Good morning,
Praise the Lord for summer season. Praise the Lord for the great outdoors. When our girls were young we made our annual pilgrimage to the beach. We have visited many of the beaches on the Atlantic. While in Orissa, India in our recent trip we drove to Gopalpore on the sea just for the day. Our Lord Jesus loved the beaches of the sea of Galilee.
One of the post-resurrection scenes is found at the sea of Galilee, as recorded in John 21. Another is recorded in Mathew 14. Jesus, who was walking on the water, invited Peter to join him on the water. This story is more than an event in a storm in far-off Palestine; it’s the sign and symbol of what He always does for His people, when the wind is contrary and we are in danger of being overwhelmed by the storms of life. Our Christian pilgrimage, much like being in a boat, is shaped by our experiences as we are rocked and tossed about by the storms of life. Yet, it’s when we’re confronted by the storms on the sea of life that the challenge to our faith becomes a reality. In the Scriptures, the “sea” is a powerful image of the turmoil of life’s experiences here on Earth. If we have ever suffered from sea-sickness we can be thankful that the book of the Revelation assures us that in heaven there’s no more sea! The “boat” in which we find ourselves is a metaphor of the Church, the Body of Christ. The disciples were unexpectedly caught up in a life-threatening situation. Their little craft was “buffeted by the waves”. The word used by Matthew means “tormented”, with the suggestion that the disciples were battling against cosmic forces of evil. It quickly becomes clear that there was a definite purpose in Jesus’ action, by the strength of the word used: He “compelled” the disciples to embark. This reminds us that the circumstances of Christians are not haphazard events that have been strung together, but planned by a loving Heavenly Father, who knows the end from the beginning. The disciples were at the start of a great faith adventure, something that we have in common with them, “in our short and uncertain earthly life and pilgrimage”. The story is set at night. The previous day Jesus had been ministering to the crowds who were now following Him. We read, “he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (14), and then He had met their physical needs by feeding them, miraculously, by five loaves and two fish. But, as nightfall came, Jesus “dismissed” the crowds and “went up into the hills by himself to pray”. The disciples were now in the middle of the lake. I don’t suppose the disciples remembered that while they were on the stormy water that Jesus was on the nearby hillside in prayer. The disciples could not see Jesus, but the GOOD NEWS is that the Lord knew all about them. His eyes were on them. It’s so easy for us, too, to forget that the Lord Jesus is now at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us. The letter to the Hebrews tells us that “because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (7:24,25). One of the sudden storms, for which the Galilee was notorious, had come down, and the disciples were struggling against the winds and the waves, making little progress across the lake. It was in the fourth watch of the night which runs from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., that the incident took place. If there’s a time when we feel most vulnerable, it’s in the dark and in the middle of the night. It is when we are naturally at our lowest ebb, body, mind and spirit, that difficulties loom largest. But take heart, Jesus knows all about them and that’s when He comes to meet us. When the wind of life is contrary, when we struggle to make sense of circumstances, we can guarantee that Jesus will be there to help although He may not be immediately detected. There are times when we are up against it – in disappointments and sorrows - when we feel we have failed ourselves and those whom we love. At such a time no-one need feel alone, for Jesus comes alongside in the storms of life, with hands stretched out to save, and with His calm clear voice urging us to take heart and have no fear. The disciples had already been terrified on a similar voyage across Galilee when they were fearful of drowning (8:23-27). On that occasion Jesus had been with them in the boat, even though He had been asleep until rudely awakened. But now they were on their own. Perhaps this tells us that there’s always more to learn on the Christian journey. God’s timescale is different from ours as He views our lives from His eternal perspective, so He’s never in a hurry. We would prefer a quick fix, a shortcut to perfection, but although God could instantly transform us, He’s chosen to develop us slowly. He prefers to work in incremental steps in our lives. This preparation for eternity sometimes requires surgery rather than therapy but one thing is sure. The Christian life doesn’t carry a certificate of immunity from the storms of life. It’s wonderfully reassuring to Remember that Jesus is Praying for us. In reading the story of the storm on the lake, we have the advantage of knowing that it all ended happily. It was not so for the disciples. In addition to their being buffeted by waves lashed by a howling gale, we’re told “they were terrified” by the figure they saw coming towards them! “'It’s a ghost', they said, and cried out in fear.’" How could the disciples not recognize Jesus? They had lived with Jesus in a very personal and intimate way and yet, when it really mattered, they didn’t recognize Him. In the midst of storms, tormented by waves of disappointment and doubt, they saw a ghost, an apparition. They certainly saw the figure of Jesus, but to them His appearance resembled that of a ghost. Perhaps rain or fog was responsible in addition to the poor light just before dawn. All too often the adverse circumstances of life obscure our recognition of Jesus, though he is with us.It’s easy to criticize the disciples, but what of us? The unexpected circumstances catch us also. The disciples were wrapped up in the struggles of the moment – the wind and rain, the tossing waves, the threat of drowning – but they missed a greater power, the living Christ. Although we believe Jesus for our salvation and know in our heads that He will supply all our needs, if we rely on our own strength we are sure to fall apart when life get tough, when everything appears to be contrary. The fact that we may have come through a trying experience is no guarantee that a more severe testing time won’t come at a later time. We never know what’s around the next corner. It’s a matter of perseverance. We are summoned to finish it well. The words of the song that Sir Harry Lauder wrote after his son was killed in action in World War I are very appropriate, “Ev’ry road thro’ life is a long, long road, Fill’d with joys and sorrows too.” We might wonder why God allows these trials to apparently mar our lives here on Earth. Rick Warren tells us in “The Purpose Driven Life” that there are no short cuts to maturity. It takes years for a child to grow to adulthood. The development of Christ-like character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time. Paul’s letter to the Christians at Philippi tells us, “I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns” (1:6). We must learn to Recognize the Presence of Jesus even in the storms of life. How gracious is our Lord! The disciples, brave Peter among them, ‘cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus said to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid”. The apostle Paul reassured his rather timid friend Timothy, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7). “It is I” said Jesus. He was using the words, “I am”, the powerful name of “Yahweh”, Jehovah, the Lord God who revealed Himself to Moses. Jesus was signaling His claim to deity. God had given mankind the rule over His creation, including the sea and here, Jesus, as the Second Adam, was fulfilling God’s purpose for humankind. God has revealed Himself in Jesus as the Second Person of the Godhead. All religions that don’t accept Jesus as the Son of God are false - they are imposters. They have no power to save; they are merely ghosts bringing fear and dread.Thank God that if we’re “in Christ” we have the antidote to fear, “Don’t be afraid.” He still tells us today, “You can trust me. You know my character and my competence. You can safely place your destiny in my hands. “Take courage! It is I.”
It was at 3 a.m. that Jesus appeared, the least expected moment. There are many instances in Scripture when man’s dire distress became the meeting place with God. In fact, our extremity is God’s opportunity. Jesus didn’t climb into the boat but rather waited for a reaction to His words. Peter was a natural leader. Matthew presents him in the story in all his impetuosity mixed with his great devotion to Jesus, imperfect as it was. “Lord, if it’s you … let me come to you on the water.” An alternative translation is “Since it’s you …” The disciples had already done many mighty miracles when they’d been sent out into the towns and villages as Jesus’ representatives (Luke 10:17), and knew He could be trusted implicitly. Peter was sometimes given to acts of impetuosity so, without thinking what he was doing and without counting the cost. But wisely, Peter seeks the Lord’s invitation to join Him before he dares to step out of the boat. Similarly, we shouldn’t rush into dangerous ventures without clear encouragement from the Lord. As soon as Peter received the positive word “Come”, with remarkable trust he climbed over the side of the boat and began walking on the water. For a time Peter succeeded in doing the impossible, but then he succumbed to fear. “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid.” It wasn’t the dangerous sea but a lesser, external circumstance, the wind, that brought on disaster. Why? Peter lost his focus. Like Peter, if we depend upon our own resources and shift our focus off Jesus, we will fail. He was doing well until he became more concerned about the wind than about faith in the word from Jesus.
What an example Peter is to us! How easy it is to let some setback catch us off balance and down we sink! It’s reassuring to know that the Lord is only a prayer away, and He will always respond to our cry, as He did for Peter, “Lord, save me!” It was a very short prayer, but so effective. Jesus stretched out His safe and strong hand and pulled Peter up with the words, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Failures are not an issue with God; it’s better to fail that not try at all! Peter got a mild rebuke for his weak faith but it was stronger than that of the other disciples who remained in the relative comfort and safety of the boat. It is how we respond that matters. Peter's faith faltered, but he was raised up to a life of service for his Master. The story of Walking on Water has been preserved for the benefit of Christians of all the centuries to tell us that our voyage across the lake of life will encounter storms because the non-Christian world is a hostile environment to the believer. But take heart, Jesus Prays for us and He’s Present with us. On our part we must Look to Him to Cope with Fear and To Move Out in Faith. Jesus still bids us, as He did with Peter, “Come, walk on the water with Me.”
In Christ ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKKCZ3xyKzc
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 8-13-08
Good day,
I love to read about the mighty deeds of Jesus, our Lord. He is Mighty and Merciful. He is transcendent and yet totally Immanent. He is wholly Other, yet He is God with us in our sin and suffering. He heals and restores. He gives grace for every time of need. He is kind to those who fall. He is pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus our Lord is at work destroying the works of Satan. He is at work setting the captives free. He makes the lame walk again and take up a new hobby --- rock climbing. He makes the blind see and gives them a new hobbies -- bird watching. We see our Lord at work in John 9:1-9:41, dispelling the power of darkness. There’s a saying, "There’s none as blind as those who won’t see!" Helen Keller said, "What would be worse than being born blind? To have sight without vision." This is certainly true in the encounter that Jesus had with the Pharisees on the occasion when He healed a man who had been born blind (John 9). The scene was in Jerusalem. Jesus had just left the temple after a confrontation with the Pharisees over what they thought was an outrageous claim by Jesus. He had said, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!" (8:58). They were infuriated at what would have been gross heresy had it not been true, so they "picked up stones to stone him". Our Lord was aware that His time had not yet come for His Passion, so He "hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds." From then on, the Pharisees watched Jesus like a hawk to see if somehow they could find some pretext to bring an official charge. As Jesus walked away, we’re told, "He saw a man blind from birth." This unfortunate person was what we would call (in our day) congenitally blind, and what’s more, he was reduced to begging. Like ourselves, the disciples were always anxious to ask questions to which there are no final answers on this side of eternity. They posed the query to Jesus, "… who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?" This has been the topic of speculation down the ages. Job wrestled with this ancient problem; the psalmists and prophets agonizing over it. The 21st century Christian leaders are no different over these perplexing issues. Dr Rowan Williams likes to tell the story of Pope John XXIII, who woke up worrying about a problem. He said to himself: “I’ll consult the Pope about that.” Then he thought: “Wait a minute, I am the Pope!” It’s no wonder the mystery of illness is a theological puzzle. "Who is responsible?", asked the disciples, ‘the man himself or his parents?" The Jewish rabbis had the idea that if a pregnant woman sinned, there may be some deformity in the child. It’s true that there’s often a relationship between cause and effect, such as the disastrous effect that alcohol during pregnancy has upon the unborn when the children grow up. C S Lewis wrote that God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. Sickness can be God’s megaphone to draw our attention back to Him. But while the Bible allows a general relationship between suffering and sin, due to the fall of man depicted in the Garden of Eden, it refuses to permit the principle to be set in stone for each individual. Yes, sin has produced a suffering world, but a given person’s suffering isn’t necessarily attributable to his or her personal sin. Jesus dismissed this simplistic theory of suffering as He answered the disciples’ question. "No" he said, "it wasn’t the sin of this man or his parents, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Jesus was not interested in the ‘whys and wherefores’ of the past but, rather, how a person’s predicament can be resolved in the present. All things – even afflictions and calamities – can work to the glory of God. He can turn suffering into good. Jesus made it clear that He was not here to explain the mystery of evil, but to remove the cause of it and break its power. When Jesus made His first public address, He quoted from Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would "proclaim freedom for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind and to release the oppressed" (Luke 4:18). The Almighty is sovereign and has a purpose in all He does. Jesus knew that giving sight to the blind beggar would be one of the signs by which He would validate His claim as the Son of God. "I am the light of the world", he said, and He would prove it by changing the darkness of this man to light, symbolic of His greater work of releasing mankind from the power of sin's darkness through His atoning work on the Cross. We might be tempted to think it would be so much simpler if the gift of healing could be received on request, like reaching out for a bottle of medicine. But that simply is not God’s way. A balanced view of Scripture indicates that God has specific plans for us. He has the best in mind for us and, in His permissive will, may allow health and strength, or weakness and suffering, long life or short life. It is not for us to question His decision. Ultimately, we are at the mercy of God. Whether we are healed or not from a specific illness, we are to proclaim the faithfulness of a God who is alongside us in Christ. He suffered, died, and rose again for us. I recently read the testimony of a young woman who wasn’t healed. She said that God was glorified even more because, in spite of her continuing disability, she loved Him. That’s the ultimate test of our faith, as we walk by faith and not by sight. When suffering is submitted to God, then God’s work is displayed, by healing or deliverance, perhaps miraculously or with gifted medical assistance, or alternatively by a courageous acceptance of the suffering. It is then that we are enabled to discover God’s strength in our weakness. This was the experience of the apostle Paul when he wrote of his "thorn in the flesh". The Lord assured him with the words, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Jesus proceeded to heal the blind beggar, using mud made from saliva and dirt. The gospel doesn’t tell us why Jesus should use this means when a word had sufficed in previous acts of healing. Perhaps the man needed to be involved in the healing process by some simple act of obedience or perhaps it to tell those who would read the story over the generations that God uses ‘props’ when it suits His purposes? The stories from Scripture are often to be interpreted as giving principles rather than strict precedents or formulas to be slavishly followed. The healing of the beggar’s blindness was clearly a miracle. The mud pack of clay may have been used to symbolize the defilement of sin that needed to be cleansed away and to demonstrate that healing could only come from the Lord Himself. But there was more to it than that: it was followed by a word from Jesus. "Go", He said, "wash in the Pool of Siloam." To achieve the cure, the beggar had to co-operate with Jesus. He had to show faith in our Lord’s words by obedience to the command. The Lord alone could perform the miracle and open the blind eyes, but He chose to do it through the obedience of faith in Him. The definition of ‘faith’ is simply taking Christ at His word. We are told. "So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." In a moment of time, the beggar’s darkness was turned to light.
In His Light,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8welVgKX8Qo
I love to read about the mighty deeds of Jesus, our Lord. He is Mighty and Merciful. He is transcendent and yet totally Immanent. He is wholly Other, yet He is God with us in our sin and suffering. He heals and restores. He gives grace for every time of need. He is kind to those who fall. He is pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus our Lord is at work destroying the works of Satan. He is at work setting the captives free. He makes the lame walk again and take up a new hobby --- rock climbing. He makes the blind see and gives them a new hobbies -- bird watching. We see our Lord at work in John 9:1-9:41, dispelling the power of darkness. There’s a saying, "There’s none as blind as those who won’t see!" Helen Keller said, "What would be worse than being born blind? To have sight without vision." This is certainly true in the encounter that Jesus had with the Pharisees on the occasion when He healed a man who had been born blind (John 9). The scene was in Jerusalem. Jesus had just left the temple after a confrontation with the Pharisees over what they thought was an outrageous claim by Jesus. He had said, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!" (8:58). They were infuriated at what would have been gross heresy had it not been true, so they "picked up stones to stone him". Our Lord was aware that His time had not yet come for His Passion, so He "hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds." From then on, the Pharisees watched Jesus like a hawk to see if somehow they could find some pretext to bring an official charge. As Jesus walked away, we’re told, "He saw a man blind from birth." This unfortunate person was what we would call (in our day) congenitally blind, and what’s more, he was reduced to begging. Like ourselves, the disciples were always anxious to ask questions to which there are no final answers on this side of eternity. They posed the query to Jesus, "… who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?" This has been the topic of speculation down the ages. Job wrestled with this ancient problem; the psalmists and prophets agonizing over it. The 21st century Christian leaders are no different over these perplexing issues. Dr Rowan Williams likes to tell the story of Pope John XXIII, who woke up worrying about a problem. He said to himself: “I’ll consult the Pope about that.” Then he thought: “Wait a minute, I am the Pope!” It’s no wonder the mystery of illness is a theological puzzle. "Who is responsible?", asked the disciples, ‘the man himself or his parents?" The Jewish rabbis had the idea that if a pregnant woman sinned, there may be some deformity in the child. It’s true that there’s often a relationship between cause and effect, such as the disastrous effect that alcohol during pregnancy has upon the unborn when the children grow up. C S Lewis wrote that God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. Sickness can be God’s megaphone to draw our attention back to Him. But while the Bible allows a general relationship between suffering and sin, due to the fall of man depicted in the Garden of Eden, it refuses to permit the principle to be set in stone for each individual. Yes, sin has produced a suffering world, but a given person’s suffering isn’t necessarily attributable to his or her personal sin. Jesus dismissed this simplistic theory of suffering as He answered the disciples’ question. "No" he said, "it wasn’t the sin of this man or his parents, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Jesus was not interested in the ‘whys and wherefores’ of the past but, rather, how a person’s predicament can be resolved in the present. All things – even afflictions and calamities – can work to the glory of God. He can turn suffering into good. Jesus made it clear that He was not here to explain the mystery of evil, but to remove the cause of it and break its power. When Jesus made His first public address, He quoted from Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would "proclaim freedom for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind and to release the oppressed" (Luke 4:18). The Almighty is sovereign and has a purpose in all He does. Jesus knew that giving sight to the blind beggar would be one of the signs by which He would validate His claim as the Son of God. "I am the light of the world", he said, and He would prove it by changing the darkness of this man to light, symbolic of His greater work of releasing mankind from the power of sin's darkness through His atoning work on the Cross. We might be tempted to think it would be so much simpler if the gift of healing could be received on request, like reaching out for a bottle of medicine. But that simply is not God’s way. A balanced view of Scripture indicates that God has specific plans for us. He has the best in mind for us and, in His permissive will, may allow health and strength, or weakness and suffering, long life or short life. It is not for us to question His decision. Ultimately, we are at the mercy of God. Whether we are healed or not from a specific illness, we are to proclaim the faithfulness of a God who is alongside us in Christ. He suffered, died, and rose again for us. I recently read the testimony of a young woman who wasn’t healed. She said that God was glorified even more because, in spite of her continuing disability, she loved Him. That’s the ultimate test of our faith, as we walk by faith and not by sight. When suffering is submitted to God, then God’s work is displayed, by healing or deliverance, perhaps miraculously or with gifted medical assistance, or alternatively by a courageous acceptance of the suffering. It is then that we are enabled to discover God’s strength in our weakness. This was the experience of the apostle Paul when he wrote of his "thorn in the flesh". The Lord assured him with the words, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Jesus proceeded to heal the blind beggar, using mud made from saliva and dirt. The gospel doesn’t tell us why Jesus should use this means when a word had sufficed in previous acts of healing. Perhaps the man needed to be involved in the healing process by some simple act of obedience or perhaps it to tell those who would read the story over the generations that God uses ‘props’ when it suits His purposes? The stories from Scripture are often to be interpreted as giving principles rather than strict precedents or formulas to be slavishly followed. The healing of the beggar’s blindness was clearly a miracle. The mud pack of clay may have been used to symbolize the defilement of sin that needed to be cleansed away and to demonstrate that healing could only come from the Lord Himself. But there was more to it than that: it was followed by a word from Jesus. "Go", He said, "wash in the Pool of Siloam." To achieve the cure, the beggar had to co-operate with Jesus. He had to show faith in our Lord’s words by obedience to the command. The Lord alone could perform the miracle and open the blind eyes, but He chose to do it through the obedience of faith in Him. The definition of ‘faith’ is simply taking Christ at His word. We are told. "So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." In a moment of time, the beggar’s darkness was turned to light.
In His Light,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8welVgKX8Qo
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 8-12-08
Good Morning,
Our Lord was and is a wonderful story teller. While on earth He told parables to demonstrate and illustrate divine mysteries and wonders. In Luke 15 we have three parables recorded for us. In this chapter, Jesus tells the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Wayward Son. IN EACH OF THESE STORIES, THE PLOT LINE IS: SOMETHING IS LOST, then something is found. A sheep is lost, a coin is lost, a son has wandered away from home. IN EACH OF THESE STORIES, that which is lost REALLY MATTERS TO THE HERO OF THE STORY. The shepherd is so concerned about the loss of his one sheep that he risks the other 99 to find him. The woman is so distraught over the loss of her one coin that she cancels all her plans and scours the entire house. The father is so brokenhearted that his son has wandered that he endures the scorn of the entire village by running to him when he finally heads for home. In each case, what is lost matters so much to the one who lost it that it warrants an all-out search. WHEN WHAT WAS LOST HAS BEEN FOUND, THE HERO IS SO HAPPY THAT HE OR SHE THROWS A PARTY TO EXPRESS JOY. IN EACH OF THESE STORIES, THE HERO IS SOMEONE WHO WOULD NOT REALLY BE ADMIRED BY MOST RELIGIOUS LEADERS. The first hero is a shepherd, a second-class citizen. The second is a woman, a third-class citizen. The third is a father, a potentially admirable figure until he does the unthinkable and lifts his robes in order to run and save his son from humiliation and shame. No Pharisee could admire a man like that. Jesus stood in front of a group of longstanding religious types who think they have figured out what really matters to God. They would have read 2 Chronicles 16:9; in fact they would have memorized it by the time they were 10 years old. They saw themselves as the fully-committed. So their honest and best thinking was that they (and only they) matter to God. When they saw Jesus speaking with the outcasts of society, they were angered and indignant because they believed He, being a rabbi, was diminishing God’s name and dignity by associating with such lowlife people. Jesus then told them not one, not two, but three parables, back-to-back-to-back, as if to say, “Your perception of who matters to God and who doesn’t is so far off that I am going to clear this concept up once and for all. I am going to rapid-fire truth into your souls so that you will never again wonder what matters to God.”Then He told them about lost things that matter to people whom they did not admire. What Jesus was really saying to them was that there are two kinds of people that God longs for and searches for: THE FULLY COMMITTED and THOSE WHO ARE LOST. The fully committed are not proud, self-conscious religious types who think that the most important thing is their religious life. Jesus was really saying two things in this parable: (1) lost people matter to God so much that He’s on an all-out search to find them, and every time a lost person gets found, all of heaven rejoices with the hero of heaven, which is God. And (2) the fully committed are those who understand this and rejoice with God when what He has lost gets found so much so that they join the all-out search as well. Can you see why God says in 2 Chronicles, “My eyes are searching the earth to find every person who is fully committed to me”? It’s because God so loves those who have wandered from His Fatherhood that He is enlisting all of His other children who are willing to join the search. Only the fully committed reach out to the lost . . . Only the fully committed serve long hours so the lost can get found . . . Only the fully committed pray diligently for their friends who will otherwise spend a Christ-less eternity . . . Only the fully committed alter their spending habits so they can render the full tithe and fund ministries that reach lost people . . . Only the committed stay up late, dreaming of ways to reach out to their lost friends and neighbors . . . Only the committed look out of eyes that see the way God does and think first about others and second about themselves . . . Only the fully committed do these things. There are two categories of Christians in the world today: the casual and the committed. Which category are we in, and which category do we want to be in?Praise the Lord for the company of the committed.
In and through Jesus, who calls us to be committed to Him and to His local and the global cause,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYeNfXpZ0pU
Our Lord was and is a wonderful story teller. While on earth He told parables to demonstrate and illustrate divine mysteries and wonders. In Luke 15 we have three parables recorded for us. In this chapter, Jesus tells the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Wayward Son. IN EACH OF THESE STORIES, THE PLOT LINE IS: SOMETHING IS LOST, then something is found. A sheep is lost, a coin is lost, a son has wandered away from home. IN EACH OF THESE STORIES, that which is lost REALLY MATTERS TO THE HERO OF THE STORY. The shepherd is so concerned about the loss of his one sheep that he risks the other 99 to find him. The woman is so distraught over the loss of her one coin that she cancels all her plans and scours the entire house. The father is so brokenhearted that his son has wandered that he endures the scorn of the entire village by running to him when he finally heads for home. In each case, what is lost matters so much to the one who lost it that it warrants an all-out search. WHEN WHAT WAS LOST HAS BEEN FOUND, THE HERO IS SO HAPPY THAT HE OR SHE THROWS A PARTY TO EXPRESS JOY. IN EACH OF THESE STORIES, THE HERO IS SOMEONE WHO WOULD NOT REALLY BE ADMIRED BY MOST RELIGIOUS LEADERS. The first hero is a shepherd, a second-class citizen. The second is a woman, a third-class citizen. The third is a father, a potentially admirable figure until he does the unthinkable and lifts his robes in order to run and save his son from humiliation and shame. No Pharisee could admire a man like that. Jesus stood in front of a group of longstanding religious types who think they have figured out what really matters to God. They would have read 2 Chronicles 16:9; in fact they would have memorized it by the time they were 10 years old. They saw themselves as the fully-committed. So their honest and best thinking was that they (and only they) matter to God. When they saw Jesus speaking with the outcasts of society, they were angered and indignant because they believed He, being a rabbi, was diminishing God’s name and dignity by associating with such lowlife people. Jesus then told them not one, not two, but three parables, back-to-back-to-back, as if to say, “Your perception of who matters to God and who doesn’t is so far off that I am going to clear this concept up once and for all. I am going to rapid-fire truth into your souls so that you will never again wonder what matters to God.”Then He told them about lost things that matter to people whom they did not admire. What Jesus was really saying to them was that there are two kinds of people that God longs for and searches for: THE FULLY COMMITTED and THOSE WHO ARE LOST. The fully committed are not proud, self-conscious religious types who think that the most important thing is their religious life. Jesus was really saying two things in this parable: (1) lost people matter to God so much that He’s on an all-out search to find them, and every time a lost person gets found, all of heaven rejoices with the hero of heaven, which is God. And (2) the fully committed are those who understand this and rejoice with God when what He has lost gets found so much so that they join the all-out search as well. Can you see why God says in 2 Chronicles, “My eyes are searching the earth to find every person who is fully committed to me”? It’s because God so loves those who have wandered from His Fatherhood that He is enlisting all of His other children who are willing to join the search. Only the fully committed reach out to the lost . . . Only the fully committed serve long hours so the lost can get found . . . Only the fully committed pray diligently for their friends who will otherwise spend a Christ-less eternity . . . Only the fully committed alter their spending habits so they can render the full tithe and fund ministries that reach lost people . . . Only the committed stay up late, dreaming of ways to reach out to their lost friends and neighbors . . . Only the committed look out of eyes that see the way God does and think first about others and second about themselves . . . Only the fully committed do these things. There are two categories of Christians in the world today: the casual and the committed. Which category are we in, and which category do we want to be in?Praise the Lord for the company of the committed.
In and through Jesus, who calls us to be committed to Him and to His local and the global cause,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYeNfXpZ0pU
Monday, August 11, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 8-11-08
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Thank God it is Monday. I trust you had a blessed day in the Lord in His house with His people. The Lord blessed us wonderfully. It is a great joy to serve Jesus. One of the readings for yesterday was taken from Genesis 37- how the brothers of Joseph were consumed with envy towards their brother Joseph. They hated him and conspired to kill him.
In the movie Amadeus we meet a young Mozart who was blessed with talents which set him apart from all his contemporaries. Mozart's music was complex, moving, exciting, inspired. It was clear that God had endowed him with extraordinary gifts. Nevertheless, Mozart was also immature, vulgar, obscene, lustful, and irreverent. The other main character was Antonio Salieri, court musician to the King of Austria. Salieri had dedicated himself to serving God, promising to write music that would glorify the heavenly Father. From his youth on he dreamed of composing music that would lift the hearts of people heavenward. Salieri was committed to serving God and asked only that God might permit him to create the kind of music that would reflect His glory. However, God had not endowed Salieri with such gifts. Salieri was able to compose pleasant tunes, but not masterpieces. He could compose music which would entertain its hearers, but never immortalize its composer. Despite his immense popularity, Salieri knew that his was a mediocre talent and that his uninspired work would soon be forgotten. Salieri sat through Mozart's concerts and programs and the beautiful music sent tears down his cheeks. Oh if only he could compose such music! But it was not to be. He didn't have Mozart's talents. The story line shows us what happens when a good God-fearing man like Salieri is filled with envy. We have to say that Salieri was consumed by his envy of Mozart's talents. Salieri's envy led him to scheme and plot against Mozart at every turn. He stole Mozart's compositions, bribed Mozart's servants, and informed the king about Mozart's indiscretions. Salieri's envy eventually drove him to insanity. The movie ends with Salieri cursing God for denying him the talent which He gave to Mozart. Scripture tells us that envy is our natural, sinful desire (Gal 5:19). It is in our DNA. It is our natural, sinful desire to have and to keep for ourselves alone what others have. It is our natural, sinful desire to hate and despise the person or persons who have what we want. Because of this, envy is found everywhere. It is found in the church. It is found in the world. None of us, I'm afraid, are immune to it. It can strike any of us at any time.
In more than one place the Bible warns us against the sin of envy. It tells us about the consequences of envy and generating envy:
(Job 5:2) Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. (Prov 14:30) A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (James 3:16) For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
To put it simply, envy is destructive. The church fathers of the Middle Ages tell us that envy is one of the seven deadly sins that can lead to the everlasting destruction of hell fire. As the story of Salieri shows us, unchecked envy can alienate a person from God as well as his fellow man. And, Paul tells us those who envy "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal 5:21). We see unchecked envy in the story of Joseph and his brothers. Joseph's brothers envied his coat, they envied his dreams of position and grandeur, they envied the love their father gave him. Joseph's brothers envied him. So what did they do? Scripture tells us "they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him." And, when given the opportunity, they sold him as a slave to Ishmaelite traders. Their envy resulted in years of unresolved grief, pain, and anguish for their father and almost brought him to a premature grave. The Bible abounds with other examples of envy and its dire consequences. I think of the story of Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel because he envied the favor which Abel gained in the eyes of God (Gen 4:5). The plans of Saul to kill David resulted from Saul's envy of David's popularity (1 Sam 18:6-9). And, it is out of envy that the scribes and Pharisees had Jesus crucified (Mt 27:18). Envy is evil. Envy is destructive. As Paul makes clear in Galatians 5, envy is one of the acts of our old sinful nature. But as people who have been born-again by the Spirit of God, we are not to live according to our earthly nature; rather, we are to live and walk according to the Spirit. We have died with Christ and have been raised with Christ. Therefore, we are to consider ourselves as having died to sin and been raised to righteousness (Rom 6:1-14; Gal 5:16-26; Eph 4:17-5:21; Col 3:1-17). This means, congregation, that envy has no place in our lives and ought not to be found in the church.We are to overcome envy. How are we to do that? When all around us people have or possess what we want for ourselves, how can we keep ourselves from envy? The first and foremost thing we can mention is the tools the Holy Spirit uses to make us more and more like Christ. For it is only by becoming like Christ that we can leave behind us the sins which are so deadly to our souls.
A good contemporary example here is Joni Eareckson Tada whom I had the great joy of meeting in person in Baltimore, in 1982. She became a quadriplegic as the result of a diving accident. A life of sports, travel, and fun seemed to be over. The promise of a professional career and a happy marriage appeared to be gone. She was confined to a wheelchair for life instead of being free to live the happy life she had anticipated for herself.How easy it would have been for Joni to envy others who were able-bodied. How easy it would have been for Joni's envy to make her into an angry, bitter person.Instead of looking at and envying those around her, Joni looked at herself and counted the many blessings and opportunities God had given her. She discovered that because of the horrible thing which had happened to her, she was equipped to minister to other handicapped persons in a way that is impossible for those who are not disabled. Furthermore, she has been a source of inspiration and perseverance for countless believers facing trials and afflictions.
In Jesus our Saviour,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvuLJ3z_dsk
Praise the Lord for this new day. Thank God it is Monday. I trust you had a blessed day in the Lord in His house with His people. The Lord blessed us wonderfully. It is a great joy to serve Jesus. One of the readings for yesterday was taken from Genesis 37- how the brothers of Joseph were consumed with envy towards their brother Joseph. They hated him and conspired to kill him.
In the movie Amadeus we meet a young Mozart who was blessed with talents which set him apart from all his contemporaries. Mozart's music was complex, moving, exciting, inspired. It was clear that God had endowed him with extraordinary gifts. Nevertheless, Mozart was also immature, vulgar, obscene, lustful, and irreverent. The other main character was Antonio Salieri, court musician to the King of Austria. Salieri had dedicated himself to serving God, promising to write music that would glorify the heavenly Father. From his youth on he dreamed of composing music that would lift the hearts of people heavenward. Salieri was committed to serving God and asked only that God might permit him to create the kind of music that would reflect His glory. However, God had not endowed Salieri with such gifts. Salieri was able to compose pleasant tunes, but not masterpieces. He could compose music which would entertain its hearers, but never immortalize its composer. Despite his immense popularity, Salieri knew that his was a mediocre talent and that his uninspired work would soon be forgotten. Salieri sat through Mozart's concerts and programs and the beautiful music sent tears down his cheeks. Oh if only he could compose such music! But it was not to be. He didn't have Mozart's talents. The story line shows us what happens when a good God-fearing man like Salieri is filled with envy. We have to say that Salieri was consumed by his envy of Mozart's talents. Salieri's envy led him to scheme and plot against Mozart at every turn. He stole Mozart's compositions, bribed Mozart's servants, and informed the king about Mozart's indiscretions. Salieri's envy eventually drove him to insanity. The movie ends with Salieri cursing God for denying him the talent which He gave to Mozart. Scripture tells us that envy is our natural, sinful desire (Gal 5:19). It is in our DNA. It is our natural, sinful desire to have and to keep for ourselves alone what others have. It is our natural, sinful desire to hate and despise the person or persons who have what we want. Because of this, envy is found everywhere. It is found in the church. It is found in the world. None of us, I'm afraid, are immune to it. It can strike any of us at any time.
In more than one place the Bible warns us against the sin of envy. It tells us about the consequences of envy and generating envy:
(Job 5:2) Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. (Prov 14:30) A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (James 3:16) For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
To put it simply, envy is destructive. The church fathers of the Middle Ages tell us that envy is one of the seven deadly sins that can lead to the everlasting destruction of hell fire. As the story of Salieri shows us, unchecked envy can alienate a person from God as well as his fellow man. And, Paul tells us those who envy "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal 5:21). We see unchecked envy in the story of Joseph and his brothers. Joseph's brothers envied his coat, they envied his dreams of position and grandeur, they envied the love their father gave him. Joseph's brothers envied him. So what did they do? Scripture tells us "they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him." And, when given the opportunity, they sold him as a slave to Ishmaelite traders. Their envy resulted in years of unresolved grief, pain, and anguish for their father and almost brought him to a premature grave. The Bible abounds with other examples of envy and its dire consequences. I think of the story of Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel because he envied the favor which Abel gained in the eyes of God (Gen 4:5). The plans of Saul to kill David resulted from Saul's envy of David's popularity (1 Sam 18:6-9). And, it is out of envy that the scribes and Pharisees had Jesus crucified (Mt 27:18). Envy is evil. Envy is destructive. As Paul makes clear in Galatians 5, envy is one of the acts of our old sinful nature. But as people who have been born-again by the Spirit of God, we are not to live according to our earthly nature; rather, we are to live and walk according to the Spirit. We have died with Christ and have been raised with Christ. Therefore, we are to consider ourselves as having died to sin and been raised to righteousness (Rom 6:1-14; Gal 5:16-26; Eph 4:17-5:21; Col 3:1-17). This means, congregation, that envy has no place in our lives and ought not to be found in the church.We are to overcome envy. How are we to do that? When all around us people have or possess what we want for ourselves, how can we keep ourselves from envy? The first and foremost thing we can mention is the tools the Holy Spirit uses to make us more and more like Christ. For it is only by becoming like Christ that we can leave behind us the sins which are so deadly to our souls.
A good contemporary example here is Joni Eareckson Tada whom I had the great joy of meeting in person in Baltimore, in 1982. She became a quadriplegic as the result of a diving accident. A life of sports, travel, and fun seemed to be over. The promise of a professional career and a happy marriage appeared to be gone. She was confined to a wheelchair for life instead of being free to live the happy life she had anticipated for herself.How easy it would have been for Joni to envy others who were able-bodied. How easy it would have been for Joni's envy to make her into an angry, bitter person.Instead of looking at and envying those around her, Joni looked at herself and counted the many blessings and opportunities God had given her. She discovered that because of the horrible thing which had happened to her, she was equipped to minister to other handicapped persons in a way that is impossible for those who are not disabled. Furthermore, she has been a source of inspiration and perseverance for countless believers facing trials and afflictions.
In Jesus our Saviour,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvuLJ3z_dsk
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