Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this fabulous Friday. Praise the Lord for the advent of the summer season.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY2Ugpst9VY Praise the Lord for all the seasons. Praise the Lord for the way He makes all seasons beautiful. We can say it again: How great is our God! He is more than wonderful. He is upon the throne.
I was reading a little bit about Sigmund Freud this week. He died at the age of 83, a bitter and disillusioned man. Freud was one of the most influential thinkers of last century but had little compassion for the common person. In 1918, Freud wrote, "I have found little that is good about human beings on the whole. In my experience most of them are trash, no matter whether they publicly subscribe to this or that ethical doctrine or to none at all.” Freud died friendless. Even his famous pupils, Carl Jung & Alfred Adler, were expelled from his life, because they chose to disagree with him. Freud died a bitter and lonely man. (Unfinished Business, Charles Sell, Multnomah, 1989,page 121 ff.) Paul wrote the letter to the Romans to tell people that God’s kingdom has come, that the Old Testament has been fulfilled, and that the Messiah, whose real name is Jesus, is the anointed one. He also said in this letter that this Jesus is Lord, He is Savior, He is the true Son of God, He is the prince of peace, and His death and resurrection bring true peace to this world. "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:13) It is not (nor ever was it) any Caesar who is god and worthy of worship. King Jesus alone, who reigns from His throne in heaven forever is worthy of our worship, adoration, and praise! It is not the Roman Empire or any empire of man to whom we should give allegiance, but to Jesus, and His eternal kingdom. The Caesars died, Rome burned, nation will continue to rise against nation, and heaven and earth will pass away, but King Jesus will build his kingdom and the gates of Hades will never conquer it. One day all of the world will bow to King Jesus and confess that He is Savior and Lord, not Caesar or any other worldly leader. Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings. This is the gospel. The world is not the dominion of Caesar; it belongs to Jesus. This gospel of Jesus Christ is powerful. The gospel of King Jesus is a radical, revolutionary message that often flies in the face of the establishment. About 200,000 Christians a year around the world are killed because of their commitment to Christ and His Gospel. Why? It is because the Gospel is revolutionary. The gospel is also for revolutionaries and it will always cost something. The message of Jesus is disturbing and radical, and it calls for a complete and unconditional commitment. Praise the Lord for those who have become the Company of the Committed, who are constantly surrounded by "a great cloud of witnesses".
May Christ continue to baptize His church with a fresh fire and the fresh wind of His Holy Spirit. May we be propelled to shake Satan's foundations, and to "dance upon injustice." May we all be committed to finish it well. He is Lord.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Q5vVa0q8Q
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-18-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. It rained torrentially last night. The Lord heats the earth; He also waters it abundantly. We had a great mid-week service of sweet fellowship and provoking Bible study and prayer last evening. I came home blessed and inspired.
This morning I am looking at Chapter 16 of Romans. In Romans 16, the Apostle Paul is concluding a letter to the Christians in Rome. The first 15 chapters of Romans provide a theological discussion of what it means to live for God as a devoted disciple of Jesus. Chapter 16, however, is completely different. Using words, Paul created snapshots of more than thirty of his brothers and sisters in Christ. He did so by sending greetings to the Christians he knew in that city or by telling them hello from the Christians who were with him. Through those greetings we see snapshots of people who help us understand what it means to be a contagious Christians.
We read in Revelation chapter 3 that the Risen Lord is not pleased with lukewarm Christians, though He still loves them. He calls Christians to be full of fire and zeal, and to be contagious and fermenting with the power of the Holy Spirit. In the first portrait offered by Paul in Romans 16, Paul showed us “Our sister Phoebe, a deacon in the church.” Paul told the Roman Christians that Phoebe would be visiting them soon and that they should, “ receive her in the Lord, as one who is worthy of high honor. Help her in every way you can, for she has helped many in their needs, including me.” Form a picture in your mind of mother Teresa of Calcutta and you'll see Phoebe. She did not clothe herself in fine clothes or expensive jewelry. Further, she was as tough looking as Paul and as tenderhearted as Jesus. In Paul’s economy, Phoebe was worthy of high honor because she had suffered for Jesus, and even in the midst of her suffering had continued to serve her brothers and sisters in Christ. She was a portrait, according to Paul, of contagious enthusiasm for Jesus and his church. Then Paul gave a portrait of ‘Priscilla and Aquila’. They were obviously deeply in love, yet are not with each other; they were gazing out upon a hurting and fallen world. “They risked their lives for me,” Paul tells us. Then he continued, “I am not the only one who is thankful to them; so are all the Gentile churches.” What does it tell you about the heart and soul of someone who would risk his or her life for you? What does that tell you about what it means to have a contagious enthusiasm for Jesus? Third, Paul revealed to us a picture of his dear friend Epenetus. He did not say much about Epenetus, but simply that he “was the very first person to become a Christian in the province of Asia.” Isn’t it incredible to know the name of the very first person that accepted Christ in the area now known as Turkey? That takes us back to the very beginning of the Christian faith. Paul went on to show us a portrait of Andronicus and Junia, who were like a family to him when they were in prison together for being Christians. “They are respected among the apostles and became Christians before I did,” said Paul. In prison with Paul for being Christians means that they stood strong in the face of religious persecution and went to jail rather than denying their faith.
Paul listed name after name, description after description, and sent greeting after greeting. He closed the book as of to say, “that’s what it means to be a contagious congregation where disciples exude a contagious enthusiasm for Jesus. That’s what it means to be Christian.” In Romans 16 we see verbal portraits of the contagious enthusiasm for Jesus. A bigger picture begins to form of people who love Jesus and each other so deeply that they would risk their lives for one another and who would rather go to jail than deny their faith in Jesus. We get a picture of women working alongside men as equals in the gospel, in a culture that saw women as property. We get a picture of a people like Tryphena and Tryphosa, who saw themselves as the Lord’s workers. In fact, we see very clearly that these early contagious Christians were anything but passive recipients of Paul’s ministry. We get the picture that the church was an enthusiastic group of people who did everything for the glory of God because they had themselves experienced the saving love of Jesus Christ. Here were contagious Christians who enthusiastically loved Jesus and one another so much that they would work side by side for the glory of God and risk their lives for the good news of Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngw3jUt5v60
Praise the Lord for this new day. It rained torrentially last night. The Lord heats the earth; He also waters it abundantly. We had a great mid-week service of sweet fellowship and provoking Bible study and prayer last evening. I came home blessed and inspired.
This morning I am looking at Chapter 16 of Romans. In Romans 16, the Apostle Paul is concluding a letter to the Christians in Rome. The first 15 chapters of Romans provide a theological discussion of what it means to live for God as a devoted disciple of Jesus. Chapter 16, however, is completely different. Using words, Paul created snapshots of more than thirty of his brothers and sisters in Christ. He did so by sending greetings to the Christians he knew in that city or by telling them hello from the Christians who were with him. Through those greetings we see snapshots of people who help us understand what it means to be a contagious Christians.
We read in Revelation chapter 3 that the Risen Lord is not pleased with lukewarm Christians, though He still loves them. He calls Christians to be full of fire and zeal, and to be contagious and fermenting with the power of the Holy Spirit. In the first portrait offered by Paul in Romans 16, Paul showed us “Our sister Phoebe, a deacon in the church.” Paul told the Roman Christians that Phoebe would be visiting them soon and that they should, “ receive her in the Lord, as one who is worthy of high honor. Help her in every way you can, for she has helped many in their needs, including me.” Form a picture in your mind of mother Teresa of Calcutta and you'll see Phoebe. She did not clothe herself in fine clothes or expensive jewelry. Further, she was as tough looking as Paul and as tenderhearted as Jesus. In Paul’s economy, Phoebe was worthy of high honor because she had suffered for Jesus, and even in the midst of her suffering had continued to serve her brothers and sisters in Christ. She was a portrait, according to Paul, of contagious enthusiasm for Jesus and his church. Then Paul gave a portrait of ‘Priscilla and Aquila’. They were obviously deeply in love, yet are not with each other; they were gazing out upon a hurting and fallen world. “They risked their lives for me,” Paul tells us. Then he continued, “I am not the only one who is thankful to them; so are all the Gentile churches.” What does it tell you about the heart and soul of someone who would risk his or her life for you? What does that tell you about what it means to have a contagious enthusiasm for Jesus? Third, Paul revealed to us a picture of his dear friend Epenetus. He did not say much about Epenetus, but simply that he “was the very first person to become a Christian in the province of Asia.” Isn’t it incredible to know the name of the very first person that accepted Christ in the area now known as Turkey? That takes us back to the very beginning of the Christian faith. Paul went on to show us a portrait of Andronicus and Junia, who were like a family to him when they were in prison together for being Christians. “They are respected among the apostles and became Christians before I did,” said Paul. In prison with Paul for being Christians means that they stood strong in the face of religious persecution and went to jail rather than denying their faith.
Paul listed name after name, description after description, and sent greeting after greeting. He closed the book as of to say, “that’s what it means to be a contagious congregation where disciples exude a contagious enthusiasm for Jesus. That’s what it means to be Christian.” In Romans 16 we see verbal portraits of the contagious enthusiasm for Jesus. A bigger picture begins to form of people who love Jesus and each other so deeply that they would risk their lives for one another and who would rather go to jail than deny their faith in Jesus. We get a picture of women working alongside men as equals in the gospel, in a culture that saw women as property. We get a picture of a people like Tryphena and Tryphosa, who saw themselves as the Lord’s workers. In fact, we see very clearly that these early contagious Christians were anything but passive recipients of Paul’s ministry. We get the picture that the church was an enthusiastic group of people who did everything for the glory of God because they had themselves experienced the saving love of Jesus Christ. Here were contagious Christians who enthusiastically loved Jesus and one another so much that they would work side by side for the glory of God and risk their lives for the good news of Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngw3jUt5v60
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-17-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day, paved with His amazing grace and glorious splendor. We will gather for our mid-week service at 6 PM, with a hot and home- made delicious dinner( Italian cuisine) followed by Bible Study and prayer meeting. We will be studying from Revelation 3:14-22.
In a work entitled “The Wonders of the Deep,” M. Schele deVere tells us the following story. A dusky fisherman in the far-off seas of India once found a pearl in an oyster. He had heard of such costly gems, and sold it to an Arab for a gold coin which maintained him for a whole year in luxury and idleness. The Arab exchanged the pearl for powder and shot furnished him by a Russian merchant on board a trading vessel, who even yet did not recognize the dirty, dust-covered little ball as a precious jewel. He brought it home as a present for his children on the banks of the Neva, where a brother merchant saw it and bought it for a trifle. The pearl had at last found one who could appreciate its priceless value. The great man — for it was a merchant of the first class, the owner of a great fortune — rejoiced at the silent fraud by which he had obtained the one pearl of great price, without selling all and buying it fairly, and cherished it as the pride of his heart.
Visitors came from all parts of the world to see the wonder. He received them in his merchant’s costume in a palace plain on the outside, but resplendent inside, with all that human art can do to embellish a dwelling, and led them silently through room after room, filled with rare collections and dazzling by the splendor of their ornaments. At last, he opened with his own key the carved folding-doors of an inner room which surprised the visitor by its apparent simplicity. The floor, to be sure, was inlaid with malachite and costly marble, the ceiling carved in rare woods, and the walls hung with silk tapestry; but there was no furniture, no gilding, nothing but a round table of dark Egyptian marble in the center. Under it stood a strong box of apparently wonderful ingenuity, for even the cautious owner had to go through various readings of alphabets, and to unlock one door after another, before he reached an inner cavity, in which a plain square box of Russia leather was standing alone. With an air akin to reverence, the happy merchant would take the box and press it for a moment to his bosom, then devoutly crossing himself and murmuring an invocation to some saint, he would draw a tiny gold key, which he wore next his person, from his bosom, unlock the casket, and hold up his precious pet to the light that fell from a large grated window above. “It was a glorious sight for the lover of such things; a pearl as large as a small egg, of unsurpassed beauty and marvelous luster. The sphere was perfect, the play of colors, as he would let it reluctantly roll from his hands over his long white fingers down on the dark table, was only equaled by the flaming opal, and yet there was a soft, subdued light about the lifeless thing which endowed it with an almost irresistible charm. It was not only the pleasure its perfect form and matchless beauty gave to the eye, nor the overwhelming thought of the fact that the little ball was worth any thing an emperor or a millionaire might choose to give for it — there was a magic in its playful ever-changing sheen as it rolled to-and-fro — a contagion in the rapt fervor with which the grim old merchant watched its every flash and flare, which left few hearts cold as they saw the marvel of St. Petersburg. For such it was, and the Emperor himself, who loved pearls dearly, had in vain offered rank and titles and honors for the priceless gem. “A few years afterwards a conspiracy was discovered, and several great men were arrested. Among the suspected was the merchant. Taking his one great treasure with him, he fled to Paris. Jewelers and amateurs, Frenchmen and foreigners, flocked around him, for the fame of his jewel had long since reached France. He refused to show it for a time. At last he appointed a day when his great rival in pearls, the famous Dutch banker, the Duke of Brunswick, and other men well known for their love of precious stones and pearls, were to behold the wonder. He drew forth the golden key, he opened the casket, but his face turned deadly pale, his eyes started from their sockets, his whole frame began to tremble, and his palsied hand let the casket drop. The pearl was discolored! A sickly blue color had spread over it, and dimmed its matchless luster. His gem was diseased of some unknown ailment which maligned its beauty. In a short time it turned into a white powder, and the rich merchant of St. Petersburg, the owner of the finest pearl known to the world was a pauper! The pearl had avenged the poor Indian of the East, the Arab, and the poor traveler, and administered silent justice to the purchaser who paid not its price. There is another pearl of great price for which men seek; it is of immeasurably more value than any pearl of oyster making or any treasure of human wealth. We read in Matthew 13:44-46, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it."
Pearls were the costliest of gems. If the kingdom of heaven is more valuable than anything on earth, what is it like? It is incorruptible, undefiled, unfading, and eternal. For today’s world, it is wholly sufficient and worth more than any golden treasure or costly pearl.
Jim Elliot, a martyred missionary to the Ecuadorian jungle Indians, wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
The body of David Livingston is buried in England, at Westminster Abbey, near the Tomb of the unknown soldier, but his heart is buried in Africa, the place he loved. At the foot of a tall tree in a small African village the natives dug a hole and placed in it the heart of this man who they loved and respected. If your heart were to be buried in the place you loved most during life, where would it be? Would it be in your wallet, in your places of leisure, or in your places of worldly pleasures? Where is your heart? What do you strive for?
The Lord's invitation comes to us afresh and anew every day, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness".
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XVUVNqWus0
No Hidding the Facts
Taking advantage of a balmy day in New York, a priest and three other men of the cloth swapped their clerical garb for polos and khakis and time out on the golf course. After several really horrible shots, their caddy asked, "You guys wouldn't be priests by any chance?"
"Actually, yes, we are," one cleric replied. "How did you know?"
"Easy," said the caddy, "I've never seen such bad golf and such clean language!"
Praise the Lord for this new day, paved with His amazing grace and glorious splendor. We will gather for our mid-week service at 6 PM, with a hot and home- made delicious dinner( Italian cuisine) followed by Bible Study and prayer meeting. We will be studying from Revelation 3:14-22.
In a work entitled “The Wonders of the Deep,” M. Schele deVere tells us the following story. A dusky fisherman in the far-off seas of India once found a pearl in an oyster. He had heard of such costly gems, and sold it to an Arab for a gold coin which maintained him for a whole year in luxury and idleness. The Arab exchanged the pearl for powder and shot furnished him by a Russian merchant on board a trading vessel, who even yet did not recognize the dirty, dust-covered little ball as a precious jewel. He brought it home as a present for his children on the banks of the Neva, where a brother merchant saw it and bought it for a trifle. The pearl had at last found one who could appreciate its priceless value. The great man — for it was a merchant of the first class, the owner of a great fortune — rejoiced at the silent fraud by which he had obtained the one pearl of great price, without selling all and buying it fairly, and cherished it as the pride of his heart.
Visitors came from all parts of the world to see the wonder. He received them in his merchant’s costume in a palace plain on the outside, but resplendent inside, with all that human art can do to embellish a dwelling, and led them silently through room after room, filled with rare collections and dazzling by the splendor of their ornaments. At last, he opened with his own key the carved folding-doors of an inner room which surprised the visitor by its apparent simplicity. The floor, to be sure, was inlaid with malachite and costly marble, the ceiling carved in rare woods, and the walls hung with silk tapestry; but there was no furniture, no gilding, nothing but a round table of dark Egyptian marble in the center. Under it stood a strong box of apparently wonderful ingenuity, for even the cautious owner had to go through various readings of alphabets, and to unlock one door after another, before he reached an inner cavity, in which a plain square box of Russia leather was standing alone. With an air akin to reverence, the happy merchant would take the box and press it for a moment to his bosom, then devoutly crossing himself and murmuring an invocation to some saint, he would draw a tiny gold key, which he wore next his person, from his bosom, unlock the casket, and hold up his precious pet to the light that fell from a large grated window above. “It was a glorious sight for the lover of such things; a pearl as large as a small egg, of unsurpassed beauty and marvelous luster. The sphere was perfect, the play of colors, as he would let it reluctantly roll from his hands over his long white fingers down on the dark table, was only equaled by the flaming opal, and yet there was a soft, subdued light about the lifeless thing which endowed it with an almost irresistible charm. It was not only the pleasure its perfect form and matchless beauty gave to the eye, nor the overwhelming thought of the fact that the little ball was worth any thing an emperor or a millionaire might choose to give for it — there was a magic in its playful ever-changing sheen as it rolled to-and-fro — a contagion in the rapt fervor with which the grim old merchant watched its every flash and flare, which left few hearts cold as they saw the marvel of St. Petersburg. For such it was, and the Emperor himself, who loved pearls dearly, had in vain offered rank and titles and honors for the priceless gem. “A few years afterwards a conspiracy was discovered, and several great men were arrested. Among the suspected was the merchant. Taking his one great treasure with him, he fled to Paris. Jewelers and amateurs, Frenchmen and foreigners, flocked around him, for the fame of his jewel had long since reached France. He refused to show it for a time. At last he appointed a day when his great rival in pearls, the famous Dutch banker, the Duke of Brunswick, and other men well known for their love of precious stones and pearls, were to behold the wonder. He drew forth the golden key, he opened the casket, but his face turned deadly pale, his eyes started from their sockets, his whole frame began to tremble, and his palsied hand let the casket drop. The pearl was discolored! A sickly blue color had spread over it, and dimmed its matchless luster. His gem was diseased of some unknown ailment which maligned its beauty. In a short time it turned into a white powder, and the rich merchant of St. Petersburg, the owner of the finest pearl known to the world was a pauper! The pearl had avenged the poor Indian of the East, the Arab, and the poor traveler, and administered silent justice to the purchaser who paid not its price. There is another pearl of great price for which men seek; it is of immeasurably more value than any pearl of oyster making or any treasure of human wealth. We read in Matthew 13:44-46, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it."
Pearls were the costliest of gems. If the kingdom of heaven is more valuable than anything on earth, what is it like? It is incorruptible, undefiled, unfading, and eternal. For today’s world, it is wholly sufficient and worth more than any golden treasure or costly pearl.
Jim Elliot, a martyred missionary to the Ecuadorian jungle Indians, wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
The body of David Livingston is buried in England, at Westminster Abbey, near the Tomb of the unknown soldier, but his heart is buried in Africa, the place he loved. At the foot of a tall tree in a small African village the natives dug a hole and placed in it the heart of this man who they loved and respected. If your heart were to be buried in the place you loved most during life, where would it be? Would it be in your wallet, in your places of leisure, or in your places of worldly pleasures? Where is your heart? What do you strive for?
The Lord's invitation comes to us afresh and anew every day, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness".
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XVUVNqWus0
No Hidding the Facts
Taking advantage of a balmy day in New York, a priest and three other men of the cloth swapped their clerical garb for polos and khakis and time out on the golf course. After several really horrible shots, their caddy asked, "You guys wouldn't be priests by any chance?"
"Actually, yes, we are," one cleric replied. "How did you know?"
"Easy," said the caddy, "I've never seen such bad golf and such clean language!"
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-16-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for His Kingdom, eternal and triumphant. Praise the Lord that the Good News of Jesus Christ, our Lord, turns the world right side up and upside down.
I read an extraordinary story of self sacrifice. In Ernest Gordon’s true account of life in a World War II Japanese prison camp, "Through the Valley of the Kwai". It is about a man who through giving it all away literally transformed a whole camp of soldiers. The man’s name was Angus McGillivray, a Scottish prisoner in one of the camps filled with Americans, Australians, and Britons who had helped build the infamous bridge over the River Kwai. The camp had become an ugly place where a dog-eat-dog mentality had set in. Allies would literally steal from each other and cheat each other; men would sleep on their packs and yet have them stolen from under their heads. Survival was everything. The law of the jungle prevailed...until the news of Angus McGillivray’s death spread throughout the camp.
Rumors spread in the wake of his death. No one could believe big Angus had succumbed. He was strong, one of those whom they had expected to be the last to die. Actually, it wasn’t the fact of his death that shocked the men, but the reason he died. Finally they pieced together the true story. The Argylls (Scottish soldiers) took their buddy system very seriously. Their buddy was called their "mucker," and they believed that is was literally up to each of them to make sure their "mucker" survived. Angus’s buddy, though, was dying, and everyone had given up on him, everyone, of course, but Angus. He had made up his mind that his friend would not die. Someone had stolen his mucker’s blanket. So Angus gave him his own, telling his mucker that he had "just come across an extra one." Likewise, every mealtime, Angus would get his rations and take them to his friend, stand over him and force him to eat them, again stating that he was able to get "extra food."
Angus was going to do anything and everything to see that his buddy got what he needed to recover. But as Angus’s mucker began to recover, Angus collapsed, slumped over, and died. The doctors discovered that he had died of starvation complicated by exhaustion. He had been giving of his own food and shelter. He had given everything he had -- even his very life.
The ramifications of his acts of love and unselfishness had a startling impact on the compound. As word circulated of the reason for Angus McGillivray’s death, the feel of the camp began to change. Suddenly, men began to focus on their mates, their friends, and humanity of living beyond survival, of giving oneself away. They began to pool their talents -- one was a violin maker, another an orchestra leader, another a cabinet maker, another a professor. Soon the camp had an orchestra full of homemade instruments and a church called the "Church Without Walls" that was so powerful, so compelling, that even the Japanese guards attended. The men began a university, a hospital, and a library system. The place was transformed because one man gave all he had for his friend. (From Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, Page 146-147) Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12). Paul says it this way, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 The early church was a thriving, growing, vibrant community because they had learned the secret of self-sacrifice. But then they were just following the example of their Master, who gave up all. Again, it is written in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVoajZSDdAw
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for His Kingdom, eternal and triumphant. Praise the Lord that the Good News of Jesus Christ, our Lord, turns the world right side up and upside down.
I read an extraordinary story of self sacrifice. In Ernest Gordon’s true account of life in a World War II Japanese prison camp, "Through the Valley of the Kwai". It is about a man who through giving it all away literally transformed a whole camp of soldiers. The man’s name was Angus McGillivray, a Scottish prisoner in one of the camps filled with Americans, Australians, and Britons who had helped build the infamous bridge over the River Kwai. The camp had become an ugly place where a dog-eat-dog mentality had set in. Allies would literally steal from each other and cheat each other; men would sleep on their packs and yet have them stolen from under their heads. Survival was everything. The law of the jungle prevailed...until the news of Angus McGillivray’s death spread throughout the camp.
Rumors spread in the wake of his death. No one could believe big Angus had succumbed. He was strong, one of those whom they had expected to be the last to die. Actually, it wasn’t the fact of his death that shocked the men, but the reason he died. Finally they pieced together the true story. The Argylls (Scottish soldiers) took their buddy system very seriously. Their buddy was called their "mucker," and they believed that is was literally up to each of them to make sure their "mucker" survived. Angus’s buddy, though, was dying, and everyone had given up on him, everyone, of course, but Angus. He had made up his mind that his friend would not die. Someone had stolen his mucker’s blanket. So Angus gave him his own, telling his mucker that he had "just come across an extra one." Likewise, every mealtime, Angus would get his rations and take them to his friend, stand over him and force him to eat them, again stating that he was able to get "extra food."
Angus was going to do anything and everything to see that his buddy got what he needed to recover. But as Angus’s mucker began to recover, Angus collapsed, slumped over, and died. The doctors discovered that he had died of starvation complicated by exhaustion. He had been giving of his own food and shelter. He had given everything he had -- even his very life.
The ramifications of his acts of love and unselfishness had a startling impact on the compound. As word circulated of the reason for Angus McGillivray’s death, the feel of the camp began to change. Suddenly, men began to focus on their mates, their friends, and humanity of living beyond survival, of giving oneself away. They began to pool their talents -- one was a violin maker, another an orchestra leader, another a cabinet maker, another a professor. Soon the camp had an orchestra full of homemade instruments and a church called the "Church Without Walls" that was so powerful, so compelling, that even the Japanese guards attended. The men began a university, a hospital, and a library system. The place was transformed because one man gave all he had for his friend. (From Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, Page 146-147) Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12). Paul says it this way, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 The early church was a thriving, growing, vibrant community because they had learned the secret of self-sacrifice. But then they were just following the example of their Master, who gave up all. Again, it is written in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVoajZSDdAw
Brown's Daily Word 6-15-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us with a glorious day in His House yesterday. " Better is one day in your house, O Lord, than thousands elsewhere."
I started my treatment last week. The Lord has given me strength. I was able to tape for the Friday evening Television outreach, to lead the mid-week Bible study on Wednesday, and to conduct a large wedding for young friends John and Megan. . . Megan had 8 bridesmaids. Then, yesterday I preached during 3 worship services. Thank you for praying for me. Our dear friends Sandy and Gail joined us for worship, and Laureen's friends Emily and Jesse also joined us for worship. After the service we all joined together for Sunday dinner, praising the Lord for His goodness and grace.
The Scripture reading yesterday was taken from 1 Samuel 16. The people of the Lord had asked for a king, and the Lord gave them what they asked for - a king. Saul was appointed to be king over Israel, and he made a royal mess of things. As a result of Saul's continued disobedience, the Lord ultimately rejected him as king, and took His guiding spirit from him. In a very real sense, Saul is became dead in the eyes of the Lord. Samuel mourned the loss of Saul, though Saul was not actually dead physically; He was still alive, and still on the throne, though he had abandoned the Lord God. In response to Saul's radical departure from following after the one true God, the Lord decided to anoint a new king, using Samuel as his instrument. Samuel was chosen to go on a rather covert mission, to anoint the new king. Samuel knew the purpose of his mission and when he saw Eliab, standing tall and proud, Samuel though that he was looking on the one God had chosen. Not true. So the Lord spelled it out for him, making His point of view abundantly clear, "I chose who I chose. Don't judge by an outward appearance. I don't see things the way you see them." God doesn't see things the way we do. He looks at people's hearts, rather than their physical appearance. The Lord made it clear that Eliab was not the man for the job. Jesse presented all of his sons whom he thought to be viable candidates, and all were rejected. Not one was acceptable to be the new king of Israel. How could this be? Jesse thought that he knew which ones would be best suited to be king; there was no one left. That is, only the youngest brother remained, but he was still a youth, playing with slingshots and tending the sheep. When Samuel asked, "Are these all the sons you have?", Jesse responded,"There is still the youngest, but he's out in the fields watching the sheep and goats." "Send for him at once," Samuel commanded. "We will not sit down to eat until he arrives." So Jesse sent for him. He was a dark and handsome youth, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, "This is the one; anoint him." God does not see things the way we do. Even though David was the last in long line of brothers, considered by his father to be the least of all of them, in God's plan, he was worthy to be anointed as king. As David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then, after Samuel completed his special assignment, he returned to Ramah. " Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit* that filled him with depression and fear," but the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. David became God's new chosen and anointed king. David could have become arrogant and puffed-up by God's appointment, thinking, "I am the greatest, greater than my brothers, and greater than King Saul. Yet, that's not what David did. He did not step up to demand his place at the top. Instead, he took on the role of servant. He showed himself greater than Saul, by making himself. Though David knew he had been anointed as king, there is no indication at this point that Saul did. He summoned David to come and serve him as a court musician and healer, to soothe his nerves and calm the tormenting Spirits. Had God abandoned Saul? No, he hadn't. As a matter of fact, He sent David to minister healing to him. If He had abandoned Saul, He could have just left him there to suffer. Physically, Saul had all the qualifications to be a great king. The Bible says he stood "head and shoulders" above the rest of the people. Yet, in the end, he was made small. David was relatively small. He was a young shepherd and skillful musician who might never have dreamed of being anything more. Yet, among all his larger and more qualified brothers, he was chosen by God for greatness. David did not achieve his greatness by walking right up and demanding it. For many years, he works faithfully and loyally for King Saul, training under the current King of Israel, even though he knew that he himself had received God's anointing. He suffered abuse and even attempts on his life, yet he remained a servant and an instrument for God's purposes. So the least became the greatest, and the greatest humbled himself as a servant, and the Lord was always with Him. From the line of Jesse, from the house of David, another child came, born in a lowly stable, and laid in a manger in a manger for His bed, born anointed to be king, he lived his life as a servant. He is, He was, and He shall always be the greatest, Christ the Lord. Jesus was victorious in life, and victorious over death. He is sitting at the right hand of God in the most favored place. Right now. Always and forever. Amen.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Q5vVa0q8Q
Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us with a glorious day in His House yesterday. " Better is one day in your house, O Lord, than thousands elsewhere."
I started my treatment last week. The Lord has given me strength. I was able to tape for the Friday evening Television outreach, to lead the mid-week Bible study on Wednesday, and to conduct a large wedding for young friends John and Megan. . . Megan had 8 bridesmaids. Then, yesterday I preached during 3 worship services. Thank you for praying for me. Our dear friends Sandy and Gail joined us for worship, and Laureen's friends Emily and Jesse also joined us for worship. After the service we all joined together for Sunday dinner, praising the Lord for His goodness and grace.
The Scripture reading yesterday was taken from 1 Samuel 16. The people of the Lord had asked for a king, and the Lord gave them what they asked for - a king. Saul was appointed to be king over Israel, and he made a royal mess of things. As a result of Saul's continued disobedience, the Lord ultimately rejected him as king, and took His guiding spirit from him. In a very real sense, Saul is became dead in the eyes of the Lord. Samuel mourned the loss of Saul, though Saul was not actually dead physically; He was still alive, and still on the throne, though he had abandoned the Lord God. In response to Saul's radical departure from following after the one true God, the Lord decided to anoint a new king, using Samuel as his instrument. Samuel was chosen to go on a rather covert mission, to anoint the new king. Samuel knew the purpose of his mission and when he saw Eliab, standing tall and proud, Samuel though that he was looking on the one God had chosen. Not true. So the Lord spelled it out for him, making His point of view abundantly clear, "I chose who I chose. Don't judge by an outward appearance. I don't see things the way you see them." God doesn't see things the way we do. He looks at people's hearts, rather than their physical appearance. The Lord made it clear that Eliab was not the man for the job. Jesse presented all of his sons whom he thought to be viable candidates, and all were rejected. Not one was acceptable to be the new king of Israel. How could this be? Jesse thought that he knew which ones would be best suited to be king; there was no one left. That is, only the youngest brother remained, but he was still a youth, playing with slingshots and tending the sheep. When Samuel asked, "Are these all the sons you have?", Jesse responded,"There is still the youngest, but he's out in the fields watching the sheep and goats." "Send for him at once," Samuel commanded. "We will not sit down to eat until he arrives." So Jesse sent for him. He was a dark and handsome youth, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, "This is the one; anoint him." God does not see things the way we do. Even though David was the last in long line of brothers, considered by his father to be the least of all of them, in God's plan, he was worthy to be anointed as king. As David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then, after Samuel completed his special assignment, he returned to Ramah. " Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit* that filled him with depression and fear," but the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. David became God's new chosen and anointed king. David could have become arrogant and puffed-up by God's appointment, thinking, "I am the greatest, greater than my brothers, and greater than King Saul. Yet, that's not what David did. He did not step up to demand his place at the top. Instead, he took on the role of servant. He showed himself greater than Saul, by making himself. Though David knew he had been anointed as king, there is no indication at this point that Saul did. He summoned David to come and serve him as a court musician and healer, to soothe his nerves and calm the tormenting Spirits. Had God abandoned Saul? No, he hadn't. As a matter of fact, He sent David to minister healing to him. If He had abandoned Saul, He could have just left him there to suffer. Physically, Saul had all the qualifications to be a great king. The Bible says he stood "head and shoulders" above the rest of the people. Yet, in the end, he was made small. David was relatively small. He was a young shepherd and skillful musician who might never have dreamed of being anything more. Yet, among all his larger and more qualified brothers, he was chosen by God for greatness. David did not achieve his greatness by walking right up and demanding it. For many years, he works faithfully and loyally for King Saul, training under the current King of Israel, even though he knew that he himself had received God's anointing. He suffered abuse and even attempts on his life, yet he remained a servant and an instrument for God's purposes. So the least became the greatest, and the greatest humbled himself as a servant, and the Lord was always with Him. From the line of Jesse, from the house of David, another child came, born in a lowly stable, and laid in a manger in a manger for His bed, born anointed to be king, he lived his life as a servant. He is, He was, and He shall always be the greatest, Christ the Lord. Jesus was victorious in life, and victorious over death. He is sitting at the right hand of God in the most favored place. Right now. Always and forever. Amen.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Q5vVa0q8Q
Brown's Daily Word 6-12-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Our Lord is upon the throne. He is mighty to save. He is able to redeem and to restore. He is able to shelter His own to the uttermost. His watchful eyes are on the sparrows and also upon those who seek refuge in Him.
I read one time about how shipbuilders of sailboats used to prepare the masts for their ships. They would go to the forest and find an appropriate tree, then they would clear out all the surrounding trees and leave that one standing all alone, leaving it exposed to strong winds and storms. Every time the wind blew the tree, it would make that tree bend a little. This flexibility actually made the tree stronger and more resilient to the stresses the wind put on it. Trees that never have to bend as they mature become brittle and break apart at the first sing of strong winds. The strength found in the storms caused them to be so strong that they could easily withstand the winds at sea.
I believe that if we build our lives on the solid rock of Jesus and His words, then when the storms come, we will not only survive, but we will gain strength just as those trees did. We read about the miracle in Luke 8, when Jesus calmed the storms in the sea of Galilee. I think Jesus used the strong winds of this storm to strengthen the disciples’ faith. Their first reaction was to doubt, "Master, Master, we are going to drown; don’t you care?" Jesus, however, did not jump to His feet in shock. He arose and commanded the storm to stop – and it obeyed! His words had an immediate effect on the storm, but a different kind of storm was taking place in the disciples’ hearts.
Jesus then asked them if they had any faith, But they did not answer His question. They shot back a question of their own, "Who is this that can command the wind and water and have them obey?" In their question lay problems that continue to hinder us today. They did not fully understand who Jesus really was, and sometimes we don’t either. We have storms come into our lives, and we ask the same thing that did, "Lord, don’t you care?" Jesus still responds by saying, "Don’t you have any faith?" The following is a true story about childlike faith. In April 1998, several tornadoes ripped through the southern part of the United States. One of them completely tore a church apart. The next day, National Public Radio aired a story about that church. As the storm approached the church, children were at a choir rehearsal. When the pastor saw the storm coming, he quickly gathered all the children in the main hallway. They huddled together and held tightly to others as the winds ripped the church apart. In an effort to calm the children, the pastor led them in singing, ’Jesus loves the little children.’ Although some of the children were hurt, none of the injuries were serious, and there were no deaths. It was a bona fide miracle. The only part of the church left standing was the main hallway! The most penetrating part of the broadcast was when one little girl reported, "While we were singing, I saw some angels holding up the hallway. But the winds were so strong that the angels started shouting, ‘We need help!’ And then I saw more angels coming to help." That little girl will never forget what she saw, and she knows that angels are watching over the little children, and that they are precious in Jesus sight. Do we at times catch ourselves in the middle of a raging storm, and see no evidence whatsoever of Jesus being with us? Maybe the problem is not that Jesus is not there, but that we don’t have eyes to see Him. Our faith does not lie in the wind or the things in our lives. Our faith only lies in the Risen Lord, the Lord of the storm, and in His ability to command all things to do His will. If we realize this, we will not fill ourselves with worry, fear, or doubt. Our faith is found in the One who came to live among us. Our faith is found in the One who gave up His live for us. Our faith is found in Jesus Christ, the anointed One. He is mighty to save.
In Him,
Brown
Join us on Time Warner Cable channel 4 tonight at 7:00 PM. My message is on Isaiah 6.
Tomorrow afternoon our young friends John and Meghan are getting married. They invited friends and members of the church family to join them at their wedding ceremony at 2:30 PM.
We will gather for worship on Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00, with Sunday School meeting at 9:50, and Wesley's worship at 9:30. I will be preaching from I Samuel 16.
There will be a road rally next Saturday. A sign-up sheet is located in the Narthex. Please join in the fun, fellowship, and adventure.
We will be gathering for the Father-Son breakfast on Sunday, June 21 at 7AM. Dave Hettinger will be the speaker.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ
Doctor Quotes
The following quotes were allegedly taken from actual medical records as dictated by physicians: (maybe even your's?)
~ By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart had stopped and he was feeling better.
~ On the second day, the knee was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared.
~ The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1983.
~ Patient was released to outpatient department without dressing.
~ Discharge status: Alive but without permission.
~ The patient refused an autopsy.
~ The patient expired on the floor uneventfully.
~ The patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.
~ She slipped on the ice and apparently her legs went in separate directions in early December.
~ The patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
~ She is numb from the toes down.
~ The skin was moist and dry.
~ When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the floor.
Praise the Lord for this new day. Our Lord is upon the throne. He is mighty to save. He is able to redeem and to restore. He is able to shelter His own to the uttermost. His watchful eyes are on the sparrows and also upon those who seek refuge in Him.
I read one time about how shipbuilders of sailboats used to prepare the masts for their ships. They would go to the forest and find an appropriate tree, then they would clear out all the surrounding trees and leave that one standing all alone, leaving it exposed to strong winds and storms. Every time the wind blew the tree, it would make that tree bend a little. This flexibility actually made the tree stronger and more resilient to the stresses the wind put on it. Trees that never have to bend as they mature become brittle and break apart at the first sing of strong winds. The strength found in the storms caused them to be so strong that they could easily withstand the winds at sea.
I believe that if we build our lives on the solid rock of Jesus and His words, then when the storms come, we will not only survive, but we will gain strength just as those trees did. We read about the miracle in Luke 8, when Jesus calmed the storms in the sea of Galilee. I think Jesus used the strong winds of this storm to strengthen the disciples’ faith. Their first reaction was to doubt, "Master, Master, we are going to drown; don’t you care?" Jesus, however, did not jump to His feet in shock. He arose and commanded the storm to stop – and it obeyed! His words had an immediate effect on the storm, but a different kind of storm was taking place in the disciples’ hearts.
Jesus then asked them if they had any faith, But they did not answer His question. They shot back a question of their own, "Who is this that can command the wind and water and have them obey?" In their question lay problems that continue to hinder us today. They did not fully understand who Jesus really was, and sometimes we don’t either. We have storms come into our lives, and we ask the same thing that did, "Lord, don’t you care?" Jesus still responds by saying, "Don’t you have any faith?" The following is a true story about childlike faith. In April 1998, several tornadoes ripped through the southern part of the United States. One of them completely tore a church apart. The next day, National Public Radio aired a story about that church. As the storm approached the church, children were at a choir rehearsal. When the pastor saw the storm coming, he quickly gathered all the children in the main hallway. They huddled together and held tightly to others as the winds ripped the church apart. In an effort to calm the children, the pastor led them in singing, ’Jesus loves the little children.’ Although some of the children were hurt, none of the injuries were serious, and there were no deaths. It was a bona fide miracle. The only part of the church left standing was the main hallway! The most penetrating part of the broadcast was when one little girl reported, "While we were singing, I saw some angels holding up the hallway. But the winds were so strong that the angels started shouting, ‘We need help!’ And then I saw more angels coming to help." That little girl will never forget what she saw, and she knows that angels are watching over the little children, and that they are precious in Jesus sight. Do we at times catch ourselves in the middle of a raging storm, and see no evidence whatsoever of Jesus being with us? Maybe the problem is not that Jesus is not there, but that we don’t have eyes to see Him. Our faith does not lie in the wind or the things in our lives. Our faith only lies in the Risen Lord, the Lord of the storm, and in His ability to command all things to do His will. If we realize this, we will not fill ourselves with worry, fear, or doubt. Our faith is found in the One who came to live among us. Our faith is found in the One who gave up His live for us. Our faith is found in Jesus Christ, the anointed One. He is mighty to save.
In Him,
Brown
Join us on Time Warner Cable channel 4 tonight at 7:00 PM. My message is on Isaiah 6.
Tomorrow afternoon our young friends John and Meghan are getting married. They invited friends and members of the church family to join them at their wedding ceremony at 2:30 PM.
We will gather for worship on Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00, with Sunday School meeting at 9:50, and Wesley's worship at 9:30. I will be preaching from I Samuel 16.
There will be a road rally next Saturday. A sign-up sheet is located in the Narthex. Please join in the fun, fellowship, and adventure.
We will be gathering for the Father-Son breakfast on Sunday, June 21 at 7AM. Dave Hettinger will be the speaker.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ
Doctor Quotes
The following quotes were allegedly taken from actual medical records as dictated by physicians: (maybe even your's?)
~ By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart had stopped and he was feeling better.
~ On the second day, the knee was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared.
~ The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1983.
~ Patient was released to outpatient department without dressing.
~ Discharge status: Alive but without permission.
~ The patient refused an autopsy.
~ The patient expired on the floor uneventfully.
~ The patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.
~ She slipped on the ice and apparently her legs went in separate directions in early December.
~ The patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
~ She is numb from the toes down.
~ The skin was moist and dry.
~ When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the floor.
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