Brown's Daily Word 12-18-09

Good morning,
Praise the Lord that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the King of Nations. As we begin to celebrate the Birth of our Savior and Lord we are aware of the wars that are going on among the nations of the world. In the midst of the wars and rumors of wars we proclaim the birth of the Prince of Peace.
The following story appeared in newspapers nationwide on December 25, 1994 from the Associated Press, dateline London.
"Eighty years ago, on the first Christmas Day of World War I, British and German troops put down their guns and celebrated peacefully together in the no-man’s land between the trenches. The war, briefly, came to a halt. In some places, festivities began when German troops lit candles on Christmas trees on their parapets so the British sentries a few hundred yards away could see them.
"Elsewhere, the British acted first, starting bonfires and letting off rockets.
Pvt. Oswald Tilley of the London Rifle Brigade wrote to his parents: 'Just you think that while you were eating your turkey etc. I was out talking and shaking hands with the very men I had been trying to kill a few hours before! It was astounding.'
"Both armies had received lots of comforts from home and felt generous and well-disposed toward their enemies in the first winter of the war, before the vast battles of attrition began in 1915, eventually claiming ten million lives.
All along the line that Christmas Day, soldiers found their enemies were much like them and began asking why they should be trying to kill each other.
The generals were shocked. High Command diaries and statements express anxiety that if that sort of thing spread it could sap the troops’ will to fight.
The soldiers in khaki and gray sang carols to each other, exchanged gifts of tobacco, jam, sausage, chocolate and liquor, traded names and addresses and played soccer between the shell holes and barbed wire. They even paid mutual trench visits.
"This day is called 'the most famous truce in military history' by British television producer Malcolm Brown and researcher Shirley Seaton in their book 'Christmas Truce,' published in 1984."

Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end."
Christ came to bring peace. Peace was the message that the angels proclaimed in Luke 2:8–14. "Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'"
The Peace of Jesus is not the absence of trouble, but it is the presence of God in the midst of trouble. The vision of Isaiah is not simply a kind of peace that is imposed upon us. Rather, it fills the soul of each person and emanates outward. There is peace socially because each person is filled with compassion and meets the needs of those around them. The simple prayer attributed to St. Francis illustrates our deepest intentions.
"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . .hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
Where there is sadness . . .joy
Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life .
Let there be pace on earth.
In Christ,
Brown

Praise the Lord for this season. I get excited about the Birth of our Lord and Savior. It is a great thrill to serve Him and worship Him. May He provoke us to go beyond our comfort zone as Mary did to obey Him and proclaim His glory in word and deed.
Pray for the Church around the world during this season as proclaim His birth .
Please pray for us and those who live in this area come and share and rejoice.
Friday December 18,2009; Living Nativity will be presented from 5.30PM to 7.30Pm at the Wesley United Methodist Premises, 1000 Day Hollow Road, Endicott. We will have live animals including the winsome Cast.
7.30PM. our weekly Television out reach on Time Warner cable Ch 4. I will be sharing from Isaiah 7.
8 PM The Handel's Messiah at the Forum, Binghamton
Saturday 10 AM we will be preparing meal at the First United Methodist Church , Endicott to share withe needy and the homeless.
5.30PM we will gather for Fish and Meat Dinner( Polish and Indian cuisine)
at Wesley UMc. We will go our caroling at 6.30PM , walking in the neighborhood, visiting and singing. We will be giving away Bibles as gifts to people living in the area.

Sunday December 20.
Worship Services 8.30 and 11.00 Our Choir will present the Christmas Cantata during both service. Sunday School will meet at 9.50AM . We will giving gifts all the children in the church family at 12.30 including reception for the children and the choir.
9.30AM Worship service at Wesley UMC.
Wednesday December 23.
6 PM. we will gather for a mega Christmas celebration withe special Christmas banquet... Feasting and praising. The songs of Christmas are Joyful and Triumphant.
December 24. Thursday.
Christmas Eve Candle light Communion services : 700 PM and 10.30PM
Come, Share and Rejoice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ1vXATVF6I