Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this last Friday of May. It is going to be one of the ten best days. The Grace United Methodist Church in beautiful Burlington, Vermont, is hosting a weekend India Festival to raise funds for the ministry to the children in Orissa, India. Our friends Linda, Warren, and Pam, together with their team, have worked tirelessly for this event. Pray for the Lord of the harvest would grant them His favor and great blessing.
During our Alpha Study program a few years ago I recall Nicky Gumbo making a note about Robert Louis Stevenson, who once entered in his diary what he considered to be an extraordinary thing. He said, "I have been to Church today, and (surprisingly) I am not depressed." Christians are called to be joyful in all circumstances. Christian concepts of joy are different from the world's. The joy of the Lord is the result of God’s work in our hearts (Galatians 5:22). Christ didn’t come that you might have sadness; He came that you might have a full life. (John 10:10) The book of Nehemiah records a time when the people of Israel came back into their homeland after spending 70 years in exile. They began to rebuild their home in the ‘land of promise’. Israel was regaining her homeland and returning to faith. The book of the law had been discovered and Nehemiah called the people together to have Ezra conduct a public reading of God’s law. The Israelites had different stages of reaction to the law. First, they fell into repentant sorrow. Second, they began to praise and worship the Lord. Third, they celebrated the “Feast of Booths” as the law commanded. The result was great joy! Nehemiah told them, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” It is a great blessing to FIND JOY IN THE WORD. (8:1-4, 8-12) It was in the reading of the Word that the people saw two things: their need for repentance and their joy at God’s forgiveness. We need repentance! God blesses the penitent heart, and we also need some serious introspection! Psalm 51:17 states, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me…. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Repentance doesn’t lead us to depression, but celebration! God forgives; his love causes him to forgive and we are the beneficiaries of his grace. Romans 2:4, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” Repentance is changing our minds concerning our sin. We need to keep a humble, penitent heart. We cannot celebrate without repentance! When we look at the word we both repent and celebrate! It is blessing to know that we CAN FIND JOY IN THE WORSHIP OF GOD (8:5-6)When Ezra read the word of the Lord there were both jubilation (raised hands & Amens!) and supplication (face down in prayer and reverence). There is joy in our personal and congregational worship to the Lord. It is written in Psalm 16:11, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 100 is a song or praise and worship to Almighty God. In James 5:13b is written, “….Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” In James 5:13a, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray….” Our times of worship should involve a bringing of our needs to the Father; this implies trust. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” It is a blessing to know that Joy can be found in the Word and in the Worship of God. It is also a blessing to know that we CAN FIND JOY IN THE WILL OF GOD (14-18). Joy can be found today for all Christians! It is found in the Word of the Lord, in the Worship of the Lord, and in the Will of the Lord! This joy is strength for us. Let us come to the sources that can produce joy in our lives, so that we will have the strength to fight the good fight, to finish our course and keep the faith! “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones”(Proverbs 17:22). “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" (Psalm 20:5).
In His Joy,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPeVIuRjUi4
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 5-29-08
Good morning,
In our Wednesday Evening meetings we have been studying a book by John Ortberg, "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat". It is about moving beyond our comfort zone. It is about risking, trusting, and walking by faith.
George Muller said, “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 reads, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” The Lord is searching for the faithful. God is seeking those who realize that faith begins where man’s power ends – those who realize that God is bigger than mere human beings and man’s limited wisdom, and who walk in obedience. This message addresses the correspondence between faith and obedience.
Alexander Maclaren stated, “Unbelief is the mother of . . . disobedience. Faith is voluntary submission [to God] . . . If faith is not exercised . . . it lies in the . . . pride of independence, which says, ‘Who is Lord over us? Why should we have to depend on Jesus Christ?’ As faith is obedience and submission, so faith breeds obedience, but unbelief leads on to higher-handed rebellion . . . the less one trusts, the more he disobeys; the more he disobeys, the less he trusts.”
We must come to see that if we are walking in disobedience to God it is because we have a faith problem and we trust in ourselves, or in man’s help, over God’s help. God really wants to show us that he is strong on our behalf – that he really wants to work through us; but that he will only work through those who are obedient and faithful. Relying on God first and foremost leads to victory, and the Lord desires to fight for us! There is a good example of this principle found in 2 Chronicles 20. Moab and Ammon came against Judah and its King Jehoshaphat, and the Scripture records Jehoshaphat’s response. When he realized what he was up against he cried out, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (v. 12). King Jehoshaphat basically declared, “This is not humanly possibly; however all things are possible with God! My hope and my trust are in you Lord!” And in response God said, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!” (v. 17). Jehoshaphat and all Judah responded by worshipping the Lord (v. 18), and in worship their entire focus and attention, and all of their hope was in the Lord. Instead of fearfully and reluctantly walking into battle, Judah marched confidently, while singing praises to God, and the Scripture declares, “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” (v. 22). Whenever we rely on God over human ingenuity, and place our confidence in him, then the Lord will fight for us, and win the battle for us! II Chronicles 20:9 declares, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” God searches for those whose hearts are “loyal” to him. “God searches for the ‘faithful’.” In Psalm 12:1 we read that the faithful man is one who is “godly.” In Psalm 101:6 a faithful person is “he who walks in a perfect way.” In Micah 7:2 the faithful man is one who is “upright,” or does that which is right. In Luke 19:17 we get the idea that a faithful person is someone who makes good use of even the smallest resources given by the Lord; and related to that, in 1 Corinthians 4:2 a faithful person is a good steward. In Revelation 2:10 a faithful follower is one who remains strong even in the face of persecution and death. In summary, a loyal and faithful person is one who makes sure that God comes first in his life, who honors the Lord in all he does, and who will be sold out and a die hard follower of God and seek to be obedient, and seek God’s guidance and strength to help him in any task or effort commanded by the Lord.
Henry Blackaby said that the Lord likes to give us “God-sized” tasks, or assignments that are too big for us to do in our own strength. God does this so we will rely on him, and so that he receives all the glory in the end. Being obedient to what God asks of us, and making sure that he is our source of strength will enable the Lord to fight on our behalf, and to “show Himself strong” – or to bring glory to himself. God will show himself strong through those who lean wholly on him for their strength. If we ask God for help, he will answer us in order to show the world that he is a faithful and powerful God. Jesus stated in John 14:13, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” God wants to be shown strong – he wants to be glorified!
In Christ,
Brown
In our Wednesday Evening meetings we have been studying a book by John Ortberg, "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat". It is about moving beyond our comfort zone. It is about risking, trusting, and walking by faith.
George Muller said, “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 reads, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” The Lord is searching for the faithful. God is seeking those who realize that faith begins where man’s power ends – those who realize that God is bigger than mere human beings and man’s limited wisdom, and who walk in obedience. This message addresses the correspondence between faith and obedience.
Alexander Maclaren stated, “Unbelief is the mother of . . . disobedience. Faith is voluntary submission [to God] . . . If faith is not exercised . . . it lies in the . . . pride of independence, which says, ‘Who is Lord over us? Why should we have to depend on Jesus Christ?’ As faith is obedience and submission, so faith breeds obedience, but unbelief leads on to higher-handed rebellion . . . the less one trusts, the more he disobeys; the more he disobeys, the less he trusts.”
We must come to see that if we are walking in disobedience to God it is because we have a faith problem and we trust in ourselves, or in man’s help, over God’s help. God really wants to show us that he is strong on our behalf – that he really wants to work through us; but that he will only work through those who are obedient and faithful. Relying on God first and foremost leads to victory, and the Lord desires to fight for us! There is a good example of this principle found in 2 Chronicles 20. Moab and Ammon came against Judah and its King Jehoshaphat, and the Scripture records Jehoshaphat’s response. When he realized what he was up against he cried out, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (v. 12). King Jehoshaphat basically declared, “This is not humanly possibly; however all things are possible with God! My hope and my trust are in you Lord!” And in response God said, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!” (v. 17). Jehoshaphat and all Judah responded by worshipping the Lord (v. 18), and in worship their entire focus and attention, and all of their hope was in the Lord. Instead of fearfully and reluctantly walking into battle, Judah marched confidently, while singing praises to God, and the Scripture declares, “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” (v. 22). Whenever we rely on God over human ingenuity, and place our confidence in him, then the Lord will fight for us, and win the battle for us! II Chronicles 20:9 declares, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” God searches for those whose hearts are “loyal” to him. “God searches for the ‘faithful’.” In Psalm 12:1 we read that the faithful man is one who is “godly.” In Psalm 101:6 a faithful person is “he who walks in a perfect way.” In Micah 7:2 the faithful man is one who is “upright,” or does that which is right. In Luke 19:17 we get the idea that a faithful person is someone who makes good use of even the smallest resources given by the Lord; and related to that, in 1 Corinthians 4:2 a faithful person is a good steward. In Revelation 2:10 a faithful follower is one who remains strong even in the face of persecution and death. In summary, a loyal and faithful person is one who makes sure that God comes first in his life, who honors the Lord in all he does, and who will be sold out and a die hard follower of God and seek to be obedient, and seek God’s guidance and strength to help him in any task or effort commanded by the Lord.
Henry Blackaby said that the Lord likes to give us “God-sized” tasks, or assignments that are too big for us to do in our own strength. God does this so we will rely on him, and so that he receives all the glory in the end. Being obedient to what God asks of us, and making sure that he is our source of strength will enable the Lord to fight on our behalf, and to “show Himself strong” – or to bring glory to himself. God will show himself strong through those who lean wholly on him for their strength. If we ask God for help, he will answer us in order to show the world that he is a faithful and powerful God. Jesus stated in John 14:13, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” God wants to be shown strong – he wants to be glorified!
In Christ,
Brown
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 5-28-08
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for the gift of this new day. It is beginning look a lot like summer. The days are longer and they are starting to get warmer. The rhododendrons by the parsonage are beginning to bloom with exotic color. Alice and I are getting back into a holy habit of walking. We see the children playing t-ball, and the teeners are playing baseball in the local town park. As I drove toward the countryside yesterday, I noticed that the meadows and the hills are in full bloom. In his poem, "Daffodils", William Wordsworth reflected on the mystical Divine presence in nature. We do not worship nature; we worship the Lord God Almighty, who created the trees, the flowers, the hills, and the mountains by His word. In one of the Psalms King David said, "the little hills are laughing".
As David continued to look upward, in Psalm 62, he struggled to find a metaphor that would come close to describing how satisfied he was with God. As king, David had put on some fabulous feasts. As he thought back to the best banquet he ever had, it paled in comparison to the contentment he experienced on a daily basis with God. Look at verse 5, “My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods…” In the Bible, a satisfying meal is often representative of heavenly happiness. The pleasure found in God is compared to the pleasure found in eating. That’s why we have mid week meals in our church. We love to eat and fellowship. We say to each other, "Lord be with you till we eat again".
Isaiah 25:6 states, “On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples…” Jesus broke bread with his disciples, and Revelation 19:9 promises blessings to those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb. Our Lord was accused of eating too much and too often. His critics even called Him a glutton. In 1 Peter 2:2, we are called to drink the milk of the Word of God, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” Hebrews 5:13-14 challenges us to add solid food to our spiritual diet so that we can mature in our faith, “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” The last part of Psalm 63:5 shows us that since David was fully satisfied with his bountiful banquet, and so he couldn’t help but break into praise, “with singing lips my mouth will praise you.” Even though he found himself in the desert with nothing to eat physically, his soul was satisfied with God Himself. He chose to praise God even though his present situation was not very good.
I talked to someone yesterday who has gone through some very tough things this week. I loved her response when I asked her how she’s doing. This is what she said, “I’m not going to let Satan steal my joy. No matter how bad things look, God is still good and I have chosen to praise Him!” In verse 6, David’s mind went to those times when he laid awake at night and could not sleep. This psalm is really cool because it covers all of life it begins by focusing on seeking the Lord in the early morning, enjoying Him as we eat our meals, and then remembering Him at night. “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.” The Lord should be in the first and last thoughts of our day.
One church member has a sign in from of his garage which states, "when you can’t fall asleep, don’t count sheep but talk to the shepherd". At night, when your mind is filled with fear and worry, praise God on your pillow! Remember what He has done and meditate on His goodness. In this passage, David was probably thinking of the times he joined the Levites in their shifts of praise through the night. This is indicated by his words referencing the “watches of the night.” He could not join them physically, but he could still praise God in the middle of the night. David's full confidence that God would help him deal with his situation is reflected in verse 7, “Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.” The picture here is of a baby chick running for refuge under the wings of a hen. In describing His love for people, Jesus said in Matthew 23:37, “…How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” God’s love is also compared to that of an eagle with its young, as in Deuteronomy 32:11, “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.” The wings of an eagle can be up to nine feet long and provide a wonderful hiding place. Because they are so strong, eagles can effortlessly snatch up their young and carry them to safety. Because David experienced this protection, he sang in the shadow of God’s wings. In verse 8, David not only sang; he also clung to God, “My soul clings to you…” David held on to God with everything he had. The KJV translates it this way, “My soul followeth hard after thee.” I like that. The idea is to catch something after a long pursuit. We’re to be vigorous, not lazy or apathetic. Once we find God, we’re to be glued to Him. The Hebrew literally means, “to stick fast”, but we don’t have to do all this on our own. Look at the last part of this verse, “…your right hand upholds me.” We cling to God and He’s holding us in His powerful right hand. That reminds me of what Jesus said in John 10:29-30 when speaking of the security that His sheep enjoy, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” Let us focus inward and ask, “Am I longing for God?” Second, let us focus upward, and ask, “Am I living for God?” That leads us to the last sign in the desert as we focus forward and ask, “Am I looking for God?” After longing for God and living for Him, David looked ahead to the battle in front of him. The ordering of events is significant. When we sing and cling, then we can handle anything! Notice how David expected God to work, as expressed in verses 9-10, “They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.” The army commanded by Absalom would attack the next morning but instead of fearing, David was looking for God to do His work. These prophetic words were literally fulfilled when God routed the enemies of David, recorded in 2 Samuel 18:7-8. “There the army of Israel was defeated by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great--twenty thousand men. The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword.” Several years ago, a book came out that challenged Christians to go on a “God-hunt” by looking for Him to do His work in the course of our every day lives. Often, however, we’re so busy that we don’t stop, look, and listen for God. The psalm ends in verse 11 with David expressing confidence, “But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise Him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.” There’s an enemy out there for each of us. Our personal enemy may be a person. Maybe it’s a situation or an addiction. We know that Satan and his wicked forces are at work. Can we look forward and say, “God will do His work and I will rejoice in God?” When we put Him first and go after Him hard, we can rejoice in His supremacy. The Lord's side will win and those are on His team will glory in His victory. Solomon, one of David’s sons, learned the hard way that nothing is worth giving your life to, unless it is to God himself. He threw himself into his career, personal pleasure, building projects, relationships, possessions, and education. He found no fulfillment in the things that many of us still think will provide us with meaning. I encourage you to read his diary of despair preserved for us in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. Nothing satisfies but God. His conclusion is stated in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man.” In Christ,
Brown
http://youtube.com/watch?v=c-Jkktpp9QI&feature=related
Praise the Lord for the gift of this new day. It is beginning look a lot like summer. The days are longer and they are starting to get warmer. The rhododendrons by the parsonage are beginning to bloom with exotic color. Alice and I are getting back into a holy habit of walking. We see the children playing t-ball, and the teeners are playing baseball in the local town park. As I drove toward the countryside yesterday, I noticed that the meadows and the hills are in full bloom. In his poem, "Daffodils", William Wordsworth reflected on the mystical Divine presence in nature. We do not worship nature; we worship the Lord God Almighty, who created the trees, the flowers, the hills, and the mountains by His word. In one of the Psalms King David said, "the little hills are laughing".
As David continued to look upward, in Psalm 62, he struggled to find a metaphor that would come close to describing how satisfied he was with God. As king, David had put on some fabulous feasts. As he thought back to the best banquet he ever had, it paled in comparison to the contentment he experienced on a daily basis with God. Look at verse 5, “My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods…” In the Bible, a satisfying meal is often representative of heavenly happiness. The pleasure found in God is compared to the pleasure found in eating. That’s why we have mid week meals in our church. We love to eat and fellowship. We say to each other, "Lord be with you till we eat again".
Isaiah 25:6 states, “On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples…” Jesus broke bread with his disciples, and Revelation 19:9 promises blessings to those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb. Our Lord was accused of eating too much and too often. His critics even called Him a glutton. In 1 Peter 2:2, we are called to drink the milk of the Word of God, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” Hebrews 5:13-14 challenges us to add solid food to our spiritual diet so that we can mature in our faith, “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” The last part of Psalm 63:5 shows us that since David was fully satisfied with his bountiful banquet, and so he couldn’t help but break into praise, “with singing lips my mouth will praise you.” Even though he found himself in the desert with nothing to eat physically, his soul was satisfied with God Himself. He chose to praise God even though his present situation was not very good.
I talked to someone yesterday who has gone through some very tough things this week. I loved her response when I asked her how she’s doing. This is what she said, “I’m not going to let Satan steal my joy. No matter how bad things look, God is still good and I have chosen to praise Him!” In verse 6, David’s mind went to those times when he laid awake at night and could not sleep. This psalm is really cool because it covers all of life it begins by focusing on seeking the Lord in the early morning, enjoying Him as we eat our meals, and then remembering Him at night. “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.” The Lord should be in the first and last thoughts of our day.
One church member has a sign in from of his garage which states, "when you can’t fall asleep, don’t count sheep but talk to the shepherd". At night, when your mind is filled with fear and worry, praise God on your pillow! Remember what He has done and meditate on His goodness. In this passage, David was probably thinking of the times he joined the Levites in their shifts of praise through the night. This is indicated by his words referencing the “watches of the night.” He could not join them physically, but he could still praise God in the middle of the night. David's full confidence that God would help him deal with his situation is reflected in verse 7, “Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.” The picture here is of a baby chick running for refuge under the wings of a hen. In describing His love for people, Jesus said in Matthew 23:37, “…How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” God’s love is also compared to that of an eagle with its young, as in Deuteronomy 32:11, “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.” The wings of an eagle can be up to nine feet long and provide a wonderful hiding place. Because they are so strong, eagles can effortlessly snatch up their young and carry them to safety. Because David experienced this protection, he sang in the shadow of God’s wings. In verse 8, David not only sang; he also clung to God, “My soul clings to you…” David held on to God with everything he had. The KJV translates it this way, “My soul followeth hard after thee.” I like that. The idea is to catch something after a long pursuit. We’re to be vigorous, not lazy or apathetic. Once we find God, we’re to be glued to Him. The Hebrew literally means, “to stick fast”, but we don’t have to do all this on our own. Look at the last part of this verse, “…your right hand upholds me.” We cling to God and He’s holding us in His powerful right hand. That reminds me of what Jesus said in John 10:29-30 when speaking of the security that His sheep enjoy, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” Let us focus inward and ask, “Am I longing for God?” Second, let us focus upward, and ask, “Am I living for God?” That leads us to the last sign in the desert as we focus forward and ask, “Am I looking for God?” After longing for God and living for Him, David looked ahead to the battle in front of him. The ordering of events is significant. When we sing and cling, then we can handle anything! Notice how David expected God to work, as expressed in verses 9-10, “They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.” The army commanded by Absalom would attack the next morning but instead of fearing, David was looking for God to do His work. These prophetic words were literally fulfilled when God routed the enemies of David, recorded in 2 Samuel 18:7-8. “There the army of Israel was defeated by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great--twenty thousand men. The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword.” Several years ago, a book came out that challenged Christians to go on a “God-hunt” by looking for Him to do His work in the course of our every day lives. Often, however, we’re so busy that we don’t stop, look, and listen for God. The psalm ends in verse 11 with David expressing confidence, “But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise Him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.” There’s an enemy out there for each of us. Our personal enemy may be a person. Maybe it’s a situation or an addiction. We know that Satan and his wicked forces are at work. Can we look forward and say, “God will do His work and I will rejoice in God?” When we put Him first and go after Him hard, we can rejoice in His supremacy. The Lord's side will win and those are on His team will glory in His victory. Solomon, one of David’s sons, learned the hard way that nothing is worth giving your life to, unless it is to God himself. He threw himself into his career, personal pleasure, building projects, relationships, possessions, and education. He found no fulfillment in the things that many of us still think will provide us with meaning. I encourage you to read his diary of despair preserved for us in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. Nothing satisfies but God. His conclusion is stated in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man.” In Christ,
Brown
http://youtube.com/watch?v=c-Jkktpp9QI&feature=related
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 5-27-08
Praise the Lord!
The Lord gave us a glorious and gracious long weekend. The weather was warm and brilliant. Janice, Jeremy, Micah, Simeon, Laureen, and Alice had a wonderful weekend in beautiful Burlington, Vermont. Our friends Linda and Warren went all out to spoil them. Now they are all back in their respective dwelling places, having arrived safely last evening. We heard from Sunita, who is currently in Uganda, where she arrived safely. Sunita tells me Uganda is a beautiful country. It is called the pearl of Africa. It is the size of England, and has a population of 42 million people. The dominant religion is the Christian Faith. The river Nile originates in Uganda and flows North. It is the mega-mango season in Uganda.
Jessica and Tom came home for the weekend. We had a very blessed time together. I had a weekend full with visitations, wedding, worship services, and a funeral. Because of Jesus we can do life and death well. The man who died had been blessed with two children, 4 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His son, daughter, and their families love Jesus, and are involved in serving Christ. Both son and daughter spoke about how their dad loved them, how he loved Jesus, and that they have the blessed assurance of seeing him in the presence of Jesus some day.
We were blessed with a marvelous Memorial Day yesterday. My brother Caleb and his wife Sandhya cooked lots of Indian foods, including all kinds of desserts. We praise Jesus for His generosity and grace.
The Psalm for Sunday was taken from Psalm 62. It is a psalm of King David, which he wrote while he was in the wilderness. There were two times when David was out in the wilderness of the Judean desert. The first time was when King Saul was hunting him down in the later chapters of 1 Samuel. The second time David was on the run was when his son Absalom had conspired against his own father and declared himself king, according to 2 Samuel. We know from Psalm 63:11 that David was the king when he wrote this psalm (Psalm 62), so the setting must have been when he was fleeing from Absalom, since he wasn’t king when Saul was chasing him. After David had sinned with Bathsheba and sent her husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle, Nathan the prophet rebuked him by saying, “You are the man”. In 2 Samuel 12:7, David was told that things were going to fracture in his own family in verse 11: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you…’” In 2 Samuel 15, David’s son Absalom obtained a chariot, some horses and 50 men. Then, for four years, he got up early and met with people at the city gate to resolve their legal claims. When people would bow down to him, he would take hold of them and embrace them. As a result, verse 6 tells us, “He stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” Absalom then set up a rival throne in Hebron and declared himself to be king. Instead of choosing to fight, David fled to the wilderness. Verse 30 reveals that David left Jerusalem weeping, his head covered in shame, the hot sand of the desert burning his royal feet as he ran for his life. David was probably wondering what was going on. This was his son, whom he dearly loved! This wasn’t supposed to happen! It didn’t make sense. He was lonely, sad, broken hearted, and afraid for his own life. He was betrayed by his boy, exiled from his own throne, and humiliated in the desert.
Are you experiencing something similar today? Are you faced with something that just doesn’t make sense? Have you been rocked by some bad news? Has someone pulled the rug out from under you? Do you feel like you’re just wandering in the wilderness? It’s not always bad to be in the wilderness. Wilderness wanderings create a thirst for God because when He’s all we have, He’s all we want. David had lost everything and now he was able to find the only thing that will truly satisfy, God Himself. Psalm 63 is a song that will lead us to true satisfaction no matter what has happened to us. Before David was forced into the wilderness he was obsessed with his own comfort and the satisfaction of his own needs. It was only when everything was taken from him that he became obsessed with God Himself once again, finding full satisfaction in his praise of Him. What are you obsessed with today? (An obsession is an “abnormal or intense pre-occupation; an irrational reverence or attachment.”) What is it that compels and constrains you? Is it your position? A hobby? A sport? Money? A relationship? Do you obsess about a possession? Are you preoccupied with your health or with your family? Or do you have an “irrational reverence and attachment” to God? How much God do you really want in your life? In Psalm 63, David refers to God 21 times in 11 short verses! He is obsessed with the Omnipotent, and attached to the Almighty. I suspect that most of you really want to find full satisfaction in your relationship with God. This reminds me of the man who bought an expensive hunting dog and, eager to see how he would perform, he took off tracking a bear. No sooner had they arrived in the woods than the dog picked up the trail, but then the dog stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had caught the scent of a deer that had crossed the bear’s path. A few minutes later he halted again, this time smelling a rabbit. Every couple minutes the dog would stop and follow a different trail. Finally the breathless hunter caught up with his dog, only to find him barking triumphantly down the hole of a field mouse. Sometimes we’re a lot like this dog. We start out with high resolve, keeping Christ first in our lives. We know the answer to the first question posed by the Westminster Confession: “What is the chief end of man?” - “To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever" - but our attention is often diverted to things of lesser importance. Most of us are more empty than we care to admit. We know in our hearts that we can only find satisfaction and security in God, but we usually look everywhere else first. When we find that we are wandering in the wilderness, we are often forced to admit that what the world offers doesn’t last, because it promises more than it can deliver.
When God is all we have, then He’s all we want. To say it another way, when we allow the Lord to totally possess us, we will be obsessed with Him. As we walk through the wilderness of our own wanderings, this psalm has guidance to get us back on track, so that our souls can be fully satisfied with God once again. Psalm 63 has been called, “The soul of the psalms” and was sung by the early church every day. Let’s look at it closely in order to find the love that is better than life itself. David began by taking a look on the inside, and recognized that the only thing he had left was God. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1) Notice that David used a personal pronoun to describe his relationship and attachment, as he said, “My God.” He used two different words for God to show that Elohim (the general term for God) is his El, (the mighty and strong God). David sought God earnestly. He used a phrase that referred to the early dawn. It spoke of the idea of seeking God as the first thing we do. Proverbs 8:17 in the KJV captured it this way, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” One way we can tell if we’re really longing for God is if we are turning our thoughts to Him as soon as we wake up. Psalm 5:3 states, “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” David, though he was in a desert with no water, longed for God more than for a drink. David was dry and weary in his spirit. He wasn’t as close to God as he had been when he was a shepherd boy. As he focused inward he could tell that something was missing. He craved for intimacy with the Infinite as he reflected back to his prior worship experiences, as reflected in verse 2, “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.” David, in this passage, was not longing for the temple building or even his fellow worshippers. He treasured the privilege he had to see the power and glory of God. That should be our aim in worship as well. We should come with the expectation of praising His power and gazing on His glory! The elements of the service should point us to God’s glory, which means, “weightiness,” allowing us to savor in His supremacy. David echoed the words of Moses from Exodus 33:18, “Now show me your glory.” We should be obsessed with nothing less. Verse 3 gives us the summary of David’s search for satisfaction, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” David never got over the fact that God loved him with a covenant-keeping commitment and, as a result, he valued the favor and friendship of God above everything else. Life is not worth living unless it is lived in full recognition of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ our Lord, who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In the deepest sense, God’s love is life itself. Jesus put it this way in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Life is more than just eating and drinking. If we use Botox to get rid of wrinkles, or exercise so that we live a few years longer, we may improve our looks or lengthen our lives, but to what purpose or at what cost? If we don’t possess the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord, then our obsessions are pointless and useless. Though we may improve our superficial selves, what does it really matter if we never experience the love of God? It is better not to exist at all, than to live without the loving kindness of God.
Because David knew the love of God personally, the last part of verse 3 says that he glorified God with his lips. He responded to God in praise and he gave testimony of God’s love to others. We who are recipients of God’s favor are constrained to share it with others.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-UDWk6e_aE
The Lord gave us a glorious and gracious long weekend. The weather was warm and brilliant. Janice, Jeremy, Micah, Simeon, Laureen, and Alice had a wonderful weekend in beautiful Burlington, Vermont. Our friends Linda and Warren went all out to spoil them. Now they are all back in their respective dwelling places, having arrived safely last evening. We heard from Sunita, who is currently in Uganda, where she arrived safely. Sunita tells me Uganda is a beautiful country. It is called the pearl of Africa. It is the size of England, and has a population of 42 million people. The dominant religion is the Christian Faith. The river Nile originates in Uganda and flows North. It is the mega-mango season in Uganda.
Jessica and Tom came home for the weekend. We had a very blessed time together. I had a weekend full with visitations, wedding, worship services, and a funeral. Because of Jesus we can do life and death well. The man who died had been blessed with two children, 4 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His son, daughter, and their families love Jesus, and are involved in serving Christ. Both son and daughter spoke about how their dad loved them, how he loved Jesus, and that they have the blessed assurance of seeing him in the presence of Jesus some day.
We were blessed with a marvelous Memorial Day yesterday. My brother Caleb and his wife Sandhya cooked lots of Indian foods, including all kinds of desserts. We praise Jesus for His generosity and grace.
The Psalm for Sunday was taken from Psalm 62. It is a psalm of King David, which he wrote while he was in the wilderness. There were two times when David was out in the wilderness of the Judean desert. The first time was when King Saul was hunting him down in the later chapters of 1 Samuel. The second time David was on the run was when his son Absalom had conspired against his own father and declared himself king, according to 2 Samuel. We know from Psalm 63:11 that David was the king when he wrote this psalm (Psalm 62), so the setting must have been when he was fleeing from Absalom, since he wasn’t king when Saul was chasing him. After David had sinned with Bathsheba and sent her husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle, Nathan the prophet rebuked him by saying, “You are the man”. In 2 Samuel 12:7, David was told that things were going to fracture in his own family in verse 11: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you…’” In 2 Samuel 15, David’s son Absalom obtained a chariot, some horses and 50 men. Then, for four years, he got up early and met with people at the city gate to resolve their legal claims. When people would bow down to him, he would take hold of them and embrace them. As a result, verse 6 tells us, “He stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” Absalom then set up a rival throne in Hebron and declared himself to be king. Instead of choosing to fight, David fled to the wilderness. Verse 30 reveals that David left Jerusalem weeping, his head covered in shame, the hot sand of the desert burning his royal feet as he ran for his life. David was probably wondering what was going on. This was his son, whom he dearly loved! This wasn’t supposed to happen! It didn’t make sense. He was lonely, sad, broken hearted, and afraid for his own life. He was betrayed by his boy, exiled from his own throne, and humiliated in the desert.
Are you experiencing something similar today? Are you faced with something that just doesn’t make sense? Have you been rocked by some bad news? Has someone pulled the rug out from under you? Do you feel like you’re just wandering in the wilderness? It’s not always bad to be in the wilderness. Wilderness wanderings create a thirst for God because when He’s all we have, He’s all we want. David had lost everything and now he was able to find the only thing that will truly satisfy, God Himself. Psalm 63 is a song that will lead us to true satisfaction no matter what has happened to us. Before David was forced into the wilderness he was obsessed with his own comfort and the satisfaction of his own needs. It was only when everything was taken from him that he became obsessed with God Himself once again, finding full satisfaction in his praise of Him. What are you obsessed with today? (An obsession is an “abnormal or intense pre-occupation; an irrational reverence or attachment.”) What is it that compels and constrains you? Is it your position? A hobby? A sport? Money? A relationship? Do you obsess about a possession? Are you preoccupied with your health or with your family? Or do you have an “irrational reverence and attachment” to God? How much God do you really want in your life? In Psalm 63, David refers to God 21 times in 11 short verses! He is obsessed with the Omnipotent, and attached to the Almighty. I suspect that most of you really want to find full satisfaction in your relationship with God. This reminds me of the man who bought an expensive hunting dog and, eager to see how he would perform, he took off tracking a bear. No sooner had they arrived in the woods than the dog picked up the trail, but then the dog stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had caught the scent of a deer that had crossed the bear’s path. A few minutes later he halted again, this time smelling a rabbit. Every couple minutes the dog would stop and follow a different trail. Finally the breathless hunter caught up with his dog, only to find him barking triumphantly down the hole of a field mouse. Sometimes we’re a lot like this dog. We start out with high resolve, keeping Christ first in our lives. We know the answer to the first question posed by the Westminster Confession: “What is the chief end of man?” - “To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever" - but our attention is often diverted to things of lesser importance. Most of us are more empty than we care to admit. We know in our hearts that we can only find satisfaction and security in God, but we usually look everywhere else first. When we find that we are wandering in the wilderness, we are often forced to admit that what the world offers doesn’t last, because it promises more than it can deliver.
When God is all we have, then He’s all we want. To say it another way, when we allow the Lord to totally possess us, we will be obsessed with Him. As we walk through the wilderness of our own wanderings, this psalm has guidance to get us back on track, so that our souls can be fully satisfied with God once again. Psalm 63 has been called, “The soul of the psalms” and was sung by the early church every day. Let’s look at it closely in order to find the love that is better than life itself. David began by taking a look on the inside, and recognized that the only thing he had left was God. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1) Notice that David used a personal pronoun to describe his relationship and attachment, as he said, “My God.” He used two different words for God to show that Elohim (the general term for God) is his El, (the mighty and strong God). David sought God earnestly. He used a phrase that referred to the early dawn. It spoke of the idea of seeking God as the first thing we do. Proverbs 8:17 in the KJV captured it this way, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” One way we can tell if we’re really longing for God is if we are turning our thoughts to Him as soon as we wake up. Psalm 5:3 states, “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” David, though he was in a desert with no water, longed for God more than for a drink. David was dry and weary in his spirit. He wasn’t as close to God as he had been when he was a shepherd boy. As he focused inward he could tell that something was missing. He craved for intimacy with the Infinite as he reflected back to his prior worship experiences, as reflected in verse 2, “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.” David, in this passage, was not longing for the temple building or even his fellow worshippers. He treasured the privilege he had to see the power and glory of God. That should be our aim in worship as well. We should come with the expectation of praising His power and gazing on His glory! The elements of the service should point us to God’s glory, which means, “weightiness,” allowing us to savor in His supremacy. David echoed the words of Moses from Exodus 33:18, “Now show me your glory.” We should be obsessed with nothing less. Verse 3 gives us the summary of David’s search for satisfaction, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” David never got over the fact that God loved him with a covenant-keeping commitment and, as a result, he valued the favor and friendship of God above everything else. Life is not worth living unless it is lived in full recognition of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ our Lord, who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In the deepest sense, God’s love is life itself. Jesus put it this way in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Life is more than just eating and drinking. If we use Botox to get rid of wrinkles, or exercise so that we live a few years longer, we may improve our looks or lengthen our lives, but to what purpose or at what cost? If we don’t possess the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord, then our obsessions are pointless and useless. Though we may improve our superficial selves, what does it really matter if we never experience the love of God? It is better not to exist at all, than to live without the loving kindness of God.
Because David knew the love of God personally, the last part of verse 3 says that he glorified God with his lips. He responded to God in praise and he gave testimony of God’s love to others. We who are recipients of God’s favor are constrained to share it with others.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-UDWk6e_aE
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