to speculate as to when his return will occur. Jesus told his disciples that not even he knew the day or the hour when the Son of Man would come (Mark 13:22). But the certainty of his return is clear. It gives assurance that God is working out his purposes for his whole creation and that, when he is ready, our Lord will return just as surely as he ascended. The all-important, practical call of the Ascension is that we are ready for his return. Someone once said, "If I am always ready, I shall be ready when Jesus comes." The secret is to keep short accounts with God and our fellow men. In other words, if something breaks our fellowship then we must immediately put it right. We have to ask ourselves the question, "Are we redeeming the time until Jesus returns? Are we fulfilling the ministries he had given to the church?" We have been placed where we are for a purpose. The angelic beings asked the disciples, "Why do you stand here looking into the sky?" It was the Earth, not the sky, which they should be occupied with, as witnesses, not as stargazers! Our calling is not upwards in nostalgia, but outwards in compassion to a lost world that needs Jesus. It’s been well said that: "At the Ascension Jesus left the Here for the Everywhere; He left the Time for the Eternal; He left the First Century to fill All the Centuries."
In Jesus, our Savior,
Brown
A Sudanese Christian boy has his knees and feet nailed to a board and he is left to die. When rescued he says he forgives the man who did this because Jesus was also nailed and forgave him.
A Vietnamese pastor is sentenced to two years in prison. When he is offered an early release, he declines stating that he has a group of new Believers in the prison he has to disciple.
A Colombian missionary is kidnapped and told she only has two hours to live. She tells her captors that if she only has two hours to live, she wants to spend it telling them about Jesus.
The persecution of Christians around the world is a tragic reality. Our brothers and sisters are beaten and tortured simply for their faith in Jesus Christ. And some pay with the ultimate price.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 5-5-08
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this bountiful and beautiful day, a gift from the Lord. I trust you had a blessed weekend of worship and service, a time of rest and renewal, a time with the Lord and His people, a time to give and a time to receive, a time to gather and a time to scatter. Ecclesiastes 11:1-8 opens with the familiar words, “Cast your bread upon the waters.” It meant that sometimes we do things for others that may appear to be wasteful, extravagant. This “casting of bread” means that we should be willing to take a chance where we perceive that a need exists. This is a faith venture. The bread of charity goes forth, like ships transporting their cargo over the waters. C. S. Lewis was walking with J. R. R. Tolkien in Cambridge when the two were approached by a shabbily-dressed man asking for money. Lewis fished out of his pocket all his spare change and handed it to the man. Tolkien chided Lewis, saying that the man would likely use it for drink. “Well,” said Lewis, “I’d probably use it for drink myself.” We should give wisely, but sometimes we simply give out of the goodness of our hearts. In his book, "The Power of Generosity", Dave Toycen maintains: “Panhandlers deserve to be treated as human beings. Whether we choose to give money or not, our first obligation in a caring society is to acknowledge their presence. Looking away is a form of denial that diminishes and distances at the same time. Generosity sets a standard that builds relationships rather than destroys them.” Some people who go to the city bring extra sandwiches to give to panhandlers. On the other hand, I saw a t-shirt that read, “No change--don’t ask.” We can be mean-spirited, or we can communicate grace. It’s wiser to give to shelters and soup kitchens, and steer people to them, particularly if we suspect our money may aid someone’s addiction. Are we generous or greedy? If we fantasize about winning a magazine sweepstakes, what first comes to mind? a) What we could buy for ourselves; or b) what we might do for others? Proverbs 11:24 says, “the world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller” ("The Message"). Generosity is not something religious fanatics do; it’s a lifestyle of sharing that enriches the giver. Chuck Swindoll tells a story about his time in the Marine Corps. His barracks mate was a young guy who made it clear he wanted nothing of religion, “Don’t cram that stuff down my throat, OK?” Chuck was involved in a Scripture memory program and asked his Marine buddy to help him review his verses. He was told, “I’ll help you with the words, Chuck, but I ain’t interested in being some kind of monk!” This Marine went along with the plan--he listened, corrected Chuck, even encouraged him, but there was never a glimmer of interest…until 25 years later. Chuck got a phone call one day. “Hey Chuck, this is Eddie, your old bunk buddy in Okinawa. I’m a Christian thanks to you. Remember the verses we worked on? It worked!” Jesus commended a poor woman who gave to the temple two “mites”, an insignificant amount, yet Her giving received special notice from God. We don’t give to gain favor from God; we certainly don’t do it to get to Heaven. We give because we cannot help ourselves; we are grateful for all God has done, and we want to give, cheerfully. We need to keep from limiting our generosity. Verse 2 says to “give portions to seven, eight”, whatever is needed. Seven is the Hebrew number of completeness; eight goes one step further. Giving becomes a habit, a way of life, both in good times and in times of disaster. We should not wait for an earthquake or flood, but give regularly. In verse 3 our kindness is compared to clouds swelling with rain, the natural outflow of a full life. We empty ourselves again and again. Our lives are full with God’s blessings, and we in turn shower others with our bounty. We don’t know what disasters may come upon us. In other words, this could be our last day, so we are to be benevolent. Solomon used a symbol of trees falling to the south or north in verse 3. Whatever direction a tree falls, that is where it is meant to be, according to God’s providence. In the same way, we are placed where God wants us, for His purpose. Things don’t happen by accident. The people to whom Solomon is writing are struggling with causality; they see life as meaningless. They wonder, does anything matter in life? As people of faith, we accept God’s will and we try to bloom where we are planted. Sometimes we lack faith, and hesitate to act. Verse 4 cautions that we lose out by waiting for the perfect time and occasion to proceed. Waiting for perfect conditions can keep us from growing, and failure to get things done. Time and events wait for no one. Procrastination is the thief of time. Faith means trusting God, especially when His timing disagrees with ours. One thing we eventually discover about life is just how little we really know. We frequently are baffled by what God does in His world, and why; we have no control over His activity. Verse 5 reminds us that we don’t know the path of the wind, nor can we comprehend the mystery of birth. We do not need to know all the answers to life’s mysteries. We marvel at Creation and are humbled by all that God has wrought. The winds are directed by His command. Until God takes us home we will not grasp the mystery at work in all He does.God expects us to continue sowing our seed, verse 6. We can’t foresee whether our efforts will be fruitful, but we labor on, nonetheless. We don’t stop; we don’t give up, and we don’t know how our work will turn out in the end.Verses 7 and 8 speak of light and darkness. When the sun breaks through a darkened, cloudy sky we thank God for getting us through the storm. There will be many days of darkness, many inevitable trials in life. God helps us grow through them, and He intends that we become blessings to others. The true source of the world’s light is the Lord Jesus, and we are His hands in the world, bringing comfort to those in need.
In Christ,
Brown
"All the exaggerations are right, if they exaggerate the right thing." - "On Gargoyles." Alarms and Discursions . G.K.Chesterton
Praise the Lord for this bountiful and beautiful day, a gift from the Lord. I trust you had a blessed weekend of worship and service, a time of rest and renewal, a time with the Lord and His people, a time to give and a time to receive, a time to gather and a time to scatter. Ecclesiastes 11:1-8 opens with the familiar words, “Cast your bread upon the waters.” It meant that sometimes we do things for others that may appear to be wasteful, extravagant. This “casting of bread” means that we should be willing to take a chance where we perceive that a need exists. This is a faith venture. The bread of charity goes forth, like ships transporting their cargo over the waters. C. S. Lewis was walking with J. R. R. Tolkien in Cambridge when the two were approached by a shabbily-dressed man asking for money. Lewis fished out of his pocket all his spare change and handed it to the man. Tolkien chided Lewis, saying that the man would likely use it for drink. “Well,” said Lewis, “I’d probably use it for drink myself.” We should give wisely, but sometimes we simply give out of the goodness of our hearts. In his book, "The Power of Generosity", Dave Toycen maintains: “Panhandlers deserve to be treated as human beings. Whether we choose to give money or not, our first obligation in a caring society is to acknowledge their presence. Looking away is a form of denial that diminishes and distances at the same time. Generosity sets a standard that builds relationships rather than destroys them.” Some people who go to the city bring extra sandwiches to give to panhandlers. On the other hand, I saw a t-shirt that read, “No change--don’t ask.” We can be mean-spirited, or we can communicate grace. It’s wiser to give to shelters and soup kitchens, and steer people to them, particularly if we suspect our money may aid someone’s addiction. Are we generous or greedy? If we fantasize about winning a magazine sweepstakes, what first comes to mind? a) What we could buy for ourselves; or b) what we might do for others? Proverbs 11:24 says, “the world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller” ("The Message"). Generosity is not something religious fanatics do; it’s a lifestyle of sharing that enriches the giver. Chuck Swindoll tells a story about his time in the Marine Corps. His barracks mate was a young guy who made it clear he wanted nothing of religion, “Don’t cram that stuff down my throat, OK?” Chuck was involved in a Scripture memory program and asked his Marine buddy to help him review his verses. He was told, “I’ll help you with the words, Chuck, but I ain’t interested in being some kind of monk!” This Marine went along with the plan--he listened, corrected Chuck, even encouraged him, but there was never a glimmer of interest…until 25 years later. Chuck got a phone call one day. “Hey Chuck, this is Eddie, your old bunk buddy in Okinawa. I’m a Christian thanks to you. Remember the verses we worked on? It worked!” Jesus commended a poor woman who gave to the temple two “mites”, an insignificant amount, yet Her giving received special notice from God. We don’t give to gain favor from God; we certainly don’t do it to get to Heaven. We give because we cannot help ourselves; we are grateful for all God has done, and we want to give, cheerfully. We need to keep from limiting our generosity. Verse 2 says to “give portions to seven, eight”, whatever is needed. Seven is the Hebrew number of completeness; eight goes one step further. Giving becomes a habit, a way of life, both in good times and in times of disaster. We should not wait for an earthquake or flood, but give regularly. In verse 3 our kindness is compared to clouds swelling with rain, the natural outflow of a full life. We empty ourselves again and again. Our lives are full with God’s blessings, and we in turn shower others with our bounty. We don’t know what disasters may come upon us. In other words, this could be our last day, so we are to be benevolent. Solomon used a symbol of trees falling to the south or north in verse 3. Whatever direction a tree falls, that is where it is meant to be, according to God’s providence. In the same way, we are placed where God wants us, for His purpose. Things don’t happen by accident. The people to whom Solomon is writing are struggling with causality; they see life as meaningless. They wonder, does anything matter in life? As people of faith, we accept God’s will and we try to bloom where we are planted. Sometimes we lack faith, and hesitate to act. Verse 4 cautions that we lose out by waiting for the perfect time and occasion to proceed. Waiting for perfect conditions can keep us from growing, and failure to get things done. Time and events wait for no one. Procrastination is the thief of time. Faith means trusting God, especially when His timing disagrees with ours. One thing we eventually discover about life is just how little we really know. We frequently are baffled by what God does in His world, and why; we have no control over His activity. Verse 5 reminds us that we don’t know the path of the wind, nor can we comprehend the mystery of birth. We do not need to know all the answers to life’s mysteries. We marvel at Creation and are humbled by all that God has wrought. The winds are directed by His command. Until God takes us home we will not grasp the mystery at work in all He does.God expects us to continue sowing our seed, verse 6. We can’t foresee whether our efforts will be fruitful, but we labor on, nonetheless. We don’t stop; we don’t give up, and we don’t know how our work will turn out in the end.Verses 7 and 8 speak of light and darkness. When the sun breaks through a darkened, cloudy sky we thank God for getting us through the storm. There will be many days of darkness, many inevitable trials in life. God helps us grow through them, and He intends that we become blessings to others. The true source of the world’s light is the Lord Jesus, and we are His hands in the world, bringing comfort to those in need.
In Christ,
Brown
"All the exaggerations are right, if they exaggerate the right thing." - "On Gargoyles." Alarms and Discursions . G.K.Chesterton
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