Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this first day of August. Praise the Lord for this first Friday of August. Praise the Lord for the first Sunday of this new month. As we get ready for the Lord's Day, I am reflecting on Hebrews 13:12-15, where it is written, "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood... Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name." Praising God is easy when everything is good and working out well. It’s a lot tougher when the world is crashing around you. Matthew Henry, a British scholar famous for his commentary on the Bible, was once attacked up by thieves who stole his wallet. After the incident he wrote in his diary, "Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed."
The author of Hebrews calls upon to praise God for the hope we have – even in the middle of everything going wrong. He speaks of the “Sacrifice of Praise”.In the Hebrew the word altar means “a place of slaughter or sacrifice”. The altar was a place where the Israelites carried out their spiritual rituals and religious practices of offering up some type of sacrifice to God as a form of worship. All through the Book of Hebrews there has been but one message, that the new way of Jesus is better than the old way of Moses. The new way of the covenant of grace is better than the old way of covenant of law. Now we read that we are to worship at a new altar – not with sacrifices of dead animals but with the sacrifice of praise – the fruit of our lips. The sacrifice of praise refers to a place where we can come and be with God as we fellowship with him. Our Altar of Worship is a place of Safety. "Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Hebrews 13:1-3 We are called to a life of sacrifice." Rick Warren’s wife Kay has cancer. [He wrote "The Purpose Driven Life] Rick sends out a letter every week through his web site, and a recent one said, “So many of you have asked about Kay’s progress in her treatment for cancer, so we wanted to give you an update. We are a little over halfway through her 12- week chemo-regimen. Yesterday she had a great day at the hospital until the chemo effects kicked in, and she quickly deteriorated into misery and major nausea. The rest of the day was very rough as nurses tried to ease her pain. Today, Kay feels wiped out from all the meds they’ve given her, along with the expected fatigue and nausea from the chemo. I’ve kept all visitors away, so the room is quiet for hours. The less going on, the better it is for her. "Between caring for Kay’s basic needs, I sit quietly and think a lot and thank God for my wife, and God’s amazing invention of marriage. With all its ups and downs and “in sickness and health,” I’m certain that marriage is God’s primary tool to teach us unselfishness, sensitivity, sacrifice, and mature love. I want to thank you for your prayers for Kay. My wife is the love of my life, and this is what God intended families to do - to care for each other in need, even if it means cutting back your ministry for a season. I’d want every other husband in ministry to do the same if the situation arose in his family. God blesses us when we keep our commitments to each other." In Genesis 8:20-22 we read of an altar that Noah built to worship God after the flood had destroyed the earth. Here at this altar God spoke to Noah and gave His entire creation a promise. “Then Noah build an altar to the Lord . . . never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”
At one time Howard Hughes was the richest man in the world. All he ever really wanted in life was more. He wanted more money, so he parlayed inherited wealth into a billion-dollar pile of assets. He wanted more fame, so he broke into the Hollywood scene and soon became a filmmaker and star. He wanted more sensual pleasures, so he paid handsome sums to indulge his every sexual urge. He wanted more thrills, so he designed, built, and piloted the fastest aircraft in the world. He wanted more power, so he secretly dealt political favors so skillfully that two US presidents became his pawns. All he ever wanted was more. He was absolutely convinced that more would bring him true satisfaction. Unfortunately, history shows otherwise. He concluded his life emaciated; colorless; sunken chest; fingernails in grotesque, inches-long corkscrews; rotting, black teeth; tumors; innumerable needle marks from his drug addiction. Howard Hughes died believing the myth of more. He died a billionaire junkie, insane by all reasonable standards. (Bill Hybels in Leadership, Vol. X #3 Summer, 1989, p38). God’s promise to us is simple - You will never be alone! The altar of our worship is a place of trust where we rest on his promise to always be there for us . . . this faithfulness is our sacrifice of praise and the fruit of our lips. Our altar of worship is a place of testimony. In April 1998, a series of tornadoes ripped through the southern part of the United States. The day after one of the storms had hit, the NPR program, "All Things Considered" aired a story about a congregation called the Church of the Open Door. Their church building had been destroyed the previous day. Terrified children had been in a choir rehearsal at the time of the storm. When the pastor saw the storm coming, he quickly gathered all the children in the churches main hallway. There they huddled together as the winds ripped the church apart. In an effort to calm the children’s fears, the pastor had led them in singing, “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” Although some of the children were hurt, miraculously no one was killed. The most penetrating part of the broadcast was the report of a little girl who said, “While we were singing, I saw angels holding up the hallway. But the winds were so strong that the angels shouted, “We need help!” and some more angels came to help.” That little girl will never forget what she saw, and she knows that angels are watching over the little children, and that they are precious in Jesus sight. Their last breath was and ours is to be a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of their lips and of our lips.
In Christ,
Brown
This weekend our local area will be holding its annual Spiedie Fest, held at Otseningo Park near Route 81. Part of the Spiedie Fest will be a "Hope Tent", a setting for worship, prayer, music, and praise. Stop in and be blessed.
Please join us tonight by turning in to channel 4 at 7 p.m.
Beginning next Saturday, August 9, we will be having a Saturday evening service, with worship being led by Jeff and Keisha Blaine.
Laureen and Alice arrived home yesterday, with Alice at the wheel of a 14 foot U-Haul (scary!)
Friday, August 1, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 7-31-08
Good Morning,
In his book "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life", Pastor Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley (some of you might know that it was Huxley who promoted Darwinism and Humanism in his attacks on Christianity). Huxley was in Dublin and was rushing to catch a train. He climbed aboard one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver -"Hurry, I’m almost late ... drive fast". Off they went at a furious pace and Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. After a while Huxley opened his eyes and glanced out the window to notice that they were going in the wrong direction. Realizing that he hadn’t told the driver where to take him he called out ‘do you know where you’re going?’ The driver replied "No, your honor, but I am driving very fast’. Following false religions and having false beliefs will take us no where very quickly. When many in the world believe that the Bible, Islam’s Koran, are all teaching the truth, but from different views or various portions of the truth – those who are called out by Christ and are committed to Christ are steadfast in their belief that Jesus Christ is the only Truth.
There is a story of a captain of the ship who looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signal man to send a message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south.” Promptly a return message was received: “Alter your course 10 degrees north.”The captain was angered; his command had been ignored. So he sent a 2nd message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south – I am the captain!” Soon another message was received: “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am seaman 3rd class Jones.” Immediately the captain sent a 3rd message, knowing the fear it would evoke: “Alter your course 10 degrees south – I am a battleship!” Then the reply came: “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am a light house.” We live in a world that wants Christians to just shut up and hide in a closet. Much of the world wishes that Christians would just go away. The Lord is calling for Christians to be that light house. He is calling us to be that beacon of light, hope, and grace in a dark sea of lost religions. Paul in Colossians 1, is praying for believers, to stand faithful during difficult times. Paul points out 3 fundamental traits of Christian character that should be evident in the life of those in whom the gospel seed has taken root: There are 3 things a Faithful Christian must have: Paul mentions faith, love, and hope - . Our problem is that we put so much of a premium on our ability to understand and comprehend that when we do not understand something we have a tendency to force ourselves to learn what we do not know and sometimes cannot know. It is said that knowledge is power. It seems to me that the Bible teaches that true power comes from faith, love, and hope. This is a triad theme in vs. 3-5. These are foundational in Pauline theology. (1 Cor 13:13). These virtues should be increasingly evident in our lives if the seed is doing what it is supposed to do. Faith begins the process. A true child of God will love other believers. “Faith in Christ purges us of our selfishness and affinity for sinners and gives us a new attraction to the people of God. Our love for fellow Christians is a reflection of His love for us. It is also obedience to His command to “love one another, even as I have loved you” (John 13:34).” (John Mac Aruthur). But the reality is that we sometimes have a problem with love. Too often the believer is not controlled by a memory of God working to redeem in the past. Instead we have memories of betrayal and abandonment from people in our life who have hurt us. Sometimes we feel that way when life doesn’t happen the way we expect and we question God, “Where were you when my mother died?” or “How could God let this happen, He must have abandoned me.” When betrayal colors our past and indecision is the lens thru which we see the future, the present is experienced as a place of powerlessness in which we feel unable to love. Max Anders writes, “With out a memory of God in the past, it would be foolish to have faith. Without the memory of God in the future, hope is impossible. Without faith and hope, love will never be a reality.” The Gospel of Jesus Christ is like a seed in that it is a dynamic force that shatters the hard, story soil of sin and takes root as new life. This Christian faith, was not just another god to worship or religious cult within the Roman Empire and Colosse. It was and is the good news for the whole world. The gospel transcends ethnic, geographic, cultural, and political boundaries. There many types of good news out there. As good as they may be, they pale in comparison to the good news of Jesus Christ. Christ has solved the problem of sin thru His death, burial, and resurrection. Paul gives us great summary of the gospel in his letter to the church in Corinth. 1--Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2--by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3--For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4--and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5--and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6--After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7--then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8--and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. This is truly good news! There is no condemnation – it is salvation to all who place their faith in Christ.God’s Truth (the Gospel) will constantly bear fruit because it is not a stagnant system of beliefs or ethics. It is living, it moves believers, and it is a growing reality. When the Gospel enters into a heart it begins working within that person. The gospel possesses a divine energy that causes it to spread like a mustard seed growing into a tree (Matt. 13:31-32). Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase the beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it." We have a symphony of beautiful news, good news and there is a world of dying people waiting to hear it .
In Christ,
Brown
Christianity is not a theory or speculation, but a life; not a philosophy of life, but a living presence. -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Christian life consists of faith and charity. -- Martin Luther
The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life. -- James L. Christensen
Life is an adventure in forgiveness. -- Norman Cousins
The fewer the words, the better the prayer. -- Martin Luther
Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens. -- Daniel Webster
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because I see everything by it. -- C.S. Lewis
To be like Christ is to be a Christian. -- Daniel Webster
The measure of a Christian is not in the height of his grasp but in the depth of his love. -- Clarence Jordan
A Christian is a keyhole through which other folk see God. -- Robert E. Gibson
We should live our lives as though Christ was coming this afternoon. - Jimmy Carter
In his book "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life", Pastor Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley (some of you might know that it was Huxley who promoted Darwinism and Humanism in his attacks on Christianity). Huxley was in Dublin and was rushing to catch a train. He climbed aboard one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver -"Hurry, I’m almost late ... drive fast". Off they went at a furious pace and Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. After a while Huxley opened his eyes and glanced out the window to notice that they were going in the wrong direction. Realizing that he hadn’t told the driver where to take him he called out ‘do you know where you’re going?’ The driver replied "No, your honor, but I am driving very fast’. Following false religions and having false beliefs will take us no where very quickly. When many in the world believe that the Bible, Islam’s Koran, are all teaching the truth, but from different views or various portions of the truth – those who are called out by Christ and are committed to Christ are steadfast in their belief that Jesus Christ is the only Truth.
There is a story of a captain of the ship who looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signal man to send a message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south.” Promptly a return message was received: “Alter your course 10 degrees north.”The captain was angered; his command had been ignored. So he sent a 2nd message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south – I am the captain!” Soon another message was received: “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am seaman 3rd class Jones.” Immediately the captain sent a 3rd message, knowing the fear it would evoke: “Alter your course 10 degrees south – I am a battleship!” Then the reply came: “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am a light house.” We live in a world that wants Christians to just shut up and hide in a closet. Much of the world wishes that Christians would just go away. The Lord is calling for Christians to be that light house. He is calling us to be that beacon of light, hope, and grace in a dark sea of lost religions. Paul in Colossians 1, is praying for believers, to stand faithful during difficult times. Paul points out 3 fundamental traits of Christian character that should be evident in the life of those in whom the gospel seed has taken root: There are 3 things a Faithful Christian must have: Paul mentions faith, love, and hope - . Our problem is that we put so much of a premium on our ability to understand and comprehend that when we do not understand something we have a tendency to force ourselves to learn what we do not know and sometimes cannot know. It is said that knowledge is power. It seems to me that the Bible teaches that true power comes from faith, love, and hope. This is a triad theme in vs. 3-5. These are foundational in Pauline theology. (1 Cor 13:13). These virtues should be increasingly evident in our lives if the seed is doing what it is supposed to do. Faith begins the process. A true child of God will love other believers. “Faith in Christ purges us of our selfishness and affinity for sinners and gives us a new attraction to the people of God. Our love for fellow Christians is a reflection of His love for us. It is also obedience to His command to “love one another, even as I have loved you” (John 13:34).” (John Mac Aruthur). But the reality is that we sometimes have a problem with love. Too often the believer is not controlled by a memory of God working to redeem in the past. Instead we have memories of betrayal and abandonment from people in our life who have hurt us. Sometimes we feel that way when life doesn’t happen the way we expect and we question God, “Where were you when my mother died?” or “How could God let this happen, He must have abandoned me.” When betrayal colors our past and indecision is the lens thru which we see the future, the present is experienced as a place of powerlessness in which we feel unable to love. Max Anders writes, “With out a memory of God in the past, it would be foolish to have faith. Without the memory of God in the future, hope is impossible. Without faith and hope, love will never be a reality.” The Gospel of Jesus Christ is like a seed in that it is a dynamic force that shatters the hard, story soil of sin and takes root as new life. This Christian faith, was not just another god to worship or religious cult within the Roman Empire and Colosse. It was and is the good news for the whole world. The gospel transcends ethnic, geographic, cultural, and political boundaries. There many types of good news out there. As good as they may be, they pale in comparison to the good news of Jesus Christ. Christ has solved the problem of sin thru His death, burial, and resurrection. Paul gives us great summary of the gospel in his letter to the church in Corinth. 1--Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2--by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3--For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4--and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5--and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6--After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7--then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8--and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. This is truly good news! There is no condemnation – it is salvation to all who place their faith in Christ.God’s Truth (the Gospel) will constantly bear fruit because it is not a stagnant system of beliefs or ethics. It is living, it moves believers, and it is a growing reality. When the Gospel enters into a heart it begins working within that person. The gospel possesses a divine energy that causes it to spread like a mustard seed growing into a tree (Matt. 13:31-32). Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase the beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it." We have a symphony of beautiful news, good news and there is a world of dying people waiting to hear it .
In Christ,
Brown
Christianity is not a theory or speculation, but a life; not a philosophy of life, but a living presence. -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Christian life consists of faith and charity. -- Martin Luther
The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life. -- James L. Christensen
Life is an adventure in forgiveness. -- Norman Cousins
The fewer the words, the better the prayer. -- Martin Luther
Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens. -- Daniel Webster
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because I see everything by it. -- C.S. Lewis
To be like Christ is to be a Christian. -- Daniel Webster
The measure of a Christian is not in the height of his grasp but in the depth of his love. -- Clarence Jordan
A Christian is a keyhole through which other folk see God. -- Robert E. Gibson
We should live our lives as though Christ was coming this afternoon. - Jimmy Carter
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 7-30-08
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for the long days of summer. Praise the Lord for all the seasons the Lord does give us. He gives us everything we need for life and for righteousness. We live in a culture where we are always looking for the miraculous. We are always searching for the miraculous. “God, please send us a miracle. Fix this for us, and fix it really, really, really, really quick.” It is recorded in the Word of the Lord, a story about a man who was searching for a miracle. He was like many of us, he was searching for a miracle for 38 years. The guy was persistent, “Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate, a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda, which is surrounded by five covered colonnades, “The miracle by the pool.” It has again a summer motif. “Here a great number of disabled people used to lie – the blind were there, the lame, the paralyzed, and there was one who was there who had been an invalid for 38 years.” We read up this amazing story in John 5. Jesus is coming back to Jerusalem, and He walks into this area called Bethesda. He’s walking in , and He sees these big porticos, these big porches that are covered, and He sees hundreds, of handicapped people that are laying around these porches, all just staring at the waters of Bethesda. People had traveled for miles just to be able to lay around the porches around this pool. Why? Well, there was an urban legend back in the day that said that an angel would fly over these pools, then he would begin to stir the waters, and then the waters would become an instrument of miraculous healing, and the first person that was handicapped, that were to get in the waters after the angel stirred them, would be healed instantly. And so, that’s why people traveled from all over just to sit at the chance that just maybe, “Just maybe I’m going to get the miracle that I have always dreamed of having”. And the Bible introduces our star character. He says there was a guy who had been handicapped for 38 years, who was lying around the pool. Every once in a while there would be a bubbling up from the bottom of the pool or a ripple across the surface and it would be instant chaos – people diving in from all over and always this one guy who was too late. The people who were sitting around the pool of Bethesda that day, they were not only physically handicapped, but were many of them just like you and I that were spiritually handicapped, and they were struggling, and they were just waiting for healing in their life. Jesus walks in, and He sees the pool, and He sees the handicapped people, and He walks straight over to this guy who had struggled with his handicap for 38 years. What does He say to him? Do you want to be well? When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?” John 5:6, It says when Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him,” “Do you want to be well?” That’s the question. Do you want to be well? Thirty-eight years the guy’s been struggling with this. He hasn’t been able to have a regular job. He hasn’t been able to take care of himself. He’s had people waiting on him hand and foot.” Jesus approached the guy, He is approaching you today, wherever it is that you are sitting, and He’s asking you the same question: “Do you want to get well?” Exodus 15:26, it says, “For I am the Lord, who heals you.” This word “heal” is Jehovah Rapha, which means, the Lord our healer. It means that Jesus is the spiritual surgeon of the soul with grace and mercy, and love and compassion, He looks down into your handicap, and He can bring healing like nothing else can bring healing. Do you want to be well? “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” What does the guy say? You’ve got the Creator of the universe standing in front of you. This is your chance to experience healing. John 5:7, “Sir, the invalid replied, I have nobody to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else always goes down ahead of me.” God is bigger than all of your problems. God is bigger than anything that we can throw at Him. Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. John 5:8-9. Jesus looks at this guy after he whines off a bunch of excuses, then Jesus said to him, “Get up!” There is an exclamation point there. It says, “Pick up your mat and walk. At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and he walked.” Jesus didn’t ask him, . He told him. He said, “Get up!” and because he obeyed what God was asking him to do, he experienced the miraculous. He was able to walk. He was able to run. He was able to swim. He was able to climb, all because he obeyed what God was asking him to do. Obedience precedes the miraculous, but so many of us aren’t interested in the obedience thing. But, the common theme that we see spread throughout Scripture is that obedience precedes the miraculous. God told Moses, take off your sandals. Because he took off his sandals, he led the children of Israel out of slavery. God told Noah, “Go build yourself an ark,” and he did it, even though everybody was making fun of him. He told Naaman, “Go dip seven times.” He was a leper. His skin was falling off. He obeyed; he was healed. Jesus told Peter, “Come to me on the water.” Peter obeyed. The miraculous happened. He walked on the water. He told the blind man, “Go wash the mud off.” Because he obeyed, he was able to see. Our obedience precedes the miraculous.
Trust and Obey,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnUZUkxkeXY
Praise the Lord for the long days of summer. Praise the Lord for all the seasons the Lord does give us. He gives us everything we need for life and for righteousness. We live in a culture where we are always looking for the miraculous. We are always searching for the miraculous. “God, please send us a miracle. Fix this for us, and fix it really, really, really, really quick.” It is recorded in the Word of the Lord, a story about a man who was searching for a miracle. He was like many of us, he was searching for a miracle for 38 years. The guy was persistent, “Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate, a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda, which is surrounded by five covered colonnades, “The miracle by the pool.” It has again a summer motif. “Here a great number of disabled people used to lie – the blind were there, the lame, the paralyzed, and there was one who was there who had been an invalid for 38 years.” We read up this amazing story in John 5. Jesus is coming back to Jerusalem, and He walks into this area called Bethesda. He’s walking in , and He sees these big porticos, these big porches that are covered, and He sees hundreds, of handicapped people that are laying around these porches, all just staring at the waters of Bethesda. People had traveled for miles just to be able to lay around the porches around this pool. Why? Well, there was an urban legend back in the day that said that an angel would fly over these pools, then he would begin to stir the waters, and then the waters would become an instrument of miraculous healing, and the first person that was handicapped, that were to get in the waters after the angel stirred them, would be healed instantly. And so, that’s why people traveled from all over just to sit at the chance that just maybe, “Just maybe I’m going to get the miracle that I have always dreamed of having”. And the Bible introduces our star character. He says there was a guy who had been handicapped for 38 years, who was lying around the pool. Every once in a while there would be a bubbling up from the bottom of the pool or a ripple across the surface and it would be instant chaos – people diving in from all over and always this one guy who was too late. The people who were sitting around the pool of Bethesda that day, they were not only physically handicapped, but were many of them just like you and I that were spiritually handicapped, and they were struggling, and they were just waiting for healing in their life. Jesus walks in, and He sees the pool, and He sees the handicapped people, and He walks straight over to this guy who had struggled with his handicap for 38 years. What does He say to him? Do you want to be well? When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?” John 5:6, It says when Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him,” “Do you want to be well?” That’s the question. Do you want to be well? Thirty-eight years the guy’s been struggling with this. He hasn’t been able to have a regular job. He hasn’t been able to take care of himself. He’s had people waiting on him hand and foot.” Jesus approached the guy, He is approaching you today, wherever it is that you are sitting, and He’s asking you the same question: “Do you want to get well?” Exodus 15:26, it says, “For I am the Lord, who heals you.” This word “heal” is Jehovah Rapha, which means, the Lord our healer. It means that Jesus is the spiritual surgeon of the soul with grace and mercy, and love and compassion, He looks down into your handicap, and He can bring healing like nothing else can bring healing. Do you want to be well? “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” What does the guy say? You’ve got the Creator of the universe standing in front of you. This is your chance to experience healing. John 5:7, “Sir, the invalid replied, I have nobody to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else always goes down ahead of me.” God is bigger than all of your problems. God is bigger than anything that we can throw at Him. Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. John 5:8-9. Jesus looks at this guy after he whines off a bunch of excuses, then Jesus said to him, “Get up!” There is an exclamation point there. It says, “Pick up your mat and walk. At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and he walked.” Jesus didn’t ask him, . He told him. He said, “Get up!” and because he obeyed what God was asking him to do, he experienced the miraculous. He was able to walk. He was able to run. He was able to swim. He was able to climb, all because he obeyed what God was asking him to do. Obedience precedes the miraculous, but so many of us aren’t interested in the obedience thing. But, the common theme that we see spread throughout Scripture is that obedience precedes the miraculous. God told Moses, take off your sandals. Because he took off his sandals, he led the children of Israel out of slavery. God told Noah, “Go build yourself an ark,” and he did it, even though everybody was making fun of him. He told Naaman, “Go dip seven times.” He was a leper. His skin was falling off. He obeyed; he was healed. Jesus told Peter, “Come to me on the water.” Peter obeyed. The miraculous happened. He walked on the water. He told the blind man, “Go wash the mud off.” Because he obeyed, he was able to see. Our obedience precedes the miraculous.
Trust and Obey,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnUZUkxkeXY
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 7-29-08
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the Summer days. It is full blown Monsoon Season in India. The day after we left India it began to rain torrentially in Orissa. The rivers and streams were overflowing along with the springs erupting from the hills and mountains. Our Lord Jesus during His ministry on earth spent much time outdoors, including the hills, mountains and the beaches. Often the boat would become His pulpit and the mountainsides became amphitheaters. One of the delightful and awe provoking messages of the Bible is the message in the story of the feeding of the five thousand. The story has a summer motif. The Lord is gearing up for a mega picnic, out in the hills of Galilee looking down the beaches of the Sea of Galilee. Imagine, going out on a picnic with Jesus. It is mind boggling. This story is one of the few told in all four Gospels, and in every version, the disciples are hung up by trying to do the math themselves. Five thousand men plus women and children, and they're all hungry. The disciples don’t have enough money to buy food for them, and they only have the small amount of bread and fish that they have brought themselves. Providing for the crowd is impossible, they will have to leave and fend for themselves. The math is more than obvious. Jesus our Lord, however, is completely untroubled by the unbalanced equation. Jesus knows about the new math, the math of the Kingdom, where whatever you have plus the power of God always equals whatever you need. He divides the group, multiplies the loaves and fish, and there is not only enough food for everybody, there are 12 baskets of leftovers. Going back hundreds of years we find the prophet Elisha doing much the same thing. Here comes a man bringing food from the first fruits of his garden. That’s language for the tithe…you brought a tenth of your income to God before you did anything else…and in an agricultural society, that income was likely to be the crop from the first harvest or the firstborn lamb in birthing season. So he comes with his tithe to Elisha, the man of God, and Elijah tells him to feed a hundred people with it. "But what I have won’t feed a hundred people!" cries the man. "It’s not enough…do the math!" But Elisha, like Jesus, knows about the new math. "Let God worry about balancing the equation," says Elisha. "Put the food before the people." He does, and again there is not only enough, but some left over. People often spend a whole lot of time…lifetimes even, trying to figure out whether some of the biblical miracles are possible with the logic and science that we know. . One thing is clear throughout the Bible, and that is that our Lord can do what ever He well pleases. If God could create the entire universe with a Word, a few more loaves of bread are not going to be a big deal. God is not just a bigger, more powerful version of us…God is qualitatively different from us and trying to limit God to our math and our logic is like an ant colony trying to limit human behavior to the logic and instinct that guides their own lives. After the telling of the loaves and fishes story in the Gospel of Mark, the disciples get in a boat to head across the Sea of Galilee and become distressed when they realize that they have not brought enough food. They have only one loaf of bread for all 13 of them. Jesus can’t believe his ears. "Why are you talking about having no bread?" He asks them…probably banging His head against the mast. "Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" They said to Him, "Twelve." "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" And they said to Him, "Seven." Then He said to them, "Do you not yet understand?" That is still the question God asks of us today. "Do you not yet understand that I love to give? Do you not yet understand that if you give, your giving will be so blessed and multiplied that there will be more left over than you started with?"
Please take some time to pray for the following:
Larry who needs full-time employment.
Harvey Henson who is having chemo.
Nancy Henson will be having chemo.
Paul who has been admitted with a heart condition.
Barbara-upcoming knee replacement surgery.
Ron-upcoming surgery.
Patel, my brother in India with a special need.
Jeffrey-going through depression.
Mary Ann-who had a fall.
Mayda Dudley, 96 yrs. Old who had a fall.
Michelle Rucker-six more weeks of radiation.
Louise-heart condition.
Darren McPherson-pray for continued healing.
Michelle, Jessica and Erica-expectant moms.
Chris-health situation.
Connie-had surgery yesterday.
Tom Turgeon-who has cancer.
VBS program this week.
Praise the Lord for the full recovery from surgery for the following:
Al Smith
Jerry Adams
Praise the Lord for His mercy and grace. Our Lord is awesome, always and His mercy endures forever and His love never fails. He is more than wonderful.
Brown
Praise the Lord for the Summer days. It is full blown Monsoon Season in India. The day after we left India it began to rain torrentially in Orissa. The rivers and streams were overflowing along with the springs erupting from the hills and mountains. Our Lord Jesus during His ministry on earth spent much time outdoors, including the hills, mountains and the beaches. Often the boat would become His pulpit and the mountainsides became amphitheaters. One of the delightful and awe provoking messages of the Bible is the message in the story of the feeding of the five thousand. The story has a summer motif. The Lord is gearing up for a mega picnic, out in the hills of Galilee looking down the beaches of the Sea of Galilee. Imagine, going out on a picnic with Jesus. It is mind boggling. This story is one of the few told in all four Gospels, and in every version, the disciples are hung up by trying to do the math themselves. Five thousand men plus women and children, and they're all hungry. The disciples don’t have enough money to buy food for them, and they only have the small amount of bread and fish that they have brought themselves. Providing for the crowd is impossible, they will have to leave and fend for themselves. The math is more than obvious. Jesus our Lord, however, is completely untroubled by the unbalanced equation. Jesus knows about the new math, the math of the Kingdom, where whatever you have plus the power of God always equals whatever you need. He divides the group, multiplies the loaves and fish, and there is not only enough food for everybody, there are 12 baskets of leftovers. Going back hundreds of years we find the prophet Elisha doing much the same thing. Here comes a man bringing food from the first fruits of his garden. That’s language for the tithe…you brought a tenth of your income to God before you did anything else…and in an agricultural society, that income was likely to be the crop from the first harvest or the firstborn lamb in birthing season. So he comes with his tithe to Elisha, the man of God, and Elijah tells him to feed a hundred people with it. "But what I have won’t feed a hundred people!" cries the man. "It’s not enough…do the math!" But Elisha, like Jesus, knows about the new math. "Let God worry about balancing the equation," says Elisha. "Put the food before the people." He does, and again there is not only enough, but some left over. People often spend a whole lot of time…lifetimes even, trying to figure out whether some of the biblical miracles are possible with the logic and science that we know. . One thing is clear throughout the Bible, and that is that our Lord can do what ever He well pleases. If God could create the entire universe with a Word, a few more loaves of bread are not going to be a big deal. God is not just a bigger, more powerful version of us…God is qualitatively different from us and trying to limit God to our math and our logic is like an ant colony trying to limit human behavior to the logic and instinct that guides their own lives. After the telling of the loaves and fishes story in the Gospel of Mark, the disciples get in a boat to head across the Sea of Galilee and become distressed when they realize that they have not brought enough food. They have only one loaf of bread for all 13 of them. Jesus can’t believe his ears. "Why are you talking about having no bread?" He asks them…probably banging His head against the mast. "Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" They said to Him, "Twelve." "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" And they said to Him, "Seven." Then He said to them, "Do you not yet understand?" That is still the question God asks of us today. "Do you not yet understand that I love to give? Do you not yet understand that if you give, your giving will be so blessed and multiplied that there will be more left over than you started with?"
Please take some time to pray for the following:
Larry who needs full-time employment.
Harvey Henson who is having chemo.
Nancy Henson will be having chemo.
Paul who has been admitted with a heart condition.
Barbara-upcoming knee replacement surgery.
Ron-upcoming surgery.
Patel, my brother in India with a special need.
Jeffrey-going through depression.
Mary Ann-who had a fall.
Mayda Dudley, 96 yrs. Old who had a fall.
Michelle Rucker-six more weeks of radiation.
Louise-heart condition.
Darren McPherson-pray for continued healing.
Michelle, Jessica and Erica-expectant moms.
Chris-health situation.
Connie-had surgery yesterday.
Tom Turgeon-who has cancer.
VBS program this week.
Praise the Lord for the full recovery from surgery for the following:
Al Smith
Jerry Adams
Praise the Lord for His mercy and grace. Our Lord is awesome, always and His mercy endures forever and His love never fails. He is more than wonderful.
Brown
Monday, July 28, 2008
A word from Brown 7-26-08
Dear Friends,
Good Morning,
Due to some very unavoidable circumstances my travel back to New York was delayed . I just got back to New York last night around 2a.m. I am enclosing herewith some reflections by our friend Julie , who along with her son Alex traveled to India with us.
"On June 16th, Alex and I set out to be a blessing to those we met in Muklingia, Orissa India. However, God had a different plan in store for us. Our mission (so we thought) had to be put on hold due to a death in Pastor Brown Naik's family, his sister-in-law Lalamani. She died from complications of malaria. One full week of weeping, wailing and grieving. People came daily to help them cry. The tradition is no one in the house hold is to eat meat, or leave the house except to attend Church, until after the final memorial service. The memorial service concluded with over 2000 people having come by on that final Monday June 23, 2008 to pay their respects. It was like no other memorial service I had ever seen.
Sunday June 22, we attended church services in the village. This small building, a little bigger than our garage, held approximately 70-80 people. No pews, only a mat on the floor to sit on. There was a table at the front, with a podium. The pastor welcomed everyone, and then without a worship leader, began the most beautiful, wonderful worship service my heart had ever beheld. One bongo drum, one tamborine, and a multitude of voices as one, lifting up Praise to Jesus, their savior! Though they worshiped in their native tongue, and we had not a clue to what they were singing, Our spirits knew, and my heart was at home in their worship! In a culture that offers little hope, their worship begat HOPE! A breathe of New life filled the air! The Holy Spirit had come! To be there at that moment, worshipping with them, feeling the presence of Our Lord in that place, it was absolutely Incredible! Home with the Lord!! Worshipping in Spirit and in truth. We were the ones who were blessed! It became a giddy joy! To witness true worship, in the midst of persecution and poverty, sung from the center of their beings....with all that they were....they worshipped!
Amidst the mass amount of visual stimulae, beyond all the incredible differences between our culture and the India culture, through massive mental sifting, that went on for days after returning home, the One thing that stood out profoundly, that I always want to remember, was their INCREDIBLE worship!
W - Wonderful, worthy, wholeheartedly
O - One offering, ordained, overflowing
R - Resurrecting reverence, a refuge
S - Spirit filled, sanctified
H - Holy hope, honor, hearts desire
I - Imperishable in this
P - Place...Precious, Praise & Power
The last two days in India, we did get to spend time at Moorshead Memorial Christian Hospital which is springing back to life by the grace of God, after sitting dormant for almost 30 yrs. We celebrated the 1st graduation of Nurses since it reopened in 2003. We visited the Dugudi Orphanage and stayed with the orphans at Nanda Orphanage. They too, worshipped every morning, and evening. Those little ones sang at the top of their voices. God blessed Alex and I by allowing us to see and be a part of His plan for true worship.
We were blessed to watch God at work, against all odds, in a tiny, unheard of village, half way around the world. God Lives and has not ceased his work. The seed is planted and a mighty plant grows as written in Matt 13:31."
He Reigns!
Julie
Jesus isLord,
In Him,
Brown
Good Morning,
Due to some very unavoidable circumstances my travel back to New York was delayed . I just got back to New York last night around 2a.m. I am enclosing herewith some reflections by our friend Julie , who along with her son Alex traveled to India with us.
"On June 16th, Alex and I set out to be a blessing to those we met in Muklingia, Orissa India. However, God had a different plan in store for us. Our mission (so we thought) had to be put on hold due to a death in Pastor Brown Naik's family, his sister-in-law Lalamani. She died from complications of malaria. One full week of weeping, wailing and grieving. People came daily to help them cry. The tradition is no one in the house hold is to eat meat, or leave the house except to attend Church, until after the final memorial service. The memorial service concluded with over 2000 people having come by on that final Monday June 23, 2008 to pay their respects. It was like no other memorial service I had ever seen.
Sunday June 22, we attended church services in the village. This small building, a little bigger than our garage, held approximately 70-80 people. No pews, only a mat on the floor to sit on. There was a table at the front, with a podium. The pastor welcomed everyone, and then without a worship leader, began the most beautiful, wonderful worship service my heart had ever beheld. One bongo drum, one tamborine, and a multitude of voices as one, lifting up Praise to Jesus, their savior! Though they worshiped in their native tongue, and we had not a clue to what they were singing, Our spirits knew, and my heart was at home in their worship! In a culture that offers little hope, their worship begat HOPE! A breathe of New life filled the air! The Holy Spirit had come! To be there at that moment, worshipping with them, feeling the presence of Our Lord in that place, it was absolutely Incredible! Home with the Lord!! Worshipping in Spirit and in truth. We were the ones who were blessed! It became a giddy joy! To witness true worship, in the midst of persecution and poverty, sung from the center of their beings....with all that they were....they worshipped!
Amidst the mass amount of visual stimulae, beyond all the incredible differences between our culture and the India culture, through massive mental sifting, that went on for days after returning home, the One thing that stood out profoundly, that I always want to remember, was their INCREDIBLE worship!
W - Wonderful, worthy, wholeheartedly
O - One offering, ordained, overflowing
R - Resurrecting reverence, a refuge
S - Spirit filled, sanctified
H - Holy hope, honor, hearts desire
I - Imperishable in this
P - Place...Precious, Praise & Power
The last two days in India, we did get to spend time at Moorshead Memorial Christian Hospital which is springing back to life by the grace of God, after sitting dormant for almost 30 yrs. We celebrated the 1st graduation of Nurses since it reopened in 2003. We visited the Dugudi Orphanage and stayed with the orphans at Nanda Orphanage. They too, worshipped every morning, and evening. Those little ones sang at the top of their voices. God blessed Alex and I by allowing us to see and be a part of His plan for true worship.
We were blessed to watch God at work, against all odds, in a tiny, unheard of village, half way around the world. God Lives and has not ceased his work. The seed is planted and a mighty plant grows as written in Matt 13:31."
He Reigns!
Julie
Jesus isLord,
In Him,
Brown
Brown's Daily Word 7/28/08
Good Morning,
It is good to be back home. Thank you for praying for me while I was away.
Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.( Robert Frost). It was wonderful to be back in India though we had some very difficult times. Our Lord is faithful and always merciful. India, one of the world’s most colorful, exciting, and varied places, is popularly known as a land of ‘Unity in the midst of Diversities.’ It has the second largest population in the world and is projected to overtake China by 2030. The national language of India is Hindi, which is the first language of 30% of the population, most of whom live in the north. As the second most populous country, India comprises 28 states and 7 union territories. 70% of the total population are living in the rural areas. English and Hindi are used for official purposes by the Union Government, There are 23 official languages, and about 2000 dialects. Of the Indians, 80.5% Hindus, 13.4% Muslim (the second largest in the world), 2.3% Christians,(some estimate the Christian population is 15%, 1.9% Sikhs, 0.8% Buddhists, 0.4% Jains, Jews, Zoroastrians, Bahais and others. 8% of India's population are classified as tribal's. India was under foreign rule since 15th century, and completely under British rule since 1600 AD. India became independent in 1947, then the literacy was 12.2%. Now, 64.8% (53.7% female and 75.3% male). The state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate: 91%. Kerala is also the most christianized state.The literacy rate in G. Udayagiri is 82%. India is one of the emerging super powers. India and the USA have just signed a nuclear treaty.
I preached from Genesis 32, yesterday.. This is the story of Jacob going home.
Sometimes it’s hard to go home. It was for Jacob. Jacob was headed home for the first time in twenty years. Twenty years is a long time. A lot can change. On the other hand, sometimes things might not have changed. That too can make it hard. Going home means going back—old memories, old mistakes, old reputations. Sometimes people change while their gone. But the people back home don’t always know that. Back home, you’re still the same ornery little kid as before. When you go home, you have to listen to all of those embarrassing stories over and over again. For Jacob it was worse than that. He had made some mistakes. He had disappointed his dad. His brother hated him. Nobody liked him much. Jacob had left home to get away from all of that. Going away and starting over someplace else had seemed a lot easier than dealing with the mess he had made of his life. For Jacob it had all started the day he was born, actually before. He was the youngest of twin boys. Everybody always reminded him how he and Esau used to fight all the time. Even before they were born, Rebekah said she could feel them wrestling with one another. When Jacob was born, he came out grabbing his brother’s heel as if they had been fighting to see who got to go first. That was one of those embarrassing stories he would have to hear when he went home. His parent’s took these birth stories into account when they named him. They called him Jacob. He never knew for sure if they were trying to be cute, creative, or just mean. That Hebrew name meant grabber. As if that weren’t bad enough, his people used the same term for a cheater or swindler. Imagine growing up with a name like that. Maybe it was in an effort to make up for the name or maybe for some other reason, his mother always tended to take Jacob’s side. That only made matters worse. His brother not only teased him about his name. He also called him a “mamma’s boy.” As a result of all this, Jacob grew up with a chip on his shoulder. He was convinced that life had handed him the short end of the stick. He had something to prove. He became determined that nobody was going to take advantage of him and get away with it. As he grew up, Jacob grew into his name! Jacob was always finding ways to get back at his brother. Most of it was child’s play. But not always! Once when they were teenagers, Jacob was helping out in the kitchen. Mama’s boy, remember! Esau came in from hunting. He was tired and hungry. I mean really hungry. He asked Jacob to fix him something to eat. “Sure,” Jacob had said, “but it will cost you.” “Anything! I have to eat something. You name the price.” “Okay,” Jacob told him, “I will cook you up a bowl of your favorite stew. But only if I get to be treated like the older brother.” I am not sure we can totally understand how it worked in their culture. A person’s word was his bond. Once said, it was done. Esau said “yes” and sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. Maybe his blood sugar was low. Maybe he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. Esau lived to regret what he did. He would do his best to make sure Jacob regretted it too. Years later, the sibling rivalry boiled over. Dad’s health had deteriorated. He was rapidly losing his sight. Mom convinced him that it was time to divide up the family farm between the boys. In that society, inheritances were handled differently than today. Everything was verbal. A father would call in his sons one by one. He would lay his hands on their heads and speak a word of blessing that conferred the appropriate inheritance on each. Once spoken, the arrangements were irrevocable. When the day for the blessing arrived, Jacob and his mother cooked up a plan. Jacob disguised himself as his brother and tricked his nearly blind dad into giving him the blessing intended for his Esau. Isaac didn’t figure out what happened until after it was too late. Esau was furious. He even threatened to kill Jacob, brother or no brother. Jacob knew Esau meant business. So did their mother. Rebekah thought Jacob should leave for a while. She suggested he could visit her brother and family who lived a few hundred miles to the north. Esau could cool off a bit. Jacob might even find himself a good wife while he was there. Jacob left. He took nothing but the clothes on his back. That was twenty years ago. Maybe God has a sense of humor. Or maybe the Lord was giving Jacob some much needed lessons in the school of life. At any rate, when Jacob arrived in the distant land, he met his match. Jacob was just a rookie at con games compared to his father-in-law to be. Jacob met the girl of his dreams soon after he arrived. Rachel was the younger daughter of a wealthy herdsman named Laban. When approached about giving Rachel in marriage to the kinsman from Caanan, Laban surprised everyone by agreeing even though it was customary for a girl to wed only after her older sisters had married. But first, Laban insisted, Jacob would have to work as his servant for seven years. Jacob was smitten. He agreed. It wasn’t until the morning after his wedding night, seven years later, that Jacob realized his father-in-law had pulled a fast one. Laban switched daughters. He had Leah dawn the wedding veil and take her sister’s place. Jacob was furious. But like the blessing he had stolen from his brother, the words of marriage were irrevocable. The cheater had been cheated. Jacob still loved Rachel and wanted to marry her. Multiple wives were a common practice in those days just as it is in much of the Middle East today. Laban agreed to a second wedding, this time to Rachel, but only if Jacob promised another seven years of labor. This time Jacob married Rachel first and then served Laban for the seven years. The better he came to know his swindler of a father-in-law, the more clearly Jacob saw himself. He didn’t like what he saw. Jacob had planned to go home as soon as his fourteen years of service was up. But Laban convinced him to stay. He would pay him this time, he promised. Jacob stayed. After all, he didn’t really want to go home. He just wanted to get away from Laban. This time Jacob didn’t take any chances. He made sure everything worked his way. Six years later, Jacob not only had his wages, he had managed to gain control of the better part of Laban’s flocks. Twenty years ago, Jacob had left home alone with nothing but the clothes on his back. Now he heads back with flocks that number in the thousands, scores of servants, and eleven sons. But it was still hard to go home. Would he be welcome? Would his parents accept his children? Would Esau try to make good on his twenty year old threat? Would he be accepted back as a grown man? Or would he still be little Jacob “the Liar?” As he neared the border of his homeland, Jacob sent word ahead. It wouldn’t be good to surprise everybody after all of this time. His messengers return with word that his parents are overjoyed. Apparently his brother is too. Esau had headed out to meet him with band of four hundred armed men. “A security force to insure your safety,” the messengers suggest. Jacob doubts it. Four hundred men sound like more than security. Jacob panics. In his distress he does something unusual. He prays. It is not that he never prayed. In fact, he had gotten pretty close to the Lord just after he ran for his life twenty years ago. But prayer had never been his first impulse. But alone, on the night before he goes home, Jacob prays. “God help me. I don’t deserve it, but help me.” Did God hear his prayer? Will He rescue him? Jacob never did like uncertainty. There’s enough of the old Jacob still there that he determines to hedge his bets. He has to have a plan. He sends his messengers back with a gift for Esau. A little bribery couldn’t hurt. He then orders his herds and servants divided into two groups. If Esau attacks, maybe the second group can get away. He puts his family at the rear. The last group crosses the border just as the sun goes down. The next day, Jacob will be home—one way or another. Jacob wades back across the river. He needs to be alone. Just as the darkness settles in, Jacob hears a noise in the brush behind him. Before he can reach his weapon, a man grabs him and throws him to the ground. What follows is hard to describe. Two figures wrestle. It is hand to hand combat, down and dirty as only wrestling can be. Jacob is fighting for his life. At first, he probably thought it was Esau or one of his men. At some point, he realizes that this is no mere man in whose grasp he found himself. Later, he would say he had wrestled with God. Hosea the prophet describes Jacob’s opponent as an angel (12:3-4). Maybe it was God in the form of an angel. However you describe it, Jacob was in the hands of God. He had prayed for God’s help. But this wasn’t what he had expected. Obviously, God, or even his angel, could have easily handled the likes of Jacob with the flick of his finger, like we might a pesky mosquito. But he didn’t. Maybe it was like a father arm wrestling with his little boy. Dad can whip him any time he wants. But he doesn’t. He knows this is not about winning or losing. With hands locked in combat, a father can teach his boy about persistence, endurance, and character. All night the two wrestle—Jacob and this God-Man-Angel. After hours of battle, the Mystery Man reaches down and touches Jacob’s hip. His hip slides from its socket. He winces in horrible pain. But still he doesn’t let go. “I won’t let go until you bless me,” he cries. For the first time in Jacob’s life he didn’t run away or try to con himself out of a hard spot. “I will bless you,” the Man says. “First tell me your name.” As if God didn’t already know His name! A life time of memories floods his mind. Memories of teasing, of guilt, of shame. He had felt it every time he had to say his name as a child. Now this God-Man makes him say it again. Finally, he relents. “My name is Jacob!” “Jacob, I will bless you just as you have asked. To you belong the blessings of your father Isaac and your grandfather Abraham.” That would have been enough. But the Lord wasn’t finished. “I have one more blessing. No longer are you Jacob, the deceiver. You will now be known as Israel—the man who wrestled with God.” With those words the God-Man was gone. Our text came over the horizon just as this happened. This was the day Jacob was to go home. He never made it. Instead, a man named Israel limped home in his place. Twenty years before Jacob ran away he thought he was leaving his problems behind. But like they always do, our real problems have a way of following us. We can blame our difficulties on circumstances, or our family, even our enemies. A new home, a new job, a new church, a new wife or new husband—that’s the secret to the good life. How many times have we heard that? Maybe said it? That makes about as much sense as trying to outrun your own shadow. The real problems of life are never OUT THERE. They are always IN HERE. If we’re lucky we’ll learn what Jacob learned sooner rather than later. No one is ever free from their past mistakes until he or she wrestles with the spiritual issues of life. On the other hand, no matter who we are, how much of a dirty rotten scoundrel we’ve been, how far we’ve strayed, or how proud and self-willed we’ve been, when we want God’s blessing more than life itself, we will get it. Every time! Guaranteed! That’s what Jesus meant when he said a person can’t enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again (Jn 3:3). It is also why the Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17).
In Christ,
Brown
It is good to be back home. Thank you for praying for me while I was away.
Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.( Robert Frost). It was wonderful to be back in India though we had some very difficult times. Our Lord is faithful and always merciful. India, one of the world’s most colorful, exciting, and varied places, is popularly known as a land of ‘Unity in the midst of Diversities.’ It has the second largest population in the world and is projected to overtake China by 2030. The national language of India is Hindi, which is the first language of 30% of the population, most of whom live in the north. As the second most populous country, India comprises 28 states and 7 union territories. 70% of the total population are living in the rural areas. English and Hindi are used for official purposes by the Union Government, There are 23 official languages, and about 2000 dialects. Of the Indians, 80.5% Hindus, 13.4% Muslim (the second largest in the world), 2.3% Christians,(some estimate the Christian population is 15%, 1.9% Sikhs, 0.8% Buddhists, 0.4% Jains, Jews, Zoroastrians, Bahais and others. 8% of India's population are classified as tribal's. India was under foreign rule since 15th century, and completely under British rule since 1600 AD. India became independent in 1947, then the literacy was 12.2%. Now, 64.8% (53.7% female and 75.3% male). The state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate: 91%. Kerala is also the most christianized state.The literacy rate in G. Udayagiri is 82%. India is one of the emerging super powers. India and the USA have just signed a nuclear treaty.
I preached from Genesis 32, yesterday.. This is the story of Jacob going home.
Sometimes it’s hard to go home. It was for Jacob. Jacob was headed home for the first time in twenty years. Twenty years is a long time. A lot can change. On the other hand, sometimes things might not have changed. That too can make it hard. Going home means going back—old memories, old mistakes, old reputations. Sometimes people change while their gone. But the people back home don’t always know that. Back home, you’re still the same ornery little kid as before. When you go home, you have to listen to all of those embarrassing stories over and over again. For Jacob it was worse than that. He had made some mistakes. He had disappointed his dad. His brother hated him. Nobody liked him much. Jacob had left home to get away from all of that. Going away and starting over someplace else had seemed a lot easier than dealing with the mess he had made of his life. For Jacob it had all started the day he was born, actually before. He was the youngest of twin boys. Everybody always reminded him how he and Esau used to fight all the time. Even before they were born, Rebekah said she could feel them wrestling with one another. When Jacob was born, he came out grabbing his brother’s heel as if they had been fighting to see who got to go first. That was one of those embarrassing stories he would have to hear when he went home. His parent’s took these birth stories into account when they named him. They called him Jacob. He never knew for sure if they were trying to be cute, creative, or just mean. That Hebrew name meant grabber. As if that weren’t bad enough, his people used the same term for a cheater or swindler. Imagine growing up with a name like that. Maybe it was in an effort to make up for the name or maybe for some other reason, his mother always tended to take Jacob’s side. That only made matters worse. His brother not only teased him about his name. He also called him a “mamma’s boy.” As a result of all this, Jacob grew up with a chip on his shoulder. He was convinced that life had handed him the short end of the stick. He had something to prove. He became determined that nobody was going to take advantage of him and get away with it. As he grew up, Jacob grew into his name! Jacob was always finding ways to get back at his brother. Most of it was child’s play. But not always! Once when they were teenagers, Jacob was helping out in the kitchen. Mama’s boy, remember! Esau came in from hunting. He was tired and hungry. I mean really hungry. He asked Jacob to fix him something to eat. “Sure,” Jacob had said, “but it will cost you.” “Anything! I have to eat something. You name the price.” “Okay,” Jacob told him, “I will cook you up a bowl of your favorite stew. But only if I get to be treated like the older brother.” I am not sure we can totally understand how it worked in their culture. A person’s word was his bond. Once said, it was done. Esau said “yes” and sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. Maybe his blood sugar was low. Maybe he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. Esau lived to regret what he did. He would do his best to make sure Jacob regretted it too. Years later, the sibling rivalry boiled over. Dad’s health had deteriorated. He was rapidly losing his sight. Mom convinced him that it was time to divide up the family farm between the boys. In that society, inheritances were handled differently than today. Everything was verbal. A father would call in his sons one by one. He would lay his hands on their heads and speak a word of blessing that conferred the appropriate inheritance on each. Once spoken, the arrangements were irrevocable. When the day for the blessing arrived, Jacob and his mother cooked up a plan. Jacob disguised himself as his brother and tricked his nearly blind dad into giving him the blessing intended for his Esau. Isaac didn’t figure out what happened until after it was too late. Esau was furious. He even threatened to kill Jacob, brother or no brother. Jacob knew Esau meant business. So did their mother. Rebekah thought Jacob should leave for a while. She suggested he could visit her brother and family who lived a few hundred miles to the north. Esau could cool off a bit. Jacob might even find himself a good wife while he was there. Jacob left. He took nothing but the clothes on his back. That was twenty years ago. Maybe God has a sense of humor. Or maybe the Lord was giving Jacob some much needed lessons in the school of life. At any rate, when Jacob arrived in the distant land, he met his match. Jacob was just a rookie at con games compared to his father-in-law to be. Jacob met the girl of his dreams soon after he arrived. Rachel was the younger daughter of a wealthy herdsman named Laban. When approached about giving Rachel in marriage to the kinsman from Caanan, Laban surprised everyone by agreeing even though it was customary for a girl to wed only after her older sisters had married. But first, Laban insisted, Jacob would have to work as his servant for seven years. Jacob was smitten. He agreed. It wasn’t until the morning after his wedding night, seven years later, that Jacob realized his father-in-law had pulled a fast one. Laban switched daughters. He had Leah dawn the wedding veil and take her sister’s place. Jacob was furious. But like the blessing he had stolen from his brother, the words of marriage were irrevocable. The cheater had been cheated. Jacob still loved Rachel and wanted to marry her. Multiple wives were a common practice in those days just as it is in much of the Middle East today. Laban agreed to a second wedding, this time to Rachel, but only if Jacob promised another seven years of labor. This time Jacob married Rachel first and then served Laban for the seven years. The better he came to know his swindler of a father-in-law, the more clearly Jacob saw himself. He didn’t like what he saw. Jacob had planned to go home as soon as his fourteen years of service was up. But Laban convinced him to stay. He would pay him this time, he promised. Jacob stayed. After all, he didn’t really want to go home. He just wanted to get away from Laban. This time Jacob didn’t take any chances. He made sure everything worked his way. Six years later, Jacob not only had his wages, he had managed to gain control of the better part of Laban’s flocks. Twenty years ago, Jacob had left home alone with nothing but the clothes on his back. Now he heads back with flocks that number in the thousands, scores of servants, and eleven sons. But it was still hard to go home. Would he be welcome? Would his parents accept his children? Would Esau try to make good on his twenty year old threat? Would he be accepted back as a grown man? Or would he still be little Jacob “the Liar?” As he neared the border of his homeland, Jacob sent word ahead. It wouldn’t be good to surprise everybody after all of this time. His messengers return with word that his parents are overjoyed. Apparently his brother is too. Esau had headed out to meet him with band of four hundred armed men. “A security force to insure your safety,” the messengers suggest. Jacob doubts it. Four hundred men sound like more than security. Jacob panics. In his distress he does something unusual. He prays. It is not that he never prayed. In fact, he had gotten pretty close to the Lord just after he ran for his life twenty years ago. But prayer had never been his first impulse. But alone, on the night before he goes home, Jacob prays. “God help me. I don’t deserve it, but help me.” Did God hear his prayer? Will He rescue him? Jacob never did like uncertainty. There’s enough of the old Jacob still there that he determines to hedge his bets. He has to have a plan. He sends his messengers back with a gift for Esau. A little bribery couldn’t hurt. He then orders his herds and servants divided into two groups. If Esau attacks, maybe the second group can get away. He puts his family at the rear. The last group crosses the border just as the sun goes down. The next day, Jacob will be home—one way or another. Jacob wades back across the river. He needs to be alone. Just as the darkness settles in, Jacob hears a noise in the brush behind him. Before he can reach his weapon, a man grabs him and throws him to the ground. What follows is hard to describe. Two figures wrestle. It is hand to hand combat, down and dirty as only wrestling can be. Jacob is fighting for his life. At first, he probably thought it was Esau or one of his men. At some point, he realizes that this is no mere man in whose grasp he found himself. Later, he would say he had wrestled with God. Hosea the prophet describes Jacob’s opponent as an angel (12:3-4). Maybe it was God in the form of an angel. However you describe it, Jacob was in the hands of God. He had prayed for God’s help. But this wasn’t what he had expected. Obviously, God, or even his angel, could have easily handled the likes of Jacob with the flick of his finger, like we might a pesky mosquito. But he didn’t. Maybe it was like a father arm wrestling with his little boy. Dad can whip him any time he wants. But he doesn’t. He knows this is not about winning or losing. With hands locked in combat, a father can teach his boy about persistence, endurance, and character. All night the two wrestle—Jacob and this God-Man-Angel. After hours of battle, the Mystery Man reaches down and touches Jacob’s hip. His hip slides from its socket. He winces in horrible pain. But still he doesn’t let go. “I won’t let go until you bless me,” he cries. For the first time in Jacob’s life he didn’t run away or try to con himself out of a hard spot. “I will bless you,” the Man says. “First tell me your name.” As if God didn’t already know His name! A life time of memories floods his mind. Memories of teasing, of guilt, of shame. He had felt it every time he had to say his name as a child. Now this God-Man makes him say it again. Finally, he relents. “My name is Jacob!” “Jacob, I will bless you just as you have asked. To you belong the blessings of your father Isaac and your grandfather Abraham.” That would have been enough. But the Lord wasn’t finished. “I have one more blessing. No longer are you Jacob, the deceiver. You will now be known as Israel—the man who wrestled with God.” With those words the God-Man was gone. Our text came over the horizon just as this happened. This was the day Jacob was to go home. He never made it. Instead, a man named Israel limped home in his place. Twenty years before Jacob ran away he thought he was leaving his problems behind. But like they always do, our real problems have a way of following us. We can blame our difficulties on circumstances, or our family, even our enemies. A new home, a new job, a new church, a new wife or new husband—that’s the secret to the good life. How many times have we heard that? Maybe said it? That makes about as much sense as trying to outrun your own shadow. The real problems of life are never OUT THERE. They are always IN HERE. If we’re lucky we’ll learn what Jacob learned sooner rather than later. No one is ever free from their past mistakes until he or she wrestles with the spiritual issues of life. On the other hand, no matter who we are, how much of a dirty rotten scoundrel we’ve been, how far we’ve strayed, or how proud and self-willed we’ve been, when we want God’s blessing more than life itself, we will get it. Every time! Guaranteed! That’s what Jesus meant when he said a person can’t enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again (Jn 3:3). It is also why the Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17).
In Christ,
Brown
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