Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this last Friday of June. Praise the Lord for His amazing grace. I have to conduct a funeral service this morning and a wedding celebration tomorrow. Those of you who live in the area, join us for our weekly television outreach this evening at 7 p.m. on Time Warner cable channel 4. Thank you for praying for me. I feel blessed and strengthened. Alice is going down to Washington, DC this morning, taking our for nieces to visit with Sunita and Andy. Micah and Simeon called a couple of times this week; they are doing well. They are planning to be here as the Fresh Air Kids towards the first part of July, Lord willing. Praise the Lord for His amazing love and everlasting grace.
Philip Yancey, in his book "What’s So Amazing About Grace?", tells the following story: “A vagrant lives near the Fulton Fish Market on the lower east side of Manhattan. The slimy smell of fish carcasses and entrails nearly overpowers him, and he hates the trucks that noisily arrive before sunrise. But midtown gets crowded, and the cops harass him there. Down by the wharves nobody bothers with a grizzled man who keeps to himself and sleeps on a loading dock behind a Dumpster.
“Early one morning when the workers are slinging eel and halibut off the trucks, yelling to each other in Italian, the vagrant rouses himself and pokes through the dumpsters behind the tourist restaurants. An early start guarantees good pickings: last night’s uneaten garlic bread and French fries, nibbled pizza, a wedge of cheesecake. He eats what he can stomach and stuffs the rest in a brown paper sack. The bottles and cans he stashes in plastic bags in his rusty shopping cart.
“The morning sun, pale through harbor fog, finally makes it over the buildings by the wharf. When he sees the ticket from last week’s lottery lying in a pile of wilted lettuce, he almost lets it go. But by force of habit he picks it up and jams it in his pocket. In the old days, when luck was better, he used to buy one ticket a week, never more. It’s past noon when he remembers the ticket stub and holds it up to the newspaper box to compare the numbers. Three numbers match, the fourth, the fifth_all seven! It can’t be true. Things like that don’t happen to him. Bums don’t win the New York Lottery.
“But it is true. Later that day he is squinting into the bright lights as television crews present the newest media darling, the unshaven, baggy pants vagrant who will receive $243,000 per year for the next twenty years. A chic-looking woman wearing a leather miniskirt shoves a microphone in his face and asks, “How do you feel?” He stares back dazed, and catches a whiff of her perfume. It has been a long time, a very long time, since anyone has asked him that question.
“He feels like a man who has been to the edge of starvation and back, and is beginning to fathom that he’ll never feel hunger again.”
What did that beggar to do deserve receiving several million dollars? Absolutely nothing! He had not even bought the winning ticket. All he did was pick it up and cash it in to receive his prize. Someone else had thrown it away as though it was useless, but he saw its potential worth. He had not worked for a long time. He did not earn the money. The check was given to him as a free gift, without conditions. He did not have a job or an education. He did not have to do anything but accept the check.
Having a relationship with God does not depend on how well we do or how perfect we are. It is based solely on the mercy and grace of God. This is good news for us failures. We read in the book of Titus: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5). Here is the unique message of the Christian faith. As it says in 2 Corinthians: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). This frees us from guilt and legalistic perfectionism. We understand that we can never be perfect and that our relationship with God is based solely on grace. The Bible says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Phil Yancey writes, “Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more.... And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.” The guilt and condemnation is gone and a settled peace comes upon our hearts as we realize we don’t have to do anything to gain God’s acceptance — we already have it. Our relationship with God is not based on how good we are, but on the character of a gracious and forgiving God who loves us more than we can ever understand.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXV6HJxUebg
How do we know that Job went to a chiropractor?
Q. How do we know that Job went to a chiropractor?
A. Because in Job 16:12 we read, "I had come to be at ease, but he proceeded to shake me up and he grabbed me by the back of the neck and proceeded to smash me."
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-25-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for the way He calls us to be partners in His miracles. There is a very fascinating story in the Bible about an unnamed widow of Zarephath, (1 Samuel 17) who was so poor that she did not even have a name in the story. It was the author’s way of saying she had no social standing whatever in her community. If you read the story in context you will discover that everyone in the region was suffering, as there had been a famine for the last three years. The famine, by the way, came because of the prayer of Elijah.
By this time in the course of the famine, only the very wealthy had reserves of food and water. One must wonder why God did not send Elijah to one of the wealthy families in the region. What could have been the purpose of sending him to this poor widow who had nothing? Widows were always the first to run out of bread during a famine. Why would Elijah ask her for the last scrap of food she has when she and her son are dying from starvation? Why send Elijah to a Gentile in Sidon (now Lebanon), and not a Jewish person who was a part of the people of promise? Why go to one who is supposed to be the enemy of Israel, and who had Israel as her enemy? Elijah and the widow were utter strangers to each other and their nations are in conflict with each other. They worshiped different Gods. They must have eyed each other suspiciously when they first saw each other. I wonder if she knew Elijah and that it was his prayer which brought on the famine, a judgment brought abou, not because of Sidon’s sin, but because Israel had turned to worship Baal, the storm god? Elijah had been living down by the brook Kerith, and the ravens had been feeding him there, but the brook dried up because of the drought. In order to survive he had to seek another resource. As he enters the city gate, he noticed a widow gathering a few sticks, and called out to her. He asked for some water, the very thing that was in shortest supply throughout the land and, without a word, she proceeded to get him some. She obviously was a person of compassion rather than judgment. Perhaps she recognized him as a man of God, but as she was going for his water, he called to her and said, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” She informed him that she was gathering sticks because she had only a little bit of flour and she was going to build a small fire to bake the last bit of bread for her son and herself, and then they would probably soon die of starvation. Elijah told her that the Lord promised that she would not run out of bread or oil until rain began again, if she would only do as he asked. Amazingly, she took him at his word. When she did so she found that her little, when blessed by God, went a very long way. This story is reminiscent of Jesus multiplying the loaves, a story that aligns Him with Elijah, the prophet. We find, through the woman's response in trusting faith, the answers to many of our questions. God chose a poverty-stricken widow because the rich can get along on their own and she needed what only God can give. God chose a desperately poor widow because the rich, trusting in their riches, might not have shared with Elijah, but a poor person would and did. God chose a poor Gentile widow who was near death because the politics and conflict of government meant nothing to her. She had come to the place where she had nothing to lose and not much to give, but she chose to give. The poor are often that way. Tony Compolo tells a story about meeting a man on an inner city street. The manwas extremely dirty, perhaps psychotic. He was one of those people you might think to be dangerous. He offered Tony a drink of his coffee from a grimy cup held in his filthy hand. Though Compolo suspected that he would be asked for money for the coffee, and he certainly had no desire to taste the coffee, he decided to accept the man’s offer as an act of grace. Tony thanked the man for the coffee and offered him something, but he refused and said, “Naw, I don’t want nothin’. It is a cold night and the coffee is just so good; I just wanted to share it with somebody. If you want to give me something, give me a hug.” So Tony and a dirty homeless man stood hugging each other on a cold, dark winter night. It is that kind of experience where we often encounter God. Those with the least to offer are often the most willing to give and actually have the most to offer. Only those who trust can dare to give like that. Trusting God results in God's blessing. For the widow of Zeraphath, trusting God meant receiving the blessing and provision of God. Without trust there would have been no blessing. Without the blessing she would not have survived. She gave the last of her flour and oil, and found that she couldn’t give it all, because she couldn’t use it up. The flour jar could not be emptied, and the oil would not stop flowing. There was not only enough for her and her son, but enough for others as well. People who trust God discover that God's supply never runs out. There is not only enough for them, there is enough for others as well.
In His grace,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrBYbjSg3kA
HOLY HUMOR – Satan goes to Church
A few minutes before the services started, the townspeople were sitting in their pews and talking. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate.
Soon everyone had exited the church except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew without moving, seeming oblivious to the fact that God’s ultimate enemy was in his presence. So Satan walked up to the old man and said, “Don’t you know who I am?”
The man replied, “Yep, sure do.”
“Aren’t you afraid of me?” Satan asked.
“Nope, sure ain’t,” said the man.
“Don’t you realize I can kill you with a word?” asked Satan.
“Don’t doubt it for a minute,” returned the old man, in an even tone.
“Did you know that I could cause you profound, horrifying, physical AGONY… for all eternity?” persisted Satan.
“Yep,” was the calm reply.
“And you’re still not afraid?” asked Satan.
“Nope.” More than a little perturbed, Satan asked, “Well, why aren’t you afraid of me?”
The man calmly replied, “Been married to your sister for over 48 years.”
Praise the Lord for the way He calls us to be partners in His miracles. There is a very fascinating story in the Bible about an unnamed widow of Zarephath, (1 Samuel 17) who was so poor that she did not even have a name in the story. It was the author’s way of saying she had no social standing whatever in her community. If you read the story in context you will discover that everyone in the region was suffering, as there had been a famine for the last three years. The famine, by the way, came because of the prayer of Elijah.
By this time in the course of the famine, only the very wealthy had reserves of food and water. One must wonder why God did not send Elijah to one of the wealthy families in the region. What could have been the purpose of sending him to this poor widow who had nothing? Widows were always the first to run out of bread during a famine. Why would Elijah ask her for the last scrap of food she has when she and her son are dying from starvation? Why send Elijah to a Gentile in Sidon (now Lebanon), and not a Jewish person who was a part of the people of promise? Why go to one who is supposed to be the enemy of Israel, and who had Israel as her enemy? Elijah and the widow were utter strangers to each other and their nations are in conflict with each other. They worshiped different Gods. They must have eyed each other suspiciously when they first saw each other. I wonder if she knew Elijah and that it was his prayer which brought on the famine, a judgment brought abou, not because of Sidon’s sin, but because Israel had turned to worship Baal, the storm god? Elijah had been living down by the brook Kerith, and the ravens had been feeding him there, but the brook dried up because of the drought. In order to survive he had to seek another resource. As he enters the city gate, he noticed a widow gathering a few sticks, and called out to her. He asked for some water, the very thing that was in shortest supply throughout the land and, without a word, she proceeded to get him some. She obviously was a person of compassion rather than judgment. Perhaps she recognized him as a man of God, but as she was going for his water, he called to her and said, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” She informed him that she was gathering sticks because she had only a little bit of flour and she was going to build a small fire to bake the last bit of bread for her son and herself, and then they would probably soon die of starvation. Elijah told her that the Lord promised that she would not run out of bread or oil until rain began again, if she would only do as he asked. Amazingly, she took him at his word. When she did so she found that her little, when blessed by God, went a very long way. This story is reminiscent of Jesus multiplying the loaves, a story that aligns Him with Elijah, the prophet. We find, through the woman's response in trusting faith, the answers to many of our questions. God chose a poverty-stricken widow because the rich can get along on their own and she needed what only God can give. God chose a desperately poor widow because the rich, trusting in their riches, might not have shared with Elijah, but a poor person would and did. God chose a poor Gentile widow who was near death because the politics and conflict of government meant nothing to her. She had come to the place where she had nothing to lose and not much to give, but she chose to give. The poor are often that way. Tony Compolo tells a story about meeting a man on an inner city street. The manwas extremely dirty, perhaps psychotic. He was one of those people you might think to be dangerous. He offered Tony a drink of his coffee from a grimy cup held in his filthy hand. Though Compolo suspected that he would be asked for money for the coffee, and he certainly had no desire to taste the coffee, he decided to accept the man’s offer as an act of grace. Tony thanked the man for the coffee and offered him something, but he refused and said, “Naw, I don’t want nothin’. It is a cold night and the coffee is just so good; I just wanted to share it with somebody. If you want to give me something, give me a hug.” So Tony and a dirty homeless man stood hugging each other on a cold, dark winter night. It is that kind of experience where we often encounter God. Those with the least to offer are often the most willing to give and actually have the most to offer. Only those who trust can dare to give like that. Trusting God results in God's blessing. For the widow of Zeraphath, trusting God meant receiving the blessing and provision of God. Without trust there would have been no blessing. Without the blessing she would not have survived. She gave the last of her flour and oil, and found that she couldn’t give it all, because she couldn’t use it up. The flour jar could not be emptied, and the oil would not stop flowing. There was not only enough for her and her son, but enough for others as well. People who trust God discover that God's supply never runs out. There is not only enough for them, there is enough for others as well.
In His grace,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrBYbjSg3kA
HOLY HUMOR – Satan goes to Church
A few minutes before the services started, the townspeople were sitting in their pews and talking. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate.
Soon everyone had exited the church except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew without moving, seeming oblivious to the fact that God’s ultimate enemy was in his presence. So Satan walked up to the old man and said, “Don’t you know who I am?”
The man replied, “Yep, sure do.”
“Aren’t you afraid of me?” Satan asked.
“Nope, sure ain’t,” said the man.
“Don’t you realize I can kill you with a word?” asked Satan.
“Don’t doubt it for a minute,” returned the old man, in an even tone.
“Did you know that I could cause you profound, horrifying, physical AGONY… for all eternity?” persisted Satan.
“Yep,” was the calm reply.
“And you’re still not afraid?” asked Satan.
“Nope.” More than a little perturbed, Satan asked, “Well, why aren’t you afraid of me?”
The man calmly replied, “Been married to your sister for over 48 years.”
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-24-09
Good morning,
" Morning has broken like the first morning". It is going to be a brilliant and glorious day. Praise the Lord for the morning, and praise the Lord for the sun that heats the earth and dispels the darkness. We will meet for our mid-week study and prayer meeting this evening at 6 PM, starting with full meal. Praise the Lord for all His simple gifts. I praise the Lord for the life and witness of Melda Dudley, who was 97 years old when she slipped into the presence of Jesus with a smile. Her daughter and son in law Rosa and Byron visited her almost every day. She lived in her own house until recently. Rosa and Byron had visited her Sunday. Monday she was sitting on a chair, and gently she went to be with Jesus. John Wesley said" Christians die well".
Lord Kenneth Clark was internationally known for his TV series "Civilization". While he lived and died without faith in Christ, he admitted an overwhelming religious experience in his autobiography. While visiting a beautiful church, he wrote, “My whole being was irradiated by a kind of heavenly joy far more intense than anything I had known before.” But what he called the “gloom of grace” created a problem for him. If he allowed it to influence him, he knew that he would have to change. He was sure his family would think he had lost his mind. Further, he was fearful that such intense joy would prove to be an illusion. His conclusion was, in his own words, “I was too deeply embedded in the world to change course.” We read about a financier and tax collector named Zacchaeus in John 19. He was deeply embedded in the world. It is clear from his story that there was probably a time in his life when he loved his money, but when he met Jesus, Zacchaeus knew that it wasn’t an illusion. Yes, he also knew that God’s grace would require him to change, but he didn’t care if people thought he’d lost his mind. Whatever he did from that moment on was for the sake of Christ. He was ready to let go. God’s grace requires a new way of life. If we keep hanging on to the branch, because we want to be able to climb back to safety, we will never know what true safety is in the arms of Christ. Zacchaeus knew that and he did not hesitate to show that he was sold out for the Kingdom of God. He let go of that branch because he had discovered what Jesus was offering. According to the Law as written in Leviticus (6:2-7), if a man cheats another, he is to return the amount he stole plus a fifth and bring a ram to the priest for a guilt offering. Zacchaeus went far above and beyond the call of the Law, offering a fourfold restitution, and beyond that he gave half of his possessions to the poor. By his actions, there is no doubt that his heart was repentant concerning his sin. Though he used to count his money and act like Scrooge and take all that he could get, his joy in meeting the Master led him to far exceed the required amount. For Zacchaeus it was not just about a guilt offering, but a freewill offering – a spontaneous and voluntary sacrifice. So many of the offerings in the Old Testament were about restitution for sin – but the freewill offering was about joy in the Lord, and that is what we see evidenced in Zacchaeus' action. Grace requires a new way of life. Jesus loves us just as much as He loved Zacchaeus, and He wants to come to our house today too. If we are waiting for Him in that tree, in our car, beside our bed, or wherever we are, we must be prepared not only to be blown away by His grace – if we can ever really be prepared for that – but also to let go of the things that take us away from Him and His service. God’s grace is free, but when we accept it in faith, we simply cannot keep our old life. When we try to serve our old master too, we quickly find that it doesn’t work. The joy and peace we have been promised evade us because we haven’t really accepted the grace. You have to trade one for the other to get all the benefits. How many Christians do we know who carry around heavy hearts, saddened faces, and burdens on their shoulders? For many this is the way of their lives. The rich young ruler did not know how to let go of his worldly burdens – or didn’t want to – and he walked away in sadness and sorrow. Zacchaeus carelessly and joyfully threw it away for the greatest treasure of all. For all that God has done for us, should it not be with joy that we rise up and call Him Lord?
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x2IpLSfqp8
A minister waited in line to have his car filled with petrol just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him in front of the service station. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. "Reverend," said the young man, "sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip." The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean.It's the same in my business,"
" Morning has broken like the first morning". It is going to be a brilliant and glorious day. Praise the Lord for the morning, and praise the Lord for the sun that heats the earth and dispels the darkness. We will meet for our mid-week study and prayer meeting this evening at 6 PM, starting with full meal. Praise the Lord for all His simple gifts. I praise the Lord for the life and witness of Melda Dudley, who was 97 years old when she slipped into the presence of Jesus with a smile. Her daughter and son in law Rosa and Byron visited her almost every day. She lived in her own house until recently. Rosa and Byron had visited her Sunday. Monday she was sitting on a chair, and gently she went to be with Jesus. John Wesley said" Christians die well".
Lord Kenneth Clark was internationally known for his TV series "Civilization". While he lived and died without faith in Christ, he admitted an overwhelming religious experience in his autobiography. While visiting a beautiful church, he wrote, “My whole being was irradiated by a kind of heavenly joy far more intense than anything I had known before.” But what he called the “gloom of grace” created a problem for him. If he allowed it to influence him, he knew that he would have to change. He was sure his family would think he had lost his mind. Further, he was fearful that such intense joy would prove to be an illusion. His conclusion was, in his own words, “I was too deeply embedded in the world to change course.” We read about a financier and tax collector named Zacchaeus in John 19. He was deeply embedded in the world. It is clear from his story that there was probably a time in his life when he loved his money, but when he met Jesus, Zacchaeus knew that it wasn’t an illusion. Yes, he also knew that God’s grace would require him to change, but he didn’t care if people thought he’d lost his mind. Whatever he did from that moment on was for the sake of Christ. He was ready to let go. God’s grace requires a new way of life. If we keep hanging on to the branch, because we want to be able to climb back to safety, we will never know what true safety is in the arms of Christ. Zacchaeus knew that and he did not hesitate to show that he was sold out for the Kingdom of God. He let go of that branch because he had discovered what Jesus was offering. According to the Law as written in Leviticus (6:2-7), if a man cheats another, he is to return the amount he stole plus a fifth and bring a ram to the priest for a guilt offering. Zacchaeus went far above and beyond the call of the Law, offering a fourfold restitution, and beyond that he gave half of his possessions to the poor. By his actions, there is no doubt that his heart was repentant concerning his sin. Though he used to count his money and act like Scrooge and take all that he could get, his joy in meeting the Master led him to far exceed the required amount. For Zacchaeus it was not just about a guilt offering, but a freewill offering – a spontaneous and voluntary sacrifice. So many of the offerings in the Old Testament were about restitution for sin – but the freewill offering was about joy in the Lord, and that is what we see evidenced in Zacchaeus' action. Grace requires a new way of life. Jesus loves us just as much as He loved Zacchaeus, and He wants to come to our house today too. If we are waiting for Him in that tree, in our car, beside our bed, or wherever we are, we must be prepared not only to be blown away by His grace – if we can ever really be prepared for that – but also to let go of the things that take us away from Him and His service. God’s grace is free, but when we accept it in faith, we simply cannot keep our old life. When we try to serve our old master too, we quickly find that it doesn’t work. The joy and peace we have been promised evade us because we haven’t really accepted the grace. You have to trade one for the other to get all the benefits. How many Christians do we know who carry around heavy hearts, saddened faces, and burdens on their shoulders? For many this is the way of their lives. The rich young ruler did not know how to let go of his worldly burdens – or didn’t want to – and he walked away in sadness and sorrow. Zacchaeus carelessly and joyfully threw it away for the greatest treasure of all. For all that God has done for us, should it not be with joy that we rise up and call Him Lord?
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x2IpLSfqp8
A minister waited in line to have his car filled with petrol just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him in front of the service station. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. "Reverend," said the young man, "sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip." The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean.It's the same in my business,"
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-23-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for the summer season. It is going to be sunny and brilliant today. It is the Monsoon season in Orissa, India, where the summer season is over. The Schools will re-open on the 25th of June after the Summer break. Micah and Simeon, our grandchildren, took their mommy and daddy to the beach last Sunday for Father's Day. Last evening some friends installed a barbecue pit for me behind the parsonage, and a few days ago another friend delivered a cord of fire wood to use for barbecue. Alice is planning to take our nieces to Washington, DC this Friday, to visit Sunita and Andy. Janice, Micah, and Simeon might be coming down to New York towards the July 4 - exact days yet to be determined. We are excited.
Praise the Lord for The Church. Praise the Lord for the testimony and witness of John and Charles's Wesley. When England was in the midst of the decadence and darkness of the 18th century, the Lord raised people like John and Charles Wesley to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, unafraid, and with boldness, fresh fire, and passion. They were fully sold out for Jesus. They shook the gates of hell, by proclaiming the unchanging gospel in a changing world. They are a part of the company of the committed, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. I want to be counted in that company.
There’s a prayer written by Charles Wesley, which is a covenant prayer:
" I am no longer my own but Thine. Put me to what thou wilt. Rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by Thee, or laid aside for Thee, exalted for Thee and brought low for Thee. Le me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Thou art mine and I am Thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen." It's a beautiful prayer, and I believe we mean it when we say the words. But in truth we really have being exalted, being full, having all things more in mind than being brought low, being empty, and having nothing in the name of the Lord. Though we say yes, when those times come, we struggle, even complain. When we can readily and willingly respond to that kind of call from God, then I believe we have truly submitted our the authority of Jesus our Lord and Saviour.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34yPZiD8OMs
A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times.If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES."When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note. "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job. LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,"===========================There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets," =========================== While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish carriage.The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humour, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign"Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust "
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for the summer season. It is going to be sunny and brilliant today. It is the Monsoon season in Orissa, India, where the summer season is over. The Schools will re-open on the 25th of June after the Summer break. Micah and Simeon, our grandchildren, took their mommy and daddy to the beach last Sunday for Father's Day. Last evening some friends installed a barbecue pit for me behind the parsonage, and a few days ago another friend delivered a cord of fire wood to use for barbecue. Alice is planning to take our nieces to Washington, DC this Friday, to visit Sunita and Andy. Janice, Micah, and Simeon might be coming down to New York towards the July 4 - exact days yet to be determined. We are excited.
Praise the Lord for The Church. Praise the Lord for the testimony and witness of John and Charles's Wesley. When England was in the midst of the decadence and darkness of the 18th century, the Lord raised people like John and Charles Wesley to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, unafraid, and with boldness, fresh fire, and passion. They were fully sold out for Jesus. They shook the gates of hell, by proclaiming the unchanging gospel in a changing world. They are a part of the company of the committed, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. I want to be counted in that company.
There’s a prayer written by Charles Wesley, which is a covenant prayer:
" I am no longer my own but Thine. Put me to what thou wilt. Rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by Thee, or laid aside for Thee, exalted for Thee and brought low for Thee. Le me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Thou art mine and I am Thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen." It's a beautiful prayer, and I believe we mean it when we say the words. But in truth we really have being exalted, being full, having all things more in mind than being brought low, being empty, and having nothing in the name of the Lord. Though we say yes, when those times come, we struggle, even complain. When we can readily and willingly respond to that kind of call from God, then I believe we have truly submitted our the authority of Jesus our Lord and Saviour.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34yPZiD8OMs
A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times.If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES."When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note. "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job. LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,"===========================There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets," =========================== While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish carriage.The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humour, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign"Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust "
Monday, June 22, 2009
Brown's Daily Word 6-22-09
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for the summer season of sowing and tending. Praise the Lord for seasons of sowing and the seasons of reaping. "Those who sow with tears shall reap withe songs of harvest, bringing in the sheaves." Our Lord God is our great provider and faithful supplier. Our Lord Jesus talked about the sower, the seeds, and the soil. It is written:“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every ways so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. The service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of god’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of tanks to God.” Some time ago I read the story about Amedeo Obici: Amedeo Obici was born in 1876 in a small village near Venice, Italy. His widowed mother read him letters from his uncle in America, and Amedeo told everyone he was going to America one day. By the time he was 11 years old, his family had helped him save enough money for an immigrant’s ticket to America, and he set sail by himself. In one account of his story it says Amedeo had no money for food, so his mother gave him a bag of peanuts which was all he had to eat for the 10 day trip across the ocean. When he reached America, this land of opportunity, Amedeo, at 11 years of age, went to work as a bellhop and also as a helper at a fruit stand. He worked hard and saved his money as he had promised his mother. Amedeo soon learned that Americans liked the peanuts he shared with them, but few, if any, were growing them here. Thus, he found a place to plant the handful of peanuts he had left. While his peanuts were growing, he saved enough money to buy a horse and wagon. When his peanut crop came in, he drove around calling himself “The Peanut Specialist” selling roasted peanuts. By 1906 he had developed his own method of blanching and roasting peanuts and founded Planters Peanuts headquartered in Suffolk, VA. He became wealthy enough to send money to his family in Italy, and, years later, he gave to the city of Suffolk theLouise Obici Hospital named after his wife. Though Amedeo had only a handful of peanuts, he had the choice of what he could do with them. He could have eaten them or sold them, but he wisely chose to plant what he had so that, in time, he would have enough to eat, give away, and sell so that he could send money to his family. What will we do with the resources with which the Lord has entrusted us? Will we consume them, or will we plant them? If we plant them, will we plant sparingly, or will we plant generously? It is written in Scripture the words of our Lord concerning sowing and harvesting, "The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. " God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
In Jesus name, Amen.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for the summer season of sowing and tending. Praise the Lord for seasons of sowing and the seasons of reaping. "Those who sow with tears shall reap withe songs of harvest, bringing in the sheaves." Our Lord God is our great provider and faithful supplier. Our Lord Jesus talked about the sower, the seeds, and the soil. It is written:“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every ways so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. The service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of god’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of tanks to God.” Some time ago I read the story about Amedeo Obici: Amedeo Obici was born in 1876 in a small village near Venice, Italy. His widowed mother read him letters from his uncle in America, and Amedeo told everyone he was going to America one day. By the time he was 11 years old, his family had helped him save enough money for an immigrant’s ticket to America, and he set sail by himself. In one account of his story it says Amedeo had no money for food, so his mother gave him a bag of peanuts which was all he had to eat for the 10 day trip across the ocean. When he reached America, this land of opportunity, Amedeo, at 11 years of age, went to work as a bellhop and also as a helper at a fruit stand. He worked hard and saved his money as he had promised his mother. Amedeo soon learned that Americans liked the peanuts he shared with them, but few, if any, were growing them here. Thus, he found a place to plant the handful of peanuts he had left. While his peanuts were growing, he saved enough money to buy a horse and wagon. When his peanut crop came in, he drove around calling himself “The Peanut Specialist” selling roasted peanuts. By 1906 he had developed his own method of blanching and roasting peanuts and founded Planters Peanuts headquartered in Suffolk, VA. He became wealthy enough to send money to his family in Italy, and, years later, he gave to the city of Suffolk theLouise Obici Hospital named after his wife. Though Amedeo had only a handful of peanuts, he had the choice of what he could do with them. He could have eaten them or sold them, but he wisely chose to plant what he had so that, in time, he would have enough to eat, give away, and sell so that he could send money to his family. What will we do with the resources with which the Lord has entrusted us? Will we consume them, or will we plant them? If we plant them, will we plant sparingly, or will we plant generously? It is written in Scripture the words of our Lord concerning sowing and harvesting, "The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. " God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
In Jesus name, Amen.
In Him,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU
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