Praise the Lord for this Good Friday.
It was the darkest day in human history on which Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, died on a cruel cross. Hell was let loose. The mid-day sun refused to shine when the Light of the World was crucified. Mid-day became like Midnight. Yet, the Lord accomplished some thing good and glorious at the cross on that Good Friday. We have, recorded for us, seven words of our Lord from the Cross on that Good Friday.1. "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23: 34) Forgiveness is terribly easy to ask from others, and yet so very hard to give from ourselves. As Our Lord was nailed to the instrument of his passion, he spoke asking the Father’s forgiveness, whilst he freely forgave them himself, for as St. John repeatedly notes: “I am in the Father and the Father is in me”. Forgiveness is at the heart of the Gospel: Forgiveness is part of God’s grace and is freely given, if we but have the courage to ask for it. We pray that we may also forgive: “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”. It is not only those who bear hammer and nails against us whom we need to forgive; but those whose offenses are in comparison, quite small. “How many times should I forgive my brother, Lord? Seven times?” “Not seven, but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). “They know not what they do” … and neither do we. 2. "I assure you: this day you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:34) (2:14) The penitent thief is the only person recorded in the Scriptures who speaks directly to Christ, addressing him by his own name. Not Rabbi, not Master, not Lord, but simply and directly: Jesus. When we glance away from our own crucifixion, we may just be able to glimpse Christ crucified alongside us; suffering as we suffer, suffering greater as he suffers not only our pain and anguish, but the pain, anguish and bitterness of the whole world. And we hope to hear those words, available to all who have the courage to ask of Christ: “You will be with me in paradise” We pray for the faith to spot Christ alongside us, especially when we are so wrapped up in our own crucifixion to notice His; and we pray that we may have the opportunity, no matter how fleeting or transitory, to experience the intimacy of Christ: to feel his love and concern, to allow his Grace to guide us to our heavenly home. 3. "Woman, behold your son." (John 19: 26) Beneath the cross of Jesus Christian fellowship was born not just for Mary and John, but also for you and me, and everyone who believes. Beneath the cross all true believers become family. Beneath the cross all become brothers and sisters in the Lord. Beneath the cross we all become part of the family of God - the family of the redeemed. Beneath the cross loving relationships were and are formed. Equally, at the cross a responsibility is given to the disciple - to care. 4. "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27: 46) (2:28) There is a dark night that the soul must endure, before it reaches it’s goal – to be with God. On that journey as described by St. John of the Cross, there will be times when one might be forgiven for feeling forsaken by God. Psalm 22, which Our Lord recalls, speaks of desolation and isolation, but if we focus only on the first half of the Psalm, we lose to context of Christ’s quotation: Christ spoke in an age when the Scriptures were identified by their opening lines: we begin with “Our Father…” and we know the rest of the prayer, Our Lord said “Eloi, Eloi…” and the faithful would recall the whole Psalm. The second and longer part of the Psalm speaks of faith and redemption, of Grace and fulfilment. For each dark night, there is a brilliant day which follows it.In our darkest nights, we pray that we too may be able to recall that promise, that redemption, that Grace. We pray that others whom we see ensnared by despair may be able to complete their Psalm, and see the joy which comes in the morning.5. "I thirst." (John 19: 28) (2:35) Christ’s thirst was not only physical, but was a thirst for our redemption; a desire so compelling that he would accept the cup ordained for him by his Father. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6) What do we thirst for? Our own needs? Our petty desires? Or do we thirst for Christ, as the deer pants for the water (Psalm 42:1). We pray for those who are persecuted for their faith or their convictions. We pray that we may receive the Grace to hunger and thirst for righteousness. 6. "It is completed." (John 19: 30) (2:42) The last words of Christ were not words of resignation or defeat, but a shout of triumph to cut through the pain and desolation. Christ did not whimper “I am finished”, but proclaimed to the dark sky and the shaking earth the news that death had been conquered, Adam’s had been repaid and humankind would be released: “it is completed!” 7. "Father, into Your hands I commend My Spirit." (Luke 23: 46) (2:49) With these words, the divine word returns back to the one who sent him. His redeeming work complete, the atonement fulfilled. By pouring himself out for us (Philippians 2:5-11), he shows us the supreme self-sacrificing love for us of the Creator. With these final words he died, and the servant suffered for the last time. At the end of our lives, it will only be by God’s Grace that we can commend our souls to him. It is a Grace freely given, fully won, completely atoned.
In Christ ,
Brownhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP4JSVMBdZg
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 4-9-09
Good morning,
As we continue on our road to Jerusalem during this Holy Week we enter with Jesus into the Upper Room, where He celebrated the Passover. As we pause and ponder, we discover that the Lord is in control. He was in control when He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and He was in charge in the Upper Room. He was the "master of the feast". Throughout His life and ministry, our Lord was not controlled by the events and circumstances; He, instead, was in control of all events and all circumstances all the time.
Maundy Thursday, also known as “Holy Thursday” occurs one day before Good Friday (the Thursday before Easter). "Maundy" Thursday is the name given to the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples. This meal has become known as the Last Supper. Two important events are the focus of Maundy Thursday, the Last Supper and the washing of the disciples' feet. First, Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples and thereby instituted the Lord’s Supper, which we also call Communion (Luke 22:19-20). Some Christian churches observe a special Communion service on Maundy Thursday in memory of Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples. Second, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet as an act of humility and service, thereby setting an example that we should love and serve one another in humility (John 13:3-17). Some Christian churches observe a foot-washing ceremony on Maundy Thursday to commemorate Jesus’ washing the feet of the disciples. The word “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word for “command.” The “Maundy” in Maundy Thursday refers to the command Jesus gave to the disciples at the Last Supper, that they should love and serve one another.
(John 13:1-17, 31b - 35): Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci1JhVxKzq0
As we continue on our road to Jerusalem during this Holy Week we enter with Jesus into the Upper Room, where He celebrated the Passover. As we pause and ponder, we discover that the Lord is in control. He was in control when He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and He was in charge in the Upper Room. He was the "master of the feast". Throughout His life and ministry, our Lord was not controlled by the events and circumstances; He, instead, was in control of all events and all circumstances all the time.
Maundy Thursday, also known as “Holy Thursday” occurs one day before Good Friday (the Thursday before Easter). "Maundy" Thursday is the name given to the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples. This meal has become known as the Last Supper. Two important events are the focus of Maundy Thursday, the Last Supper and the washing of the disciples' feet. First, Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples and thereby instituted the Lord’s Supper, which we also call Communion (Luke 22:19-20). Some Christian churches observe a special Communion service on Maundy Thursday in memory of Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples. Second, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet as an act of humility and service, thereby setting an example that we should love and serve one another in humility (John 13:3-17). Some Christian churches observe a foot-washing ceremony on Maundy Thursday to commemorate Jesus’ washing the feet of the disciples. The word “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word for “command.” The “Maundy” in Maundy Thursday refers to the command Jesus gave to the disciples at the Last Supper, that they should love and serve one another.
(John 13:1-17, 31b - 35): Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci1JhVxKzq0
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this Wednesday of Holy Week. There will be another prayer service tonight at 7:00 PM in Binghamton at First Assembly. There will be prayer for the families of victims, and for survivors of last Friday's massacre. Thank you for phone calls and e-mails inquiring about the situation here. We had a call from our friend, Karen, from the Billy Graham Association in Charlotte, who said, "Our sovereign God is going to use this tragedy to bring many others to faith in Christ." Indeed, our Lord changes our "Good Fridays" into Easter mornings.
I was given special permission to visit one of the victims yesterday in one of the local hospitals. Her husband and son were with her. I had the privilege of praying with the family and trusting God for complete healing.
According to Mark's Gospel, where there is given a chronology of Christ's last week - Holy Week - on Wednesday the focus was on Bethany. There Jesus was invited for a banquet at the home of a leper. A woman brought there an alabaster jar, which she broke open, and poured out the ointment that it contained over Jesus' head. Witnesses record that Jesus was deeply stirred by this extravagant action. The unmeasured generosity of her giving moved Jesus. It was a glorious maximum of sacrifice, which never stopped to calculate what might have been an acceptable minimum. It was self-giving, in "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over."
In this act of devotion and sacrifice the Lord teaches us how to become gracious recipients. Often we become reluctant to allow others to bless us, because we do not want to become debtors to them. Very often our pride steps in, and we say that we can take care of ourselves, rather than to perceive the needs and gracious desires of the giver to pour out their love in a generous action. Further, in our giving we often become cold and calculated, measuring out what we "can get away with". Mary, on the other hand, teaches us the joy of reckless abandon in selfless giving.
The Lord affirmed that she did this anointing for His burial. Jesus foretold the coming of His death repeatedly to His disciples. The men did not "get it", whereas Mary intuitively knew about the coming death of her blessed Lord, and she anointed His body before, rather than after, His death. The Lord teaches us to love people while they are alive, and to give them gifts while they can appreciate them. Our Lord Jesus affirmed Mary's act of Love when He said, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." (Mark 14:6) We perceive the warmth of our Lord's defense. As Steve Green sang, "Broken and spilled out."
Mary's devotion was and is a thing of beauty, and has become "a joy forever".
May the Lord provoke us to be reckless in showing our love, mercy, and kindness to others around us. May we become "broken and spilled out" for the sake of the Savior, that we might become a sweet aroma before Him and before others. William Barclay says, “It occurs in the simplest things—the impulse to send a letter of thanks, the impulse to tell someone of our love or gratitude, the impulse to give some special gift or speak some special word. The tragedy is that the impulse is so often strangled at birth. This world would be so much lovelier if there were more people like this woman, who acted on her impulse of love because she knew in her heart of hearts that if she did not do it then she would never do it at all. How that last extravagant, impulsive kindness must have uplifted Jesus’s heart” (Mark).
We serve Jesus by serving people. A wealthy American traveler visited a hospital in Southeast Asia. He walked in just as a young missionary nurse was cleaning the sores of a sick, dirty, elderly man who had been found lying in a gutter. The rich man said to the nurse, “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars.” She answered quietly and firmly, “Neither would I.” Money couldn’t buy her extravagant devotion to Jesus. Her life was broken and spilled out for the love of Christ. Plan to attend the mid-week services today, wherever you may be. We will meet tonight at 6 PM for a meal, Bible study, and choir practice. Those who live in this area, please join us.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Fl_nqGJc0
Praise the Lord for this Wednesday of Holy Week. There will be another prayer service tonight at 7:00 PM in Binghamton at First Assembly. There will be prayer for the families of victims, and for survivors of last Friday's massacre. Thank you for phone calls and e-mails inquiring about the situation here. We had a call from our friend, Karen, from the Billy Graham Association in Charlotte, who said, "Our sovereign God is going to use this tragedy to bring many others to faith in Christ." Indeed, our Lord changes our "Good Fridays" into Easter mornings.
I was given special permission to visit one of the victims yesterday in one of the local hospitals. Her husband and son were with her. I had the privilege of praying with the family and trusting God for complete healing.
According to Mark's Gospel, where there is given a chronology of Christ's last week - Holy Week - on Wednesday the focus was on Bethany. There Jesus was invited for a banquet at the home of a leper. A woman brought there an alabaster jar, which she broke open, and poured out the ointment that it contained over Jesus' head. Witnesses record that Jesus was deeply stirred by this extravagant action. The unmeasured generosity of her giving moved Jesus. It was a glorious maximum of sacrifice, which never stopped to calculate what might have been an acceptable minimum. It was self-giving, in "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over."
In this act of devotion and sacrifice the Lord teaches us how to become gracious recipients. Often we become reluctant to allow others to bless us, because we do not want to become debtors to them. Very often our pride steps in, and we say that we can take care of ourselves, rather than to perceive the needs and gracious desires of the giver to pour out their love in a generous action. Further, in our giving we often become cold and calculated, measuring out what we "can get away with". Mary, on the other hand, teaches us the joy of reckless abandon in selfless giving.
The Lord affirmed that she did this anointing for His burial. Jesus foretold the coming of His death repeatedly to His disciples. The men did not "get it", whereas Mary intuitively knew about the coming death of her blessed Lord, and she anointed His body before, rather than after, His death. The Lord teaches us to love people while they are alive, and to give them gifts while they can appreciate them. Our Lord Jesus affirmed Mary's act of Love when He said, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." (Mark 14:6) We perceive the warmth of our Lord's defense. As Steve Green sang, "Broken and spilled out."
Mary's devotion was and is a thing of beauty, and has become "a joy forever".
May the Lord provoke us to be reckless in showing our love, mercy, and kindness to others around us. May we become "broken and spilled out" for the sake of the Savior, that we might become a sweet aroma before Him and before others. William Barclay says, “It occurs in the simplest things—the impulse to send a letter of thanks, the impulse to tell someone of our love or gratitude, the impulse to give some special gift or speak some special word. The tragedy is that the impulse is so often strangled at birth. This world would be so much lovelier if there were more people like this woman, who acted on her impulse of love because she knew in her heart of hearts that if she did not do it then she would never do it at all. How that last extravagant, impulsive kindness must have uplifted Jesus’s heart” (Mark).
We serve Jesus by serving people. A wealthy American traveler visited a hospital in Southeast Asia. He walked in just as a young missionary nurse was cleaning the sores of a sick, dirty, elderly man who had been found lying in a gutter. The rich man said to the nurse, “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars.” She answered quietly and firmly, “Neither would I.” Money couldn’t buy her extravagant devotion to Jesus. Her life was broken and spilled out for the love of Christ. Plan to attend the mid-week services today, wherever you may be. We will meet tonight at 6 PM for a meal, Bible study, and choir practice. Those who live in this area, please join us.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Fl_nqGJc0
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 4-7-09
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this Holy Week. Plan to attend and participate in various Holy Week services. Do not miss out in worshipping the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday, wherever you might be.
A preacher once wrote, “The ugly part of me sure showed his beastly face the other night. I was driving on a two-lane road that was about to become a single lane. A woman in a car beside me was in the lane that continued. I was in the one that stopped. I needed to be ahead of her. My schedule was, no doubt, more important than hers. After all, am I not a man of the cloth? “So I floored it. Guess what? She did too. When my lane ended, she was a fender ahead of me. I growled and slowed and let her go ahead. Over her shoulder she gave me a sweet little bye-bye wave. Grrrr. “I started to dim my headlights. Then I paused. The sinister part of me said, ‘Wait a minute.’ Am I not to shed light on dark places? SO I PUT A LITTLE HIGH BEAM IN HER REARVIEW MIRROR. “She retaliated by slowing down. To a crawl. This woman was mean. She wasn’t going to go beyond fifteen miles per hour. And I wasn’t going to take my lights out of her rearview mirror. Like two stubborn donkeys, she kept it slow and I kept it bright. “After more unkind thoughts, the road widened and I started to pass. Wouldn’t you know it? A red light left the two of us side by side at an intersection. What happened next contains both good news and bad news. The good news is, she waved at me. The bad news is, her wave was not one you’d want to imitate. “Moments later, conviction surfaced, ‘WHY DID I DO THAT?’ I’m typically a calm guy, but for fifteen minutes I was a beast!” We can be pretty good people at church most of the time, but the Lord of the Church, is very much interested in how we act and react outside the church. In Titus 3:1-2 it is stated, "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men." The same thoughts are continued in I Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds (and your good life) and glorify God...”
In Christ,
Brown
HOLY WEDNESDAY
6:00 PM Beginning with a special meal. We will be studying Purpose #5 from
The Purpose Driven Life,
You are made for a mission.
HOLY THURSDAY
April 9, 2009, 6:00 PM Sedar meal celebration with Ron Goldberg.
GOOD FRIDAY
April 10, 2009, 7:00 PM SIMON PETER, presented by Dr,.James Geer, Ph.D.
EASTER MORNING WORSHIP AND CELEBRATION
6:30 AM Sunrise Service. Ray Bartholomew will be preaching.
7:30 a.m. We will be having a family breakfast, prepared by Jim Holmes, Tim Barrett, and company.
8:30 and 11:00 AM Easter Celebration. Pastor Brown will be preaching on "Good News from the Graveyard in a Good Friday world."
The Adult Choir will be presenting special Easter Music during both services
9.30 AM Easter Celebration at Wesley United Methodist Church.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition, to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With is in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." - Ephesians 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfiacfoxSwc
Praise the Lord for this Holy Week. Plan to attend and participate in various Holy Week services. Do not miss out in worshipping the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday, wherever you might be.
A preacher once wrote, “The ugly part of me sure showed his beastly face the other night. I was driving on a two-lane road that was about to become a single lane. A woman in a car beside me was in the lane that continued. I was in the one that stopped. I needed to be ahead of her. My schedule was, no doubt, more important than hers. After all, am I not a man of the cloth? “So I floored it. Guess what? She did too. When my lane ended, she was a fender ahead of me. I growled and slowed and let her go ahead. Over her shoulder she gave me a sweet little bye-bye wave. Grrrr. “I started to dim my headlights. Then I paused. The sinister part of me said, ‘Wait a minute.’ Am I not to shed light on dark places? SO I PUT A LITTLE HIGH BEAM IN HER REARVIEW MIRROR. “She retaliated by slowing down. To a crawl. This woman was mean. She wasn’t going to go beyond fifteen miles per hour. And I wasn’t going to take my lights out of her rearview mirror. Like two stubborn donkeys, she kept it slow and I kept it bright. “After more unkind thoughts, the road widened and I started to pass. Wouldn’t you know it? A red light left the two of us side by side at an intersection. What happened next contains both good news and bad news. The good news is, she waved at me. The bad news is, her wave was not one you’d want to imitate. “Moments later, conviction surfaced, ‘WHY DID I DO THAT?’ I’m typically a calm guy, but for fifteen minutes I was a beast!” We can be pretty good people at church most of the time, but the Lord of the Church, is very much interested in how we act and react outside the church. In Titus 3:1-2 it is stated, "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men." The same thoughts are continued in I Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds (and your good life) and glorify God...”
In Christ,
Brown
HOLY WEDNESDAY
6:00 PM Beginning with a special meal. We will be studying Purpose #5 from
The Purpose Driven Life,
You are made for a mission.
HOLY THURSDAY
April 9, 2009, 6:00 PM Sedar meal celebration with Ron Goldberg.
GOOD FRIDAY
April 10, 2009, 7:00 PM SIMON PETER, presented by Dr,.James Geer, Ph.D.
EASTER MORNING WORSHIP AND CELEBRATION
6:30 AM Sunrise Service. Ray Bartholomew will be preaching.
7:30 a.m. We will be having a family breakfast, prepared by Jim Holmes, Tim Barrett, and company.
8:30 and 11:00 AM Easter Celebration. Pastor Brown will be preaching on "Good News from the Graveyard in a Good Friday world."
The Adult Choir will be presenting special Easter Music during both services
9.30 AM Easter Celebration at Wesley United Methodist Church.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition, to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With is in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." - Ephesians 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfiacfoxSwc
Monday, April 6, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 4-6-09
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this Holy Week. Praise the Lord for Palm Sunday, when we commemorate the Triumphant Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem. He comes in triumph. He is in control. He is in charge. He still comes to us, to our churches, to our homes, and to our cities as the King of Peace. He comes in meekness and in majesty.
Binghamton became the focus of national and international media as we witnessed the massacre of 13 people by a gun man last Friday at the American Civic Association Building on Front Street. I have been to the building several times, and I had met both of the receptionists. Two years ago we were exploring the possibility of holding Sunita's wedding reception there, so I had met the director of the organization and toured the entire building. One of my brothers-in-law had worked with the gun man. It was a such senseless tragedy.
I spent Friday afternoon and evening in Binghamton, just being there in the midst tragedy and grief and I attended prayer service in the evening. I also attended the ecumenical prayer service, that was held at the West Middle High Auditorium last evening. The auditorium was filled with people of all ages. Over 1500 people attended the service. It was an amazing service. Psalm 121 was sung by a Rabbi in Hebrew. The hymn "Amazing Grace" was sung, accompanied by a gifted pianist. The service concluded with a candlelight procession as a flautist played "Amazing Grace". May Jesus be praised. May He continue to comfort those who mourn and grant them His amazing peace.
We read in Psalm 46, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” What comforting words! They assure us that God is there for us whenever we are in need, whenever we are in trouble. Throughout the centuries, people have turned to the psalms for comfort. When we are troubled or worried, the psalms give us encouragement and reassurance to get on with the task of living our lives. Yet, occasionally we encounter a worry so deep or a grief so heavy that the solace we seek cannot be found, even in the words of Scripture. C. S. Lewis had been married only four years when his wife, Joy, died of cancer. The couple were very much in love and Joy’s death was almost too much for C. S. to bear. He plunged into a deep depression and did the only thing he knew to do: he wrote. During that time he filled up several journals, which were later compiled and published under the title, "A Grief Observed".
With the untimely death of his wife, C. S. Lewis’ unwavering faith was called into question. It seemed to him as though God had been present in his life until catastrophe struck. Soon after Joy’s death, Lewis wrote these words:
. . . Where is God? When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him, so happy that you are tempted to feel His claims upon you as an interruption, if you remember yourself and turn to Him with gratitude and praise, you will be -- or so it feels -- welcomed with open arms. But to go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away. The longer you wait, the more emphatic the silence will become. . . . What can this mean? Why is God so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in times of trouble?
(A Grief Observed, pp. 4-5)
These may sound like harsh words, but Lewis was in the deepest despair imaginable. He cried out for some reassurance that God was there, but the heard nothing -- only silence. Just when Lewis needed God most, he felt like God had abandoned him.
Psalm 46: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.” These are the words of assurance. The Psalmist is saying that God is with us. We have nothing to fear. Even when our world seems to be crumbling down around us, God will be present to sustain us.
These words are reassuring when we feel the Divine presence strongly in our lives. We can take comfort in the fact that God will always be there for us, even in times of trouble. . The Psalmist has written, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Why does the Psalmist mention the God of Jacob? And how is the God of Jacob our refuge? God promised Jacob protection and companionship. The promises made to Jacob have also been made to us. We have the promises of God made to Jacob, which is recorded in the 28th chapter of Genesis: “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” The Psalmist tells us that just as God promised to be with Jacob and to keep him wherever he went, God has also promised to be with us.
C. S. Lewis began to come out of his grief after his wife’s death, he wrote these words in his journal:
I have gradually been coming to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face? The time when nothing at all in your soul except a cry for help may be just the time when God cant give it; you are like the drowning man who cant be helped because he clutches and grabs. Perhaps your own reiterated cries deafen you to the voice you hoped to hear.
(A Grief Observed, pp. 53-54)
Lewis is right, perhaps, that when we are fraught with anxiety or grief, our own inner voices are making so much noise that they drown God out. Or perhaps we cannot hear God because we don't recognize His voice. The Apostle Paul expressed this in the beloved Chapter 8 of Romans when he talked about nothing being able to separate us from the love of God no matter what – that nothing in all of creation, nothing past or present, principalities or powers will be able to separate us from God’s love.
Psalm 46: “God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help the city when the morning comes.” The morning will come and when it does, God will help the faithful. Psalm 46 ends with the words: “Be still and know that I am God!” “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y
Praise the Lord for this Holy Week. Praise the Lord for Palm Sunday, when we commemorate the Triumphant Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem. He comes in triumph. He is in control. He is in charge. He still comes to us, to our churches, to our homes, and to our cities as the King of Peace. He comes in meekness and in majesty.
Binghamton became the focus of national and international media as we witnessed the massacre of 13 people by a gun man last Friday at the American Civic Association Building on Front Street. I have been to the building several times, and I had met both of the receptionists. Two years ago we were exploring the possibility of holding Sunita's wedding reception there, so I had met the director of the organization and toured the entire building. One of my brothers-in-law had worked with the gun man. It was a such senseless tragedy.
I spent Friday afternoon and evening in Binghamton, just being there in the midst tragedy and grief and I attended prayer service in the evening. I also attended the ecumenical prayer service, that was held at the West Middle High Auditorium last evening. The auditorium was filled with people of all ages. Over 1500 people attended the service. It was an amazing service. Psalm 121 was sung by a Rabbi in Hebrew. The hymn "Amazing Grace" was sung, accompanied by a gifted pianist. The service concluded with a candlelight procession as a flautist played "Amazing Grace". May Jesus be praised. May He continue to comfort those who mourn and grant them His amazing peace.
We read in Psalm 46, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” What comforting words! They assure us that God is there for us whenever we are in need, whenever we are in trouble. Throughout the centuries, people have turned to the psalms for comfort. When we are troubled or worried, the psalms give us encouragement and reassurance to get on with the task of living our lives. Yet, occasionally we encounter a worry so deep or a grief so heavy that the solace we seek cannot be found, even in the words of Scripture. C. S. Lewis had been married only four years when his wife, Joy, died of cancer. The couple were very much in love and Joy’s death was almost too much for C. S. to bear. He plunged into a deep depression and did the only thing he knew to do: he wrote. During that time he filled up several journals, which were later compiled and published under the title, "A Grief Observed".
With the untimely death of his wife, C. S. Lewis’ unwavering faith was called into question. It seemed to him as though God had been present in his life until catastrophe struck. Soon after Joy’s death, Lewis wrote these words:
. . . Where is God? When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him, so happy that you are tempted to feel His claims upon you as an interruption, if you remember yourself and turn to Him with gratitude and praise, you will be -- or so it feels -- welcomed with open arms. But to go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away. The longer you wait, the more emphatic the silence will become. . . . What can this mean? Why is God so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in times of trouble?
(A Grief Observed, pp. 4-5)
These may sound like harsh words, but Lewis was in the deepest despair imaginable. He cried out for some reassurance that God was there, but the heard nothing -- only silence. Just when Lewis needed God most, he felt like God had abandoned him.
Psalm 46: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.” These are the words of assurance. The Psalmist is saying that God is with us. We have nothing to fear. Even when our world seems to be crumbling down around us, God will be present to sustain us.
These words are reassuring when we feel the Divine presence strongly in our lives. We can take comfort in the fact that God will always be there for us, even in times of trouble. . The Psalmist has written, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Why does the Psalmist mention the God of Jacob? And how is the God of Jacob our refuge? God promised Jacob protection and companionship. The promises made to Jacob have also been made to us. We have the promises of God made to Jacob, which is recorded in the 28th chapter of Genesis: “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” The Psalmist tells us that just as God promised to be with Jacob and to keep him wherever he went, God has also promised to be with us.
C. S. Lewis began to come out of his grief after his wife’s death, he wrote these words in his journal:
I have gradually been coming to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face? The time when nothing at all in your soul except a cry for help may be just the time when God cant give it; you are like the drowning man who cant be helped because he clutches and grabs. Perhaps your own reiterated cries deafen you to the voice you hoped to hear.
(A Grief Observed, pp. 53-54)
Lewis is right, perhaps, that when we are fraught with anxiety or grief, our own inner voices are making so much noise that they drown God out. Or perhaps we cannot hear God because we don't recognize His voice. The Apostle Paul expressed this in the beloved Chapter 8 of Romans when he talked about nothing being able to separate us from the love of God no matter what – that nothing in all of creation, nothing past or present, principalities or powers will be able to separate us from God’s love.
Psalm 46: “God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help the city when the morning comes.” The morning will come and when it does, God will help the faithful. Psalm 46 ends with the words: “Be still and know that I am God!” “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y
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