Good morning,
I have a special request this morning. My recent blood tests were abnormal, so my surgeon in Boston recommended that I should go for radiation treatment. I have gone for initial CT scan and Cat Scan. They were all clean. I will start radiation treatment soon, probably on Monday June 15,2009. My brother Patel is still in jail in Orissa, India. as a result of religious persecution and political conspiracy. He is going into his eleventh month of imprisonment. Several thousand Christians who have been made homeless because of Anti-Christian persecution by Hindu -Extremists since last August are still living in refugee camps. Thank you for praying for the above needs.
Dr Tony Campollo was the commencement speaker for Sunita's Graduation from Undergraduate College in Boston. He concluded his address by saying, "It is Friday now, but Sunday's coming". Praise the Lord for Friday. Praise the Lord for Sunday, the Day of the Lord, when we can come apart to be with the Lord and with His people to worship His Majesty, to celebrate His grace, and to declare that our Lord reigns. He is upon the throne.
Philip Yancy has written, “Christianity is not a purely intellectual, internal faith. It can only be lived in community.” So the question is not, “Am I going to be part of a community of faith” but “How am I going to live in this community of faith?” We can pretend that we’re on our own, but eventually we realize how much we need each other. When believers come together, something supernatural happens; Jesus promises, “Where two or three come together in My Name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). The author of Hebrews urges, “Let us consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:25). We are not solitary saints. We are incomplete until we find fellowship with others who share our faith.David is the author of psalm 133, and the best one to appreciate the blessing of unity.
Why do we resist the call to community? Sin isolates us; it causes us to find ways of separating ourselves from others. Sociologist Philip Slater wrote a probing analysis of the American way of life entitled, "The Pursuit of Loneliness", in which he claims that we tend to circumvent and deny our needed interdependence. We crave privacy to the point where we become cut off, isolated, from others. This causes any contact we can’t avoid to seem abrasive. Rather than communicate with others, we see others as a nuisance. Slater writes as an observer of the American condition. He describes our secluded self-sufficiency, our self-absorption, and our isolated individualism. Psalm 133 is a brief psalm which contains two poetic images, oil and dew. The first image has always struck me as kind of messy! When I anoint the sick with oil, I usually apply a small amount; here the biblical image is of a large quantity, running down on Aaron’s beard and robes. You wonder whether it would come out in the wash! When Moses’ brother Aaron was consecrated as the high priest in Exodus 29, he was clothed in vestments and anointed with oil. The holy fragrance of the oil would cling to him. Paul writes that “through us Christ spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him” (II Corinthians 2:14). We are a sweet perfume in a decaying world.
Oil softens the skin, and is used as a salve to heal wounds. Throughout Scripture oil is a symbol of God’s presence and Spirit. Oil was used when individuals were set apart for service as prophets, priests, and kings. Christ (who was all three) is a both name and a title; the word Christ means “anointed one". He was anointed to provide us salvation. The earliest Christians were appointed the major challenge to break down the barriers between Jews and Gentiles, and to welcome men and women alike. Paul describes this obstacle as a wall that needs to come down. To do so meant stepping out of one’s comfort zone. The Protestant Reformation emphasized the priesthood of all believers. Pastors provide spiritual leadership, but we are all priests, with access to God, called to ministry, and set apart for service. When we realize that our fellow Christians are priests this changes our relationship. There are many wonderful social and civic organizations, but what the church offers is unique—the unity of the Spirit. The late Dr. James Montgomery Boice explained, “The church is not an organization but an organism; it’s symbol for this age is a body, not a business.” The bond uniting us is also like dew. In high elevations the dew fall is heavy. Every dawn the mountain-tops are drenched, and the feeling is one of freshness and fertility. Israel is an arid country, so the morning dew is very important if plants are to grow. The dew fell on the loftiest peak, Mount Hermon, in the land of the northern tribes, as well as on Mount Zion, one of the smaller peaks, in the southern tribes. Travelers in the desert have been known to drink dew to stay alive. We need the dew of fellowship if we are to flourish in our faith. Unity cannot be manufactured by human effort; it is a gift produced by the Spirit. Unity is ours in Christ. Jesus prayed beneath the shadow of the cross that we “may all be one” (Jn 17:22). The unity we have is based on harmony within God Himself. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Dew is a symbol of blessing. When Isaac blessed his son Jacob, he stated, “May God give you of heaven’s dew” (Gen 27:28), meaning the resource of prosperity. In contrast, Isaac told Esau that his “dwelling will be away from the dew of heaven” (vs 39). Moses prayed that his teachings would “descend like dew” (Deut 32:2). Proverbs describes the favor of a king “like dew on the grass” (19:12). Isaiah compares dew to the resurrection of our bodies (26:19). God declared in Hosea, “I will be like the dew to Israel, which will blossom like a lily” (14:5). Blessings descend to us, but we ought to receive them together. We are blessed individually and collectively. What dew and oil have in common is that they are both flowing down. David focuses on the source and direction of these blessings. They come down from above upon God’s people. “Unity” is a gift of grace, and “Life forevermore” is the ultimate blessing, salvation. When we live together in harmony as God’s people, we get a foretaste of eternal life. We are part of a “forever family”. As we look around our church we see people with whom we are going to spend eternity in heaven. Why not get to know them better now? If we want a bit of heaven on earth, we can start now by uniting with fellow believers every way we can.
" See you in church"
Brown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je-wFV4M9MU
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-4-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the gift of another day, filled with His promises, and paved with His grace. Sunita returned from Rwanda yesterday, back to Washington safe and sound. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful time during our mid-week service of study and fellowship. When we come before Him, seeking Him, He infuses us with His joy.
In the Gospel according to John, Jesus said that he is not only the shepherd, but He is also the gate for the sheep. At first this sounds confusing, until you understand that in biblical times the shepherd would take the sheep to a cave, or lead them into a sheepfold that was created by thick briars on all sides. Both the cave and the briars had an opening where the sheep could go in and out. The only problem was that predators could go in as well, so the shepherd would lay down in the opening at night and literally become the gate. Nothing could go in or out without going through him. It could be a dangerous position to be in. He would literally lay down his life for the sheep, and many shepherds lost their lives in this way from an attack of predators. The whole life of the shepherd is lived to do good to the sheep. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Jesus, the good Shepherd, has come to give us life. The Christian life is a relationship. It means loving our Shepherd, following Him, listening to His voice, staying near Him, and trusting Him. Jesus never gave an altar call, or asked for a show of hands of those who believed in Him. That would have been too easy. What he did say was, “Follow me.” Those are some of the simplest and yet most difficult words ever spoken in the history of the world. Becoming a Christian is not just a crisis event, it is an ongoing relationship with Jesus, that results in a new way of living.
Donald Miller, in his excellent book, "Searching for God Knows What", tells about going to a Bible college where he taught a class. Speaking to this group of Bible students, he told them he was going to present the plan of salvation, but he was going to leave out one key element, and they were to listen carefully so that at the end they could tell him what it was. He began by saying that mankind is sinful and separated from God, and he pointed out many of the sins of the culture — euthanasia, abortion, homosexuality, drug use, etc. He talked about the need to repent, and backed it up with several scriptures. He used a real life example of a bridge being out, and how a man shot flares just over the top of cars to get them to stop and not drive over the bridge to their death. He again quoted Scripture that talked about the wages of sin being death, and how we were to avoid spiritual death at any cost. He talked about the beauty of morality, and told the story of a man who avoided being unfaithful to his wife when faced with the opportunity, and how his marriage blossomed after that and became better than ever. He talked about heaven and how wonderful it would be — streets of gold and gates of pearl with a beautiful river running through it. He said all this could be theirs if they only believed, repented and honored God. Not only would heaven be theirs, but real meaning and fulfillment would be realized in their lives right here and now. He then asked the students what was left out of the story. There was absolute silence in the room. Now these were students who had grown up in evangelical churches. They attended a Bible college where they had studied theology. They had read the Bible and taken classes in both Old and New Testament, and only weeks before they had taken an evangelism class and knocked on hundreds of doors in an attempt to lead people to Christ. Miller said that the students sat there for several uncomfortable minutes. Finally he wrote, “None of the forty-five students in the class realized I had presented a gospel without once mentioning the name of Jesus.” If there is anything the story of the Shepherd and the sheep tells us, it is that the Christian life is not about going through a few steps so we can avoid hell and get to heaven; it is about a relationship that takes place between the Shepherd and His sheep. It is not about getting into the fold, for that is never mentioned. It is about following the Shepherd. Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). In Jesus the Winsome Shepherd,
Brownhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jEXDPzqo2g
Praise the Lord for the gift of another day, filled with His promises, and paved with His grace. Sunita returned from Rwanda yesterday, back to Washington safe and sound. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful time during our mid-week service of study and fellowship. When we come before Him, seeking Him, He infuses us with His joy.
In the Gospel according to John, Jesus said that he is not only the shepherd, but He is also the gate for the sheep. At first this sounds confusing, until you understand that in biblical times the shepherd would take the sheep to a cave, or lead them into a sheepfold that was created by thick briars on all sides. Both the cave and the briars had an opening where the sheep could go in and out. The only problem was that predators could go in as well, so the shepherd would lay down in the opening at night and literally become the gate. Nothing could go in or out without going through him. It could be a dangerous position to be in. He would literally lay down his life for the sheep, and many shepherds lost their lives in this way from an attack of predators. The whole life of the shepherd is lived to do good to the sheep. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Jesus, the good Shepherd, has come to give us life. The Christian life is a relationship. It means loving our Shepherd, following Him, listening to His voice, staying near Him, and trusting Him. Jesus never gave an altar call, or asked for a show of hands of those who believed in Him. That would have been too easy. What he did say was, “Follow me.” Those are some of the simplest and yet most difficult words ever spoken in the history of the world. Becoming a Christian is not just a crisis event, it is an ongoing relationship with Jesus, that results in a new way of living.
Donald Miller, in his excellent book, "Searching for God Knows What", tells about going to a Bible college where he taught a class. Speaking to this group of Bible students, he told them he was going to present the plan of salvation, but he was going to leave out one key element, and they were to listen carefully so that at the end they could tell him what it was. He began by saying that mankind is sinful and separated from God, and he pointed out many of the sins of the culture — euthanasia, abortion, homosexuality, drug use, etc. He talked about the need to repent, and backed it up with several scriptures. He used a real life example of a bridge being out, and how a man shot flares just over the top of cars to get them to stop and not drive over the bridge to their death. He again quoted Scripture that talked about the wages of sin being death, and how we were to avoid spiritual death at any cost. He talked about the beauty of morality, and told the story of a man who avoided being unfaithful to his wife when faced with the opportunity, and how his marriage blossomed after that and became better than ever. He talked about heaven and how wonderful it would be — streets of gold and gates of pearl with a beautiful river running through it. He said all this could be theirs if they only believed, repented and honored God. Not only would heaven be theirs, but real meaning and fulfillment would be realized in their lives right here and now. He then asked the students what was left out of the story. There was absolute silence in the room. Now these were students who had grown up in evangelical churches. They attended a Bible college where they had studied theology. They had read the Bible and taken classes in both Old and New Testament, and only weeks before they had taken an evangelism class and knocked on hundreds of doors in an attempt to lead people to Christ. Miller said that the students sat there for several uncomfortable minutes. Finally he wrote, “None of the forty-five students in the class realized I had presented a gospel without once mentioning the name of Jesus.” If there is anything the story of the Shepherd and the sheep tells us, it is that the Christian life is not about going through a few steps so we can avoid hell and get to heaven; it is about a relationship that takes place between the Shepherd and His sheep. It is not about getting into the fold, for that is never mentioned. It is about following the Shepherd. Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). In Jesus the Winsome Shepherd,
Brownhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jEXDPzqo2g
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-3-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this beautiful day in His Kingdom. Keep our daughter, Sunita, in prayer. She and her team are flying back today to Washington. They laid over in Amsterdam, and will be flying from there shortly.
We will meet at 6 PM for a fellowship meal, followed by Bible study at 6:30 PM and choir practice at 7:30 PM. In our study we will be looking at Revelation 2. It has been a wonderful blessing to come together for midweek fellowship, study, and prayer.
Congratulations to George and Marion Cameron, who celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary last week.
Ruth Bell Graham, who has entered the Church Triumphant, was the wife of Billy Graham. Some time back she wrote a story which she called “The Mender.” She wrote, “He had built for himself a great house on one of the Caribbean islands. It is a thing to behold. Tall rusty iron columns, collected and resurrected with an ingenious homemade device. This Great House is a masterpiece of salvaged materials. A collector and seller of scrap metal as well as antiques, he was also fascinated with broken bits and pieces of china dug from his front yard. His friends, John and June Cash, laughingly remarked it was the first time they had heard of a yard sale where the man had sold the yard itself. Carefully he fitted and glued the pieces together. Few ever came out whole. They remained simply a collection of one who cared. When I expressed interest, he gave me a blue-and-white plate, carefully glued together — pieces missing. ‘You remind me of God,’ I said. By the look on his face, I knew I shocked him, and I hurriedly explained. ‘God pieces back broken lives lovingly. Sometimes a piece is irretrievably lost. But still He gathers what He can and restores us.’” Ruth Graham’s story is a parable of the church. We are an unusual collection of broken people, but God has taken us and collected the pieces of our lives and lovingly glued them back together. As we experience his grace, He transforms our lives.
Pamela Reeve has written, “Faith is remembering I am God’s priceless treasure when I feel utterly worthless.” How wonderful it is to know that kind of Grace, experienced at the loving hand of God! It helps us to know that we are loved, no matter what. He offers forgiveness for the past and encouragement for the days ahead. In the New Testament, John wrote, “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:19-21). When we love each other it is the sign that we are in love with God. Paul’s message to the early church is a message we still need for today. He said, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3). We are urged, according to Scripture, to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:312-32). We forgive because we have been forgiven. We are patient with others because God in his mercy has been patient with us. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).
Let us live out our lives in such a way that we demonstrate love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and grace towards those around us. Let us love with the love of Christ, with patience and attentiveness to those around us.
In His Love,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Q5vVa0q8Q
Praise the Lord for this beautiful day in His Kingdom. Keep our daughter, Sunita, in prayer. She and her team are flying back today to Washington. They laid over in Amsterdam, and will be flying from there shortly.
We will meet at 6 PM for a fellowship meal, followed by Bible study at 6:30 PM and choir practice at 7:30 PM. In our study we will be looking at Revelation 2. It has been a wonderful blessing to come together for midweek fellowship, study, and prayer.
Congratulations to George and Marion Cameron, who celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary last week.
Ruth Bell Graham, who has entered the Church Triumphant, was the wife of Billy Graham. Some time back she wrote a story which she called “The Mender.” She wrote, “He had built for himself a great house on one of the Caribbean islands. It is a thing to behold. Tall rusty iron columns, collected and resurrected with an ingenious homemade device. This Great House is a masterpiece of salvaged materials. A collector and seller of scrap metal as well as antiques, he was also fascinated with broken bits and pieces of china dug from his front yard. His friends, John and June Cash, laughingly remarked it was the first time they had heard of a yard sale where the man had sold the yard itself. Carefully he fitted and glued the pieces together. Few ever came out whole. They remained simply a collection of one who cared. When I expressed interest, he gave me a blue-and-white plate, carefully glued together — pieces missing. ‘You remind me of God,’ I said. By the look on his face, I knew I shocked him, and I hurriedly explained. ‘God pieces back broken lives lovingly. Sometimes a piece is irretrievably lost. But still He gathers what He can and restores us.’” Ruth Graham’s story is a parable of the church. We are an unusual collection of broken people, but God has taken us and collected the pieces of our lives and lovingly glued them back together. As we experience his grace, He transforms our lives.
Pamela Reeve has written, “Faith is remembering I am God’s priceless treasure when I feel utterly worthless.” How wonderful it is to know that kind of Grace, experienced at the loving hand of God! It helps us to know that we are loved, no matter what. He offers forgiveness for the past and encouragement for the days ahead. In the New Testament, John wrote, “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:19-21). When we love each other it is the sign that we are in love with God. Paul’s message to the early church is a message we still need for today. He said, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3). We are urged, according to Scripture, to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:312-32). We forgive because we have been forgiven. We are patient with others because God in his mercy has been patient with us. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).
Let us live out our lives in such a way that we demonstrate love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and grace towards those around us. Let us love with the love of Christ, with patience and attentiveness to those around us.
In His Love,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Q5vVa0q8Q
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-2-09
Good morning,
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. One of the problems we wrestle with in the life of the church is indifference. Our Lord is concerned about the indifference of His people towards the things of the Kingdom. The Word of God declares that the Lord of the church detests a spirit of unconcern and luke-warmness. He calls for passion and zeal.
In Joel 2 there is a command to “blow the trumpet and sound the alarm”. Again, this is written in the imperative and it is written with urgency. To blow the trumpet was to announce to the people that something important was occurring. The Lord said the reason you are to do this is that the “Day of the Lord” is coming. God will judge unconcerned lifestyles. We have the responsibility to let people know that God still judges indifference. In Joel 2:8 we are commanded to return back to the Lord. The Lord instructs us to give Him all of your heart. How many times are we guilty of being half-hearted in our partial obedience to God? The Lord must be Lord of all or He is not Lord at all. It is not enough to just give God control over part of your life; that will certainly lead to indifference. He must have control over all. He is calling, “Turn to Me with all your heart”. Joel 2:9 commands to “rend their hearts, and not their garments”. Among the Jews, a sign of extreme sorrow was to take the outer garment, and tear it as a sign of mourning and sorrow. God was telling them to do more than just go through the motions of being sorry for their sins. Truly look at your heart and rend it. Be broken-hearted for your sins. In Psalm 34:18 it is written, "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Joel 2:10 goes on to say that for those who rend (break) their hearts, God is close to them. God gives words of special comfort to those who are broken. Once we deal with our indifference toward the things of God, and follow His commands as Joel gave them, God promises special words of comfort. God invites us to see His Nature. (Joel 2:13) "And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." Note that God is full of grace and mercy. If we will but turn to Him, He will be gracious to us. Psalm 86:15, "But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." God is also slow to anger. If we were to receive what we so really deserve every time that we fail God, we would be in serious trouble indeed. Yet, we do not need to fear that God will turn us away. God assures us that if we turn to Him, God will truly give an abundance. God desires for His church to be involved in the harvest, but because we have become indifferent, and intoxicated with worldly cares, we no longer have the abundance of a good harvest. When we return back to Him, when we follow the commands that He has given, He promises an abundant harvest. Joel also mentions the vats being filled with wine and oil. Wine, throughout the Old Testament, is a symbol for joy. The Lord's promise to us is that, if we return completely unto Him, He will restore the fullness of joy. Verse 25 promises restoration of what has been lost because of the judgment of God. Satan may steal from us when we are intoxicated and not aware, but when we return back to Him, He will restore all that has been stolen away. God invites us to see His Nearness. God promises in verse 27 that He will be near. He will be in the midst of His people. His people will experience His closeness. In verse 28 the prophet went on to say that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. That is, God will be near, for His Spirit will be upon His people. When we return to Him, when we get hungry for our God, He will pour out His Spirit so that we can experience the nearness of God.
In His Grace,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhOJW4Uwy3c
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. One of the problems we wrestle with in the life of the church is indifference. Our Lord is concerned about the indifference of His people towards the things of the Kingdom. The Word of God declares that the Lord of the church detests a spirit of unconcern and luke-warmness. He calls for passion and zeal.
In Joel 2 there is a command to “blow the trumpet and sound the alarm”. Again, this is written in the imperative and it is written with urgency. To blow the trumpet was to announce to the people that something important was occurring. The Lord said the reason you are to do this is that the “Day of the Lord” is coming. God will judge unconcerned lifestyles. We have the responsibility to let people know that God still judges indifference. In Joel 2:8 we are commanded to return back to the Lord. The Lord instructs us to give Him all of your heart. How many times are we guilty of being half-hearted in our partial obedience to God? The Lord must be Lord of all or He is not Lord at all. It is not enough to just give God control over part of your life; that will certainly lead to indifference. He must have control over all. He is calling, “Turn to Me with all your heart”. Joel 2:9 commands to “rend their hearts, and not their garments”. Among the Jews, a sign of extreme sorrow was to take the outer garment, and tear it as a sign of mourning and sorrow. God was telling them to do more than just go through the motions of being sorry for their sins. Truly look at your heart and rend it. Be broken-hearted for your sins. In Psalm 34:18 it is written, "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Joel 2:10 goes on to say that for those who rend (break) their hearts, God is close to them. God gives words of special comfort to those who are broken. Once we deal with our indifference toward the things of God, and follow His commands as Joel gave them, God promises special words of comfort. God invites us to see His Nature. (Joel 2:13) "And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." Note that God is full of grace and mercy. If we will but turn to Him, He will be gracious to us. Psalm 86:15, "But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." God is also slow to anger. If we were to receive what we so really deserve every time that we fail God, we would be in serious trouble indeed. Yet, we do not need to fear that God will turn us away. God assures us that if we turn to Him, God will truly give an abundance. God desires for His church to be involved in the harvest, but because we have become indifferent, and intoxicated with worldly cares, we no longer have the abundance of a good harvest. When we return back to Him, when we follow the commands that He has given, He promises an abundant harvest. Joel also mentions the vats being filled with wine and oil. Wine, throughout the Old Testament, is a symbol for joy. The Lord's promise to us is that, if we return completely unto Him, He will restore the fullness of joy. Verse 25 promises restoration of what has been lost because of the judgment of God. Satan may steal from us when we are intoxicated and not aware, but when we return back to Him, He will restore all that has been stolen away. God invites us to see His Nearness. God promises in verse 27 that He will be near. He will be in the midst of His people. His people will experience His closeness. In verse 28 the prophet went on to say that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. That is, God will be near, for His Spirit will be upon His people. When we return to Him, when we get hungry for our God, He will pour out His Spirit so that we can experience the nearness of God.
In His Grace,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhOJW4Uwy3c
Monday, June 1, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-1-09
Good morning,
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. It was Pentecost Sunday yesterday. Praise the Lord for the way He sent the Holy Spirit upon on His people on the day of Pentecost. We read in Acts 2:1-4, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
John Wimber was a product of the Jesus movement in the 60’s. He met Christ in a dramatic way, and began reading the New Testament, beginning with the Gospels and then he went on to read the book of Acts. He was excited about what he was reading, but when he went to a church he was disillusioned. The polite and tidy service was over exactly on time. Wimber looked at some of the people around him and said, “When are you gonna do the stuff?” “What stuff?” they wanted to know. He said, “You know. . . the stuff!” He had been reading about the conversions, healings, deliverance and other miracles that took place in the early church recorded the book of Acts. But instead of signs and wonders, he saw no sign of anything that would make him wonder, except the deadness of the ritual he had just sat through. Rick Kirchoff has said, “When God sends forth the Spirit amazing things happen: barriers are broken, communities are formed, opposites are reconciled, unity is established, disease is cured, addiction is broken, cities are renewed, races are reconciled, hope is established, people are blessed, and church happens. Today the Spirit of God is present and we’re gonna’ have church. So be ready, get ready. . . God is up to something. . . discouraged folks cheer up, dishonest folks ‘fess up, sour folks sweeten up, closed folk, open up, gossipers shut up, conflicted folks make up, sleeping folks wake up, lukewarm folk, fire up, dry bones shake up, and pew potatoes stand up! But most of all, Christ the Savior of all the world is lifted up.” Chuck Colson reported that columnist Jonathan Rauch believes that America has made “a major civilizational advance” in recent years. Colson says, “Rauch, a longtime atheist, is thrilled about a phenomenon he calls ‘apatheism’ [apathetic theism]. It’s not that people don’t believe in God anymore, Rauch writes in the Atlantic Monthly — the majority will still say they believe. . . . On the whole, the people Rauch describes haven’t been putting much thought or effort into their faith. They’re looking for comfort and reassurance, not for a God who asks anything of them. Hence the rise of ‘apatheism,’ which Rauch defines as ‘a disinclination to care all that much about one’s own religion, and an even stronger disinclination to care about other people’s.’” Colson went on to talk about writer David Brooks, who noticed a trend a few years ago and coined the term flexidoxy [flexible beliefs]. Flexidoxy describes the form of religion practiced by many educated young Americans as opposed to orthodoxy. Basically, it means that people have become flexible in their belief system and look at religion as a giant smorgasbord from which they can pick and choose the beliefs that most suit them. They become the center of their own faith and adapt it to what they see as important. Some time ago, I read about 27-year-old Aron Ralston who had his right arm pinned by an 800-pound boulder in a climbing accident. He had gone hiking in Bluejohn Canyon, adjacent to Utah’s Canyonlands National Park. He was an experienced climber, who had already climbed 49 other peaks in Colorado which were each over 14,000 feet in height. He thought about what it would be like to die on the mountain and have his family find his body, or perhaps never know his fate. Ralston, a former engineer for Intel and an avid outdoorsman, thought about his options. After five days of being pinned, and having run out of food and water, he decided to apply a tourniquet and amputate his arm below the elbow with his pocket knife. He then rigged anchors and rappelled to the canyon floor with his one good arm. He walked downstream until he was spotted by a Utah Public Safety Helicopter. What the news did not say much about was that this Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Carnegie Mellon University credits his faith in God for ability to do what he had to do. He is a deeply committed Christian who often plays the piano in the United Methodist Church in Greenwood Village near Denver, Colorado. Because Aron wanted to live, he was willing to cut away everything that was holding him back. It is that kind of commitment and zeal that will enable us to experience Pentecostal power. When you are willing to cut away everything that is holding you back and walk out of the canyon of bondage, then the Holy Spirit will come to you in new ways and you know a life that you did not know was possible.
The Bible says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1, New Living). The apostle Paul did this, for he wrote, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
In Christ, Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFaIGSyENsY
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. It was Pentecost Sunday yesterday. Praise the Lord for the way He sent the Holy Spirit upon on His people on the day of Pentecost. We read in Acts 2:1-4, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
John Wimber was a product of the Jesus movement in the 60’s. He met Christ in a dramatic way, and began reading the New Testament, beginning with the Gospels and then he went on to read the book of Acts. He was excited about what he was reading, but when he went to a church he was disillusioned. The polite and tidy service was over exactly on time. Wimber looked at some of the people around him and said, “When are you gonna do the stuff?” “What stuff?” they wanted to know. He said, “You know. . . the stuff!” He had been reading about the conversions, healings, deliverance and other miracles that took place in the early church recorded the book of Acts. But instead of signs and wonders, he saw no sign of anything that would make him wonder, except the deadness of the ritual he had just sat through. Rick Kirchoff has said, “When God sends forth the Spirit amazing things happen: barriers are broken, communities are formed, opposites are reconciled, unity is established, disease is cured, addiction is broken, cities are renewed, races are reconciled, hope is established, people are blessed, and church happens. Today the Spirit of God is present and we’re gonna’ have church. So be ready, get ready. . . God is up to something. . . discouraged folks cheer up, dishonest folks ‘fess up, sour folks sweeten up, closed folk, open up, gossipers shut up, conflicted folks make up, sleeping folks wake up, lukewarm folk, fire up, dry bones shake up, and pew potatoes stand up! But most of all, Christ the Savior of all the world is lifted up.” Chuck Colson reported that columnist Jonathan Rauch believes that America has made “a major civilizational advance” in recent years. Colson says, “Rauch, a longtime atheist, is thrilled about a phenomenon he calls ‘apatheism’ [apathetic theism]. It’s not that people don’t believe in God anymore, Rauch writes in the Atlantic Monthly — the majority will still say they believe. . . . On the whole, the people Rauch describes haven’t been putting much thought or effort into their faith. They’re looking for comfort and reassurance, not for a God who asks anything of them. Hence the rise of ‘apatheism,’ which Rauch defines as ‘a disinclination to care all that much about one’s own religion, and an even stronger disinclination to care about other people’s.’” Colson went on to talk about writer David Brooks, who noticed a trend a few years ago and coined the term flexidoxy [flexible beliefs]. Flexidoxy describes the form of religion practiced by many educated young Americans as opposed to orthodoxy. Basically, it means that people have become flexible in their belief system and look at religion as a giant smorgasbord from which they can pick and choose the beliefs that most suit them. They become the center of their own faith and adapt it to what they see as important. Some time ago, I read about 27-year-old Aron Ralston who had his right arm pinned by an 800-pound boulder in a climbing accident. He had gone hiking in Bluejohn Canyon, adjacent to Utah’s Canyonlands National Park. He was an experienced climber, who had already climbed 49 other peaks in Colorado which were each over 14,000 feet in height. He thought about what it would be like to die on the mountain and have his family find his body, or perhaps never know his fate. Ralston, a former engineer for Intel and an avid outdoorsman, thought about his options. After five days of being pinned, and having run out of food and water, he decided to apply a tourniquet and amputate his arm below the elbow with his pocket knife. He then rigged anchors and rappelled to the canyon floor with his one good arm. He walked downstream until he was spotted by a Utah Public Safety Helicopter. What the news did not say much about was that this Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Carnegie Mellon University credits his faith in God for ability to do what he had to do. He is a deeply committed Christian who often plays the piano in the United Methodist Church in Greenwood Village near Denver, Colorado. Because Aron wanted to live, he was willing to cut away everything that was holding him back. It is that kind of commitment and zeal that will enable us to experience Pentecostal power. When you are willing to cut away everything that is holding you back and walk out of the canyon of bondage, then the Holy Spirit will come to you in new ways and you know a life that you did not know was possible.
The Bible says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1, New Living). The apostle Paul did this, for he wrote, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
In Christ, Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFaIGSyENsY
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